Before long, day broke and morning arrived. It was time for Ines to leave. Herman and Haley waited by the door to see her off.

When Ines finally came down from the second floor, Herman approached her as if he had been waiting. In his hand was a rather heavy pouch.

“This is…”

Ines trailed off as she took the pouch Herman held out. Inside were a new identity token and quite a number of gold coins.

“You might not need it if you settle in a small rural village, but you’ll need this identity token if you go to another country.”

The identity token was essentially a certificate proving one’s identity. It was one of the requirements for leaving the country. Since Ines was officially dead, this forged identity token was the most necessary item for her.

Ines didn’t refuse his kindness.

“Thank you.”

Though she hadn’t decided where to go yet, Herman’s identity token would be helpful if she wanted to go abroad. She didn’t refuse the money he offered either. She would need money to live in hiding, having neither family nor friends.

As Ines silently accepted it, Herman let out a relieved breath and asked.

“But are you sure you’ll be alright going alone?”

Herman had already arranged for someone to take her to the port, anticipating that Ines would leave Tezever. He had assumed she would naturally go to another country.

“Yes, I’ll be fine.”

But Ines refused his offer. Thinking she might be refusing because of him, he tried to persuade her again.

“They’re trustworthy people. They don’t know Your Majesty’s identity either. It would be much safer than going alone.”

“No. What you’ve done for me so far is enough. From here on, I’ll go by myself.”

“If that’s really what you want…”

Realizing he couldn’t change her mind, Herman soon resigned himself.

With a faint smile, Ines conveyed her gratitude to Herman before turning her head.

Haley was standing beside Herman, looking at her with worried eyes.

“Haley.”

Ines took Haley’s hand and whispered quietly.

“Thank you.”

“Pardon?”

Haley asked back stupidly, as if she hadn’t expected to be thanked.

“Thanks to what you said, I feel… a bit lighter now.”

“My lady…”

Finally understanding what she meant, Haley shook her head.

“No. I only said what was obvious. I should be the one apologizing… I never thought you’d been carrying such guilt for so long. And for what my brother did… I’m truly sorry.”

Haley still seemed sorry about what Herman had done. Herman too bowed his head as if ashamed, and at that moment.

Haley asked the question she had been holding back.

“Where do you plan to go? If you don’t have anywhere to go, how about staying in our parents’ hometown village? It’s such a quiet neighborhood with few young people, it wouldn’t be bad for you to hide there quietly.”

“Haley.”

Herman called his sister’s name as if telling her to stop. He was worried about putting pressure on Ines.

“I just… worry so much. You’ve probably never lived alone anywhere before.”

Haley’s worry was understandable in a way. Whatever the circumstances, Ines had been queen under the protection of the Claudia family.

But despite their concern, Ines responded with a peaceful smile.

“Well, I’ll just go wherever my feet take me. I think I’ll travel here and there first.”

Her expression looked more relaxed than before. Looking at such an Ines, Haley hesitantly asked.

“Then please promise me. That you’ll stay healthy wherever you are…”

Ines gently stroked Haley’s cheek as she answered.

“Of course. Thank you for worrying about me, Haley.”

Ines then turned her gaze to Herman. He too gave a short bow as he bid his final farewell.

With that, Ines turned to leave. She had no destination in mind. She just planned to wander wherever her feet took her and settle somewhere she liked.

Watching Ines’s retreating figure, Haley quietly asked.

“Will she really be alright?”

“She’ll be fine. She’s endured well until now.”

When Ines silently accepted what he had given her, he realized she would make a different choice. Moreover, hadn’t she just made a promise with Haley? So what he had worried about wouldn’t happen.

After standing there blankly for a while, Herman finally moved.

“Haley, you go home first.”

“What? What about you, brother?”

Haley, who had naturally assumed they would return home together, asked him with a puzzled expression.

“I need to finish cleaning up what I’ve done. Chelsea, take Haley home. And you, follow me.”

With those final words, he commanded his subordinate who had been waiting for him.

“We’re going to Viscount Delmonsi.”

* * *

Meanwhile, at Richard Palace, the queen’s funeral was being held. The state funeral proceeded over a long period of one week.

All nobles in the kingdom attended to mourn the queen’s sudden death, but there was one person.

One person who hadn’t shown his face at the funeral until now.

“Your Majesty, you really must attend today.”

That person was Carlos.

Since Ines’s death, he had shut himself in his room and hadn’t come out at all. As time passed, people’s whispers and speculations grew worse and worse, as he didn’t even attend his dead wife’s funeral, let alone attend to state affairs.

Finally, unable to stand it anymore, Jeff came to Carlos’s bedroom with servants, determined to take him to the funeral today no matter what.

As soon as they entered the room, the strong smell of alcohol permeated the air. Jeff briefly grimaced before approaching Carlos.

“Today is already the last day of the funeral. If you don’t attend today either, what will everyone think of Your Majesty?”

However, despite Jeff’s words, Carlos just sat blankly against the bed. His appearance was a sight to behold. His face, which had always been cleanly shaved, was rough, and empty bottles were scattered around him.

“Your Majesty…!”

Carlos twisted his lips toward Jeff, who called out to him again. In front of him lay a portrait of a young Ines.

“Jeff. Isn’t it funny? It’s been almost a year since we married, but there wasn’t a single portrait of the queen in the palace.”

“…Well, there were so many things happening during that time.”

A portrait of the queen was needed for the funeral. However, they only realized at the time of the funeral that Ines, as queen, didn’t have even a single portrait, when most royalty would have dozens.

How indifferent they had been to Ines.

All that remained in the palace was one painting depicting Carlos’s coronation and wedding ceremony. One where Ines’s face couldn’t even be properly recognized…

So, to hurry with the funeral, they searched the mansion of the extinct ducal family. They barely found a portrait of Ines from her maiden days buried in a corner of the warehouse and displayed it at the funeral. And the painting in front of him was another portrait found in the warehouse.

Carlos had confined himself to his room and just stared endlessly at Ines’s portrait.

“Your Majesty…”

Jeff, calling Carlos in a pitiful voice, finally tried to raise his body.

“Please get up. You must go today. It’s the day to bury Her Majesty’s coffin in the burial ground. How can Your Majesty not be present on such a day?”

Carlos’s body was easily lifted by Jeff’s hands. But even so, his legs gave out countless times.

Carlos was afraid to go to the funeral. Because it felt like accepting that Ines was really dead when this ended. He avoided it because it seemed he would have to accept the terrible reality.

“I…”

As he tried to make excuses not to go, his mouth closed at Jeff’s next words.

“Are you going to let Her Majesty go alone like this?”

“…”

“She has no family left. Your Majesty is her only family and husband. Are you planning to let her go alone and lonely until the very end?”

Ines had no family left. Hadn’t he killed them all with his own hands? He couldn’t even protect her only remaining birth mother.

Carlos’s expression stiffened as if struck by Jeff’s words.

“Yes, that won’t do…”

It certainly wouldn’t do. He shouldn’t let her be alone until her departing day. Having made up his mind, Carlos grudgingly got up.