"We came back to get our cookies."
"Welcome."
The plump woman they saw yesterday greeted Dino and Philip. But unlike yesterday, the woman had a pitiful expression on her face.
"But what should I do? I already gave out all the snacks today"
"Already?"
Dino and Philip's expressions were filled with disappointment.
"Hmm."
The woman who had been pondering opened her mouth again, pointing to a large cart parked a short distance away.
"If you go to the carriage, there might still be some left."
"Really?"
Dino and Philip's faces, which had been gloomy because they had not received bread and cookies, brightened again. There were men with fierce expressions next to the cart, but since they had seen them only yesterday, they were less scary than before.
"I was just about to pack up and head to the carriage anyway, so this Is great. Can you help me out a little? Let's go look for it together."
"Yes!"
Dino and Philip helped the woman organize the items on the stall. After she finished organizing the stall, the plump woman asked Dino to take some of the items on the stall.
"Can you help me carry this to the carriage?"
When he heard it, it was relatively light.
"Yes."
Dino lifted the object confidently as if he could do something like that. The woman took a look at the clothes of Dino and Philip, who were helping her, and then opened her mouth.
"It must be cold, but you're still brave. Where are your parents?"
"...Ah..."
Dino was taken aback by the sudden question. It was because he had experienced several instances where people's views of them changed in an instant when they found out that they were orphans without parents. However, since this person said that she would give food to street children anyway, he thought that it would be okay to just tell the truth.
Dino, who was thinking about what to say, answered slowly, but young Philip suddenly answered.
"My parents aren't here..."
"Huh? You don't have parents?"
The woman who had just arrived in front of the black-draped cart looked back at the children.
"Oh my, you were an orphan! You grew up so well without your parents. Did you have any difficulties?"
Even though she heard that they had no parents, the woman's attitude did not change. Instead, she smiled kindly as if she was proud of them. Dino, who had let his guard down a little, told the truth.
"I don't have parents, but I'm okay because I have my older brother. He takes great care of us."
"Your brother is here. I wish he had come too. Why didn't he come with you?"
"Brother... has some circumstances..."
When Aiden's story came up, Dino, who felt slightly guilty for disobeying his words, muttered.
"Really? That's too bad."
The plump woman also kept asking questions about other things.
"How old is your brother?"
"He's 12 years old."
"You're still young, hyung. Aren't there any adults around you who can help you?"
"There used to be, but these days everyone is busy so they can't come."
Dino said, thinking of the florists and Mikhail.
"Oh, I guess that's not the case these days."
"Yes."
"Where do you live?"
"Over the hill over there."
"Where are you over the hill? Are you all your brothers? Don't you know any other people around you?"
"..."
At one point, Dino started to feel strange as the questions continued without stopping.
"I... I'll leave this here. And I think we should go now."
A woman stopped Dino from going back to pick up Philip.
"Wait a minute. Didn't you come here because you wanted some snacks? I'll get them for you right away."
"No, I'm okay now. I think my brother will be waiting for me. Goodbye."
"Your little brother is still young, so it seems like he has a hard time walking. Wouldn't it be better to take a short break?"
When he turned around after hearing the woman's words, he saw Philip rubbing his eyes as if he was really sleepy. Dino shook his head in embarrassment.
"We can just go home and sleep."
"No. What if he falls asleep on the street?"
The woman lifted Philip, who was nodding off, into her arms.
"I'll look after him for a moment."
Dino grabbed the woman's skirt with an anxious expression.
"No, Philip! Get up!"
Dino continued to refuse and tried to wake Philip quickly. The woman's eyes suddenly closed coldly.
"Ah..."
Dino hesitated when he saw that. The woman smiled kindly again and made her suggestion.
"In addition to providing food to street children, we also provide them with a warm place to stay. Come with us. I think you'll like it when you go."
"I told you I don't want to!"
Dino shouted, and the plump woman's expression changed in an instant.
"If you want to find your little brother, listen carefully, little one."
"..."
The surprised Dino clung to him urgently.
"Give me back my brother!"
The woman pulled away the hem of her skirt that Dino had grabbed with an annoyed expression.
"Ugh!"
Dino fell backward in the recoil. Not even noticing the pain, he jumped up again and looked around for someone to call for help.
"Help me! These people are bad!"
But since it was a remote alley, there was no one around. Dino sobbed with an anxious expression. Then the woman spoke again.
"Shh! If you don't want to lose your little brother, get on the wagon quietly. You're not going to run away alone, are you?"
A woman who laughed meanly got into the front of the cart. Philip, who was in the woman's arms, also joined them. Soon, the sound of the cart starting to move was heard. Dino hurriedly got into the cart without time to think about anything.
As soon as Dino got in, the cart started to run at a frightening speed. When he got in and looked inside the cart, he saw that many children had collapsed or were asleep. Among them, there were several children whose arms and legs were tied with ropes. Judging from the clothes they were wearing, they all looked like children who had wandered the streets or were orphans. Dino squatted down against the cart wall with a miserable feeling.
'It's all my fault!
Dino trembled with anxiety and sobbed.
'This is because I didn't listen to Aiden. What if something goes wrong with Philip because of me?'
Watching the distant scenery, Dino deeply regretted not listening to Aiden.
***
Mikhail was secretly taking Selena back, avoiding the knights' surveillance. He took Selena to a place with few people.
Selena, who was glancing around, opened her mouth.
"Go ahead."
Mikhail's footsteps, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
"You brought me here because you wanted to tell me something separately. Tell me now."
As soon as Selena finished speaking, Mikhail turned around with his eyes sparkling.
"I know right."
"...!"
Selena flinched at his cold gaze. But she controlled her expression and pretended as if nothing had happened.
"How can you make such a ridiculous suggestion to Karina?"
Mikhail glared at Selena with a cold face.
"If Lady Karina hadn't refused, I would have nullified it. I can't tolerate anything that would harm Lady Karina even a little bit."
Mikhail looked down at Selena with a threatening gaze.
"Now and in the future."
His eyes were sharp. Selena was secretly surprised at how he acted like a completely different person. But she had already expected that he would be angry at her. So she asked calmly.
"Aren't you the one who is harming the Grand Duchess, not me?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You. You have feelings for the Grand Duchess. It doesn't seem like you have any intention of hiding it."
Even though Selena hit him square in the face, Mikhail didn't seem at all flustered.
"Do you want to make the Grand Duchess unhappy?"
"No way. I'm actually protecting Karina. I'm the only one who can protect Karina."
Selena shook her head at Mikhail's confident words.
"The only one who can protect the Grand Duchess is His Highness the Grand Duke, not a wandering wizard."
Mikhail's eyes narrowed.
"Don't you know how the Grand Duke treats Karina? How Karina was treated in the Grand Duke's household, and how much the Grand Duke tormented Karina."
"..."
"The information officer doesn't even know that much?"
Mikhail expressed his displeasure openly. Selena looked straight at Mikhail and said.
"I know. That's why she needs him even more, His Highness. The problems Her Highness has been experiencing can only be solved by suppressing them with power and status."
"What?"
Mikhail looked incomprehensible.
"The discrimination and slander the Grand Duchess has experienced in the Grand Ducjes household. This means that all of these issues can be resolved if His Highness the Grand Duke clarifies the Grand Duchess' sstatus and position."
"..."
"Don't you know what happened at the last charity event? His Highness the Grand Duke took the Grand Duchess' side. So you know what the Grand Duchess' situation is now, don't you?"
"What did you say?"
Mikhail said with a face that said, "That's totally wrong."
"It was Karina who made it happen. On her own."
Mikhail set his eyes on the blade.
"It was all thanks to Karina's thorough preparation that she was able to wisely cover up Genon and Caroline's conspiracy and prove his innocence."
"I do not mean to deny the Grand Duchess's preparation and efforts. However, in the end, it was possible because His Highness the Grand Duke raised his hand for the Grand Duchess."
Mikhail frowned, his expression showing complete disagreement.
"That bastard shouldn't have let Karina be treated like that in the first place. But now, what right does he have?"
His voice was laced with suppressed anger.
"I have no intention of debating here whether or not you are qualified to be the husband of Her Highness the Grand Duchess."
"..."
"What I'm trying to say is that you can't take his place. Just staying by her side like this will be her weakness."
"I am Karina's weakness?"
Mikhail tilted his head as if to ask what that meant.
"At a time when those who oppose the Grand Duchess are burning with rage and desperately trying to find fault with her, isn't it more surprising that the handsome male bodyguard who is always by her side doesn't get caught up in scandal?"
Selena continued in a low voice.
"They will try their best to link you with the Grand Duchess. Even if the Grand Duchess has no such intentions, you are not. No matter how innocent the Grand Duchess is, you will tarnish her innocence."
But Mikhail said it wasn't a problem at all.
"If anyone shows up spouting such nonsense, I'll take care of them all."
"Protection is not just about protecting physically. Especially when it comes to someone as high In status as the Grand Duchess."
"What Karina really cares about isn't those superficial things."
Selena had never heard that Karina was preparing for a divorce. Nevertheless, when she heard Mikhail's words, Selena immediately understood what he was trying to say.
"Is Her Highness thinking about divorce? Is that why you want to say it doesn't matter?"
"I guessed so."
Mikhail smirked as if he knew this would happen.
"I plan to leave with Karina when she gets a divorce. And I will stay by her side. For the rest of my life."
Mikhail's expression was confident.
"Do you really think that people's affairs can be handled that way?"
There was one thing Selena had learned from experience: things don't always go the way you want them to.
"Let me be honest with you. A divorce between the Grand Duchess and His Highness the Grand Duke is realistically impossible."
"..."
"I don't know about you, but their marriage was ordered by His Majesty the Emperor. Approving a divorce would be like the Emperor going back on his word. This is a matter that goes beyond a simple family contract and involves the dignity and honor of the Imperial Family. The Emperor will never allow his honor to be damaged."
"Hahahahaha."
Mikhail laughed out loud as if he had heard something very funny.
"I know full well that the imperial family members risk their lives to save face."
There was a distinct sneer on Mikhail's face.
"I don't care what those damn bastards do."
Mikhail returned to his relaxed expression.
"If it doesn't work out, I can make it happen. That's what Karina wants."
"..."
It was a statement that assured her that he could make it happen if she wanted to. Selena realized from her conversation with Mikhail that he was not an ordinary wandering magician. Although she was not sure, Selena decided that it would be better to keep quiet at this point because of his attitude that seemed to believe in something. It was a wise decision.
"Don't even dream of doing anything that would harm Karina in the future. If you try to draw Karina into something dangerous by eliciting sympathy like this."
Mikhail's momentum as he spoke was impressive.
"Because I won't let you go."
Selena felt a chill as if sharp thorns were poking me from all sides.
"I'm warning you in advance."
Selena's body stiffened as if she was wrapped in a noose.
"... I understand."
Selena managed to answer.
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