The crown i will claim — Chapter 21

Episode 21

EVERYONE'S LOOKING AT ME! THEY CAN'T TAKE THEIR EYES OFF ME!!

I KNEW IT! I BELONG HERE, IN THE PALACE, FAR MORE THAN IN A DUCAL HOUSE!

AND FAR MORE THAN THAT MONGREL!

PRINCESS MEDEA,

I AM MONTEGA. I'VE RETURNED FROM THE FRONTIER TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO YOUR HIGHNESS.

WHAT...?

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, MARGRAVE. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE JOURNEY.

AH, PLEASE FORGIVE MY DISCOURTESY. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE YOU, AS YOU HAVE GROWN SO MUCH SINCE I LAST SAW YOU.

BUT...

...IT SEEMS THINGS ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT DUKE CLAUDIO LED ME TO BELIEVE.

VIRNA!

W-WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT? THAT'S HER HIGHNESS'S DRESS...!

AH, WELL...

I WAS WONDERING WHO WAS STANDING BESIDE YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS.

THIS MUST BE DUKE CLAUDIO'S DAUGHTER.

AH...

THEY'RE COUSINS, SO THEY RESEMBLE EACH OTHER QUITE A BIT, DON'T THEY?

VIRNA, GREET YOUR UNCLE--

IS THAT SO? I CAN'T SAY I SEE IT,

BUT I CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT LADY VIRNA WISHES TO RESEMBLE HER HIGHNESS VERY MUCH.

VIRNA! YOU'RE GIVING YOUR UNCLE THE WRONG IDEA! WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?

PLEASE DON'T SCOLD HER TOO MUCH, AUNT CATHERINE.

VIRNA WANTED THIS DRESS VERY MUCH.

IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT IT GOES TO THE ONE IT SUITS BEST.

WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!

TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I STILL HAVEN'T FULLY RECOVERED FROM MY FALL, AND THIS DRESS FEELS A BIT TOO HEAVY FOR ME.

YOU CAN WEAR IT INSTEAD IF YOU'D LIKE, VIRNA.

DON'T TELL ME... SHE DID THIS ON PURPOSE!!

HOUSE CLAUDIO HAS ALWAYS SENT ME MORE GIFTS THAN I COULD EVER NEED.

SO PLEASE CONSIDER VIRNA'S DRESS MY WAY OF RETURNING THE FAVOR.

SO THE DUKE'S DAUGHTER COVETED THE PRINCESS'S DRESS?

THAT'S ODD. EVEN SO, WHY IS HER HIGHNESS DRESSED SO PLAINLY...?

DIDN'T THEY SAY THAT THE DUKE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PUT IN A DIFFICULT POSITION BECAUSE OF HER HIGHNESS'S EXTRAVAGANCE?

MY AUNT PREPARED MANY OTHER BEAUTIFUL DRESSES AS WELL, OF COURSE.

HOWEVER, THIS IS WARTIME.

KNOWING THAT HIS MAJESTY IS ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND THE PEOPLE ARE GOING HUNGRY,

I SIMPLY COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO DRESS LAVISHLY.

SO I CAME TO THE BANQUET LIKE THIS, EVEN IF IT MAY SEEM RATHER OUT OF PLACE.

BUT, YOUR HIGHNESS, YOU ARE HIS MAJESTY'S ONLY SISTER.

WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO WEAR, WHO WOULD DARE CRITICIZE YOU?

INDEED. I AM BALDINA'S ONLY PRINCESS.

WHETHER I'M DRESSED IN SILK OR RAGS, THAT TRUTH REMAINS. SO WHAT IS THERE FOR ME TO HESITATE OVER?

WELL SAID, YOUR HIGHNESS. ONLY A FOOL WOULD DEMAND THAT YOU PROVE IT.

SILK OR NOT, WHAT MATTERS MOST IS WHO WEARS IT.

NOW THEN, MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION?

AS YOU ALL KNOW, TONIGHT'S BANQUET IS HELD SOLELY IN HONOR OF HER HIGHNESS.

WHILE HIS MAJESTY IS ON THE BATTLEFIELD, HER HIGHNESS HAS DILIGENTLY OVERSEEN THE AFFAIRS OF STATE IN HIS STEAD,

EVEN OVEREXERTING HERSELF SO MUCH THAT IT AFFECTED HER HEALTH.

THOUGH THIS OCCASION MAY FALL SHORT OF HER ROYAL STATURE,

SHE HAS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED IT IN RECOGNITION OF OUR HUMBLE SINCERITY.

I THOUGHT SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL BECAUSE SHE FELL OFF A HORSE DURING AN OUTING!

I CAN'T BELIEVE EVEN THE LORD PROTECTOR HAS TO GO THIS FAR TO PLEASE HER.

THEREFORE, ALL OF YOU MUST RECOGNIZE THAT HER HIGHNESS'S VERY PRESENCE BRINGS HONOR TO THIS KINGDOM!

SO WHAT, SHE PESTERED THEM INTO THROWING THIS BANQUET TOO?

TO HER HIGHNESS.

MAY SHE BE FOREVER BLESSED.

TO HER HIGHNESS, PRINCESS MEDEA!!

HOW DID I NOT SEE IT IN HIS EYES?

THOSE ARE THE EYES OF THE MONSTER WHO TORE MY BROTHER APART AND RIPPED ME TO PIECES TO SEIZE BALDINA'S THRONE.

BUT THIS TIME... I WON'T FALL SO HELPLESSLY.

I'M TRULY TOUCHED BY HOUSE CLAUDIO'S DEVOTION,

AND I'M GRATEFUL TO MY UNCLE FOR CHOOSING THIS DATE FOR THE BANQUET.

AFTER ALL, TODAY IS THE DAY OF SAINT ESTHER, WHEN THE STAR OF ETERNAL VICTORY RISES.

SAINT ESTHER...? THE LEGENDARY WARRIOR PRIESTESS OF THE GODDESS?

COME TO THINK OF IT, TODAY IS SAINT ESTHER'S DAY. IT'S IMPRESSIVE THAT HER HIGHNESS KNOWS OF SUCH AN OLD HOLIDAY...

THAT SOUND... WAS THAT A BELL?

FROM THE MOMENT I HEARD MY UNCLE WOULD BE HOSTING THIS BANQUET,

I WISHED TO PRAY TOGETHER WITH ALL OF YOU GATHERED HERE...

...BEFORE THE STAR OF ETERNAL VICTORY, FOR BALDINA'S TRIUMPH.

L-LOOK AT THAT!

IT'S THE SPEAR OF SAINT ESTHER!

SAINT ESTHER HAS DESCENDED UPON BALDINA!!

FOR BALDINA'S VICTORY!!

SAINT ESTHER...?

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS...?

YOU MUST BE SO TAKEN ABACK. THIS WASN'T PART OF YOUR PLANS, AFTER ALL.

IN MY PAST LIFE, WHEN I ATTENDED THE BANQUET IN THAT DRESS,

ALL THE RIDICULE AND SCORN WERE DIRECTED AT ME.

AND THEN, AS I FALTERED, I ACCIDENTALLY STEPPED ON THE DRESS AND TORE IT, AS IF BY SOME CRUEL TWIST OF FATE.

AFTER THAT, I SHUT MYSELF AWAY IN THE PALACE COMPLETELY, LIKE A FOOL.

DEA, DON'T TRUST OUR UNCLE TOO MUCH. THEY'RE ALL...

PELEUS, MY BROTHER.

I'M SORRY.

I'M SO SORRY.

I CANNOT YET BRING OUR UNCLE DOWN...

...NOR AVENGE YOU FOR BEING TORN APART BY THOSE BEASTS.

EVEN IF I HAVE TO BURN EVERYTHING THIS TIME,

I WON'T LET THE CROWN BE PASSED TO ANOTHER.

PLEASE... STAY SAFE...

DEANGEL, PELEUS' RIGHT-HAND MAN

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, YOUR MAJESTY?

I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT MY SISTER.

TONIGHT, I MISS HER MORE THAN EVER.

PELEUS LEONEL DE BALDINA, KING OF BALDINA