Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 151

12

Miesa’s lips curved into a smile at the news of another letter arriving. However, Duke Salachez’s expression was puzzling.

“There’s a drawing on it, but I can’t make sense of what it means.”

“A drawing?”

Miesa eagerly opened the letter. Meanwhile, Duke Salachez kept talking.

“The Margrave’s message, sent five days ago, is written clearly. But after that, there’s an image of someone with their hands clasped together.”

Miesa’s smile vanished as soon as she saw the letter. The drawing signified something terrible. It was a hand signal for someone missing.

“…First… First… First, we…”

She repeated herself a few times, as if her mind had short-circuited, then tapped her head to clear her thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to be in shock. She needed to act, to respond.

“First, contact Crispin. Have her gather troops and send reinforcements immediately.”

The seriousness of her command darkened Duke Salachez’s face. “What happened?”

“Also, send a messenger to the Margrave’s estate in Cladis. Ask them to relay the situation in detail.”

“Understood.”

Not fully grasping the situation, Duke Salachez hurried out of the room. Miesa collapsed into her chair, feeling utterly defeated.

The next day, before the messenger Miesa had sent to Cladis could even reach the estate, word arrived from Cladis.

“The Margrave disappeared without a trace the evening after seizing Batina Castle.”

Miesa listened to the report with a blank expression.

“Sidate forces attempted to surround Batina Castle, intending to isolate it. However, we were able to shift troops from Oeneka in time, preventing the situation from deteriorating.”

“……”

“For now, Sir Emmerich of Cladnier is in command. Most of the soldiers remain unaware of the Margrave’s disappearance.”

Miesa nodded weakly, staring vacantly at her desk long after the messenger left.

Eirik had disappeared. Whether he was alive or dead, no one knew. In her daze, she called for Tilberg.

“…Yes, Your Majesty?”

“What am I supposed to do now?”

“…Your Majesty.”

“No matter how much I think about it, there’s nothing I can do. I feel powerless. Is that right?”

Tilberg pondered for a moment before replying with a somber expression, “As you said, the only option now is to wait. Even if we tried to negotiate, Sidate would initiate it first. Should we make the first move and something has happened to the Margrave, we would only weaken our position.”

Miesa felt utterly helpless. From the distant royal palace, all she could do was wait.

Despite the grim circumstances, to the outside world, it appeared as though the Esquillir army was poised to strike the Principality Sidate. The faces of the officials visiting the palace for their daily reports were filled with hope.

All Miesa could do was mechanically read the reports and nod along like a lifeless doll.

Gella had been worried for some time, and now even Grand Duke Hagail had noticed. Despite his cold sweat, the Grand Duke had come to the Central Palace.

“What’s going on here?”

The Grand Duke hated entering the Central Palace, but seeing Gella’s tearful face had finally driven him to Miesa’s office, where he now sat stiffly across from her.

Miesa offered no response. As the Grand Duke’s eyes wandered the room, clearly displeased with the unchanged layout from Vermel’s reign, he began rifling through the papers on the desk.

“Wait, did you approve this? You didn’t even check the elevation for the upcoming construction project.”

Annoyed, the Grand Duke pointed out the mistake, prompting Miesa to let out a quiet “Ah,” before slowly searching for the map with the elevations marked. Sure enough, a more stable area was available.

“…You’re right.”

“Your Majesty, were you always this careless? Before you know it, the entire country will be in shambles.”

“The construction hasn’t started yet. It’s not a mess yet.”

With a sigh, Miesa called for Duke Salachez. Despite her despair, she still had responsibilities to fulfill. If the elevation was wrong, construction during the rainy season could endanger civilians, so she had to act.

Regaining her composure, Miesa instructed, “Duke, inform the administrator that the project is on hold. We’ll re-evaluate everything from the beginning.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Just then, Grand Duke Hagail interjected, “Hold on. You’ve already given them the task. There’s no need to re-evaluate everything from scratch. Just adjust the route. Bring me a new map.”

“Yes.”

Duke Salachez promptly left the room. Watching him go, Grand Duke Hagail muttered in a low voice, “That man is a duke? Is he from the surviving branch of the Salachez family?”

Miesa only nodded, and the Grand Duke pressed further. “Why is he here?”

“…He’s my chamberlain.”

“No wonder the country’s falling apart. A duke as chamberlain? Ridiculous.”

Grumbling, the Grand Duke took the map from Duke Salachez when he returned.

“The road should connect here, here, and here. Take this map as is and give it to the administrator.”

Grand Duke Hagail continued to look over the paperwork on Miesa’s desk for quite some time, verifying details with Duke Salachez where needed.

“Fools. They plan to start a territorial dispute over something so trivial? Even after five or six years, nothing has changed in Thierry or Guimenta.”

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, the Grand Duke motioned for Duke Salachez. “Is the Counselor position still vacant? Should I be speaking to you instead?”

“Yes, I’m handling everything for now, Your Grace.”

“Send a message to Count Thierry and Count Guimenta. Remind them that with the war against Sidate, we can’t afford to waste even one soldier. It’s disgraceful that they’re quarreling over petty sums.”

The Grand Duke gave orders without hesitation, while the queen merely stared down at her hands.

Taking her silence as permission, Duke Salachez bowed and asked, “Shall I send the message as is?”

“Well, as it will go out in the queen’s name, change it to say, ‘Such discord is highly unbecoming.’ And fine them 5,000 jeres each for forgetting the duties of nobles protecting the kingdom. It will go towards the war fund.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

“And what’s this? Building another temple? Tell them to take better care of the ones they already have.”

Grand Duke Hagail handled everything swiftly, and soon enough, Miesa’s desk was clear of paperwork.

“Well then, why don’t you join me for a meal?”

“…I’m not hungry.”

The Grand Duke glanced at Miesa before standing. “Well, I can’t force you. But you need to pull yourself together soon.”

It was his way of offering comfort, though Miesa barely heard him.

What happened to Eirik? Where is he now? What state is he in?

Her blood ran cold at the thought. If Sidate had taken him hostage, why had there been no contact yet? Could it be that he was in no condition to be exchanged?

Several times a day, her entire body froze in terror. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape the overwhelming fear and anxiety.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Duke Salachez asked gently. “It’s already time for dinner. You should eat something, at least a little.”

The queen nodded weakly, her complexion pale.

Throughout the meal, she sat like a puppet with its strings cut, occasionally picking at her food but forgetting to swallow.

“The Margrave will be fine. He’s not the type to die easily.”

“…Yes.”

The queen’s lips moved slightly, but it wasn’t an answer to Duke Salachez’s comforting words. It was merely a response meant to stop him from talking further.

The Duke understood and wisely remained silent for the rest of the meal.

At some point, her hope for Eirik’s swift return had turned into a simple plea for his survival.

I don’t care if I die from this anguish, she thought. As long as he’s still alive, standing tall on solid ground.

No, no. Miesa shook her head. He didn’t need to stand tall. She didn’t care how he returned, as long as he was alive, warm, and breathing—so long as he wasn’t lying cold in some field, becoming a meal for beasts.

Hadn’t he once said he hoped she would only ever see the good in life?

Miesa shook her head again. All she could do now was pray that he ate well, that he slept soundly, that he lived even just one more day.

She repeated these prayers over every meal, every night before bed.