SUPER SIDE STORY 09……………………………………………
“Uncle wants to tell you an interesting story about your dad.”
“Yes!”
“Alright then……”
As Jonas whispered, the kids instinctively whispered back in response.
Arsen, who had been making flower crowns and rings, noticed their sudden gathering and hushed tones, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Earlier, the last smile Jonas had shown had been a mischievous one.
After hearing something, Roselia and Luamin looked at Arsen and began giggling quietly.
Feeling uneasy, Arsen abruptly stood up and strode toward them.
“Rosel, Lu.”
“Hm?”
“What are you laughing about so happily? Aren’t you going to tell Dad too?”
Roselia shook her head.
“No. Uncle said it’s a secret.”
“…A secret?”
“Yes!”
Arsen looked at Luamin with a shocked expression.
Luamin, who had been looking at him, quietly averted their eyes and started fidgeting with the flower crown.
It seemed Luamin had no intention of telling either.
Arsen immediately turned to glare at Jonas.
Jonas just smiled broadly and shrugged his shoulders, clearly enjoying watching Arsen squirm without being able to force him to reveal it.
Eventually, before Arsen could find out what had been said, it was already time for lunch.
Their clothes were stained with grass from sitting on the lawn, but fortunately, Jonas had brought a change of clothes.
A guest room was prepared for changing, and the children went upstairs to change.
“Noah, is lunch ready?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The chef prepared it with great care.”
“Please thank the chef for their effort.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Evelina smiled gently and tapped Noah on the shoulder.
Evelina and Arsen arrived first, followed by Roselia and Luamin.
Jonas arrived last.
Although he was a guest, he was the emperor, so he took the place of honor.
Soon, the table was filled with food.
“I hope it suits Your Majesty’s taste. I heard the chef put a lot of effort into it.”
“The chef used to work in the palace, so of course it will suit me.”
Jonas smiled contentedly.
The perfectly cooked steak was tenderly sliced.
The chef still remembered Jonas’s preferences and cooked the steak exactly the way he liked it most.
Jonas took a bite, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled.
“As expected of the chef. It’s delicious.”
“That’s a relief.”
Evelina smiled softly.
Jonas kept talking throughout the meal, as if he had so much to say.
Arsen twitched his eyebrows, about to complain about the noise, but Evelina held his arm.
He turned to look at her.
She shook her head slightly and whispered,
“You must have been lonely eating alone all this time. The Empress Dowager also said she eats in her room because of her illness.”
“….”
“So let it slide just for today. Please.”
Arsen sighed lightly and nodded, resigned.
She gently patted the back of his hand.
Fortunately, Roselia and Luamin didn’t seem bored with Jonas’s stories either.
Finally, the long meal ended.
Even Arsen’s expression, which had seemed displeased, softened a little.
Jonas looked slightly disappointed and lingered.
Ridel, standing behind, cleared his throat and spoke.
“Your Majesty, we should depart now so today’s schedule isn’t delayed.”
“I see……”
Jonas exhaled deeply.
It had been a short but rare break from the endless political affairs.
Evelina looked at him sympathetically and said,
“I will come often while you are in the capital, Your Majesty.”
“Alright. Sorry for coming over without warning.”
“No, it’s fine. The children enjoyed it.”
Jonas approached Arsen and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
“I envy you, brother.”
“…If you’re envious, Your Majesty, you should get married too.”
“I will, when the time comes. But now, we really should go.”
They didn’t lift their heads until the carriage carrying Jonas had disappeared into the distance.
Roselia and Luamin behaved the same way.
Though fidgety from impatience, they didn’t lift their heads or whine.
Evelina entered the mansion and asked the children,
“Rosel, Lu, how was it playing with Uncle?”
“It was amazing! Uncle is fun!”
“He made the crowns and flower rings so well…and even gave us gifts.”
At the mention of gifts, Evelina exclaimed softly and then asked,
“Lu, are you interested in swords?”
“Ah… I looked at them because they were so cool.”
“Really? Then would you like to try learning swordsmanship?”
“Uh……”
Luamin fidgeted, pondering.
Evelina smiled gently.
“Take your time deciding. Whatever you choose is up to you.”
“Yes……”
“Good. Later, just tell Mom quietly, okay?”
“Yes!”
Luamin nodded and answered energetically.
Evelina smiled warmly and stroked Luamin’s hair.
That night, Arsen was in charge of putting the children to bed.
Seeing them lying quietly, he sat beside them and spoke softly,
“Rosel, Lu.”
Roselia and Luamin’s eyes widened.
“What did you talk about with Uncle earlier today?”
“Earlier today?”
“Yes. You said it was a secret and didn’t tell me.”
Roselia thought for a moment, then clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Ah! I remember!”
Arsen began to persuade them gently.
“Even if it’s a secret, it’s fine as long as I don’t tell Uncle.”
“Hmm, but Uncle said never to tell Dad……”
“I promise. I won’t tell Uncle, ever.”
Roselia rolled her eyes, then whispered to Luamin, leaning their heads together.
After their little meeting, Roselia nodded.
“Then promise with your pinkies.”
“Alright.”
Arsen extended his pinky.
They linked pinkies with him, then with each other.
Roselia whispered as if sharing a huge secret,
“Uncle said Dad used to cry because he was scared of thunder when he was little.”
“…What?”
“He said that on stormy nights, he would always sleep with him.”
Arsen raised an eyebrow.
Unaware of his thoughts, Roselia and Luamin giggled.
Arsen smiled gently and said,
“That was then, but not now. Dad is an adult.”
“Are adults not afraid of anything?”
“Not completely, but they’re much braver than when they were kids.”
Arsen stood up.
“Now, go to sleep. Today is over.”
He kissed their foreheads briefly, one by one.
Tired from playing, the children quickly fell asleep.
Arsen quietly turned off the lights and left the room.
And he made a decision:
From now on, Jonas would be forbidden from entering the Grand Duke’s mansion, regardless of whether he was in the capital or the north.
After that day, Luamin began learning swordsmanship.
With a skilled teacher like Arsen, there was no need to hire an instructor.
Surprisingly, Luamin showed remarkable talent with the sword.
“He adapted quickly to the basic stance. He’s clumsy at times, but follows along well.”
“Really? Is he enjoying it?”
“He’s enjoying it so much it’s a problem.”
Evelina covered her mouth and giggled.
She had been a little worried since Luamin hadn’t shown much interest in anything before, but that worry was relieved.
“We should thank His Majesty.”
“Why?”
“Because His Majesty brought the toy sword as a gift, we realized what Luamin was interested in.”
“…I was also planning to buy a toy sword for next year’s birthday.”
Evelina couldn’t hold back her laughter.
“Then next year, we’ll give an even cooler sword than what His Majesty gave.”
Arsen coughed awkwardly.
“By the way, isn’t the day the queen is visiting almost here?”
“Yes, that’s right. Not much time left. I thought a month would feel long, but it passed quickly.”
“We need to prepare perfectly so nothing goes wrong.”
Evelina nodded.
It was a meeting with foreign delegates.
Even though Evelina was friends with Selene, Selene was a queen of another country.
Any mistake could have serious consequences, so thorough preparation was essential.
“We should also firmly instruct the children.”
“Agreed.”
Evelina trusted Roselia and Luamin.
They had never disappointed her.
Time passed, and the day Selene arrived in the empire finally came.
Since she would be staying at the Grand Duke’s mansion, Evelina and Arsen had lunch earlier than usual and began preparations.
They planned to return with Selene after waiting at the palace.
Before leaving, Evelina spoke to Roselia and Luamin,
“Rosel, Lu, remember what Mom told you?”
“Yes.”
“Yes!”
She smiled and lightly tapped their shoulders.
“The guest arriving today is extremely important. Don’t be rude or play around. And don’t touch them. Understood?”
Roselia and Luamin nodded firmly.
Pleased with their quick response, Evelina stood.
The children followed them to the carriage.
“We’ll be back. See you later.”
Evelina kissed their cheeks in turn and climbed into the carriage.
As the carriage jolted forward, Roselia and Luamin waved energetically until it disappeared from sight.
