Carlos’s words unexpectedly clawed at Ines’s heart. She lowered her head, frozen as if she was struck by a large stone.

‘Ah, right. That’s true. My leg…’

I have a bad leg.

She looked down at her leg, which could barely stand without a cane. This leg was one of her many flaws.

Suddenly, she remembered what Joseph had said before he left.

‘I can’t be dragging around someone who can’t even use their legs.’

She couldn’t forget the look in the eyes of the man who had once been her fiancé, who had discarded her like an unwanted object. Perhaps Carlos’s feelings about leaving her behind weren’t any different from Joseph’s.

Because of that memory, Ines couldn’t meet Carlos’s eyes. She feared seeing the same look in his eyes as she had seen in Joseph’s.

Her hand holding Carlos’s sleeve trembled slightly.

He clearly thought of her as nothing more than a bothersome burden. Otherwise, he wouldn’t reject such a desperate plea so coldly.

As this thought struck her, something welled up in Ines’s chest. She felt resentful of Carlos for blaming her disabled leg.

‘Should I try asking one more time?’

Should she forget about dignity and beg on her knees? Perhaps if she clung to his trouser leg, he might take her along. But…

‘Would he agree when he’s so blatantly treating me like baggage?’

Moreover, she hesitated, wondering if she was being too pushy after having resolved not to be a burden to Carlos.

As Ines quietly bit her lip.

She released her grip on her skirt. At the same time, she let go of Carlos’s sleeve. She couldn’t ask him to take her along anymore. As he said, it would be too much to expect someone who could barely use one leg to accompany him on such a long journey.

Carlos, who had been watching Ines, let out a low sigh. His sigh clearly showed his annoyance. Tired from the argument, he pressed his fingers against his temples and muttered.

“Stop talking nonsense and return to your room. It’s late.”

He pulled the bell cord as he spoke. It was to call a maid to escort Ines back to the Lily Palace.

Watching Carlos’s actions quietly, she softly spoke.

“Then could you at least dismiss all my current maids?”

It was her last desperate attempt.

Carlos, who was about to return to his desk to resume work, stopped in his tracks.

“What are you talking about now?”

Startled by his sharp tone, Ines stammered as she continued.

“It’s just that having maids when I didn’t before makes me uncomfortable and anxious. I just want to stay quietly alone in the palace. So…”

“Hah, Ines.”

Cutting off Ines’s words, Carlos replied in a voice that seemed to be suppressing anger.

“What’s wrong with you today? You keep making unreasonable demands. Ask for something I can actually grant.”

At Carlos’s pressing tone, Ines clenched her fists.

“I just…”

He won’t even grant this much? Her voice became even smaller.

How should she convey this? What words could convince Carlos? Would he even be convinced at all?

Just as Ines’s lips trembled, contemplating these thoughts.

Right then, there was a knock, and a maid entered.

“Did you call for me, Your Majesty?”

“Take the queen back to the palace. And make her wear that blanket.”

Carlos gestured toward the blanket lying on the sofa. The maid bowed respectfully in response.

“Yes, I understand. I will escort you, Your Majesty.”

The maid, who had already approached Ines, supported her.

“Carlos…”

Ines called his name urgently, but all she received was a cold stare.

Faced with his stern attitude, Ines finally closed her mouth and turned around with a resigned expression.

“Take… take care on your journey.”

With these parting words, she left the office supported by the maid.

One step, then another. Each step back to the palace felt as heavy as lead.

Having gained nothing in the end, she looked like livestock being led to slaughter. As they approached the Lily Palace with the maid’s support.

“Your Majesty.”

A familiar voice stopped the two of them.

Ines, who had flinched, raised her head. There was Margaret, greeting her with a smile as if she had been waiting.

Margaret, who had already approached them, spoke to the maid.

“I’ll take care of Her Majesty from here. You may go now.”

“Yes, understood.”

After the maid left, Margaret naturally took her place beside Ines. As the maid’s footsteps faded away, Margaret whispered softly.

“What could have made you visit His Majesty so suddenly at this hour?”

Ines’s body stiffened at the gentle voice whispering in her ear. She barely parted her sealed lips to answer.

“…His Majesty said he would leave at dawn tomorrow. So I just went to say goodbye.”

“Is that so? It must have been quite urgent for you to rush there with only one shoe.”

Margaret seemed to have found the shoe that had fallen off somewhere unknown.

But Margaret shrugged as if such things weren’t important.

“Well, anyway, I’m glad your conversation with His Majesty ended well. After all, it would have been unreasonable to go on an inspection tour with a crippled queen. Our poor Queen. It pains my heart that His Majesty doesn’t understand your feelings. To think that you became lame because of him… How cruel.”

Despite her sympathetic words, Margaret’s face was blooming with smiles.

“Now, let’s go. It’s gotten very late. You’ll need your strength to use your ability diligently starting tomorrow, won’t you? You should hurry to your room and rest.”

At Margaret’s following words, Ines’s steps came to an abrupt halt. Soon after, Ines looked at Margaret with trembling eyes.

“Tomorrow…? But I only go to the poorhouse once a week. So my ability shouldn’t be needed until next week…”

“That was the schedule when His Majesty was here. Now that His Majesty is gone, what’s there to be mindful of?”

Margaret smiled brightly as she gently caressed Ines’s cheek.

“We can just say we women are going out to have a good time together.”

With those words, Margaret pulled up the corners of her mouth. It looked like the smile of a devil.

* * *

The next day, at dawn.

Though the sun hadn’t risen yet, the palace was bustling with the king’s departure.

“Your Majesty. All preparations for departure are complete.”

At Herman’s words, Carlos turned his gaze toward the Lily Palace where Ines would be.

Ines hadn’t come out to see him off.

It was natural, given what had happened yesterday, and especially since he had told her not to come.

He briefly recalled the events of last night.

Ines had been different from usual. She seemed anxious and uneasy somewhere. She had almost accidentally asked to go with him.

If it had really been an inspection tour, there wouldn’t have been much problem in taking Ines along. But now it was equivalent to going to wage an undisclosed war, not an inspection.

He couldn’t take Ines to such a place.

What if she were to encounter Joseph there if he took her?

Carlos’s brow furrowed at the unpleasant thought.

‘Then could you at least dismiss all my current maids?’

Suddenly remembering Ines’s last request, he felt doubtful. He recalled Herman’s report that she was getting along well with her maids.

Lost in reflection of past events, Carlos asked Herman.

“Didn’t you say before that Ines was getting along well with her maids?”

“Yes. She’s especially close with a maid named Margaret. I heard that maid is quite devoted to Her Majesty. She even took tomatoes thrown by believers at the temple in Her Majesty’s place.”

“I see…”

At Herman’s report, he shook off his uneasy thoughts. Someone that devoted to Ines couldn’t possibly harm her.

This feeling must just be anxiety before an important task. It probably wasn’t anything serious.

Carlos then put aside his thoughts and mounted his horse.

“Let’s depart.”

With his command, the horses began to move. The morning sun was rising behind his back as he left the palace, unable to foresee what would happen to Ines after his departure.