Courtlan was lost in thought for a moment. He found it tempting that Iris Rosemary had a child. She was still quite young, so she could have more children if she wanted. Besides, being king didn’t hold much appeal for him. What good were those courtiers and their ilk? If she liked magic, he could build her a magical workshop at home, couldn’t he? He wasn’t keen on tolerating marriages.
“No objections.”
What’s wrong with living alone for a lifetime? If he felt a bit lonely, he could get a bonded slave or two. There were plenty of male slaves better suited for service than a king.
Samain chuckled, and the royal court lawyer sprang to his feet.
“I have a question!”
At this point, let’s summarize this trial a bit.
What Martop is demanding is as follows:
“Iris Elaine asserts the invalidation of all status as Iris Elaine and Rosemary En Letaire as an individual.”
In other words, it’s a lawsuit asking to acknowledge only the status of Iris Elaine, the magician of Martop, which includes the status of Iris Elaine before the accident in the carriage.
What the royal court is demanding is, of course, different:
“That the person, Rosemary En Letaire, has a part of the soul of Iris Elaine, and that this individual holds the legal status of Rosemary En Letaire and administers that Iris Elaine is deceased.”
In short, it’s a lawsuit that asks for acknowledgment of Rosemary’s status while admitting to Iris Elaine (and gaining her advantages) in most cases.
And now, there’s Iris’s lawsuit in the mix:
“That she has the body of Rosemary En Letaire and the soul of Iris Elaine, therefore, she possesses the status and fulfills the obligations and rights of both.”
Just up to this point, it’s already complicated, and now a fourth force has entered the scene.
Count Samain of Courtlan suddenly intervened and said this:
“The Rosemary Samain I bore was incomplete, and Iris Rosemary Samain is my true daughter. Therefore, when I accepted the role of Queen’s Consort, I admitted that Rosemary Samain at the time was not the true heir of Samain, and thus, I agree to the divorce.”
However, in this case, Iris Rosemary would become the daughter of Samain immediately upon divorcing.
In short, this trial was becoming the mess of the century, if not the mess of the century.
“Shall we discuss?”
As Iris continued to reside within the palace, both forces coexisted under the same roof. After the shocking and terrifying conclusion of the first trial, on the second night, Sidrain visited Iris’ chamber.
Inwardly, Ruth let out a low whistle. She had seen her fair share of handsome men in her life, but she hadn’t seen one as striking as him. Perfect. Ruth admired the king’s face once more, yet at the same time, she felt a bit weary of how perfectly chiseled a living person’s face could be. She couldn’t sense any emotions from it.
So, our client, Your Grace, wants to have a child with that man and live with him?
Unique taste, indeed. Ruth shook her head subtly. In her eyes, if she were to embrace the king, it seemed like he wouldn’t even have a body temperature.
“Your Grace, I will take my leave for today.”
Anyway, since His Majesty the King wanted to talk, they had to step back. At Ruth’s signal, the staff quickly gathered their documents. Without leaving a single scrap of paper behind, they disappeared. Tom, one of the few remaining male employees and in charge of finances, whispered to Ruth.
“He has quite a severe countenance.”
“If you want to get your head chopped off for royal disrespect, keep on muttering.”
At Ruth’s sharp warning, Tom sealed his lips.
While they disappeared, Iris was gazing at Sidrain. When they were finally alone, she chewed her lower lip for a moment. With a thud, the sound of them being left alone resounded, yet Sidrain, who had wanted to talk, wasn’t saying a word.
“I… uh…”
Iris bit her lip repeatedly before finally forcing the words out. She had brought her lawyer without saying a word to Sidrain. The lawyer stood on the opposite side of Sidrain. Sidrain hadn’t said a word about it. He might have been angry, felt betrayed, or maybe he didn’t know how to proceed. Perhaps he should have discussed it. But Iris hadn’t discussed it.
Sidrain hadn’t discussed it with her either. He had said it was like a war, and she was acting as if she were spoils of war for either Martop or the royal court. No, he might have been a bit sensitive. But it was true that she hadn’t even acquired the right to sit at the negotiating table. She should have been more aggressive. In an instant, she should have exploded, grabbing at least one seat.
No, no. Maybe he was just being a bit sensitive.
Lately, Iris has found it difficult to be certain of her own emotions. Her feelings often danced this way and that. They said it was common during pregnancy, but it still felt strange and difficult for her. Especially at a moment like this, when she needed to have a resolute and rational mind.
“I… uh!”
Before she knew it, Sidrain had come closer, capturing Iris’ lips. Their rough kiss felt like plunder, making it hard to breathe. With her waist caught, Iris trembled. While the quick movement of their tongues was slightly painful, her entire body melted in an instant.
“Don’t let anyone get close to you. You too, probably.”
Sidrain’s finger roamed Iris’ body. As everyone disappeared, he murmured, “Your Grace, I will take my leave for today.”
“What?”
“You. I can’t stand it anymore. I thought I’d die if I didn’t see you, Iris.”
At that moment, Iris’s heart swelled. She had missed him. She had felt lonely as if she had been left alone. It wasn’t frightening. She could endure it. She could handle anything. But to stand on the opposite side of someone she cared about was an act that brought terrifying loneliness and anxiety. Especially since she was pregnant.
Iris wrapped her arms around Sidrain’s neck and kissed him. Tears fell. Her hot tears turned lukewarm and then cooled down, but she continued to cling to Sidrain. He didn’t reject her. In fact, he pulled her closer. Closer, a bit closer. As if they could become one body, he held her tightly and continued to kiss her, their tongues entwined. The kiss was passionate and tingling. It was a kiss that made her fingertips tingle and her chest burn.
Courtlan was lost in thought for a moment. He found it tempting that Iris Rosemary had a child. She was still quite young, so she could have more children if she wanted. Besides, being king didn’t hold much appeal for him. What good were those courtiers and their ilk? If she liked magic, he could build her a magical workshop at home, couldn’t he? He wasn’t keen on tolerating marriages.
“No objections.”
What’s wrong with living alone for a lifetime? If he felt a bit lonely, he could get a bonded slave or two. There were plenty of male slaves better suited for service than a king.
Samain chuckled, and the royal court lawyer sprang to his feet.
“I have a question!”
At this point, let’s summarize this trial a bit.
What Martop is demanding is as follows:
“Iris Elaine asserts the invalidation of all status as Iris Elaine and Rosemary En Letaire as an individual.”
In other words, it’s a lawsuit asking to acknowledge only the status of Iris Elaine, the magician of Martop, which includes the status of Iris Elaine before the accident in the carriage.
What the royal court is demanding is, of course, different:
“That the person, Rosemary En Letaire, has a part of the soul of Iris Elaine, and that this individual holds the legal status of Rosemary En Letaire and administers that Iris Elaine is deceased.”
In short, it’s a lawsuit that asks for acknowledgment of Rosemary’s status while admitting to Iris Elaine (and gaining her advantages) in most cases.
And now, there’s Iris’s lawsuit in the mix:
“That she has the body of Rosemary En Letaire and the soul of Iris Elaine, therefore, she possesses the status and fulfills the obligations and rights of both.”
Just up to this point, it’s already complicated, and now a fourth force has entered the scene.
Count Samain of Courtlan suddenly intervened and said this:
“The Rosemary Samain I bore was incomplete, and Iris Rosemary Samain is my true daughter. Therefore, when I accepted the role of Queen’s Consort, I admitted that Rosemary Samain at the time was not the true heir of Samain, and thus, I agree to the divorce.”
However, in this case, Iris Rosemary would become the daughter of Samain immediately upon divorcing.
In short, this trial was becoming the mess of the century, if not the mess of the century.
“Shall we discuss?”
As Iris continued to reside within the palace, both forces coexisted under the same roof. After the shocking and terrifying conclusion of the first trial, on the second night, Sidrain visited Iris’ chamber.
Inwardly, Ruth let out a low whistle. She had seen her fair share of handsome men in her life, but she hadn’t seen one as striking as him. Perfect. Ruth admired the king’s face once more, yet at the same time, she felt a bit weary of how perfectly chiseled a living person’s face could be. She couldn’t sense any emotions from it.
So, our client, Your Grace, wants to have a child with that man and live with him?
Unique taste, indeed. Ruth shook her head subtly. In her eyes, if she were to embrace the king, it seemed like he wouldn’t even have a body temperature.
“Your Grace, I will take my leave for today.”
Anyway, since His Majesty the King wanted to talk, they had to step back. At Ruth’s signal, the staff quickly gathered their documents. Without leaving a single scrap of paper behind, they disappeared. Tom, one of the few remaining male employees and in charge of finances, whispered to Ruth.
“He has quite a severe countenance.”
“If you want to get your head chopped off for royal disrespect, keep on muttering.”
At Ruth’s sharp warning, Tom sealed his lips.
While they disappeared, Iris was gazing at Sidrain. When they were finally alone, she chewed her lower lip for a moment. With a thud, the sound of them being left alone resounded, yet Sidrain, who had wanted to talk, wasn’t saying a word.
“I… uh…”
Iris bit her lip repeatedly before finally forcing the words out. She had brought her lawyer without saying a word to Sidrain. The lawyer stood on the opposite side of Sidrain. Sidrain hadn’t said a word about it. He might have been angry, felt betrayed, or maybe he didn’t know how to proceed. Perhaps he should have discussed it. But Iris hadn’t discussed it.
Sidrain hadn’t discussed it with her either. He had said it was like a war, and she was acting as if she were spoils of war for either Martop or the royal court. No, he might have been a bit sensitive. But it was true that she hadn’t even acquired the right to sit at the negotiating table. She should have been more aggressive. In an instant, she should have exploded, grabbing at least one seat.
No, no. Maybe he was just being a bit sensitive.
Lately, Iris has found it difficult to be certain of her own emotions. Her feelings often danced this way and that. They said it was common during pregnancy, but it still felt strange and difficult for her. Especially at a moment like this, when she needed to have a resolute and rational mind.
“I… uh!”
Before she knew it, Sidrain had come closer, capturing Iris’ lips. Their rough kiss felt like plunder, making it hard to breathe. With her waist caught, Iris trembled. While the quick movement of their tongues was slightly painful, her entire body melted in an instant.
“Don’t let anyone get close to you. You too, probably.”
Sidrain’s finger roamed Iris’ body. As everyone disappeared, he murmured, “Your Grace, I will take my leave for today.”
“What?”
“You. I can’t stand it anymore. I thought I’d die if I didn’t see you, Iris.”
At that moment, Iris’s heart swelled. She had missed him. She had felt lonely as if she had been left alone. It wasn’t frightening. She could endure it. She could handle anything. But to stand on the opposite side of someone she cared about was an act that brought terrifying loneliness and anxiety. Especially since she was pregnant.
Iris wrapped her arms around Sidrain’s neck and kissed him. Tears fell. Her hot tears turned lukewarm and then cooled down, but she continued to cling to Sidrain. He didn’t reject her. In fact, he pulled her closer. Closer, a bit closer. As if they could become one body, he held her tightly and continued to kiss her, their tongues entwined. The kiss was passionate and tingling. It was a kiss that made her fingertips tingle and her chest burn.
