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nIt was Kaizen who invited Astelle first.

nAstelle silently looked up at Kaizen who was bewildered.

n“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. If you invited me just out of courtesy, I won’t attend the ball if that’s what you want.”

n“I didn’t mean that.”

nAt that moment, the embarrassment disappears from his sculptural face.

nInstead, familiar irritation and anger were revealed.

n“Do you think I’m going to do such a pretense to you? If you don’t want to come, tell me not to come. Why are you talking in vain…”

nThe angry voice gradually lost its strength and was cut off.

nA feeling of embarrassment fluttered like waves in his red eyes like fresh blood.

nAstelle said nothing.

nFor more than a decade of being engaged, Astelle has attended every ball, dinner, and soiree as Kaizen’s partner.

nShe stood by his side countless times in countless banquet halls and ballrooms.

nKaizen has always followed social customs.

nOn the day of the prom, he reached out his hand and asked Astelle to be his partner.

nAstelle, drunk with a friendly smile and courteous request, held his hand with a happy heart every time.

nWas there sincerity even just once?

nAstelle knew without even asking.

nAll that affection was just smoke that will soon go away.

nEvery time he smiled and held out his hand, he probably hid his displeasure, hoping Astelle would reject his hand.

nKaizen seemed to recall the memories of that time now.

nBitter remorse was revealed on his handsome face.

nThe lips that looked like they were drawn with a brush, opened several times as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

nA heavy silence descended on the hallway.

nThe memories of the old days that came like an uninvited guest separated the two of them in silence.

nIt was Astelle who broke the silence first.

n“I’ll go to the ball if it’s okay with you.”

nKaizen’s startled eyes turned to Astelle.

nShe had no desire to participate in an event like a ball.

nBut she realized that an opportunity she hadn’t thought of had arrived.

n‘The ball can be a great opportunity.’

nIf it is a ball, there will be a lot of people around.

nLots of people mean lots of eyes.

nAstelle, as the world sees her, was the poor former empress, whom the emperor threw away in one day.

n‘It’s because I want to send Grandpa and Theor back home first.’

nSo she picked a ballroom with as many people as possible to make sure she got permission from the Emperor.

nKaizen, unaware of her intentions, seemed to be surprised again by her promise to attend.

nHe looked straight at Astelle for a moment, then averted his eyes.

n“… yes, thank you for attending.”

n“……”

nIt was the greeting from the landlord after seeing the guests at the ball.

nHaving said that, she felt as if this place was a ballroom.

nAstelle bowed her knee slightly in return.

n“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

n“Don’t make fun of me.”

nIt was then that she came to her senses and an unpleasant reply came back.

n“It’s just weird that you say no every time and then suddenly accept.”

nIt was an openly sarcastic tone.

n‘That’s because you always asked for useless things.’

nAstelle wanted to refute that, but instead, she answered quietly.

n“I haven’t always wanted to say no. If it was an acceptable offer, I would have accepted it.”

n“So you’re saying there was a problem with my offer?”

nShe almost asked ‘Are you asking because you did’t know that?’.

nBut Astelle’s answer was interrupted by Theor’s bright voice.

n“Aunt Astelle!”

nFrom the other side of the hallway, Theor, embracing the teddy bear, found the two and ran to them.

nBlin, a large hound, was following Theor.

n“Theor, you must not run in the hallway. It’s dangerous.”

nTheor clung to the hem of Astelle’s skirt and heaving as he answered.

n“I won’t do that anymore.”

n“You may fall, so be careful.”

nBlin, who arrived next, looked back at Kaizen and Astelle and waved its tail.

nTheor, who was holding Astelle’s skirt, greeted Kaizen as well.

n“Hello, Your Majesty.”

n“Hello.”

nKaizen stroked Theor’s hair like a puppy, then ruffled his hair.

nTheor closed his eyes and grinned.

nAs Kaizen finished stroking, Theor raised his head and asked innocently.

n“Your Majesty, why are you here?”

nKaizen looked around this place once.

n“I was begging your aunt to come to the ball.”

n‘Beg? I don’t think it was an earnest request enough to say that.’

nTheor was interested in the sound of a ball.

n“Aunt, are you going to the ball?”

n“Yeah.”

nTheor smiled cutely.

nA dimple was pierced on the white cheeks.

n“Can I come with you?”

n“What?”

n“I want to go to the ball too.”

nKaizen asked with a smile instead.

n“Do you know what a ball is?”

n“Yes. I saw it in a children’s book. It’s dancing in pretty clothes.”

n“You know it well.”

nWell, there are a lot of prom stories in children’s books.

nYoung Theor might be interested.

nBecause Theor had never seen a ball before.

nAstelle quickly appeased Theor before Kaizen uttered nonsense.

n“You can’t, Theor. I’ll take you later when you get older.”

nAt those words, Theor quickly lowered his head.

nTheor waved the teddy bear’s arm and made a muffled voice.

n“I also wanted to go to the ball.”

nAfter thinking for a while about how to appease the child, Kaizen sat down with one knee on his back, made eye level with Theor, and smiled.

n“I can’t take you to the ball. Would you like to take a tour of this garden instead?”

n“Really? Um… can I go outside the garden fence?”

n“The fence? Who said you couldn’t go out?”

nKaizen asked curiously, and then he turned his gaze in another direction.

nAstelle avoided his gaze.

nSince coming here, Astelle has allowed Theor to play in this annex only.

nIt was because she was worried that the same thing that happened in the last hunting lodge would be repeated.

nAstelle didn’t say anything, but Kaizen clicked his tongue briefly as if it was understandable.

n“The garden here is large and gorgeous. Let’s go out together, I will guide you.”

nTheor looked back at Astelle with bright eyes.

n“Can I go out?”

n“……”

nIf it’s near the attachment, there’s no danger. So it’s okay to take him out for a while.

nOf course, there was no intention of letting Theor go alone with Kaizen.

nAstelle smiled and took Theor’s hand.

n“Okay. Let’s go take a look together.”

nFor a moment, a sign of satisfaction seemed to pass over Kaizen’s lips.

nAstelle looked back at him.

nBut she must have misunderstood, no emotion was revealed on his indifferent face.

n* * *

nThere were two ways from the west annex to the center of the palace.

nOne was a path connected by a flat corridor, and the other was a path that passed through the garden.

nAstelle walked along the garden path with Theor.

nBlin, the hound also walked alongside Theor.

nKaizen was next to him a step away.

nThe bright sunny garden was very beautiful.

nThere were several small side paths in the middle of the garden path, and if you go into the side paths, you will find a flower garden or a greenhouse.

nAfter walking for a while, they went into the side road in the middle.

nThere was a small tea room.

n“What place is this?”

n“It’s a tea room. It’s a place to drink tea.”

nIt was an octagonal tea room with eight light blue columns supporting the roof.

nThe light green jasper floors glisten in the sunlight of the garden.

nNext to the tea room was a large acacia.

nBranches reaching high into the sky cast pure white petals on the blue roof of the tea room.

nEvery time the wind blew, the fresh scent of acacia permeated the warm sunlight.

n“Wow… it’s beautiful.”

nTheor lifted his heels and stretched his hands high to the sky to catch the drooping acacia blossoms.

nThe white flowers swaying in the sky barely reached Theor’s hand.

nTheor raised both his hands and jumped to catch the flower.

nIt was cute and funny.

nKaizen who was beside him, smiled slightly.

nAstelle lifted Theor up so that he could touch the acacia flower.

n“There are thorns, so be careful.”

nAfter looking at the tea room, they went out again to the central garden path and walked for a while.

nAs he passed the small pond, Theor pointed a finger at the green building by the pond.

n“There’s a strange house over there.”

n“It’s not a house, it’s a pavilion.”

n“What is the pavilion for?”

nThere was a large pavilion in the garden.

nMost of it was used as a restroom or tea room, but it was made like an exhibition room with glass windows.

n“Hmm. It’s an exhibition room made for a resting place after visiting the pond. I heard that there is a person from beyond the eastern mountain range in there. Shall we go there?”

n“Yes. I want to go.”

nSince it is used as an exhibition room, she thought the door would be locked, but it was surprisingly easy to open.

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