The Unwanted Princess Becomes Loved in the Werewolf Kingdom and Becomes Queen! – Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Fragment
Seasons come and go. As they continued their journey towards the long winter of Shenka, autumn deepened rapidly.
The sky was always high, and in the empty town devoid of birds, only the sound of insects signaled the farewell to summer. However, even as the wind grew colder, the lively journey pushed back the loneliness of early autumn.
And so it was that, when the mornings and evenings became chilly enough to require lightweight jackets, Ernesta and her companions arrived in Rashtovka after three weeks of traveling.
Ernesta was in the corner of the royal castle, in the same old hut.
Everyone had left the castle on some false pretense, and the situation was abnormal. They had agreed to return to the castle after dispersing, and now Ernesta was waiting for Dasha to bring Ermengard to her.
Time passed strangely slowly, and then the door to the hut was knocked. When she replied, the most familiar yet unfamiliar face peered through the door.
“Oh, I’m glad you’re back. You saved me.”
“Ermengard-sama!”
Ermengard appeared completely unchanged from when they had last seen each other. With a calm tone and a composed smile, she seemed strangely familiar despite having only met once before.
“I assume you came here because you wanted to, right?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Okay, then that’s good. Everything has fallen into place.”
Ermengard chuckled lightly. It was the most sincere smile Ernesta had ever seen.
But even so, she didn’t know what to say. She had been thinking about this journey the whole time, yet still couldn’t find the right words.
She was given Ermengard’s name and position to live with. The thought of what she really felt about this fact scared her.
“Ermengard-sama, I…I’ve been really worried about whether it was okay for me to come here as your replacement.”
“Shh. Don’t say another word.”
But her desperate plea was cut off by a mischievous grin.
“I told you, everything has settled where it should be. This was your role from the beginning, and I was born only to paint. But that doesn’t mean we were born in the wrong order. We’ve each lived our own lives; we have no regrets, right? After all, if things were different, we wouldn’t be here. You’ve chosen your path, and I’ve chosen mine. That’s all there is to it.”
Chosen. The word resonated within her heart, filling her with strength.
Yes, Ernesta had chosen to live here. To stand on her own two feet.
And so had Ermengard; there was no inequality in that fact.
With eyes shining with light, Ernesta nodded, and Ermengard smiled back at her. They then suggested changing clothes, and began to dress at the same time.
“Oh, and before I forget, I’m still terrible at my job. I have a lot of work piled up, so keep up the good work.”
“Yes. Of course.”
“And also, I had a room where I used to paint, but I couldn’t bring everything with me. So can you dispose of whatever’s left there?”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t throw it away. I’ll cherish it.”
“Haha, if you like it, that’s alright with me. I’ll leave it to you.”
As they chatted, they began to take off their clothes. Just as they handed each other their clothes, Ermengard suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, that’s right! We received a lot of costumes some time ago. I haven’t even tried them on, so feel free.”
“Ah…”
With so many things going on, and since she didn’t think it was hers to begin with, Ernesta had completely forgotten. Come to think of it, she had been making clothes for autumn and winter.
“I heard it was a gift from King Ivan. I’m glad to hear he’s taking good care of you.”
As she blushed while putting on the cream-colored Arkrig that had been handed to her, Ernesta decided to change the subject before she could be teased any further.
“Um, Ermengard-sama, what are your plans from here on?”
“Me? Yeah, for now, I’ll wait in the castle town until I get a response from the letter. His Majesty has no choice but to accept the conditions, so I don’t think I’ll have much of a role. Once that happens, I’ll be free and leave the country immediately. Your husband has already banned me from entering Shenka ever again.”
Ernesta turned to her sister as if she had been struck. She was already seamlessly dressed in her lightweight Arkrig for the trip, and she was smiling.
“Did that really happen?!”
“Yes, it did. That person really likes you if he is willing to settle this peacefully.”
The conversation had returned to the starting point, so Ernesta pleaded desperately.
“We shouldn’t even be talking about something like that! …Because you seemed to enjoy painting this country.”
“It’s okay. It’s only natural that the likelihood of encountering someone who knows you will increase in the future. We should appreciate King Ivan’s kindness.”
After confirming that Ernesta had finished changing, Ermengard picked up her own belongings. It was apparently a bag filled with paint that had been pre-placed in the cabin.
“You have given me freedom. I cannot express in words how happy I am to have escaped from that suffocating palace. I sincerely thank you and the people of this country.”
Ermengard extended her hand in farewell. Ernesta couldn’t help but smile at her surprisingly clear attitude, despite this being their parting in this life.
This was an inevitable separation. It was not a farewell to hold mutual regret and walk an unwanted path like before.
The hand that shook back was softer and more supple than her own. This person, who was supposed to live as a princess, was highly adaptable, bold, and natural. So surely, she would do well in the future.
“I am also grateful to you, Ermengard-sama. Let’s meet again somewhere.”
“Yes, let’s meet again somewhere, Ernesta.”
Ermengard raised her hand last and then left the hut. She left behind a strange approachability that made one wonder if she would return again.
“My Queen, are you okay?”
As soon as they left the hut, Dasha, who had been worried, ran up to her.
“Thank you, Dasha. I’m sorry for all the trouble.”
“Please don’t say that. I’m really happy to help.”
The two of them walked together through the castle. Just before they reached the Queen’s room, Dasha suddenly stopped.
“Um, this is the room where she was painting.”
Dasha didn’t say who, but of course, but of course the identity of the blank space was immediately known.
The room was filled with the smell of oil. It wasn’t a strange or unpleasant smell, but rather a nostalgic one.
There was nothing left but a few paintings in gentle colors hanging on the wall. Not even a trace of her person.
“She was holed up in here most of the time. Um…my nose is good, so it’s a bit pungent.”
Dasha handed over a picture while making a sour face. In the image, a familiar face was smiling, taking up about one-third of the panel.
“Is this… Ermengard-sama’s self-portrait?”
“No, this is My Queen. It’s obvious to anyone who looks.”
Prompted by Dasha’s clear smile, Ernesta gazed intently at the picture. The image was not photorealistic, like the ceiling paintings in a church, but rather drawn in soft brushstrokes, with pale hues that seemed to catch the light. Above all, that smile was very gentle.
“Do I really look like this?”
Not quite understanding, Ernesta blinked with rounded eyes. It seemed like the image was too beautifully painted.
“I think it’s a great picture! If you think I’m lying, take a look at the back.”
At her urging, she turned the picture over. It was written in the roughcloth in the bottom-right corner.
[Title: “From Me to You.”]
Later, Ermengard became a famous painter and left behind a vast collection for the Urbashek royal family. But that is still a story of a distant future.
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