SUPER SIDE STORY 11………………………………………….
When they arrived at the royal palace, the steward had come out to greet them.
As Evelina and Arsen stepped down from the carriage, the steward bowed his head and said,
“You may wait in the reception room and then go together. I will guide you there.”
On the way to the reception room, Evelina stole a glance out the window.
She had felt it earlier too, but today the weather seemed unusually pleasant.
Because the Kingdom of Astina was warm all year round, they had deliberately timed their visit to the Empire for a warm day.
“You may wait here.”
The steward bowed again and left the reception room.
Not long after, a maid entered carrying refreshments.
A clear black tea was poured into the teacups.
Once the maid left, Evelina carefully lifted her cup and took a sip.
“Did we arrive too early?”
“I don’t think so. Even if we came early, it’s better than arriving late.”
“That’s true. I haven’t seen Selene in years—I wonder if she’s the same as before.”
Evelina chuckled softly.
As they nibbled on the cookies they had prepared together and chatted, the reception room door suddenly swung open.
Evelina and Arsen immediately stood up.
Jonas and Selene walked in together.
Seeing Evelina, Selene beamed and immediately pulled her into a hug.
“It’s been a while, Evelina!”
“It has been a while, Selene.”
Evelina smiled softly and returned the hug.
Selene hadn’t changed much from a few years ago.
The only difference was that her long hair had been cut into a short bob.
Every time she moved, her ornate accessories jingled and made a sound.
Selene spoke with a joyful expression.
“Though it’s been quite late, congratulations on having a child.”
“Thank you for the congratulations.”
Selene excitedly chatted about this and that.
Jonas, standing behind her, wore a slightly sour expression.
When talking to him, Selene had always been brief.
It wasn’t rude, but seeing her change her demeanor so quickly upon seeing Evelina left him feeling a bit deflated.
He thought that even though they had gotten along well as children, the past was just the past.
Seizing a chance, Jonas naturally interjected.
“I look forward to working with you, Duchess.”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will take good care of the Queen.”
Selene seemed genuinely happy to be with Evelina, smiling warmly.
Arsen, on the other hand, had the opposite expression.
He was staring at Selene with a stiff, almost glaring look.
Jonas shook his head silently and clicked his tongue.
As they left the reception room and headed toward the carriage, Selene said,
“Sorry for being stubborn. I wanted to be with you while in the Empire.”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, we enjoyed returning to the capital after so long. The children liked it too.”
“How old are the children now?”
“They’re eight years old—they’re twins.”
Selene, excited, asked about the children, and Evelina answered earnestly.
Thankfully, Selene didn’t seem to dislike children, which was a relief.
With a worried look, Selene said,
“Do you think the children will like me?”
“Oh, of course!”
“But… children usually like gentle, delicate women like you, don’t they?”
Evelina’s eyes widened.
“I’m not gentle. My personality is rough…”
“Selene, that’s a completely unnecessary worry. The children have been so curious about you since yesterday that they barely slept.”
“Will they be disappointed?”
“If the children are disappointed in you, I would be disappointed in my own children. That’s not how I raised them,” Evelina said firmly.
Arsen, who had been silent beside her, added,
“That’s right. I’m not just saying that because they’re my children—Rosel and Lu are absolutely not that kind of children.”
“Rosel? Lu? Are their names Rosel and Lu?”
“They’re nicknames. The girl is Roselia, and the boy is Luamin.”
“What beautiful names.”
They continued chatting back and forth as they got into the waiting carriage.
As they neared the estate, Selene spoke less and less.
Her face showed signs of tension.
Evelina wanted to tell her not to be nervous, but instead just lightly tapped the back of Selene’s hand with a smile.
Finally, the carriage slowed to a stop.
Selene’s gulp could be heard clearly.
Noah had come out to meet them.
When Evelina stepped down from the carriage, she asked Noah,
“The children?”
“They said they’d wait here, but it was snack time, so they went to have a snack.”
“So the snack comes before me, huh?”
“They’re still children.”
Evelina chuckled softly.
As Selene approached, Noah bowed his head.
“Your Majesty, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Noah, the steward of the Duke’s household. You may call me Noah.”
“Nice to meet you. Please take care of things while we’re at the estate.”
Selene laughed heartily.
She looked around, probably searching for the children, so Evelina spoke up.
“They went to have a snack. They’ve probably finished by now. Let’s go inside, Selene.”
“Ah, right.”
The slightly relaxed expression on Selene’s face returned to one of tension.
They entered the estate together.
As if hearing them arrive, footsteps ran toward them the moment they stepped inside.
“Mom!”
“Dad!”
Roselia and Luamin rushed down the stairs and hugged Evelina and Arsen, respectively.
Then their attention shifted toward Selene.
Seeing both children looking at her at the same time, Selene flinched and gave an awkward smile.
“Ah, hello?”
The children, wide-eyed, straightened up and politely greeted her when Selene raised her hand.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I’m Roselia Rockfelt.”
“I’m Luamin Rockfelt.”
Selene’s eyes widened at their crisp manners.
“Please take care of me, Your Majesty.”
“Please take care of me as well.”
Their simultaneous greetings looked as if dolls were moving.
Their fair skin, large eyes, and beauty made them seem like real dolls.
Selene couldn’t take her eyes off the children—they were so adorable.
Evelina said to Noah,
“Noah, show Selene to the room we’ve prepared.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please this way.”
“You must be tired from coming this far. Rest until dinner.”
Selene nodded and looked at the children with a hint of longing before following Noah.
There was no need for regret, since she would see them throughout her stay at the estate, not just today.
As Selene went upstairs, Evelina let out a sigh of relief.
Roselia and Luamin clung to the hems of her dress and asked,
“Mom, did we do well?”
“You did well?”
Evelina smiled and sat cross-legged.
“Yes, very well indeed.”
Receiving her praise, Roselia and Luamin beamed with delight.
Arsen chuckled softly and ruffled Luamin’s hair.
Roselia whispered something important in Evelina’s ear.
“About the Queen…”
“Yes?”
“She’s really, really cool.”
Roselia’s eyes sparkled.
Selene looked very different from the people of the Empire, so this made sense.
Evelina gently pinched Roselia’s nose and released it.
“Will you tell the Queen directly later? She’ll be very happy.”
“Yes! Can we swing with the Queen too?”
“Hmm… if the Queen says it’s alright.”
Roselia nodded vigorously and bounced excitedly.
If Selene heard that, she would surely be thrilled.
After sending the children off, Evelina went upstairs to change clothes.
“I was going to go boating with the children, but it might be more fun with Selene.”
“Looks like Rosel and Lu really like the Queen. Boating together is a good way to get closer.”
Thinking she would ask Selene later, Evelina gave Arsen a quick kiss and entered the dressing room.
With Berry’s help, she changed and collapsed onto the bed, feeling unexpectedly tired despite not having moved much.
“Berry, if Selene comes looking, wake me immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Sleep well.”
She drew the curtains to block the sunlight and kept her footsteps quiet.
No sooner had Berry left than Evelina fell into a deep sleep.
At one point, she opened her eyes slightly, only to realize she wasn’t alone.
She was lying against Arsen’s broad chest.
Evelina smiled softly and snuggled further into him.
“You can sleep more.”
“How long… has it been?”
“Not long. Dinner isn’t for a while, so sleep a little more.”
Arsen gently patted her back in a steady rhythm.
Evelina’s eyes drooped again.
Half-awake, it was easy for her to fall asleep again with just a little comfort.
Eventually, she succumbed to her heavy eyelids and drifted back to sleep.
When she woke again, Arsen was still beside her.
This time, he was fast asleep, breathing softly.
Though he hadn’t shown it, he looked quite tired.
It was understandable—he hadn’t rested since arriving in the capital, continuously handling matters.
Evelina looked at him with a tender expression and gently smoothed his disheveled hair with her fingers.
Noticing his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, she pressed them down softly.
She breathed lightly, careful not to wake him.
Even without moving, her gaze must have been intense enough to affect him.
