“Did you find someone?”
Marchioness Croychen asked her maid.
After being insulted by Astelle in the Imperial Palace, she somehow found a chance to avenge.
She wasn’t just outraged at being insulted.
Only when Astelle disappears can Florin become Empress.
The Marchioness thought hard about how to get rid of Astelle.
If Astelle disappeared, there was no need to care about Theor. If Florin became Empress and gave birth to a son, that kid would become less than dust.
‘I just need to find a chance to get rid of that woman.’
But Astelle was so thorough that she never had a chance.
Astelle had filled all the staff of the Empress Palace with her own people and was thoroughly checking every necessity.
‘You must know that you have many enemies.’
Now the Emperor was obsessed with Astelle, and the ministers were also bowing to her naturally.
However, most of them were enemies of the Duke of Reston.
They hated the fact that the Duke of Reston’s daughter would become Empress and had even given birth to a Prince.
Astelle must have noticed, so she had prepared so thoroughly.
However, no matter how thorough she was, there was always a gap.
The wedding dress that Astelle will wear on the wedding day is said to be made in the capital’s top dressing room.
The Marchioness paid attention to the dress.
If she used the opportunity well, she might be able to kill Astelle.
The maid next to her listened to her and answered quietly.
“Yes, I have found someone in the dressing room who can help.”
After hearing the maid’s explanation, the Marchioness tapped the armrest of the chair with her finger.
She said, “I can’t fail again. I have to get rid of her this time.”
Due to Astelle’s meticulous nature, there wouldn’t be a second chance for her.
She had to succeed in one try.
***
“Prince!”
Theor, who was playing with Blynn in the garden, turned to the familiar voice.
Vellian, who was walking down the hallway, was coming out into the garden.
“Prince, you are here. Are you playing with the dog?”
Theor grabbed the fluffy ball of cotton and walked towards him.
“Hello, Count.”
“Oh no, you can talk to me comfortably.”
Theor tilted his head.
“My mother told me to use respectful words because you are a Count.”
“When did she say that?”
“Well…… in a castle with a hunting lodge in the forest.”
It was the first place he visited after meeting the Emperor.
He had been there for a few days and it kept raining.
Still, he met Blynn at the hunting lodge.
“Haha. At the time, I didn’t know you were a prince.”
Vellian smiled with a friendly face and muttered softly, “Astelle hid that fact thoroughly.”
As Theor looked up at him, Vellian hurriedly turned away.
“Prince, do you like this palace?”
“Yes, it’s nice here.”
Theor had become accustomed to life in the Imperial Palace in the meantime.
He became accustomed to the structure of the Empress Palace and learned the court manners taught by Hannah and his grandfather.
He also became more familiar with Kaizen, who came here almost every day.
“Is His Majesty here too?”
“Ah…… His Majesty will not be able to come today. He is very busy today.”
Vellian knelt down and looked Theor in the eyes. Then he said with a friendly gaze, “You can call him Father comfortably because you are His Majesty’s son.”
“……”
Theor didn’t answer and avoided his gaze.
He knows Kaizen is his father.
But there was something he couldn’t quite understand.
‘Why didn’t he live with us?’
Shouldn’t a father and mother live in the same house?
He can’t understand.
His mother said his father was busy and it was dangerous, so he couldn’t come to us.
‘His Majesty the Emperor is the strongest and highest person, but he was so busy and it was dangerous that he couldn’t come to our house.’
His Majesty the Emperor has many castles and palaces.
But we’ve never been to a castle before, Theor thought.
The strangest thing Theor thought was that his mother and grandfather hated His Majesty the Emperor.
Of course, the two never said that they hated the Emperor.
But whenever his mother saw His Majesty, she looked unhappy.
Even his grandfather’s eyes became cold when he only talked about His Majesty the Emperor.
‘Did His Majesty do something wrong?’
He doesn’t know why.
Both seemed angry with the Emperor.
‘I liked him even before knowing he was my father.’
His Majesty is kind and friendly……
He also taught him how to ride a pony and gave him toys every day.
But he didn’t want to call him father until he reconciled with his mother and grandfather.
“Well…… I’ll just call him Your Majesty.”
Theor mumbled and threw the ball again.
Blynn followed the ball and ran towards the flower bed.
Theor also followed.
Vellian looked at the little prince’s back and quietly clicked his tongue.
Every time ‘Your Majesty’ came out of the little prince’s mouth, the Emperor who looked painful and lonely appeared in his mind.
‘You have a long way to go. There’s a long way to go.’
***
“Lady Astelle, these are wedding budgets, ceremonial order, interior decoration, invitation list, and dress design.”
Vellian showed Astelle a thick document. It was the detail of the wedding and the design of the wedding dress that Kaizen had ordered from the dressing room.
Astelle only glanced at it and handed it to Hannah.
“Hannah, you take care of it.”
“Yes, Lady Astelle.”
Vellian stared blankly as Astelle skimmed through the document and put it down.
The document he prepared while working overtime for several days was handed over to Hannah in five seconds.
“Lady Astelle, do you know how much the dress cost?”
“I don’t know. Do I have to pay?”
“……of course not.”
Astelle gave him a look asking ‘Then what’s the problem?’
Vellian lost his words and just sat down.
The maid served tea and dessert for him.
“Since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to ask for advice.”
“……do I really need to give you advice?”
Vellian, who was holding the teacup, asked reluctantly.
His eyes trembled anxiously.
“Why?”
“Every time Lady Astelle asks me for help, nothing good has ever happened,” Vellian answered suspiciously.
‘Is that so?’
Astelle listened to him and recalled her memory for a moment.
There were only two times she needed Vellian’s help except for the hunting lodge incident.
At first, she asked him to go find some herbs, and then she asked him to hold a tea party with the Marchioness.
Come to think of it, neither of them was a good thing for Vellian.
“It’s not like that this time. I’m trying to find a swordsmanship teacher for Theor, and I’d like to get a recommendation from you if there is a suitable person.”
Theor is the Emperor’s eldest son and will soon become the Crown Prince.
Choosing a teacher for the Crown Prince was a very difficult matter. The teacher would then become the closest aide and adviser to the grown Crown Prince.
‘In my mind, I want to choose one of Fritz’s friends.’
But all of Fritz’s friends were the old great nobles. They were almost in a state of loss of power and collapse.
All the nobles holding important positions at this time were the ones chosen by Kaizen. They definitely wouldn’t be happy to be the teacher of the Duke of Reston’s grandson.
Meanwhile, if the little prince’s teacher was chosen from the old great nobles, the central nobles might think the new empress was trying to bring back the old great nobles.
‘But I can’t bring someone I don’t know at all.’
Anyone who is hostile to the Reston family cannot become Theor’s teacher.
After much deliberation, Astelle chose the person who would be the most suitable.
He was an emerging noble and was a close aide to the Emperor. He also has a relationship with Astelle, so he is a trustworthy person.
He was Seibel, the adopted son of Count Ecklen.
Seibel is an undoubtedly close aide to the Emperor, but his stepfather, Count Ecklen, is related to Astelle’s maternal grandfather and is also close to her late mother.
He was the perfect person for the conditions Astelle wanted.
‘But it’s a little difficult for me to point him directly.’
When Astelle herself suddenly appointed Seibel as Theor’s teacher, it would attract people’s attention.
People will look at the Emperor’s aide, Seibel, with questionable eyes on what kind of relationship he has with the Reston family.
If done incorrectly, he and Count Ecklen might be in a difficult situation due to useless speculation.
So she purposely asked Vellian for advice.
He said he was an old friend of Seibel.
So Astelle thought Vellian would recommend Seibel.
“Hm, he is one of His Majesty’s close aides.”
Astelle wanted to choose someone she could trust. As expected, Vellian said the name Astelle wanted after thinking for a moment.
“Well, how about Sir Seibel?”
“Sir Seibel?”
Astelle put down the teacup and asked curiously.
“He must be busy leading the Lanberg Knights. Can he make time for Theor?”
Vellian reassured her, “Sir Lyndon may be busy since he is the Knight Commander, but Seibel will be able to spare that much time.”
I guess so.
The Lanberg Knights, trained for war, only repeated their training every day on the outskirts of the capital when things were peaceful.
In times of peace, it was common for the commander of the Lanberg Knights to be the Crown Prince’s teacher in the past.
Astelle pretended to ponder for a moment, then nodded her head.
“Okay. Then you can ask Sir Seibel.”
“That’s great. I’ll let Seibel know right away.”
Astelle smiled satisfactorily as she saw Vellian holding the teacup with a happy expression.
“Thank you for your help, Vellian.”
***
After Vellian left, Astelle called Hannah and ordered again, “Please take care of the important matters related to the wedding.”
There are many people who do not like this marriage, so there is a possibility that problems may arise.
“Don’t worry, Lady Astelle. I will take care of it carefully.”
After that, Astelle managed the work of the empress until late afternoon.
By evening, the maid announced the arrival of a visitor.
“Lady Astelle, it’s an honor to meet you again.”
Seibel, whom she had met a few times, bowed his back in a polite manner.
“Sir Seibel. You came quickly.”
***
Kaizen quickly headed to the Empress Palace.
He was supposed to come earlier, but he was late because of work.
Upon entering Astelle residence, the maids greeted him.
“Your Majesty.”
“Where is Astelle?”
The maids turned their gazes to the window. Kaizen saw Astelle walking through the garden.
And next to her was Seibel.
“Did you find someone?”
Marchioness Croychen asked her maid.
After being insulted by Astelle in the Imperial Palace, she somehow found a chance to avenge.
She wasn’t just outraged at being insulted.
Only when Astelle disappears can Florin become Empress.
The Marchioness thought hard about how to get rid of Astelle.
If Astelle disappeared, there was no need to care about Theor. If Florin became Empress and gave birth to a son, that kid would become less than dust.
‘I just need to find a chance to get rid of that woman.’
But Astelle was so thorough that she never had a chance.
Astelle had filled all the staff of the Empress Palace with her own people and was thoroughly checking every necessity.
‘You must know that you have many enemies.’
Now the Emperor was obsessed with Astelle, and the ministers were also bowing to her naturally.
However, most of them were enemies of the Duke of Reston.
They hated the fact that the Duke of Reston’s daughter would become Empress and had even given birth to a Prince.
Astelle must have noticed, so she had prepared so thoroughly.
However, no matter how thorough she was, there was always a gap.
The wedding dress that Astelle will wear on the wedding day is said to be made in the capital’s top dressing room.
The Marchioness paid attention to the dress.
If she used the opportunity well, she might be able to kill Astelle.
The maid next to her listened to her and answered quietly.
“Yes, I have found someone in the dressing room who can help.”
After hearing the maid’s explanation, the Marchioness tapped the armrest of the chair with her finger.
She said, “I can’t fail again. I have to get rid of her this time.”
Due to Astelle’s meticulous nature, there wouldn’t be a second chance for her.
She had to succeed in one try.
***
“Prince!”
Theor, who was playing with Blynn in the garden, turned to the familiar voice.
Vellian, who was walking down the hallway, was coming out into the garden.
“Prince, you are here. Are you playing with the dog?”
Theor grabbed the fluffy ball of cotton and walked towards him.
“Hello, Count.”
“Oh no, you can talk to me comfortably.”
Theor tilted his head.
“My mother told me to use respectful words because you are a Count.”
“When did she say that?”
“Well…… in a castle with a hunting lodge in the forest.”
It was the first place he visited after meeting the Emperor.
He had been there for a few days and it kept raining.
Still, he met Blynn at the hunting lodge.
“Haha. At the time, I didn’t know you were a prince.”
Vellian smiled with a friendly face and muttered softly, “Astelle hid that fact thoroughly.”
As Theor looked up at him, Vellian hurriedly turned away.
“Prince, do you like this palace?”
“Yes, it’s nice here.”
Theor had become accustomed to life in the Imperial Palace in the meantime.
He became accustomed to the structure of the Empress Palace and learned the court manners taught by Hannah and his grandfather.
He also became more familiar with Kaizen, who came here almost every day.
“Is His Majesty here too?”
“Ah…… His Majesty will not be able to come today. He is very busy today.”
Vellian knelt down and looked Theor in the eyes. Then he said with a friendly gaze, “You can call him Father comfortably because you are His Majesty’s son.”
“……”
Theor didn’t answer and avoided his gaze.
He knows Kaizen is his father.
But there was something he couldn’t quite understand.
‘Why didn’t he live with us?’
Shouldn’t a father and mother live in the same house?
He can’t understand.
His mother said his father was busy and it was dangerous, so he couldn’t come to us.
‘His Majesty the Emperor is the strongest and highest person, but he was so busy and it was dangerous that he couldn’t come to our house.’
His Majesty the Emperor has many castles and palaces.
But we’ve never been to a castle before, Theor thought.
The strangest thing Theor thought was that his mother and grandfather hated His Majesty the Emperor.
Of course, the two never said that they hated the Emperor.
But whenever his mother saw His Majesty, she looked unhappy.
Even his grandfather’s eyes became cold when he only talked about His Majesty the Emperor.
‘Did His Majesty do something wrong?’
He doesn’t know why.
Both seemed angry with the Emperor.
‘I liked him even before knowing he was my father.’
His Majesty is kind and friendly……
He also taught him how to ride a pony and gave him toys every day.
But he didn’t want to call him father until he reconciled with his mother and grandfather.
“Well…… I’ll just call him Your Majesty.”
Theor mumbled and threw the ball again.
Blynn followed the ball and ran towards the flower bed.
Theor also followed.
Vellian looked at the little prince’s back and quietly clicked his tongue.
Every time ‘Your Majesty’ came out of the little prince’s mouth, the Emperor who looked painful and lonely appeared in his mind.
‘You have a long way to go. There’s a long way to go.’
***
“Lady Astelle, these are wedding budgets, ceremonial order, interior decoration, invitation list, and dress design.”
Vellian showed Astelle a thick document. It was the detail of the wedding and the design of the wedding dress that Kaizen had ordered from the dressing room.
Astelle only glanced at it and handed it to Hannah.
“Hannah, you take care of it.”
“Yes, Lady Astelle.”
Vellian stared blankly as Astelle skimmed through the document and put it down.
The document he prepared while working overtime for several days was handed over to Hannah in five seconds.
“Lady Astelle, do you know how much the dress cost?”
“I don’t know. Do I have to pay?”
“……of course not.”
Astelle gave him a look asking ‘Then what’s the problem?’
Vellian lost his words and just sat down.
The maid served tea and dessert for him.
“Since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to ask for advice.”
“……do I really need to give you advice?”
Vellian, who was holding the teacup, asked reluctantly.
His eyes trembled anxiously.
“Why?”
“Every time Lady Astelle asks me for help, nothing good has ever happened,” Vellian answered suspiciously.
‘Is that so?’
Astelle listened to him and recalled her memory for a moment.
There were only two times she needed Vellian’s help except for the hunting lodge incident.
At first, she asked him to go find some herbs, and then she asked him to hold a tea party with the Marchioness.
Come to think of it, neither of them was a good thing for Vellian.
“It’s not like that this time. I’m trying to find a swordsmanship teacher for Theor, and I’d like to get a recommendation from you if there is a suitable person.”
Theor is the Emperor’s eldest son and will soon become the Crown Prince.
Choosing a teacher for the Crown Prince was a very difficult matter. The teacher would then become the closest aide and adviser to the grown Crown Prince.
‘In my mind, I want to choose one of Fritz’s friends.’
But all of Fritz’s friends were the old great nobles. They were almost in a state of loss of power and collapse.
All the nobles holding important positions at this time were the ones chosen by Kaizen. They definitely wouldn’t be happy to be the teacher of the Duke of Reston’s grandson.
Meanwhile, if the little prince’s teacher was chosen from the old great nobles, the central nobles might think the new empress was trying to bring back the old great nobles.
‘But I can’t bring someone I don’t know at all.’
Anyone who is hostile to the Reston family cannot become Theor’s teacher.
After much deliberation, Astelle chose the person who would be the most suitable.
He was an emerging noble and was a close aide to the Emperor. He also has a relationship with Astelle, so he is a trustworthy person.
He was Seibel, the adopted son of Count Ecklen.
Seibel is an undoubtedly close aide to the Emperor, but his stepfather, Count Ecklen, is related to Astelle’s maternal grandfather and is also close to her late mother.
He was the perfect person for the conditions Astelle wanted.
‘But it’s a little difficult for me to point him directly.’
When Astelle herself suddenly appointed Seibel as Theor’s teacher, it would attract people’s attention.
People will look at the Emperor’s aide, Seibel, with questionable eyes on what kind of relationship he has with the Reston family.
If done incorrectly, he and Count Ecklen might be in a difficult situation due to useless speculation.
So she purposely asked Vellian for advice.
He said he was an old friend of Seibel.
So Astelle thought Vellian would recommend Seibel.
“Hm, he is one of His Majesty’s close aides.”
Astelle wanted to choose someone she could trust. As expected, Vellian said the name Astelle wanted after thinking for a moment.
“Well, how about Sir Seibel?”
“Sir Seibel?”
Astelle put down the teacup and asked curiously.
“He must be busy leading the Lanberg Knights. Can he make time for Theor?”
Vellian reassured her, “Sir Lyndon may be busy since he is the Knight Commander, but Seibel will be able to spare that much time.”
I guess so.
The Lanberg Knights, trained for war, only repeated their training every day on the outskirts of the capital when things were peaceful.
In times of peace, it was common for the commander of the Lanberg Knights to be the Crown Prince’s teacher in the past.
Astelle pretended to ponder for a moment, then nodded her head.
“Okay. Then you can ask Sir Seibel.”
“That’s great. I’ll let Seibel know right away.”
Astelle smiled satisfactorily as she saw Vellian holding the teacup with a happy expression.
“Thank you for your help, Vellian.”
***
After Vellian left, Astelle called Hannah and ordered again, “Please take care of the important matters related to the wedding.”
There are many people who do not like this marriage, so there is a possibility that problems may arise.
“Don’t worry, Lady Astelle. I will take care of it carefully.”
After that, Astelle managed the work of the empress until late afternoon.
By evening, the maid announced the arrival of a visitor.
“Lady Astelle, it’s an honor to meet you again.”
Seibel, whom she had met a few times, bowed his back in a polite manner.
“Sir Seibel. You came quickly.”
***
Kaizen quickly headed to the Empress Palace.
He was supposed to come earlier, but he was late because of work.
Upon entering Astelle residence, the maids greeted him.
“Your Majesty.”
“Where is Astelle?”
The maids turned their gazes to the window. Kaizen saw Astelle walking through the garden.
And next to her was Seibel.
