Chapter 209
The Emperor had been so absorbed in his conversation with Agnes that he only belatedly noticed everyone staring at him.
“Ahem!“
“Ahem!“
Embarrassed, he cleared his throat repeatedly.
But instead of restoring his imperial dignity, it only made his thoughts painfully obvious.
No one found him intimidating.
Instead, everyone simply breathed a sigh of relief that Agnes hadn’t somehow managed to offend him.
At this rate…
They all had a strong feeling Agnes would become the Crown Princess’s aide long before the promised five years had passed.
* * *
“Everyone, have a safe trip!”
Standing beside the carriage, Aequirine waved cheerfully as she saw them off.
“This trip was so much fun! Let’s travel together again next time!”
“…Fun…”
Bobes muttered weakly.
No one looked more exhausted than he did.
He never wanted to go on another trip like this for the rest of his life.
“Five hundred million.”
Fedelius leaned over and whispered the magical words into his friend’s ear.
“See you next time! Travel safely!”
“…This is already my home.”
“The Imperial Palace is huge. You’ve still got plenty of walking left to do. Write to us!”
Instantly revived, Bobes energetically waved both hands.
Watching him, Arpina couldn’t help giving him a sympathetic look.
It seemed the trip had been especially hard on him.
“Seniors, don’t forget to write! You too, Argenta!”
At the sound of her name, Argenta hurriedly grabbed the hem of her sister’s clothes.
Everyone in the carriage turned toward her.
“…Since when did you become close to Her Highness the Crown Princess?”
Arpina looked back and forth between the two in surprise.
Argenta shook her head so violently it looked as though it might fall off.
“I don’t know either…!”
Apparently, they’d happened to share a room at the Ortio marquisate.
From there, Aequirine had simply started talking to her on her own and continued hanging around her.
“She doesn’t seem to understand personal boundaries…”
“…”
Arpina had a rough idea why her younger sister seemed so flustered.
The Tonide family had once been one of the East’s most prestigious noble houses.
Back then, Argenta had been the princess of the East.
No one dared speak casually to her.
Even fewer would boldly suggest becoming friends.
She’s never met someone her own age who outranked her…
Someone like Aequirine—who effortlessly ignored the invisible distance Argenta had always taken for granted—must have felt completely unfamiliar.
“Looks like she’s recruiting talent.”
“That girl really is greedy when it comes to capable people.”
Fedelius and Renius immediately saw through the Crown Princess’s intentions.
Mages were precious even within the Imperial Palace.
Since most belonged to the Magic Tower, it was rare to find one living independently elsewhere.
“Travel safely, all of you.”
With the Emperor personally seeing them off, the carriage finally departed.
It was time to return home.
* * *
After passing through the Gate into the South, the carriage soon arrived at the Aust Territory.
Argenta got off where a carriage from House Aust had been waiting to pick her up.
Both of her hands were overflowing with souvenirs she’d bought in the East.
Every single one was intended as a gift for the servants of the Aust estate.
The old Argenta would never have done something like that.
“Take care.”
Arpina was so pleased by her sister’s efforts that she even stepped out of the carriage to see her off.
After hesitating for a moment, Argenta quietly said,
“I-I’ll write you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“…”
Her cheeks reddened slightly as she nodded.
Then her eyes met Sonia’s cold stare from inside the carriage.
“Ah…”
Her lips parted.
She hesitated for a long while…
Before suddenly lowering her head and fleeing.
“Someone would think I eat people alive.”
“She really does seem sorry.”
Watching Argenta board the Aust carriage, Arpina spoke softly.
For the past two years, Argenta had steadily tried to change herself.
But after seeing what a monster their father had become…
She had become noticeably quieter.
Even the last traces of her pride seemed to have broken.
Sonia would never admit it—
But she found her younger sister just a little pitiful.
Perhaps Sonia felt something similar herself.
Unlike before, she neither cursed nor complained.
“Shall we head out now?”
Fedelius, who had patiently waited, finally asked.
Arpina nodded as she looked away from the window.
At the same time…
Argenta also forced herself to tear her gaze away from the departing carriage carrying her sister.
“What are those?”
The Aust family’s head maid, who had come to fetch her, asked.
Elegantly dressed, she wore her now-white pink hair neatly tied up.
Though she looked younger than her age, the hardships she’d endured were still visible on her face.
“Souvenirs.”
“I wanted to hand them out to everyone at the estate.”
“…”
“What?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason.”
“I’m just… surprised.”
Argenta frowned.
“You actually thought of something so thoughtful.”
“Are you making fun of—”
“I’m praising you.”
“It’s impressive.”
Argenta stopped mid-retort.
“…I couldn’t do something like that myself.”
“You?”
Argenta found that impossible to believe.
For the past two years, this very head maid had constantly lectured her about treating the people around her better.
“I used to be every bit as hopeless as you.”
“…”
Being called hopeless annoyed Argenta.
But…
It wasn’t exactly wrong.
So she held her tongue.
So even the head maid used to have an awful personality.
Truthfully…
Argenta still thought she had one.
Still, she’d developed enough tact not to say it aloud.
“…That brooch.”
A pink pearl brooch caught her eye.
Its dull color suggested it wasn’t worth much.
For the head maid of a ducal household, one would expect much finer jewelry.
Yet she always wore that same faded pink pearl.
“You always wear it.”
“You’re awfully talkative today.”
“I just…”
“I wanted to show a little interest.”
“You should be interested in other people.”
“There’s nothing to gain from befriending an old woman like me.”
Ending the conversation with that sarcastic remark, the head maid simply closed her eyes.
Argenta glanced at her with a look that clearly said,
That old lady really has a rotten personality.
Yet…
For some reason…
The sarcasm hadn’t sounded entirely unpleasant.
Perhaps because of the strange smile that had briefly crossed the woman’s face.
Maybe…
Did she also wound her family in a way that could never be forgiven?
Is that why she still can’t bring herself to meet them?
“…”
Once she returned home…
The first thing Argenta decided to do was write to her sister.
A letter saying she’d arrived safely.
That she’d handed out the gifts.
That she’d managed to hold an actual conversation with someone she knew.
Nothing but trivial, everyday stories.
Exactly that kind of letter.
* * *
“You little troublemakers.”
The daughter of the Marquess of Hesperi had personally come to welcome the six runaways.
“Nobody got hurt, did they?”
She carefully looked them over.
Fortunately, there were no obvious injuries.
The six of them assured her they were all perfectly fine.
“I’m glad.”
“But later, make sure you apologize properly to the Marquess for causing him so much trouble.”
“Understood?”
Her voice turned stern.
“Yes.”
“We’re sorry.”
All six answered obediently.
Watching them, she swallowed a wry smile.
They’re still children after all.
“Aunt, this is for you.”
Fedelius handed her a gift.
“Can we see Grandmother now?”
“The Marquess left for the capital yesterday.”
The day after the children ran away…
Instead of searching for them herself…
The Marquess had immediately departed for the capital.
That was because the Duke of Boreoti had already informed her that her grandchildren were going after Count Tonide.
The entire runaway incident had passed so quietly only because the Marquess had known everything from the beginning and deliberately looked the other way.
“But if you ever try something like this again…”
The lady’s sharp gaze landed squarely on Fedelius.
He quietly hid behind Arpina.
Unfortunately…
Since he was so much taller than she was, it accomplished absolutely nothing.
His entire head still stuck out above hers.
“Noona, I’m scared…!”
Everyone looked at the shameless Fedelius with exasperation.
And just as always—
“Um…”
“Fedelius has already reflected on what he did.”
“And honestly…”
“Most of this happened because I let Father go two years ago…”
Arpina hurriedly defended him.
Stretching both arms behind herself, she shielded him protectively.
To everyone else, he was already a fully grown man.
But to Arpina…
He was still the adorable younger boy she’d always wanted to protect.
“So…”
“Please don’t scold him too harshly.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“But he’s already frightened…”
“So… maybe… be just a little gentler…”
“My dear.”
The lady smiled.
“Your name is Arpina, isn’t it?”
“I’m Pelidea Hesperi.”
“Just call me Peli.”
Having finished introducing herself to her future niece-in-law, Pelidea continued,
“You can’t spoil someone simply because you love them.”
“When they’re wrong, they need to be corrected.”
“Otherwise…”
“When you have children someday…”
“Are you going to raise them the same way?”
“…”
Arpina fell into thought.
A moment later…
She quietly stepped aside.
Her sturdy human shield disappeared.
Fedelius stared at her in complete shock.
“Noona!”
But Arpina didn’t look back.
“Hahaha!”
“Serves you right!”
Sonia laughed wholeheartedly.
It was perhaps the brightest smile she’d worn in a very long time.
* * *
In the end, Fedelius had to endure an endless lecture for being the ringleader behind the runaway incident.
As he walked out of the office, he kept rubbing his ears.
“I think my ears are bleeding.”
“You should at least pretend to be remorseful.”
“Remorse happens in the heart.”
“It isn’t complete until your actions show it too, you little menace…”
By now, however, Fedelius had decided he’d already listened to enough scolding for one day.
He barely even pretended to hear the rest.
“Hmph… Noona!”
Instead, he wrapped both arms around Arpina and complained.
“You abandoned me earlier.”
“I was really terrified.”
“But…”
“What Lady Hesperi said made sense too.”
Arpina was vaguely aware that she tended to spoil Fedelius far too much.
She loved him so deeply that it often clouded her judgment.
Whenever it involved him…
She instinctively felt,
It’s okay.
If it’s Fedel, then it’s fine.
Her tolerance for him had become almost limitless.
Still…
She worried.
What if this habit carries over when we become parents someday?
“I might not become a perfect mother…”
She smiled softly.
“But I want to become a mother who always keeps trying.”
