Chapter 186

| Side Story 3

Midnight Dessert

Fritz felt a strange feeling as he walked down the hallway.

This hallway leading to the emperor’s office is strangely quiet today. There are no familiar faces in the waiting room attached to the office.

A young man spotted him and ran out with a welcoming face.

Fritz turned to him.

This young man became an aide to the emperor at a young age based on his excellent grades at the academy and a great background three years ago.

But now, three years later, he looks almost ten years older than he was when he first came here.

Surely it must be very hard to please the emperor.

“Lannis, where are the other ministers?”

As Fritz recalled, today is the meeting day.

Am I too late?

It’s a little later than usual, but there’s still time.

Lannis answered with a tired face. “The other ministers left earlier after completing the urgent schedule due to sudden illness.”

Fritz was a little surprised to hear that.

“The ministers are all sick?”

Did they secretly have a meeting without me knowing and share some strange food?

Otherwise, would there suddenly be something wrong with their bodies on the same day?

For the past three years, Fritz has maintained quite good relations with the Emperor’s ministers.

It was also thanks to the disappearance of the nobles who were dissatisfied with the successive incidents.

Most of the remaining nobles have little power and are obedient to the Emperor. Fritz tried to make new acquaintances with them.

As a result, his efforts paid off.

At first, the ministers, who were wary of the empress’ family, now showed a certain fondness for him.

His marriage to Gretel, a commoner pharmacist, also helped a lot.

Marriage to Gretel made Fritz appear as a moderate figure who, unlike his father, was not obsessed with power.

If he wanted to strengthen the power of the ducal, he would have wanted a noble lady from an influential family as his bride.

While the nobles viewed him as foolish, they also let his guard down against the young new duke.

Lannis quickly denied it. “No. Count Tyros, due to his daughter’s sudden illness…… he left first after a brief report.”

“Oh, I see.”

The family’s illness is the most effective way to elicit the emperor’s sympathy and understanding.

If ministers had a problem with their ‘beloved wife,’ or their young child suddenly fell ill, the emperor was quite generous in granting leave.

On the other hand, such generosity could not be expected when the person concerned said he was sick.

Fritz took the documents and went into the emperor’s office.

Before the attendant came out, Lannis hurriedly opened the door.

And when he took a step into the office, Fritz stopped at the sight unfolding in front of him.

The first thing he saw was scattered and torn papers on the desk.

Kaizen sat on a chair just looking at the teacup and teapot in front of him.

The emperor pushed a pile of papers aside and was drinking black tea like alcohol.

He looked very annoyed and angry.

Fritz wondered if he had the alcohol in the teacup. But as he drew closer, there was no smell of alcohol, so it seemed to be tea.

“Your Majesty, what is this— no, greetings to Your Majesty.”

Kaizen silently put down the empty teacup and looked up.

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Your Majesty, what’s going on?”

Kaizen sighed and pushed the teacup and replied, “I had an argument with Astelle.”

“……you did?”

It seems so.

Because if it wasn’t Astelle, no one could upset him this much.

Fritz belatedly grasped the situation.

It seems that all the other ministers ran away, and only he came late and could not escape.

It was understandable that Lannis was very happy to see him. He must have thought that since he is the empress’ brother, he could solve the situation.

He wasn’t curious at all, but Fritz asked out of courtesy. “What did you argue about?”

Kaizen replied angrily, “It’s not a big deal.”

Then he sighed again and turned his head away and asked, “Will you listen to me? There is no one to discuss this matter with.”

Fritz didn’t want to get involved in his sister’s relationship. So he suggested very carefully, “Then if you talk to my grandfather—”

“The Marquis doesn’t listen to me.”

Astelle’s maternal grandfather often comforted Kaizen but was essentially always on Astelle’s side.

Even that old man seemed to enjoy watching me struggle.

“Anyway, listen to me. It’s not a big deal.”

“……yes, Your Majesty.”

Fritz had no choice but to sit down. He decided to think of it as paying the price for being late.

After sending his young son to the Empress Palace, he left the mansion late to spend quality time with Gretel.

The beginning of the problem was last night.

That night, Kaizen found Astelle organizing old documents.

“I’m cleaning up things I don’t need.”

Kaizen took the pile of papers that Astelle was holding and asked, “Can I help you?”

“You must be tired by now. You can help me tomorrow.”

Kaizen hugged Astelle with the other hand.

The children had eaten dinner and gone to bed, and there were only the two of them.

It was a pleasant night full of warm affection. At least until he saw the paper.

“This is…”

Even after a very long time had passed, Kaizen recognized what it was at a glance. It was a contract that the two of them had written when they were getting married.

Among the piles of papers from the drawer was the contract he had signed himself.

“Oh, it’s here.”

Astelle took out the paper indifferently.

Kaizen was stunned and asked again, “Did you still have this?”

“I forgot about this.”

Astelle took out the paper and put it aside as if it was no big deal.

Seeing Kaizen’s displeased expression, she belatedly apologized.

She said, “I thought I got rid of it a long time ago, but it seems that this is a copy. Now that I’ve found it, I’ll just burn it.”

“……yes.”

It’s so thorough that you even made a copy.

Kaizen didn’t say anything more, but he didn’t feel very good.

He thought Astelle had gotten rid of it.

But his prediction was wrong. Astelle still had the contract and it still had a divorce date.

Of course, he knew that Astelle wouldn’t want a divorce now.

Still, he felt bad.

Until then, Kaizen had tried to suppress his displeasure and forget about it.

Astelle must have been busy and forgot to get rid of it.

But the troubles didn’t end there.

The direct quarrel came this morning.

The cause of the problem was the princess.

His angelic daughter Estella is now two years old.

With chubby cheeks and ruby eyes, she really looks like an angel.

Except for her red eyes, she looks exactly like Astelle.

The princess reminded him of little Astelle.

He missed Astelle as a cute little girl. Such feelings further amplified his affection for the princess.

“Your Majesty spends too much time with the princess,” said Astelle in a calm voice.

“What’s wrong with spending time with my daughter?”

“It’s a problem because you don’t leave until sunset.”

Kaizen doesn’t understand what the problem is. He spends time with the princess during the day and with Astelle after dinner.

“And you pamper the princess too much.”

“…….”

Kaizen had nothing to say in response.

Not long ago, the young empress whined to him after looking at the boat in the fairy tale book.

“Dad, I also want to go to the sea and take a boat.”

“No, it’s too dangerous.”

At his stern reply, the princess began to shed tears with a sad face.

“Sob…… boat…….”

Her little pink lips quivered and her big eyes filled with water.

Kaizen’s heart melted at his little daughter’s tears.

“I’ll let you take a boat here instead. Sounds good, isn’t it?”

Kaizen built a large lake in an empty garden.

The former emperor’s rose garden quickly turned into a lake.

Kaizen made the lake very shallow. Even if you fall into the water, you won’t be in danger.

And he made a little ferry adorned with gold and jewels.

“The boat is pretty!” Estella rejoiced, clapping her small hands.

Looking at the lake and boat, Lannis murmured, “I am glad that our empire is rich…… there are many mines…….”

Of course, no one dared to point out the emperor’s actions.

Kaizen has never once regretted spending money on his daughter.

Today, Estella has been playing with Sig in the garden since morning.

Sig, Siegfried von Reston, is the son of Fritz and Gretel.

Estella is very fond of her cousin, who is the same age as her.

The two often played together late into the night at the Empress Palace. Astelle put Siegfried to sleep at the Empress Palace yesterday.

After breakfast, Kaizen, who was about to return to the Imperial Palace, saw his little daughter.

Estella was making a flower necklace from garden flowers with the maids.

Estella, smiling in the morning sunlight, was as cute as an angel.

And next to her, Sig came toddling with a flower necklace. Then he carefully put the flower necklace on Estella with both hands.

“Wow! Pretty!”

Estella hugged Sig with both arms.

“I like Sig!”

At that moment, Kaizen strode over the princess and lifted her with both of his hands.

“Dad?”

Seeing the princess who was suddenly taken away from him, Sig started to cry.

“Sob. Uwaa!”

Astelle came running after hearing his nephew cry.

Then she got mad at Kaizen. “Why are you bullying a child?”

“I am not.”

But Siegfried was still crying.

“Little Duke, I’ll give you a cookie. Don’t cry.” Hannah soothed the child with a calm face.

“I think he’s too close to the princess. We’d better make another friend for our daughter.”

“Estella likes Sig. What’s wrong with Sig? They two are good friends,” Astelle replied, dumbfounded.

“Even though they’re friends, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”

“Siegfried isn’t just her friend, he’s her cousin.”

But the Empire allows you to marry cousins. Most of the nobles of the past married close relatives.

Actually, it’s not a big deal.

Estella and Sig are both still young.

Astelle always nagged him, and Kaizen always listened to her.

But at that time, he was in a particularly bad mood.

Yeah, it must be because of that stupid contract.

“You are always so critical of me,” said Kaizen in a blunt tone.

Astelle opened her eyes wide, but did not back down and retorted, “You always do things that I don’t understand.”

In the end, it sparked a small fight.

***

Having listened to the end of the story, Fritz asked, dumbfounded. “Are you saying that you got into a fight because of our Sig?”

I listened intently, but it was really useless.

He could understand why Kaizen had not consulted the Marquis of Carlenberg.

Even if Kaizen said something like this, his grandfather, the Marquis of Carlenberg, would only look at him pathetically.

He wouldn’t even give him proper advice.

“That’s not the point.”

Kaizen added nervously, “Astelle is critical of whatever I do.”

Isn’t that because you always do weird things?

But Fritz wasn’t rude enough to say such a thing. He only has one life.

Of course, since Fritz is Astelle’s only brother, Kaizen wouldn’t harm him in the slightest.

However, if he became uncontrollably angry, there was a possibility that he would wield the sword first, ignoring such kinship.

“That’s something worthy of a fight. Wouldn’t you be angry if it was you?”

“……well,” Fritz murmured with no confidence.

Kaizen looked up at Fritz belatedly.

Fritz is not a person to consult on such matters.

Kaizen did not visit the Reston mansion often, but the princess wanted to visit Siegfried, so he took her once.

That day, Kaizen met Fritz at Gretel’s greenhouse.

He was smiling like an idiot, holding strange grass in his hands, and wearing muddy pants.

“It’s a holiday, so I’m helping my wife with her work.”

“Why……?”

When Kaizen blankly asked, Fritz answered as if it were natural, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Thanks to that, his handsome face was stained with dirt.

“Gretel asked for help.”

Fritz had obviously never fought with the Duchess. Not once did he ever dispute her opinion.

Fritz asked carefully, “What part are you angry at?”

“The contract,” Kaizen confessed frankly. “Why did she still have it? I couldn’t understand.”

“Oh, that’s the most important problem after all.”

Kaizen didn’t answer, but Fritz knew it was an affirmation.

Fritz couldn’t understand why the two of them still quarreled over trifles like this. Gretel and he rarely quarreled, which made him even less sympathetic.

“This is a presumptuous statement, Your Majesty. The Empress tried desperately to save Your Majesty.”

“That’s right.”

Looking back at the series of incidents the two of them went through together, he couldn’t doubt Astelle’s affection.

Astelle refused the chance to become Empress Dowager and she saved his life.

She could even have been in danger herself, but she risked all that and saved Kaizen.

“The Empress probably forgot that the contract was still there.”

To be precise, it had become a forgotten past for Astelle.

As Kaizen listened to his words, a look of regret appeared on his face.