The Day After the Feast
The next day after the grand wedding celebration, the nobles scattered across the courtyard like vultures drawn to carrion, each forming their own intimate gatherings.
They clustered around prominent figures—usually the heads of houses—bringing along a few lesser nobles who acted as foot soldiers. The discussions revolved almost exclusively around money: how to manage their own estates, the latest reports from neighboring kingdoms, and the state of trade routes. These were the conversations of the practical and the hungry.
The noble ladies and young ladies, on the other hand, spoke in lighter tones—nothing that could send a chill through the room. From casual gossip about courtships and dalliances to the occasional scandal involving murder or betrayal, the topics shifted as smoothly as a dancer’s fan. Yet even the most frivolous chatter contained kernels of useful information, if one knew where to listen.
“He’s more reliable than I expected. I thought an orphan would be completely worthless. The Queen will be very pleased to hear that.”
At the enormous terrace table set up for the sponsors, one young noblewoman smiled and lifted her teacup.
“Mmm. Precisely as the young lady said. The Baron is far from lacking in character.”
Seated across from her, Karl cleared his throat and raised his own cup.
Albert had always been the thorn in his side, but denying how strikingly handsome he had become was impossible. The atmosphere was simply too perfect to pick a fight right now.
Complaining here would only make me look foolish.
He swallowed the discomfort and kept his face calm, waiting for the right moment to strike back. Right now, for example.
“Still… choosing an orphan as a consort? That’s an enormous mismatch, even by our standards.”
“Well… yes. If only he were a wealthy merchant or landed baron, things might have been different. An orphan brings nothing to the table.”
There it is.
Opportunity. Karl instinctively cleared his throat again, knowing exactly how to fan the flames of jealousy without actually saying anything that could get him in real trouble.
Just the way the servants had whispered about Albert when he first arrived. Just the way every man did when he sensed weakness.
“That’s what I keep thinking. Why an orphan in the first place…?”
“Because a commoner soldier took an arrow meant for His Highness. Surely everyone remembers.”
The noblewoman who had been quietly defending Albert earlier let out a soft, pleasant laugh.
Daisy Araam.
Daughter of Count Araam, and the one who would inherit the title and lands. A knightly noblewoman through and through, her loyalty and perceptiveness were well known.
Karl sighed, his eyes full of barely contained resentment.
The other young ladies and noblewomen listened in silence, some even tilting their heads as if the words were strangely entertaining. They always enjoyed a little harmless scandal, after all.
“Surely you don’t mean to tell me the Queen is marrying an orphan?”
“Well… yes. But what if the Duke had been the one to step forward? Then the match would make sense.”
“An orphan cannot provide any support.”
Now.
Karl sensed his opening and cleared his throat once more.
He had nothing to gain by openly siding with the Queen, but jealousy was a powerful thing. A man could never be blamed for tearing down another man he secretly envied.
Just as the servants had done when Albert first arrived.
“I agree with you. Why an orphan…?”
“Because that commoner soldier took the poisoned arrow meant for His Highness. Everyone knows that.”
The noblewoman who had been quietly defending Albert smiled, her expression almost cheerful.
Daisy Araam.
She had supported the Queen’s choice of consort from the very beginning, precisely to protect her own family’s safety. She was one of the few who understood the delicate balance of power.
Karl sighed again, his eyes full of resentment.
The other young ladies and noblewomen listened in silence, some even tilting their heads as if the words were strangely entertaining. They always enjoyed a little harmless scandal, after all.
“I don’t understand it. But if the soldier who took the arrow had been repaid in another way, perhaps the marriage could have been avoided.”
“My Queen chose to accept the debt. She clearly felt something for him. That’s all that matters.”
“Only because he took an arrow in his place?”
“It was much more than that. Sacrificing his own life to save His Highness’s… that takes real courage. Even His Highness would never have forgotten it.”
Daisy’s voice carried genuine respect for the Queen’s decision.
The young ladies and noblewomen nodded without a word, their expressions softening.
If I support him like this, nothing bad will happen.
Daisy’s gaze drifted toward the far corner of the garden. Only flowerbeds filled with blooming blooms greeted her eyes.
Yet she felt it—the presence of something hidden. The Queen’s favoritism toward the man was too obvious. She had heard too many quiet defenses of him to mistake their meaning.
She had spoken on his behalf before, buying herself a small shield against any future questioning by the Queen.
“Even if I wanted to plead His Highness’s case, I cannot. His resolve is too firm….”
Karl muttered under his breath, his tone carefully submissive.
He wasn’t actually broken in spirit. He simply needed a scapegoat to ease his own conscience.
Higher birth and greater status made it harder to see the world clearly. Anyone who lived above the clouds, when they finally descended, would see only that everything down below looked small and worthless.
Once the daughter of a duke, he had been born into politics. Now he stood to inherit the title himself. The shift in his position made his shoulders tense with purpose.
Daisy watched him and understood the weight he carried, yet she could not stop the small smile of contempt from touching her lips.
“If His Highness has made a mistake, it is a noble’s duty to correct him—even at the cost of one’s own life. But sometimes the truth is difficult to deliver.”
“Of course. If I could speak freely and change his mind, I would. But… what if he dismisses my words as the complaints of insignificant people? That fear keeps me silent.”
“I understand how you feel. If I were in your position, I would fear the same.”
Daisy nodded in sympathy.
The other young ladies and noblewomen, who had been listening quietly until now, finally spoke up as well, one after another.
“I was fortunate to spend such a useful time with everyone today. Though we haven’t found the perfect solution, the conversations have been quite enlightening.”
As the conversation began to cool, Karl quietly excused himself.
Among the gathered nobles, he held the highest rank. It was only right that he leave first.
Daisy smiled brightly, her black hair swaying like silk as she rose and left, even though her training made her movements elegant rather than graceful.
She had been wrong.
When she finally returned to her room and let out a long sigh, she still believed she had been correct. But the moment she heard the words that followed, her certainty shattered.
“Miss Araam. His Highness has summoned you. Please come at once.”
A maid delivered the order in Beatrix’s crisp voice.
Daisy’s throat tightened as she swallowed hard.
No… did I really hear that?
She followed the maid into the royal office, her heart pounding.
Oh god… this is terrifying.
Closer than she had ever been. Even more so because they were alone in a small room.
Tension made her face stiff as a board. For a moment she worried her nipples had hardened from the sheer nervousness.
Beatrix’s lips parted.
“Come here.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Daisy approached the desk with deliberate slowness, offering a perfect bow.
Her movements were slower than those of the other young ladies, carrying an almost imperceptible dignity.
Beatrix spoke in a flat tone.
“The Baron’s posture is sharp. I like it.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Mmm. I do.”
She liked him. Nothing more. A passing remark, devoid of real warmth.
Yet Daisy’s expression softened instantly.
Beginning with praise was never a bad sign.
It might not have been sincere, but she was willing to take the risk.
“I’m sorry I can’t offer you a seat. My chair is occupied.”
Beatrix’s gaze flicked to the single chair placed beside the desk—clearly reserved for Albert.
“It would be improper for me to sit there.”
“Mmm. Enough flattery. Let’s get to the point.”
Tap. Tap.
Beatrix’s fingers drummed once on the desk.
Daisy felt no sting of displeasure. Anything to stay alive was a victory. Why should she mind?
“It seems… you are in favor of His Highness taking that man as his consort.”
She had heard everything.
The moment the question landed, Daisy felt her instincts scream.
Please don’t let this be a trap…!
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because His Highness has chosen him. Marriage is a private matter between two people. I will not judge by background.”
“Nobles would never say such a thing.”
The words carried a warning. Anyone who underestimated Beatrix’s temper quickly learned the cost.
Yet Daisy answered without hesitation.
“That is true. But I believe otherwise.”
She had always held this view. No shame. No fear.
She believes me?
Beatrix’s eyes sparkled with renewed interest.
“Tell me why.”
Daisy drew a slow breath.
“Nobles place great weight on background. Yet when two people marry, they become one. And if a man grows up without a good one…”
“But?”
“He may still be affected. Perhaps his family elevated him, or perhaps not.”
Daisy had always advocated free marriage, yet she did not deny the value of family.
Not when greed for power might still exist.
“You are correct. I agree.”
Love and family were impossible to separate.
Beatrix nodded without reservation, and Daisy’s expression brightened at once.
“Of course there are exceptions. Like the man His Highness has chosen.”
Sensing her survival, Daisy almost let a smile break through. But she caught herself.
I must endure until the very end.
“Daisy Araam. The eldest daughter of Count Araam?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I am the first daughter of the Araam family.”
“You have sharp instincts. The future of the Araam family is bright.”
“…It is an honor, Your Highness!”
Praise on top of life-saving? Daisy’s voice rose with genuine emotion.
Yet Beatrix’s lips curled into a sly smile, and Daisy’s expression instantly hardened once more.
“However… the young ladies and noblemen I spoke with earlier do not share your view. What do you think of that?”
She knew everything already. Pretending otherwise served no purpose.
Even the Duke of the West could lose his head for displeasing the Queen.
It was not limited to the East. Every monarch who ruled one of the four kingdoms understood the same harsh truth.
“It is not a good situation. When the rumor spreads that someone is being deliberately undermined, discipline begins to crumble.”
“Discipline, you say. You speak like a soldier.”
“As you know, my family’s tradition requires it.”
A faint smile touched Daisy’s lips—relief and self-satisfaction warring for dominance.
“Very well. Discipline. A fine word. Anyway… that Miller boy—whatever his name was?”
“You mean Karl Miller?”
“Yes. That one. I wanted to kill him on the spot, but he tried to stop me.”
Abandoning a plan because someone else spoke up?
Daisy felt a flicker of gratitude that she had never openly insulted Albert.
“So… that happened?”
“Just before you arrived. The point is, he is the one centered in the rumors. That is why I wanted to speak with you.”
“You want me to speak directly to him?”
“Exactly. Call him alone tonight. Set the stage. Once he is broken, the rest of the rumors will die down on their own.”
Why such a roundabout path?
Beatrix disliked Albert’s methods, yet she respected him. She had chosen the long way because she refused to walk the easy road.
Still, she understood the reason perfectly well.
“Yes. I will arrange the meeting for tonight. Will that be all right?”
The Queen’s will was law.
Daisy asked carefully, and Beatrix gave the smallest nod.
“Where shall we meet…?”
“Mmm… it will be cold on the terrace after dark, so simply pick any empty room. I will send a single maid to accompany you.”
“Understood.”
Daisy bowed with perfect courtesy and left, carrying Beatrix’s final words.
He’s going to die anyway… but she’s too kind.
Otherwise she would have had his head long ago.
Beatrix exhaled a long breath through her lips and waited for the dawn.