Chapter 36

Kaizen just stood there without saying a word, and then the Marquis asked a little embarrassed.

“Your Majesty, why did you suddenly come…”

“I came to visit you…”

The Marquis glanced at Astelle with surprised eyes.

Astelle said reassuringly.

“Grandpa. His Majesty has come to check on your condition.”

The Marquis who sat on the bed and stared blankly at him later showed a gentle smile to express his gratitude.

“It is a great honor for me to have Your Majesty come in person.”

“How is your body?”

“Thanks for your concern, I have improved a lot.”

Now he said thank you with a polite, and dignified attitude.

When Kaizen had met him before, he was stubborn and arrogant.

Until recently, Kaizen did not know Astelle’s maternal grandfather very well.

He had seen him at the Imperial Palace about 20 years ago, but he was too young to remember.

He had been rated as an easygoing and decent person.

He didn’t really care, so he thought it was just that.

But when he met him in person, he was a very arrogant and shameless old man.

‘You didn’t feel very sick, but you annoyed everyone by being rude for nothing.’

Astelle even shed tears when she heard that her maternal grandfather was ill.

When Kaizen recalled the memories of that time, he couldn’t come up with any good words.

Kaizen, who had been silent, looked at Astelle and asked.

“Where is Theor?”

“He is playing with the dog ​​in his room.”

Kaizen found the topic of discussion and spoke to the Marquis first.

“Theor was really nice and polite. I’ve never seen such a gentle kid.”

After saying that, the Marquis kept silent, and then looked closely at Kaizen.

In the last six years, he had no interest in the emperor even once.

This young emperor was no less than an enemy to him.

The Marquis, who was calmly maintaining his manners, exploded as Theor’s name came out from the emperor’s mouth.

‘I know it’s not okay to say it, but there was a moment when everyone lost the reason for a while.’

For the Marquis of Carlenberg, this was the moment.

After the conflict, the Marquis could not stand it and spoke calmly.

The words he had always wanted to say from the time he met the emperor again after six years.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Theor resembles my grandson, so he is really gentle and polite. If he hadn’t been like my grandson, he would have been ignorant of manners and rude.”

He emphasized the phrase ‘like my grandson’ once more.

“I think I’m really lucky. Because he looks like my grandson.”

Astelle was startled by her grandfather’s meaningful words and raised one eyebrow.

But the Marquis secretly avoided the gaze of his granddaughter.

Fortunately, Kaizen did not see Astelle’s side.

“… is it.”

Even after being cursed without knowing it, Kaizen nodded calmly.

The words of the Marquis were candid swear words, ‘I’m glad he doesn’t resemble someone like you who is not polite, and that he resembles Astelle’.

However, the person who was insulted did not even know what it meant, so he did not get angry.

Instead of getting angry, Kaizen cursed the old marquis.

‘What a trash old man.’

This old man took his grandson’s newborn baby after expelling the mother because she is a maid.

Then he didn’t even have the money to hire a nanny, so he threw the baby at his granddaughter, Astelle, which left her struggling with childcare for five years.

After causing trouble to everyone in that way!

He was an arrogant old man who bragged about Theor not resembling his birth mother, a maid, but resembling Carlenberg’s precious blood.

At this point, the curse of trash seemed insufficient.

‘Indeed, you are the father-in-law of the Duke of Reston.’

Was Astelle really going to take care of this old man herself?

It was not very difficult to call the servant and feed him with medicine.

It must have been like this at home.

Do you think Astelle is your maid? This old man!

‘I could not see this any longer.’

Kaizen promised that he would make Astelle live properly no matter what.

He will find a decent mansion, give it to her, and make her live in abundance and wealth.

* * *

Kaizen went out after visiting the Marquis’ room.

Astelle came out along with him and thanked him.

“Thank you for visiting, Your Majesty. My grandfather will consider it an honor.”

“……”

Kaizen had no ill feelings toward Astelle’s maternal grandfather, the Marquis.

When he met him while looking for Astelle, he stubbornly replied that he would rather die than tell the whereabouts of his granddaughter.

At that time, there was a certain respect for the old marquis, thinking that he cared for his granddaughter.

But now Kaizen sees that it wasn’t for his granddaughter, but because of his heavenly pride that he couldn’t give in.

‘After all, I should have killed that old man.’

“I think it would be unreasonable to raise a child since the Marquis is getting older now.”

Kaizen suppressed his annoyance at the old marquis and quietly offered to Astelle.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you and Theor to live in the capital? You have to be in the capital to educate him and send him to the social world.”

However, Astelle refused with a cold and calm tone without any emotion.

“As I said before, I have no intention of living in the capital. As Theor is the heir to the Carlenberg family, he must grow up with his grandfather.”

Frankly, if Astelle had been alone, she would have been at a loss as to how she would raise Theor.

The Marquis provided shelter for Astelle while she was pregnant and took care of her by his side.

When she was struggling with childcare and raising a newborn baby, the Marquis was a huge help.

When Theor was about three months old, there was a time when he cried all night without sleeping.

He wasn’t sick, and no matter how much she tried to comfort him, he didn’t sleep all night.

It was the Marquis who calmed Theor down, as Astelle ran out of energy.

The sight she saw when she woke up with her eyes closed for a moment was still vivid in her memory.

The figure of her grandfather sleeping through the night holding Theor with pillows and cushions piled up all over the place to avoid dropping the baby while sleeping.

However, Kaizen did not understand the situation because he did not know about it.

“……”

Unsurprisingly, he was calmly rejected this time as well.

Kaizen changed his mind as he endured the irritability welling up.

‘If you like that old man so much, there’s nothing I can do. Better use that old man to take you to the capital.’

Astelle rejected all his offers of the mansion and estate.

But the Marquis is different.

No matter how many times he refused because of his pride, he had a young heir, there was no way he would want to live a poor life relying solely on his pension.

If the Marquis decides to live in the capital with Theor, Astelle will be forced to stay in the capital too.

“The Marquis is not feeling well. It would be good to go to the capital and see a good doctor at this time. Let the child see the capital too.”

“I wonder if my grandfather can go to the capital with me because he’s not feeling well…”

“I will stay here for a while, so he will have plenty of time to recover. Your grandfather can live comfortably here unlike in his previous castle. If necessary, I will call more doctors from the capital.”

Kaizen quickly changed the topic before Astelle could refuse again.

“Oh, there will be a ball here soon.”

“A ball?”

“Yes.”

Kaizen continued speaking with an interval of about one breath.

“If it’s okay with you, I would like you to attend too.”

Kaizen thought Astelle would naturally reject it.

Astelle never did what he told her to do.

She did what he always told her six years ago, but after reuniting, she never listened to what he said.

Even though he knew it, he felt like, ‘Yeah, let’s talk even if I get rejected’.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Please answer that you would do it, even just once…”

Kaizen belatedly noticed Astelle’s answer, and looked at her.

“What?”

Astelle looked at him with a puzzled look and answered again.

“I will attend the ball as Your Majesty ordered.”

“Are you going to the ball?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kaizen frowned and looked carefully at Astelle.

It was a gaze full of suspicion.

“Are you really going to the ball?”

He repeated the same question over and over as if he couldn’t believe what he had heard.

At this point, Astelle was also stunned.

‘If anyone sees it, it will look like I’m insisting to go when he tells me not to.’

I just said that I would go because he asked me to come.

I don’t know what kind of reaction it was.

“Why are you doing this, Your Majesty? You just told me to attend, didn’t you?”

“Ah… yes, I did.”

Kaizen turned his gaze away, blurring his words.

He seemed to be very confused.

We grew up together since we were about 10 years old, but it’s the first time I’ve seen this man make such a bewildered expression, Astelle thought.

‘Was he so surprised that I was going to the ball?’