The Young Lady Whose Engagement Was Annulled Decided to Observe What Would Become of the Kingdom thereafter - Chapter 17

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

My shout echoed throughout the room.
The young man who was with Amaryllis froze as if struck by lightning.

Amaryllis quickly pulled away from his arm and stood up with a facade of grace.
Her usually perfectly styled hair was slightly disheveled.
Even so, she tried to maintain her composure.

“Oh my, Your Majesty. To visit so early in the morning.”

There was not a trace of remorse in her voice.
If anything, there was a hint of irritation.
Anger surged within me, like a fire igniting deep in my chest.

“Answer me. What were the two of you doing?”

“We were just having a little chat. Nothing more.”

Amaryllis said this nonchalantly while fixing her hair.
As if nothing had happened.
How could she act like that?

“More importantly, don’t just barge into a woman’s room unannounced. This is a lady’s chamber, you know?”

That was the final straw. Something inside me snapped.
Is she seriously suggesting that she has more right to privacy than the King?

“This is the royal palace—the home of the King. I can come and go as I please. You’re only allowed to live here because you’re the Queen. And yet you dare tell me not to enter uninvited!?”

My whole body trembled with fury.
I glared at Amaryllis, hard and unrelenting.
I wanted to see even the slightest glimmer of regret in her violet eyes.
But all I saw there was indignation and contempt.
Why is she looking at me like that? I don’t understand.

The young man dropped to his knees, his gaze fixed on the floor.
His posture was that of a vassal, but his forehead was drenched in sweat, and he was clearly shaken.

“Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding. We were merely discussing the future of the kingdom—”

“I wasn’t talking to you! Be silent!”

I roared at him. He flinched and lowered his head even further.
But Amaryllis was different.
She pouted, crossed her arms, and stared defiantly.

“So arrogant for someone who’s just a puppet king.”

Her words pierced my chest like a cold blade.
A puppet king?

“What did you say…?”

“Didn’t you hear me?”

Amaryllis stepped forward. Her posture was bold and unwavering.
There was not the slightest trace of fear.
She was the one in the wrong—so why does she show no remorse?

“You’re just a figurehead. A puppet controlled by the nobles.
All you do is sign documents you don’t understand. You’re a clown in royal robes.”

“W-What!?”

I was so angry, I could barely speak.
For someone to say such things to the King in the royal palace—it was outright treason.

“You make careless decisions, approve problematic policies without review, and then others have to fix the mess you leave behind.
You have no idea what’s really going on.”

Her voice grew louder, echoing through the room.

“What!?”

What she was saying made no sense.
I was doing my job properly.
Every day I reviewed documents submitted by the nobles and made decisions for the good of the kingdom.
She had no right to criticize me like this.

“If I weren’t here to rein them in and support you, you’d have no worth as king.
The nobles are just using you—once you’ve outlived your usefulness, they’ll throw you away.”

That’s nonsense. I am the King.
A rightful ruler born of royal bl00d.
The nobles serve me. There’s no way they’d discard me.

“That’s your delusion! I’m doing my job as King.
I go through mountains of paperwork every day and make decisions for the kingdom!”

“You really don’t get it, do you?”

Amaryllis laughed scornfully.
That cold, cruel smile—was that really the same smile that once enchanted me?

“Do you even know what’s happening in your own kingdom?
The documents you sign without reading are filled with privileges that only fatten the nobles’ pockets.”

“That’s a lie!”

That can’t be. They swore loyalty to me.
They helped me ascend the throne.

“I’ve been keeping them in check so they don’t go too far—and in return, I deserve a little indulgence, don’t I?
Can’t you at least overlook a relationship or two with other men?”

I couldn’t take it anymore.
This woman was insane.
She looked down on me, mocked me, and now tried to justify her infidelity.
There was no reasoning with her.

“You’re unfit to be queen. A traitor to your king.”

“Traitor? Don’t make me laugh. You’re the one unworthy of being king.
You’ll get what you deserve.”

My rage flared even hotter.
I nearly grabbed her, but held myself back with all my strength.

“You swore a vow of ‘true love’ to me!
When I broke off my engagement with Florence, I declared my love for you in front of everyone!”

The memory came rushing back.
At that festive banquet, I declared Amaryllis was my one true love—right in front of Florence.
Everyone had heard me.

I remembered her radiant smile, her warmth as she leaned against me…
Was it all a lie?

“You accepted that love. And now you betray me…”

I choked on the words.
The pain of knowing I was never truly loved cut deep.

Amaryllis shot back immediately, her eyes burning with fury.

“I did love you. At first, I truly did.
But who wouldn’t grow disillusioned after seeing how careless you really are?
Anyone would.”

She stepped forward and shouted:

“I loved you with all my heart back then.
You were like a fairytale prince.
But then I saw the real you—sleeping in late every day, skipping your studies, partying all night.
Even now, you don’t try to understand the kingdom’s problems—you just sign whatever’s handed to you.
No one could keep loving that.”

“Silence!”

“If you truly loved me, you should have made an effort to keep that love alive.
I made that effort.
I refined myself, mastered court etiquette, negotiated with nobles—I studied to be a queen.
So why am I the one being blamed? It makes no sense!”

She really was beyond reason.
There was no salvaging this.
She and that man—both had to be punished.

I shouted toward the hallway:

“Guards! Someone come!”

The royal guards, who had been stationed nearby, burst into the room in a clatter of armor.
Their eyes were filled with confusion—they must have heard our shouting.

“Arrest these two! Throw them in the dungeon!
They stand accused of treason and insulting the king!”

The guards glanced at one another.
Arresting the future queen was unheard of—but disobeying the King’s order was not an option.

“Do it now!”

I yelled again.
Finally, the guards moved.
They approached the young man, who simply bowed his head in silence.
Amaryllis, on the other hand, resisted.

“You’ll regret treating me like this!”

She shouted as she tried to shake off the guards.
There was no trace of nobility in her now.

“Shut up! Take them away!”

The guards surrounded them and led them out.
In the corridor, a crowd of maids and servants had gathered, all wearing stunned expressions.

Left alone in the room, I stood by the window, trembling with rage.

Choosing that woman to be queen was a mistake.
For something like this to happen first thing in the morning—what a wretched way to begin the day.