I Married a Sick Husband - Chapter 48

“She told me not to talk about the last supper.”

It was when Theodore narrowed his eyes as he couldn’t understand the words for a moment.

Duke Christon further elaborated.

“It means that she accepted Her Majesty’s apology.”

“… Is it really so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I also asked again to clarify this issue. Then…”

‘I believe that the empress did not do it on purpose.’

‘Are you serious, Her Highness the Queen?’

‘Yes, I am. So let’s just leave this matter as a mere happening.’

“… she replied.”

“….”

Theodore was dumbfounded by Duke Christon’s words.

“How on earth….”

In fact, he also didn’t completely believe Meredith’s words yesterday that she would take responsibility and solve it.

It was because he knew very well how much the Queen of Partille loved her daughter, whom she had recently lost.

‘That’s why her wrath wouldn’t have been calmed easily.’

With that in mind, he had been planning the next countermeasure since last night.

“Actually, I didn’t expect this situation to happen. Oh, of course that doesn’t mean I didn’t expect this to happen.”
(Tln: the first ‘this’ refers to the rose event and the second ‘this’ to the Queen easily forgiving Meredith.)

Duke Christon continued.

“It was only because Her Highness’s love for the princess who died young was so deep… I was afraid it would not be easy.”

“That goes for me too. What took place last night?”

“I was curious too, so I asked…”

Theodore waited expectantly for the upcoming words to follow, but soon the answer came back with a faint reply.

“They said it was a secret between the women and never revealed anything about it.”

“A secret between women?”

“Yes. Didn’t Her Majesty say anything?”

“I haven’t asked about last night’s event yet.”

Responding so, Theodore vowed to meet Meredith as soon as Duke Christon stepped out.

***

But he didn’t even need to send a letter to the empress’ palace.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, the Empress has arrived.”

It was because not long after Duke Christon left, Meredith came to see him first.

Theodore hurriedly brought her inside.

“Meet the Sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”

“You*, how did you do it?”
(tln: polite form to refer to the listener – 그대)

Theodore asked right away, unable to overcome his curiosity.

“Duke Christon just left.”

“I heard. How did it go?”

“It worked out very well.”

Theodore replied with a relieved face.

“There will be no problem. Even the Queen of Partille seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“Did Duke Christon say that?”

“Yes. What the happened last night?”

Theodore asked in a surprised yet bewildered voice.

“Duke Christon says the Queen didn’t tell him, citing it was a ‘secret between women’.”

“… Ah.”

Hearing that, Meredith smiled slightly..

“The queen is truly loyal.”

“That… What are you talking about?”

“For offering a sincere apology, she will keep it a secret.”

With that said, Meredith pondered whether or not to tell the story of last night.

But it was not a worry for long.

There was no point in hiding anything from him anymore.

***

Apologies, the sooner the better.

Negative emotions should not be given time to nurture.

As soon as Meredith stepped out of the dinner hall, she made her way to the palace Queen Kaylee was staying in.

“Her Majesty has come to see Her Highness the Queen.”

“… Please wait a moment.”

As she waited in her parlour, Meredith resolved to hear anything.

Even if she was treated like that, there was nothing strange about the current situation.

“She said you could come in.”

Fortunately, she missed the worst.

Meredith slowly entered Queen Kaylee’s room.

She* sat with her back to the door.
(tln: Queen Kaylee)

She let her in, but she didn’t seem to want to see her..

“Your Highness the Queen.”

Meredith called out to her in a low voice.

“I came here to apologise for what happened at dinner today.”

“Please go back, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Queen Kaylee politely, yet firmly and in a stern voice kicked Meredith out.

“I have served you here as a courtesy to the empress, but I do not want to see anyone’s face now.”

“Your Highness…”

“Please leave. I don’t want my feelings to be hurt anymore.”

“… It would also be rude to force someone to accept an apology if they do not want it.”

Meredith replied quietly.

“If you don’t want to see me, I shall take my leave. But I will wait outside until the sight of my face becomes a little less uncomfortable.”

“My anger is not going to be resolved, at least not for tonight.”

Queen Kaylee asked coldly.

“Are you still going to wait?”

“Whatever the circumstances may be, this is my fault. Salt has been poured on the wounds of the heart because of me, so I think I should at least be willing to do that.”

“… Do as you please.”

Queen Kaylee kept mum after that, and Meredith backed off as she had promised.

She wasn’t exactly leaving the palace in this way, but she took a seat in the parlour.

At first, the handmaids who had followed Queen Kaylee assumed that Meredith would wait a few minutes before she would return to the Empress’ palace.

However, she showed no sign of it even after 30 minutes and so after an hour.

Rather, as time passed, she sat more upright and waited.

She really followed her words like she said she would hold on, until Queen Kaylee found her again.

Just like that, 3 hours passed.

The clock was now pointing to midnight.

“Your Majesty, how about you take a rest?”

Around that time, Yulia asked anxiously.

“This way, your body will be damaged. You’ve been overexerting your body lately… I am afraid you will fall.”

“You don’t have to worry, Yulia.”

But Meredith was adamant.

“I will not leave this place until the queen sees me again.”

“But…”

“Rather, I’m more worried about Yulia.”

On the contrary, she even worried about Yulia.

“If it’s difficult, you can go back to the empress’ palace. I can be here by myself.”

“Your Majesty, how could I dare?”

Yulia shook her head in amazement.

“No matter what happens, I will stand by Your Majesty’s side.”

“You’ll hurt yourself.”

“If I go back to the empress’ palace like this, my heart will be uncomfortable and I wouldn’t be able to bear it any longer.”

So Meredith waited another hour with Yulia.

Now even Queen Kaylee’s handmaids persuaded Meredith.

“I have served Her Highness the Queen for 30 years, so I know her well. Her Highness will never call for Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Thank you for your concern. But I’m fine.”

“I am saying this because I am concerned that your health would be in jeopardy. I say this as the queen has already retreated to her chambers.”

“Then I will wait until the queen wakes up.”

“Your Majesty, if today’s events should cause Her Majesty to collapse, wouldn’t that really deepen the emotional rift between the two countries?”

“It will never happen, so you don’t have to worry.”

Meredith’s attitude was very stubborn.

Eventually, Queen Kaylee’s handmaids realised that they couldn’t stop Meredith.

They were restless and waiting for the situation to be resolved quickly.

***

At that time, Queen Kaylee was not asleep.

Her handmaid’s words were lies made by Queen Kaylee to subdue Meredith’s stubbornness.

“Has the Empress left?”

Queen Kaylee, who was lost in her thoughts, asked as if she had remembered her at some point.

She thought, of course, that she would have left, and it was a question she asked without any sort of expectation.

“She is still waiting.”

However, when she received an unexpected answer, even Queen Caylee couldn’t help but be embarrassed at that moment.

“… Is she still waiting in the waiting room?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Have you relayed that I fell asleep?”

“Yes. She replied that if it is so, she would wait for you to wake up.”

“Unbelievable.”

Queen Kaylee sighed.

“How long has the Empress waited?”

“It’s been about five hours.”

“… She’s really something*.”
(tln: the word used here means great, awesome, incredible but in the given context can mean this.)

Queen Kaylee’s face revealed an unconcealable disbelief.

She really didn’t expect for her to await her call.

In the end, she had no choice but to raise a white flag*.
(tln: to raise a white flag: to indicate one’s surrender, defeat or submission.)

“Take Her Majesty inside. Bring a cup of tea.”