novelraw Chapter 509: A Queen Who Cannot Enter Her Own Palace
Chapter 509: A Queen Who Cannot Enter Her Own Palace
"Your husband..." Bianca said as soon as she and Primrose stepped out of the parlor. "...he really is something, isn’t he?"
Most wives who act quiet and obedient in front of their husbands usually only show their true selves once they are out of those men’s sight, and Bianca was no different.
Primrose, who had been pretending to be afraid of her own husband, slowly lifted her head. Her voice was no longer as soft or shaky as before. "He is the King of Beasts, after all." She added, "He can do whatever he wants."
[Ha! Just as I thought! She must have been suffering so much back in Noctvaris.] Bianca thought. [How could a beast like him possibly treat his human wife well?]
Primrose found it strange—almost funny—how some people could feel happy over someone else’s misery. Bianca clearly felt relieved after convincing herself that Primrose was unhappy in the Beastland.
"I thought you would run away before even setting foot in Noctvaris," Bianca said lightly.
Primrose let out a small chuckle. "That would be impossible." She looked calm as she added, "If I did that, not only would the King of Beasts punish me, but the Emperor of Vellmoria would also cut off my head."
Hearing that, Bianca became even happier. Right now, she thought she was more fortunate than Primrose.
[If Primrose and her husband are capable of putting on an act, doesn’t that mean there’s a possibility that Rowena and Rowan’s relationship is also filled with lies?]
[I mean, at least Rowena was still sexy when her husband brought her to his homeland. So, even if her face was disfigured, her husband could cover it with a pillow.]
Primrose widened her eyes and clenched her fists tightly at her sides upon hearing those words. She did not expect Bianca to be truly capable of thinking something so cruel.
Rowena, the current Queen of Elandria, had never even done anything bad to her!
Even when Rowena still lived in the Azmeria Kingdom, she was only the daughter of a minor noble, so she had never dared to behave badly in front of nobles whose ranks were higher than her family’s.
At this point, Primrose was certain that Bianca hated everyone with a beautiful face. She had once heard from others that Bianca’s father—the Minister of Foreign Affairs—often emphasized that her sole purpose was to marry a high-ranking nobleman.
That pressure was worsened by the fact that Bianca was the only daughter among five siblings, making her the least favored child in her family.
Because of that, she tried harder than anyone else. She dressed carefully, she styled her hair perfectly, and she attended every noble event looking flawless, especially during mating season, when alliances were formed and marriages were arranged.
Unfortunately, Bianca’s beauty was not the effortless kind. At the very least, she used makeup to cover imperfections on her skin and wore extravagant dresses to gain attention from others.
And then... there were some women who could attract attention without dressing up so extravagantly, like Primrose and Rowena. They could wear the simplest gown at a banquet, and men would still give them their full attention.
That was why Bianca felt happy when she heard that Rowena’s face had been ruined in an accident, and that was why she felt relieved when she heard that Primrose would be forced to marry the King of Beasts.
Because in her heart, she believed that without them... she would finally have no rivals at royal events.
Therefore, Bianca could not hide her irritation whenever she saw Primrose and Rowena becoming the center of attention at banquets. No matter how carefully she dressed, no matter how perfect her posture was, people’s eyes would always drift past her—to them.
And she, the Queen of Azmeria, would end up looking like a flower that had already begun to wilt.
Primrose had once felt a bit of pity for her situation. But after hearing all of Bianca’s bad thoughts, she threw every last bit of that pity into the deepest abyss. What had happened to Bianca was unfortunate, but taking out that bitterness on people who had never hurt her was not right.
Primrose and her other friends had tried to tolerate Bianca’s harsh behavior for years because they did not want her to end up alone in the cruel noble society. But unfortunately, Bianca never seemed to consider them her close friends.
"Bianca," Primrose suddenly stopped walking in the middle of the corridor. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were colder than before. "Don’t you feel tired?"
Bianca stopped as well and turned around. "Tired of what?"
Just moments ago, she had thought terrible things about Primrose. Yet, because of their long history together, Primrose still felt a faint trace of concern for her. There had once been laughter, shared secrets, and small smiles between them. But she no longer knew if those moments had been real.
"Tired of being nothing more than a decoration beside your husband," Primrose asked gently.
The corridor fell silent for a moment.
The palace soldiers standing at a distance clearly noticed the tension, but they kept their faces blank, pretending not to hear anything. Behind Primrose, Calen and Solene followed at a respectful distance. As always, when she spoke about important matters, they acted as if they were not listening at all.
"I don’t understand what you mean," Bianca replied with a small scoff. She turned away and continued walking. "Come. We’ll wait for our husbands on the balcony."
"The balcony?" Primrose turned her head slightly and looked out the window, noticing that snow had begun to fall from the sky. "It’s cold out there."
"It’s not that cold," Bianca answered casually. "Besides, I’m only allowed to receive guests in the parlor, but since my husband is using it, I can only host guests on the second-floor balcony."
Primrose was completely speechless when she heard that. The Palace of Azmeria might not be as grand as Noctvaris, but it was still large. There were many rooms Bianca could use and many spaces she should have had the right to enter.
And yet, Averon had forbidden her from stepping into them.