Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Translation: godsn
"Your Highness, I understand your feelings, but this is no time for stubbornness. For the sake of your aunt, please..."
The Duchess's desperate attempts to persuade the Princess and avoid the Queen Dowager's reprimand were almost pitiful to behold.
Medeia remained standing rigidly upright.
Like an unshakable boulder weathering a raging storm, her expression remained impassive.
This was getting nowhere. The infuriated Queen Dowager rolled up her sleeves.
"Do you take me for some senile old woman confined to the back chambers? Do you think just because you have the Royal Seal, you don't need to heed my warnings? How utterly self-indulgent!"
"......"
"You wicked creature! Using such vile schemes to devour everyone around you! Are you trying to send me after my son too!"
The Queen Dowager could no longer contain her fury.
To her, Medeia seemed the root cause of every misfortune befalling them.
"Why won't you answer me!"
Had this been Medeia from her past life, her grandmother's attitude would have wounded her deeply.
She would have hung her head, biting her lip while tears streamed down silently.
But Medeia swallowed back a frosty smile. It didn't matter how much the Queen Dowager despised her.
'The deeper her hatred, the better.'
The more the Queen Dowager loathed her, the greater the backlash would be when she learned of her son the Regent's ambitions.
After all, the only family Medeia recognized was her brother Pelleus.
The fragile child who used to be hurt by such cruel words was dead. All that remained here was a madwoman consumed by vengeance.
'The Queen Dowager is currently the only one in this palace who can suppress the Regent.'
Starting today, the Queen Dowager's indiscriminate hatred toward her needed to disappear.
'I must make her want to protect me while still keeping hold of the Royal Seal.'
Medeia finally responded.
"I cannot give you the answer you wish to hear, Grandmother. That's why I remained silent."
"Are you defying me now? Refusing to relinquish the Royal Seal?"
The Queen Dowager flew into a rage. Those present held their breaths, not daring to intervene as her wrath intensified.
The torrent of indiscriminate accusations against Medeia grew increasingly violent.
Siseo frowned.
The puppet Princess Medeia, controlled by the Regent, had always been foolishly King Pelleus's weakness.
His reason told him it would be better for maintaining the current royal authority if the Princess surrendered the Royal Seal and stepped aside here.
"Your Majesty the Queen Dowager, this is no trivial matter. I humbly suggest reconsidering the timing and circumstances."
Yet he left room for maneuver, one last attempt to help the Princess retain the seal.
He couldn't bear to stand by while a young girl was subjected to such one-sided verbal abuse.
Knowing no one would protect her if she lost the Royal Seal too, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to abandon the Princess.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
The barrage of abuse paused momentarily as the Queen Dowager cleared her throat.
Perhaps realizing she'd behaved undignified, her flushed cheeks trembled slightly.
Then, Medeia's voice rang out clearly.
"Though he is my brother in private, in official capacity this Royal Seal was bestowed upon me directly by His Majesty the King, the sovereign of this nation. Even if you punish me, Grandmother, you have no authority to take the Royal Seal from me."
"What did you say?"
Just as she was about to explode at this insolent retort that poured oil on the fire—
"If even royal relatives doubt and attempt to overturn the sovereign's commands, who would obey the King's words? As the senior member of the royal family, I ask you to reconsider."
The Queen Dowager's mind snapped to attention.
Though she loathed the granddaughter who had taken her eldest son's life, she doted immensely on her only grandson, Pelleus.
Present in the chamber were both the Chancellor and the Duchess Claudio.
Though they were the King's close friends and family, ultimately they were subjects who should serve under Pelleus's rule.
Clearly, if she forcibly seized Medeia's royal seal, it would be no different than disregarding the authority of her grandson, the King.
'Fools might seize upon this as an opportunity for mischief.'
The Queen Dowager swallowed her ragged breaths.
The logic was sound, but the humiliation of being corrected by a granddaughter she'd always disregarded was undeniable.
The Queen Dowager glared at the insolent girl standing composed before her.
A razor-sharp silence fell, so tense one couldn't even swallow carelessly.
Finally, the Queen Dowager spoke in measured tones.
"Your words are not wrong. I have no right to take your seal."
Then she continued:
"But as your grandmother, I can certainly punish you, can I not? By your own admission."
"......"
"Medeia, kneel before the chapel and offer prayers of repentance. Until the Goddess grants you a revelation of forgiveness."
The attendants doubted their ears.
Until the Goddess grants a revelation?
Even the most revered High Priests of the Holy Kingdom might receive such only once in their lifetimes.
It was no accident that people called the Goddess's revelations miracles.
"Until she realizes her wrongdoing, no one shall give this child so much as a drop of water. Do you all understand?"
The Queen Dowager's words meant she intended to punish her granddaughter indefinitely—until her own anger subsided.
"Your Majesty the Queen Dow—"
"Step back, Siseo. From this point, it's a matter for the Inner Palace. I'll tolerate no interference."
The Queen Dowager shook her head.
"You'd best return now. What are you all standing about for? Escort him out."
In the end, Siseo had to leave surrounded by sturdy maids.
As he passed by Medeia, standing rigid as stone, their gazes met for an instant.
The Princess's emerald eyes showed not a flicker of disturbance.
Exiting the Queen Mother's Palace, Siseo looked up at the sky.
"My liege, how much closer have you come? You must achieve victory swiftly."
He removed his monocle and rubbed his stiff eyelids. A deep weariness settled over his haggard features.
As Siseo left, the doors opened briefly.
Neril rushed forward before the Queen Dowager.
Though denied entry and forced to pace outside the doors, she had heard everything inside—how the Head Maid's schemes had crumbled, and ultimately, the punishment the Queen Dowager had just imposed on Medeia.
'Does Her Majesty expect a miracle?'
At this rate, the Princess would suffer the Queen Dowager's tyranny without end.
Her body moved before reason could intervene.
By the time the Queen Dowager's guards tried to stop her, Neril was already kneeling and bowing deeply before the throne.
"Her Highness has not yet fully recovered, body or mind, from her recent riding accident. She cannot endure this punishment. This humble servant shall take her place."
"And who exactly are you?"
The Queen Dowager's voice dripped with displeasure. Neril repeated her plea frantically.
"You may impose a severe punishment, the harshest penalty. But please, let the punishment fall upon me instead."
"I am Her Highness the Princess's maid."
Pinatelli whispered a reminder. Neril knelt once more, pleading earnestly.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to reconsider the safety of your own granddaughter once more."
At the mention of familial bonds, the Queen Dowager's face hardened instantly.
"How dare a mere maid speak so insolently? Pinatelli, drag that thing out of here."
"Step aside, Neril."
Medeia walked forward and stood before Neril.
"My childish words have disturbed Your Majesty's peace, and I shall gladly accept the punishment you have decreed."
There was no trace of fear or hesitation in her demeanor—no sign that she was wary of the Queen Dowager's wrath. If anything, it felt as though her dignity had been trampled upon.
"Hah."
The Queen Dowager let out a hollow laugh.
Was this wretched child truly so determined to do only the things that displeased her?
"Fine. Then go to the chapel at once."
"As you command."
Medeia bowed deeply once more before leaving the chamber.
"Mother... Could you not lessen the severity of the punishment just a little? Her Highness is still so young—what if her health suffers?"
Catherine spoke up belatedly, her voice trembling.
Now that Medeia had already left to receive her punishment, the situation had spiraled beyond control.
Even they did not wish for the Princess to fall ill.
'We still need Medeia.'
Until the King returned, they needed a scapegoat—a doll to bear all the criticism and blame.
"Enough! Do you take me for a fool now as well?"
"I merely thought—"
"If you have the energy for this, then tend to your own affairs properly!"
The Queen Dowager roared before storming out.
"Mother, why did you have to step in and get scolded like that? Just let Medeia suffer a little."
As Catherine stood frozen, Virna, who had been trailing behind her, clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Be quiet."
"You're always like this. That half-wit just stood there like a block of wood, ignoring everything you said—didn't you see?"
Virna grumbled under her breath.
They were still in the Queen Dowager's palace. Her foolish daughter had no sense of caution.
"I said, be quiet!"
"What did I even say that was so wrong...?"
Virna pouted, but Catherine, far from comforting her daughter, was too busy frantically racking her brain.
In the chaos, the connection between the Head Maid and the Regent—exposed earlier by Mariyu—seemed to have been brushed aside haphazardly.
'The problem is...'
She could understand Cuisine attempting to frame Medeia with fabricated evidence. But targeting both Minister Etienne and the Princess?
'Did Cuisine act alone? Or was she working with the Minister?'
If so, did that mean the Minister had turned against them?
And more importantly—
'Who planted the fake evidence in Mariyu's belongings? Who is the one helping Medeia?'
If there was an ally supporting Medeia whom they had failed to identify, the situation was far more dire than they realized.
Catherine had always looked down on her naive and foolish niece, so it never even crossed her mind that all of this could have been orchestrated by Medeia herself.
'Why did Medeia suddenly defy the Queen Dowager like that? And why is the Queen Dowager being so unreasonably stubborn...?'
The relentless chain of unexpected events left Catherine utterly bewildered.
'Why is everything falling apart like this...? Just where is this all heading?'