JGMH | Chapter 7

“Is that so? Mother didn’t like Lev very much, huh? I thought she did.”

Rosander didn’t reply. If he asked her to hand it over, would the queen grant his request? Eisentein faintly imagined the queen’s unfathomable expression as she mulled over his hypothetical plea.

After walking several dozen steps, they neared the entrance to the annex palace, where Eisentein spotted a familiar figure. Once Rosander carefully set the princess down from his arms, she dashed toward the queen with light steps, as if a bird had taken flight. The sound of her feet tapping against the polished stone path halted before the queen.

“What brings you here, Mother?”

“What else? I came because I wanted to see my daughter.”

Queen Elaine bent slightly, brushing her hand against her daughter’s cheek. When the princess whispered something into her ear, the queen smiled. Rosander stood at a distance, observing the mother and daughter, awaiting the queen’s command.

“Have you been practicing a lot?”

“I’ve been working hard, but they say I’m not ready for a real sword yet.”

“Is that so? Rushing won’t do you any good. Let’s learn step by step.”

“By the way, Mother, what do you want for your birthday gift?”

How strange it was to think it had been ten years since the queen had threatened him with the child growing in her belly. That conniving woman, who had demanded he abandon the fortress in the midst of war to escort her—claiming it was a prince—had now become a devoted mother, doting on her daughter.

“Whatever my princess gives me will make me happy.”

Rosander stared at the deep dimples etched into the queen’s cheek and took a slow, deep breath. The queen owed him a debt she could never repay. Her selfishness had robbed him of his wife. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. With that mindset, it was impossible for him to truly care for Princess Eisentein.

And yet, for the queen to entrust her daughter’s safety to him—it was no less than a mockery.

The princess nestled in her mother’s arms, whispering one thing after another. Suddenly, the queen’s voice rang out, startled.

“You mean that mermaid?”

Though her face had turned pale, she looked almost elated. How odd, considering how indifferent she’d been when the creature was first released into the lake. What, then, had sparked her interest now?

Rosander clicked his tongue at the queen’s capricious nature, remaining rooted in place.

The end of winter drew near. Soon, it would be the anniversary of his wife’s death. On the day she vanished, the chaos of battle had handed victory to Duke Cliffor while annihilating the mercenary base of his comrades.

Given the season, the war wouldn’t have lasted much longer. The peace that allowed the princess to grow up was something he himself had forged upon returning to the battlefield.

“Sir Wayne.”

As a reward, Tiernan had dumped the disputed lands of Waynes upon Rosander, branding him with the disgraceful title of “Sir Wayne” in place of “Ross the Mercenary.”

Though he had long since sold the land, the title remained. And the queen took pleasure in toying with him under it.

“Are you going to visit Olivia’s grave?”

The princess had already left, leaving only the two of them in the garden. Though her voice was gentle, the queen remained a witch who could not conceal her true nature from her own blood. That haughty gaze, as if she knew everything and looked down upon all, was unbearable.

Suppressing the urge to strangle her, Rosander clenched his teeth. He had failed to protect the one he truly wished to safeguard. And yet, with what gall did she dare to speak that name?

Whatever venomous lies she had whispered to the king with her serpent’s tongue, Zenon I had awarded Rosander the ludicrous position of the princess’s swordsmanship instructor, citing the honor as sufficient compensation. It was a flimsy excuse to keep him tethered to the royal court.

As expected, the queen ensured he stayed bound for an extended time. A brazen way to tell him to forget his grudge.

“I will be away from the capital for ten days.”

“Do as you will. I’ll send the court lilies with you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The queen chuckled softly as she noted the tension in Rosander’s jaw. Then her gaze fell to the tip of her scepter, her brows knitting slightly .

Removing the leaf, she asked him casually as she plucked off a small leaf clinging to its end.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“Nothing further.”

As Rosander turned to leave, he realized she had truly been smiling just moments ago.

Though she spoke of love and cherished her daughter, the queen had never once smiled sincerely at her. The only time Elaine ever smiled with true joy was when she had taken someone’s life. Rosander vividly remembered the purple eyes filled with ecstasy on the day he had served as her escort.

What had she schemed this time to be so pleased? A foreboding feeling settled over him.

 

***

 

“Elaine, what an unexpected visit.”

“It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

The king drew back the curtain to welcome the queen, lifting an untouched goblet to offer her wine. She declined with a wave of her hand.

“The feast being prepared for you is coming along well. Are you curious to see it?”

“No, it’s best if secrets remain secrets.”

“So, your anger has finally subsided.”

When the queen obediently sat beside him, the king chuckled, downing the drink in one gulp.

If Rosander Wayne had a knack for infuriating people with his silence, Zenon I had the talent to provoke others with his words. Yet, today, Elaine found herself in no position to argue and chose to let it slide.

“Has Viscount Linton not sought you out?”

“Which viscount?”

“Ah, never mind. I must have misheard.”

The king appeared unaware of Viscount Linton’s report. Until the banquet, she could keep the mermaid hidden under the servants’ secrecy. There was no need to arouse his interest in the matter.

As she absently toyed with the amulet around her neck, the king snapped his fingers as if he had just realized something.

“If it’s new jewelry you want, I’ve always told you I’d provide it.”

With another snap, he summoned an attendant waiting nearby. The man approached, carrying a jewelry box in both hands.

“Will you open it?”

Feigning reluctance, Queen Elaine opened the weathered gold-embossed box. The king’s voice rose with excitement as he urged her to wear its contents.

The box seemed to radiate a kaleidoscope of light as she reached in and grabbed the first thing her fingers touched.

“Discovered in a fishing net, they said. Priceless treasures, ancient imperial coins, and this exquisite sword. Ah, and that mermaid you took away—they must have found it as well.”

“What did you just say?”

Her voice came sharp and unguarded. She had thought he knew nothing of the mermaid or Viscount Linton, but it seemed he had simply dismissed the matter.

“Why the grim face? It ruins your pretty features.”

The king playfully stroked her face with his other hand. She forced her expression to soften, selecting a silver pendant from the box and returning it to him. She didn’t want him digging further into the topic.

“…I can’t put it on by myself.”

“You’d like my help?”

Though he didn’t answer immediately, the amused lilt in his voice told her she didn’t need to ask again. She swept her loose hair over one shoulder, exposing her neck.

The king pressed a kiss to her bare nape as he took the pendant from her hand. The kiss lingered, a fervent heat that made his intentions unmistakable.

She accepted it. She could not forever act like a royal of Belfret when faced with Tiernan’s king. After all, she was now his second wife and lived as Tiernan’s queen.

 

***

 

“How is it? Do you feel more at ease in the lake, Levis?”

The queen addressed the mermaid, who had been admiring the moon from the water’s edge. Startled, Levis froze in place as the queen approached her slowly.

Having a mermaid in the lake, filled otherwise only with fish, enhanced the scenery so perfectly that it was impossible to imagine the place without her.

Her hair sparkled brilliantly under the moonlight, and her eyes, reminiscent of crashing waves, lent an otherworldly mystery to the lake.

“Perhaps it’s because of what my daughter told me about you, but I’ve grown quite accustomed to your presence, even if you haven’t to mine.”

Levis gave a slight nod before retreating back into the water. Her guarded demeanor made the queen chuckle softly.

Had she known the mermaid could speak the language of humans, she wouldn’t have resorted to such intimidating tactics at first. Yet, the shallow regret quickly faded as the queen moved closer to Levis.

When the queen stood near enough for the lake’s waters to lap at her toes, the mermaid instinctively backed away.

“I hope you won’t choose to end your own life.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Levis appeared more naive than the queen had anticipated. With a face that looked barely twenty, devoid of any malice, the queen sat comfortably at the edge of the water.

The bluish tint of her hair left no doubt—this was Diantha’s offspring. Moreover, the fact that she had shared her name with the princess confirmed it. The queen recalled the earlier encounter, how the word “dream” had dripped so sweetly from her lips.

The traces of new life found on the scepter must have come from the mermaid’s touch. Without the princess’s words, the queen might have dismissed the evidence entirely, but now it bolstered her conviction.

Levis. Levis. The queen repeated the name inwardly, and her very core seemed to writhe with delight. To think that a being she had once deemed a lowly, insignificant creature was instead a descendant of Diantha. As the children of the Sea Goddess, their worth was immeasurable.

It was said that a single drop of their blood could plunge the seas into sorrowful stillness, their tears could heal wounds, and their hair carried an indescribable power. A power capable of granting one’s deepest desire—and Levis held that power.

“There are so many who don’t know how to properly use what you offer.”

Now that the queen understood the connection to Diantha, letting Levis go was unthinkable. Luck favored those who knew how to wield it, and to parade the mermaid so openly, as things stood now, was an unacceptable risk.

The upcoming royal birthday banquet, now less than a week away, would gather noble families from all over the realm. Hiding the mermaid during such an event would be impossible.

“But if everyone came to truly understand the abilities you possess, what do you think would happen?”

There are no eternal secrets in this world. Where there are those who seek to hide, there will be those who strive to uncover. And in the end, the hidden truth becomes public knowledge.

If someone reported to the king that the queen had been frequenting the royal archives of late, and if the king grew curious enough to investigate, he too would inevitably learn of the mermaid’s secret.

“Do you also know that I can curse you?”

Levis retorted sharply.