Chapter 43

The pointed maid was perplexed.

“I-I don’t understand.”

Astelle walked closer to the maid.

The maid pretended to be in composure, but there was a tense look in her eyes.

Astelle, who looked at the maid for a moment, asked in a clear voice that everyone could hear.

“Can you show me the back of your skirt?”

“The back of my skirt?”

The maids working in the court wear dresses with skirts that slightly drag on the floor.

Virtually, all courtiers wore such clothes.

The maid turned around with an anxious look and rolled up her skirt.

A white petticoat was exposed.

The rolled-up skirt was very clean.

“You have changed your clothes.”

Long skirts were elegant and beautiful, but when you look around, the skirts that drag on the floor quickly get dirty.

This clean skirt meant new clothes that had been changed recently.

All the clothes worn by the maids are provided by the court.

Since each person was paid only what they needed, there were not enough extra clothes.

As long as the clothes are not particularly dirty, there is no need to change the clothes you wear in the morning while you are working.

Astelle turned to Kaizen.

“Your Majesty, Theor said that Blin bit the sleeve of the maid’s clothes when she tried to catch him.”

“No, I haven’t changed my clothes.”

The red-haired maid came to her senses late, and she protested that she had not changed her clothes.

Astelle tilted her head.

“Unless it’s a new change of clothes, why is the skirt so clean?”

“Th-that…”

The maid’s face turned pale.

She couldn’t give a reason why she had changed her clothes.

Hearing Astelle’s words, Kaizen gave orders.

“Go to this maid’s room and examine her clothes. Look for any broken sleeves or missing clothes.”

The maid’s clothes are provided at the palace.

Each year, a seamstress is hired and made clothes to fit their body.

Of course, how many suits you have will be listed in the ledger.

“I-I was wrong… I was wrong. Your Majesty…”

The maid realized that she couldn’t get out. She fell to the floor and started begging the emperor for forgiveness.

“I-I did this to hide my sins for breaking the pottery.”

The maid who said she saw the pottery shattered by Theor also asked for forgiveness.

“How dare you try to abduct the heir of the Marquis family whom I invited and put the blame on him!”

Kaizen ordered the knights.

“Take them both to jail.”

The knights dragged the maids crying and begging for forgiveness.

Astelle called her own maid and ordered again.

“Take Theor to the annex and let him stay with the Marquis until I return.”

“Yes, Lady Astelle.”

“Theor, it’s fine, so please go to the annex first. I’ll be there soon.”

Astelle reassured Theor and sent him out first.

Kaizen and Astelle were the only two left on the garden path.

“Astelle.”

Kaizen stared at Astelle who was standing there without a word.

There was no expression on Astelle’s face.

She had an indifferent face without a single flinch.

Like a stone statue, she just stared at the air.

Kaizen was anxious and nervous.

From one day on, his heart was fluctuating because of Astelle.

Astelle’s expression and every little action moved up and down from time to time.

Astelle slowly turned towards Kaizen.

“I heard you saved Theor. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Astelle was still polite and courteous but did not show any emotion.

Astelle suppressed her heart that was boiling with anger and thanked Kaizen.

‘If Kaizen hadn’t appeared…’

Theor must have been kidnapped by that maid and dragged somewhere, and then returned a long time later.

In the meantime, there is no way to prove your innocence if you break the pottery and claim that it was Theor’s doing.

No one would believe what a little boy said that he didn’t break the pottery and returned from being kidnapped.

‘It was really fortunate that Kaizen was passing by.’

Had it been someone else, things would not have been so easy.

Astelle said thank you frankly.

Kaizen gave Astelle a complicated gaze.

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll interrogate the maids and investigate further.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I think Thoer is very surprised. Go take good care of him.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

Astelle bent her knees and bowed her head.

Kaizen didn’t respond until she got her body up again.

“Then I will go back to the annex first.”

Astelle saluted him and turned around.

***

There was a tense atmosphere in the annex.

Astelle explained the circumstances to her grandfather and entered the room with Theor.

Theor lay on the bed in his room, hugging Blin.

Astelle sat on the edge of the bed and patted Theor on the back.

“Theor, were you surprised?”

“Mhm… but it’s okay now. Blin helped me and I ran away.”

Astelle patted Blin, who was lying still next to Theor.

“Thank you, Blin.”

Blin licked Astelle’s hand.

Theor turned towards Astelle.

“Ah right! And His Majesty saved me.”

“Did he?”

“Yes. I like His Majesty!”

“……”

The child’s innocent smile broke her heart. Astelle quietly kissed Theor’s forehead.

“Let’s take a break, wash up, and eat dinner. If there is anything you want to eat, let me know. You can eat whatever you want today. I’ll ask the chef here to make it for you.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

Astelle nodded her head.

Theor must have been very surprised, so she thought he would ask her to bring dinner to his bedroom.

-knock knock

The door opened with a knock.

The emperor’s attendant entered the room.

“Lady Astelle, His Majesty the Emperor has sent a present.”

“… present?”

“A gift?”

Theor got up and sat down at the word ‘gift’.

As the attendant beckoned, the servants with gift boxes entered the room.

“His Majesty said to give it to the Young Master.”

Inside the box were various toys.

There were also dolls that were elaborately lifelike, dollhouses made of cotton, and carriages made of carved wood.

Another box came with snacks.

A glass jar full of various candies and cookies.

Sweet caramel and colorful pickles.

The boxes were filled with sweets that made you feel sweet just by looking at them.

“Wow…”

Theor opened his mouth in amazement at the pile of toys and sweets coming out one after another.

‘Is he trying to comfort Theor?’

It was a meticulous act that was not like Kaizen.

Still, the gift worked well.

Theor was refreshed by an unexpected gift.

He looked at the toys with curious eyes.

“Theor, you should say thank you to His Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, thank you.”

Astelle turned to the attendant and said, “Thank you for your efforts. Say thank you to His Majesty.”

After the attendant left, Theor looked into the light blue candy in the glass bottle and asked Astelle.

“Can I eat this before dinner?”

At home, he was not allowed to eat snacks before meals to avoid unbalanced habits.

Theor looked up at Astelle with eager eyes.

Well, It’ll be fine for a day or so.

“Okay. Instead, you should only eat one. Let’s eat the rest after dinner.”

Astelle put away the sweets Theor hadn’t eaten and went out to call the maid.

“Lady Astelle.”

As she came out of the hallway, Hannah called Astelle with a worried look.

“About what happened today…”

“It must have been her.”

No one knew that Theor was the emperor’s son.

Currently, Theor is merely the successor of the fallen family.

The only person who dared to harm a defenseless child must be the Marchioness, who had a grudge against Astelle.

‘You’re trying to frame Theor.’

Although Astelle had endured everything else, she couldn’t stand this alone.

She couldn’t keep a person like that around.

“What are you going to do?”

“……”

‘I will somehow make her disappear from here.’

Astelle walked down the dark hallway and turned to Hannah.

“Hannah, you have to help me.”

***

“Where do you come from?”

The commander of the Guards Army who guards the gates asked the maid a question.

“I’m on my way back from the city’s general store on the orders of Lady Astelle.”

The maid pointed to the maid next to her with her eyes.

Hanging a coat over a plain dress, Hannah opened the basket and showed him what was inside.

“Lady Astelle asked me to buy a new teddy bear from the city.”

Inside the basket were three little teddy bears the size of a palm.

They were red-brown, brown, and light-brown teddy bears respectively.