Chapter 187

Kaizen came to his senses belatedly after hearing Fritz’s words. Fritz’s calm and low voice reminded her of Astelle’s sweet voice.

The moment he remembered his past with Astelle, his anger and irritation disappeared in an instant. It felt as if the flames that had been burning hot were quickly covered with cold water and cooled down.

“Yes, you’re right. I was being sensitive for no reason.”

Fritz silently agreed.

Yes, always.

“I think I was nervous.”

Fritz almost nodded his head involuntarily.

“I should apologize.”

This time, Fritz nodded eagerly.

Kaizen frowned again with a complicated gaze.

Astelle must have been very angry with him because he suddenly made his little nephew cry and get annoyed and just left.

He felt sick to his stomach at the thought of that.

Kaizen picked up the teacup again. But it’s already empty.

“Oh, the tea is out.”

“Your Majesty, why are you drinking tea?”

When Fritz first entered the room, he wondered why Kaizen was drinking black tea like alcohol.

Kaizen answered, putting down the teacup like a drunken man. “You can’t drink alcohol while taking care of government affairs.”

He could drink alcohol or whatever if he wanted to, but Astelle would hate it if she found out that had been drinking while he was working.

Even during official business hours, Astelle didn’t like it when he was drunk. And young Estella also hates the smell of alcohol.

Thanks to this, Kaizen rarely drank alcohol except on special occasions.

“How should I apologize?”

Fritz was wondering if he needed to apologize.

Astelle probably didn’t expect Kaizen to feel so guilty and remorseful.

From Astelle’s point of view, Kaizen suddenly got annoyed with a child and just left.

Maybe Astelle just muttered, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ That’s all.

Fritz, however, pretended to think hard.

“Well, I think it would be nice to give her flowers or her favorite jewelry.”

Kaizen has already built a greenhouse adorned with jewels for Astelle and filled it with lots of flowers.

He pondered for a moment whether there was a place to build a new greenhouse next to the Empress Palace.

“But the empress may prefer a different way.”

“A different way?”

“Your Majesty always gives her something expensive and magnificent. If she receives something like that every time, the excitement will slowly fade away.”

“I guess so.”

He had expanded the Empress Palace for Astelle, built a new palace for the princess, and made a bejeweled greenhouse.

It seems that the only way to impress Astelle is to build a new palace next to the capital.

“Sometimes…….” Facing the red eyes that were staring at him fervently, Fritz continued, “Sometimes a handmade gift is more valuable than an expensive one.”

“You want me to give her a present I made myself?”

Kaizen had a mixed expression.

He had never made anything himself. He had made a ball and a snowman with Theor, but he couldn’t give them to Astelle.

Above all, now is summer.

Fritz said that while pretending to be innocent and full of sympathy, but deep down, he had a malicious ulterior motive.

Fritz is Siegfried’s father, and he wants to take revenge, albeit lightly, on the emperor who had made his son cry.

“Yes, it would be nice to make jewelry or something out of paper, for example.”

***

The Empress Palace, which had been noisy all day, fell into a quiet silence at night.

The children all went to bed, but Astelle didn’t and still hadn’t changed into her pajamas.

It was because Kaizen didn’t come until midnight.

‘He must be angry again.’

After a brief argument during the day, Kaizen left without saying a word. After that, he never came or contacted her until now.

Astelle was still perplexed when she thought of what had happened that day.

Astelle apologized directly to Gretel in the afternoon. Gretel, who had come to pick up her son, was surprised to hear Astelle’s story.

She asked, “Did our Sig be rude to the princess?”

She wondered if Astelle had purposely kept out of the story in order to cover up Sig’s actions.

“No. Sig was really nice and gentle as usual, but…….”

Kaizen suddenly got weird.

Astelle couldn’t say that, so she only apologized for making her child cry.

Gretel smiled broadly and shook her hand.

“Never mind. It’s not a big deal. Sig was just sad that the princess left. Kids quickly forget.”

Gretel, with her easy-going personality, didn’t seem to mind it.

But Astelle couldn’t guarantee that her brother, Fritz, would understand that way too.

If he knew this, it seemed that he wouldn’t send Sig to the palace for the time being.

That evening, Theor visited her and asked, “I heard my father was angry with Sig?”

Eight-year-old Theor is now faster at reading the atmosphere.

Even in front of adults, he was never nervous or afraid, and his swordsmanship and study were much better than those of his age.

Astelle felt that her son was quite precocious and thoughtful for his age.

Her grandfather, the Marquis of Carlenberg, insists every day that it’s because Theor resembles Astelle.

Astelle didn’t agree outright, but Theor certainly is very different from Kaizen in his childhood.

Theor sat his little sister on his lap and hugged her. Estella said it tickled and laughed.

“Why is my father angry? Estella doesn’t like Sig that much.”

Estella was humming and still making a flower necklace by herself.

“Estella likes me more than Sig,” Theor said triumphantly, hugging his little sister.

The princess tied the flower necklace that she was making with her little hands. She then put it on Theor’s head.

“Yeah, I like Theor Oppa!”

“Woof woof!”

The princess who saw Blynn gave a low bark and wagged his tail then got up from her seat and took the small flower necklace she had made with the maids and put it around Blynn’s neck as well.

“I like Blynn too!”

Blynn quickly waggled his tail and licked Estella’s cheek. Estella smiled and put her arms around Blinn’s neck.

It’s clear that Estella’s words ‘like’ has no special meaning.

While the princess was playing with Blynn, Theor approached his mother.

Theor was soft and warm in her arms as ever.

Theor’s small body still exuded a warm and familiar scent that didn’t change with the passage of time.

Theor, now grown up, is only being cute in front of Astelle and the Marquis.

One day that will go away too.

It is a joy to see her son grow up in a dignified way, but on the other hand, it is also sad that he grows up so quickly.

“Cheer up, mother.” Theor comforted Astelle.

“Thank you. But you don’t have to worry about our problems.”

Astelle was distraught because she seemed to have made her son worry for no reason.

However, Theor smiled and hugged Astelle by the neck dearly.

“Don’t worry too much, mother. As usual, Father will apologize first.”

“…….”

Astelle stiffened at her young son’s words.

Theor left to study again after that, but Astelle began to regret her own actions after hearing his words.

‘Did I say it too coldly?’

Kaizen hasn’t been in a good mood since yesterday.

The contract is the problem.

‘I thought I got rid of it a long time ago.’

It seems that she was too distracted while dealing with the poisoning case and treason.

The contract that she thought was destroyed was still there.

In fact, she didn’t tell anyone, but she also had a copy of the contract just in case.

Maybe it was a copy she thought she had thrown away.

Either way, it was Astelle’s fault for letting Kaizen discover it.

And Theor’s words made Astelle look back on the past.

‘Certainly…… he was always the first to apologize.’

Ever since they rekindled their affection, their relationship has always been the same.

Kaizen always did something for her, gave her something, apologized to her first, and begged for forgiveness first.

In the early days of their remarriage, Kaizen used to get angry first and act hastily before apologizing.

Astelle suddenly wondered if she was treating him too coldly.

Of course, what happened to Sig was definitely Kaizen’s overreaction, but the contract was something he deserved to be upset about.

She remembered Kaizen’s statement that she always only criticized him.

Obviously, Astelle is mostly critical of what he does.

Though she doesn’t always happily accept lavish gifts or construct lavish buildings, Kaizen does such things just for Astelle.

I should have treated him better……

‘Should I apologize first this time?’

How do I apologize?

She then met someone to discuss the matter with.

Her grandfather replied nonchalantly after listening roughly to the situation. “Well, you can just say sorry. Even if you say just one word, the emperor will be very moved.”

Astelle fell silent.

It seems she has always been overly cold to Kaizen enough to impress him with only a light apology.

The little princess who came with Astelle toddled, holding a long flower necklace.

The princess raised her hands high and hung the flower necklace to the Marquis.

Estella had made the necklace so long that she had to wrap it two or three times.

“I like Grandpa the most!”

The Marquis hugged the little princess preciously.

Astelle was relieved that Kaizen didn’t see this.

Still hugging Estella affectionately, he said, “Just prepare something and give it to him. The emperor will be happy if you give him the sandwich you made.”

“Sandwich?”

Astelle recalled her memories of making and eating food with Kaizen in the eastern countryside.

It was a pleasant memory for the three of them.

At that time, Kaizen said he would eat everything Astelle made for him.

‘It’s food?’

Her grandfather seemed to say that without thinking much, but Astelle liked the idea.

In fact, she never gave Kaizen any gifts.

Kaizen is the Emperor of the Empire and has everything he needs.

Even if Astelle spends money to buy gifts for him, he will always be able to get something better than she gives.

Considering such circumstances, it certainly seems a good idea to make something herself.