Translator: Hye; Editor/PR: Hye
The crest on the woman, which was also engraved on Vainas’ clothing, contained a bird-like pattern. There was only one woman in the kingdom who could wear purple and such decorations at the banquet.
The wife of Vainas, the Queen of Dirhan Kingdom, and the person who Larissa, a lady-in-waiting, should serve.
It was Arnoa Salied Dirhan.
“Is that so?”
His mistress Larissa’s red-painted lips whispered close to his ear. Her beautiful dark blond hair swayed as she tilted her head.
“Ah, Your Highness. A little while ago, Your Highness gave the Queen the wineglass and told her to wait since you needed to join me for the first dance.”
Vainas slowly lowered his gaze and looked at the two glasses in Arnoa’s hand, which was filled with a transparent drink.
One belonged to himself and the other to Larissa.
The queen stood still in the middle of the banquet hall, holding two glasses like a maid while people watched and whispered about her.
His eyes shone with satisfaction as he looked at Arnoa.
“Ahh… I did. I already forgot.”
When Vainas responded lightly, Arnoa momentarily frowned.
“I didn’t expect you to wait with two glasses like a mangbuseok. You are a really frustrating and inflexible woman.”
(T/N: Mangbuseok is a famous rock which has a legend where a wife was waiting for her husband and turned into a rock.)
Larissa burst into laughter when Vainas blurted out as if it was an insignificant matter.
Neither Vainas nor Larissa, who was in his arms, approached Arnoa for a glass of wine. Hence, Arnoa still couldn’t rest her arms carrying them in both hands.
The curious and sympathetic gazes around stung her body.
“But what should I do?”
As if not at all in a hurry, Vainas slowly picked up two cups of red liquor and ice from the tray next to him and also handed one to Larissa.
“After dancing…”
He glanced at Arnoa and said coldly. Larissa remarked while clicking her tongue.
“What a shame. Her Highness still doesn’t know? Since childhood, Vai… His Highness doesn’t like drinking lukewarm drinks whenever it’s hot.”
Larissa, who was Vainas’ lover before Arnoa came to Dirhan, spoke proudly of their relationship.
The daughter of Dirhan’s ambitious Count Estea was Vainas’ first love and mistress. Shortly after Arnoa and Vainas got married, he made her the chief lady-in-waiting of Arnoa, a justification to keep his lover close.
Larissa’s daring action of calling his name in the middle was probably not a mistake, but to show off the fact that the two were close in private.
“You just drink what’s in there. It’s your price for waiting.”
Arnoa’s lips trembled slightly. At the same time, Larissa exclaimed an ‘Oh my!’ and covered her mouth with her hands. Vainas grinned and pulled Larissa’s waist closer.
The nobles inside the banquet hall each gulped their dry saliva and watched the conversation between the king and his wife.
What did the king say?
Did he just ask the queen to drink the leftover wine mixed with his and his mistress’ saliva and clean it up?
It was unfortunate from the eyes of the spectators, yet it was still an interesting and eye-catching sight.
They had forgotten for a while to please the king and found his behavior towards the queen too far. Holding a banquet to celebrate the anniversary with his lover seemed insufficient that he even forcefully invited the queen and blatantly ignored her.
“… I’m fine.”
Arnoa breathed deeply and passed the wineglass to the servant. Her eyes momentarily fell on Vainas.
Unlike Vainas, who slightly raised the corners of his mouth, Arnoa’s face was stiff.
“I’m not feeling well, so I’ll go in and rest.”
“That’s too bad. Larissa wanted to enjoy our happy day with you.”
In line with Vainas’ words, Larissa looked sad.
“Why don’t you stay longer, Your Highness? I don’t mind if all three of us are together.”
However, contrary to her expression and words, she was already heading to the top seat of the banquet hall, which should only be allowed to the queen.
Arnoa hasn’t left yet, but Larissa already sat down, her hips attached to the seat as if it were natural. And Arnoa’s tableware, which was placed in front of her, was pushed aside.
The golden chair right next to the king’s chair was adorned with Larissa’s favorite dark green fabric. It was as if that seat belonged to her in the first place, with the cloth even embroidered with Larissa’s initials. In fact, it was she who used the chair more often than the queen.
It was quite incredible.
It would be no wonder if Arnoa pulled Larissa out of the palace right now. However, Arnoa remained silent as always.
After bowing quietly and hiding all her anger, she opened the door of the banquet hall and stepped into the hallway.
Click, clack.
Arnoa’s footsteps rang in the empty hallway. Her expression was calm, but her forehead was not straightened out as she frowned earlier.
“Ah, you stupid guy.”
Arnoa spouted in a small voice.
Vainas must have seen her frown. Perhaps seeing her displeased face filled his petty pride.
“A marriage with an idiot.”
She muttered again. No one in the hallway could hear it, anyway.
It has been known since the first day of their marriage, two years ago, that Vainas was an idiot. From the moment the maids left the bedroom, Vainas went out of the bed and visited Larissa.
‘It didn’t make any difference when you strip off an imperial princess. She’s just average.’
His personality was also revealed the next morning when he made up a non-existent story and threw it to his friends for gossip.
Nevertheless, Arnoa waited.
He was mentally immature and might grow up late. She thought she would continue the common life of a political marriage in which people were indifferent yet polite to each other.
However, the situation did not improve. On the contrary, it only got worse.
‘I’ll leave the royal household to Larissa the same as before. If you need money, tell her how much you need and get her approval.”
Vainas said during their second meeting after the marriage.
‘The etiquette of the empire is different from that of Dirhan. Countess Estea is well versed in this field, so learn from her.’
A month after their marriage, Vainas gave Arnoa an unwelcome etiquette teacher.
Countess Estea was the mother of Larissa and carried out her new job with great pleasure.
The queen’s teacher.
An honorable position seemed to have become a fun hobby for a bored, middle-aged woman. Especially in the situation where her daughter covets the queen’s seat.
‘I was wondering how great it was to be an imperial princess but you can’t even remember 100 servants?’
The countess used every means to break Arnoa’s pride, even resorting to a physical punishment that could only be used for children. Moreover, she would often set up her daughter in places where Arnoa was supposed to be.
‘Learn from Larissa. If you can be as good as her, His Highness will also like you.’
Half a year later, Vainas pushed Arnoa hard and knocked her down in an official event.
‘You stepped on Larissa’s skirt! What would you do if she fell instead!’
Dozens of nobles witnessed it.
Arnoa was not very shocked. Because it wasn’t that bad compared to the cold treatment she received from her eldest brother, Emperor Luciano.
“Ha…”
Arnoa, who was walking along the hallway, sighed deeply.
She did nothing wrong, but why do all the powerful people hate her?
She recalled Luciano, the emperor, and her half-brother.
He hated her.
From the moment she was born.
It might be because of his sensitive nature, but the primary reason seemed to be her maternal lineage, which was stronger than his.
Arnoa was the daughter of Empress Anastia, who once served as the head of Rickel Dukedom.
Although she stayed on her mother’s side and tried to lie low, Luciano immediately captured her when the late emperor died and imprisoned her in a small tower inside the palace.
‘Look closely. This is my palace and my empire.’
On her first day at the tower, he dragged Arnoa roughly to the top of the tower, grabbing her arm and pushing her to the end of the wall. Half of Arnoa’s body hung in the air.
‘I am the ruler of the continent and now hold your life. Don’t forget that, Arnoa.’
His blue eyes, which were similar to Arnoa but somehow seemed more devastated, flashed violently.
‘Don’t harbor any greed. No, don’t even look at the throne. Remember today when you ever think like that. Remember yourself with no power who will fall once I let go of your arm.’
After a short time, the ever-weak emperor emitted a chilling aura with his entire body that the inferior Vainas would follow him on his toes. He married off Arnoa to King Dirhan as soon as she was eighteen, certainly not because of the expectation that he would make his sister happy. It was like a reward given to a dog who listened well and didn’t get on his nerves.
In fact, the first king of Dirhan was a servant of the empire. Thanks to this, Vainas was able to earn a considerable dowry and build his self-esteem in front of other small countries around his kingdom.
‘I was still hopeful until the beginning of the marriage.’
Arnoa, who was lost in memories, sighed again.
Although she suffered some humiliation, she was relatively free in Dirhan.
Wasn’t the meal better than the one she had at the tower?
‘If you’re going to cheat, don’t do it openly. It’s a face I would see once every few days anyway, but it’s a little insulting.’
… She spent a year thinking like that.
‘What do you think? Do I look good?’
On the day Larissa raised her chin in front of Arnoa and boasted her new tiara, Arnoa felt a murderous intent for the first time.
The finely crafted black diamond embedded in the crown was a relic of Empress Anastia. The empress received it as a gift from Arnoa’s father, the late emperor, when she was young. The jewel was so valuable that it was well known to society.
And it was part of Arnoa’s dowry.
Was it around that time she started to imagine butchering the sneering Vainas who holds Larissa’s hand next to him?
But fear then came after anger.
It was because Count Estea, Larissa’s father, was convinced that his daughter might become queen and attempted to assassinate Arnoa several times since that day.
Poisoning her food, weapons suddenly flying into the window, assassins entering the bedroom, Arnoa barely survived every time.
Vainas, who has no reason to come to her chamber, did not take any action whether he was aware of this.
Now it was all just a routine.
Vainas horribly tormented Arnoa while the count would aim for her life once or twice a month.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
After passing through the hallway, she muttered low and opened the bedroom door.
Creak–slam.
A cold, heavy door closed behind her back.
“Phew…”
Arnoa exhaled and looked up.
It was such a tiring day.
Now put firewood in the fireplace and sleep properly in a large, fluffy bed…
“…Huh?”
Her deep blue eyes slowly grew when she saw her bed.
“What…is that?”
She managed to spit out a few words between her trembling lips.
Something big was crouching on the top of the bed. It was sleeping in her bed with a low snoring breath.
“Grrrr–”
It was a leopard as white as snow.