(2) Living as the Villainess Queen

Chapter 194

Eugene lifted her head to look at him. He looked serious, as if he was really going to do it if she agreed. Eugene scrunched up her nose towards him, smiling sarcastically as she pushed at his chest lightly, pulling herself up to her feet as she stood with her back straight.

The short, playful exchange between the royal couple was not left unnoticed by the public surrounding them, making the people gush at the sight. The comfortable atmosphere between them was clear as day, drawing up nods of approval from the people who witnessed such soft intimacy.

Some even wondered where the rumors of the queen keeping to herself came from, deeming it untrue, having seen the queen in an amicable state today.

There were a lot of rumors going about the queen, since she didn’t used to engage much with activities like this one. And with that also came with the news that said she and the king didn’t have a pleasant relationship.

The masses have their own ideas of what they wanted their rulers to look like. They pictured them to be perfect and superior, void of any flaws that may tarnish their image. And looking at the royal couple now seemed to have fit their narrative completely.

Eugene held his hand and climbed up the camel’s back where the palanquin was placed. Going inside the palanquin, the ruckus from the outside slowly diminished. The structure was assembled in a way that it is comfortable to sit on with legs stretched out.

The flooring had several large cushions strewn out for Eugene to lean on, and pillars were placed in all sides instead of walls, making the air pass through freely. Sturdy handrails and screens were also positioned around the perimeter, sheltering the interior entirely from the outside. A roof was also set up, covering the palanquin perfectly as it prevented the sunlight from streaming in.

People began to move diligently, going down their wagons to mount on their horses and camels. The workers started to move around, and assembled the custom-made wagons into sleds, transforming the wagons altogether.

Kasser climbed on top of Abu gracefully, and raised his right hand. The noise began to simmer down gradually until no sound could be heard anymore. The silence that enveloped the space was deafening— a small whisper would resonate loudly across the wide expanse of land.

“Open the door.” Kasser ordered.

The commander wasted no time as he abided to the king’s order, grabbing the rope in front of him. “Open the door!” He shouted at his soldiers in waiting.

“One! Two! Pull!”

The soldiers screamed in unison, tugging the pulleys along with the connecting rope. The soldiers hunched forward, their heels marking the ground beneath them as they pulled forward, shouting in cadence upon raising the stone gate. The people watching cheered in excitement, anticipating the start of the dry season.

The king had already announced the start of the dry season yesterday afternoon, but it was only today the stone gate was being opened. Generally, the gate was opened after the sun rises in the morning, and closed when the sun goes down.

Eugene stared at the huge stone gate propelling upward. She had already seen how it was opened two months ago, but the purpose of it was entirely different. Before, the gate was opened in order to get inside.

Eugene remembered that day as if it was only yesterday, thinking how confused she was before, not having any idea what would happen if she went inside the gate. So much had changed for the past couple of months, making Eugene feel nostalgic.