CYGD 03

Episode 3

“What if I say I don’t want to?”

He said in a mocking tone as he approached me. But when I tried to pull the summoning cord, he stopped in his tracks.

If I pulled the cord, someone outside would have to come in. And surely, he had a reason for being here—he wouldn’t want to leave without saying what he came to say.

“You’re acting strange today, Hestia.”

He said it as if to flaunt something.

It seemed like he was trying to remind me that nothing would change no matter what I said.

Still, he didn’t come any closer, and I held onto the cord without letting go.

“You can let go of that. Don’t you trust your father, Hestia?”

“I’d prefer if you left today. Didn’t the head maid tell you? I don’t want to meet anyone today.”

“You do seem to be in a bad mood. Is it because of Beatrice? That girl is not your concern. His Majesty seemed to have lost interest in you, so he brought her in. If you had done better, this wouldn’t have happened. I honestly don’t understand how you can act like this when you’re the one who caused all this.”

“What… did you just say?”

I couldn’t believe what he had just said.

Even understanding the era this took place in, I thought he had to be insane.

I already knew how he viewed Hestia, but hearing it myself from Hestia’s perspective made my vision blur with rage.

“Use Beatrice to win His Majesty’s heart back, Hestia. That’s your job. I expected a bit more from you, and I’m very disappointed.”

I just stared at him in shock, not knowing what to say.

“I thought you could do better. I truly regret that someone like you ended up as my daughter. I should’ve never had expectations. I would’ve been better off adopting a clever and sharp girl instead. You do have a pretty face, so I had a bit of hope.”

Then Lotron clicked his tongue.

I scoffed in disbelief.

“That’s unfortunate, Father. But rather than blaming me, maybe you should blame your poor judgment. Now that you’ve seen Beatrice, please leave.”

“Don’t ruin this, Hestia. You’re acting especially strange today. You’re not just some foolish girl. You never have been. That’s not what I raised and fed you for.”

“You must be really disappointed that your plan to profit from me isn’t working out.”

“How dare you speak that way. How vile.”

Lotron looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what I had just said.

Then he sighed and continued.

“Speak to His Majesty about Beatrice. Let them spend time together naturally. You’re still sewing his shirts, aren’t you? Start having Beatrice deliver them to him.”

I remembered from the novel that Hestia used to sew shirts for the king and send them to him every few days.

That had gone on for quite a while after their marriage, and those deliveries had given them time to speak casually and maintain some harmony.

And now, he was telling me to use that opportunity to introduce Beatrice to the king.

I realized then that he hadn’t just passively allowed the rift between Hestia and the king—he had actively worked to tear them apart.

“They say His Majesty is fond of girls like Beatrice. I suppose I should have some hope. But make sure that girl doesn’t get too full of herself and disrespect you. Keep her in line.”

“….”

I didn’t want to talk to him anymore. The very thought disgusted me, so I stayed silent.

“When your father speaks, you respond. Don’t clam up like a damn oyster, Hestia.”

He clearly didn’t like my attitude.

“This is important. The rise and fall of our family could depend on you. That a dim-witted girl like you is the one holding our fate—how did this happen?”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“I know. Maybe you should’ve planned ahead, then? It’s not like this is a new revelation.”

His brow twitched, clearly annoyed.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you today. Even if seeing Beatrice upset you, you’re not the type to act like this. Maybe I’ve been too lenient with you. Now that I think about it, it’s been about two weeks since your last correction, hasn’t it?”

As he said that, I felt a wave of nausea rise inside me.

He was threatening me.

“Anywhere’s fine for discipline, wouldn’t you agree, Hestia? There’s no set place for correcting a child.”

He reached for his waist.

There, hanging next to his sword, was a thin riding crop.

He never went anywhere without it.

Seeing it in his hand—used to intimidate me—filled me with a mix of fury and fear.

I frantically yanked on the summoning cord.

After a while, the door opened, and the maids came in.

They hadn’t responded immediately. I had to keep pulling before they reluctantly came in, no longer able to ignore it.

“Remove Lord Maedern immediately!”

I shouted, and they looked at each other in confusion.

Lotron’s pale gray eyes flashed cruelly.

He looked furious that I had humiliated him in front of others.

“Where are the knights?!”

I yelled again.

The maids avoided my gaze and each other, trying to shift responsibility. So I ordered them to bring the head maid.

In this kind of situation, pointing at one person and giving a direct order was more effective.

The head maid arrived, trying to assess the situation.

“Bring the Knight Commander. Lord Maedern is threatening me, defying my orders, and challenging the queen’s authority. If you don’t act on this command immediately, you will be held accountable.”

She shook her head and left the room.

She clearly didn’t understand why I was making such a fuss and wanted no part in the situation. It was obvious she just wanted to pass the responsibility to someone else as fast as possible.

Soon after, the Knight Commander arrived.

His knights followed behind, and I ordered them to remove Lotron.

“From now on, ensure that Lord Maedern does not enter my palace again. If he does, you will all be held accountable.”

They looked confused for a moment, then approached Lotron.

His face flushed red as he glared at me.

“You’ll pay dearly for this, Hestia!”

I smiled at the man too angry to think straight.

“It seems Lord Maedern still hasn’t come to his senses. He shouldn’t be allowed to return home just yet. Lock him in the tower for at least three days.”

“But Your Majesty…”

The Knight Commander looked like he thought I was going too far and tried to stop me, but I waved him off.

“I expect this to be carried out immediately. If Lord Maedern sees you all hesitating, he’ll only mock you and me further.”

They looked hesitant, but in the end, they restrained Lotron.

He tried to intimidate them, telling them not to touch him, but after receiving my direct order, the Knight Commander couldn’t let him go.

“Lord Maedern, you’ll need to come with us.”

“Hestia! Are you really going to take it this far?!”

He shouted, but was dragged out nonetheless.

It looked like he might resist to the end, but eventually, he realized he’d only make a fool of himself and quieted down.

There was a look on his face that suggested he’d made some kind of resolution, but I had already made up my mind too. I would deal with whatever came next.

Once the head maid and the other maids were gone, my hands started to shake uncontrollably, and fear overwhelmed me.

It was bad enough being dropped into this strange place—why did everything have to be so hostile and terrifying?

But it wasn’t over.

A short while later, I was told that the king had arrived.

I hurried outside and saw him standing at the door with his attendants.

Iveron Hebercourt.

A pale, sharp-featured, irritable-looking man.

I was finally seeing him in person, but I didn’t feel anything remotely close to wonder.

What I felt when I saw him was deep disgust and hostility.

He looked at me for a long time as he stepped inside, and I realized belatedly that it was because of my hair.

“You cut your hair, Queen.”

“Ah. Yes.”

I had forgotten about my new hairstyle until he mentioned it.

“That hairstyle suits you rather well.”

I didn’t know why he was here, but I wished he’d leave soon. Instead, he said he’d have tea before he left.

“….”

“You don’t seem pleased to see me, Queen.”

Why was it that every man here expected to be welcomed, despite their actions?

Still, I needed to survive in this place—my life was more important. So I called a maid and told her to bring tea.

I figured if I just stayed quiet and let the atmosphere grow dull, he’d eventually leave.

But the king had no such intention and started asking questions.

“I heard something interesting on the way here.”

“Interesting?”

“I heard the queen imprisoned Lord Maedern.”

The fact that he thought that was interesting made me think he wasn’t entirely sane either.