Chapter 180

She raised her head at her sad voice. Surrounded by people who had become quiet before she knew it, tears came to Catherine’s eyes, and she took out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

“Oh, no! You don’t have to do this. I’m talking to the people who might know something but this is the only thing I can do——-”

“What do you mean? What’s more important than that?”

“Mother, it seems like you’re being overly sentimental.”

Lania’s smile chilled again. The Viscountess, who was printing tears on the handkerchief, looked at Lania and Catherine alternately and gestured at her temple as if she found it pitiful. “Who wouldn’t appreciate such kind words?   But your father, the lord of the North, and your mother’s husband died in battle. For the Empire, sometimes you have to hide your sadness.”

“…”

Her meaningful gaze swept over her once again. “Of course, I can understand Mother’s feelings. After all, the person who suffered is the one suffering. However, one must also adapt to reality.”

“If that’s the case, you shouldn’t force the Viscountess to do that.”

“Why?”

“One cannot live by putting their child before them.”

“…”

When she thought she had lost her Haniel in the city, her world truly came to an end. The light of the sky. The raindrops. Everything in the world lost all meaning. The terrifying pain of one’s world being turned upside down in an instant cannot be forced upon anyone.

“There can be no life that is insignificant in this world, but how can one compare it to a child’s life?”

“Mother, if it is death for the sake of the Rohan Empire, it is no different for the knights or one’s family member. How can the head of an armed family doesn’t even understand such things?”

“Yes. I may not have enough experience to fully comprehend, but at the very least, if I feel ashamed to mourn my child’s death in the country they had given their lives for, it would be better not to receive such honor.”

“Especially a mother, who is mourning her child’s death, was to receive such treatment, who would willingly sacrifice their life for Rohan Empire?” She turned her gaze from Lania, who frowned and gently patted the Viscountess’s shoulder. She seemed surprised for a moment but then she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

*SNIFF* I’m sorry. Jeremy was my only remaining son——-”

“I apologize. When you’ve calmed down a bit, please come visit me. If you see the beautiful lake, even for a moment, your heart will feel a bit lighter. There are dense trees and precious plants, and…”

…And the youngest prince was also there. Just thinking about the lark, who is now working as the safety officer at Lady Mellow’s Lake School, made her heart sink again. The women approached Catherine, not as a way to comfort her, but to occasionally glance at her. When their eyes met, their smiles, not as sharp as before, seemed to indicate that they all had family members sent to the battlefield.

“Oh. I didn’t know that my mother had such strong determination.” Taking advantage of the moment when her gaze turned to the Countess, Lania approached Catherine closely. There was a tense atmosphere in her whisper that only she could hear, with a fan placed between us. “Anyone who sees you would think you have a dead child or something.”

“Then you should die before me.”

“…”

“I wonder how much you would mourn for me. You seem so curious.”

“Hah!” Anger bubbled in Lania’s venomous eyes. However, ever since the incident with Haniel, where her wings were crippled, she no longer feared anything. “Even if it’s not a particularly honorable death, it’s fine, right?”

“Well, what can the likes of you do about it?”

“…”

‘Would you like me to peck you with my beak?’ With one last mocking laugh befitting her, Lania’s head slowly turned away. As the scattered women turned their attention back to us, Lania’s smile, when facing them again, became more gracious.

“I’m truly glad to see Mother’s unexpected side.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s only natural that I help my daughter’s work now.”

“Mother?”

“All this time, you’ve been taking care of everything in the North on my behalf. I’m truly sorry. Not everyone would have the same dedication to the North, right?”

“…”

As she stared at her with a bright smile, Lania’s trembling lips also formed a slow and deliberate smile. “Of course. It’s true. I had something I wanted to ask you, and seeing your determination, I believe I can trust you with it.”

“I have so much to be grateful for.” What kind of scheme is that again? Amid the exchanged laughter, there was a strong sense of mutual distrust. Rashid, who was standing among the group of men, narrowed his eyes and seemed to be approaching subtly. In an instant, she firmly shook my head as if telling him, ‘No.’

Anyway, she wondered if he had nothing better to do. Strangely enough, their eyes met frequently. She could barely handle one child, let alone that man. Thinking that way, she turned her head again. But then, Lania, who had disguised herself as a thoughtful sister, took Rebecca’s hand. “Considering Mother’s deep determination, how about paying some attention to Rebecca’s marriage as well?”