“I’m canceling the statement about going back to Rowen.”
Kaian raised his head.
The man’s eyes, which had exhausted\ all his energy and fallen into despair as he was engulfed in anger at being betrayed by Valquiterre, finally regained focus.
“It might be dangerous.”
“I know.”
“To let you go alone.”
Madame Cronach placed her hand on Kaian’s arm and lightly encouraged him.
“You’ll go, right?”
It was shameful to call her a mother, but he had passed the test she had in mind.
“If I could get Claudel out, I’d go alone.”
“That is...”
“So I can go too.”
Kaian hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
“I’ll send someone.”
“It won’t be dangerous yet. We don’t know why Claudel is looking for me.”
Madame Cronach’s eyes sparkled sharply.
“Wouldn’t Valquiterre know something we don’t know? Until then, there’s no need to bother me.”
“Madame Cronach is right.”
Said Baron Colon.
“Then I’ll be back.”
Without another thought, Madame Cronach gathered up her skirt and hurried away.
Kaian stared blankly at the arm that Madame Cronach had touched for a moment.
It lingered on his shirt for a moment, but somehow it felt like warmth was lingering there.
When she had stormed into Rowen Castle as if she were going to kill him, she had been blaming him with eyes full of resentment, but now that he had realized that she was encouraging him, his stiff shoulders that had been hunched over and frozen seemed to gradually melt away.
‘Do you still trust Valquiterre?’
He couldn’t answer right away, but it was clear that he didn’t know.
‘I can trust her.’
A new person filled the spot where the person had left.
Incredibly, he had fallen out with Valquiterre, who he had thought would understand and support him more than anyone else, and had ended up joining hands with a woman he had thought he could never trust because their interests were different due to the Queen’s orders.
Kaian had not lived long compared to the responsibility he had shouldered.
The young lord had no sense, so he just quietly did what he had learned, and endured even when it was a bit difficult.
Even when it was too much, he thought it was his share and endured it.
'If my mother were alive.'
When his heart was broken and he was so sad, could a gentle touch or two have comforted him?
Even after finding out that she was Claudel's mother, he could not treat her as his subordinate like before, so he became a public servant.
The butler, Baron Colon, and the salon owner, Madame Cronach, spoke to each other, and she spoke to Kaian, who the Baron served as his master.
However, at an unexpected moment, she came to be accepted as a parent-like supporter of Kaian.
'If she's Claudel's mother, then she's my mother too.'
He thought that naturally without any hesitation.
And I was truly grateful that she treated me like this.
"This is not the time. I should prepare myself."
Kaian said to Baron Colon as he got up from his seat.
"It seems like I'll have to go to the palace soon."
Madame Cronach walked slowly behind the maid who was guiding her, looking around.
It was her first time setting foot in the palace.
However, the inside of the castle was very familiar, as if she had been in and out hundreds of times.
'It's exactly as I remember it.'
In preparation for taking Valquiterre's life, Madame Cronach gathered information about the inside of the palace.
She had thought there would be little error since it was through informants planted with Kaian's money, but when she came in and checked it herself, she could see that the map of the inside of the palace that she had received and completed was very accurate.
'You must have thought Valquiterre was sent to eavesdrop on news about the palace.'
Usually, nobles planted people in other nobles' houses for espionage.
'All I wanted was to know the way to your bedroom.'
There were many noisy events, but from the perspective of running a salon in the capital, all the news was different.
Basically, the King only had one sibling, a Princess, and since he was still unmarried, no family would brag about being relatives. That's why the political atmosphere within the palace was not complicated.
'Since there was a war during that time, the attention was turned away from the country, so it may have been mistaken.'
When the maid knocked on the door, someone else opened it for her.
"Please come in."
"Thank you."
Madame Cronach tried to remain calm, but she felt her pulse pounding in her throat, perhaps because she was nervous.
"Greetings to the Princess."
She felt a new sense of anger at having to call Claudel, who she had previously called 'Duchess,' 'Princess.'
'Valquiterre. You will pay for your sins no matter what.'
There was no way his feelings for Claudel were affectionate and sincere.
The moment he chose her as a tool to stir up and ruin Kaian, she was already out.
If he had any feelings for Claudel as a human being, even a little, he would not have done something like this, disregarding her personality.
As soon as she thought of Valquiterre, Madame Cronach felt her breathing become a little ragged.
'Come to your senses.'
Now was not the time.
She bowed her head in greeting and straightened up to face Claudel.
'You look sick.'
Her heart ached when she saw Claudel.
It had been eight months since she had last seen Claudel. It had already been July since she had seen her at the King's Birthday celebration last November.
Claudel, whose slender figure stood out even more next to Kaian, who was much more physically fit than most people, now looked very unwell, even though she had no one to compare her to. She was listless and her once pretty cheeks were so thin that they looked sunken. Her lips, which had always smiled whenever she saw Kaian, were now roughly upturned, and her once bright cheeks had turned pale and faded.
Kaian raised his head.
The man’s eyes, which had exhausted\ all his energy and fallen into despair as he was engulfed in anger at being betrayed by Valquiterre, finally regained focus.
“It might be dangerous.”
“I know.”
“To let you go alone.”
Madame Cronach placed her hand on Kaian’s arm and lightly encouraged him.
“You’ll go, right?”
It was shameful to call her a mother, but he had passed the test she had in mind.
“If I could get Claudel out, I’d go alone.”
“That is...”
“So I can go too.”
Kaian hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
“I’ll send someone.”
“It won’t be dangerous yet. We don’t know why Claudel is looking for me.”
Madame Cronach’s eyes sparkled sharply.
“Wouldn’t Valquiterre know something we don’t know? Until then, there’s no need to bother me.”
“Madame Cronach is right.”
Said Baron Colon.
“Then I’ll be back.”
Without another thought, Madame Cronach gathered up her skirt and hurried away.
Kaian stared blankly at the arm that Madame Cronach had touched for a moment.
It lingered on his shirt for a moment, but somehow it felt like warmth was lingering there.
When she had stormed into Rowen Castle as if she were going to kill him, she had been blaming him with eyes full of resentment, but now that he had realized that she was encouraging him, his stiff shoulders that had been hunched over and frozen seemed to gradually melt away.
‘Do you still trust Valquiterre?’
He couldn’t answer right away, but it was clear that he didn’t know.
‘I can trust her.’
A new person filled the spot where the person had left.
Incredibly, he had fallen out with Valquiterre, who he had thought would understand and support him more than anyone else, and had ended up joining hands with a woman he had thought he could never trust because their interests were different due to the Queen’s orders.
Kaian had not lived long compared to the responsibility he had shouldered.
The young lord had no sense, so he just quietly did what he had learned, and endured even when it was a bit difficult.
Even when it was too much, he thought it was his share and endured it.
'If my mother were alive.'
When his heart was broken and he was so sad, could a gentle touch or two have comforted him?
Even after finding out that she was Claudel's mother, he could not treat her as his subordinate like before, so he became a public servant.
The butler, Baron Colon, and the salon owner, Madame Cronach, spoke to each other, and she spoke to Kaian, who the Baron served as his master.
However, at an unexpected moment, she came to be accepted as a parent-like supporter of Kaian.
'If she's Claudel's mother, then she's my mother too.'
He thought that naturally without any hesitation.
And I was truly grateful that she treated me like this.
"This is not the time. I should prepare myself."
Kaian said to Baron Colon as he got up from his seat.
"It seems like I'll have to go to the palace soon."
***
Madame Cronach walked slowly behind the maid who was guiding her, looking around.
It was her first time setting foot in the palace.
However, the inside of the castle was very familiar, as if she had been in and out hundreds of times.
'It's exactly as I remember it.'
In preparation for taking Valquiterre's life, Madame Cronach gathered information about the inside of the palace.
She had thought there would be little error since it was through informants planted with Kaian's money, but when she came in and checked it herself, she could see that the map of the inside of the palace that she had received and completed was very accurate.
'You must have thought Valquiterre was sent to eavesdrop on news about the palace.'
Usually, nobles planted people in other nobles' houses for espionage.
'All I wanted was to know the way to your bedroom.'
There were many noisy events, but from the perspective of running a salon in the capital, all the news was different.
Basically, the King only had one sibling, a Princess, and since he was still unmarried, no family would brag about being relatives. That's why the political atmosphere within the palace was not complicated.
'Since there was a war during that time, the attention was turned away from the country, so it may have been mistaken.'
Madame Cronach thought about it one by one.
She planned to look into it later when she was alone and organize the newly acquired information.
'But why did Claudel call me?'
If she could just get her out of the castle, she could have persuaded her slowly. But that was not possible because the structure was built on a cliff-like hill, a natural fortress.
However, her heart, which had been pretending to be calm while thinking about such things, started beating uncontrollably when she arrived in front of the room where Claudel was staying.
'Calm down. She might have just called me to take care of the salon.'
But somehow, it didn't seem to be for that reason.
From Claudel's perspective, Madame Cronach was an employee of the salon run by her ex-husband.
When Kaian was questioned in detail, he recalled the conversations he had with Claudel, how she reacted to certain words, and so on, with a pained expression. Sadly, from what she heard, Claudel was very terrified of Kaian. Even though she wanted to be hopeful, her wounds from the past seemed deep.
'If it's the salon, there must be many other places.'
She didn't have to call the subordinate of someone she didn't like.
Was it something other than work that made Claudel call her instead of avoiding the places where Kaian was connected?
For example, she wanted to meet Kaian again and regretted breaking up with him.
Madame Cronach's head was busy calculating various cases.
She planned to look into it later when she was alone and organize the newly acquired information.
'But why did Claudel call me?'
If she could just get her out of the castle, she could have persuaded her slowly. But that was not possible because the structure was built on a cliff-like hill, a natural fortress.
However, her heart, which had been pretending to be calm while thinking about such things, started beating uncontrollably when she arrived in front of the room where Claudel was staying.
'Calm down. She might have just called me to take care of the salon.'
But somehow, it didn't seem to be for that reason.
From Claudel's perspective, Madame Cronach was an employee of the salon run by her ex-husband.
When Kaian was questioned in detail, he recalled the conversations he had with Claudel, how she reacted to certain words, and so on, with a pained expression. Sadly, from what she heard, Claudel was very terrified of Kaian. Even though she wanted to be hopeful, her wounds from the past seemed deep.
'If it's the salon, there must be many other places.'
She didn't have to call the subordinate of someone she didn't like.
Was it something other than work that made Claudel call her instead of avoiding the places where Kaian was connected?
For example, she wanted to meet Kaian again and regretted breaking up with him.
Madame Cronach's head was busy calculating various cases.
Knock.
When the maid knocked on the door, someone else opened it for her.
"Please come in."
"Thank you."
Madame Cronach tried to remain calm, but she felt her pulse pounding in her throat, perhaps because she was nervous.
"Greetings to the Princess."
She felt a new sense of anger at having to call Claudel, who she had previously called 'Duchess,' 'Princess.'
'Valquiterre. You will pay for your sins no matter what.'
There was no way his feelings for Claudel were affectionate and sincere.
The moment he chose her as a tool to stir up and ruin Kaian, she was already out.
If he had any feelings for Claudel as a human being, even a little, he would not have done something like this, disregarding her personality.
As soon as she thought of Valquiterre, Madame Cronach felt her breathing become a little ragged.
'Come to your senses.'
Now was not the time.
She bowed her head in greeting and straightened up to face Claudel.
'You look sick.'
Her heart ached when she saw Claudel.
It had been eight months since she had last seen Claudel. It had already been July since she had seen her at the King's Birthday celebration last November.
Claudel, whose slender figure stood out even more next to Kaian, who was much more physically fit than most people, now looked very unwell, even though she had no one to compare her to. She was listless and her once pretty cheeks were so thin that they looked sunken. Her lips, which had always smiled whenever she saw Kaian, were now roughly upturned, and her once bright cheeks had turned pale and faded.
She was not a living person, but a dried flower that looked like it would break if touched.
'You put her to sleep?'
When Kaian made an excuse that he wanted to let Claudel rest after seeing her in the royal library, she ended up yelling at him because it was ridiculous.
“Claudel has a hard time when she doesn’t sleep well. I didn’t know that.”
“You really don’t know a thing about a woman’s heart.”
She scolded him, telling him to think about how much the woman would feel resistance when the man who drew the line reached out to her like that when she was defenseless.
Looking at Claudel, she looked so weak that she thought she was too much for Kaian.
“Um...”
Claudel opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then hesitated.
“What?”
She seemed to be hesitating.
“What would make that possible?”
Did she really want to talk about Kaian?
Madame Cronach was looking into Claudel’s face, waiting for her to say something quickly.
“You might think it’s strange if I say this.”
Claudel approached Madame Cronach hesitantly without even telling her to come in and sit down.
“Have you seen me before?”
Madame Cronach’s eyes widened slightly.
“You came to our salon on the King’s Birthday...”
“No. Not then. Long before that.”
It was hard to follow what Claudel was saying. Madame Cronach kept her mouth shut, unable to figure out what answer she wanted.
“...Do you remember me?”
What was that out of the blue?
“Do I remember you? Of course.”
She had never forgotten it for a single moment.
When she lay down with severe burns, her hospital bed was like a cauldron where maggots and mold would eat, a foul smell and sickness mixed together.
Even the bright and strong sunlight brought pain that cut through her skin that had lost its outer layer, and even at that moment when the curtains were drawn thickly and the air was suffocating it felt like she was trapped in a cave with pain and self-reproach,
the child’s existence was just light.
‘I was able to endure it because I thought you were alive .’
She had a selfish hope that Evan had taken her down the mountain, so she had avoided disaster. Even when all the other villagers were feeling guilty about their deaths.
Madame Cronach quickly answered Claudel, who was staring at her intently.
“Of course, I remember you. You don’t look like someone people can easily forget.”
However, the moment their golden eyes met,
Thump.
Her heart pounded loudly.
‘...No way.’
Claudel’s lifeless eyes, as if they were completely dried up, showed a boiling red flame.
As if she had seen the sun that she should not have looked at, her eyes turned white and dark.
Claudel, who had been watching her expression closely, opened her eyes wide in surprise, and then soon shed tears.
“...Mom.”
'You put her to sleep?'
When Kaian made an excuse that he wanted to let Claudel rest after seeing her in the royal library, she ended up yelling at him because it was ridiculous.
“Claudel has a hard time when she doesn’t sleep well. I didn’t know that.”
“You really don’t know a thing about a woman’s heart.”
She scolded him, telling him to think about how much the woman would feel resistance when the man who drew the line reached out to her like that when she was defenseless.
Looking at Claudel, she looked so weak that she thought she was too much for Kaian.
“Um...”
Claudel opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then hesitated.
“What?”
She seemed to be hesitating.
“What would make that possible?”
Did she really want to talk about Kaian?
Madame Cronach was looking into Claudel’s face, waiting for her to say something quickly.
“You might think it’s strange if I say this.”
Claudel approached Madame Cronach hesitantly without even telling her to come in and sit down.
“Have you seen me before?”
Madame Cronach’s eyes widened slightly.
“You came to our salon on the King’s Birthday...”
“No. Not then. Long before that.”
It was hard to follow what Claudel was saying. Madame Cronach kept her mouth shut, unable to figure out what answer she wanted.
“...Do you remember me?”
What was that out of the blue?
“Do I remember you? Of course.”
She had never forgotten it for a single moment.
When she lay down with severe burns, her hospital bed was like a cauldron where maggots and mold would eat, a foul smell and sickness mixed together.
Even the bright and strong sunlight brought pain that cut through her skin that had lost its outer layer, and even at that moment when the curtains were drawn thickly and the air was suffocating it felt like she was trapped in a cave with pain and self-reproach,
the child’s existence was just light.
‘I was able to endure it because I thought you were alive .’
She had a selfish hope that Evan had taken her down the mountain, so she had avoided disaster. Even when all the other villagers were feeling guilty about their deaths.
Madame Cronach quickly answered Claudel, who was staring at her intently.
“Of course, I remember you. You don’t look like someone people can easily forget.”
However, the moment their golden eyes met,
Thump.
Her heart pounded loudly.
‘...No way.’
Claudel’s lifeless eyes, as if they were completely dried up, showed a boiling red flame.
As if she had seen the sun that she should not have looked at, her eyes turned white and dark.
Claudel, who had been watching her expression closely, opened her eyes wide in surprise, and then soon shed tears.
“...Mom.”
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