TWCT 07

Chapter 07

[SIDE: King Feliks] Queen Rupia 2

As I had forcibly placed Rupia into the position of my wife, every great nation had its own way of doing things.

From the perspective of other countries, such actions might seem arrogant or self-righteous—but to the Kingdom of Diablo, they were simply normal and unquestionable practices.

Because methods differ depending on perspective, I had assumed before meeting her that even if Rupia were proud or selfish, it would be unavoidable given her upbringing as a princess of a great nation.

However, the real Rupia was neither arrogant nor selfish. Instead, she gave the impression of a refined young lady raised in careful seclusion.

She possessed proper education and knowledge, and it was clear she had put great effort into her upbringing.

Moreover, she was well-versed in our country’s culture and spoke the language of the Starling Kingdom as fluently as her native tongue.

From this, I became certain that she had sincerely worked to become a proper queen of our nation, and I felt genuinely pleased.

For that reason, I was grateful to have her as my wife. However, there was one thing that confused me.

That was the fact that she behaved as if she were in love with me.

During our one-year engagement period, she only sent polite letters at regular intervals and showed no sign of attachment.

I had even investigated her past interactions with me, but we had only met a few times at official ceremonies—nothing that would explain such devotion.

In other words, there was no reason for her to be attached to me, nor any cause for her behavior.

Yet after the wedding day, she began acting as if she were deeply in love with me, and I could not understand why.

Seeking a different perspective, I asked my chancellor, Gilbert, during a break from my duties.

“Gilbert, ever since the wedding, Rupia has been acting as if she is in love with me. Why is that? It cannot be that she developed feelings so quickly, so perhaps she is merely pretending—but I do not understand her intent. Or do you think she truly has some affection for me?”

Gilbert let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Your Majesty, have you already been deceived in just a few days? Have you forgotten how cunning women can be? The Queen’s actions are clearly not affection—they are purely strategic!”

Seeing him speak ill of Rupia so openly reminded me that, although usually fair-minded, he was unusually harsh toward her.

That was because Gilbert was the brother of Rupia’s personal maid.

In other words, he was the son of my wet nurse, and we had spent much of our childhood together. His attachment to me was unusually strong.

And over the years, he had independently selected a bride candidate for me—a certain noble daughter from a viscount’s family.

But she could not compare to Rupia, the princess of a great nation.

The moment Rupia Diablo’s name appeared, all other noble ladies were dismissed.

Gilbert had never accepted this.

He believed he had carefully prepared the best possible bride for me, so being denied the chance to even present her left him deeply frustrated.

That unresolved anger had been redirected toward Rupia, who had become my wife through overwhelming national power.

…I could understand his feelings, but given the strength of the Kingdom of Diablo, it was something I had no choice but to accept.

As if sensing my thoughts, Gilbert spoke again angrily.

“It all started from that disastrous selection meeting for Your Majesty’s bride last year! You remember it, don’t you? It was supposed to take a month to evaluate noble daughters from each family, but the moment Rupia’s name was mentioned on the first day, everything ended! It was unprecedented!”

“Of course I remember. The way normally composed dukes and ministers stood there with their mouths hanging open, staring at the Diablo envoy… that is not something I could ever forget.”

At my words, Gilbert frowned sharply.

“This is not something to laugh about! The great nobles of our kingdom spent years preparing their finest daughters, only for them to be swept aside by Diablo’s overwhelming power! Every single one of those ladies was more than worthy of becoming Queen!”

Even though a year had passed, he still looked as frustrated as if it had happened yesterday.

Trying to calm him, I raised a hand.

“There is no need to be so pessimistic. Rupia is more than acceptable. She is beautiful, and she lacks the arrogance or self-importance one might expect from a great nation’s princess.”

Gilbert snorted.

“So you would take the side of the Queen you have only known for a few days over my judgment after years of service? It seems you and Lady Rupia are quite the lovers already! How wonderful!”

Then, with a mocking expression, he continued.

“Your Majesty is exceptionally handsome, after all. Perhaps Lady Rupia’s heart simply exploded at first sight because the portrait I provided failed to capture your true beauty?”

I looked at him, exasperated, as he theatrically spread his arms.

“Even if I am somewhat presentable, Rupia is a princess of a great nation. She has surely seen countless handsome men. Even her brother, Crown Prince Ludger, is said to be exceptionally handsome. I do not believe I stand above such a group.”

“Your Majesty’s greatest quality is your ability to judge yourself fairly despite wearing the crown of supremacy,” Gilbert replied—whether it was praise or mockery, I could not tell.

He continued.

“With all due respect, I believe Lady Rupia simply wanted to become ‘Queen.’ Even as a princess of a great nation, she is only the fifth princess. She likely held frustrations over her position and dreamed of becoming the number one—the Queen.”

“That… is something I have considered as well.”

Rupia had four older sisters and one older brother.

Although she was loved as the youngest, she was unlikely to have held much real political standing.

Gilbert continued in a mocking tone.

“In any case, there is no connection between Lady Rupia and something as cute as love at first sight. Someone raised in privilege, fully aware of its value, cannot remain pure and innocent. She simply married you for power and status.”

“She is a princess of a great nation, after all. It is only natural she would wish to remain in a position where she is served and refuse to give it up.”

I thought Gilbert truly disliked her.

To calm him, I continued.

—After all, she was only seventeen.

It was natural for someone raised in luxury and splendor to prefer such a life.

And a princess raised like a butterfly in a grand nation could hardly be expected to live any other way.

“Her desire for power and status is not a problem. But… she doesn’t need to act as if she is in love with me, does she? We both know this marriage is political. That is why we should build a sincere and considerate relationship. When emotions that contradict reality are performed, I begin to lose sight of what is real.”

I murmured this, and Gilbert shrugged.

“I agree. But perhaps she is using the appearance of love to place Your Majesty under her control and extract more benefits. In any case, I am only a mere viscount. I cannot claim to understand the mind of the Queen. The marriage has only just begun—you have plenty of time. Observe her carefully and find your answer. And when you do, please do inform me.”

With that, he turned back to his documents, signaling the end of the conversation.

Seeing his calm demeanor, a mischievous thought arose in me.

So I adopted a serious expression and spoke.

“By the way… regarding Rupia… I may have married a truly exceptional wife.”

“What do you mean?”

Gilbert asked skeptically.

Lowering my voice, I said:

“Between us, Rupia is apparently a descendant of witches.”

“…What?”

Gilbert stared at me as if I had lost my mind, but I continued expressionlessly.

“She is said to be able to transfer any fatal injury or incurable illness from me into her own body and heal it.”

“That is…”

For a moment, Gilbert looked disgusted, then immediately raised his voice.

“That is pure delusion! The typical fantasy of someone who wants to believe they are special! She is seventeen—how is she still saying such things?!”

I shrugged.

“Well, perhaps she is more childish than I thought. But as you said, she is only the fifth princess of a great nation. She may have had frustrations compared to her siblings and simply wants to believe she is special.”

Gilbert sighed in exhaustion.

“It is fine to indulge in delusions alone, but involving Your Majesty is another matter entirely.”

“As I said, this is a ‘secret.’ She has asked me not to tell many people.”

“I am relieved to hear the Queen at least has some sense of caution.”

With that, we returned to our seats and resumed our duties.

In ancient times, there were said to be beings called “witches” who formed contracts with gods and wielded miraculous powers.

But all of that was nothing more than legend.

No one had ever confirmed such power.

No one had ever met such a being.

And so, I dismissed Rupia’s claim of being a “witch” as nothing more than a young girl’s innocent fantasy.