Unloved! The words instantly brought to mind the fact that Jessica had once been betrothed to Waldo.
Her voice was hoarse, but she remained kneeling upright, her gaze toward the King steady and unflinching.
“Though my bond with Prince Waldo has come to an end, we once knew each other. I only ask that, from now on, Prince Waldo and Miss Mcbride…no longer cause me harm,” Jessica said.
She lowered her head, and two tears slid down her cheeks. The scene was both tragic and poignant, a heartbreaking image that stirred sympathy in anyone who witnessed it.
“Jessica, please get up.” The Queen, who had been watching with amusement, was now genuinely angry.
She thought, ‘A man’s heart is always so cold. It’s the new love that brings joy, while who ever hears the old love cry? Jessica’s suffering is no different from my own.‘
The king’s harem was ever–growing, and he spent his nights celebrating with those young women. She wondered, ‘Who could understand how I endured those lonely nights in the inner chambers?‘
“Very well, then!” The Queen glared at Priscilla, her fists clenched tightly in rage. “You and Prince Waldo are in love, is that so? Very well!”
“Mother, Priscilla just spoke impulsively. She didn’t mean it…”
“To satisfy your own selfish desires, you resort to such humiliating tactics to hurt another woman? Priscilla, you’re wild and uncontrollable. How dare someone like you behave so recklessly in the Novigrad royal family? Guards! Take her away, and after fifty lashes, throw her out of the palace!”
“Mother…” Waldo’s face was filled with concern.
He thought, ‘Priscilla has only just recovered from a beating; could she survive another fifty lashes?‘
“Mother, Priscilla is still young, she doesn’t understand…”
“When I was her age, I was already married to your father!” she said, thinking, ‘Sixteen years old and still a child? Ridiculous!‘
“Guards! Take her away!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Two guards stepped forward to drag Priscilla away.
At that moment, Priscilla truly feared for her life. She wasn’t unfamiliar with punishment, but now, though she wanted to beg for mercy, her pride wouldn’t let her.
She thought, ‘How could I plead for forgiveness in front of so many people? If I did, what would I become in their eyes?‘
“Waldo!” She could only glare at Waldo, her voice seething with anger.
Waldo was torn between pity and frustration.
She never learned, time and again, and now he didn’t even know how to resolve the situation.
After a brief hesitation, Priscilla was dragged away.
Waldo felt an overwhelming ache in his chest. He wanted to speak, but Consort Adele gently pressed her hand on his shoulder.
Consort Adele, too, was deeply uneasy, her heart burning with suppressed anger.
1/2
16:18 Inu, 29 May
Chapter 37
She had never expected that by inviting Priscilla to the banquet, Jessica’s goal was to create exactly this situation.
She thought, ‘How has she managed to provoke Priscilla into such an outburst, all while maintaining such an innocent demeanor? Everything has been executed flawlessly. This girl, barely seventeen, has a mind as sharp and calculating as any adult!‘
Consort Adele just wanted this to end quickly.
She hurriedly went to Jessica and tried to help her up. “Jessica, you’ve suffered. But tonight is meant to celebrate Prince Leon’s victory. We women shouldn’t interfere with the king’s business. Come, Jessica, let me help you to your seat so you can rest,”
But to her surprise, Jessica remained bowing, unyielding, and Consort Adele couldn’t move her.
Consort Adele’s expression hardened, and her voice grew more forceful. “Jessica, the Queen has already dealt with Priscilla. If you stay like this, you’re being willful!”
Jessica, however, fixed her gaze on the Queen, her expression resolute. “I humbly ask Your Majesty to have a maid verify my innocence. I have been raised with the utmost discipline, studying the classics from a young age, and receiving the strictest training in the Yates family. I hold the reputation of the Yates family above my own life! My personal honor may not matter, but I will not allow anyone to maliciously tarnish the honor of the Yates family!”
AB
