Chapter 47

The one you love is the weak one (1)

Paul was surprisingly not angry when he saw Louis return with a box of cookies. He had never been angry with his youngest son. However, this situation was special, so he thought he would be scolded if he went back without information. He said what he was told.

Instead of getting angry, Paul looked at Louis’ box of cookies in his hand.

“Your Highness came?”

It seemed somewhat unbelievable. Paul, on the one hand, noticed that the crown prince considered Louis Adelia a child.

Louis was 16 years old this year and not an adult. However, 16 years old in the aristocratic society was the same age as a quasi-adult.

The crown prince was famous for his brutal nature, but he had shown a relatively generous attitude to the strong and the weak. That’s why people followed and respected him even if he acted aggressively.

It seemed that the crown prince would not kill Louis unless he acted too much.

Louis was relieved that he didn’t know what was going on in Paul’s mind and didn’t get yelled at. Paul saw the cookie box in Louis’ hand, told him to go up and rest, and turned around. It was fortunate for Louis.

“You really haven’t seen Rowena?”

Matthias seemed indignant at the fact. To be exact, Rowena seemed like she had won the crown prince’s favor and had become arrogant.

Brat.

Theo swallowed his thoughts and turned away from Matthias.

“Rowena wouldn’t have been told that Louis was there anyway. The crown prince wants to protect Rowena.”

“From whom? Rowena’s family is us!”

At Matthias’ nervous cry, Theo wanted to ask if that was really true. Not once had Rowena’s happiness or health been important in this family.

Paul and Matthias thought of her as the property of the Adelia family.

Matthias pressed Louis. He thought there was a way to get ahead with Rowena as a stepping stone, but it seemed to have been suddenly blocked.

“Did you tell her about father’s injury?”

“I haven’t even met her, how can I tell her?!”

Paul didn’t hit Louis, but Matthias did as much as he wanted. So he backed away, looking at Matthias with frightened eyes. Matthias gritted his teeth.

“Keep the girl quiet! What would people think of our family?!”

“You’re not ashamed that Father was beaten up. You’re ashamed that she stayed a few days in the palace to be treated?”

When Theo, who became annoyed, uttered those words, Matthias glared at him fiercely.

“That’s not what I’m saying! If she’s acting out, she can rat us out! Do you think that compares to this now?”

“If you whine here, the crown prince won’t give us Rowena either. If you were my brother, would you want to send a woman you love into our house?”

Matthias’ lips were twisted looking at Theo.

“What’s wrong with our house? Everyone lives like this! Who doesn’t do anything wrong in their lives? Don’t you think so?”

Only once.

“Hitting Rowena has never stopped, has it? There was a separate person who used violence, yet everyone blamed Rowena, the victim.”

“Because it’s her fault. He said that her behavior was wrong and she got hit.”

Everyone knew that Paul was just in a bad mood and that Matthias just didn’t think things out.

“Well, young man.”

Staring at each other, they turned to the old butler’s voice. The butler looked at the grown young men with a deep sigh.

“There’s a man from the royal family. To take some people… I-I’ll take the men to the palace.”

“What?”

While Matthias looked at the butler quickly, someone came into the house. From the way he was dressed, they could see that he was an official who assisted the emperor.

“Nice to meet you. Sir Adelia.”

He said so with a mysterious smile. Matthias opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest, but closed his mouth to the cold eyes of the official.

“…I have come to pick up the lady’s belongings and loved ones according to the order of the crown prince.”

“Today, my younger brother Louis visited the palace. To see Rowena! Why can’t he see her?”

Matthias patiently asked the official. The official looked up at Matthias with a puzzled expression.

“I only follow His Highness’s orders, but I don’t know about the lady’s health.”

Externally, Rowena was known to be treated at the Imperial Palace for serious injuries. It was also for her safety as it was still yet to be revealed who ordered the assassination.

The official was not alone. He brought about a dozen servants and maids. They were guided by the butler to the third floor of Rowena’s room.

Theo blushed at the sight of the goods being handed out by their hands.

This is because some shabby items were thought to belong to the lady. Matthias cursed, saying that he didn’t know everything was like that except for what Cecil gave her as a gift.