How the Abandoned Queen Made That Man Kneel - Chapter 26

Farnes, kneeling on one knee, carefully wrapped her slender shoulders.

Casalyn, wandering in a state between sleep and wakefulness, slowly blinked her feathery, full eyelashes and just quietly looked up at Farnes.

Farnes’s breath slightly faltered at that innocent gaze.

He firmly gripped Casalyn’s collar, which seemed about to slip down, and then slowly let go.

“…You should be able to do that much on your own.”

“I’m too sleepy and my body feels heavy. Your Majesty, please do it for me.”

“You, do you understand what you’re saying right now?”

“Maybe.”

“You don’t understand at all.”

Farnes sighed deeply while leaning one hand against the wall, like someone agonizing before an exam.

Rationally thinking, it was nothing.

Aren’t all human bodies more or less the same?

He wasn’t the type to get flustered like a novice in front of a woman, and he was well past that age.

Then why was he seriously conflicted over such a thing, trying to calm his heart that felt about to burst?

What was it about those flushed cheeks?

What was it about those gently drooping eyes that turned a normal person into a fool?

“…Figure it out yourself somehow.”

“Why?”

“Because I just realized something thanks to you.”

That I can no longer look at you with innocent eyes, damn it.

Farnes barely swallowed the words he was about to spit out in a harsh voice and went to the cave entrance to look outside.

“What did you realize?”

There was no answer.

While he had his back turned, Casalyn barely moved her arms, which felt as if they had heavy weights attached, to take off her wet clothes and wrap his cloak around herself like a blanket.

The soft fur touching her skin felt as if she were embraced by him, and it made her feel a little better.

“Why didn’t you go straight to the lodge?”

He asked after quite some time had passed.

His tone was like interrogating a criminal.

“I would have given you several escort knights.”

“I slipped and rolled by mistake. When I came to my senses, I had fallen in a strange place. I tried to find the way up, but it got dark.”

“You’re calling that an excuse now? Do you know how many hours you’ve been missing?”

Farnes continued in a suppressed voice, as if holding back surging emotions.

“A full four hours. You, you were wandering the forest in that state for four hours.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Yes. It is impossible. That’s why I can’t believe what you’re saying.”

“But… isn’t it too cold?”

Casalyn shivered from the chill.

Although she was barely keeping warm with the bonfire and cloak, her body, once chilled, showed little sign of recovery.

Farnes, standing far away, just watched her intently.

“So, what more do you want me to─”

“Your Majesty, I mean. You even gave me your cloak, you’ll catch a cold at this rate. Come over here.”

Farnes took a deep breath, filling his lungs completely, and slowly exhaled without taking his eyes off her.

Only after repeating this action, like some kind of ritual, several times did he finally take a step towards her.

Casalyn, who had her head buried deep in the cloak, felt his arms slowly wrap around her body.

“You fool. Worrying about others even in this situation.”

Farnes pulled Casalyn’s head to his chest and embraced her tightly in his arms.

A surprisingly warm body temperature transmitted through the cloak, and her shivering body gradually found stability.

As she buried her face in his especially warm neck and smiled faintly, his gaze slid like on ice to Casalyn’s pointed lips.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I don’t know. Just… because I feel good.”

“You’re speaking so comfortably after making the ruler of a country spend the night on the cold ground.”

Casalyn chuckled.

“That’s right. What a terrible lady-in-waiting I am. Will you punish me when we return to the imperial palace?”

“I could. The crimes you’ve committed so far are not just one or two.”

“Then I must deserve the death penalty.”

“You dare say such frightening things. Exile at most.”

“If it’s exile, where would you send me?”

“Well.”

Farnes shifted his gaze to the cave ceiling, trying not to look too closely at Casalyn leaning against his body.

He continued in a voice so low it was barely audible even at close range.

“For example, to my palace.”

Not even a second after uttering those words, Farnes snapped to his senses as if waking from a dream.

He lowered his head, gripped by confusion he couldn’t understand himself, wondering what nonsense he had just blurted out.

He was about to hastily make excuses, saying it was a slip of the tongue and to forget it, but when he opened his mouth, Casalyn was already fast asleep.

Comfortably nestled in the arms of the Emperor, whom no one dared to look at due to his notorious reputation as a tyrant.

With a faint smile on her lips as if something was so pleasing, breathing softly in various pretty colors, she looked like a small angel abandoned on the street.

“What should I do with you?”

Farnes muttered quietly, silently cooling down an unidentifiable heat.

The night that seemed like it would never end appeared to be retreating earlier than expected, as dawn was breaking hazily outside the cave.

The downpour, which was quite heavy for an early summer rain, finally stopped around dawn.

The forest, which would have been full of lively spirits on the second day of the hunting competition as originally planned, had a rather serious atmosphere.

This was because the Emperor of the Renel Empire and Casalyn, the chief lady-in-waiting of the Khan Kingdom, had disappeared all night and not returned.

The entire Imperial Knights Brigade was mobilized and searched the whole mountain all night, but to no avail.

“Your Grace. Are you sure it’s alright not to reinforce the search personnel?”

When Vincent, the escort knight who had just returned to the lodge after one round of searching, asked, Duke Ludwick nodded leisurely.

“You know what kind of person His Majesty is. If something happened to young lady Casalyn, he must be taking shelter somewhere. He’ll return soon.”

While everyone was pacing anxiously, only Duke Ludwick maintained a calm demeanor.

This was because the black griffon, which had been specially trained to seek out others if something happened to its master, had not yet appeared.

Meanwhile, Rose could hardly find her composure, hovering at the forest entrance, unaware that her dress hem was getting soiled with muddy water.

The last image of Casalyn rolling down the hill after slipping lingered in her mind.

She was distraught, wondering if it would be her fault if Casalyn didn’t return.

But she swore it wasn’t intentional.

She truly didn’t know Casalyn was in such pain that she couldn’t control her own body.

As Queen Rose repeatedly rubbed her face, looking unusually frightened, Duke Ludwick, who was nearby, glanced at her.

“His Majesty the King of Khan has returned!”

Just then, King Shalen, who had set out determinedly at dawn to find Casalyn, returned empty-handed.

From his disheveled hair and mud-splattered trouser hems to his unfocused eyes.

Judging by his miserable appearance, it seemed he had rolled in the mud several times rather than finding Casalyn.

He looked around among the gathered people as if searching for someone, then approached Rose.

“Has Casalyn, has Casalyn returned?”

“No, not yet…”

As Rose shook her head weakly, looking unnecessarily cautious, deep disappointment spread across Shalen’s face.

“It’s as good as my fault. Because of me, she…”

He looked as if he might lose consciousness at any moment, fallen into an abyss of endless despair and self-blame.

Until Farnes appeared, looking all too composed, holding Casalyn tightly in his arms.

As if mocking the soldiers who had been running around the mountains pale-faced, Emperor Farnes appeared before everyone with Casalyn mounted on the back of a black griffon.

A soldier blew a whistle, and the nobles who had just come out of the lodge rushed over, shedding tears.

“Your Majesty! Where have you been all night? We were all so worried.”

“I’m so glad you’ve returned safely!”

Farnes responded to the nobles’ concerned words with a single, heavy nod, then went straight to Duke Ludwick and said,

“We’ll have to end the hunting competition earlier than planned. Tell the knights to escort the guests safely back to the palace.”

“Understood. Don’t worry, the preparations for withdrawal are all complete.”

“And prepare a carriage. I need to take her to the imperial physician at the palace right away. She’s just returned after causing trouble all night.”

Farnes said, looking at Casalyn sitting quietly on the black griffon’s back with an impassive gaze.

Duke Ludwick observed his master’s expression, then slowly shifted his keen gaze to Casalyn.

Wondering if it was just this old man’s imagination that the atmosphere between the two seemed quite different from yesterday.

“What, happened?”

As the situation was somewhat settled and the gathered guests began to disperse, each breathing sighs of relief.

Shalen, who had been staring at Casalyn with a face like he’d seen a ghost, approached and raised a brief question.

“Where on earth were you all night? Do you have any idea what happened because of you alone?”

“We’ll talk later, King Shalen.”

“I’m not asking you. I need to hear the answer from Casalyn’s own mouth right now.”

Shalen’s face, which had been etched with worry and anxiety, gradually flushed red and blue with rising anger.

He strode past Farnes towards Casalyn, looking as if he might throw a punch at any moment.

It was Farnes’s hand that firmly grabbed his shoulder.

He warned Shalen, revealing his fiercely sharp gaze without reserve.

“Can’t you see she’s in pain?”

“…”

Shalen swallowed his rough breaths and glared at the black cloak wrapped around Casalyn’s shoulders as if he would tear it apart.

After searching all night, crossing who knows how many hills and rolling in muddy water, he couldn’t forgive the fact that she had spent the night with Emperor Farnes, whom she loved so dearly.

She must have thought it was an opportunity to be alone with him.

Sheltering from the rain somewhere secluded.

As the image of Casalyn deliberately seducing Farnes under the pretext of feeling unwell vividly came to mind, Shalen unknowingly flushed an even deeper red.

“Your Majesty. The carriage is ready. Shall we depart now?”

“Yes.”

Farnes silently extended his arms towards Casalyn, who was sitting in the saddle.

Casalyn glanced at Shalen, who was still unable to hide his anger, then entrusted herself to Farnes’s arms without any resistance.