Chapter 207. Road To The Eastern Empire (2)
Translator: Aura / Editor: Maybe
When I raised an eyebrow and looked at her in disbelief, Mullaney spoke again, “You’ve probably heard that I had a big fight with Christa. Because of that, even His Majesty Heinley said some not very nice words to me.”
Mullaney, whose face became rigid like she was angry just thinking about it, took a deep breath and continued, “Since then, the n.o.bles who follow Christa have brazenly ganged up to intimidate me and my friends.”
“…”
“I don’t know if it was on Christa’s orders or if those n.o.bles are acting angry on their own. But she’s the focal point, and once she leaves the royal palace, that group will disperse.”
She continued with a look of determination, “In any case, Christa should have gone to Comps.h.i.+re’s Mansion when the former king pa.s.sed away. Even if she does not want to go there, she must leave the royal palace. It is natural to drive her out, Your Majesty.”
“… I will think about it.”
After Mullaney left, I called Rose and Mastas to tell them about this before asking them if the relations.h.i.+p between Mullaney and Christa was that bad.
Mastas didn’t seem to know much about it, but Rose answered after reflection, “They didn’t have that big of a fight, but it’s true that since the rumor of an argument spread, there was a split in high society, Your Majesty.”
“I see…”
“But I don’t think it’s just because of the situation in high society that Miss Mullaney is being so inflexible.”
Then what’s the reason for it?
Rose frowned as if she was making a great effort to remember and said, “Miss Mullaney is the only child of Marquis Amares. It is my understanding that Marquis Amares adopted his nephew to succeed him. Rumor has it that Miss Mullaney wanted to succeed the Marquis directly.”
“Ah.”
“That nephew is Duke Liberty’s third child, who is on Christa’s side.”
“I didn’t expect that.”
“Miss Mullaney wants to get rid of Christa so she can get rid of her adopted brother?”
“Well, maybe…”
That was a possibility.
She seemed to have a strong sense of pride, so she might have asked for me to deal with Christa instead of asking for what she really wanted— to help her become the successor.
Laura asked uneasily, “Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?”
I leaned back on the couch instead of answering.
By joining hands with Mullaney I could naturally bring half the forces of high society closer to me.
However, she had become completely hostile toward Christa.
As I have told my ladies-in-waiting before, a false friends.h.i.+p is better than being in conflict.
Should I step forward or pretend to be on good terms with Christa for the time being?
***
I had been thinking about this for days, but it wasn’t easy to come up with an answer.
Meanwhile, the delegation that would attend Sovieshu’s wedding was being properly organized, and before I knew it the day of departure had arrived.
It was a strange feeling to return to my homeland as the Queen of another country.
Before departing.
I took several deep breaths as I looked at myself in the mirror in my comfortable travel attire. When I stepped out with a forced expression on my face, the carriage was already waiting.
Surrounding the carriage was not Western Kingdom Knights, but Supranational Knights.
After receiving their greetings, I got into the carriage.
This carriage would later join other carriages and cavalrymen near the main gate of the royal palace.
… Why isn’t she here?
I could not see Mastas inside the carriage. My other ladies-in-waiting were arranging their luggage.
“Miss Laura, have you seen Miss Mastas?”
When I asked worriedly, Laura shook her head. Rose and Countess Jubel didn’t know anything either.
It was time to depart.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Queen!”
I saw Mastas through the window approaching hurriedly from a distance, with a large spear on her back and covered with a cloak.
“Miss Mastas!”
I quickly got down from the carriage, and in an instant, she was in front of me. Then she said, jumping up and down, “Your Majesty, did you hear that? Didn’t you hear it? Please tell me you didn’t hear it yet!”
“I didn’t hear anything. What happened?”
“I heard from my brother!”
Her brother… ahh. That rough-looking knight.
Was his name Sir April?
When I nodded, she smiled and said, “My brother is also partic.i.p.ating in the Knights’ Expedition, and apparently he’s in the same group as Your Majesty’s brother!”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s Sir Koshar, no?”
“That’s right.”
“Sir Koshar—”
Rose said coldly beside me, “Miss Mastas, where is your luggage?” Mastas stopped talking and went to pack her things.
Because of this, I couldn’t help but wiggle my fingers anxiously as I waited in the carriage for her to return.
Mastas returned nearly half an hour later, got into the carriage, and finished speaking, “Sir Koshar is doing a good job on the ‘Knights’ Expedition.”
“Do you mean it?”
When I asked surprised and happy at the same time, Mastas exclaimed, “Yes!” with a broad smile.
“Do you know how he has become popular?”
“?”
That made me nervous.
That question… sounded as if he had become popular in a different way than the others.
I looked at her fearfully, but she explained more enthusiastically, “Normally if one hears about unfair circ.u.mstances, one takes legal action after investigating. But Your Majesty’s brother’s fist shoots out after investigating!”
“!”
“Although legal punishments are fine, from the position of those affected it is not enough. Preferring the perpetrators to get their deserved beating.”
I put my hand to my forehead in shock, but Mastas even shook her fist in the air in excitement,
“It’s the first time something like this has happened, so everyone is cheering for him!”
“…”
While I was stunned, Mastas asked me with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Your Majesty, what kind of person is your brother? He seems to be greatly admired.”
***
At first, I was worried when she started to talk about my brother.
However, I was slowly relieved as Mastas kept saying good things.
He is a little… different from the others, but the important thing is that he is loved as a knight by the people. As long as the people of the Western Kingdom are happy with my brother, that’s enough.
I leaned my arm on the carriage windowsill and looked out.
As thoughts of my brother diminished, I thought more and more about the Eastern Empire.
I had mixed feelings. I wanted to show my parents how well I was living thanks to Heinley. But at the same time, I wondered if it would still hurt to see Sovieshu with Rashta.
I know I couldn’t tell anyone, but honestly… I was also wis.h.i.+ng Sovieshu would be surprised to see me.
I wanted to show him. I wanted to show him how well I was living without him.
Was that too childish a thought?
As I pondered, the carriage stopped.
We have already arrived?
But all I could see out the window was a forest path. Looking confused at the door, I suddenly heard a voice call, “Queen” on the other side of it.
As soon as I opened the door, Heinley was standing there.
He smiled looking at my ladies-in-waiting and asked, “Queen, can just the two of us ride in the carriage?”
Before I could answer, my ladies-in-waiting looked at each other and hurriedly got out.
They headed for the other carriage that was ready for me. Instead of stopping them, I awkwardly closed the window.
“Huh? Why are you closing the window?”
Heinley got into the carriage and quickly sat down across from me.
After making himself comfortable, he knocked on the wall behind him and the stopped carriage began to move again.
Before I asked him why he had come, Heinley answered first, “I came because I wanted to be with you.”
“Okay.”
I replied calmly and turned my gaze to the window again. But I had just closed it, so I couldn’t see anything out the window.
Why did I close it?
I reproached myself, then glanced at him and saw that he wasn’t watching me.
I opened the window again and pretended to be contemplating the landscape.
“Haha.”
“!”
I heard a low, suppressed laugh from inside the carriage, but I deliberately ignored it.
Fortunately, the laughter soon faded.
After a while, I suddenly felt like seeing Queen.
Queen. My lovely eagle.
It was so shocking when I discovered that Heinley was naked when he became Queen, that I was embarra.s.sed just to see Queen.
However, it seemed that as time went by that feeling was fading.
I wanted to see Queen again.
It s true that Heinley was naked when he became Queen, but… he has feathers.
Come to think of it, aren’t a bird’s feathers like a human’s clothes?
That made me want to see Queen even more.
At this point, I felt that if I hugged his small body tightly, my confused mind would calm down.
Glancing sideways, Heinley was smiling as he watched me.
After hesitating for a moment, I asked him, “Can you become Queen?”
“Now?”
“I want to hug him.”
As soon as these words left my mouth, he became a golden feathered bird in an instant and flew towards me.
I asked him to become Queen. But when Queen approached me, my heart started beating fast.
Maybe it was because of his clothes spread out in front of me.
But upon closer inspection, Queen was just Queen.
I didn’t feel ugly nakedness. Of course, that didn’t mean Heinley’s naked body was ugly, that wasn’t the reason I didn’t want to see him naked…
Relieved, I finally reached out my hand. When I gently touched his feathers, Heinley blinked and a smile formed in his eyes.
I couldn’t believe he was smiling even as a bird. No, that was my Queen.
Gathering more courage, I stretched out both hands and raised Queen.
I felt happy and nostalgic to have Queen on my lap again.
I slowly hugged Queen.
This scent. I missed this scent.