The Forest Where the Wolf Sleeps - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

With an extravagant dinner and lots of food, Chesney only had a few small bites of salad before she stopped eating. She thought she was going to puke thanks to the Emperor of Belcansus, who sat across from her, and Duke Atelian, who poured out words to him that only fell on unresponsive ears.

“And Mrs. Winsol.”

“It’s Lord Winsol, sir.” Cerulian corrected Duke Atelian’s words. Bobbi then poked Cerulian in the ribs with an elbow and smiled.

“Unlike Sepion, in Belcansus, women can lead families, too. I am leading the Winsol family.” Said Bobbi who was also a woman.

Chesney glimpsed at Bobbi, who swept back her soft, long light brown hair, and felt envious. At first glance, Bobbi was elegant and, on top of that, talented. While spending time together in the living room before eating, Chesney had gotten to know how talented she was.

Six people gathered in the mansion’s most luxurious living room: Among the duke, the duchess, Chesney, and the processions from Belcansus–White, Bobbi, and Cerulian– there were six people. From a very uncomfortable position, Chesney studied the three Belcansus people with timid eyes.

White Primera Belcansus, who would soon become her husband, didn’t speak a word to his future wife, as if treating the marriage as political matrimony rather than one out of love. To break the silence, Bobbi approached Chesney gently and greeted her, announcing that she was one of the leaders of Belcansus, alongside White and Cerulian.

It was a very polite greeting that made Chesney’s tiny frame shudder even more, because if she had to choose a new appearance, she would choose to look exactly like Bobbi Winsol. In front of the spacious table, Chesney crouched down in a big chair, nibbling on some salad.

If White could count a little, he could calculate that Bobbi, who could lead a good family, was more suitable as the empress than the less privileged illegitimate child of a duke. Why did the royal family of Belcansus accept this marriage? The kale in Chesney’s mouth felt like stiff paper. And she could also feel that the high heels which she’d been forced to wear were too tight around her ankles.

As soon as the dreadful dinner ended, the three people from Becansus left the dining room. Duke Atelian too, after wiping sauce from his mustache with a napkin, returned to the bedroom.

“She said women can lead a family too?”

Prince Euclis, with disbelief painted all over his face, stuck his tongue out. But Chesney, Duchess Atelian, and even Princess Uriel all knew why: Euclis didn’t like Bobbi because he had been coldly rejected earlier while flirting with her in the living room.

“She calls herself Lord Winsol in a wild empire that doesn’t have a system of ranking. Pitiful. A perfect place for molded cheese to rot. Cold, brutal, barbaric Belcansus.”

The fancy double doors opened and closed within seconds. When Euclis left, Uriel began to whine, clinging to the arm of Duchess Atelian who was standing up.

“Why is that hag marrying such a handsome emperor? Nullify this marriage. I want to go instead. I will marry him, a real princess, instead of that fake princess. How about it, eh? Mama.”

Uriel, who had refused to become a barbarian bride at first, had changed her mind the moment she saw Emperor White’s flawless face. She was always like that. That girl, she was the last person Chesney would ever want to become.

“You don’t even like the cold, Uriel.”

The duchess, who listened to whatever Uriel asked, could not overturn such a grave marriage. That was certain. Because it was a marriage to establish diplomatic relations for Belcansus, the biggest empire in Finn, and Sepion, the biggest empire in Euron.

“Even the islands between Sepion and Belcansus are all possessions of Belcansus. I can live there!” Uriel nagged.

“Baby girl, you can’t stop a wedding that’s already in progress.”

“Where does it say that a real princess cannot replace a fake one!?”

“Hush. Lower your voice, dear.”

Chesney, who eavesdropped on their conversation, had a bad premonition about this. She only hoped that the premonition was wrong.

“In Belcansus, no one knows that Chesney is an illegitimate child.”

“What? Mama, then what’s going to happen if the truth gets out?”

“Nothing good will come out of that. At least it won’t end even if she is chased out of there.”

Their voices heard through the opened door were faint, but Chesney could clearly hear the bad premonition hit the mark.

* * *

The duke’s mansion’s backyard was famous for its natural beauty. It was full of bright roses, and the gardeners who managed the space well were noble and dignified.

This beautiful space was the venue for the wedding of Emperor White and Princess Chesney today. Each of the neat, elegant wooden chairs was seated by important figures from the continent of Euron. Not only the pope, but also the emperor, empress, and crown prince of the Sepion Empire were seated. The guests had something in common besides being public figures with enormous wealth: They were all wandering around the venue with their necks poked out, admiring the decorations and foliage, unable to suppress their curiosities.

But they were even more curious on how the wedding between a princess and a barbarian king would proceed. Everyone was looking forward to the union.