Chapter 9. The sin of not serving properly
***
Sponsored by Curufin. Thank you ❤️ (3/8)
***
Ihedia went mechanically to the king and tried to bow formally.
For some reason, Patrick extended his hand in a gesture of greeting.
"Ihedia, I heard you had a bad cold. Are you feeling better now?"
There was no way he didn't know that she had suffered a fracture so severe that it had knocked her unconscious.
Patrick was trying to convey that he didn't want to offend Kayan's feelings.
"I’m good."
"Well, that's good to hear, because it's not as if His Majesty hasn't been worried about his sick sister. Here, reheat this for me. There's no better medicine for a nasty cold than warm soup."
Lena motioned to the courtier to take the bowl to Ihedia's seat.
Queen Lena, through her husband, subtly warned Ihedia not to mention the fact that she had fallen out of the window that day.
Kayan took a sip of the wine on the table and stared at Ihedia.
From the moment she'd entered the dining room, his eyes had followed only one person.
Ihedia followed the servant's lead and took a seat across from Kayan.
The table was lavishly laid out with delectable food that would normally be unseen, but Ihedia didn't want to put anything in her mouth.
The clinking of cutlery filled the silence for a moment before Lena broached a sensitive subject with Kayan.
"I was wondering if you were satisfied with the gift I sent to your quarters the other night."
She was referring to Ihedia's visit to Kayan's bedroom.
For a moment, Ihedia gripped her fork tightly in shame.
Kayan's lips parted, more attentive to her reaction.
"Very......"
"..."
"Terrible.”
Lena looked very surprised and put down her fork and knife.
"Oh, no. What could have upset Lord Bayate?"
Patrick, who had been listening, interrupted.
"Perhaps Elmir’s pearls weren't as good as the lord had hoped, I thought you would have liked them."
Ihedia could do nothing but listen to this bizarre conversation that treated her like an object.
Kayan answered, his sharp gaze still fixed on Ihedia.
"I've seen it up close, and I don't think I'll ever want to see it again."
Ihedia felt the man's intense gaze on her, not wanting to miss her slightest movements.
Ihedia gently raised her head, and their gazes finally locked.
Suddenly, the events of the night in his bedroom flashed through her mind like a flashlight.
Her ears felt hot as she recalled the heightened sensations.
The Queen, watching Kayan carefully, raised one eyebrow.
"It's hard to realize the value of a pearl when you've only seen it once, for at first glance it may seem a little more modest than a glittering diamond or a mesmerizing ruby, but those things bring only fleeting pleasure."
"Thanks for the advice, but you don't need to bother with such trivialities. Above all......."
"...."
"Shouldn't our efforts in Elmir be more fundamental to the unity of our two nations?"
Kayan, who hadn't made eye contact with the Queen all this time, finally looked her in the face.
The chill in his eyes was as merciless as Anut's winter.
It meant he didn't want to talk about Ihedia anymore.
"Ah, of course, your lordship is right, of course."
Patrick stammered, breaking into a cold sweat.
The underlying endeavor Kayan was referring to must have been the new peace treaty.
Patrick felt a wave of resentment wash over him.
It made his head hurt to even think about how much the Anuts would be able to rip off this time.
Feeling sick to his stomach from the tension in the room, he couldn't bring himself to do anything, so he sipped his water in silence.
Patrick glanced at Ihedia.
The king's anger at Kayan had been misdirected.
"Ihedia."
Patrick called out to Ihedia in an angry voice.
Ihedia, who had been staring at the plate in front of her, looked up at the king.
"Kneel."
Patrick commanded Ihedia with a cold glare.
It was a stern look, a far cry from the cowardly way he'd dealt with Kayan Bayate.
"What in the world have you been doing to offend Lord Bayate?"
"..."
"You, Princess Ihedia Herilsmiller, shall kneel before Lord Bayate this instant and confess your sins."
In the cold light of day, Ihedia rose from her seat, her face like a marionette.
It was against protocol to issue such a blasphemous command to a princess in front of outsiders, but Patrick needed to vent his anger in this way.
The sound of Ihedia's chair being pushed away rang out in the suddenly silent room.
She stepped forward and knelt in front of Kayan, looking like a wooden doll imitating a living person.
Ihedia's face remained calm despite the unspeakable disgrace she had to endure in front of the barbarian.
It was as if she could live through this.
"I apologize if I have offended you. I, Ihedia Herilsmiller, a princess of Elmir, have come before Lord Bayate to ask for punishment."
For a moment, Kayan's eyes glowed coldly, as if they contained a blue flame that blossomed in the midst of winter.
Patrick smiled proudly at Kayan.
"I suppose this will forgive Ihedia for her rudeness to Lord Bayate, which is a felony if not a capital offense."
"A felony for failing to serve people properly… that’s interesting.”
"If our late king didn’t spoil his daughter her whole life, my younger sister would not have been so rude to Lord Bayate."
Looking at Kayan, who had an unreadable expression on his face, Lena chimed in.
"Ai, does a meal that should be so enjoyable for His Majesty have to be this dull? Even Lord Bayate would not be so cold-hearted as to punish a woman who has only just recovered herself."
"No, that disobedient thing can't rise until Lord Bayate's anger is over. I wouldn't mind a good beating."
The corner of Kayan's mouth lifted at Patrick's increasingly out of line remark.
“How can we blame that sin only on the princess?”
Patrick's eyes narrowed as he realized what he meant.
"The owner of this royal family is Your Majesty, King Patrick Herilsmiller, so I would assume that you would also be responsible for anything to do with the Anut emissaries."
"What's that......."
"I'm afraid that's a difficult one, for I wouldn't dare flog His Majesty the King of Elmir."
Patrick swallowed hard and shut his mouth at Kayan's jab.
Kayan looked at Ihedia again.
"Get up."
"I will not get up until you give me my punishment."
Ihedia's childlike demeanor was consistent, as if she was not afraid of anything.
Kayan wondered why she was so intimidated by her pathetic brother?
She made no effort to hide her disdain for the Anut’s commander-in-chief, whom King Elmir feared.
Kayan spoke with an inexplicable air of displeasure.
"That won't happen, and besides, haven't you paid enough of a price already, enough to catch a nasty cold?"
When Ihedia still didn't budge, Lena chuckled lightly.
"I thank you on her behalf for your mercy in the face of her insolence, Lord Bayate."
She made it sound as if the Princess was a nuisance.
Kayan could almost laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but Ihedia, the party involved, was simply observing everything in front of her with a serene face.
The sight of it made Kayan's face grow even colder.
Seeing the look on Kayan's face, Patrick cleared his throat and commanded Ihedia.
"Hmph, Ihedia, get up and sit down."
Ihedia stood up and sat down.
Not surprisingly, she didn't flinch at Kayan's words, but obeyed her brother’s command.
Patrick, who had always been the object of Kayan's ridicule, shrugged.
Lena, on the other hand, had been reading Kayan's moods the entire time and smiled like a poisoned rose, as if she had figured something out.
Then she threw out a test bait.
"Lord Bayate, there is much to see in the capital of Elmir, and since you've come all this way, why don't you take a tour, and I'm sure Princess Ihedia would make a good guide."
Kayan showed no reaction to the queen's words.
Lena didn't back down either.
"His Majesty is very clear about punishment. For now, he’ll just let it go out of respect, but he's not the kind of person who'll end things by kneeling, so please. Don't you think you should give the Princess a chance to make amends?"
She meant that if Kayan Bayate did not accept the offer, Ihedia would have to suffer harshly.
If he really cared about Ihedia, he would have no choice but to accept.
What would Kayan Bayate's answer be?
Lena was secretly sure that she would be right.
Then, Kayan smirked at the thought of such a queen.
He cupped his chin in his clenched hands and leaned slightly toward her.
"Enough with the blindingly obvious tricks, Your Majesty."
Lena's entire body stiffened instantly, as she hadn't lost any of her relaxed momentum while in this position.
"You may be Anut's dog, but you never give up your position as queen."
"..."
"If you want to keep that paltry position, behave like an obedient dog. Not a dog who wants to be its master."
Even the courtiers, attending to the insults directed at the Queen of Elmir, held their breath and watched their conversation.
Lena's stomach heated as if she had swallowed lava at the insult.
***
To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my personal kofi page
Join my discord to get notifications for updates https://discord.gg/MKWnASzDFB
(If the link is expired please message me for a new link)
Write a comment
Probablynotcuru (Sunday, 26 November 2023 13:34)
What chapter does she get left for dead so angry Kayan can steal her?