Lady to Queen

Both of them were silently staring at the raindrops falling beneath the leaves, which made a light sound. The silence between the two was accompanied by some awkwardness, but Patrizia did not feel that the silence was only so strange. The clear sound of raindrops falling on the floor removed some of the awkwardness.     

"Coming out to ride a horse today… Is it because of the hunting competition?"     

He spoke to her first. She replied quickly, "Yes."     

"It was surprising. I did not expect you to participate."     

"That must be regretful. That Lady Phelps did not participate."     

She said it without much attention when saying this, but this wasn't the case for the one receiving it, and his forehead narrowed slightly.     

"Are you being sarcastic?"     

"It is just pure regret."     

Silence continued after those words once again. Raindrops fell for a few seconds more, and his voice came back.     

"I did not know that you had an affinity for the martial arts side."     

"I am embarrassed to say yes, just a little… I can only shoot a bow."     

"Do you like hunting?"     

It was a sudden question, but she answered calmly.     

"No. Actually, I do not like it very much. I do not enjoy killing."     

After answering, she felt like she should ask him as well for some reason. Patrizia politely decided to ask just once.     

"What about Your Majesty?"     

"I also, not so much."     

His face was dark as he spoke. Patrizia wasn't interested, even though there seemed to be something behind that. She didn't think they even had the kind of relationship to do so. She didn't want to have something like compassion for him because she heard a strange story that would otherwise have been hidden.     

The distance between him and herself was just right like this. There was so much more to know about each other, and they were a little closer than strangers and much more distant than family members.     

"I heard that the previous Emperor enjoyed it, but you must be like your mother."     

"..."     

He said nothing, and the conversation naturally ceased. Silence became uncomfortable for the first time. Because the last person to speak was her, and not him.     

She stared silently at her injured hand. The red blood has already stopped moistening the white handkerchief.     

Nevertheless, she was caught up in the illusion that she seemed to still be bleeding for some reason, with the thought, 'Can I really erase this bloodstain'?     

"That time…"     

"Yes?"     

"About that time."     

He brought it up seriously. Patrizia looked at him with a puzzled look. He was cautious as if he seemed to be hesitant about something.     

"If it was at that time…"     

"The day there was a meeting with the envoys' wives."     

Alas, that day. Was he talking about the day she had hit Rosemond's cheeks without remorse? Patrizia nodded as if telling him to talk with a little blank expression.     

"Please speak."     

"What did Lady Phelps do to you that day?"     

"..."     

Patrizia shut her mouth up for a moment. Why did he want her to bring out the story of that day only now? She had done nothing wrong, but this topic was uncomfortable. However, since she could not ignore this, she asked without as much emotion as possible.     

"What… would you like to hear about?"     

"I am just asking."     

"I think you have already heard something. If not… is there another reason?"     

"It is not like that, and you do not have to respond so sensitively. If you do not want to talk about it, you do not have to."     

"Do you want to hear the truth? Or… reassuring words?"     

"Truth."     

He replied briefly, and Patrizia closed her lips tight. She raised her head up and looked at the sky. The thick raindrops pouring from the sky were still strong. No signs of a stopping motion could be seen. That meant she would have to spend more time with this man than she had thought. Patrizia pondered for a moment and then slowly opened her mouth.     

"I tried not to tell Your Majesty."     

"Why is that?"     

"You know why."     

She spoke with arsenic.     

"Even if Your Majesty listened to me, I did not think that would lead to a direct punishment for her."     

"…"     

"Am I wrong?"     

"It would depend on the situation."     

'It would depend on the situation.' Patrizia, quietly chewing over those words, soon opened her mouth again.     

"Can I interpret that to mean you would punish her if the situation mattered?"     

"…First, just tell me."     

"…"     

She didn't expect any punishment in the first place. She knew better than anyone else that this would not be publicized.     

So the reason she was revealing this was just that ... let's say it's just a curiosity. The reaction that she would see when he heard this. She was really curious about that.     

"The taboo on consuming pork in the Christa Empire is better known to you more than anyone else."     

"..."     

"Lady Phelps changed the beef prepared for the steak into pork."     

Ah, so it was like that? He had already known, but it was shocking to hear it again. Lucio had to admit now. That his Rosemond did this horrendous thing. A dangerous action that could have led to diplomatic friction between the two countries.     

"…Did you already know?"     

Patrizia was the one surprised at seeing the lack of shock on his end. If so, was it just a question of confirmation? Or was he already aware of her wrongdoing? Or if it wasn't that... Despite the constantly rising hypotheses, Patrizia couldn't hide her embarrassing thoughts, but still just pretended to be casual about it.     

"You do not seem surprised."     

"I am surprised."     

"..."     

He was saying he was surprised, so she couldn't argue with that here. Patrizia, who had been moving her lips around for a while, soon asked Lucio.     

"Will my words have some kind of effect Your Majesty?"     

"…"     

He said nothing, but Patrizia instinctively noticed. He was confused. She was not sure what had bothered him, but surely...