Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 138

The next day, Eirik spent the entire day in his office. He managed to locate not only the secret documents left by the late king but also those left by Miesa’s father, with the help of Sellas and Namirea.

After confirming everything he needed from them, Eirik let out a heavy sigh, washed up, and headed to the bedroom.

By that time, Miesa, whose face looked much more at ease, was sitting on the bed waiting for him. After giving her a brief report, he made a suggestion, “Sellas is in much worse condition than I anticipated. Since I’ve confirmed everything, I’ll take care of those three tonight.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

“Your Majesty, it seems that tomorrow you will need to meet with the Grand Duke personally and have a conversation.”

Miesa nodded. “There’s no other choice, is there?”

She had to politely ask for understanding regarding taking something that wasn’t hers, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit excited about going out and meeting people for the first time in a while.

The next morning, as soon as Miesa finished her meal, she instructed Duke Salachez to prepare for an outing. Tilberg, who hadn’t been informed of anything, hurriedly asked where they were going.

“Your Majesty, where do you intend to go? I’ll gather the guards immediately.”

“Three or four guards will be enough.”

As Miesa, aided by her lady-in-waiting, put on a thick fur coat, Eirik stepped in.

“No, we need about forty guards. We must not only consider the number needed to surround the carriage front and back during the journey but also set up security around the Grand Duke’s residence.”

Realizing their destination, Tilberg couldn’t help but fall silent. Even though his memory wasn’t particularly sharp, he could never forget the curses of “traitor” and “filthy swindler” hurled at the Grand Duke of Hagail.

“Tilberg, you’ll wait outside the Grand Duke’s residence. Eirik, won’t the Grand Duke find it burdensome if too many people accompany us inside?” Miesa asked, and Eirik quickly calculated and divided the numbers.

“We’ll position pairs of guards outside the Grand Duke’s residence to encircle it. Inside, I’ll accompany you along with Cullen and two members of the royal guard.”

Noticing that his name was left out, Duke Salachez quickly interjected, “I should go as well. Wouldn’t it be odd for Your Majesty to take no attendants? Cullen alone won’t be able to serve you properly.”

Eirik nodded, realizing the validity of the duke’s point. “It’s indeed better for the duke to accompany us instead of Madam Manere.”

“Eirik, now that I think about it, it’s been a long time since we’ve gone out together.”

Miesa seemed to be in high spirits—at least until they reached the Grand Duke of Hagail’s residence.

Upon arriving at the Grand Duke’s residence, they were met by an elderly butler who had been trembling in front of the iron gate since early in the morning after receiving the royal notice. He hurried to open the main gate to welcome the queen’s carriage.

The royal couple entered the Grand Duke’s residence, accompanied by four attendants and guards. However, the Grand Duke of Hagail’s complexion was worse than ever.

“I’ve barely slept a few hours, and now, out of nowhere, the queen has decided to pay a visit.”

“Grand Duke, what happened to you?”

Miesa was shocked. The Grand Duke of Hagail, whom she had occasionally encountered during annual events in her childhood, had always been impeccably groomed. Of course, she had also seen him covered in blood and terrified in the central hall, but this…

Now, his bloodshot eyes, sallow complexion, and emaciated body with a grotesquely protruding belly were horrifying. As Vermel’s cousin, he had just passed thirty, but his face looked much older.

“Both my body and mind have aged, after all that’s happened.” The Grand Duke of Hagail looked Miesa up and down with a look of surprise. “It’s rather astonishing that Your Majesty appears so well. Anyway, let’s head to the garden.”

With those words, the Grand Duke led the way with unsteady steps.

The garden at the end of the year was bleak, with bare trees and a ground soggy from melted snow, but it was still better than the inside of the Grand Duke’s residence.

Eirik secured Miesa’s white fur coat tightly around her to block the cold winter wind. Meanwhile, Miesa clenched and unclenched her fingers in amazement. She had spent her entire life moving between Celia Palace and the Central Palace, and since her coronation, she hadn’t left the palace. She had forgotten how harsh the winter wind could be.

“Why does the wind make my fingertips so cold… Ah, right. They say frostbite starts at the extremities. The blood needs to circulate to the extremities.”

“That’s why you need to keep these on.”

Eirik took the muff from Duke Salachez and placed it on her hands. Then, worried there might be ice on the garden floor, he supported her by wrapping his arm around her waist.

The Grand Duke watched them with a look of displeasure. As soon as they sat down at the garden table, he flipped over an hourglass and spoke, “So, did the Margrave dare leave his perfectly fine wife behind to try to win me over?”

Eirik responded with a courteous tone to the sharp question. “There’s a misunderstanding. Your Majesty was in no condition to join in at the time.”

“Well, I’ve heard the stories, but what? A goddess’s oracle?” The Grand Duke of Hagail let out a sarcastic laugh.

After chuckling for a while, he shook his head and muttered, “It’s unbelievable. But perhaps it truly was the will of the goddess that Your Majesty managed to hold on to your sanity all those years.”

Miesa, who had been sitting with a sullen face, spoke to the Grand Duke, “Grand Duke, I stabbed Vermel with my own hands.”

“I’ve heard.”

“I originally intended to send Sellas to you, well-bound, but things didn’t go as planned, and his condition deteriorated…”

Today’s visit was to greet the Grand Duke and inform him about the three who had been dealt with last night. However, the Grand Duke didn’t seem particularly concerned.

“Well, since it’s Your Majesty, I can yield as much as you want, so do as you please with them, whether you roast or boil them.”

“They’ve already been buried.”

“Well done. So, you’ve come at this hour just to wake me up and tell me that?”

As the Grand Duke shrugged and attempted to light a cigarette, Eirik reached out to stop him. “Your Highness, I’d prefer if you didn’t smoke in front of Her Majesty.”

“Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll have to drink instead. Butler!”

When the elderly butler of the Grand Duke’s residence came running, the Grand Duke gestured for him to bring something.

“Well, give Her Majesty and the Margrave some water. I doubt they came here for fine hospitality anyway.”

The butler promptly brought alcohol and water. Even though there was a crack in his glass, the Grand Duke didn’t seem to care and poured himself a large amount of dark brown liquor, taking a sip.

The Grand Duke’s defiant attitude was more pronounced than expected, and the hourglass’s sand was quickly running out. Eirik pondered how to wrap up the visit quickly, but Miesa wasn’t being cooperative.

“Grand Duke, if you’ve ingested poison, it seems you need treatment. Shall I send for a doctor?”

“What treatment do you mean?”

“Your face is blackened, your belly is distended, your eyes are yellow, and your nose is red.”

“Your Majesty.” Eirik gently took hold of her arm and whispered in her ear, “There’s a reason for this. I’ll explain later.”

“No, tell me now. I don’t know much, and the Grand Duke probably wouldn’t appreciate frequent visits.”

“Well, you do have some sense.” Grand Duke nodded.

Whispering at this distance was pointless, but Eirik continued to speak in a low voice. “The Grand Duke hasn’t been eating properly. He only drinks, and these symptoms are due to that. But it stems from mental difficulties, so a doctor can’t help.”

“Then do you wish to die slowly, Grand Duke? Why don’t you eat and only drink?”

Miesa’s concern was genuine, stemming from her long-standing fondness for the relative she had known since childhood. She spoke more freely than usual. Even though the Grand Duke let out a small laugh, Miesa’s concern persisted.

“Do you not have money to buy food? Why, after surviving, are you living like this?”

“…Enough with the nonsense. Please leave.”

“I truly don’t understand. You weren’t like this before.”

“The late king tortured people, and now the new queen won’t rest until she drives people mad.”

“I’m only saying this out of concern for you, so why are you comparing me to Vermel?”

The Grand Duke opened and closed his mouth a few times in disbelief, then looked at Eirik with a sympathetic expression. “I take back what I said before. You’re not just a reincarnation of the first head of the Cladnier family; you’re practically a living saint.”

“I’m not.”

As Eirik shook his head, Miesa sulked and retorted, “Why are you speaking ill of me to my husband? That’s rude.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to return to the palace. So you don’t have to hear such unpleasant things.”

“Grand Duke, didn’t you used to like me very much? You once told me, ‘You’re still my family, so I’ll help you at least once in your life. If anything happens, come to my residence.’“

When Miesa repeated what the Grand Duke had said to her when she was a child, the Grand Duke responded with irritation, “You certainly have a knack for nitpicking words. Isn’t that why I ended up like this while trying to help you?”

“No, that’s not accurate. Strictly speaking, you ended up like this not to help me but because you hated Vermel and plotted rebellion. You didn’t even know I was alive.”

As the tension rose, Eirik quickly placed his hand on Miesa’s back. He gently stroked her thick fur coat as he whispered, “Your Majesty, the Grand Duke can’t sustain a long conversation.”

“……”

“It’s time to return.”

Eirik hadn’t expected Miesa, who had been speaking so heatedly, to be easily pacified, but to his surprise, she calmed down quickly.

“…Alright. I’ll leave for today, then.”

“You’re quite something, Margrave.”

The Grand Duke let out a hearty laugh. But instead of inviting them to stay longer, he pointed to the end of the garden.

“Well, Your Majesty, you should head back now. I wouldn’t want to show such an unsightly appearance to a cousin I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Miesa had many more things she wanted to say, but she had no choice but to take the hand Eirik extended to her.