CH 87

Louis was quite satisfied with his recent life.

After he moved to the Empress’ Palace, his body and mind were all at ease.

Anastasia told him he didn’t have to study like he used to, and she habitually said that at his age it was more important to play.

At first, he couldn’t understand her.

‘Does Her Majesty want me to be a fool?’

But hus doubts did not last long.

If he looked at the way Anastasia treated him, he couldn’t see the insidiousness of plotting to make a fool of him.

Rather, he enjoyed seeing the way she looked at him with pleasure.

He also slept well over 10 hours a day, so Louis felt that he was healthier in the Empress’ Palace than he was in Schweig Island.

However, there was one strange thing about him living in the Empress’s Palace.

“Your Majesty the Empress, aren’t you friendly with His Majesty the Emperor?”

One day, when he asked this question, she looked at him with a look of embarrassment!

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two meet while I was here.”

“Um, uh, that’s…”

“Is the Emperor not coming here because of me…?”

He asked carefully, just in case.

The Empress said that the Emperor did not hate him, but rather loved him very much, but he could not fully believe it yet.

If he didn’t want to come to the Empress’ Palace because he was reluctant to see him…

“No way, Louis. Absolutely not.”

However, Anastasia flatly denied the conclusion.

“Well, he’s never been here before.”

That was an unexpected answer. Louis asked with his eyes wide open.

“Why?”

“Why… … If you ask me.”

Anastasia’s face grew more embarrassed, and Louis’s expression grew more and more.

Why the hell?! Her Majesty is not meeting His Majesty, is she?

“That’s why His Majesty isn’t coming…”

“Did you two fight?”

Then Louis asked in a confident voice. Then he saw Anastasia’s expression of embarrassment and was convinced.

‘You fought.’

No wonder. That’s how it happened.

The two were a couple. Even if they weren’t always together, shouldn’t they meet every day?

So, if they didn’t meet, that was the only reason.

“Uh… … Right!”

Anastasia answered in a bright voice with some joy.

“Yes, we fought. So we are keeping our distance.”

“But fighting is bad.”

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing. In the process of fighting, we talk to each other, and in the process we get closer to each other…”

“You don’t see each other, but how do you talk and how do you get closer?”

Louis responded with an absurd expression.

“If that’s the case, you can’t even reconcile.”

“Uh, um, that’s…”

“Aren’t you going to reconcile?”

“You have to. He has to…”

Anastasia muffled her words and smiled awkwardly.

“I’ll do it later. I’m hanging out with Louis now.”

However, Wilhelm did not appear at the Empress’ Palace after that, and Louis had an inkling.

‘You haven’t reconciled yet.’

Then came the day of the regular ball, and Louis became anxious.

‘What if His Majesty the Emperor falls in love with another woman?’

Then he became very worried about Anastasia, who said she would play with him without even going to the ball.

‘What if he says that he wants to marry another woman?!’

He can’t. She has to go!

“Come on, Your Majesty. You can play with me another day. Go and dance and reconcile.”

Louis, who had sent Anastasia semi-forced in that way, waited for Anastasia with a pounding but nervous heart.

‘You two probably danced and made up, right?’

Then, at some point, he heard a voice calling him.

“Louis.”

Louis, who was painting, jumped up from his seat and went towards the sound.

Anastasia was walking into his room smiling.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Did you having a good time?”

“Yes. Did you go to the ball?”

“Ah… … of course.”

“Did you even meet His Majesty the Emperor?”

“…”

Anastasia did not answer right away. But Louis seemed to understand the situation roughly.

‘Okay, you must have reconciled!’

It was because Anastasia’s face was dyed red. Louis felt better.

‘I only have one aunt.’

So it was Louis who wanted the two of them to get along well in the future without fighting.

~~~~

The Fontaine family and supporters wanted Wilhelm to reconsider his decision not to adopt a concubine, but Wilhelm never gave up.

In a situation where there was not enough justification to make Olivia his consort, the Fontaine family could not be more stubborn.

However, the adoption of Louis was the solution to waiting for Anastasia’s failure to see an heir was an excuse, and several families have already suffered from the problem in the past.

It was a day when time passed peacefully.

“Louis, I’m sorry. Today I’m a little late…”

It was a busy these days, spurring the preparations for the Founding Day, which was not far away.

Anastasia, who visited Louis’ room a little later than usual, entered the room without thinking, and she was startled.

“Gasp…!”

Wilhelm was there. Louis was nowhere to be found.

Anastasia couldn’t hide her embarrassment and she looked at him.

“Your Majesty… … Why are you here?”

“…”

Without an answer, his eyes were a little red.

‘Did you cry?’

It was when Anastasia tried to approach anxiously, wondering what else had happened.

Wilhelm strode up to her and hugged her.

“Ah…!”

Anastasia looked at Wilhelm with a startled look at the sudden hug.

“Your Majesty…”

“…”

“What happened?”

Anastasia asked cautiously, surprised and rigid in his arms.

When I first saw him, his expression was the same, and it certainly seemed like something was going on.

“…No.”

But he denied it in a muffled voice.

“Nothing happened.”

“But why…”

“…just…”

With the words, Wilhelm gave Anastasia more strength in his arms. Rather, Anastasia, who was trying to push him, was even more embarrassed.

“I just thought I had to see you.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m here.”

Anastasia stared at him with a confused look on her face, saying nothing but nonsense.

~~~~

Half an hour ago.

Wilhelm paced for a long time in front of the Empress’ Palace.

‘… Shall we go back.’

It’s been a week.

After the Goddess’ oath at the last regular ball, Wilhelm had surprisingly regained confidence in his innocence.

Rather than realizing it himself, Anastasia’s decision made him do so semi-compulsively.

He thought it was time for him to repay Anastasia’s faith, so he visited the Empress every day.

But it was before that. He couldn’t get inside.

Even if the guilt disappeared, it took a lot of courage to see the face of his nephew who looked just like his dead brother.

He wondered if the child would welcome him… And he still had no idea how to behave in front of the child.

‘…tomorrow.’

In the end, it was time for him to go back, as if he thought it was too much today.

“Isn’t that His Majesty?”

An unexpected voice called for him. When Wilhelm turned his head, there was the Duke of Barantes.

“Right. I see the sun of the empire.”

“It’s late, I didn’t know you were still at the palace.”

“You know, there’s a lot to worry about these days, huh?”

The Duke of Barantes, who had a good laugh, asked shortly afterwards.

“Are you here to see the Empress?”

“…No.”

The Empress’s father, Wilhelm did not want to give him useless expectations.

“It was just… …on the way.”

“Oh, I see.”

…but he didn’t seem to believe his answer.

Wilhelm tried to say the truth, but stopped because he seemed lame.

It was also impossible to emphasize to his father-in-law that his relationship with his daughter was not so good.

“You really hate me. If it weren’t for the Oracle, you would have refused the position of Empress.”

“Of course.”

In an instant, he was reminded of a conversation he had with Anastasia the other day.

‘… The Duke of Barantes must have had the same idea.’

It was only natural to see his nephew’s half-brother in a pitiful way. The two of them were originally on good terms.

A sudden oracle made him related to the Duke of Barantes, but Wilhelm had not yet fully embraced him as a family.

He, the famous daughter fool*, would not abandon Anastasia. Even so, believing was another matter.

*TN: a fool for his daughter

So, the relationship between the two was a bit strange and awkward.

“Would you like to walk for a moment?”

As he was about to return, Duke Barantes unexpectedly caught him.

Wilhelm looked at him with a slightly startled expression.

“If it’s okay with you.”

Wilhelm hesitated and nodded his head.

But it was almost the first time he had asked for a solo meeting, so Wilhelm had to hide his embarrassment.