Mrs. Woods wouldn’t change her mind, so Brielle had no choice but to nod.
Instead, conditions were added.
“If nothing comes from the wizards, Mother will also have to give up.”
“….”
“I just… All I need is my mother. I don’t want anyone else as a parent.”
“Still, you became a Duchess, but if you don’t have proper parents…”
“Oh my, Mother!”
Brielle screamed back.
Mrs. Woods quickly tapped Brielle on the back and shook her head.
“Phew, yeah. I know, I know. I promise too. So, go now.”
After reaching her conclusion, Mrs. Woods rushed the two back.
Along with saying that it is not a good idea for precious people to stay in a house like this for a long time,
Maximilian and Brielle tried to stay a little longer, but they could not go against the will of the stubborn Mrs. Woods.
They boarded a carriage back into the third wall.
They rode in small carriages because the roads were busy because of the festival. When they sat next to each other, their thighs touched.
It’s already been five years since they had a ‘proper marriage.’
At this point, they might have considered touching each other’s bodies trivial, but they still got nervous about unexpected contact.
“To Sheridan…”
Maximilian tried to duck toward the window and spoke in a cracked voice.
“On the way back, it would be better to go through the wizard’s castle.”
“You want to go there right away?”
Surprised, Brielle turned her head and looked at him.
She quickly turned her attention back to the tips of her shoes, even though the closeness bothered her.
“Perhaps the Duke thinks it would be nice for me to have noble parents… No, I’m sorry.”
“Mrs. Woods.”
Instead of answering, Maximilian told the story of Mrs. Woods.
For some reason, it seemed like it would work better for Brielle.
“She just wants to get at least one more person to protect you.”
“…”
“The reason she’s worried like that is because… It’s because I kept you in a dangerous position. I’m sorry, Brielle.”
“That’s not something for the Duke to apologize for. It’s something I decided to do. I will try to handle this position.”
Brielle put a lot of strength in her eyes and raised her chin toward Maximilian.
The moment Maximilian heard those strong words, the story of Mrs. Woods came to mind for some reason.
｢You don’t know how pretty your pajamas were. You knew how to speak beautifully. I am sure you are not an ordinary child｣
No, precisely in her childhood, as described by Mrs. Woods… A poor girl he remembered came to mind.
Ceci, the girl who suddenly disappeared one day, and he couldn’t meet her anymore.
When the child was making a point, she would look straight at Maximilian with her eyes focused like this.
‘Ah.’
He quickly put aside his useless thoughts.
“Duke?”
“I was wrong.”
“Yes?”
“No, I…”
How could he think of someone else with such a lovely person in front of him?
“It looks like you were thinking deeply about something. Could it be that I interrupted you?”
“No, I just like your bravery…”
He thought she was really lovely.
It was the moment when he was about to make a serious confession.
“Ah!”
Brielle made a sound as if she realized something.
Moreover, she was so happy that she even clapped her hands as if everything went well.
“….?”
Maximilian, who forgot the words of the confession for a moment, stared at her.
“Now that I think about it, Clarisse would really like it if we went straight to the wizard’s castle!”
“…Yes?”
He doesn’t know why something like that suddenly came to her mind, but Maximilian immediately followed her and figured out Clarisse’s situation.
She sent the wizard Noah Sinet a request to meet him at the festival, which he heard was rejected for some reason.
She said that she wouldn’t be able to meet him and how disappointed she felt the whole time she came to the capital.
“It’s already been about half a year, right? The period when wizard Sinet and Clarisse did not meet.”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t think going to the Wizard’s Castle is a bad choice if I can make them meet again. It’s really cute to see them together.”
Is that so?
For almost the first time, Maximilian couldn’t nod his head at what his cherished wife wanted.
It was only when Noah and Clarisse were so small and they couldn’t even come close to his chest that people praised them for being cute just by existing.
But things are a little different now.
Six months ago, when he saw Noah standing next to Clarisse, he felt a strange sense of discomfort.
Even though he doesn’t know why.
* * *
Maximilian, who returned to his villa, decided to tell Clarisse the news that he was going straight to the wizard’s castle.
He imagined Clarisse’s reaction, which was as follows.
‘The wizard’s castle? Wow, I’m so happy!’
She was a lonely child, so she always missed her friends.
“The wizard’s castle… I’m looking forward to it.”
However, Clarisse’s reaction upon hearing the story was somehow more lukewarm than he expected.
She definitely like it, but… Should he say that some other worry seems to be blocking this?
“What’s the matter? Are you worried about something?”
He asked without hesitation.
He didn’t waste time saying unnecessary things.
He knew that Clarisse wasn’t someone who was wasting her time.
“I heard about the monastery from the prince today.”
“It looks like you were talking about preparing for the public official exam.”
“Yes, that’s right. Duke, you know this well, right?”
“I heard Quentin’s story a few times, but I didn’t know it in detail. Just a while ago…I did hear the explanation.”
Maximilian sighed quietly.
Lysander, whom he had met the day before, had told him about the monastery.
* * *
｢If you study at a monastery, you will be eligible to take a mock test. I think my ward will be interested. What do you think?｣
｢I guess…it’s good.｣
｢Valentine will be sent at the same time, so you don’t have to worry about safety.｣
｢Prince Valentine is coming together?.｣
Is it because Maximilian crumpled his face at that moment without realizing it? Lysander burst into laughter.
｢Pft. Ah… really! Brother is acting like a father with a daughter!｣
｢It’s not like that. It’s just.｣
All he was concerned about was that Valentine had a bit of a mischievous side.
He heard that Clarisse, who came back after meeting him, was very angry several times.
Lysander’s story continued without a moment to make such an excuse.
｢Ah, I’m glad I kept the princess alive. Sometimes I feel bad about it.｣
After giggling for a while, he brushed back his flowing blonde hair and looked at Maximilian again.
The smile disappeared from his face for a moment, and there was only a cold look in his eyes.
｢Such an interesting child… she have to die in three years.｣
｢The law….｣
Maximilian replied quietly with words that were nothing short of habit.
But the answer didn’t last.
Although he himself couldn’t quite understand why.
｢Yes, it is a law to eliminate everyone in the family tree.. The owner of the fallen kingdom and his blood relatives.｣
Lysander said, as if to tell him.
｢Eliminate immediately. And… No funerals are held.｣
In addition, a strange sensation constrained Maximilian’s breathing.
The law that had always been the ‘standard’ in his life seemed to be weighing on his heart to the point of pain this time.
It’s like…
｢The king.｣
As he was about to think for a long time, Lysander spoke again.
Maximilian struggled to shake off his thoughts and raised his head toward his brother.
｢No, the king is a being who supports all people. Your Highness is carrying a heavier weight alone than anyone else.｣
｢What? Pft…. If it were my older brother, you would have become that kind of king.｣
He picked up the papers rolling in front of him and held them out in front of Maximilian.
｢I just put my seal on the documents my mother sends me.｣
｢…Your Highness.｣
｢As long as I keep that person’s great will, my freedom will always be guaranteed. Whether drinking alcohol or meeting women… Release the prisoner I want.｣
For a moment, Maximilian’s body became stiff.
｢Ah really!｣
Lysander seemed to be amused by his reaction and burst into laughter again.
But this is just a moment.
He stood up.
｢But, brother.｣
For some reason, the irritated expression came closer to his nose. There was a light smell of alcohol.
｢That child will never be pardoned. You must cut off her head yourself and bring it to me. Please do so. Eung?｣
Maximilian had no answer to those words.
* * *
“Duke, is it too much for me to study at a monastery? Of course, having a tutor so far was too much, but… There must be many others in the monastery.”
Maximilian answered after barely shaking off the memories of yesterday.
“What’s your status?”
“That, I…”
Clarisse grabbed the pendant around her neck.
“I’m the ward of His Highness. Until the age of 18.”
“Yes, nothing is too much for you. Rather, if there is a problem, it will be in the monastery.”
Maximilian wondered if Clarisse might be interested in a mock exam, and he had been conducting research since yesterday.
In this process, he discovered several outrageous monastery atrocities.
“The monastery limits meals to three times a day without offering any snacks.”
“That’s how meals are supposed to be, Duke.”
“Meals should not be limited in number. You have to be flexible, depending on your activity level. Like Sheridan Mansion.”
“But I always eat three times.”
“In addition, mandatory exercise times are uniformly designated. They run through the garden every morning.”
“That’s… good?”
“Exercise time should be adjusted according to individual capabilities and daily conditions. If you force it with absolute time and intensity, you may end up only making the disease worse.”
Maximilian meant it.
Clarisse’s growth was slowed down by too many things in the group life at the monastery.
Mrs. Woods wouldn’t change her mind, so Brielle had no choice but to nod.
Instead, conditions were added.
“If nothing comes from the wizards, Mother will also have to give up.”
“….”
“I just… All I need is my mother. I don’t want anyone else as a parent.”
“Still, you became a Duchess, but if you don’t have proper parents…”
“Oh my, Mother!”
Brielle screamed back.
Mrs. Woods quickly tapped Brielle on the back and shook her head.
“Phew, yeah. I know, I know. I promise too. So, go now.”
After reaching her conclusion, Mrs. Woods rushed the two back.
Along with saying that it is not a good idea for precious people to stay in a house like this for a long time,
Maximilian and Brielle tried to stay a little longer, but they could not go against the will of the stubborn Mrs. Woods.
They boarded a carriage back into the third wall.
They rode in small carriages because the roads were busy because of the festival. When they sat next to each other, their thighs touched.
It’s already been five years since they had a ‘proper marriage.’
At this point, they might have considered touching each other’s bodies trivial, but they still got nervous about unexpected contact.
“To Sheridan…”
Maximilian tried to duck toward the window and spoke in a cracked voice.
“On the way back, it would be better to go through the wizard’s castle.”
“You want to go there right away?”
Surprised, Brielle turned her head and looked at him.
She quickly turned her attention back to the tips of her shoes, even though the closeness bothered her.
“Perhaps the Duke thinks it would be nice for me to have noble parents… No, I’m sorry.”
“Mrs. Woods.”
Instead of answering, Maximilian told the story of Mrs. Woods.
For some reason, it seemed like it would work better for Brielle.
“She just wants to get at least one more person to protect you.”
“…”
“The reason she’s worried like that is because… It’s because I kept you in a dangerous position. I’m sorry, Brielle.”
“That’s not something for the Duke to apologize for. It’s something I decided to do. I will try to handle this position.”
Brielle put a lot of strength in her eyes and raised her chin toward Maximilian.
The moment Maximilian heard those strong words, the story of Mrs. Woods came to mind for some reason.
｢You don’t know how pretty your pajamas were. You knew how to speak beautifully. I am sure you are not an ordinary child｣
No, precisely in her childhood, as described by Mrs. Woods… A poor girl he remembered came to mind.
Ceci, the girl who suddenly disappeared one day, and he couldn’t meet her anymore.
When the child was making a point, she would look straight at Maximilian with her eyes focused like this.
‘Ah.’
He quickly put aside his useless thoughts.
“Duke?”
“I was wrong.”
“Yes?”
“No, I…”
How could he think of someone else with such a lovely person in front of him?
“It looks like you were thinking deeply about something. Could it be that I interrupted you?”
“No, I just like your bravery…”
He thought she was really lovely.
It was the moment when he was about to make a serious confession.
“Ah!”
Brielle made a sound as if she realized something.
Moreover, she was so happy that she even clapped her hands as if everything went well.
“….?”
Maximilian, who forgot the words of the confession for a moment, stared at her.
“Now that I think about it, Clarisse would really like it if we went straight to the wizard’s castle!”
“…Yes?”
He doesn’t know why something like that suddenly came to her mind, but Maximilian immediately followed her and figured out Clarisse’s situation.
She sent the wizard Noah Sinet a request to meet him at the festival, which he heard was rejected for some reason.
She said that she wouldn’t be able to meet him and how disappointed she felt the whole time she came to the capital.
“It’s already been about half a year, right? The period when wizard Sinet and Clarisse did not meet.”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t think going to the Wizard’s Castle is a bad choice if I can make them meet again. It’s really cute to see them together.”
Is that so?
For almost the first time, Maximilian couldn’t nod his head at what his cherished wife wanted.
It was only when Noah and Clarisse were so small and they couldn’t even come close to his chest that people praised them for being cute just by existing.
But things are a little different now.
Six months ago, when he saw Noah standing next to Clarisse, he felt a strange sense of discomfort.
Even though he doesn’t know why.
* * *
Maximilian, who returned to his villa, decided to tell Clarisse the news that he was going straight to the wizard’s castle.
He imagined Clarisse’s reaction, which was as follows.
‘The wizard’s castle? Wow, I’m so happy!’
She was a lonely child, so she always missed her friends.
“The wizard’s castle… I’m looking forward to it.”
However, Clarisse’s reaction upon hearing the story was somehow more lukewarm than he expected.
She definitely like it, but… Should he say that some other worry seems to be blocking this?
“What’s the matter? Are you worried about something?”
He asked without hesitation.
He didn’t waste time saying unnecessary things.
He knew that Clarisse wasn’t someone who was wasting her time.
“I heard about the monastery from the prince today.”
“It looks like you were talking about preparing for the public official exam.”
“Yes, that’s right. Duke, you know this well, right?”
“I heard Quentin’s story a few times, but I didn’t know it in detail. Just a while ago…I did hear the explanation.”
Maximilian sighed quietly.
Lysander, whom he had met the day before, had told him about the monastery.
* * *
｢If you study at a monastery, you will be eligible to take a mock test. I think my ward will be interested. What do you think?｣
｢I guess…it’s good.｣
｢Valentine will be sent at the same time, so you don’t have to worry about safety.｣
｢Prince Valentine is coming together?.｣
Is it because Maximilian crumpled his face at that moment without realizing it? Lysander burst into laughter.
｢Pft. Ah… really! Brother is acting like a father with a daughter!｣
｢It’s not like that. It’s just.｣
All he was concerned about was that Valentine had a bit of a mischievous side.
He heard that Clarisse, who came back after meeting him, was very angry several times.
Lysander’s story continued without a moment to make such an excuse.
｢Ah, I’m glad I kept the princess alive. Sometimes I feel bad about it.｣
After giggling for a while, he brushed back his flowing blonde hair and looked at Maximilian again.
The smile disappeared from his face for a moment, and there was only a cold look in his eyes.
｢Such an interesting child… she have to die in three years.｣
｢The law….｣
Maximilian replied quietly with words that were nothing short of habit.
But the answer didn’t last.
Although he himself couldn’t quite understand why.
｢Yes, it is a law to eliminate everyone in the family tree.. The owner of the fallen kingdom and his blood relatives.｣
Lysander said, as if to tell him.
｢Eliminate immediately. And… No funerals are held.｣
In addition, a strange sensation constrained Maximilian’s breathing.
The law that had always been the ‘standard’ in his life seemed to be weighing on his heart to the point of pain this time.
It’s like…
｢The king.｣
As he was about to think for a long time, Lysander spoke again.
Maximilian struggled to shake off his thoughts and raised his head toward his brother.
｢No, the king is a being who supports all people. Your Highness is carrying a heavier weight alone than anyone else.｣
｢What? Pft…. If it were my older brother, you would have become that kind of king.｣
He picked up the papers rolling in front of him and held them out in front of Maximilian.
｢I just put my seal on the documents my mother sends me.｣
｢…Your Highness.｣
｢As long as I keep that person’s great will, my freedom will always be guaranteed. Whether drinking alcohol or meeting women… Release the prisoner I want.｣
For a moment, Maximilian’s body became stiff.
｢Ah really!｣
Lysander seemed to be amused by his reaction and burst into laughter again.
But this is just a moment.
He stood up.
｢But, brother.｣
For some reason, the irritated expression came closer to his nose. There was a light smell of alcohol.
｢That child will never be pardoned. You must cut off her head yourself and bring it to me. Please do so. Eung?｣
Maximilian had no answer to those words.
* * *
“Duke, is it too much for me to study at a monastery? Of course, having a tutor so far was too much, but… There must be many others in the monastery.”
Maximilian answered after barely shaking off the memories of yesterday.
“What’s your status?”
“That, I…”
Clarisse grabbed the pendant around her neck.
“I’m the ward of His Highness. Until the age of 18.”
“Yes, nothing is too much for you. Rather, if there is a problem, it will be in the monastery.”
Maximilian wondered if Clarisse might be interested in a mock exam, and he had been conducting research since yesterday.
In this process, he discovered several outrageous monastery atrocities.
“The monastery limits meals to three times a day without offering any snacks.”
“That’s how meals are supposed to be, Duke.”
“Meals should not be limited in number. You have to be flexible, depending on your activity level. Like Sheridan Mansion.”
“But I always eat three times.”
“In addition, mandatory exercise times are uniformly designated. They run through the garden every morning.”
“That’s… good?”
“Exercise time should be adjusted according to individual capabilities and daily conditions. If you force it with absolute time and intensity, you may end up only making the disease worse.”
Maximilian meant it.
Clarisse’s growth was slowed down by too many things in the group life at the monastery.
