Chapter 11

Count Siete, who had fertile land in the west, was known as the Great Noble, but in fact had passed to the emperor.

‘Things are going well.’

Vellian, who thought it was easygoing, did not miss Kaizen’s complex emotions grazed by his red eyes.

It disappeared in a moment, but he bet it was an emotion that had never been found in this young emperor.

Vellian blinked his eyes vaguely.

‘Oh, things are really weird.’

* * *

Marianne, sitting in front of a dressing table decorated with gold and silver, sent out her maid, combing her hair.

“I don’t need it, get out.”

Noting the displeasure of the owner, the maid went out quickly.

Her honey-colored hair had been grooming spilled long over her shoulders.

Marianne looked into the mirror, biting her nice nails.

Deep blue eyes that sparkle like jewels, red lips, skin that is clearer than pearls.

The honey-colored blonde shone like gold even in the dark room.

Marianne was beautiful.

She was one of the best beauty in the capital city.

However, the emperor was not interested in Marianne.

He didn’t care whether she came or not, and he didn’t even talk to her first.

Still, Marianne was satisfied in her own way.

Because the emperor was bothered by the other noble at all.

At least it was a week long for Marianne to talk to him.

Coming along the way was something that she couldn’t even dream of if she was another noble lady.

‘But why is he so interested in her?’

The emperor showed strange interest to the ex-empress, who was expelled.

Doesn’t he invite himself to dinner? Doesn’t he send a dress and jewelry to her?

It is said that he even forced her to dinner that she refused.

Her father, Marquis Croychen, sent Marianne win over the emperor’s heart during the little tour.

That was her father’s request.

However, it was not an unfamiliar rural woman who caught the emperor’s attention, but the former empress, whose whereabouts were unknown.

At first she was relieved when it was explained that she was due to the will of the empress dowager.

For that reason, she deserved to be brought by the emperor himself.

But it wasn’t like the emperor, no matter how much she thought of sending a bunch of gifts and forcibly pulling her out to the dinner table.

The emperor wasn’t a person that send something to a woman, even though he needed to get the woman’s favour because of the empress dowager’s will.

Besides, the emperor’s gaze looking at the woman at dinner is… it was really amazing.

Marianne has seen countless glances between lovers in the social world since before she grew up.

After worrying about that for a while, Marianne pulled the string and called the maid.

“Brings the maid chief here.”

* * *

As the afternoon enters, the blue sky turns pale gray as if covered by water fog.

The cool wind ran through the green leaves of the garden.

Astelle stopped working for a moment and looked at the sky through the window.

Behind the stone wall thickened with ivy, the hazy sky touched the top of the mountain in the distance.

It was an atmosphere where the rain would pour out right now.

Astelle sat in front of the dressing table and pulled out the box she had put in the drawer.

It was a small box decorated with golden flower bushes.

When she opened the lid, inside was full of big and small medicine bottles.

At first glance, nothing seems to have changed, but there was the only part that changed.

One side of the thread she had attached to the hinge fell off.

“……”

As soon as Astelle arrived here, she glued a thread that was thin enough to appear transparent to the hinge of the medicine box.

It was a classic method of monitoring if anyone else is opening it in case.

‘Someone has opened it.’

Who is it? It must be one of the new maids.

As Astelle wanted, yesterday morning, new maids came.

They were the maids who seemed calmer than before, maybe the chief of the maid took care of the last thing.

‘But it looks like a spy came with it this time.’

Well, it didn’t matter much.

Because she always carried medicine to change the color of the eyes on her body.

In the medicine box, there were only a few simple medicines and dried medicinal herbs.

No matter how far you look, there will be no suspicious drugs.

The worst thing is not to steal something inside, but to put something inside it all.

“Well…”

This box had been held since Astelle lived as a crown princess, and although it was not a very expensive item, the clasp at the opening of the lid was very elaborately made in the shape of a butterfly.

The rings on the wings of the butterfly were so small and detailed that they could not be opened easily without opening them with bare hands.

Astelle glanced at the wire-like loop, closed the box and pushed it back into the drawer.

And she left the drawer a little open.

* * *

“Because the weather is not good.”

Vellian explained to Astelle why they have stayed here for a few more days.

“As you can see, it looks like it’s going to rain. Local residents say that when the weather is like this, a storm comes soon after. Maybe it’s better to wait for a while to be safe. And… Lady Marianne also has a severe headache so she can’t start even though the weather is good.”

Vellian paused for a moment with a very agitated expression and continue again.

“So we are going to stay here until the day is clear and Lady Marianne is healed. Even if you feel frustrated, please be patient.”

Originally, she was going to stay here for about a day and start right away.

Yesterday morning, Vellian told her to wait without saying anything, and now he explains why.

Astelle smiled as if she understood everything.

“I am okay. Never mind.”

In fact, none of them are okay.

She was so annoyed about why the time was delayed so that her head hurt.

She wanted to go to the castle where her grandfather is as soon as possible.

That way, she can drop Theor over to her grandfather and send him back home.

She couldn’t leave the child to someone she doesn’t know and send him back home, and she couldn’t even call her grandfather here.

Her grandfather is only a few days away from here.

Astelle thought a lot in her head with a calm smile.

After a short thought, Astelle, who organized her thoughts, asked Vellian.

“I… can I write a letter to my maternal grandfather in Dentsu Castle? I think he is worried a lot about us.”

“Oh, of course, just send me the letter first and I’ll send it to him right away.”

* * *

It was this morning that she get permission to write a letter.

Astelle came to the greenhouse and made Theor play near the flowerbed and wrote a letter.

Rain was pouring out outside.

The sound of the rain hit the glass in the greenhouse.

Over the glass wall, a water chamber sat down on soft purple petals resembling the wings of a kingfisher.

The grass in the garden was moistened with rainwater.

Theor was playing while she was watching the rainwater run down the glass wall.

After a while, Vellian came to see Astelle.

“Have you finished writing the letter?”

“Yes, I just finished it.”

Vellian asked carefully with a very sorry expression when he saw Astelle folded the used letter and put it in the envelope.

“Excuse me, can I read it?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s not like I don’t believe in Lady Astelle, it’s just because His Majesty is here, so…”

Seeing Astelle startled, Vellian apologized in regret.

‘What is this?. You’re probably trying to make sure I made a strange action.’

She ran away and got caught, and it’s not a position that would feel good to the emperor.

Astelle concealed her heart and handed a letter as if she understood everything.

“It’s okay, you can read it.”

It doesn’t matter who reads it. No one knows the true motive of that letter anyway.

“Thank you so much for understanding.”

Vellian took the letter politely with his hands and read it carefully.

There was only one letter.

The short text contained the contents that she met the emperor and heard the circumstances, and that she is going to the capital city but it’s delayed because the weather is not good.

After that, she said that the child was fine and was worried about him.

[You were having a lot of trouble with a headache a while ago, but I am worried that your illness may have gotten worse because you were in an unfamiliar place.

We are doing well, so please relax your mind and take care of your health.]

“Oh my, is Lady’s grandfather sick?”

“Sometimes he not feeling well. Maybe he is old enough.”

Vellian once again apologized after reading the letter to the end.

“Nothing special, I’m really sorry, I’ll send it to him right away.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Astelle believed that her grandfather would understand what was written in the letter.

Explain the situation here and he will understand what Astelle is concerned about.

Theor wandered around the flowerbed and ran to find Vellian.

He said hello to Vellian, while held the teddy bear.

“Hello.”

“You are a little master. Do you like to play here?”