《A Stepmother’s Marchen》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 TL: Sibyl Editor: EndlessSkyRain Pr: SpiderLotus The iron widow, the spider widow, the male hunter, the witch of Neuwanstein castle, the embarrassment of nobledies¡­¡­. Whom are all these titles pointing to? It¡¯s none other than me, the Marquis Shuri Van Neuwanstein. Is there anyone else in this Empire who has as many nicknames as me? ¡­.I know it¡®s not something to be proud of, but I don¡®t care. Because it¡¯s not important what people say about me. The only thing that matters is the fact that I have kept the family of Neuwanstein and my children safe until this day. Yes, I kept my promise with him till the end. Of course, it¡¯s a bit awkward to call them my children. Since they are practically at the same age as my brothers and sisters. Children who don¡¯t share even a single drop of blood with me, but they are my children regardless. Even though they have never called me mother. I still raised those four children. And tomorrow is the day when I will finally be able to see the fruit of mybor. What is the special asion? It¡¯s my eldest son Jeremy¡¯s Marriage Day. It¡¯s finally that day! As soon as he bes the Prince¡¯s Sword, the Lion of the self-proimed Neuwanstein, and signs his wedding vows, he will finally be the posthumous work of his father, Johannes Von Neuwanstein. And the lovelydy, the daughter of Duke of Heinrich, is known as the most beautiful woman in the Yellow Sea. Ah, I¡¯m so moved to tears. It¡¯s like just yesterday when you were almost dying of measles. The countless tough times that I¡¯ve been through without a hitch, my tough times atst havee to an end . I feel rewarded for all the troubles I went through! Let¡¯s drink to celebrate this day! ¡­.but it was only a great illusion. Who did it? I can¡¯t even think straight anymore, I feel so dumb. I don¡¯t even know what to take the situations as, let alone say anything. ¡°What did you just say¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As I said, yes. He wanted toe say this on his own¡­but since he was busy with the wedding preparations, I asked him to let mee in his stead. He doesn¡¯t want you to attend the wedding.¡± A beautifuldy calmly told me as I held my head in my hands in frustration. She¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s fiance and the princess of this wedding of the century, Ohara Von Heinrich. Is it just my misunderstanding that the curly, wavy, pale blond hair and the fantastic blush of purple eyes seem to hold the light of strange pity? ¡°But why didn¡¯t he tell me this in person?¡± ¡°You know he¡¯s crazy busy right now. I¡¯m sorry, I hardly got any time. I was trying to convince you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait. Whatever he says, I¡¯m obliged to attend your wedding at Bandhsi. That¡¯s what he¡¯s¡­ ¡± ¡°To be exact, I was asked to tell you this.¡± The princess, who chose her words carefully while taking a deep breath with a look of unwillingness, said Jeremy¡¯s words as if she were spitting it out. ¡°The duty that you are always emphasizing about, as a habit will being to an end tomorrow as we take our vows, wouldn¡¯t it be better to take them off as soon as possible?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I was dumbfounded for a moment. While I was taking in this terrible news, Ohara was only looking at my eyes with a half sorrow and half reproach. What am I supposed to say? What am I saying? I¡¯ve never been in a situation like this before. What am I supposed to say? What am I saying? I¡¯ve never experienced or imagined such a case, so I don¡¯t know what to say. Jeremy, whom I have known for so long, didn¡¯te to deliver this message, but sent it through others. He would sit around and be polite enough to scold and flirt with people. It would suit him toe on his way and say things face to face to a person. If you can deliver it to me through your brothers and sisters¡­. You¡¯re not going to need any more bluffing tomorrow, face-to-face talk and shuffle your words. Is my presence a nuisance? No, no way that can¡¯t be¡­ . I opened my mouth to talk, but my voice cracked. ¡°Why would you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s a little too much. I thought so, too, but what can I do if he¡¯s so stubborn?¡­ and I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid to say that you are responsible for this situation too.¡± It was quite a wishful remark, but I was feeling more perplexed than displeased. My daughter-inw, who breathed a frustrated sigh briefly, nowid her long eyshes and recited it in a reproachful voice to her mother-inw, who only has a difference of 4 years in age. ¡°You must be familiar with your image in society. Of course I know you¡¯re a good woman, but most people don¡¯t want to be like that. I can¡¯t help it because it¡¯s only natural for him to me his mother objectively.¡± ¡°Does Jeremy me me?¡° ¡°To be honest, it had only been a month since his mother¡¯s death and his father got remarried back then. I heard that you blocked the rtives who shared the blood with him in countless scandals. And you threatened to kick out Aunt Lucretia who asked you to show her the faces of her nephews¡­.so I have to me you. Why did you do that?¡± Yeah, why did I do that? There are many reasons. But not a word came out of my mouth. Even if I hold on to Ohara here and make any excuses, even if I now say something about the reason why I had to do so, what¡¯s the point? The back of my throat was burning. Even after saying that I¡¯m used to the children¡¯s insensitivity, why do I feel so sad? ¡°No matter what anyone says, I¡¯m his¡­.¡± I swallowed a lump stuck in my throat and managed to keep my emotions in control, but Ohara stopped me again. ¡°You know he¡¯s never considered you to be his mother, right? Honestly, that¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡­¡­ yes, of course. He is only two years younger than me, and it doesn¡¯t make sense for him to think of me as his mother. I agree, but¡­¡­but¡­. ¡°I want to get along with you too, mother. So I hope you¡¯ll just cooperate this time, because you don¡¯t want to cause a disturbance in his once in a lifetime wedding, do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to get going. I still have a lot to prepare¡­¡­¡­ but I¡¯ll try to persuade you as much as I can. Don¡¯t expect too much from everyone.¡± Ohara threw ast look of regret at me. Meanwhile, I just froze nkly without even thinking of seeing her off. Jeremy, Jeremy¡­¡­. The child who saw me as an enemy ever since I first set foot in this mansion. He was at the age of fourteen then. A child who didn¡¯t shed a single tear at his father¡¯s funeral. A child who cried alone in a ce where no one could see. A child who caught the measles and burned with fever for countless nights. A lean boy who had never opened his heart to me, even though I was trying to protect him with all my heart and soul. The boy has now be an unparalleled young man¡­¡­ was now severing his ties with me. I called out these words to myself, ¡°It seems I have raised a ck-haired beast.¡± [T/N: ¡®ck haired beast¡¯ is a metaphor used to refer to an evil person. It refers to Jeremy not caring for his mom over here.] ¡­¡­ But Jeremy has blond hair, he doesn¡¯t have ck hair. This doesn¡¯t make sense. Yes, it¡¯s impossible to raise a child. As expected, our ancestors are wise and more knowledgeable. It¡¯s a waste of time to raise children! ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you all right? ¡± ¡°No, Gwen, I really can¡¯t live, uh, I think I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°If you please, madam¡­. ¡° ¡°¡­ that wicked bastard! How did I raise him! How could he do this to me! Oh!? Gwen, I¡¯m so sad that I¡¯m going to die¡­ !¡± Why would I cry so hard for him, that I don¡¯t have a control on my emotions anymore in front of these people? But I can¡¯t help it. I can¡¯tin. It¡¯s my fault that I don¡¯t have any friends. Ha, my life is so miserable. I didn¡¯t know how very lonely I am now. I realize that there is not a single soul to be med except me. I¡¯m the one who caused the rise of this situation. ¡°How can they do this to me?¡± There is not much use of convincing the second-born Elias, the youngest twins Leon and Rachel, and Jeremy. It¡¯s funnier to go in order to get humiliated when you¡¯re told not toe. I was so sad that I almost went crazy! How could they not let me see the wedding when I raised them? No, more than this wedding, more than the issue of me attending it or not. The problem is how they perceive me! I had no appetite, perhaps because I was too anxious inside. Instead of having dinner, I was sitting with my feet in a nket, leaning against the window, staring nkly at the night sky. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done this. It was just like the sky nine years ago when I first came here. ck inked the endless night sky. There were countless twinkling stars in the night¡­I didn¡¯t know then, that the countless stars in the sky will be one day just like the tears I am shedding here. When I remembered my childhood, I always passed by the same scenery. A father who was crazy about gambling and fighting, a pathetic mother who was busy turning a blind eye to the ugly reality, and a brother who was a dwarf with no awareness of reality. Me, the daughter of a Minor Viscount, who had only his name left in his empty pocket with a fan spreading air like the cold snow. That was me. Ironically, it was my 14th birthday when my parents finally realized their wish to marry off their only daughter. To be exact, I attended a banquet at my mother¡¯s residence in Be Tels Bach, where my mother was anxious to get me into the social world of the city¡¯s capital. One man who said I looked too much like his first love was my father¡¯s senior. Who even had a deathbed carrier with his ex-wife, was Marquis Neuwanstein. Instead of marrying me, he ced a condition that he would settle all the debts in my house. My family immediately agreed with a jump of joy. ¡­yes. I was sold by none other than my family to an old widower who had not forgotten his first love! I didn¡¯t want to go. That day, I cried and cried until I was tired like a girl who didn¡¯t know what was happening around her. But cry till a fountain of tears was created. Those people were my parents¡­ Chapter 2 Chapter 2 To make matters worse, my husband had four children with his wife who had died. The eldest Jeremy and the second son Elias, the youngest fraternal twins Leon and Rachel. From the first day I entered the house, the hostility and anger in their eyes was hard to describe by words. Jeremy looked down on me, Ellias always pranked me, his pranks were too harmful to be a joke, and the twins often called me ¡®fake mother¡¯. God alone knew how many sarira have umted in my body over the years of living with them. (m.sarira= A bead-shaped substance found in bones left after the body of Buddha or a saint is cremated.) Would I have loved this man, my husband, who I was sold to like a sheep in a ughterhouse? He was my father¡¯s age, and the reason he married me was because I looked like his first love. Nevertheless, he was kind to me. He was always too kind and thoughtful. Even though we were married, he never even touched me for the sole reason that I didn¡¯t want to. In a way, heplied with my request even though he bought me. I have never received such consideration and respect even from my family. Although I didn¡¯t love him, I respected him and felt grateful. Until he died of pneumonia after only two years of our marriage, we were quite friendly with each other. After the Marquis heard that he was in critical condition, he sent the children out, and it was I, his young wife, who drove his rtives away and wrote his will. Maybe he was considerate. A step he took to ensure that I, a young novice who no one treated as a real Marquis wife, could be respected in the house even after he dies¡­. But he left a heavy responsibility. I still remember every word he said clearly. All rights of the patriarch are temporarily entrusted to Shuri Van Neuwanstein, which is valid until the eldest son, Jeremy Von Neuwanstein, passes the age of adulthood and gets married. If she dies before that time, everything will be taken by the imperial family. It was a natural process, after all, the authority regarding inheritance was different. Under the Imperial Act, the authority was solely passed on to the eldest son or son-inw, and if the sessor was too young, the uncle or aunt would represent them until theing of age ceremony. But since when was the Neuwanstein family ordinary? Nevertheless, the Marquis¡¯s handwritten signature and seal were stamped on the will that not only gave the power to control the knights to a young girl who didn¡¯t reach adulthood, but also deal with all mattersrge and small in rtion to position and social affairs, and even to sit in one seat in the council and speak out. Everybody said he was crazy. I¡¯m also wondering if there was something wrong with his brain. My husband entrusted his children to me before he died. It was a ridiculous thing to call me ¡®mother¡¯ and even the new title wasn¡¯t suitable for me. He even asked the people in the room to take care of me and protect me at all costs. He had too much faith in me, and for that I have abided by the agreement in order to repay this trust. I won¡¯t bother to mention how scared I was when I was just 16 years old, surrounded by prominent aristocrats who are pressuring me to give up my sovereignty somehow and just look contemptuously at me. I won¡¯t bother to mention how scared I was when I was just 16 years old, surrounded by prominent aristocrats who are pressuring me to give up my sovereignty somehow and just look contemptuously at me. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 After the news came out that I had be a widow, my mother¡¯s covetous family were anxious to make me remarry ording to their taste. No one knew the fact that those who took turns pretending to be my suitors in the first few months were actually mercenaries who were contracted for a fixed sry. That¡¯s how I lived. I became a vicious madam to discipline the maids who secretly looked down on me and reced them whenever I was suspicious that they were nted spies, I couldn¡¯t trust anyone, so if any of my children got sick, I would nurse them. In order not to be seen by anyone, I became an arrogant littledy known by the aristocratic society full of conspiracy and intrigue. It was rumored that when I was young I killed my husband and monopolized the famous family. After that, I became a terrible widow, a men hunter and a witch of Neuwanstein who turned men into toys. I¡¯ve been so stubborn, so tough¡­ but, what do I have left now? John, I kept my promise with you. But what¡¯s left of me? When did things go wrong? *** Puck- ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡° I had no choice but to fall straight forward instead of walking past the stable due to the intense pain that hit my neck. Reflexively, I raised my hand and wrapped my back neck, and I felt something flowing down warmly. ¡°Elias! Are you out of your mind?¡± As I barely lifted my head, Jeremy, who ran with a white stiff face, and Elias¡¯ embarrassing face came in, standing frozen behind me. He seemed to be a five-year-old child who hadmitted something bad and was at a loss. ¡°What if someone dies because you throw a stone, you fool!¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t expect her to get hit so hard¡­¡­¡­ I, that idiot, couldn¡¯t avoid it because of her slow reflexes!¡± The shouting of the two teenagers seemed far away. Even though my blood was running down my neck, I was distracted. Elias yed pranks on me countless times, but he never injured me before. Fortunately, the bleeding stopped quickly, but there was a scar on my back that would never be erased. From then on, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to wear all the elegant hairstyles that are popr amongdies in the capital. ¡°Apologize to your mother.¡± It was amazing that the strong boys, who seemed to have no contact with the word fear, could look like dogs in front of their father¡¯s stern face. At the same time, although I became the object of apology, I still felt very ufortable. ¡°Elias, apologize now! And Jeremy, what the hell were you doing while your brother was doing that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father.¡± Jeremy was bowing his head so I couldn¡¯t see his face. It was then that Elias, whose shoulders were shaking and his head down, suddenly stared at me and opened his mouth. I even thought that my body would be split in half by the burning mes in his eyes. ¡°That girl isn¡¯t my mother! I can¡¯t say that even if I die, no matter what father says¡­..¡± Sigh! In the piercing sound of the air, I let out a brief scream and put my hand on my mouth. Elias, who was beaten, was surprised. He was just staring up at his father with his wave-like eyes for a moment, but he didn¡¯t seem to believe what had just happened. However, my husband¡¯s gaze at the second son was as cold as a frost. ¡°I apologize for the nonsense just now.¡± Elias, who had blinked his eyes several times, stared at me again. The lightning-like anger that stings in the dark green eyes was vivid enough to feel through the skin. **** Boom! Jeremy, the 14 years old child, couldn¡¯t bear to hit me, but hit the innocent wall with his fist. It was the first andst time that he expressed such intense feelings to me through the years we lived together. ¡°It¡¯s only been a month since my father died. It¡¯s only a month! But what, you got a sweetheart? Are you out of your mind?! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m out of my mind!¡± ¡°What the hell are you thinking? If you¡¯re out of your mind, how can you be blind with a shallow, innocent looke?! Do you think I¡¯ll let you do that?!¡± ¡°What if you don¡¯t let me?! If you¡¯re worried about your inheritance, then don¡¯t! I¡¯m not going to remarry anyway, and I¡¯m going to pass everything on to you just like what your father instructed.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying! Tell me what you¡¯re up to! You don¡¯t even care what people are going to say about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Ha, does that sound like it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to care now! You think because I¡¯m stuck with you guys, you can mess with me?! I don¡¯t think you want me to be your mother! Please leave me alone. Anyway, before you grow up and get married, I have no obligation to listen to you, so go and do whatever you like, whether you¡¯re going to swing, hunt or curse at me with your brothers and sister!¡± Jeremy almost punched me, but he gritted his teeth and held back. The hot dark green eyes seemed to sink slowly, and suddenly frozen like green ice. ¡°Of course, I will follow your instructions, madam.¡± He turned his back with a very polite tone, and I wondered if the ceiling would crack because he closed the door hard as he went out. Then I sat on the floor and began to sob on my own. He was so young. All of us were children who were in a hurry to grow up, unable to grasp the horrors of life. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 It looks like I fell asleep while leaning against the window. When I opened my eyes, it was already dawn. It was snowing outside. I was surprised that my face reflected in the white steamy window looked like that of an old man at the moment. Even though I¡¯m 23 years old, I feel like I¡¯m an old man who is already about 60 years old. Although we all say that old people are wise, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m wise, but I feel old. Anyway, it¡¯s snowing. Leon and Rachel will love it¡­¡­ Oh, are those times over? When the children were young, whenever it snowed like this, the children would go to the yard to y. While the twins made a snowman and Elias threw snow all over the ce, Jeremy galloped through the snow with the dog. And I used to watch them y through the window here, in my ce. It¡¯s funny and ridiculous. I¡¯ve known for a long time that I didn¡¯t have a ce among them, but now I¡¯m getting upset. ¡°Madam, are you up? Would you like me to prepare the carriage?¡± ¡°Yes, please. ¡­¡­And Gwen, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± The wedding ceremony of the century, which had been getting prepared for mouths, will start in a while. It would be a gorgeous and dazzling scenery. It must be different from my wedding, which ended with a simple wedding pledge and signing documents. I¡¯m sure all the guests won¡¯t be able to take their eyes off the bride and groom. Even the bridegroom¡¯s family will enjoy their time¡­¡­ The only advantage for me is knowing when it¡¯s over and epting that fact. Leon and Rachel, who were so sad over the loss of all their parents at such a young age, Elias, who was always mischievous but couldn¡¯t be hated, and¡­ you always made me feel nervous, Jeremy. You never knew that in the past, when you were with a high fever, I spent countless nights beside you and thought that I would be happy if I traded my life for yours. I didn¡¯t even know myself that I would even think that for someone. It is said that doing something in hope of a reward leaves only bitterness. So I won¡¯t me you at all¡­ I know you guys have your own reasons. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t worry. Can the young guy take care of everything ording to his father¡¯s will? Can he protect this splendid legacy? For me, who had to step into the adult world from a very early age, I was only worried and uneasy. But that¡¯s none of my business anymore. It¡¯s okay for the kids to live on their own. ¡°Madam?¡± By the time I hadid out all the things on the table, Gwen the maid, Robert the butler, and Albert the captain of the Knights, stood side by side. He is a faithful family member who has supported this family for a long time and the only one I have trusted. ¡°I¡¯m going to Heidelberg. Don¡¯t let anyone know, I¡¯m going to leave the kids behind, so get ready.¡± ¡°Heidelberg ¡­¡­ I see. But do you n to stay for a few days?¡± ¡°I¡¯m noting back.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The Marquis Heidelberg vi is the only ce that can be said to be entirely mine. My husband gave it to me as a wedding gift. Although I¡¯ve only been there once in the early days of my honeymoon. Anyway, it goes without saying that the three people¡¯s eyes, who were staring at the table, were simply as wide as a te. On the table, there are treasures I kept hidden in the past seven years, keys, will boxes and seals. ¡°Madam, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surprise that the madam is leaving.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s wedding today. My eldest son is getting married, and as a mother, I should give him a wedding gift.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The wicked guy must be desperately hoping that I¡¯m gone.¡± As I put my hands on my waist andughed, their faces stiffened. ¡°Take it easy. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself while I¡¯m gone, okay?¡± ¡°Madam ¡­¡± ¡°Serve the newdy well when shees. From now on, Jeremy is your master. Don¡¯t go against him. You know, that guy has a great temper.¡± ¡°No, madam, that¡¯s nonsense. You are the one who raised the young masters and youngdy!¡± Robert, the housekeeper, couldn¡¯t stand it. Like thement before death, the sad cry made me suddenly stunned, and then I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d that even you guys know. Still, don¡¯t say that in front of the kids, okay? Or they¡¯ll hate you.¡± ¡°Madam!¡± ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have time for this. All three of you go down now!¡± That¡¯s all I have to do here, I¡¯m going to eat well and live well on my own from now on. I¡¯ve never had a proper rtionship because I¡¯ve been working hard, I¡¯ll have to start anew for myself. Yeah, it¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s gonna be fine. That was just one of my other illusions. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 I tried to open my eyes as I was feeling like I was falling down a cliff. What came to mind was the strangeughter of the bandits who were wielding knives. I tried to wake up by shaking my head. My vision that used to be weak gradually got better. As I settled down, I started to see the surroundingndscape, and finally knew where I was. ¡­.It was where I lived. A fancy room that was once used by the former Marquis wife who died, and has be mine since I stepped into this ce. How did Ie back here? I remember being attacked by bandits on the way to Heidelberg. Was I rescued and brought here? But if I remember correctly, my escorts are dead, who saved my life? It was then that something strange caught my eyes when I was pressing down on my temples with a half-dazed sense. To be exact, an elegant golden dressing table near the window with strawberry-colored curtains caught my eye. How the hell is that supposed to be here? If you ask what¡¯s wrong with the dressing table, there¡¯s no problem. The problem is that the dressing table itself isn¡¯t supposed to be here. Originally, it used to upy that spot quietly, but about five years ago, Elias had been arguing with me and smashed the mirror, saying something about his mother¡¯s belongings. Heh¡­ No, but how the hell is it here? Is it just a simr object? But if so, who took the rosewood dressing table in ce instead? But then who took away the rosewood dressing table they had put in instead? Feeling uneasy and at a loss, I got off the bed and approached the dressing table. Then my face was reflected on the round and smooth surface of the mirror, and I was once again captivated by the vague feeling. It¡¯s me in the mirror, the bright pink hair that flows down to the waist and the light green pupil. But something is strange. What has changed? Half unconsciously, I raised my hand and slowly touched my face with my fingers. Something is definitely different from usual, but I can¡¯t pick what it is. It feels like my face has gotten softer, my cheeks are a little chubby and my eyes are more round¡­ In conclusion, I look strangely younger than usual. What¡¯s going on here? Did I suddenly turn younger? It was then that I heard a knock. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°Oh, Gwen! Come in¡­ ¡° Before I finished speaking, I was stunned again. It¡¯s obviously Gwen who opened the door and entered quietly, but¡­ ¡°Gwen, did you lose weight?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gwen, who has a strange look on her face, is also very different from usual. Gwen got fat because she had eaten a lot of sweet food, but now she quickly became thinner like she used to be in her old days. She looks younger too which was weird. Did we all get younger? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, but we don¡¯t have time for this, madam.¡± I blinked my eyes. Gwen¡¯s attitude was more unfamiliar to me than her youthful appearance. To be exact, Gwen, the maid of honor, was one of the few people who understood me in this magnificent Neuwanstein castle and knew how hard I had worked for my children. But why did Gwen suddenly treat me with such a businesslike look and dry voice? Maybe she was hurt when I left and got hurt on the way to Heidelberg. ¡°Gwen, what happened to me¡­¡± ¡°There are two hours left until the funeral. You need to prepare quickly.¡± ¡­What? ¡°What the hell¡­ a funeral? Wait, is there anything wrong with any of the kids?!¡± My God, I almost died after meeting a group of bandits, and now something wrong has happened at the wedding hall? When I cried out in panic, Gwen finchined. She stared at me with a strange look, then, she spoke in a softer tone, ¡°Madam¡­ I understand your shock, but you have to ept the reality and move on. The Marquis will want that.¡± ¡°What?¡± I was about to ask what the hell was she talking about, but a strange feeling blocked my throat. Wait, I think I¡¯ve seen this scene before somewhere. Where did I see it? The dressing table is back to its ce. The scenery in the room seems familiar but strangely unfamiliar. Like myself, who looks oddly younger than usual, Gwen looks unexpectedly young, and the ck mourning clothes she¡¯s wearing¡­. After a short and long hesitation, I finally caught my breath the next moment when I realized the identity of this incredibly sinister feeling. Oh, I see. There is no reason not to understand. Now the scene is very simr to my husband¡¯s funeral seven years ago. When I was just 14 years old, the majestic Marquis of Neuwanstein, my husband¡¯s funeral was held on a sunny autumn day. I¡¯m probably the only woman whose husband had two funerals. ¡­. God, what¡¯s this phenomenon? ¡°The Marquis¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one¡­¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the children. Hoo, those pretty kids¡­.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the Marquis wife? That little girl?¡± ¡°It is clear that the Marquis wasn¡¯t in a normal state of mind before his death. How can there be such a ridiculous will?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s notmon for people to lure the Marquis to that extent¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible! The Marquis must have been a fool.¡± ¡°How can you not be so enthralled by a woman like that¡­¡± The sound of the condolences gathering like ck waves was also very familiar. The huge chapel where the funeral is being held, the people in mourning clothes, the sad ringing of the bell, and above all¡­.. ¡°That child is the oldest son. How could he not shed a tear?¡± My legal children. The 10-year-old twins, Ryan and Rachel, burst into tears. Elias, who is only 13 year-old, is trying to be mature but unable to control his tears, and Jeremy, a 14-year-old boy, stood silently beside the coffin with an empty face. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see them again. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 It¡¯s crazy. Why did this happen? Am I dreaming? I finally put everything behind and decided to quietly live for myself, but ended up here? No, it would be better if it¡¯s a dream. If I really went back on time, wouldn¡¯t it be a lot worse? It¡¯s a shame to start over now. ¡°Ha¡­¡± A sigh of grief flowed out of my mouth. It sounded small without me knowing, but it seemed to be heard by Count Muller, who was standing behind me, the brother of my husband and the uncle of the children. ¡°You must be bored.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it alright to endure this much? You have taken over the goose thatys the golden eggs.¡± A tant sarcasm mixed with a look of mncholy. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It seems that these are the only feelings expressed at your brother¡¯s funeral. You can go back. I¡¯m a very busy person. I can¡¯t ept yourments.¡± Instead of answering back, ¡°What did you just say?¡± or ¡°What kind of rude thing are you saying?¡± Count Muller just stared at me with a shaky look that seemed to indicate that he couldn¡¯t speak because he was so speechless. At this time of the year, I was just a child who was full of fear without even knowing what to do, but when I suddenly came out, I put on a fierce look. Ignoring the pathetic gaze that didn¡¯t leave me, I again searched through myplicated mind. It¡¯s a serious problem if I am really in the past. I mean, I have to repeat thest 7 years. I don¡¯t want to repeat all the troubles I faced. The memorial service was over while I was chewing on my thoughts alone. The burial ceremony was about to begin. Therefore, I waited for a while until the priest who was in charge of the funeral Mass had finished praying, and then I stepped closer to the tform. The eyes of the people who followed my movements seemed to be stingy, but I only felt numb. ¡°Lady Neuwanstein?¡± ¡°Excuse me, sir, I would like to politely plead to everyone who gathered here, I would like to be with my husband for a while. I hope you understand.¡± Themotion spread. While the mourners were coughing or frowning, I turned to look toward the children. To be precise, at Jeremy. His face was still nk, but for me, who had been with him for nearly ten years, I could clearly see that he was angry with me. The dark, cold green eyes are telling me clearly. What are you doing? Ah, I¡¯m the bad guy anyway. Let him stare, I¡¯ll just ignore it. In the quiet chapel, which got empty as I had asked, only the subtle scent of incense was hovering. The coffin was covered with a symbol of Neuwanstein-a lion-shaped badge. I stared at it for a moment and quietly fell down by the coffin, ¡°Long time no see, Yohen.¡± Whispering and touching the lid of the coffin, the touch felt vivid. If this is really a dream, then it¡¯s very realistic. Originally, at this point in the past, I didn¡¯t ask the mourners for time, nor did I sit alone and talk to the deceased. The little friction with Count Mueller earlier also didn¡¯t ur. At that time, I was so scared and confused that I was eagerly praying inside that I could hide from people¡¯s eyes after the funeral. How much tears did it take for that silly and carefulposing girl to turn into a vicious witch in Neuwanstein? Looking back now, there have been many mistakes and idents. I¡¯m so proud of myself for oveing it all. ¡°Will you believe me if I told you I kept my promise? Can you believe how dazzling your children grew to be and how cold they were?¡± I know that the dead can¡¯t talk but I¡¯m not waiting for an answer. The image of the Holy Father and the Virgin Mary standing proudly on the left and right sides of the altar and looking down made them look as if they wereughing at me. ¡°Where did something go wrong? I don¡¯t want to me anyone. It was my husband who made me promise, but it was me who did everything terrible to keep the promise.¡± I ran like a burning tank without even thinking of looking back or looking around. In order to let people¡¯s rumors about me spread one, misunderstandings and contradictions piled up. It¡¯s just¡­ ¡°But I can¡¯t do it twice. I don¡¯t want to live like a viin, I¡¯m too tired of it.¡± ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know that it would be so painful when I wasn¡¯t shown gratitude for my hard work. What kind of gratitude did I hope for from the children? A thanks? Respect? Affection? ¡°Do you know? I really wanted to see Jeremy¡¯s wedding.¡± As I bowed my head, the long pink hair that flowed over the tube was disorganized. The feeling of tears flowing down my cheeks was too vivid for me to dream of. If I really traveled back to the past, doesn¡¯t that mean that God is asking me to make a different choice? Otherwise, this phenomenon can not be exined. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been doing that, lying alone on the coffin and shivering for a long time. But finally, I slowly lifted myself up. This is good-bye, Yohen, may this be ourst goodbye¡­¡­¡­ As soon as I turned away, I almost screamed as I faced the person I had least expected. My heart began to beast like a rabbit in front of a beast. How long has he been in here? The boy standing about six steps away from me was none other than Jeremy. He¡¯s not the healthy 21-year-old man who is familiar to me, but a young-looking Jeremy who is still standing on the border between a boy and a young man. As the image of the boy in front of me and the young man in my memory ovepped, a strange feeling that I couldn¡¯t express came up. ¡°Jeremy? Why did youe in?¡± I quickly wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and asked. Jeremy didn¡¯t answer. Silently across my wet face dark green pupil, as if across a confusion of light looking at you. I felt like a confused light shed across his dark green eyes, sweeping my wet face without saying a word. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 I couldn¡¯t believe it. The fact that this boy, who is still a little taller than me, with fluffy hair, will soon grow to the point of being out of reach. I didn¡¯t always show off, but I was always proud of him, the Neuwanstein¡¯s lion, the prince¡¯s sword, who had just debuted in society and made youngdies blush. He finally opened his mouth and his breath came strained without reason. What¡¯s the matter? What do you want to say to make me angry? Instead of saying what he was supposed to say, Jeremy did something I had never expected. He took out a handkerchief from his jacket and reached out to me. Then he finally spat out bluntly, ¡°Your makeup is smudged.¡± ¡­¡­Thank you for that. Thanks to you, I am able to avoid embarrassment. Hahaha, you yellow bastard! (m. yellow= coward) After my husband was buried in the ground, the three most important things fell into my hands. One was the keys that could open all the warehouses and doors of the Marquis, the other one was the box which contained the will, and thest one was the seal with the crest of the family. In the past, I was literally busy at this point with no time to sleep, because I had to take care of what my husband had been doing all by myself. It wasn¡¯t only about the safety of the Marquis¡¯s family, but also about how to understand and handle reports and petitions from gold mines, how to calcte revenue and profit, budget arrangement and ount book management method paid to the royal family, Knights¡¯ wages, penalties and rewards, etc. Because I wanted to master everything in a short time, I didn¡¯t have enough time to eat and sleep. Without the sincere help of the housemaid and butler,, I would have died of overwork. Of course, it was all in the past. Now I have reached the point where I can see what was wrong and what was missing right away by just browsing through the documents. I could do it while drinking tea and scanning countless paper documents and stamping them one by one. To people, the Marquis of Neuwanstein was the goose thatid golden eggs. Aside from its historic reputation of protecting the imperial family since the beginning of the founding, the merchant guilds and gold mines owned by the Marquis went beyond the astronomical unit of ie. It¡¯s the imperial family that rules the empire, but isn¡¯t it sad that people joke that Neuwanstein is the one who paints the imperial family with gold? The uniforms of the military alone showed off the splendor and solidity of the Imperial Guard. However, the most precious legacy left by the Marquis Johannes Von Neuwanstein during his lifetime wasn¡¯t such material things. The four children of the Marquis, who had lost their parents at a young age were remarkable. Somehow, when everyone attended the official event together, everyone, regardless of gender, couldn¡¯t take their eyes off us. Except for Elias who inherited his mother¡¯s red hair, the other children inherited the blond hair and green zing eyes, they even developed fastpared to other children. In particr, Jeremy was always the tallest among his peers. They grew up so frighteningly. I even thought that if I were a man, I would have lost my self-esteem. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just their appearance. Jeremy, who was ordained a knight at the age of 15 and eventually was given the brilliant nickname of the Crown Prince¡¯s Sword. Elias, who followed his brother¡¯s footsteps seriously. Rachel, who showed outstanding attainments in fashion and art since childhood. Leon, who could remember the content of a book by just looking at it once. At this point, I even think that God is unfair. However, there is a saying that God doesn¡¯t give you everything. I don¡¯t know who came up with it, but I can¡¯t help but respect that deep view. Having been tortured by them for nearly 10 years, I can say that the most obvious characteristic of Neuwanstein¡¯s blood is their beautiful appearance, excellent talent, and their hot-tempered mood. The twins, Leon and Rachel, neverpromised and were very honest with their emotions. If there is something they didn¡¯t like, they had to turn everything upside down and make people mad. It got worse after my husband died that even their nanny and tutor couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡­Well, let¡¯s say they can do that since they are young, but if I¡¯m in a bad mood, no matter who the other party is, I¡¯ll fight first. For example Elias, who was the cause of my injury. Because of my ident, the number of times I¡¯ve had a headache in the past seven years were uncountable. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Did I mention the man in the top of them all? Literally, if we pick the wildest beast among the siblings, it could only be Jeremy. Jeremy didn¡¯t seem to be that way, but he is the most impatient of the four. Instead of releasing the saddle knot by hand, he cut it with a knife. If Elias is a colt who can¡¯t control his energy and runs wild, Jeremy can be said to be a beast who bites first. Ha, that impatient guy, he must hate me so much because he had to wait seven years to get the title. But it wasn¡¯t necessarily my fault. Oh, yeah! Princess Heinrich, a beautiful princess who made countless young people suffer from the fever of love, is not inferior in all aspects in terms of family and reputation. She got engaged at 17 years old, and had been hesitating to get married for four years. I wonder why¡­! Anyway, after nearly ten years living with the naughty lion cubs, I¡¯m not going to change my personality for nothing. Thanks to them, I have now be confident that I won¡¯t be yed easily by people. There are a total of eight people gathered in arge and colorful living room with good sunlight. Excluding me, there are a total of seven. Count Muller and his wife, Marquis Friedrich, Count Bensler and his wife, and finally Sir Valentino and Countess Lucretia. Except for my husband¡¯s brothers, the countess was seventeen years older than me. That¡¯s right. All those people have gathered to pressure me! Just as I remember. It¡¯s a scene of wild beasts surrounding a frightened rabbit. Just a little roar would be enough to scare it. The count spoke as if he had forgotten the slight frictions of the funeral, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve all gathered here, so it reminds me of when we were young. My brother cherished this mansion where we all grew up together.¡± ¡°Haha, you and our older brother always made trouble.¡± ¡°Yes. At that time, you would run to our parents andin.¡± ¡°Are you done with your stroll down memoryne? You know, I¡¯m very busy.¡± When I stepped in with bold words, all the people who were remembering their past looked at me. In the past, the scenery where the beasts were ring at me would have felt quite overwhelming, but I didn¡¯t feel much emotionally. After years of struggling with the ferocious little lions, one would be the owner of dry mood. With the suffocating silence, Count Muller, who seemed to be observing my indifferent face closely, opened his mouth, ¡°Lady Neuwanstein, I would like to say with confidence that we have gathered here in advance, not because we don¡¯t believe in you, so please refrain from misunderstanding our intention. Rather, we are just worried.¡± ¡°Worried?¡± ¡°As you know, the great Neuwanstein family is the most esteemed peerage of the empire. You¡¯re still young, as are the children.¡± He sounded like he was sincerely sad. So I gently bit my lip and lowered my eyes, as if I were truly touched by his kind words. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about.¡± ¡°Of course. All of us gathered here are worried that the littledy will be seduced by someone bad and that might ruin the proud name of Neuwanstein. Excuse me, madam. Have you ever been to a party?¡± ¡°¡­ About three or four times.¡± ¡°What¡¯s scarier than thedies of society is their husbands. The men¡­¡­they will never allow a young woman to sit in the parliament, even if she follows her husband¡¯s will. This means a 14-year-old boy would be a thousand times better for them.¡± That was right. Isn¡¯t it something I¡¯ve already experienced in person? The parliament of nobility, which is held once a month unless there is a big change regarding war or the imperial family. It¡¯sposed of the heads of some of the most prominent noble families and prominent cardinal, the Empress¡¯ brother, Duke Nurembert. Even the Emperor or pope could hardly ignore the parliament¡¯s opinion. Would they have just let a widow like me take her ce at such a great meeting? They didn¡¯t push me away right away. Armed with inferior manners and unmatched dignity, I just treated them with a real smile. They soone to the hearing to investigate whether my dead husband¡¯s will was fake or not, a hearing that has be the streets of poets¡¯ ys. If the Emperor didn¡¯t rule in my favor at the hearing, and the Duke of Nurembert personally stepped forward, referring to the weight of the handwritten signature left by the Marquis, and questioning their intention behind the hearing, I would probably have been deprived of my power. I have no idea why the Emperor and the Duke took my side. Even in the past, whatever happened, the two left me alone. Anyway, if Count Mueller was trying to advise me purely out of concern at this moment, I would have pretended to ept it. They¡¯d rather kill me and get rid of me. But I had to be alive for their benefit. I have to live and move as they wish. If I die, everything would be taken by the imperial family. They had to protect me for their own practical interests. Isn¡¯t that such a disgusting reality? What they hope most is that as a young widow, I should, as usual, quietly provide internal help after their brother transferred the sovereignty to me. That looks like a good deal to them. Or they would remarry me to someone they could control. It wasn¡¯t umon for a young housewife who lost her husband to be turned to a puppet by her husband¡¯s rtives. It¡¯s not a matter of age, it¡¯s a matter of experience and connections. No matter how superior one¡¯s status and lineage are to one¡¯s age, one could never underestimate the experience they gained through time. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 In particr, if the person was a young stepmother like me, who isn¡¯t of a noble birth and has no connection to the social world, she would be in a bad situation. Yohan may have expected that and left such a will. What on earth did he believe in to leave all of that to me? If you are an ordinary person in the same situation as me, instead of enduring all the pain, you¡¯d better choose to have the legacy left behind and enjoy a happy social life. Anyway, the children aren¡¯t yours and the marriage didn¡¯t happen because of love. What kind of fool would walk on the thorny path? No one¡¯s going to notice, and all that would be left is the deadly stigma as a woman. ¡­ That fool was me. Damn it, now looking back, I didn¡¯t hesitate either. ¡°I can only thank you for your concern, Count Mueller. But I can¡¯t go against my husband¡¯s will.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I beg you to let us help you.¡± When he smiled slightly and spoke softly, he looked like a hunter waiting for his prey to take the bait. ¡°How do you n to help me?¡± ¡°As you have done so far, you just have to pay attention to your life. We will solve all theplicated matters concerning the parliament or the Marquis for the time being. The same goes for children¡¯s education, but none of us are willing to touch your rights. I just want to help because I think about my deceased brother.¡± In the past, I was trembling in this ce, but blindly rejected them. A scared cat puffed up its tail and set up its ws, literally rumbling and kicking them out. I think I was so courageous when I was young. At that time, I didn¡¯t know how to exploit other people¡¯s loopholes or use them moderately to suit my convenience. I just pushed ahead with it. I was anxious to be strong somehow. Sometimes, because I was too tired, I cried secretly in the night when no one saw me. But now I don¡¯t want to live like I used to. I have to decide from now on how I will live my life, but what¡¯s certain is that I don¡¯t want to go through the same hardships as before. I no longer want to hear criticism and resentment, especially from the children. ¡°Well, I guess I need to think about it. It¡¯s not long since my husband was buried in the ground, and it¡¯s hard to decide all of these issues at once. Do you understand?¡± With my gentle words, the atmosphere calmed down, so I believe it was a sess. Now look at count Muller¡¯s shining eyes. ¡°Of course, I understand. It¡¯s an emergency, so I hope you make a decision as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Mydy, may I ask you for a small favour?¡± It was none other than the Countess Lucretia Von Neuwanstein who intervened with a gentle and charming voice. A beautiful woman with dark blonde hair and ake-like blue-green eyes. The aunt of the children, who had asked me repeatedly to meet the children at least once in the past. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Madam also knows that I have been close to my nephews and niece. So, if I stay here for a while and live with the children, they will soon settle down and you will feel morefortable. What do you think?¡± Why did I reject the children¡¯s rtives unconditionally in the past? Why did the greedy uncles¡¯ existence stop the children from seeing their beautiful and affectionate aunt? That may be because of what my deceased husband said. None of his brothers could be trusted. They were hyenas of different appearances, pretending to be jackals of lions. And maybe just a little bit, there was a mix of my own feelings. But in the end, it¡¯s me that everyone hated. Before I went back to the past, Jeremy, 21, who was about to get married, med me. He resented me to the extent that he prevented me from attending his own wedding through his fiancee. That was how I was in his, in everyone else¡¯s eyes. The widow of iron blood, the Witch of Neuwanstein. Let¡¯s do what they want. Let¡¯s leave it as they want it to be¡­ ¡°If you can do that, I would be very grateful, but maybe your husband won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, I already told him.¡± With a happy smile and a warm atmosphere, Valentino seems to advocate not to lose this time, ¡°Well, Madam, I¡¯d like to help you, too.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a little free these days. I¡¯d like to help my nephews improve their swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Jeremy has a fencing teacher who has been with him since he was eight.¡± ¡°I know that, but isn¡¯t Elias at the right age to start training?¡± What conspiracy could it be? Valentino, a bully who wouldn¡¯t have be knight if it weren¡¯t for the Order of Neubanstein, is trying to stay with his nephews. I¡¯ll just wait and see. I pretended to be hesitant for a while, then nodded and showed a naive smile, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like an easy task. I¡¯d like to thank you for your help.¡± It was a test mixed with pride and carelessness. Although I¡¯m ready to leave, I hope my choice is right. At this point in the past, it was usual for me to sleep for a while at dawn and look intoplex documents and books as soon as I opened my eyes again. Because of that my nerves be sensitive, even a small noise would startle me. At a time where every look in the eyes of the messengers and Knights was of profound significance to me, the day I first attended the Council, I fell asleep like the dead as soon as I got home. ****** As soon as I opened my eyes the next morning, as if I had been fascinated by something in the early morning, I wrapped myself with what I had brought when I first stepped into this house and went out. Leon and Rachel, the twins who stood in the balcony, rubbed their sleepy eyes, and stared at me, ¡°Fake mother, where are you going? Buy candies for us when youe back.¡± The little brothers and sisters blinked their huge green eyes and waved their hands side by side. Only then did my sensese back. It was only then that I could see the knights watching in bliss, not even thinking of stopping them from doing anything unexpected and crazy. In the past; when I saw that, I turned back, and as soon as I reached the mansion, I convened all the servants and fired about half of them from the spot. No one could dare to stop me¡­¡­¡­. But now, I have to postpone changing the servants. It¡¯s my priority to decide my future path. I can¡¯t say that the current situation is the worst thing that happened to me. ¡­ Although I don¡¯t know whether I really went back in time, or whether the things up to now were predictive dreams, I can prepare myself for what will happen in the future. Like that damned hearing. My reputation in the social world, even if not for the hearing, was extremely bad. I wonder if that was the reason Jeremy didn¡¯t want me in his wedding. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 I was sad over it, but I didn¡¯t do anything. I think it was a little too much, even if it was good to say that I didn¡¯t care what others were saying about me. I didn¡¯t exin the misunderstanding, and I just hugged myself and cried. Although I was hated by people, the children were different. They wanted to be with the children, but I rejected them and never thought of exining or trying to resolve any misunderstandings thate from what they heard about me. In the end, as they hoped, I became an outsider and public enemy that couldn¡¯t fit anywhere. Looking back now, there were still a few who were friendly to me. Those who had more years of experience advised me, but I was the one who closed my ears and eyes to the advice and help they offered. A child who used to iste herself by saying, ¡°I don¡¯t need advice,¡± and that I can do well on my own. Had it not been for the dignity of the family, I would have been buried by the society. To be exact, it was because of the young children. The children were the ones who made me turn into the witch of Neuwanstein Castle, and they were the ones who made me not fall to the ground. I thought that the children would one day understand my sincerity. It was all my wishful thinking, an illusion. That damned wedding shouldn¡¯t have happened. Gosh, maybe it¡¯s better to leave. In the past, I couldn¡¯t leave until the children abandoned me. It may be good for me to leave early for everyone¡¯s sake¡­. Thinking of all kinds of issues, I arrived at the center. In the center of the backyard, there were flowers with various colors and a small fortress piled up with soil. I¡¯m sure the twins made it. I once built a snow castle with the twins. While I was stacking up walls and columns, Rachel folded colored paper into a g and Leon tried to make people and animals. It was a pretty good atmosphere until Elias, who popped out of nowhere, saw the castle. However, as soon as the castle copsed, Rachel started to cry, and make a fuss as she vent her anger on me. At the end, we were all throwing snowballs at each other. I sat on the floor with a shawl over my shoulder, captivated by the rising memories. Then I grabbed a handful of soft soil with my bare hands and ced it on an unfinished tower of fortress. As I touched all the uneven roofs, fences, and the soldiers standing on guard, the bluish dawn had faded and the whole ce was brightened. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been doing that. It took me quite a while to realize that the knights passing by were gazing at what I was doing. Neither the waitresses, who had been diligently carrying ingredients from an early hour, nor the butlers who came out to find me, were thinking of turning away their vague gazes while stopping at the spot. It was an unexpected person who finally stopped me from ying in the dirt like a child. ¡°Are you a kid?¡± Who is the person with this arrogant voice? Isn¡¯t that the second son, the troublemaker? I sprang to my feet. There was, as expected, Elias standing there staring at me. Not the twenty-year-old young man that I remember, but Elias, the little boy who is thirteen years old. He shouted, ¡°My siblings made it, so why were you touching it?¡± Is that the only thing you¡¯re going to say? You haven¡¯t changed much. I swallowed a bitter smile and wiped the dust off my hands. Then I smiled, ¡°Good morning to you, too.¡± With the strange response that didn¡¯t sqound like me, Elias started to flinch, and then looked closely at my face with a search-like look. ¡°Who¡¯ll y with this?¡± He came up and kicked the castle with his feet. Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Ah, why did I make an effort if it would copse in vain? Smelly boy, how could you and your brother have such a bad temper? If it was in the past, I would ask angrily what happened, but now it¡¯s hard for me to be angry with a 13-year-old kid. Well, isn¡¯t my mind of a 23-year-old woman who¡¯s been through all that? So, I was just showing a sloppy smile, but this guy was looking for a fight. ¡°Wow, did my father leave you a will to do such a useless thing?¡± That¡¯s an extremely unattended and impassive remark. Let¡¯s say this is the kind of person you are, but why are you stuttering while getting angry? It¡¯s like¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I quietly recited my handkerchief and pressed it around my eyes. I was just wiping my sweat, but it seems that the boy misunderstood. ¡°What? Why all of a sudden?!¡± It seems that he has misunderstood that I am crying and his face started to get red in conflict. Come to think of it, he was unexpectedly weak to tears. But even though he was at a loss, he didn¡¯t even change his attitude. ¡°What did I do to you?! Don¡¯t cry!¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just¡­¡± As I shrugged my shoulders and used the handkerchief again, Elias¡¯s face transformed into a volcanic shape just before the eruption. Haha, it¡¯s been a long time since I saw that face. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, stupid! What¡¯s great about ying with mud like a child¡­¡± ¡°Elias!¡± That wasn¡¯t my voice. Of course, my voice isn¡¯t the same as that of a boy. It was Jeremy, no other than him, who intervened. It seemed that he had been training with other knights since early in the morning, and the beads of sweat on his temples and necks were shining in the morning sun. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t do anything! All of a sudden, she started to cry on her own.¡± Elias¡¯s only opponent was Jeremy, who is no less than his younger brother, or maybe even more stubborn than him. Even the twins with their bad temper would get docile because of him. ¡°So what I saw over there was a dream?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she touched Leon and Rachel¡¯s castle! What are you¡­?¡± ¡°Are you a kid?¡± No matter what Elias was trying to say, it was sad that Jeremy¡¯s ferocious look with a distant expression stopped him. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m terribly hungry.¡± Elias, who was moving in a really awkward way, soon paused again and looked at me for some reason. In the end, he mumbled some ugly words, and finally got away. Let¡¯s look at the really nd background. Oops, I¡¯m sorry. I almost forgot about you. ¡°Well, are you okay?¡± Like the morning sun, under the dazzling golden hair, his sharp dark green eyes stared at my face. I just silently stared back at him, although a little nervous, but I decided to face him in silence. Is it because of the damned wedding that happened before going back in time? I feel very nervous facing this young guy. The silence between us continued, and by the time I finally felt that I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, Jeremy finally opened his mouth in a cautious tone, ¡°What were you thinking?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean, my aunt.¡± ¡­ This seems like a new method of arguing. Your aunt wants to be here. Why are you arguing all of a sudden? Hey, you little boy, if I didn¡¯t do that, you¡¯ve med me for itter! Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°You trained early, didn¡¯t you? My brother was the same when he was young. You must be hungry, so hurry up and go eat breakfast,¡± Jeremy obediently epted his aunt¡¯s greetings, nced at me and then walked ahead. I was left with Lucretia , who was smiling brightly, ¡°Madam, aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­¡± I usually ate separately after my husband died. As soon as I sat down at the table, the children started to fight, so imagine eating a meal surrounded by twins who never stoppedining about the weird smell and couldn¡¯t let me eat peacefully. It was hard to tell whether the food would fall into my nose or mouth. ¡­..Eh, such a fate. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to give up everything and try to live my lifefortably? ¡°I just have something to tell you. It¡¯s about the kids.¡± ¡ª- ¡°A tutor?¡± While having breakfast with her, she said something that made me surprised. Lucretia was smiling as if she had expected such a reaction. ¡°Yes, for the twins.¡± ¡°The twins have a tutor that teaches them all the subjects¡­¡± ¡°I know that. What I¡¯m talking about is a special teacher for debut. Especially for Rachel, she¡¯s already 10.¡± Aha, she was talking about that. Most people hire a teacher to prepare the children for their social debut when they reach 12 years old. In some cases, it was earlier than that. But in the past, I invited such a teacher after Rachel passed her 12th birthday. Rachel is still young, she is only 10 years old. ¡°It¡¯s still a little too early.¡± ¡°Usually, they start around the age of twelve. But as their aunt, I¡¯m worried that the longer the time goes by, the harder it will be to correct their way. Rachel is lovely to me, but she won¡¯t look like that to anyone else,¡± Lucretia, who spoke softly, blinked her wide eyes. I have nothing to say. The fact that once the twins started to y around, the ce would turn upsidedown was a fact that couldn¡¯t be denied¡­ To be honest, Rachel was the one who took the initiative among the twins. Speaking of Leon, he just followed whatever his twin sister did, rather than leading. Fortunately, Leon stopped ying like a child after reaching a certain age, but Rachel didn¡¯t make any progress until her debut in society. If the country hadn¡¯t have a public enemy, Rachel would have been quite stigmatized as a hateful child in society. Yeah, I yed the viin for my daughter¡­! Let¡¯s just say I did that. ¡°That makes sense. Do you have anyone to rmend?¡± ¡°Of course, I rmend Madame Luazel, who is famous in the field. Fortunately, she¡¯s close to me, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy to respond.¡± Looking at lucretia, who seemed to be waiting for my respond, I was temporarily in distress. Rachel¡¯s special teacher, whom I invited in the past, was my husband¡¯s best friend¡¯s wife, Countess of Bavaria. I remember she was a pretty quite gentle person. Madame Luazel, I¡¯ve heard of her name, but I don¡¯t know what kind of person she is. Does it matter if I left everything to her? Well, the teacher is worth it if she is that famous. Besides, what Lucretia said makes sense. Anyway, I might give up sooner orter, so what¡¯s wrong with having one teacher earlier? At worst, she¡¯ll just colude with Lucrezia and drives a wedge between the kids and me. I epted with an indifferent and cold expression, and from the very next day Madame Luazel regrly visited the Marquis. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 I¡¯m perfectly familiar with staying awake during this time when the huge Neuwanstein Castle is immersed in the quiet darkness and the children are sleeping If there is anything different from the past, instead of squeezing my downing eyelids and looking into more files in daze, I finished paperwork quicklier than at that time¡­ ¡°Madam¡­¡± Robert, the butler who had been silently assisting me, opened his mouth carefully while I processed various reports worth two days at a rapid pace. I sat with one hand on my chin and asked in a straightforward manner, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a rest?¡± ¡°You go rest. I have a lot on my mind.¡± The butler with the candlestick stayed by the door. I felt the shaking look clearly. What¡¯s wrong with him? Is it because I¡¯m dealing with the papers too quickly that he doubt whether I understood them. I just turned my head and looked at Robert. The butler seemed to flinch, and then made apletely unimaginable sound with a grim look as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Madam, with all due respect¡­ ..are you okay?¡± ¡°Well, what wouldn¡¯t be okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ll take a rest.¡± After making me confused, the butler left. I tilted my head a little, and then went out of the study room. The mansion at mightnight was literally rat dead. In the past, I used to count empty rooms as I wandered around this huge ce every night. If a banquet was held on the first floor and a murder ured in one of the countless rooms on the upper floor, no one would notice. Of course it was impossible for that to actually happen. Not even an ant could pass by the knights who patrolled day and night. The ones who I met often in the past were neither the children nor the employees, but the knights. Aside from status and social position, if there is a decisive difference between employees and knights from the perspective of householders, it is probably hard to hire arge number of loyal employees, but it is even harder to have loyal knights. Knights who swore their allegiance and wore golden seals, whoever they worked for, were still Neuwanstein¡¯s ws. Even if their faithfulness was directed at children, not at me, it could never be counted with money. ¡°Aaah!!¡± It was none other than cold water that greeted me as soon as I came out to the front yard past the knights who seemed to silently bow. From the top of my head, my whole body froze for a moment. Ah, my dead husband, my God! I haven¡¯t felt this for a long time. When I looked up, there was, of course, a bucket over the long balcony railing and the twins¡¯ faint golden hair disappearing inside. It was amazing to see that. Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ve been wondering why you¡¯ve been so quiet for days! ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Madam!¡± ¡°Madam, are you okay?¡± Thanks to my scream, the ce got noisy. This kind of uproar happened in the middle of the night because of the nasty little kids. Scared out of my wits, I raised my hands to the knights who came out and ran into the road. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ah, young master¡­!¡± What the hell is he doing up thiste? Jeremy, still dressed in casual clothes, came into my sight while I was wet to the bone and trembling. I was reluctant to deal with the man who was both embarrassed and surprised, so I tried to walk past him quickly, but he held my arm. ¡°The twins again?¡± I wanted to retort, ¡°Who else is there besides them?¡± But the words I said that hit me werepletely different, ¡°I, I¡¯m dying¡­¡± What a pathetic sound to hear for my ears. Jeremy looked extremely bewildered, but without further ado, he walked with his arms around my shoulder. It was possible because he was already much taller than me. ¡°Gwen!¡± Gwen, who rushed out at Jeremy¡¯s shout, hurriedly set fire to my ce and offered warm tea. It was still cold even after changing, so I had to curl up in front of the stove wrapped in a nket and inhaling the hot tea. But¡­ ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡­Why is this guy not leaving? ¡°I think I¡¯ll live.¡± It¡¯s hard to talk because my teeth are chattering. It was my fault that I didn¡¯t expect the little devil twins to stay up and arget me. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll never ignore you guys again¡­.! When I nced sideways while swallowing the tears of grief, the extremely serious boy sitting on one knee was staring at me. Perhaps because of the fire, his dark green eyes looked as bright as mine. ¡°Don¡¯t let them do that again. It always happens because you keep letting it slide.¡± Well, no matter how I deal with it, your siblings will be like that until the very end, just like you. I couldn¡¯t say it out loud, so I just curled up in the nket without saying a word. After he stayed for a long time staring at me, he left. Finally being free from the mysterious gaze, I stood up, approached the squalid bed, and fell powerlessly. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°Oh, thank you Gwen, you can go to bed now.¡± ¡°Well, madam.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± As I turned my head to the side, buried in the soft goose pillow, I saw Gwen standing at the door with a momentum that felt quite simr to Robert. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Is that¡­ is that all right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­No, nothing. Have a good night¡¯s sleep¡­¡± Gwen, who bid me goodnight politely, went out, and I, who was left alone in the warm room, stared nkly for a moment. It¡¯s weird. Everyone is acting weird. Why take turns asking all those weird questions? It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m okay or not at this point. ¡ª- ¡°Achoo!¡± Damn it, I think I ended up with a cold. No matter how thick I wore, I felt chills, which was a clear cold symptom. Gwen touched my forehead and the nape of my neck and insisted on bringing a doctor in. ¡°You catched a cold. Eat and rest well for a few days.¡± As my doctor said, I simply had to stay stuck in bed for a few days. While I was lying in my ce, Lucretia visited me several times to wish for my recovery. Lord Valentino came and left too. At first, I thought I only had coughs and chills, butter I got a fever. The boundaries between dream and reality became blurred throughout the continuous sleep. When I open my eyes, will I stay in the past, or will I return to the future I know? ¡°Is our fake mother pretending to be ill again?¡± Whose voice is this? I¡¯ve heard it before. Oh, yeah, it¡¯s little Leon. Boy, what are you talking about? No, why is he here? ¡°¡­Wen, Gwen¡­!¡± ¡°Madam? Oh, young master, you can¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m not gonna do anything.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stay here. Come here quickly.¡± Fortunately, Leon was dragged out obediently instead of throwing a tantrum as usual. I kept falling asleep. I woke up repeatedly, andter I lost the energy to react to the sound of wordsing from the side. ¡°She looks dead.¡± ¡°Shh, speak quietly.¡± ¡°Elder brother, is fake mother going to die, too? Then go into the ground like our father?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to die? Tsk, at any rate¡­¡± ¡­¡­I pretended not to hear Elias and Rachel¡¯s words. I didn¡¯t even have the energy to call the maid. Sigh, this is what you¡¯re gonna say when you¡¯re next to someone who¡¯s really sick?! ¡°She looks very sick. Is it really a cold?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine when the fever goes down. Don¡¯t worry too much, young master.¡± Throughout the day and night sleep due to pain, I was gued by dreams mixed with reality, the past, or the future. It took six whole days for the fever to finally go down. ¡°Now your fever has gone down. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re feeling better.¡± ¡°So, how¡¯s everything?¡± What could have happened in just six days? Gwen, who was changing my clothes, seemed to pause for a moment when I asked her without thinking. ¡°Gwen?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, yeah. You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll bring your meal in a minute.¡± What¡¯s with this sudden suspicious feeling? My eyes can¡¯t fool me. I have known Gwen for a long time, she seemed to be uncertain, rather than staggering to hide something. ¡­.Or was it just that I became sensitive after being sick? ¡°Madam¡­? Half-dazed and suspicious, I suddenly came to my senses, left my room and headed to the dining room. I don¡¯t know how the hell I got here. What possessed me? ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m feeling better.¡± I tried to clear my mind by shaking my head. The colorful stairs and marble busts carved with ivy pieces on the railing felt strange. In my bewildered view, I saw the knights standing guard at the entrance as always. I walked right through the entrance. Then, I looked back. The knights, who were staring at the back of my head with an unknown vague gaze, quickly turned their eyes. What¡¯s wrong with them? What¡¯s this confusing atmosphere? It was difficult to define where and how it was strange, but there was certainly a strange energy lingering in the air. Is it some kind of anxiety or agitation¡­? And it felt unfamiliar even to a person like me who had been in this mansion for nearly a decade. Even after my husband died, I¡¯m sure¡­ No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve be sensitive. As soon as I walked into the dining room, Lucretia, who was eating with the children, jumped up from her seat and weed me, ¡°Oh, madam, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re feeling better!¡± ¡°Thank you. Is everything alright?¡± ¡°What could have happened? Please sit down.¡± As soon as I sat down smiling at Lucretia, who gently tapped me on the back of my hand, Elias, who had been fighting bravely against the roasted carrots, nced and muttered, ¡°You¡¯vee to life after moaning like you¡¯re going to take yourst breath.¡± ¡°Elias, how could you talk to your mother that way?¡± I closed my eyes tightly when I heard Lucretia¡¯s soft voice. Gosh! Elegant Countess, you¡¯d better refrain from saying that for a peaceful morning for all of us! Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Despite my worries, Elias, instead of starting the usual war of words, ¡°She isn¡¯t my mother,¡± he kept fighting the carrots as if they were his enemy. It goes without saying that I nced out of the window wondering if the sun had risen from the west today. What¡¯s the matter with this arrogant guy? He would never act that way just because I was sick. Oh, I guess it¡¯s because his aunt is here. I cast my eyes at the twins sitting side by side next to Elias while the maids serving the meal brought my share of the dish separately. Maybe they just finished taking a bath as their hair was shiny. They even looked quite cute and lovely while nibbling on the cranberry sd. ¡­..Of course I know better than to be fooled by their angelic look. ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± ¡°My big brother already ate,¡± it was Leon who answered. With one hand stirring the sd and ncing at me with those big emerald eyes, Rachel, who was stirring the sd from the side, suddenly lowered the fork and shouted firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat this.¡± Yes, I thought so. It¡¯s not surprising anymore. No, maybe she¡¯s doing it on purpose only in front of me. ¡°Oh, Rachel, you¡¯ve been eating so well these days. You can¡¯tin about side dishes.¡± Phew, let the loving aunt deal with her. I¡¯m not going to fight too much now. ¡°Fake mother, did you hear what I said?¡± ¡°Rachel!¡± Oh, is this the beautiful aunt¡¯s power, the power of blood? Much to my surprise Rachel said nothing more. Instead, the fork she held clipped loudly against the te, revealing her feeling. Lucretia, who looked back at me for some reason or other, smiled with pride. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling well, why don¡¯t we go outter in the afternoon? I just got an invitation from Madame Luave¡¯s salon, and I think it¡¯s time for you to start going out.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°As long as you stay at home, you will be very tired mentally. You have to share your sorrows with people and socialize. You are a lovely young girl, Madame Luave¡¯s dress line for this winter has been highly praised, they will suit you.¡± That was right. It was a pretty sweet remark, but why am I reluctant? In order to pursue my future as nned, it¡¯s advantageous to establish a ce in society with Lucretia from now on. ¡°I¡¯m still feeling a little weak. I¡¯lle with you next time.¡± ¡°Okay we¡¯ll go together next time.¡± As soon as I finished eating, I left the dining room and headed to the study room. I had to hurry to get rid of the three-day documents. Well, I have to finish my work quickly to feel better. How much time has passed already? Sooner orter, I have to attend the parliament. I am not particrly anxious or afraid. I know which of the many cardinals and nobles is most hostile to me and who is most helpful to me. First of all, the Duke of Nurembet, who was the friendliest to me in the past. If I ever see him again¡­ The problem arose around the time my thoughts got there. As I walked past the stairs and corridors, I felt eyes on me from all directions. It wasn¡¯t the first time I came to this magnificent mansion, where employees and knights are scattered all over the ce, and I¡¯ve been walking around this ce for the past nine years, so why am I feeling so sensitive? Did I really just be sensitive? What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t the atmosphere indicate that everyone wished that I didn¡¯t wake up? ¡­. Is it really like that?! No, I need to get my act together. Maybe it¡¯s right that I¡¯ve be unnecessarily sensitive. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Well, it had never been like this before. When my husband suddenly copsed, when he died, when my children were sick, when I was sick¡­ Even when I brought in a contracted lover, there was no disturbance like this that bothered the whole house. ¡°Madam¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Hearing the voiceing from behind, I was frightened. But soon after realizing that the other person was only a family knight, I immediately felt relieved. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± For the most part, the knights never approached me or talked to me. Their mission was to protect the house and its owners thoroughly, and all reports and petitions were sent by the Knights Commander. There were asional written reports, but they only came from the Knightsmander not the knights themselves. Did the knights themselves make a thorough investigation into a scandal I didn¡¯t know about? But why did a young knight, who seemed to be in histe teens at most, look so hesitant? ¡°You dropped your handkerchief.¡± He carefully stretched his hand whereid a cute yellow handkerchief. Instead of taking it, I just stared into the knight¡¯s eyes. Because the handkerchief was never mine. Was he ying a trick on me, so people would misunderstand that he was my lover? But the thought that popped into my mind at the moment was just an illusion. ¡°Thank you.¡± With a slight smile, I leaned forward to get the handkerchief, then at the moment before I pulled it back, he whispered, ¡°Themander is asking for an audience.¡± What¡¯s going on? Things are getting more mysterious. If the knightmander wants to see me, the process is very simple. He just has to make an appointment with the butler thene and meet me. But what¡¯s the point of this unnecessarily secretive and thoroughly cautious procedure that I¡¯ve never heard of before? What the hell is going on? Before I knew it, my pulse began to beat fast. I strode straight to the study room, ¡°Robert!¡± ¡°Madam, I¡¯m d you¡¯re feeling better.¡± ¡°Call the knightmander and the maid right now. Come back as quietly as you can.¡± Robert the butler and Gwen the maid were the ones I could trust for sure. The same was true of Albert, the knightmander. I needed them to tell me what¡¯s going on underneath the calm water. Robert carried out the mission straight away without any questions, apparently feeling the unusual tone in my voice. How many minutes has it been since I waited while tapping on the desk? The three people with tense faces stepped inside one after another. I ordered them to sit down and shut the door. Robert and Gwen exchanged nervousness and bewilderment nces while Albert just looked at me quietly. The calm water shed a bright light in his eyes. In the past, there were times when I was frightened by his ferocious appearance, but now I know that he is a knight who values honor more than anyone else. ¡°Sir Albert.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± ¡°Whose idea was the handkerchief?¡± When the knightmander said nothing, I sighed briefly and looked back at the other two, ¡°Gwen, Robert, do you know something?¡± ¡°What? Madam, I¡¯m sorry, but what handkerchief are you talking about¡­¡± The puzzled expression on Gwen and Robert¡¯s face was genuine. Albert was ncing at the two with hesitating eyes. ¡°Sir Albert, I understand that you are a knight who values honor more than anything else. If you think those two are suspicious, then just trust me here and tell me. If the story you¡¯re hiding is about the children, there shouldn¡¯t be any dy.¡± The loyal butler and maid, who had been supporting the family for a long time, now looked very spectacr and stared at the knightmander. And likewise, the loyal knightmander stared into my eyes for a moment, and finally opened his mouth, ¡°I thought you might know something about it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my problem, but I¡¯ve been hesitating because I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re going to condone it¡­¡± ¡°So what do you mean? Condone what?¡± ¡°Is it Lord Valetino or Countess Lucretia? I let the two of them in so that the children can settle down as soon as possible. Based on the atmosphere right now, it seems to have gone the other way around, what the hell is going on?¡± In the midst of the mysterious silence, the three exchanged looks for a moment. Albert then continued in a strange and perplexing tone, ¡°I received reports from some knights, madam. You know that Lord Valentino visits every afternoon and teaches Master Elias swordsmanship.¡± Of course, I know. It¡¯s what I agreed on! ¡°With all due respect, Lord Valetino¡¯s discipline toward Master Elias is excessive. Of course, I realize that it¡¯s really none of our business¡­¡± ¡°No matter how badly he treated him, it¡¯s between uncle and nephew, but as amander it¡¯s natural for me to express my concern over this matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but he seems to be severely punished every day. As the Madam knows, even the deceased Marquis didn¡¯t treat them like that in his lifetime¡­.¡± Considering our age gap, my legs couldn¡¯t have caught up with Elias¡¯ long legs. However, God helped me, the one who was running away fell on the grass roots the next moment, and I ran and held him. ¡°Argh! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?! I¡¯m curious, too!¡± I don¡¯t know where this power came from. Had my dead husband seen my outspoken behavior of squawking Elias¡¯ shoulders with one hand and pulling up the hem of his shirt with the other, he would surely be surprised. And, my God, the evidence was right there. The bruises were on the back of the 13-year-old boy. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Let¡¯s calm down. Whoa, let¡¯s calm down and be rational. ¡°Sir Albert.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± ¡°I can guarantee my trust in you, but I have to point out that there are more than one or two loopholes in the story. You know Elias isn¡¯t a child who will be beaten by anyone, and even if it happened, I would have heard.¡± ¡°Yes, I was surprised, too. Why did the second young master make such a request?¡± ¡°Are you saying that he told you not to tell anyone?¡± ¡°Yes, he ordered me not to let anyone know.¡± I had no choice but to be stunned. Elias, what did he do that for? Why did he make such an unbing request? Is it because of pride? Pride is nothing! They are just a bunch of kids! My husband, as well as I, never hit the kids. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve pped Elias once before, but they¡¯ve never been beaten by their father! Albert, who seemed to keep an eye on me, coughed, ¡°And, madam. I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I heard rumors that you might be leaving soon.¡± ¡°¡­what are you talking about?¡± This time, my eyes were as wide as a te. The three exchanged looks again, literally in front of me, who was dumbfounded. Then Robert broke the silence, ¡°Madam, are you not going to leave then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about right now.¡± ¡°Madam, then you¡¯ll be here all the time, right?¡±?¡± How can I exin this absurd phenomenon? Of course, I¡¯ve thought dozens of times that it might be better to leave. But I¡¯ve never talked about it! Even if I really did, I would leave when I wanted to, when I thought it was most appropriate. I¡¯m not leaving to meet other people¡¯s damn expectations. ¡°Who the hell¡­ Hold on, hold on, all right. Everybody thought that I¡¯m going to leave, right?¡± They nodded. ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°The¡­ young masters and the youngdy have begun to ask such questions, so¡­¡± ¡°Why the hell haven¡¯t you said a word to me about all this? Robert? Gwen? Sir Albert?¡± There was a moment of silence. How many seconds of ice-like silence had passed, and the three people who were looking at me with nk eyes began to talk. ¡°I made several written reports to the butler. But not once in thest 15 days did I receive a response, so I thought that the person had been bought off¡­¡± ¡°Is that true? Madam, I didn¡¯t receive any request from the captain. I¡¯ve never even heard of Master Elias. What the hell is going on¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam. The same goes for me. I was nervous about the thought that you might leave, and then you became sick¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t do anything butugh. It¡¯s ironic that I can¡¯t help butugh when I¡¯m angry. Only then did I understand all the weird things happening around me. The maid and butler who seemed to keep an eye on me, the knights who were somewhat dubious, the bizarre atmosphere that was hovering in the mansion¡­ ¡°For now, all three of you pretend not to know anything. Robert, Please convene all the employees ording to the situation.¡±.¡± ¡°You, did you see Elias?¡± ¡°Oh, no, madam¡­¡± Why isn¡¯t Elias or Jeremy in the house at a time like this? Needless to say, I ran out of the house, passing by the knights who were wiping their swords and chatting at the sight of me. ¡°Ma¡¯am? What¡¯s wrong¡­¡± ¡°Elias! Have you seen Elias?¡± ¡°What? The second young master is probably in the backyard¡­¡± Leaving behind the chaotic knights, I ran straight to the backyard. It didn¡¯t really matter what I look like now. The important thing is¡­ !! ¡°Elias!¡± Elias was really there. But Jeremy was there, too. To be exact, the two were sitting on the fountain and exchanging words with a very serious-look. It was ridiculous to see them that way. ¡°Elias!¡± Only then did Elias, who turned his head, heard my call and leapt to his feet. But isn¡¯t this bastard just running away? ¡°Why are you running away? Stop there!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to! What¡¯s the fuss about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Elias Von Neuwanstein! Can¡¯t you stop right now?¡± ¡°If you were me, would you stop? Oh, don¡¯te!¡± ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± ¡°Did you think no one would know if you hid it well? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Why did you stay still? Why was the usual strong, condescending man getting beaten up without resisting?¡± I barely suppressed my anger and fired back, and Elias, who was floundering under me, opened his eyes wide. He was speechless. It was then that my body suddenly lifted up because I felt a hand holding my waist. ¡°Hey, just calm down¡­¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°No, first of all, let me tell you¡­ Oh, wait, wait, Shuri! Calm down and listen to my exnation first!¡± ¡°You are the same, idiot! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± For the first time in my life, I have beaten my husband¡¯s precious first son. Simrly, even though I was experiencing a rare experience that I had never imagined, I was so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t stop myself. ¡°Oh, my God, calm down! Uh, why are you kicking me? Calm down! It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that! You impossible morons! Do you have any idea how much your father thought of you? Why didn¡¯t you just do half the things you usually do to me?¡± ¡°He said you¡¯ll leave!¡± At Elias¡¯s words, I stopped talking and blinked. It was only then that the boy¡¯s dark green eyes were full of tears. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°What..¡± ¡°I know everything! You¡¯re not married to my father because you like him anyway! You¡¯re not even here because you like it!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You get¡­ sick all the time because of us! You don¡¯t like us, we are a nuisance to you! I mean¡­ you know, we¡¯re weak, spoiled and annoying, and if it doesn¡¯t change, you¡¯ll leave like my parents!¡± Elias, who screamed, began to cry. I just stared at Jeremy with nk eyes at this horrible sight I had never dreamed of. Jeremy, who was rubbing his back, coughed and avoided eye contact. ¡°You should have listened to me.¡± ¡°What! You were confused too.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because you kept telling me not to, you fool.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ why am I the fool? Whoo-hoo¡­¡± Looking at the two arguing, I felt as if someone had punched me in the back with a hammer. Why¡­? Why, why the hell¡­? No, nothing has changed. Maybe it was like this from early on. What the young me in the past didn¡¯t realize may be what I am seeing right now. So far, they are only children who have just lost their father after their mother. I was young at that time, so it was natural that I didn¡¯t even know what the children were thinking, or feeling; Emotions of anger, sadness, andpassion mixed together. Thinking about that, my heart throbbed without knowing why. At the same time, I was angry at myself. What will you do if you are thinking of future events that haven¡¯t happened yet? The result is a scar that can never be erased. Ha, I never wanted to be proved in this way that my past choices were right¡­ It was my mistake. ¡°Did your uncle say that?¡± When asked calmly, Elias, who had been crying, winced and shrugged his shoulder. At the same time, my anger soared, ¡°But why didn¡¯t you tell me directly?¡± ¡®¡­I, I¡­¡± ¡°Who told you to think alone and decide on your own?¡± While Elias was just whimpering pitifully, Jeremy was mowing the green grass with his feet. The twinkling autumn sun made the two boys¡¯ tangled hair dimly colored with thread. ¡°Listen, I¡­ I think you guys are very self-indulgent, cocky, andcent, but I¡¯ve never thought of you as a nuisance, okay? I don¡¯t care what other people say. And I¡¯m not gonna leave you guys. Maybe one day in the far future, but not yet.¡± Words I had never thought about wereing out. I took a deep breath, feeling the dark green gaze staring at me desperately. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you listened to such nonsense.¡± Elias, who was wiping away tears with his sleeve, huped. Jeremy scratched his head, coughed, then looked right into my eyes with a strangely soothing smile. ¡°So that was a rumor? You really don¡¯t want to leave, do you?¡± Holy Father, Holy Mother! Is this Jeremy? Was this boy who¡¯s grinning in front of me the same one who let me go when he grew up and turned 21? As much as I can¡¯t believe it. Nevertheless, it was inevitable that it felt ironic. Or was there something I missed? ¡°Why, do you want your wicked stepmother to leave soon, my eldest son?¡± He shrugged his shoulders and burst intoughter. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve been hiding, is there anything left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I know,¡± Jeremy¡¯s reply was really quick. Elias, on the other hand, was dangling his rolled-up shirt and lowering his gaze. ¡°Elias?¡± With my arms crossed, Jeremy, who sensed something unusual, squinted side by side. Elias looked up in a fit of anger and screamed, ¡°Rachel¡­ I mean, the demon granny my aunt brought in.¡± ¡ª¨C Unlike the reception room in the main building, I now sit in front of Lucretia and Lord Valentino in a room which is used for more personal or intimate encounters. Lucretia, who was ying tag with the twins, and Lord Valentino, who visited to help his nephew train as usual, were just smiling. ¡°From now on, you two will never step foot into this mansion again. It would be much better if you tell your brothers that as well, it would save me a lot of trouble.¡± There was a moment of silence. Neither Lucretia nor Valentino seemed to understand what I meant. No, rather, they looked as if they couldn¡¯t believe I really said that. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 After a moment of extremely subtle silence, it was Lucretia who opened her mouth first. The elegant Countess blinked her turquoise eyes wide and said, ¡°Madam, what are you saying so suddenly? Did I perhaps make a mistake during our stay¡­?¡± What a deft performance it was. I put on a smirk to apud the performance. ¡°I have to say, it was quite surprising that you bought the employees. I wasn¡¯t aware of it at first, but, you know¡­¡± ¡°What¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand. You¡¯re the youngest of all the siblings, so you must have grown up with quite a bit of neglect. Poor thing, how miserable it must have been for you to treat your little nieces and nephews that way.¡± I didn¡¯t want to drag things on and I wanted to defeat her obvious vanity quickly, so I said that bravely. Lucreta¡¯s noble face turned white in an instant. Lord Valentino wrapped his sister¡¯s shoulder with one arm as if protecting her, but he quickly began to stare at me with cold green eyes. ¡°That¡¯s too much to say. I wonder if you have been properly educated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seriously thinking about digging your name out of the genealogy, then you will be very sorry.¡± I don¡¯t know how to describe the expression on Valentino¡¯s face right now. It seems as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears, filled with anger and embarrassment. What¡¯s certain is that his reddish was ridiculous. ¡°What right do you have to¡­¡± ¡°As everyone says, I¡¯m a cold-blooded woman who is nning to abandon the children after raising them over the past two years and leave, so what can¡¯t I do? I hope we never see each other again. Just for your own safety.¡± ¡°This¡­ whore went beyond her means!¡± It was unexpectedly Lucretia who said that. As soon as she took off her usual noble mask, her color changed. ¡°Lady Lucretia, I¡¯m not one of your nieces. It would be good for you to watch your mouth.¡± It was just in an instant that Lucretia¡¯s hand, who stood up straight to my smile and muffled attitude, struck me on the cheek, ¡°Who the hell you think you are.¡± ¡­ I must say that it was unexpected that I wouldn¡¯t have self-control to this extent. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been beaten by someone. I blinked for a moment, then, likewise, raised my hand and pped Lucretia hard on the cheek. As strongly as she did. Didn¡¯t she think I would do that? It was amazing how her turquoise eyes were popping out. It¡¯s a shame that I¡¯ve instructed the knights not to interfere with whatever sounds they hear, or else I¡¯ll tell my subordinates to do this. ¡°Oh, my god, you devil!¡± At that very moment, the unexpected and bitter cry made me, Lucrezia, Valentino, look at the door at the same time. Oh, my God, I told them not to let anyone in! Of course, it¡¯s impossible for the knights to physically stop the kids, but¡­! I didn¡¯t even have time to panic at the unexpected situation. Among the three children who rushed in, rushing away from the knights who were trying to hold them back, Rachel, immediately attacked Lucretia and began to literally exhale the roar of a baby lioness. The audience watched as she began to swing, bite and kick her mercilessly! ¡°You wicked devil! Who are you to bully fake mother?! What¡¯s wrong with fake mother? My father liked our fake mother! He liked her more than us!¡± It was only natural that Lucretia shrieked and fell to the ground. God! Rachel cried and bit Lucretia and made all kinds of fuss, saying, ¡°Do you know how evil your both are?¡± and ¡°Do you know how evil the teacher and uncle are?¡± Meanwhile, Leon started to cry after his sister. In the midst of this unexpected development, Lord Valentino seemed briefly stunned by the scenery in front of him. He soon came to his senses quickly. The bully stared at me with a condescending face as if asking what was wrong with educating these young children, but I went to prevent his sister from being ughtered. It was never easy to hold Rachel, who was no different from an excited predator, and keep her away from her prey. Lucretia staggered to her feet as I managed to hold on to Rachel and turn her tearful, reddish face towards me. She had a half-hearted look on her face, and came to her senses surprisingly quickly. Lucretia¡¯s next move, with her tangled hair, was to cling to Elias, who was shaking his shoulders but staring firmly at his uncle. ¡°Elias, my dear nephew, I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. Please forgive me if I hurt you unintentionally. You know how much I love and think about you.¡± Lucretia, whose hair was scattered and with fingernails on her cheeks, was indeed a spectacr sight, pouring kisses on her nephew¡¯s dumb face. She held Elias¡¯ head close to her chest and constantly appealed, ¡°How could I hurt you on purpose¡­ ..all I did was for your sake but then it turned out like this. Adults often make that mistake, too. Please understand.¡± The twins nced up at my face, clinging close to me. Two pairs ofrge eyes shimmered in confusion and anxiety that were difficult to describe Elias was stiff on the spot as if he had been disarmed. A light of confusion, anxiety, and helplessness quickly passed through their aunt¡¯s eyes, who poured out kisses and hugs in tears. Elias, who looked at me standing with twins, pulled himself out and stepped back to my side, while another voice burst into this one theatrical situation, ¡°What, it¡¯s not over yet?¡± Why did he show up? He¡¯s a pain in the neck. Jeremy proudly entered, leaving behind the knights. He must have witnessed the scene a while ago. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 And whatever Elias was trying to shout with a reddish face, it was cut off by Lucretia¡¯s mournful voice, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here. Please listen to aunt.¡± Lord Valentino, who approached his sister while coughing and handed her a handkerchief, now looked more pitiful toward his eldest nephew. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding, and I think you should talk to your stepmother. I don¡¯t know what all the fuss is about.¡± ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t you know very well how much we think of you? It¡¯s awful to say, but I think your stepmother has a really ridiculous misunderstanding. She said we bought the employees, and said things like we can¡¯t see you again. Please try to convince her¡­¡± From the perspective of others, if the present me is the householder, then Jeremy was the sessor in name and reality, recognized by everyone. Jeremy¡¯s clever escape from the despicable maneuver that had been inflicted on Elias and the twins must have been decisive. They needed to pick up a good sessor who would somehow throw me out. The fact that they bought arge number of employees and prevented serious reports from reaching me, and tried to brainwash my second son and second daughter with terrible discipline¡­was almost a sess. Jeremy said with a rxed tone, ¡°If my mother doesn¡¯t like you two, I¡¯ll listen to her. You can¡¯t challenge my mother¡¯s authority, as her son, I won¡¯t allow it. You even said that she will run away and leave us alone to suffer which wasn¡¯t true.¡± It goes without saying that at that moment I suspected that Jeremy¡¯s head might have gone wrong. What did he just say? Mother? Really? Of course, legally, I am the mother of these guys. But, I¡¯ve never heard or expected to hear that word in my life. Why did it feel so awkward? It was by far Sir Valentino who first came to his senses amidst the chaotic silence. He opened his mouth with a smile, ¡°I said it¡¯s a minor misunderstanding¡­ I also understand that you are confused. It must have been hard for you to get deceived, even though you are the one who acts like my eldest brother so much, but¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. But what my uncle wants to say is that my mother actually ns to run away from home and she is lying that she won¡¯t?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± ¡°My mother isn¡¯t a liar. She is a person who is too weak for that. And I am surprisingly an obedient son. At this point, I¡¯m aiming for the filial son award this year.¡± Elias murmured faintly, ¡°Brother, that¡¯s totally bullshit.¡± I wanted to shout, but on the other hand, when I saw them grit their teeth, I burst intoughter. I blinked at the knights standing outside the open door. Feeling the green gaze of the four children huddled near me, I said calmly, ¡°I won¡¯t lend you a carriager. Please know before you go if you get close to my children again, I¡¯ll dig your names out of the pedigree right away, so keep that in mind.¡± After kicking Lucretia and Lord Valentino out, what I did was pick out the bought employees and kick them out. As in the past, more than half of the employees were reduced in an instant, but there was nothing to worry about. There were always plenty of people wanting to work at the Marquis of Neuwanstein as we pay a lotpared to other ces. Madam Luazel was also kicked out. The reason why Rachel didn¡¯t let me know even though she was beaten day after day was also the same as Elias¡¯s. Madam Luazel btedly shifted her attitude, ming Lucretia for everything, but I was going to make sure she could never work as a teacher of etiquette again. Only after driving out the rats in that way did the peace return inside the mansion. ¡­¡­.Of course, not peace in the sense of being quiet. Bang bang! ¡°This is mine. Short legs!¡± ¡°Fake mom, mom! My young brother took my candy and ate it!¡± ¡°Did you touch my sword? I told you not to touch my stuff!¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Oh, right! Then who else is there in the house that ys with my sword besides you?¡± ¡°Argh! Argh! Stop hitting me! If so, then don¡¯t touch my stuff too!¡± ¡°Young brother, you don¡¯t have anything worth touching.¡± ¡°Mom, my big brother keeps hitting my little brother!¡± ¡­¡­It¡¯s been noisy since this morning. Haha, if the ce turned quiet, then it must be the fall of the empire. Still, it¡¯s great that everything is still the same. It¡¯s fortunate that nothing changed because of what the bad adults did. ¡°Enough, let¡¯s eat first!¡± ¡°How about this, madam?¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a little dull. It¡¯s time to take off my mourning clothes, so I think it¡¯s better if I go for bright ones.¡± I¡¯ll have to change my dressing room soon. That¡¯s what I used to wear in the past? All of them were clothes that looked too weird for my age. ¡­ It wasn¡¯t unreasonable. At that time, I was so anxious to act like an adult as soon as possible. Before my husband died, I tried to look like a dignifieddy somehow. Without even considering what suited me and what didn¡¯t. In order to get a ce in the social world, I would have to pay attention to clothes and essories. The good thing is I know what¡¯s going to be on trend in the next seven years. After a long time, I finally managed to pick a cream-colored dress. The clothes my husband gave mest Christmas were a little out of fashion, but it was good to wear on formal asions. Yohen, give me strength. To do well, to move in a different direction than before¡­ Chapter 20 Chapter 20 When I went downstairs after getting ready, I tried to go straight to the main gate, but I changed my mind and turned to the dining room. And there is, of course, a lot of noise. ¡°I don¡¯t like eggs!¡± ¡°I heard eggs are good for beauty. I don¡¯t know, maybe your pig¡¯s hair will get better.¡± ¡°What? What about big brother?!¡± ¡°He doest know how to take care of himself anyway.¡± ¡°No, but his red beet hair has been pissing me off ever since.¡± ¡°Would you like to be beaten with a fork?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Kids.¡± As I let out a sigh, all four of them, sitting around the sacred table, looked back at me in unison. Leon, who was taking his twin sister¡¯s omelet te instead, opened his eyes wide and shouted, ¡°Mom, are you running away from home?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± ¡°Leon, stop talking nonsense. But you look less ugly in that outfit.¡± Everyone giggled at the sound of Jeremy turning toward me instead of trying to hit Elias with a fork ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Why? That¡¯s enough praise for mother.¡± ¡°Big brother, you are so mean. Why do you keep teasing mom? It¡¯s your fault if she runs away from home!¡± ¡°No, what are you talking about¡­¡± Well, it¡¯s amazing! Sure enough, only my daughter took my side! The twins have changed since thest incident. They stopped calling me ¡°fake¡±, and their attitudes have changed a bit for their own reasons that I don¡¯t understand. ¡­ It¡¯s not that they¡¯ve be obedient. Instead of pranks, the pampering doubled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be back, so don¡¯t make trouble.¡±¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to¡­ oh, where are you going?¡± ¡°The Parliament.¡± ¡°So when are youing back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back after lunch. Why, do you want me to buy sweets?¡± Everyone followed me to the main gate, including Elias, who was furious, saying, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m Leon?¡± The driver, who was waiting, looked at us in an unusual way. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Come back soon, Mom! Bring candies on your way!¡± ¡°Get home quickly, don¡¯t meet a robber!¡± ¡°Then the robber would be dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡± I went on my way to the long-awaited Parliament. While I was being sent off by the twins who raised their hands side by side, exchanging such nonsense words. ¡ª¨C The parliament,posed of seven prominent cardinals from Kaiserreich¡¯s capital Wittelsbach, as well as six heads of prestigious aristocrats among the resident nobles, debates variousws and discusses major national affairs. At first nce, the two sides seem to represent the royal power and the religious power, respectively, but in reality, they were entangled and rolled closely like spider webs with their respective interests. Just because you sit in the noble seat doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯re on the side of the imperial power, and sitting in the cardinal¡¯s seat doesn¡¯t show up your religious authority. While the imperial family and the Vatican repeatedly kept each other in check, it was the ultimate purpose ofwmakers to cleverly take care of their own interests. we were entering the pce. The white Bavenberg Pce wrapped in the refreshing and cold morning air, and the appearance of nobles entering the parliament hall one by one seemed unfamiliar. They looked much younger than in my recent memories. Whoa. There is no tension that makes my body paralyzed as much as it did in the past. It¡¯s a little bit exciting. I hope everything goes as I nned. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± When I was about to enter the aisle with my hat over my head, I bumped my shoulder with someone who was passing by with a fast pace. Sometimes, there were people who deliberately did that to approach me, so I lowered my eyes and was about to take the hat that fell on the floor, but the person picked it up and handed it to me. ¡°¡­¡­..Thanks¡­.¡± I stood in a ck clerical robe and blinked for a moment, facing a cardinal in his early twenties staring into my face with a simrly dark gaze. It wasn¡¯t because I was confused who he was. He was an awfully familiar man. I couldn¡¯t help but notice. Cardinal Richelieu, a promising young priest. As for this priest, he used to stare at me like this in the past, but he was a person who always didn¡¯t say more than two words other than prayers even when he talked to me. He was silent that he was given the nickname ¡°the silent bell¡±. Even at my hearing, he just stared at me without saying a word. He was the only one who was there. By the way¡­ ¡°Good morning, Yeha. Lady Neuwanstein? You¡¯re here. Wee.¡± The familiar voice popping up from behind made me escape from the ufortable situation. The next moment, upon turning my head, I immediately encountered a solid but deep blue eye. ¡°Duke Nurembert, long time no see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d yourplexion looks better.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± The younger brother of the current Empress. Duke of Nurembert, the head of the Nurembert family. He was the man who, for some reason, defended me aggressively with his Majesty the Emperor on the day of that hearing in the past. Now that I look back, it was really strange. Empress Elizabeth always seemed to be hostile to me because she didn¡¯t like me, so why is her brother so friendly to me? While we were greeting each other, the silent bell had already gone in. The Duke of Nurembert, who looked at me with a warm look that was hard to describe, soon reached out, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± We were thest one to enter the parliament hall. On the left side of the huge rectangr table were the Duke Heinrich, the Marquis Schweig, Count Bayern, and Count Hardenstein, all sitting gently staring at me with piercing eyes. To the right, seven cardinals in ck capital suits with Cardinal Richley in the center are sat with a face that seems hard to read. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°Lady Neuwanstein , Duke of Nurembert .¡± ¡°Lady Neuwanstein , my condolences.¡± ¡°Lady Neuwanstein .¡± ¡°May he rest in peace, Lady Neuwanstein .¡± Everyone greeted me politely, but the crowd seemed to be shocked by my appearance. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t tense as in the past. Here, the age of most cardinals wasn¡¯t different as beforepared to my current mental age, from early 30s tote 40s at best. Duke Nurembert and Duke Heinrich were also less than 40 years old. The case involving the children¡¯s rtives the other day would have spread by now. It was obvious that they¡¯d use me of being a cold-blooded woman. Would it be fortunate if the only person here who favors me is Duke Nurembert? As for Duke Heinrich, who had been my inws in the past, he only wanted to have a marital rtionship with Neuwanstein. Despite his neutral attitude on the day of the hearing, the only reason I epted the engagement between his daughter and Jermey was for the children¡¯s future. ¡­Of course it¡¯s a different story from now on. Phew, it would have been better if the Duke Nurembert had a daughter. But as far as I know, he has only a son, Jeremy¡¯s age. Jeremy, who will fight madly for the position of the Empire¡¯s strongest knight in the near future. Perhaps the Duke is so generous to me because he has a son of the same age. Whatever he thought inside, he smiled quietly and exchanged greetings before sitting down. There was a reserved seat next to Duke Nurembert in the center. A position that my husband upied in his lifetime. ¡°Before we begin the parliament, I¡¯d like to say a prayer to honor the deceased who was here with us not too long ago.¡± With Duke Nurembert¡¯s remark in the silent cardinal, the people who were staring at me began to recite a prayer. After the long and slow recitation of the prayer was over, while everyone drew the cross sign with a short sigh, I turned to Duke Nurembert and opened my mouth with a light smile, ¡°By the way, Duke. I¡¯m nning to hold a memorial banquet soon. I¡¯m sending you an invitation, so would you pleasee with your wife?¡± This was originally a suggestion this duke made to me in the past. He asked me what I thought of holding a memorial banquet in memory of the Marquis. At that time, I was so busy and out of my mind, so I said I would think about itter. Now that I think about it, it was an opportunity to show my position. Although it¡¯s very strange for me, I caressed my chin with my hand for a while and then showed a calm smile. ¡°Memorial banquet¡­? Well, it¡¯s a good idea. I was about to make a simr offer to you.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I think that¡¯s the right thing to do on my side¡­ Of course, would you pleasee?¡± ¡°Of course, the Emperor misses the deceased quite a bit, and was about to discuss it with you.¡± ¡°Lady Neuwanstein, I feel like I¡¯m being excluded. But when do you think it¡¯s the right time?¡± Duke Heinrich coughed, and I couldn¡¯t help smile at his words. No matter what they think of me, my position as a widow, who ounts for more than half of the shares of the imperial treasury, wasn¡¯t something that could be easily reduced no matter how young I was. I, the temporary owner of such a family, and Duke Nurembert, the younger brother of the Empress, are nning a memorial banquet to honor the Emperor¡¯s loyalty, so if they fail to show their faces there, they will be humiliated. ¡°Oh, is Duke Heinrich going toe?¡± ¡°Well, of course. Yohen was also my best friend.¡± ¡°Am, it¡¯s a banquet in honor of the Emperor¡¯s loyalties, and it¡¯s something that everyone deserves.¡± I think the first step was somehow taken. This banquet would be the key to prevent the hearing. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Inside the carriage, the painful sounds outside were fresh in my memory. The smell of blood from the knights was awful. Then, the door of my carriage waspletely smashed, and the bandit¡¯s corny smile with a sword full of blood came upon me. ¡°Don¡¯t me us too much, your fate is twisted.¡± I closed my eyes tightly and screamed! For the first time since I got married, I screamed like I was a child! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! When I opened my eyes in surprise at the scream I made, the familiar ceiling of my room covered my view. I was out of breath. Was it just a dream? My back was wet with cold sweat. But why is my body so heavy? I feel like I¡¯m stuck as if I¡¯ve been paralyzed. ¡°Gwen! Gwen!¡± The next thing that I saw, looking up in horror, was none other than the twins who slept soundly. As the panic receded, there was a sigh of helplessness. ¡°Why are you¡­¡± Why did they look cute while sleeping? The two children, who made me suffer before, were sleepingfortably like angels. It would be great if they could remain that way while their eyes open.. Knock- Knock- ¡°Madam? Are you all right?¡± ¡°What, what, what, what?¡± ¡°What, what is it?! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡­¡­ Well, I guess my scream was pretty loud. Let¡¯s say our loyal maid, who ran in with a pale and brought knights with her, wasn¡¯t the only one who was frightened. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be the one causing themotion in this mansion early in the morning. ¡°What is it, Mom?¡± There was a moment of silence. While we all looked at the twins, who stood up slowly while rubbing their eyes, with nk faces, the first to act was by far the reliable eldest son. Jeremy touched his tangled golden hair with his hand and yawned, then burst intoughter. It was augh full of wicked yfulness,¡±Ha ha ha ha! Hey, Leon, Rachel, what are you doing here?! Ha ha ha ha ha! It goes without saying that Leon¡¯s face, which was looking around with sleepy eyes, was red. Leon was still ten years old. Jeremy had a terrible talent for making him feel ashamed even though he wasn¡¯t at all ashamed of the fact that he couldn¡¯t sleep at dawn and even came to his mother¡¯s ce. ¡°I, I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet, big brother! Don¡¯t make fun of my twin, you idiot! Get out of here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. What do you want me to do? Hahahaha! You look so ugly when you wake up. ¡°Well, what about big brother?¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you were catching pigs in the morning ¡­.¡± ¡°Brother, if you say that to mom, mom might run away from home.¡± ¡°You shut up, short legs!¡± ¡°My little brother has short legs, too!¡± ¡°Who has short legs?!¡± ¡°You all have short legs except me. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s the shortest!¡± ¡°Oh, my God. You¡¯re trying to be the tall guy.¡± ¡°Argh! Why do you keep using violence?¡± Oh, well, this is normal. It¡¯s my fate. Gwen and the knights exchanged nces. I ignored Jeremy and Elias, who were fighting, looked away and stroked the twins¡¯ head. ¡°Leon, Rachel, do you want to go out with me?¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To see pretty clothes. Do you want toe with me? ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything pretty, but I¡¯ming.¡± ¡°Agh! Me, me, too! ¡°Mom, don¡¯t take my older brothers!¡± With that shouted by Leon, Jeremy, who was holding Elias¡¯ head with his arm, finally released him and frowned, then cried out, ¡°Wow, are you discriminating against children?¡± ¡°Wow! How can a person do that? I¡¯m going to post this to a magazine!¡± ¡­¡­. As a result, it is my fault to expect something simple and peaceful. Somehow, the whole family went out together as soon as we finished breakfast. It¡¯s needless to say that hell was implemented in the carriage all the way to the aristocratic street, where famous dress rooms, salons, jewelry shops and tea houses were. ¡°Why do you want to buy clothes all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t open the window. I told you it was for the banquet.¡± ¡°What banquet? Where is it? Who¡¯sing?¡± ¡°Memorial banquet! Your father¡¯s memorial banquet. Everyone who knows of it wille. Leon, that¡¯s not candy, so put it down.¡± ¡°Uheek! Use this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called incense stone, short legs. Hahahaha! I don¡¯t need new clothes. Because I¡­¡± ¡°No matter what you wear, you look like a beggar.¡± ¡°Shut up! I look better than you!¡± ¡°I am tired. Will you smack your own ugly face?¡± ¡°Mom, can¡¯t you just kick my brothers out?¡± I was worried about our safety. I could have just called the merchants to the mansion, but my rather childish disy of wanting to make my position clear to others by going out like this was the cause of this phenomenon today. Nevertheless, as soon as I got out of the carriage, I felt a little excited by the snow pouring all over us. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 The children have been the object of envious gaze wherever they went since childhood. If people saw the true image hidden behind their beautiful looks, they¡¯d probably be surprised. When my husband was alive, before he was sick, we used to go out together like this to eat in a famous restaurant. Come to think of it, thest time we did that was a year ago. Leon and Rachel held my hands tightly with their emerald eyes wide open, perhaps because they hadn¡¯t been out for a long time. It was quite cute to see them looking at the buildings with bewildered eyes. On the other hand, the first son and the second son were acting bored. ¡°Oh, this ce is boring. Is there a weapon store here?¡± ¡°Jeremy, Elias, if you want to go to the weapon store, you two go separately with the knights. We¡¯ll be over there in the red roof building.¡± It would be beneficial for the owner of the clothes shop and our peace to separate from the two, who were anxious to tease me and the twins somehow. Fortunately, Jeremy and Elias obeyed me for some reason, and I entered Madame Melissa¡¯s shop, one of the two currently well known leading designers in the capital, with the twins. Beforeing, I had made an appointment in advance. ¡°So, well, he¡¯s¡­ Oh, my.¡± ¡°Madam, look over there.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she the Marquis¡¯ wife?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Those kids¡­ oh, my God.¡± ¡°She brought the kids with her. How¡­¡± Madame Melissa¡¯s clothes shop was famous for being the best fashion pioneer for young boys and girls as well asdies. Inside the reception room where the ster mannequins wearing whalebone corset and a narrow-brimmed hat are located and all kinds ofrge and small gloves disyed, many of the people, who sat at the window table and chatted with the tea, began to lower their voices and gossip. For me, it¡¯s a very familiar scene. ¡°Wee, Lady Neuwanstein, thank you foring on time.¡± Madame Melissa came out from the inside and smiled brightly at me, her warm brown eyes made me feel a little rxed. Madame Melissa, of course, couldn¡¯t help but be kind, as it would be a good thing to have a fixed rtionship with our family. That was one of the advantages I had as a member of the Neuwanstein¡¯s family. The fact that it is full of power and money. ¡°Nice to meet you. Thank you for providing time in the midst of your busy schedule.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I¡¯m honored. Is madam trying to match the twin¡¯s clothes?¡± ¡°Yes, the other two will be here soon. I don¡¯t know if I can find something for them.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take measures first. Do you have a specific design you want?¡± After the staff took my measurements, I was about toe out and look at the catalog. Rachel, who was taking measurements in the other room, suddenly shouted as if she were dering the whole area her territory! Madame Melissa half-bounced from her seat, the staff members were in chaos, and thedies who were drinking tea spilled it over. Leon, who was looking at the mannequin with a keen eye while eating the cookies the staff gave him, screamed and kicked the mannequin. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± ¡°Mom, get me out of this bad ce! I hate standing alone in this rat hole!¡± Is it so hard to stay still for a while? That¡¯s why I had to watch from the side until they finally took Rachel¡¯s measurements. I pretended not to see Madame Melissa smiling strangely. (Sighs) In the meantime, customers continued to enter the ce. Is it just my illusion that there are more people looking at us outside the huge window and snooping around in curiosity? Jeremy and Elias appeared by the time we decided on mine and the twin¡¯s costumes for the memorial banquet after taking all the measurements. The two lion cubs approached me straight away, shed their gazes and ears from the greetings around them. Why is Jeremy sulking? ¡°Jeremy? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, some guy annoyed me!¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± Elias began to exin on behalf of Jeremy, who was unable to continue talking, apparently because of his anger. Elias spoke without hesitation in a tone that showed his amusement, ¡°A scum snatched a sword that Jeremy liked first and ran away. That¡¯s why he¡¯s mad.¡± ¡°You shut up! If I see that bastard again, I¡¯m gonna rip his legs off on the spot!¡± Staff and guests were now looking at us in confusion. Jeremy, who didn¡¯t realize that this was a public ce, looked at me. ¡°Are you done shopping?¡± ¡°¡­Jeremy, go with Elias to take your measurements.¡± ¡°Oh, why? I know my size!¡± ¡°You might have grown, so you need to get new measurements. Since this banquet is for your father, you need to dress well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t grow taller. Anyway, are you saying that how we look in front of people is important?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s very, very important!¡± When I, who had finally lost patience, retorted, Jeremy and Elias exchanged nces with nk faces, followed by awkward scratches on their heads and gently followed the staff. What¡¯s wrong with listening when I¡¯m talking gently? ¡°My life is such a hassle because of my brothers, they never listen!¡± It was truly spectacr to see Rachel sighing with her hands on her waist in a very wise littledy-like way. Madame Melissa, who had been looking at me with amusement, coughed, ¡°Lady Neuwanstein, when do you need them?¡± ¡°How long does it usually take?¡± ¡°There are five of you, so¡­ It will take between 10 to 15 days. If before that¡­¡± ¡°If you send them within 7 days, I¡¯ll triple the price. I¡¯ll even pay extra for the staff.¡± Madame Melissa immediately agreed to my offer, without even looking at the calendar with the small schedule engraved. It went without saying that the faces of the busy employees became very bright. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¡°Oh, Shuri, I need to buy a new hunting suit.¡± We picked the final design of Elias and Jeremy¡¯s outfits, and then sat on the sofa far away from the table where the other guests sat and took a breath. I was frozen on the spot by the shadow of something outside the huge window. ¡°Shuri?¡± Jeremy, who had been talking about his hunting suit, started coughing and ring at me. I couldn¡¯t even afford to respond as I was just struggling in panic. ¡°Shuri, what¡¯s wrong? Are you upset?¡± ¡°That was just¡­ Hm, I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± ¡­¡­I¡¯m d you¡¯re aware of that, but it¡¯s not the case. Damn it, I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t mistaken, but why at a time like this¡­ I almost forgot¡­! ¡°If she runs away from home, it¡¯s all because of big brother!¡± ¡°Big brother, you idiot! You always tease mom! You¡¯re in trouble!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he does best.¡± ¡°Shuri, are you really upset?¡± I managed to pull myself together and shook my head slowly. Let¡¯s calm down first. The kids are here. ¡°Jeremy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Would you mind watching your siblings for a minute? I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Where are you going? We¡¯ll go with me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Where are you doing?¡± When asked persistently, I pressed my heart with one hand, which began to pound. Let¡¯s calm down.. Jeremy is surprisingly sharp. If I show a little bit of emotion, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get suspicious. So I grabbed Jeremy by the wrist with one hand and whispered low, ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to buy women¡¯s supplies. Stop asking me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s face that turned red was such a spectacr sight to see, but now I have no time to spare. I walked out of the clothing store and down the quiet road behind it. I stopped for a while and looked around, but as expected, a hand suddenly popped out of nowhere, grabbed my shoulder and dragged me into an alley. ¡°Long time no see, sweet sister. Has it been almost two years?¡± It has been almost 6 years to me. I was now staring at Lucas von Ighoeffer, my brother¡¯s weasel-like face after nearly six years. Perhaps because I thought I would never see him again, I forgot that I would definitely bump into him at least once since I came back to the past. ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy to see me, that¡¯s really disappointing. I¡¯m your one and only brother¡­¡± ¡°Why did youe to the capital?¡± My voice was cold. Lucas stared at me, and soonughed, ¡°I came to see you, of course.¡± ¡°Why? Did my father copse? Or is my mother hurt? I already know it¡¯s a lie, so just go. I don¡¯t have anything to give.¡± As he struggled with his profound feeling, Lucas immediately stumbled. Looking at him, Iughed out loud. It used to be the same. After my husband died, my parents, brother and rtives came to me to make a fortune. Lucas was particrly persistent, though kicked out every time, he frequently asked for money in any way. I remember taking care of him a couple of times. But in the end, no matter how far he came to the mansion and begged, I never met him again. ¡°Why have you changed so much? Everyone says that people change when theye to the capital, but it wasn¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, listen. I¡¯ve been starving for three days now. Does that make sense? You¡¯re rich enough that the money is just rotting away anyway, so help me out. Or let me stay at your ce for a while.¡± ¡°Do you think I have been stabbed in the head to ept that? You¡¯ve been starving for three days? Get the hell out of here before I call the knights. I don¡¯t have time to deal with you. Don¡¯t evere back, understand?¡± I don¡¯t know how to describe the truly stupid look on Lucas¡¯ face. I should¡¯ve done this in the past, I should have done this from the beginning¡­ ..I was about to go back to the children, leaving behind the pathetic figure of my brother, but he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me hard toward the wall. My back hit the wall and a painful sensation washed over it. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re a Marchioness, you¡¯re being pretty arrogant toward me? Are you threatening me now? You¡¯re looking at me with that look on your face. Do you think you willst in your position? You¡¯ll be back when you¡¯re kicked out anyway¡­¡± ¡°Hey!!!¡± Puck!!! It was then that Lucas¡¯s poisonous words were cut off. To put it precisely, someone who suddenly came into a narrow alley where we stood, or, like, flew in, kicked Lucas. The next moment Lucas was rolling on the floor, coughing up a very pitiful scream. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such an impolite bastard! You little weasel on the wheels of the wagon, that girl doesn¡¯t like you!¡± ¡­¡­The voice was strangely high and squeaky. The next thing toe into my half-struck nk vision was a boy with a sword his size. He was tall, but he was definitely still a kid, maybe Jeremy¡¯s age at the most? He looked strangely familiar, but I couldn¡¯t remember exactly where I saw him. ck hair and cool blue eyes. I¡¯m sure he looks familiar, but where did I see him¡­? While I was puzzled, this boy briefly clicked his tongue and scratched his head, but then moved forward without hesitation toward Lucas. Then he grabbed Lucas by the back of his neck with one hand and pushed the de that seemed newly bought from around here forward. ¡°Hey, old man.¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Lukas, in a state of confusion, began to scream in horror. Lucas was 21 years old for reference. How ridiculous is this? ¡°Darn it, you¡¯re so loud. Shut up! Hey, shut up! Before I cut off your tongue.¡± ¡°Hey, look at my eyes. Look me in the eye.¡± ¡°Uh, do you even know who I¡¯m!¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re the Crown Prince, you¡¯ll be damned. You want me to pull out all your teeth? Do you want me to pull your gums out?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why, why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother thisdy ever again. Don¡¯t touch her, don¡¯t run into her on the street, don¡¯t think about her, don¡¯t see her in your dreams. Actually, stop breathing all together.¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 God! It was indeed a terrifying deration that sent shivers down my spine. No, more than that, I thought only my kids had a bad mouth, but I guess all boys are that way these days. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, okay.¡± When Lucas nodded his head up and down in a hurry, the boy let go. As soon as I watched the really ugly back of my brother, who was running fast, the boy, who had been kicking his tongue, now stood with his sword on one shoulder and stared at me head-on. ¡°Are you okay? How did you get involved with that guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother, thanks for your help anyway.¡± ¡°Your brother? That guy?¡± The boy looked at me with an incredible look. The clear autumn sky-like eyes quickly scanned me up and down. As for me, I was using my brain to infer the identity of this boy. He looks familiar, but why can¡¯t I remember who he¡¯s right away? ¡°You deserve to be treated better than that, but if you don¡¯t mind me asking, wouldn¡¯t that put you in an awkward position?¡± It¡¯s interesting to see him scratching his head. Maybe it was because I felt he was strangely innocent that I smiled without noticing, ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. I¡¯d rather say it went well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that¡­ but do you know that the way you talk is very unusual? I feel like I¡¯m talking to my mother.¡± ¡­¡­It¡¯s not unusual. To this guy, I¡¯m probably the same age as him. I spoke to him the way I do with the lion cubs. It was then that the boy, who was looking at me with his head tilted, suddenly smiled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll take you to where yourpany is. By the way, which noble house¡¯s daughter are you?¡± ¡°What about you? Which noble house¡¯s son are you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m from an important noble family.¡± I have nothing to say. It¡¯s clear from the sword, as well as the clothes and shoes, that they are quite expensive products for normal people. Even if he¡¯s the Crown Prince, he¡¯s acting like a pain in the neck.. His parents must be suffering. Feeling a soaring sense of sympathy for his parents of someone else¡¯s house, I gently grabbed the hand that was offered to me. There was an unexpected sense of warmth. I think he¡¯s as much of a swordsman as my eldest son. When I reached the front of the clothing store under the escort of the unidentified boy, Jeremy¡¯s golden hair, which somehow came out and sat on the stairs of the entrance, was the first thing to catch my eye. The next moment, Jeremy jumped to his feet and shouted, ¡°Huh? You are that damn guy from¡­!¡± As I turned my head with a confused expression, I saw the ck-haired boyugh. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that slow guy from before. How can you be so slow?¡± ¡°This despicable bastard isughing after snatching someone else¡¯s belongings.¡± ¡°Precisely, it¡¯s mine, because I paid for it. If you¡¯re going to me someone, me your speed. Anyway, I don¡¯t have time to y with you¡­¡± ¡°My lord, my lord! When the hell did you get out, I¡¯ve been looking for a long time.¡± ¡°Where are you running off too again?!¡± Fortunately, they didn¡¯t continue to argue as a knight appeared, shouting with an overwhelming spirit. To be exact, the ck-haired boy ran away from the knight at a truly amazing speed. I managed to stop Jeremy, who was trying to chase him. ¡°You can buy another sword!¡± ¡°That prick is running away! Just if I catch him again¡­!¡± Jeremy, who had been grinding his teeth for a long time, looked into my eyes with now suddenly serious eyes, ¡°By the way, why did hee with you?¡± ¡°¡­I know. He said hello because he was an acquaintance.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know which dog he is, but tell his family to educate him properly.¡± For the memorial banquet in honor of my husband, Johannes Von Neuwanstein, I had to repair the interior of the main building, including the reception room. I couldn¡¯t count how many invitations there were. From the budget alone, it was clearly a super-luxurious one that exceeded the usual pce banquet. The royal greetings, as well as the family members and cardinals of the capital, were scheduled toe. First of all, the Crown Prince and Jeremy have been close since they were young, and the Duke of Nurembert, who organized this banquet with me, is the younger brother of the Empress. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for me to shake up the ce early and reconfirm the banquet hall several times and stir up the employees. But most of all, the hardest thing was¡­ ¡°The two of you need to learn to have some patience next time, understand?¡± The twins, who wanted to y, were groomed. I appeased Elias, whoined that he didn¡¯t like the color of his clothes, and struggled with Jeremy, who insisted that he would wear his sword. ¡°Why the hell do you need a sword for a banquet?¡± ¡°Stop being so stubborn! You aren¡¯t even a real knight yet!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be one soon. I¡¯ll be one next year!¡± ¡°You are not yet, so please listen to me for the day!¡± ¡°Am I a child?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Jeremy was very persistent, but I was no less than him. Why is it that the person who will be recognized in the future is already so impatient? In the end, I won this time. I was exhausted, but when I saw the children wearing Madame Melissa¡¯s clothing, I smiled with satisfaction; Rachel and Leon dressed in the same color light green dress and ck suit; Elias dressed in a blue suit; Jeremy in a crimson uniform. At any rate, I should acknowledge that they look good. Phew Only after I confirmed that the children were ready did I hurry to groom myself. The water-colored dress, which stands out with a deep-cut square neckline and ribbons, was a trendy design until the second half of next year. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 My pink hair was braided and decorated with pins in several ces. I was told about a fancy hairdo that is popr these days, but it was impossible for me to wear it. And that was simply because a nasty guy made a really sharp scar on my back¡­ ¡°I think we should take the role of protecting our guests from Shuri today, brother.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. To be precise, we should protect their vision.¡± ¡­ Patience. If I put up with it, I¡¯ll be spared frommiting a murder. The fact that the children and I might have been thoroughly excluded even during the memorial service hosted by our family could have been somewhat ironic. Anyway, despite my vague anxiety, guests dressed in fancy clothes began to arrive one after another. I have done a pretty good job of being a kind housekeeper by exchanging long greetings. The guests were responding with a smile that seemed sincere on the outside. Should I conclude that the gossip that happened at the funeral before is on hold now? This banquet is truly a way for people to get to know each other. ¡°It¡¯s actually going to be a great banquet, madam.¡± ¡°Dear Duke Heinrich. You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Oh, this is my daughter O¡¯Hara.¡± Oh, my God! Seeing my 12-year-old daughter-inw, Gong O¡¯Hara, my past daughter-inw, I felt a new feeling. The tinum-haired girl, who grabbed the hem of her skirt slightly and showed courtesy in an impable posture, was so pretty. She will grow up to be the most beautiful woman in the future. Well, Rachel is a lot prettier in my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, Marchioness Neuwanstein .¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you too. Please, enjoy yourself.¡± Shyly blushing, O¡¯Hara looked at the children standing with her purple eyes twinkling. To be exact, she was looking at Jeremy. Jeremy, stood there looking bored. The girl who is looking at you might be your future wife! Of course it¡¯s his decision¡­ Anyway, I wasn¡¯t going to go ahead with the children¡¯s marriage as I did in the past. They¡¯re still young, so I¡¯ll consider it just when there is a person who likes them. ¡°Marchioness Neuwanstein .¡± ¡°Wee Duke and Duchess Nurembert.¡± Unlike the Duke, who responded with a benevolent smile to me and greeted me brightly, the rather vulnerable Duchess just looked at me quietly with a sad expression. It wasn¡¯t in the sense of condolences. In the past, the Duchess used to treat me with such a mournful look. I might have gotten used to it, but I still feel awkward. ¡°This is my immature son. I just wish he doesn¡¯t cause so much trouble.¡± ¡°Father, why do you always treat me like that?¡± The special introduction of the kind Duke and the appearance of the young boy toin made me feel overwhelmed and shocked. Howe I didn¡¯t notice it right away? ¡°Huh? You are the¡­¡± Realizing the identity of the apostle of justice the other day, I began to resent myte discovery, and at the same time felt greatpassion towards the Duke and his wife. I think this is why the Duke is so kind to me. ¡°Nora, how dare you call the Marchioness ¡®you¡¯?¡± ¡°What¡­? She¡¯s the Marchioness?¡± ¡°You brat!¡± Wearing a ck uniform, with blue eyes wide open and looking at me, was the boy who drove Lucas away the other day! No wonder he looked familiar. This is Nora Von Nurembert, who will grow up to be Jeremy¡¯s only adversary? ¡°Forgive me for my rudeness, madam, but have you ever met my son before?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± A feeling of embarrassment came. I hope he doesn¡¯t disclose what happened..! Even though I looked at those blue eyes, I never thought he was a member of the Nurembert family¡­. While the young boy was silent with a mysterious expression on his face, whether he had read the plea in my eyes or not was unknown. On the other side, Elias put his hand first to the surface of the storm. While eating cookies, he suddenly looked up, and he said in astonishment, ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t he the one who snatched your sword the other day?¡± ¡°What¡­? What, why is he here? Hey!¡± Nora paused for a moment at Jeremy¡¯s shout, which was truly ferocious, and soon began to grin back slyly, ¡°Well, well, look who is here, aren¡¯t you that slow turtle from before? Are you Neuwanstein¡¯s child? What a waste of a family name.¡± ¡°You scrawny shriveled-up apple bastard, you only know how to talk big. You¡¯re the one who brings shame to your family, you rat!¡± I took turns looking at the two of them because I was dumbfounded. Is that what bad luck means? If Jeremy was Neuwanstein¡¯s lion, Nora was Nurembert¡¯s hungry wolf. In 1118, the two faced each other for the first time in the finals of the Founder¡¯s Day Sword Tournament. In the end, the duel could be said to be the beginning of their rivalry. Everyone was cheering and screaming. I was so nervous at that time, afraid that my eldest son would get wounded. ¡°The dumber a person is, the more they see what they want to see and they have no idea that their behaviour shows how idiotic they are.¡± ¡°I thought you only knew how to cower away, but it looks like we have a great philosopher here. Why don¡¯t you juste at me instead of talking?¡± ¡°Jeremy!¡± ¡°Nora!¡± Eventually, the Duke Nurembert and I had to step up and stop this pathetic fight. The Duke hit his son in the head and I pped Jeremy in the back. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Argh! It hurts!¡± ¡°Jeremy, what do you think you are doing to a guest? Hurry up and apologize!¡± ¡°Why me?! He started it first!¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°Norah, I want you to apologize for your rude behaviour.¡± ¡°Why me? He¡¯s the one who¡¯s still bitter and whiny about losing his chance to buy the sword¡­ Argh! Why are you hitting me again?!¡± Is it a good thing that I¡¯m not acquainted with Nora? ¡°His Majesty the Crown Prince is here!¡± As someone announced that, we, who had been holding on to our children, and the guests who watched us while sipping their wine, all became quiet. ¡°We greet the young eagle of the Empire.¡± ¡°We greet the eagle of the Empire, the Crown Prince.¡± The crow prince, Theobalt Von Baden Bismarck, now seventeen-year-old prince of the Crown, now the seventeen-year-old prince, is going around with his attendant. His appearance was met with polite greetings from all over the ce. The crown prince, who came straight toward us, fluttered his shiny silver white hair, and soon opened his mouth, bending his golden eyes gently, ¡°Finally, I met you, Mother of the Lions. Like rumored, your hair is like cherry blossoms and your eyes are as deep as forest.¡± What the hell with this unheard-of greeting? Mother of lions? In my previous life, the Crown Prince had never called me that way, but the squeaking sound of Elias trying to suppress hisughter was very annoying. ¡°We are honored by your visit today.¡± ¡°Who else wille if I don¡¯t? Ha ha.¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°Uncle, aunt. I told you I¡¯d be here, haha. Oh, my cousin, long time no see. It looks like you¡¯ve gotten taller.¡± I felt purified when I saw such a polite and gentle crown prince while dealing with two boys like beast cubs who had been snarling at each other until just now. Looking at the polite and gentle prince talking to the two boys who were like wild beasts roaring at each other just before, I felt like my mind and body were purified. It was then that Nora, who was rubbing his head, looked at the crown prince and uttered coldly, ¡°Why, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Nora¡­!¡± ¡°Leave it, Auntie. Haha, you¡¯re still blunt.¡± ¡°Your highness, you¡¯re only as kind as I¡¯m obedient,¡± Nora, who retorted in a cold and impudent tone, moved away. Duke Nurembert let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. He¡¯s been particrly¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m used to it.¡± ¡­I was wrong to expect anything. Prince Theobalt, who was swallowing tears of grief and watching me with strange sparkling eyes, said to me very affectionately, ¡°You¡¯re going through a lot.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Since there are a lot of kids of their age, wouldn¡¯t they be upied? Why don¡¯t you have a drink with me first?¡± Maybe it¡¯s because the prince¡¯s elegant words sounded very convincing. So I took the cup handed by Theobalt and moistened my lips with the fragrant wine. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s my first time seeing you in person, but I feel like I¡¯ve met you before. I should havee to greet you earlier¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you here today. Is the Emperor well?¡± ¡°He¡¯s always healthy. Hahaha. Anyway, I don¡¯t know why Jeremy is so sulky today. I¡¯ve been close to him since I was young, so I¡¯ll often visit him to hang out with him in the future. Please be weing.¡± ¡°Of course, your Highness is always wee.¡± As he responded with a gentle smile, his golden eyes immediately stood out. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was a sign that he sincerely wanted me to keep my words. Hmm, this is another novelty. Even with that strange greeting earlier, was this Prince originally this kind to me? Things are a little different now than then. The current Empress Elizabeth was the second Empress. Prince Theobalt was the son of the former Empress, who died early of fever. Before I came to Marquis, Theobalt and Jeremy had maintained a good rtionship. It was out of consideration of the Emperor and my husband to make a peerpanion for the crown prince. Originally, the role should have been given to Nora, the nephew of Empress Elizabeth, but if I remember correctly, Nora and the Crown Prince weren¡¯t very close. ¡­..It seems that Nora unterally dislikes Theobalt for some reason from what I saw. Anyway, Jeremy¡¯s rtionship with Theobalt may have had a significant impact on what waster called the Crown Prince¡¯s sword, but this decent Crown Prince wasn¡¯t particrly friendly or outspoken to me. Of course, I should avoid him. Not long after my husband died, I turned the society upside down by having a contracted lover. The notoriety I had at the time was incredible. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­¡± ¡°Your eyes suddenly look sad. You must be thinking of the deceased.¡± Well, good Crown Prince, that¡¯s a very gracious thing to say. You just got it wrong. ¡°You can grieve to your heart¡¯s content. You¡¯ve been through a lot in thest month. I don¡¯t know how to express the sadness I feel when you¡¯re only about toe of age.¡± His voice had a surprisingly sweet tone. For a second, I was wondering why this guy was doing this to me. Maybe because I didn¡¯t think anyone would say that to me, the corner of my heart tingled. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with me? Is it because of the alcohol? ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± Both of us turned our heads when we heard a sudden voice. Then I faced an unexpected person. ¡°Cardinal Richelieu. I see you¡¯re here too. How¡¯s it going?¡± It was Cardinal Richelieu, the silent servant in ck robe. I didn¡¯t expect him to reallye. The pitch-ck eyes, stained by bright lights and seated under brown hair, alternately scanned us standing with sses, and then it stopped at my face. Then looking at me in the eyes, the words were to spit out to Theobalt, ¡°I have a few words to tell you about the previous tenant issue.¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°Oh, my God, you¡¯vee all the way here? Can you cut me some ck? Well, madam, if you¡¯ll excuse me for a moment.¡± Seeing the good Crown Prince, who grumbled yfully but moved, made me feel envious of Empress Elizabeth. On the other hand, the silent servant didn¡¯t even greet me, and until the end, he stared at me with his weird gaze. It¡¯s hard to see through his eyes, but I felt ufortable because his eyes gave a dark impression. I didn¡¯t care about it in the past, but now it¡¯s a bit of an eyesore. I put down the empty ss for a moment and skimmed through the huge hall where the banquet was taking ce. To be exact, I looked at the guests who were eating food, drinking wine, and talking in groups. Generally, in my case, my position is very ambiguous. In the history of the Empire, there were no young women who became the head of the family temporarily. Although the marriage age of ordinary aristocratic women is sixteen to twenty-three, young girls, who got married early at my age, would have avoided this due to problems such as being newlyweds or pregnancy. In the past, it wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t any young girls who were friendly to me, but most of them were just a group of people approaching me for their benefit. At that time, I also didn¡¯t even try to take a side. The group I¡¯m aiming for now was none other than thedies¡¯ side. Old women with children. Young girls, who are just about to make their debut in society, were chatting or whispering happily with their peers. I passed them and approached the seateddies. ¡°Do you like the food? Do you have any inconvenience?¡± Thedies, who were in the middle of a talk, looked at me in unison. They smiled friendly, but there was a sh of curiosity in their delicate eyes. Among them, Countess Bavaria, thedy who I hired to teach Rachel etiquette in the past, opened her mouth, ¡°You seem to have great taste, Marchioness Neuwanstein, thank you for inviting us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful to you for epting my invitation. I¡¯m d you came,¡± as she smiled brightly and answered with a sense of innocence like an immature girl, thedies exchanged nces. One of the wives who gave and exchanged meaningful expressions whilst I sat next to the Countess of Bavaria, said, ¡°What an unexpected warm treatment. But Marchioness, we¡¯ve heard some strange rumors.¡± ¡°Strange rumors? About me?¡± As I asked with my eyes lifted up innocently, there was another quick exchange of looks. The next to take over were the Marchioness Schweig and Countess Hardenstein. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I ran into Countess Lucretia in Salon the other day. I didn¡¯t believe everything she said, but¡­¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right, you shouldn¡¯t be quick to judge by listening to one side. You have to listen to both sides.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I think I know what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s all because I was immature.¡± When I said that carefully, the curious gazes gathered on me. I deliberately lowered my eyes awkwardly, swallowing a friendly smile. Then I stuttered in a hesitation, ¡°In fact¡­ you know, my husband was a sweet man. He¡¯s always been kind to the kids.¡± ¡°Of course. We all know that the Marquis was a good man.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Bavaria, actually, after my husband¡¯s funeral, I asked Countess Lucretia to stay for a while and look after her niece and nephews to help them adjust faster.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s too much to ask.¡± ¡°Yes. But it turns out that her diciply policy didn¡¯t match that of me or my husband. Maybe she is just overly strict¡­.. I knew she didn¡¯t like me very much, but I couldn¡¯t stand it when she hurt the children, so I think I was rude.¡± Already I¡¯ve shown myself to people the other day by visiting a famous dressing room with my kids. The same was true at this banquet today. All mothers in my position would do the same. In order to get close to them, the most urate way is to talk about the children. Duchess Nurembert, who had been staring at me with her unique sad eyes, nodded her head suddenly, ¡°I understand. It¡¯s for the kids.¡± ¡°Lady Nurembert is right. God, that¡¯s what happened! I also wouldn¡¯t have stayed still. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯d rather scold my son, but I can¡¯t stand others touching him. The outside world doesn¡¯t seem to understand that. My husband brought a swordsmanship teacher a while ago, and he kept beating my son.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, is that true, Lady Bavaria? ¡°That¡¯s right. So my husband allowed me to do what I wanted. I told him that I would blow his eyes if he brought him one more time. Otherwise, my son might have run away from home by now.¡± A burst ofughter broke out. The elegantdies covered their mouths with fans andughed, and the husbands, who had gathered on the other side of the table to smoke, looked back. ¡°Anyway, Madam Neuwanstein did nothing wrong, but I wish you could¡¯ve taken a more flexible approach¡­¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°Yes, I regret it a little bit. You know, I don¡¯t have much experience or knowledge, so¡­ Well, if that happens again in the future, can I ask for advice?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re still young, so it¡¯s not easy for you to take care of the children. Consult us anytime.¡± The reactions mixed with a sense of homogeneity and superiority poured out. It was just what I was hoping for. Acting as a widow who doesn¡¯t know the world and wants to learn anything while being humble at the same time. How can they not feel superior when I, a person who is so young and standing in the same position as their husband, went to talk to them first without hesitation and ask for advice. In the past when I was ignorant, I used to act like a cat with ws because I didn¡¯t want to look weak . I didn¡¯t know that it wasn¡¯t necessarily bad to look weak. Contrary to what I believed, it was a good way to make people on my side. The mainstream that makes up the foremost in the social world are thedies. No matter how fast the trend changes, it¡¯s impossible to bring down thedies who are more experienced. What¡¯s more, in the world¡¯s long tradition, the most lethal and secret weapon is their exclusive property. Somehow my purpose today to take advantage of the asion was fulfilled. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± ¡°No, somebody stop them!¡± It was then that the banquet hall, which had maintained a lively and gentle atmosphere, quickly became noisy. To be exact, many beautifully dressed youngdies ran down from the stairs leading to the balcony on the second floor and screamed in dismay. The mothers rose up in fright, the fathers exchanged embarrassed looks, and the children ran up the stairs with curious looks. God, what else is going on this time? I rushed up there to see if Jeremy might have started fighting with his future rival. Finally we got to the balcony on the second floor. Oh, my God! Bang! ¡°Jeremy!¡± The balcony decorated with new orchids andnterns has turned messy. Jeremy was certainly one of the four young men who were fighting. What went against my expectations was that the opponent who fought against him wasn¡¯t the young Nurembet. Rather than that, the two of them were fighting against the other two boys. I don¡¯t know how the two of them ended up together, but¡­! It was usually Elias who got caught up in this kind of fight, but why is Jeremy doing this? Jeremy wasn¡¯t the type to use his fist first, no matter how hot-tempered he was. ¡°Hyung, stop doing that! Calm down!¡±¡± ¡°Stop it, oppa! Mommy said don¡¯t cause trouble¡± The scene where Elias, like an angry foal, and the little twins struggling to stop their eldest son rather than helping him for some reason was a wonderful sight to see, but it wasn¡¯t effective. Jeremy and Nora were only fourteen years old, and their opponents seemed to be in theirte teens. Considering the age difference, they shouldn¡¯t bepared, but the young men were very fierce. It goes without saying that all the guests who rushed up to the scene were the well-dressed family of the precious children. The priest murmured something prayer-like and drew the sign. As soon as I was about to intervene, Teobald, who came near me, grabbed my shoulder and took a step ahead. The crown prince, who had no one above him in status, shouted in a loud, determined voice that cut off the fuss, ¡°I order you to stop!¡± Duke Nurembert, the grand duke of Steel, who was in charge of one of the two pirs of aristocratic society, asked his son with a dismissively stern face that I had never seen before, ¡°For what reason did you cause such amotion?¡± With Teobald¡¯s help, the disturbance subsided in a moment and the banquet continued. Apparently, my eldest son and Duke Nurembert¡¯s son fought against Duke Heineich¡¯s nephews. After apologizing to Duke Heinrich, who bowed his head to apologize instead, my family and the Nurembert family gathered separately. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 In contrast to Theobald, who was just smiling, with his arms crossed, Duke Nurnbert wore a serious look. The Duke was angry, and the Duchess was constantly clenching her hands with a restless look. ¡°Nora, can¡¯t you answer me now? ¡°No matter how immature you are, how could you have caused amotion even in the presence of the Crown Prince?¡± Oh! Indeed, the chandelier on the ceiling felt like it was trembling. It seems like it¡¯s been a long time since a male adult¡¯s shouting rang in my house. Nevertheless, the young Nurembert stood with a frown as he nced at me, but remained silent. Jeremy, too, was silent on why he did such a thing. ¡°Oh my God, look at your lips¡­! Jeremy, why did you do that? Why did you fight?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, I don¡¯t know. They pissed me off!¡± ¡°So what is it? What got you so pissed off?¡± ¡°Elias, do you know anything about why your brother did that?¡± Elias, who was looking at his brother, quickly shook his head from side to side. ¡°No, I only saw him and that guy talking on the balcony. I thought the two made up, so I went to check on the twins like you told me. Later, the youngdies screamed, so I went there to see that they were fighting.¡± He didn¡¯t give me useful information. I looked at the twins, who were staring at their oldest brothers, but they didn¡¯t seem to know anything either. ¡°Jeremy, what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really nothing¡­ achoo! Cough, Cough! Shuri, I¡¯m sick.¡± ¡°Are you pretending to be sick now?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no! I really feel dizzy all of a sudden.¡± It was ridiculous to see Jeremy¡¯s spectacr behavior as he put his head on my shoulder. It was appropriate to tell him to stop trying to do things that wouldn¡¯t work, but at that moment, I suddenly got worried that he might have measles. Ugh, I guess I can¡¯t help it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the guy who was fine before? Let me see¡­¡± Ta-da! The harsh sound of the air made my children and I look toward the noise at the same time The next thing that I saw was the young Nurembert, whose head turned to the side, and the Duke, who looked like the incarnation of anger. Oh, my God. I could feel the twins holding my skirt tightly. Needless to say, the air in the room froze in an instant. Duke Nurembert pressed his forehead with his hand as if to calm himself down, but ordered, ¡°Apologize to Mrs Neuwanstein and the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Nora!¡± Nora, who bit his bleeding lips gently, nced sideways at Theobalt with freezing blue eyes. His fist that was attached to the side was white, which was unusual. Then the Duke raised his hand again. ¡°You son of a¡­!¡± ¡°Duke!¡± The crown prince, who had been hardened with a trembling expression, looked at me with a nk look. Either way, I held the Duke¡¯s arm and continued in half pleading, ¡°Duke, calm down first. They¡¯re still kids. I think there is a good reason for what happened.¡± Duke Nurembert, instead telling me not to get involved in other people¡¯s business, he looked at me, ¡°Lady Neuwanstein, Crown Prince. I hope you will forgive my son for his rudeness today. I think we should probably leave now.¡± ¡°But Duke¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll see you next time!¡± ¡°Uncle, take it easy.¡± Watching Duke Nurembert holding his son¡¯s nape and pushing him roughly, the Duchess biting her lips, and the Crown Prince chasing after them with embarrassment, I felt an unknown pity for the young Nurembert . Even though my husband once hit Elias for a problem rted to me, the situation was a little different then. Getting scolded in front of children the same age must be very embarrassing¡­ ¡°Shuri, are you going to hit me like that?¡± ¡°Why? Do you want to be beaten?¡± ¡°No, but the Duke was so scary just now, achoo, I¡¯m really dying.¡± However, as of that day Jeremy really got sick with measles. Measles was an infectious disease. I, too, knew how painful it was because I had encountered it when I was a child. Robert, the butler and I were the only ones who had already got measles before in the mansion, so other employees and children had to bepletely banned to get close to him. ¡°What the hell is this¡­ Cough! Damn it, I feel so bad.¡± It¡¯s amazing to see him constantlyining even in the midst of pain. But of course, there weren¡¯t too many things that could be talked about. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 It wasn¡¯t easy to watch Jeremy groaning from high fever with red spots spreading from near the nape of his neck to his whole body. I couldn¡¯t help being scared even though I knew when he would get better. How ironic it is to see the future best knight helpless in front of a disease. While I was stuck with Jeremy all day, Elias and the twins also seemed frightened andpletely depressed. The long-awaited quietness came to the Marquis, but the air was more unstable. Why did I want my children to be decent before? Now, I want life toe back to the mansion. ¡°¡­Shuri, are you there¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­? I think I¡¯m dying.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Why are you dying?¡± ¡°Right. I can¡¯t see you being upset.¡± You know, when one gets sick, their mind bes young. Jeremy muttered from time to time. He kept falling asleep and waking up often, consumed by the terrible fever. In the end, with his tired eyes and strangely desperate expression, he even talked about things he would never talk about normally and what happened before my husband died. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like you¡­ ..I was just jealous that my father seemed to like you more than us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay now. I don¡¯t care if you didn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°I hated you for using my mother¡¯s room¡­But, actually, I don¡¯t even remember my mother¡¯s face. What does my mother look like¡­? Shuri, you know¡­?¡± I kneeled by the bed, put my arms under the covers and held the boy¡¯s warm hand tightly. Poor boy, a boy of an age who desperately needed his real parents¡­ but I was the only one here. As I did in the past, I leaned over his golden hair soaked in cold sweat and kissed his pale forehead. ¡°Now I¡¯m your mother. Can you remember my face instead¡­?¡± Jeremy nced at my face with his out of focus dark green eyes, but then he closed his arms around my neck and whispered in a heavy voice, ¡°Let the fever go away, Shuri. Please ask the Virgin Mary to stop picking on me.¡± How I wish I had the ability to do that. However, no matter how much time passed, it was impossible to argue with God. In reality, people were kinder than God. While Jeremy was sick, letters of concern, letters of rmendation and unfamiliar medicine were sent from various ces. Among them, the special poppy candy sent by Duchess Nurembert with a short note was very useful to relieve the pain of the boy struggling with a high fever. There was one more person I was grateful to. Prince Theobalt came to visit by the time the endless cough and red spots finally subsided. He smiled, and said he was sorry that he couldn¡¯te sooner. ¡°I¡¯ve also had measles, so I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯d like to see that feisty fellow moaning.¡± There was no reason to refuse. As a result, Theobalt¡¯s visit has had an effect on Jeremy¡¯s recovery. Well, to be exact, he made Jeremy gain his spirit that he lost from the sickness for a few days. ¡°What the hell are you doing here? The Crown Prince must be a very idle person.¡± ¡°Why, are you jealous? If you¡¯re jealous, you should be born crown prince in your next life, you little prick.¡± ¡°You are abusing your identity. You don¡¯t even know the nobles¡¯ obligations.¡± ¡­As usual, the signs of recovery were very clear. But what¡¯s with his words? I better get up quickly and leave. He didn¡¯t even look at the lump under his mother¡¯s eyes, such an unfilial son. ¡°Any mother should be grateful to have a son as good as me.¡± ¡°When are you going to be humble?¡± ¡°If the dayes when the Crown Prince beats me in swordsmanship, I will consider it. Shuri, I¡¯m hungry.¡± It was just an exchange that happened every day Theobalt visited Jeremy to talk to him until he waspletely healed. Thanks to that, I had some time tofort the threepletely anxious children. I felt sorry for not being a good person in the past. ¡°But why did you beat these guysst time? I¡¯m really curious.¡± That was a question Theobalt asked suddenly on the evening of the 10th day since the measles began while I was watching Jeremy eat chicken soup after confirming that the other three children had finished their meal. It was an event that even I had half forgotten. Jeremy, who ate all the dishes because he hadn¡¯t been able to eat properly for a few days, frowned and stared at the crown prince, then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your cousin?¡± ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± It was inevitable for a sick person to nag, but it felt like a foolish thing that my heart has weakened so far!! The good crown prince smiled at me as if he was so familiar with such a situation. ¡°It¡¯s all right, madam, haha. You and him are keeping your mouths shut, so how could I know?¡± ¡°He must hate you. But why does he hate you so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sad to ask so bluntly. He doesn¡¯t necessarily hate me, maybe it¡¯s puberty.¡± ¡°You surprisingly have a tendency to escape from reality.¡± ¡°¡­..! Are you cowardly attacking me with facts?!¡± ¡°Argh! Why are you calling a patient, a coward?¡± I let the two of them argue and went out with the tray. After handing the empty tes and utensils to the maids, I stopped by the study to roughly process documents that I haven¡¯t seen before, and when I finally went back to Jermery¡¯s room, I found both of them asleep. Suddenly, an open poppy candy bottle on the drawer caught my eye. It was crushed into powder and added to milk, but I guess they thought it was just candy. Seeing the future talents who must have chewed, swallowed, and fell asleep because of the medicinal candy, I naturally sighed. Weren¡¯t they both old enough to eat candy? I hesitated for a moment to try and wake the Crown Prince, and then I made up my mind and fixed the young men¡¯s posture as they were sleeping with their arms and legs stretched out. Then, I put a nket on them. I never thought I¡¯d see my eldest son and the Crown Prince sleep together. I¡¯ll tease himter. As I watched the two men, who were so determined on the inside and who were sleeping hard on the outside, theirmon aspects crossed my mind. Come to think of it, both Theobalt and Jeremy lost their birth mother at a young age and were sessors to the empire and prestigious families. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable that the two got so close. Although Theobalt has a living father, the Emperor I know wasn¡¯t very friendly to his children. Oh, by the way, I wonder what happened to the young Nurembet. Was he okay? The duke looked like a surprisingly strict man¡­.. While the thoughts of the boy I hadn¡¯t known well before flowed through my mind, I was humming and patting the soft silk nket with my hands. It was a luby that I used to sing to the twins once in a while in the past. ¡°The flowers have already surrounded the bed and the sheep have entered the cage. The night owl sang softly, now go to sleep. Good night, my baby, my sweet baby. Under the protection of the angel in a dream.Good night, my dear¡­¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so d he¡¯s well recovered. You must have had a hard time.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. I used the product you sent me very well.¡± On the refreshing early winter morning, after the damn sickness that gued my eldest son finally withdrew, I visited Duke Nurembert¡¯s house. I sat in another antique, stylish room unlike our mansion, facing the Duchess. The Duchess invited me to drink tea first when I visited her to thank her. ¡­..To be honest, I must say that I was a little surprised. The symbol of the Bismarck family is a white eagle holding the snout of a beast. The best of the six beasts that support the eagle is by far the wolf in the wall, a lone family with the most blood of the royal family. If the Neuwanstein family has been responsible for the material support of the imperial family, the Nurembert family has been responsible for the stability of the imperial authority and political strife. Eventually, the predominance of the social world, where the ranks are divided by the dominance of the family, deserved to be the Duchess of Heide Von Nurembert, but she wasn¡¯t much of a socialite, as I remember her. She was infirm and somewhat reserved, she wasn¡¯t a part of any faction and always adhered to a thorough neutrality. I still don¡¯t know why she¡¯s so sad every time I see her, but anyway, why did such a duchess invite me at this point today and sit with an impatient expression as if hesitating to say something? Heide, who has thin, weak light blue hair and a white and delicate body, looked like a fragile wax doll. I am sympathetic to the idea that she has been having a hard time with the two wolves of the family. Finally, her hesitant voice was quiet enough to fit her appearance, ¡°Well, Lady Neuwanstein ¡­ actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡± Whatever it was, it would have been advantageous for me to hold her hand first. I didn¡¯t expect an opportunity to bring in a neutral duchess who rarely makes sides. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a problem with my son.¡± I opened my eyes wide at the Duchess¡¯s words, who was constantly wiggling her hands. It¡¯s about her son¡­? ¡°¡­As you may have already noticed, Nora is a lonely child. I don¡¯t have any brothers. I¡¯m not even close to my cousins. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with the kid, but at this rate, he¡¯s going to get worse.¡± The wistful Duchess stared at me with deep sorrowful, watery eyes. I was just listening in bewilderment. ¡°So I wonder if my son will get better when he hangs out with madam¡¯s kids. I¡¯m simply amazed how well you treat your children despite your young age. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re born with it. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been a mother, but I thought maybe I¡¯d open up a little bit about the issue.¡± It was apletely unexpected thing to hear. Did I look like I was good with kids? Of course I¡¯m way better than before, but I¡¯m still trying. ¡°Uh, well, so what exactly do you want me to do? I don¡¯t think I can make them get close to each other, they need to do that on their own¡­¡± ¡°So I¡¯d like to say¡­ if it¡¯s not too much to ask, could you talk to Nora?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s an annoying request. I don¡¯t me you for refusing. My husband told me not to do something useless¡­ but a mother¡¯s heart is different from the father¡¯s.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand how the Duchess felt about telling me this much. Nevertheless, it was a questionable thing. I¡¯ve only met him twice, but I didn¡¯t think he was that impossible. And what did she think I can do about a young man (at least in the eyes of others) who doesn¡¯t listen to his parents? No matter how hard I think about it, I feel like there¡¯s some serious reason for that belief. Nevertheless, is it due to the feeling of homogeneity toward the duchess, or is it due topassion toward the boy who will be Jermey¡¯s rival that I who thought it was right to refuse, hesitated? It was then that the butler¡¯s voice resonated with the loud footsteps. Both I and Heide turned our heads at the same time. ¡°Young master, where did you go again without a word?¡± ¡°Never mind!¡± ¡­¡­That was very subtle. When I first met him, his image was different. He was a bit rough at that time, but he seemed to be a nice guy. ¡°Nora, where are you going? You have to greet the guest.¡± When his mother called him, Nora, who was stomping up the stairs without turning his head, suddenly stopped walking, and then he looked back at us. Well, that¡¯s awkward. Don¡¯t look so weird as if you¡¯ve seen something you are not supposed to see. I didn¡¯t know you were the very apostle of justice. You bastard! ¡°Ha¡­ it¡¯s getting more spectacr.¡± Look at the way he talks. What is so spectacr about it? It was sad to see the duchess¡¯ face turning pale like a corpse. While I held her hand quickly and smiled that it was okay, the young Nurembert stormed up the stairs. It¡¯s like seeing Elias when he was 15. It was quite pitiful to see the duchess taking out a handkerchief and wiping away her tears without saying a word. In the end, I became the person who sold her soul to the devil. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Sure enough, the tearful Duchess¡¯ eyes immediately filled with brightness. I can¡¯t help it now. I guess I¡¯m destined to be in charge of taking care of other people¡¯s children. As I happened toply with the Duchess¡¯ request, I promised to deal with the rebellious wolf cub for an hour a day. The Duchess insisted that her son should be sent to our mansion, but who knows what would happen if he blindly confronted his fateful rival, who hadn¡¯t been on good terms since the first meeting? ¡°Thank you for doing me a favor, but I think it¡¯s troublesome¡­¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d bettere here for now, then we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°But then I¡¯ll have Norae to you on the first day to pick you up.¡± I think that she is worried that I might say so and then get away with it with an appropriate excuse. Yeah, I shouldn¡¯t even dream about it. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¡°Don¡¯t follow me! Don¡¯t get in the way! I¡¯m gonna catch a lot more than you.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in the way? Are you worried that I¡¯m gonna catch a lot more than you do? Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°The bird that was flying suddenly struck the tower. If you catch one, I¡¯ll be your older brother!¡± ¡°So the oldest brother bes the younger brother?¡± ¡°What else is he saying? Ah¡­¡± ¡°Mom, can¡¯t you tell them to leave?¡± On a rtively warm day, on a nice early winter afternoon, Jeremy, who became well enough to wander, came out with Elias wearing their newly fitted hunting suits and were preparing to go to the fox hunt that Prince Theobalt invited them to. Even in the past, around this time of year, the hunting happened. As for the kind Crown Prince Theobalt, even after Jeremy had fully recovered, he would often visit our mansion. He even invited him like today and called him to the pce. ¡­¡­. Was he so easygoing from the beginning? Things seem to be different from the past. ¡°Come on, all the foxes are going to run away while you guys wrestle like that. Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯ Be careful and don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°Can a fox escape from a lion?¡± Jeremy, who was proud of himself as a talented man who was far from humble virtues, burst intoughter. Then he looked at me with healthy, mischievous, sparkling emerald eyes. ¡°Wish me luck, I¡¯ll make a fox scarf for you with my first catch.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Bring me a baby fox!¡± ¡°Bring two!¡± ¡°Ha! If you catch a baby fox, I swear to God I¡¯ll call you older ¡®brother!¡± ¡°No, but this¡­¡± The two men who quarreled to the end and the apanying knights finally stormed out of the main gate. I must offer my condolences in advance for those cubs who must bear the pursuit of the young eagle. During the early hours of the day, when Jeremy and Elias left to hunt, I yed to my heart¡¯s content with the twins before the young Nurembert came. After riding a pony, ying hide-and-seek together, time had already passed. After feeding the twins some snacks, I ordered the maids to take the twins to nap. I also prepared to visit Duke Nurembert¡¯s house. ¡°Hmm, madam?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I turned around while Gwen wasbing my hair to find Robert with a puzzled expression that was rarely seen recently. It goes without saying that my heart was pounding at the moment. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen?¡± ¡°No, madam. It¡¯s not like that. Baroness Ighoeffer and her son are in front of the mansion, what should I do?¡± My mind went nk. My mother and brother came to see me. Why¡­? s, yes, I almost forgot. In the meantime, I instructed Robert to not only ignore the lettersing from Neuwanstein¡¯s side, but also from my parents¡¯ side. It was only a while ago that I fought with my brother, but I didn¡¯t know my mother would act so quickly. Gwen, who hadbed my hair with a silver brush, gave Robert a reproachful look. Robert coughed, ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to see them, madam. We¡¯ll send them back on our own¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Take them to the reception room by the annex. I have to meet them once anyway.¡± I remember thest time I faced my mother in the past. My contracted lover, who was sitting next to me facing my mother, said that she was an ungrateful madwoman. At that time, I wasn¡¯t sure whether he was overly absorbed in acting or because he felt sympathy for me, but he acted like a garbage man himself and made my mother run away in anger. That was thest time I saw my mother. It might be better to just kick them out, but this time I wanted to make it clear myself. To prevent them from attempting to contact me or the children again. I never intend to leave my own family around my children without my knowledge. Furthermore, at a time when many things have changed since I went back in time, I had a vague hunch that I could find out something I didn¡¯t know before. Of course in a purely informative way. Fortunately, the two children are out, the twins are asleep, and the young Nurembert hasn¡¯t arrived yet. And I¡¯m in my mansion with loyal knights. It won¡¯t be long before I deal with my own family properly and then throw them awaypletely. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡°Are you out of your mind? Are you really crazy? What were you thinking about?!¡± ¡°Oh, really, that¡¯s why it was worth it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of punching the crown prince? If things went wrong, your right hand would have been cut by now!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, my hand is clearly fine!¡± ¡°what?!¡± The sound from upstairs was so loud that it was very clear to the entrance of the backyard where he stood. Jeremy stood there for a moment, listened, and then looked at the knights with sunken faces, and slowly moved Rachel squatted alone in a corner of the rain-stricken backyard. Jeremy couldn¡¯t tell if it was rainwater or tears that were falling down her small face, but he thought it was right to cry. She looked up as he approached. ¡°Are you determined to catch a cold?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°It was Elias who caused the ident, but why are you doing this? Was it your fault?¡± Rachel only sniffed for a moment and said nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s go in now, you¡¯re going to catch a cold for real.¡± Jeremy, whose head was soaked, looked at his sister. ¡°Big brother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the strongest knight in the Empire, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re stronger than the Crown Prince, right? ¡°You look down on me so bad.¡± Rachel raised her wet eyes wide as she answered, her eyes showing eager and desperate emotions, ¡°Well, then, you know, you know.¡° ¡°If someone tries to do something bad to a fake mother in the future, you get rid of them.¡± Because of the rainwater flowing into the snow, Jeremy closed and opened his eyes for a moment. At that moment, it was bright all over the ce, and then the rumble of thunder rang. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°You really will get rid of them? Swear as a knight.¡± ¡°Yes, I swear.¡± At that time, Jeremy was seventeen and Rachel was thirteen. Their legal mother was only 19 years old, and the atmosphere of the Marquis of Neuwanstein was disastrous. Even when the woman dragged some street thug lovers a few years back, the air wasn¡¯t that thick and disturbing. And Elias Von Neuwanstein was very aware that the cause of that was them. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and see for yourself?¡± ¡°Oh, please¡­¡± ¡°I was tired after crying, so I fell asleep. Are you feeling better?¡± The young man, with his long red hair tied groaned. It wasn¡¯t unexpected, but he was no less embarrassed. Princess Heinrich¡¯s visit earlier in the day was the beginning of all the disaster. When Shuri, who literally became a corpse-like after the princess left, called and asked them, Elias was just puzzled, but answered roughly as usual. Yeah, maybe that was the problem. He himself had never heard of it, and he only responded as usual because he wanted to tease her half-heartedly, but he didn¡¯t expect that she would take it so seriously. ¡°I know I don¡¯t have a brain.¡° Leon, who was sitting next to Elias, held his head, then said, ¡°Did the eldest brother really tell our fake mother not toe to the wedding?¡± It was funny how they still called her fake mother, Elias thought for a moment. Although he wasn¡¯t very proud of himself in that respect either. ¡°How am I supposed to know that? I¡¯m freaking out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. No matter how stupid he is, he isn¡¯t as stupid as you, right? But even so, he¡¯s not the kind of person who¡¯ll tell his fianc¨¦e to do such a thing,¡± it was Rachel who said that. The young girl, who turned 17 years old, stared at her two brothers, moving her curly golden hair annoyingly over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re talking a little too much. Why the hell did you say that out there?¡± ¡°Yes, you seemed to be trying to be funny, but it wasn¡¯t funny at all!¡± As soon as the twin sister said that, Leon followed. Elias said harshly, ¡°Oh, well, why didn¡¯t you step up and say something? Damn, the person responsible for the crime stands out and I¡¯m the only one who gets hit.¡± ¡°Anyway, what are we going to do? Will we just stay still like this? ¡°What do you want us to do, Rachel?¡± ¡°We have to confront our eldest brother to find out what that idiot is thinking about.¡± ¡°I really doubt when you¡¯ve been so good.¡± Despiteining, Elias was inwardly finding himself agreeing with her. Not that he knew, but his brother was far from a problem-avoiding person. If he had wanted to give such a notice, he would have said it himself. ¡°All right, lovely sister. Then let¡¯s go get that smudgy little twit.¡± Jeremy was standing at the Imperial Pce at that time. Despite the fact that the prince had given himself a holiday, he kept working until the night before the wedding. ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you the young Neuwanstein? Good evening. Are you here to meet Sir Jeremy?¡± Elias was in agony for a moment when an administration official, who was passing through the halls of the main pce with quick steps, greeted him ¡°Now, listen up. I¡¯ll go in first and see what¡¯s going on, so you guys can wait outside.¡± The twins seemed to be worried about something, but they nodded their heads. Elias went into the office solemnly. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°Hey, good Lord Commander of the Guard! Are you busy?¡± The young man, who sat with his back turned and stared out of the window, threw the unit leader¡¯s log randomly on the desk, and slowly turned his head. The young knight who possesses curly, morous gold hair covering his ears, zing dark green eyes and sculptural tall figures was Jeremy Von Just one day before the wedding of the century, it was Jeremy von Neuwanstein, the lion of Neuwanstein and Crown Prince¡¯s sword. As if he didn¡¯t recognize the visitor, he blinked a few times and slowly regained his focus. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see if my only brother is okay.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡± Jeremy, who spouted bluntly, looked out of the window again. He seemed to be in a bad mood, too. There was no way he¡¯d feel better¡­ Swallowing a bitter smile, Elias pulled a chair nearby and sat on it, ¡°You¡¯re finally getting married tomorrow, brother. After four years, you¡¯ve finally made up your mind?¡± Silence, silence that was hard to express in words was left, and Elias resisted the urge to grab his brother by the cor and shake him roughly. He must be patient. He must be considerate¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know how you feel at all.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if she just left.¡± ¡°Why would you imagine something that didn¡¯t happen?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you think about that?¡± ¡°I used to do it sometimes. I mean, as a way to control myself whenever I get angry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had that self-control.¡± Normally, something should have flown at this point, but surprisingly Jeremy didn¡¯t react much. Seeing his unusual appearance, Elias swallowed a bitter smile again, crossed his long legs and sat backfortably. ¡°Do you remember the first time we met her? Everything was turned upside down. Our rtives said that if she had a baby, we¡¯d be in the cold, and my father would stick to her every day. I don¡¯t even remember why we were anxious then.¡± ¡°We were all young, idiots.¡± ¡°¡­¡­We were too young.¡± Elias followed his brother¡¯s gaze out of the window. It was snowing. The dome roof of the Imperial Pce, shrouded in darkness, turned white, and thendscape was more unique. It was toote to realize that she was just as young as them. The environment surrounding them was so rapidly changed, the responsibility on the girl¡¯s shoulders was so heavy that solid barriers were built between her and them. ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know why you are so dilly.¡± Jeremy lowered his eyes bitterly as his younger brother bbed. Elias of course knew, he just didn¡¯t know if Shuri did. They had nothing to say if anyone asked what Shuri was to them. How the hell were they supposed to answer that question? Their rtionship was too deep for her to be their sister, but it was much moreplicated for her to be their mother. As such, there were so many abnormal aspects of their rtionship. It was 7 years. A total of 7 years, totaling 9 years before their father died. For nearly a decade, starting in their early teens, they grew up with her for half of their lives. With a girl who had the title of Guardian, who was only two years older than him, the oldest of the siblings. It was never easy. Sometimes he was resentful. He was a definite sessor and a stronger man, so why would she always try to hold everything in by herself with so many thorns? He wondered why she tried to take responsibility for everything by herself. Of course, he knew he and his siblings were responsible for that. They were the ones who refused the girl who was smiling from the beginning. Because she wasn¡¯t their mother, they were the ones who bothered her with terrible jokes and pranks. Their only excuse was the fact that they were all young. Would it be a contradictory sentiment if she feared she would leave them after their father died? Was it simple and easy to control a person¡¯s mind? ¡­ At one time, when he was a boy who didn¡¯t know anything, whenever he saw the girl who was living with them under the same roof, he felt a strange feeling. Sometimes he med himself for not controlling his feelings, but sometimes he prayed to God that she wouldn¡¯t be as pretty as she was so annoying. Then, from one point on, he started to get irritated whenever others called her their stepmother. The mass ofplex emotions that were difficult to express in any word had be a deformed skein that had be more entangled as the years pass. Now he couldn¡¯t define in one word what she was to him. The only thing that was certain was that he couldn¡¯t even imagine her leaving them, and that he couldn¡¯t put up with someone swearing at her. That was probably the same with Elias. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have punched the second prince at that time. All that she had done as their mother for seven years, did she really think they would know nothing? Did she think that they didn¡¯t know the whole story, and didn¡¯t even try to recognize her efforts? Did she? And when he struggled in agony for countless nights with measles, did she know how much tears she shed beside him weighed on his chest? ¡°That was supposed to happen anyway. But if you¡¯re going to do that, why did you postpone it? I¡¯d rather just be quick¡­¡± ¡°Do you have any idea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, because the twins took all the brains.¡± ¡°If I had married just then, I would have been the master as people wished, but wouldn¡¯t it be better if I left everyone hanging?¡± It went without saying that Elias¡¯ jaw fell helplessly down due to Jeremy¡¯s words, ¡°How can you not even have such basic knowledge?¡± ¡°Brother¡­ ..So you just did that for such a reason? What the hell¡­.? What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Do you want me to step on you like I did when I was little? As you know, I don¡¯t like useless fights and hate politics. But if I had got married at the age of 17, what would happen to Shuri?¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°Do you think Shuri knows that? Are you pretending you don¡¯t know how many people grind their teeth at her, or did you really not know? Do you think everything ends with a happy ending when you take over the title? Don¡¯t you know that¡¯s when it really starts?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m..¡± ¡°Of course I can¡¯t postpone it any longer. The more I do that, the harder it will be for her. I just¡­ darn it, I just wanted to put it on hold until I had the ability to keep her perfectly safe after I inherited everything.¡± Elias now sat with a very mysterious look on his face. Jeremy, who clicked his tongue, took off his gloves and began to rub the sword handle on hisp. It was a habit he did whenever things gotplicated. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to get married and I don¡¯t want to take over the family matters, but Mother wants to take a break! So at this point, can¡¯t I be obedient?¡± ¡°Then why did you tell her not toe to the wedding?¡± There was a moment of silence while the two brothers exchanged looks. Jeremy stared at Elias for a long time as if he had heard the stupidest thing in his life. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± It was then that the door of the office, which was firmly closed, opened without notice. The only people who could do that were the twins. The twins, who apparently overheard everything outside the door, started shouting at Jeremy right away. ¡°Big brother, so that¡¯s not what you said? You didn¡¯t tell our fake mother not toe to the wedding?¡± ¡°Big brother, give me a logical exnation of what happened. Is something wrong with your fiance, or are you pretending you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Hey, what the hell are you all talking about? Who told her not toe to the wedding?¡± Looking at Jeremy, who was literally stunned, Elias suddenly felt his heart pounding. Oh, dang it! It wasn¡¯t like that! Now what could they do about the matter? ¡°Your fiancee told fake mother that you don¡¯t want her toe to the wedding. That¡¯s not true?¡± Perhaps because he was into mystery novels these days, Leon¡¯s remarks, which he threw in an interrogative manner, caused silence once again. With Elias frozen with an expression that was hard to describe, Jeremy blinked for a moment and slowly moved. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, brother, wait, wait!¡± It was Rachel who held on to Jeremy, who was trying to run out, holding the sword in his arm. Rachel shouted, almost clinging to her big brother¡¯s arm, ¡°Calm down, let¡¯s talk about how this came about! She¡¯s your fiancee!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about. I don¡¯t hit women anyway! Because it¡¯s against chivalry¡­¡± ¡°With your mood now, I think you¡¯ll kill her. Let¡¯s calm down and talk!¡± Rachel shouted in exactly the same tone as Shuri, as she often did these days, and fortunately it worked. Elias and Leon exchanged fascinating gazes while Jeremy, who was about to run out, took a long deep breath and sat back. ¡°Hey, so you didn¡¯t tell her not toe to the wedding, did you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what happened! Who am I getting married for?¡± ¡°So, do you have any idea why your fiancee said that?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m going crazy!¡± Jeremy replied, ¡°I¡¯m going crazy!¡± Jermey pressed his temples with his hands, and sighed. Rachelughed, ¡°I knew this would happen someday. That¡¯s why I said I didn¡¯t like her!¡± ¡°Uh, lovely sister, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°What does the second brother know? The matter became worse because of your bullshit!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± When Jeremy asked in a much more subdued tone, Elias began to shake his head desperately, but Rachel ignored him and immediately replied, ¡°Fake mother asked us about the matter, and the second brother said that she would be a joke if she went, so she cried.¡± ¡°Elias!¡± ¡°Oh, why are you looking at me like that?! I was so embarrassed that I didn¡¯t know what to say!¡± In that way, after themotion passed,, the four siblings now sat head to head with a serious look on their faces. Leon, who opened his mouth first, was the most intelligent. The young man, who looked just like Jeremy, but was thinner and more academic, pushed his sses over the bridge of his nose and said, ¡°Just don¡¯t get married, big brother. I think that¡¯s the best solution.¡± ¡°Yes, brother. You¡¯d rather break up with a girl like that!¡± Unlike Leon and Rachel, Elias faced the problem more realistically, bringing shock to his siblings, ¡°If you break the wedding without a good reason, for example, a scandal on the bride¡¯s side, the Princess Heinrich will have no disgrace. It¡¯s going to be very bad, but it¡¯s Shuri who will be the one to handle the problem not you¡± ¡°No, so are you asking me to marry such a sneaky woman?¡± ¡°What if you¡¯ve figured out now that she¡¯s such an insidious woman? You¡¯re not even going to get married because you really like her. I mean, how many nobles get married out of love? Damn, just marry her then divorce her if you¡¯re serious about what you said to me earlier!¡± Elias¡¯ voice exploded in thest paragraph. While the twins froze with their eyes wide open, Jeremy stared nkly at his brother and said bluntly, ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± ¡°¡­No, you have a point in being mad at me anyway. If I suddenly ask for a break-up, Shuri will eventually take on cleaning the mess. It¡¯s obvious what people would say.¡± ¡°So, brother, are you just going to get married?¡± Jeremy had aplex look on his face when Rachel asked him that in a somehow cautious tone. Then Leon opened his mouth again, ¡°Big brother, I have an idea.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your idea, little schr?¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¡°If you really intend to get married, pretend you don¡¯t know anything and go to the wedding tomorrow. Then one of us goes back home to bring fake mother before the ceremony. What do you call, uh, the thing that¡¯s popr among young people these days¡­¡± ¡°Surprise event?¡± ¡°Yes! Yeah, Rachel. It¡¯s like a surprise event. Wouldn¡¯t that make fake mother happy?¡± It was a mess! After Leon said that, Elias, who suddenly fell off his chair, and Rachel with sparkling eyes, screamed at the same time. Either way, Elias, who fell off his chair, jumped up high and ran toward his only younger brother, scattering his tied red hair fiercely. ¡°You¡¯re really a little schr! What a great idea!¡± ¡°Argh! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± It was then that Jeremy, who had been listening silently, hit his knee with his palm as hard as he could, then said when they looked at him, ¡°Will Shuri really like it?¡± ¡°¡­Maybe not? No one hates surprise events.¡± ¡°Darn it, I got it. Then I¡¯ll sacrifice myself for the event.¡± ¡°Well, big brother, I have an additional idea.¡± It took some time for Rachel, whose eyes were shining like stars, to talk properly, she suggested, ¡°When fake motheres, then we all call her ¡®Mother¡¯. What do you think?¡± ¡°You and Leon will call her fake mother again.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll just call her ¡®Mom¡¯! That¡¯s why you must call her that too! We can even thank her for raising us with all her heart!¡± That was how the event was nned. It was concluded that Rachel would take Shuri to the wedding. But the special event didn¡¯t see the light in the end. The wedding ceremony of the century, which had been on people¡¯s lips for months, was held in Wittelsbach Central Cathedral. It was impossible to count the number of people gathered in the huge cathedral, which was established in the early days of the country¡¯s foundation. The wedding of Princess Heinrich, well-known as the most beautiful woman in the capital, as well as Neuwanstein ¡®s sessor,was the envy of all young people. ¡°I still don¡¯t see Lady Neuwanstein.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, do you think¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my God, no way¡­¡± ¡®I wish everyone would just shut up,¡¯ Elias nervously thought while checking the time. There were only a few minutes left before the ceremony began. ¡®Rachel, what the hell is taking you so long. How long does it take to get here from home?¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t they here yet?¡± ¡°Still.¡± Jeremy, dressed in a white robe, also looked unusually nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll go in the middle of the ceremony. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time for it to start?¡± ¡°Well, I guess I can¡¯t help it, but I wish people would shut up.¡± ¡°The only groom who would want his guests to shut up would be only you.¡± Rachel didn¡¯t return until the ceremony was finally held. The appearance of Princess Heinrich in her dazzling white dress, which seemed to have been woven into a web, was enough to make the men in the audience sigh, but Jeremy was still preupied with the two women who didn¡¯t appear. To him, Shuri didn¡¯t even need a wedding dress to get that much attention. She didn¡¯t even need to smile. Her frown alone could mesmerize every man around her. ¡­.. He didn¡¯t know if she was aware of that. Anyway, that was one of Jeremy¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. If he was immersed in his thoughts, he may not care about anything around him. He didn¡¯t pay attention to the fact that the moment was a really important moment in his life in a way, and that it was the moment when he finally would escape from being a sessor to be a marquis. Perhaps because of the coldness that was flowing out of his expressionless eyes, Ohara, who stood in front of the altar with a bright smile, gave a little strength to his hands. Jeremy nced at her and smiled. It was an act without much thought, but she flinched as to how it looked. ¡°Jeremy Von Neuwanstein, do you take OHara Von Heinrich as your wife in the presence of the Father and the Holy¡­¡± Boom!!! The priest¡¯s voice, who had been officiating, was suddenly cut off as the door of the ceremony ce was roughly opened without notice. And Jeremy looked back. Elias and Leon, who were sitting nervously in the audience, also leapt to their feet and turned around in unison. Finally, finally¡­! ¡°Oh, brother!¡± Jeremy thought that Rachel was excited, but her emerald-colored eyes glowed particrly vividly from her pale, tired face, with anxiety. ¡­¡­And somehow when he saw Nora Nurembert standing beside his sister, he immediately instinctively realized something was terribly wrong. ¡°Oh, brother! Brother!¡± Elias and Leon ran to Rachel, who was slumping on the floor, sobbing and starting to struggle. He couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about. Nora strode through the countless crowds that quickly became noisy. Looking as nk as an ice sculpture, he pushed his hand toward him. Jeremy immediately recognized the brooch lying on his palm. He could recognize it. Four years ago, during the National Foundation Day, he went around the market and bought it for her. To her, to Shuri, to their mother. ¡°Big brother!¡± He gazed at the shadowy, expressionless blue eyes in front of him and turned his head slowly. His sister was sitting on the floor crying. His 13-year-old sister, who was sitting alone in the corner of the support, cried and shouted at him, ¡°If anyone tries to do something bad to fake mother, you get rid of them.¡± Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment. He wanted to answer, but she couldn¡¯t hear his voice. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°You really have to get rid of them. Swear as a knight.¡± ¡°Yes, I swear.¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 In the two years since I married, none of my family came to visit me, they didn¡¯t even contact me. It would have been weird for them to check on their daughter that they literally sold, but there was a reason for them not to; my husband strictly blocked them. Since my husband died, it would be strange if they didn¡¯te. Even if my father, who was crazy about gambling and fighting, paid off his debt in return for selling his daughter, his habit couldn¡¯t go away. As for my mother and brother, they couldn¡¯t forget the sweetness of a fortune they once tasted. My mother wanted me, who had be a widow, to remarry the person she wanted. My family wasn¡¯t concerned with me or my children¡¯s safety. Now that I¡¯ve no intention to have a contracted lover like in the past, I¡¯ve had to cut off my ties with them. ¡°I am sorry about what happenedst time. I got a little carried away¡­ ..and you were a little out of line.¡± Unlike Lucas, who constantly chatted while I sat expressionless without saying a word, my mother looked at me with a stiff face. To be exact, she was staring at the luxurious gown and jewelry I was wearing The same bright green eyes as mine shed with bitterness. I couldn¡¯t believe this kind of person gave birth to me. ¡°How can you not respond when your brother apologizes?¡± Sure enough, my mother¡¯s voice was full of dissatisfaction, which made me want tough. ¡°Ah, mother, I¡¯m fine¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s fine?! It¡¯s impolite. Do you think that position is entirely yours? Who let you sit in that position? A woman who didn¡¯t even know her ce, still dares to stick her nose in the air?¡± ¡°Oh, mother. Don¡¯t do that. Calm down.¡± Looking at the dramatic actor, I wondered why I didn¡¯t feel such an unnatural and chaotic atmosphere in the past. At that time, I didn¡¯t feel this indifferent and cold atmosphere, and even though she was never warm to me before, I used to feel weak whenever she cried even after talking badly to me. It would be a lie if I said that my heart wasn¡¯t affected by their games, but I was desperate to get out of the distrust. Why was our rtionship soplicated? A family that made me suffer from a contradictory sh of emotions and struggle to cut all my ties with them. But now, for me, the children are the only family I have. As I kept my expressionless face without saying a word, my mother stopped huffing and quickly changed her tone, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m upset, because I¡¯m upset! I¡¯ve only seen my daughter after two years, and she doesn¡¯t seem to care about her poor mother¡­¡± ¡°Get out.¡± There was a pause for a moment. As my mother and Lucas stared at me, doubting what they heard, I said in a tone that felt terribly simr to Jeremy¡¯s even as I listened to it with my ears, ¡°I thought I¡¯d hear what you were going to say, but it seems a waste of time. Mrs. Ighoeffer, you were the first to agree to my marriage, so you¡¯re the one who no longer has anything to do with me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hoping for something, but I¡¯m only the owner of the house temporarily, so I have to keep everything and give it back to the children. Don¡¯t spend money toe here and stay with your son, whom you love so much.¡± While I was talking, Lucas¡¯s face turned red, but he seemed to have managed to restrain himself, perhaps because he was conscious of the presence of the knights outside. But my mother couldn¡¯t. The teacups on the table spilled over, and the next moment her strong grasp held my hair! ¡°You ungrateful little brat, who gave birth to you and raised you?! A whore who luckily rolled in couldn¡¯t even recognize her mother.¡± Boom! Whatever swear words my mother was trying to spit out next, it was cut off by the knights who rushed inside without warning and one of them violently crushed her upper body on the table. ¡°Madam, are you all right?¡± I nodded, and tried to fix my scattered hair. Without paying attention to my screaming mother or frozen Lucas, the knight who was looking at me asked again, ¡°How do you want us to dispose of her?¡± ¡°What are you doing? No, hey, knight, what¡¯s with the disrespect?! I¡¯m your master¡¯s mother! I¡¯m the grandmother of the children in this house!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± At the sound of a snarling knight with his sword pulled out, my mother quickly calmed down. I gestured for the knight to let her go and I raised from my position, ¡°Mrs. Ighoeffert, don¡¯t evere back again. One more thing, if you get close to my children, then you¡¯ll be in more trouble than you are now.¡± At one time when I was young, I loved her so much and longed for her affection, but now the old saying that blood is thicker than water is ridiculous. What did I hope for letting her get inside? I knew this was going to happen anyway¡­. After finally being released from the iron-like knight¡¯s hand, my mother sat down on the floor and gasped for air, then she began to wail. Lucas, who moved quickly while she sobbed, knelt on the floor and grabbed my gown¡¯s hem. I raised my hand at the knights approaching to pull him away and tilted my head slightly. ¡°Shuri, my sweet sister, please don¡¯t abandon your mother. She was just upset. I told her not to do that. You know what kind of person my mother is. It¡¯s hard, but I think you¡¯re turning a blind eye to it.¡± ¡°Hey!!!¡± It was then that a great shout of an unexpected figure rang out of the blue. It went without saying that I, who was standing with a cold expression, or Lucas, who held onto my clothes and begged, or my mother, who was crying as if the world was over, flinched and turned our head at the same time. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The knights began to exchange nces, looking oddly bewildered. ¡°No, I, young grace! The madam has ordered me not to let anyone enter this ce¡­!¡± Robert¡¯s voice was really dimly blurred. The old butler was now trying to avoid my reproachful gaze by giving me an ever more sad and begging look. Of course, there must have been a limit to Robert¡¯s attempts to stop him, but why the hell did hee here?! The little wolf, who I had no idea why he came so far ahead of the scheduled time, held a ss of juice in one hand and held a huge cookie that must have been given by the maids in his mouth, but shouted, ¡°You! I warned you clearlyst time¡­¡­ Damn it, wait a minute, let me eat this.¡± Amazingly, Nora, who took the giant cookie in one bite and swallowed it, strode straight toward us. Then he shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to approach this girl?!¡± Lucas seemed to havee to his senses while I was embarrassed. He soon leapt to his feet and faced the young boy with dignity. ¡­¡­ Despite the age difference, the two were of simr physique, so there was nothing to be proud about. ¡°Wow, a young boy who never spilled blood is trying to get into adults¡¯ business?! She¡¯s my sister!¡± ¡°Adults¡¯ business? These days, the poop bag is piled high, huh? Have you forgotten the warning? Don¡¯t think about her, don¡¯t even dream about her!¡± ¡°Hey, this little boy, how dare he stand next to my sister¡­¡± ¡°Have you been a fool since you were born, or did you want to be like that?¡± The young boy, who uttered these words, carefully put down the juice ss on the table where the teacup was spilled Then, with a sudden and rough force that didn¡¯t match his sloppy movement, he lifted his legs and kicked Lucas¡¯ abdomen, making him fall on the floor and groan in pain. ¡°Are you alright? Are you sick? Your voice is so low, bastard!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± My mother, who ran straight to her son screaming, red at me. Even though it was the same eyes as mine, I couldn¡¯t imagine that my eyes could be that ugly. ¡°Yeah¡­.. and now you even brought a young seed? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to have the knights talking about you sitting in the marquis¡­¡± ¡°This aunt is horrible. Why aren¡¯t the knights doing their job?¡± The loyal knights now looked at the young boy with very spectacr looks. It was then that I caught the young boy¡¯s arm, who came to another person¡¯s house and acted recklessly. ¡°Young Nurembert, your grace?¡± The young Nurember, or Nora, just stared at my face with those deep blue eyes without a response for a moment, and then finally said, ¡°It¡¯s just Nora.¡± ¡­¡­I have nothing to say. Anyway, I¡¯m embarrassed by what happenedst time, but I can¡¯t believe he showed up in such a situation again. As I sighed in grief, Robert stood up and made quick gestures toward the knights. The two no longer made any noise while the knights dragged them out. No, they couldn¡¯t say anything even if they wanted to. ¡°Hey, if you get caught one more time, you¡¯ll be skinned alive. Put that in your ugly head!¡± Until the end, our knights¡¯ fierce eyes poured on the threatening growling young boy. Somehow I didn¡¯t like that much. ¡°Well, adults these days can¡¯t understand what one says¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Well, madam¡­ Are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m alright. You made it ahead of schedule. I¡¯m sorry you had to see such a thing.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing to me? I was setting an example.¡± What do these kids eat to make others speechless? As I raised my head, trying to calm my burning cheeks, there were those fresh autumn sky blue eyes gazing at my face. It was like our first meeting. ¡°Are they really your family?¡± I smiled bitterly and shook my head, ¡°Not anymore.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you made up your mind¡­¡± ¡°Well, your grace. I¡¯m sorry about what happenedst time, but could you please just ignore what happened today as well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nora. And don¡¯t worry. Who am I going to tell?¡± The young man scratched his head and responded coolly, he was different from the rebellious image I saw in the Duke¡¯s residence earlier. Which was his true side? ¡°Oh, but why does my mother want me to meet you? She mentioned the speech ss.¡± Well, I guess that was the excuse the weak Duchess came up with to coax her son. On the contrary, I think I should learn such a thing too, right? ¡°Well, it¡¯s pretty obvious how my mother¡¯s thinking works, but I don¡¯t like being tied up like that. So I don¡¯t want you to be close to me at my mother¡¯s request.¡± Oh, really? It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t understand. Well, that could be the case from that perspective. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not necessarily because of the Duchess¡¯ request. I¡¯ve only been close to her for a short time, and most of all, I wanted to thank his grace for keeping silent about what happenedst time.¡± As I spoke with a smile, the blue eyes stared in mine suspiciously. But my words were sincere to some extent. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to call me Nora?¡± ¡°¡­Okay. Then Nora, if you don¡¯t want to talk to me, I can¡¯t help it. But whenever you desire to, you¡¯re free toe.¡± There was a moment of silence. I was thinking about the boy¡¯s future that I know while he stared at me with piercing blue eyes. Let¡¯s see, he became a knight on the same day as Jeremy, so next year, he¡¯ll be a knight¡­ Then, afterwards, Jeremy entered the Imperial Pce Guard, but where did he go¡­ ? ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk to me with honorifics, it¡¯s ufortable.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll think about it and decide. You look tired today, so you¡¯d better just rest. But, if they ever annoy you again, feel free to contact me¡­¡± ¡°Do you like chocte?¡± ¡°Huh, do you have some?¡± So Nora left the house after eating all the special chocte that we bought from the southern part of the country. It was fortunate that there were plenty of other snacks left for the children. While the young boy was leaving the house with a high spirit, the knights kept staring at him. It looked as if they were staring at a wolf cub crawling into a lion¡¯s den without its owner. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Jeremy and Elias returned in the evening. As the twins rushed in shouting about a baby fox, Jeremy, who jumped off the horse, said, ¡°Look, Shuri! I¡¯ve got your fox scarf!¡± So, the hunt was really sessful. He caught three, not just one! Indeed, he was the strongest knight. I¡¯m so proud of him! ¡°I caught one!¡± ¡°Ha! Stop fooling around, brother.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, I caught it because I was there earlier.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a baby fox? I told you to bring one for me and Leon!¡± ¡°Where would I find a baby fox in this season, you idiot!¡± ¡°Mom! My brothers didn¡¯t keep their promises! My father said that a man must always do what he says!¡± ¡°I did keep my promise about the fox scarf!¡± While the children mumbled among themselves and ran inside to change clothes, I greeted Prince Theowald who got off the horse with a polite smile, ¡°You must be tired, so don¡¯t go straight to the pce¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I have to say thank you for lending me your precious children.¡± ¡°Would you like to have dinner with us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very weing invitation.¡± Theobalt, who nodded softly, stood there with a slight frown on his soft golden eyes and looked down at me. I felt like he had something to say, so I kept looking at him with a curious look on my face, and at the next moment, I heard something strange that I had never imagined I would hear. ¡°Madam, I hold affection for you.¡± What? Oh! I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reply. The prince¡¯s face was hard to describe, and suddenly he blushed and began to stutter embarrassingly, ¡°No, I mean, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Forgive me, for that, for being rude. I never meant to fool around with you. I mean, I¡¯m perfectly serious, but, uh, I think I should probably get going.¡± After talking, he suddenly turned around, then said, ¡°I should go now.¡± What the hell just happened? ¡°Shuri, I¡¯m hungry!¡± If it wasn¡¯t for my eldest son, who ran down the stairs, and shouted like that, I would probably have stood there all nightpletely dazed. I quickly came to my senses and shook my head. Let¡¯s calm down. Calm down! I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard wrong, or it was just a slip of tongue. Well, I could interpret that in a lot of ways. ¡°Oh, why did Theo leave? He said he was feeling dead from hunger.¡± ¡°I kicked him out,¡± I replied without hesitation, and Jeremy¡¯s sparkling emerald eyes immediately widened. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, his Highness wanted to eat fox meat, but I said that the menu was already decided.¡± ¡°What? He didn¡¯t catch anything by himself, but now he has be greedy?¡± With my heartfelt condolences to the prince who became a greedy person that wanted to eat other people¡¯s prey, I led the children to the dining room. The twins had already had dinner, so only three people sat down at the table, including me. Unlike me, who lost my appetite a while ago, my two sons devastated the food like animals. ¡°Hey, I caught one!¡± ¡°You¡¯re repeating that?! I caught everything on my own. Shuri, you don¡¯t have to listen to that guy¡­¡± ¡°Why is brother taking all the credit alone? You¡¯re a mean person!¡± ¡°¡­¡­It must have been a lot of fun.¡± As I stepped in with a sigh, both of the kids, who were eating the dishes and arguing loudly, began to show off their merits with their zed eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! It would have been fun if this guy and Theo weren¡¯t there¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny, who roared at the fox and made him run away from the start!¡± ¡°Hey, when did I do that?¡± The image of Jeremy, who was bursting with pride, roaring at the poor animal would have been something worth seeing. In the end, Elias, who was hit on the head by his brother, suddenly looked at me, ¡°Anyway, Shuri, next time I¡¯ll take you with me¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Jeremy roared out of nowhere while dissecting the stuffed pie, so Elias dropped the fork loudly in fright. The maids who poured milk almost spilled it on the tablecloth. ¡°Oh, my gosh. Why are you screaming all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re talking bullshit, you idiot! Anyway, no way. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s trendy for young girls to participate in hunting these days, you slow-witted human!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a thing, and this is another thing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that and what¡¯s this? I¡¯ll protect her.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Who¡¯s the one who shot the arrow on the ground?¡± Unlike Jeremy¡¯s outspoken response, Elias had a point. To be exact, it was more trendy among thedies, and rather than participating in the real hunt, they usually went to watch the boys hunt and enjoy a meal. ¡­¡­But it was still a bit far from beingpletely trendy. Moreover, I was a woman who had just recently lost her husband. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go together when you¡¯re a little older.¡± It goes without saying that both of them, who had been fighting each other with knives, immediately stopped. Hahaha, how does it taste, guys? You still have a long way before you can protect me. ¡ª- I tried to say that I was overreacting, but contrary to my opinion, Prince Theobalt must not have made a slip of the tongue that day, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t havee to me on this good afternoon and sat with such a nervous face. The window of the tightly closed parlor was steaming white. It was a time when the Amaryllis was in full bloom, and it was time to look forward to the uing Christmas. Only after the maids, who had served hot tea and refreshments,pletely withdrew, did Theobolt finally spoke hesitantly, ¡°Lady Neuwanstein, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for my rudeness the other day. I know very well how many people are trying to approach you. I never meant to be like one of them.¡± How should I respond to such words? Of course, there were a lot of people who approached me, the temporary head of the Neuwanstein family. There were also people who literally flirted with me, regardless of their rank and age. That was why I hired a contacted lover. Now, of course, I know those people and I¡¯m ready to fight them off, but¡­ after I ordered Robert to burn everything that looked like a love letter, he enthusiastically performed the mission. No, but¡­ The prince, who had been rambling with his head half down, finally raised his eyes. The soft golden eyes, the symbol of the imperial family, stared at my face with a strange expression. He looked fond of something, as if he were drawing something, but as if he was somewhere far away. ¡°I¡¯ve never been like this before, and I¡¯m embarrassed¡­ ..but when I look at thedy, I think of myte mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I mean it, you remind me of myte mother who I can¡¯t remember her face clearly anymore. So when I¡¯m with thedy, I feel warm.¡± Should it be the family honor that I remind the crown prince of thete Empress¡­? I don¡¯t know what Empress Jeon looked like, but I know Elizabeth cared more about her stepson than her own son. Of course that didn¡¯t mean he could totally forget his biological mother¡­¡­and it was the same for my children. Huh, raising other people¡¯s children wasn¡¯t really easy¡­ Anyway, it was an embarrassing situation. The young eagle, the heir to the throne, who would be responsible for the future of the empire, was looking like a boy who fell in love at this point. Why would I¡­? W It¡¯d been so long that a corner of my heart had been strangely shaken. ¡°It¡¯s my honor that I look like your mother. Your Highness, however¡­ ¡° ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I am also well aware that thedy will be in trouble if I act rashly. I just don¡¯t¨C I mean, I don¡¯t mean to impose anything on you. I just want you to know that I¡¯m serious and sincere enough to die at this moment.¡± It wasn¡¯t a matter of whether he was sincere or not, ¡°Your Grace, I think you¡¯re¡­ With all due respect, I think you¡¯re temporarily mistaken. I don¡¯t know which part I resemble thete Empress, but the longing for a mother and the affection between a man and woman arepletely different¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken at all!¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 It was amazing to see the person who always looked polite, shout. While my eyes went wide, Theobalt began to bite his lips awkwardly, as if he was startled by his own voice. ¡°Oh my, sorry for yelling.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing this simply because you remind me of my mother. It¡¯s the first time my heart beats this much thinking about someone. I¡¯m very sad that you think that my feelings are an illusion.¡± Theobalt¡¯s exhrating and ferocious tone didn¡¯t suit his image. If I point out that he¡¯s mistaken again, he¡¯ll be desperate. No matter what I look like. Even if my mental age is high, I don¡¯t know anything about love. I haven¡¯t had a proper rtionship even once in my life until I was 23¡­ ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for saying that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s no wonder you thought so. I don¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t mean it, but I understand that you must feel embarrassed and nervous. All I want from you is¡­.¡± After taking a long, deep breath, Theobald suddenly looked very determined as he sped my hand tightly. It was a determination that made me feel like he was amander of a battle. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re willing to ept anyone in the future, I¡¯d like you to consider me as a priority.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say this once again. I¡¯m not forcing you! I just hope you consider me.¡± Does the crown prince realize how much pressure he¡¯s putting on me just by saying that he hopes that I consider him? Inmon sense, no matter how prestigious the crown prince would be as the emperor of the empire, did it make sense to court me, a widow? Of course, it wasn¡¯t that there were no cases of marriage that happened between a bride from less status and one of the Imperial family. The former Empress, the crown prince¡¯s mother, was the only one born in the baron¡¯s household to marry the current Emperor. There was even a considerable bacsh at that time, but in the end, everyone said, ¡®I think I know why the emperor fell for her.¡¯ But above all, she wasn¡¯t a widow like me. ¡°Your Highness, I am grateful and honored that you like me now, but it will soon fade away. If you meet other young girls, I¡¯m sure¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not gonna happen. My heart isn¡¯t easily swayed¡± ¡°Even if you know where the water is in the desert, you can¡¯t know what your feelings are going to be. If your Highness is really sincere in what you have said to me, I beg you to try to forget. I¡¯m not good enough for the prince.¡± Among the essential conditions to be the prince¡¯spanion, the first was purity without any blemishes. In the end, there was a woman who checked the purity of the princess or empress. In such a position, it was inconceivable that a woman who had once been married would be in such a position. So I had to make it clear. At my resolute words, Theobald looked as if the grass had died for an instant. It was pitiful to see his sweet golden eyes drooping, but I had no choice but to do that. Me and the Crown Prince, does that make sense?! Why doplex things that have never happened before keep happening? ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll try. But don¡¯t forget the favor I asked you earlier.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to consider me as a priority if you¡¯re willing to ept someone in the future. I¡¯ll try to do everything I can to make it happen. So please¡­¡± Although he didn¡¯t look like that at all, the crown prince was tenacious. The crown prince, not anyone else, was begging me with such mournful eyes. What the hell am I supposed to do? ¡°I will consider it. It¡¯s just a consideration, though,¡± as I responded with a sigh, Theobald¡¯s face brightened immediately. It was as if the door to heaven opened and the light of glory poured in. I just said that I¡¯ll consider it. Why was he so happy? God, look at the talent of the future! For something strange that I could not understand, Theobald, whose face was brighter than when he came, prepared to leave the mansion. I was just following him out to see him off. Seeing the insignia of the white eagle hanging on the imperial carriage waiting at the entrance, I realized the distance between us again, but the silver-haired young man blinded by his first love didn ¡®t seem to think so. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you today. I hope to see you more often from now on. I¡¯ll be more careful, so please don¡¯t be pressured.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Okay. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Haha, is there anything dangerous on the way from here to the Imperial Pce?¡± Theobalt, who responded coolly, didn¡¯t go quickly and nced at me as if he had more to say. Suddenly, we heard the strangely skeptical voice of our knights, who were silently guarding the entrance of the mansion. ¡°You are here again? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te to see you, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡­¡­Who is the owner of this cheeky voice? I think I know the person. Under my stunned eyes, a ck-haired boy came in, and strode up the stairs. It didn¡¯t seem like he came in a carriage. Furthermore, the atmosphere was as dark as it had been before, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether he was sick or if something bad had happened to him. ¡°Nora?¡± Theobalt, who looked as bewildered as me, tilted his head and called out his cousin¡¯s name. Immediately, Nora, who was halfway up the stairs, raised his head and looked at us, who were standing next to each other. His blue eyes blinked curiously, and then in the next moment they shed wildly! ¡°What the¡­ what the hell is your majesty doing here? The Crown Prince must have a lot of free time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Wait, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Do I have to confess all of my personal affairs to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, my crooked cousin. Why the hell are you here¡­¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 ¡°Shuri, what are you doing? I¡¯m hungry! Hey, when did youe?¡± At the appearance of Jeremy, who had been sweating with his sword, Theobalt began to blink awkwardly after talking to his cousin, who hated him very much. Jeremy, who had nced at the prince with ambiguous eyes, turned his gaze to the next. To be precise, he saw his fateful rival standing in the middle of a white granite staircase leading to the garden. ¡°What? Why are you following me?¡± A moment of silence passed. As Theobald seemed to miss the timing to tell him that he was going now, Jeremy, who alternately nced at the prince and his fateful rival with puzzled eyes, bent his sword in one hand and asked again, ¡°Why are you here? Your Grace, you and him weren¡¯t close, were you? How did you two get along?¡± ¡°No, well, it¡¯s a littleplicated to exin¡­¡± Whatever exnation the majestic young eagle was going to give with a truly perplexed expression on his face was clumsily cut off by the little wolf, who said to the little lion, ¡°I¡¯m so fed up with you. ..¡± ¡°What? Did this kide to someone else¡¯s house to fight? Did you grow up without your parents¡¯ care?¡± ¡°Jeremy!¡± Without realizing it, my voice went up sharply. Jeremy, who had been shouting at his rival, stared at me with his eyes wide open, and then his expression turned into surprise, ¡°Wow¡­¡­! Hey bastard, my mother is mad at me because of you! How are you going to take responsibility for this?!¡± Nora didn¡¯t respond any further to Jeremy¡¯s words, he just turned around, and without looking back, he left the main gate. My eldest son frowned and stuck out his tongue, ¡°What? Is he running away again? Why is that bastard so consistent?¡± ¡°Shuri, are you mad?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.. No.¡± Swallowing my sigh in reply, Jeremy scratched his golden hair and nced at my expression, giving me a smirk as if waiting. What the hell? ¡°But I¡¯m hungry.¡± If you¡¯re hungry, why are you holding on to me instead of telling the servants in the kitchen? If you don¡¯t bother me for a moment, you¡¯ll be bothered. ¡°Let¡¯s get some refreshments. Your Highness, will you join us?¡± ¡°Ahaha, of course¡­ I¡¯m here to hang out with your guy.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the matter, your highness? I didn¡¯t expect you toe today.¡± ¡°Ahaha, of course¡­ I¡¯m here to hang out with you.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? Anyone who sees it would think that your Majesty is in love with someone in our house.¡± I almost forgot the fact that my eldest son was surprisingly smart. It goes without saying that Theobald, who had already had a few cups of tea, was shocked. I guess he can¡¯t lie at all. ¡°Jeremy, that¡¯s ridiculous¡­..¡± ¡°What a load of nonsense!¡± The good prince seemed to have no idea that such a violent denial was even more awkward. Jeremy, who had narrowed his eyes as if in doubt while pushing the cookie into his mouth, got up the next moment with annoyance. It was a very unexpected reaction for a guy who didn¡¯t want to make fun of me. ¡°What?! No, what¡¯s wrong with Shuri?¡± ¡°Cough, no, I didn¡¯t mean that, but your question is so absurd!¡± ¡°Or not. What are you so angry about?! I¡¯m so dumbfounded! It¡¯s a problem because there are so many people who can¡¯t understand your purpose!¡± Jeremy was probably the only one who could speak to the second-inmand of the empire like that. ¡­¡­ Only Jeremy and Nora. By the way, what brought Nora here? Obviously, something bad happened, but I¡¯m notfortable with letting it go. **** ¡°¡­What nonsense do you mean by cutting the Christmas banquet budget?¡± ¡°This is the official position of the Pope. It would be better to reduce the budget of the extravagant banquet and help themon people¡­¡± ¡°How can you save the budget for a banquet hosted by the Emperor, no matter how many times you say so?¡± ¡°As you all know, this year¡¯s untimely famine caused a lot of problems. If we hold a luxurious banquet likest year at a time when public sentiment is terrible, the farmers¡¯ opposition will not be limited.¡± ¡°The imperial family and the nobles will look like viins, and the Church will act as if it was on the people¡¯s side. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too far, Duke Heinrich.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s be quiet. Do you have any ideas on this matter, Lady Neuwanstein?¡± As Duke Nurembert, who intervened in a gentle yet high-handed tone, abruptly handed over his voice to me, the nobles, who were fiercelyining, and the cardinals, who were responding in a businesslike tone, looked at me in unison. I swallowed a sigh and smiled outwardly as I looked at the clear light of disrespect that lingered in the majority of the twelve pairs of eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no justification for the church¡¯s position. It¡¯s a ce that should be the mainstay of the faith of all people regardless of their status. Even if there areints, we need to prevent the church from getting angry.¡± ¡°No, madam, then¡­¡± ¡°The Neuwanstein family will be nning this Christmas banquet. On the condition that the church will use the remaining funds for relief.¡± In the past, conflicts arose over this issue. In the end, the same budget asst year was used. As a result, the public¡¯s voice incident urred in early 1116. The riots were quelled rtively quickly, but almost all the nobles in the metropolitan area had not even dared to step out of their homes for some time. Even with knights, no aristocrats were able to handle the stoning, swearing, and raw eggsing from all over the ce. Even if the majority of the votes were consistent with the budget cuts at the time, I assumed that the riots would still have urred. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Furthermore, it¡¯s equivalent to supporting the church that had raised its hand to promote relief activities, which can be said to have saved face. Why didn¡¯t I dare to use such a huge asset for this part in the past? It was then that the Marquis Schweig, who seemed unhappy, opened his mouth with a fake smile, ¡°What an unprecedented and radical offer, madam. This is a proposal that I would never have imagined from thete Marquis.¡± Marquis Schweig seemed to want to express that I, unlike my husband, have no limit in spending money. The sound of a cough began to ring here and there. Unsurprisingly, the gentle mask on Marquis Schweig¡¯s face began to shake slightly as he said that directly. The social mask, which had been thoroughly learned since childhood, couldn¡¯t be broken down so easily, but the fact that his opponent was me, I could see through him. The fact that someone like me was sitting with them was sufficiently insulting to them. ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m just expressing concern, but please refrain from saying such words.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really concerned, the Schweig can also give supplementary budgets to show their kindness, then the Neuwanstein will give 80%, and the Schwing will give 20%.¡± The Marquis Schweig gave a shaky cough, as if iming he had nothing more to say. Suddenly, he took part of the huge budget. Because 80% of the budget was to be taken out from our side, it would be ridiculous to object. Duke Nurembert, who had been watching me with a mysterious smile on his face, finally nodded. The Duke, who had deep blue eyes with the same thick ck hair as Nora, said without hesitation, ¡°All right, if Schweig will be in charge of the 20% of the budget, then I understand that Neuwanstein will be responsible for 80% of the budget for the Christmas banque, that way it wouldn¡¯t be hard for Neuwanstein to buy gifts for the children. The denomination should disclose the details of the relief activities mentioned by the first day of the new year. I¡¯m going to leave this issue here.¡± Knock knock knock knock! The tapping of the gavel sounded really light. While I smiled at the kind Duke, I don¡¯t know why the Silent Bell kept gazing at me indifferently. I used to think he was displeased with me and didn¡¯t care about it, but now that I¡¯ve gone through it again, it¡¯s quite burdensome. I mean, when would he tell me about his dissatisfaction? After the meeting finished, everyone left one by one after exchanging a few words. I stayed alone for a while then finally stood up. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but I hesitated to think. Prince Theobalt¡¯s sudden confession the other day, and thinking about how to spend Christmas meaningfully, etc. What should I give them? Jeremy must have wanted a sword, but does Elias need a sword? If I give them the same thing, it¡¯ll be a disaster. It was fortunate that twins had already written down their own gift lists. It was my first anniversary with the children since I returned back to the past¡­¡­ It was then that an unexpected figure blocked me crossing the quiet corridor,pletely forgetting Theobalt¡¯s confession while thinking about the children. I almost screamed at the sight of the young cardinal standing there, I wasn¡¯t sure whether he was waiting for me or not. ¡°Cardinal¡­¡± ¡°I was startled. What¡¯s wrong?¡± There was a moment of silence that felt dim and reluctant. The Silent Bell, who had been ncing through my face with his pitch ck gaze, finally said, ¡°Recently, I heard that the Crown Prince has visited your house frequently.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s close to my eldest son, is there something wrong¡­?¡± This time, I was trying to answer calmly because I was worried about what kind of dispute woulde up, but my dark brown eyebrows seemed to twitch for an instant. It would have been nice if he told me what was wrong, but Cardinal Richelieu, like his nickname ¡°The Silent Bell,¡± turned around and moved away from me. It was ridiculous to see that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Why was everyone so arbitrary regardless of age? Was it just me? Why was everyone having so many emotional problems? It felt as if I had been tainted by the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the Silent Bell. If I went back home like this, I would spread the infection to the children who would argue with the tutors . So, instead of heading to the entrance to the Babenberg Pce, where the horse-drawn carriage was waiting, I headed to the chapel, which was rtively close to the Assembly Hall. Right, since I was already there, it would be better to just pray and ask God to take good care of the children¡¯s future. The chapel was silent, with its long ss ceiling and a dignified statue of the Virgin Mary. At this time of year, no one would be in or out of here. Was that¡­? Wasn¡¯t it? At first I thought someone was praying passionately while no one was watching, so I tried to get out quietly. But the boy, kneeling down on the stairs and lying down on the altar, was clearly not praying. Nora? Only God knew why Nora was here. Oh, did hee to see Duke Nurembert? ¡°Nora? Have youe to see your father?¡± As I tilted my head and asked, the boy slowly raised his head and nced at me. The bright sun shining through the ss still looked bright, it fell on the boy¡¯s face and made his dark hair look lighter. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not here to see that man.¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Was it my illusion that I¡¯m seeing a sparkle of tears in the boy¡¯s blue eyes who said that? Without realizing it, I walked closer to him. As I remembered his unusual appearance not long ago, I was worried. ¡°Nora? What¡­ What¡¯s going on? Why are you here alone? Are you sick?¡± Nora didn¡¯t answer back. It was then that the boy¡¯s shoulders, who had been sitting with his head down and sighing from fatigue, suddenly began to shake violently. Holy Father! Holy Father! It went without saying that my heart was pounding in an instant. I wouldn¡¯t have imagined seeing the young Nurembert, Jeremy¡¯s rival, the Empire¡¯s strongest sword, sobbing before me before.. ¡°Nora¡­? What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s going on?¡± It was always embarrassing for me to see boys crying. In the dim past, when I saw Jeremy hiding and crying alone, I felt at a loss and at odds with what to do. I couldn¡¯t believe that such strong boys would cry! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked the question carefully, but the boy didn¡¯t respond. Of course, the good thing was that he didn¡¯t shake my hand away. I sat down in front of the altar, kneeling gently beside the sobbing boy. Then carefully patted him on the shoulder. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I just wanted tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nora. Everything is going to be fine.¡± I heard the sound of a hoof and a suffocating breath. Finally, the boy, who raised his head, stared at me with his blue eyes full of water, and then spat out in a tight voice, ¡°Noona, what does ¡®growing up¡¯ means?¡± How could I answer such a question? What was more, I didn¡¯t expect to hear him call me that way. Instead of pointing that out, I smiled awkwardly, ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know either.¡± What advice could I give in such a field? This whole new life was a series of surprises to discover new aspects of what I thought I knew better than anyone else. Swallowing back the words, I pulled out a handkerchief and gently ced it on the boy¡¯s cheeks. Staring into my eyes hesitatingly, he dropped his head again, then rubbed his wet eyes with the back of his hand and let out a sigh, ¡°Rather¡­ it would have been better for everyone if the prince was my father¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Your Highness, but you¡­¡± ¡°Does noona think so, too? Do you think I¡¯m an incapable person, and I lie every time I talk?¡± ¡°No, never.¡± Unbeknownst to me, I answered firmly without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Nora was staring at my face with a strangely desperate expression in his blue eyes, as if saying that I was the only one who believed that. ¡°Why did you ask such a question?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what everyone says.¡± ¡°Who is making that im?¡± Nora didn¡¯t reply. He just turned his eyes to the floor and let out a grumpy sigh. I don¡¯t know the details of what happened, but I could vaguely guess. The scene I saw at the memorial banquet the other day, the Nurembert family at that time, reminded me that something must have happened between Nora and Duke Nurembert. Duke Nurembert was strangely kind and friendly to me, but he was the current Empress¡¯s brother and one of the pirs of noble society. He had a sickly and shy wife and only one child, Nora. In such a situation, it wouldn¡¯ the unreasonable for him to treat his only son strictly. However¡­.. ¡°No matter what anyone says, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that kind of person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How can you be so sure? You don¡¯t even know me.¡± I felt like I was hitting a wall. I¡¯m used to this slurred way of speaking, though, thanks to some people. ¡°You don¡¯t even know much about me, do you? What kind of person do you think I am?¡± ¡°A good person.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, then.¡± Watching the boy rubbing his eyes while murmuring unclear words, I tried to think about his future in more detail. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be ordained a knight sometime next year andpete with Jeremy the following year at the National Foundation Sword Contest. And¡­. Yes, if I remember correctly, he must have joined the Empire¡¯s secret police force ¡°Stripe¡±. I remember there was a lot of talk about why the heir of the Duke of Nurembert entered the rough ¡°Stripe¡± ¡°Whoa¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do this, but I must look funny.¡± It was so sad to see him crying. But I¡¯m d that he recovered his energy faster than I thought. ¡°Anyone can do that. I¡¯ve seen youugh twice myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different thing. I mean, my father would certainly shout if he knew I was crying without shame.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good when you can cry like that. There will be more times when you really want to cry but you won¡¯t even cry.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Gently, the young man¡¯s blue eyes, which hadn¡¯t dried yet, blinked and nced through my face again. Clear eyes with boyish innocence, the shadow of the dark and dangerous man who he would be oneday were yet to be found. I was a little embarrassed because I thought I sounded too old, but then he said, ¡°But somehow, every time I see you, I think noona looks sad.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something I should say, but God knows why noona has such sad eyes, but I think your nose is always up a little bit. I know I¡¯m younger than noona, but you can also cry in front of me!¡± Was he trying to praise me or was he sarcastic? When do I have the time to cry like a child? More importantly, why are children these days so absurd? ¡°I thought I looked shameless, but I guess not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot to be shameless about.¡± He, who looked proud, now stood up cheerfully as if he hadn¡¯t sobbed so sadly before. I hesitated for a moment and stood up holding his hand. ¡°Thank you for meeting me today. Please wish me luck.¡± ¡°Luck?¡± ¡°From now on, I have to go home and y a game with my father. If Ie back alive, I¡¯ll give noona the honor.¡± ¡°What are you going to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s always the same, but anyway, that¡¯s my problem, not yours.¡± Despite his confident tone, I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. I know it¡¯s not appropriate to meddle in other people¡¯s family affairs, but¡­ ¡°Hey, Nora. Do you remember what I saidst time? If you want to talk to someone, visit me anytime.¡± That was all I could do. And the young boy merely responded with a smirk. A few days after the first snow began to fall, the Christmas banquet was just around the corner. On Christmas Day, when we celebrate the first time Jesus came to the world, the children came out early in the morning rubbing their sleepy eyes and filling the hall. It was a great pleasure to see the twins with emerald eyes wide open at the mountain of gift boxes. Was this how Santa us felt like every night before Christmas when he brought presents to good children? Of course, it had been a long time since I believed in his existence. The same was true for Jeremy and Elias. They were determined to ruin his younger siblings¡¯ mood in the morning. It didn¡¯t seem like a Christmas spirit at all. ¡°Wow, brother, look at this! I guess Santa us knew I was a good boy!¡± ¡°Who says what is good? Do you still believe in such an absurd story?¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re jealous that you didn¡¯t get a present because you didn¡¯t behave!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s jealous? And I have presents, too. The fake Santa us over there gave them to me.¡± ¡°Mom, my brothers keep saying that Santa us isn¡¯t real!¡± I put my hand on my waist and red at my two sons, ¡°Jeremy, Elias, why are you saying that Santa us doesn¡¯t exist? If you want to get Christmas presents, both of you should behave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to inform my stupid siblings of the harsh reality as soon as possible, right? Is it okay for children to be fools for the rest of their lives?¡± ¡°Alright! It would be great if I could be an idiot just like you!¡± Atst, Jeremy, who was smiling at the twins, exchanged looks with Elias, scratched his head awkwardly and began to help his younger siblings unwrap the gifts. ¡°Big brother, isn¡¯t this yours?¡± ¡°What¡­? ¡­¡­Uh, what is this?!¡± It was a sword especially made for the eldest son who would be a legend in the future. It was a Langennes¡¯s dwarven long-sword.. The white sword¡¯s handle was made of gold and ruby. For how much budget it took to get it, Robert¡¯s mouth was wide open when he saw the receipt.. Jeremy, who immediately pulled out the sword with a skillful gesture and looked carefully at the dazzling white sword, followed by a half-enthusiastic face, looked at me. It was so uncharacteristic that I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°You still don¡¯t believe in Santa us?¡± Naturally, I also bought a special gift for Elias. Although it was also a weapon, it was a special crossbow that I bought because my second son was more talented using it than the sword. It came with silver arrows. If he used it, he could catch up with his brother when he goes fox hunting in the future. ¡°Hahahaha,e on, you idiot! A long-range duel is the best!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get so excited and shoot yourself in the face, little brother. If you¡¯re a man, you have to fight with a sword! Shuri, can I bring this to the banquet?¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± While my two sons were acting like that, I turned away from them to look at the cute twins. Unlike his brain-muscle brothers, little Leon, who had the face of an intellectual since early on, was so happy to hold a new telescope and an encyclopedia that he had hoped for. As for Rachel, she went to the front of the mirror with the shoes I picked for her and was doing a fashion show. Rachel always liked shoes the most. Even if she wore an out-of-date dress, she never went out without new shoes. Anyway, the children may be happy, but Christmas was a very expensive event. I had to prepare gifts for not only the children but also for the employees and knights, as well as gifts for the church and the imperial pce. Furthermore, the budget for today¡¯s Christmas banquet, and preparation of clothes and essories to wear to the banquet. It was then that something surprising happened. My daughter, who was showing off wearing cute silk shoes, suddenly approached me and took something out of her robe pocket. ¡°My older brothers said that since mother is an adult, Santa us wouldn¡¯t give you a present.¡± Needless to say, I was speechless for a moment. My eyes were wide as I looked to see if the others had joined the n. To my surprise, both of my sons had an awkward face confirming it! What a surprise! What was in Rachel¡¯s small hand was none other than a handkerchief. On the handkerchief with a bright light green background, four baby lions and a rabbit were embroidered together. ¡­It was good, but why am I a bunny? ¡°Thank you¡­ Rachel. What a beautiful handkerchief.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done much.My brothers told me what to put on, and Leon chose the color of the thread. All I did was embroidery.¡± That said, in the end, she did it herself. When I smiled, Rachel looked at her three extremely useless brothers while puffing cheeks. If myte husband had seen this scene, he would have been proud. The pce banquet, funded by the Neuwanstein family and the Schweig family, was much morevish than I remember. Whether or not he wanted to show his sincerity to the family who voluntarily donated the budget, even if he removed a single jewel hanging from a fir tree that soared through the ceiling with countless five-tiered chandeliers, it would be a one-year relief fund for the poor. At the entrance of Crystal Pce, where the banquet was held, there was a simple dart game stand. It was a game in which a person needed to hit the center with a wooden arrow, and prizes wrapped in colorful packages were given one by one. Count M¨¹ller was the first to greet me, who had just arrived with the children, while the people who arrived early before the banquet started ying darts and chatting. ¡­My husband¡¯s eldest brother. ¡°Long time no see. Lady Neuwanstein.¡± Since it was a Christmas banquet attended by all the nobles, it was impossible to avoid these people, so I replied with a fake smile, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Well, uh, can I talk to you for a second? It¡¯ll only take a moment.¡± I nced over my shoulder for a moment at the children rushing near the statue where the drinks were served, then nodded. Count M¨¹ller led me near the dart game table, where young men and women giggled and enjoyed the game, and then said in a low and subtle tone, ¡°Madam, I heard about that unsavory incident the other day. I was going toe earlier and apologize, but I wasn¡¯t in good health.¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s an apology, the parties should apologize themselves.¡± Count M¨¹ller¡¯s green eyes narrowed in a matter of seconds, feeling the bitterness mixed in my voice.. Why did they have the same eyes as my children? I don¡¯t like it at all, no matter how pedigree it is. ¡°If you want me to, I¡¯ll tell them to apologize.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really want an apology that is not voluntary.¡± ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know what you think of us.¡± ¡°Wrong, Count M¨¹ller. I don¡¯t even think about you guys. So there¡¯s nothing to think about. What do you want?¡± In people¡¯s eyes, we would just appear to be exchanging greetings. Although the reality waspletely different, I expected Count Mueller to reveal his family¡¯s unique characteristics like his brother, but he was surprisingly self-restraint. The dark green eyes, just like Johan¡¯s, shed, but then quickly regained their businesslike coolness. ¡°All right, madam. Now that it hase to this, let me be frank with you.¡± Push! ¡°Argh!¡± Many people let out a short scream at the same time. I, too, almost screamed. A silver arrow quickly grazed our side, precisely by Count M¨¹llerr¡®s ear, and was stuck in the damask wall! Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°Oh, my God, that was a mistake, no more bragging about hitting the target¡­¡± It was only a briefmotion. When someoneughed cheerfully, the hall quickly became noisy again. I blinked and turned my head. Count Muller, who seemed to have frozen, also turned his head. Was it a mistake to just let him bring the crossbow? It was none other than Jeremy, standing with his brother¡¯s crossbow, that came into my stunned vision. ¡°Long time no see, uncle. You¡¯re older than I¡¯ve seen you before. But why do you look like that?¡± Count Mueller stared at his nephew for a moment, as if he was speechless. Jeremy, on the other hand, had a rxed smile, a smile that seemed strangely unfamiliar to me. ¡°Oh, my god, I think he was pretty surprised. Did you really want to hit my dear uncle? I have a great respect for your dog¡¯s behavior!¡± It was the appreciation that Elias uttered. Jeremy replied, shrugging his shoulders and in a very condescending tone, ¡°Learn, brother. This is the spirit of the lion family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny! Why did you use my stuff?!¡± ¡°Hey, if it were you, you¡¯d hit him in the face!¡± I don¡¯t know about the spirit of the lion family, but anyway, Jeremy¡¯s rude and reckless behavior a while ago was enough to make Count Muller grit his teeth. Count Mullerined, saying, ¡°I gave you a ride on my horse when you were young,¡± but Jeremy only smiled at him for being an old-fashioned person. Even if they were of the same hot-blooded bloodline, it seemed that age or anything else was of no use to the extremely antisocial ambition of the much younger side. ¡°All right, you two. You can stop that. Now put the crossbow and arrows back in the storage room!¡± Jeremy and Elias grumbled, but unexpectedly, they turned around with the crossbow. While my two sons were walking, the eyes of all the early teens nearby were fixed on them. ¡°It was quite an impressive scene.¡± Duke Nurembert, who came our way at some point, had watched everything that happened a while ago. The Duke of Steel stared at me gently as usual, with a mysterious smile in his blue eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for themotion.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s pretty admirable. It would be nice if my immature son could show that side as well.¡± ¡°Ahaha.¡± ¡°By the way, you sent a gift to my son. I don¡¯t know how to thank you for all that you¡¯ve done for him.¡± The present I sent to Nora was none other than a Tsvaihender sword made in the same ce as Jeremy¡¯s. Nora helped me twice unintentionally, and I caught him crying, so I did that tofort him. I was a little worried that the gift might be too much, but I¡¯m d that the Duke¡¯s response was better than I thought. ¡°I¡¯d be d if he liked it.¡± When I smiled and said that, the kind Duke suddenly sighed and shook his head. ¡°Well¡­ .. when I told him that if he received a gift from St. us, all his sins of the year would be forgiven, what do you think he said?¡± ¡­¡­That was the Christmas spirit of adolescent boys. When I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything and smiled bitterly, just then, a grand trumpet sounded announcing theing of the Empire¡¯s highest dignity. ¡°His Majesty is here!¡± His Majesty the Emperor, Empress Elisabeth, our Crown Prince Theobalt, and the second prince marched side by side, while the people who gathered here and there and those who enjoyed the target game were all quiet and respectful. ¡°Christmas blessings to the guardian eagle of the empire.¡± ¡°Christmas blessings to the guardian eagle of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.¡± The solemn golden eyes under the pure white silver hair, the symbol of the imperial family, quickly nced at the appearance of the distinguished guests in the banquet hall. The golden gaze, just like that of an eagle watching its prey, came to me for an instant. ¡°A lot has happened over this year, and I thank the lion of the empire for their willingness to ovee this sorrow and have such a blessed Christmas.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Empress Elizabeth stared at me with her cold blue eyes, as I bowed, hoping that Theobalt would stop smiling at me like that. She wasn¡¯t staring, she was just looking, but I knew well that she was dissatisfied with me, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Next to the empress sat our Prince Retran, who was the same age as Elias, had a sinus infection. ¡°Lady Neuwanstein.¡± The Christmas banquet began in earnest with the gentle sound of the choir¡¯s innocent singing. I smiled so awkwardly at Theobalt, who came straight up to me through countless greetings. I didn¡¯t make up my mind, but what should I do when I feel awkward? ¡°Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice dress. Indeed, you are particrly dazzling today.¡± Unexpectedly, he seemed to enjoy reading romance novels. I didn¡¯t really feel bad, though. Well, praise makes even elephants dance. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, you also look wonderful.¡± The crown prince, dressed in silver robes, had a figure that would make youngdies¡¯ hearts flutter. To my heartfelt praise, Theobalt blushed a little and mumbled out of the blue, ¡°Madam¡­ do you like books?¡± ¡°Yes, I like them.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God. Actually, I wanted to show you my personal library.¡± Ah, is that so¡­? At the same time, his innocence felt like a soft feather tickling every corner of my heart. Maybe it¡¯s because it has been so long since someone showed such naive feelings to me. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°Your Royal Highness, Lady Neuwanstein.¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Nurembert, long time no see.¡± While I greeted Duchess Nurembert, Theobalt apologized and left. As he did so, he gave me a meaningful look, which seemed to mean to meet himter. ¡°Thank you for the gift,¡± said the Duchess, with a sad look of courtesy. I thought for a moment about how to exin the appointment I made at the time and eventually said something else. ¡°I¡¯m d you received it. But I can¡¯t see your son yet.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was a question I asked without much thought, but the weak duchess¡¯s response was unusual. Looking at the sad look on her face, chewing her lips and sping her hands together. Some might think that I sent a deration of war as a Christmas gift. ¡°Madam¡­¡±? ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Nora couldn¡¯t make it today because he had some work to do.¡± What on earth was the reason for the only son of the Nurembert family and the nephew of the empress to not attend the Christmas banquet? I wondered if it had been like this in the past as I couldn¡¯t remember. At that time, I didn¡¯t have time to look into other people¡¯s affairs because I was concerned about my own. Only.. ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Thank you for asking. And, madam¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Please forget what I asked you the other day. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight.¡± I stared at Heide¡¯s pale face for a moment, and then, unconsciously, I asked, ¡°Did the Duke scold you?¡± ¡°No, that didn¡¯t happen¡­ it¡¯s just that madam is young, and might get burdened.¡± Well, I guess what the Duke of Steel said was right. As I watched the slender woman continue to stutter with a squeezing voice, my heart felt stuffy. Why didn¡¯t she just tell her husband about it? Moreover, based on what the Duke had said earlier, it didn¡¯t seem that Nora was even ill¡­¡­ . he wasn¡¯t beaten by his father and fell ill, right?? Hey, no way, no way, the Duke wasn¡¯t like that¡­ ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°Oh, look at them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re so cute¡­¡± I and the Duchess turned to the small murmur that spread out of the blue. It went without saying that the next moment I burst intoughter. Christmas vocals sung by choirs had alreadye to an end and a lively waltz was flowing. In the middle of the still secluded dance floor, the twins, Leon and Rachel, stood hand in hand and danced. They were still clumsy, but considering their age, they were perfect. ¡°Leon, be careful! Rachel¡¯s aiming for the back of your foot.¡± ¡°Why did you hit me?!¡± It was needless to say that I pped Elias on the back because he was determined to ruin his little cute siblings¡¯ mood. ¡°Is your mouth going to grow thorns if you don¡¯t ruin the good atmosphere?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about that atmosphere? They look so clumsy.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go teach them?¡± ¡°Why me? It¡¯s up to my eldest son!¡± At Elias¡¯s clever act, Jeremy followed suit without a moment¡¯s hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m going to be a knight. I have no talent or interest in dancing. In that sense, Shuri, why don¡¯t you go? Of course, if you have a partner¡­¡± ¡°Lady Neuwanstein, would you give me the honor of dancing with you at this Christmas banquet?¡± Whatever nonsense Jeremy was about to say next, it was horribly cut off by Theobalt, who suddenly approached and reached out to me. I smiled at the two boy¡¯s faces that quickly turned ugly, and gently held the crown prince¡¯s hand and headed to the dance floor. Before I knew it, many men and women were joining the dance line. ¡°Unexpectedly, you¡¯re very skilled.¡± ¡°Is that apliment? Your Highness is good too.¡± ¡°Ahaha, don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯ve been practicing a lot.¡± After a short and exciting song, I was thirsty and tried to step down for a drink, but Theobalt held my hand and led me. It was a passage leading to the outside of the banquet hall. Because there were so many eyes, I was so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t speak and quietly followed. ¡°Where are we going¡­¡± ¡°What I said earlier. I want to show you that ce.¡± His private library? Was he very spontaneous or should I say that he didn¡¯t know how to give up? Anyway, I thought it was just a tour and I might have a book to bring to Leon, our little intellectual, so I obediently followed Theobalt to his private library. There was no way to reject such a thing as he was the crown prince. However, when I reached the Crown Prince¡¯s private library, I waspletely blown away. Oh, my God, it was a greenhouse garden made by plowing the terrace, with so many bookshelves poking up the ceiling in a ss-to-ceiling room. It was a ce to enjoy reading leisurely while enjoying a garden full of spring grass flowers that could not be seen in this season. I would see why this immature crown prince was so desperate to show me this ce. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Theobalt, who was smiling awkwardly while I was admiring the ce, asked carefully. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful ce. I might end up reading all day here.¡± ¡°You got it right. It¡¯s better indoors than outdoors. What kind of books do you usually enjoy reading?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s mainly history and politics, but sometimes¡­¡± Theobalt, who was approaching the front of a huge bookcase, was suddenly cut off by a loud noise. What is this? Who else is here besides us¡­? ¡°Oh, my goodness. You surprised me. Did youe to find that old book again?¡± The main culprit behind the noise was a figure that wasn¡¯t expected at all, Cardinal Richelieu. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Unlike Theobalt, who seemed to smile casually, the Silent Bell stared at us dully, and then nodded slowly, ¡°Yes, but¡­ I think it¡¯s better to find itter.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. The Cardinal should enjoy the Christmas banquet.¡± Despite Theobalt¡¯s pleasant remarks, the Silent Bell gave me a look showing his dissatisfaction with them, then leisurely left the library. Despite what I¡¯ve been through countless times, I still felt a bit ufortable. Like that silly questionst time, was he misunderstanding that I am trying to get close to the Crown Prince right now? ¡°He almost got in our way.¡± ¡°¡­You must be quite close to him.¡± ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t that close, but he¡¯s a capable person. It¡¯s hard for me to understand what¡¯s going on in his mind as he¡¯s so quiet.¡± That was something I also agreed with. ¡°Mrs.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why did my cousin, Prince Nurembert,e all the way to Marquisst time? I don¡¯t think he came to see Jeremy or Elias.¡± ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t expect Theobalt to ask me that. As I stared, speechless for a moment, Theobalt kept his gaze fixed on me and leaned back, reaching out and rummaging over the top of the bookshelf. ¡°Oh, of course, I know it¡¯s not really my business, but actually, it would be nice to be close to him¡­ Ah!¡± It was only a matter of seconds before it happened. To be exact, Theobalt, who was searching the book narrowly with one foot on the table, stumbled and fell straight down! To be precise, he almost fell on me, so naturally I also fell to the floor violently. For a moment, I was about to burst into tears. ¡°Oh, my God, madam, are you all right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± ¡°Can I get you some water?¡± I just fell on the floor, so why would I need water? While I sped my hard-hit elbow and groaned, Theobalt quickly took himself away from me and was in a hurry, feeling sorry. But it was then that- ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± I wondered why I was hearing a familiar voice. My eyes went wide open. How the hell did Jeremy get here? How the hell did he know we were here? But it didn¡¯t matter how he knew. It was literally an instant that Jeremy¡¯s green eyes turned darker, looking at us alternately with a curious expression. I was in an unfamiliar situation where I wasying on the floor with tears in my eyes and the crown prince looking away from me in an awkward manner. What kind of misunderstanding was I making? Suddenly, I felt cold fingers stroking my back. ¡°Oh, Jeremy, I¡­¡± Neither Theobalt nor I had time to exin the situation. Jeremy, who was standing there and nailed frozen, in an instant punched the prince! ¡°Jeremy!¡± Needless to say, I couldn¡¯t stop him. Oh, my God, how powerful a 14-year-old boy was? No matter how hard I tried to stop him, Jeremy kept punching him. And Theobalt was so embarrassed that for some reason didn¡¯t fight back. Suddenly, the guards came after hearing themotion, grabbed him and separated him from the crown prince. It was really a serious matter. The situation was worse than the terrible day Elias punched the second prince in the past. The incident, which somehow managed to be covered up by my kneeling before the Emperor and Empress, as well as the budget for a three-year royal banquet, was far different from this one. I never imagined Jeremy would make such a big ident. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can stop the trial.¡° It was what Duke Nurembert, who visited with the crown prince, said to me. Theobalt, who was full of traces of being beaten up by Jeremy, also opened his mouth with a look of bewilderment, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam, my uncle and I tried to persuade them somehow, but in vain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, your majesty, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Of course Theobalt didn¡¯t owe me anything. He was the victim of an assault caused by misunderstanding. I was going to have to kneel down and thank him for the fact that he was still so kind after the terrible incident. Empress Elisabeth¡¯s reaction was far more intense and shocking than expected. The fact that an aristocrat touched the imperial family could have been summarily executed for his involvement in the crime of attempting to assassinate the imperial family and treason. Considering the position of our family, the disposition was to cut off his right arm. That was the content of the trial tomorrow. The Empress was expressing her will to cut off my stepson¡¯s right hand, who somehow touched her stepson. I got a hunch that her personal hostility towards me was also mixed to some extent. If Johannes were alive, things wouldn¡¯t have gone this far. ¡°First of all, the Parliament will try to make a statement of opposition, but I don¡¯t think we can be sure of what will happen because the majority vote will decide.¡± Duke Nurembert¡¯s serious voice seemed to be ringing in my ears. It was only natural to know who would be on the Empress¡¯s side on this asion. Jeremy was already an outstanding talent and legitimate sessor recognized by everyone. If he took this opportunity to destroy his future, the Neuwanstein family would quickly be prey to all sorts of people, including his uncles and aunt. Especially, it was a great opportunity for those who wanted a chance to steal my home, let alone resent me, take over. Now I think it would have been better if I hadn¡¯t followed my husband¡¯s will and given it over to little Jeremy. If Jeremy had been a lord, not an heir, he would have been able to apply for a duel of honor in ordance with the Family Ownership Ordinance Act. That being said, it was also not a solution for me toy down my sovereignty either. It would have taken a long time to go through the process as the will of my ex-husband existed. The Emperor, Empress, all members of parliament, the families of the parliament, and the Vatican would have approved it as if they had waited in the past, but there was no way they would have done so under the current circumstances. I never intended to let things flow the way they wished if there was anything I could do, it was just¡­ ¡°Thank you foring here despite the unpleasant situation. I don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude, but if I can¡¯t stop the trial, I¡¯d like to ask you two a favor. It¡¯s only the two of you who can do it.¡± Perhaps because they felt an unusual energy in my voice, the middle-aged duke who was sad, and the young prince, who was looking at my face, stared at me side by side with nervous eyes. ¡°Madam¡­¡±? ¡°I¡¯d like to summon a witness before the trial. We need your strength to call the witness.¡± ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Brother, are you sure he¡¯s gonna lose his hands? So he can¡¯t be a knight?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things. There¡¯s no way that will happen.¡± ¡°But my eldest brother beat the crown prince.¡± ¡°What are you worried about? It¡¯s okay, Shuri will do something about it.¡± While Jeremy was locked up in the Wittenberg Tower until the day of trial, Elias and the twins whispered uneasily among themselves and behaved as never before. Even when we were eating, they couldn¡¯t be quiet. Elias was trying to reassure his younger siblings, but he was also anxious. Instead of asking me how that happened, he was fidgeting around, staring at me. Workers and knights were also walking around in a tense manner, it was literally the silence before the storm. ¡°Madam, you got a visitor.¡± After Duke Nurembert and Crown Prince Theobalt left, Robert came to me while I was changing into my outdoor clothes. It was already evening when the sun went down early. I wondered who would visit at this time as I half dazely followed my butler. He went out to the front yard. The whole garden was dyed pure white thanks to the snow that fell overnight. The courtyard, where the children would normally have been busy making snowmen and having a snowball fight, was bitterly quiet. If things were different, I would have seen the sight of the ck-haired boy in the middle of the snowfield fighting with the children. How long was he standing there? His ears were red. ¡°Nora?¡± When the boy, who was sitting on a rock beside the camellia tree, saw me, he waved his hand. The sight of him with twinkling blue eyes seemed delightful despite the circumstances. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¡°How did¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to thank you for your Christmas gift.¡± I¡¯ve had a lump in my chest. I¡¯ve always appreciated other¡¯s kindness, even though it may not be a real help, especially in this kind of situation. I approached him with a sigh and sat carefully on the rock. ¡°I was worried when I couldn¡¯t see you at the Christmas feast.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to go to such a noble ce like that.¡± Only then did I look him in the face. The boy¡¯s left cheek, which looked slightly wrinkled with his eyes down, was dimly red. It looked like a blood bruise which was slowly healing over several days. Who dared to leave such a scar on Prince Nurembert¡¯s face? ¡°Oh, my God, what¡¯s that.. ¡­¡± ¡°Huh, never mind, it¡¯s nothing. Anyway, I heard that the slow lion beat the foxy prince to his heart¡¯s content. I¡¯m sorry, if I were there, I¡¯d have stepped in for you.¡± It was amazing how he seemed to be rxed as if nothing happened. I stared nkly at his face for a moment, and soon managed to follow suit, ¡°That would have been a sight to behold. What happened to your face? Did you have a fight with the Crown Prince?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather say it¡¯s a scar of glory, but fighting with my father is nothing to brag about.¡± ¡°Nora.¡± While I didn¡¯t know what to say, Nora looked at me with a sad look, then said while ying with his fingers, ¡°Sister, do you want to run away with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± I don¡¯t know exactly what my expression was like at the moment, but it was very visible. The one who was making a serious face throwing such words started tough. ¡°Pahaha, look at your face. I¡¯m just kidding.¡± ¡­¡­Look at this guy. Was there a ce for a joke in this situation? It would have been more funny if he wasn¡¯t teasing an adult. ¡°That¡¯s a ssic romantic chivalry. Where do you want to run?¡± ¡°Everyone thinks that at least once, don¡¯t they? I know you¡¯re not the type to run away from anything.¡± Nora may have seen something that made him sure, but he was right. If I could turn my back from the predicament and run away, I would have done so long ago. After a shortugh, the boy, who jumped up as if he was about to go back, hesitated and looked back at me. I felt unknowingly depressed by the fact that his blue eyes, which had been shining with pure joy, darkened. ¡°Are you going already?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re busy, too, so I¡¯ll have to go. If I were a little older, I could havee up with the right encouragement to give at a time like this¡­ ..you know, I¡¯m still clumsy.¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m grateful enough for your concern.¡± As it was, I should beforting this guy, but I feel like he didfort me instead. When all this is over¡­ ¡°Thank you for your time. Good luck sister.¡± At the moment, nothing came out as if something had blocked my throat. All I could do was nod my head with a squeezed smile. Why did I be speechless at that moment? Perhaps it was because he realized that only he was perfectly sincere among theforts poured from countless people since the incident took ce. ¡ª¡ª¨C The Tower of Wittenberg was a temporary prison where nobles and imperial families were mostly imprisoned before the trial. Unlike underground prisons where ordinary prisoners are imprisoned, the facilities were much morefortable and the security wasx. But anyway, prison is a prison. I nodded my head to the sentry, who saluted me briefly, and then stepped inside. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Inside the prison was a rugged wall of stone. The blond boy, who was sitting on his long legs by the window with bars, greeted me in a rather curt manner. Dark green eyes blinked and looked at me in the dark and pleasant air of the prison. ¡°Why are you sitting there like that? Isn¡¯t it cold?¡± ¡°A little cold wind won¡¯t kill you. Anyway, what are you doing here? It¡¯s not a good ce for you toe to.¡± I put themp down on the floor and took off the shawl and put it on the boy¡¯s shoulder. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Jeremy, who had been staring at his right arm, clenching his fist tightly, finally opened his mouth, sighing, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Even without my right hand, I¡¯ll use my left one. It¡¯s just a pity that I couldn¡¯t kill him , but God damn it, the way he looked at you was extraordinary.¡± ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong? Even if I misunderstood you at the moment, it¡¯s true that he had a wicked heart for you. Damn it, that dog!¡± ¡°Jeremy, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Dark green eyes stared at my mouth. I hesitated for a moment and then slowly continued, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s been so long, it¡¯s been so long that I¡¯ve been swept away without realizing it. I guess I didn¡¯t behave properly as a result.¡± ¡°Why? Is that son of a bitch ming you now? If that¡¯s the case, tell me right away. I¡¯m gonna go get rid of him right now.¡± The next day, his brilliant future might get destroyed, but he was still as ferocious as ever. Nevertheless, what Jeremy is saying now is, if I were pleased with what he did, would I be a selfish woman? If I was happy enough to cry, would I be a selfish stepmother? ¡°Jeremy¡­ as a matter of fact, the day before your father¡¯s funeral¡­ I had a strange dream.¡± ¡°Strange dream¡­¡±? ¡°Yes, it was a strange dream, a very long and sad dream.¡± In the midst of what I said, I was breathless. Why was I telling him this story at this moment? I don¡¯t know myself. Maybe¡­ maybe that¡¯s how I¡¯m trying to get an understanding of what I¡¯m going to do. ¡°At first, I thought it may be a prophetic dream because it was so vivid.¡± ¡°What kind of dream was it?¡± ¡°In my dream, I became a head of state as I am now, and you became a knight as you wished. You¡¯ve grown up to be a young man who has nothing to be ashamed of¡­ ..I was so proud of you, and at the same time, I thought you¡¯d understand my feelings even if I didn¡¯t show any signs. I had no idea how you¡¯d feel or how you¡¯d be hurt when people talked about me.¡± ¡°So it was so different from what it is now. The day you grew up and married, you didn¡¯t want me toe to your wedding, and I decided to leave because I was hurt. It was that kind of dream.¡± Jeremy was now sitting with a very sad look on his face. His emerald eyes, which resemble his father¡¯s, stared at mine with a vague expression. After a while, he finally said with a trembling voice, ¡°Shuri, a dream is just a dream. Whether you say something to me or not, it can¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Yes, a dream is just a dream. I just wanted to say that I was so happy when I woke up from that dream. And when you guys opened your heart to me, which was different from my dream, I was so happy that I felt like I¡¯m having a second chance in life.¡± I raised my hand and removed the straw from the boy¡¯s curly golden hair. Then I whispered, ¡°So Jeremy¡­ don¡¯t worry about your hand. Cause I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you be a knight like in my dream.¡± Jeremy didn¡¯t move. He barely breathed. When I finally got up and left, he was still sitting there, staring at the floor as if frozen. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The morning of the day of the decisive battle was bright. I finished my bath early and put on the ck dress I prepared for the trial. While I was away, I instructed Gwen to have the children eat as usual and attend the tutor¡¯s lessons. ¡°Shuri¡­ are you really going alone? Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright?¡± Elias insisted that he would go with me, but eventually gave up. It was so unfamiliar to see a man who was always like an angry colt looking at me with an uneasy look on his face. Did he feel something? It suddenly urred to me that children were more sensitive than adults¡¯ ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about anything and take care of the house with your younger siblings.¡± I smiled hard and said that, but the tip of my nose wrinkled for some reason. Seeing Elias, who still looked at me with eyes full of anxiety, and the twins, who clung to their second brother like never before, whose faces were full of anxiety and confusion, made me feel weak again. ¡°Stay calm until Jeremyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯reing with my big brother, aren¡¯t you?¡± Oh, my God, Rachel. It shouldn¡¯t be like this. ¡°¡­Of course. So don¡¯t worry about anything and be nice.¡± I felt sorry for all three of them who were nodding their heads uncharacteristically. The ce where the trial was held was Bittu Pce. Located just east of the Pce of Wavenberg, where the chairman of the House is located. In a courtrge enough to amodate hundreds of people, there were literally too many aristocrats sitting in the audience seats divided into left and right. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Some of them would juste out of curiosity. It was a scene that suddenly reminded me of the previous hearing. At first nce, it seemed that the pros and cons were evenly mixed, but in reality it wasn¡¯t. Most aristocrats, aside from those who were shing their eyes like hyenas, as if they had waited for the day, were simply counting their own gains from the decision to be made in the trial. After the golden lion fell, it would naturally be easier to raise their status. Just below the insignia sat the Emperor and Empress. Theobalt was there, too. Of course. He has been looking at his stepmother all the time since he entered, but the Empress has been ignoring him thoroughly. Unlike the Empress, who was staring at me fiercely, the Emperor was subtly frowning with a mysterious look on his face, showing that he didn¡¯t like the situation very much rather than angry at what the crown prince had suffered. Once the Empress takes over a trial, she could manage to cover it up. But the Empress Elisabeth I knew was by no means a good person. She seemed to be burning personal hostility toward me on this asion rather than angry that her stepson was beaten, or the copse of imperial dignity. ¡°Herees the sinner.¡± As soon as the Emperor¡¯s solemn voice rang, my eldest son was brought by the silver uniformed guards. The sight of him sitting at the defendant¡¯s seat with a frown on his face, without even showing any signs of embarrassment, in front of so many people¡¯s cold eyes, made me want to smile. ¡°Jeremy Von Neuwanstein. Born in 1101, the eldest son and next heir to Marquis Neuwanstein . You are charged with assault and attempted murder of Crown Prince Theobalt Von Baden Bismarck. Do you plead guilty to this?¡± Jeremy skimmed through the audience as if looking for me, and then replied in a surprisingly calm tone, ¡°Your Majesty, with all my respect, no, I don¡¯t admit it.¡± ¡°Then are you denying the charges?¡± ¡°What I did was to protect my mother¡¯s honor. How can I let my mother¡¯s honor be tarnished? I didn¡¯t mean to hurt the Crown Prince intentionally.¡± A scene of uproar spread among the packed nobles while I unwittingly covered my face with my hands. Needless to say, Theobalt was looking at his childhoodpanion with a weird look. On the other hand, the Emperor was adding to the pressure by maintaining a very in face, ¡°Jeremy Von Neuwanstein , ording to the Crown Prince, the prince and your mother were reading and chatting together at the time of the incident. How does that defame your mother?¡± ¡°There were things that made me feel that way.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°While I was wandering around looking for my mother, I ran into a cardinal. He said that the Crown Prince forcibly dragged my mother into his private study and was harassing her. My mother was crushed by the Crown Prince when I went in, so how can I not misunderstand?¡± Aside from the tone of calmness that made me think he sounded like someone else, my eyes were wide open to the content. Cardinal¡­? Which cardinal said that¡­? Certainly there was something unusual about Jeremy¡¯s barging into our ce that day. Even more, he misunderstood the situation and with such a certain air, he punched Theobalt. But which cardinal said that?! There was only one person that came to my mind right away. The maelstrom was growing bigger. The Emperor, who hit the baton hard once, now stared at my son with golden eyes shining with anger, ¡°Can you remember who the cardinal was?¡± ¡°He was wearing a hoodie, so I don¡¯t remember. Anyway, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d lie. Furthermore, since my father died, it has be hard to trust anyone I¡¯ve known for a long time.¡± I turned away and looked at Cardinal Richelieu sitting on the side of the cardinals. The Silent Bell, as usual, was watching the defendant with an expressionless face. Don¡¯t tell me he did that..? But if he did, why did he¡­? Then the Empress opened her mouth, ¡°The defendant is so arrogant that he even makes nonsense. No matter how young you are, there is a line you can¡¯t cross. It¡¯s obvious how the Marquis has educated his children. It¡¯s just¡­ ¡° ¡°Sister!¡± It was none other than the Duke of Nurembert, who was sitting on the jury, who said that. The Empress¡¯ red lips were instantly distorted in ridicule, ¡°Why? Did I say something wrong, Duke?¡± To that, the Duke of Nurembert responded with an ice-pick-like voice, ignoring that they were siblings, ¡°Please refrain from saying anything unrted to the trial, Empress. Your Majesty, we request permission from the defense counsel to speak.¡± The Emperor nodded silently while the Empress snorted. So I got up from my seat and approached the witness stand. Countless expressions were directed to me while I was walking. A variety of scoffings, pity, hatred, hostility¡­. orpassion and grief. Feeling the mixed gazes, I straightened my posture. But from inside, my heart was beating too fast. I was just hoping that the Duke of Nurembert would do me a favor. ¡°Your esteemed Emperor, Empress. I, Shuri Von Neuwanstein, the temporary head of the Neuwanstein family and mother of defendant Jeremy Von Neuwanstein, request witness attendance and further evidence before starting the trial.¡± ¡°We allow it.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Thank God! While I bowed my head to the Emperor, the murmur was spreading again. It would have been absurd to have a witness attendance out of the blue at a time when the crime was confirmed. As the sound of tongue clicks and sneers filled the court, the witness, whom I earnestly asked the Duke and the Crown Prince, finally showed up and entered. ¡°Good evening, Your Majesty, the Emperor and Empress. May the Blessings of the Holy Mother be with you.¡± There was a moment of silence. While the Emperor was as absurd as other aristocrats, the Duke of Steel, who kept his promise to me, had an expression of disgust. Likewise, the Empress, who was astonished, opened her mouth in a harsh tone, ¡°Isn¡¯t she a midwife? Why on earth did you summon her as a witness, Lady Neuwanstein? Do you intend to confirm your virginity here?¡± ¡°Empress, I¡¯m not here to y games with you.¡± This midwife¡¯s job was to confirm the purity of a newly married Empress or Crown Princess. It was beyond me to summon her with my position. A person closely rted to the imperial family, such as the younger sister of the Empress, or the Emperor, would never have been able to do so. ¡°How on earth did you do such a ridiculous thing?! Does this trial look like a kid¡¯s prank?¡± I turned to the Emperor with a smile at the angry shouts from the audience. ¡°Your majesty, I, Shuri Von Neuwanstein, am here to ask for the annulment of my marriage.¡± Once again, silence came to the noisy court. Needless to say, the Duke of Nurembert¡¯s face, who was watching me with an unusual expression, immediately shed a light of astonishment. Likewise, the Emperor¡¯s stern eyes were beginning to hold the light of doubt. ¡°What are you talking about? You know, of course, that under imperialw a woman cannot ask for divorce. Likewise, I understand that any spouse can im to cancel their marriage if they prove that they haven¡¯t been in a rtionship for more than 500 days.¡± ¡°Now you are¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Thete Marquis Johannes Von Neuwanstein and I have never slept together during our 800-day marriage. Your Majesty has allowed me to summon witnesses and submit further evidence, so I will immediately cancel the marriage ording to the proof that the witness, the midwife, will show from now on.¡± I was struggling not to look at the defendant¡¯s seat amidst the bewildering silence that was hard to describe. It was because I was not confident enough to check what Jeremy was looking like at this moment. If I checked that, my heart probably couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and it would copse. It was then that a sharp cry broke out from the audience seat, which had be calm as if it had poured cold water on it, ¡°What a load of nonsense, Your Majesty, she¡¯s ying the sacred court with a load of nonsense!¡± ¡°Can you give me a logical reason why my remarks sound like crap, Lady Lucretia?¡± Rising up, Lucretia¡¯s turquoise eyes red ferociously at me. I can¡¯t believe those beautiful eyes can be so horribly distorted. ¡°Myte brother doesn¡¯t deserve such an unjust insult! Didn¡¯t you see his four children? He must have been more energetic than anyone else.¡± ¡°Did you have a hobby snooping around in your brother¡¯s bedroom, Lady Lucretia? How do you know if my husband was full of energy or not?¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Lucretia¡¯s white sculpture-like face immediately heated up amid the sound of coughing andughter everywhere. Looking at it, I was amazed. You used to y the role of a loving aunt, but now you can¡¯t wait to cut off your eldest nephew¡¯s arm? Even if it¡¯s the reality of aristocratic society that the people from the same blood could bite off each other¡¯s neck, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter. ¡°Oh, anyway, does it make sense that he never slept with a woman like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment, Lady Lucretia. My witness here will prove the matter.¡± Then I turned to the Emperor again. I don¡¯t know how to express the look on the Emperor¡¯s face now. It was as if his eyes were passing through me and looking at someone else behind me. ¡°Lady Neuwanstein ¡­ ..do you think the deceased is willing to ept your cause now?¡± I¡¯m sorry, Johannes. But you¡¯ll understand¡­ ..that the children you left behind are more precious than the warm memories of you. Ha, I¡¯ve never imagined that I¡¯d step down like this. What would happen if I came down from where I¡¯m standing now? I don¡¯t know how many people will target me. Could I survive? Of course, I don¡¯t really care anymore. ¡°No one can doubt this proof. Your Majesty, as soon as the proof is out, I will no longer be Marchioness Shuri Von Neuwanstein, but return to Shuri Von Ighoeffer. Thus, the Neuwanstein family¡¯s sovereignty will go to Jeremy Von Neuwanstein , who sits on that defendant¡¯s seat, who can request a duel of honor under the protection of the House Honor Ordinance.¡± Any of Neuwanstein¡¯s knights would be happy to duel. Those I¡¯ve watched for nearly a decade would surely give their lives for their young master. I looked sideways at thedy standing beside me, and now turned to the audience, which hadpletely fallen into a maelstrom of silence. This ce was no longer aedy theater to watch a family fall. The House Honor Ordinance is a crucial provision for all nobles. As it was a countermeasure designed to protect the heads of the nobility from the tyranny of the imperial power, no one could express opposition to the cause, and eventually the factions would begin to diverge into the aristocracy. Whatever reason Jeremy assaulted the Crown Prince, it was no longer a matter of fact for the nobles who moved strictly to their own benefit. It was important that the boy, who was obstinate and outspoken enough to assault the crown prince, became Marquis Neuwanstein . ¡°You know, folks, the trial is over.¡± I looked toward Empress Elizabeth for thest time. Just like Lucretia, I thought she would be staring at me with a death re, but the Empress was staring at me with a strange look, which was surprisingly unexpected. Her eyes seemed nk, but strange. Funnily enough,passion for her suddenly rose. It was no wonder she came out so hard. She lived in the shadow of the deceased former Empress, the shadow of a woman whom the Emperor loved so much, and cared more about her stepchild than her own child. The disorderly nature of the Emperor¡¯s private life. For how long the solid silence has passed? Finally, it was none other than Empress Elizabeth who thrust the spear into this silent barrier. She rose with dignity, pping her dark red dress, just like her high-flying dark red hair. Then I sat there frozen as she spoke to the Emperor who was staring at me, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I ask you to withdraw the trial.¡± Despite the literally random request of the Empress to withdraw her trial, the court was still dead silent. While my eyes were wide open in surprise, Empress Elizabeth turned around and said to me for thest time, ¡°Lady Neuwanstein . I don¡¯t think you need to cancel your marriage. I think you¡¯re already sitting in the most appropriate seat.¡± I was just half out of it. In the meantime, the Emperor, who had only been watching me silently, finally turned his eyes and stared at his eldest son¡¯s side. To be exact, he looked at Theobalt, who was on the defendant¡¯s side, and spat out, ¡°You¡¯re proud of being beaten by such a young man?¡± Whatever the poor crown prince wanted to say was cut off by the solemn Emperor¡¯s remark. ¡°I order to withdraw the trial. Now that the trial is over, go back and enjoy your year-end vacation!¡± ¡­¡­It sounds quite simr to what I said before. It was the imperial family who actually started the trial, but now that they withdrew it out of the blue, there must be many nobles who wanted to protest. I feel sorry for him for dering that he will withdraw the troublesome issue and then leaving immediately. ¡°Lady Neuwanstein .¡± ¡°Lady Neuwanstein ¡­¡± I suddenly looked toward the cardinals, with a mixture of greetings passing by one by one. I could hear the sound of chairs being pushed and the sound of steps leaving. Suddenly, there was a quiet, dark gaze that fell on me, still shining silently as if it were of a beast, ¡°I would like to ask you a favor, madam. Please give me a heads-up next time. Do you have any idea how nervous I was?!¡± Ay, the calm Duke of Nurembert must have been quite surprised to see him shouting like this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if I may have told you earlier¡­¡± ¡°Phew, it¡¯s done. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell me every single thing about it. It¡¯s been a little strange since you asked me to bring that woman, but I have to apologize for my sister¡¯s behaviour.¡± There was no need for the Duke to apologize for her. More than that, I didn¡¯t expect the Empress to turn the tables so quickly at thest minute. It¡¯s impossible for her not to know that the imperial cause is destroyed. Of course, it will be less dangerous than the situation where my marriage is canceled and the inheritance. Whatever the real inside story, the imperial position would be in considerable trouble for the time being. The Empress who drove Neuwanstein ¡®s temporary head to reveal to the whole world her most personal privacy as a madam, along with the crown prince. Furthermore, the court withdrew the trial, which is tantamount to handing over the cause on to this side. Even if the nobles, including Neuvanstein, gathered together and began to growl, there was nothing to say. How mean of her to unintentionally bring the nobles together. I can¡¯t predict this reality that is stretching in apletely different direction from the past, even though it¡¯s back in time¡­ ¡°You must be very troubled.¡± ¡°Of course it was worth it, but I hope you, madam, won¡¯t make scary requests about cancelling the marriage again. Seriously, for whom¡­!¡± I smiled as I looked up at the duke who was scolding me. If it wasn¡¯t for this man¡¯s help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do what I did today. The fact that this person was favorable to me without a reason was appreciated. Of course, I am grateful to the Emperor too. That certainly didn¡¯t mean that I could carry out my ns recklessly while trusting only those who were favorable to me and did as I pleased. Under imperialw, a woman cannot request divorce, but there was a part in thew that if she proves that she had not had a marital rtionship for more than 500 days, she could immediately request nullification of the marriage. In that part, no one could force the couple not to divorce, even if it¡¯s the Emperor or the pope. I don¡¯t know who it was created for, but it was a perfect card for me, and that¡¯s why I pushed ahead with such an unreasonable move. ¡°Thank you for sticking to our agreement. But you know Duke¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I hesitated for a moment, facing the blue eyes that looked down at me curiously. Soon I changed my mind and shook my head, ¡°¡­¡­Nothing. I hope you have a meaningful end of the year.¡± I should put aside questions about the mysterious sediment that exists between the Empress and me. I was too sorry to hold on to the Duke anymore. Above all¡­ As soon as I barely reached the ce where the carriage was, my body rxed automatically, perhaps because the tension was relieved. I don¡¯t know how to interpret the expression that the apanying knights are currently making. Jeremy had been sent home first, and what had happened in court would have already spread. I felt very awkward. I didn¡¯t expect to go back in this carriage. Feeling the eyes of the knights looking at me with unfamiliar eyes, I only said one word, ¡°Home.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 As soon as I returned ¡°Home,¡± I came out from the carriage in front of the main gate and headed straight to my ce without having time to talk to the butler, maid, and knight general who weed me. And then I just let myself go to sleep. I slept soundly without dreaming for the first time in a while. When I finally opened my eyes, it was in the middle of the night. I carefully headed downstairs, wearing a robe and shawl over, without making a sound, so that I wouldn¡¯t wake Gwen up. The appearance of the mansion wrapped inplete darkness would normally have felt strange, but at this moment, I feltfortable. ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it bad toe out and wander around at such a time when everyone is asleep? As I moved to the backyard, I saw a cute view of arge and small snowman and a snow castle. Did theye out and y while I was asleep? It would be best if the children remained the same as usual. I thought I¡¯d never see them again. I guess I¡¯m luckier than I thought. How many people in the world have died once and got a second chance? I looked up at the sky with countless stars, sniffing and pouring in the cold air flowing into my nose. If my dead husband was looking at me, what would he be thinking about by now? I don¡¯t think he would be very angry, but no matter how adult-like a man was, he would have been a little hurt if he was humiliated like that. Cough, I¡¯m sorry, Johannes, but you told me¡­ .. It was then that the sound of footsteps on thick snow was heard. I stood in the middle of the backyard, looking up at the sky, shaking my head as I apologized to the deceased. ¡°Jeremy¡­? Didn¡¯t you sleep yet?¡± Jeremy seemed to be awake even though he was supposed to be asleep. The boy, who appeared in his pajamas and wasing this way in the cold night air, suddenly stopped about five feet away and stared at me. His dark green eyes, which had always been sparkling with boyish yfulness, seemed to sway strangely ¡°You have to wear a gown. If youe out like that, you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± Then, I took off the shawl over my shoulder. The boy who looked at me with a strange expression opened his mouth and uttered things that I had never heard before, ¡°If you want to meet Theo, meet him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°So whoever it¡¯s, even if he is the Crown Prince, if anyone likes you¡­ ¡­and if you like him, meet him. I don¡¯t care if you remarry.¡± Why the hell are you saying this all of a sudden? Maybe he¡¯s mad at me because I couldn¡¯t behave properly and was swayed by Theobalt¡¯s courtship? Or because of what I said in court earlier? I think it¡¯s both. Yeah, well, it¡¯s understandable. ¡°Jeremy, I told you it isn¡¯t like that. I was just swept away because it¡¯s been so long that someone showed interest in me. I¡¯m not in a position to give my heart to anyone yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He came closer to me, shaking his head roughly. Emerald eyes that glistened faintly in the dark seemed to be zing, making me cringe without realizing it. ¡°I don¡¯t mean¡­ ..but I won¡¯t stop you if you turn away from us now.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°There must be enough people who like you, who will give you the treatment you deserve. From now on, I mean, I mean, Shuri¨C¡° It took him a long time to speak again. There seemed to be faint water in the dark green eyes, which seemed to be seething withplex emotions, seemed to show faint water. ¡°The responsibility my father ced on you was unjust.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°My family¡­ It¡¯s right for us to take responsibility for our family. We¡¯re the reason you are suffering so much¡­ There¡¯s no reason for you to be hurt by others¡¯ immature children who can¡¯t appreciate your efforts.¡± I don¡¯t know how I look right now, but I think it¡¯s quite simr to the face the Empress made in court. What is this guy talking about? Is this Jeremy in front of me? ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°You know best. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so close to us and why you¡¯re so willing to risk insulting yourself in front of people to protect someone like me. There¡¯s really no reason for you to waste your whole life on us just to keep the will of the dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Jeremy.¡± ¡°Like in that dream you¡¯ve been through so vividly¡­ ..don¡¯t waste your precious life on guys like us. Rather, believe it was a precognitive dream and do as you wish from now on. If you take the chance and turn away from us, we won¡¯t die, and we won¡¯t me you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done enough already, so you¡¯re fully qualified to think about yourself from now on, so don¡¯t worry about our feelings and do everything you want. It doesn¡¯t matter if you leave or remarry. So, please, please¡­ Let us go while you still can.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look back, don¡¯t hesitate, don¡¯t stop in the middle¡­ Just think of yourself.¡± While I was literally in daze, Jeremy was giving me a mournful look that was even difficult for me to bear. Tears fell from his eyes. I stretched out one hand and wiped the boy¡¯s pale cheeks from tears. Then I put the shawl in my other hand on his shoulder. ¡°Do you really want that? There¡¯s a lot more I haven¡¯t done for you yet. I couldn¡¯t do anything I wanted to do for you or anything I wanted to do with you.¡± ¡°¡­.Shuri.¡± ¡°My foolish son, I will do what I did in the dream over and over again, and I will remain with you the same as I have ever been. It¡¯s the life I want, I want to live as your mother.¡± A stream of cool wind blew through our hair. A stem of cool wind blew and passed through our hair. At the end of the night, a bluish dawn wasing. Our wandering childhood wasing to an end. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°So, this is¡­ ¡­¡± On the morning of thest day of the year, which was short and eventful, I was standing in front of the butler and maid in the early hours before breakfast, dealing with them. To be exact, I have to say that I was dealing with a dense sheet of paper that they made. ¡°¡­¡­What is this?¡± When I asked, mumbling with a really silly face with my chin half down, Gwen and Robert rushed to shout with a rush of energy- ¡°List of destinations, madam! Please take this opportunity to get rid of all your hard work!¡± ¡°Yes, madam. This is a list I made with the maid all night. I¡¯ve listed a lot of popr destinations among high-profile people these days!¡± ¡°Come on, pick whichever you like!¡± ¡°You know, both of you just need to calm down for a second. What is this list for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a list of potential ces to travel to! We¡¯ve put all the famous tourist attractions that are in trend these days!¡± ¡°So, at this point in time, do you mean that I should go on a trip?¡± I tried to say it solemnly, but failed. The two nodded their heads. ¡°What can¡¯t be done? This season, the rest of the houses are doing the same. You should have some fun and spend time with the young masters and thedy.¡± ¡°Gwen, no matter how trendy it is, if there is an ident¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, madam! We¡¯ll protect you!¡± Oh, you scared me. The knights, who were supposed to be there silently like statues, shouted out loud, and I flinched. No, wait a minute, but these things¡­? ¡°I¡¯m starting to get suspicious that it¡¯s all in one ce¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, madam.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m mistaken.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± I had to swallow my groan, looking at the loyal maid and butler who answered stubbornly. Did they all eat something wrong? What¡¯s this out of the blue talk about traveling at this time? ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the end of the year vacation season, madam.¡± ¡°Even so¡­!¡± ¡°The young masters and the youngdy will love it. I bet you¡­. I¡¯ll bet you on my hair.¡± ¡°¡­ Robert, you don¡¯t have that much hair.¡± ¡°Oh, madam, how could you say such a cruel thing?¡± The faithful butler, who had been taking care of this family for generations, began to cry in the morning, so I could no longerin about the bitterness and had to head to the dining room with the list. Well, I guess it was on purpose. ¡°Oh mama, what¡¯s that?¡± Elias, who had been cutting turkey with a strong appetite, suddenly fell from his chair when one of the twins called me that. Elias, who stood up on his two feet, now red fiercely at his brother, ¡°What, brother, have you gone crazy this morning? What¡¯s with that weird, senseless word?¡± ¡°Silly brother, is it wrong for a son to call his mother Mama?¡± Elias held his chin with a look on his face as I sat silently. Rachel, who was pulling the turkey¡¯s skin, said as if she was frightened, ¡°My brother¡¯s face looks so ugly!¡± Elias, who immediately released his chin, now crossed his arms and looked at me with a stern look. To be exact, I, who was putting down the paper in my hand by the te, smiled and stared at Jeremy, who was disassembling the pumpkin pie for a long time. Then he shouted, ¡°What kind of deal was made between the two of you?¡± ¡°Sit down, stupid brother. When an adult eats, he or she sits still and waits.¡± I opened my mouth trying to ignore Elias¡¯ pitiful appearance as he sat down muttering, ¡°What else would I get?¡± ¡°Hey, my reliable eldest son.¡± ¡°Yes Mother?¡± Jeremy, who took a huge bite of the pie piece, looked at me. I hesitated for a moment and then shook the note in my hand, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about going on a short trip together, what do you think, my eldest son?¡± ¡°Travel? Why all of a sudden? Where are we going? What do we have to go see?¡± ¡°There are a lot of ces on the list¡­ like famous hot springs and diators¡¯ shows. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d like it.¡± ¡°No, wait, why are you two talking about such an important matter? I have an opinion, too! Don¡¯t discriminate against your child!¡± ¡°My father told me not to scream at the table, little brother.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, short legs!¡± ¡°Elias, what do you mean by calling your younger brother ¡®short legs¡¯? Stop it and take a look, where should we go?¡± At my scold, Leon stuck out his tongue to Elias with a triumphant look, and Elias murmured and looked into the list of destinations, ¡°Let me see¡­ wow, who wrote all this?¡± ¡°Oh, let me see it, too! Don¡¯t just look at it yourself, you greedy man!¡± ¡°Oh, my gosh, there¡¯s a dog barking.¡± With one hand down Elias¡¯s red hair, and with the other hand high with the note paper, Jeremy, who seemed to be looking over for a while whistled, Jeremy, who was looking at the list for a while with one hand lifting it high, and the other hand pressing down the red head of Elias, sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly attracted to anything but watching diators¡¯ shows. The others are all ces fordies and girls liking, right?¡± ¡°Aha, is that so? Then the problem ends like this¡­¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t attracted to anything!¡± ¡°He made a mistake for a moment. Let¡¯s forgive him generously with a good heart. Oh, but what¡¯s a hot spring? I have never been there before.¡± ¡°Hot springs are made to soak in hot water and y. It¡¯s in the encyclopedia my mom bought me.¡± It was an answer that came from Leon, our little intellectual. ¡­..It¡¯s the right definition, but it seems to be a little modified. Jeremy eximed, ¡°Aha!¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Elias, who had an expression iming that he felt left out while nodding his head without sincerity, suddenly shouted, ¡°Wearing clothes?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re going in naked.¡± ¡°What?! That¡¯s a weird trend. Aren¡¯t men and women different?¡± ¡°They are separated by gender. My brother is weird.¡± ¡°Leave it alone. That¡¯s how little our brother is. Mom, can I take my shoes?¡± ¡°Sure, of course. I¡¯m gonna go buy a new one¡­¡± ¡°Oh, why are you all bullying me? Oh! What¡¯s with this atmosphere?!¡± Needless to say, silence came to the roar of the red little lion. As me and the twins looked at each other with wide open eyes, Elias looked at Jeremy, the one in all this strange atmosphere, to check if he was calm after he shouted. And I¡¯d say it wasn¡¯t a very smart choice. The eldest son, who put the knife down quietly, now wiped his mouth with a napkin, spoke bluntly, ¡°Did you just yell at me?¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m just asking my dearest guardian.¡± ¡°No, but you don¡¯t know table manners. Come here, let¡¯s warm up together.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯te near me, you terrible human being!¡± While Jeremy was holding Elias and performing a joint break, I turned a blind eye to the two and drank milk after eating with the twins. By the time we stepped down from the dining room, the two were already running upstairs into a long hallway. Then came the sound of the door closing roughly with a thud, and the triumphant voice of my second son, who secured the safety zone. ¡°Darn it, you¡¯ll never get married when you grow up! What kind of woman would marry a domestic thug like you?¡± ¡°Did you just shut the door hard?! Open the door, won¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s closed by itself! And this is my room!¡± Boom, boom, boom, boom!!! ¡­¡­Did he have to grow up strong? In the end, I had to rece the door of Elias ¡® room that day with a new one. It was just a wonder how he could break that solid door. While I was nning a trip for three days, I arranged a pile of documents in advance and checked the new year¡¯s cards all over. I should say I¡¯m a little surprised that there are so many more than I remember. After thest trial, the movement between the aristocrats and the Emperor began to shrink. I need to give my condolences to the Imperial Family, which will be troubled by the Vatican¡¯s check. To myself, too. ¡°What is this¡­? ¡° Unknowingly, I muttered to myself. No wonder, among the countless New Year¡¯s cards, a card from the imperial family was mixed. It didn¡¯t exactly have the eagle seal symbolizing the Emperor, but a swan seal symbolizing the Empress. Empress Elizabeth, no one else, sent me a New Year¡¯s card. Caught up in a suspicious and reluctant mood, I immediately opened the shiny white envelope and looked at the content. And then I was stunned. (Let¡¯s meet someday. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I still don¡¯t like you.) Yes, you don¡¯t, your Majesty. I¡¯ve known you for a long time, but you¡¯re very consistent. Clicking my tongue, I next opened up a New Year¡¯s card from the Duchess of Nurembert. The blue letter paper in the ck envelope gave a cool feeling. (I was amazed by your courageous appearance. I¡¯m trying to be brave, too. Have a good end of year.) I don¡¯t know what courage it is, but if the weakdy did cheer up, that¡¯s good, right? It wasn¡¯t until I quickly read and replied to countless letters like that did I feel like I finished everything. Of course, it¡¯s just the beginning, but¡­ it¡¯s short but a lot of things happened. It feels like I¡¯m finally wrapping up this winter. There were so many incidents. If I die one day and go to that afterlife to meet my husband, this winter¡¯s events alone would be enough to keep me awake. Ahem, I¡¯ll have to brag to my heart¡¯s content. Even though I look like this, the crown prince fell in love with me! ¡°Dear Mother, you look worried.¡± Oh, that scared me. My eyes nced through the half-open study door. My eldest son, who was pushing the door and smiling leisurely, came in. Did I look like I was worried? ¡°Then you¡¯re too carefree.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think one of us needs to make some adjustments? What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Well, if I may exin it, I was trying to respond with sincerity to the ostentatious greetings.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot. Is it just my imagination that there must be a love letter among all these greetings?¡± ¡°Why? Do you wish I had one?¡± As I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, his dark green eyes sparkled mischievously, ¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s not as if you have a crazy partner who likes you so much.¡± ¡°If I get someone like that, you¡¯re okay with anyone, right?¡± ¡°Well, it depends on the way he treats you, regardless of whether you like him or not.¡± The way he treats me¡­? I tilted my head a little, then grinned at him, suddenly feeling yful, ¡°You can¡¯t ept a person who is bad to me? That¡¯s a nice thing to say.¡± ¡°If there is such a person¡­¡± The eldest son, who clicked his tongue, smiled again, scratched his golden head with his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tear his legs apart and kill him.¡± I stared at the cross, then raised one hand and pped him on the back. A scream full of exaggeration rang in the house. ¡ª¡ª ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, madam.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip, madam. We¡¯ll take care of this ce.¡± Being sent off by the butler, maid and knight, I set out on my first trip with the children in all my previous and present life. I think I¡¯ve done a lot of things that I¡¯ve never done before. But I¡¯m d the kids seem to like it. ¡°I¡¯m going to sit by the window! Get out of my way!¡± ¡°The first person to sit is the owner, my lovely sister, who I want to bite and kill.¡± ¡°Mom, my brother threatened to kill me!¡± ¡°Mom, mom, I feel like throwing up all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Pahahaha! So why are you reading in the carriage ¡®short legs¡¯? If it¡¯s a trip¡­¡± ¡°Get out of the way, brother! That¡¯s my seat!¡± ¡°Oh, Rachel, why are you saying that to me?! I¡¯m not that easy¡­¡± ¡°Who- Shut up so I can get some sleep!¡± ¡°¡­ Mom, big brother, I¡¯m scared..¡± Oh, my God! I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be a smooth trip. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 I don¡¯t know who said that the beauty of life is that if you have money and manpower, you can create heaven on earth. The magnificent mountain range of Berchtesgaden, which we finally reached after a full day and a half, has recently emerged as a famous resort among aristocrats, boasting a spectacr view of vacation vis, hunting grounds, and magnificent hot spring houses in the middle of a dizzying ridge. It can also be quite interesting to see the children who were dozing off from the long trip, opening their eyes wide and looking out of the window. ¡°Hey, this is crazy. I-I am getting out of here!¡± ¡­.Isn¡¯t it? ¡°Elias, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Woo, we¡¯re all going to die! I¡¯m going to fall and die! I want to get out of here! Let me go home!¡± ¡­Who could have imagined that my second son could be scared of the high mountains¡­! And I¡¯ve known him for nearly a decade now. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with my brother?¡± ¡°I want to go back! I¡¯m going back. Oh! We¡¯re all going to die!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back! I love it here! Mom, tell my brother to go home alone!¡± ¡°Oh, my God, save me! We¡¯re all gonna die if we stay here! Hurry up and turn the wagon! Shuri, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± There was a bit of amotion thanks to Elias, who shouted and made a fuss, saying that we would all fall and die and be swept away by the wind. It goes without saying that I came all the way here but thought seriously about turning the wagon. It was none other than the reliable eldest son who calmed down his second brother, who was in a state of panic. ¡°Argh! Why are you hitting me?¡± ¡°What¡¯re you saying in front of our beloved guardian? Shut up and be a man, don¡¯t be a disgrace to the family. If you say that one more time, I¡¯ll tear you with my fist.¡± Oh, wow! It was a terrifying deration that would make my spine chilling. Then Leon, who was anxious about turning the wagon, raised his thumb as Jeremy rolled up one sleeve to his elbow and looked out the window calmly. In other words, poor Elias, who wasn¡¯t only faced with unexpected fear, but also was beaten up, was no longer open about it. Instead, he remained stiff, with a tense face until he got off the wagon. Nevertheless, after passing through the security office and arriving at the vi I had reserved, everyone began to like the ce. As it is an exclusive area for aristocrats, the vi, which is as colorful and charming as the mansions in the main city, has a separate guesthouse for the servants, as well as amodation for the knights. Above all, I have to say that the view is awesome. It is andscape full of wild beauty that is different from the main city. Perhaps because this is the first time I¡¯ve been to such a high altitude area, the scenery of the mountain range, which gradually changed as the sun was colored in red and purple, was beautiful. ¡°This is my room because the curtains are pink! Don¡¯te in!¡± ¡°Sister, how can you be so greedy? You¡¯re gonna take this whole ce by yourself? You¡¯ll just whine about the ghosting outter.¡± ¡°Then decide what you want, brother!¡± ¡°Hey, Rachel, can Ie in?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my twin, so it¡¯s okay.¡± While the children were running around the luxurious and colorful bedroom and deciding where to sleep, I started to think about what to do for dinner after getting the employees unpacked. I wanted to go into the warm hot spring water right away and sleep without thinking, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Excuse me, Mama.¡± ¡°Yes, son?¡± ¡°I heard that this area is famous for craftsmanship dishes pickled with special spices. I think that¡¯s the main ingredient of all the restaurants over here.¡± Oh, is that so? Why did you look into that? Looking back at my eldest son, I had to stop at the next moment. ¡°Jeremy, have you grown taller?¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know. I must have grown up.¡± Jeremy, who was tilting his head and touching his head with his hands, had certainly grown a little longer in the meantime. Although he was originally taller than me, I felt incredible even though I knew from a long time ago that their level of development was no different from weeds. The sad reality that even Rachel, the smallest of siblings, will be taller than me in a few years isn¡¯t easily epted. Cough¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve grown up! I¡¯ve grown up!¡± Elias, who rushed in and stood in front of me, was certainly taller. My height was about the same as mine, but now he is two fingers taller. It¡¯s still a long way for them to get really tall, but I guess the sad reality is that I have to look up to talk to these guys sooner orter¡­ ¡°Wahaha! What do you think? I¡¯m taller, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really true. But I¡¯ll grow further.¡± ¡°How dare you say that! But Shuri, when are you gonna grow up? You¡¯re not gonna be this little forever, are you?¡± It was amazing to see Elias, who was making a fuss about this ce a while ago, pressing my head with his hands while smiling at the topic. Oh, yeah, you guys have great genes! How great would it be if your mind grows together as your body grows? It was then that Jeremy, who was watching Elias with a really funny look, suddenly raised his hand and hit his brother¡¯s redhead. Elias screamed, ¡°Argh! What did I do again?¡± ¡°When did you get cheeky to touch your mother¡¯s head? Do you want to lose your wrist?¡± ¡°Big brother, what¡¯s wrong with you? What have I done wrong thest few days?!¡± Despite Elias¡¯ cry, which was full of grief, I also had nothing to say about Jeremy¡¯s outrageous, strange and subtle attitude. Even though I¡¯m seeing it for the first time. ¡°I don¡¯t like dishes that smell weird!¡± ¡°Me too! We can¡¯t eat spicy and smelly food!¡± Like countless famous resorts where aristocratse to enjoy secret vacations not only with their families but also with government officials, luxury restaurants located near the vi had an unusual structure with curtains closed from room to room. In a ce like this, there would be no chance of getting offended by meeting with a hostile family member while having a meal at a vacation spot, or having a meal with a young government that is not an unfamiliar one and attracting people¡¯s eyes. Of course, no matter how secretive it may be, people could know. Anyway, like other guests, we sat around a round table as the twins began toin. I felt sorry for the Marquis¡¯ cook, who would sweat blood every day to match their demanding tastes. After I go back, I¡¯ll have to give a new year¡¯s bonus. ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Leon, you can¡¯t always eat what you want. To be a gourmet the way you want to be, you have to taste a variety of dishes.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t whine like a baby, you short-legged man. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be too spicy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not touching that, brother!¡± Jeremy was the only one who was acting casually in front of this unfamiliar dish that I had never seen before. Will the appetite of the aspiring knight who will be a legend in the future ovee the unfamiliarity and reluctance? Jeremy, who was slicing off the thigh of a peacock dish with an unusual scent, suddenly put down the knife and stared at me with a strange look. Then he immediately looked at his younger siblings with a look filled with irritation, but began to say something I had never heard before, ¡°Dear Mother, with your permission, may I knock some sense into those who don¡¯t know table manners?¡± ¡°Yes, do whatever you want, my eldest son.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? If you don¡¯t want to be beaten, shut up and eat!¡± There was a moment of silence. As Elias stared at both of us as if the world was ending, the twins began to concentrate on the meal, iming that they were quite impressed by Jeremy¡¯s behaviour when he asked for my permission. In conclusion, the peacock dish, covered with unidentified spices, was surprisingly quite delicious that even the picky Rachel ate three tes of it. Why was sheining so much if she was going to enjoy it anyway? After eating raspberry pie and drinking tea for dessert, everyone¡¯s eyelids be heavy. We decided to go to the hot springs and other attractions tomorrow and went straight to the amodation. Rachel, who took the bedroom with the pink curtains, eventually slept with me. The next morning, I woke up early as a habit and left the children to sleep in and went out to see the market lined up around the hot spring with the knights. It was expected that by the time we leave, we wouldn¡¯t have time to even look at the souvenirs, and Elias was at the vi, so it¡¯s very quiet. If hees to this street where one could see the distant scenery, I don¡¯t know what would happen. I know better than anyone else. They are only children, but they are difficult to understand. This is why people shouldn¡¯t becent. Oh, yeah, let¡¯s not be that way, life is¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, madam. I¡¯ll risk my life to protect you.¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡­Hmm? Did I look scared? For some unique reason, which is hard for me to understand, the knights followed me holding their sword¡¯s grip and insisted that they wouldn¡¯t let anyone get close to me. Needless to say, merchants, who were preparing to earn money from aristocratic travelers in the early morning, began to pretend to be busy and looked down. ¡°Sir Altz, Sir Wolfgang?¡± ¡°Give me your word, madam.¡± ¡± ¡­. I don¡¯t think you have to be that wary.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡± ¡°I mean, I think it¡¯s okay for you to rx a little¡­¡± ¡°We know nothing about rxing, Madam.¡± No matter what I say, it won¡¯t work. I looked around the market with a feeling of desperation, tightening the warm hooded cape made of the fox that Jeremy had caught the other day. In such a ce, it¡¯s an implicit rule to pretend not to know someone even if you run into someone you know, but it is still inevitable to stand out. For example, at the scarf stall over there is Duke Heinrichughing with a woman my age. My eyes can¡¯t be deceived no matter how he wore the hat. It was unknown whether he had made a new lover after his wife died half a yearter or he met her before that. In thetter case, I understand why rumors spread that Duchess Heinrichmitted suicide after suffering from depression. Phew, I feel like I¡¯m finally realizing how people have looked at me in the past. A woman who had lovers less than a month after her husband died. ¡°It¡¯s a thief!¡± It was then that the streets of the marketce in the hot spring area, which was brightened with colorful colors all over the ce, became noisy in an instant. I heard someone¡¯s sharp cry, and the next moment, a man popped out of the very opposite side of the point where I was walking, followed by a knight in a ck uniform. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± At the very moment when the confident thief passed by me, Sir Altz, who was behind me, tripped the thief. Thump! As soon as the nearby signpost copsed loudly, the merchant¡¯s raspy roar ran, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re pickpocketing?¡± ¡°Argh!¡± I turned away from the scene when the angry merchant hit the head of the thief with a pot-covering object. A knight in ck uniform who reached our way quickly thanked my knights. I¡¯ve seen that uniform before¡­ ¡°Sir Betstein, it¡¯s too harsh¡­ oh, my God.¡± With another knight in ck uniform, thedy with sky blue hair, who was rushing up this way, suddenly paused, covered her mouth with her hands and looked toward me. I was also surprised. ¡°Lady Neuwanstein¡­? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first family trip.¡± Duchess Nurembert was here for the same reason. She came to look for souvenirs early on and met a bad pickpocket. I guess I¡¯m not the only one who feels a little embarrassed. The Duchess, who was walking, fiddling with the Cape¡¯s hem just as awkwardly as I was while our knights followed suit reliably, turned, ¡°Madam, you received the New Year¡¯s card, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. I received it.¡± ¡°Yes, I wanted to tell you that what you have shown me¡­ .. gave me the courage to be brave.¡± Oh, that part. I wondered what kind of courage it was, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be rude to ask. Yet the Duchess, who seemed to look at the well-cleaned road with her eyes down, brought it up first. ¡°Well, I told my husband.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I said for the first time that I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± What can¡¯t she stand? Or did the decent Duke of Nurembert have rtionships? How many¡­! It was then that she, who had been looking at the ground all this time, suddenly jerked her head. Seeing the watery eyes which had always subsided sadly, I swallowed a dry saliva in the scenery that glistened with unusual light as they haven¡¯t before. Huh? ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t agree with that kind of discipline anymore, and shouldn¡¯t I trust my child¡¯s words rather than what others say?¡± ¡°I should have told you earlier, but anyway, he seemed a little surprised. After talking about it, I nned a family trip.¡± The Duchess, who spoke in a surprisingly fast tone, now faced me with her shoulders up. The watery eyes, which had always been sad, sparkled brilliantly with pride. As for me, I was just mesmerized. Well, it may not be a big deal to others. However, it was hard to imagine how much courage this slender wife, who was now in her early thirties, had to confront her husband for the first time in her life. At least in my opinion. How can I understand everything about other people¡¯s family? ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m d the young Nurembert seems to be doing well.¡± When she finally expressed her feelings, she now smiled broadly. For me, it was my first time seeing a bright smile, so for a moment I felt like she was a teenager who just had aing-of-age ceremony. ¡°I hope so.¡± Of course, assuming that it is not toote for all of us. ¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me!¡± The legend of the effectiveness of hot spring baths is said to have existed for a long time even back to the enduring history of the Kaiserreich Empire. It hasn¡¯t been long since this kind of popr hot spring center began to emerge in earnest, but anyway, when the moment finally came to try this luxurious open-air bath, the second son, who was like an angry colt, was in a strange condition. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but don¡¯t talk to me! Especially you!¡± Elias seemed to be very sulky. I wish I had a way to know why he¡¯s acting that way. ¡°Jeremy, what¡¯s wrong with your brother?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If you leave him alone, it¡¯ll work out. Oh, by the way, it¡¯s already hot.¡± As soon as I paid for the entrance fee, I forgot the outside season in the heat of the magnificent dome roof. ¡°I¡¯m going in separately with Rachel, so please take care of your younger siblings.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, my beloved mother. Oh, but are they not giving us food here?¡± After Jeremy disappeared with his two younger brothers, alreadyining about how long it had been since lunch, I entered the women¡¯s bath with Rachel. On the second floor, there is a wide pool that can amodate dozens of people, and on the third floor, there are small pools that can be used individually between the stone walls that were constantly built. No matter how popr it is these days, we didn¡¯t want to y naked in the water with others, so we immediately changed into gowns and went up to the third floor. As soon as I took off my gown and went into the water, I immediately realized the effect of the hot spring bath. God, this is heaven! Why didn¡¯t I know this was good before? It feels different from when I take a bath at home. Should I say that the skin feels like it¡¯s getting bouncy automatically, along with the dizzying sensation of the whole body being loosened? Maybe it¡¯s just a feeling, but I feel really healthy. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hot. Isn¡¯t there cold water here?¡± Our littledy didn¡¯t seem to be enjoying herself as much as I was. It seemed quite affectionate to see the plump white cheeks sshing with roses. Curly golden hair had already been soaked and straightened. ¡°Hang in there. They say hot springs are good for beauty.¡± ¡°Hot water makes you pretty? How?¡± I don¡¯t know how to exin. I smiled, moved my arms in the water, sped the shoulders of the girl with her mouth pouting. The days when you try to argue about everything like this won¡¯tst long¡­ ¡°Well, it makes your skin whiter, removes scars and tickles quickly, and makes your nails shiny. Don¡¯t you want to lose weight, Rachel??¡± Rachel briefly touched my hair with her hands and said nothing, but soon shook her golden head in a distinctive stubborn voice, ¡°You¡¯re pretty without doing this. So I don¡¯t want to do it either. It¡¯s absurd to have to endure everything you don¡¯t want to do to be pretty!¡± Of course, this is unreasonable. There are only a few years left for her to experience the trouble once a month and have difficulty breathing because of the corsets. ¡­..Of course, when the timees, I will take care of it. As it has been in the past. Thanks to Rachel, who insisted that she wouldn¡¯t tolerate such absurdities(that she would die from the heat), I had to leave the hot spring early. My sons were clearly still ying there, so I returned to the vi and sat on the terrace with Rachel, enjoying the surrounding scenery and nibbling at refreshments. I think I should go back alone when everyone is sleeping at night. Cough, I sound like an old woman. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Anyway, this is my first time resting after a long time. Thanks to the burning stove, even the terrace was filled with warmth. When it was time for a nap, I took Rachel who was dozing off andid her on bed then went back to the terrace to enjoy the tremendous luxury while reading a magazine. I wondered if everything was alright in the mansion. Of course, if something happens, I¡¯ll get informed right away, but¡­ I wonder how I became a workaholic who didn¡¯t know how to rx. ¡°Mom!¡± Oh my! That scared me. At the sudden cry from the bottom of the terrace, I slightly removed myself from the long bench and looked down at the railing. Unlike me and Rachel, Leon, whose chubby face was red, was running to the entrance of the vi, waving happily. Let¡¯s say that Elias is walking behind him with his cheeks still swollen. I think Jeremy made a friend in the meantime¡­. What? ¡°Hey, our dear Mother Shuri! Can we have dinner with himter?¡± ¡­Did they get close while fighting? I couldn¡¯t find anything to say and blinked my eyes. That¡¯s because the boy next to the eldest son, who walked vigorously toward this side with his golden hair that wasn¡¯t yet dry, was a person I knew very well. Considering what happened this morning, it¡¯s weird not to meet him here, but¡­ ¡°Hello, Lady Neuwanstein.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nice to see you here. Do you want to have dinner together?¡± I don¡¯t know why I feel so awkward. Thest time we saw each other, we didn¡¯t leave awkwardly, so why do I have such a weird feeling? As a rival of fate, Nora, who stood next to Jeremy and stared up at this side, didn¡¯t seem to have changed much. The ck hair that looked just like his father¡¯s, and the slightly tannedplexion of a boy who enjoyed outdoor activities were still there. If I have to choose something that feels different¡­ It was that he seemed to have grown a little taller, and that he had cool blue eyes with an unprecedented shade. ¡°Look, what did I say? I told you that my beautiful mother would dly ept it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt it that much, you slow cat.¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯re angry because you¡¯re embarrassed, poo-dog. Shall we y a round?¡± ¡°After dinner, I have to go now. See youter, madam!¡± When Nora, who politely bowed his head, left, Jeremy also came inside and ran up the stairs with his younger siblings. The thumping sound in the middle seemed to be the sound of Elias closing the door. Oh, that¡¯s weird. Why is he still sulking? ¡°Did you have fun?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was really fun! I had a diving match with my hyungs, and when my eldest brother was about to win, suddenly the ck-haired older brother came and jumped in, so I won! The hyungs were so upset.¡° Leon, who talked about what happened, took the ginger cookie that was on the table and walked over to sit next to his twin sister, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. Then he began to bite the edge of the cookie, with a look in his eyes as if he was keeping a close eye on his sister while she slept. Isn¡¯t that a lovely scene? The twins with the same sparkling emerald eyes and wavy golden hair were always clinging to each other. ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Why did youe back so early? Was it more boring than I thought?¡± Jeremy, who came struggling to straighten his wet hair, sat down next to me. And I just swallowed tears of grief. I thought it would be me and Rachel who would enjoy it, but I think it was the opposite. ¡°Because Rachel insisted that bathing in a hot spring is absurd.¡± ¡°What?¡± I swallowed a bitter smile and put the magazine spread on myp on the table, and Jeremy, who was yawning, stretched out his upper body on the long chair the next moment andid there. To be exact, heid down on myp. I froze first, then came to my senses and opened my mouth calmly, ¡°You seem to be acting young like someone.¡± ¡°Please take a look. I¡¯vepleted the task given to me steadily.¡± ¡°Task?¡± ¡°You said I should take good care of my younger siblings. No one died and we all came back alive. Ah, I suddenly feel sleepy.¡± That sounds pretty reasonable. There is no room for refutation. I convinced myself so, and decided to let this overweight eldest sony down on myp and doze off. It doesn¡¯t seem too bad to be doing this. It makes me feelfortable and warm my heart¡­ ¡°But you know what.¡± ¡°Huh? ¡°About that guy who was here. He¡¯s a puppy thinking he¡¯s a wolf.¡± ¡°You mean the young Nurembert?¡± What do you mean by saying he¡¯s a puppy that thinks he¡¯s a wolf? He¡¯s your fateful rival. As I turned my gaze downward with a smile, Jeremy, who had his eyelids half closed, suddenly had an unusual expression in his eyes and continued speaking, ¡°I think his father is very scary.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I saw him in the hot spring earlier, and his back was covered in bruises just like when Elias was beaten by our unclest time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. At the banquet at my housest time, you know, it was too obvious.¡± ¡°Why¡­ was he beaten like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Would he tell me if I ask?¡± The conversation with the duchess this morning came to mind. After hesitating for a while, I carefully talked about one of the many questions that came to my mind, ¡°But¡­ Why is his rtionship with his highness so bad?¡± Even though it was a question I had high expectations for, he immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him!¡± Jeremy, who I thought would answer, blinked his green eyes and nodded. Then he immediatelyughed and continued, ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s because Theo hyung is unlucky?¡± ¡°Unlucky?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how close he is to the people around him, but when I look back, he makes most of them feel bad. Can you pretend to be nice all by yourself? It¡¯s hard to. Anyway, it looks like he¡¯s suffering from obsessivepulsive disorder. It seems like he can¡¯t bear the thought that someone might be more interesting than him?¡± How can a guy who doesn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s situation show such profound introspection? Well, surprisingly, he is quick to sense that. But he has been close to the crown prince since he was young, so it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to grasp that aspect much better than others. It¡¯s just a bit unexpected¡­ ¡°Jeremy, you know, the cardinal you met then.¡± ¡°Uh, what about him?¡± ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t seen him at all?¡± ¡°I told you then. I couldn¡¯t see him properly, but I may remember the voice¡­¡­.¡± It was then that rough footsteps sounded. Elias, who was advancing to the terrace where we were sitting, stopped at the spot, as he looked back angrily, with a look that said that he had a lot to say. ¡°What are you two doing? I thought you were a hat.¡± Elias returned the insult he had received before, but Jeremy calmly answered with a yawn, ¡°Why don¡¯t you find the right word, stupid brother.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? What is this? Why do you get along so well? What are you doing¡± ¡°What are you saying? Do you think there¡¯s a dark conspiracy in everything in the world?¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s definitely like that! Especially, you¡¯re the most suspicious! You suddenly started to pretend to be an adult, and¡­ ¡° ¡°No, why do you keep shouting? If you can¡¯t call her ¡®mother¡¯, that would be bad, right?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s my mother? My mom passed away 7 years ago! Why is she my mother?¡± Elias, who was shouting in anger, began to blink. The terrace of the bedroom, where the there siblings gathered together except Rachel, who was sleeping soundly, quickly became a territory of silence. Jeremy jumped up and raised himself by hitting the bench he was lying on. Then, as soon as he was ferocious, his eyes shed dangerously. ¡°What did you say again?¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± Elias¡¯s mouth opened and closed, hesitated, took a step back, and then shouted again, ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°This boy is really¡­!¡± ¡°Jeremy!¡± Crash! Finally, Elias, who made hisst move, ran away quickly,and I grabbed Jeremy¡¯s arm. The boy, who was exuding a chilling anger, paused and looked at me. I said as calmly as I could while looking at his eyes, ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°What? But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s really fine, so I think you¡¯d better leave it alone.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Elias talk that way. Moreover, these boys didn¡¯t return to the past with the memories of the future as I did, so they are still kids¡­. even Jeremy. No matter how much Jermey has changed. From an objective point of view, I and these guys are strangers who are like brothers and sisters at best. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 I didn¡¯t expect to be treated like a mother so there¡¯s nothing to be upset about. But, well, what a bad guy! No matter what, did he have to say it like that?! Jeremy smiled calmly on the surface, looked at me, moved his golden eyebrows slightly, and suddenly said, ¡°Do you know that you smile differently when you¡¯re sad?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ll pull out that boy¡¯s tongue sooner orter¡­¡± It¡¯s strange to see him muttering a truly creepy remark and clicking his tongue. To be able to control that dog-like temper so well, should it be said to be a huge development? Yeah, Jeremy has developed that much¡­ The smart child, who was sitting near the bedside stopped looking from side to side, came to me and grabbed my sleeves with his hands. I quickly smiled brightly, so as to not transmit what I was feeling to the child, but the little intellectual who looked up said, ¡°Mom, is the second brother going through puberty?¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± ¡°The teacher said that children in adolescence are rebellious because they don¡¯t get beaten.¡± Jeremy, who was holding a ss of water and gulping it down, began to cough. I smiled and stroked Leon¡¯s head. Fortunately, Rachel slept soundly, otherwise, this ce would have been transformed into the middle of a jungle. Anyway, what should I do with my second son? Ha, if one guy calms down, the other guy will make trouble. That¡¯s my fate!! By the time the sun was setting, white snow began to scatter. We headed directly to the restaurant where we had booked, wrapped in thick fur cloaks. Speaking of Elias, who had been confined to the room until then, he followed without saying a word, with his lips still protruding, probably because he was hungry. Nevertheless, Jeremy didn¡¯t say anything to him. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t this the best spot in the restaurant?¡± As Jeremy expressed, the spot was the restaurant¡¯s most expensive terrace on the top floor of the hot spring hall. Even on the terrace, thick ss walls blocked the outside air, so there was no chance of being hit by the cold wind. Although the sight of other people eating inside is a little unpleasant, anyway, we can have a warm dinner while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the mountains shrouded by the snowstorm. ¡°You¡¯re already here?¡± Nora appeared by the time the warm steaming stew and wine-pickled wild boar dish came. The young Nurembert loosened his ck scarf with one hand as if it was a nuisance, came into the terrace where we were sitting, and pushed the box he held in the other hand directly to me. ¡°Mom asked me to send it.¡± ¡°Madam¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. White chocte or something. Anyway, thank you for inviting me.¡± Hehe, white chocte? It¡¯s just dinner together. Why did she even send that? ¡°But¡­ It¡¯s a family trip. Is it okay to eat separately like this?¡± ¡°My parents must have been eager for me to disappear even for a moment. They¡¯ll be here anyway, so you can say helloter,¡° Nora, who responded with a shrug of his shoulder, sat next to Jeremy with a smile. It¡¯s really great to see the rivals of fate sitting on a table so harmoniously. ¡°Wee to the lion¡¯s den, puppy.¡± ¡°Who is the puppy? Do slow wildcat babies count as lions these days?¡± ¡°Oh, you want to give it a try?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to say.¡± While the rivals of fate kicked each other¡¯s legs under the table, the twins were watching Nora with a look on their faces as if they were watching something extraordinary. In the meantime, Elias, who is still stirring the stew te loudly with a sulky face alone, decided not to pay them attention. But why do I keep feeling awkward? Nora was being polite to me as never before, perhaps because he was in front of the lion cubs or because he was conscious of the eyes of others, and I was the same. In any case, Nora, who was getting along with Jeremy and had a hearty appetite, seemed fine. Even though I know what was happening ording to the testimony I heard from Jeremy earlier and the scar on his face that I saw thest time I met him, he still seemed cheerful. And yet, why does it feel like something strangely changed? ¡°Good. After the meal, we¡¯ll have a proper fight, puppy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry because you lost, Kitten.¡± ¡°But did you bring your sword? You look like you came empty handed. As for me, I have a great sword that St. ra personally gave as a Christmas gift¡­ ¡° (Tl note: I used Santa instead of St. ra in previous chapters ¡­. If anyone knows why they use ¡®St. ra¡¯ in the novelment and tell me, thank you.) ¡°St. ra must be the most generous person in the world,¡± Nora, who lightly responded, suddenly turned to me and smiled slightly. Although it didn¡¯t matter if he said it, I was amazed that he didn¡¯t confess that he received his Christmas gift as well. I thought he was as reckless as my son¡­ It was then that Elias, who was struggling with the dessert pie, suddenly opened his mouth, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so noisy. Can you shut up and stop interrupting other people¡¯s pleasant meals?¡± ng! The sound of Jeremy dropping the knife he was holding rang loudly. As for Nora, who was the target of that sudden quarrel, he looked surprisingly calm and turned slowly toward Elias, ¡°It¡¯s etiquette to look into each other¡¯s eyes and talk during the conversation. It seems that you said it to me just now, didn¡¯t you, coward?¡± It goes without saying that Elias, who was suddenly treated as a coward, lost his temper and pushed the pie te roughly. He immediately jumped to his feet, and roared with the spirit of destroying the entire restaurant without saying a thing, ¡±Why? Are you unhappy?! If you have any problem, you can leave! You¡¯re like a wild dog who doesn¡¯t know where to be!¡± While Nora was just frowning at that innocent remark, Jeremy responded to the argument that it was more than unbearable, ¡°Why do you always vent your anger on the wrong person whenever you¡¯re upset? Do you really want to be beaten up?¡± ¡°Hey, for how long have you been so close to him?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s on his side? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been trying to ruin the good atmosphere!¡± ¡°What kind of atmosphere is it? He¡¯s been smiling with his eyes and making people angry¡­¡± ¡°Elias!¡± Unknowingly, my voice went up sharply. In the meantime, the twins, who were firmly eating their food deliciously, opened their eyes wide and looked at me. Elias, who was arguing with his brother, also flinched and opened his eyes wide and looked back at me. ¡°Where did you learn to be rude? Can¡¯t you apologize right away?¡± ¡°No! Why should I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand when I say something?! How do you treat me? I¡¯m your guardian. It¡¯s an invariable fact. Just do what I say! Do you want to see severe people die because of a quarrel between our family?¡± Of course, because of the quarrel between children, the possibility of our family fighting with the Nurembert family is very small. But my patience with that angry foal-like guy has slowly reached its limit. Even so, if a fight urred, it was clear who would be beaten. No matter what happened, Nora was one of the few people who had shown heartfelt concern during the previous trial, and I didn¡¯t want him toe to dine with me in an unpleasant atmosphere, get involved in an absurd vent and argue with his father again. After I shouted and then breathed heavily, Elias pouted as if he hadpletely lost his soul. Jeremy, who was raising his arm to beat his younger brother, sat down and kept talking to himself. The dark green eyes stared at me withplex and subtle light. At this time, Nora, who was chewing his lips with a vague expression, quickly reced the expression with a smile as soon as he made eye contact with me and moved. He stood up calmly as if nothing had happened, and soon wrapped his hand around the scarf. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I think it would be better to go. I was rude in many ways.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s impolite to rashly intervene in other people¡¯s family trips¡­ Although it¡¯s a pity, we¡¯llpeteter, slow man.¡± ¡°Hey, dude. Are you running away again?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sad, you shoulde and see me. Then I¡¯ll get going now!¡± Jeremy seemed to have felt something unusual at the sight of his rival going away so quickly, but he didn¡¯t hold onto it anymore. Instead, he stared at his immature brother with irritated eyes. ¡°You are a blind person who can¡¯t read the situation. You¡¯re a family wrecker.¡± Instead of questioning why he was suddenly used of breaking the family, Elias only sat down with a very awkward movement. Then I sighed and looked back at Jeremy, ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯ll go back first, you finish eating with your siblings.¡± Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°Yeah, I finished eating too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done too, mom.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± I think everyone was quite shocked that I showed a ferocious appearance. So, we left the restaurant with delicacies and returned to the vi. As soon as I returned to the amodation, I fell asleep without realizing it. It was in the middle of the night when I opened my eyes because I heard something sharp hitting against each other. Iy for a while, looked at the ceiling, and soon got up. It clearly came from the outside.I approached the window and pulled the curtain back, then I yawned. Soon after, the scenery that caught my eyes was none other than the appearance of the two boys swinging swords excitedly on the snowfield. It¡¯s amazing how they smiled and faced each other like rivals. Do they have to be like this at night? ck hair and gold hair colored by the white moonlight sparkled side by side. And the swords they each held were none other than the ones I gave them. Jeremy had a white sword with a golden handle while Nora had a ck sword with a tinum handle¡­ Somehow I looked at the scenery half-dazed, and then staggered to make sure the other children were sleeping well. Then I was surprised. The bedroom with pink curtains where Rachel was supposed to be sleeping was empty. The same was true of other bedrooms. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t see Leon, Elias, or even Rachel!! I ran downstairs on that road and went out to the backyard where the two boys were fighting excitedly. Both of them immediately paused and turned around at the sight of me running out. ¡°You woke up because of us¡­¡± ¡°Jeremy, where have your siblings gone?¡± Jeremy, who was breathing hard and wiping away the sweat dripping in this cold weather, opened his eyes wide as if wondering what that meant. ¡°Everyone was sleeping just now¡±. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see them leave? There¡¯s no one inside right now!¡± ¡°What?¡± It¡¯s a mess. The knights, who gathered around the fire, werepletely unaware of the sound of the children going out. Sure enough, the kitchen window on the first floor was open. Why did they sneak out through the window on this cold night? Even the twins! ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, ma¡¯am. The area is well guarded. Nothing will happen.¡± Even though I know that the surrounding area is well guarded, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from panicking. No matter how good the resort is, it is a ce where bad things could happen. What if they met a robber? Or if they slip on a cliff? In addition, isn¡¯t Elias afraid of heights? There¡¯s a lot of snow piled up, so it¡¯s dangerous everywhere. Guys, where did you go?! ¡°Calm down and wait. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re preupied with useless things. We¡¯ll look for them, so go back,¡± Jeremy, who calmly spoke, grabbed my shoulder, turned his head and looked at Nora. Likewise, Nora, who was standing with an unusual expression, nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll look for them with the help of the knight my family brought. They wouldn¡¯t have gone far.¡± Even though I was anxious, all I could do was nod my head. While the two boys went out to search for three children with the knights, all kinds of thoughts came to my mind. Did he run away from home because I shouted at him earlier? Even so, why did he take the twins out? Why did he keep doing things that he didn¡¯t do in the past? ¡°Marchioness Neuwanstein?¡± A second felt like a few minutes. How much time has passed? While sitting on the entrance of the vi waiting, Duke Nurembert came. Nora took their knights and left, so it wasn¡¯t strange that he came. ¡°Duke.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? It was quite noisy outside. Did my son cause an ident?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± After I talked about how Elias and the twins disappeared, the Duke of Steel only listened silently with a calm face, and then smiled , ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what kids at that age do. There is no need to panic. They¡¯ll be back safe and sound.¡± Even though it was a rather obvious way to calm someone, the anxiety that had been on high alert seemed to subside, perhaps because it was said by an adult of my father¡¯s age. Even though I went back in time, I guess they have a long way to go before they mature¡­ ¡°Really?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be back holding the knight¡¯s hands and crying. So please wait inside. The wind is cold.¡± The Duke, who responded with pity, took off his coat and put it on my shoulder. The feeling on my frozen hands and feet suddenly came at this time, which was a little embarrassing. It didn¡¯t seem like a big deal, but it made me feel like a child. ¡°Did they wake up from sleeping?¡± ¡°No, I fell asleep first. I just have a lot to think about. As you know, I will start to get busy after this vacation.¡± The duke frowned slightly as if he was troubled. He¡¯s so gentle and elegant. He¡¯s a nice guy. But howe he treats Nora that way? ¡°You know, your son¡­ He¡¯s such a good kid.¡± I said that unconsciously. As a result, the duke looked at me with his head tilted slightly and smiled. ¡°I appreciate that you think that way. By the way, I heard that my wife made a weird requestst time regarding our son, so I think I have to apologize again for that.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to apologize¡­ It wasn¡¯t a burdensome request.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy for you to take care of the children when they¡¯re at this age.¡± That was true. While I didn¡¯t know what to say and blinked awkwardly, the kind Duke stared at my face with such light in his deep blue eyes that were simr to Nora¡¯s. The mysterious gaze that I often encountered in the past was never impure or vain. It was just¡­ ¡°Madam!¡± When I thought that the surroundings were brightening up, I heard the knights shouting. I jumped straight up. From the opposite side, I saw my eldest son, who was moving forward this way with knights holding a torch, and Elias, who was holding his shoulders beside Jeremy. But where are the twins¡­?! ¡°Elias! You¡­ Where did you go?¡± ¡°Woo woo!¡± ¡°Why are you crying? Where are your younger siblings?¡± Hearing my ferocious cry, Elias sat on the floor with his legs stretched and sobbed, saying strange words that I couldn¡¯t understand, so in order to make him talk clearly, Jeremy smacked him hard. ¡°I climbed up to the ridge to pick flowers, but I was shaking because I was afraid of heights.¡± At this time, Elias put a white flower in one hand. The rare flower that only appears in the snowy alpine regions shone alone in the middle of this chaos. ¡°Why did you go to pick flowers in the middle of the night? Where are the twins?¡± ¡°Woo woo, I¡¯m in pain!¡± ¡°Why are you changing the subject?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I really hurt my arm!¡± It took a very long time for us to understand what Elias was trying to say. After dinner, Leon saw a rare flower from a book, so somehow the three of them went on an adventure to collect it. While climbing up to the ridge, Elias was in panic because he was afraid of heights, and the twins left first, saying they would bring Jeremy! While I couldn¡¯t find anything to say and I just looked like a fool with an open mouth, Duke Nurembert, who seemed desperate to hold back hisughter, asked Jeremy, ¡°What about the rest of the search party?¡± ¡°We decided to look for them separately earlier. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re right now, but I¡¯ll have to go¡­¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Jeremy, the Duke, and the knights, who were talking, turned their heads. The same was true of me. ¡°Leon! Rachel!¡± God, thank you! I saw a ck-haired boy walking right in front of my eyes that were filled with tears. It was Nora holding Leon¡¯s hand in one hand with Rachel on his shoulder and a sword in the other hand!! Chapter 62 Chapter 62 When I saw the twins smiling brightly and waving their hands not knowing what happened because of them, I was angry andughed ironically at the same time. ¡°Mom, my brother¡­Oh, he¡¯s here? Why is he crying?¡± There was a moment of silence. Rachel, who jumped from Nora¡¯s shoulders while I covered my face with my hands and swallowed a sigh, rushed to me with Leonal and shouted- ¡°Mom, we got it! It¡¯s really shining! This is for mom.¡± ¡°Mom, are you still angry? The book said that girls like flower gifts!¡± Jeremy clicked his tongue faintly. As for Nora, who brought me back the twin, he just stared at me with an unheroic, subdued expression on his face. That was until his father opened his mouth with a sigh, ¡°If you had a problem like this, you should have said something. Why did you drag the knights out on your own?¡± ¡°Nora!¡± ¡°Duke, I apologize for unintentionally causing you trouble. I¡¯m very grateful to the young master.¡± As I quickly intervened, the Duke stopped raising his voice toward his silent son and looked back at me, and soon shook his head with a more rxed look, ¡°I know, I¡¯m just d everyone came back safely.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. If you don¡¯t mind, can I treat the young master to tea before going back?¡± Fortunately, the Duke of Steel said yes, and our family and Nora safely entered the vi. The twins, who had passed their bedtime, immediatelyy in bed and fell asleep. Elias, who went on a flower gathering adventure in the middle of the night with his phobia of heights and injured himself when he slipped, remained silent sitting on the stove with a grumpy face. It was good that I brought emergency medicines just in case. When Elias finally opened his mouth, I had already finished applying ointment to the small injury on his arm. ¡°¡­I actually don¡¯t even remember my mother¡¯s face properly anymore.¡± Come to think of it, Jeremy seems to have said something simr like that one day. I waited for a while wondering what he would say next, but Elias didn¡¯t say anything anymore. So I brought it up instead, ¡°I have no desire to erase the existence of your mother in your memory and take her ce, alright? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to force you to do that, so you don¡¯t have to be anxious like that anymore.¡± How could I do that? She died after giving birth to these beautiful children. Moreover, I saw her portrait one day and knew that I didn¡¯t resemble her even slightly, so how can I be so greedy like that? While swallowing a bitter smile, I closed the lid of the ointment and gathered the flowers scattered on the table, and Elias said, ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not my family.¡± I paused for a moment, but smiled broadly at the boy who was still stubbornly looking down, ¡°I know.¡± When Elias finally came out of the bedroom and entered the living room, the two boys, who became heroes of the night, were lying on the long sofa, dozing off. They were tired because they had to search for the kids in the middle of the night. The scene where the little lion and wolf, who will grow up to be rivals, sleeping near each other was very ironic. Looking at it like this, both of them are still kids¡­ There was a crackling sound of logs popping up from the firece. I hesitated for a moment, brought a thick nket, covered the two up, and corrected their posture. No, I was trying to fix it. ¡°¡­¡­Ummm¡­¡± It was then that Nora, who fell asleep hugging a sword with one arm just like Jeremy, suddenly began to groan as if he were in pain. I tried to check his temperature, wondering if he had unintentionally been hit by cold wind and caught a cold. ¡°¡­. Ugh¡­ Father¡­ ¡° ¡°Nora!¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do that¡­ I didn¡¯t do that¡­¡± Needless to say, my eyes were wide open. As I froze, Nora began to gasp painfully, sweating profusely from what he was dreaming of. In the meantime, he muttered in a small voice like a child, ¡°I really didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t do that¡­ I¡¯m not lying. Why don¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Is this what suffocating feels like? I remembered Nora, whom I met in the chapel one day. The way he sat down next to the altar and shed tears. After the terrible Christmas banquet, thest scene ofing to me and joking around passed by. I thought I had to wake him up from the pain he was going through, so I gently reached out. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and raised his upper body. ¡°No, Nora¡±? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nora, soaked in cold sweat all over her neck, seemed to be confused about where he was. Eyes shining bright blue in the dark, with an unfamiliar shade, stared intently at my face. Seeing those unusual-looking eyes, I swallowed my saliva. ¡°Nora, are you¡­ okay?¡± There was a moment of silence. Nora gasped for breath and stared at me for a while longer, and then breathed out, ¡°Noona, are you okay?¡± ¡­I feel speechless. More than that, I feel like something was a little bit like it used to be. Sure enough, did I feel strange because this guy didn¡¯t talk to me as respectfully as he did before? While I was hesitating, Nora let go of my hand, looked around, and sat uppletely. Then he scratched his sweaty hair with his hands and smiled at me. It was an unbelievably calm smile that was different from before. ¡°You must be going through a lot. Not only because of a guy like me, but two other teens and even two noisy little kids.¡± ¡­Well, that¡¯s true. Should I say that things are still going to be okay? ¡°You should know how lucky they are. Anyway, I think I identally fell asleep. I should get going.¡± ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you just sleep¡­¡± ¡°No, I caused enough trouble.¡± The inconvenience was rather caused by our side. I thought it would be okay to sleep here. Nora, who was in a hurry to get up, suddenly paused and looked back at me, ¡°Oh, and¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡­ during the trial, I wanted to say that noona was really cool. Not everyone can have courage like that.¡± Somehow, his voice felt deeper than usual. In the cool, early bluish morning, the same cool shining eyes peered into my eyes. How am I supposed to respond to that? I¡¯m speechless. ¡°Thank you¡­. What you did today, and everything¡­¡­ I owe you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything special.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll be fine, Nora,¡± I stuttered without realizing it. Maybe it just popped out of its own ord because of what I saw a while ago. ¡°So I mean¡­ I think it¡¯ll be better in the future, but if there¡¯s anything I can do to help you, tell me anytime.¡± Nora¡¯s eyes widened, and suddenly he smiled strangely. It was a smile that looked both mature and strange. ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± ** After a short and eventful vacation, we finally made our way home. On the way back, the snowstorm had ceased and the sun was shining brightly. ¡°Anyway, wait till we reach home.¡± ¡°Why do you keep threatening me? It¡¯s already over!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over? Who said that? I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡­Well, I think I should pray for my second son¡¯s well being. I think the eldest son is very eager to punish him. I should say that I don¡¯t have a heart to stop him, haha. The twins fell asleep immediately as soon as they got on the wagon, and Elias, who was looking at his eldest brother with an anxious look, also began to doze off at some point. After confirming that I had packed all the luggage properly, I grabbed the stick candy the vi employee gave me and got into the carriage. ¡°How do you feel about your vacation being over, dear mother?¡± ¡°Okay, Jeremy. You can stop the show, too. I feel a bit nauseous because I keep listening to it.¡± Jeremy, who was sitting by the window, with his mischievous eyes shining, took the candy in my hand and threw it into his mouth. Then he started tough, ¡°Haha, it would be a little unfair to be treated as an old mother at your age already.¡± ¡°Did you just find out?¡± When I said with the same mischievous tone, he held my hand with one hand and pulled it close to him. ¡°Yeah, whether it¡¯s a mother, a sister or even a guardian, all you have to do is stay with the family. Don¡¯t you think so? From now on, no matter what lies ahead or what other variables may arise in the future, it is important to be together first. After all, we are a family. 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