Chapter 58
58
Maria, who had been sidelong glancing at Gunther quietly leaving the office, was bothered. She had hoped he would stay by her side even if the meeting content was difficult to understand, but something seemed to have upset him. She hurriedly ended the meeting and said to the scholars,
"Everyone, respect the Great King. No, revere him."
At her cold tone, the scholars, including Aiden, turned pale. Truth be told, if Gunther hadn't given them several times more money than the emperors of other countries, they wouldn't have bothered coming all the way to Helland.
"I'm saying this for your own good. If you are disrespectful to the Great King or do not have a respectful heart, you may return to your home country at this point."
"Queen Consort, we didn't mean it that way."
The scholars made excuses, saying there was a misunderstanding, but Maria continued to say what she had to say.
"I'm telling you this because you might end up dying."
The atmosphere in the office rapidly cooled at Maria's words. They had thought Maria was just asking nicely, but they had momentarily forgotten what kind of person Gunther Paisley was.
"Pardon?"
Gunther wouldn't give them a second chance. Maria urged them to not forget their manners and respect for Gunther, as befitting intellectuals, and went straight to find Gunther. She found him talking to Stone in the west corridor. She wanted to step forward, but seeing Gunther's serious expression, Maria hid behind a marble pillar and waited for their conversation to end. But unintentionally, she ended up hearing Gunther's inner thoughts.
'He wants me to love him?'
She repeatedly mulled over Gunther's words. Gunther was craving her love. It wasn't that she didn't know, but frankly, it was a part that scared even herself. How dangerous it was to fall head over heels for someone. Maria knew it all too well. Gunther was like hot spring water. She was a being struggling in front of the hot spring, naked. She knew that if she soaked in that hot spring water, her fatigue would be relieved and she could escape the cold.
But she was hesitating because she was afraid that once she got into the water, she wouldn't want to come out. She was afraid that she would become addicted to the hot spring and want to bathe in it every day. In the end, she was only raising her defenses, fearing that she might get hurt even before she deeply loved him. But she definitely admitted one thing. That Gunther and she were bound by fate.
'I like you a lot too. So much that I'm afraid to love you.'
Maria confessed only in her heart. Then Stone's voice was heard.
'Why can't you be brave only in front of love? Maria isn't a weak woman, is she?'
Stone, who was sitting far away, seemed to have recognized Maria's presence and answered her heart. Love also requires courage. Stone left, and only Gunther remained in the corridor. Maria came out from behind the large pillar and approached him.
"Gunther."
"Maria?"
He looked quite surprised.
"How can you just leave in the middle of a meeting?"
"Huh? Ah... Well, I had something to talk about with Stone. It wasn't anything special, just about Royal Palace matters."
"Ah, I see."
As Maria nodded, Gunther's tense face slowly relaxed. How could he tell Maria directly? That he couldn't understand the meeting content at all. No, that it was boring.
"I get worried when Gunther isn't there..."
Maria muttered to herself.
"Huh?"
"Even during meetings, I feel relieved if Gunther is watching over me, even from afar. If you're not there, I get worried about where you've gone."
"Is... Is that so?"
Gunther almost burst out laughing and hurriedly pursed his lips inward.
"Don't you know that I can do anything with Gunther by my side?"
"I'm sorry. I'll always be with you from the next meeting onwards."
Only then did Maria smile brightly and nod. She just stared at Gunther without saying anything.
"Why?"
Gunther couldn't hide his embarrassment at Maria's sudden behavior. This woman was suddenly doing things she never used to do.
"This is a big problem."
"What is?"
"I'm starting to like Gunther more and more. So much that I think about you even during meetings."
"!"
Gunther was so happy that he couldn't say anything for a while. He thought it was only a one-sided love, but she felt the same way. It felt somewhat touching. Before he knew it, Maria's arms wrapped around Gunther's neck and their lips met.
'I don't know. What am I supposed to do if I like this man?'
* * *
Laurent was furious in the carriage heading to Helland.
'Henry Coburg, you bastard!'
To think he was such a useless idiot who couldn't even protect his own woman properly. All the words he whispered of love to her every day were nothing but nonsense. In the end, Henry was nothing more than a weak coward and a selfish moron.
[Henry, are you really going to send me to Helland?]
[I didn't know Laurent spoke Lastonian so well.]
[Is that what's important now? Are you going to send me?]
[Then is there another alternative? I can't gouge out my eyeballs for you. I can't add 70% to 10 million Gold, or should the Imperial Palace be trampled by that barbarian?]
He said he loved her so much that he wouldn't mind giving her his heart? No, it was foolish of her to believe such nonsense. And Nancy, who was smiling with a triumphant expression next to Henry, was also unforgettable.
[Laurent, I'll raise William as if he were my own son, so don't worry.]
Who cares whether she raises him or not. It's not like she had the child because she wanted to. In fact, she didn't have much affection for the child she gave birth to. What good was a child when she was about to die like this? But she wanted to take revenge on Nancy, even if it meant dying.
Laurent punched the wall and wept. It seemed that her biggest mistake was not getting rid of Ramona Tail. But a question arose.
'How did Ramona get into the palace?'
She heard that the Red Army attacked the Count's residence and the servants scattered. Of course, Ramona would have fled the Count's residence too. But Ramona's face, when she came to see her in prison, was fine. When she was young, she had poured hot water on her, causing severe burns on half of her face, but it was as if it had never happened. It seemed like she had received someone's help... But who could it be? No matter how much she racked her brains, it didn't make sense.
'Did she sell her soul to the devil? Is that why her face is fine?'
Surely the deposed Empress Maria didn't send her.
'That can't be.'
Laurent shook her head roughly. It seemed like speculation to go that far.
* * *
Finally, Laurent Seradu was brought to the Helland Royal Palace. Gunther and Maria headed to the grand reception hall to see Laurent, and when they arrived, the main State Ministers were already lined up on both sides, waiting. And in the middle of the marble floor, the problematic Laurent Seradu was sitting on her knees.
As Gunther and Maria sat side by side on the upper seats, Laurent laughed as if she couldn't believe it. At that time, Taman reported to Gunther in detail about his trip to Lastonia.
"Maria, that woman is the Queen Consort of Helland."
Perhaps her speculation was somewhat credible. She thought she would be kicked out to Helland and suffer, but she became Gunther Paisley's wife? Laurent could only laugh in absurdity at the absurdity. Why was that woman still alive even when she was pushed to the bottom? What's more, seeing her wearing a crown on her head everywhere made her feel resentful.
"Maria, are you very good at seducing men?"
Laurent sneered at Maria. The hall buzzed. But Gunther and Maria did not rebuke Laurent. Instead, Nora, who was behind Maria, slowly came down from the upper seat and approached Laurent.
As Laurent was bewildered, Nora's thick hand flew and slapped her cheek hard.
"Ugh!"
Laurent fell to the floor.
"You are in front of the Great King and Queen Consort. The prisoner must show respect."
Nora, who had sternly scolded Laurent, raised her head as if nothing had happened and returned to her place behind Maria. But Laurent was lying on the floor, shaking her shoulders violently. At first, they thought she was crying because her cheek hurt from Nora's slap. But it wasn't. She was still laughing as if she couldn't believe the situation. Like a woman who was half out of her mind.
"I'm not afraid of anything anyway."
Laurent glared at Maria and said. Then Maria got up from her seat and walked towards Laurent.
"Laurent Seradu, I didn't know you were so good at talking."
"Hmph! Has your tongue finally loosened? Is that man treating you well?"
Laurent glanced at Gunther and sneered.
"But why is your hair color like that? Did you age so much in the meantime? You've become a grandmother?"
As Nora hurriedly rushed down at Laurent's provocation, Maria raised her hand to stop her.
"Laurent, I know how you feel. When you're determined to die, you can't see anything and you're not afraid of anything."
"I'm not going to die. What are you misunderstanding?"
"What?"
"It was a big mistake for you to bring me here."
"Whether it's a mistake or not, we can just cut off your head right now. It doesn't matter if it's a mistake or not... It'll be the end."
Maria was not easily swayed by Laurent's wordplay. Who in the world knew Laurent Seradu's duplicitous nature better than she did? She was really sick of it. But Laurent's face was full of poison.
"Maria, do you know?"
"It's better not to play with words."
"When that man over there stormed into the Imperial Palace to save you,"
"?"
"I slept with him. That man."
Laurent pointed to Gunther with a mean look and whispered softly to Maria.
