11. DILEMMA

“My lady! Lady Son is in the palace!” 

Lady Yoo turned sharply. “What?” 

“They said Lady Son got lost in the fields, but they found her at night already.” Arin huffed a sigh of relief. “Thank God… my lady, I thought you were really sending men to kill her!” 

However, Lady Yoo slammed her fist on the dressing table.

“M-My lady?” Arin took a step backwards.

Lady Yoo gritted her teeth. “I pay them with what they want and yet they don’t get their work done? How am I supposed to explain to father where his money went?” 

“Son Naeun…” She snarled. “Why does she get away with everything I do!”

I have been raised to sit on that throne, to stand beneath no one but the King. She thought. Her father said she cannot lose to anyone, and she will not. She cannot afford to lose. This is her life-long mission to complete, and she is almost there. Just a bit more, then she will watch South Korea fall into tatters on her golden throne. 

She will watch Son Naeun shred into pieces, just like how she ripped her canvas into pieces.

While Lady Yoo clenched her jaw, Arin took trembling steps down to the servant quarters, her teeth nibbled as she paced back and forth on the thick carpet. 

“Arin.” She followed the chief maid with her head lowered and lips sealed. Before she realised, she entered in a room that blinded her eyes — 

— with gold. 

Arin held her breath, but her heart stopped at the chief’s words.

“Your highness.” The chief maid curtsied. 

Immediately, Arin’s legs gave herself away as she dropped to the carpet. 

“Y-Your highness… I-I’m… I’m sorry!”

The Prince did not say a single word. He narrowed his eyes at the shivering maid who kept her head buried between her arms and the floor. 

“I’m sorry…” She muttered. 

“And why are you sorry?” The Prince challenged.

“I… I’m sorry your highness… on my lady’s behalf.”

The Prince waited for the maid to speak.

“My lady… I… I didn’t know she meant it!” Arin shivered. 

“S-She…” She bit her lip. “I didn’t know she actually sent killers for Lady Son!”

“I offer my sincerest apologies, your highness… please don’t punish my lady…” Her voice croaked, tears rise up to the brims of her eyes, as she knocked her head over and over again on the cold marble floors.

The Prince did not say a word. 

He clenched his fists, then left the maid on the floor, begging for forgiveness. 

…….

The moment of truth will arrive soon. 

The moment for victory. 

Count Yoo thought. 

It has been 10 years. 10 years of working undercover in the hearts of his enemy, and finally, he sees the light in his journey through long darkness. 

His real King, his real general, his real nation will tear South Korea into pieces, and make the country great under their own hands. 

And of course, his daughter will become Queen, and he, a duke. 

He has been waiting for this day to come. From the moment he turned to Alzamia, they have promised him a bright future for him and his daughter, unlike the arrogant monarch here, who has always favoured the Son’s rather than him. 

The Yoos worked diligently for the Lee’s for hundreds of years, yet they have never granted the Yoo’s their spot for Queens. His sister was first to be eliminated in the previous contest. His daughter would deserved more. 

He has raised his daughter to only be the Queen, or nothing. 

South Korea is unable to give that crown to his daughter, but Alzamia will.

He fought off the smirk on his face, as the chairs shuffled around him. 

He walked past the grand arch of French doors, twisted around corners and patios, until a certain silhouette stopped his tracks. 

Immediately, Count Yoo lowered to a bow. 

“Your highness.”

A part of the Prince’s handsome face was covered in the shadows.

“Count Yoo.” The Prince’s voice was icy. 

Count Yoo felt a sense of unease crept through him.

“How long have you been a council member?” 

“20 years, your highness.”

The Count dared to raise a glance into the Prince’s eyes, but it merely sent a chill down his spine. 

His smouldering steeled orbs pierced into the Count’s, as if he was aiming for the bull’s eye on his target. 

“It is indeed a long time.” The Prince nodded with a ghastly curl on his lips. 

“I hope I never have to question where your loyalties lie, Count Yoo.” 

……

The chamberlain cleared his throat. 

“The contestants that are eligible for the final round of the Queen’s contest are: 

Lady Son Naeun
Lady Jung Soojung
Lady Yoo Shi Ah

Congratulations, ladies.”

Naeun doesn’t really know if she should be relieved or disappointed. 

“Due to strict regulations, no rankings will be revealed at this point. 

I wish you all good luck, and…” He trailed off.

“May honor fall upon you.”

The words hung in the room like a curse, until the chamberlain bowed and exited with a click on the marble floor.

Besides from the field visit, the contestants did not undergo any extra tests. Naeun was sure the visit was a test itself already, although she wasn’t sure what were the criteria. She turned past Krystal, who kept an eagle stare on Lady Yoo, then landed her gaze on Seulgi. 

Before her departure, Seulgi sent Naeun a look of encouragement and mouthed words of gratitude. 

She felt a twinge of disappointment that Seulgi wasn’t able to enter the final rounds, though considering her background, her advancement was already extraordinary. Maybe after the contest, Naeun should meet her more often. 

Seulgi and her would make good friends outside the palace. 

……

Around the corners, madame Rino stood straight with a gentle smile. “Her royal highness offer her gratitude for your contribution to the contest.”

Seulgi bowed. “It is my honour to work for the Queen.”

Madame Rino’s words were firm and clear. “The Queen will repay you.” Seulgi opened , but madame Rino continued. “If your family is still in a difficult position, you are welcomed to stay in the palace. The Queen offers refuge for you until your situation gets better.”

Seulgi’s eyes widened as her knees dropped to a kneel.

“However, you must be positioned away from the contestants,” Madame Rino continued, “and you must not be in any contact with them until the winner is announced.”

“I understand, madame. Please send my sincerest gratitude to her royal highness and thank her caring heart, I will never forget her kindness.”

…… 

Surprisingly, Lady Yoo did not spare Naeun a single glance, as she exited the room gracefully. Krystal traced her silhouette as she narrowed her eyes.

Krystal has been weirdly attentive to Lady Yoo’s presence. A part of Naeun wondered if Yooa also pissed off Krystal.

Before she could ask, Krystal gave her a smile and stretched out her arms to link with Naeun’s. Naeun wasn’t sure if she wanted to enter the final rounds, but the one thing she was glad is that Krystal is in this with her. She would never want to face Yooa alone. 

They wandered out to the corridors, as Krystal asked, “Naeun, what are your plans after the contest?” 

Strangely, Krystal had a teasing look in her eyes. “You know, plans after you end up being Queen.”

Naeun forced a laugh. “Why do you think I’ll be chosen?” 

“The last time they announced the scores, you were just a point after me. Now that there’s the field test - whatever that was - plus a few extra points from…” Krystal winked, “the Prince himself,”

Naeun’s cheeks flushed scarlet as she wondered how Krystal knew about Taemin’s… well… affection… for her, until her heart stopped at the next sentence.

“I’m sure you would’ve overtaken Yooa by now.”

Krystal lowered to a teasing bow. “Our future Queen is here beneath my eyes.”

Naeun’s footsteps halted.

She paused to analyse her two other competitors. Firstly, Krystal never wanted to become the Queen, she herself voiced it out loud to Taemin. Naeun heard it for herself. Even if Krystal was planning to become the Queen, the council would’ve voiced their disapprovals of appointing an ex-soldier, and Krystal wouldn’t want to give up her soldier status anyways. 

Krystal was out of the question. 

Then there’s Lady Yoo. Of course, there’s still a chance for Yooa to keep her place at the top of the list, but if Naeun remembered correctly, the last time they announced the scores, she was only 10 points behind Yooa. Knowing the huge amount of points available for each test, it is highly possible that the battle for the crown is now between her and Yooa. 

Naeun might become a Queen. 

She let that thought sink through her for a moment, as she cursed herself inwardly. 

Before, she was trying to keep herself from being eliminated. Who knew that it got her closer to winning the contest instead? 

She should’ve been more careful. She should’ve made more mistakes, deliberately tripped a few more times, drew uglier paintings, she shouldn’t have just focused on her own nightmares, she should’ve focused on leaving the contest peacefully instead. 

“N-Naeun?” Krystal waved a hand in front of her. “You okay?”

But… does she want to be Queen? 

Now that her nightmare has been solved, her future felt… empty. 

For such a long time, her life has been revolved about the nightmares - finding distractions, finding a cure, then finding the truth to it… 

What about now? 

If she had no nightmares to solve, to scream and cry over… what would she do? 

She supposed she thought of living in the valleys, sitting on grass and painting all day with buckets of paint by her side. 

But somehow… this felt… hollow. Maybe the way that she will be sitting alone in the meadows, or maybe that she might be married off to another lord, or count’s son - someone she doesn’t love, someone who doesn’t give her as much warmth as Taemin…

Wait. Why is the Prince back in her mind? She felt her cheeks flare back into heat.

No, no. Just because he saved her when she was young, that doesn’t mean anything. 

Yes, that doesn’t mean anything. She told herself. 

Anyhow, Naeun is still set on not being Queen. She is satisfied with being a lady, and just a lady. If Yooa wants the crown, then Naeun would gladly let her take it. Although she would be quite worried for the country, since Yooa clearly isn’t a kind Queen, but Naeun was sure she would rather hand Yooa the crown with both hands than wearing it herself. 

Bearing a crown’s weight is too much on her. 

Her nightmares have just been solved, and she has just been enjoying her peaceful sleep. 

She doesn’t need another heavy burden on her shoulders, especially not the weight of a country on her shoulders. 

Krystal was still waving her hands at Naeun. “Hello? Are you still here?”

Naeun broke to a chuckle, and patted down her hands. 

“What are your plans, miss?”

Naeun forced down the emptiness in her heart and laughed dryly. “Well, I suppose I would be living at the edges of the capitol, maybe bringing a couple of paint buckets with me and enjoying the view of blue skies and meadows and valleys.” 

Krystal widened her eyes. “W-Wait… what?”

opened then closed, before forcing words out . Geez, she thought