Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Suddenly, the Royal Palace became chaotic. Courtiers from all over the palace poured out to see the Witches. Of course, Maria, Ero, and Nora joined the crowd. Actually, Maria had planned to visit Aiden at that time, but she had no choice but to come out to the yard due to Ero's insistence.
"Are those really Witches?"
Their attire was too extravagant and revealing to be called Witches. There were a little over twenty of them. Moreover, each one was exceptionally beautiful. No one would think of calling them Witches.
"They look like prostitutes to me."
Nora pouted and grumbled. What good would it do to travel around advertising themselves as Witches other than to face hardship? So they deliberately dressed so flamboyantly, like dancers performing in various countries.
"I'd believe it if they said they came from a temple."
Ero's voice was also very subdued. She wasn't one to be outdone in terms of looks, but the Witches were so beautiful that busy courtiers made a point of coming out to see them. Among them, one woman in particular caught everyone's attention.
"That woman must be the boss."
At Ero's words, Maria immediately pressed her finger to her lips.
"Okay, I'll use nice words. She must be the leader."
Only then did Maria smile and nod. She also recalled Gunther's delighted expression when he heard that the Witches had arrived. The Great Witch's name was Samantha, wasn't it? He spoke it so naturally, as if calling his lover's name.
[Where is Samantha?]
[She is looking for the Great King as soon as she arrived.]
[Let's go.]
Objectively speaking, Great Witch, Samantha, was worthy of everyone's attention. Shining blonde hair, glamorous features, a voluptuous figure, and a seductive aura. Above all, it was the first time Maria had seen a woman walk so sweetly.
'I used to have golden hair too.'
There was only one thing Maria envied about Samantha: her hair, which had now lost its luster and turned ashen. It would never come back. Maria unconsciously touched her hair. Why did the color of another woman's hair suddenly make her feel so sad? She felt tears welling up. She had held up well until now, but it seemed she wasn't completely healed yet.
"Oh my! Look at those men."
At that moment, Ero exclaimed loudly, and Maria and Nora's gazes turned to one spot. There, Gunther and Solskjaer were smiling brightly at Samantha. Not only that, but Samantha wrapped her lithe arms around Gunther's neck and kissed him very naturally.
"!?"
"What, what? Is the Great King kissing a Witch?"
Ero fussed, stamping her feet, while Nora put her thick hands on her hips and huffed. Maria didn't avoid the sight of Gunther kissing the Witch. Beyond seeming casual like an old couple, the two looked like a painting.
Suddenly, thump-thump—Maria's heart pounded. She pressed her hand firmly against her heart. This shouldn't make her heart race... It was then. Gunther's gaze, as he kissed the Great Witch, met Maria's head-on. Kissing another woman sweetly while looking at her as if to say, 'Look at this.' He even had a tattoo on his back proclaiming her as his woman, yet he was showing her the sight of him kissing another woman. No, his tattoo might be a byproduct of his possessiveness, but for her, it was just a deal she had reluctantly agreed to in order to save Ero. So there was no need to attach any meaning to it.
Maria didn't bother avoiding his gaze either. She felt a bit stubborn. No, there was no reason to avoid it. Maria deliberately looked back and forth between Ero and Nora, smiling brightly, as if she were just a spectator who had come out to see the festival.
'From today, I should sleep with Nora.'
Judging by the atmosphere, Gunther and the Great Witch seemed ready to burn the long night away.
Allan covered his face with a lace veil and put on a robe. He hid himself among the Witches in such attire, and fortunately, he was not stopped even when crossing the border or even when entering the Imperial Palace.
'I have to find the deposed Empress.'
He was solely focused on finding Maria. He remembered Maria's face clearly, having greeted her at several banquets before. No, even if he didn't try to remember, she stood out everywhere. She was overflowing with the dignity of an Empress. But since she had fallen from Empress to hostage, he might not recognize her. He carefully examined the faces of the courtiers who had come to see the Witches. Then, his gaze stopped at one point.
'Maria Stuart.'
He found her at once. Even though her hair color had changed a bit and she was less flamboyant than before, it was definitely the deposed Empress, Maria. So it seems that a person's presence is not determined by clothes or accessories. She stood out among the many courtiers. It wasn't just because she was beautiful. Every time he saw Maria, he felt that she was strong but gentle, melancholic but proud. It was a bit of a waste to kill her. But her existence was blocking Laurent's path, so he had no choice.
'Things are going smoothly.'
The power of money was great after all. There was nothing in the world that money couldn't solve. Even Henry Coburg, the Emperor of Lastonia, the sun and supreme ruler, was struggling with money.
'My commission will be the deposed Empress's hidden wealth.'
Allan hid himself with the mercenary who had come with him. First, he had to learn the geography of the Imperial Palace, and then, on the day of the Ritual, he had to kidnap the deposed Empress and escape the palace. To do that, he had to know the various entrances to the palace in advance.
'Gunther is completely infatuated with Samantha.'
Looking at Gunther, it seemed that he could kidnap Maria without difficulty.
'But does he know that Samantha's skills are exaggerated?'
Well, what would ignorant barbarians know? It was a country made up of a ragtag bunch of people in a haphazard way. They just happened to get money and play King. God was so unfair. He gave such excessive wealth to those beasts.
'I just have to remove the obstacle for my beloved sister and get some money.'
It didn't matter whether Gunther and Henry waged war over Maria's death. Unless it was revealed who killed her, they would raise their voices and fight each other, blaming each other. In the end, only Maria was pitiful.
Maria had been dizzy all day. Why couldn't the sight of Gunther and Samantha kissing disappear? She caught herself constantly replaying it, even though she tried not to think about it. It was pathetic and annoying. No, it was depressing. Then, she tried to stabilize her gradually overturned emotions.
'Now is not the time for you to be swayed by such emotions.'
Maria whipped herself, who was wavering in her thoughts, and headed to the Immigration Office to meet Aiden. He hadn't been assigned a residence yet, so he would be staying at the accommodation under the Immigration Office. She had contacted the people there in advance, so she would be able to meet Aiden without difficulty when she arrived.
Finally, when Maria arrived at the Immigration Office accommodation, he was standing in front of the main gate. Aiden was pacing back and forth, clasping his hands anxiously. As soon as Aiden saw Maria, he ran over with a delighted expression.
"Maria, you came."
Happy to see each other after a few days, the two hugged and greeted each other. Aiden kept asking about Maria's well-being. He knew she couldn't answer him, but he had so many questions. Maria had something she needed to confirm with Aiden, so she prepared paper and a pen in advance. First, she reassured Aiden with a note that she was doing very well here. In fact, this was more like being a guest than a hostage.
"I was going to tell you about my uncle and aunt when I met you again."
He looked at Maria with a determined expression and began to speak. He told her that on the day the Imperial Guard stormed the castle, there were Landes' mercenaries and unknown soldiers inside.
"I heard that Laurent Seradu's family sent mercenaries to kill our family members mercilessly."
But he also said that the remaining soldiers were hiding their identities, so they still didn't know who they were.
"Maria, I have some hopeful news for you."
"!?"
"My friend in the Imperial Palace examined the bodies of my uncle and aunt. But it wasn't them."
'It wasn't them? It wasn't my father and mother?'
Aiden nodded, tears welling up in his eyes, at Maria, who widened her eyes in surprise. Then the conclusion was that someone had switched the bodies and taken her parents away.
"But I don't know who did it. The Seradu family might have taken them, or the unknown soldiers might have hidden them. Or maybe my uncle planned it in advance."
Stone's prophecy was right after all. First of all, she was thrilled that her parents were alive. She just hoped it wasn't the Seradu family. They would try to use her parents to put Laurent on the Empress's throne. But somehow, it didn't seem like them. She had a strong feeling that her parents were living comfortably in a quiet fishing village, just like she had seen in her dream.
Maria burst into tears that she had been holding back all along. She didn't usually cry out loud, but this time she couldn't hold back the overwhelming emotions.
Waaah—As Maria cried loudly, Aiden hugged her and comforted her. The two cried, embracing each other tightly.
"Maria, I will protect you now."
Aiden said, cupping Maria's tear-stained face. But Maria knew very well that Aiden couldn't protect her. She just hoped that Aiden would settle down well here with Elizabeth.
"The jewel of the Stuart family, Maria Stuart. How did you, who shone brighter than anyone else..."
Aiden touched Maria's hair, which had faded to gray, and felt sorry for her. But his affectionate concern didn't last long. A sharp voice cutting through the night air startled the two of them.
"Maria."