Louis, who was heartbroken, not only skipped dinner the day before, but also skipped breakfast that morning.
Everyone in the Imperial Palace was concerned about his health.
âYesterday, when he met the Empress, he wept⌠You think itâs because of that?â
âDid the two fight?â
âNo way! Her Majesty fighting with a child? With His Royal Highness?
Eventually, Countess Fiagel stepped up.
âIâll talk to His Highness and find out.â
âAs expected, Countess Fiagel!â
âPlease, get the Prince to eat something.â
The moment the Countess Fiagel was about to enter Louisâ room with a grim faceâŚ!
â⌠uh?â
She faced an unexpected person and gave a look of great bewilderment.
~~~~
On the other hand, Louis, who was shaking the liquid monster with a mournful look on his face, decided after a long thought.
âIâd rather be sent back to Schweig Island.â
Anyway, Anastasia would no longer visit him, and Wilhelm will be disappointed in him and will no longer visit him when he hears about what happened yesterday.
If the two could not maintain the same relationship as before, there was no point in staying at the palace. He felt like her was going to be just bothersome.
âI came back to the palace because Olivia was stubborn.â
He thought about apologizing, but he didnât think she would accept his behavior yesterday because it was rude and reprehensible to her.
So Louis decided to stay desperate. When Wilhelm returned from the inspection, he intended to ask him to send him to Schweig Island.
âLouis!â
Then, Anastasiaâs voice was heard. Louis was so sad now that he thought he could even hear the auditory hallucination.
âWhat are you doing? You didnât eat?â
But then Louis looked at the side where he heard her, startled.
Anastasia was approaching him with a smile.
âAm I looking for something in vain?â
Louis rubbed his eyes a couple of times and then looked ahead, but Anastasia was still in front.
It was the moment Louis rubbed his eyes harder as if he could not believe it.
âOh, my!â
Someone grabbed his arm and prevented him from rubbing his eyes.
Louis stared blankly ahead, and Anastasia looked at him with a worried face.
âI told you that rubbing your eyes like that will hurt.â
âAhâŚâ
âAre your eyes itchy?â
âOh, no.â
âThen donât rub it.â
Anastasia said firmly, and Louis nodded unconsciously.
âHuhâŚ? Come to think of it, this situationâŚ.â
He experienced it once before.
Once upon a time, Olivia shouted at Anastasia, who wanted to be friends, and kicked her out.
âEven then⌠I didnât think Her Majesty would come back, but she came.â
Louis asked, looking at Anastasia, stunned and still smiling.
âIs it really⌠Your Majesty?â
âThen would it be a ghost?â
Anastasia asked playfully, and Louisâ eyes shook quickly.
âI, IâŚâ
Louis slowly opened his mouth.
âYour Majesty⌠I thought youâd never come here again.â
âHmm? Why?â
âUm, thatâŚâ
Louis struggled to speak with a tearful face.
âI was rude to Her Majesty yesterday, soâŚâ
In the end, he couldnât finish his sentence, and Louis burst into tears.
âIâm sorry! Iâm sorry, hueng! I was wrong!â
Anastasia looked at Louis, who was crying sadly as if he had lost his country, with a puzzled expression. She hurriedly grabbed Louisâ tiny body and patted him.
âShh, donât cry, Louis. Itâs all right.â
âNo, itâs not⌠I was bad. I was bad. Iâm sorryâŚâ
However, no matter how much Anastasia comforted him, Louis sobbed in Anastasiaâs arms for a long time, perhaps because he had a lot of heartache.
Anastasia was busy coaxing and appeasing Louis.
In the end, the cry that continued for a long time finally subsided just when the childâs voice was hoarse.
Anastasia said, concerned about the condition of Louisâ neck.
âMy Louis, you must have a sore throat from crying so much.â
ââŚheuck.â
âWhat were you so sad about, Louis?â
âYour MajestyâŚâ
Louis, still shedding tears, confessed his innermost thoughts.
âI said I hated you, so I thought you wouldnât come to see me anymore.â
ââŚâ
âI thought you were really abandoning me this time.â
After that, Louis began to whimper again. Anastasia hugged Louis and whispered.
âHow could I do that? I love Louis so much.â
âBut⌠I said such a bad thingâŚâ
âCanât you see that itâs like that with your family?â
Anastasia added with a smile.
âAnd itâs been a long time since Iâve been here. So I was a little surprised at first, but I thought it might be possible.â
ââŚâ
Louis, who had been silent for a while after hearing it, hesitated and asked.
âDo you really⌠love me?â
âI love you as high as the sky and as low as the earth.â
Anastasia answered immediately.
âHow can I abandon Louis when I love him so much? Thatâs ridiculous.â
âBut Olivia.. Your Majesty took me to the Imperial Palace because I was too lazyâŚâ
With the words uttered, Louis shut his mouth in horror. However, it was already after Anastasia heard.
Anastasia asked Louis calmly with a white face.
ââŚwhat do you mean, Louis?â
âItâsâŚâ
Louis hesitated with an embarrassed look.
âNo, I shouldnât say itâŚâ
âItâs okay, Louis. You can tell me.â
âOh, I canâtâŚâ
Despite Anastasiaâs kind words, Louis quickly shook his head with an expression of terror.
âI canât tell youâŚâ
âWhy?â
âThat, thatâŚâ
Louis contorted his face as if he was about to cry, and eventually confessed in tears.
âOlivia⌠⌠she said sheâd kill us all if I told⌠⌠Whoa!â
When Anastasia heard these words, she was so startled for a moment that she could not move.
Then, when she heard the sound of Louis crying, she came to her senses and comforted the child.
âItâs okay. Itâs okay, LouisâŚâ
But contrary to the words that came out of her mouth, Anastasiaâs insides werenât okay right then.
âOlivia, you dareâŚ!â
How she could threaten blackmail on a child as young as 6 years old. An immense amount of anger engulfed her body.
Anastasia struggled to calm her voice and then calmed Louis.
âLouis, you donât have to believe that. Iâm stronger than Olivia. Iâm going to make sure that she wonât touch a single hair of Louis.â
âReallyâŚ?â
âYes.â
Anastasia, who answered with a smile, took a deep breath to contain her boiling feelings. She then asked her in a soft voice.
âSo, can you tell me what happened?â
~~~~
At the end of the day, Louis sobbed and told everything her she had done.
What Olivia has said to him since she visited him the night she moved to the Imperial Palace.
Upon learning the truth, Anastasia was shocked and was unable to speak for a while.
âThereâs no gaslighting like this either.â
It was clear to see what kind of treatment Louis had been living under Olivia during that time.
When she realized that, her heart felt like it was going to break.
â⌠Iâm sorry, Louis.â
With Anastasiaâs anguished look on her face, she grabbed Louisâ shoulder.
âI should have acted soonerâŚâ
Even before the return, Olivia was sweet as a mother to Louis, so she thought it would be okay. She didnât even have a reason to oust Olivia until she came to the Imperial Palace.
âIt was a stupid complacent thought. How could you do that to a kidâŚ!â
She felt deeply guilty at the thought that she had aided the childâs abuse.
As Anastasia quietly sobbed and grieved, Louis, embarrassed, first hugged Anastasia tightly with his fern-like hands.
âAhâŚâ
Only then did Anastasia stop crying and look back at Louis.
Louis said, looking at her with a lost face.
âIâm fine, so donât cryâŚâ
âAhâŚ.â
âWhen the Empress cries, Iâm sad tooâŚâ
With his determined words, which were clear to console her, Anastasia seemed to burst into tears once again.
âIâm sorryâŚâ
Anastasia squeezed her heart and managed to control her emotions. If she reacted so seriously, the child would be scared.
âLouis, youâve been scared, havenât you?â
Louis nodded hesitantly.
Anastasia strongly bit the tender flesh on the inside of her lips and hugged the child and comforted him.
âDonât worry, Louis. Olivia will never bother Louis again.â