The corridor felt unusually long. Eunice glanced at the man’s navy blue long hair swaying like waves with each footstep, then fixed her gaze ahead.
Walking alone with Glenton, she didn’t know what to say. The office had been so noisy, but now it was awkwardly quiet.
Continuing the conversation she’d had with Louise or Johannes seemed inappropriate for someone of the chancellor’s stature. And Glenton didn’t appear interested in bringing up that embarrassing topic either.
‘Am I the only one uncomfortable?’
She wished they would quickly reach the room with the ravens. Not knowing what Glenton was thinking made it worse.
Despite stealing glances at him occasionally out of frustration, she couldn’t read any emotion on his face. Charitably, he looked like a sculpture; less charitably, he seemed inhuman.
“Do you miss Tranche?”
His unexpected voice reached her then. As she turned her head, Glenton was gazing at her with calm eyes.
His grayish-brown eyes visible behind his glasses felt like sharp awls. As if he could see through her, Eunice couldn’t maintain eye contact for long and quickly turned her head forward.
“I’m just writing to let them know I arrived safely.”
“I see.”
He adjusted his glasses habitually and responded indifferently.
“This place is quite different from the south. Just as this place feels unfamiliar to you, others will find you unfamiliar and curious.”
His businesslike voice unexpectedly pierced deep into her heart.
A being that didn’t belong here. Someone not part of Nordish. Words that reminded her of her position as a foreigner.
「She’s like a foreign object.」
「She doesn’t suit the Pavlone name at all.」
「Be grateful that we keep a child like you whose very existence is uncomfortable.」
The voices of Sophia, Philip, and her stepmother Deborah seemed to buzz around her ears.
Was it just her family?
King Wilhelm II, Crown Princess Richen and her family—none of them welcomed her existence.
‘I’m unwelcome wherever I go.’
Nothing had changed since coming to Nordish. That realization made her heart ache.
She felt pathetic for still being hurt by just a few words even as an adult. If she thought about it, it was natural that not everyone would welcome a foreign-born queen.
Put on a stronger shield.
To avoid getting hurt. To avoid being shaken. To protect her heart.
“There might be some who behave rudely.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me about them.”
“…Pardon?”
Eunice thought she had misheard. When she turned her head in surprise, Glenton smiled with his eyes curved. Though his face showed a clean smile, it somehow felt eerie.
How to describe it? As if he was saying he would beat anyone soundly if she just reported them.
“…”
Eunice’s green eyes trembled slightly.
She couldn’t understand why the chancellor would make such an offer. As she began to suspect ulterior motives, perhaps sensing her distrust, Glenton continued his explanation.
“Treating the queen disrespectfully is an act of deceiving the royal family. Despite appearances, I’m quite loyal.”
“…I see.”
She couldn’t very well respond that she would gladly report people to him. Eunice thought carefully and chose appropriate words.
“Just hearing that makes me feel secure. Thank you.”
Despite it being just a few words, her heart was already melting warmly.
Eunice found her easily wounded and easily comforted heart ridiculous. She didn’t want to sway like a reed, but she didn’t know how to steady herself.
Just as even the finest forged armor has seams, no matter how firmly she gripped her shield in preparation, attacks could slip through her defenseless gaps.
This attack was of an unfamiliar kind, leaving Eunice more defenseless than usual, surrendering deep into her heart.
Was it pure goodwill, or a strategic check with advanced tactics?
One thing was clear: the kind voice and smile had penetrated more fatally than any sharp attack, shaking her foundations.
Glenton smiled deeply with his eyes as if extracting a promise that she must do so, then stopped walking. The two had arrived in front of a room.
“Here we are.”
He opened the door with a graceful movement.
Beyond the slowly opening door, an antique atmosphere unfolded. The fluttering of wings and cooing sounds of carrier pigeons mixed in.
“The Duke of Pavlone must be worried about his precious daughter’s well-being. Please write your letter comfortably.”
Thanking him as he gave a light bow, Eunice entered the room. Behind her, she heard the door closing and Glenton’s receding footsteps.
Left alone, Eunice carefully looked around.
Rolled scrolls, paper cut into small sizes, tubes for letters, strings to tie to birds’ bodies, and ravens pecking at feed in cages.
After taking in the details, Eunice slowly approached the desk. Once seated in the chair, a long sigh escaped her.
What should she write?
「Contact me immediately when you become pregnant.」
Rockford’s voice clung stickily to her mind.
「I can’t believe you’re the daughter born between me and Solenne.」
The voice that had clawed at her heart echoed dully in her ears like a distant echo. With a face darkened by sadness, Eunice picked up a blank paper and placed it before her.
The not-so-large rectangular paper felt like a massive tidal wave rushing to devour her.
“Haah.”
An acrid sigh escaped between her teeth. How long had she been struggling to pick up the quill, dip it in ink, and stare complexly at the blank paper?
Having made up her mind, Eunice wrote down the first sentence on the paper. The pressure weighing on her shoulders dissipated like smoke.
Excluding personal emotions. Businesslike. As she always had.
Once the dam broke, this was actually something very familiar to Eunice. She just needed to do it as she had when reporting to Rockford about the duchy.
Scratch, scratch.
The sound of the quill rubbing against paper gently permeated the air. The noise, just enough to barely cover her breathing, helped steady Eunice’s wavering heart.
Her inner turmoil, which had been a mess like stirred muddy water, settled calmly. If she could avoid being shaken further, the impurities would settle and clear water would emerge again.
She had arrived safely in the capital Berzan. Wedding preparations were proceeding without issues. Nordish wasn’t as barren as rumors suggested. They were also monitoring the recovery of the Land of Death here. She would write again if there was any new information.
Though lacking meaningful information, a plausible letter was completed.
Setting down the quill, Eunice quietly stared into space. Her green eyes looked somewhat empty.
When she closed her eyes, the verdant scenery of St. Laurent still flickered… She had foolishly left too much of her heart in a place where no one would look for her.
「Do you miss Tranche?」
She did.
Because she had bloomed like a shining flower in that painful, muddy place. Because the heart she had cultivated so it wouldn’t wither had also bloomed in Tranche.
「If Lady Solenne were alive, she would surely want you to enjoy all these good things. Bright sunshine, gentle breezes, sweet peaches. You don’t know how many wonderful things there are in the world.」
She missed Marie. It was as if Marie conveyed the words her deceased mother would have said.
She had listened to Marie’s voice and diligently cared for the land her mother had loved. By caring so sincerely, she had fallen into unrequited love with St. Laurent, the Pavlone duchy, and Tranche.
A snicker. Self-directed mockery faintly stirred the air.
That’s when a knock sounded. Lost in thought, Eunice startled to attention and turned her gaze toward the door. Johannes appeared as the door opened.
“Have you finished the letter?”
“Your Majesty.”
Eunice rose awkwardly and flipped over the paper. She immediately regretted it. She could feel through the air that Johannes’s blue eyes had keenly captured that movement.
“I was concerned you might have included Louise’s nonsense.”
Revealing the reason for his visit, Johannes quickly approached and leaned his upper body close. This caused Eunice, who had risen with an unstable posture, to plop back down in her chair.
“D-don’t worry about that.”
Eunice’s cheeks turned rosy. She exerted all her self-control to avoid repeating the mistake of lowering her gaze.
Tap.
That’s when she felt a small gesture.
Johannes touched the back of her hand with his index finger. He was telling her to remove the hand covering the letter. At that arrogant and leisurely command, Eunice quietly inhaled.
Had he come to censor her?
Obediently following his command, Eunice resolved to be especially careful in the future. She anxiously watched Johannes as he read the letter with a tense expression.
Fortunately, she had nothing particular to write this time, so there shouldn’t be any problematic content…
“Ha.”
“…?”
A small sneer escaped between his teeth then. Eunice’s green eyes trembled slightly.
“My worry was unnecessary.”
Johannes spoke in an ice-cold voice, clearly disturbed by something.
“According to Wilhelm II’s orders, you’ll quickly get pregnant with my child?”
