Two Swords and the Angel’s Feather - Chapter 4 - Sleepy Translations

“The Queen does not eat while looking at me. She always eats with his Majesties. Let’s see if any of you can say the same in front of His Majesties.”

Countess Bryson’s eyes rounded. She raised one hand and shouted sharply.

“You wench, who the hell do you think you are?”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

At the sound of a man’s voice from behind them, all of the women turned in that direction. A man dressed in a neat blue uniform with a sword at his waist walked a few steps towards them. His light brown, almost blond, hair was slightly tied back around the neck, and his blue eyes were calm but looking sharply at the women one by one.

“I’m afraid you might get into trouble if a royal guard sees you making a fuss in the palace. What do you think would happen if the Kings hear about this?”

The woman next to Countess Bryson asked:

“Who are you, and why are you interfering?”

Countess Bryson glared at the man with sharp eyes. The man bent down with a smile.

“River Pelbrook, the younger brother of the Duke of Madison.”

Women breathed sharply at the name: Duke Madison. The Duke of Madison was a close friend of the Wise King Ced, and also the aristocrat with the largest territory in Inchentia. The fact that he was still single attracted many aristocratic families, and whenever a party was held by the royal family, a lot of women threw themselves in front of him. But thus far, there had been no gossip that suggested he was interested in any particular woman.

Countess Bryson straightened her skirt and pressed down her attitude.

“We were not talking about anything special. We did not talk about the Queen either. She just came at me due to a misunderstanding. After all, I’m not the kind of person who lets myself be insulted and just stays still.”

“I’m sure you are. After all, are you not Countess Bryson, who is well-known for her sweetness and beauty? My brother often talks about you, Countess.”

The Countess’ eyes sparkled and attempted to say something, but River Pelbrook turned to Ellen and reached out his hand.

“I’ll hold the tray for you. You’re taking it to the Queen, aren’t you?”

“No thank you, this is my duty.”

River grinned brightly. He had a surprisingly amicable face.

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to take it than for you to drop it?”

Realizing that her hands were shaking uncontrollably, Ellen reluctantly handed the tray to him. He lifted the tray effortlessly, then bowed slightly to the women and moved on. Ellen, too, followed after him in haste.

Her hands trembled. It was the first time she had stood her ground in front of these women. Though it had been due to her rage at that moment, as she moved away, all the tension and fear seemed to wash over her collectively. Not only were her hands shaking but also her legs were shaking as well. As her breathing grew heavier, she tried her best to make as little sound as possible.

As soon as they turned the corner at the end of the corridor, out of sight from the women, River stopped his steps and looked at her.

“You did a good job earlier.”

Ellen blinked and looked at him.

“Me?”

“There aren’t many people in the Royal Palace who defend the Queen.”

Ellen bit her lips for a second and glanced at him.

“The Queen is a great person. She is a good person who has done nothing worth making her the subject of the aristocrats’ gossip.”

“It’s a relief that the Queen has a loyal lady of honor. There aren’t many people in this palace who are truly loyal.”

That was true. And she couldn’t understand why.

“It’s a political issue. The unprecedented rule of two Kings, moreover she is the only person that binds them together. People don’t like things they don’t understand. That’s why they make the Queen out to be a scapegoat.”

“I don’t understand things like politics.”

Ellen murmured softly. River looked towards her with a smile. For some reason, he felt glad that she was standing to his left.

“To be honest, neither do I. I’m really glad that my older brother is in charge of all the political issues.”

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