Chapter 11
Daniela carefully placed Benjamin’s notebook back into the box and slid it under the bed.
At that moment, a loud noise came from outside. When she looked out the window, she saw colorful fireworks decorating the night sky.
Only then did she realize that evening had already fallen while she was trying to understand the mysterious note.
It was far more beautiful than anything she had ever heard described in stories.
Along with the sound of exploding fireworks came the voices of people cheering in the streets.
Lowering her gaze, she saw people gathered below to watch the display.
With their families, friends, and lovers.
For a moment, Daniela felt envious, and the realization startled her.
Why did she feel lonely on such a wonderful day?
“…I wish he would come back soon.”
She found herself wishing that Benjamin would return quickly.
And when he did, she decided, she would suggest setting off fireworks once more.
Then, she wouldn’t have to gaze at this beautiful night sky alone.
Jane Green stared at her reflection in the mirror. It was her own face, yet it felt unfamiliar.
It was because of her black-dyed hair. Even though several days had passed since she dyed it, she still wasn’t used to it.
Every time she saw it, it reminded her of the Queen, which made her feel sick.
She had dyed it deliberately to resemble the Queen, so it was only natural that the Queen came to mind. Still, knowing that didn’t make her feel any better.
She had always despised that black hair to the point of grinding her teeth whenever it entered her field of vision. Now she had to see it every time she looked in the mirror.
Even so, she could endure it.
Compared to having to acknowledge that woman as Queen, this was nothing.
If it meant dragging her down from her throne, then facing this dull, gloomy hair every day was a small price to pay.
“But really… His Majesty has such terrible taste. Choosing such a disgusting hair color.”
What she hated so fiercely was something that made the King’s heart flutter just at the sight of it from afar.
According to the King’s journal, he had loved every strand of her hair, every expression she made, her trivial habits, and even the shape of her fingernails. He had written down even such useless details.
While reading those pointless entries, Jane couldn’t help but sneer.
When she was ordered to deliver the item to the Queen, of course, it hadn’t meant she was allowed to read its contents.
But the first betrayal had been the King’s.
Now it was their turn to betray him.
Thinking that, Jane, once a loyal knight, unfolded the pages without any guilt.
As she read, mockery kept spilling from her lips. How could such a woman reduce their King to this state?
Still, among the trivial nonsense, there was some useful information.
There was a passage stating that the King would soon lose his memories of the Queen.
It also explained what the Queen should do in that situation to remain safe.
When Jane read that part, she hesitated.
“…If I think about it the other way around, then if the Queen doesn’t know what to do in that situation, she won’t be safe.”
Her hesitation was brief. She immediately contacted her collaborators and had a copy made.
The secretly produced copy had all the parts she considered important to the Queen removed.
She would have liked to destroy the journal entirely and deliver some random object instead, but she couldn’t.
The King might have recorded information about the item he ordered her to deliver.
So that even after losing his memories, he could check whether his orders had been properly carried out.
“So the journal itself has to be delivered. And most of its contents must be preserved.”
A nearly identical copy, with only the most crucial information removed, seemed unlikely to arouse suspicion.
Of course, there was a small chance that the King had another copy and might one day compare it with what the Queen possessed.
But that seemed unlikely.
And if the outcome of this gamble was dragging the Queen down from her undeserved position, then it was worth the risk.
Everything was done swiftly and in complete secrecy.
And now, in the Queen’s hands, was a meticulously crafted copy that was slightly different from what she should have read.
Thinking of Daniela smiling happily over the King’s gift, unaware of what was to come, Jane erased her sneer.
Only a few days after waking up in the inn, Daniela received word that the repairs on the main palace where she would reside had been completed, and that she was to enter the palace.
After packing her modest belongings, she arrived at the palace and was truly astonished the moment she saw Crobih Castle, just as Esmeralda had promised.
Before her stood a breathtaking castle in a style she had never seen before.
She had always thought that castles were all more or less the same, and now she realized how ignorant that thought had been.
It felt almost rude to compare it to the Frost Castle.
The large windows of Crobih Castle, which made worrying about the cold unnecessary, were decorated with jewel-like stained glass, and delicate carvings adorned every frame and pillar.
When she passed through the exquisitely carved doors and entered inside, she was once again left speechless.
Sunlight streamed through the stained glass, illuminating the magnificent hall wherever she looked.
The marble floor was inlaid with gold, and the high ceiling was painted with delicate images of the gods of the sky.
The paintings, created with lavish amounts of blue pigment as precious as gemstones to capture the heavens, were dizzying to behold.
Esmeralda, watching Daniela stand there in a daze, spoke proudly.
“Welcome to your new home!”
Home? Daniela thought. It seemed impossible that she would ever be able to think of such an overwhelmingly grand place as her home, even if she lived her entire life here.
Esmeralda continued,
“Lady Daniela, I’d love to give you a tour myself, but I have to go meet my fiancé. Kyle will guide you instead.”
“Your Majesty the Queen, it is an honor to serve you.”
The head attendant, who had been waiting to escort her, bowed respectfully.
Still overwhelmed by the castle’s beauty, Daniela saw Esmeralda off and followed the attendant.
As they passed through the hall and into the corridors, she saw gardens filled with unfamiliar flowers and trees through the large windows, and portraits of past kings lining the walls.
She wanted to look around more slowly, but the attendant walked quickly ahead.
Even though he surely noticed her curious glances.
“Hm…”
Back in her homeland, she had often been subjected to subtle harassment from palace servants under royal scrutiny, so she recognized it easily.
They couldn’t openly mistreat her because of her status, but servants who fawned over other nobles suddenly became careless only in front of her.
They would neglect to refill her teacup, or walk briskly when escorting her somewhere even when there was no hurry.
Things like that.
But none of it ever really affected her, so their harassment always failed.
If her cup was empty, there was a teapot in front of her—she could refill it herself.
If they walked fast, she would just walk fast too.
“If I can’t look around now, I can do it later.”
Thinking nothing of it, she continued walking until the attendant stopped, and she stopped with him.
Before them stood a stately rosewood door.
Maintaining his polite façade, the attendant opened it and gestured her inside.
“This is Your Majesty’s bedroom.”
As soon as Daniela entered, she fully understood why Esmeralda had apologized for the shabby inn room she had stayed in before.
To a princess who had lived in a place like this, that inn must have felt like a barn.
Once Daniela was fully inside, the attendant bowed and said she could call him if she needed anything, then left.
“How am I supposed to call you?”
The words sounded strange to her, since she had no idea how she was meant to summon him.
But she doubted she would need him anyway, so she soon forgot about it and began looking around the room.
Inside stood a single maid, a young-looking girl who was trembling with tension.
It was strange that only one inexperienced-looking girl had been assigned to the Queen, but Daniela actually found it more comfortable that way.
When Daniela looked at her quietly, the girl’s face turned pale and she began to shake.
Having no intention of frightening her, Daniela tried to speak gently.
Since she was used to dealing with rough soldiers, her voice felt awkward.
“I… ahem. I’m the new owner of this room. And you are?”
