NOVEL NEXT 9: The Queen After Childbirth
When Silva was wagging his tail, waiting for Rana to return…
The Kingdom of Giranga’s castle was wrapped in tension.
The queen, who had safely given birth to a healthy baby boy, had returned to the castle with the second prince.
And finally, she learned about Rana’s broken engagement, her marriage to Bistonia, and that the first prince had impregnated Rana’s sister.
The queen had raised Rana with utmost care as the future wife of the first prince and as a support role for the second prince when he ascended the throne. She believed Rana could handle diplomacy while the future queen was pregnant or raising children.
The queen had placed her trust in Rana, as the first prince was unreliable, and Rana had lived up to those expectations. Back then, the previous king was still alive, and Rana had been given more burdens than the second prince’s fiancée.
Rana, as the Food Saint, had supported the Kingdom of Giranga’s food supply, predicted beast outbreaks and disasters, and given opinions on the import and export of food alongside the Industrial Saint.
How much the Food Saint had contributed to the country.
The king and the prime minister had no idea about the loss the Kingdom of Giranga suffered when Rana left.
If it had been within a month of Rana’s marriage, they could have forcibly brought her back, claiming it was a mistake on their part.
But six months had already passed. The envoy left at the royal castle had either been bribed or obstructed by the king and the prime minister. They had deliberately kept this fact from reaching the queen’s ears.
The queen felt like she was losing her mind with anger. But she couldn’t leave things as they were.
Entrusted by the previous king to continue the royal bloodline, and for the sake of her son, the future king, she had to act. The queen, holding her throbbing head with anger and stress, pulled out the trump card she had kept for such a time.
“According to the will of the late king, I will act as regent until the second prince, Yuris, ascends to the throne, and King Nome will be dethroned.”
“What!”
The queen thrust a document at the king.
As Nome read through it, the blood drained from his face. He finally understood the foolishness of his actions.
The first incident had happened over twenty years ago when Nome impregnated his mistress.
The duke’s family had presented a condition to the then king. That condition was to grant the duke’s family the right to unilaterally dethrone Nome.
Normally, such a demand from a vassal would be considered disrespectful. But if the king couldn’t accept this condition, the duke’s family would break off the engagement, citing the royal family’s fault. If they lost the duke’s family, they would have no chance of finding another suitable match.
The lady whom the prince impregnated was from a low-status family, and the king had no other children besides Nome. It was too late to adopt a relative. They couldn’t afford to lose the capable duke’s daughter.
So the king had taught her what it meant to be a ruler and entrusted the future to Rana as well.
Several years had passed since the previous king’s death, but the will’s contents were absolute.
Moreover, the document the queen possessed bore not only the late king’s signature but also those of the key officials of the time. Some had passed away, but many were still alive. Showing this document left no escape for the king, the prime minister, and those involved in Rana’s marriage.
The queen had never wanted to use this paper.
Those who signed it had watched over the situation, hoping for the best without unnecessary interference. When she received the document, the queen had decided to use it only if Nome betrayed her again.
“As regent, I command you. Arrest those who have caused great harm to the country.”
The queen gave the order in a cold voice.
Reaching out to trusted individuals, starting with the former prime minister who had already retired. She sent letters requesting their support for the queen until the second prince ascends the throne and to help train the next generation.
She also needed to address the church, which had lost trust in the royal family due to Rana’s marriage. Even if they gathered reliable allies, the country would cease to function if they turned the Pharmaceutical Saint and the Industrial Saint into enemies.
These saints must continue to support the country not only during the queen’s regency but also after the second prince takes the throne. Before officially handing over the throne, they needed to train a new Food Saint.
Rana’s absence affected even the second prince’s fiancée.
Although they didn’t intend to take concubines, it might become necessary depending on her abilities.
Then there was the issue of the first prince, his wife, and their unborn child.
To prevent repeating the same mistakes, they had to be extra cautious in handling these matters.
There was an overwhelming amount of work to be done.
However, the queen was most worried about Rana.
She had chosen her as the first prince’s fiancée for her talents, but she had treated her as family. If the first prince had been more reliable, she would have made her the second prince’s fiancée.
She truly believed that Rana could be the next queen and her son’s wife.
Now, free from such entanglements, she was deeply concerned about whether hardworking, kind, and intelligent Rana was suffering.
The royal family of Bistonia had been in conflict for generations. She heard it started over a trivial matter. The previous king often fretted about finding a resolution.
However, the nobles’ deep-seated dislike of Beastmen only grew stronger each year, widening the rift. She couldn’t bear the thought of Rana, who was pushed into this chasm through marriage, being safe…
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” the queen whispered, tears of regret streaming down her cheeks as she sat on the throne.
Little did she know that Rana was living a better life than when she was in the Kingdom of Giranga.