Chapter 11

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 11

Chapter Title: Lily Palace's Cherished Headache (3)

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(11) Lily Palace's Cherished Headache (3)

The backlash was greater than expected, so Adrian pulled back and spoke.

"I'm not saying kick her out right this instant. I'm saying we let her recover her health, find a way to make a living, and then send her off. We can't keep her here forever."

"That's the same damn thing! Where does a princess like her have to go? What living could she make? If word gets to that madman Lucas, he'll hunt her down and kill her no matter what. Hell, if he just kills her, that'd be a mercy. He'll sell her back into slavery instead. Does anyone here not know the fate awaiting her if she stays? Are you all really that clueless?"

By now, the knight captains had pushed their chairs back far enough that they no longer touched the table. Amid all this, Kirshan, who had been silently standing by Floyd's side, finally spoke up.

"My lord."

"What!"

"I hope my hair doesn't get any shorter than it is now."

Floyd whipped around at those words and saw the ends of Kirshan's hair curling and smoldering. Muttering curses under his breath, he shot to his feet. His piercing gaze swept over the knight captains before he spoke.

"You pathetic lot."

No one dared stop Floyd as he stormed out in a rage. In this situation, even a barrier wouldn't save them from getting burned by those flames.

The air in the office still simmered with heat.

As Arsen got up to open a window, Adrian muttered.

"We still have the water supply issue to discuss, but now what?"

Hexston crossed his legs and chided him.

"You should've known better than to push it. Now I'm lumped in as one of the pathetic ones too, thanks to you."

"What's so pathetic about it? Did I say something wrong? That woman's going to put Torkan in danger."

"Even so, she's a pitiful woman who lost her country and her family. If we shove a bit of money in her hands and chase her out like the lord said, Lucas will come hunting for her. You all know that."

"......"

"And yet you're all set to mercilessly boot her out, so of course the lord's furious."

Arsen furrowed his brow.

"Hexston, you're just criticizing us—do you have a better idea?"

Hexston had nothing to say to that. He pitied Roxiana, but he couldn't exactly fault the knight captains' stance.

But Hexston had a wife and family, so he could imagine the grief and despair of someone who had lost theirs in an instant. Even if it meant a little danger to Torkan, turning out that poor princess like this sat wrong with his conscience.

But how could he make these family-less men understand that feeling? He stayed silent, and Adrian smirked.

"See? Even you have nothing. We can't risk the whole nation for one woman. No matter how pitiful she is, we have to think of the greater good. Besides, bluntly speaking, did Kanta Kingdom ever have any ties with our Torkan? We've never even traded with them—it's ridiculous to take risks helping them."

Arsen nodded quietly, while Kain continued his staring contest with the wall. Adrian spoke coldly.

"The capital's water problems will give us headaches soon enough. We can't afford to add another mouth that demands luxuries in a situation like that."

Floyd was in no mood to focus on work, so he handed off all his duties and headed to his bedroom.

If asked to name the most austere spot in this grand ducal palace, it would be His Highness the Latan Grand Duke's bedroom.

Most palace masters' bedrooms were decked out with the finest luxuries, but Floyd's held only a steel bed and a single sofa, stark and alone.

Ever since the incident that earned him the moniker "cursed one," he had rarely slept in a soft bed. His unique constitution ran wild even in sleep, incinerating everything around him.

It was the same now.

Ever since his conversation with Roxiana, a hard lump had formed in his chest. Like it was trying to burn away that inexplicable mass, frenzied flames surged, spasmed, and flared out of control.

"Damn it."

Ignoring the sparks flying from his body, Floyd headed to the window.

From his bedroom, he had a view overlooking Lily Palace.

It had been built in plain sight to monitor the movements of visiting dignitaries. Most came seeking alliance with Floyd, but some hid daggers beneath their smiles.

Otherwise, Floyd never bothered looking down at Lily Palace.

But now, he glared at its bedroom window for a different reason. It felt like it might fly open any second, with Roxiana leaping out.

'Go ahead, try jumping.'

Roxiana had begged him not to allow the Adelia Flower. If she died like this, Floyd planned to heap them on her corpse. So her soul could return to God's embrace and find peace, no matter how it struggled.

Recalling Roxiana kneeling in slave's pose before him made his gut boil. He didn't like seeing lips that had barely survived now mumbling about death.

He wasn't incapable of understanding her death wish.

'Yeah, they were kind people. Good parents, good siblings. Unlike me.'

Floyd had never had a good family, but he'd witnessed the grief of those who lost theirs many times. People struck by sudden accidents or war plunged into deep despair, longing to follow their loved ones into death.

But in the end, they all survived. They lived well. They laughed, found new happiness.

All of that was only possible while alive.

'I'm alive too. I clawed my way up from that despair, and here I am.'

For the first time in ages, a horrific memory resurfaced.

His mother, engulfed in flames before his eyes, screaming in agony. Even then, she had pulled him into her arms to save him.

In that embrace, Floyd had wanted both to die and to live. When he saw her charred corpse beyond recognition, he just wanted to live. To survive somehow and avenge her on those who did this.

He had come this far on that resolve alone.

So you should too, Roxiana. Don't let your saucy witch act end in death—make it revenge. Live to bring the hammer down on the one who destroyed you and your family. That's only right.

"My lord."

Kirshan's voice came from a short distance away—he must have slipped in unnoticed.

"Cool your temper a bit."

"Here to nag?"

"Why are you so angry?"

"Do I look like I'm not? I go to the trouble of saving a pitiful princess, my subordinates want to chase her out, and she wants to die. Should I raise a toast and sing about it?"

"My lord, we're just worried about Torkan's safety. If you order us to protect Kanta's princess, we'll obey without question. But it's only natural to worry about the fallout."

Floyd laughed coldly.

"Don't worry. Fortunately for you all, the princess wants to die. She's already suicidal, and now a heap of you want her gone too—won't be long before she bites her tongue, right? When that day comes, we'll throw a party. I'll even give the toast."

Floyd mimed raising a glass.

"Oh, my compassionate and brave knights, trembling in fear at the storm one pitiful woman might stir."

Floyd had a habit of sarcasm when his anger peaked. Kirshan stepped back further, unsure when flames might erupt.

The clever Kirshan suspected his lord's fury stemmed less from them and more from Roxiana's attitude.

"My lord, Kanta's princess needs time."

"Time."

"She's lost her family, been dragged around as a slave without a moment to grieve properly. Of course she's not in her right mind."

"Does that make wanting to die okay? Death solves nothing."

"When steeped in loss, no one thinks about solutions. Not everyone's as strong as you, my lord. Give the princess time to collect herself."

Several skilled cooks from the grand ducal palace had been assigned to Lily Palace.

Under normal circumstances, serving in the kitchen for honored guests at Lily Palace would be a great honor, but not this time. Word had spread among the cooks that the occupant was a princess from a fallen kingdom, branded as a slave.

The cooks grumbled at using precious ingredients for a slave's gourmet meals, but they couldn't defy the Grand Duke's orders. They prepared their best dishes with care and sent them up.

But on the fourth day those dishes came back untouched, the cooks erupted.

"What the hell? What's wrong that she won't take even a single bite?"

They'd tried fresh vegetables and seafood stir-fried, fried, grilled. Suspecting she hated fishy smells, they used premium meats. Thinking chewing might be the issue, they made soups with fresh milk and creams.

But Roxiana touched none of it, and the painstakingly crafted dishes returned to become the servants' meals.

The cooks cared less about Roxiana's total refusal to eat and more about their wounded pride.

"What incredible food did she eat as Kanta's princess that she won't touch ours?"

"Were Kanta's cooks that amazing?"

"Even if our food doesn't suit her, she's in no position to be picky now. Why can't she let go of past glories?"

As the senior cooks vented their frustration, apprentice cook Jackie rolled his eyes and reached for the returned food. Thanks to Roxiana sending it back lately, he'd been feasting on delicacies and was nothing but grateful.

A senior cook saw Jackie grinning as he piled cheese and ham on soft bread and smacked the back of his head.

"Ugh, you shameless brat."

Jackie grinned around a mouthful of bread.

"Why? This is great. Eating like this to our hearts' content. I'm glad the princess is in Lily Palace."

"Princess, my ass. She's no princess anymore."

"Once a princess, always a princess. Petria says she's stunningly beautiful. Hair all floaty like a fairy's. Ah, I wanna see her myself."

The cooks tsked at the immature Jackie and rolled up their sleeves.

"Fairy or whatever, if she doesn't eat this batch, we all quit. I won't cook for this kind of treatment."