Chapter 58: Taking the Queen Out for a Day of Fun!
The breeze after the rain was damp and carried the earthy scent of the ground.
Shallow puddles formed by my feet reflected my fuzzy silhouette, swaying in the light of the dim moon. I couldn’t help but lift my skirt with both hands and tiptoe over, carefully stepping in.
The water rippled from my toes, distorting the reflection before it faded away, only to coalesce back into shape a moment later.
I took another step.
“Hey!”
This time, I stomped a bit harder, splashing tiny droplets onto my shoes.
“Ow—”
I jumped back in a panic, quickly shaking my foot, but I still felt water seeping into my shoes.
“Like a little kid.”
Victoria’s voice floated beside me, soft as the breeze, which made me pout a little in defiance.
Splashing in puddles is fun; you just don’t get it!
A woman without childlike spirit…
After shaking off the water, I turned to her and said, “Victoria.”
“Hmm?”
“That Old Duke…”
I tilted my head, pausing for a moment.
“You caught him tonight. Are you going to decapitate him?”
“Maybe,” Victoria replied lightly, as if she were discussing dinner plans.
“…Maybe?”
I didn’t quite grasp her meaning.
“That depends on their choices.”
“Oh…” I nodded.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, I timidly asked, “You… you don’t hate him, do you?”
“Hate.”
She said it as icy and emotionless as usual.
“Then why can you be… um…”
I struggled to find the right words.
The one who showed up tonight was the guy who drove her mother to her doom; he probably had a hand in her father’s d*ath too. If it were me, I couldn’t remain so calm. I’d probably rip him to shreds upon seeing my enemy, chomping down on the flesh and leaving no bone behind.
I genuinely wanted to know how she managed to stay so composed, as if nothing had ever happened.
So I asked, but fearing I might say something too blunt, I hesitated, yet Victoria guessed my intention.
“You want to know why I can act so indifferent? Even when facing a family killer, even when he throws the bl**d-stained rose family crest onto the table for me to see, I can still remain unperturbed?”
“Uh-huh.”
I nodded vigorously, then bit my lip: “I’m sorry if you think, uh… I’m not trying to—”
“It’s fine,” Victoria interrupted me. “Peilo. With me, you don’t have to hold back anything. You can say whatever you want. I don’t want you to restrain yourself, understand?”
“Um…”
Her golden, sparkling eyes were incredibly clear.
She didn’t wait for my response and continued, “Your question is easy to answer. If there comes a day when the people standing behind you are not just your father, mother, or friends, when millions of subjects are looking up to you, you’ll feel their hopeful eyes and want to do something for them.”
Her noble and elegant figure stood quietly beneath the towering Winter Orchid, on her left was a lush green lawn, and above her was the silent night sky.
She gazed into the distance, where the illuminated night city lay.
“When you look at them, you understand their parents, wives, and children at home, and whether their lives will be comfortable tomorrow, all their hopes for the future… you realize that everything is in your hands. Every decision you make, whether good or bad, has countless people sharing the consequences, even if they know nothing.”
“When that time comes, you may be able to do anything, or perhaps nothing at all. It’s just a matter of a breath, a thought.”
Victoria turned to look at me, her face as bright as the moon, her eyes like twinkling stars. The shimmering golden crown melded perfectly with her flowing hair, reflecting a soft glow in the moonlight, making her seem like a goddess from a dream.
But she was no ethereal goddess.
She was the queen of Ethanbel.
“Peilo, have you ever seen a battlefield?” After a moment of silence, Victoria asked me.
I shook my head gently: “No.”
I’d only seen it in films.
But those were just films; they were art. No matter how real or shocking they portrayed scenes, they were nowhere near the reality.
“I have. That’s why I don’t want to see Ethanbel become a land of chaos and bloodshed.”
…I understood her thoughts.
I liked this. I liked that she was this kind of queen, but…
But I also understood that some things can’t be escaped.
“What if… the Iron Guard comes?”
“Fight back.”
When I heard Victoria’s unwavering answer, I blinked in surprise.
“I will do my utmost to avoid war, but that doesn’t mean I fear it. If I can’t prevent it, I’ll choose to strike with all my might… so Peilo, please take care of the workshop matters quickly.”
“Okay.”
I hummed an affirmative response.
I gazed at her beautiful face, radiant even in the dark. With both hands behind my back, I tiptoed up and down twice.
“Victoria.”
“What?”
“Are you tired?”
“Not really.”
“Dealing with all these troublesome matters every day must wear you out.”
“So what if I’m tired? I can’t choose to do what I like, like you.”
“Once in a while wouldn’t hurt, right?”
Even if you can’t choose what you like, taking a break every now and then should be no problem.
I stepped closer and took her hand.
“Let’s go out and have fun!”
“…What?” Victoria looked a bit confused.
As sharp as she was, even she couldn’t grasp my sudden leap in logic. She stood there dazed, suddenly looking adorably cute.
I tilted my head and thought for a moment before rephrasing: “Let’s get out of here and see the world. Today is your birthday… no, your anniversary! I’ll accompany you to understand the plight of the common folks.”
Now she finally understood.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“Where to?”
“Wherever you want, freely. Just like the song goes.”
Victoria hesitated briefly, then the corners of her mouth turned up slightly: “Okay.”
A smile lit up her eyes, sparkling like a little girl ready to cause mischief. Seeing her like that made my heart race uncontrollably.
“Let’s go.”
Once the decision was made, Victoria didn’t waste any time. She decisively turned around, pulled me along towards the guard unit ahead, and while walking, she removed her crown and handed it to the small captain leading the team.
“Put it back in the palace. I don’t need it tonight.”
The captain, wide-eyed and startled, took the crown with clumsy hands, utterly baffled: “But, Your Majesty—”
“Follow the orders.”
“…Yes.”
We quickly walked back to the War Chariot, lifting our skirts as we climbed inside. Once seated, I suddenly felt a rush of excitement: “Let’s go to the market!”
“First, we need to find a place to change clothes,” Victoria said.
I glanced down at my exquisite black formal gown, then at her even more extravagant outfit, and thought that made sense.
“I know a tailor’s shop, not far from here!”
“Whatever you decide is fine.”
“Uh-huh!”
I quickly told the driver our destination. As the carriage started to move gently, the War Chariot rolled away from the palace and headed towards the brilliantly lit streets.
