“I won’t let you die. You know that.”
Kaian believed in himself.
The first time was hard, but would the second time be hard?
Didn’t he have a history of stealing souls from the arms of the God of death as they headed to the graveyard?
So he wouldn’t allow Claudel to escape and die this time either.
The man who had told them to find evidence even if it meant draining the lake if they wanted to make him believe that she was dead had never actually intended to send his wife under the wings of eternal sleep.
However, he was now a little less confident.
“If you don’t believe me, believe me.”
Even as he made that bold statement, Kaian shuddered at the ominous feeling running up his back.
Claudel was like a flower with a thin stem that had broken off. She couldn’t raise herself, so when Kaian held her, he held her, and when he made her lean on him, her head fell limply.
She couldn’t even drink a sip of water properly, and her lips were dry. She couldn’t even open the baby’s hair in the handkerchief, so she held it loosely and looked at it, shedding tears. Kaien felt sorry for even that.
“Oh. Oh, I thought you were lying.”
When the woman, who seemed to have difficulty breathing, sobbed, he slowly patted her back.
When he patted her back with one hand, he remembered the small, red-haired baby burping loudly.
“Why are you lying?”
It would be nice if she could pour out all the sadness that tormented her heart every time he patted and patted her back.
“I was afraid that you wouldn’t leave the palace. Did you say that to keep your mind from changing?”
Claudel’s golden eyes filled with tears.
“I was surprised, but I thought it would be really sad if it was a lie.”
“Where else can you find red hair like that?”
A little life returned to her eyes that had been dull and dull until just a moment ago.
“I wanted to ask. I couldn’t ask because I thought it was a lie.”
Only then did Kaian understand why Claudel had never mentioned the baby.
“You’ve gotten more scared. You used to be so bold.”
Kaian said lightly on purpose. Regardless of whether he said anything, Claudel carefully stroked the hair, which was neatly cut. When her trembling fingertips felt the soft and delicate texture, she blushed and felt embarrassed. It was almost as if her face was flushed with emotion.
“It can’t be helped, I guess.”
Kaian swallowed a sigh and tried to comfort Claudel.
“What are you going to do, starving all this time? Do you have the strength to hold a baby?”
“Ah...”
Seeing Claudel’s uncertain gaze, he made her lean against the cushion and got up from his seat. He soon sat on the edge of the bed with a glass of water and hugged her with one arm.
“It’s annoying.”
Kaian drank water and bowed his head to Claudel, kissing her.
Gulp.
Only after hearing the sound of the water he had strangely poured down his throat did Kaian raise his head. Claudel looked up blankly as if she was flustered, while still holding him.
“I can drink it even if you don’t do this...”
“Are you planning on holding it in your mouth for a thousand years and then spitting it out?”
“I’ll try.”
“You know what? You have to drink water sparingly on a ship. Drinking water is precious.”
Kaian said nonchalantly.
“Ten kisses will do.”
“No. If you give me a cup, I’ll drink it.”
“Because I don’t want to waste water.”
He gave Claudel water without permission.
The person who had been sweating and suffering all the time and couldn’t even swallow a sip of water looked better after drinking half a cup.
“The doctor said it’s not good to take medicine on an empty stomach.”
Kaian scooped up the soup he had boiled thinly into a cup with a ladle and squinted his eyes.
Just smelling it, it smelled quite delicious, but it was a thin soup with no solid ingredients, perhaps because it was made with boiling water that had been rinsed with vegetables.
“Should I feed this to you too?”
“No. I can eat it.”
Kaian sat down on the bed again and put the cup to Claudel’s mouth.
Little by little, she licked her lips occasionally and eventually swallowed the entire cup of soup. She held the handkerchief that had been wrapped around the baby’s hair tightly and solemnly in her hand.
“...I’m full, so I’m sleepy.”
After finishing a meal that was far from Kaian’s standards and did not seem to have been eaten at all, she blinked with a languid and exhausted face.
“Kaian. When can I see the baby?”
He read the anxiety in her eyes during that time.
'I have committed many sins.'
It seemed that she would not completely believe him until she saw the baby with her own eyes.
"You will be able to see her this evening."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Only then did Claudel hold the handkerchief tightly with both hands and lie down comfortably.
She soon fell into a deep sleep, breathing hard.
Kaian watched her silently and sighed deeply.
"Did I mention the baby for nothing?"
He was worried that he had brought it up too early and made her nervous and anxious.
Valquiterre tried to chase the ship they were on, but Rohan skillfully shook it off and sped up, running over the water.
The carriage, which had set off from the mansion at dawn, continued south without stopping, changing the horses that were on standby just like when Kaian came to the capital.
There was a reason for setting off in the morning.
It was because they could send telegrams using the light that blinked in the darkness after the sun had set and night had fallen.
Even if Valquiterre realized that the baby was alive and not dead, he could not give the order to pursue her until nightfall.
In the meantime, if he could safely pass through the directly affected area and enter Rowen, he would be relieved for the time being. Not only was it unlikely that he would be able to get out through the gates, but having Valquiterre chase them on a boat heading to Rowen through the waters of the Shen River would also ensure the baby’s safety.
“So far, everything is going as planned.”
The problem was that Claudel’s condition was unexpectedly out of the plan.
‘Yesterday, she had the strength to walk and move.’
Was the path she had taken to escape from the palace, holding the hand he had extended, a blazing flame that had burned with the last of her strength?
“Claudel. I’m sorry.”
He carefully held the sleeping woman’s shrunken hand.
If he could turn back time, wouldn’t he have made that choice?
He thought about it over and over again.
“That’s how I was raised and learned.”
The heir to the family is made through education.
It was important not to panic when the moment of choice came about what to protect.
Marrying Claudel was problematic in itself.
Because as a Temnes, he would never have taken a daughter of Vermont as his wife if he had the choice.
So he had no choice but to be completely immersed in his family’s education regarding that part.
The custom of taking a Duchess. The way to respect and treat a woman who became the mistress, things like that were theoretically learned, but it was very different if it was Vermont.
It was difficult, but he believed that things were going smoothly little by little.
After Valquiterre got involved, everything got more complicated.
“I was the one who chose.”
In the end, even if there were various influences, it was Kaian who made the decision. They were all just trivial excuses.
He thought back on the past several times, but he couldn’t think of a way to keep her from leaving.
Because he was Valquiterre.
Because he was Valquiterre, Kaian had no choice but to trust him.
He trusted Valquiterre much more than the woman from the enemy family who had his child.
Even after everything was revealed, he couldn’t believe that Valquiterre had deceived, betrayed, and backstabbed him while rescuing Claudel and the baby.
Even though it wasn’t a matter of trusting or distrusting, Kaian felt that way.
“I know that what’s past cannot be undone. And yet, I still harbor regrets.”
Some things can be changed with effort and things that can’t.
Asking for Claudel’s forgiveness was something he had to try to do.
Even though he thought his relationship with Valquiterre was beyond that category, he had a hard time letting it go because it was hard.
But there was no place to retreat.
Valquiterre wanted to hurt not Kaian, but Claudel and the baby.
Kaian was even more confused because his intention to torment him was so obvious.
The first time was hard, but would the second time be hard?
Didn’t he have a history of stealing souls from the arms of the God of death as they headed to the graveyard?
So he wouldn’t allow Claudel to escape and die this time either.
The man who had told them to find evidence even if it meant draining the lake if they wanted to make him believe that she was dead had never actually intended to send his wife under the wings of eternal sleep.
However, he was now a little less confident.
“If you don’t believe me, believe me.”
Even as he made that bold statement, Kaian shuddered at the ominous feeling running up his back.
Claudel was like a flower with a thin stem that had broken off. She couldn’t raise herself, so when Kaian held her, he held her, and when he made her lean on him, her head fell limply.
She couldn’t even drink a sip of water properly, and her lips were dry. She couldn’t even open the baby’s hair in the handkerchief, so she held it loosely and looked at it, shedding tears. Kaien felt sorry for even that.
“Oh. Oh, I thought you were lying.”
When the woman, who seemed to have difficulty breathing, sobbed, he slowly patted her back.
When he patted her back with one hand, he remembered the small, red-haired baby burping loudly.
“Why are you lying?”
It would be nice if she could pour out all the sadness that tormented her heart every time he patted and patted her back.
“I was afraid that you wouldn’t leave the palace. Did you say that to keep your mind from changing?”
Claudel’s golden eyes filled with tears.
“I was surprised, but I thought it would be really sad if it was a lie.”
“Where else can you find red hair like that?”
A little life returned to her eyes that had been dull and dull until just a moment ago.
“I wanted to ask. I couldn’t ask because I thought it was a lie.”
Only then did Kaian understand why Claudel had never mentioned the baby.
“You’ve gotten more scared. You used to be so bold.”
Kaian said lightly on purpose. Regardless of whether he said anything, Claudel carefully stroked the hair, which was neatly cut. When her trembling fingertips felt the soft and delicate texture, she blushed and felt embarrassed. It was almost as if her face was flushed with emotion.
“It can’t be helped, I guess.”
Kaian swallowed a sigh and tried to comfort Claudel.
“What are you going to do, starving all this time? Do you have the strength to hold a baby?”
“Ah...”
Seeing Claudel’s uncertain gaze, he made her lean against the cushion and got up from his seat. He soon sat on the edge of the bed with a glass of water and hugged her with one arm.
“It’s annoying.”
Kaian drank water and bowed his head to Claudel, kissing her.
Gulp.
Only after hearing the sound of the water he had strangely poured down his throat did Kaian raise his head. Claudel looked up blankly as if she was flustered, while still holding him.
“I can drink it even if you don’t do this...”
“Are you planning on holding it in your mouth for a thousand years and then spitting it out?”
“I’ll try.”
“You know what? You have to drink water sparingly on a ship. Drinking water is precious.”
Kaian said nonchalantly.
“Ten kisses will do.”
“No. If you give me a cup, I’ll drink it.”
“Because I don’t want to waste water.”
He gave Claudel water without permission.
The person who had been sweating and suffering all the time and couldn’t even swallow a sip of water looked better after drinking half a cup.
“The doctor said it’s not good to take medicine on an empty stomach.”
Kaian scooped up the soup he had boiled thinly into a cup with a ladle and squinted his eyes.
Just smelling it, it smelled quite delicious, but it was a thin soup with no solid ingredients, perhaps because it was made with boiling water that had been rinsed with vegetables.
“Should I feed this to you too?”
“No. I can eat it.”
Kaian sat down on the bed again and put the cup to Claudel’s mouth.
Little by little, she licked her lips occasionally and eventually swallowed the entire cup of soup. She held the handkerchief that had been wrapped around the baby’s hair tightly and solemnly in her hand.
“...I’m full, so I’m sleepy.”
After finishing a meal that was far from Kaian’s standards and did not seem to have been eaten at all, she blinked with a languid and exhausted face.
“Kaian. When can I see the baby?”
He read the anxiety in her eyes during that time.
'I have committed many sins.'
It seemed that she would not completely believe him until she saw the baby with her own eyes.
"You will be able to see her this evening."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Only then did Claudel hold the handkerchief tightly with both hands and lie down comfortably.
She soon fell into a deep sleep, breathing hard.
Kaian watched her silently and sighed deeply.
"Did I mention the baby for nothing?"
He was worried that he had brought it up too early and made her nervous and anxious.
Valquiterre tried to chase the ship they were on, but Rohan skillfully shook it off and sped up, running over the water.
The carriage, which had set off from the mansion at dawn, continued south without stopping, changing the horses that were on standby just like when Kaian came to the capital.
There was a reason for setting off in the morning.
It was because they could send telegrams using the light that blinked in the darkness after the sun had set and night had fallen.
Even if Valquiterre realized that the baby was alive and not dead, he could not give the order to pursue her until nightfall.
In the meantime, if he could safely pass through the directly affected area and enter Rowen, he would be relieved for the time being. Not only was it unlikely that he would be able to get out through the gates, but having Valquiterre chase them on a boat heading to Rowen through the waters of the Shen River would also ensure the baby’s safety.
“So far, everything is going as planned.”
The problem was that Claudel’s condition was unexpectedly out of the plan.
‘Yesterday, she had the strength to walk and move.’
Was the path she had taken to escape from the palace, holding the hand he had extended, a blazing flame that had burned with the last of her strength?
“Claudel. I’m sorry.”
He carefully held the sleeping woman’s shrunken hand.
If he could turn back time, wouldn’t he have made that choice?
He thought about it over and over again.
“That’s how I was raised and learned.”
The heir to the family is made through education.
It was important not to panic when the moment of choice came about what to protect.
Marrying Claudel was problematic in itself.
Because as a Temnes, he would never have taken a daughter of Vermont as his wife if he had the choice.
So he had no choice but to be completely immersed in his family’s education regarding that part.
The custom of taking a Duchess. The way to respect and treat a woman who became the mistress, things like that were theoretically learned, but it was very different if it was Vermont.
It was difficult, but he believed that things were going smoothly little by little.
After Valquiterre got involved, everything got more complicated.
“I was the one who chose.”
In the end, even if there were various influences, it was Kaian who made the decision. They were all just trivial excuses.
He thought back on the past several times, but he couldn’t think of a way to keep her from leaving.
Because he was Valquiterre.
Because he was Valquiterre, Kaian had no choice but to trust him.
He trusted Valquiterre much more than the woman from the enemy family who had his child.
Even after everything was revealed, he couldn’t believe that Valquiterre had deceived, betrayed, and backstabbed him while rescuing Claudel and the baby.
Even though it wasn’t a matter of trusting or distrusting, Kaian felt that way.
“I know that what’s past cannot be undone. And yet, I still harbor regrets.”
Some things can be changed with effort and things that can’t.
Asking for Claudel’s forgiveness was something he had to try to do.
Even though he thought his relationship with Valquiterre was beyond that category, he had a hard time letting it go because it was hard.
But there was no place to retreat.
Valquiterre wanted to hurt not Kaian, but Claudel and the baby.
Kaian was even more confused because his intention to torment him was so obvious.
“If you touch a child, even wild animals usually raise their claws and attack.”
Valquiterre. Why did you put such a cruel shackle on me?
Kaian looked at Claudel and made a promise.
“I won’t back down. I will definitely protect you.”
There had to be no second mistake.
The atmosphere in the palace was very chaotic.
The National Foundation Ball and the King's Birthday Ball, held twice a year, were major national events symbolizing summer and winter, respectively.
Exactly one year ago, a marriage between two families that were enemies and causing a stir in the country was held by a sudden royal decree. The social circles were in an uproar for a while because of this, but the royal decree was revoked and the daughter of Vermont was made Queen.
“Haha. Is His Majesty in love with that woman?”
Someone recited the truth as if it were nonsense.
“I don’t understand it. Shouldn’t we listen to the Duke of Temnes and Princess Vermont?”
Some people said that it was hard to believe or not to believe the ridiculous rumors that were so incomprehensible. Some people wanted to confirm the truth of the rumors that had spread like wildfire, but what they saw at the National Foundation Ball was a completely unexpected sight.
The Duke of Temnes was stabbed and injured while protecting the second daughter of the Vermont family, who had become a stranger after the royal order was revoked.
The ball, which had become a mess, was immediately called off.
As a result, pure male concern spread that Vermont and Temnes, who were protected by the royal family, would completely fall out of favor because of this incident.
Everyone knew that the reason Temnes had not been able to get close to the Sol Continent trade and Vermont had to beg to feed its people, but both sides were holding on so well was because the Oberon royal family had been giving special favors to whoever became King.
Leaving aside the truth that everyone was curious about, the one who was suffering the most in reality was the Duke of Vermont.
Valquiterre glared at the Duke of Vermont and said coldly.
“That’s treason.”
Valquiterre. Why did you put such a cruel shackle on me?
Kaian looked at Claudel and made a promise.
“I won’t back down. I will definitely protect you.”
There had to be no second mistake.
***
The atmosphere in the palace was very chaotic.
The National Foundation Ball and the King's Birthday Ball, held twice a year, were major national events symbolizing summer and winter, respectively.
Exactly one year ago, a marriage between two families that were enemies and causing a stir in the country was held by a sudden royal decree. The social circles were in an uproar for a while because of this, but the royal decree was revoked and the daughter of Vermont was made Queen.
“Haha. Is His Majesty in love with that woman?”
Someone recited the truth as if it were nonsense.
“I don’t understand it. Shouldn’t we listen to the Duke of Temnes and Princess Vermont?”
Some people said that it was hard to believe or not to believe the ridiculous rumors that were so incomprehensible. Some people wanted to confirm the truth of the rumors that had spread like wildfire, but what they saw at the National Foundation Ball was a completely unexpected sight.
The Duke of Temnes was stabbed and injured while protecting the second daughter of the Vermont family, who had become a stranger after the royal order was revoked.
The ball, which had become a mess, was immediately called off.
As a result, pure male concern spread that Vermont and Temnes, who were protected by the royal family, would completely fall out of favor because of this incident.
Everyone knew that the reason Temnes had not been able to get close to the Sol Continent trade and Vermont had to beg to feed its people, but both sides were holding on so well was because the Oberon royal family had been giving special favors to whoever became King.
Leaving aside the truth that everyone was curious about, the one who was suffering the most in reality was the Duke of Vermont.
Valquiterre glared at the Duke of Vermont and said coldly.
“That’s treason.”
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