Chapter : 05
“Are you insane?”
“I am perfectly sane.”
At Alben’s clear answer, Rete’s brow furrowed.
There was no way he didn’t know that she was trying to bring in a foreign envoy to keep him in check.
And yet, knowing that, he still coveted the position.
He truly was an insatiably greedy man.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“There is nothing that could cause a problem. I lack nothing in either status or bloodline.”
“There is something that could cause a problem. You don’t meet the condition I stated.”
“‘Someone who is willing to cast aside their family, pride, and honor for the sake of this country.’ That was what Your Majesty said.”
“I’m glad you remember.”
“Are you capable of casting them aside, Your Majesty?”
At Alben’s question, Rete let out a hollow laugh.
Could she cast them aside?
Could there possibly be an easier question?
“Gladly.”
“Even your life?”
“Duke. I don’t know about you, but if my pride, honor, and life can protect this country, then they are an exceedingly cheap price to pay.”
“Then all the more reason for you to accept my proposal. Otherwise, someday I may have no choice but to take Your Majesty’s head.”
His greed disgusted her, and she was furious at his constant demands for a royal marriage.
After all, there was no one who fit the condition of being devoted to this country less than him.
Swallowing her anger, she spoke.
“Was what you just said treason?”
“It was a concern. A concern born from my love for this country.”
His words flowed smoothly, as though they were nothing but the truth.
“I have no intention of standing by and watching anything that harms this country. That includes Your Majesty, should you become a threat to it.”
He spoke in a low voice and took several long strides toward her.
Slowly, as one might approach a wary animal, he raised his hand.
Its destination was her cheek.
As his hand stroked her face as though touching something precious, Rete felt the blood in her veins run cold.
The situation from before her regression and the situation now overlapped before her eyes.
“If Your Majesty were to become a threat to this country, then as a loyal subject, I would have no choice but to personally take your head.”
Back then, too, Alben had touched her face with the same impassive expression.
Without a word, Rete aimed the muzzle of the gun in her hand at him.
He glanced at the gun positioned beneath his chin and let out a quiet scoff.
He’s laughing?
“My apologies.”
Alben took two or three steps back.
Even after he retreated, the gun showed no sign of lowering.
“I wonder since when a loyal subject became someone who could brazenly declare that they would take the king’s head.”
“Unfortunately, my loyalty belongs not to Your Majesty, but to this country. I ask that you understand.”
His life was one twitch of her finger away from ending.
And yet he calmly answered her without the slightest trace of fear.
His composure only irritated her further.
“There is a very famous saying in Arvei that even a three-year-old child knows.”
It was one of the reasons she was hostile toward House Avihi.
“All of Arvei’s information, all its money, and all its power are in the hands of the Duke of Avihi. Therefore, never dare to anger the Duke of Avihi, and never become his enemy.”
Power more absolute than anything that had ever been shared with another.
That was why, no matter what evil deeds the Duke of Avihi committed—even if he handed this country and its people over to the Empire—no one could raise their voice in opposition.
The moment someone stood against him, they could no longer live in Arvei.
“You seem to consider yourself a loyal subject. If you truly care so much about this country, how about ending your own life? Your existence is poison to this country.”
“I’m afraid our opinions differ. The poison I consider to be threatening this country is its royal family.”
“And yet you intend to become a member of that royal family. How contradictory.”
“Did you know that poison can become medicine depending on who uses it?”
“What?”
“I intend to make good use of that poison. It seems to be more useful than I expected.”
Pressing the gun downward, Alben spoke.
“So Your Majesty should stop pointing a gun you cannot bring yourself to fire and obediently accept my marriage proposal.”
In the end, he was saying that he wanted to marry her so he could use her however he pleased.
Rete could not suppress a derisive laugh at his arrogance.
“What should I do? I haven’t found any use for poison like you.”
She had not the slightest intention of allowing herself to be used obediently.
Nor would she entertain even the foolish hope of relying on his cooperation, as she had in the past.
“In other words, even if you searched with your eyes wide open, you still wouldn’t find any use for me.”
He was a traitor who had betrayed this country, its people, and her.
There was no reason to believe that someone who had betrayed them once would not betray them twice.
Knowing that he was poison capable of killing both her and this country, she had absolutely no intention of swallowing it.
“Then Your Majesty should think carefully about how poison like me can become medicine.”
“Don’t misunderstand, Duke. A king uses what has been proven. The burden of proving yourself is yours.”
So let’s get rid of him.
“But I am a benevolent ruler, so I shall give you a chance.”
In a way that no one could object to.
“If you succeed, I will seriously consider accepting your proposal.”
She would make it so that even as a ghost he could never return, and even in death, he would never be buried in this land.
“What do you say?”
Jan, who had come to House Avihi, climbed the familiar stairs.
Paintings by representative artists of each era, displaying the artistic styles that had been fashionable at the time, adorned the walls.
It was a stark contrast to the bleak royal palace, where all kinds of artworks had been sold off to repay the debts owed to nobles because of war reparations.
I really did make the right choice by siding with the Duke.
There was no way a poor and powerless queen could stand against the duke.
Once again certain of his decision, Jan looked at the stacks of documents he was carrying in both hands.
They were documents addressed to the queen—documents of whose very existence she was unaware.
Normally, diverting documents meant for the king was punishable as treason, but Jan was not particularly worried.
If the Duke of Avihi wanted to see these documents, what could the king possibly say about it?
He knocked on the door of the study.
When he carefully entered, he found Alben Avihi busily examining documents at his desk.
“These are the documents that arrived for Her Majesty the Queen today.”
Jan’s eyes darted around, searching for an empty spot on the desk, which was packed with documents.
Just as he finally found a small space and placed the papers down, he noticed a cane leaning against the duke’s desk.
It was an unfamiliar object in a study where the only thing that ever changed was the contents of the documents.
And that was not the only unfamiliar thing.
Jan tilted his head when he saw the name of the workshop engraved on the handle.
Madler?
He knew most of the workshops in the capital, but he had never heard of a workshop called Madler.
“I will be away for a while.”
At that moment, Jan tensed at the voice coming from across the room.
Alben had apparently already taken his eyes off the documents and was staring directly at Jan.
“During that time, stay close to Her Majesty and look after her well.”
“Where are you suddenly going…?”
“I hear she will accept my proposal if I establish diplomatic relations with the Baltar Empire.”
“Y-Your proposal… You mean you proposed to Her Majesty the Queen?”
Jan stammered in bewilderment.
Why on earth would the House of Avihi lack anything enough for the duke to propose to the queen?
And he was even taking on the troublesome task of establishing diplomatic relations!
If he wanted to, he could make not only every proposal sent to the queen disappear, but also the noble families who had sent them.
It was an utterly incomprehensible eccentricity.
Alben’s gaze narrowed as he looked at Jan.
His eyes became even colder, revealing his displeasure.
“Your manner of speaking is too casual.”
“Pardon?”
Cold sweat trickled down Jan’s spine.
He had stumbled over his words a little, but he had clearly spoken respectfully to the duke.
It was difficult to understand exactly what had displeased the Duke of Avihi.
“Baron Jan Hoshikov.”
“Yes!”
“Yes, you are a baron. But don’t you think it is disrespectful to use an improper title for the ruler of this country?”
“I will correct myself!”
“I sincerely hope there will not be a second mistake.”
Only then did the duke’s sharp atmosphere ease somewhat at Jan’s properly disciplined response.
“Anything else to report?”
“There are already nobles who have sent proposals to Her Majesty the Queen. I diverted those as well for now. What should I do with them?”
“Burn them. From now on, bring me the names of the nobles who send proposals as well. We need to set an example.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“And I will rescind the previous order.”
“The previous order… You mean the order to monitor Her Majesty?”
Jan asked in confusion.
Until the moment he had been appointed as the queen’s aide, Alben Avihi had been the one ordering him to find out whom the queen met, what she talked about, and even something as trivial as her sleeping habits.
The duke, who was notorious for disliking the royal family, had suddenly reprimanded him for the way he addressed the queen and was now even rescinding the order to spy on her.
Ever since the queen had entered the capital, Alben Avihi’s behavior had been nothing but strange.
Could it be… he has fallen for her?
It was true that the queen was a strikingly beautiful woman.
But who would have thought she could actually capture the heart of the Duke of Avihi?
Judging by their contrasting reactions, it was obvious that the duke’s feelings were an unrequited love.
If the nobles found out, they’d probably be so shocked they’d faint…
At that moment, a brilliant idea flashed through Jan’s mind.
The nobles still looked down on the queen.
If he devoted himself to taking good care of the queen and earned her trust at a time like this, then someday he could become the right-hand man of both the queen and the Duke of Avihi.
If that happens, everyone will look up to Jan Hoshikov!
As he continued imagining his future, Jan could practically hear the doors to success opening before him.
Then Alben’s words drove a nail into his fantasy.
“From now on, devote yourself to getting rid of the nobles who approach Her Majesty.”
The corners of Jan’s mouth rose almost to his ears.
“Leave it to me! I will make sure no man gets anywhere near Her Majesty!”
Jan answered in a spirited voice and bowed deeply.
His footsteps were light as he left the study.
Once Jan had gone, the study became silent in an instant.
Alben opened one of the proposals that had arrived for Rete.
The letter began with Dear Her Majesty the Queen and continued with rather cliché praises of the queen’s beauty.
[I was captivated by your beautiful red hair, like roses…]
Alben gave a quiet scoff as he read the line.
“Like a rose.”
It was something only someone who did not know that woman could say.
She could never be compared to such a pitiful flower that would be crushed beyond recognition if held in one hand.
If he had to compare her to something, the queen was the sun.
Bright enough to illuminate the world, yet hot enough to burn it.
He knew that queen.
‘Betrayer… begging for… life… no need…’
The eyes that had burned with fierce anger even as she lay dying.
The hair dyed such a vivid red that it could never be compared to something as mundane as a rose.
The queen who had shone more brilliantly than anyone else while destroying this country.
Alben remembered that queen.
“I wonder if you will beg me for your life again this time.”
Alben whispered quietly as he looked at the cane leaning against the desk.
