abcnovels
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Vellian put on his coat and walked out the door of the office and sighed as he looked at the night sky through the window.
It was a gloomy night full of gloomy clouds over the indigo blue sky.
Vellian prepared to return to the mansion, rubbing his tired shoulders.
He was tired and not getting enough sleep, so he had a sore throat.
‘Gosh.’
He had been working overtime for four days, and he might have to work all night tomorrow as well.
That alone was terrifying, but what was even more worrisome was the fact that Astelle was leaving for the East tomorrow.
‘If Lady Astelle leaves, His Majesty will be in a bad mood again.’
The appearance of the emperor who was only working with an unpleasant expression suddenly appeared in his mind.
Vellian let out a sigh.
‘Oh, I really don’t want to go to work tomorrow.’
It was when he walked down the hallway. Suddenly, a servant appeared from the other side.
For some reason, the emperor was there too.
“Your Majesty?”
“Vellian.”
Kaizen found him and stopped.
He was confused.
From the moment he came out of Astelle’s mansion he was confused.
He couldn’t help but be confused.
The little boy collapsed because of the drink he gave him.
That alone was confusing enough, but Kaizen felt even more confused in the meantime.
It is because what happened today was in contact with the memories of the past that had been forgotten.
‘Obviously, this happened.’
Astelle didn’t seem to remember, but Kaizen had experienced something similar before.
One summer day when he was about twelve years old.
That day Astelle came to play at the Imperial Palace.
As always, twelve-year-old Astelle in a gorgeous dress and draped jewels followed Kaizen.
“Your Highness, where are you going?”
“Just for a walk.”
Astelle smiled brightly and walked over to Kaizen.
“Then let’s go to the garden.”
The two walked along the garden path.
Servants and nobles passing by found them and greeted them respectfully.
Some people smiled slightly after bowing their heads.
As if a twelve-year-old princess chasing after a twelve-year-old young prince was cute.
But Kaizen was too bothered by Astelle chasing after him.
Reluctantly, he headed to Empress Dowager’s palace to leave Astelle.
Because Empress Dowager likes Astelle so much that when she finds Astell, she grabs her and doesn’t let her go.
Well, he had left Astelle to the Empress Dowager several times before.
However, it failed today.
“The Empress Dowager went to the temple. She told me to serve refreshments for the two of you when you come.”
These were the words of the handmaiden of the Empress Dowager.
The handmaiden of the Empress Dowager took care of that young couple as if they were cute and brought tea, cookies, small cakes, and tarts to them.
Kaizen sat down with Astelle on the terrace of the Empress Dowager Palace without being able to run away.
Annoyed, Kaizen drank only the cool iced tea.
Astelle ate the strawberry cake, carefully cut with a fork.
Kaizen took a piece of the tart.
It was a colorful tart topped with various fruits.
He ate one piece, and it was sour and tasteless.
His bad mood is getting worse.
On the other side, Astelle was still eating the cake very carefully lest she would smear the cake on her dress.
It was not eating cake, but a polite gesture as if holding a ritual. Kaizen thought.
Pointing to the sour tart, Kaizen said, “Astelle, you should try this too.”
It doesn’t taste good, so you should try it too.
What a stupid act.
Astelle, whose cheeks were flushed red, didn’t know Kaizen’s inner feelings.
She seemed to think that Kaizen took care of her.
Astelle obediently took a piece of tart to her plate.
But she put it down on the plate and didn’t eat it, she just watched carefully.
“What are you doing?”
Astelle raised her head in surprise.
“I was checking what fruit was in it.”
“Why?”
Kaizen looked at the tart belatedly.
It was just a colorful tart by adding all kinds of fruits.
There were peeled grapes, apples, and plums.
He doesn’t know what it is, but it seemed that the small pieces of fruit were mixed inside as well.
Astelle bit her lower lip slightly.
It seemed awkward to say, but Kaizen had no intention of being considerate of Astelle.
“Why are you doing this?”
Astele hesitated and finally answered,
“Just……I’m afraid there are some fruits I don’t like.”
It was a pathetic answer.
It’s not like fish or vegetables that have a strange texture, but fresh fruits.
Kaizen himself hated eating some vegetables at that time, but Astelle’s words of not liking certain fruits sounded pathetic.
After all, you are a picky princess.
“Just eat it. Because it is delicious,” Kaizen insisted.
Astelle hated it, so he wanted to force her to eat it.
“Yes??, yes, Your Highness.”
Astelle thought he was angry and hurriedly lifted the fork.
And she ate more than half of the tart in an instant.
Kaizen lost interest and looked out the window.
In the garden, fresh blue leaves are spread out like a dense forest.
He drank iced tea while watching the cool sight.
A gasping voice could be heard from the side.
“Your Highness……”
“What?”
It was when Kaizen looked back indifferently.
Astelle, who was sitting on the chair, collapsed to the floor.
Then the maids came in, the doctor was called in, and a mess ensued.
Astelle lost consciousness due to a sudden high fever.
After a while, the duke sent a servant and a carriage to take Astelle.
Kaizen couldn’t understand why Astelle suddenly had a fever and collapsed.
The next day, the Duke of Reston explained the reason to the worried emperor and empress dowager.
He said, “It was just a sudden fever, Your Majesty.”
The Duke explained so.
It is said that Astelle suddenly fell sick with a fever.
The emperor and the empress dowager did not doubt his words.
Kaizen thought it was a bit odd, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.
After all, after about a week, Astelle returned to the Imperial Palace with her usual face again.
And after that, Astelle’s fever never rises again.
***
Now, Kaizen who became emperor was thinking about the events of that day.
At that time, it had passed insignificantly.
If it hadn’t happened that day, he wouldn’t have remembered it for the rest of his life.
The sight of Theor drinking from fruit juice and collapsing from a fever brought back memories of the past.
Kaizen remembered the memories of that day and realized them later.
The tart that Astelle ate at the time.
That tart had a Lintail fruit too.
It felt like his head was fading white.
“I have something to find out quickly.”
Kaizen turned to Vellian and ordered.
Something that has been on his mind since the night of the fair a while ago.
“Investigate Theor’s birth secretly.”
***
Astelle spent the night with Theor.
While taking care of Theor, she had to watch if the fever rise up.
The doctor said that Theor had taken antipyretics and that it wouldn’t get any worse, but Theor was only five years old.
In any case, there was a good chance that something went wrong.
After taking care of Theor all night, Astelle fell asleep for a while, and then she woke up.
The white dawn light was seeping through the curtains.
As Astelle opened her eyes and turned around, she felt something unfamiliar.
When she came to her senses, she saw a warm blanket covering her shoulders.
“Lady Astelle.”
Hannah was with her.
“Hannah, are you awake already?”
It was still dawn, but Hannah was perfectly dressed in her maid’s uniform.
Astelle realized that Hannah had spent all night as she watched the two of them.
“Lady Astelle, we prepared hot tea and soup. Please eat some.”
Hannah placed a tray of teapots and soup bowls on the table by the window.
“Thanks.”
Astelle got up from her seat.
As she walked to the table, Hannah and her eyes met.
Hannah’s eyes looking at Astelle were deep and dark.
She suddenly remembered Hannah, who had kept her mouth shut since last night.
Astelle realized later.
There were four people who knew Astelle’s constitution.
Her father, older brother, maternal grandfather—the marquis, and……
……Hannah, who has been her maid of honor since her childhood.
Hannah calmly bowed down to Astelle with eyes like the sea of ??unknown depth.
“I will not ask any questions until Lady Astelle tells me.”
“Hannah……”
Astelle was speechless.
‘Can I tell Hannah?’
It was Astelle herself who knew the best answer to her question.
For her, Hannah was the most reliable person in the world.
Like her maternal grandfather, she was like her family to Astelle.
“I can’t hide it anymore. Hannah, it’s like what you think.”
As she might have already guessed, Astelle gave her the answer, and Hannah’s calm brown eyes shook.