Delmonsi shouted as though he were wronged. Herman frowned and asked back.

“The queen’s ability? What exactly are you talking about?”

Herman seemed genuinely unaware of what Delmonsi was talking about. Rather, it was Delmonsi who was taken aback by Herman’s reaction. He had thought the king was trying to arrest him for revenge regarding the queen.

“Ah, well…”

Delmonsi chewed on his words while avoiding Herman’s eyes.

‘What? He didn’t come about the marquis exploiting the queen’s ability?’

Delmonsi’s mind raced at Herman’s reaction, which suggested complete ignorance about the ability. Looking at it any way, Herman seemed to have no inkling about the queen’s ability. The fact that this man, who was practically the king’s right hand, didn’t know meant that Carlos didn’t know either.

‘How has she not revealed that fact until now?’

Delmonsi had assumed Ines would have revealed all secrets to the king by now. He thought she would have disclosed everything for revenge, especially after her mother, who had been her weakness, died.

‘Just what exactly is going on?’

He was perplexed because he had thought the marquis’s family was destroyed for this reason. Those who knew about the queen’s ability were probably like him, cautiously planning to leave Tezever.

What to do about this? After contemplating for a moment, Delmonsi smiled wickedly as if he’d had a good idea.

‘If they still don’t know anything, this is an opportunity.’

They didn’t even know about his involvement. Which meant his future could change depending on how he spoke. He saw hope of safely escaping Tezever before the truth came to light.

“Seeing that you know nothing, His Majesty must not know either.”

Herman narrowed his eyes at Delmonsi’s suddenly changed attitude.

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you know that Her Majesty the Queen has a special ability?”

“Special ability…?”

With a triumphant smile, Delmonsi continued.

“Her Majesty the Queen possesses healing powers.”

And as Delmonsi’s explanation grew longer, Herman’s face became more distorted.

* * *

How much time had passed since the queen’s suicide attempt? The entire Richard Palace had become as sensitive as walking on thin ice. Because the king, Carlos, was always on edge worried about something happening to the queen, everyone remained tense.

Moreover, Ines grew weaker by the day, contrary to her previously shown will to recover her health. She barely touched her food.

Because of this, Carlos had ordered that food be put in Ines’s mouth by any means necessary, exhausting the maids every mealtime.

Today too, without fail, a maid brought a trolley of food and set the table before Ines.

“Your Majesty, I’ve prepared onion soup today. I heard you used to enjoy it when you were at the duke’s mansion.”

As expected, there was no response from Ines. The maid wondered how to get her to hold the spoon this time. Last time, she had managed to take a few spoonfuls only after the maid begged her to spare her life just once. But that wouldn’t work this time. As the maid was lost in thought.

“I want butternut squash soup instead of this.”

The maid lifted her head, startled by the sudden voice.

“Pardon? What did you just say?”

“…Bring me butternut squash soup instead.”

“B-butternut squash soup?”

The maid’s voice rose at her answer. This was understandable as it was the first time Ines had expressed wanting to eat something. Just moments ago, the maid had been worrying about how to feed her.

The maid was simply delighted by the queen’s changed attitude. She exclaimed in an excited voice.

“I-I’ll tell the chef to make butternut squash soup right away. Please wait just a moment!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid rushed out breathlessly. In her joy, she had forgotten the king’s order not to leave Ines alone. Once she felt the presence completely gone, Ines rose from her seat. Then she reached under the bed mattress and began searching for something.

After rummaging for a while, when she withdrew her hand, she was holding something ivory-colored with a sharp edge. Though not a knife, its pointed end looked quite dangerous. After examining it for a while, Ines murmured.

“This should be enough now.”

In fact, this was an ivory comb. Already, by Carlos’s order, everything that could be used for self-harm had been removed from her room. She couldn’t go out alone either. She could only go out with Carlos or with two knights he had hired.

She had considered jumping out the window, but that would have been meaningless from the start. Falling from the second floor would only break her legs and make it difficult to move. It wouldn’t be fatal at all.

This comb had caught her eye while she spent all day in her room thinking about how she could die.

Ines had secretly hidden the comb in her sleeve, fearing it might be taken away too. Then every time she went to the bathroom, she broke off pieces and gradually sharpened it. The weapon in her hand now was the result of almost a week’s worth of sharpening.

Ines ran her finger along the comb. When she pressed her index finger firmly against the sharpened end, red blood seeped out.

She had no intention of doing the stupid thing of cutting her wrist with this again. What fool would try the same failed method twice?

Instead…

After gripping and releasing the small weapon in her hand, Ines raised its sharp end toward her neck. If she just applied a little force now, the ivory would pierce her flesh.

When she applied slight pressure, she felt a stinging sensation. This would do. This comb turned weapon would now free her from this place. Her resolve to end her life had been firm since she first cut her wrist. If Carlos wouldn’t let her go, she had no choice but to escape this place by her own means.

Just as she thought this and was about to apply force.

“Why is the door open…”

Ines’s body flinched at the familiar voice. Her head turned instinctively. Her eyes met with a familiar face in mid-air.

A brief silence fell. Carlos’s face crumpled as he quietly observed the situation unfolding before his eyes.

“Ines!”

Before Ines could continue her next action, he quickly approached and swiftly knocked her hand away.

The ivory comb that had been touching her neck scratched her skin as it fell to the floor.

“Ugh…”

“What are you doing!”

Ines bit her lip at the thought that her plan had failed again. Carlos, passing by her, picked up the comb that had been thrown to the floor.

“Ha.”

He let out a hollow laugh seeing the sharpened weapon. It was a broken comb that had been carefully sharpened over quite some time. What thoughts had gone through her mind as she sharpened the blunt comb to make it sharp?

Just as Carlos, gritting his teeth, shifted his gaze to Ines, the maid who had gone to the kitchen returned.

“Your Majesty! The chef said he’ll make it and bring it soon…”

The maid who had entered with a bright voice sensed the strange atmosphere and looked nervously at both of them. Carlos, who had been glaring at the maid as if he could kill her, ordered.

“Get out!”

“Y-yes…!”

After the maid hurriedly left, only the two of them remained in the room. Breaking the heavy silence, Carlos held out the comb that had become a weapon to Ines and asked.

“Did you… want to die that badly?”

“…”

“Badly enough to do something like this?”

Ines answered with silence. The red blood flowing on her white skin was vivid.

Seeing this, Carlos realized.

If he left Ines like this, she would ultimately choose death, as evidenced today. Hadn’t he let his guard down for a moment and allowed the maid to leave?

Even if he warned them, she might be looking for another opportunity to die when they weren’t paying attention.

He felt suffocated. His heart ached as if someone had slashed it with a knife. His head grew hot at the thought that he might lose Ines like this.

He had knelt and begged, but she had no intention of forgiving him. She would probably make the same choice to abandon him even if he cried and pleaded. Ines wanted two things: death or divorce. He wasn’t in her future. At this uncomfortable truth, his grip tightened.

‘Divorce?’

Yes, but was there any guarantee that Ines would live well alone after divorce? What if she died where he couldn’t see her? What if she was asking for divorce just to die comfortably?

All sorts of ominous thoughts crossed his mind.

What could he do to keep Ines from dying? How could he make her change her mind?

As he pondered countless times, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

‘Then wouldn’t it work if I gave her a reason she couldn’t die?’

When his thoughts reached there, his face suddenly became calm. The strength in Carlos’s hand loosened. As a result, the tightly gripped comb fell to the floor with a thud.

Carlos staggered toward Ines.

“Ines, let’s start over.”

His half-dazed voice echoed in the room. His eyes lost focus as they stared at Ines.

“You’re like this because you have nothing to hold onto here now. Because you lost your child and mother… because you lost everything precious. So we just need to create something precious for you again.”

Ines’s brow, which hadn’t moved at all until now, suddenly furrowed. She stared at Carlos with an expression that seemed to say he was talking nonsense.

“What…?”

“Let’s make our child again. And start anew.”

With those final words, he began undoing his cuff buttons.

—

T/N: READING AND TRANSLATING THIS NOVEL IS TRAUMATIZING ME HOLY SHIT THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A TEXTBOOK GUIDE ON WHAT EXACTLY NOT TO LOOK FOR IN A MAN