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Chapter 6
It was the maid's responsibility to help the Queen change her clothes.
Everyday in the morning, going into the Queen's room, and greet her good morning. Usually, the Queen would be up, looking at her, smiling and saying good morning back. Then, while doing some random chats, the maid would comb her hair, and embellish the Queen into her most beautiful form. She (the maid) loved this period of time.
However, today, the Queen was more different than usual.
When Beatrix and the maids entered the room in the morning, Her Majesty had already washed up herself, and was sitting on a chair, considering about something.
Although as they greeted her she beamed and replied, Garnet did not seem happy.
Even the kind expression on her face was wavering.
As the maids were examining her with worried eyes, Beatrix went towards Garnet bravely.
"Your Majesty, Today we would have a meeting with Mr. Kushuhal? Do you approve?"
".....Tell him that I accept."
Nodding, Beatrix exited her room.
Lowering her head slightly, Garnet's head twisted to the maids.
"You can too relax in your rooms until today's gathering at noon. Thank you."
If the Queen said so, no one could disobey her. Though they kept turning their heads around due to concern, the servant walked out without a complaint.
"Um.....Your Majesty. If something happens, please call on us, okay?"
The last maid said before she shut the door. Garnet smiled, said thank you, and watched them leave.
Her wall were decorated by a lot of candles, the candlelight ignited the room.
In addition, the table in front of the chair that Garnet was sitting on had a candle as well.
The flame of that candle was flickering.
Gazing into the fire, Garnet's chin touched her neck.
[Let me protect "the place that I belong to"...let me protect you......please...]
[I am here. I will protect Sarah.]
[.....!Whatever...!]
[......It hurt, didn't it?]
[......The boy accepted the agony quickly. He believed that this too, was a punishment for not able to protect the girl..]
"......."
Inside her heart, she gently called the name of the two young men that burned her chest.
One of the young men that burned her chest responded her as soon as she called, and the other one.....would not answer her.
[......!Whatever...!]
The farewell.
That, in the result, might be best.
The thing that Alexandria was seeking for the most, was the money that would rebuild, maintain, and amend the country. If she marries Alexend---Yuju, the fee would be mostly paid. She was the Queen of Alexandria, therefore she had the obligation to recover and develope her own region.
If she marries Alexend, everything would be fine.
Garnet opened her eyes, looking into the flames.
They did not flicker anymore.
* * *
The meeting was held in a guest room-like place.
When Garnet entered the room, Kushuhal who was waiting for her, rose up and greeted her with arms stretched out.
"This way."
(Garnet)Being urged onto the sofa, Beatrix stood behind it.
Kushuhal sat on a sofa on the opposite side also, they were in a face-to-face position now.
"How is it? Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I slept like a baby."
Truthfully she did not sleep at all, but it was unlikely to speak the fact. She said the most polite response.
"My apologies for my son and my wife who are not present today. About one year ago, my wife became sick. She is currently sleeping on her bed, not able to recover."
"Well, you wife..."
"Yes, just in case she wakes up, my son is always there beside her. It could not be done by the servants."
Kushuhal's face which seemed to be solemn, when talking about his wife he was smiling like never before. Garnet felt the love within him, and narrowed her eyes.
"Okay, today's topic would be about my son, Yuju Kushuhal."
Kushuhal returned to his original poker face. Garnet, as well, hearing those words, and descended her face.
"I suppose you know him from yesterday's dance."
Although she thought that she had known him too well, she could not tell Kushuhal about it.
Garnet stared at her hands that were on her legs.
"Yuju had grown so much that I do not think of him as my son. How is this? If you are fine with it, please engage with my son."
For Alexandria, this marriage would be more fascinating than anything, wouldn't it?
Adding those words in the end, she saw Kushuhal peeking at her expression closely.
For Alexandria---------
Garnet close her eyes once.
She was conscious about it.
The answer was already decided.
Taking a deep breath.
Slowly rolling her eyelids up, she pierced through Kushuhal's pupils.
Parting her lips, speaking her mind.
"Unfortunately, I have to refuse this betrothal."
Garnet observed Kushuhal when he bugged his eyes.
"I am truly sorry. But you son would be such a waste on me. Please forgive me."
Stood up, and bowed deeply. Towards Kushuhal who was cherishing his son, and to Alexend who had always thought of Sarah.
".....I am, sorry."
Meanwhile, Garnet whispered "I just can't" in her mind.
"Then, excuse me."
This time she did the cutesy lightly, and exited the room. Beatrix followed.
Kushuhal, left behind alone in the room, dazed into the air temporarily.
To him, he could not hear the echoing footsteps from the hallway that was fading away.
"Ha...haha..."
Afterwards, the laughter leaked out of his lips. The eyes were still widened. There was no twinkle in them.
"Ha....hahahahahahhaahahahahahahaha!!!"
Crackle. He crackled as if he had lost his mind. Crackling from his stomach.
"Ha, haha, hahahahahaha! Is she....is she rejecting my brilliant plan??!"
Stood up. Within the dark room, he staggered towards the shelf full of art pieces like pots and sculptures, thrusting one of the pots onto the ground.
Bang! The pot fell into pieces with a sound.
"Is she rejecting my brilliant plan?????!"
He kept throwing the decorations on the shelf. There were broken pieces scattered around everywhere, on the wall, as well as the floor.
Even though the sharp pieces scratched through his skin, he did not stop.
The candlelight was bigger.
From the corner of the room, one butterfly fluttered out of the window.
Kushuhal was unaware of it.
"Diana....."
After all the things in the room were crashed and he had nothing to destroy, Kushuhal murmured and walked out as if he was a ghost.-------
* * *
"You Majesty, is it really okay?"
It was when they had reached her own room, Beatrix spoke up.
Turning back to her, Garnet grinned bitterly.
"...I am not qualified to be a Queen."
As the Queen of Alexandria, she should have received that offer.
Nevertheless, she refused.
"Um, is it fine? Master Yuju is Your Majesty's...."
This time it was Garnet's turn to be surprised.
"Beatrix, yesterday you..."
"......I did not think it would be safe for Your Majesty to go out alone..... Um, I did not intend to eavesdrop the conversation.."
Beatrix shut her eyes, apologizing.
Garnet blew the air in her lungs out quietly.
"....If I marry Yuju now, I would be sympathizing him."
"Your Majesty."
At the end of Beatrix's sight, Garnet shook her head.
"It was too late..... I already chose Zidane. I wouldn't be [myself] without Zidane...."
It had to be Zidane.
Even if one day she had to be someone else's wife as a [Queen], [herself] was with Zidane. It had to be him.
"If I accept this marriage with Yuju, I would be sympathizing him. I will hurt him. Because of me, he left his home behind, dumped his horn, and hurt himself like that. How can I possibly marry this person who cherished me so much with just sympathy...?"
"Your Majesty.."
I'm sorry, she susurrated softly in her heart.
Not to Beatrix, but the young man who was alone in the dark.
* * *
Because Treno had no daylight, it was easy to hide a person in the dark.
While gazing at the big tower with lights far away, Zidane blanked out.
He had currently climbed up the big tree planted inside the garden of the Kushuhal Palace, sat on a steady branch, his back to the trunk.
Staring at the lights in Treno, Zidane sighed.
What is Garnet doing now..?
The sigh would come out every time he thinks about last night.
Practically, he was pathetic. So pathetic that he buried his forehead in his hand.
[.....!Whatever...]
Throwing off a word like that, he escaped to here and stayed here the entire time.
Garnet merely wanted to determine her hope.
Whether or not her childhood friend had really died.
Even his head understood, he could not stop his mouth.
"I...never knew I’m so possessive.."
Again, a super big sigh. Perhaps it was better not to know this side of him.
"This is a disaster..."
After all, the opponent was well known to all countries, not only within Alexandria. Due to her beauty beyond this world, his enemy could be more than a million people. Because of that, he was always drowning in the benefit of able to keep her for himself.
...And now they had a fight.
If while he was out here, she accepted the marriage.......his heart fills with uneasiness just thinking about it. That luscious black hair, that snow white soft skin, the red lips, that person would have the right of touch them-----The jealousy would go frantic just thinking about it.
"Damn it...!"
[If it is Her Majesty and Mr.Yuju, both in high society...]
That was right. Yuju was suitable with Garnet. He was not.
If he had the power like Yuju from the very beginning, he would not be here worrying sick about her so much. If he had the power...!
But----
As the thought reached to this point, it self-destructed.
But----because he was a thief, he met her, in that situation-----
If he was not a thief, if it was not for Tantalus, he would not had met her.
--------[Can you please kidnap me at this instant?]
His expression softened as he recalled the times when he first met her and she was desperately trying to save her country.
Although knowing nothing about the world, she was serious, every time he looked at her, he felt so delighted that he could forget the tough situation in that time.
[Please, please come back...!]
The Garnet who fought to smile that day. He protected his promise and struggled to survive, and returned to her. ....--She waited for him.
He was certain that he would never forget her face which leaped into him while weeping, that smile when she greeted him home.
Same as the memory, this feeling would not arrive to an end. Undoubtedly, this warmth in his heart, would never cool down.
He only desired one person.
Not [The Queen of Alexandria].
Merely, [Garnet].
Only one person, only her.
Zidane shifted his focus into the mansion.
His sensitive senses felt something.
He squinted the room inside the palace. Although it was dark, he would not be a Tantalus if he was not even capable to see through the darkness.
There was a man.
That is..---
He had seen him before. According to his back, it was definitely Kushuhal.
Huh? Is this that old man's room?
Tilting his head wondering, Kushuhal headed to the bed in the middle of the room, and unzipped the curtain surrounding it.
What is this?
It seemed like that there was someone lying on the bed, he saw a strange curve in it.
Could it be that old man's wife's room?
If it was true, it would be not good for him to watch. Thinking like that, it was right when Zidane was about to look away.
Kushuhal supported the upper body of that person up, embracing her. That moment the candlelight shone on her face, that woman's eyes looked at him.
----------That is!
As he was about to yell, Zidane felt a presence under the tree.
It was too late.
The person noticed him.
He could not escape.
"Is it fun peeking at people's rooms? Mr. Marcus-No, maybe I should call you Mr.Zidane?"
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