𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟒: 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧
Suddenly, I was overcome by a sensation of dizziness.
The queen had been telling me about how she used a hidden passage to have secret meetings with her lover.
Previously, Lord Montyver had said that only the royal family could use the hidden passages in the palace.
There’s no doubt that the queen’s lover must be Prince Ghodrove.
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Since she was meeting secretly without even her subjects finding out, it’s no wonder that detectives couldn’t catch a trace of her.
If the queen hadn’t confided in me today, I wouldn’t have figured it out no matter how much I investigated.
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Prince Ghodrove has been kind and acted like a loving uncle to Lord Montyver all these years.
What a terrifying man he is. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.
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I must escape quickly and confide the secret to Lord Montyver.
But the queen’s story was not yet over.
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“Ever since Princess Marion changed his name to Lord Montyver and appeared frequently, I haven’t felt at ease. In addition to that, the new concubine, Karina, appeared, and I’ve been in agony.”
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Even after Prince Engelbert was born, it seems the king and queen were sharing the bedroom to have a new heir.
But it seems no new life was conceived.
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“The doctors said it might be a compatibility issue, that Engelbert’s birth was a miracle.”
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The queen said dismissively that Engelbert’s birth was neither a miracle nor anything special.
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“After turning forty, I finally gave up on having more children.”
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Fortunately, Prince Engelbert began to look more like the king as he grew older.
The fact that he was born from a lover must be taken to the grave, she apparently vowed in her heart.
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“I never dreamed that the king would bring in a new concubine, and a new prince would be born.”
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The king was said to be very pleased with the birth of a prince after eighteen years.
And once again, he began to speak of giving the right to succeed to the throne to the concubine’s child.
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“I had to stop that at all costs.”
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She could grudgingly accept Lord Montyver’s existence as a knight and not a publicly known prince.
But Prince Leonardo is known to be a legitimate prince.
If he’s also given the right to succession, it would be a big problem if it’s revealed that Prince Engelbert is not the king’s son.
The position of the next king that had been defended for many years would be easily taken away.
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“I pleaded with His Majesty not to give the right of succession to the royal concubine Karina’s child.”
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However, the queen’s wish was not granted.
On the contrary, he even began to say that he would give the right to Princess Marion.
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“As a result, Leonardo, Marion, both were given the right to succession. I was forced into the worst possible situation.”
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Since then, it seems the queen couldn’t even admonish her lover for his visible machinations.
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“Every day, I felt crushed by anxiety.”
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To the queen in such a state, her lover proposed a plan. It was to gather those who supported the queen and create a patronage society.
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The queen, with an image of a wicked woman from a foreign land, was not well-received by the nobles of Binemöer.
But she gathered those who secretly adored her, and won them over with money, goods, and Flandène’s feasts.
That was the beginning of the Queen’s Faction.
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“I never dreamed that the Concubine’s Faction would follow.”
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The queen said she couldn’t lose to the Concubine’s Faction and became increasingly determined, expanding her power.
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“When I came to my senses, the story had grown so big that the power was divided between the Queen’s Faction and the Concubine’s Faction.”
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Now there’s no turning back.
The presence of those around her must have emboldened the queen.
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“To put it simply, the concubine and I became enemies.”
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She said she never intended to deny the existence of the concubine.
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“I cannot comfort His Majesty’s heart. The presence of the royal concubine Anne and the royal concubine Karina was absolutely necessary.”
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Such foolish disputes will yield nothing.
At the same time, it seems she has resolved to end the relationship with her lover, which can only have a negative impact on herself.
The queen called her lover to the royal garden, wanting to discuss putting an end to the futile quarrels.
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“But that man said that the Queen’s Faction and the Concubine’s Faction are necessary.”
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If there is something to be passionate about, it might be easier to hide Prince Engelbert’s secret.
If the disputes cease, people with too much free time may notice the queen’s secret.
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“Furthermore, that man stated outright that he has no intention of ending our relationship.”
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The lover gently embraced the queen, whispering that he would always protect her.
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“Our embrace was witnessed by a maid.”
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That maid must have been Irma.
Not only the relationship with her lover but Prince Engelbert’s secret was also discovered.
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“I did swear her to secrecy, but I was on edge every day. She was a temporary maid, planning to leave after finishing her duties, but I tried to keep her. She refused, saying her marriage was approaching――”
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If Irma reveals the secret, it will be the end for the queen.
After consulting with her lover about what to do, an unthinkable incident occurs.
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“The young girl who was a maid was found floating in the lake. Even though I didn’t ask him to, that man killed her!”
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Ah! I almost screamed.
It was Prince Ghodrove who killed Irma.
Indeed, her death was neither an accident nor a suicide.
He killed her to silence her, as she had heard the secret.
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“It’s my fault that even the royal concubine Karina was killed. I didn’t have to keep the secret at the expense of so many people――!”
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It seems the queen believes that the missing royal concubine was killed.
I want to reassure her that the concubine is alive, but it may be better to keep it hidden for now.
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“Mrs. Dosa, what should I do now?”
“That is. . . . . .”
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It’s not something that can be answered immediately.
However, the queen is cornered, restrained by Lord Montyver.
I cannot leave her alone like this.
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“Your Majesty, shall we consult the Marchioness?”
“Marchioness Falkenhigh? But she is close with the royal concubine Anne, and she probably doesn’t think well of me.”
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It seems the queen has become quite timid. She used to say that she wanted to see the Marchioness.
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“That’s not the case. Let’s ask the experienced Marchioness for her opinion once.”
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The queen nodded at my suggestion.
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