Chapter 105

“Once the national mourning is over, it must be Your Highness the Emperor, as the eldest brother, that weds first. There is no way that the younger brothers can have such a grand ceremony when the Emperor has not even properly had a wedding.

“The Grand Duchess may be sorry to hear this, but we cannot help it. However, that will happen to each of us in the future as well, so it won’t only be the Grand Duchess.”

“…..”

What he’d do to that b*st*rd.

Rashid stared at Peyton, who assumed so naturally that Rashid himself wouldn’t be marrying, with mixed feelings. It was clear that he had no ill intentions, but that made him even angrier.

All of a sudden, certain purple eyes that belonged to someone who always looked at him like this came to mind.

“….”

Shiing.

The hand that had slowly reached for his sword returned to its original position, like the strength in it had faded.

At any rate, a guest was soon to come, so he didn’t want to cause an unsavory incident.

“Then I will go back out and meet with the magicians once more. I’ll first check whether any information regarding Haniel came in during the past few days, and….”

“Good work.”

“……”

And more than anything, he was also a brother loyal to him.

With an indifferent tone of voice that wasn’t any different from usual, Rashid looked at him and asked.

“What’s wrong with you, Peyton?”

“…….”

Peyton swallowed thickly, as if he had heard something that he wasn’t supposed to hear. He was the most similar to the deceased former king among all the brothers, and he had risen to the position of feudal lord of the Northern lands with his supremely careful personality.

He, who was all that, now stared blankly at his older brother the Emperor, unable to hide his gaping expression.

“I asked what is wrong with you, b*st*rd.”

“Ahh.”

Relieved as soon as he heard the word b*st*rd, only then did Peyton go out the door. He had questioned whether he really had been possessed by a curse during his few days’ absence, to the point of thinking back on Tenon’s nonsensical words—that was how nervous he had been for a moment.

“…….”

It was because he only saw up until then before he left, that he was able to conclude there was no possibility and shake it off like this. If he had remained in the room for a while longer, faithful Peyton would have gone out to look for the archbishop and then some.

If, that is, he had seen the expression Rashid had as he looked out the window, alone.

***

“Our princess, how about this striped ribbon?”

[….Yesh. Pwetty.]

“No, never mind. This purple ribbon over here would look pretty. How is this one?”

[…..Pwetty.]

Baby, please talk with your eyes open, at least.

Hmph if I do this, hmph if I do that—I was panicking at Haniel’s unusually passive attitude. But because I knew very well why she was like this, I couldn’t even scold her.

“Are you very scared about going to your big brother?”

[Mmhmm.]

Haniel then finally slid open the eyes she had been squeezing shut. Seeing how worry was pooled in her eyes like tears on the verge of falling out, my stomach lurched.

[Mommyy, what if Empwer bwother scolds Haniel?]

“Then Mommy will scold him, much much more.”

[Mommyy, what if Empwer bwother bam! kicks Haniel away?]

“Then Mommy will kick him too.”

[Mommyy, what if Empwer bwother eats Haniel like chomp! Chomp?]

“….mm.”

You know your brother isn’t that crazy.

Thinking that was a bit too much, I pressed my lips together into a smile.

But how worried she must be to be like this.

In the end, I stopped walking and neatly folded back her wings, which looked like they were about to be twisted backwards.

“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. Mommy can just go and talk to him by myself.”

[…..No, no. Haniel will go too.]

I’d thought she would immediately say she wouldn’t go, but for some reason she clung into my arms again firmly.

Maybe to show her will to definitely go together, she busily pretended to pick out ribbons with her beak, but it wasn’t doing her any good.

‘My kiddo isn’t this kind of kiddo.’

She was a swan princess who was the happiest in the world when she was picking out a ribbon in the morning.

Jumping into the basket on purpose, she would dig in this way and dig in that way. For a child who was timid and shy in everything else, this was one area where her stubbornness was no joke.

And that child today, both in the morning and right now, was being careless, her heart not in it at all. I had no choice but to tie the velvet ribbon I’d chosen onto Haniel and look for something to say to make Haniel feel better.

“But you got complimented again today, right? From Teacher Melleo, and from Teacher Darren, too.”

[Mm! I like Teacher Dawen!]

As expected, what children saw was accurate. Seeing how he’d been surrounded by parents after class ended today, he reminded me of your average

celebrity.

“Even in Mommy’s perspective, Teacher Darren does seem like he is very cool.”

[Ishn’t that wight?]

“That’s right. He seemed the coolest in the lake.”

But Haniel’s chatter, with her worldly worries forgotten, did not last long.