Everyone there awaited Ines’s answer, hoping the queen would declare her forgiveness for the child. At the center of their attention, Ines clenched her fists.

She felt the weight of the eyes fixed upon her, eyes that pressured her to forgive, demanding she admit to a crime she hadn’t committed, as if they were suffocating her.

Ines, who had been sitting silently for some time, finally parted her lips.

“That incident a year ago was…”

She wanted to proclaim her innocence, to say she was wronged, but her lips closed again.

‘Even if I claim I’m innocent here, would anyone believe me?’

Instead, they would surely point fingers at her for not admitting her guilt. And what about the child?

Even if she met the child and explained that she had nothing to do with what happened to his parents, would he believe her?

Or if she admitted guilt and forgave the child, would anything change?

‘No, not at all.’

Ines knew she could firmly say no. Even if she forgave and overlooked today’s incident, the child would likely not see it as a favor but rather criticize her for being hypocritical.

He might even go to his grave believing she was the one who destroyed his family, never forgetting it. Even if she forgave now, he might hold a grudge and look for opportunities to harm her in the future.

Therefore, there was only one answer. Ines lowered her gaze. Just as she was about to quietly express her decision, a man’s face flashed through her mind.

‘Carlos.’

The face of the man who would bear a blemish on his reign because of her. Ines’s lips, which had been about to speak, closed again.

‘If I say here that I will punish the child…’

She would be criticized as a heartless woman. Her reputation would likely worsen, but that didn’t matter to her. But Carlos…

What would happen to Carlos’s reputation, having a wife who couldn’t even tolerate the anger of a child who lost his parents? He had already sacrificed much by keeping her alive and making her queen.

For such a man, wasn’t it right to bend her pride just once? Ines clenched the hem of her dress.

She felt wronged and resentful.

Despite doing nothing, everyone treated her like a fraud who had torn apart a happy family.

Ines didn’t want to act as people expected. She didn’t want to simply let this matter go. However, if it was for Carlos…

The strength left her hand that clutched her dress. Eventually, Ines slowly raised her head.

“Alright.”

In the end, a response different from what she desired escaped her lips.

“…I will do that.”

The eyes of those who had been waiting for her answer widened. Soon, bright smiles appeared on their faces. The director asked Ines again with a trembling voice.

“Then, you’re forgiving Colin?”

Without even glancing at the director, Ines replied.

“…I will not impose any punishment on the child.”

Ines deliberately didn’t answer the director’s question about forgiveness. It was her last bit of pride. But the director seemed to take it as Ines forgiving Colin and repeatedly bowed his head.

“Thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Ines was the queen. The crime of attempting to harm the queen was close to treason. If Ines hadn’t let it go, the child could have lost his life.

Even if he narrowly avoided execution, he might have spent his life in prison or been burdened with hard labor.

“Such a gracious decision, Your Majesty.”

Raella, who was beside her, also added. However, contrary to her words of praise, Raella’s face was calm, as if the queen had made the obvious decision.

Ines bowed her head as she watched those sighing with relief and those rejoicing, as well as those with expressions that seemed to say it was only natural. The heart of Ines, who had shown mercy, was only filled with bitterness.

* * *

After finishing her volunteer work at the charity house, the queen returned to the palace. At the same time, Herman approached Carlos, who was working in his office.

“While Her Majesty was volunteering at the charity house, she was hit by a stone thrown by a child.”

At Herman’s indifferent report, Carlos’s hand, which had been moving a quill, suddenly stopped. He asked Herman again, looking as if he hadn’t heard correctly.

“…What did you say?”

“The Queen was hit by a stone.”

Upon Herman’s confirmation, Carlos’s face hardened. His mind, which had been functioning smoothly just moments earlier, suddenly stalled.

Ines was hit by a stone? Why on earth?

What could have possibly happened at the charity house to cause her to be struck by a stone?

Noticing Carlos’s expression of utter bewilderment, Herman explained the situation.

“Do you remember the diamond necklace incident from a year ago? The child who threw the stone at Her Majesty is the son of the head of the Maxim Trading Company, a victim of that incident. He lost both parents and has been living at the charity house with his younger sibling. He probably couldn’t contain his anger towards Her Majesty.”

Herman twisted his lips as if he understood the child’s feelings all too well. His sympathy lay not with the queen, who was unexpectedly hit, but with the child who shared his anger.

“……”

Carlos remained silent at Herman’s report. He knew that incident well; it marked the beginning of Ines’s fall from grace.

Ines had protested her innocence, but no one believed her. Her face, as she cried out her grievances in court, remained vivid in his mind.

And Carlos understood Ines’s plight. Because that incident was…

‘Something I orchestrated.’

To bring down the Claudia family.

To undermine the royal family’s dignity.

As Carlos stood silently, Herman continued.

“So, everyone there pleaded with Her Majesty for leniency. While throwing a stone at Her Majesty was certainly wrong, considering why the child did it, one could argue that Her Majesty isn’t entirely blameless.”

Carlos listened quietly before asking Herman.

“…So, did the queen forgive the child?”

Herman nodded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yes. It was something that had to be overlooked. If she is human, she should extend that much understanding to a child who lost his parents because of her.”

Herman didn’t stop there and continued to criticize the queen.

“It would have been better if she had personally apologized to the child while she was at it. But it seems Her Majesty’s pride wouldn’t allow her to go that far.”

“……”

Despite being hit by a stone, Queen Ines chose not to punish the child. Instead, she was criticized for not apologizing to him.

Carlos’s expression darkened.

He was annoyed. Angry and frustrated.

Yet, he couldn’t understand why this was happening.

Wasn’t this the situation he had wanted?

Carlos, feeling an inexplicable frustration, asked in an irritated tone.

“What on earth were the queen’s guards doing?”

His anger was directed elsewhere.

“They were momentarily distracted by the crowd gathering around Lady Colsen.”

“Hah.”

Carlos let out a derisive laugh at Herman’s answer. It was an excuse that lacked any sincerity. Guards assigned to protect the queen were more concerned about someone else’s safety?

It was obvious how carelessly they must have been guarding Ines if they couldn’t even stop a single stone thrown by a child. He bit his lip. With each passing day, he felt more acutely how Ines’s dignity was hitting rock bottom.

Even the guards didn’t care to protect the queen, and no one worried about Ines, who had been hit by a stone. Just look at the situation now. Ines was the one injured by the stone, yet she became the target of criticism.

‘Heartless woman.’

That would probably have been the new label if Ines had punished the child. As Carlos clenched his fist, Herman added more information.

“And the Colsen family has expressed their intention to sponsor the child.”

“Sponsor?”

“Yes.”

It was absurd. Sponsoring the child who threw a stone at the queen? The situation was laughably ridiculous.

How little must they think of the queen to make such a decision? As his annoyance peaked, he was about to order the sponsorship to be stopped but then hesitated.

“…Come to think of it, it’s not a bad idea.”

Not only was the queen forgiving the child who hit her, but she was also sponsoring him. It presented a rather noble image, didn’t it? Perhaps Ines’s reputation might slightly improve. His deliberation was brief.

“Tell the Colsen family there’s no need for their sponsorship. Instead—”

Carlos’s eyes were cold as he issued the command.

“Ines will handle the sponsorship.”

Ironically, the child’s circumstances improved more than before, as if receiving a reward for throwing a stone at the queen, who was despised by everyone.