Chapter 67

“I couldn’t find her. Didn’t you look for her?”

At Kaizen’s question, the duke shed tears again and pretended to be pitiful.

“I tried to find her, but I couldn’t no matter how much I searched…… I spent six years in agony because my poor daughter might have made an extreme choice.”

Dramatically, at that moment, there was a report that Astelle’s whereabouts had been found.

“Your daughter is in your father-in-law’s mansion.”

Kaizen laughed coldly as he read Astelle’s whereabouts in the note given by one of the knights.

“Did you not know where your daughter is or where your father-in-law lives?”

The duke took off his sad mask in an instant and answered with a dissatisfied look on his face,

“……It’s been a long time since we cut ties.”

Kaizen clicked his tongue as he recalled the memories of that time.

‘That garbage man.’

It was obvious that the duke was behind the assassination.

But when it is revealed, the duke becomes a traitor.

Then Astelle would be stripped of her peerage and punished for being the daughter of a traitor.

‘I can’t do that.’

I cannot kill the Duke of Reston as a traitor.

Instead, Kaizen planned to secretly assassinate him.

In the past, he had never thought about it.

Only when a crime was charged and publicly executed could the duke’s family be properly removed.

But now there is Astelle.

He cannot make Astelle as the daughter of a traitor and suffer humiliation.

Instead of disclosing the duke’s guilt and destroying the Reston family, he had to disguise it as an accident and get rid of him secretly.

‘……will she be okay? ‘

Even so, Kaizen still felt uncomfortable in a corner of his heart.

Astelle from the past, as Kaizen remembers, was a good follower of her father, the Duke.

She lost her mother when she was young and had only a father, so it was natural in a way.

Although she was expelled by her family, she would still be sad if her biological father died.

Thinking about it, he felt uncomfortable.

‘Perhaps it is better for her to leave the capital until this work is over.’

For now, it wouldn’t hurt to send Astelle back to her countryside mansion.

After the work is over, he can bring her back with a reason.

If the duke dies, Astelle will receive the inheritance and return to the capital to see her brother become a duke.

Kaizen did not give up on Astelle.

He intended to bring Astelle back to him after he had finished the duke’s work and removed all dangers.

***

“Theor.”

Astelle approached Theor, who was still obsessed with the puppet show.

Kaizen also strode along behind him.

“How long will you be here?”

“So much fun. I want to see more.”

On the small stage, the rabbit and the bear were going for a walk again.

‘I think they are doing the same thing again……?’ (Astelle)

After one performance, it seems like they will do it again.

Still, Theor stayed focused and watched the puppet show.

His brightly focused face was cute.

He has never seen a puppet show like this before.

“Aren’t you hungry or thirsty?”

“A little. I am a little thirsty.”

“Then I’ll buy you something to drink. Wait here.”

“Yes.”

Astelle went to Kaizen. She couldn’t call him Your Majesty so she mumbled and asked, “Um……can you watch over him, please?”

“Do not worry.”

Astelle went out to the aisle of the square to buy some snacks.

*

Kaizen was watching Theor.

After a while, a woman came over here with a basket full of cups.

“Freshly squeezed fruit juice. Please buy.”

Normally, he would never buy anything from a place like this, but today he was thirsty for some reason.

Maybe because he was upset.

Kaizen called out to the woman.

“How much does it cost?”

“One shilling per cup.”

He handed the money to the woman and picked up two cups.

It was a plain juice mixed with several common fruits and mixed with water and a little sugar.

After taking a sip, the rich fruity aroma and sweet and sour taste floated in his mouth.

‘This must be a flavor that children will love.’

Kaizen drank from the cup and looked at Theor who still couldn’t take his eyes off the stage.

He handed Theor another cup.

“Come on, you said you’re thirsty. Drink this while watching the play.”

“Thank you.”

Theor took the cup with both hands and sipped the juice.

He still did not take his eyes off the puppet show.

He is really obsessed with it.

Kaizen wondered if he would end up staying here until the fair was over.

Still, he thought it was a good thing he brought Theor out because he liked it so much.

Theor was still looking at the puppet show while drinking the juice as his eyes were shining brightly.

‘Cute boy.’

I’ve never liked children in my life, but the more I look at this boy, the cuter he gets.

Kaizen drank the fruit juice by Theor’s side as he watched the puppet show blankly.

A doll hanging by a string moves its limbs back and forth.

Kaizen was looking at the stage when something tumbled at his feet.

People standing around began to murmur.

Theor was crouching on the floor, shaking his body.

An empty juice cup was rolling next to him.

Kaizen was startled and raised him.

“Theor!”

Theor looked up at Kaizen with blurred eyes.

The child’s white forehead was wet with cold sweat.

The focus from his blue eyes looking at Kaizen was gradually disappearing.

***

Astelle was walking briskly through the crowd.

She was on her way back from buying some snacks for Theor.

In one hand she held a cup of milk with honey and vanilla, and in the other she held a small paper bowl filled with buttered and toasted round cookies and candied pickles.

The surrounding area was full of people visiting the fair.

Every time she took a step, she was hit by a person.

‘I have to go back soon. He might be waiting.’

I left Theor with Kaizen, still, I was not relieved.

I get some snacks nearby and go back as soon as possible.

I didn’t buy a lot, but there were fruits that Theor loved, so it would be fine for a quick bite.

Since we came out after dinner, this should be enough.

It was when Astelle approached the corner of the square where the puppet show was while thinking like that.

“Astelle……!”

Kaizen suddenly appeared and faced Astelle with a pale face.

“Your Ma-”

Astelle, who was startled and unintentionally called him by his title, saw Theor held by Kaizen and stopped.

Theor had his eyes closed in Kaizen’s arms.

“Theor?”

At first glance, it looked like he was asleep, but as she got closer, she could see cold sweat dripping from his white face.

Kaizen, who was holding Theor, spoke in an unfamiliar tone of dismay,

“Theor……he had a fever and suddenly lost consciousness.”

Astelle’s hands lost strength and she lost what she was holding.

The cups were scattered and the milk soaked the floor.

The colorful pickles fell on the floor and rolled around.

“Theor……!”

Astelle put a hand on Theor’s forehead.

His forehead, wet with cold sweat, was like a ball of fire. His weak breaths continued with difficulty.

“I have the carriage ready. Let’s go back to the mansion now.”

Before Astelle could catch him, Kaizen headed for the carriage.

Astelle hurriedly followed him.

During the brief time the carriage returned to the mansion, Astelle felt like she was in hell.

Theor did not come to his senses until the three got on the carriage.

Cold sweat dampened his pale forehead.

Even though it was in a state of loss of consciousness, the corners of his eyes, which were closed powerlessly, trembled slightly.

“What happened?”

It was only after the carriage moved that she was able to come to her senses.

“I bought Theor some fruit juice while you went to buy food. He collapsed as soon as he drank it.”

Kaizen looked at Astelle who had turned white and answered carefully. Anxiety was also in his red eyes.

“Fruit juice?”

“It was plain juice. I drank it too.”

Astelle wondered if there was any poison in it, but when she asked in, Kaizen said clearly.

If it’s just plain fruit juice, why is Theor like this?

Kaizen comforted the confused Astelle.

“I told the guard to bring the cup, so we can check it out.”

Even during that conversation, Theor was still fainting with his eyes closed.

The sound of ragged breathing, which was hard because of the heat, continued faintly.

At that moment, Astelle had something to point out.

“……do you remember what kind of fruit juice it was?”

Kaizen, who had been wiping the sweat from Theor’s forehead with his hand, turned his gaze back to Astelle.

A question appeared in his red eyes.

“……I don’t know. It seemed to be a mixture of common fruits.”

“I see.”

Astelle struggled to hide her confusion.

She never told Kaizen, but actually, Astelle herself had a peculiar constitution.

She has an idiosyncratic constitution that suffers from a high fever when eating Lintail fruit.