Chapter 10
“Even so, His Majesty will not take pity on Your Highness.”
Olga said as she dried Nadia’s hair after her bath. Despite the affectionate touch, her voice was cold.
“You would do well to realize quickly that pity is not a tactic that works on that man.”
“It’s not like that. It’s not as if I did it knowing when His Majesty would come……”
Nadia, who had been silent all along, opened her mouth with a sigh. Olga frowned and asked.
“Then were you sitting on the ground to make things difficult for me?”
“No. I just……”
Nadia seemed to hesitate, her lips moving briefly before she continued.
“I’m afraid of rainy days. So I might show that unsightly side again in the future when it rains.”
It was a somewhat difficult answer for Olga to understand.
Afraid of rainy days? Why?
“Thunder is even scarier. On days like that, I will absolutely not go outside. As His Majesty said, it is an unsightly sight for a queen of a nation.”
But there was no need to be curious. She was not in a relationship with the queen to build such bonds. Olga nodded as if to say she would keep it in mind.
“May I lie down for a bit?”
Olga left with the maids instead of answering. Left alone, Nadia let out another deep breath and lay down on the bed. There was no strength in her entire body.
It was not that what happened today was not humiliating. No matter how little she expected from this position, and however grateful she was for the king’s measure of not sending her abroad.
Today’s events were an act that completely denied her personhood. But what would change by being angry and fighting back? It was something the king tacitly permitted and his favorite led.
“I’ll only be hated more for nothing.”
Of course, she did not think people would hate her less if she stayed still. What was certain was that if she lost her temper at every turn, she would be the one to tire first.
Nadia knew through experience that this was the fate of the weak.
Nadia’s eyes slowly closed. The sound of raindrops tapping on the closed window came clearly.
When would these damned rainy days become less frightening?
There was nothing wrong with the king’s words that she was unsightly.
Nadia also found herself pathetic for still being trapped in the memories of a child.
***
After that, time passed quietly. Of course, that did not mean nothing happened.
“Countess, it’s been a while……”
Nadia, spotting Albina approaching from afar, raised her hand first to acknowledge her. But Albina passed right by Nadia as if brushing her off.
Nadia watched Albina’s retreating figure with a very awkward expression, then shrugged and muttered.
“I suppose she’s very busy.”
Or things like this.
“When is Lady Velevin coming? I’ve already waited thirty minutes.”
“I apologize, Your Highness. It seems the madam’s time attending His Majesty has grown long.”
“……”
Or this.
“This Mother’s Day, my son gave me a diamond the size of a deer’s eye as a gift.”
“How beautiful. You have a wonderful son.”
“He grew up well thanks to my proper conduct. At least I never did anything like carrying on with another man while my husband was right there.”
Or this.
‘Endure it.’
Nadia tried to take each instance lightly. Sometimes she wondered if she would not have suffered these insults had she simply gone abroad.
But the answer came immediately: ‘No.’ There would be nowhere for her, cast adrift after her mother’s death, to be treated kindly.
Nadia knew her place. So she silently endured every humiliation and focused only on her duties.
Even though it was no ordinary contempt, as the queen devoted herself solely to her responsibilities, whispers began to spread through social circles that she was remarkable.
“As expected of Agnes’s daughter, I suppose. If it were me, I would have cried every night. But they say the queen does not even blink no matter what insult she suffers?”
“That may be true in public, but who knows behind closed doors. In any case, I hear there is not a single flaw in the Inner Palace affairsāthat much deserves high praise.”
“If she could not even do that work, where would that woman have to stand? His Majesty keeps only Countess Velevin at his side, and everyone hates her.”
Even a worm must wriggle to be worth stepping on. But as Nadia maintained a calm expression no matter what humiliation she suffered, people gradually began to lose interest in tormenting her.
“What a creepy woman!”
Someone even seemed more heated than before. Albina threw a cushion at the wall and fumed.
She had expected Nadia would not be easy, but Nadia simply endured every provocation and insult in silence.
It felt as though she were insulting herself, her own mother, the late Queen Anna, and even the king, and Albina could not bear the anger.
“How on earth can I tear off that woman’s mask? At this rate, it will be standing still forever.”
“As the countess said, it would become easier if the queen were to develop feelings for His Majesty the King.”
At her maid’s advice, Albina shook her head.
“Even if I were the queen, I could not love His Majesty. A husband who took a mistress before the wedding, a husband who just watches as his mistress heaps every insult upon herāwhat insane woman would like such a man?”
“You could try asking His Majesty for help……”
“Stop. His Majesty has already sacrificed enough by marrying that woman.”
Of course, there was also the purpose of keeping his heart sharply honed by marrying a woman he hated……
She knew well that it also carried the meaning of completing this revenge by throwing Nadia as a target for her frustration to herself and to all those who had suffered because of Agnes.
“But if it is not His Majesty, we will remain at a standstill. His Majesty is fair of face, so if he would just take one step forward……”
“Are you talking about me?”
At the voice that came just then, Albina started and bowed her head. Lev asked with one eyebrow raised.
“What is the matter, Albina?”
“It’s nothing……”
Albina, who was about to answer as if it were nothing, soon sighed and spoke honestly.
“No matter what I do, the queen does not budge. That makes me so angry.”
Albina continued, grinding her teeth.
“My heart tells me to just kill her with a single stroke. By my nature, that would be the right way, but it is unbearable to put on a dress that does not suit me and offer petty insults.”
“……”
He understood Albina’s feelings. He had heard that she was suffering every possible humiliation both inside and out, yet the person in question showed no sense of impact at all. Even from the tormentor’s perspective, it must be exhausting.
“I suppose bloodline cannot be ignored.”
“Yes, Agnes must have endured in the palace the same way.”
“More remarkable than Agnes. At least she had the backing of the late king’s favor.”
Now the queen had no one to run to and squeeze out tears before, even after suffering mistreatment. Lev was pondering how to break through this situation whenā
“If the queen loved Your Majesty, things would be a bit easier.”
Why did that particular sentence come to mind? One of Lev’s brows furrowed. At that very moment, the image of the woman’s eyesāshaken for the first time as she kissed himāalso came to mind.
Yes, as Albina said, he had been avoiding the easy path until now. Because he had wondered if he really needed to go that far. But now was clearly a time when change was needed.
“There is a way, Albina.”
As Lev opened his mouth slowly, Albina’s eyes went round.
“What do you intend to do?”
“We cannot keep the situation stalled like this forever. A step back for the sake of a step forward is sometimes necessary.”
Albina still looked uneasy, as if she could not grasp his meaning. Lev, meanwhile, continued with an indifferent face.
“The debutante ball is not far off. It will be a suitable stage for turning the situation around.”
A day when flowers bloom in profusion with sweet fragrance, and everyone dresses to the nines to find a partner.
On such a day, it would not be so strange for anything to happen.
***
The debutante ball was the first royal banquet Nadia would host since becoming queen.
Since it was her first, there would inevitably be shortcomings, but Nadia threw herself into it with all her passion, wanting to prepare the most perfect ball possible.
“You seem to be overdoing it.”
Even Olga, watching, quietly added a word.
At the unexpected warm concern, Nadia looked at Olga with a slightly surprised expression, and Olga added as if to tell her not to misunderstand.
“If you were to collapse from this, the world would see me as a negligent maid.”
“Ah……”
Nadia seemed pleased even by the brusque words. I shouldn’t have said anything. Olga regretted it belatedly.
“Don’t worry. I’m sturdy.”
At the bright smile and rather spirited voice trying to reassure her, Olga let out a hollow laugh.
Sturdy, indeed. With arms and legs thin as twigs.
Having poured her passion into preparing for the ball recently and eating only haphazardly, the queenāalready slenderānow had not an ounce of extra flesh to be found.
“Your Highness the Queen.”
Just then, a maid entered and delivered unexpected news.
“His Majesty the King has sent a gift.”
