Chapter 148
Aslan had expected it—he was still clumsy at reading letters.
Minerva took out her share of the documents and kindly explained them to Aslan.
“First, this document. It’s still warm—I received it from His Majesty today. It means that we have officially and legally become a family.”
“Family!”
So that’s what it meant!
Aslan’s eyes sparkled. Ayla and Aslan nodded vigorously, their faces full of excitement.
This must be something precious. Aslan carefully set the document back down and this time picked up the handkerchief.
“Then what’s this piece of cloth?”
“Piece of cloth….”
Lloyd looked oddly wounded by Aslan’s reaction.
Now that he looked closely, the piece of cloth—no, the handkerchief—Aslan was holding and the one Ayla had received were somehow different.
The two handkerchiefs were different in color, but they bore the same embroidery.
That said, both embroideries were terribly done—and for some reason, Ayla’s looked even sloppier.
“……Sorry, Ayla. Mom isn’t very good at embroidery.”
“……?”
Ayla tilted her head, apparently not understanding the meaning of the handkerchief either.
Since this was the kind of thing parents usually explained, Minerva thought it was only natural that Ayla didn’t know. Belatedly, she explained it to her step by step.
“It’s one of the Empire’s customs. Whether noble or commoner, when a child reaches one hundred days after birth, a handkerchief embroidered by hand is given as a gift, wishing them to grow up healthy.”
Since Ayla had been adopted, it made sense that she wouldn’t know.
But to think that even Aslan didn’t know.
When Lloyd looked at Minerva in confusion, she fidgeted, her face full of guilt.
“……I wasn’t good at embroidery, so I replaced it with something else.”
“Ah.”
Lloyd immediately understood.
After all, as Ayla’s handkerchief clearly proved, even though they had both picked up a needle for the first time, Minerva’s embroidery skills were overwhelmingly disastrous.
Aslan stared at the handkerchief for a long while, then asked,
“Then did Dad do this one?”
“I tried, but it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted…. If you don’t like it, I’m sorry.”
Aslan glanced at Ayla’s handkerchief, then looked back at his own and broke into a wide smile.
“It’s better than Mom’s, though.”
They say there’s no point in raising kids….
Minerva drooped, and Ayla hurried to comfort her.
“I—I like it, Mom! I really like this.”
“Ayla…….”
How kind she was. Minerva wanted to hug Ayla right then and there.
But there was still something important to say.
“Then why did you suddenly give us the letters and handkerchiefs?”
Ayla asked the perfect question.
But when it came time to actually tell the children, Minerva grew shy and pressed her lips together, her eyes darting around.
After making up her mind, she finally spoke again.
“Actually, I talked things over with Lloyd. We’re a family that gets along better than we thought, so we wondered if there was really any need to separate.”
The children’s eyes went wide.
They weren’t separating?
That was exactly what Ayla and Aslan had been wishing for.
Ayla’s cheeks flushed red with happiness.
Minerva knelt down in front of Ayla.
Looking straight into her eyes, she took her small hand.
“I really want you, Ayla, to become my daughter for real.”
Lloyd felt the same.
“And I, too, want you, Aslan, to become my real daughter. Will you accept me as your father?”
There wasn’t a single child there who could refuse such a request.
Aslan nodded brightly.
“Yeah, I’d like that! Dad, protect Mom and us from now on.”
“I’d like that too! Thank you, Mom.”
Ayla smiled brightly, her eyes shimmering with tears.
Minerva hugged Ayla tightly.
Tightly enough to make up for not hugging her earlier.
It was a little hard to breathe, but Ayla liked even that.
“Let’s see. To always-energetic Aslan. When we first met—”
“Ah, Aslan! Read your letter by yourself!”
It was a peaceful party—aside from Aslan suddenly trying to open Lloyd’s letter and read it aloud.
Night had grown deep.
Gabriel looked out over the lively Crown Princess’s Palace and busily conversed with someone.
“So Duke Priscilla ended up with an actual prison sentence. Well, I figured it would turn out this way. Since it didn’t become a disaster like last time, it’s actually better for that person. Hm? What happened last time?”
To anyone watching, Gabriel might have seemed insane.
But in Gabriel’s room, aside from the soundly sleeping Cassius, there was no one else.
Gabriel turned, taking Cassius in with her eyes, and smiled.
Then she spoke toward the window.
“That’s a secret. Feeling hurt? Don’t be like that. I have my circumstances too. There is someone who can understand your words, you know.”
At that moment—
Someone at the window hurriedly tapped on the glass as a signal.
Gabriel immediately responded, speaking to whoever was beyond the window.
“Go on.”
No sooner had she given permission than the sound of someone scurrying away through the bushes could be heard.
Then, without so much as an invitation, the door burst open—but Gabriel didn’t mind and welcomed the intruder.
“Mars, welcome.”
The intruder was Mars.
He approached Gabriel with a groggy face, as though he had only just sobered up.
“Who were you talking to?”
“No one. You must have misheard.”
“Is that so?”
Without much suspicion, Mars seemed unable to remain standing and flopped down onto a chair.
“Damn it, I must’ve been drinking too much lately. Hearing things. Maybe I should cut back.”
“Oh my. Wasn’t drinking the joy of your life?”
“It is, but these days, whenever I drink, I can’t keep my head straight. Minerva’s back, after all—I can’t just keep living like this.”
Mars searched for an empty cup on the table and held it out to Gabriel.
It was a clear demand for water.
It was quite rude behavior toward his wife, but Gabriel said nothing and poured him some water.
After gulping down the cold water, Mars finally seemed to regain his senses. He shook his head and asked Gabriel,
“How’s Minerva doing these days?”
“Nothing in particular. But……”
“……?”
Sensing unease in the way Gabriel trailed off, Mars hoped that what followed would be Minerva’s misfortune—but reality was always cruel to him.
“It seems His Majesty is thinking of passing the throne to Minerva sooner rather than later.”
“……What did you say?”
“It looked like they were preparing Minerva’s wedding to the Duke. And right after that, I’m sure he’ll place the imperial crown upon her head.”
“……Then this is no time to be like this!”
Mars sprang to his feet.
Still affected by alcohol, his body wobbled, and he barely managed to stay upright by grabbing the wall.
“I need to see Her Majesty immediately—!”
“Stop it, Mars. Didn’t you go in that state not long ago and get scolded by Her Majesty? Even throwing tantrums has its limits.”
“Tantrums? You call this a tantrum?”
A hollow laugh burst from Mars.
“In the first place, I’m stepping in because you’re just standing around! What on earth have you been doing lately? There must be dozens of ways to kill Minerva right now! And what about your own family? Why have those people been so quiet lately? Whether through business or high society, shouldn’t they be stepping up to protect my power!”
Lately, Gabriel’s natal family, House Basilica, had been far too quiet.
In fact, calling it “lately” wasn’t quite accurate.
House Basilica had been gradually withdrawing from public activity for the past five years.
They had also stopped allowing anyone into the estate.
Something was clearly going on within the ducal house, yet Gabriel took no action and showed no interest.
As if they were strangers.
Gabriel pushed Mars’s shoulder, seating him back in the chair.
As though he had no will of his own, Mars moved exactly as she intended.
Then she took out a bottle of liquor from the cupboard—one that was always kept stocked, with a black cat drawn on the label.
“There are plenty of ways to kill Minerva right away. But you don’t want to leave a trail, do you?”
Gabriel slowly approached and set an empty glass down in front of Mars with a soft clink.
“My plan will be carried out on Minerva’s wedding day.”
