Chapter 49
49
“Maria, say it again.”
Gunther asked back with a troubled face. He was sure he had heard the word ‘rejection’ from her lips.
“Your Majesty, I refuse. I don’t want to be your woman.”
“Do you know what those words mean, what consequences they will bring?”
“Yes, I am a hostage, after all.”
Bang! At Maria’s words, Gunther slammed the desk violently. Yet, Maria was not surprised or intimidated.
“If you’re going to completely ignore and disrespect my opinion, there’s no reason for me to be by your side.”
“It’s not that I’m ignoring you.”
Maria doesn’t know. The terror he felt when he lost her on the cliff. The agony he went through trying to find Maria in the desolate desert... He vowed then. He would never let Maria be in danger again.
“I can’t love you.”
“!?”
“I won’t love a man who treats me like property.”
Maria said everything she wanted to say, then stormed out of the room.
“Maria, stop right there!”
Even as Gunther shouted fiercely, she didn’t stop. Maria left the office and ran frantically. She thought Gunther would be different from Henry. She thought that even if he was a selfish and rough man, he would listen to and respect his woman’s thoughts. But she doesn’t know what makes him different from Henry.
‘Settle it with a debt?’
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. What royal family in the world would buy a Queen Consort with money? Even if there was such a shameful secret, it was normal to hide it.
‘Doesn’t he care about the shame I might feel?’
Maria resented Gunther. In the end, she was just an object to be bought and sold for money. She ran without stopping and climbed up the Stone Tower. Even though her heart felt like it would burst as she climbed the endless stairs, she never stopped.
‘Being respected by my man, that’s all I want.’
Is that too much to ask? Maria repeatedly asked herself. Meanwhile, Gunther called out for Maria so loudly that the Royal Palace shook. He roamed around the Royal Palace, stomping so loudly that the passing courtiers were startled.
“Where is Maria?”
He happened to meet Nora and Ero and immediately asked.
“I haven’t seen her.”
“Is there anywhere she might have gone?”
“I don’t know.”
Nora deliberately feigned ignorance. There was no need to get involved in the situation where Maria and Gunther had argued, and she thought it was wiser to give each other time when the conflict was so severe.
‘Can’t love me? Does she think she can say such things to me and get away with it?’
Gunther’s chest heaved with anger. His limbs trembled because of the words Maria had thrown at him. He had been too lenient with her all this time. How dare she say things to him that she should never say so casually. How should he correct that nasty habit? Gunther was so annoyed and resentful that he couldn’t stand it. He needed to remind her that it was a taboo not to be his woman and to deny his love.
* * *
Laurent screamed at the tragic news from her family home.
‘My father and brother are dead.’
She was horrified by the news that Allan had infiltrated Helland to eliminate Maria and was caught, causing the Red Army to carry out a bloody retaliation. That wasn’t all. The Seradu County Manor had been burned to ashes, and the family members had either died or scattered. She trembled as if an earthquake had struck her body.
“Aaaagh!”
Henry, who was coming to her, was surprised by Laurent’s scream and ran over.
“What’s wrong?”
As Henry tried to take the letter Laurent was holding, she quickly snatched it away. Henry must not know the whole story.
“No, it’s nothing!”
“Laurent, I’m worried about you.”
“I know. The Red Army attacked. They destroyed everything.”
“The Red Army? Why would Great King of Helland do that?”
The Seradu family was destroyed by the Red Army. Why? For what reason? Had the Seradu family done something to antagonize Gunther? As far as he knew, there was nothing to link the two forces.
“Gunther has no reason to butcher Laurent’s family, does he?”
Rather, Henry asked Laurent.
“Yes? That’s…”
Laurent couldn’t answer easily. How could she say that she had ordered her brother to kill Maria and that he had been retaliated against for failing? Henry would be very angry if she did.
“There… must have been something. Like hidden debts…”
Laurent mumbled vaguely. It would be difficult if the truth were revealed in this situation. Henry was full of plans to make a big profit through Maria. Just then, Nancy came to find them.
“I came because I was surprised by Laurent’s scream.”
Nancy looked at Laurent and Henry alternately with a worried face. Then Henry looked at Nancy and smiled softly. Henry was worried that Nancy and Laurent didn’t get along, but he was relieved that it wasn’t necessarily the case.
“Something must have happened to Laurent’s family.”
“Something?”
As Henry explained briefly, Nancy tilted her head repeatedly with a suspicious look.
“I know Gunther Paisley a little bit. He doesn’t just set fires because someone didn’t pay their debts.”
“Shut up! What do you know?”
Laurent was startled and screamed at Nancy.
“Why are you siding with those barbaric beasts?”
“Well, you never know what Gunther might do.”
As Henry took Laurent’s side, Nancy said with a flushed face.
“You never know. Someone might have tried to kill the deposed Empress. Otherwise, Gunther wouldn’t be so cruel.”
“Then, are you saying that our family tried to kill the deposed Empress?”
Laurent seemed flustered and spoke clearly. But Henry’s reaction was even more surprising.
“Who’s killing Maria? That won’t do!”
“N…no. Don’t do that. Misunderstanding.”
Laurent quickly waved her hands and denied it.
“Nancy, don’t slander our family!”
“It’s not slander, it’s defamation. Yes, Nancy, that’s your overreaction.”
Henry said firmly as he looked at Nancy. In fact, where would the not-so-clever Laurent have the guts to kill the deposed Empress? She’s a woman who doesn’t even know the meaning of words properly. Besides, he had heard that there were many people among the nobles and royals of the continent who owed Gunther money besides him. So it wasn’t that strange that they were retaliated against for not paying their debts.
“I’m sorry. I went too far.”
Nancy bit her lip and replied.
* * *
Gunther had been looking for Maria for hours. He searched everywhere he could think of. He even went to the outskirts of the Court Physician where Maria had been kidnapped. But he couldn’t even see Maria’s shadow. Thinking it was really the last resort, he headed to Stone’s room.
“What’s wrong? You’re coming to find me first.”
In fact, Gunther didn’t look for him often after Stone became an old man. It must be because of the sense of distance from when he was a child. Gunther silently looked around the room. There were so many books piled up on the desk, as if Stone was teaching Ramona.
“Maria, hasn’t she come?”
“I want to see Maria too.”
Gunther shook his head at Stone’s jest and left the room. He didn’t want to argue with the old man for no reason, and he didn’t feel like it either.
As Gunther left the room, the people who had been hiding in various parts of Stone’s room revealed themselves one by one. Maria came out from behind the curtain, Ero jumped out of the closet, and Nora hobbled out from under the bed.
“Do we really have to do this?”
Ero grumbled as she smoothed her skirt. No matter how she thought about it, she was worried about being scolded by Gunther later.
“Maria has a right to be angry, doesn’t she?”
Nora was unconditionally on Maria’s side. The unfair things she had suffered had to be repaid by the person involved. No matter how close they were, there was a limit to what they could do.
“Originally, he’s ignorant, so he is like that.”
Stone sided with Nora as if driving a wedge.
“Have you all forgotten? What Great King was like after Maria fell off the cliff?”
Ero told Maria about Gunther’s condition, who had lost consciousness for several days. That wasn’t all. She also told her that he had broken the taboo of opening Stone’s door in a hurry.
“He’s just too worried about Maria. She doesn’t understand Great King’s heart.”
“It’s not that I don’t understand.”
Maria said in a serious tone. If she had to live her whole life being protected by someone, what good would it do to have hope? She should just live as things go. After all, her protector would take care of everything.
“Do whatever Maria wants to do.”
“Is that okay, Stone?”
“Why are you asking me? It’s Maria’s job to persuade Gunther. The work to be done starts there. Don’t just whine, you have to make him understand why you have to do it.”
“!”
Maria’s heart sank at Stone’s words. That’s right, she had just been whining and getting angry at Gunther for not listening to her. She should have taken the time and effort to make him understand first.
“If you want to achieve the plan in Maria’s head, try to get over the mountain called Gunther first.”
She had overlooked it. She thought Gunther would listen to anything she said. In the end, that meant that she herself didn’t respect him and was arrogant.
Maria came out of Stone’s room and walked towards the hallway. Her head was a mess and she needed to sort it out. To be exact, she needed to reflect on herself. Then she would talk to Gunther step by step. Maria was no longer avoiding him and was going to meet Gunther. Now that she had made up her mind, there was no need to hesitate. Just as her steps were about to quicken, a rough hand covered Maria’s face from behind.
“Mmph…!”
No matter how much Maria resisted and struggled, it was useless. She was dragged away by a huge force.