Chapter 85: Lonely Dorothy

Within the quiet corridors of the royal castle, Dorothy walked silently, tightly hugging a thick book she had just borrowed from the grand library against her chest.

She made her way slowly toward the same open courtyard where she always sought refuge. It was the only place outside her private quarters where she could sit surrounded by nature and peace, far away from the suffocating, politically charged ambiance of the castle halls.

Of course, the inner courtyard was still technically part of the royal grounds, but it was out in the open air. It was superior to remaining inside, where she inevitably crossed paths with arrogant nobles who never forgot to cast sharp, disdainful glares at her, exactly the sort of treatment one expected against the daughter of a minor noble from Radhamantia while standing in the Capital of Helios.

She walked until she reached her usual spot, taking a seat on a familiar stone bench.

Resting the book on her lap, she opened it out of habit. Yet, her dark amethyst eyes simply stared blankly at the pages, not even attempting to read a single word. Her expression was saddened and dejected.

Ever since her last disastrous interaction with Lumiel, she had been trapped in this miserable state, depressed, lost, and constantly on the verge of tears.

She hated herself for how she had reacted toward him that day. She had been so visibly scared. It had not been intentional; she simply hadn’t possessed the strength to fake her composure. She had convinced herself that she would be fine, that she could maintain a calm facade, but in the end, she had failed completely.

And Lumiel was far too sharp. He was too intelligent at reading people’s true expressions to let her sudden fear slide. Worse still, he was far too straightforward, immediately voicing exactly what he had deduced.

When he looked at her and spoke his mind, Dorothy could not forget the chilling way his expression had shifted. It had been almost terrifying to witness. In that fleeting second, she felt as though his entire opinion of her had changed. It was as if he had instantly mentally categorized her into an entirely different box than before. The teasing, flirtatious smile he would give her, the very smile that always made her heart flutter, had vanished completely. He still offered her a smile, yes, but it was merely amicable. It was polite, distant, and friendly.

Perhaps it was her feminine intuition, but in that exact moment, she understood with clarity that Lumiel would never treat her the same way again. The realization struck her far harder than she could have ever expected.

Her hands clenched tightly against the edges of the open book, her dark amethyst eyes trembling with unshed tears.

What was this painful, twisting feeling in her chest? She did not like it one bit. He had been nothing but kind to her, and yet, in return for his kindness, she had shown him only fear.

“Um…”

Hearing a sudden, soft voice, Dorothy flinched. She quickly raised her head, her eyes widening in surprise as she realized who had approached her.

It was Diana.

Dorothy immediately scrambled to her feet, hastily dipping into a clumsy, noble curtsy.

“Y—Your Highness!” She blurted out awkwardly, before her mind caught up with reality. Remembering her proper station, she quickly corrected herself, stuttering, “I—I mean, Your Majesty!”

Diana smiled gently at her flustered reaction.

“You are also a Queen. You do not need to show me such formal respect, you know,” she said softly.

Hearing those words, Dorothy’s heart skipped a nervous beat.

It was true. She was one of Lumiel’s Seven Queens, or perhaps six, now that his marriage to Morgana had been broken. Yet, despite the truth, Dorothy still found it hard to accept, let alone truly believe, that she was actually royalty.

“Yes…” Dorothy finally nodded.

“I have observed you over this past month, and you are always reading in this exact place,” Diana said, letting her gaze sweep appreciatively over the quiet courtyard. “I suppose it is indeed a perfect spot to read and simply relax.”

“It is,” Dorothy agreed, managing a small, albeit stiff, smile.

No matter how many times she was reminded that she, too, was a Queen, the reality remained: Diana was a Royal Princess from a foreign kingdom. Out of all of Lumiel’s wives, Diana’s status had always been the highest, whereas Dorothy was almost a commoner.

Status aside, looking up at Diana from such a close distance, Dorothy found herself blushing purely out of sheer admiration.

Princess Diana of Gardenia, hailed far and wide as the most beautiful woman in the world, was truly extraordinary. Even from Dorothy’s humble perspective, Diana’s features belonged to an entirely different realm. Her beauty was so flawless it bordered on the surreal.

“May I join you?” Diana asked softly.

“O—Of course!” Dorothy nodded immediately, scrambling slightly as Diana gracefully took a seat on the stone bench.

Dorothy stood awkwardly for a moment before hesitantly sitting back down beside her. Realizing her thick book had slipped, she quickly picked it up, hugging it to her chest in deep embarrassment.

“Are you doing well here in the castle, Dorothy? If I may call you that?” Diana asked her.

“Of course, Your Majesty!”

“Then please, call me Diana,” she requested with a radiant smile.

“O—Okay…” Dorothy nodded timidly, her voice trembling slightly.

“Tell me, Dorothy, how have you been faring in the castle? I see you sitting here every day, but… do you not have any friends? Did you truly come here all alone?” Diana asked gently.

Until now, Diana had remained silent, choosing to give the nervous girl her necessary space. But, as expected of someone with her compassionate nature, she had begun to feel a sense of pity for Dorothy. Her decision to finally intervene today had been spurred by watching two passing nobles sneer and throw insulting, veiled remarks at the girl as they walked through the adjacent corridors.

Diana was a Royal Princess who had always cared deeply for her people; she simply could not continue to ignore Dorothy’s quiet suffering. The girl was sweet and innocent, yet she looked so completely lost. She had been nothing more than a minor baron’s daughter until very recently, only to be brutally thrown into the ruthless world of high royalty.

“Yes… I came alone,” Dorothy nodded, her expression turning complicated.

She did not even attempt to answer the question regarding friends.

“Do you truly not have a single friend? Not even a personal maid to attend to you?” Diana asked softly.

“Your Majesty… um, Diana?” Dorothy called out timidly, raising her gaze. Seeing Diana’s encouraging smile urging her to continue, she lowered her eyes again. “I—I am from Radhamantia…” She added in a soft, broken whisper.

There was no need for her to say anything more.

Everyone in the capital despised her for that simple, unavoidable fact. The only people in the castle even remotely close to her original social standing were the working maids, yet even they did not hesitate to shoot her looks of pure loathing.

Hearing that painful truth fall from Dorothy’s lips, Diana instantly understood.

Right. Why had she even bothered to ask such a question? Of all the women brought here, this new life as a Queen was the most difficult for Dorothy.

Diana suddenly remembered that Dorothy had also lost her father right before coming here.

Their circumstances were quite similar, yet if one looked at it objectively, Dorothy’s situation was definitely far worse. At the very least, Diana still had her precious little sister as family. Dorothy, however, had no one left. She had nothing anymore.

Realizing the full extent of the girl’s isolation, Diana felt an immediate pang of guilt and a much deeper understanding of her plight. There was another Co-Queen within these very walls who was going through an even darker, more lonely struggle than her own.

That fact filled her heart with immense sympathy toward Dorothy. She even regretted to not have asked Dorothy out even before.

“It is almost time for lunch. Would you accompany my sister and me today, Dorothy?” Diana offered, her warm, gentle smile returning.

Dorothy’s dark amethyst eyes widened slightly at the sudden invitation.

“M—May I really?” She asked, her voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and hope.

“Of course,” Diana giggled softly. “I would be truly glad to have you, and my sister would be as well. It gets a bit lonely with only the two of us eating together every day. What do you think, Dorothy?”

“G—Gladly!” Dorothy replied, a wide smile finally breaking across her saddened face.

Diana smiled warmly and gracefully stood up from the bench.

Dorothy immediately mirrored her, clutching her book tightly against her chest as she hurried to follow. As they walked together toward the dining halls, Dorothy tried her best to hide the overwhelming happiness and excitement bubbling up within her.

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