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Chapter 14
In truth, Winzard didn’t think highly of the queen.
She had a completely different personality from Erne, to the point where it was hard to believe she was the woman who had given birth to her.
If anything displeased her even slightly…
“Kill them. Their tongue is too loose.”
She would issue such commands and had squandered Neshled’s national treasury on reckless conquest wars.
Skilled in swordsmanship, the queen would personally participate in battles, forcing enemy nations to their knees and flaunting her arrogance.
“Kneel. This is the eye level between you and me.”
And that wasn’t all. She was a woman of excessive extravagance and a string of lovers.
Her licentious private life was something every citizen of Neshled was well aware of.
“You. Become my attendant.”
If she happened to see a man she liked on the street, she would take him as a lover on the spot.
The nobles of Neshled were beginning to grow weary of the queen’s tyranny.
In years when even famine struck, her extravagant lifestyle provoked strong backlash from the people against the royal family.
“When there’s no bread, can’t they just eat cake?”
She would often make such tone-deaf remarks.
For this reason, the duke did not have a good relationship with the queen either.
Although she ignored the advice of other retainers, the queen had a peculiar weakness for the Duke of Douglas.
That was because the Douglas family controlled 40% of all banking in Neshled.
The nation’s capital practically revolved around the finances of the duke’s family, so even if she despised Winzard, she had no choice but to yield to him.
“This is bad.”
As soon as the princess disappeared, the queen convened an emergency meeting.
All the notable high nobles of Neshled gathered.
At that time, Winzard had not yet left for Vanessa, so he was compelled to attend the royal meeting.
“The princess has run away.”
Upon hearing the agenda, Winzard cursed under his breath.
A tyrant queen and her runaway daughter… It was clear both mother and daughter were out of their minds.
“Find the princess. She’s my only heir, the child who will become Neshled’s next queen.”
The queen laughed lazily, swigging whiskey straight from the bottle.
All eyes turned to Winzard. Often, the outcome of these meetings was determined by the response of the most influential and high-ranking noble—Winzard.
Sensing the mood, the queen also turned to Winzard with an annoyed look.
“Are you sure she ran away?”
“Yes. It wasn’t a kidnapping.”
“Your Majesty, your enemies aren’t exactly few. It could be a kidnapping.”
At Winzard’s words, the queen scoffed in disbelief.
Her glazed pupils sharpened into triangles in an instant.
Still, Winzard had a point.
She was the one who had stirred up all the surrounding nations through her conquest wars.
The queen sighed, feeling a sharp headache coming on.
There were so many enemies that even if it were a kidnapping, it was impossible to name a particular suspect.
“Anyway, I’d like the duke to step in this time.”
“After spending the Douglas family’s wealth to patch up the royal family’s deficit, you’re still short?”
“A ruler must know how to be generous. Thanks to you, Neshled didn’t go completely bankrupt. Your contributions are great.”
“Well, at least you know that much. I should count that as a relief.”
The other nobles exchanged wary glances at the queen and duke’s growing tension.
The air was so thick from their verbal battle that one noble abruptly left, saying he couldn’t stand the pressure.
‘Here we go again.’
The nobles wiped their sweating brows with practiced expressions—it wasn’t their first time.
The tension between the queen and the duke was far worse than publicly known.
Eventually, the queen slammed her hands on the table and stood up in frustration.
“Bring Princess Erne to me! Right now! Use your precious private soldiers and sweep across all of Neshled if you have to!”
“I already told you. No.”
“Neshled’s future is at stake! The kingdom needs an heir to succeed me. Is it really so hard to help me, just this once?!”
The queen ground her teeth, slamming the desk again and again.
The nobles, who couldn’t even breathe properly, watched the showdown between the two with bated breath.
“I said no. She’s your daughter—solve this within the royal family. I plan to take my son and go away for a while.”
“She may be my daughter, but you’re still my subject, aren’t you? And she’s the next queen of Neshled. Shouldn’t a subject do his duty for his monarch?”
“Strictly speaking, I’m more of a business partner than a subject. Seems like I’m the one feeding Neshled. And as for the next queen—frankly, I doubt the princess has the qualities for that.”
“How ironic. That you would use our so-called partnership as an excuse to insult the royal family. It’s a wonder you’re still alive.”
“I could say the same. It’s amazing Your Majesty is still on the throne.”
The queen clicked her tongue at Winzard, who refused to back down.
He was a man impossible to grow fond of.
She waved her hand dismissively and turned her head toward the other nobles.
“I’m sure others will help me?”
Winzard hadn’t stopped the other nobles from assisting—only the Douglas family would stay out of it.
After all, the disappearance of a royal princess was a serious issue.
When Winzard gave them a subtle nod, the nobles’ expressions brightened, and they lowered their heads to the queen.
“We will follow Her Majesty’s command!”
“Our house will also aid in the search for the princess!”
Tch. Seeing them bow at Winzard’s slight gesture made the queen’s face twist in disgust as she reached for a cigar.
At this point—why not just let him be king?
She lit it, massaging her forehead.
＊＊＊
In any case, Winzard didn’t regret the answer he had given back then.
It gave him a chance to correct his mistaken assumption that the princess would have the same personality as the queen—and he also learned her true secret.
Even someone not particularly close to the princess couldn’t help but feel sympathy when death was involved.
No—more precisely—Winzard brought his hand near his heart.
There was a pleasant rhythm beating steadily.
‘Is this… love at first sight?’
She resembled the queen, and yet carried an entirely different atmosphere.
Me? The Duke of Douglas?
Winzard didn’t realize it yet, but this was the beginning of a full-on case of denial over falling in love.
And the worst kind—early-stage love denial syndrome.
His eyes gleamed coldly as they followed Erne’s every move.
“Ellen.”
Emerging from his long thoughts, Winzard called out to her in a slightly hoarse voice.
“Yes, Winzard?”
“I’d like to host you for a meal at House Douglas next time.”
“Just receiving those fine medicinal herbs was more than enough, truly.”
Erne politely declined, looking troubled, but Winzard wasn’t about to give up.
“Shuknen would love to see you again.”
He was sneakier than he looked.
He knew too well that bringing up Shuknen would make it hard for her to refuse.
“…Alright. If you let me know the date, I’ll accept your invitation.”
Erne sighed inwardly, already mourning the loss of another precious weekend.
“Are you sleeping well lately?”
Winzard asked the question in an attempt to diagnose exactly what illness she might have, hoping her answers would offer clues.
Unaware of his true intentions, Erne thought back on her recent sleep habits.
‘Sleep? What sleep?’
Ever since she got involved with the “hidden villain” from the original story, her mind had been too preoccupied…
Not that any of her thinking led to conclusions.
With her chaotic days repeating endlessly, Erne had to consider her answer carefully.
“I don’t think I’ve been sleeping well.”
Because of you, she didn’t say aloud. No need to upset the villain.
From the flyer incident to the suffocating parental interest of the hidden villain, and now today’s invitation to the count’s house—
Erne longed for a peaceful Cheonghak-dong life, but her surroundings were anything but calm. She could feel her dark circles deepening by the second.
For some reason, Winzard’s face turned pale at her answer.
Huh? She’d only answered a question honestly.
When Winzard said nothing, Erne eventually looked away from him.
Something had caught her eye. With a delighted smile, she trotted over.
Whatever strange reaction Winzard had just shown was pushed aside by the small garden.
Erne was simpler than most people thought.
“Oh, there’s a little vegetable garden here.”
She crouched to get a better look.
Lettuce? Her eyes narrowed.
Well-tended and fresh, little sprouts of lettuce poked through the soil.
Winzard watched silently from behind.
Her slender shoulders looked as if they would snap at the slightest touch.
And she wasn’t sleeping…
Any illness would come with symptoms and pain.
So was the pain bad enough to keep her awake at night? How was she even enduring it?
He felt pathetic for only thinking of the possibility of pain now.
Winzard looked at her admiring the tiny garden, concealing his gloomy thoughts.
‘If she’s taking painkillers to push through, that can’t be good for her body.’
He gathered all the medical knowledge he had.
‘She must be in pain—so much that she can’t even sleep.’
Come to think of it, her lack of appetite at the meal earlier had bothered him too.
Unlike the indulgent queen, Erne was a woman who appreciated even the smallest things.
Perhaps—for her health—he should bring her back to the royal palace.
But she clearly wanted nothing to do with that life.
As Winzard’s worries deepened,
Our clueless Erne sparkled with joy as she looked at the well-grown lettuce.
‘If I plant this with the kids, it’d taste so good.’
Her mouth began to water.
