Chapter 61

TL: Lilac | PR: Faith

Fritz approached Theor, he made eye contact with him, and said, “So you are Sigmund’s son, I really wanted to meet you.”

“Who are you?”

“Theor, this is Uncle Fritz. He is my brother.”

At Astelle’s explanation, Theor looked at Fritz carefully and smiled brightly.

“Hello, Uncle Fritz.”

“What a cute little boy.”

Theor was very cute.

His soft black hair and blue eyes were the beautiful color of a deep, clear lake.

His curious eyes looked bright and there was not a single speck on his marble-white skin.

“You look cuter when you smile.”

Fritz admired and stroked Theor’s hair.

“If you have nothing to do, please go back. I just arrived and I want to rest.”

Astelle, who was watching from the side, said with an indifferent look on her face.

“Astelle……”

Fritz, who was about to beg again, turned to Theor and bit his lips.

He sighed then explained the reason for his visit.

“I came to see you because of the belongings left behind by the Empress Dowager.”

‘What does this mean again?’

“There were not only wills but also keepsakes?”

“Yes. She didn’t tell the Emperor, but the Empress Dowager also left you a few keepsakes.”

It was the first time Astelle heard it.

“Theor, go to your room. If you wait patiently, I will give you a delicious cookie.”

“Okay!”

Before leaving, Theor looked at Fritz and bowed his head.

“Goodbye, Uncle Fritz.”

Fritz couldn’t take his eyes off Theor until he disappeared.

“He is so cute. He grew up well.”

Astelle diverted his attention.

“Tell me about the keepsakes.”

“Okay.”

His explanation continued.

“They’re not great things. If things that were too precious had been lost, the Emperor would have noticed. So the Empress Dowager only chose what she really wanted to give to you. Paintings and jewels… well stuff like that.”

Empress Dowager loved Astelle a lot.

Leaving such a provision in her will was also her own consideration for Astelle.

It was no surprise that she had secretly left behind keepsakes.

“The Empress Dowager secretly sent them to our mansion before she died, in case the Emperor realized it.”

“Where are they now?”

“That’s… father…”

Fritz let out a sigh before answering.

“Father has them, and even if I ask for them, he won’t give them to me.”

Astelle frowned.

Is Duke Reston even greedy for the keepsakes from the Empress Dowager now?

‘It wasn’t because he wanted them .’

The Duke cannot be interested in the miscellaneous belongings left by the Empress Dowager.

It was most likely that he was stubborn because of his anger toward Astelle, not because of his greed.

Astelle spoke to her brother with a firm voice.

“Please go back and tell father. If he doesn’t bring the keepsakes right now, I will tell His Majesty about the items and press charges against him.”

Fritz asked with surprised eyes.

“T-Then His Majesty will confiscate them.”

“I think that’s what father thought, that’s why he hasn’t given them to me.”

Those are the items Astelle should have received, but her father must have thought that it did not matter whether he gave them to her or not as they were secretly hidden from the Emperor’s eyes.

He must have thought that even if Astelle wanted to have them, she wouldn’t go as far as to sue him.

Because the emperor hated Astelle and if this story was leaked, he would take them back.

Astelle wouldn’t be able to do anything even if she lost the keepsakes.

It was obvious that the Duke was calculating like that.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s better to give them to the Emperor, the grandson of the Empress Dowager than to give them to father.”

Fritz smirked slightly at Astelle’s callous remark.

“It is true.”

He was about to go find his grandfather and say hello to him.

He paused for a moment before leaving the room, and then addressed Astelle, “How long do you plan to stay in the capital?”

“I will leave soon.”

“……can’t you stay a few more days? Mother’s charity ball is just around the corner.”

Until her death, Astelle’s mother held a regular charity ball at this time of year at the mansion.

It was an event that invited guests to collect donations to help the poor.

However, after her mother’s death, the charity ball was not held for many years.

After her socialite debut, Astelle resumed her mother’s charity ball to honor her.

She organized one at the mansion every year until she married Kaizen and then left the capital.

After leaving, the mansion remained empty of guests since there was no hostess.

Astelle asked the question while counting the date.

“Did you keep holding the charity ball while I was away? ”

“Yes…… I organized it myself.”

Astelle was a little surprised.

The ball was supposed to be prepared by the hostess, Fritz had never done that before.

In the past, he didn’t even pay attention to such events.

‘Are you really sorry?’, Astelle thought.

It was hard to believe that Fritz, who had a stubborn personality, was regretting the past so much.

‘Yeah​​, it is all in the past.’

Whatever Fritz did now, it was none of Astelle’s business.

She didn’t even plan to stay here long enough to go to the charity ball.

She was not in a situation where she could attend leisurely.

“I’m sorry. I have to leave in two days, so I cannot attend.”

Fritz sighed sadly at Astelle’s resolute answer.

“Okay……then there is nothing I can do.”

‘I think we’re done talking now.’

Astelle was afraid that she might say unnecessary things while arguing.

She calmly but coldly asked him to return.

“Then, please go back now. I have to wash Theor and feed him.”

At those cold words, Fritz’s pale green eyes filled with sadness again.

However, he meekly obeyed Astelle’s will.

“Yes. If it is okay, I will go to see Grandpa. I want to ask for forgiveness since I haven’t seen him in such a long time.”

Astelle couldn’t stop him from meeting his grandfather.

“I think Grandpa is in the garden.”

“Okay.”

Fritz looked at Astelle for a moment and said,

“If you need anything, feel free to contact me.”

“Okay, I will do that .”

Astelle didn’t really want to get Fritz’s help, but there’s something called ‘if’.

She could use his help if by any chance she needed it, he was the heir to the family after all.

She said that she would contact him if there was anything she needed, and would not contact him otherwise, but Fritz was satisfied just to hear Astelle’s reply.

“Thank you.”

“……”

After Fritz said those words, he turned around and headed towards the garden.

Astelle looked at his back then closed the door.

***

“His Majesty the lord of the empire has come.”

The door opened at the attendant’s polite words, and the men who were sitting around the round table got up from their seats.

The emperor’s office in the capital’s imperial palace was large and splendid.

It can’t even be compared with the offices of the castles visited during the tour.

Gorgeous paintings were drawn symmetrically on the high ceiling with large chandeliers that twinkled according to the angle of light.

It was a painting depicting the history of the imperial family and the achievements of the founding emperor.

Kaizen sat down on the top seat.

“Your Majesty.”

He turned his head and looked at the Marquis of Croychen.

Suddenly, the marquis got up and knelt on the floor.

For an instant, all eyes were focused on him.

“What’s going on?”

“Your Majesty, I apologize for causing trouble through my wife and my daughter.”

They were expected words.

Kaizen frowned.

There were two useless disturbances during the tour because of the women of that family.

Marianne was trying to frame Astelle, but she was caught and was still imprisoned in the Maern Castle.

Marianne’s mother, the Marchioness, was house arrested.

Kaizen gave a cold command in a voice that showed no sympathy.

“Lady Marianne dared to frame the guest I had invited, so she will be sent off to the island as a nun to reflect on her sins. And the Marchioness…”

He thought of the Marchioness for a moment.

He hated her way more than Marianne.

That woman even tried to kidnap Theor.

‘But she can’t be punished for lack of evidence.’

The maid, who was caught as the kidnapper, was tortured by him, but she died without mentioning the name of the Marchioness.

Kaizen looked at Marquis Croychen with annoyance.

If the wife is severely punished, the husband, Marquis Croychen, must be punished as well.

It is not a pity to kill such a woman, but Kaizen could not lose such a loyal subject just because of his wife and daughter.

“The Marchioness has a problem with her conduct, so tell her to stay in the mansion, she will be on house arrest.”