• paradox | nct •

Chapter XXVI: Queen Mother

OLIVIA

"Greetings to Her Majesty, the Queen Mother." I quickly dipped into a curtesy as soon as the older woman turned up in my room.

It was an abrupt appearance that even I didn't foresee.

"Hello, Lady Crawford," The Queen Mother acknowledged, stepping past me and into my chambers.

She took a seat on one of the velvet couches, to which I followed suit.

"Bring some tea over," I gestured to the maids, then turned to my future 'mother-in-law'.

"What brings you here, Your Majesty?"

I asked warily, remembering the last time I interacted with the former monarch.

It was when I had just arrived in the palace, the day those mercenaries invaded my home.

Back then, I had also noticed how the Queen Mother didn't concern herself too much with the death of the late King.

"I heard you wanted to learn how to sew. Is this your first time trying?"

The Queen Mother's dark black orbs — the same shade as her son's — flickered to me.

"Ah..." I found herself unable to look away. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The princes...no, Mark and Jaemin look just like her. So why...

I found myself thinking back to multiple scenarios where I could see how both Mark and Jaemin had some distance with their mother.

"Tell me, why do you want to learn?"

Her demanding question snapped me out from my thoughts.

"I thought it would be fun." I admitted.

The Queen Mother's expression twisted.

"Why? It's useless. Your current skills are enough to be Queen."

"I don't think—

"You should be grateful enough with the intelligence you have. I know you're the one who tipped Jaemin off about Gadenish."

Though her words suggested that I should give up on learning anything new, I didn't feel offended.

Instead, I stared at her, despite knowing it was rude.

It was because of the pained expression on her face.

A silence overtook is as I phrased my next words carefully.

"I am aware, Your Majesty. I am grateful of everything that I have. However, I simply want to learn more for myself. Because it's fun."

I was frank. Perhaps that was what made her snap.

"I don't understand. Sewing isn't anything amazing! It's not fun. There is no point learning it. It is nothing but a humiliation."

Her disdain for sewing was clear, the scowl on her face distorting her beautiful features.

"Why?"

"Why?" She raised her voice. "Because that's the reason why it made me into a perfect doll. A fitting accessory to the King!"

She gripped her skirt so tightly it wrinkled.

...I understand now. Why she acted like this. Her words from back when I first met her echoed in my mind.

"You chose to be here, do not regret it." The Queen's voice had a tone of wistfulness in it.

She regretted.

In the palace, she was nothing but a woman who was like a pretty flower in a vase. Nice to look at, feminine.

She could do everything that a woman was expected to.

But nothing about her was useful to the Kingdom, nor her own husband who never even loved her. Her sons were also never allowed to interact with her.

She was stripped of any affection.

Then one day, the appearance of a certain woman — me — easily gained the favour of the princes and the country.

Of course she felt that way.

"Your Majesty...you're more than what you think you're worth."

I gently told her.

"What do you know?!"

"You're right. I don't know anything about you. But the people around you, your sons...deep down, I know they care about you."

"And sewing isn't useless," Albeit hesitant, I grabbed her hand. "Think about it. When you sewed before, who were you sewing it for? How did you feel?"

Her fingers trembled under my touch, as if she was trying to hold back her emotions.

"The truth is, I wanted to learn how to sew because of your sons. Because I wanted to thank them somehow. That's why, please don't think lightly of your talents."

I pulled away, giving her some space as she remained quiet.

It seems like she's also calmed down a bit as her trembling subsided.

After much silence, the Queen Mother spoke quietly.

"I see. Do as you wish."

She stood up from the couch and headed towards the door.

But before she could exit — a rush of footsteps could be heard in the hallways and the door to my room burst open.

"Olivia!!"

In the doorway stood a panting Mark, his panic-ridden face quickly scanning my room.

Once he set his sights on me, he breathed a relieved sigh.

Only then did he turn to his mother and bowed.

"Good evening, Queen Mother."

There was no response. She only started to walk past Mark and out of the room, not forgetting to whisper something that I couldn't hear to him.

When the door closed behind him, his ears were slightly red.

What he had heard from his mother was —

"Olivia is a good match. Treat her well."

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a/n: please remember that you are worth so much more than what you think ❤️