It was a cool evaluation of a nephew she had seen all his life.
“Fortunately, this time Philip sent a wedding envoy to the capital instead of sending knights to the border, whatever whims he had.”
Queen Marguerite spoke in a low voice.
“I am not the final decisionmaker of this marriage negotiation. The decisionmaking power is with your father. However, I think it will be a very difficult task for your father to reject this offer.”
Her story was heading towards the end.
“Asceto takes half a year, if Gallico invades, it will end in two months until San Carlo falls.”
The queen reminded her son, the prince.
“Don’t you have a duty?”
A monarch had a duty to keep his people safe and wellfed, ahead of anything like caution, restraint, courage, and justice. The monarch may sometimes forsake his moral duty or be disloyal.
He could avoid challenges or have a cruel temper. He could be a ‘cowardly monarch’ or a ‘cruel monarch’.
But the moment he neglected the duty to protect and feed his people, he was no longer a monarch.
“Luxury can only be afforded by the strong.”
Queen Marguerite firmly held her son’s hand. Prince Alfonso lowered his head.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t build a stronger nation from above.”
The final words of Queen Marguerite were to drive the last nail, a verdict.
Prince Alfonso was silent. To fulfill his inherent duty, he had to give up his love. To fulfill his responsibility, he had to stop his heart here.
If it were said that he could protect his love by throwing away his glory, honor, reputation, and everything he had and enjoyed, Prince Alfonso would have chosen that path.
But what he was carrying was a duty. A monarch had to protect his people. And Prince Alfonso was born as the eldest son of a monarch and lived every moment of his life to become a monarch.
“Mother.”
After a long time, Prince Alfonso’s voice, which opened his mouth, was cracked like metal.
“I understand what mother says.”
He slowly, reluctantly, trembled one word at a time from the tip of his tongue.
“…Your son.”
Heavy commitments fell one by one.
“As the future heir to the throne, I will fulfill my duty and will not forsake my people.”
[This is the time separator]After the prince bowed his head and returned to his palace, Lady Carla, a maid, entered the queen’s inner room with the curtains drawn. She handed a warm drink to the queen who was sitting silently in front of the fireplace.
“Bancho, huh.”
“Yes. The weather is quite chilly at night, so I tried to bring a taste of home.”
Queen Marguerite took a sip of the boiled wine and gazed back at the dancing flames in the fireplace. Lady Carla comforted the queen.
“You must be heartbroken.”
“I’m sorry to my son. I’m just sorry.”
She clenched the warm cup with both hands. It seemed like she was trying to withstand the rising chill.
“The most regrettable thing is that I’ve shamed my son. I’m not the one who’s qualified to talk about the people.”
Lady Carla, with a look of regret, fetched a wool shawl and draped it over Queen Marguerite’s shoulders.
“It’s all for the Prince, isn’t it?”
Queen Marguerite nodded.
“My husband is capricious and full of doubts. Although he has only one choice, the path Alfonso will walk will not be comfortable or safe. My son needs strength to protect himself. I have safely kept it in the Lambueye Orphanage. I hope it can help when the time comes.”
“A powerful fatherinlaw will also become an army for the Prince.”
Queen Marguerite nodded. Then she suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Lady Carla.
“Oh right, did you hear from the attendants who accompanied Princess Lariesa this time about your family’s story?”
Lady Carla quickly lowered her head.
“Everyone is under your Majesty’s grace. The keeper of the Lersart Fortress delivered letters from my father and brothers on behalf of the princess’s attendant.”
Lady Carla’s family, three years ago, unfortunately got involved in a rebellion during the death of Charles VII, Queen Marguerite’s brother, and the accession of Philip IV, the Queen’s nephew. They lost their noble title.
This happened when they tried to support Prince Louis, who was the king’s eldest son and had a high reputation.
All of her surviving family members were kept in the infamous Lersart Fortress. This was why she, originally from a highranking noble family, was only called by name without any title.
“I’m sorry that’s all I can do for you.”
Queen Marguerite had also supported Louis, the second son, instead of her eldest son, Philip, in the succession battle. This was because she judged that Philip, with his capricious temperament and ruthless nature, could not become an excellent ruler.
Although she did not and could not intervene actively as a queen without real power from a foreign country, Philip IV, who won, never forgave his aunt who did not support him.
Queen Marguerite currently had no right to speak to her nephew for a pardon.
“No, I am deeply grateful that you have not forgotten someone like me.”
The fact that the Kingdom of Gallico had given the daughter of Duke Balloa Ou to Alfonso was a gesture of reconciliation sent to his aunt by Philip IV. If Alfonso’s marriage went well, the relationship with his mother’s family might also improve.
Queen Marguerite handed over a purse she had prepared in advance to Lady Carla.
“It’s not a big amount, but I’ve saved a bit. Send it with the princess when she returns.”
Objectively, it was not a large amount of money. It was just enough to bribe the keeper of Lersart and provide enough food and fuel for her family to survive the winter.
It wasn’t an amount that Lady Carla couldn’t afford.
But Lady Carla, with tears in her eyes, accepted the purse with trembling hands.
“What have I done to deserve…”
She wiped her tears and repeated again and again.
“I’m in awe, Your Majesty. I’m in awe.”
Queen Marguerite put her hand on Lady Carla’s shoulder and comforted her.
“How can you say you’re humble? How could I have endured in this lonely land without you?”
The queen smiled a little.
“In a way, you’re like my sister and family. Don’t belittle yourself.”
When Queen Marguerite called her a sister, Lady Carla wept uncontrollably. The queen tried to comfort her maid, but the maid’s crying did not stop. And so passed the autumn night.
[This is the time separator]The week after next, the entire court of Leo III packed their belongings and traveled to the southern palace located in the Taranto territory. It was an annual trip to welcome winter.
Princess Lariesa, who should have returned to Gallico long ago, had been stuck in San Carlo due to her worsening health. Using the excuse of recuperating in a warm place, she went down to the palace in Taranto with the court of Leo III. This was something that did not happen in her previous life.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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