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Chapter 13
The reasoning she had laid out so forcefully was not wrong.
The problem was that it had come from Medeia—a timid and foolish princess.
Catherine blinked, momentarily stunned. Soon, she regained her composure and nodded.
“…Yes, of course. I will bring the physician… to visit Her Majesty later.”
However, Medeia was certain that, despite her words, Catherine would never actually bring the divine doctor to the Queen Dowager.
“Sister, Mother went all the way to Kazen herself to bring that physician for you. Isn’t it too much to disregard her sincerity like this?”
Birna pouted.
“From Aunt herself? Even if the journey was long, we’re in the middle of a war. And Sir Siseo, strict as he is, allowed that?”
Medeia widened her eyes as if surprised.
“Birna! I told you to watch your tongue!”
Catherine’s face changed as she sharply scolded her daughter.
“Please don’t worry, Your Highness. Proper procedures were followed, and his identity is fully verified. He merely arrived in Valdina ahead of the Kazen delegation as their chief physician.”
Catherine smoothly offered an excuse, then quickly adopted a sorrowful expression.
“But… for you to doubt the identity of the physician I brought… I must admit, I’m a little hurt.”
“……”
“Forgive my boldness, but I have always thought of Your Highness as my own daughter. Surely you are not pushing me away because of childish manipulations by others?”
Catherine dabbed at her tears. The sight of a refined noblewoman quietly weeping was deeply moving.
The newly assigned maids standing by the wall exchanged glances.
They had heard that the duchess had cared for the princess with utmost devotion since childhood—
even that she had chosen not to have a third child for Medeia’s sake.
Seeing her now being treated coldly by the princess stirred sympathy.
Catherine, of course, knew exactly what the maids would think.
She pressed harder at the corners of her eyes, forcing more tears.
The more Medeia’s words spread throughout the palace, the more they would add weight to her bad reputation—
That the princess of Valdina was foolish and ungrateful.
“Is that really so?”
Medeia asked calmly, her tone the complete opposite of Catherine’s tearful display.
“Forgive me, Aunt. Your words are touching, but they do not reach my heart.”
“Sister! What’s gotten into you today? How can you say something like that!”
Birna snapped.
“Is that so?”
Medeia gazed at her quietly.
“I cannot agree.”
The moment Birna met those gleaming green eyes, she instinctively shrank back.
“If Aunt truly thought of me as her own daughter, she wouldn’t have allowed the Head Maid to treat me like this.”
“Your Highness, what do you mean?”
“You already know. Ever since my conflict with the Head Maid, what kind of treatment I’ve received.”
“……”
“The rumors have spread throughout the palace. Surely they didn’t somehow skip over the ducal house. Look at these newly replaced maids—you noticed my discomfort, yet didn’t notice that all my attendants had been replaced?”
The maids’ gazes shifted toward Catherine.
Now that it was pointed out, her reaction did seem contradictory.
Catherine felt both flustered and suffocated.
Of course she knew. The original maids had all been replaced—new eyes brought in to monitor the princess.
But before she could bring it up, Medeia had already cornered her.
Growing anxious, Catherine stood and approached Medeia.
“I understand that the Head Maid is your close friend, Aunt, so it must be difficult for you to judge fairly between us.”
“Your Highness, that’s not—”
“So I chose not to bring it up, believing I understood your position.”
Medeia’s flat voice cut cleanly through the cold air of the palace.
“Wasn’t it out of guilt for failing to stop the Head Maid’s tyranny that you brought this physician to me?”
“That’s not true! The Claudio family has always been on Your Highness’s side. No one—not even my closest friend—matters more than you!”
Medeia brushed away Catherine’s reaching hand.
“I wonder about that, Aunt. Forgive me for leaving first—I simply cannot bear to look at the two of you any longer today.”
Her cold green eyes swept over Catherine.
“I want to believe that everything you’ve said to me until now wasn’t a lie…”
Her carefully made-up face, the softly gleaming black pearl necklace, the delicate embroidery at the hem of her dress—
She had clearly taken great care in her appearance.
Which also meant… she had the leisure to do so.
“If Birna had been treated the way I was, would you still be this calm?”
Catherine was left speechless.
“You may think of me as a daughter—but I can never truly be one. That reality has made it very clear to me.”
“Your Highness! Wait!”
Medeia shook her head and left.
Catherine tried to stop her, but the princess had already swept out like a storm—far beyond recall.
“Why did you have to speak out of turn like that?!”
Catherine scolded Birna as she collapsed into her chair.
I thought she was fully tamed… was it still not enough?
Nothing was more alarming than a beast trying to break free.
‘There’s only one reason she’s suddenly acting like this.’
Catherine bit her lip.
“Quizin… I told her to restrain herself.”
The day they first heard that the princess had whipped the Head Maid, her husband had suspected Quizin.
She had gone to great lengths to stop him from replacing the Head Maid.
But instead of listening, Quizin had stubbornly retaliated against the princess.
‘She could’ve at least avoided getting caught!’
Rage toward Quizin surged in Catherine’s eyes.
‘I even sent someone to calm her down… and she still couldn’t hold back and caused this mess?’
Later That Night
Late at night, as darkness settled, lights burned deep within the administrative palace.
Two figures were cast against the lamplight.
“I heard you looked terrible? Still, your face seems better than the rumors suggested.”
A crude laugh echoed through the hall.
The shadow trembled.
It was Count Etienne, the Minister of the Interior—his bulging frog-like eyes and obese body unmistakable.
‘That pig dares to talk…’
The Head Maid seethed.
“Come now. I heard the duchess slapped you first.”
“How did you—”
“Do you think you’re the only one with ears?”
He chuckled.
“They say she was furious. Well, you should’ve behaved better. She’s not your friend anymore—she’s your master now.”
Quizin swallowed her humiliation.
Just as he said, she had been forced to endure Catherine’s blazing anger.
[You’ve worked hard. Rest for now. I’ll send your replacement soon.]
The short message she received through an informant sounded polite—but it meant she would be replaced.
“Well, you overdid it. The Regent Prince doesn’t want his niece to look oppressed.”
“So I was just supposed to endure that humiliation?!”
The Head Maid snapped.
The minister laughed.
“Why cling to the princess of all people… You crossed the line too many times.”
His thick hand patted her shoulder.
“Just do as the Duke says. How many people do you think survive after falling out of his favor? Or you should’ve worked harder like me.”
His words were irritating.
‘Disgusting bastard. As if being born lucky is something to brag about.’
Quizin bit her lip.
Her pride had already been crushed by the princess—but being mocked like this made her feel like nothing more than the Duke’s dog.
‘If I’ve already fallen out of favor… do I really need to keep obeying him?’
A thought crossed her mind.
If the Duke intended to discard her, she wouldn’t go down quietly.
‘I need to carve out my own way to survive.’
“By the way, Minister… how were the children I sent last time?”
The sudden question made him raise a brow.
When she first entered the palace, the Regent Prince had given her an order—
To send young, unconnected servants to Count Etienne once a month.
At first, she didn’t understand why someone so wealthy needed them.
But one day, she discovered the mutilated bodies of boys at his residence—
Only then did she understand.
It was the price for satisfying his twisted desires.
Still, she had been too cowardly to stop it.
“You always have good taste.”
“If you wish, I can send more. You must be tired from your duties.”
His eyes sharpened.
Wasn’t she the one who used to show disgust toward his preferences?
“…What are you planning?”
“I won’t just die quietly. I plan to go to the Queen Dowager.”
“Ah.”
So she planned to break free from the Regent Prince entirely.
“He won’t allow that.”
“I know what he wants. But I’m more curious about what you want, Minister.”
He studied her carefully.
Then smirked.
“That’s unfortunate. I have no intention of opposing the Regent Prince.”
As if I’d abandon him for someone like you.
Though his disdain was clear, Quizin’s expression only briefly hardened before returning to normal.
“Don’t you want to become the Royal Consort?”
“…Do you even understand what you’re saying?”
There was only one princess in this kingdom.
“You mean… Medeia and me?”
