Lady to Queen - Chapter 86 - Don't You Hate Me

Chapter 86 – Don’t You Hate Me?

“Relax, Raphaella.”

Patrizia looked so calm that Raphaella wondered whether the queen had gone out of her mind. Patrizia casually tore her dress a little more and wrapped it around Raphaella’s arm.

“Rizi, are you crazy?” Raphaella sputtered.

“Fortunately, I am not.”

“Then, why did you…”

“You were injured, so I must look injured too,” Patrizia explained calmly. “I don’t want to just bury this. I’ll make it big. In order to do that…I need to be hurt.”

How would he react when he sees this? Patrizia wondered to herself. But the curiosity was brief, and she quickly said something else.

“I didn’t slash myself to the point it will scar. Don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about…”

“This much blood is necessary for the finale, don’t you think?” Patrizia tied a cloth around her arm with a smile. She then watched the red blood seep through the white cloth, deep in thought.

*

Lucio restlessly paced his room. Even though the hour was late, he found it difficult to fall asleep. The head lady-in-waiting from the Central Palace entered his room with a look of concern.

“Your Majesty, it’s late at night, but you’re still not in bed.”

“I can’t…I can’t sleep at all,” he muttered in a strained voice.

“Her Majesty the Queen will be alright,” the lady-in-waiting soothed. “If anything happens, I will wake you up right away, so please go to bed.”

“But …!” He shook his head. “No, I’ll just stay here. I have some state documents that need looking over anyway.”

“…”

The head lady-in-waiting could not defy the Emperor’s wish, and she stepped away from the room. Lucio, now alone, strode over to his desk. Even after he seated himself, however, he found it difficult to concentrate. His nerves were focused only on Patrizia, who was outside the Imperial Palace.

‘If my guess is right…’

“Your Majesty.” The lady-in-waiting’s bewildered voice suddenly broke from outside.

“What’s going on?” Lucio said urgently.

“Her Majesty the Queen is here.”

Lucio jumped from his seat, and when the door opened, he saw Patrizia. She looked far from presentable—her hair was disheveled, and her dress was ripped in various places. The biggest problem, however, were the long slash wounds on her arms and shoulders. He ran to her in shock.

“Queen!”

“Your Majesty.”

He was stunned. His response was slightly greater than Patrizia expected, and she was slightly taken aback, but she soon shook those thoughts and stumbled towards Lucio. He quickly steadied her.

“Queen, what…”

“On the way,” Patrizia said in a thin voice. “We were attacked.”

“…”

His eyes widened. Feeling his gaze, Patrizia lost her balance and fell. Lucio caught her, but she ended up sitting on the ground.

“Ah…” She gave an automatic cry of pain as she landed on her hips, and Lucio became distressed at the sound.

“We can talk later. Let’s call the palace doctor first.”

He summoned a doctor, and Patrizia watched him with mixed feelings. Who knew it would happen like this? It was an awkward and unfamiliar sight to see him so worried over her. No, this was just sympathy and pity. Just like how she sympathized with him, he sympathized over her when she was injured. Patrizia closed her eyes.

“The doctor will arrive soon. Take a rest in the meantime,” Lucio instructed. He took Patrizia in his arms and lifted her. Flustered, she reflexively grabbed onto his shoulder.

“I won’t drop you. Just rest easy,” he said.

“…”

Patrizia could not say anything and just stared blankly at his face. It was a short distance from here to his bed. Lucio carefully laid Patrizia down on top of the sheets, looking down at her with mixed emotions. She was unable to meet his gaze and dropped her eyes. She hoped the doctor would come soon.

“Your Majesty, the palace doctor is here.”

Thankfully, she got her wish a moment later.

“Get in here right now,” Lucio ordered.

The palace doctor rushed into Lucio’s room and approached the bed. He bowed to the Emperor and Queen, holding back his panting as he gave his greetings.

“Greetings to the Moon and Sun of the Empire. Glory to the—

“Skip the greetings, and check the Queen’s condition.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The gravity in Lucio’s voice spurred the doctor into movement. The doctor came to Patrizia’s side, loosened the cloth tied to her shoulder, and examined the wound carefully. A moment later, he spoke in a relieved voice.

“Fortunately, the wounds are not that deep compared to its length, so it is not life-threatening. You will heal soon after I apply some medicine.”

Lucio breathed a sigh of gratitude at the doctor’s diagnosis.

While the doctor was treating Patrizia, Lucio scrutinized her. She felt burdened by the unwanted attention, and she turned her gaze and watched the doctor work. Finally, the doctor finished wrapping her wounds with clean white bandages, and he then left the room. After keeping silent for a moment, Patrizia spoke.

“I didn’t come here for treatment, but I owe you unexpectedly.”

“Owe. You didn’t…you don’t owe me anything,” Lucio said in a slightly choked voice.

“…”

“So you don’t have to say that.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Tell me, Queen. What happened?”

She looked up at him and saw that his eyes were slightly reddened. She stared at them for a moment, then spoke in a weak voice, contrary to her initial plan.

“Assassins ambushed me on the way to the Imperial Palace. Fortunately, I contacted the Second Order of Knights in advance. We escaped death and captured two of the assassins alive…”

“…”

“But my knight almost died.”

Her story was a mixture of exaggeration and lies. Lucio made a strange expression—as if he were half-relieved and half-sad. She looked at him curiously.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It feels like I was too late.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I sent my knights just in time for you to return.”

“…”

Patrizia was taken aback by this bit of news. “Why?”

“…”

“Did you know in advance that the assassination was going to happen?” she accused. “No way…Did you instigate…”

“No, Patrizia. It’s nothing like that,” Lucio denied. She looked at him with watery eyes. He somehow looked desperate.

“…I overheard Marchioness Ethylaire speaking.”

“…”

“I sent the knights just in case, but I wasn’t directly involved in this matter. I hope…I just hope you don’t misunderstand.”

“What do you—”

“But even that was too late. If the Second Order hadn’t arrived there in time…” He closed his eyes with a disturbed look, imagining something he could not bear. “I’m sorry, Patrizia. This is all…”

“Ah…” Patrizia was surprised by his sudden self-accusation and blinked her eyes like a fool. “Calm down, Your Majesty.”

This man had a trauma—his mother’s death. He may be projecting what he was going through now into what he went through then. Patrizia took on a firm tone to stop his thoughts.

“Technically, it’s not your fault,” she said.

“…”

“As you said, it’s Marchioness Ethylaire’s crime. After this, she will disappear from the Imperial Palace.”

“…”

“Even if you don’t like it, I will—”

“Do as you please,” Lucio interrupted, weariness lined on his face. Patrizia looked at him dumbly.

“Real…ly?”

“Didn’t you say you captured the assassins alive? If you obtain a confession, it was a crime that was going to come to light anyway. I will give you full authority over the investigation.”

“…You talk as if you don’t have any lingering feelings for her,” she observed.

“…”

Lingering feelings. Any lingering feelings towards Rosemond evaporated when he learned of her deception at the party. Only a bitter wound was left behind. He gave a wan smile.

“Yes.” He had no feelings left. All this was a disaster brought on by his own foolishness. “Please make everything right. On behalf of my foolish self,” he said.

“…”

This avoidance of responsibility; Patrizia both welcomed it and hated it. She bit her lip at the crossing of two emotions. She wondered when he began to feel this way towards Rosemond, but she could only guess that something had happened between the two.

“May I ask why you suddenly changed your feelings?” she asked.

“It’s nothing special. I just realized too late that the truth I had previously known was only fiction.”

“…”

Patrizia didn’t know what he found out, but at least it was not what she was going to reveal. What expression would he make when she did? How would he feel?

“I have something to tell you,” she said quietly.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s about Rosemo—your concubine, Marchioness Ethylaire.”

“I don’t really want to talk about that when I’m with you.”

“I’m too tired to tell you right now, and it’s not a good time either.” But Patrizia continued calmly. “It’s going to be a shocking story to you.”

“…”

“I’m worried whether you will be able to handle it.”

“Worried.” Lucio smiled. “It’s strange that you worry about me.”

“…”

“Don’t you hate me?” he asked.