CH 26

The kitchen was really busy. Since the match was just about to end, the banquet had to be prepared in a hurry.

However, Millicent was not much help. She burned the grilled pheasant meat, then gently sprinkled salt on it and burnt it again, so she got a lot of curses.

“You, get out!”

Mrs. Galbraith lost her patience.

“I don’t need you, no matter how busy the kitchen is!”

“Phew, then I’m just….”

Then Millicent, interpreting this to mean that she could have fun and play, turned around buoyantly.

“Where are you going!”

Mrs. Galbraith’s eyes widened like an angry hawk.

“You said you didn’t need me?”

“So you must be useful elsewhere!”

She quickly got a bucket of wine with ice. It was the cold drink Jadalin had been waiting for.

“Take this to the bleachers.”

Mrs. Galbraith clicked her tongue.

“Because it looks like there’s going to be a riot in this hot weather!”

Then she ferociously kicked Millicent out of the kitchen.

Indeed, as the finals approached, the stadium was abuzz with excitement. Frankly, the match looked like an excuse for an assortment of goods. Everyone seemed happy to have the opportunity to get drunk and sing and shout.

Jadalin was by far the first person to point out Millicent, who appeared with a bucket of wine.

“I thought my throat was going to fall out waiting.”

The queen drank three cups in succession.

“Why is there not a single person who listens to me when I tell them to bring me a glass of cold wine from earlier ——?”

Jadalin glanced at the ladies in waiting, who were sitting heavy on their bottoms.

“Your Majesty the Queen, I do not see where Lady Adriana has gone alone.”

Despite the stern stares, Elizabeth was busy worrying about something else entirely.

“The maids of the Beasley family are worried. Where is she and what’s she doing with her weak leg…?”

“You’re worrying about unnecessary things.”

Jadalin cut Elizabeth off and laughed.

“Lady Adriana’s leg seems to have healed by now, though.”

“Oh, yes!”

Jane hatefully chimed in.

“I saw her walking out normally earlier.”

“Really?”

Ophelia’s eyes widened, very surprised.

“How could you not have seen it if your eyes were normal, Lady Ophelia?”

Jane retorted, wondering if she thought she was pretending innocence.

“I think you also thought Lady Adriana has been pretending all along to catch His Majesty’s attention.”

Ophelia blushed with embarrassment.

“Naturally, everyone guessed as much. So far, His Majesty the King has even escorted the injured lady and has been especially kind to her.”

Jane snapped her fingers, trying to carry on her gossip.

“For now, let’s worry about where Lady Adriana is.”

But Elizabeth interrupted. Her gentle, uncharacteristically soft-spoken manner had normally drawn a lot of attention.

“Oh, of course, it is not right for a noble lady like Lady Adriana to wander outside alone without her attendants.”

Ophelia insisted in a more confident tone than before.

“A lady always needs a protector.”

She added solemnly.

“Because a woman walking around alone is an act that only commoners would do.”

“Isn’t that a bit old-fashioned?”

Unexpectedly, Jane made another abrupt objection.

“Oh, really! Why are you sitting here having this conversation when it’s such a fun day with a long-awaited match?”

“Leave Lady Adriana alone. Her insignificant pride must be hurt and she’s steaming somewhere alone.”

Jadalin waved her hand as she sorted out the situation.

“She’ll be back soon.”

With that one stubborn word, the interest in Adriana was over. Jadalin gulped down her wine, and the ladies in waiting were once again focused on the game.

Naturally, Millicent had no time to pay attention to where Adriana went alone. She was everywhere serving cold wine.

“The finals will be starting soon!”

The proclaimer announced as Millicent walked back and forth between the narrow bleachers, clutching the ice bucket.

“Who will really decide which knight will take on the great king Frederick?”

Only if the knight against that great Frederick was decided as soon as possible, would fate be easy.

“Millicent!”

Someone called her when she was exhausted distributing the wine and wondered if she should pour it over the audience.

It was during the powerful voice of the proclaimer that Frederick found her.

“Can I have a drink too?”

He had quickly vanquished his opponents and was still waiting for the final.

“I’m going to die of boredom first if I keep waiting. And the sun is hot.”

Frederick shrugged.

“Give Cardinal Mulally some wine, too.”

He nods his head toward Rubert, who was standing next to him. Millicent bent her knees and held out a glass.

“If you had been a knight instead of a priest, we would have enjoyed the game together.”

Frederick took a sip of his cold wine and said.

“If that had been the case, I would have fallen off my horse like the Marquis of Cadwall. Or, like poor Sir Clayton Warwick, I would not have been able to even touch Your Majesty’s armor.”

Rubert humbly replied.

“Yes, poor Clayton.”

Frederick laughed happily.

“He’s not ready to ride a horse as gallantly as his father, the Duke of Langlewood. He’s young.”

“Yes, he’s still a young boy.”

Rubert gently agreed.

“But the young sir doesn’t look like a man you could easily beat.”

Frederick swirled his glass and turned his attention to Rubert.

“What do you think?”

No, he aimed precisely at Millicent beyond Rubert.

“If I and Cardinal Mulally were to fight, who do you think would win?”

“I don’t know.”

Millicent answered in a roundabout way. She regretted that she only poured wine and did not quickly run away.

What a bad feeling. She even felt as if she had been put in a three-way face-off without the masses.

“How can you not know?”

Frederick smiled incomprehensibly.

“You said you loved me. Of course you should tell me I’m going to win.”

“Ah, yes…..”

Millicent was taken aback.

“Then I think Your Majesty will win.”

“I don’t feel your sincerity.”

Frederick wrinkled his brow.

Millicent clearly knew it was a joke, but she had to match the beat. That was the maid’s position.

“Your Majesty will surely win!”

Millicent waved her arms vigorously in the air, flattering him. Frederick burst out laughing at the awkwardness, and Rubert looked annoyed.

“What does Lord Mulally think?”

She didn’t know whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that the arrow fell away from her.

“Do you think this maid really loves me?”

Frederick suddenly added with a surprise.

“So much so that she was so wrapped up in jealousy that she even stalked me.”

“…… she has expressed her  infatuation for Your Majesty many times, yes.”

Poor Rubert did his best in the water where Millicent had spilled.

“Why not? Even the noble ladies of the court cannot help their adoration for Your Majesty. A foolish maid can’t help it anyway.”

“I heard that Millicent also adores Cardinal Mulally.”

“…What do you mean?”

Rubert asked back, distracted.

“She likes tall men.”

Rubert now gave Millicent an irritated look. He didn’t know what nonsense she had told the king, but now he had to pick up the pieces she had made.

“I still love you most of all, Your Majesty!”

Still, she had a conscience, so Millicent spat out anything she could.

“Because Your Majesty is the tallest. And even more so than Cardinal Mulally.”

Frederick laughed. It wasn’t just a smile. It was a bright, scattered laugh, like when Millicent said there were no handkerchiefs, only rags.

“Really, this is…the most fruitless conversation I’ve ever had.”

Eventually he stopped laughing and said.

“I wonder what your true intentions are, Millicent.”

But when the laughter disappeared, only a dangerous expression remained.

“What are you two really doing?”

Frederick’s mood changed dramatically. Not even an afterimage remained of his soft appearance, as he secretly ate dessert or petted a cat.

He was just terribly cold. Perhaps this was the King Frederick everyone feared. Surprisingly, Millicent stiffened.

She did not often feel threatened by others. After all, she had been hit by the kind of predator at the top of the food chain.

“An orphan girl who was picked up and raised by a butcher.”

Frederick whispered.

“But you are not in the relationship of the master’s son and his servant. Nor are you brother and sister who grew up together. A romantic relationship would be more likely….”

Bluish gray eyes blatantly scanned Rubert.

“Cardinal Mulally is like my protector.” (Millicent)

Even Rubert seemed completely stunned. He could not reply and only clenched his jaw.

“…But protect you from what?”

Frederick muttered curiously.

“I’m afraid, Your Majesty…..”

Finally Rubert finally spoke cautiously.

“Finally, we will begin the long awaited final!”

Fortunately, the proclaimer’s yell interrupted their tense conversation.

“The knight who will challenge the invincible king Frederick, the Protector of the Holy Kingdom of Kintland……”

Frederick chuckled, and put on his helmet.

“All right, Lord Mulally. You wouldn’t have been honest with me anyway, would you?”

At least Rubert was skilled enough not to make a face when Frederick’s words hit the target.

“It would be more interesting to find out for myself.”

Frederick stared at Millicent, even just before he lowered his visor to cover his face completely.

“Millicent, you have a lot to learn about me, too. Today I will be generous and tell you one fact about me.”

Frederick whispered.

“Your king hates it when you are protected by Rubert Mullally or favored by Clayton Warwick.”

The look in his eyes as he quickly climbed on top of his horse and looked down was mischievous. But at the same time, it was a gaze that could not be quickly concluded that it was not sincere.

“Because I’m very jealous.”

With only one word, like a gunpowder that would soon explode, he returned to the arena.