19 - The Crown I Will Take From You
19
"An? Where?"
"In the garden."
"The garden?"
Medeia paused.
The Baldina royal family's palace had a small garden attached to it.
Accessible only from the inside, it could be said to be a personal space solely for the palace's owner.
"I didn't invite her. What brings her here?"
Catherine had freely entered and exited the Royal Palace under Medeia's trust, but she had kept to a line that wouldn't invite criticism from others.
'My aunt wouldn't forget etiquette.'
Then the reason she's sitting in the garden now is,
'Even if it's rude, it must be necessary to show it off.'
To show that the relationship between the Princess and the Duke Claudio family is still unchanged, to the point where they can freely come and go even in the Princess's personal space.
Medeia silently turned her head towards the Maid. The Maid was startled.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I naturally assumed that Your Highness had called for her..."
The new Maid looked like she was about to cry.
Even she thought that the Duke Claudio family's rudeness had gone too far.
"There was no request for an audience, of course, right?"
"Yes, yes..."
According to the Royal Palace's internal regulations, only direct members of the royal family could reside in the palace.
And anyone who wanted to see them had to submit a request for an audience in advance.
The Maid bit her lip.
"Your Highness, should I go now?"
"No. Leave it."
'I need to let them run wild.'
Until their freedom overflows and lights the fuse.
Medeia entered the garden.
As soon as she saw the Princess, Catherine jumped up.
"You've arrived, Your Highness."
"Sister!"
Birna, who was playing far away, discovered the Princess and ran over innocently.
Behind the fluttering hem of her dress, flowers with broken necks fell one after another.
Whether she had picked them arbitrarily from the garden, the grass where she had been was unsightly dug up.
"What brings my aunt here?"
Medeia glanced at the discarded flowers for a moment before nodding.
"Birna, you're here too."
The Princess's reply was as cold as ever. Catherine swallowed hard.
'She's still not over it.'
It had been a while since the Princess had left in anger last time, so she wondered if her anger had subsided a bit, but it seemed that it was still there.
"Your Highness, please forgive my family's lack of virtue."
Catherine approached Medeia with a sad face, her eyebrows arched downwards as if they were about to break.
"My heart aches every time I think about how much the thoughtful Your Highness must have been hurt..."
She gestured to the Maid behind her with teary eyes.
"So I couldn't bear it and looked into it every way I could."
What?
The Maid, having received the signal, brought a large velvet box.
"Wow..."
"Oh my..."
As Catherine's Maid opened the box, exclamations flowed from the surroundings.
Ruby bracelets and earrings. An emerald necklace... The jewels that Medeia had sent away in the hands of the Maids were gathered together, shining brilliantly.
"How upset you must have been. Don't worry. I've found them all. As long as this aunt is here, Princess, you will never have to feel wronged in your life."
The tone of her delivery was weighty.
The heavy assertion delivered by the beautiful noblewoman sounded more sincere than ever.
"..."
"Your Highness?"
'Why isn't Medeia reacting?'
Catherine was anxious.
She had paid a premium to buy back the jewels that the Maids had resold and spread everywhere.
Since the rumors had been spreading for a long time, she also had to deal with merchants who stubbornly refused to sell, aiming for the difference in price.
She had to use even the slush fund that was supposed to be sent to the rebels to buy back Medeia's sold jewels.
'I have to make that money again and send it... My head hurts.'
The whole plan was messed up. But there was no choice.
'They're still spreading rumors that the Princess is so poor that she's selling jewels.'
Even the spreading rumors were starting to target the Duke Claudio family little by little.
What was the Duke Claudio family doing while their niece was being oppressed?
So, in order to appease the Princess and show the Duke Claudio family's 'sincerity,' she had to return those damn jewels to their original place.
"..."
A faint smile flickered across the Princess's face as she looked down at the jewelry box.
"...Oh my, I'm grateful for my aunt's thoughtfulness."
But that was it.
Normally, she would have been moved to tears or hugged Catherine, but unexpectedly, the Princess was too calm.
It was a natural attitude, as if she was getting her things back.
Birna, who was watching from the side, was also annoyed.
'Who does she think she is, reacting like that? She should be crying and thanking her!'
Of course, I would never wear such tacky jewelry, but these jewels are too much for Medeia!
"...!"
Birna was about to say something, but she closed her mouth at her mother's glare.
Her crooked lips protruded, making her sullen. Birna unnecessarily grabbed and tore at her dress.
"Here, keep my aunt's heart safe."
As if she didn't see the silent conversation in the Claudio mother and daughter's eyes, Medeia nonchalantly handed the jewelry box to the Maid.
Catherine was upset, but she couldn't point it out, so she tried her best to please the Princess, feeling like she was suffering in silence.
"Your Highness, please trust this aunt. Claudio is always on our Princess's side."
"..."
At that moment, a faint hint of mockery flashed in Medeia's deep green eyes, but no one saw it.
"I will trust you. So, Aunt."
The Princess nodded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You mustn't betray my trust."
A strange heat lingered in the Princess's eyes as she faced Catherine. Catherine flinched without realizing it.
"T-There's no way."
In an instant, she didn't realize that the wrinkles under her hand, which was clutching her dress to hide her nervousness, were deeply etched.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
At that time, the sound of busy footsteps was heard. A Maid from the Royal Palace approached and whispered to Medeia.
"Who?"
She seemed to ask for a moment before raising her eyebrows.
Then, with resolute footsteps, someone entered the garden.
"I greet the Princess."
Catherine recognized the person wearing the blue uniform and standing straight without any disarray.
She didn't even have time to feel displeased that her private meeting with the Princess had been interrupted.
'That person is...'
"I have brought a message from the Queen Dowager."
It was a close aide who served the Queen Dowager.
"Princess Medeia, the Queen Dowager requests your presence at the Grand Royal Dowager Palace immediately."
Only after delivering the message did the attendant turn his body.
"Duchess and Lady Birna are also here."
The attendant only offered a brief greeting.
"Princess, please prepare quickly."
Medeia nodded calmly.
Catherine asked the attendant with a worried expression.
"What business does the Queen Dowager have with our Princess?"
The Queen Dowager is someone who doesn't even care whether Medeia is dead or alive on a normal day.
Catherine couldn't help but be flustered because she couldn't understand the reason for the sudden call.
"..."
When the Queen Dowager's attendant kept his mouth shut, she slipped him a small bundle containing gold coins.
"You mustn't."
The attendant tried to refuse, but at Catherine's repeated requests, he received the pouch and gave her a slight hint.
"Head Maid Mrs. Cuisine has visited the Queen Dowager. The content is to accuse Princess Medeia, so the Queen Dowager is in a very bad mood."
Catherine and Birna's faces contrasted after hearing the story.
First of all, Birna cheered inwardly.
'The Head Maid went to Grandma? Ahaha, Medeia's going to get scolded again! Today will be a day where you cry your eyes out.'
On the other hand, Catherine was flustered, but her expression hardened.
"The Head Maid?"
'I told her to wait for the right time.'
Accusing the Queen Dowager directly meant that she had surpassed me and the Duke Claudio family.
'Even though I explained it so clearly.'
Moreover, this mess happened because she was trying to clean up the problem she caused, and if something else happened, her husband would be even more angry.
My right to speak will also be reduced.
'Cuisine, what are you thinking?'
Displeasure flashed across her beautiful face.
"Princess. Please prepare quickly. The Queen Dowager has already been waiting for a long time."
The attendant urged Medeia.
"First, I will go with you. I can't bear to send the young Princess alone."
The attendant nodded at Catherine's words. Either way, his mission was to bring the Princess.
"Your Highness. I will stop my mother from scolding you. Trust this aunt."
Catherine patted her back affectionately, thinking that Medeia had become frightened by her silence.
"..."
Medeia just nodded indifferently.
