Chapter 21
Chapter 21: The Queen Consort's Punishment
Meanwhile, in the main garden, the banquet proceeded as if nothing had happened, but Queen Consort Beatrix was listening to the Head Maid's report with a stiff expression.
It wasn't difficult to find out the whole story, as there was a maid who had overheard the ladies and Olivia's conversation from beyond the maze wall.
The Head Maid swallowed hard at the Queen Consort's cold gaze and bowed her head.
"I apologize. I will find her as soon as possible."
Margo, who was beside her, also turned her head with a dark expression.
Just as the Head Maid was cautiously turning around, trying to read the two royals' expressions, the Queen Consort stopped her.
"Bring me the ladies who went into the maze with Miss Olivia Liberty. And their mothers too."
The Head Maid thought that what was coming had finally arrived and quickly replied.
"Understood."
If she had her way, she would have summoned the young masters who had cornered Olivia before. Judging from the circumstances, it seemed they had followed Olivia in this time as well.
However, the Queen Consort was not present at the last banquet, and unlike the ladies, there was no one who had heard them, so she couldn't interrogate them just for entering the maze at a perfectly timed moment.
"Princess, please oversee the banquet for me."
"As you wish."
At the Queen Consort's command, Margo bowed politely and left the spot.
Soon after, the ladies who had been summoned by the Queen Consort arrived, their faces filled with fear. Their mothers, with hardened expressions, were with them.
The Queen Consort sat alone on the sofa, not even offering them a seat. The maids and knights lined up behind the Queen Consort, and the slowly swaying royal flags further highlighted her dignity.
The Queen Consort slowly scanned their faces one by one, tilting her teacup.
A space cut off from the outside, an uncomfortable and awkward silence, and the Queen Consort's cold eyes.
The ladies, who had confidently looked down on the royal guest, stared only at their toes, nervous. Their mothers, too, intuitively realized they had made a mistake and sighed quietly with somber faces.
It was just as Mrs. Lierre, unable to bear the uncomfortable silence, was cautiously about to open her mouth.
The Queen Consort put down her teacup with a rather loud clink and opened her mouth calmly.
"Do you know where the royal guest is?"
She referred to Olivia as the royal guest instead of by her name.
At the Queen Consort's question, Helena and the ladies only looked at each other's faces, unable to answer easily.
"Miss Lierre."
"Yes, yes?"
Helena, who made a shrill sound at the sudden call, clenched her hands tightly, and Mrs. Lierre, who was standing next to her, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, there must be some misunderstanding. These children said they only guided Miss Liberty into the maze with pure intentions."
"……."
The Queen Consort stared at Mrs. Lierre without a word, and eventually, she stepped back. When her mother's shadow disappeared, Helena felt like she was about to faint.
"I'll ask again, Miss Lierre. Where did the royal guest go?"
"That, that's... well... we went in together..."
"Oh, good. Come and sit over here."
The Queen Consort suddenly spoke in a friendly voice, pointing to the seat next to her. Helena looked at her mother in surprise, but Mrs. Lierre deliberately avoided looking at her and just pushed her forward.
Even though her status was crumbling, the royal family was still the royal family.
The ladies who had stood by while the newly debuted young ladies took the royal guest into the maze were filled with belated regret.
And they just hoped that this matter would pass without incident.
To be noticed by the Queen Consort in society meant that all marriage prospects would be blocked. Which family would want to take in a young lady who was disliked by the royal family as their daughter-in-law?
Helena sat trembling next to the Queen Consort.
"Continue with your story. Oh dear, you shouldn't keep looking back at your mother when you're talking to me."
"I'm sorry."
"So? Where did the royal guest go?"
"Well, um... she, she suddenly changed direction on her own and left before we could catch her. That's all."
"……."
At the explanation that omitted the middle process, the Queen Consort's eyes gradually became fierce. Helena herself felt that her explanation was absurd, so her head gradually lowered.
The Queen Consort raised her head and looked at the other ladies who were only looking at the ground.
"She went in together, but she changed direction and disappeared without any explanation or reason... Is that right, everyone?"
At the Queen Consort's quiet question, the ladies who had been bowing their heads nodded one by one.
"I see." The Queen Consort, who muttered softly, called Mrs. Lierre.
"Mrs. Lierre."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"If it were you, and the royal guest had entered a maze she had never seen before without saying a word, and even lost the guest, how would you have acted?"
Mrs. Lierre barely managed to hold back the sigh that was boiling inside her and answered calmly.
"I would have returned immediately to report to Your Majesty and gone to find the royal guest."
At her answer, the Queen Consort smiled with satisfaction.
"Indeed, a reply worthy of the mistress of the prestigious Lierre family."
The ladies felt that the Queen Consort's punishment was imminent and closed their eyes tightly, and the young ladies blinked, wondering if this was the end.
Helena also cautiously raised her head and looked at the Queen Consort. Just then, the Queen Consort was looking at her.
The blue eyes she met felt more frightening than her strict father, and just as she was about to feel that way, the Queen Consort opened her mouth.
"Ladies of society should have that much refinement."
"Huh..."
"In that sense, the ladies gathered here seem to need a little more education."
This wasn't it.
The Queen Consort turned her head to make eye contact with the ladies' mothers and commanded elegantly.
"Refrain from attending banquets or social events for the time being and try to cultivate more refinement."
"Yo, Your Majesty!"
When Helena called her urgently, Mrs. Lierre's scolding flew at her.
"Helena!"
Helena looked back at her mother with tearful eyes, but her mother stopped her with a more resolute look than ever before.
The Queen Consort would not try to punish several noble ladies without proper witnesses. Because they were all daughters of prominent families, it was a burden for the Queen Consort as well.
Nevertheless, she couldn't just let it pass, so this must be the maximum compromise.
The moment she protested, the Queen Consort would call a witness, and if that happened, the matter would become incomparably bigger than it was now.
The Queen Consort got up from her seat with a cold gaze and drove a wedge with a chilly voice.
"It would be best to return from today's banquet as well."
"I apologize for causing concern. I will pay more attention to my daughter's education."
The ladies were intimidated by their mothers' appearance and bowed their heads together, and the Queen Consort passed by them with a cold attitude.
Helena, who had been intimidated by the Queen Consort's momentum, quickly ran and clung to her mother's arm, sobbing.
"Mo, Mom..."
"You foolish thing! Don't show tears and straighten up so that rumors don't spread."
"Yes..."
The price for ignoring the royal guest because she was a commoner came back as it was.
And when the scoundrels who were watching the scene from afar saw the Queen Consort's cold gaze flying at them, they turned around, tucking their necks in like turtles.
The Queen Consort must have already noticed their behavior as well. However, she just didn't have an excuse to corner them.
A little later, the ladies and mothers who had been called by the Queen Consort came out from behind the screen with hardened faces and quickly disappeared.
Mrs. Seymour, who was watching the scene, clicked her tongue softly and whispered to her daughter, who was beside her.
"It seems they won't be able to attend any banquets this year."
Isabel chuckled and nodded slightly.
"They all cried."
Mrs. Seymour looked at her daughter's figure with affectionate eyes and smoothed her disheveled side hair.
There was no one who could compare to her daughter.
"See, wasn't Mom right? There's no need to go into the maze."
"Yes, well..."
Isabel trailed off and looked around.
Prince Noah had entered the maze as soon as the banquet started and never came out again. She wanted to ignore her mother's advice and sneak into the maze, but she held back, thinking about what Mrs. Jubeun had added.
"If you encounter Prince Noah in the maze, he will probably disappear without even giving you a proper greeting. Because there are no eyes watching."
Yes, I have to be patient. To encounter him more plausibly.
The banquet without him was really boring and tedious.
Noah, who had often played in the maze with Usher, fearlessly navigated the path. His strides were so wide and fast that Olivia had to almost run to keep up with him.
It was a difficult task for Olivia, who hadn't had dinner and had been wandering around the maze for hours, but she didn't dare to tell the Prince to slow down. She grabbed the hem of her dress and desperately chased after him.
How long had they been walking?
Noah, who had been walking without thinking, turned around at the increasingly loud, rough breathing. The moon, which had briefly shown its face, had disappeared, so her expression was not clearly visible, but the gasping breaths were unusual.
Only then did he realize that she had been almost running to catch up with him.
All she had to do was ask him to slow down, was it that difficult?
But, when he thought about it, it seemed difficult for her.
Noah's face, looking straight ahead again, was full of exhaustion.
Why was he going through all this trouble to find a guest when he hated the royal family so much?
He wouldn't let those pathetic bastards who had created this mess off the hook, even though he had warned them.
