Chapter 123
The palace of the crown prince, who had visited again after a long absence, was as quiet as before. The palace seemed to be alone in a space where time did not flow. Annette followed Celestine, looking around at the familiar scenery. , The palace attendants who had met Celestine escaped them to the audience room.
“I apologize, but the waiters, please wait in the waiting room next door. It is for the safety of the Crown Prince.”
The attendants who sent Celestine inside declared with stern faces.This, too, was forever.Visitors to the palace could not meet the royal family without accompanying attendants.This was to prevent any possible assassination attempt.
Annette nodded obediently and headed to the waiting room next to the audience room with Lailin. As soon as she arrived at the entrance to her waiting room, Raileen proudly grabbed her belly as she had said before. She did and she got into acting in earnest .
“Ah, this bastard's chronic enteritis again! Excuse me, but where is the bathroom?”
“… It is this way. Please follow me.”
The attendant looked at Lailin with pitiful eyes.She is such a neat beauty, but in fact, there was a big problem with her bowel movements.As expected, each of the beauties seemed to have a sad story hidden behind them.
She gave Annette a hurried look on her face her and winked at Annette before Rylin left her waiting room.Annette, now accustomed to Lylene's quirks, sent him off with a silent nod.All she had to do was wait in her waiting room by herself.
Annette turned her chair to face the fireplace and rested her chin in a daze.As he waited without doing anything,all kinds of thoughts came to his mind.What if Ludwig sided with us was a trick?Then the days ahead were going to be pretty daunting. After all, he was the one who would become the next king.
Dreuk-
“Ah.”
At this time, a strange sound suddenly came from the fireplace. It was an awkward friction sound, like pushing a heavy desk. At the same time, curiously, the fireplace spun half a turn, revealing a hidden crevice. Between the audience room and the waiting room, which was usually found in the palace.
Before long, Ludwig's characteristic bright silver hair appeared through the gap in the fireplace.
“Whoa, this is pretty heavy.”
Ludwig, who had finally pushed through the crack in the fireplace to widen it, crept in with a hesitant posture.On the way, he did n't forget to let out a small scream by stomping my finger on his knees.
Annette waited for him to come over here with a throbbing heart.Of course, there was a little bit of personal curiosity in her heartbeat in her.
'Can you really recognize me in my makeup?'
Annette eagerly waited for Ludwig's next reaction Finally Ludwig who had completely crossed over to the waiting room stood up while shaking his palms A look of bewilderment appeared on Ludwig's face when he straightened his back and looked this way.
“…Who are you?”
As expected, her Ludwig did not recognize her, He had a look of open wariness on his face, She must have heard that Annette was there and came across, but she must have been embarrassed to see an unfamiliar maid sitting there.
No matter how much it is, it's been a few years since we've been together.Annette was deeply saddened.She laughed hysterically as she heard her last ten years fade away.
“Majesty.”
“Well? Annette, is it you?”
But her disappointmentHer was short-lived as Ludwig opened her eyes wide in surprise and called her name her.It seemed that he had managed to recognize Annette as well.Annette fidgeted with the tip of her huge nose that obscured her own vision of her, she asked.
“That's right, Your Highness. How did you recognize me?”
“There's no way I can't understand your voice, can I? No matter how many people you mix with, I can distinguish your tone. It's a voice with a very special resonance.”
Ludwig replied, shaking off the ashes that were still in his hand.If Rafel had a sixth sense like a beast, Ludwig had an excellent hearing instead.Still unable to let go of the lute, he was certainly a gifted musician.
At the unexpected sensitivity of her childhood friend and ex-fiancé her, Annette decided to be half-hearted. Where did you find out even relatedly? Ludwig, who naturally pulled the chair in front of Annette and sat down, scanned her face with an intriguing look. Annette, who was embarrassed by that stare that seemed openly amazed, asked lightly as if jokingly.
“How about it? Are you pretty?”
“Pretty. You have never been pretty.”
Ludwig lowered his silver eyelashes and replied affectionately and a little sorrowfully.Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the room became quiet for a moment.Annette, who tucked the side of her wig behind her ear, quietly opened her mouth.
“… I heard you would be on my side, Your Highness.”
“Okay. It seems that Marquis Kanesis conveyed it properly.”
Ludwig seemed slightly moved, saying that he was doing something right. It seems that Rafel had no dreams or hopes at all. Seeing this, Annette put on a puzzled face for a moment, but that was not the point now. In her head for a while, she carefully opened her mouth.
“Are you okay though? Of course, I am grateful for this, but I am afraid that Your Highness will come into conflict with Your Majesty again. You may be very tired mentally.”
The reason why Annette came here today was to check Ludwig's intentions her.Ludwig, unaware of this, made a tearful expression at Annette's question her.
“Is it a problem that my mind is tired right now? Annette, this is a matter of your life! I've already heard everything from Celestine and came here. Didn't your father bribe the doctor and try to poison you?”
“It was. Fortunately, it was only an attempt.”
“It's a method I know well. I never thought I would write that to you…….”
Ludwig could n't finish his words in horror and bit his lip.His handhis trembled on the table.He looked like he was in shock,and his lookHe was so real that he could n't even think of acting .So Annette tilted her head.
'Why is he doing this for me?'
He was already married to another man. Even if it is a thousand years of love, isn't it love that inevitably cools down when the other person gets married? Annette, who was unexpectedly skeptical of emotions, was unfamiliar with the affection Ludwig showed her now. Ludwig asked back with a miserable face, as if this suspicion had come from Annette's gaze on her.
“Annette. I can't believe I'll watch over your danger ……Do you think so? He's just afraid to face his father, so he'll let you die? You think I'm such a pathetic man. Right?”
“No, Your Highness. I was just concerned about the hardships Your Highness would go through because of me in the future.”
“Please, Annette. Don't treat me like that Didn't we promise to get married just a few months ago? How can a person be so heartless in such a short amount of time? You no longer regard me as someone less than is it not?”
Ludwig's deep blue eyes were watery at the end. The moment she met those painful eyes, Annette had a sudden realization. It means that time passes differently between him and himself.
In Annette's heart's watch, Ludwig was already a person five years ago. In his previous life his, he married another woman, and he never saw Annette again. Not only did Annette not go out after the wedding anyway, and he soon fell ill and was unable to do so. Therefore, his relationship with Ludwig had already ended there.
Therefore, for Annette who regressed, Ludwig belonged to the past, if I had to categorize it. So she could not believe Ludwig's affection and devotion his. It's a cruel analogy, but it feels like a close friend from long ago who hasn't been in touch for years appears out of nowhere and says, “My only friend is you!” So, she briefly doubted Ludwig's sincerity of his.
'But to Your Highness, I am still a person belonging to the present.'
Annette bit her lip. All of a sudden, I felt sorry for Ludwig and felt sorry for him like a wave. As his first love her, he must have suffered enough just because he married another man, but he was grateful that he would stand by his side her until the end. And he felt bad for not being able to reciprocate.
Annette, who had managed to suppress her emotions, reached out and took Ludwig's hand for the first time.And she whispered softly as before.
“Thank you very much, Your Highness. Thank you for keeping your promise to me.”
“You're welcome, Annette. I'm really sorry that I couldn't protect you back then. Maybe that's why I…… It looks like you are being punished.”
Ludwig managed to laugh, swallowing the lump of her crying that was stirring inside her. Annette, who became her other man's wife her, was still breathtakingly dear to her. She was the prettiest woman in the world in his eyes her, even with that drab wig and ridiculous chunks of her wax attached to it.
But this love has already missed the time to blossom. His sweet season has passed, and now all that remains is to kill this heart little by little in the cold winter. Ludwig hoped that the process would not be overly painful. It's a futile wish.
“But I will definitely protect you this time, Annette. If even that could atone for the betrayal of your faith. If you can continue to live safely and happily in this country.”
Annette held his handHer a little tighter in exchange for her answer herThere were no words to express this devastation and gratitudeSo all she could do was send a little warmth through her handHer again hers.
Ludwig lowered his eyes and smiled softly. His thumb his gently touched the back of Annette's hand her. Her slightly wet Ludwig's blue eyes whispered anxiously to her.
“Please take care of yourself, Annette. I know your majesty well. If he says I want you, he'll use it to wield me. Just like it always has been before.”
Ludwig murmured, thinking of King Selgratis, who once pretended to marry Annette. Although he succeeded in tricking the king, he was worried about the future. Even if it was an awkward father-son relationship, Ludwig knew him well because he was his real father. Ludwig's pale lips warned Annette.
“So always be alert to your surroundings. Because His Majesty will try to get you out of my way somehow.”
Because you are my only weakness Her.After finishing her words Her, Ludwig let go of her hand Her that he was holding her with a sad look.As if Annette would get hurt again if she got close to him.
'Even if I didn't love her in the first place…….'
Ludwig silently lowered his eyes Celgratis probably did n't intend to get rid of Annette from the start either If Ludwig had n't loved her, so he might have even married her, had she not given much weight to her words her of.
But Ludwig could n't do that.The king was concerned about that.Annette's parents her are too strong, but even Ludwig loved her.It was only natural that Ludwig, who became king in the future,would be swayed by his wife's influence her.
In fact, it was a correct guess.With an indecisive side, he must have done as Annette wanted and as her parents her her wanted her.He himself could n't deny that either.Because of this, the king completely removed Annette from Ludwig's path her.
This was the king's cold denial of his.
