Chapter 134: Viki (Part 2)
Maybe all the mansions on Longdoll Street look pretty similar, but Victoria seemed super familiar with this place as she made a beeline for the second-floor terrace.
As soon as she left, I dashed to the kitchen to grab a new plate, then hurried back to pick up the veggies without soup that were lying on the floor, a little farther from Bart’s spot, and blew on them before putting them back on the plate.
I counted them… only six.
Well, six is six, I guess. The others got contaminated, so whatever, but these are semi-clean and should not go to waste—though they definitely won’t be enough to fill up a hungry stomach.
What do I do now…
There weren’t any snack vendors around Longdoll Street, and to get some cooked food, I’d have to trek far down the street. There were still ingredients in the kitchen, but cooking? Ugh, I couldn’t be bothered.
Just when I was starting to stress out, Rect walked in from the courtyard.
He spotted me standing in the living room and gave an awkward smile. “Where’s Her Majesty the Queen?”
I pointed upstairs lazily.
“She’s up there.”
He nodded thoughtfully and continued, “Miss Silvya, I sincerely apologize for the disturbance. The maids from mansion number two will be here shortly to clean up. Some parts of the lawn have been trampled, but don’t worry—someone will take care of it.”
“Uh-huh.” I replied softly.
Rect pondered for a moment and then added, “Really, I’m sorry. Her Majesty and I… didn’t expect this to happen. Today’s events are an unforeseen circumstance. I will find a way to make amends. Please understand, Miss, and try not to take it to heart.”
His overly formal wording made me involuntarily pout.
…Didn’t expect?
What did you think your Queen was doing here?
Those people saw me with black hair and eyes sitting next to Her Majesty and might think who knows what when they go back!
Although I kind of understood Forgiveness Head’s urge to defend his Queen, I thought I preferred the first version of him I met on the rooftop.
Noticing my silence, Forgiveness Head must have guessed what I was thinking, so he hurriedly said, “Miss Silvya, I know you may have some reservations… I totally understand that. If I were in your shoes, I’d think of some bad stuff too… But I still want to tell you something that might change your view on Her Majesty.”
Oh?
That piqued my curiosity, and I tilted my head to look at him.
“What is it?”
Seeing my interest, Forgiveness Head smiled again.
“Let’s see… I’ll start with mansion number three. A long time ago, it used to be the residence of the princess, but that was ages ago. This place has been empty for nearly a hundred years, with weeds growing taller than people, and those vines almost climbing up the walls… Until a few years ago when Her Majesty had the courtyard renovated. That was after she moved out of her royal chamber.”
Forgiveness Head spoke in a soft, calm tone, like he was spinning a bedtime story.
“Everything you see now—the vegetation, the flower beds, the fountain, and that Honey Fruit Tree… everything here was built to reflect Her Majesty’s childhood chamber garden, almost identical. I was surprised after it was completed; I never thought such a dignified Queen would have such a nostalgic heart. I thought she’d surely move in here… But you know, she moved next door.”
“Mansion number three is still empty, but this courtyard has always been tended to by her. Ironically, her own courtyard? No care in sight.”
Hearing this, I thought back carefully and realized he was right.
It seemed like the courtyard of the neighboring mansion wasn’t exactly chaotic, but it definitely gave off a neglected vibe without any trees or flower beds for decoration. My memory only recalled a pavilion, and the scenery was nowhere near as nice as this side.
I initially thought Victoria just didn’t care about such things.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Well, you’d have to ask Her Majesty herself. How would I know what she’s thinking?” Forgiveness Head shrugged with a wry smile. “She never shows her emotions on her face; she just comes here occasionally… sometimes during the day, sometimes late at night. She stares blankly at that Honey Date Tree, and when she’s tired, she has someone bring her a chair to sit under the tree and drink. Gradually, I figured out that this was during her low times.”
“Today… is probably one of those times too. You might have noticed that Her Majesty and her mother… don’t have the best relationship. They haven’t seen each other for quite a while. With the new decree, her mother was the most vocal one against it, but neither of them wants to see the other… and then today happened. Just didn’t expect you to come back so suddenly…”
Forgiveness Head paused.
“Ha! It seems I’ve rambled a bit too much, sort of strayed from the topic. I didn’t mean anything by it; I just wanted you to understand that Her Majesty wouldn’t resort to any means facing difficulties. That’s not who she is.”
He looked at me, smiling, though his gaze was surprisingly serious.
“Uh-huh.”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
But in my mind, I thought: Aren’t you just making excuses for your Queen? But that thought was simply a joke I couldn’t voice out.
Because I knew very well that no matter what kind of person Victoria was, her actions today had clearly positioned her against all interests, against her own family, her mother. And the citizens she sought to protect might not choose her side just because they understood her.
With her intelligence, I could see through these issues clearly; surely she was even more aware, yet she still stood firm on her principles and boundaries.
Not every ruler possesses such resolve.
She’s a Queen worth respecting.
“Her Majesty must be feeling really awful right now…”
Forgiveness Head took a couple of steps closer to me, and then extended his right hand towards me… that’s when I noticed he was holding a bottle of wine.
“There might not be enough of this wine; could you please take it up to her?” he said with a smile.
I took the wine bottle, a bit puzzled as I asked, “Aren’t you going yourself?”
He gently shook his head.
“I’m a warrior of the kingdom. I can k*ll for her, shield her from swords. Anything more… I’m really powerless.”
After saying that, Forgiveness Head turned and left.
I stood there for a moment in the dimly lit living room, one hand holding Captain Gray’s plate and the other clutching an unopened bottle of wine.
Thoughts drifted to that stunning yet doll-like face, and I shook my head to clear my mind.
“Maybe I should just drink myself to d*ath with this third bottle…”
Muttering to myself, I stepped lightly towards the terrace on the second floor.
The terrace of the mansion was shaped like a half-circle, roughly 40 square meters, surrounded by waist-high iron railings. The wooden framework overhead was covered in climbing vines and leaves, while the round table and chairs below were coated in a layer of fine dust.
I didn’t see Victoria’s figure in the chair; she wasn’t sitting there.
I caught sight of her in the distance beyond the railing.
