Chapter 38

Upon closer inspection, it looked like it was being cleaned.

There was a broom and a mop, but the cleaning lady was nowhere to be seen.

The exhibition room was full of pottery.

From porcelain embossed with flowers on a pure white background, a light green vase with a white bird, to long blue porcelain wrapped in colorful floral patterns.

Among them, the most splendid was the blue porcelain placed on the backside table in the center.

Gorgeous flowers are painted with gold on a deep blue background like sapphire.

Even the coveted blossoms and the leaves that sprouted from the flowers were all gold.

These ceramics were imported from a distant country beyond the mountains.

This luxurious hobby was the taste of Kaizen’s grandfather, Emperor Gilbert.

Astelle admired the elaborate patterns painted on the pottery.

“It’s really gorgeous.”

“It’s a useless luxury.”

Kaizen didn’t seem to be very impressed.

“A lot of these things remain in the capital’s imperial palace. I was planning on selling it all, but the servants just left it.”

Kaizen, with a practical personality, has never liked such luxury in the past.

The imperial palace also had numerous treasures that his grandfather had collected and a number of splendid and stylish buildings that kept them.

Since the new owner doesn’t pay attention, the precious ornaments will only accumulate dust and be forgotten.

“Theor, don’t touch it.”

After seeing the luxurious pottery, Theor fell in love with the blue pottery in the center, but when Astelle stopped him, he quickly withdrew his hand.”

Theor asked with a curious expression.

“What is this bowl for?”

“It’s just decoration. You can decorate it beautifully and show it to people. If you drop it incorrectly, it will break, so don’t touch it carelessly.”

“It’s really pretty.”

The three of them left the pavilion and continued to explore the garden. After walking around for a while, they arrived near the main palace.

“Can’t we go see what’s over there?”

Near the main palace, Theor found a small byway leading from the main road and pointed at it with his finger.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Astelle went in without much thought, but a beautiful scenery appeared that she would regret if she had left it out.

There was a flower garden.

Numerous flowers filled several flower beds.

There were so many kinds of flowers that she couldn’t even name them all.

“Wow…”

Theor couldn’t keep his mouth shut as he looked at the flower bed.

Blin also walked around the flower bed and sniffed the smell of flowers.

Astelle laughed because it was cute.

“When we get home, I will make a flower bed like this in our garden. Let’s make a shallow pond and catch fish.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I will make it for you.”

‘Now that Grandpa had pension money, if I save a few months, I will be able to pay enough to make a small flower bed and pond.’

She will repair the ruined mansion and make a beautiful garden.

Theor will grow up playing with the dog in the little garden.

It was a happy future just by imagining it.

‘To do that, I must send Theor and Grandpa back home first.’

Kaizen asked absurdly.

“Isn’t there a flower bed in that house?”

“There was a garden, but I didn’t have time to plant a flower bed.”

Planting and caring for flowers also required time, dedication, and money.

Unfortunately, Astelle couldn’t use all three freely while raising young Theor.

Kaizen just looked at Astelle without saying a word. He looked a bit dissatisfied but didn’t say anything more.

Astelle glanced back at Kaizen.

‘I have to get the emperor’s permission at the ball.’

If she begs in front of a lot of people, Kaizen will have no choice but to listen to her. She thought.

When she returns home, she can live comfortably with her grandfather’s monthly pension.

It was when Astelle was looking around the flower bed while making such calculations.

She was walking around the opposite side of the flower bed, but she couldn’t see Theor.

“Theor?”

Astelle called Theor and looked around.

But there was no one around.

Thousands of flowers blooming high in the sky were embroidered on the flower bed.

Not only Theor, but also Blin who came with him was nowhere to be seen.

Astelle exclaimed in surprise.

“Theor? Where are you?”

Kaizen also looked around for Theor.

“Theor!”

Astelle walked around the flower bed and called Theor.

She heard a rustling sound next to her.

The tall yellow flowers swayed like waves in the gentle breeze.

Astelle ran towards it.

The closely attached flower stalks rustled and moved, and a tiny head suddenly popped out from among the swaying petals.

It was Theor.

“Theor!”

Theor jumped over the small flower bed and came out.

He was covered in yellow pollen all over.

From head to toe, yellow pollen was all over his body.

His hair, which was covered with yellow pollen, looked like a blonde in some places.

“Didn’t I say you can’t go into the flower bed?”

“I couldn’t help it because Blin went inside.”

Where Theor pointed, golden hair spurted out.

It was Blin.

Like Theor, Blin was covered in yellow pollen all over.

There is yellow powder like a stain on the black nose.

“Blin suddenly entered the flower bed and I followed him to catch him.”

Even after coming out of the flower bed, Blin continued to sniff the petals with its nose and smell the flowers.

When Astelle saw it, something came to mind.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. The dogs loved Tokar flower.”

Therefore, this flower was not planted in the imperial palace where dogs and hunting dogs were kept.

Even if you took good care of this flower, dogs came and trampled it.

“From now on, we must not play in this area.”

Theor sneeze because of the pollen on the tip of his nose.

“Etchu!”

Blin, who was next to him, also brushed off its body covered in pollen.

Yellow pollen was scattered everywhere.

Astelle wiped Theor’s face with a handkerchief.

A smile appeared on his yellowed face.

“Oh my gosh… I have to go and wash both of you.”

Astelle took Theor back to the annex.

Kaizen, who was next to her, spoke first.

“I’ll be on my way, so if you need anything, just tell me.”

Astelle bowed her head.

“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll see you at the ball then.”

Kaizen looked at Astelle and turned his body.

The slightly regretful gaze stayed for a while and then disappeared.

* * *

The vase on the table hit the floor and shattered.

The maid hurriedly knelt down on the floor.

The Marchioness kicked the maid with her feet.

“Ahh!”

The maid screamed and fell over the fragments of the vase.

“Get out now!”

The maid went out quickly as her skirt was soaked and dripped with water.

“… Mother?”

Florin found her screaming mother in the mansion’s drawing room and approached her.

The Marchioness shouted, poking at her daughter.

“What the hell have you done? You went to see His Majesty alone, so why couldn’t you save your sister?”

“What can I do?”

Florin responded as quietly as calm water.

In fact, Florin didn’t really want to save Marianne.

It’s because she’s stupid and didn’t help in any way.

The emperor will not forgive her anyway.

“You should have begged His Majesty to release Marianne!”

The Marchioness was furious to the end of her head.

She still trembled at the thought of the humiliation from Astelle.

‘How could I being insulted by her?!’

When she saw Astelle living in a luxurious villa in Denz Castle, she was even more upset.

Poor Marianne is still suffering in prison.

That stupid former empress is lavishing herself with luxuries.

“He gave that bitch such a nice abode!”

Florin wanted to protest more, but she gave up when she realized that it was useless.

Her mother lost her sense of sensibility.

At this rate, she could have been beaten.

The short-minded and impatient Marchioness was never a kind mother to Florin.

“Ahhh!”

Pottery with colorful ornament fell to the floor and shattered.

The drawing room quickly became a mess.

Vases and pottery were broken, carpets were all wet, and furniture was smashed.

Florin said while watching her mother throwing things around for a while.

“Mother. Don’t do it or you will hurt yourself. Take a walk in the garden for some fresh air.”