Kays Translations

Chapter 95: ep.12 [The Queen and the King] ◆ ◆

　A few days since drinking Mai’s potion.

　Queen Aaliyah’s condition is improving at an astonishing rate. Her maid, Lindsay, repeats over and over, her eyes tearful, “Thank you very much. Thank you so much.”

“I’m so sorry for worrying you. Hey, Lindsey, there’s something I’ve been wondering about. I took two of the magic Department’s  potions and they didn’t work, right?　I think the people in the magic department must be  feeling down. I wonder if they know that I recovered with a potion made outside the castle.”

“I don’t know. Shall I check?”

“No. No, that’s okay. Anyway, I need to say a little thank you to  the magic department.”

　Lindsey was slow to reply, “Yes”. She was confused as to why she should be thanking the Magic department for making the ineffective potion, instead of the one who made the effective one.

“They are probably disheartened this time. I’m sure they must be feeling bad that it didn’t work on me. But you know, it is the people in the magic department who will continue to be of help to me, His Majesty, and the prince. The first people we should thank are the wizards at the castle.”

“I am deeply moved by the depth of your thoughts, Your Majesty.”

“You exaggerate. His Majesty will reward the wizard who made the third bottle of potion. But just to be sure, could you check with Roman about that?”

“Okay.”

　Queen Aaliyah says, “I would like to add a letter of thanks, but I think I should hold off on giving a handwritten letter until I’ve fully recovered.” Instead, she entrusted Lindsay to deliver wine made for the royal family to the Magic Department.

　After Lindsay left, she was left alone and quietly got up from the bed. Queen Aliyah walked slowly around the room, feeling along the walls. Her body was weak after spending more than ten days eating only soup and cooled boiled water.

“Little by little. Little by little. Maybe the reason the castle potion didn’t work was my lack of physical strength. I should have trained my body more regularly. Maybe it was a bad idea to think that since I gave birth to the prince, I had already done my part.”

　As Queen Aaliyah walked slowly along the wall, she heard the door open behind her. Since Lindsey was the only one allowed to enter this room unannounced at the moment, the queen called out to her without turning around.

“Thank you for the errand. I hope the members of the Magic Department were happy.”

“Lindsay hasn’t come back yet.”

　Hearing Eldor VIII’s voice, Queen Aaliyah turned around in a panic.

“Your Majesty! I apologize for my unsightly appearance… No, you must not enter this room! The illness is still in my body!”

“It’s all right.”

　With that, Eldor VIII strode towards the Queen and embraced the shocked and flustered Queen Aaliyah tightly.

“Your Majesty? What are you doing…”

“Aaliyah, it’s too soon to start exercising. You still need to lie down for a few more days.””

“I’m feeling much better now. But more importantly, Your Majesty, you’ll catch the disease! Please leave!”

“If I do, I will take a potion that will cure me. I have enough left for myself and the prince. I’m glad you’re on the mend. I’m …… If anything were to happen to you, I would…”

　Feeling a hint of tears lurking in his voice, the queen tried to look into his face. But the hand on the back of her head held her head down and wouldn’t let her look up.

　It was the first time since their marriage that she had seen the King like this, or been hugged so tightly.

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you. Even though you loved my brother, you had to marry me. Since becoming my wife, you have served me very well.”

　When the subject of her late ex-fiancée was brought up, she couldn’t help but want to find out the king’s true intentions.

“I was born and raised for it. It is only natural that I should support you, your Majesty.”

“Of course not. You never once showed any sadness or despair in front of me. When my brother died suddenly, you must have felt so lonely and sad. But you were always calm, kind, and treated me with compassion.”

　Why is he bringing this up now?? Queen Aaliyah felt uneasy.

“Your Majesty?”

“When I heard that you might be called by God, I was in a miserable panic. You still love him, my brother. I never told you that I loved you because of my reservations about you. When I heard that I might lose you, I regretted it very much. I was so foolish.”

“Your Majesty, ……”

“Aaliyah, thank you for staying …… instead of going to my brother.”

(Yes, but no, Your Majesty.)

　As her illness worsened, Queen Aaliyah, suffering from pain all over her body, thought, “I’m tired. If I die, that’s fine. I’ve fulfilled my duty. I have regrets about the prince, but I am willing to accept death if I can be with him.” But the next moment, another thought welled up in her mind. The image of the king, who had been her companion for many years, came to her mind.

　she wanted to see him before she left.

“I don’t mean to impugn your feelings for my brother. He passed away, and as time passed, he faded from everyone’s memories. I’m grateful that you continued to think of him that way. I loved him very much, too.”*

“That is… I assume the same is true for Your Majesty? Your Majesty also had someone you loved, no, you still have one, don’t you?　I heard that you were prepared to renounce your right to the throne and become a commoner for her sake.”

　Eldor VIII’s arms loosened and he looked into the queen’s face with a shocked expression.

“Who told you that?”

“I forget who it was. They pretended to sympathize and quietly poured poison into my ears. Such is a common practice of women.”

“So tell me who it was!”

“I really have forgotten. But all the women who told me about it did not know who your beloved was. May I sit down, Your Majesty?　I have become so weak that it is a little hard for me to stand for long periods of time.”

　The Queen continued speaking, even as Eldor VIII took her shoulders and sat her down on the bed.

“Our marriage began with each of us giving up on our loved ones. But Your Majesty was a good king, a good father, and a good husband. I am grateful and happy that you were concerned about me in my weakest moment. Your Majesty, there is something I must tell You.”

　Eldor VIII listened with a furrowed brow, wondering what Queen Aaliyah would have to say.

“You have misunderstood my feelings. You think that I am ‘a poor woman who had no choice but to marry, had no choice but to bear children, and had no choice but to serve as queen,’ don’t you?　You are wrong.”

　Queen Aaliyah smiled slightly at the silent King as she continued.

“I am… a strong woman who is capable of loving someone else again even after the death of my beloved. I have lived my life to this day, ashamed of myself for being such a shallow person. But when I realized that I would soon die, I wanted to meet your Majesty, and I wanted to die while looking at your face. I have… for a long time now… yearned for your majesty.”

　Eldor VIII was shocked, then closed his eyes. With his eyes still closed, he confessed in Queen Aliya’s ear.

“Me too, Aaliyah. The thought that you might disappear from this world felt like everything had gone dark.”

“Is this true?”

“It is true. I love you too.”

　Eldor VIII stroked the queen’s hair. After a moment of silence, Queen Aaliyah opened her mouth.

“It is only because I am alive that I’m able to hear those words. It is all thanks to that potion. Your Majesty, what reward will you give to the one who made the third potion?”

“That’s just it, she is not greedy. But I intend to repay the favor.”

“She? She’s a woman!”

“Please don’t tell this to Lindsay, but the wizard who created the potion is a young woman, and the owner of the diner.”

“wow. I thought it was an elderly male magician.”

“It was that same wizard who made the food you were so delighted to eat.”

“Oh, my!　really?”

(The cook whom I was about to reward but never got around to it, made the potion?)

“Your Majesty, please let me see the wizard. I would like to meet her and thank her in person.”

“I doubt it. She may not want to.”

“I see. They say wizards are difficult.”

　Eldor VIII shakes his head.

“She’s not picky. She just doesn’t seem to be interested in rewards, honors, accolades, or any of that. The same goes for her fiancé. He, too, doesn’t want his precious fiancée to stand out, you see. I’ve met the two of them, and her fiancé was so spoiled in his love for her that it was embarrassing to watch.”

“So she’s a happy, well-loved wizard. And still a young woman, unmarried.”

“Yes, she is. Anyway, give up once and for all with at least a letter of thanks. I will show my gratitude in some other way.”

“I feel bad, but I will do as Your Majesty says.”

　

“Thank you for understanding.We don’t want to bother her with our gratitude.”

　For the first time since their marriage, Queen Aaliyah leaned against the king. The feelings she had kept hidden had finally been fulfilled.

（When I think, “I no longer have to hide these feelings from His Majesty,” I feel like crying.)

“Aliyah, let’s live closer together from now on. You and I still have time to start over. So don’t cry so much.”

　That day, Eldor VIII spent a long time with the Queen, talking with her.

　Sometime later, when Eldor VIII told Henry, “I want to give Mai a reward. It could be a title or a territory,” Henry answered emotionlessly, “I’ll check with her.” Then, the next day, he said, “She said that she did not want anything in particular, and that she would only be grateful for your kindness. I too hope that she can continue to live quietly as she is now,” he replied curtly, making the king smile wryly.*

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