Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Side Story 1

Side Story

Miesa Esquillir Cladnier stood silently, arms crossed, gazing at the newborn baby for a long time without saying a word. The courtiers standing at a distance held their breath, shrinking nervously and rolling their eyes.

“It’s Hagail.”

The words that broke the long silence were her indifferent remark, and the courtiers still showed clear signs of tension on their faces. However, King Hagail of Esquillir, who was holding the month-old baby prince, paid no mind.

“Indeed. The prince looks just like me and is as healthy as the queen.”

“It’s just a tiny Hagail.”

Despite being the king of a nation, she casually used his name, something only possible because she was the former queen. Hagail, accustomed to this, simply shrugged instead of showing displeasure. In fact, he was so caught up in his boasting that he even untied the baby’s blanket to show off the baby’s hand.

“Look at his big fist. When he grows up, he’ll be able to take down not just wolves, but any fierce beast.”

“With such soft hands, wolves, really.”

“When he grows up, that is, when he’s much older.”

The words exchanged between the two were far from fitting for their status, but no one dared to intervene. All eyes turned to Margrave Cladnier, seeking help, but Eirik pretended not to hear, merely gesturing commands to his knights.

“Cladnier will handle the fierce beasts. Before that, I would like to pledge Cladis’s loyalty to the future king.”

At his signal, the knights of the Cladnier family opened the chests they had prepared.

The first chests opened contained branches, water, and soil from the Cladis region, symbolizing a pledge of loyalty to the newly born royal heir. The following chests were also filled with rare wines and treasures.

The courtiers, who had felt reassured by the margrave’s sensible and courteous actions, were only briefly comforted, as the atmosphere froze once again when former Queen Miesa spoke.

“Will you have only one child?”

It was a sensitive question. If the former queen were to change her mind and try to reclaim the throne, not only would the newborn prince be in danger, but the entire kingdom as well. Everyone stiffened in fear that she might see the king’s heir as a threat.

“No. Since the queen is in good health, we plan to have five heirs.”

King Hagail’s response was as calm as could be. As he gently soothed the prince, who had begun to whimper, Miesa asked again in a disgruntled tone.

“Who will bear those five? Did Gella agree?”

“The queen wanted ten, but I negotiated it down to five.”

Left speechless, Miesa quickly changed the subject and asked for Gella.

“…Where is the queen?”

“She’s resting well. Here, if you’d like to hold the prince, I’ll give you a special opportunity.”

Miesa pouted. A new human being had come into existence, and yet the king acted as if he had gained the entire world—it was unbearable to watch.

And while the tiny baby’s face and puckering lips were undeniably cute, an inexplicable irritation welled up within her.

Miesa still didn’t know what this feeling was. It was a natural human emotion, arising when others flaunted something she herself lacked, especially something she secretly envied. She couldn’t help it, having only recently returned to the Cladis estate and still trying to find her footing.

“No. The baby is too small.”

“Too small? The doctors were astonished at how big he was at birth.”

“And stop dodging my question. Where is Gella?”

“……”

When Miesa pressed him again, the king cleared his throat a few times before handing the prince, swaddled in luxurious fabric, to the nanny. At his nod, the courtiers began to withdraw, streaming away like an ebbing tide.

Once the room was quiet, Hagail began to speak in a low voice.

“The queen… is actually in my bedchamber right now.”

“Why? Didn’t you provide her with a separate queen’s palace?”

She distinctly remembered hearing that the king wasn’t using his own bedchamber and was staying exclusively in the queen’s palace. Puzzled, Miesa tilted her head, and Hagail lowered his voice even further.

“As I mentioned, the prince was born quite large, and the birthing process took a heavy toll on Gella’s body.”

Miesa was shocked, hearing this for the first time, and before she could respond, Hagail quickly added more.

“But she insists on taking care of the prince herself, so I had no choice but to restrict her access.”

“You locked Gella up?”

“…Not that. I arranged for her to rest quietly in the safest place in the world—my bedchamber. It’s close to my office, so I can check on her frequently.”

“I don’t know. I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.”

Seeing Miesa’s suspicious gaze, Hagail stood from his throne with a dissatisfied expression.

“I knew this day would come, when you would raid my bedchamber. Anyway, let’s go.”

Leaving Eirik behind, who was reluctant to enter someone else’s bedchamber, Miesa followed Hagail to the royal chambers where Gella was staying.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty Miesa!”

As soon as Gella, who was sitting by the window, recognized who had entered, she jumped up and ran over. The two embraced tightly, touching each other’s faces to make sure there were no signs of illness or shadows. Of course, the king’s face twisted as if he had bitten a bug, but neither of them cared.

“Gella, are you alright?”

Miesa asked, but fortunately, Gella’s face glowed with health. Having confirmed her former lady’s well-being, Gella smiled in relief.

“Yes, Your Majesty, did you see the baby?”

“…Yes, his fists are really big.”

Miesa, unsure of how to compliment the baby, said whatever came to mind, but Gella was simply overjoyed, beaming brightly.

“That’s right! The baby was so big it took more than half a day—no, even longer—to give birth.”

“It took more than half a day to give birth?”

“Yes. Regardless, how could he separate a mother from her child? His Majesty is truly too much!”

Smiling brightly, Gella quickly turned furious when talking about Hagail, pointing an accusatory finger at the king. Miesa, too, immediately turned to the king standing at the doorway, eyes wide.

“Hagail, how could you…”

To emphasize “do such a thing” as in “locking her up,” Miesa looked around the room. But the spacious bedchamber, filled with sunlight, stocked with fruit and food on the table, and adorned with Gella’s luxurious bed, offered no grounds for complaint.

“…How could you separate a mother from her child like this?”

That was all Miesa could say. Hagail shook his head resolutely.

“Traditionally, a nanny raises the child. And I promised that if she rests quietly for just the agreed-upon hundred days, I will return her to the queen’s palace. I’ve even called for her family from Kazen.”

Hagail didn’t stop there; he continued, “The queen won’t put the prince down. Her slender wrists are aching, and as her husband, how could I just watch? What if her bones weaken to the point she can’t even lift a teacup?”

Listening to him, it made sense. Though Gella was of average build, her wrists didn’t seem all that different from Hagail’s, who was still slim. While Miesa was momentarily confused, Gella stamped her foot, fuming.

“And it’s not like he lets me rest properly either. He keeps me up every night, not letting me sleep.”

Miesa’s gaze returned to Hagail, who was now blushing furiously.

“Explain properly, Queen, so Her Majesty Miesa won’t misunderstand.”

“Why on earth does Her Majesty need to hear my life story? I mean, the king keeps making me talk every night, so I can’t get any proper sleep.”

According to Gella, the king used postpartum recovery as an excuse to confine her, only to keep talking to her constantly. He’d ask about everything from her childhood to her life on the battlefield, and if the same man’s name came up twice, he’d badger her about it all night, driving her to the point of exasperation.

“And most of the Cladnier knights are men! All the doctors are men too! Why do I have to explain who everyone is, night after night, when I can barely remember their faces anymore!”

As Gella continued her tirade, Hagail wore a triumphant expression, while Miesa felt an inexplicable wave of discomfort wash over her. It was a different, more intense irritation than before.

“You don’t look well.”

“You’re right. I’m not feeling good.”

On the carriage ride back, Eirik asked, and Miesa, with a sullen expression, clenched her jaw and replied.

Eirik, sitting across from her, leaned forward, wanting to hear more. Miesa knew this, but even she found it hard to explain. At first, it was Hagail’s triumphant attitude that bothered her, but now, the unease she felt seemed different.

“But I can’t quite figure out why I feel so bad.”

After thinking for a moment, Eirik asked again, “Is it because of what the king did to the queen?”

As always, her husband was attentive to every change in her expression, asking her about it. Even now, he was waiting for her words, patiently, without pressing.

“It feels like it is, but also like it isn’t…”

But why did his face, more handsome than ever today in his formal attire, look so irritating to her?

“Is it because of me?”

Of course, Eirik had noticed Miesa’s dissatisfaction. But all he had done was accompany her to the palace, properly following etiquette, and yet, he raised one eyebrow as he asked.

“…I don’t know. I’ll tell you once I figure it out.”

She knew it too. No matter how much she thought about it, Eirik hadn’t done anything wrong. And yet, she couldn’t understand why she felt so frustrated. Miesa couldn’t make sense of her own feelings.

***