Chapter 11

* * *

Clink!

The teacup broke into pieces on the floor.

“I told you to bring me some hot tea!”

Deborah’s angry voice leaked through the crack of the drawing room’s door.

“Madam, I’ve committed a mortal sin! I just brought you the hot tea you asked for…!”

The maid fell flat on her face and begged, trembling with a pale face.

Deborah raised her eyes as if it was ridiculous.

“Is this hot tea?”

“That…….”

“If you only warm it twice, will your tongue become tender?”

“Madam! Please kill me!”

These days, the Duke of Douglas’ castle has never been quiet.

After the celebration banquet, Deborah was angry – venting and finding fault with her subordinates every now and then.

Such as… This spot was not cleaned yet. The atmosphere in the house was gloomy. The food was not tasty.

It seemed that the tea brought by the maid today was against her standards.

To begin with, what’s ‘warm’ could not be determined by a fixed degree as it’s something that could be felt differently by each person.

In addition, the tea she brought was brewed in the same way as usual. It was only today that it was said to be not hot.

But Deborah was particularly upset today. Her cold eyes turned to the back of the kneeling maid’s head.

“Get up.”

The maid faltered and trembled as she stood up.

‘Will you forgive me…?’ She saw a small glimmer of hope.

“It’s ‘warm’ tea, so it doesn’t matter if it hits you in the face, right?”

Before the maid could answer, hot tea was poured on her.

“Ahhh!”

When the poor maid fell over with her face covered, servants ran and supported her.

Deborah gave an order, throwing the teapot away.

“Bring me some hot tea!”

Just then, Duke Douglas entered the noisy drawing room. He looked at the maid and frowned.

“What’s going on again?”

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the group that supported the injured maid went outside.

When her husband came in, Deborah softened her voice and answered.

“It’s not the Duke’s concern.”

“Haven’t you been tormenting innocent servants all day long.”

There was a tired look in the eyes of Duke Douglas as he stared at his wife.

“Housekeeping is up to me. Don’t cut my authority in front of the lower ones.”

Deborah answered coldly.

“You shouldn’t unleash your resentment of the Queen onto those good people.”

“Duke Douglas!”

Duke Douglas bluntly stabbed the core and walked out, shaking his head with a tired expression.

With a pale face, Deborah hit the sofa as if she was angry.

‘Why did I have to marry a man like that, one with no ambition?’

Deborah always blamed her husband’s small bowl. However, in the beginning, it was not that she was dissatisfied with her husband, the Duke of Douglas.(TL/N: ‘bowl’ as in, appetite/greed/ambition.)

She was originally of a semi-baron family, but she had no property, so she was actually living a worse life than a commoner. However, Duke Douglas loved her so much that he overcame opposition from the family and married her.

At that time, Deborah felt like she had the whole world. Finally, her status had risen. She couldn’t believe she became the duke’s wife! Now the world would unfold at the feet of this Deborah!

But when she became duchess, the positions of those more noble than herself began to stand out.

It was the seat where the emperor and the empress sat.

People of noble bloodlines. Those who are born with a status that could only be reached by nature…

That ‘inaccessible feeling’ made Deborah more ambitious. She believed that if she sat there, her humble birth and unfortunate past would be erased.

‘Honestly, if it’s the Duke of Douglas, it’s enough to aim for the throne, right?’

For that to happen, heaven and earth had to be opened.

When the war of conquest for Spinel broke out, and when Johann Marquis finally ascended the throne.

That would be the beginning.

Johann, who was not ambitious, would not stay on the throne for long.

However, Duke Douglas was a loyal servant of the emperor and not a man who would satisfy her ambitions. Realizing that, Deborah abandoned her love for her husband.

Duke Douglas was fed up with his wife, who was cunning and greedy for power, dominating the social world.

“…I’m crazy! To marry such a pathetic and miserable man. Alas, a man with neither ambition nor usefulness!”

“!”

Deborah’s blatant accusations made the servants look at her in surprise.

But she continued muttering, not paying attention to the ears around her.

“That’s why his wife was ignored in society.”

“…….”

“If I had become the Empress earlier, would that savage Queen of Spinel be able to ignore me?”

Deborah mumbled with a cold twisted expression on her face.

“No way.”

The maid trembled and brought hot tea.

Deborah sat down on a chair and lifted the cup of tea, her beautiful olive-colored eyes twinkling.

‘But do you think I’m going to leave like this?’

That was not going to be the case.

‘You’ll see. The day you’re kicked out of Aktoum in a miserable state… I’ll spit on that good-looking face!’

* * *

I was surrounded by the maids sent by Rixus.

Seryl, Laura, and Maribel.

All of them were soft-hearted, gentle, and good-natured.

“Oh, Your Majesty looks so good in these gorgeous designs and I really enjoy decorating you! Seryl is such a happy maid!”

“This is a pendant representing the four seasons of Romnia. It would be a perfect fit for Her Majesty the Queen.”

“Oh my, look at this shiny hair. It’s been a while since I’ve braided such hair.”

I looked in the mirror and thought.

‘…It’s like a courting peacock.’

It was too glamorous, but I didn’t want to break the atmosphere of excitement the girls had while decorating.

Actually, it’s been a while. Having maids who were not afraid of me.

They usually found it difficult to make eye contact with my unusual eyes. Moreover, most of Spinel’s maids witnessed me purging the nobility and causing a bloodstorm. Hence, they were fearful of me.

Rixus seemed to have considered my situation well.

“I instructed them to select especially fearless and bright young girls. They are like maids specialized for you.”

When I first said that I was recruiting maids, there were very few applicants. But after the last ‘celebration banquet’, the number of applications soared dramatically, and it was said that they had to break through a competition rate of 13:1.

Was that why?

They still had a hard time dealing with me, but I felt like they sort of had a crush on me. Then there was a loud knock on the door.

Seryl went out and came back with a box and a note.

I first opened the note. It had the neatly scribbled handwriting of Rixus.

When I opened the box, there was a gorgeous necklace.

It was like it’s shining alone, gathering the light from all over the world…

The blue-violet pendant that seemed to contain the dawn sky reminded me of his eyes.

Exclamations erupted from all sides.

“Oh my! The Crown Prince is also romantic!”

Seryl, with pink hair and pink eyes, blushed like a spring flower, and was flustered instead of me.

I felt a little embarrassed and tickled when I saw the note.

‘My spring bride’. That cold-blooded man knew how to say these sweet words…?

I wondered if he was the same person as the Rixus I knew.

Laura, with her rosy hair and golden eyes, smiled slightly.

“His Highness must have fallen in love with Her Majesty the Queen.”

“No way.”

When I replied cynically, the dark-haired Maribel made a small plea, blinking her light blue eyes.

“But, the jewelry box… No, the jewelry room was not enough, so he gave you this necklace as a gift.”

I answered calmly.

“And that’s why it feels like an overkill.”

“……”

Perhaps my reaction was unexpected as the maids looked at each other and blinked their eyes.

I looked at the necklace with a strange feeling.

‘What kind of jewel did he use?’

It was the first time I had ever seen something like this. I didn’t know it’s rarity, but my instinct was finally sending a warning that it was dangerous.

I knew why.

‘Rixus, you’re trying to get too close to me.’

We were on the same side at the last celebration banquet, so I almost misunderstood for a moment…

He and I were just getting married with the common goal of ‘preventing war’. In actual fact, we were closer to enemies.

The act of sharing our hearts unnecessarily could come back to us with cruel results.

Our endings had always been like that, Rixus.

I slowly closed my eyes and made up my mind.

Then I closed the box and handed it to the maids.

“Give the necklace back to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“!”

* * *

I was at the stable to check the brown horse I had bought. It gained quite a bit of weight and became beautiful. It didn’t look like it had been abused.

“You’re pretty.”

It was when I was whispering softly and stroking its back.

I shifted my gaze towards the entrance and saw Rixus standing there.

“……”

I didn’t tell anyone I was going to the stables… Did he search every nook and cranny?

Seeing the gift box in his hand, I knew why he had come. It was only then that I felt a sense of déjà vu.

‘Even when I refused to marry him, he came after me immediately…’

Now, he chased after me again because I didn’t accept the necklace.

‘Really, there is a stubborn corner.’

I turned my head away, continuing to stroke the neck of the brown horse, pretending not to notice.

“It’s eating five times as much as other horses. Thanks to you, it gained weight and its eyes improved.”

“Did you name it?”

“Its name is Rocha. Rocha Spinel.”

I passed on the royal surname to the brown horse. It was a name given to forget the unfortunate past of being abused and to eat well and live like royalty in the future.

Rixus came over to me right away as if he wasn’t interested in the name of the horse.

I turned him down before he started.

“Take the necklace back. I’m not your lover, so I don’t need this kind of gift.”

Would it be my misunderstanding if there was a sign of disappointment on Rixus’ face?

“Does one only give gifts to their lover?”

“Usually it is.”

“We’re going to be married, so I think we can do this much.”

“I’ve already received a lot.”

I spoke without looking at him.

“It’s embarrassing.”

Rixus’ eyes, which had always been still, trembled violently in an instant.

I continued nonchalantly.

“What are you going to do if I misunderstand that you like me because you give gifts and say sweet things like ‘you’re beautiful’?”

It was a joke. I was obviously joking…

“……”

Embarrassingly, Rixus didn’t say anything negative and just looked at me silently.

I looked away, a little perplexed.

“…Anyway, we don’t have to be friends just because we’re getting married.”

This was true.

“Because so many nobles are married without feelings. I hope we do the same.”

Of course, I didn’t even need a good husband.

I thought it would be good to make it clear on this occasion, so I picked up a dry branch. Then I laid it down between him and I, expressing a clear line between us.

“Rixus, we need a line.”

At that moment, Rixus came up to me and narrowed the space.

Beneath his feet, the sound of branches cracking and breaking could be heard vividly. He grabbed one of my arms. He didn’t add any strength, but somehow it felt solid like a snare.

I felt as if the blue-purple eyes that were brimming with deep emotions were binding and trapping me.

He whispered in my ear

“Queen, you drive me crazy, I just wanted to cross the line.”