To The Traitor in My Bed - Chapter 7
Chapter 4. The Delicate Violet
Deirdre felt a sense of relief when she was told by the court secretary, “It will be difficult to see His Majesty today.”
Christian, who had a habit of demanding reports and then not showing up, was in a position where he could make people waste their time and wield his petty power as he pleased.
However, this caused a severe bottleneck in the nobility’s access to the capital. In response, Christian set up a dedicated department to handle these matters and began granting audiences based on his whims.
Today, Deirdre was fortunate.
“An audience with the Queen should be possible. How would you like to proceed?”
The court secretary asked. Deirdre hesitated for a moment before agreeing to meet the Queen.
Having layered herself in so many clothes, she was subjected to a body search that felt far longer than usual. Finally, she was escorted to the Queen’s audience room.
The room was cozy, with emerald-colored tiles, white marble, and gold accents harmonizing elegantly.
Deirdre winced at the sight of the cream-colored roses in the vase.
Since the ladies-in-waiting and attendants wouldn’t have decorated the room with those flowers, it was clear that the Queen herself had done so.
Soon, Queen Caroline appeared silently.
The Queen, with her jet-black hair and violet eyes, was like a delicate violet. Deirdre, though slim, thought Caroline appeared even more fragile. On a day with such a strong cold wind, Deirdre couldn’t help but think that Caroline might be at risk if she were sent outside.
Originally, Caroline had been the only daughter of a poor Barony. She had come to visit a cousin in Swinton when Christian noticed her, and her father, the Baron, had been suddenly promoted to a Marquis. The following year, she became the queen.
This had all happened six years ago.
At that time, Marquisate Havisham was in mourning, so Deirdre’s father and Dorian had only briefly visited the palace on the day of the royal wedding. Deirdre had been only sixteen. Upon hearing the joyous news of the royal marriage, the first thought that came to her mind was, ‘If only Daymond had married, it would have hurt less.’
If Daymond had married and had children, if he had left behind any proof that he had once lived with them as the beloved son of the Havisham family, the respected older brother, then maybe it wouldn’t have felt so painful…
But Caroline wasn’t necessarily happy either. Though she was loved by Christian, he was, after all, a king—one who killed his own kin for the throne. How could he treat his wife well?
Anyone who frequented the palace had already noticed how frail the Queen had become over the years.
The King and Queen still had no children. After five years without an heir, there was clearly an issue somewhere. Yet Christian neither cast her aside nor took a mistress. The only changes were the occasional rotations of the doctors and maids who took care of the Queen, and Deirdre had ignored the whispers of the noblewomen who speculated that there might be more to it.
“Welcome, Lady Rochepolie.”
Caroline smiled. Her voice was as clear and delicate as rolling silver beads.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
As the tea was being served, Caroline asked about the journey and weather, Lord Rochepolie’s business, and the banquet she and Christian had briefly attended the night before.
Once the attendants and ladies-in-waitings had left—though the guards still stood watch at the door—Caroline turned to the main topic.
“Are you planning to return to Rochepolie?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We need someone to manage the mansion during the winter.”
“That’s true, the Count has mentioned the annex construction.”
Frederick had received a letter from the caretaker about the extension of the annex construction the day before yesterday.
The Queen continued,
“Last evening, when the Count came to report to His Majesty, we had a chat as well.”
Frederick’s list of debtors included the Leonhart family. The Fairchild estate overflowed with gold and cash, which were constantly growing through investments in bonds and stocks. Frederick had even begun to invest in the financial business.
Additionally, the Count had been given the responsibility of overseeing the royal projects and supplying resources exclusively for royal construction projects. So, there were many matters he needed to discuss with the King.
Despite relying heavily on business and finances from the Fairchild family, the suspicious Christian sometimes sent royal attendants or military police to monitor Frederick.
Because of this, Deirdre wanted to avoid becoming involved in her husband’s business and, at the same time, wanted to believe that he was innocent of any illegal activities, like treason.
After two years of marriage, she could not decide whether it was better for her husband to be an ally of Leonhart or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Deirdre truly didn’t know.
“Then, will I see you again in the spring?”
Caroline asked wistfully.
It was only November, so spring was still far off. Deirdre certainly had no intention of living with doubts and anxieties through the entire winter. She was determined to take some action as soon as she found evidence, either to clear her husband’s name or to prove the opposite.
“I plan to return to Swinton once Rochepolie becomes dull.”
“You’ll make Swinton dull when you leave.”
Unlike Count Fairchild, who was composed on the outside but rather boring in conversation, the Countess attracted attention everywhere with her outstanding dancing skills, sophisticated taste and rhetoric, and vast knowledge of everything from classical art to the latest trends and the youthful energy she radiated which made it all shine even more.
Some of this was innate, and some she had acquired through effort. If there was one thing she regretted despite having so much, it was that her father, the late Marquis Havisham, had passed away before seeing his daughter become Countess Fairchild.
Since her mother had passed away early, Deirdre’s father had been her only parent.
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