A Vulgar Proposal - ✿ dusk blossoms ✿

In the end, Ines ended up vomiting all the food she had eaten that day.

It felt as though being forced to swallow it had been in vain, like someone enduring torture.

Because she had pushed herself to eat, she could only manage to sip on thin soup for a while. Of course, even that ended up coming back up.

As a result, Ines lost more weight in just a few days and looked noticeably gaunt.

“Your Majesty, you don’t look well today.”

The ladies-in-waiting approached Ines, who sat with a face that clearly showed signs of illness. Margaret, the first to inquire about her well-being, was followed by Raella.

“Indeed, Your Majesty. Are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s just an upset stomach. Don’t worry about it.”

Ines looked indifferently at the women gathered around, chatting away. Today marked the first tea party at the palace since the rebellion.

Although the rebellion had left many positions vacant, making it less crowded than before, there were still enough people to fill half the garden.

Many had traveled from distant territories because it was the first event held at the palace since the wedding.

‘I wanted to rest today…’

It had already been a week since she last saw Carlos. Her stomach felt uneasy, as if a heavy lump of lead was lodged inside her.

She wished she could spend the entire day resting in her room.

However, since this was the first event exclusively for women, Ines, as the queen, could not be absent. If she were, she would surely face criticism from Carlos and others.

Ines scanned the women attending the tea party with a detached gaze.

For some reason, the atmosphere around her felt heavy, as if she were an unwelcome intruder.

It seemed that she alone was unhappy at this gathering.

“Your Majesty, I noticed you haven’t eaten anything. Would you like to try this?”

Uriel approached Ines, who hadn’t touched the refreshments in front of her. Ines looked at Uriel, who spoke to her with a bright expression.

Uriel from the Viscount of Hamilton was indeed a lovely woman, even in Ines’s eyes.

She was just over twenty, perhaps. With slightly brighter blonde hair and striking green eyes, she was quite beautiful.

Moreover, she still had a bit of baby fat, which enhanced her charming and endearing aura.

‘I heard the new ladies-in-waiting have entered the palace. They all seem to suit His Majesty more than you do, Your Majesty. And they all fit His Majesty’s taste quite well.’

At the same time, Herman’s mocking words flashed through her mind. Initially, she thought he was just teasing her, but after talking to Carlos, it seemed Herman was right.

The families of the ladies selected as maids were prestigious, and their appearances were quite remarkable.

All three possessed different charms. Ines belatedly looked over the women chosen as her maids.

Margaret from the Count of Desley, with warm brown hair and green eyes, was an intellectual beauty. Raella was a pure beauty.

Even as a compliment, she couldn’t criticize their looks. As these thoughts crossed her mind, a shadow fell over Ines’s face.

‘If they were chosen according to Carlos’s taste…’

One day, he might take one of them.

He was a man who had openly criticized their marital bed.

So, he might seek out another woman to satisfy his unresolved desires. Since he had always felt inferior due to his status as an illegitimate child, he wouldn’t choose a lowly woman.

‘Moreover, he…’

Suddenly, a long-buried memory resurfaced.

‘Do you know his nickname?’

The Crow of Tezever.

That was a derogatory term used for Carlos.

A crow that loved shiny things would be so blinded by their sparkle that it would try to grab them without knowing what was inside.

‘He just fell for your looks. You’re the precious daughter of a father with quite a decent appearance. If he sees beneath your surface, he’ll probably run away in fright.’

Those were the words her brother told her every day. He mocked her, saying that Carlos would abandon her the moment he discovered who she really was.

Ines bit her nails at the curse-like taunt. It resonated with her deepest fears.

Joseph had already proven those words true. He was a man who had cherished her before their engagement.

At first, she denied it, insisting that Carlos would be different from Joseph, but eventually, it all turned out to be true.

He wouldn’t even glance at her now that she no longer sparkled.

As Ines watched the beautiful young maids, her expression grew darker.

‘What was it like when I first met Carlos?’

Was her figure similar to Uriel’s?

She couldn’t quite remember.

But one thing was certain: she had been more vibrant and beautiful than she was now.

Back then, she carried the amusing nickname of the “Flower of Tezever.”

Amidst the women blooming like flowers, she felt like she was withering away in comparison. Feeling self-conscious, Ines shrank back in her seat.

She wanted nothing more than to retreat to her room and hide her unremarkable self under the covers.

After hearing those words from Carlos, she forced herself to eat. But instead of gaining weight, she became ill from overeating and couldn’t even drink water for days.

As a result, her complexion, which she had managed to maintain, turned as pale as a sheet.

She couldn’t bear to meet Carlos in such a state, so she didn’t seek him out. Of course, Carlos didn’t look for her either.

‘Can things really change?’

The hope that had sprouted, however faintly, from the necklace given by the servant was quickly fading.

She questioned whether she could ever return to how things had been with a man who disliked even sharing a meal with her, despite being married.

While Ines was lost in these troubling thoughts, a woman sitting across from her suddenly began looking around, as if searching for someone.

“By the way, where is Countess Ankerid? I thought she would certainly be here.”

“Indeed. She didn’t attend the wedding last time either… It seems the rumors about her health are true. I’ve heard she has difficulty moving. Your Majesty, do you know anything about this?”

“…Pardon?”

Only then did Ines, snapping out of her thoughts, look up.

“Are you talking about Lady Rachel, His Majesty’s mother?”

“Oh.”

Realizing who they were referring to, Ines let out a short sigh.

‘Come to think of it, she didn’t attend the wedding either.’

Countess Ankerid, Carlos’s mother, was said to be so frail that no one had seen her leave her residence.

If she couldn’t even attend her son’s wedding, she must be quite ill. Ines was considering visiting the countess soon.

Noticing that Ines had forgotten about Countess Ankerid, one of the noblewomen remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

“Her Majesty is quite indifferent. No matter how humble her origins, shouldn’t you take care of His Majesty’s mother?”

Before Carlos became king, these were people who wouldn’t even treat the countess as a noblewoman. Now, pretending to care for her seemed laughable to Ines.

But she hadn’t done anything right either. She had resolved to improve her relationship with Carlos but hadn’t even cared for his family. It was her fault.

However, there was no need to show this outwardly, so Ines spoke up.

“Of course not. I received a message from the countess beforehand. She told me she couldn’t attend the gathering today due to her health. I was planning to visit her residence soon. But more importantly, as you said, the countess is His Majesty’s mother, so saying her origins are humble seems rather disrespectful, doesn’t it?”

She pointed out the noblewoman’s rude behavior instead. Embarrassed by Ines’s words, the noblewoman cleared her throat awkwardly. She didn’t want to apologize to the much younger queen from a fallen family.

Sensing the noblewoman’s discomfort, others quickly changed the subject.

“Well, more importantly, I hear the Marchioness of Lingsel is quite far along. I understand the baby’s due date is approaching. Congratulations.”

“Looks like the baby will arrive next month. It seems that having a child really strengthens the household. As soon as I got pregnant, the Marquis’s attitude changed, you know?”

The woman with a belly as round as a mountain was the Marchioness of Lingsel, someone Ines was quite familiar with.

In the past, there had been rampant rumors that the couple was on the verge of divorce, suggesting their relationship was strained.

But it seemed she had become pregnant in the meantime.

“They say that if the belly is shaped like this, it’s definitely a boy. Of course, the Marquis said he doesn’t care whether it’s a daughter or a son.”

The Marchioness’s voice was filled with overwhelming happiness.

As she watched her, Ines quietly muttered to herself.

“A child…”

The culmination of love and the completion of a family.

Everyone had advised her that having a child would deepen the bond between a couple.

At one time, Ines had also envisioned a happy future with Carlos, which naturally included plans for children.

‘I want to have a daughter who looks like you.’

Carlos wanted a daughter who resembled Ines, while Ines wished for a son who looked like Carlos.

Ines paused at the thought.

‘Perhaps.’

Could things change a little?

Our relationship.