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“How have you been?”
It was the same question as before. Anastasia thought it was unlikely that he had forgotten that and asked the question.
Maybe he asked again because he wanted to hear a more specific answer now that they were alone. It was a very formal answer before.
But Anastasia didn’t want to make an exception just because it’s the two of them now.
“It was just… …as usual. Like I said earlier.”
“I heard you’re building a school in the Asterim area.”
“Ahhhhh..”
Well, there’s no way he wouldn’t get a report.
Anastasia replied in a faint tone.
“I want to use the money I earned from the auctions for meaningful purposes.”
“I’m surprised. I didn’t expect you to do all that. I thought you’d spend all that money on dresses and jewelry.”
“…”
“So did you forget me?”
Anastasia looked at Wilhelm with a panicked look on her face at the random question.
The person who actually asked the unconventional question only added to it casually.
“You never came to the Central Palace during the winter.”
“…should I have visited you?”
Anastasia asked in a quizzical tone.
“I know I didn’t visit before.”
“That’s true.”
He accepted with an expression of disapproval.
“But because of what I said last time, I thought you’d come and say hello.”
“I think I’ve given you enough answers to that.”
Let’s just live like this. Anastasia swallowed the back of her tongue.
“Your Majesty didn’t even visit the Empress’ Palace once, right? While winter is here.”
“…what?”
“Don’t tell me you’re the only one who can  ask for a spouse’s obligation?”
It wasn’t something I said to Wilhelm, who never, ever looked for me.
She just said it because she was dumbfounded that he asked her why she didn’t come, even though he didn’t come to see her.
But Wilhelm somehow seemed to take it in a different light. He murmured with an air of enlightenment.
“…can I go?”
“What?”
“It’s not that I haven’t thought about it.”
He just waited. It was because Anastasia did not specifically consent to pretending to be a good couple in the eyes of others.
Anyway, acting as a good couple wasn’t something you could say you wanted to do alone.
“If you are assertive, Her Majesty may take off altogether and avoid Your Majesty. You can’t make your relationship worse here, can you?”
Colton gave him that advice.
But he guessed it wasn’t worth listening to either. They weren’t even dating, so what’s the point?
Wilhelm nodded as if his pain was alleviated.
“That was a complaint. Alright.”
“What? No, Your Majesty. It’s not a complaint…”
“Next winter.”
Wilhelm interrupted Anastasia and promised with a strange smile.
“I’ll go find you first.”
“…”
“But there’s a lot of time left before winter comes again, so think about it before then.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if I don’t look for you first, you come to me first.”
“…”
Anastasia was speechless for a moment. But soon she grinned and affirmed.
“That won’t happen.”
Wilhelm’s forehead was slightly wrinkled, but Anastasia kept dancing with a casual face.
The words were sincere. She always wanted to approach him first.
But she can’t do that. That will continue to be the case.
‘Cause that’s the will of the Goddess.’
It was at that moment.
“Oh, he’s…?”
“Right? How did he get here?”
People gathered at the banquet hall could be heard humming. Wilhelm and Anastasia also turned to the end of people’s gaze.
Soon, an unfamiliar face appeared in front of the two. Anastasia swallowed her breath in surprise.
‘That kid…’
Meanwhile, a woman at the end of Anastasia and Wilhelm’s gaze held the boy’s hand and approached them.
When the dance of the Emperor and Empress stopped, the orchestra naturally stopped performing.
Soon a woman bowed gracefully opened her mouth in a clear voice.
“I see the only sun and moon in the Empire. May the Goddess’ protection be eternal in Rosenberg.”
Soon, the woman said in a friendly voice to the boy holding her hand.
“Say hello to Your Majesties, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“…”
The child hesitated for a moment, but then slowly opened her lips at the woman’s gaze.
“I see the one and only sun and moon of the Empire.”
Anastasia looked at the child in front of her with her puzzled face, not even thinking of accepting his greeting.
His luscious blonde hair, his sparkling eyes as if he had had peridot in it, and his densely cute facial features were all from the Louis Rosenberg, whom she knew.
‘… How did this happen?’
A person who left early due to dying both in the original work and before the return… … but he’s alive?
Anastasia couldn’t hide her startled look and couldn’t take her eyes off her child.
“Louis Rosenberg, greets the Emperor and Empress.”
“You…”
Anastasia belatedly came to her senses when she heard the greeting. And she asked the child with a stammer.
“You’re Louis?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Really…”
Anastasia approached Lewis, with trembling eyes.
Louis showed signs of surprise, but Anastasia didn’t notice.
“You’ve grown so much.”
Soon, Anastasia hugged the child in front of her without anyone stopping her.
The child in his arms was surprised and felt stiff, but Anastasia did not care and loosened her arms holding Louis.
“I never thought you’d grow up so handsome.”
Louis was the only blood of the late Alexander the Great. Since he was Wilhelm’s nephew, he became Anastasia’s nephew.
After the Sun Emperor and his wife passed away at one o’clock on the same day, he left for recuperation on Schweig Island, but around that time, his condition worsened and he was the child who eventually died.
At the age of only six. It was the same in the original, and it was the same before the return.
Was it because she knew the tragic original? Anastasia treated Luis with extraordinary affection.
Whenever she had time, she went to Schweik Island with Wilhelm to see the child.
Although the relationship with Wilhelm had been undone, there was still a reason.
Anyway, she tried to be distant, but the child followed her well and maintained a pretty good relationship.
‘Even then, he grew up so much that I didn’t even know it from year to year, so I always waited for the next year…’
At six, you look like this.
Anastasia could not help but be surprised when she loosened her arms and looked at Louis’ face with a look full of emotion.
“Ah….”
That’s because Louis’ expression looking at her was not so beautiful.
“…Lewis?”
Anastasia was embarrassed and called the child without realizing it.
She thought of Louis’ face, who greeted beer with a happy face as before the regression, but the face in front of her was far from that.
‘Of course, I understand that Anastasia in the original work would not have looked at Louis until I returned, so I understand that you feel awkward, but…’
No matter how much, it was surprising that a young child of only six could give such a hostile look to others.
‘Did I hug you too hard?’
Anastasia looked at Louis’ countenance, embarrassed. He still looked upset.
“Long time no see, Louis.”
Then Wilhelm’s voice came from the side.
Anastasia then turned her head and looked at him.
As if he had expected this situation, he seemed comfortable and unconcerned.
‘Well, did Wilhelm get a report in advance?’
Anastasia looked at Louis’ expression again. The expression, which was not much different from before, was embarrassed.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You’re quite mature now. Well, you’re six years old this year.”
A faint smile flashed around Wilhelm’s mouth.
“You don’t have to be so formal in front of me. Just call me uncle.”
“No, Your Majesty.”
Lewis flatly refused.
“Before my uncle, you are the only sun in Rosenberg. I can’t be disobedient.”
It didn’t seem like a six-year-old’s words.
Anastasia looked at the child, who spoke clearly, with an awkward look.
Of course, as long as you are born an aristocrat, no matter how young you are, you receive a strict education.
‘Anyway, I think you’re talking like a 16-year-old, not a 6-year-old……?’
Anastasia changed the subject by looking closely at Louis, who had his hands together with a serious face as if the world had died.
“Why did you come to the palace all of a sudden, Prince? Oh, did you happen to miss us…”
“Do you hate that I’m here?”
The conversation was cut off. Anastasia looked at Louis with a blank face.
The sight of a six-year-old child with a young face staring at him with a blank face was somehow chilling.
It didn’t look like a six-year-old child.
“Oh, no. No way. It’s so nice. I just couldn’t contain my joy and hugged the prince.”
Anastasia, who stammered but clearly answered negatively, asked cautiously.
“I was wondering if… Was it unpleasant?”
“Maybe… … Were you offended?”
“Rather than that.”
Lewis still had a stern look on his face.
“It’s uncomfortable to interact with strangers.”
A stranger…
It wasn’t completely wrong, but… The words poked Anastasia’s chest like thorns and hurt her.
However, Anastasia smiled without trying to show it on her face.
“I’m sorry. I was so happy to see you that I just… I didn’t know I’d see you here. I’ll be careful from now on.”
“Yes.”
It was a cold answer. It was time for Anastasia to ask again with an ashamed face.
“Then what brings you to the palace…”
“Louis.”
Wilhelm interrupted Anastasia in a low voice.
Without a moment to frown on her face after being interrupted twice, Wilhelm’s words were heard, embarrassing Anastasia.
“You’re being too rude to your aunt.”