Chapter 52

“No.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Astelle raised her head in surprise and asked.

Kaizen, who had been kindly comforting her until recently, was as cold as stone.

Anger gleamed in his red eyes staring at her.

‘No……why are you angry?’

“Your Majesty, my grandfather, as well as young Theor, they recently fell ill with a fever……”

“I know, both of them are not feeling well, so why do they have to go back such a long way?”

Kaizen refuted Astelle’s words in an irritated tone.

“As I said before, it would be better to go to the capital to see a proper doctor and get treatment. At this point, I think it would be better to find a doctor and a tutor for the child.”

“Your Majesty, but……”

“Stop.”

Kaizen interrupted Astelle’s words as harshly as before.

He looked at Astelle with bitter eyes.

“This is an order.”

Kaizen had a determined expression on his face, he would not allow a single rebuttal.

“……”

Astelle shut her mouth with a bewildered look on her face.

Even the people watching were perplexed.

She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t giving her permission.

Even Vellian, who was listening right next to Kaizen, wanted to ask him why he didn’t allow it.

But the emperor seemed so unhappy that no one dared to intervene.

Everyone kept their mouths shut and just watched the situation.

Kaizen glared at Astelle, then turned around and left the banquet hall.

She had no choice but to watch his back in disbelief.

After the emperor disappeared, people began to offer condolences to Astelle, who was standing there blankly.

“Lady, don’t be so heartbroken.”

“The Marquis will be well.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Astelle got some comfort from the guests and then left the banquet.

The attendant offered to lead her to the annex, but she refused.

*

Astelle walked along the garden, stepping on a dew-covered path.

There was a chill in the dark garden.

As she breathed in the cold air, she could feel her mind becoming a little clearer.

However, her heart was still boiling with confusion.

‘Why?’

Why did he get so angry and reject her request?

She couldn’t understand what exactly she told him that made him so angry

In order to arrange the will of the Empress Dowager, only Astelle would have to go to the capital. Why is he trying to take Grandpa and Theor with him?

Astelle had expected that if they talked about it when they were alone, she would definitely get a bad reaction and that’s why she chose the ballroom.

She had no idea that Kaizen would reject her in front of so many people. She thought he would act like an emperor if there were so many eyes.

It was ridiculous.

She was so stunned that she didn’t even have the energy to think about what to do now.

After walking for a while, she arrived at the tea room.

The light blue roof was visible under the moonlight.

Astelle took a deep breath to calm her mind.

After leaving the banquet hall and breathing in the cool air, she felt alive again.

She sat by the tea room for a while until the feeling of stuffiness in her heart was relieved.

The stuffy clothes she was wearing, the smell of food, and the smell of alcohol gave her a headache. Meanwhile, the smell of grass and trees in the garden made her feel refreshed.

It was still too early to fall asleep so Theor might be waiting.

Astelle took in a slow breath and looked at the sky.

The first thing that caught her eyes was the white shining moon.

Then she saw the white petals covering the black night sky.

It was an acacia.

Each time the gentle wind shook the branches, the flower clusters that hung in layers swayed around.

The scent of pure white acacia quietly permeated the wind.

Astelle looked at the pure white flowers and quenched her anger.

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

“Astelle.”

When she turned in surprise, there was a familiar person in the dark shade.

It was Kaizen.

He stood under the acacia tree.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Under the moonlight, his red eyes were a dark mahogany color.

There was still burning anger in them.

“What do you want to say?”

Astelle was also angry.

Kaizen smirked as he approached Astelle with an absurd tone.

“Did you tell me that you were going to the ball because you wanted to get that permission?”

Of course, it was.

‘Otherwise, why should I attend a ball here?’

Astelle realized for a moment what was causing Kaizen’s anger.

It seemed that Kaizen didn’t like that she attended the ball with hidden intentions.

That’s why he refused to send Theor and her grandfather back.

Even though Astelle knew the answer, she still couldn’t understand.

“Isn’t that right?”

Kaizen, who lost his smile, asked.

“Why is it so important to send Theor back with your grandfather?”

“Your Majesty, why are you taking them to the capital? Why do you want the two of them to come along?”

Astelle asked him a question.

“If I don’t take them, you will be left as soon as the work in the capital is done.”

“Is it strange that I want to go back to my house?”

“Your house? You live in that marquis’s house?”

Kaizen was just as frustrated and angry as Astelle but unlike Astelle, Kaizen was not aware of why he was angry.

“How long are you going to live in that house taking care of a child?”

Now, Kaizen referred to Theor.

“How about when Theor gets older? What if he later gets married and becomes a new marquis? Will you still live in that house?”

Astelle was so stunned that she could not even speak for a moment.

‘Are you mad at me because you are worried about my future now?’

“Thank you for being so concerned about my future, Your Majesty. Are you angry because you don’t like me living at my grandfather’s house?”

“Yeah, I think you could……!”

Kaizen, who had been screaming, belatedly realized his mistake then blurred out the end of his words.

He wanted Astelle to live in the capital.

He wanted to keep her within his reach.

When this journey is over, Astelle will leave again.

To the far eastern edge, she will be out of his sight.

They may never see each other again in their lifetime.

Every time Kaizen thought of that, he felt angry and crazy.

“You want me to live in the capital? Why?”

Kaizen himself wanted to know why he was doing this.

Whenever it was related to Astelle, Kaizen couldn’t understand her thoughts.

However, the moment Astelle asked such a question, Kaizen finally realized the reason.

Why did he care so much about her?

Why was he so happy to see her at the ball and why was he so distressed every time he thought of Astelle leaving him?

He frankly confessed his feelings, “I wish you were by my side.”

Astelle did not understand the situation for a moment.

‘What did I just hear?’

The cold moonlight was shining on the white acacia petals.

The flowers’ refreshing scent lingered around the dark tea room.

The two stood side by side in the picturesque night scene.

However, there was a heavy silence between the two of them.

“Do you want me to stay with you again, Your Majesty?”

Kaizen stared at Astelle with trembling eyes.

Astelle didn’t expect he would say something like this.

She didn’t think he’d be able to make a sincere confession, but still……

“I do.”

The moment Kaizen uttered those words, Astelle felt a tension in her chest.

“I want you to be by my side.”

It was a sincere confession to her.

However, there was no time for Kaizen to anxiously wait for the response.

Immediately, Astelle replied coldly, “I don’t want to.”

Astelle’s face, exposed under the moonlight, was as pale and cold as a corpse.

“I do not want to go back to the capital, especially with Your Majesty, I will never go back.”

Ha! That’s amazing.

Perhaps six years ago, hearing such a confession would have made Astelle happy.

She would have been so happy that her heart would have overflowed.

Yes, there were moments when she didn’t want to leave this man even if she died.

At that time, she would rather have died than be abandoned by him.

Because she really loved him stupidly.

“Your Majesty told me to leave six years ago.”

She was kicked out by the man she loved her whole life.

Astelle’s world collapsed that day.