TTMLPTWW ~ Chapter 43

On the last day, before the two departed for the Republic of Rutemia.

The Queen, seated in the audience chamber, pointed at Cynthia and said to Masera,

“Leave the Princess behind.”

Her face was serious, devoid of even a hint of jest.

Masera, without answering, alternated his gaze between Cynthia and the Queen.

“We’re not like that. We just slept together once,”

Cynthia quickly excused herself, as if she were being suspected of having a relationship with the Queen.

Masera’s brow furrowed, and the Queen, still with a serious expression, said,

“I’m joking. My daughter and granddaughter will be here soon, so you should hurry along.”

Cynthia smiled, her eyes crinkling, as she saw the Queen subtly wink.

After bidding farewell to the Queen and leaving the audience chamber, Cynthia linked arms with Masera and clung tightly to him. She was in high spirits, having made the most of their remaining schedule.

“I had a lot of fun, thanks to you. Thank you for buying me presents too.”

Masera looked down at her with an expressionless face.

“What did I buy you again?”

“Oh, you’re just pretending not to know. The get-well-soon cat ornament, the feng shui ornament for bringing in money, the Queen’s coronation commemorative plate, the Monopoly board game, the teddy bear doll……”

In any case, since everything was bought with Masera’s money, Cynthia continued to express her gratitude.

She thought that, like in the kind-word onion experiment, if Masera was frequently exposed to positive language, wouldn’t he become a kinder person to her?

“Brigadier General, you’re a kind and good person. You don’t get annoyed, and you do everything I ask.”

“Enough with the positive brainwashing.”

Hmph, pretending to resist when you like it. Cynthia wore a sly smile.

Masera cleared his throat and continued,

“…I was surprised. I knew you were sociable, but I didn’t expect you to win over even the Queen of Medea.”

He could sense the Queen’s determination to not let anyone who bothered Cynthia get away with it.

He had known her for much longer, so how could she have taken Cynthia’s side in just one day?

“We’re business partners, after all. You’re a key connection, so I have to make a good impression.”

Honestly, they didn’t have affection for each other like a normal couple, and they had only married for their respective goals.

‘Business partners. So that’s what she thinks.’

For some reason, Masera didn’t like those words. He couldn’t explain the reason himself.

[“You seem to have a good relationship with your wife, Brigadier General.”]

At that moment, an elegant and composed voice in Medeian was heard from behind them.

Grand Ducal Princess Charlotte approached the two with a gentle smile.

[“I wonder if one can fall in love with the person who plunged them into misfortune.”]

***

Cynthia gazed at the Grand Ducal Princess’s refined yet somewhat haughty face, thinking that she resembled Helene in some ways.

‘Is she saying this openly because she knows I don’t understand Medeian?’

Cynthia maintained a smiling face without wavering.

Masera glanced at her and retorted in Medeian,

[“Why do you say that?”]

[“The offer I made to you before, it still stands.”]

Masera’s face remained impassive.

[“I’m already a married man.”]

Cynthia sensed that the offer she was talking about was marriage.

She took another step closer, smiled kindly at Cynthia, and then lowered her voice.

[“I intend to refuse marriage to King Blake on the grounds that I have a one-sided love for you. The Queen is weak to such narratives.”]

Cynthia’s heart fluttered at the words ‘one-sided love.’

‘It just means she’s going to use me as a means, but it’s strange.’

Grand Ducal Princess Charlotte offered Cynthia a handshake and added,

[“It’s your responsibility, Brigadier General, to explain the situation to the Princess in advance and clear up any misunderstandings. It may not be necessary, but just in case.”]

Cynthia, still pretending not to understand, clasped her hand.

‘By the way, King Blake is the old, lecherous king? That’s awful, isn’t it?’

Everyone was being pushed into marriage in a similar way. Here, it was common to form marital alliances for the benefit of the families.

Cynthia felt a pang of sympathy and squeezed her hand tightly.

“You were born to be loved. I hope you will be free and happy.”

The Grand Ducal Princess looked at Masera, gesturing for him to interpret Cynthia’s words.

Masera straightened his sleeves and said in an indifferent tone,

[“She says she’s uncomfortable and wants you to leave right away.”]

Hey! Don’t drive a wedge between us! Don’t say what you want to say as if I said it!

But she could only shout inwardly. Cynthia was supposed to not know Medeian.

The Grand Ducal Princess simply smiled.

[“You’re quite the jokester.”]

Grand Princess Charlotte stared at the departing figures of the two.

Would another person who recognized her true worth appear, besides Masera?

“Brigadier General Vicente. I need a lifelong partner and a helper in life who will keep their loyalty.”

“Even if it’s not me, there will be someone suitable for you, Grand Princess.”

“…Perhaps I should aim for another opportunity, the Princess is too lovely.”

Although she didn’t understand Rutemian, she clearly understood the words love, freedom, and happiness from what Cynthia had said.

* * *

The harbor, the pier.

“Hurry up! You’re so slow! Isn’t this mess all your fault?”

A man berated a woman.

The woman, carrying large bags in both hands, was pale and gasping for breath.

It was Anita, who had been a maid at Queensguard County.

She was the only one among the servants who hadn’t tormented Cynthia, and thanks to Cynthia’s warning, she was able to escape from the County and survive.

She had been hiding in Medea with her lover, Hans, but now she was being deported back to her home country after being caught for illegal entry.

“Huh?”

Anita, who was heading to the third-class section, widened her eyes as she saw someone heading to the top floor, the first-class section.

It was Cynthia, dressed in luxurious clothes unlike when she was a maid. She was arm in arm with a handsome man in an officer’s uniform.

“What are you dawdling about?”

Hans bumped into her, causing her to drop her luggage.

Anita stared blankly at Cynthia, hearing the stream of curses.

The handsome officer had platinum blonde hair and mysterious eyes, making him look like a prince, and he was escorting her with a courteous attitude.

Suddenly, the parasol in Cynthia’s hand caught her eye. It was the parasol that Anita had given her as a farewell gift.

After it was revealed that Cynthia was the daughter of Count Queensguard, the story of her marrying a wonderful man and leaving felt like a romantic fairy tale.

‘Cynthia is being treated like a princess, unlike me.’

She had believed that her life, running away with her loved one and building a new life, was also somewhat romantic. Until she opened her eyes to the harsh reality.

Hans, who was looking at the first-class section following Anita’s gaze, had a greedy glint in his eyes.

“Why, do you know some noble? Go and ask them to lend us some money.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Anita shook her head and denied it.

It would be troublesome if she ran into Cynthia like this.

The Count had killed all the servants to hide the fact that Cynthia had grown up as a lowly maid.

If that fact was revealed, it would be troublesome for Cynthia as well, so the warning to run away and hide as far as possible was her last act of kindness.

‘If the fact that I’m alive reaches the Count’s ears… I’ll be killed.’

Anita instinctively stroked her belly.

Hans stared at her pale face for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

“I’ll find out if you’re lying or not by wandering around the first-class section.”

* * *

In the past, Anita had thought of her lover, Hans Everett, as a good man.

He was the illegitimate child of a noble and a maid, and if he was lucky, he might receive one of the remaining noble titles.

She had also hoped that if she married him, she, who had spent her whole life as a maid, might become a noble as well.

Above all, she was very grateful to Hans for running away with her.

Until the situation arose where he was caught pretending to be a noble in Medea and had to flee.