Chapter 51: Old Ailments Resurface, New Flames Ignite – Prelude (Part 2)
“Yesss…”
Sharman whispered her response.
But inside, she was baffled. She understood what Her Majesty the Queen meant: they wouldn’t be leaving here today, at least not yet. However, how long they’d be stuck waiting remained a mystery.
It was the first time Sharman had witnessed her young Queen willingly wasting time on such a meaningless long wait. Even if it was for that Cardinal St. George, it didn’t quite align with Her Majesty’s usual style. She knew full well that even when facing the Pope, Her Majesty had never been one to keep people waiting unnecessarily. Time was precious to her. The only person she was willing to wait for might just be that certain someone residing in Vilo Garden.
But the unfortunate truth was they’d been doing nothing but twiddling their thumbs here for three entire days. During this time, Her Majesty and that old man hadn’t exchanged more than a couple of words. They’d nodded at each other and engaged in some small talk when they first arrived, and then it was like they were old neighbors who’d known each other forever, diving into their own activities. Other than sharing two dinners, they hadn’t really seen each other much…
But what they considered “busy work” looked to Sharman like idleness.
Her Majesty spent her days in the wooden cabin sipping tea, hardly going out. There were no official duties or documents for her to handle, and it didn’t seem like any socializing was required either. So, the two ended up playing the role of “homebodies.” Meanwhile, the runaway old Cardinal was anything but what she’d imagined; for the past three days, he was a man utterly consumed by only one task—farming.
He was out there getting his hands dirty, looking like an everyday old farmer who’d never seen society.
It gave Sharman a strange illusion that both the old man and Her Majesty were simply here for a leisurely vacation.
With Her Majesty as unperturbed as ever, Sharman had no choice but to stay put, but she couldn’t help worrying about their imperial mission. The time for their meeting was approaching, and this time it was not just about negotiating the debts between the Empire and Silgaya, but also entangling with the Church and secretly teaming up with Duke Skarlick to counter the ever-changing battlefront. Each matter was delicate and required thoughtful handling.
Given the current situation, the sooner they arrived, the more time they’d have to ponder, but lo and behold, along the way, Her Majesty suddenly opted for a War Chariot, breaking away from the army to come here…
Sharman recognized this was Her Majesty’s way of using Little Reikmon as a decoy to hide her rendezvous with Cardinal St. George, but if they continued to lounge about like this, she had no clue what Her Majesty was thinking, while Sharman herself was already feeling anxious.
She was well aware of their purpose in coming to this remote place.
Months ago, Her Majesty had shared a few insider details about the Church with her and Rect, revealing that Cardinal St. George had escaped and somehow earned Her Majesty’s trust and support. Naturally, the Queen must have gained his trust in some fashion, or that old man would never have let her know they were here.
Sharman had no idea how this all began or when it started, but she presumed it had a significant connection to Miss Peilo’s “d*ath.” That girl, who only thought about food, was the link between these two and the reason Her Majesty was willing to take such a monumental risk just to meet with Cardinal St. George.
Though none of this was articulated explicitly, it was clear that Her Majesty did not wish to keep it hidden from Sharman and Rect. After that evening, they didn’t ponder long before making their choices.
Of course, both she and Rect chose to support Her Majesty’s decision, not for any lofty reasons, but simply because she was Queen Elizabeth. Her wisdom and demeanor had already deeply impressed them; her trustworthiness assured them she wouldn’t plunge Ethanbel into a deep and miserable pit.
Her Majesty… hadn’t completely lost her mind over Miss Peilo’s “d*ath.”
On the contrary, she was more composed than ever these past few months, calm to the point that it was somewhat intimidating. Sharman had been by her side for years and could see that Her Majesty was still orderly in her actions, but it felt like she was planning a grand strategy.
And this “grand strategy” had to be closely tied to changes within the Church and the events surrounding Miss Peilo…
That night, Her Majesty hadn’t revealed more reasons to either Sharman or Rect, but the Head Maid sensed that in the coming years, the world might very well undergo a major upheaval… and Her Majesty was preparing for the upheaval that could erupt at any moment.
She had an inkling that Her Majesty was quite aware of all this.
But what puzzled her was why Her Majesty would choose to take this detour at such a critical moment, delaying everything else to come here for an audience with Cardinal St. George.
When Her Majesty went off script and told her they were meeting someone first, Sharman already guessed it would be the Cardinal. In her expectations, it should have been a secret and powerful conversation, a meeting with the Church’s “great sinner,” conducted discreetly and efficiently, ideally over in a flash so they could leave without lingering.
Who would have thought, upon arrival, things would turn out like this…
Sharman sensed they were waiting for something—perhaps a moment—but what it was remained unspoken between Her Majesty and the old gentleman. Since their arrival, they had barely discussed any serious matters; one sipped tea, the other farmed, both apparently having a grand old time…
This situation left Sharman confused and, despite her efforts to keep calm, slowly generated a flicker of emotion.
However, she couldn’t dare to express any feelings to Her Majesty. So she kept her head bowed, ensuring the Queen wouldn’t see the fire brewing in her eyes.
Yet, despite her best efforts, it didn’t go unnoticed.
“Sharman.”
As soon as she heard the sound of Her Majesty placing her teacup back on the table with a thud, Sharman jolted upright. The sound itself wasn’t loud, but combined with Her Majesty’s flat tone when she called her name, it startled the usually composed Head Maid.
“I’m here.” She replied hastily.
“…How long have you been with me? Do you remember?”
“I do.”
Sharman responded immediately, despite not understanding why Her Majesty would suddenly bring this up. “It’s been exactly ten years since Your Majesty was attacked and wounded.”
“Ah yes…”
Her Majesty’s voice held a touch of nostalgia. “Ten years. You have always managed my affairs with precision. You ask no questions, just dig in and do the work, striving for perfection in even the smallest matters; your expectations of yourself are steadfast, and that’s why I admire you…”
“…Your Majesty… you flatter me…”
Caught off guard by this unexpected praise, Sharman was confused as to why the Queen was saying all this now.
In her memory, Queen Elizabeth had never been one to shower compliments like that…
“You were brought in by my mother to be my personal maid. I remember you used to be the palace’s head administrator and the guard captain of the inner sanctum. But your fiery nature often led to conflicts with my mother. You couldn’t stand a certain distant branch of the Lex family and their abusive ways towards the maids. So, you went and turned that rascal into a eunuch with a single sword stroke… After that impulsive act, you ended up at the side of a powerless princess, doing menial tasks like serving tea and cooking.”
“Your Majesty… that was all in the past.”
Sharman murmured, her head bowed, gradually calming her flaring emotions, adopting her usual, calm demeanor.
“Ten years. Have you ever regretted it?”
Her Majesty continued to press. Sharman thought for a moment before responding, “If Your Majesty refers to the deed of lopping off that worthless man’s manhood, then… never.”
“Is that so?”
The Queen nodded thoughtfully. “But I suspect it’s something you’ve been repressing for a long time.”
The moment those words left her lips, Sharman’s head shot up. “Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?”
As if suddenly realizing something, she quickly lowered her head once more.
“I know.”
The proud Queen continued, “I understand your nature; you’re not the obedient, sit-back-and-serve type. You have ambitions in your heart and the strength to realize them. You nearly killed a member of the Lex family, but afterward, you didn’t face any severe retribution because they realized that trying to k*ll you would be far more trouble than it’s worth…”
“Sometimes, I think you and I are quite alike… we belong to the same type of people. Though there are things we must conceal, the dragon that resides in our hearts is always restless. But if you remain by my side, doing small tasks like serving tea and water, that dragon will remain coiled forever… and that’s not what you truly want, is it?”
“Your Majesty, I am your personal maid; I have never held any dissatisfaction about that and have always felt honored.” Sharman lowered her head even further.
She bent slightly, putting on a proper, respectful demeanor.
Noticing her maid’s appearance, the Queen’s brow furrowed slightly.
After a moment, she brought up another topic: “Do you know why I brought you here?”
“Because I am Your Majesty’s personal maid?”
“No.”
“Is it because Your Majesty wishes me to understand that you have complete trust in me?”
“Not entirely.”
The Queen gathered her tousled golden hair and stood up from the armchair, lifting her teacup, she turned and patted Sharman’s shoulder. “Lift your head.”
“Your Majesty…”
Sharman raised her head, but still dared not meet those golden eyes glimmering in the sunlight. She attempted to take the nearly empty teacup from Her Majesty’s hand, but to her surprise, it was dodged.
“I brought you here to make you understand what might happen in the entire Western Continent soon. Some… I can’t say whether they’re good or bad, but they’re big changes that are bound to occur. Right here, in this desolate basin, soon to be the source of a grand transformative history… I want you to witness this origin.”
With her teacup in hand, the Queen began walking slowly toward the door: “Then, you can continue to stay by my side doing menial tasks. Or, you could do something more meaningful, leaving a mark of your own in the long river of history… Sharman, the choice is yours.”
Bang—
The wooden door behind her closed.
Her Majesty left the room, leaving a somewhat bewildered Sharman standing there, gazing out at the lush scenery beyond the window, watching the rice paddies ripple under the sunlight, her eyes glimmering as she sank into deep thought.
…………
Before long, while Sharman was still pondering the meaning behind the Queen’s words, she spotted a war chariot rolling over the grass from a distance, slowly making its way toward the wooden cabin.
