A maid approached her with a knock at the door.

“Your Majesty the Queen, how would you like to handle lunch?”

Ines paused, momentarily lost in thought at the maid’s question.

Having already spoken, it seemed foolish to eat alone now.

Ines let out a short sigh and asked, “Has His Majesty eaten yet?”

“As far as I know, he hasn’t eaten yet.”

With that, Ines rose from her seat.

She had made up her mind.

* * *

Ines hurried toward the office, worried that he might start eating before she arrived.

The alternating sounds of her cane tapping the floor and her heels clicking echoed as she walked.

Someone blocked her path.

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Ines looked up.

A familiar face was looking down at her.

It was Herman.

Confirming that it was Herman blocking her way, Ines lowered her head. She never heard anything pleasant when she encountered him.

As expected, Herman spoke in his characteristic sharp tone.

“Are you on your way to His Majesty?”

“…Yes. I thought we might have a meal together.”

Ines avoided his gaze like a guilty person. Whenever she saw Herman’s face, it seemed as though his sister’s screams echoed in her ears.

Unaware of her feelings, Herman’s lips curved upward. This woman, who usually never left her room unless Carlos visited, was suddenly acting differently.

Herman assumed it was because of the newly arrived maids.

“You must be feeling anxious. It’s unlike you to go to His Majesty first for a meal.”

“….”

“I heard the maids entered the palace today. Each one seems more suited to His Majesty than Her Majesty the Queen.”

“….”

“And their faces are quite to His Majesty’s liking.”

Ines silently pondered Herman’s words.

Is that so?

Were all the ones who came today to Carlos’s taste? Come to think of it, Raella might have had a face Carlos would like. He did appreciate noble things.

Suddenly, Carlos’s voice echoed in her mind, saying he had personally chosen them.

“Isn’t it fortunate that none of them refused? It’s truly concerning that there are no knights willing to serve Her Majesty the Queen.”

“Indeed.”

It was something she had somewhat anticipated. The future prospects depended on whom they served.

It was only natural that no one wanted to protect someone with neither family backing nor her husband’s love.

Seeing Ines remain composed despite his provocative words, Herman clicked his tongue. She seemed like a woman who wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed.

Realizing there was no point in provoking her further, he passed by Ines. It was a relief for her.

Once Herman’s presence faded, Ines, alone in the hallway, resumed walking.

She soon arrived at the office, knocked cautiously, and entered. There, she saw Carlos at his desk, diligently writing with a quill pen.

He looked up to see Ines’s face. His eyes widened slightly, as he hadn’t expected her to visit at this hour. But soon, he returned to his work with an indifferent expression.

“What brings you here?”

What should she say first?

She had come to invite him to a meal, almost pushed into it, but didn’t know how to start.

Thinking it might be better to begin with a different topic rather than bluntly asking him to eat together, she spoke up.

“The maids entered the palace today. As you said, they are daughters from prominent families. Thank you for your consideration.”

She first lightly expressed gratitude for what had happened today. However, even after she finished speaking, Carlos showed no reaction.

“Your Majesty…?”

“What’s your business?”

“Pardon?”

“Is that all you came to say?”

Carlos’s gaze, questioning whether she had come just to convey that, silenced Ines. Her mouth felt dry, as if it were filled with sand.

‘Business?’

Did expressing gratitude not even qualify as business?

In this atmosphere, could she really suggest having a meal together?

It probably didn’t meet his criteria for business either.

Between a husband and wife, it was something very ordinary.

It seemed as though he had drawn a line, refusing to share such ordinary things.

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Ines found herself unable to speak.

At that moment, he asked again.

“How long do you plan to just stand there?”

“Oh, well…”

After a moment of hesitation, Ines decided to muster her courage.

He seemed busy today, so it was best not to delay and make her proposal.

“Have you eaten? If not, I was wondering if you’d like to join me.”

Ines’s voice trembled slightly.

She was only inviting him to share a meal, yet she felt as nervous as if she were making a huge request.

The quill pen, which had been moving continuously, suddenly stopped. Carlos looked up. His face wrinkled as if he were assessing something.

“A meal?”

His sharp tone made her shrink back, but Ines gathered her courage once more.

“Yes. Since I became queen, I don’t think we’ve ever shared a meal together.”

To anyone, this seemed like an action that would only fuel discord between them. Despite marrying against everyone’s objections, they hadn’t shown any affection, nor even shared a meal facing each other.

Because of this, rumors spread that Carlos had married Ines just for revenge. Which, to some extent, was true.

Ines scratched her nails anxiously.

However, contrary to her nervous heart, Carlos only stared at her silently.

“If you’ve already eaten, then perhaps dinner…”

“You have quite the stomach.”

“Pardon?”

Surprised by his unexpected words, Ines looked up. Carlos, with his head tilted arrogantly, continued.

“Can you sit across from the person who beheaded your father and eat?”

“…”

“Oh. Since you’ve shared a bed, I suppose there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Carlos’s words pierced her heart, and Ines clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her skin.

That was not the response Ines had anticipated.

She expected him to say he had already eaten or wasn’t hungry, or perhaps that he had prior arrangements with someone else—something ordinary.

She never dreamed he would reject her by deliberately trampling on her like that.

Because all she wanted was simply to say,

‘I just wanted to have a meal together.’

Her head bowed again involuntarily.

It was strange.

Since the rebellion, Carlos hadn’t spoken kindly to her.

But he had never made her feel this miserable.

Though he’d sometimes made sarcastic or inadvertently hurtful remarks, he’d never been so blatantly cruel.

As she struggled with her confused feelings, an incident suddenly flashed through her mind.

A few days ago, the first time they had been physically close.

‘Could it be?’

Ines swallowed dryly.

‘Did he see the scar on my back? Is that why he’s acting like this…?’

It was entirely possible. Carlos had loved her in the past because she was the cherished young lady of the Claudia family.

As this thought crossed her mind, she suddenly felt her blood run cold. Anxiety and nervousness made her eyes tremble slightly.

‘But my clothes weren’t removed, so how on earth…?’

Watching Carlos’s reactions, Ines bit her lip. After a moment, she cautiously asked him in an uneasy voice.

“About that night, you know. The night we… shared a bed.”

Carlos waited for her to continue, as if urging her to speak.

Ines avoided his gaze, as if even asking the question was shameful. Her voice trembled as she continued.

“Did you happen to see my body that night…?”

But Carlos’s patience didn’t last until she finished her sentence.

“Are you asking what your body was like?”

“…Pardon?”

“I wondered if you were asking how you were that night.”

That wasn’t what she wanted to ask.

She wanted to ask if he had seen the scar on her back.

She hesitated, fearing she might accidentally reveal her secret.

“That’s not it… What I want to ask is…”

Should I ask or not? Her indecision was reflected at the edge of her lips. And once again, as before, Carlos didn’t wait for her answer.

He hadn’t asked the question because he wanted Ines’s answer in the first place.

Carlos stood up.

Then he walked over to where Ines was.

One step. Another step.

He walked slowly until he stood very close to Ines.

Then he bent down until his lips were almost touching her ear.

“It was really the worst.”

And with that, he mercilessly clawed at Ines’s heart.