Chapter 71

Theor rested his face ​​on the pillow.

Fortunately, Theor had no time to be bored.

This is because the toys sent by Kaizen were piled up like a mountain in the bedroom, and people who perform puppet shows came to visit him every day.

Theor watched the repeated puppet show with enthusiasm.

He couldn’t go out to the garden yet, but during the day he roamed the bedroom and played with toys.

Seeing him play vigorously, his body seems to have recovered completely.

“Grandpa, what are you doing here?”

After going to Hannah for a while and preparing Theor’s lunch, Astelle went upstairs and saw the marquis coming downstairs.

“Hey.”

After going down the stairs, the marquis found Astelle and quickly approached her.

He said with a frown on his face, “I was looking for you. Your brother is here.”

“Brother Fritz?”

It was an unexpected visitor.

‘Brother Fritz hasn’t contacted me since he came here on the first day.’

A look of dissatisfaction crossed the eyes of the marquis.

“Yes. He said he came to see you.”

When he first came to the mansion, Fritz also apologized to his maternal grandfather, the marquis, and asked for forgiveness.

The marquis looked displeased, but he didn’t say anything when he saw Astelle staying still.

Astelle asked, “What did you say about Theor?”

“I said he had a cold.”

“……well done.”

Of course, Fritz knows Astelle’s constitution.

If he knows the detailed circumstances of this matter, he will notice Theor’s birth.

Astelle walked nervously towards Theor’s bedroom.

It was when she reached the bedroom door.

Theor’s laughter could be heard through the half-open door.

“So this knight holds a sword……”

Fritz’s voice could also be heard.

The scenery in the bedroom could be seen through the half-open door.

Theor reclined on the bed and Fritz kneeled beside it and talked with two puppets.

As Fritz moved the puppets in his hands, Theor burst into laughter.

Astelle looked at the scene and opened the door.

Theor, who was immersed in the puppet show, saw Astelle and shouted, “Aunt Astelle!”

Fritz also put the puppets down and got up.

“Astelle.”

“Brother, what are you doing here?”

“I was playing with Theor because he likes puppet shows.”

As he said, puppets and small toys were scattered on the bed.

Theor grabbed the puppet and approached Astelle.

“Uncle Fritz did a puppet show! It’s called ‘The Knight and the Bear’! Do you know this story, Aunt Astelle?”

“Yes, I know it.”

Astelle turned to Fritz.

“We watched it together when we were young.”

“Do you remember?”

Fritz looked a little touched.

“……”

Conversing with my brother made me feel somewhat comfortable even after seeing each other again after a long time.

Is it because we are blood relatives?

It’s probably because of the affection accumulated while growing up together rather than blood ties.

In terms of blood ties, I should have been closer to my father, but I wasn’t comfortable with him and didn’t have any affection for him at all.

“What did you come here for?”

Even so, I had no intention of sharing the affection with my brother now.

“I heard that you couldn’t leave the capital because Theor was sick. I’m worried about how he’s doing……”

“Don’t worry, he is doing well.”

Astelle cut off her brother’s words in a calm tone.

With Theor next to her, she couldn’t get angry or show a cold reaction.

Without losing a friendly smile to the end, she politely said, “Now I have to eat lunch with Theor. Can you please come back?”

Astelle struggled to ignore the sad, pale green eyes that looked at her.

A deep sense of loss was revealed on Fritz’s handsome face.

It wasn’t that she wanted to hurt her brother because she was resentful.

But she was worried that her brother would see Theor for a long time.

Because they are close blood relatives, she was afraid that he would notice something even a little.

Theor asked, clutching Fritz’s sleeve, “Uncle Fritz, do you have to go?”

Fritz’s perplexed gaze turned to Theor.

Astelle said, soothing Theor, “Theor, we should eat lunch and take some medicine. Let’s play again after we’re done.”

“Astelle, I have something to talk about for a moment. Could you give me some time?”

Fritz intervened between the two of them and begged her earnestly.

‘What else happened?’

I felt uneasy.

If my brother begged like that, maybe he would have said something important to me.

Or maybe it was about our father, the Duke of Reston.

It wasn’t something she could refuse to listen to.

Astelle glanced at Theor and said, “Wait a moment.”

The two moved into the next room, leaving Theor behind.

“What’s going on?”

“Astelle.”

Fritz came closer to her.

His eyes shook anxiously.

“Astelle, I am your brother.”

“You didn’t call me to say that, right?”

“Theor……”

His anxious, trembling voice stopped for a moment.

Now, an ominous feeling filled Astelle’s heart as well.

“If there is anything I can do to help you with Theor, please let me know.”

“There is nothing you can do.”

Now, her own voice trembled as the thin thread before it was cut off.

Fritz came one step closer to her.

“You……don’t you need my help?”

“……”

Fritz noticed it.

About Theor’s Birth.

‘How did you find out? Because of the fruit?’

No way. When he first saw Theor, Astelle remembered Fritz standing still and looking at him.

Astelle realized later.

That her brother must have been suspicious of Theor’s birth from the beginning.

“Brother…… I……”

Astelle couldn’t continue her words because she felt suffocated.

Fritz grabbed her hand.

“Astelle, I will help you. Trust this brother of yours.”

“……”

What should I say?

I don’t need your help?

‘How much do you know?’

Did you only find out that Theor is my son?

Or did you notice that he is Kaizen’s son?

Astelle wanted to know for sure first.

Her decision will be different depending on which of the two.

“Brother, I……”

But before Astelle could say anything, a sharp voice intervened between the two.

“Astelle.”

The two siblings hurriedly turned their eyes.

Kaizen was standing at the door.

***

Kaizen walked towards the two siblings.

I felt as if my heart was being trampled on by his steps.

I felt like I was out of breath.

Did you hear what I just said?

If so, what did you think when you heard it?

Kaizen stopped about a step away.

The cold eyes looking at Astelle went down a little further.

His gaze stopped on Fritz’s hand that was holding Astelle’s wrist.

“What’s going on?”

Fritz looked at Astelle in bewilderment.

Astelle replied indifferently without panicking. In a voice that is not at all different from usual, without shaking, “We were talking about our mother’s ball.”

“Your mother’s ball?”

“Yes, my mother hosted a charity ball at this time every year. It is our family tradition, so I was discussing it with my brother.”

Astelle finished answering and calmly looked down.

I don’t know why I remembered it at this moment.

Perhaps when I danced with Kaizen at the ball at Dentsu Castle left a deep impression on me.

Seeing that the moment I thought of an excuse while looking at Kaizen’s face, I thought of a ball.

Fritz puts Astelle’s wrist down and bows to Kaizen.

“Yes, I said I was going to help my sister…… There was a difference of opinion, so we talked for a while.”

‘Will you believe us?’

Astelle forcibly calmed her nervously trembling heart.

Fortunately, Kaizen didn’t seem suspicious.

“I see.”

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“That’s a really good thing. I didn’t know there was such a tradition. Why are you fighting when you are discussing such a good thing? The siblings should cooperate together.”

Fritz’s glanced at Astelle.

‘I think it went well.’

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It’s because I’m not good enough as a brother.”

Kaizen turned to Astelle who was standing without a word.

“How about Theor?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty, his condition has improved a lot.”

Astelle smiled as usual.

“Thank you for all the puppet shows and toys you sent him. Theor liked it a lot.”

“That’s a relief.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Kaizen’s face.