Lady To Queen Chapter 68

Chapter 68 – How Could You Do This To Me?

Patrizia first headed over to the Central Palace.

Lucio's expression turned troubled when he heard the announcement that she was going to visit. The news couldn't be missed by the Queen's ears, not unless she was deaf.

“Her Majesty the Empress is here,” a servant said.

“…Let her in.”

Patrizia quietly entered his room. She looked serene, but the sea before a storm was ever so tranquil. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. So this was how his past mistakes would catch up to him.

But were they really mistakes? Lucio thought about it. No, this is just the result from an intentional decision that I foolishly made, and it's come back to bite me. This can't be called a mistake.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes, Queen.”

“I've heard that there was a call for you to bring in a royal concubine. And from Princess Ephreney to boot.”

“That's right.”

“No, more than that,” Patrizia said with a bitter laugh, “I was accused of being infertile.”

“…They just want you to have a check-up, Queen.”

“Princess Ephreney is not an idiot.” Patrizia could not hold back the anger rising from inside her as she stepped towards Lucio. “Tell me, Your Majesty. There's something that I'm not aware of. Am I right?”

“…Queen.”

“Am I infertile?”

“How… how could you know…!” Patrizia's voice trembled. “How could you know about that? I've never been checked for that before in my enti— ah!” Instantly, Patrizia recalled the day when she was examined. The third test for the Queen candidates was…

“The physical exam.” A shadow crossed her face upon the realization. Lucio looked miserable as he closed his eyes.

“Hah, ahahaha!” Patrizia laughed as if she had gone insane. That's why… that's why you two…!

“Is that, is that why, Your Majesty? Is it?!”

With a voice laced with hysterical laughter, Patrizia shouted,

“IS THAT WHY YOU'VE MADE ME QUEEN?! BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN WHO CANNOT BEAR CHILDREN?”

Lucio couldn't reply. Everything Patrizia said was true. Taking his silence as an affirmation, she became utterly devastated.

“You…” she muttered without her even realizing it.

“How could you do this to me…”

It was a trite line to say, there were no other words better fitted for this moment.

“How could you be this cruel to me…?” she cried.

He ruined the life of a person, and even though a loved one of that person went back into the past, he brought upon her the same pain and suffering… There was no way that Patrizia could ever forgive this man standing right in front of her. It was impossible for her to do.

“I hate the version of me that harbored a shred of pity for you.”

“I loathe you, and I loathe myself. I genuinely want to kill Rosemond.”

For the first time, Patrizia laid her feelings bare in front of Lucio. They were words filled with a truth that was equal to the shock that she felt.

“How are you any different from Alisa?” she said despairingly.

“To me, you're no different from her. You've cast my life into the abyss, so why…”

“Why won't you say anything? If you have something to say, then say it. Whether you're sorry or you want forgiveness, if you have a mouth, then say it!”

“…I…do you think I have the right to say that?” Lucio murmured.

“…At least you're aware.” Patrizia spat out the last words of resentment towards him with tears streaming down her face. “You truly are the worst.”

“I pray that you will feel all—no, double the pain and suffering that I've felt.”

With those words, Patrizia spun around to storm out of the room—

BANG!

—and slammed the door shut. Lucio, now alone, lost all the strength in his legs and fell to the ground onto his knees, quietly sobbing for the woman that was no longer in front of him.

“Greetings to Her Majesty, the Queen.”

The next time Patrizia saw Rosemond was a week after Rosemond was officially bestowed the position of the Emperor's official royal concubine. She was thus given the title of Marchioness Ethylaire. Princess Vasi had already gotten married, so the only princess that could become a royal concubine was Rosemond. In other words, there was no other choice.

Patrizia put on an indifferent expression as she looked at Rosemond, now Marchioness Ethylaire.

“Your face looks well. I assume that His Majesty has been seeing you often these days?” Patrizia said in reply.

There were not many people who knew that the Emperor had not gone to Bain Palace after the fight on the terrace. Rosemond, in contrast, was fully aware that the Emperor had not come to see her.

Rosemond gritted her teeth, but she replied in an indifferent voice. “You also look well, Your Majesty.”

“Me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Rosemond gave a cool smile to Patrizia, keeping up the mask of formalities.

After Patrizia met with Lucio and gave him the ultimatum of 'If you want to further trash my dignity by having a royal concubine, then do as you please,' she did not give any other reactions. She did not do the fertility examination, nor did she raise any objections from the way the council voted.

Patrizia simply trudged along like a person who lost her will to live. Though she continued to do her paperwork and read books as she did before, the people around her couldn't help but think that she seemed much less spirited—almost empty. It was a significant change in demeanor that even Petronilla couldn't deny.

“Thanks to you, I've been passing my days comfortably and soundly,” Patrizia clipped sarcastically.

Rosemond didn't seem to care. “I, too, am passing my days comfortably and soundly thanks to you, Your Majesty.”

“That's good to hear,” Patrizia replied with a smile before continuing, “But from what I heard earlier, it's odd that you would feel that way.”

“Pardon me? What does you mean by…”

“I am referring to your birth parents,” Patrizia said, nonchalantly changing the topic. “Yesterday, I heard quite the horrendous rumor. Apparently, Baron Darrow's castle was destroyed by a large fire.”

“Of course, your current parents are the Ephreneys… but did the Darrows not bring you into this world? Because of that fire, I heard your birth parents were scorched to death.”

“I regret to say that they indeed did.”

“Yes, it is very regrettable. On top of that, the family that your older brother married into even went bankrupt. For someone holding a title of the nobility, it would have been quite the humiliating experience…”

As she said that, Patrizia moved past Rosemond, and just before she completely passed her, she whispered in her ear.

“To think you would stoop so low as to murder your own family, Rosemond. Do you not fear the wrath of the Heavens?”

“I don't know what you're talking about, Your Majesty.” Rosemond, in turn, whispered into Patrizia's ear with a smile on her face. “The only family I have are the Ephreneys and their sons.”

“…Alright. If that's what you insist.”

With those words, Patrizia resumed walking away, feeling Rosemond's glare at her back. Smiling, she said to herself some strange words.

“If that's the case, then why don't I try becoming the Heavens?”

“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”

When Patrizia returned to the Queen's Palace, Mirya was there to politely greet her. Patrizia gave a smile as if nothing was wrong, before walking over to sit at her desk and work on her paperwork. After a while, she turned to Mirya.

“Petronilla's late. Did something happen?”

“Lady Petronilla said that she had to go visit the marketplace, and told me to tell you that she will most likely be late.”

“Oh dear. It seems that I've been badgering her too much lately.”

Patrizia gave a soft laugh, and Mirya thought to herself that it was a little frightening to be around the Queen today. She had never felt this way before. Just like when Patrizia came back from the brink of death during the hunting competition, this feeling was…

“Mirya,” Patrizia called, bringing Mirya out of her thoughts.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she quickly replied.

“Do you know what 'stereen' is?”

“Stereen?” At Patrizia's question, Mirya tilted her head. This was the first time she heard of the term.

“What is it, Your Majesty?” she asked.

“It's… a very nice scent. I believe some countries in the East called it something different… In any case, it smells so nice that the people of the East often light it as incense.”

“Incense?”

“It's something similar to perfume. When you light incense, the scent is adsorbed onto your skin and makes you smell nice.” Patrizia let out a charming laugh. “I was inattentive. A new princess being 'born' into the kingdom is definitely something to celebrate. On top of that, she even received a higher class title. It's not an event that I should just idly stand by and watch.”

“I'm sorry…?”

Mirya looked at Patrizia in bewilderment, trying to understand what the sudden change in attitude meant while Patrizia simply smiled and gestured to Mirya to come closer. When she did, Patrizia took something off the shelf and gave it to Mirya. It was a small box.

“What…is this, Your Majesty?” Mirya asked, a strange look on her face.

“Burning incense is rather uncommon in the West, nor does it have much use. However, this is a perfume made from incense, so take this to Bain Palace.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

After carefully taking the outstretched box from Patrizia, Mirya left the room. Seeing her leave, a faint upturn of the lips was briefly seen on Patrizia's face before it disappeared. She then turned back to her paperwork as if such a thing didn't even happen.

Chapter end