Chapter 162

Astelle was repeating the same routine every day.

After the departure of her maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Carlenberg, she was a little lonely.

“Has my grandfather arrived at the estate?”

Hannah, who was organizing the dress, looked up at Astelle’s voice.

“He must have arrived safely. Don’t worry too much, the Marquis will definitely contact you soon.”

Her grandfather left the imperial palace for a while to check the estate that had been returned to him.

He was supposed to go earlier, but was delayed due to a poisoning case.

“I’m worried about his health, the weather is very cold.”

The last poisoning incident and the ensuing uproar are now completely over.

The duke’s sudden death left some doubts, but it wasn’t much of a problem.

People who didn’t know the situation gave sympathy to Astelle, who suddenly lost her father.

“The Empress has arrived.”

The door opened as soon as the maid announced Astelle’s arrival.

Astelle entered the greenhouse in the garden.

The ladies who were sitting immediately rose from their seats.

“Thank you for attending.”

Astelle, as the host of the tea party, thanked the noble ladies gathered and looked at them one by one.

“It’s an honor for us, Your Majesty.”

The ladies politely showed their respect.

Kaizen sorted out all the impure forces while clearing up the turmoil at that time.

After that, there was no incident in the empire.

In the abundance of autumn, the harvest season has ended, and now it is winter.

Everything feels stable.

Without her father, Astelle ended the autumn in a peaceful mood.

Entering the beginning of winter, she now managed the imperial palace like an empress should and spent her days comfortably arranging social gatherings for the ladies.

“Your Majesty, I brought tea which is hard to get from the North.”

“I brought a new fabric from the South…….”

Thanks to the disappearance of problematic nobles after the last incident, most of the remaining nobles were polite to the empress.

The ladies also tried to look good to Astelle.

“Thank you all for your kind heart.”

“Your Majesty, I heard you’re going to the East this time.”

One of the ladies who was drinking tea asked cautiously. The other ladies were also watching her curiously.

Astelle decided to go on a winter trip to the East with Kaizen soon.

‘It is understandable to wonder that the empress is going to the cold East in winter.’

Kaizen is always busy except during winter, so we decided to take a short trip in winter with a minimum number of people.

“Since the trips always took place in the spring, this time His Majesty would like to see firsthand how farmers live in winter.”

Astelle put down the teacup and smiled softly and continued, “The life of the farmers in winter is the most difficult. Since there is not enough firewood, they suffer from cold and lack of food. Winter is also the time when the eastern fever reaches its peak.”

Although not as cold in the North, winter in the East is also very cold. There are many underdeveloped rural areas that are isolated due to snow.

“Before this trip, we plan to send food, winter supplies, and medicines to each region. That is why we secured food and wool in advance along with the herbs.”

The trip began with a simple reason that Theor missed the East. However, Astelle plausibly packaged this trip as a ‘winter tour to look out for the farmers.’

‘If you don’t do this, you’ll end up hurting only the soldiers in the cold winter for nothing.’

In fact, it is a good thing to help farmers through the difficult winter.

Astelle lived for six years in the eastern countryside and knew all too well the harshness of life in winter to the villagers.

She also witnessed firsthand how many farmers died from cold, starvation, and disease during the winter.

Preparing for winter was also difficult for Astelle, who suffered from poverty.

“Ah……. It has such a deep meaning.”

At Astelle’s words, the ladies looked at her in admiration.

“After all, Your Majesty the Empress is very thoughtful.”

About half of them were really moved and gave Astelle a look of respect. Even if the other half didn’t, they gave a look of admiration at the empress who won people’s hearts in this way.

“That is the reason why you set up an herbal school in the capital.”

“That’s right”

Astelle had asked Gretel to make a ready-to-use medicine set for the whole country.

Thanks to this, the herbal school became more like a herbal production center than a school.

Fortunately, Gretel liked being able to produce her own medicine on a large scale.

“I plan to set up a plantation in the South to grow more herbs needed in the capital. The location has already been decided and construction is underway.”

The South is a warm and peaceful region, so it would not be strange to make a plantation in the mountains.

“I heard that the Duke also helped.”

“Yes, Fritz helped me decide the location.”

Speaking of Fritz, some of the ladies’ eyes began to sparkle.

“I heard that the duke is always busy and leaves the mansion empty, and the duke’s mansion is managed by the butler.”

“It’s unavoidable because there’s a lot of work.”

Not only because of work, but Fritz seemed reluctant to return to the house he once shared with his father.

As if they had been waiting, someone spoke up, “I hope he has a Duchess soon.”

Seeing the ladies who sympathized with that statement, Astelle felt uncommonly embarrassed.

“Well…….”

In fact, Astelle also wanted to find a marriage partner for her older brother Fritz, but she couldn’t because Fritz didn’t seem to like it.

You can’t force people to marry if they don’t like it.

As she was thinking about it, the door to the greenhouse swung open without notice.

“Astelle.”

Kaizen, who casually opened the door and came in, was walking to the table.

“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor, the lord of the empire.”

The ladies rose from their seats in unison and bowed.

Kaizen approached Astelle without giving them an eye.

“Your Majesty, what brings you here–”

“Are you all right? It’s cold.” Kaizen took Astelle’s hand with worried eyes.

What do you mean cold?

It’s quite warm in the greenhouse. The ladies attending the tea party are all in light silk dresses worn in spring. Astelle is also in a thin tea party dress.

“I am fine, Your Majesty.”

But Kaizen still had a worried face.

“You look tired though. Isn’t it time for a break?”

His gaze moved quickly toward the table, and the Countess, who said she had brought tea, said, “Well, we’ve been bothering the empress for too long.”

“We’ll be going now.”

* * *

“Why are you here?”

Why did you come here unannounced and chase the guests away?

Astelle asked Kaizen in a slightly dumbfounded tone.

Kaizen did not give in the slightest bit and protested in a way that he had no choice but to do so.

“They hold on to a tired person all day long.”

The ladies did not hold on to Astelle all day. It was a little over the set time, though.

However, there is no need to kick out those who try to look good.

“I am not tired.”

I’m not lying, I’m not really tired.

“You’ve been coughing since dawn.”

“……did I?”

I don’t remember because I was sleeping.

Was it so bad that Kaizen, who was sleeping outside the door, heard it?

“But I am fine now.”

Kaizen looked at her and sighed silently.

“But don’t overdo it.”

Did you come here worried that I might not feel well?

That seems like a compulsory consideration, but it’s not bad.

Astelle just smiled bitterly.

The two still slept in the same bedroom. As before, Astelle slept in the bed and Kaizen slept on the sofa outside.

Their affection has developed enough to be called lovers, but it has not yet developed into a relationship beyond that.

Rather than that, it seems that there was rarely an opportunity to cross the line.

“I guess because it was cold. I am fine now, so you don’t have to worry. Besides, this greenhouse is very warm.”

Rather, it was Kaizen’s health that worried her–although he said he could still live even after the autumn passed.

“I’m glad you like this place.”

This is a large greenhouse that Kaizen built in the Empress Palace.

There is white frost on the outside of the glass wall. Even though it’s winter, it’s warm like spring inside, because the firewood gives endless warmth.

Even though Astelle insisted that Kaizen was too extravagant, he did not give in to his stubbornness, using Theor as an excuse.

“I can’t let little Theor play in the cold garden.”

However, as soon as it snowed, Theor ran around the snowfields every day with Blynn.

He was so busy playing with the snow that he didn’t pay attention to the flowers blooming inside the greenhouse.

Thanks to that, this greenhouse became Astelle’s private resting room.

“We’re done preparing for the trip.”

“That’s fast.”

They should be leaving in a few days, but the preparations are already done.

“You can go to your grandfather’s estate.”

Her grandfather’s estate is also in the east, and the boundary of the estate stretches to near the rural villa where Astelle will be staying.

There are no castles or mansions around the villa for the emperor’s party to stay. It would be best to stop by her grandfather’s house before going to the villa.

As she was thinking about that, Kaizen looked at her interestingly and smiled.

“Why are you smiling? I think you are happy.”

Is that obvious?

Astelle said frankly, “I am looking forward to it. I’ve always wanted to go to the mansion on my mother’s estate.”

The mansion in the Carlenberg estate was where Astelle’s mother grew up. After her grandfather lost the estate, she couldn’t go there.

“That’s where my mother grew up. I’ve only been there a few times when I was very young, so I’m curious.”

When Astelle was young, she stayed in her mother’s room when she went there. Although not much remains of her mother’s stuff now.

The Carlenberg estate had come under the direct control of the imperial family.

The custodian sent by the emperor was appointed to the official residence and ruled the estate, so the mansion must not have been much touched.

Astelle was thrilled to think that she could relive her old memory of her mother once again.

* * *

A few days later, the two and Theor set off for the East.

Kaizen got into the carriage with Astelle and Theor.

Seeing him reminded her of when they first went on a trip. At that time Astelle refused his request and got into the carriage alone with Theor.

Ever since the carriage left the palace, Theor was looking at the scenery outside the window.

“Mom, look at that! The river is frozen!”

Theor pointed to the frozen river under the bridge.

“Theor, don’t leave the window open for too long.”

Astelle asked Theor to sit on the chair.

Theor finally sat down and stroked Blynn, who was lying on a blanket.

“I hope we get there soon. I miss Grandpa.”

“We’ll be there in a few days.”

While looking at Theor, Kaizen recalled what happened not long ago.

A few days after the Duke’s death, Theor also heard the news.

Kaizen was worried that he might be sad because he was the maternal grandfather he often met. Fortunately, no such thing happened.

Although he seemed a little shocked when he heard that the Duke of Reston was dead.

He pulled Kaizen’s sleeve and asked with a worried face,

“Will Mom be sad?”

“Well?”

“He is my mom’s dad.”

Theor looked up at him with clear eyes.

“I think my mom will be sad because she will never be able to see her father again.”

“…….”

Kaizen thought for a moment that he was glad he survived the poison and didn’t die.

He hadn’t thought about it because he was so busy with his hectic schedule for a while.

Had he died in vain, he would have been a lifelong wound to young Theor.

He would not be able to protect young Theor.

“Well.”

When he killed the duke, he was also worried that Astelle might get hurt.

But fortunately, Astelle did not seem to be very disturbed by the duke’s death.

Kaizen was deeply relieved. He didn’t want to hurt Astelle for any reason.

He lightly patted Theor on the shoulder with his gloved hand.

“If we both comfort her, she will be all right.”