Chapter 114

Amelie stared blankly at him. Her emotions were surging as she was choked up to her throat. Serwin came up to her at once and sat down on the bedside. There was a look of concern on his face.

“I heard everything about what happened at the palace. I can’t believe you skipped a meal.”

He grabs Amelie’s hand. When his body temperature came, Amelie’s eyes were filled with tears.

“Amelie?”

Serwin opened his eyes wide in surprise. Amelie put strength in her eyes.

“I’m not crying. I’m not a child.”

Although her mother’s identity is shocking, she doesn’t want to cry over this. Amelie stubbornly held back her tears. Serwin hugged her without saying a word. As he slowly rubbed her back and exclaimed, Amelie poured her words out like vomit.

“My mother is Hazel. That traitorous witch. You know? I checked with my father a while ago. The traitor that Lira was talking about was my mother. How could she—how could she do that? Why did she do that? Now how do I see Lira? Lira almost died then, too. I don’t even know that. Oh, really. Why did she— why did she need to go that far?”

Amelie didn’t even know what she was saying and spit out whatever came out of her mouth. How shocked she was that her body trembled incessantly.

“What do I do now? I couldn’t even find a way to end the disaster. If they knew that I was the daughter of a traitor, no one would help me. They wouldn’t believe me either. What if I make things hard for Your Majesty?”

“That can’t be true. If it weren’t for you, I’d already be taken away by disaster. You are more important than hundreds of witches.”

Serwin held her tighter in his arms and comforted her. Even if all witches turned their backs on her because of that, he had no intention of giving up on her because it was Amelie who saved him in the most painful moment.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think it’s as bad as you think. Hazel may not be a traitor.”

“What do you mean?”

Amelie was startled, pushed Serwin and asked back. But Serwin was busy worrying about Amelie’s red eyes.

“Your eyes are red. Does your head hurt?”

“It’s not hurt. What do you mean Hazel may not be a traitor? Lira can’t lie.”

“Just because she believes and says it’s true, it doesn’t mean it’s all true.”

“Then?”

“You said this was the area of a Grandma Witch who was a Great Witch, right? The entire Dellahaim people respected and followed her.”

“Yes.”

“If Hazel was really a traitor, she would have avoided her, not fled to Dellahaim. And why would she accept the traitor? Marry the Count and live as if nothing had happened?”

Serwin’s words seemed to open Amelie’s eyes. The Regent King’s ring, the robbery, Ruben’s intervention, Caitlyn’s disturbance, and her mother’s identity. It was something she didn’t realize because she was so confused by the shocking situation that she could not even breathe.

“That’s right. There’s no way that Grandma Witch will accept a traitor. Why didn’t I think of that?”

The Grandma Witch led the witches as the Great Witch during the witch hunt. Although she was very old, she was by no means flamboyant. If a traitor had come into her own area, she would have set an example for immediate execution.

Moreover, Hazel knew through her father that Dellahaim was the area of the Grandma Witch. She would never have come to Dellahaim on her feet if she were sane. No matter how much her father loved her, he couldn’t protect her from the Grandma Witch.

“I must be a real fool. I don’t know what Your Majesty recognized.”

Amelie blamed herself.

“The closer you are, the more you pass without seeing anything obvious. I’m a stranger and you’re the family, so it’s only natural. Things happened quickly.”

Amelie eventually burst into tears. Her emotions poured out like a dam breaking when her heart was set free.

“Your Majesty—”

She impulsively hugged Serwin’s neck. Serwin grabbed her trembling body and patted her on the back.

“You must have been very surprised.”

Amelie buried her head in his shoulder and nodded.

“It must have been difficult for you alone because so many things happened all of a sudden. The Count didn’t know anything. Did you hide it out of fear? It’s okay. Good job.”

Serwin kissed Amelie on the head and whispered softly into her ear. Then, Amelia cried more loudly. As he comforted her, it was as if he could read her feelings, and as he did, her feelings got stronger, and she couldn’t stop crying.

“What should I do so you can stop crying?”

Serwin wrapped his hands around Amelie’s cheek. It was no use wiping tears with his thumb. Tears continued to flow from her eyes.

Serwin’s heart tightened at his pathetic appearance. What did I do to make her cry like this? Don’t pretend to be cool for nothing, and follow her when she goes to the jeweler. If he had been, she wouldn’t have had such a hard time crying if he had been.

“If you keep crying, your head will hurt. Hmm? What should I do?”

He wanted to have a hard time instead of her if he could. Feeling sorry for her red eyes, he kissed Amelie’s eyes. It was an action that came out of a desire to comfort her.

Amelie’s eyes widened. The heat on her face made his lips feel rather cool. The touch was so vivid that her tears welled up.

“Ah, it stopped.”

Serwin smiled slightly and gently wiped Amelie’s cheek. His hand was so delicate that it felt like it was tickling.

‘I wish he could do more.’

Amelie thought casually and was surprised. What was she thinking?

A consoling kiss calmed her mind. Amelia blinked her eyes wide. Lira’s voice came to mind, which was teasing her because it was only a matter of time.

‘Huh?? Already?’

No matter how fast it is, isn’t it too fast? However, unlike the reason, her body was honest. As Serwin stood up, Amelie quickly grabbed him by the arm.

“Where are you going? Why are you going?”

“…I was going to bring you something to drink.”

“Ah.”

Amelie was perplexed by her actions.

“You’d better lean on the bed. I’ll be right back.”

Amelie shook her head and patted the bed lightly. She wanted to lean on him a little more and be comforted. She could have acted like a child at ease if it was him. Instead, Serwin smiled and sat down next to her. She felt embarrassed but happy about it. She felt really lucky to have him.

“Are you okay now?”

“I’m okay.”

Amelie’s bed was too small for two people. The two of them sat close to each other, held hands, and chatted. Even though they always shared the same bed in the Imperial Palace, the feeling was different because it was her room. The two of them tried not to show off, but they continued the conversation in a strange atmosphere.

“I think it’s better to talk to the Count honestly and ask for help. But if you don’t like it, I’ll find another way.”

“No, I like that, too. Because no one remembers my mother as clearly as my father.”

“Okay, then let’s do that.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Amelie’s cheeks blush softly. She realized again that he was the only one who cared that much. As she leaned her head on Serwin’s arm and looked up at him, she saw that his ears were red.

‘When you seduce me… Cool, cute… You do it all by yourself.’

This is how I got my hands on it. Amelie brought up a serious talk to calm herself down in her frantic head.

“If my mother is not a traitor, why did Brillai say she was a traitor?”

“There may have been some misunderstanding— but you’d better be on your guard for now.”

“Right? I’m worried that Lira seems to trust and follow her a lot. She’s not going to leave, right?”

“It’s better to hide the facts in moderation, but do as you please. I can keep her from leaving.”

“How?”

“I have Sir Chad in my hand.”

Serwin laughed wickedly. At times like this, he looked like a tyrant and a mean person, but to Amelie, it was like a comfort.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty. The conversation seems to be getting longer. Why don’t we talk while we eat?”

The Count had been restless outside for a while and, worried about Amelie, plucked up the courage to suggest. He was very careful in every word in case he offended Serwin.

“I know best that you don’t like being hungry.”

“It’s not to that extent, you know?”

Amelie opened her ax eyes.

“Yeah, look at this. Hunger makes you violent. What should I do?”

“Let’s go eat.”

She pretended not to, but she was very hungry because it was long past dinner time, and she even cried her eyes out. As the two came out of the room, the Count’s eyes trembled at Amelie and stared at Serwin. Amelie recalled her innermost thoughts and said, “Oops.”

“Let’s go to the dining room. Father, I’m hungry.”

She quickly held the Count’s arms and walked ahead. The Count had a lot of questions to ask, but he headed to the dining room for now.

*****

The dinner atmosphere went in an unimaginable direction.

The Count glared at Serwin with a hardened face, and Amelie was preoccupied with her meal. The thing that changed the most was Serwin. He would have smashed the table at the Count’s attitude if it were him, but now he was speaking first.

“Wasn’t Ruben rude? I can’t see it in the dining room.”

Serwin was using honorifics to the Count. Even his attitude was polite.

‘What is this? Emperor? The Emperor? He’s the Emperor, right?’

‘What’s wrong with him?’

The servants of the mansion glance at each other while helping out with the meal. They couldn’t decide whether to run away or stay like this.

The same was true of the Count, who was confused. What he figured out was that Amelie cried while talking to Serwin and that Serwin kept staring at her and acting strange.

“Your Majesty.”

The impatient Count opened his mouth.

“What did you talk about with my daughter? Did Your Majesty make my daughter cry?”

“It’s not like that!”

Amelie responded quickly.

“What do you mean no! Your eyes are swollen! Your Majesty can’t be rude to my daughter, no matter how much you ask her to do it.”

“It’s not because of me, but I’m sorry. I should have stayed by her side.”

Serwin apologized obediently. Everyone in the dining room opened their eyes wide. Did the notorious tyrant apologize now? He didn’t say he’s going to kill him?

“B, but why did Your Majesty use honorifics—”

The Count was so surprised by Serwin’s apology that he pointed out his tone, which had been bothering him for a while. Then, Serwin smiled instead of replying. With that smile, Amelie felt some sort of ominousness. It’s like watching a bomb that’s about to explode—.

“Even though I’m the Emperor of the Empire, I shouldn’t be disrespectful to my father-in-law.”

“Pff.”

“Your Majesty!”

Clank.

Amelia choked, and the Count jumped to his feet in surprise. Even though the servants missed the tray, they couldn’t even think of picking it up and looked at Serwin and Amelie alternately.

Even in the midst of the chaos, only Serwin was smiling calmly.