A month ago, King Antonio brought a woman back from outside the palace walls and named her Duchess. The entire court was in an uproar. It was because Antonio had once declared, before all the ladies of the court, that his heart was mine alone. That he would never elevate another to the rank of Duchess. Now, he had broken that sacred vow with his own hands, and the entire court was eagerly awaiting my humiliation. They whispered that he had grown tired of me, that his love had withered on the vine. I traced the petals of a fading rose on the windowsill, a silent, bitter smile touching my lips. They were right. Antonio no longer loved me. Just yesterday, the affection points I had so carefully accumulated—only one point shy of success—had plummeted to zero overnight. All because when the new Duchess, Seraphina, came to pay her respects, I didn't bid her rise quickly enough. Antonio had walked in on us. His voice was cold. "She is no threat to your position, Nadine. Can you not show the grace of a Queen and stop making things difficult for her?" The old me would have burst into tears, desperately trying to defend myself. But now, I simply nodded, my voice a placid stream. "The Duchess enjoys Your Majesty's favor. Of course, I would not trouble her." I immediately decreed that from this day forward, Duchess Seraphina was exempt from paying her respects at the Queen's Wing. But Antonio’s face darkened further. "Nadine, don't you see this will only make the court hate her?" I froze, my gaze falling upon the way his brow furrowed, his entire posture protective of her. My mind drifted. So he knew. He knew that to be singled out was to be hated, yet he had placed me on that glittering, lonely pedestal to bask in a warmth that was never truly mine. It didn't matter now. I bowed my head in gentle submission. "You are right, Your Majesty. It is too great a distinction. Then perhaps the Duchess need not kneel when she comes to call." The System had told me that if I was docile, obedient, and compliant with Antonio’s wishes, he would be pleased. And if he was pleased, the affection points might rise again. Instead, he flew into a rage, shattering several porcelain vases in the Queen's Wing. He rounded on me, his voice a raw wound. "Nadine, aren't you even jealous?" I looked at him, my expression one of pure, placid confusion. "Your Majesty, isn't this what you've always wanted me to be?" Before the System had implanted its protocol, I had asked. "Do I have to go into dormancy? What if Antonio notices something is wrong?" The System’s voice was mechanical, devoid of emotion. "We will act in your stead, becoming the version of you that Antonio most desires. We will maintain this body's normal functions." "The version of me he most desires?" "Host, we have analyzed Antonio's every word of anger towards you and designed a protocol based on that data. It will replace you, and you will become the perfect Queen in his eyes." I let the fading rose fall from the windowsill, watching it disappear into the courtyard below. Yes. That was it. The things Antonio always raged about were always the same. I was too jealous, too childish, too clingy, too inconsiderate. I was not the ideal Queen he envisioned. Now, the affection points were at zero. The System was preparing to transport me to the next world. He was finally getting his wish. I wiped the last tear from my eye and spoke to the void in my mind. "Begin." A wave of vertigo washed over me. As the world dissolved into darkness, I heard the System's final report. [HOST CONSCIOUSNESS... DORMANCY SUCCESSFUL.] [PROTOCOL IMPLANTATION... SUCCESSFUL.] The dead of winter held the castle in its icy grip, blanketing everything in a pristine layer of white. At luncheon, my handmaiden, Bianca, burst into my chambers, her boots tracking snow across the marble floors and startling the doves in the courtyard. "Your Majesty, it's terrible news! The Royal Physician just left the Sunstone Pavilion. The Duchess... she's with child!" I set down my paintbrush, discarding the unfinished scroll. My voice was calm, a stark contrast to her panic. "Is that not wonderful news? What is the meaning of this hysteria?" Bianca stared, thinking I must have misheard, and repeated her words, her voice trembling. I unfurled a fresh sheet of parchment, picking up my brush once more. "This is excellent news. The matter of an heir has weighed heavily on me. The Duchess's pregnancy is a great service to the kingdom. She must be rewarded handsomely. Let this be a reminder to the other ladies of the court to be more diligent in their service to the King." I continued, my hand steady. "Go to the vaults. Select some of the finest treasures for the Duchess. And take her this painting I have just finished, titled 'A Mother's Blessing'." Bianca gritted her teeth, her hand shaking as she retrieved the key to the treasury box. "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? She stole our choice cuts from the kitchens! She claimed the finest silk meant for you from the looms! She had one of our maids beaten outside the infirmary for collecting your herbal tonics! And the King turned a blind eye to it all, never once punishing her. If she was this brazen before, what will she be like with a royal heir in her belly? She will walk all over you! And you want to send her gifts?" How had I reacted to those incidents before? I had raged. I had pleaded for justice, demanded an explanation. And Antonio had told me I lacked the grace of a true queen. That they were trivial things, not worth disturbing him over. He had ordered me to copy holy scriptures, confined me to my rooms to reflect on my pettiness. I had seethed with injustice then. Now, I only felt that I had indeed been wrong. I sat up straight, a serene smile on my face as I looked at her. "Bianca, I am the Queen. My duty is to be a mother to this nation." My voice was gentle, but firm. "While the Duchess may have been excessive in the past, I was also at fault. The King was right. As Queen, it is unseemly for me to be possessive, to harbor jealousy, to view the King as my property." "I have changed. From now on, I will be a model of virtue. I will manage the court with diligence and support my King." Shortly after Bianca delivered the gifts, an invitation arrived from the Duchess. "Your Majesty," Bianca said, her voice tight, "the King is so overjoyed about the pregnancy that he is holding a celebratory banquet for the Duchess at the Sunstone Pavilion. Are... are we to attend?" I folded the invitation, my eyes glancing at the new gown the royal weavers had just delivered. "I am the Queen. Of course, I will attend. And I will do so with the utmost grace and decorum." Bianca understood. She helped me into my most regal gown and dressed my hair in an elaborate style, crowned with the Queen's coronet. The Sunstone Pavilion was aglow, vibrant with lanterns and alive with music. It was a scene of pure celebration. Bianca's hand tightened on my arm as she escorted me into the main hall. There, on the dais, in the seat that should have been mine—the one beside the King—sat Duchess Seraphina. Tonight, Antonio was dressed in deep violet, the stark lines of his brow and the sharp angle of his jaw casting him in a severe, handsome light. It only served to make the pregnant Duchess beside him appear all the more delicate and alluring. Bianca's grip on my arm was a vice, her whisper a furious hiss. "The audacity! She's using that babe in her belly to usurp your rightful place!" The eyes of every lady in the hall were on me, their faces painted with morbid curiosity. On the dais, Antonio’s gaze flickered towards me, a subtle, challenging glint in his eyes, as if he were waiting for me to make a scene. The Duchess’s smile was pure provocation; she looked as if she was already planning my punishment for disrupting her celebration. I offered a serene smile and a perfect curtsy to the King. "Forgive my tardiness, Your Majesty. I shall drink a cup in penance." Antonio froze, the wine goblet halfway to his lips. Beside him, Seraphina’s triumphant smirk faltered. She clutched her handkerchief, glancing at Antonio before letting out a tinkling, false laugh. "Oh, my dear Queen, you've arrived! Look at this foolish head of mine, pregnancy has made me so forgetful. I seem to have taken your seat. I should be punished, truly." She cooed, leaning against Antonio's arm, her eyes flashing with triumph. Antonio looked at me, his expression cold, before wrapping an arm around the Duchess's waist. "You are the center of tonight's celebration. It is only right that you sit here." From across the hall, I could feel the waves of pity washing over me from the other courtiers. For the King to so blatantly disregard decorum for his new favorite... The old me would have turned this hall into a battlefield, a storm of tears and accusations that would have left no one unscathed and stripped Antonio of his dignity. But now... I was to be a model Queen. "You jest, dear Duchess," I said, my voice carrying clearly through the hall. "I am not so petty." I continued, my gaze sweeping over the room before landing back on them. "The King is right. You are the star of this evening. Carrying the royal heir is a monumental achievement. Not only should you occupy the seat of honor, but you must also accept these humble gifts from me." At my signal, servants began to enter in a procession, each carrying a priceless treasure. A root of Kingsfoil, a thousand years old. A string of glowing Lumina Pearls. A vial of powdered Griffin's Horn. ... Each item was from my personal, most cherished collection. Gasps rippled through the banquet hall. There was shock, confusion, and raw envy in their eyes. Even the Duchess was stunned, her hand flying to her mouth. "Your Majesty... all of this... for me?" Antonio's brow furrowed, his voice a low growl. "Nadine, this is not the time or place for games." I smiled gently and found an empty seat further down the table. "The Duchess jests. My gifts are quite real. I have been remiss in showing you favor in the past, sister. Now that you have brought such joy to the court, it is only right you be rewarded." My words left the entire assembly baffled. Tonight, there was no rivalry, no hidden daggers. Only a Queen's heartfelt blessing for the Duchess. I was the mother of the nation, the Queen that Antonio wanted. Poised, dignified, a paragon of royal virtue. This time, surely, he would be pleased. But he only stared at me, his face an unreadable mask of black anger, before ordering the Duchess to accept the gifts. He gave me one last, deep, inscrutable look before turning away.
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