Chapter 20

In the last letter to her maternal grandfather, Astelle wrote about her worries about her grandfather’s head.

Her maternal grandfather knew what Astelle was most concerned about when she wrote ‘I’m worried because you had a headache in the letter.

He went as expected.

Astelle was relieved deeply and shed fake tears.

However, the two people who saw her appearance had no choice but to feel embarrassed.

As Vellian glanced at his own lord, he was surprised again.

Kaizen was watching Astelle with his very upset face.

Astelle pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Grandfather has been away from home for so long… you weren’t feeling well even at the usual time…”

“That… don’t worry too much, I don’t think it’s too bad.”

Vellian tried to comfort her in his own way, but Astelle held a handkerchief back to her eyes with a sad face.

The tip of her hand holding a handkerchief trembled.

“You have a lot of age, too… because of me… only after suffering in a remote place…”

Kaizen looked at Astelle embarrassedly and bit his mouth.

He later became a little regretful for his own actions.

‘I would just send someone to tell the situation and ask for a favor.’

If so, Astelle wouldn’t have run away.

He thought it would have been easy if he just sent the attendant to explain the situation and asked Astelle to come.

But he sent knights and soldiers without notice, causing Astelle and the old marquis to misunderstand and run away.

Thanks to this, Astelle had to run away for two months with a five-year-old child.

The old marquis even got a little sick from the aftereffects.

He thought he had done something wrong.

He was confused when he saw Astelle, who was crying and mourning like that unlike usual.

Kaizen was uncommonly chewing on his regrets.

And Astelle also noticed that he was regretting his actions.

“Your Majesty, can I ask you a favor?”

Astelle asked, looking up at the emperor with tearful eyes.

She was really lucky this time, but she didn’t think she would have this kind of luck again next time.

She had to hide the child out of sight of this man as soon as possible.

Astelle planned to go to Denz Castle, where her maternal grandfather is, to get out of Kaizen’s sight.

And then she has to send her grandfather and Theor back to home first.

He will not refuse if she begged and pleaded that her grandfather’s illness should not be severe.

Because Astelle is the only one Kaizen has to take to the capital.

He wouldn’t need to take Theor, who is only five years old, and her grandfather who said he wasn’t feeling well.

He wouldn’t even have to.

“If you allow me, can I take Theor and go to Denz Castle, where my grandfather is?”

Astelle wiped her tears and looked up at Kaizen earnestly and said her words.

“I want to take care of my grandfather myself. Even if my grandfather sees Theor, he will be a little bit energized.”

Vellian listened to Astelle’s request and turned to Kaizen.

He thought, of course, the emperor would allow it.

Denz is the road to the capital anyway.

After a while, the emperor and his party will also go through there on the way to the capital.

And this former empress wasn’t even held here as a prisoner, rather help His Majesty the Emperor.

Even though the emperor was sorry, he had to accept all her requests.

The old marquis was not in good shape, so it was not difficult to send his granddaughter there first.

‘Anyway, Lady Astelle has no way to run away now.’

Even if he sends her first, she wouldn’t escape because Astelle will not be alone, but would go with the knights.

In any way, there was no need to refuse.

Vellian thought of course Kaizen would do Astelle’s request.

So when Kaizen’s answer came out, he was as surprised as Astelle.

“No, I can’t.”

Kaizen rejected her firmly.

And he made a completely unexpected offer to the two who looked at him in amazement.

“We all move together, as you say, as soon as possible, we’ll be able to get there within 3 or 4 days.”

‘What is this…’

[Read the translation only at rebelliouslilac.wordpress.com]

It was a kind suggestion, but in Astelle’s point of view, it was like she had been struck by lightning.

Astelle quickly wiped away her tears and quietly refused.

“You’ve finally hunting after a long time, but I can’t bother you. If you just give me the carriage, I’ll take the child first…”

“I can’t do that. I was going to go there anyway, so I like to go together.”

“I can’t bother Your Majesty. If I go quickly, it will take only 3 or 4 days from here, so I will take a carriage and leave first.”

“No, go with me. I can’t just let you and a child alone.”

“……”

At Kaizen’s unexpected reaction, Astelle groaned inside.

‘Didn’t you mean to stay here for a few more days? Why are you suddenly want to go together?’

Astelle guessed that Kaizen was extending his stay here for some reason.

Although making excuses for the rain, Kaizen, whom Astel knows, couldn’t stay in such a remote castle for a few days for that reason.

She doesn’t know for what reason, but she thought there was more to be here…

However, she couldn’t even insist that Kaizen would move with her and that she would continue to go alone.

She will look suspicious if she keeps insisting on going alone.

After making such calculations in her mind, Astelle was forced to calmly thank Kaizen.

“…Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you.”

Contrary to what she thought, she went with the emperor’s party. But the important thing was that she went to her grandfather’s castle.

Anyway, if she goes to her grandfather’s place, she’ll be able to send Theor back.

She should be more careful during the 3 or 4 days going together with the emperor and his party.

* * *

As he rode in the carriage, Kaizen looked out the window.

The rain, which had been falling before departure, faded before dawn.

The sky from which the rain clouds disappeared was dyed with a light silver-gray color.

It certainly didn’t look like it would rain anymore.

All of the party was in a hurry to move toward Denz Castle.

Originally, he was going to leave after staying a little longer, but the situation has changed.

It was because of the marquis, Astelle’s maternal grandfather.

When Astelle heard the news that her grandfather was suddenly ill, Astelle wanted to go quickly, so he left earlier than expected.

Kaizen stared out the window and frowned on his eyebrows.

The more he thought about Astelle who was crying, the more he was annoyed with the marquis.

‘She lived next to that old man as a nanny and a maid, and now she looks like a caregiver.’

The anger got worse when he imagined Astelle taking care of that old man.

He was so angry that he could not understand why he was so angry.

Still unable to get angry with Astelle, Kaizen turned his arrow of anger to the cause.

“If that old man lived that long…”

Kaizen inadvertently muttered to himself, then biting his mouth.

Vellian, sitting face to face with him, could understand who he was talking about.

‘You must be cursing the marquis.’

He didn’t think there would be anything else about it.

Now, this situation is because of the marquis too.

Vellian could easily understand the words that followed.

–If that old man lived that long, he would be alive enough and he should be prepared to die.

Well, it sounds like that…

“…But he started getting pensions from now on, so he shouldn’t die.”

When the marquis die, the pension is cut off again.

Then Astelle and the child who will become the new marquis will be in need again.

“You can inherit the pension. Let the child inherit the pension.”

Kaizen muttered annoyingly, fixing his gaze outside the window.

“……”

It was very unusual to inherit a pension for a major to a successor.

Even more so if the successor is five years old.

Surely there will be people who complain about excessive favoritism.

But Vellian didn’t refute it and just shut his mouth.

The emperor’s mood seemed too bad to say something more.

Vellian knew why too.

Just before departure, Astelle coldly rejected Kaizen’s offer to ride this carriage.

‘It’s an honor, but I have to take care of the child so I can’t get on Your Majesty’s carriage.’

‘You can ride with the child…’

Astelle politely bent her back and cut off Kaizen’s words.

‘The child is too young and he can’t learn the manners properly, so I can’t keep him with Your Majesty for such a long time. I apologize, Your Majesty. Please understand.’

‘……’

As Kaizen stared with an annoying glance, Astelle grabbed the child’s hand and went to another carriage.

Kaizen has been in a bad mood since he was so cruelly rejected.