How the Abandoned Queen Made That Man Kneel

Chapter 13

The day before the reading.

In Kasalyn's room.

"I had requested this from someone else."

Parnes' forehead was visibly strained with tension.

"Why are you suffering in her place? I don't understand."

Parnes extended his hand over the desk and picked up the paper filled with Kasalyn's handwriting.

Genuine admiration flickered in his eyes as he quickly scanned the text. It was a cleverly written piece, intertwining theology and history in a nuanced way. He had heard rumors of her being an unusually intelligent maid, but he had not expected her to possess such depth of knowledge.

However, there was one problem.

[Author, Rose Roben Liche]

Her work was to be credited to someone else.

It was evident that the queen, who had feigned distress for attention, had delegated this task to Kasalyn, her sister and maid.

And this naively kind-hearted person could not refuse the queen's order.

"Why, when your sister is so thoughtless and indifferent, do you..."

Parnes' hand aimlessly hovered before slowly descending towards Kasalyn's head. After hesitating as if committing a taboo, he eventually withdrew his hand without touching her.

In the darkness, the tips of his ears reddened, not solely due to the lamp light.

"Ugh..."

Kasalyn moaned in her sleep.

Even as he watched her motionlessly, she never seemed to rest peacefully. Frowning in her sleep, she occasionally called out for her mother, revealing a vulnerability never seen in daylight.

'I wish she'd smile more.'

This unconscious thought shook his mind.

Parnes stared at himself with self-loathing.

Smile more? Have I lost my mind after these sleepless nights?

'What does she have to do with me?'

He threw the paper back on the desk and turned away.

As he crossed the room, Parnes muttered to himself, reinforcing the notion that she was none of his concern.

It's none of my business.

I shouldn't care about her circumstances or hidden stories.

But I do care.

"Damn it."

With each step, his irritability seeped through. Reaching the wardrobe, he picked up a blanket and gently covered her, careful not to wake her. His expression was one of annoyance for not understanding why he was doing this.

"Hm."

Even half-asleep, sensing the warmth on her back, Kasalyn made a sound resembling laughter, looking visibly more relaxed. Parnes inadvertently chuckled.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he muttered lowly towards the dreaming Kasalyn.

"I simply can't tolerate being deceived by anyone."

"Queen. I hope you don't mind me asking, but did you really write this text yourself?"

Rose felt as if her mind was turning blank.

She suddenly speculated whether Kasalyn had intentionally written a nonsensical essay to set her up.
At the same time, Rose was overwhelmed by a sinister premonition that Emperor Parnes was also deliberately causing her distress and humiliation.