Chapter 48
48
The sound of footsteps was heavy. The light pouring from the room gradually faded, and the man's identity slowly emerged. First, white hair and a drooping beard, a hunched back, a wrinkled face, and a cane he was struggling to lean on. Baby Stone was nowhere to be seen. Everyone was busy looking for the Stone they all knew, as if they had made a promise. Soon, Gunther and Solskjaer's faces turned pale. They kept swallowing hard as they stared at the strange old man who came out of the room.
"Who... are you?"
Gunther asked, bewildered.
"Tsk, such bad manners, calling an elder 'you'! Is that how your mother and father taught you?"
"I have no mother or father. So tell me who you are."
Gunther's face was contorted with unease. Then Maria approached the old man and asked.
"Stone?"
"Maria, so you've found your voice?"
Everyone was shocked by his answer. Could that old man, who looked over 100 years old, really be baby Stone? Really, the gap in transformation was too great to accept. Soon, Stone told everyone.
"Spirits can change their appearance according to their power. I have to live in this form until the next hibernation."
Only then did they realize that Spirits were clearly different from humans. He seemed to be adjusting his power by repeating the cycle of child, youth, and old age. Also, the power of the Spirit varied depending on the prosperity of the land he protected.
"Stone, it's good to see you again."
Maria greeted Stone with a gentle hug. But Gunther and Solskjaer still didn't seem to believe it. They just chuckled in disbelief, feeling estranged from the old Stone.
"By the way, I need someone to take care of me."
Stone began to look around at the people. Then Gunther said firmly.
"Maria is out of the question."
Stone had liked Maria very much even when he was a child. He followed her around as if she were his mother. Such vain dreams should be nipped in the bud from the start to avoid future problems. Perhaps because of Gunther, Stone's finger, which had been pointing at Maria, moved towards someone else. Everyone held their breath, focusing on who he would choose. But Stone's busy finger stopped at Ero.
"Ero is a bit..."
Like Gunther, Solskjaer didn't like it very much either. But Stone's hand stopped at Ramona, who was right next to him.
"You, come here."
People were very surprised that Stone chose Ramona, who had just arrived at the Royal Palace, but Ramona herself walked towards Stone without any hesitation. Soon, people who saw Ramona's miserable appearance uttered words of pity.
"Her face is badly injured."
"Her hair color is very unique."
"Look at those hands. They're all cracked and scabbed."
"Tsk, tsk, it's a good thing, in a way. It's much easier to serve Stone."
"Of course."
Stone looked at Ramona for a long time, then smiled brightly and said.
"You already know? What kind of being you are."
"Yes, I am a half-breed."
Ramona was a half-breed of Spirit and human, but she couldn't use magic. Rather, she was weaker than humans and was treated as an oddity in terms of appearance.
"So you've been abused a lot by humans?"
"..."
Just then, Ero whispered in Maria's ear. Ramona was Laurent's maid when she was young, but she was abused for some reason. It was Laurent who ruined one side of Ramona's face, and eventually, he kicked her out to the pigsty because she was hideous.
'He's not even human.'
Maria couldn't contain her anger. Looking at Ramona's normal half of her face, she could immediately guess why Laurent had tormented her. Ramona's unique beauty must have bothered him. Laurent, who had to monopolize people's attention and love, couldn't tolerate his maid being more beautiful than him. No, he wouldn't even allow her to be around him, so he must have brutally ruined her.
"Let's live comfortably here now."
At Stone's words, Ramona's expressionless face trembled, and she shed tears like beads. Then, as Stone raised his hand towards her, a gentle breeze slowly unwound Ramona's bandages. Soon, her wound was revealed to everyone.
"Oh my god!"
People were greatly shocked. Because Ramona had no hair on one side of her head at all, and the rest of her face was horribly disfigured by burns. People around the world pointed fingers at Helland, calling it a place where barbaric and lowly humans lived, but among those who prided themselves on being noble bloodlines, there were those who committed sins without any guilt. Like Laurent Seradu.
"Don't cry. I'll heal you."
Stone reached out his hands towards Ramona's head. Then Gunther said sarcastically.
"Hey, Stone! Lick her with your tongue. You have to apply your saliva thoroughly to heal her, right?"
That's how he licked Maria's wounds.
"Tsk, what a nasty guy. You have no respect for your elders."
"Elders...?"
Gunther flared up, and Maria glared at him. Then Gunther said nothing more. What reason was there to cause trouble at the most important moment when Stone was about to heal Ramona? Even when Stone was a child, and even now that he had become an old man, it was strange that Gunther's childishness hadn't changed.
"Stone, please heal Ramona."
Maria treated Stone with polite respect. He soon raised his hand again towards Ramona and began to chant. Soon, light poured from his hand and enveloped Ramona's body. Ramona was enveloped in rainbow light for about 10 minutes. As the light gradually faded, a new Ramona appeared. And people were shocked again. Ramona, who had been completely healed by Stone's power, was a fairy-like beautiful woman. Flowing pink hair, large purple eyes, and transparent skin. She was said to be a half-breed, and the tips of her ears were slightly pointed. The people who were watching her were moved and applauded and cheered.
"Great King, Stone's magic seems to have grown stronger."
Solskjaer approached Gunther and said quietly.
"It's a good sign. If Helland declines, Stone will also weaken, so that should never happen again."
* * *
Gunther gathered all the nobles and State Ministers of Helland, and even the ordinary palace staff. Because he had something to announce to them. People had roughly guessed what it was when they saw that there were two Red Dragon thrones prepared at the head table. And Stone was already seated right below the thrones. Soon, when Gunther and Maria appeared hand in hand, everyone greeted them with cheers.
"Listen, everyone, I, the Great King of Helland, will take Maria Stuart as the Queen Consort of this country."
Everyone was delighted by his announcement. It felt like the foundation of the kingdom was finally being laid.
"Prepare a grand Royal Wedding that is second to none."
"Yes."
Maria's heart was filled with excitement as she listened to the thunderous cheers.
'It's just the beginning.'
I must make Helland a powerful nation that can rival Lastonia. And I will return the sins they committed against me. Maria clenched her trembling fist. But she knew better than anyone that there would be many obstacles before she could achieve perfect revenge. After all the events were over, a serious conversation continued in the office.
"Maria, or rather, Queen Consort, you must first divorce King Henry."
Aiden said in a serious tone. If this procedure was not followed, many royal families on the continent would not recognize the union of Gunther and Maria.
"I don't care what other countries think."
Gunther's position was firm. Since when did Helland care about what foreign countries thought?
"Great King, diplomatic power is also very important. To do that, we must respect the laws and customs of the continent."
"That's a headache. There's no reason why he wouldn't grant a divorce if I sent a letter."
"He won't agree easily."
A heated debate broke out between Gunther and Aiden. Aiden emphasized that in order for Helland to be recognized politically, diplomatically, and economically as a country, it had to trade and build friendships with other countries. But Gunther ignored Aiden's words, saying that they were doing well enough on their own and didn't need to care about what others thought.
"I will accept Lastonia's invitation."
Maria cut off the two men's argument. She was holding an invitation from Lastonia in her hand.
"What's the reason for going?"
"I have to go and demand a divorce from Henry myself."
Gunther was very worried by Maria's answer. When he had shown her the invitation before, he was sure that Maria would not accept the invitation. He wouldn't want to go back to that terrible place either. But she said she would go.
"I don't know what Maria is thinking, but I can't allow it."
"Why? It's my business?"
"It's dangerous. They're the ones who invaded my Royal Palace to kill you."
"Henry wouldn't know."
"Anyway, no. I'll take care of revenge or whatever, so Maria, just stay still."
Maria was so surprised by Gunther's old-fashioned answer that she couldn't close her mouth. Had she been mistaken about Gunther all along? He seemed to despise women like Henry and thought that men should take the lead in everything.
"Stay quietly in the palace and fix the Inner Palace system."
"In that case, you must negotiate a divorce with King Henry."
Aiden stepped in, unable to watch any longer. If Maria did not formally divorce Henry and became Gunther's Queen Consort, other royals would surely portray the two as being in an unsavory relationship. That would not help Helland's status.
"I'll settle it with the debt Henry owes me."
"Yes?"
Aiden was shocked, and Maria jumped up from her seat, glared at Gunther, and shouted.
"So you really think of me as a hostage. Or did you buy a woman with money? I refuse to be such a Queen Consort."
"What?"