### Chapter 117: Lady and Queen (Part 1)
In the deep, shadowy night sky, stars twinkled like scattered confetti, while two bright crescent moons were shyly hidden behind fluffy clouds, revealing only half of their scythe-like curves.
At the center of Baihao City, a majestic black castle rose high among the streets behind the church, enveloped in swirling snowflakes, hazy and mysterious, as countless candles flickered in the chilly wind.
Queen Victoria stood atop the castle’s tower, beneath the stars and moon. Her fair, jade-like hand reached out to catch a few falling snowflakes, allowing them to melt in her palm, feeling the warmth within. Wrapped snugly in an immaculate white coat, her elegance was still unmistakable, while her silky golden locks danced freely in the winter breeze, golden eyes gazing longingly at the distant dark moon, as if reminiscing about a cherished treasure in that moonlight.
“Your Majesty…”
After a short while, someone quietly approached her from behind.
“The night is late, and it’s cold here. You should head back to your chamber for some rest.”
The voice was a gentle whisper, melodious and soothing like rippling waves. Without turning around, Victoria already knew who it was.
“…Lady Catherine.”
Her Majesty responded softly, her eyes still fixed on the starry sky. “Is it always this distant and silent on winter moon nights?”
Her question was as random as a cat in a dog park. Once Lady Catherine stood beside her, they both gazed up at the moonlight. Clad in a pure black raven-feather cloak that hugged her graceful frame, she almost blended into the night. The duo—one black, one white—stood side by side, creating a lovely picture amidst the swirling snow, transforming the deep scenery into an enchanting masterpiece.
“…Indeed.”
After a moment, the Queen heard a long sigh from Lady Catherine. “When I was little, I loved standing on high places to admire the mesmerizing moonlit scenery… in Erin Castle, at Shanter Castle, in New City of Kaliye… Every night in a different place, yet only the forever unchanging deep sky, the bright moon, and the stars accompanied me, never disappointing.”
She paused.
“It’s a pity that my feelings now are… utterly different from those times…”
“So, it’s only ever us who change, isn’t it?”
Victoria retracted her hand, speaking softly to her lady friend. “I don’t know when it started, but those once-cherished things took root in the depths of my heart, their once-glimmering lights slowly… very slowly… faded away without anyone noticing, slipping away in the brief, hurried passage of time… and then, all that’s left is wandering.”
“Indeed…”
Lady Catherine smiled.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she turned her gaze from the distant sky to the Queen’s stunning profile, mischievously raising an eyebrow. “But honestly, I didn’t expect the renowned Queen Ethanbel, known for her cold and decisive manner these past two years, to, at times like this… feel as sentimental about trivial matters like I do, just like that legendary black mandrake blooming on a thousand-year iceberg.”
“How…”
Upon hearing that, Her Majesty also drew her gaze back, looking at Lady Catherine’s smiling face. Her eyes remained cold, yet a flicker of warmth flashed deep within—an emotion reminiscent of ordinary people relaxing when they see friends, a surreal sensation for Queen Victoria that most would probably miss—even she herself might struggle to notice.
“Did my words surprise you, Lady?” questioned Her Majesty.
“Surprised… a little, yes.”
Lady Catherine responded openly, her smile blooming like a flower in spring. “But I believe what I feel more is that rare sense of intimacy… To think the imposing Queen also has moments of girlish sentimentality… I used to get teased about this by Skarlij—‘You’re in your forties and still mooning over trivial starry matters like a lovesick romantic…’ Well, now I finally have something to share with him. Look at that, even Queen Ethanbel feels this way…”
Her playful tone, accompanied by Lady Catherine’s teasing demeanor, seemed to momentarily melt the frost off Victoria’s face.
She genuinely liked this lady.
For reasons of personality and beyond, she found herself fond of her.
She wanted the other party to feel the same.
“Dinner, Lady, it seems you scarcely ate anything. Is it because you feel burdened and lack appetite?”
This ‘not-so-nutritious’ daily inquiry, if uttered by anyone else, Victoria would have dismissed it outright—utterly pointless and a waste of time, reminiscent of those idly chatting housewives who endlessly asked such questions for lack of anything better to say. The Queen absolutely refused to spend time on aimless conversation.
However, tonight was an exception.
…Perhaps it was because when she was with that girl named Peilo, she often made exceptions too.
“Ah, Your Majesty… you certainly pay attention to such trivial matters. How attentive…”
Lady Catherine chuckled, slightly ashamed as she covered her mouth. “I do lack appetite… not that my mood is terrible, but for some reason, I’ve felt quite uneasy these past few days… Perhaps it’s that unsettled feeling. I just nibble a bit and feel full, and I’ve lost quite a bit of weight… But my health is still decent. Thank you for worrying about me. I was actually thinking of you… Well, you’ve never really liked Imperial cuisine, have you?”
“I’ve noticed it long ago!”
Before Victoria could respond, Lady Catherine elegantly intercepted her polite remarks. “Here, our main foods revolve around meat—no meat, no fun; no wine, no pleasure. The land’s cultivation is poor, so we get to eat greens less often than in other places… Especially during wartime, given the recent disasters in Silgaya—it’s become a struggle since last year… In both the North and South, veggies and fruits have become rare commodities… The average citizens can’t afford them anymore, so we must restrain ourselves, hence… this table is filled with more meat…”
“I know a lot of people have started getting sick because of this… scurvy’s a thing too, better in the North but worse down South… Overall, we can still manage. But Your Majesty… I can tell from observing your eating habits and chatting with the maids, you don’t really eat much meat…”
“So I thought, if you don’t eat meat… I could have someone whip up some sweets just for you. If you’d like, I could make them myself; that’s one of my specialties—I love whipping up treats… But when I asked, I found out you don’t even eat sweets. You’re a bona fide vegetarian…”
As she spoke, a thought struck her, and she blurted out, “This is exactly the opposite of my daughter… It’s like a challenge for me…”
After saying that, Lady Catherine opened her mouth, originally intending to continue, but the words suddenly halted.
The Queen gazed at her, maintaining that frosty demeanor.
After a moment, she once again extended a warm hand from beneath her pure white coat and placed it gently on Lady Catherine’s icy hand, then softly clasped it.
