Chapter 8
“The crown prince and his brothers, who should rightfully oversee state affairs and watch over the kingdom in place of His Majesty the King lying bedridden, have joined hands with treasonous forces and committed rebellion, thus being stripped of their positions. From this day forward, Her Highness Princess Diana shall become the sole heir to the kingdom and owner of the royal seal.”
An antique stamp engraved with the royal insignia was presented to her. Diana looked at the kingdom’s seal resting obediently on the red velvet cushion with emotionless eyes.
“The House of Erkman, as representative of the Laurelai noble council, shall assist Her Highness the Princess in normalizing the kingdom. To Her Highness Princess Diana, Laurelai’s blessing.”
The moment his words ended, people began bowing their heads toward Diana one by one, calling out her name.
“To Her Highness Diana, Laurelai’s blessing!”
“To Her Highness Diana, Laurelai’s blessing!”
“Laurelai’s blessing!”
The people’s voices were filled with fervent emotion. Diana instinctively sensed that it was directed not at her but elsewhere and whipped her head around.
Her eyes met those of the man standing behind the golden throne, looking down at the bowing people. The corner of the man’s mouth curved up coldly.
* * *
The punishment of the criminals began.
“Viern Erkman! How dare you frame me with treason! Do you think I don’t know this is all your doing!”
At the sight of the man dragged in—his body shattered from two weeks of torture day and night—Diana unconsciously gripped the armrests tightly with both hands, her body going rigid. She knew this person. The man with platinum blonde hair like hers, who had often visited the tower to whip and torment her…
“This is Crown Prince Gawain.”
Viern, who had bent toward Diana, explained to her ear who the man was.
“Crown Prince?”
“To Your Highness, he’s a half-brother who shares your father, but at the same time, he’s also a shameless wretch who neglected His Majesty the King lying bedridden and committed rebellion.”
“Erkman, you’re using that halfwit as a puppet to devour the kingdom!”
Diana quietly watched the man who was screaming furiously and glaring this way. Father, brother, crown prince… All information she was hearing for the first time, but none of it resonated deeply.
“Please deliver appropriate punishment to this traitor, Your Highness.”
Viern brought documents to her desk as he spoke. Diana stared at the papers blankly. Unable to read, she had no idea what was written on them. For her sake, he smiled gently and explained.
“You just need to stamp here. It’s a decree to execute the traitor by beheading.”
“Beheading?”
“Cutting off his head to kill him.”
“What about whipping?”
At her unexpected question, Viern paused. Suddenly he remembered the scars that had marked her body everywhere when he’d pulled her from the tower that day.
“Won’t there be whipping?”
“Do you want there to be?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll do that for you.”
At those words, Diana immediately reached for the seal. However, having grown up imprisoned in the tower since birth, there was no way she’d know how to use a seal. Diana was holding the seal upside down, examining it this way and that with a puzzled expression when—
Swoosh—
A thicker, firmer warmth covered the back of her hand. Diana silently gulped. With courteous and elegant movements, Viern placed the seal properly in her hand and pulled her hand—now wrapped in his—toward himself.
Soon, he dipped the seal in red ink and stamped it firmly onto the document. The blood-red ink spread across the white paper.
“The royal decree has been issued. At noon tomorrow, Crown Prince Gawain will be executed by beheading in front of the central plaza of the capital.”
Viern lifted the paper stamped with red ink and announced it before the people.
“Viern Erkman, you’ve truly gone mad! Do you think you’ll be safe after this…!”
“Furthermore, following Her Highness the Princess’s will, the criminal shall receive twenty-nine lashes here before the execution.”
“……!”
“Carry it out.”
With a sound cutting through the air, a sharp crack struck down upon the crown prince’s body.
“Ahhhhh!”
The crown prince, who had been screaming furiously just moments ago, crumpled forward with a scream as the whip struck down.
However, even amid the agonized cries of the man she’d always wished would just die, Diana’s gaze kept flickering toward the back of her own hand. Though the man’s palm that had wrapped around that hand had calluses here and there, rather than feeling rough, it had left an oddly ticklish sensation.
As she stared blankly at that hand that had been enveloped in unfamiliar warmth just moments ago, a voice like a low cavern settled by her ear.
“How is it, Your Highness?”
Diana snapped to attention and raised her head. The crown prince’s whipping was being carried out in full swing.
“Are you satisfied?”
Feeling the ticklish sensation that had lingered on the back of her hand migrate to her ear, Diana quietly nodded.
“…Yes. I like it.”
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