CHAPTER 51………………………….
Be Happy for the People’s Sake
Leaving the Pritan castle behind, Shine and the Malau delegation rode without rest for an entire day on their way back to Malau.
“Princess, we should rest a while. The horses are exhausted.”
Unable to watch any longer, Julmon suggested a break. Only then, as if waking from a daze, Shine frowned but nodded.
“Are you all right?”
“No, I’m not.”
Shine snatched the water bottle from Julmon and drank roughly.
“Why didn’t you just say from the start that you’d bring the magic stone processing technique as a dowry? Why insist on trying to tempt him yourself?”
“What? You mean to say I bragged about my confidence and now look pathetic? Is that what you want to say?”
“Not exactly… it just means King Miklok was far more foolish than we expected.”
Hearing Julmon’s calm tone, Shine glared at him.
“Are you trying to comfort me right now?”
“It’s not comfort. It’s the truth. No matter how beautiful Queen Lea may be, how can a man love only one woman for a lifetime? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Well, since the Malau people don’t have the concept of a ‘lifelong partner,’ I suppose it’s hard for you to understand.”
“Then do you understand it, Princess?”
Shine didn’t answer. Until she met Miklok, until she was struck by his unmatched strength and beauty and longed to become his woman forever, she herself never thought she could feel such a thing.
Her grandfather, the former Malau chieftain, had once fallen for a human woman and, for the first time in their history, took a human as his partner. But she died giving birth to a son.
That son—half-brother to the current Malau king—was the legitimate heir. By rights, he would have succeeded his father, but he too died young.
“Maybe my grandfather’s blood runs stronger in me than my father’s.”
Shine laughed bitterly.
“Since there are many half-humans among us, admiring humans and their culture might be natural.”
Even Shine’s father, the current Malau king, though unwilling to have a fixed spouse, wished to share the incredible technology of processed magic stones with humans if it meant strengthening his kingdom. The Malau’s admiration and obsession with humans was truly unique.
“Isn’t it funny? We Malau, who hardly suffer from the cold, are the ones who ended up with the technology to make heating stones last forever.”
“Thanks to that, we even sat down to negotiate with the King of Pritan.”
“Just wait. He’ll come to Malau himself to get me.”
“Yes, he will.”
Julmon nodded eagerly, matching Shine’s stubborn confidence.
“It’d be nice if Queen Lea would just step aside on her own, don’t you think?”
“Ahem. That seems rather unlikely.”
Shine glared resentfully at Julmon for his blunt honesty and snapped her head away.
Busy with her impossible demands, Shine failed to notice the fleeting, lonely look that had crossed Julmon’s face.
After returning from the palace, Robby was plagued by nightmares. In a fog-covered night, something nameless and terrifying chased him.
When he came to, the Crown Prince’s jeweled sword was always slashing at his neck.
Then, a piece of splendid cloth would fly in, shielding him from the blade. But relief never lasted—Hailey would slip into the cloth and begin caressing his body.
Startled, Robby opened his eyes. The one touching him was not Hailey but Lea. Seeing her face, Robby instinctively kissed her lips. And then, in a flash, Lea’s face turned back into Hailey’s.
“Ugh!”
“Another nightmare? You’ve slept enough. Get up now.”
The shameful yet intoxicating dream vanished at the impatient voice of Count Stone. As Robby slowly rose from bed, the Count peppered him with greedy questions.
“What did His Majesty say? Did he ask after me? Did he mention granting our family more land or treasure?”
“On what grounds would you expect such things, Father?”
“On what grounds? His Majesty trusts you, doesn’t he? He sent you to Pritan and summoned you to the palace twice recently!”
Seeing his father’s eyes brimming with greed, Robby began to understand why Hailey despised Marquis Uzkal.
“Tell me, what did His Majesty say? I need to know the details so I can make plans accordingly.”
“Don’t make any plans. And especially, drop Marquis Uzkal’s mining scheme immediately.”
“Why? Did you hear something?”
“…The Crown Prince is about to purchase that mine himself.”
“What! Are you certain?”
When Robby nodded, the Count’s eyes darted about quickly.
“If that’s true, Uzkal will be in trouble. He’s already deep in debt… Yes, we must cut ties with him at once.”
Count Stone looked at Robby with a broad smile.
“So it’s true—by visiting the palace often, you hear such valuable news. Anything else? Tell me everything you’ve seen and heard.”
“If I told you everything, Father, my life would be in danger that very moment. Are you sure you want that?”
“What??”
Shocked, the Count studied his son’s face, half-thinking it a joke. But Robby’s expression was deadly serious.
“What on earth…”
He wanted to ask more, but quickly shut his mouth. What if his son really knew dangerous secrets?
The Count didn’t truly want the palace’s details—he only wanted more wealth and land through Robby.
“Ahem… If His Majesty commanded secrecy, then we must obey. Even as your father, I can’t force you to break your oath. One of us must live to carry on the family, after all!”
Having blurted his true feelings, Count Stone hastily left the room.
Collapsing back on the bed, Robby shivered as the nightmare replayed in his mind.
“In that dream… did I hold Hailey, or was it Lea?”
After meeting the Crown Prince and Hailey in the palace and nearly facing death, he felt as though he’d barely escaped alive—but not at all happy.
“Your Majesty the Queen, have you finished reviewing the reports?”
With the Malau delegation gone, outwardly life returned to normal.
As usual, I received reports from Duke Xenon on the kingdom’s finances and administration. But not a single word entered my mind.
“Are you worried about Malau’s proposal?”
“How could I not be?”
When Duke Xenon asked directly, I decided to answer honestly.
“Tell me truthfully. Don’t you also think I should persuade Prince Miklok to accept Princess Shine as a concubine?”
Smiling faintly, he replied,
“Actually, I told His Highness something along those lines yesterday. I said if he just shut his eyes once and loosened his collar, everything would be solved.”
Though knowing the Chancellor was right, I sighed.
“And what did he say?”
“He told me to try it myself if I could. He’d give me half the Pritan lands if I took a concubine alongside my wife Daisy.”
Oh heavens—if the Duchess heard that, what then?!
“That woke me right up. Even if the whole kingdom were handed to me, I couldn’t bear to see Daisy suffer.”
I looked at the duke with wide eyes. Always rational and logical, yet he carried such passionate devotion for his wife. I could feel his sincerity.
“His Highness isn’t unwilling—he’s unable.”
Duke Xenon gave me a warm smile.
“So, Your Majesty, you need not worry about any concubine.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“Pardon?”
He looked at me curiously.
“Because of me, His Highness is giving up Pritan’s chance to prosper. That’s what troubles me.”
The duke gazed at me silently. I spoke on in a low, sad voice.
“A king shouldn’t make such decisions based on personal feelings. If it’s only me who has to endure, then…”
I faltered, suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow.
It seemed like there were options, but truly, wasn’t there only one? To bring her in as a concubine.
“Why do you think this burden is yours alone?”
“Eh?”
“You say only you must endure. But the one who would suffer most from taking an unwanted concubine may be His Highness himself.”
“Oh!”
I hadn’t thought of that. Could a king hate having a concubine? It seemed unlikely. Yet Miklok might. Seeing me suffer would surely pain him even more.
“But won’t the people resent us? If the kingdom loses a chance at prosperity because the King and Queen acted selfishly?”
“As much as Their Highnesses desire their people’s happiness, the people also wish for their King and Queen’s happiness.”
Really? I’d never once thought of it that way.
I believed caring for the people’s welfare was the royal family’s duty. But could it be the people, too, cared for us?
“No subject would prefer their rulers unhappy, even if it meant an easier life. An unhappy King and Queen only bring unhappiness to their people.”
Duke Xenon looked at me with a fatherly gaze.
“As you know, Pritan is already prosperous. And it will grow even more so. I, as Chancellor, will ensure it.”
Tears welled in my eyes. His heartfelt words moved me deeply.
“So please, for the people’s sake, remain a happy King and Queen.”
“Thank you… truly, thank you.”
With tear-filled eyes, I smiled. Duke Xenon returned a gentle smile and quietly left my office.
Leaving the Queen’s office for his own, Duke Xenon’s face burned not with gentleness but fierce determination.
“Pritan is already prosperous. And it will grow even more so. I, as Chancellor, will ensure it.”
Such grand words didn’t suit his usual reserved character. But he had reason.
That very morning, knowing it would be rejected, he’d suggested to Miklok: Just close your eyes and take her as a concubine.
Of course, Miklok flatly refused. And as if in revenge, he gave Xenon a colossal task.
“Chancellor, find a way to acquire Malau’s technology without taking Princess Shine as a concubine. As quickly as possible!”
The King had thrown him an impossibly difficult mission. And that difficulty only fanned his flames.
A man who burned brighter before impossible odds—truly, like King, like Chancellor.
