Chapter 17

Fortunately, the savior appeared before the child cried.

Lyndon, who was watching the two men, stepped in to save the embarrassing situation.

“Your Majesty, this villa has a hounds.”

Kaizen understood the meaning and quickly suggested to the child.

“Okay. Shall I show you the hound?”

“Puppy…? Is there a puppy here too?”

Fortunately, the child responded to the words.

Kaizen quickly took the child to the library to get him off the stuffed bear.

And ordered the attendant to bring a hunting dog.

The attendant picked a gentle looking dog with soft light brown fur.

“It is the most gentle guy.”

Although it may look gentle, it is a hunting dog, and it is larger than the dogs raised in the room, but the child approached the dog without any fear.

When Theor reached out his hand, the dog approached him and put its nose in his hand.

As the dog scented and approached, it licked Theor’s fingers and waved his fluffy tail.

Without avoiding, Theor patted the dog and burst into laughter.

“Oh… it tickles.”

Theor became very friendly with the dog.

“Would it be safe for chlidren?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, that hound is well trained and will be fine.”

Theor stroked the dog’s head and reached out one hand.

The dog placed its paws on the palm of Theor.

He grabbed the fluffy forefoot about the same size as his own hand and gently stroked the back of the dog’s neck with the other hand.

“The puppy is kind.”

Even though he was a child, it seemed very natural to deal with dogs.

Theor became very friendly with the dog and was happy.

“Have you ever had a dog?”

“No, I don’t have a puppy.”

Sad that there was no dog, Theor shook his head with a slightly fuzzy face.

Then he looked up at Kaizen again and talked a little bit.

“The Count Grandfather brought a puppy to my house. It’s a big gray puppy. Uh… Aunt Astelle told me how to play with the puppy.”

It seemed that someone the child knew had brought the dog. Kaizen doesn’t know who it is.

There are children who like animals since birth, while others are afraid of animals from birth.

‘I also liked my father’s hounds when I was young.’

He himself liked dogs and cats very much.

He would chase after his father’s hounds and play with his grandmother, the empress dowager’s cat.

Kaizen recalled his own childhood and suggested to Theor.

“Would you like to have this dog as a gift?”

“Really, can I take him to my house?”

“Sure.”

The child said he liked it, and he hugged the dog.

Lyndon, who was watching, wondered if he should get permission from Astelle, but he noticed that the young child liked that and His Majesty the Emperor liked that too, so he just silently bite his mouth.

Theor rejoiced infinitely and greeted Kaizen politely.

“Your Majesty, thank you.”

Kaizen saw the child standing in front of him who seriously bowing his head, and he laughed a little.

Theor ran around the room with the dog.

“Young Master. You shouldn’t run around.”

Watching Theor run around after the dog, the attendant cautioned.

Theor was surprised and stopped in an instant.

Kaizen, sitting in the chair and watching him, frowned.

Astelle seemed to educate the child strictly.

It’s good to listen to the words well.

Although it was all ruined family, he is the successor of the family anyway.

“If you want to play, you can go out to the hall and play.”

When Kaizen gave the permission, Theor took the dog to the outside.

Kaizen looked at the back of Theor running and ordered the attendant.

“Let the child do what he wants to do.”

* * *

The hunting lodge was a small mansion, but it was gorgeous as the emperor’s lodge.

In particular, the main building and the annex at the back are connected by long corridors at both ends, and between these corridors there was a corridor garden with an open ceiling.

Theor ran around the corridor and threw a small ball. The golden dog ran past Theor, bit the ball and came back.

He was a little scared to see the bear, but the emperor gave him a puppy.

It was a big and cute puppy with golden fur.

He was a little tired, but he didn’t want to rest because he enjoyed playing with the dog ​​so much.

Knights and attendants were coming and going at both ends of the corridor, but no one paid attention to Theor or prevented him from playing.

Theor, who was petting a dog by the pillars of the corridor, thoughtlessly looked up at the hazy sky and thought of Astelle’s request.

“Aunt Astelle told me to come back before dinner…”

Would it be okay to stay here?

On the one hand, His Majesty the Emperor is a very high man.

She said that he had to do whatever His Majesty told him to do.

‘Well… so I must do what His Majesty tells me to do…?’

While Theor tilted his head and was immersed in thought, the ball in front of him was blown by the wind and rolled toward the garden.

The dog followed the ball and ran to the garden.

“Oh… let’s go together!”

Theor followed to catch the dog.

There was no roof in the corridor in the middle.

Rain poured over his head before taking a few steps. The clothes got wet in an instant.

“It’s cold…”

Theor muttered, tying the wet clothes.

The attendant who was watching from over there ran to see the rain-soaked Theor.

Then, Theor went back into the villa with the attendant.

* * *

As the child went outside, the library quickly became quiet.

It was raining so he couldn’t go hunting, and he didn’t have anything to do.

Kaizen sat by the window and enjoyed the leisurely time.

There was still a clear sound of rain outside the window. Cold rain flowed down through the window.

The forest was immersed in a quiet darkness.

A white birch tree stood in the rain without shaking in a forest with water fog.

A similarly quiet person came to mind in the quiet and tranquil landscape.

Astelle always stays quietly on one side but doesn’t bend her will.

‘I didn’t know you were so stubborn in the past.’

Still, he didn’t hate Astelle like that.

Just as the scenery in the rain-wet forest feels refreshing, the honest and neat Astelle has a charm that calms the mind.

After meeting again, Kaizen continued to look at Astelle and his heart was touched.

Even though he is bothered, he keep thinking of Astelle.

Looking out the window for a while and thinking about it, Theor who took the dog out came back without energy.

As he watched, the child’s hair and clothes were half wet in the rain.

“Why did that happen?”

Theor replied, bowing his head well.

“I ran with the puppy… there was no roof.”

There is a classic colonnade in the area connecting the main building and the annex here.

The colonnade had no roof in the middle. It seems that he went there.

“Oh no, do you have any clothes to change here?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. There are no young masters’ clothes here.”

The servant replied, embarrassed.

It will be. Even the predecessor emperors never brought the child here.

“I guess I have no choice but to dry my clothes.”

Theor went and sat down in front of the fireplace.

Similarly, a wet dog followed him.

The servant took a towel and wiped the child’s body.

Theor raised his hand and quietly lit the fireplace.

Kaizen smiled when he saw the child sitting with his small hand on the fire.

He had never liked children in his whole life and this little boy was pretty cute.

What he did was cute.

He wasn’t manly, he was quiet and listened well, but it wasn’t just because of that.

Kaizen was familiar with the way the child was talking or laughing.

Kaizen looked closely at Theor’s face and realized the familiar feeling of deception.

‘Looks similar to Astelle.’

He’s a relative, so he has no choice but to resemble her.

Astelle’s cousin, Sigmund was like this too.

He was polite and quiet.

In particular, the child was raised by Astelle. So it looks like he has learned Astelle’s habits and behavior.

Is Astelle similar to her mother?

Kaizen never thought of such a thing before.

He felt like he had seen more of Astelle in this child than in 10 years as his fiancee.

A bitter thought filled the bottom of his heart.

‘I haven’t regretted anything irreversible, but…’

The attendant looked at the emperor’s eyes and tried to take the child.

“Young Master. I will guide you to the room.”

Kaizen stopped the attendant trying to take the child.

“Just let him be here.”

Theor put a towel over his head and sat in front of the fireplace to watch the firewood burning in the flames.

The dog who was playing with him took a seat next to him and lay down.

Theor wiped the drenched dog with a towel over his head.

“Is it cold? I’ll wipe it off.”