However, if he rashly messed with Aiden, Mabel's heart might be hurt, so he couldn't resort to violence. Therefore, the best way was to make him leave on his own.
'I didn't even want to keep him in the first place.'
It was supposed to be for control, but he never intended to keep him beside his precious daughter. Even if it was Mabel's request. But it was too late to regret, as several years had already passed, and there was no turning back.
"Your punishment will be discussed later. Go back."
Aiden, instead of answering, slightly nodded his head and left the office.
"Sigh, Mabel..."
Esteban's sigh was deep as he stared at the closed door.
'My daughter is too adorable, it's troublesome.'
***
I was rolling around on the bed, reading a book, when I turned my gaze to the sound at the door. Aiden was entering the bedroom.
"Oh, you're here?"
I asked indifferently, turning my gaze back to the book. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden standing near me.
"What did Dad say?"
"Nothing much."
"Nothing much, and yet he called you in separately?"
"Yes."
Aiden's immediate answer made me pout and slam the book shut.
"Lying."
"Did you hear everything?"
"Why ask if you already know?"
The atmosphere was so strange that I asked Chikchik to eavesdrop from the window. While the Chikchiks inside the building might be caught, Chikchik, who roamed freely around the palace, wouldn't be suspicious.
"Chikchik, what did Dad and Aiden talk about?"
[The white-headed human told the black-headed human to leave, chirp!]
"And then?"
[He said he saw you at the Devlin border, chirp!]
"Again?"
[Again, again... I can't remember, cheep...]
After Chikchik, who had a short memory, had worked hard, Aiden visited. The fact that Aiden, unlike before, didn't go berserk even when far away, had been discovered by Dad. But that wasn't a reason to make Aiden leave.
"Aiden."
"Yes."
"Do you want to leave?"
"......?"
Aiden looked at me with a puzzled expression instead of answering. Seeing this, I felt frustrated and frowned.
"Why aren't you answering? Do you want to leave?"
"Does Your Majesty wish for me to leave?"
"No, absolutely not!"
"Neither do I."
Hearing his firm answer, I felt relieved. I let out a sigh of relief and sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at Aiden.
"Even if you said you wanted to leave, I wouldn't let you."
"But Dad is really suspicious."
After being in the Ermanno Empire for so long, I thought he might trust Aiden by now, but Dad kept doubting and disapproving of him.
'How can I make these two get along?'
I shook my head after pondering. Aiden was the problem to begin with.
'He doesn't even try to get along with others.'
The only person Aiden used formal speech with was me. Even then, he sometimes dropped the formality.
'So, making these two get along is out of the question.'
Then, there was only one option left.
"Aiden."
"Yes."
I gazed steadily into Aiden's red eyes.
"Do whatever it takes to achieve something for Ermanno."
If he became indispensable to the empire, Dad wouldn't treat him so casually.
"I don't want you to leave."
Whenever I took Aiden to official events, whispers and covert glances always followed. They revered Aiden's strength but openly rejected him because he was called a "Devlin dog." I never liked that.
"Your position as my bodyguard is weakening. If you want to stay in Ermanno, you need a more solid place. I also don't like people talking about you."
After Aiden remained silent, he finally spoke.
"I don't care about others' opinions, but if that's what Your Majesty wishes—"
Aiden's eyes sank deeply.
"I will serve loyally."
***
"Ugh, what's so noisy?"
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and woke up. I was already tired from staying up late to handle overdue work, and being woken up unexpectedly made me feel even worse.
'And there's no Aiden to indulge my whining today.'
Ugh, groaning in pain, I lay in bed, suffering. Larima's voice then reached my ears.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you're awake?"
"Too noisy..."
My face buried in the pillow, my words were muffled.
"It seems a tribute has arrived for Your Majesty. It might have caused some commotion while being organized."
"Doesn't it usually come often? Why is it so noisy today?"
"There's an enormous amount of it!"
"Really...?"
How much could there be to cause such a commotion early in the morning? As I tilted my head, Larima clapped her hands and added.
"Yes, it's all from the Countess of Devril!"
"Good heavens..."
I clutched my cheeks and groaned. My 'gift phobia,' which had been improving recently, was relapsing. I had been too busy with Dad's surveillance of Aiden and guild work to pay attention to the Countess of Devril, and this was the result.
"Do you want to see what's in the tribute? There's butterfly silk from the Langard Mountains, accessories made from moss that only grows on the cliffs of the Western Coast, tea leaves made from the petals of the Kamara Mountain flower that blooms once every thousand years, and bracelets woven from the finest pearls. Plus, fire lilies! All of them are extremely rare!"
As I was about to lose my composure just hearing about these valuable items, a luxurious carriage stopped in front of the main hall. I recognized it, and the carriage door opened.
'Countess of Devril?'
The noble Countess of Devril, who rarely appeared in society, was actually visiting the palace! She walked straight toward me as soon as she got out of the carriage.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for visiting without prior notice."
"No, no, it's fine..."
As I answered, I suddenly noticed my disheveled appearance. Messy hair, and I was only wearing my nightgown with a robe hastily thrown over it.
'Oh no!'
I was completely out of line. Of course, an unannounced visit wasn't proper either, but my appearance was worse. I fidgeted with the hem of my nightgown and subtly closed my robe.
"I didn't know you were coming, so I wasn't prepared."
"It's my fault for visiting without notice. Especially seeing Your Majesty in your nightgown..."
I tilted my head.
'Especially?'
"You look adorable."
"......!"
I almost doubted my ears. Was this really the Countess of Devril, who was known to dislike children, be strict about etiquette, and be indifferent to everything?
"A, ah, that..."
Too flustered to find the right words, I stammered, and the Countess of Devril even smiled kindly.
"May I offer you a cup of tea? I'll wait in the reception room until you're ready."
"Y-yes!"
Since I had something to discuss with the Countess anyway, I nodded eagerly and hurried into the main hall.
"Larima, quickly!"
"But the Countess said she would wait."
"I can't wait!"
After pestering Larima and other maids, I quickly washed up and dressed, then entered the reception room where the Countess of Devril was waiting.
"Countess, did you wait long?"
"I was just enjoying the view outside the window. I heard there's a greenhouse nearby that Your Majesty gifted me. Could I visit it next time?"
"Of course!"
I answered, but now I was getting uneasy. Why was the Countess, known for her coldness, suddenly being so warm to me?
'She must still be grieving over Devi...'
But it was too heavy a topic to bring up first, so I sat silently and answered her questions one by one.
"By the way, about the gifts you sent..."
"Yes. They are a token of my gratitude. Was there anything lacking?"
I hesitated, then nodded with a sigh.
"It's not that they're lacking, but there are too many!"
"That's strange... I heard that at Your Majesty's second birthday celebration, you were particularly fond of the gifts from your subjects, so I prepared them thoroughly."
'Choked.'
The moment my 2-year-old self was holding me back.
"That was... when I was young, Countess."
"You seem to have grown up, Your Majesty."
It was funny to say I had grown up at 9, so I just laughed.
"Devi must have been happy to be with you until the end. I'm sure of it."
"Indeed, if it weren't for Your Majesty, Devi would have been anxious until the last moment."
She was referring to the butler who had tormented Devi. The Countess, who had been smiling bitterly, lifted her head and looked at me directly.
"Is the butler imprisoned?"
"Yes."
"I thought Your Majesty would have already dealt with him."
"I told him not to."
The Countess looked at me curiously.
"Why?"
"I promised Devi. I said I would make the butler suffer ten times more than Devi did. I won't let him die easily."
Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I needed to impress the Countess of Devril to receive the family heirloom. But even if she thought I was a cruel emperor, it was my true intention. However, her expression was strange.
"Are you disappointed in me?"
The Countess smiled gently.
"Not at all. In fact, I want to talk to Your Majesty more often."
"R-really?"
Even after I said I would torment the butler for life, she wanted to get closer to me?
"May I visit often, Your Majesty?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then I will visit frequently and take up Your Majesty's time. But if the gifts I gave are not to your liking, is there anything else you desire?"
I opened my eyes wide.
'Here it is. The second chance!'
This was the opportunity to obtain the essence of the World Tree. But since it was a family heirloom, I had to be cautious.
"I like shiny things."
"You enjoy jewelry. I'll keep that in mind."
"Especially necklaces."
"I'll remember that as well."
The Countess's enthusiastic attitude, as if she would get anything for me, made me swallow hard and clench my fists. I decided to just go for it!