Moonlight Ball - Chapter 84

Elena didn’t want Iris to come out of her bed but wanted her to still be attended to for bath and eat in her bed. She brought delicious desserts and scooped them in Iris’s mouth. As she was still fascinated by the desserts from far away countries that even while she was being depressed, her eyes widened as she ate them.

“I have a son. His name is Rodrick and he is twenty seven.”

Elena told her random stories.

“It’s not because I’m his mother, but he’s a good child. He’s fair and smart. He is working under foreign minister and it seems like they like his talent. He will become the Duke Sethang and he will become one of the people to lead this nation.”

“I, I see.”

“But sometimes I wonder, whether that child knows his fortune.”

Iris blinked. She didn’t understand what Elena meant. Elena continued her story-telling.

“There is no way of choosing one’s parents. That child is becoming Duke Sethang because he was born as a son between me and Clarence. Of course, it was Ruthna’s intention. But it is also certain that he was born with tremendous fortune. Every one of us has pockets full of fortune and misfortune, so we have to open them and deal with them as we live. Every light has a shadow and my child will also have to open his own pocket of misfortune someday,” Elena breathed a sigh before she continued.

“ It’s possible that he might not have parents as his shield. The title of Duke is like a double edged sword. He might be treated as a traitor and be killed or have to live his entire life locked in a tower. The more you have, the more you have to protect. Of course, it’s still better to have more than to have nothing. So in that sense, my child is a fortunate one. He will always have to be thankful of that fortune and live in fear of the misfortune that fortune will bring. Will a day come when he will understand all of this, Your Highness?”

Elena’s eyes softly drooped at the corners. She was revealing Iris her intimate thoughts. It was a sincere and deep conversation. Iris slowly answered as she was thinking.

“He is your child so he might have realized this already. Children grow up like they’re educated. I also…” Learned everything from my teacher, Iris barely swallowed her words. “I also learned lots from my parents.”

Elena smirked at Iris’s answer. Rosemary’s father was a mess. He was the worst parent in the palace. People said that Rosemary was like her father, though nowadays that wasn’t the case.

“I hope so.”

Elena said as she covered Iris with a blanket. She checked the room meticulously and then brushed her hair carefully with her fingers. It wasn’t something to do to a queen, but Iris accepted it like she was her mother. Elena whispered to Iris, who closed her eyes and was feeling the hand brushing.

“Fortune to misfortune, misfortune to fortune. In the end, they’re together like light and shadow, Your Highness.”

Iris was able to recover from her depressive state and resume her duties thanks to Elena’s consoling speech. Iris always considered her most fortunate moment to be when she met Elaine. At the time, Elaine was able to reach first as Iris was in Surah Rones. Elaine was researching something around the place at the time.

If she had to be born in Surah Rones to become Elaine’s student. If she had to go through all of that because of that. Iris would gladly go through again.

“I was thinking about hosting a dinner with all the ladies that helped with the treatment centre for your birthday. How would you like that?” Elena asked.

Iris momentarily stopped flipping the pages of the documents. Her heart thumped at Elena’s suggestion; nonetheless, she nodded her head.

“That’s fine.”

Elena also heard about Iris’s experience of being abused. She was enraged at the time. How could he abuse his own child because of his insecurity of being poor! She discovered the ugly history of Iris’ birth; she didn’t know where she should start being angry.

My Queen, to be sick because of these beast-like human, this servant is very angry. She was going to show how bitter life could be to Count Surah’s family.

Margaret In Surah, the unfortunate lady who would be the first to taste Elena’s poison, was trembling today as well.

“My god, what kind of crazy person did that?”

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t say her name in the end. But isn’t it amusing? To try to fit a dress using someone else’s name, and to yell that she’s noble out of nowhere. Ah, right.” The noble lady that was talking squinted, looked at where Margaret was and spoke, “I heard that her hands were rough from all the laundry?”

Everyone pretended they didn’t know while they chatted. Oh my, she must be crazy. No pride! I would’ve killed myself! Everyone spoke up as if they wanted everyone to hear and Margaret shook every time.