Art and obscenity, maybe it was a design that narrowly walked on a tightrope between them.
It looked like a beautiful woman’s body was bound with a rope.
There was also a male version next to it, and it was too embarrassing to even look between his thighs.
“The Dew of Montaigne is a romantic wine for young lovers.”
“……”
“It is brewed with the finest grapes from the Montaigne region, and it needs to be aged for 20 years for the best taste to come out.”
“……”
“The taste left on the tongue is so wild that not many people look for it. That’s why it’s called ‘special taste’.”
Surprisingly, the explanation for the special taste was not because of the design of the wine bottle, but because of its aftertaste.
‘I guess this bottle shape is nothing special in this country?’
‘…As expected.’
‘…It’s a crazy country. The Archduke likes this embarrassing drink. Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird?!’
It was when I was confused between his innocent hobby of praying and his gap in preferences.
The owner abruptly intervened, and kindly suggested.
“May I wrap it up for you, Your Majesty?”
Blushing a little, I said,
“I wonder if it’s appropriate for a woman to give such a present to an unmarried man…”
The owner didn’t seem to understand my question at all, but after a few seconds, he said, “Oh!”
“Hahaha. Not at all, Your Majesty. It’s natural in our Aktoum.”
I answered calmly, pretending it was nothing.
“I see.”
Also, I felt like I was Heungseon Daewongun who saw the Western culture and raised a convulsion.(TL/N: 흥선대원군 was the regent of Joseon during the minority of Emperor Gojong in the 1860s and until his death a key political figure of late Joseon Korea.)
Or like a stranger wearing an all-black wetsuit alone while everyone naturally enjoyed the nude beach.
“Please pack this one.”
I mustered up the courage and said, pointing to the wine in the shape of a woman.
The owner then pushed the male version towards me.
“!”
“Your Majesty, shall I wrap this up for you?”
Both were developed too well to stare at it casually. I hated it like it was a flying insect that had approached my face, so I lowered my head and said,
“No. It’s fine.”
The owner said, “Okay.” After answering, he went to pack with a smile on his face.
After a while, I left the store with a specially packaged wine gift that looked as if it was wearing a dress, and got into the carriage.
Dalgatak, dalgatak.
The sound of horse hooves was particularly cheerful.
On the way to the archduke’s residence by carriage, colorful flowers were blooming.
Now the streets were dyed with the full color of summer.
It was when I was feeling very good breathing in the fresh greenery and clean air.
After passing a winding trail, the carriage stopped at a place that was not easily reached by people.
“Your Majesty, we have arrived.”
“Yes.”
As I grabbed the hem of my dress and rearranged it, I was startled.
‘…Hyuk, what is this big black mansion?’
The archduke’s mansion was as black as night.
It was black enough to absorb all the light around it.
At the entrance, a three-headed crow stone statue greeted me.
Contrary to Johann’s gentle image, this felt a little heinous?
‘No, why is this place so gloomy? It’s not my taste…’
I came from a country where the sky, the ground, and even the night were white. In my view, the archduke’s residence was close to an abomination.
It was disgustingly black.
‘No matter how black Aktoum’s symbol is, this is like a seaweed factory.’
Still, the magnificence was great.
To ordinary people, just living in a house like this would be overwhelming.
At that moment, the front door opened and an elderly butler walked out.
“Your Majesty, I have been waiting for you.”
I said with a little regret.
“Yes, I came a little earlier than the appointment time.”
“Yes, you came early.”
I was a little flustered for a bit. Wouldn’t one usually say ‘it’s okay’ for fear of embarrassing the other party?
“It is a great honor to have Her Majesty the Queen here today. I will bring you inside.”
He seemed unfriendly because he was oddly honest, but he was a kind and respectful butler to say the least.
I didn’t mean to come here early either. I just spent less time buying a gift thanks to the wine shop owner’s quick movements.
Anyway, I walked along with the butler with a bit of embarrassment.
There was a faint, pleasant scent in the mansion.
Contrary to the gloomy feeling of the exterior, the interior was luxurious and beautiful.
I asked as I walked.
“Is this the symbol of the Marquis family?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
With sharp claws and obsidian eyes, the three-headed crow evoked a strange feeling.
To my question, the butler quietly bowed his head and explained.
“There is a story about a three-headed crow in an ancient myth handed down to the continent of Romnia.”
“The crow that looks down on humans from above the clouds?”
“You know it. No human being can escape these six pupils.”
I recited softly as I looked at the crows.
“The eyes of the judge who look down upon humans…”
“…….”
“It seems that Archduke Marquis is truly a faithful man.”
This alone matched Johann’s image. An attitude that did not deviate from the eyes of the judge who always looked down on him.
Endlessly repenting, reflecting, and living as a child of God.
These were the stories the priests emphasized whenever one went to the temple.
Wasn’t it a symbolic animal that could only be possessed by those who have an attitude of integrity and innocence like a child of God?
His nobility, which had fallen a little due to his bizarre taste in wine, felt like it was properly restored.
‘I think he’ll be more straight than he looks.’(TL/N: I struggled in deciding how to express this. Anyways, straight personality – someone that has a specific view of things and it’s hard to change his mind. But in his case, it’s kinda more of being inflexible and prim.)
The last time we talked for a while, he wasn’t like that.
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