Chapter 163

The carriage carrying the party drove on the frozen road for half a day.

In the evening, they arrived in a small town near the capital. Although the sun has not yet set, they decided to rest here today in order not to overdo it.

While Kaizen entered the lord’s manor with Theor, Astelle decided to stop by a nearby temple for a while. The servants with large boxes followed her.

Near the manor, there is a small temple for the villagers. It can be reached directly from the manor through a small corridor. It’s small but clean and neatly decorated.

The middle-aged priest ran out to meet Astelle with a moved face.

He said, “It’s an honor for our temple to have Your Majesty the Empress stop by.”

Astelle looked around the inside of the temple. It’s small and has a quiet atmosphere. It is a typical small temple in the countryside, but it is neat and tidy.

It seemed to have been prepared with sincerity for the visit of the emperor and his party.

She would surely regret it if she did not stop by the temple.

“It’s a really clean and neat place. You have taken good care of it.” Astelle expressed pure admiration.

“Thank you for saying that, Your Majesty.”

Excited, the priest looked at the large boxes brought by the servants and asked, “Your Majesty, these are…….”

“These are winter supplies and essential medicines for the people here.”

Although they were already distributing enough winter supplies to other regions, it would be a kind of sweet story if the emperor’s party showed charity while passing by.

It is also good for packaging the purpose of the trip.

So Astelle deliberately prepared it.

She also brought a separate donation to the temple.

Everyone must have prepared a lot to greet the emperor’s party, so she wanted to repay them like this.

As Astelle was about to leave, she heard a buzzing sound. People gathered at the entrance in no time.

They couldn’t get in because the knights were blocking them, so they gathered outside to see Astelle.

“Who are they……?”

“Ah, they are the villagers who came here to see Your Majesty the Empress.”

Ah.

Upon closer inspection, most of them are farmers in old clothes.

When Astelle looked at them, they clumsily lowered their heads or bowed.

“Thank you for coming to welcome me.”

Astelle beckoned to the servants.

“Give them some gifts.”

When the servants handed out the items they brought, the villagers were embarrassed and moved.

“Th- thank you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Some villagers seem to be more interested in Astelle than gifts. They looked up to Astelle as if she was a saint in a temple.

Although this place was not far from the capital, it was like a dream for the farmers living in the village to see the imperial family and even the empress up close.

Then came the footsteps of the knights approaching.

Kaizen opened the door to the corridor and came in.

“Astelle.”

“Your Majesty the Emperor……!”

The startled priest bowed deeply.

The villagers also knelt down, buzzing at the sudden appearance of the emperor.

Astelle also bowed very politely.

There were people watching, so she had to be calm and courteous to the emperor like a decent empress.

“Your Majesty, what brings you here?”

Kaizen was bewildered to see her showing polite manners.

“I followed you because you went out without a word.”

She was wondering what would happen if the villagers heard it, so she turned her eyes slightly.

Fortunately, the villagers are at the entrance of the temple, so they can’t hear their conversation well.

“I stopped by for a bit to give the people here some gifts.”

She didn’t expect people to gather like that.

“Where’s Theor?”

Kaizen smiled and said, “Since the lord of this place showed him the lambs, he didn’t even pay attention to me.”

Astelle held back her laughter at Kaizen’s sad voice.

An image of Theor, distracted by the lambs and ignoring Kaizen, flashed before her eyes.

“I have to go back quickly to feed him dinner and put him to sleep.”

As she was about to go back, she saw people standing at the door, looking at Kaizen with admiring eyes.

He does have a handsome face though.

“Astelle.”

Kaizen held out his hand to Astelle.

He took Astelle by the hand and walked into the corridor.

It was warm enough inside the temple, but when they stepped out into the corridor lined with pillars, a chill came over them.

Maybe because the sun has already set, it feels a bit colder than before.

Then Kaizen next to her gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Astelle was a little startled, but she didn’t dare let go of his embrace, and she walked away as she was hugged by him.

Despite the cold weather, warmth is transmitted from Kaizen.

Villagers are still gathering outside the corridor. They couldn’t get any closer because of the knights guarding the surroundings.

The friendly appearance between the emperor and empress seemed to have made a good impression among the people, and there was gentle admiration in the gazes towards the two.

Kaizen seems to have noticed that too.

“Everyone looks curious.” He whispered lowly, “I feel like an animal in a zoo.”

Astelle smiled bitterly. “Because imperial couples getting along well is not common.”

It is not common to get divorced and then marry twice though.

Still, it wasn’t bad to make a good impression on people in this way.

The warmth she felt from the side also made her feel calm.

The two of them walked on the stone floor covered with thin white snowflakes, making footprints side by side.

***

It was the tenth day after departure that they arrived at the Carlenberg estate.

Astelle thought she had arrived much earlier than expected, considering she had dropped by here and there during the trip.

“Your Majesty, it is an honor to have you in my mansion.”

The Marquis of Carlenberg came out to greet the two.

“Grandpa!”

As soon as Theor saw him, he ran over and hugged him.

“Your Highness has grown a lot.”

Theor raised his head in the marquis’ arms and asked with earnest eyes, “Grandpa, can you come back to the imperial palace with us again?”

“Once I finish my work here, I will go before spring.”

Theor was overjoyed to hear that, and so was Astelle.

She wanted her grandfather to stay in the Empress Palace, but she couldn’t say it because she felt like she was forcibly holding back her grandfather, who had regained his estate.

‘I’m glad to hear that.’

Most nobles leave their estates to custodians and stay in the capital.

Astelle wanted her maternal grandfather to be like that too. She was worried about her old grandfather being alone in a distant region.

“Your Majesty the Empress, would you like to look around the mansion?”

Since it was in front of people, the Marquis treated Astelle with respect.

“Sure. I came here eagerly hoping to see this place again,” Astelle replied with a sincere smile.

The marquis called a servant and told him something. After a while, a woman who appeared to be the housekeeper appeared and bowed calmly.

“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor and Empress, the rulers of the Empire.”

She is a tough-looking woman in her old age. Astelle recognized who she is at a glance.

“Sierra? You used to be the handmaiden here, right?”

A long time ago, this woman was the handmaiden of Astelle’s maternal grandmother in her youth.

A touch of emotion flashed across the face of the housekeeper’s skinny face.

“You remember me, Your Majesty,” she replied.

“Of course I am. How can I forget?”

“I will guide you around the mansion.”

With a gentle smile, the housekeeper guided the three of them.

Even after the passage of time, the marquis’ mansion did not lose its beauty and elegance.

The first place she entered was a familiar bedroom.

“This is my lady’s bedroom.”

“My mother’s…….”

As a child, Astelle stayed here every time she visited the mansion.

Astelle looked around the bedroom slowly and was filled with emotion.

“This is exactly as I remember.”

Her mother’s bedroom has hardly changed from what it used to be. The bed, wardrobe, dressing table, console, and even the beige curtains covering the windows are the same.

The housekeeper spoke calmly, “No one has used this mansion so far, so most of it has been left as it is. After the marquis returned, the old furniture was repaired and all of my lady’s belongings were put back in place.”

Astelle slowly wiped the furniture with the traces of time with her fingertips.

Her grandfather also wanted to keep her mother’s room.

As old memories came to mind, there was a warm and tender feeling in her heart.

Theor ran to Astelle while looking around the room.

“Can I sleep here?”

“Do you like this place?”

“I do! I want to sleep here!”

Astelle turned to the housekeeper and asked, “Will it be okay?”

“Of course. I will order the maids to prepare it.”

After all, it’s an empty room now, so there won’t be any problems. This was the room where the daughter of a marquis lived, so the location was also safe.

“Okay, if you like this room then.”

Theor looked up at Astelle and asked again, “Can’t you sleep with me too, mother?”

“Yes?”

Theor grabbed Astelle’s sleeve and asked again, “Can’t you sleep here with me?”

Astelle turned to Kaizen.

Kaizen nodded his head slightly.

“Yeah, it’s been a while, let’s sleep together.”

When she looked at Kaizen, she thought that this was also good for him.

It was because Astelle had unintentionally been tormenting Kaizen for the past ten days.

Now that the two of them looked like a harmonious couple, they couldn’t use separate bedrooms.

All the way here, Astelle slept in the same bedroom as Kaizen.

Of course, as always, Kaizen fell asleep on the sofa. Most of them were sofas in the manors of the nearby lords, so they looked much less comfortable than the ones in the Empress Palace.

Astelle felt sorry for making Kaizen suffer so much.

She tried to give up the bed several times, but it was repeatedly rejected.

Astelle wanted to give Kaizen a rest, even for just one day.

If she stays in this room with Theor, Kaizen will be able to sleep comfortably alone.

Astelle glanced at the housekeeper as she thought about it. But she interpreted Astelle’s gaze completely differently.

She said with a gentle smile, “The bed in this bedroom is large enough for three people to sleep on.”

Huh?

“No, I cannot make His Majesty uncomfortable,” Astelle replied hastily.

She tried to continue by saying, “So prepare His Majesty’s bedroom separately.”

But a small hand grabbed Astelle’s sleeve again.

Theor looked up at her with expectant eyes and asked innocently, “Can’t Father sleep here too?”