The palace entrance buzzed with arriving Crown guests, their fine clothes catching the afternoon light as loud voices filled the stone walkway. They filtered inside in tight clusters, groups moving together in social formations. Among one such group, a woman moved with them but not quite with them. Her eyes drifted without focus, her gaze catching on nothing in particular as she sighed quietly for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon. The sound escaped her lips subconsciously, a soft exhale of exhaustion she couldn't quite suppress.
"Haha, Brother, looks like your wife is tired." A Crown man glanced over with an smirking smile. "Maybe she needs to rest? She doesn't seem interested in our conversation."
Before the words had even finished landing, her husband's hand was at her waist. His fingers found the soft skin just above her hip and pinched it hard, his fingers rattling her whole body. The pain shot through her like lightning, but he did it all with a smile fixed perfectly on his face, not a single crack in his pleasant expression.
"Ah…" She flinched, the sound escaping before she could stop it. She bowed her head quickly, arranging her face into acceptable expression. "Not at all. I was just thinking… why come when it's already over for Queen? Such a waste of everyone's time, isn't it?" She forced a light laugh, playing the part, she'd rehearsed for years.
The Crown men chuckled, already moving on to something else, already bored of her presence.
Her husband's hand stayed at her waist. His smile didn't really was smiling when he leaned close and spoke in a hush tone that only she could hear. "What is wrong with you? Can't you hold yourself together in front of them for FUCKING FIVE MINUTESSSSS?????" TSKK!! "Get that look off your face and stupid smile. You're making me look bad." The husband pinched her harder, twisting the skin until tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. He only released her once he could see her face smiling beautifully, perfectly arranged like a painted doll.
She nodded through the pain. That was all there was to do. That was all there had ever been to do.
Her hands pressed together in her lap, fingers tight against each other until the knuckles turned white. She arranged her expression carefully, molding it into a perfect beautiful facade. She talked with the other ladies, laughed at their jokes, played every note of the part she'd been playing for years. Each word came out smoothly from her mouth, each smile timed perfectly, each gesture was meant to please them.
.
The men and women eventually drifted into separate tables as the afternoon wore on, their conversations shallow and aimless, filled with gossip that meant nothing and compliments that rang hollow. The wife made a polite excuse, about needing fresh air. She slipped away from the gathering and walked until she reached the open courtyard where the main meeting was set to take place.
She found a bench at the edge, tucked away from the main flow of people, and sat down heavily. A long sigh escaped her lips as her eyes lifted to the sky, searching for something she couldn't name.
The afternoon sun pressed hot against her skin, making her feel a little more frustrated. But the wind off the ocean cut through it with a cool, salt-edged freshness that carried the scent of seaweed and distant storms. It brushed across her face gently, as if offering to wipe away her exhaustion, her pain, and the chaos swirling endlessly in her mind.
Pheewww.....
She let out a long, deflating breath and closed her eyes, letting the darkness behind her eyelids swallow everything for just a moment.
"What was I thinking?"
The question turned over quietly in her mind. "I shouldn't have thought about going to school. My children are the ones in school. What kind of woman even thinks something like that?" She could already hear the whispers, the cutting remarks disguised as concern. "What would they say if they heard? Their mother, sitting in a classroom with people half her age, trying to learn things she should have left behind years ago." Her chest tightened at the thought. "I'm an old woman. I should just live like one. I even made him angry…"
Her hand moved unconsciously, brushing against her waist where the skin still throbbed. Her fingers traced over the hidden truths she carried beneath her fine clothes, the bruises that no one else knew about, the marks that told a story she could never speak aloud.
She wanted peace of mind, just a few moments where her thoughts could sit still. But they wouldn't cooperate. They kept pulling at their own edges, unraveling into questions she had no answers for.
"But why did it feel so possible?" The confusion sat heavy in her chest. "Why did I raise my hand thinking Princess could somehow understand my feelings?" She shook her head slowly. "There is no way this city would accept an older woman studying with young kids. Sighhh..."
She looked down at the faint wrinkle in the fabric near her lap and pressed her lips together until they turned pale. "I always wanted to read. To learn things.Even when I was small, that was the one thing I wanted… just to learn." She swallowed hard. "Maybe I just forgot my own reality and raised my hand without thinking.....The children don't really need me anymore. Their lives run smoothly without me, maids and butlers handling everything I used to do. I just sit in that house collecting dust, a decorative piece that gives orders and waits for the day to end and get be… forget it."
She touched her waist again where it still stung from the pinch, the pain a familiar companion.
"Why are you like that?" she murmured to no one, her voice barely above the sound of the wind rustling through the courtyard. "I gave everything up and married you. EVERYTHING!!!! My parents, my dreams, my soul!" The words made her heart more wincer. "Yet all I got from you is pain and suffering! This is not the life you promised me! Can't you see that I don't like how you treat me? Sigghhh... What am I even saying?" She laughed bitterly at herself. "It has been so long that I forgot how we used to be in our younger days. Now we are just two random people in the same house who just act in front of everyone." Her voice dropped lower. "My kids don't talk to me even if I try to. They just nod at my words. Did I do something wrong? Or is it just how kids behave in their teenage years? Or maybe they are just scared?...." The possibility made her stomach turn. "I don't blame them. I just hope they don't hear much on those nights… sigghhh.. I am sorry kiddos, your mother is the worst mo…"
.
"KYAAA!"
She got startled, her head snapping up so fast her neck cracked. Her eyes searched for the source of the cry.
Not far from her, a young woman had been sitting alone on a bench with an open notebook in her lap. She'd been writing, working, minding her own business entirely. Now three tall, well-dressed men had closed in around her from all sides, forming a wall of bodies that blocked any easy exit. Their postures looked casual at first glance, but they stood extremely close for strangers, invading her space without permission.
"Sorry, sorry… did we frighten you?" One of them smiled pleasantly, his beautiful white teeth shining brightly. "We just saw a beautiful woman sitting alone and thought we'd come introduce ourselves. What's your name?"
"I'm working." The young woman's voice came out tight, stretched thin with tension. She shifted on the bench, looking for a gap between them, any space she could squeeze through. "Please leave me alone, Sirs."
"Oh, don't be like that." Another one stepped slightly closer, eliminating what little distance remained. His tone dripped with false friendliness that made the wife's skin crawl. "We're from top-tier houses. You should feel honored… we've never seen beauty quite like yours. Especially that hair…" He reached out, his hand moving toward the thick waves of her hair. She jerked away sharply, not letting a single strand be touched by them. The man smiled, completely unconcerned by her rejection. "You made my heart race. I'm serious! Here, feel my heartbeat." The man tried to grab her hand, reaching for it insistently. She pulled back, keeping her arms close to her body, giving them no chance to touch her.
The other men found it funny, their laughter ringing out as they continuously tried to get closer to her. She frowned with frustration building in her expression and spoke sharply.
"Don't Touch Me." Her voice dropped low, ice forming on every syllable. "I have a… my man is the only one who touches me. Back away or I'm calling the guards."
"Kekeke… this one has claws." The man's pleasant expression shifted dangerously that made her shiver, a predatory look hiding behind his smile. "It's okay, don't worry. I am sure your man is just a useless fool. Come with us! We will make sure you have a time of your LIFE! HEHEHEHE" All three men surrounded her completely, raising their hands together in perfect coordination, not giving her any space to move. As they all reached out to touch her at once, the woman looked desperately toward the walkway, searching for anyone who might help. She turned her head back when she heard someone shouting.
"STOP IT!"
The wife crossed the distance quickly, her feet carrying her forward before her mind could overthink it. She came close to them and spoke in a composed manner that cut through the afternoon air.
"Leave her alone." Her voice came out full and sharp, leaving no room for interpretation or argument. She placed herself squarely in the situation, positioning her body between the men and the young woman. Her eyes moved over each of the three men with the specific, cutting look of a woman who has spent years navigating Crown company and knows exactly which social pressure points to press. "Don't make me cause a scene. I will bring shame to your households right here in front of everyone." ..... "And you know I can do it!!! I don't really care about myself so BACK OFFFFFF!!!!!"
The men looked at her, they reassessed the situation with narrowed eyes, calculating the cost of pressing forward. When they saw her eyes filled with unwavering determination, they couldn't help but give up. They stepped back slowly, muttering excuses under their breath before turning and walking away with wounded pride trailing behind them.
The young woman collapsed against the bench, all the tension that had held her upright finally breaking like a snapped wire. A hard sigh escaped her as a slow, shaky breath drained from her body, leaving her hollow and heavy with exhaustion that went bone-deep.
The wife came and sat beside her immediately, placing a gentle hand on her back and rubbing it gently. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." The young woman bowed her head deeply, her hair falling forward to hide her face. "Thank you, Madam, for helping me."
"Good." The wife checked her over quickly with experienced eyes, scanning her arms, face, anything obvious for signs of harm. Then she sat back without any worry creasing her features. "You handled yourself well out there. Better than you think."
"I still have a long way to go." The young woman frowned to herself, frustration flickering across her face as she gently put her fingers inside her thick wavy hair, running them through the strands. "They were so tall. I hate tall men." She grumbled cutely, making angry noises that sounded more adorable than threatening.
The wife laughed for real this time the first time all afternoon, the sound bubbling up from her chest unexpectedly. "Funny, since quite a few women go completely mad for tall men."
"Really?" The young woman tilted her head, genuinely puzzled by this information. Then, quietly, with a small shy smile creeping across her lips, she spoke. "A little taller than me is fine. As long as I can hear his heartbeat when I hug him… that's enough for me."
The wife looked at her with warm, teasing eyes that crinkled at the corners. "So your boyfriend is just slightly taller than you?"
"He's not my boyfriend!!!!" The young woman's face flooded with multiple colors instantly, red blooming across her cheeks and spreading to the tips of her ears. Her hands flew up to cover her burning face. "He's my Boss. It just… it happened that way… that he became my Boss…"
"Your Boss?" The wife's eyebrows lifted with surprise. "You're in love with your boss? How old is he… is he married? I'm not judging a woman for loving an older man, but don't go breaking up a married home. That's a sin…"
"No no no, Madam!" The young woman shook her head rapidly, so fast her hair whipped around her shoulders. "He's the same age as me!! Or maybe some year older but he just… he became my boss, that's all!"
The wife laughed again, the sound coming easier now as she realized the misunderstanding. "Alright, alright. As long as he's your age and not married, I have no objections." She glanced around at the meeting area, taking in the growing crowd, then back at the girl. "So what are you actually doing out here alone? Truly working, or hiding from someone?"
"Of course I am working for this meeting!!!" HUMPH! The young woman pouted cutely, her lower lip pushing out as she lifted her notebook as proof. The pages were covered in neat, careful writing that flowed across the paper in organized rows. "I was reviewing notes and rearranging some things when those men showed up."
"Oh my." The wife leaned forward slightly, looking at the open pages with wide eyes that showed appreciation. "What beautiful handwriting. You must have studied quite seriously to end up working for Queen."
The young woman shook her head slowly. "It's true that I read a lot. That's really all I did for a long time." She touched the soft cloth of her long skirt gently, her fingers tracing the embroidered pattern. "But I never actually went to school." She paused, choosing her next words carefully. "I am not that smart to be working for Queen. I was just lucky that my Boss accepted me. That's why I'm here." Her smile bloomed beautifully when talking about her boss, lighting up her entire face with warmth.
The wife went quiet for a moment…
"I am sorry to hear that," she said softly, her voice carrying sympathy. "Something similar happened to me also. I studied on my own for a while. Then I was pushed into marriage quite early." She looked up at the sky, watching the afternoon light shift through the clouds. "I never got the chance to keep studying."
"Ah." The young woman looked at her with immediate, quiet understanding that needed no words. "My own marriage was arranged too. But my Boss came and took me away before it happened." She brought both hands up to cover her face, the warmth spreading visibly from her cheeks to her ears and down her neck. "KYAAA… it's so embarrassing when I think about it like that!"
The wife looked at her and smiled, watching her cute reaction with envy in her eyes.
What if someone had come for me too? The thought arrived without permission, sneaking into her mind through the cracks. Would I have looked like this? Would I have had this… a future full of possibilities?
She pushed the thought aside gently, burying it where all her other what-ifs lived, and smiled through the ache. "Your Boss has good timing. I'll give him that." She tilted her head. "You clearly love him. Does he love you back?"
The young woman brought her hands down from her face and thought about it for a moment. She didn't deflect the question or brush it aside. She actually considered it seriously, her expression turning thoughtful. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But I know he doesn't hate me." Her smile came back slowly as she played with her own hair, twirling a strand around her finger. "And for now, that's enough." She looked down at her beautiful attire, running her hand over the fabric, and smiled even more beautifully.
The wife frowned slightly seeing this, concern flickering across her features. She was about to say something when she heard...
"Are you okay?"
A man's voice came from behind her. She turned to look.
A young man stood there, dressed simply in clothes that didn't announce wealth or status. A loose blanket wrapped around his upper body in a way that made him seem older than his years, as if an old man's soul wore a young man's face. Beside him stood a tall, strong-looking woman whose presence took up space naturally without any effort, her build suggesting strength and capability to move in any position.
Is he…? The wife started to form a thought, but when she looked beside her, the young woman was already gone. The bench sat empty.
The young woman was already moving across the courtyard. She crossed the distance in a few quick steps and wrapped her arms around the young man in a warm soft hug, pressing her ear directly against his chest where his heart beat steady and strong. She went completely still, just listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. The tension that had been sitting in her shoulders since before the incident slowly dissolved, her whole body settling into his embrace like coming home.
The young man waited for a moment, letting her take what she needed. Then he raised his hand and rested it on top of her head. He patted her slowly with steady motion, giving her the time she needed to feel safe again. Then he cupped her face gently, tilted it up toward his, and looked her over carefully. His eyes scanned every detail of her expression, searching for signs of harm. He turned her slightly to check her properly, examining her from different angles.
"Nothing physical," he said it like a statement. "Did they say anything to you?"
"I'm fine, Boss." The young woman smiled up at him, her eyes crinkling. "Really I am fine. They didn't do anything."
"Good." He still looked slightly tense around the jaw, his concern not fully fading.
"Boss, she is fine. Just acting like a frail girl." The strong woman beside boss smirked at her with teasing affection.
BLEEHH!! The young woman just poked her tongue out cutely toward her in playful retaliation.
"Ah, Madam…" The young woman stepped back and turned quickly, gesturing toward the wife. "This Madam helped me. If she hadn't stepped in when she did, those men might have gotten rough."
Boss and the strong woman both turned to the wife at the same time, moving in perfect synchronization. They bowed together, a real bow that went low showing their sincerity, with the full weight of gratitude behind it.
"Thank you, Madam." Their voices blended together, low yet full of heart.
"It was nothing." She waved it off, shaking her head to ease the awkwardness settling on her shoulders. "She's a good girl. Take care of her in future." The wife felt uncomfortable with their gratitude and turned to leave, but...
"Madam!" Small fingers closed around her arm, holding on gently but insistently.
She looked back. The young woman was holding on with pleading eyes that sparkled with hope. "Come with us, pleaseeeeeee? I want to talk more with you! I feel like we could be good friends! Please come, just until the meeting starts! PLEASE PLEASE!!"
The wife looked at those bright, earnest eyes and couldn't find it in herself to refuse.
"Fine," she said, her resistance crumbling. "Just for a little while."
She let herself be pulled along, feeling lighter than she had in years.
.
The four of them walked together toward the main structure of Queen's palace, moving through the courtyard as a small group. The young woman chattered happily beside the wife, her voice animated as the grand structure rose ahead of them, its towers reaching toward the sky. The wife talked back, finding it easier than she expected to match the girl's energy. But part of her attention kept drifting to the young man walking ahead of them.
Who is he?
She watched how the palace staff moved around him with careful attention. Guards shifted aside without being asked, creating space for their group to pass through. Maids and butlers caught sight of him and bowed immediately, not out of habit or reflex but out of something that looked very much like real respect earned through actions.
He didn't dress like Crown. The fabric of his clothes spoke of comfort over status. He didn't carry himself like Crown either, none of that deliberate display of importance, no performance designed to remind everyone of his rank. The strong woman beside him didn't look Crown at all, her practical attire suggesting capability over decoration. And this young woman talking beside her about books, handwriting and embarrassing feelings clearly moved in a world that had nothing to do with the careful maneuvering of the upper houses.
"So, who is he?" the wife thought, watching him walk with calm ease as he talked warmly with everyone they passed, his words was not fake like hers, his smile was not fake like hers and his eye was not lifeless like hers......
She shook her head slowly, filing the question away for later, and let the young woman's voice carry her deeper into the palace.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
My eyes will go blind if I keep reading this stupid... I mean amazing novel!!
I thought I will go blind so I read some info on eye! here it comessss!!!
Common Myths vs Truths
Myth 1: Wearing glasses makes your eyes weaker.
Truth: Glasses or contact lenses do not weaken your eyes. They only help you see clearly. Not wearing them when needed can actually cause more strain.
Myth 2: Reading in dim light or sitting too close to TV damages eyes permanently.
Truth: It may cause temporary strain or headache, but it does not damage eyes forever. Good light is still better for comfort.
Myth 3: Eye exercises can completely remove the need for glasses.
Truth: Eye exercises cannot fix refractive errors like myopia or astigmatism. They may help with strain but not cure the power.
Myth 4: Carrots alone will give you perfect vision.
Truth: Carrots have Vitamin A, which is good for eyes, but eating only carrots will not fix weak eyesight. A balanced diet is important.
Myth 5: Vision loss is a must when you get old.
Truth: Many vision problems can be treated or slowed down with early care. Regular check-ups are very important.
More Useful Information & Tips
Get regular eye exams — Even if you see well, visit an eye doctor once a year (or as advised). Early detection saves vision.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule — Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This reduces screen strain.
Eat eye-friendly food — Include leafy greens (spinach), fish, citrus fruits, nuts, and colorful vegetables. They give vitamins and antioxidants.
Protect from sun and injury — Always wear sunglasses with UV protection. Use safety glasses for work or sports.
Quit smoking — Smoking increases risk of serious eye diseases.
Control health problems — Keep diabetes and blood pressure in check.
Sleep well and blink often — Good sleep and blinking keep eyes moist and fresh.
Wash hands — Keep hands clean before touching eyes or contact lenses.
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