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Chapter 79
The Audience Ceremony
The morning of the audience ceremony dawned.
As soon as Diana woke up, Mabel told her that Guiscard had gone out. Mabel glanced nervously at Diana, but she showed no reaction at all.
Diana put great care into her attire from the early morning. The clothing of the Kingdom of Lodbrok was different from the bright colors of Fanborough. Here, at solemn events, they always wore dark-toned garments. Outfits that would have been mocked as mourning clothes in Fanborough were considered formal attire in this land.
Of course, things were different for weddings or traditional local religious ceremonies like betrothals.
Diana picked up a black dress. The black velvet gleamed with a smooth sheen, and rubies larger than thumbnails were set into it.
Once she slipped on the gown, her attendants quickly dressed her hair. They pinned her hair up with a pearl-embroidered net, then placed a golden tiara adorned with rubies on her head.
They added color to her pale face and painted her lips a bright ruby-red lipstick. Over her shoulders, they draped a black fur cloak with a white trim. With red jewels and embroidered finery, she shone dazzlingly.
“Y-you look beautiful, Your Majesty.”
One of the maids said shyly. Diana turned her gaze toward her. Judging by her innocent expression, she must have been a newly hired maid.
“How dare you address Her Majesty like that! Forgive her, she’s new here,” Mabel quickly apologized.
Diana shook her head. The girl must have overheard the knights’ gossip and thrown out a sympathetic comment from a young heart. Suddenly, Diana recalled Guiscard’s voice from the other night when he had muttered, “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Diana said with a faint smile. Whether it was sympathy or not didn’t matter. She simply wanted to say those words for some reason. At that, the maid’s expression shifted. Diana wondered if perhaps she had wanted to say those words to someone else all along.
The audience chamber was modest, far smaller than the Grand Audience Hall. Diana sat on the throne prepared for her. Royal knights stood beside her—six in total, a sign that at least some care had been given.
Behind her, maids lined up, though anyone with a discerning eye could see that they were not particularly capable attendants.
The unfortunate part of today was that all who would appear before her were high nobles—people sharp enough to notice such flaws.
When the doors opened and the first figure entered, Diana’s eyes widened. It was Duke Blake. Adelheid Blake was dressed in a pure white Fanborough-style suit, the complete opposite of her own attire.
The white clothes suited his silver hair perfectly. The young man, with his finely chiseled features, approached with a gentle expression.
“On behalf of House Blake, I pay respects to Her Majesty the Queen.”
Diana forced her face into composure. Adelheid knelt at her feet and kissed the back of her hand. His lips were soft.
“O blue raven, sing forever upon the tree of wisdom. I greet Duke Blake.”
She spoke the Lodbrok-style greeting, referencing the raven—the symbol of House Blake.
“You’ve truly become one of Lodbrok’s people now, Dian.”
At his familiar words, Diana sensed the knights around her draw in sharp breaths. It was understandable: Adelheid, who had kept out of politics and avoided social ties with nobles, was suddenly speaking so familiarly with the queen. Diana let out a quiet sigh as she looked into his face.
He was polite, but clearly wanted to speak further.
“Everyone, leave us,” Diana ordered.
The knights exchanged glances.
“I have matters to discuss privately with the duke.”
One knight objected cautiously.
“But, Your Majesty, other dukes are waiting their turn.”
Diana gave him an irritated smile. She was the one receiving greetings, and the decision of whether to prolong a conversation was hers alone.
It was a complete reversal of roles, but the people of Lodbrok were always trying to control her like this. She suppressed her displeasure.
“I have no intention of making the guests wait long. Please, leave us.”
The knight started to protest, but when Adelheid rose and shot him a glare, he quickly backed down.
“Since when do knights thrust their mouths forward instead of their swords?” Adelheid sneered.
A queen without a power base might not be feared, but a duke always was. The maids and knights bowed and withdrew.
“Ha… what fools,” Adelheid muttered through clenched teeth as soon as they left. Diana shook her head with a bitter smile.
“I thought you wouldn’t come.”
“…And why not?”
“Because, as you see, I’m in such a state.”
Seeing him again filled her with relief, though she hid it carefully. It was a little embarrassing to be seen like this—as a powerless queen.
“And besides, you opposed this marriage.”
“Of course I did.”
Adelheid’s reply was firm.
“I opposed it because you didn’t want it. To be dragged off and forced into marriage…”
“…I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Diana smiled faintly, and Adelheid frowned deeply.
“There’s no need to apologize. You’re my employee, after all.”
“…”
“How could they do something so barbaric…” He ground his teeth.
“You’re being threatened, aren’t you?”
Diana’s eyes widened. Adelheid stared straight into her face.
“That’s… not it,” she said. Not in this life, at least. That had been in her past one.
“Then why did you marry him? When I first met you, you were running from something.”
“…”
“Guiscard Lodbrok murdered your father, Duke Brienne. He crippled your brother and destroyed your line. Were you not running from him?”
Diana’s face hardened.
“No, the one I was trying to escape was—”
She opened her mouth but no words came. Adelheid had been good to her, but he was still an outsider. She could not bring herself to tell him. That was her deepest taboo.
“Dian. Your younger sister is being held here, isn’t she?”
“What?”
Diana thought of Alexa. Held? Was that what this was? With everything that had happened, her face stiffened.
“She’s only staying here temporarily.”
“You know, don’t you? The king deliberately wanted to show you that.”
So it had been a form of intimidation? Perhaps… but she didn’t think so. Even if it was, she could not share such a thing with Adel.
“I’m fine. Alexa is fine too. She isn’t a hostage.”
That was all she could say. Adelheid’s expression burned with righteous indignation.
“…What do you mean, you’re fine?”
“…”
“Dian, you know this marriage is wrong. It only brings you misery.”
“…”
“Everyone is preparing to condemn you. Even this ceremony—your attendants should be ladies from your supporting houses, and your knights should have been led by the captain of the king’s strongest order, the Varghati Knights.”
“…”
“But instead, you have no proper maids, and your knights are pathetic.”
“…”
“The king didn’t even consider what it means to take you as his wife.” His tone was scornful, and hatred toward Guiscard seeped through. Diana didn’t know what to say. He was truly angry on her behalf.
“Dian, why—why won’t you do anything?”
Her eyes widened at his words.
“Ask me for help. If you say you don’t want this, I will help you.”
He meant it. Diana looked into his bright eyes, her lips parting then closing again.
“This isn’t normal. You’re wearing the same face as when you first came to Neustria.”
“…Am I?”
Diana brushed her hand against her ornate-clad face. Maybe he wasn’t wrong.
“Dian, if you don’t want this, say so. You don’t have to live like this.”
His words were so upright, they almost felt detached from reality. Diana felt a flicker of anger at him. Born the heir to a ducal house, raised with love—he couldn’t possibly understand. He’d never been betrayed, never endured a wretched life.
Adelheid chuckled softly at her expression.
“I knew it. You don’t take my words to heart.”
“…”
“It must be because I failed to earn your trust. After all, I deceived you once.”
Diana shook her head. She didn’t resent him. If anything, she had found it amusing when he had clumsily tried to deceive her. Besides, the time she was truly fooled had been brief.
“No… thank you. I know you went out of your way to protect me.”
Diana assumed this was where he would end things—sever ties. There was no reason for him to risk his political standing any further by helping her.
“And so…”
“Well then, since I’ve already gone this far, why not push a little further?”
“…What?”
Instead of criticizing her helplessness, Adel wore a mischievous smile, just like before.
Diana received the greetings of the noble houses. She wasn’t ignorant of etiquette, so she handled them gracefully.
The nobles came to evaluate her character. She expected at least a few sharp words, but when they saw who stood at her side, they widened their eyes and held their tongues.
Diana knew why.
It was because Duke Blake stood right beside her. Adelheid Blake, true to his words, remained at her side and assisted her. It was practically a declaration that House Blake supported Diana Brienne.
He stood there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I’ll be fine. No one can rebuke me for standing here to support you.”
He had said that earlier as he dismissed the knights and taken his place before her. She had thought about sending him away more than once. If she refused firmly, he would have gone.
But she was lonely.
Just by having Duke Blake at her side, she felt stronger. His eyes seemed to cheer her on, telling her to hold firm.
She didn’t know why he treated the fallen duke’s daughter of Fanborough so kindly. If it was pity, she decided to accept it sweetly.
As she awaited the greeting of House LeBiang, the door opened. Diana grew tense, wondering if she would see the LeBiang lady here.
But it wasn’t her.
Unlike the pure white Duke Blake, the man who entered looked like the very embodiment of black death. Fresh from outside, Guiscard Lodbrok fixed his gaze on Diana.
“You’re here, Your Majesty,” Adelheid greeted with a bright smile.
Guiscard’s eyes turned to ice.
“Why is the duke here?”
