Chapter 11
11
Maria carefully observed Ero, a woman, or perhaps a man? In any case, their face was definitely feminine. Moreover, they were a beautiful woman with shining black hair, and their figure was good, though their chest seemed slightly lacking. However, unlike their gentle tone, their voice was naturally masculine. And their Adam's apple moved excessively whenever they spoke...
"Oh! Honey, there's no need to worry. I'm a woman. I've grown up that way since I was little."
Ero, reading Maria's complicated expression, said in an unconcerned tone. They soon handed Maria half a piece of bread.
"Eat quickly, before Pig Mom comes."
'Pig Mom? Ah, they mean Nora.'
Maria received the bread Ero gave her and hesitated. Could she really eat this? In fact, she hadn't really earned her keep today. She would have preferred to be taught how to sort gold from stone. No one had taught her how to work. Of course, this was a place where you had to survive by figuring things out on your own. There weren't people who would kindly take you around and explain everything.
'Why can't I see any gold nuggets?'
That was what she found most puzzling. The gold she had seen was all in the form of yellowish shining jewelry, nuggets, or appropriately decorating buildings or statues.
"Hurry up and eat, okay? Pig Mom will make a fuss if she comes."
"..."
At Ero's urging, Maria tore off small pieces of bread with her hands and put them in her mouth. It was her first time eating with her hands, so even that wasn't easy.
"You just have to pick out the stones that look yellow."
"!?"
"The miners dig up gold and send it on rails, and then the female workers pick out the stones with gold mixed in. The more you pick out, the more you get paid."
Maria almost choked on the bread she was chewing. She had been waiting for gold nuggets to appear, but was she saying that gold was mixed in with the stones? Ero explained the process of how gold was made. Gold was mixed in with the stones, and the gold was extracted through crushing.
'How stupid, why did I think there were separate gold nuggets?'
Maria laughed at her own ignorance. But she had to have seen the process of how gold was made. Ero also said that silver was extracted using the same principle, and that the gold in this Helland was especially famous for its high purity.
'So that's how it is. That's why the workers work so hard.'
Maria's face brightened as if she had found a light in the darkness. She even felt that the bread Ero gave her tasted better. Even though they were tanned and exhausted, people had good expressions because they received fair compensation for their work.
Just as Maria, having gained enlightenment, nodded her head, the bread in her mouth was blown away by a strong force. Maria stared at the sight of her bread rolling on the dirt floor, then raised her head towards the identity of the shadow that had engulfed her and Ero.
"Don't you know, he who does not work, neither shall he eat?"
Nora shouted, glaring at Maria and Ero.
"Aing! Nora, Maria is doing this for the first time. So..."
When Ero defended Maria, Nora grabbed Ero's collar roughly.
"A man who isn't even a woman is mixed in with the women, stirring up trouble. You dirty male prostitute!"
"Oh my! Not that again! I'm not a male prostitute!"
Ero seemed wronged and teared up. But they were suppressed by Nora's strength and couldn't resist at all. Well, Nora's size was unusually large.
"I've been watching you anyway. It's disgusting to see a man wearing women's clothes and acting coquettishly."
"What does the body matter? My soul is a perfect woman!"
"What?"
Nora, angered by their retort, struck Ero hard with her thick hand. Soon, Ero collapsed to the ground, and Nora sat on top of them and beat their face indiscriminately.
'No!'
Soon, all the workers in the cafeteria rushed out and watched the scene with interest.
"Nora! Take this opportunity to strip that pervert naked!"
"Let's see if someone who claims to be a woman has breasts or not."
All the workers, male and female, were on Nora's side. They seemed to have ostracized Ero as a freak until now. Or perhaps they were bothered by a cross-dressing man with more outstanding beauty than a woman. Maria watched anxiously.
'What should I do? Should I stop them?'
Of course, I should stop them, what am I hesitating about? If she were the Maria Stuart of the past, she would never have turned a blind eye to injustice. But the current Maria was just a loser. However, if she stayed like this, Nora's large fist would more than crush Ero's face.
'It's not right.'
Maria rushed towards Nora.
Solskjaer hurriedly headed to the log cabin where Gunther was. It was where Gunther stayed whenever he inspected the mine, and although the exterior was made of logs, the interior was like a miniature version of his bedroom in the Royal Palace. The log cabin with several rooms was the size of a decent mansion.
"Great King, something terrible has happened."
When Solskjaer entered Gunther's office, he was busy flicking the beads of an abacus.
"There's been a big fight between the female workers."
"What?"
Gunther looked at Solskjaer with a dumbfounded expression. In fact, small and large disputes between workers were very frequent. It wasn't something to report to him. He didn't know why he was making such a fuss.
"Maria is fighting."
Solskjaer replied as if to show off to Gunther, who was looking at him pitifully. Only then did Gunther's eyes light up.
"Maria is fighting?"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, so he checked again. A woman who only thought about dying every day was fighting with someone.
"To be honest, she's being unilaterally beaten."
"Beaten?"
"Yes, she's getting her ass kicked."
At Solskjaer's excited tone, Gunther jumped up from his seat.
"Let's go."
"Yes, the Great King should punish those rude people. Who do they think Maria is?"
"That's not it."
"Yes? Then why?"
"If we're late, we'll miss the fight."
Gunther headed to where the workers were gathered in a flash. He didn't approach too closely and watched the scene of the fight. To be exact, it was unilateral violence. Nora was sitting on top of Maria, who was resisting, unable to move, and beating her face until it was covered in blood.
"Who is that woman lying there?"
Gunther's gaze turned to the unconscious Ero.
"That woman seems to have shared bread with Maria. Nora is doing this to the two of them because they broke the rules..."
"They deserved it."
"But..."
"Rules are meant to be kept. And Nora was just faithfully carrying out my orders."
"Still, isn't that too much?"
Gunther listened to Solskjaer's reply without really hearing it, then finally approached the scene of the fight. When he appeared, the people who were gathered parted like the Red Sea, making a path. They bowed their heads to Gunther and stepped back.
"Stop."
At Gunther's command, Nora, who had been beating Maria for a while, hesitated. She quickly realized that Gunther had come, got up quickly, and sat demurely to one side. Gunther stared silently at Maria, who had already lost consciousness. Her face was so covered in blood that he couldn't even make out her features. At that moment, Nora noticed that Gunther's temples were throbbing and quickly began to make excuses. She was just following the rules and the Great King's orders, and the system of the workplace shouldn't be broken, she said passionately. Gunther slowly walked towards the fallen Maria.
"Ugh... Ugh."
Just then, Maria let out a harsh groan.
'Wasn't she unconscious?'
He admired the fact that she hadn't lost her mind.
Maria stared at the turquoise eyes looking down at her.
'Gunther.'
Looking at his face, his mind seemed very complicated. No, he was just faithfully carrying out his promise to give her a chance to die. How ridiculous it must be. A woman who was once the Empress of Lastonia was so miserably rolling on the dirt floor. Even she was dumbfounded, but Gunther must be amused.
'Why don't you babble again, even though you can't speak?'
Gunther was enraged by Maria's miserable appearance.
[Hen...ry.]
A foolish woman who was looking for the man who had ruined her life. He wondered if she still longed for Henry even in this situation. In addition, he was angry at Maria's attitude of not resisting Nora at all.
'Were you planning to be beaten to death?'
If Maria had resisted Nora, there would have been nail marks somewhere on her body. But Nora was perfectly fine.
"Those two broke the rules. Tie them to the wooden pillar tonight."
He also ordered that they not be given a drop of water until dawn.
Maria and Ero were tied to a wooden pillar in the square. It was meant to be a warning to others of what happens if you break the rules. Ero had been chattering away until a moment ago, but soon fell asleep. Maria felt that their ability to fall asleep in this state was amazing. It was then. In Maria's dim vision, she saw someone approaching, emitting light. The way they were toddling along was exactly like Stone.
'How did you get here?'
Stone stared at Maria tied to the tree for a long time, then shed tears.
"Maria, appugetta."
'It's okay, Stone.'
She was more worried about a child wandering around at night than herself.
"If someone geropimyeon, I'll hit their head with a stone."
'Stone, you can't say such harsh words. You have to speak nicely.'
"I'm upset."
'You should only use pretty words with your pretty mouth.'
"Ung, aratta."
Stone answered, pursing their small lips. Then they reached out to Maria and shone light on her. Until she completely lost consciousness and fell asleep. Soon, the appearance of the small child changed. They became taller, their shoulders wider, and they became an adult man with white skin. He approached Maria tied to the tree and gently cupped her face.
"Poor Maria."
Stone looked at Maria's ruined face pitifully and gently kissed her forehead. At that moment, a stern voice was heard from behind.
"I told you not to touch her carelessly."
When Stone turned his head, Gunther was glaring at him with a scary face.