Owen saw Leon and Dana walking along the corner of the alley where the building was bent. Then he muttered in a voice so small that he even couldn’t hear it.
The reason for not answering Dana’s last question was because of Leon’s appearance, but it was half intentional.
“Yeah, you don’t have to… You don’t have to say it. That’s all I need to carry.”
Old things were only old things. He was glad to keep his promise, but when he thought about it, it was also his greed.
Owen came out and tried to walk after Leon and Dana had completely disappeared, glancing towards the inner west palace.
“If Sophia wasn’t out of her mind, this wouldn’t have been smooth either. Is it a relief?”
He walked again with a bitter smile. Owen didn’t answer her question in the end, but thanks to this, the memory of the day, which he still hadn’t forgotten, came to mind vividly.
* * *
It had been a very long time since they met. They had avoided each other, but Owen frightened Russell because he thought he had to see it at least once.
Russell Deniz replied that he would come soon, perhaps because he felt the same way.
He was an old friend, and his loyal aide Russell had even changed his name to Russell Deniz. It was to carry out his order.
“He must be quite old, too.”
Owen smiled faintly as he saw Russell coming with his child from afar. It was just when his wife Sophia and the family vassals who followed her visited her family. Of course, he purposely set a date to meet while she was away.
He didn’t seem to have used his body at all. The muscular body was quite reduced, and the dark brown hair had a subtle gray color.
Owen’s gaze, as he looked at Russell, naturally turned to the child walking hand in hand next to him.
Lemon-colored blonde hair fluttered under the sunlight, and the eyes rolling around as if they were curious were blue.
“Elisa.”
The child looked just like Elisa rather than Russell.
Standing at the entrance of the garden, he looked blankly at them, and he could feel the gaze of someone looking at him from below.
“Leon, when did you come?”
“Father… Because you can’t even see it in the library. There is no one out there today.”
Although Sophia also took many Vassals, Owen put several servants on vacation in advance or placed them far away from the garden.
“Really? I was waiting for a guest to come. They are coming from over there.”
“Who’s coming?”
“It’s your bride.”
Of course, the remarks now were Owen’s dogmatic words. It was half a joke, but the moment he saw the child, he decided.
Anyway, that child is also the blood of the Romoc family. I can’t believe that’s the only bloodline left of that great family.
The Romoc family was a noble family that always produced queens during the reign of Tertius.
Elisa was the infant of the Romoc family and was also scheduled to be the next princess.
Owen, the then prince of the Tertius Kingdom, and Elisa, a candidate for the prince’s wife, had been close since childhood and thought of each other as friends and lovers.
However, as the Haschel Empire grew, it gradually swallowed the continent, and eventually surrounded the Tertius territory and recommended they surrender.
During all kinds of wars of words and meetings in the kingdom, the Haschel Empire gathered enormous troops in front of the border.
Eventually, the Tertius family gave up against the Haschel Empire excessively to prevent the sacrifice of the people. He opened the gate himself, and it was the Romoc family who opposed it until the end.
The trend was irresistible, and the Tertius family was absorbed by the Haschel Empire and reappointed as a “Duke”.
However, the Romoc family, which opposed the Haschel Empire, was deprived of its status as a nobleman and purged to go.
Owen’s father, who was the king of Tertius, and became the Duke of the Haschel Empire, suffered from guilt and humiliation for several years before dying.
And Owen inherited the Dukedom.
Since then, it had been peaceful on the outside. The Haschel Empire recognized the authority of Duke Tertius, and granted his territories to him as a manor, allowing him to rule directly.
Until then, Owen and Elisa were lovers. Although she became a commoner, she was an unchanging being to him.
The emperor of the Haschel Empire was apparently generous to the Duke of Tertius, so he was relieved that he could marry her if he spoke well.
Until Sophia appeared, it was.
“My bride?”
The young Leon saw the girl coming with a gloomy look. Although he was still young, Leon knew his position and status.
“Which family is she from?”
And of course, he thought that he would marry an arranged marriage. Owen smiled awkwardly at his son’s question, stroking the top of his head.
“It’s a very precious house, so pay special attention to it.”
“Your Grace.”
Before he knew it, Russell came up to his front and bowed his back. Owen nodded lightly as he saw his uncontrolled posture and greetings.
Russell completely abandoned his habit as a knight. Owen recognized the traces of the effort.
“Let’s go inside and talk, Leon. Don’t go far, stay near here.”
“Yes.”
The two adults entered the building and the children were left in the garden.
“I can’t remember who you are no matter how much I look at you. What family are you from? Why are you my bride?”
At Leon’s high-pressure question for a child, Dana passed by without even replying. She was lowering her footsteps and approaching something carefully.
“Can’t you hear me?”
“Shh, be quiet.”
Dana held her index finger and spoke firmly, glaring at it again, and approached. At the end of her gaze, a dragonfly was sitting on a tall leaf.
“…”
It was a little amazing, but Leon watched Dana silently. And he was nervous like her without realizing it.