Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 152

“Good grief. The queen has become a fool,” the Grand Duke muttered, picking up some of the papers from her desk. “After all the good she’s done, she’s going to fall apart over one man? She was sharper when she was pretending to be mad.”

Even as the Grand Duke rambled on, Miesa only stared blankly into space, her ruined eyes once again welling with tears.

The Grand Duke, frowning, took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. When she didn’t take it, he scowled even more and gently wiped her face himself.

He understood perfectly well why the queen was so shaken. But offering warm comfort was not in his nature.

“Even if Cladnier dies in this war, Your Majesty must continue to live your life.”

At the Grand Duke’s cold words, Miesa barely managed to speak. “If he dies, I don’t think I can go on living.”

“Sitting on the throne that everyone desires, you mustn’t utter such weak words.”

The throne allowed no time for her to fully grieve or suffer. It relentlessly demanded decision after decision, both big and small. As she struggled to catch her breath, the Grand Duke’s last words echoed in her ears, and her gaze grew slightly clearer.

“Grand Duke, do you truly believe this is a seat everyone desires?”

The Grand Duke furrowed his brow in response to her cryptic question, offering no answer.

Miesa asked again, “Tell me, Grand Duke, do you desire this seat as well?”

Though no reply came, Miesa had already made up her mind. “I’ll step down. You can take my place.”

The Grand Duke immediately scolded her, his voice sharp, “Do you think abdication is some kind of child’s game? If you think that’s why I came to my senses, you’re mistaken.”

“Then summon Count Raviate. I will first order Gella’s adoption.”

The Grand Duke hesitated, but Miesa continued, her tone firm, “…I won’t live long, so I leave Gella in your care. She’s my only friend, the only person who ever cried for me. She deserves to live freely, not in someone’s shadow.”

“She’s not the kind of woman who would live in anyone’s shadow.”

The Grand Duke scoffed, but Miesa’s concern lingered.

“I think it’s too much of a burden on Gela, but—”

“Nonsense. A queen only needs to focus on producing heirs.”

At those words, Miesa’s energy suddenly surged. She glared at him as if she could kill him on the spot, and Grand Duke Hagail, in turn, furrowed his brow and responded irritably, “Who said Gella’s only purpose is to produce heirs? I only said that to ease your worries.”

“Explain it to me clearly. I’m unfamiliar with such matters.”

“In the Cladnier family, the lady of the house has significant authority and responsibilities, but in most noble families, the wives merely make friends and socialize. In fact, a queen doesn’t even need to do that, so Gella won’t face any burdens.”

“…Fine.”

“First, put my name at the top of the succession list. Let’s leave it at that for now, and as for abdication, well… when Your Majesty eventually pass—”

Grand Duke Hagail quickly stopped himself and changed his words. “Let’s discuss abdication slowly, later on. There’s no need to rush.”

Yet, even as he spoke, Grand Duke Hagail didn’t forget to instruct Duke Salachez to summon Count Raviate, wary that the queen might change his mind.

***

He could sense someone approaching. Was it time for a meal?

In the dim room, Eirik fumbled with his bound hands, feeling the rope behind him. He scratched another long mark into the wooden pillar with his nails.

Sidate had been feeding him twice a day, so today marked the tenth day since he had been captured.

The part of the rope that had been rubbed with his nails was beginning to wear down. However, his fingers were in a state of ruin.

After a moment, the door creaked open, and a man trudged in.

“This is more than you deserve, Cladnier scum.”

The man, speaking in a thick Sidate accent, spat into the food before tossing the bowl in front of Eirik. But instead of being offended, Eirik saw it as confirmation that the food was edible and shoved his face into the bowl to eat.

“Look at you, eating like a dog. I bet you never imagined you’d end up like this when you cut off my brother’s head.”

The insults continued, but Eirik was too busy analyzing the sounds outside the room. Today, there were more footsteps than usual. Three, no—four.

He didn’t know whether it was day or night, but he was still likely somewhere within Batina Castle. As soon as the Cladnier knights realized he had disappeared, they would have surrounded the entire castle, ensuring not even a mouse could escape.

It must not have taken his knights more than an hour to discover the secret passage. They would have searched it immediately but failed to track him, which likely meant the passage had been destroyed.

As Eirik mulled over the situation, the man finally finished his rant and stood up.

The man opened the door to leave. Taking advantage of the faint light seeping in from outside, Eirik lifted his head to check the ceiling. It seemed to be a space dug out from the earth. If he managed to move the pillar he was tied to, would the ceiling collapse?

The door remained open longer than expected. Eirik squinted and looked toward it.

Soon, someone else entered, holding a candle. The face was familiar—someone he had seen before.

***

Miesa headed to the Grand Temple and bowed deeply before the statue of the goddess, repenting with all her heart.

The High Priest was caught off guard when the queen unexpectedly burst into tears, offering prayers. He discreetly withdrew from the main sanctuary, giving her space.

In the silence of the empty hall, Miesa endlessly apologized for her previous insolence, her faithlessness. She kept praying, over and over.

The next day, and the day after that, she returned to the Grand Temple, bowing before the goddess. She prayed desperately, blaming herself for putting Eirik in danger when it should have been her who deserved punishment. She begged for his life to be spared, asking for nothing else but that he be saved.

Then, one day, it happened. In the quiet sanctuary, where no one dared to enter so as not to disturb the queen’s prayers, there came a faint rustling sound. When Miesa turned, she saw a familiar face smiling at her.

“I heard the queen was here.”

It was Madam Cladnier. She was about to offer a prayer to the goddess, but Miesa ran to her and embraced her tightly, preventing her from doing so.

“Mother!”

“Oh dear, I suppose I’ll have to offer my prayers tomorrow instead.”

Madam Cladnier gently patted Miesa, who sobbed into her arms. It was a long time before her tears finally stopped.

“Mother, why are you here?” Miesa asked, sniffling as she tried to regain her composure.

Madam Cladnier smiled softly and whispered into her ear, “They told me you weren’t eating and crying like a child, so I came to give you a good scolding.”

Despite her words, Madam Cladnier’s hands tenderly wiped Miesa’s tear-stained face, her gaze filled with warmth.

“My dear, look at your face—it’s half its usual size.”

“Why is your face still the same, Mother?”

Madam Cladnier simply laughed, relieved to hear Miesa’s teasing words.

“I’ve been eating and resting well.”

Miesa’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How… how could you?”

“As a mother, you’re wondering how I can eat and sleep well when I don’t even know whether my son is alive?”

“……”

Madam Cladnier shook her head with a bitter smile. “It’s been twelve years now. I sent my son to war twelve years ago and have lived through it. By now, I can sleep, and the food still goes down.”

“How can that be…”

“My son needs a place to return to. Until I see his lifeless body with my own eyes, Eirik is alive.”

That was the only way to survive. Madam Cladnier skillfully hid her aching heart and clicked her tongue as she looked at Miesa’s gaunt face.

“At this rate, you’ll be the one to go first. I left behind pressing matters to come here. Let’s return to the palace.”