***
Laughter was the only response Judith gave to his vulgar language, which was utterly unbecoming of a king.
The Illand she remembered, both as a brother and as a king, was certainly flawed, but he had never been this crude.
Back then, fear had clouded her judgment, leaving no room to assess what kind of man he truly was.
Now, having shed her useless fear, the man before her was no longer worthy of even a retort.
It was a testament to the depths of their nation’s downfall that such a man sat on the throne, that he had essentially sold her to Lotheir, and that Tien was now on the path to ruin.
Judith recalled the three days she had spent weeping after hearing the news of Tien’s ultimate fate—reduced to a mere vassal state in the south.
A bitter smile played on her lips.
Less than a year had passed since that news, and was imprisoned in a tower by Queen Gilsis.
What did it matter?
Judith vowed to no longer be swayed by such things.
Whether this decadent nation thrived or collapsed, whether Illand bowed before another king, kissing the ground at his feet, or whether he choked on his own shame or hanged himself—none of it mattered to Judith.
“It seems you see your only sister as utterly inadequate.
But considering the current situation, such words are highly inappropriate, wouldn’t you say?”
“What?”
Illand’s eyes narrowed at her words.
But she showed no fear.
Instead, she held her head high, as if daring him to do his worst.
“What will you do if I refuse to go to Lotheir?
Will you bind me like a slave and sell me?
And if I hang myself before that happens, how will you repay that enormous sum?”
“Are you out of your mind?
How dare you!”
“Your grand chamberlain just now spoke those words to my maid, right before my very eyes.
Like master, like servant.”
Slap!
The sound of a sharp slap echoed as Judith’s cheek snapped to the left.
Marianne, who had been nervously watching from a distance, gaped in horror, unable to even scream.
Illand, having struck Judith without a moment’s hesitation, was startled by his own action.
He bared his teeth as he trembled.
This was the first time he had hit her since she was a child.
However, his shock was not due to regret.
The moment he struck her, Illand couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear, a fear that Judith might use this as an excuse to actually hang herself.
If that happened, Lotheir would demand the money they had paid for her back.
And if he couldn’t repay them, he’d be forced to bow his head to the lowly southern king, utterly humiliated.
“Jud-Judith, you…”
“Judith?”
Not bothering to fix her disheveled hair, she let out a hollow laugh.
Her expression, which seemed almost fierce, caused Illand to recoil, his fingers curling into fists.
“You’ve never once addressed me properly by my name, and now you call me Judith.
Why?
Is it because you’re sorry for slapping me?
Are you worried I’ll use this as an excuse to cry and end my own life?”
“What… what are you saying?
Are you in your right mind?
Suddenly…”
“Someone like you, who has nothing left, has only one last thing left to sell: his sister’s worthless body.
Are you worried it might slip through your fingers?
Don’t worry, brother.
No matter what you call me, I will go to Lotheir.
I will become Prince Franz’s princess.”
“Th-this…”
“So please, Illand, live a long and prosperous life.”
And one day he would end up groveling at someone else’s feet.
With that final, cutting remark, Judith, with a look of cold defiance on her face, as if she had lost her mind, bid Illand farewell and exited the private chamber with Marianne.
“What are we going to do?
Your Highness, are you alright?
Let me see your cheek.”
As soon as they left the corridor, Marianne started crying and grabbed Judith’s arm.
Her right cheek was swollen and red from the force of the blow.
“It’s fine, it’s nothing.”
“Nothing?
What do you mean, nothing?
How could he…?”
Marianne, with tears welling up in her eyes, shot a glare towards the private chamber.
It seemed the blow had been quite forceful, as Judith could feel a sharp pain in her mouth and a metallic taste on her tongue.
However, Judith registered neither the pain in her cheek, nor the sting of her torn mouth.
This was nothing compared to what she had endured from Queen Gilsis during her time as a princess.
The pain of her imprisonment made a slap feel insignificant, and she felt a sense of satisfaction for having snapped back at her brother.
“Let’s go, Princess.
I’ll get you some cold compresses.
It will help with the swelling.”
Marianne, sniffling, pulled Judith along.
Even though she was younger, Marianne was taller and stronger than Judith.
Holding Marianne’s hand, which felt warmer than she remembered, she gently grasped the hem of her dress and bowed her head, just like she used to do.
“I have a request, Marianne.”
As they walked, Marianne wiped her nose with the back of her hand and glanced back.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“When I go to Lotheir, come with me.”
Her tear-filled eyes widened in surprise.
When Judith had first gone to Lotheir, Marianne had cried, saying she wanted to go with her.
It was likely out of concern for the fragile princess who hadn’t even been treated properly in her own homeland, Tien.
But Marianne’s home was still Tien.
Her family was there, and as far as Judith knew, Marianne’s sister had just given birth around this time.
After Judith left, she would probably leave the palace soon as well.
Then, she would find love and live a peaceful life.
But Judith needed Marianne.
She couldn’t trust anyone in Lotheir.
The nobles who feared Queen Gilsis, as well as the palace servants and maids, were all hostile towards her, subjecting her to constant torment and manipulation.
She needed someone she could trust, someone who would be by her side.
Eventually, she would meet Cheraan again, but didn’t know when that would be.
‘Cheraan must still be alive, now that I’ve returned…’
Thinking of Cheraan, who had defended her to the very end, resisting Queen Gilsis, tears welled up in her eyes.
Cheraan, with her unwavering integrity and sense of justice, would never have accepted the absurd accusations and lies that had led to her imprisonment.
She must have fallen out of favor with Queen Gilsis because of it.
Judith couldn’t even begin to imagine the depth of despair that Marquis Evelta and his wife must have felt after Cheraan’s death, considering how much they had cherished their only daughter.
“Your Highness!
My goodness, why are you crying?
I’ll go, of course I’ll go with you.
Don’t cry, okay?”
Marianne, mistaking Judith’s sudden outburst for her own hesitation to answer, hurriedly wiped away her tears.
Judith, tightly holding Marianne’s hand as she wiped her face, struggled to force her trembling lips into a smile as she looked up at her.
“It won’t be long.
I… I will make sure to send you back first when the time is right.”
“Huh?”
“No, no.
Not to Tien.
I mean… I will make sure you and your family, the people you will spend your life with, will find a peaceful place to live.
I promise.
So, please, stay by my side for a few years.
Marianne, can you do that?”
Her face turned red at Judith’s sudden mention of spending her life with someone.
She was only sixteen years old.
Her words seemed distant and sweet, like something from a far-off dream.
Leaving her life behind was something Marianne was hesitant about, for sure.
But she couldn’t possibly refuse Judith’s earnest plea, especially after she said it like that.
Even if Judith hadn’t said it first, Marianne knew she would have offered to go with her.
Judith was weak.
She was acting a bit off today, unfamiliar, almost as if she had become a different person.
But the Judith she knew was fundamentally a fragile and vulnerable girl.
It was heartbreaking, she couldn’t just leave her.
“Your Highness, what are you worried about?
I am the one who serves you, so who else would go that far with you to Lotheir?
Of course I will go with you.
I’ll go wherever you go, so don’t worry.
Now, stop crying.
Your cheek is already swollen, and your eyes are going to swell too.
Let’s go back and get some cold compresses.
I’ll tell them to make your favorite clam soup for lunch,” Marianne said with a bright smile.
Judith finally seemed to relax, a faint smile gracing her lips as she slowly nodded.
* * *
After hearing Judith’s unbelievable outburst (which, given her usual behavior, could certainly be called an outburst), Illand didn’t call her back to stir up any further trouble.
Given his personality, it was a difficult thing to do.
However, he seemed to have forgotten the whole thing, letting it pass as though it never happened.
This was because there wasn’t a single lie in Judith’s words.
For the first time in his life, Illand felt a sense of unease about hitting Judith.
He was anxious, unsure of where she might go if he made the wrong move.
Up until now, she had been so docile that there was no fun in messing with her.
She would just take whatever he dished out, getting kicked, pushed, and crying her eyes out— that was the Judith he knew.
But she had changed.
He didn’t know what had triggered it, but it was clear she had changed beyond recognition.
When the check from Lotheir arrived, a payment for the compensation, Illand visibly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Along with the check, some jewelry and fabrics arrived as well.
The emissary explained that they were gifts, a formality in receiving a princess, even if it was just in name.
However, as everyone expected, all of the jewelry and fabrics ended up in Illand’s possession.
In the end, Judith left for Lotheir with nothing, not even a new dress.
“His Majesty is truly…”
Marianne, watching the carriage carrying Judith’s meager belongings, couldn’t help but purse her lips in displeasure.
Despite the princess’s departure, the only people there to see her off were the grand chamberlain, who had been sent to make a show of things, and a few low-ranking nobles.
But Judith didn’t harbor any resentment.
This time, Marianne was going with her.
She didn’t feel the slightest need to be self-conscious about not having a dowry or wearing outdated clothes.