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Chapter 107
Now I Understand
When Diana woke from her long sleep, three days had already passed. As soon as she sat up, Mabel rushed over. Her throat was dry and she couldn’t make a sound; as if she understood that, Mabel brought water.
“If you drink it too fast you’ll feel sick. Sip slowly.”
Diana nodded, put the water to her lips, and let it trickle down her throat. She coughed a little — a choking cough — and a hoarse voice came out, if only slightly.
As her voice returned, a sharp ache began pounding in her head. Diana pressed her hand to her temples and groaned; Mabel brought medicine. Staring at the bottle, Diana swallowed the pills without a word. She breathed slowly and looked around.
“You must have had a very hard time.”
At Diana’s words, Mabel’s expression changed.
“Did His Majesty punish the servants?”
Mabel shook her head.
“Even if punishment happened, it would be because of their faults. How dare they—”
When Diana began to blame the remaining maids, Mabel shook her head.
“I purposely sent them away. It wasn’t really their fault.”
Diana looked at the cup of water. Her hand seemed weak; the water in the cup trembled slightly.
“You still thought of me and the children at a moment like that.”
Diana looked at Mabel. There were tears in Mabel’s usually stern, rigid eyes.
Diana realized what must have happened. She had been saved, and now she’d returned. For that reason, she said to Mabel:
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
“Mabel, I’m sorry. I should apologize to you first.”
Diana apologized sincerely. In her previous life they had never been close; she had assumed Mabel had treated her harshly on purpose. She believed herself a victim and had been sharp with Mabel in return.
Even so, Mabel had never once lost her temper. Now Diana thought she understood. Mabel had not tormented Diana. In hindsight, Mabel had stayed by Diana’s side until Diana was driven into a corner and chose to attempt suicide.
Everything felt relieved.
“Please do not apologize to the servants. I knew you were just giving me a rest.”
Mabel answered, perhaps misunderstanding Diana’s meaning. Diana managed a bitter smile. She alone remembered how bad their relationship had been in the previous life — and maybe it always would be — but she smiled faintly and nodded.
“Then I will call for people.”
Mabel bowed slightly and, reading the silent consent in Diana’s face, opened the door.
“The Queen has awakened!”
At Mabel’s shout, the hallway erupted in commotion. The once-quiet palace buzzed. Then heavy footfalls approached and someone burst in.
“Your Majesty the Queen!”
The loud voice belonged to Princess Kragel. Diana’s hazy mind cleared at once. Seeing Kragel’s face, Diana was startled.
Her cheeks were swollen red — literally puffed up.
“Did someone hit you?”
“Who would hit me! What kind of thing is that to say the moment I wake up!”
Princess Kragel was as tactless as ever.
“I cried because of the Queen, that’s why my face is like this! Right?!”
Her features rounded with the swelling and looked somewhat cute; Diana had to restrain a laugh.
“Boohoo! How could this happen! Right?!”
“…”
“They put a mark on the carriage, the carriage, they said they’d mark it!”
Diana offered an awkward smile. So the spirit’s mark had apparently disappeared when she fell.
“Well, I’m glad you woke up.”
‘This is a bit scary…’
Even though Kragel was broad-shouldered and robust, with bright red eyes and that grin she looked a little frightening.
“Do you know how worried we were? Rogafl and Sir Vil Varda were the same.”
“I see… Are they safe?”
“They nearly lost their heads, but they’re alright. When His Majesty stopped the ceremony and came here, you should’ve seen how surprised he was…”
“His Majesty?”
“Yes! He appeared behind us, somehow knowing where we were. I thought my head was going to be taken that day.”
“Rivus, that wretched bastard…”
Diana muttered darkly.
“Eh?”
“Ah, nothing.”
Diana thought of the chancellor who would have licked her boots — how could Giskar have known? It could only have been Rivus. He’d told Giskar, even though she had tried to trust him; that had led to this. Of course Diana had ended up collapsing and in danger, and there was no excuse anymore.
“How was I saved?”
When Diana asked, Princess Kragel’s eyes flickered.
“Don’t you remember? Someone found you abandoned in a barn and brought you out.”
Diana nodded. She’d had nightmares about Emil, but she couldn’t recall after that.
“More importantly, Your Majesty—why did you do it?”
Princess Kragel asked then. Diana pondered the question so intently that she didn’t notice the visitor who had slipped in and placed a finger to his lips to keep everyone quiet.
“Isn’t it obvious? I told you.”
“…You meant to drive Princess Revian out—”
“Of course.”
Kragel’s expression turned strange. Seeing her confusion, Diana wondered whether she had misspoken. Slowly she asked:
“Why would you risk your life to drive Princess Revian out?”
“Because there was no other way.”
“Why? You could have told His Majesty. From the start it was strange. Why did you leave that woman alone? You could have told the King.”
“Telling His Majesty to remove Princess Revian? Is that even possible?”
At once, Princess Kragel froze, staring at Diana’s ingenuous face as if shocked. She’d always thought Diana rational and composed; only now did she realize Diana had fallen into some odd conviction.
‘Giskar Rodbrock will not step out for her; he will not take her side; he won’t do as she wishes.’
A rock-solid belief had taken root in Diana. She spoke with a tone of wounded injustice.
“Kragel, you know it too, don’t you? The Revian house helped His Majesty’s ascension the most. I, as Queen, cannot pick a fight with such a family. There has to be justification for it…”
Even Diana thought it odd. Why did Kragel not understand? Could it be she didn’t grasp Diana’s position? Why did Kragel speak as if they were a real married couple?
This was an opportunity. If Princess Revian were behind Mirva, then through Mirva Diana could expose what Revian had done to Giskar.
“You decided to make yourself the justification?”
Diana nodded. A sigh escaped Princess Kragel. Seeing that, Diana felt something profoundly wrong. Then a man’s voice spoke.
“Enough of that. Princess, step outside for a moment.”
Kragel startled and turned. Giskar was already standing by the bedside.
Diana looked at him with a hardened expression. Kragel looked up at Giskar and, as if steeling herself, said:
“Your Majesty.”
“…”
“Please do not be angry with the Queen.”
Diana didn’t understand the request. Why was Kragel appealing to Giskar? Giskar didn’t give Kragel a glance and simply said:
“This is a matter between the two of them. It’s overreaching.”
At Giskar’s rebuke, Kragel bowed and cautiously left the room, her voice sounding oddly hollow.
Giskar sat beside Diana. His gaze prickled like a needle and landed on her cheek. Diana, unable to bear the awkwardness, bowed her head and spoke.
“I would have appreciated being told you came. Women’s conversations aren’t exactly entertaining.”
Giskar’s breathing quickened slightly. Diana realized she had made a sarcastic remark even in that moment and wanted to clamp her mouth shut. She should not offend Giskar now.
“I only came to see your face. I had no intention of eavesdropping.”
After that, Giskar said nothing and just looked at Diana. He did not show anger; his thoughts were inscrutable. Diana closed her eyes tightly and said:
“I know it’s hard to believe, but I wasn’t trying to run away.”
“…”
“Please believe me. Therefore, please do not punish Princess Kragel or the knights. They only trusted me. If you must punish someone…”
“Do you know when you speak the most?”
“…”
“It’s at moments like this. When you open your mouth for others.”
He reached out his hand. Diana accepted it. Her rigid body struggled to respond to that touch.
“As you wish. Princess Revian is in prison. We’re looking into that madwoman and the accusations against her.”
Diana’s eyes widened. Revian in prison? Could it be so easy? She inhaled sharply. Did this mean Giskar didn’t care about relations with the Revian family? That wasn’t what Diana had wanted.
“Do you not care about relations with the dukes?”
“Why should I care from the start?”
Diana flinched. She had not meant to offend. She only remembered how close the Revian dukes had been in the previous life; she knew how dangerous it would be if they turned away.
“Nothing is more important than my current wife.”
“…”
“I…”
He looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes, as if choosing his emotions.
“But you will believe nothing I say.”
“…”
“You’ve already decided that. No matter how I act, you are surprised, and I say it’s not true, and you cannot trust me.”
Giskar’s gaze returned to Diana: her pale face, her wasted body. Sometimes a faint spark of life stirred, but mostly she looked like someone barely surviving.
“Maybe giving you three years was a very good choice.”
He muttered that suddenly. Why did three years come up? Giskar did not elaborate and simply looked at Diana’s face. Her expression, though blank, was gloomy and sad. Diana felt she had committed a great mistake.
