Chapter 34

Mary, who is also the wife of the Albert family, had no time to urge, and neither Mary nor Adi had the chance to ask for an explanation before they were quickly changed and found themselves brought in front of the carriage.

This forcefulness is truly worthy of the lady of the Albert family. The rumor that she swiftly approached the next head of the Albert family, disarmed him in an instant, and won alone while her numerous rivals checked each other, must have been true. When people heard the story of those days, they all said in unison, "That was magnificent."

Although she has been behaving as a good wife and mother since marrying into the Albert family, this forceful approach shows that she is still in her prime. Looking back and forth between such a mother and the carriage in front of her, Mary peered at her mother's face as if seeking permission.

"…Mother, I will come in my own carriage."

"Oh, what are you saying, Mary, we are in a hurry, get in quickly."

With that, she pushed Mary's back, and Mary, looking as if she had given up, got into the carriage.

She reluctantly sat down in the seat facing the direction of travel, which is the lower seat.

"Oh, Mary, why are you sitting there?"

"Mother, we are in a hurry. Let's just get going."

Mary urged her mother to hurry.

With no choice, Caryll also got into the carriage, looking puzzled, and sat in the seat where Mary should have been. Feeling a sense of discomfort at facing her daughter, she tilted her head, and her gentle waves of hair swayed softly.

Adi, of course, was the last to get into the carriage. He bowed once and said, "Excuse me," with an apologetic look, and sat down next to Caryll.

Caryll, looking as if she didn't understand what was happening, widened her eyes.

Mary and Adi couldn't possibly not know the proper seating arrangements.

But for some reason, their seats were reversed, and Mary looked as if it was the most natural thing in the world as she gazed out the window, enjoying the breeze. In contrast, Adi looked apologetic as he gazed out the window. The fact that Adi's face was pale and tense was also a mystery to Caryll.

What is going on here… As the carriage started moving, she looked at the two of them, and Mary, noticing her gaze, said, "Don't worry, Mother."

"Adi gets very motion sickness. He faints if he sits facing the opposite direction."

"Oh, is that so?"

"I'm very sorry, Lady! I know it's rude, but I just can't… I just can't sit on the other side…!"

Adi, looking as if it was painful even to imagine, bowed his head in apology and then slumped against the window. It seemed his motion sickness was quite severe.

While thinking that it was her duty as a mother to scold Adi and make Mary apologize for sitting in the lower seat, when Caryll looked at Mary, she was nonchalantly gazing out the window in the opposite direction.

"…If Mary is fine with it, I don't mind. Are you okay, my lady?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I could even read a dictionary without any problem."

"Her semicircular canals are protected by an alloy drill…"

"But the view is better from there. Adi, switch with me."

"I'm very sorry, I'll be quiet, so please spare me just this. I could even ride on the horse, or even the roof if you want…"

"I don't want a carriage with someone stuck to the roof. Look outside, it will make you more nauseous if you talk."

"…Yes…"

Mary, looking as if she was saying, "Really," and Caryll, looking at her and Adi in turn, widened her eyes. Understanding the situation, she narrowed her red eyes and smiled gently.

She had always been puzzled by the fact that her daughters always left several hours earlier than scheduled, yet arrived at the same time. When she asked where they had stopped, Mary always said, "I was enjoying the scenery," which was unlike her.

Moreover, she had always felt a sense of unease when Mary, who had an unusual interest in things, suddenly wanted her own carriage like other young ladies. Although she had said, "One carriage is enough," while looking at her peers boasting about their carriages, she always insisted on riding in her own carriage whenever she could.

And above all, the reason why she was unlike other young ladies was… Ah, so that's what it was, Caryll smiled to herself, but the two of them didn't notice.

When they finally arrived at the palace, it was in a state of utter chaos, with everything in disarray. The situation was so bad that no one came to greet the Albert family.

There were people who rarely showed their faces at the palace and even scholars. Although they were distinguished figures, it also meant that the situation was serious.

"…This is incredible."

"Well, the missing princess has been found, so this is to be expected."

The unprecedented chaos made Mary and Adi stand still. A maid ran past them in a hurry.

It was unthinkable that a maid would only bow slightly in front of the lady of the Albert family.

Despite the chaos, Caryll remained strong. She looked around, caught a nearby maid, asked her something, and then, taking Mary's hand, started walking.

"Mother, what are you doing? Even if there's something, why did you bring me along…"

"You're such a stubborn daughter, if your friend is in trouble, you should help her."

"Friend! Who is!?"

"Of course, it's Alicia. You don't have any other friends, do you?"

"Adi, remember this on the way back!"

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

Mary, as if taking out her frustration on Adi, roared at him. Adi, perhaps realizing he was losing the carriage battle, let out a scream. Caryll's "Hey, don't bully him!" was a motherly and yet unaristocratic remark, which was quite out of place.

With this unexpected liveliness and speed, they rushed through the chaotic palace.

In the current state of confusion, no one had the time to notice, and it seemed no one had even noticed Mary and the others.

Some were talking freely, others were irritated and muttering, and some were even yelling at the maids, asking when the king and queen would return.

But this chaos was understandable.

After mourning the loss of their first child, the king and queen had not had any more children. Although they had not lost their love for each other, they could not bring themselves to have another child after the shock of losing their beloved daughter.

Seeing this, the people around them gave up on having more children and began to scheme, hoping that they, as relatives, would take the throne. Some even tried to arrange a concubine for the king. Some even went so far as to suggest abolishing the monarchy.

While maintaining a facade of peace, the palace was a hotbed of individual desires. In the midst of this, Alicia appeared.

A daughter with legitimate royal blood. Especially since she was with the heir of the Dice family, some even saw this as a miracle and a good match.

Of course, not everyone was overjoyed, and there were certainly objections. For those who had been scheming for the throne, this was a bolt from the blue.

To make matters worse, the king and queen were still abroad on diplomatic missions, and the confusion increased without anyone to make a decisive move.

As time passed, the confusion only grew, and the situation became more and more difficult to resolve.

Everyone harbored various thoughts in their hearts and took advantage of the chaos to probe each other.

In the midst of this chaotic palace, there was a place where the tension was particularly high.

The room where the royal family, the prime minister, and other influential figures, especially Alicia, were gathered.

The conference room, with its heavy door and the guards standing on either side, exuded an oppressive atmosphere, even though nothing could be seen inside.

In front of this door, Mary and Adi were pale-faced.

"Mother… Could it be…"

"Lady, please be careful."

Despite their thoughts of "It can't be," they saw Caryll standing tall and firm in front of the door, and sweat trickled down their foreheads.

However, even as the lady of the Albert family, or perhaps because she was the lady of the Albert family, she must have sensed the heavy atmosphere emanating from the room.

Indeed, several nobles had been watching them from a distance, but none of them dared to come closer. They were curious about the meeting but feared being overwhelmed by the oppressive atmosphere if they entered.

Thinking about who was inside and how heavy the atmosphere must be, Mary's stomach tightened, and she hesitated to even touch the door.

"Mother, standing here won't end the meeting. Let's go have some tea somewhere."

"Yes, Lady. Standing here will make you tired. Why don't we borrow a room and rest?"

Mary and Adi, pleading desperately, but Caryll, still standing tall, did not even move a muscle and stared intently at the door…

Knock, knock,

She knocked on the door boldly, with her own fist.

"Mother!"

"Lady!"

"‘You've lost your mind!’"

Mary and Adi's foolish voices echoed down the red carpeted corridor.