IFLDMHF | Chapter 138

Episode 138

“Aunt, don’t worry about us. We’ll head back on our own.”

“Marianne…”

“It’s really okay. Honestly, the moment we arrived at the imperial palace, I got so nervous that I just wanted to go back to the mansion. And besides, since Dior is sick, it’d be hard for him to attend the banquet anyway.”

But you two have to attend, no matter what!

Marianne added cheerfully.

Evgenia smiled wryly, finding Marianne both admirable and pitiful.

But Marianne was right.

As soon as Evgenia had put the children in the carriage, she had thought it would be better for them to return to the mansion and receive a check-up rather than sending someone to the ducal house to bring the family doctor.

Still, it didn’t sit right with her to send the children off alone to the unfamiliar Basilian Ducal House, where they’d only stayed for a few days, and not even to the Rudion Ducal House.

“Then, madam, I’ll escort them back to the mansion.”

At that moment, Delano stepped up.

“Would that really be alright?”

Euclid, knowing that his aide had secretly been looking forward to their first imperial banquet despite his nerves, asked.

“Of course! I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. And the banquet isn’t just today anyway.”

As he said, the victory celebration banquet was scheduled to last four days.

Though today, which celebrated the heroes returning from the battlefield, promised to be the most eventful, there would be plenty to enjoy throughout the event.

Having Delano with the children brought some comfort.

Still feeling sorry for them, Evgenia gently stroked Dior’s head and said,

“Take your medicine when you get back and rest well. Once you’re better, let’s go see the festival.”

To that, Dior, who had been groaning weakly, asked,

“Really?”

Evgenia smiled and nodded.

In truth, she had only planned to attend the banquets on the first and last days.

The rest of the time, she had hoped to enjoy the festival and tour the capital with the children.

Unaware that this had been her plan from the beginning, Dior smiled faintly with his pale face.

Feeling even more sorry seeing him like that, Evgenia thought absentmindedly,

‘If I’d known this would happen, should I have brought Richard to the capital?’

Because of the danger of catching the emperor’s eye, Richard had naturally been excluded from the trip.

But seeing the situation unfold, she wondered if having Richard—whom Dior always lovingly called “pretty big brother”—by his side might have made things a bit easier.

No, it wouldn’t have worked anyway. Melissa, who knew Richard’s face, was at the ducal house. That alone made it impossible.

Letting out a soft sigh, Evgenia spoke to Delano.

“Please take good care of them. And if anything happens, let me know immediately.”

“Yes! Don’t worry, madam!”

Delano answered cheerfully, but his overly bright expression didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Still, with Dior being sick, they couldn’t delay any longer.

And so Evgenia departed, and the children, along with Delano, headed to the Basilian Ducal House.

“……”

“……”

“…Ugh.”

Inside the quiet carriage, Dior let out a small moan.

Delano, unable to hide his amazement, called out to Dior.

“Lord Dior.”

“Mm?”

“I think you can stop now.”

“Stop what…?”

Dior tilted his head with a sickly look on his face.

To that, Delano clicked his tongue.

“You stayed in character to the very end! I, Delano, had no idea that Lord Dior had such incredible acting skills! Goodness, even your pale face and cold sweat looked real!”

“Yeah, Dior. You were really amazing today.”

Marianne nodded in agreement with Delano’s words.

“Honestly, when His Highness the Crown Prince was staring at Aunt so intensely, my mind just went blank. Luckily, it seemed like Aunt didn’t notice…”

At that moment, she knew she had to interrupt, but no thoughts came to her and she felt helpless.

“But you had a whole plan! I thought you were just eating ice cream, but you even faked being sick!”

It was clear that Delano and Marianne were praising Dior.

And normally, Dior would’ve puffed his nose and been delighted.

But for some reason, Dior, in a shocked voice, stammered, “F-fake sickness…?” and then, with a wrinkled walnut-like chin, burst into tears.

Though Delano and Marianne frantically asked what was wrong, Dior refused to answer.

Despite being praised, he was scared his sister would find out he was actually sick and scold him.

Still, feeling a bit hurt, he whimpered and called for Evgenia.

“A-Aunt…”

He desperately missed Evgenia, who had immediately seen through him when he’d tried to hide being sick.

“Hah.”

Sending the kids off first left me feeling uneasy.

But considering we didn’t know how the emperor would react, it was also true that the children were safer elsewhere.

With a mix of emotions, I headed to the Grand Hall where the victory banquet was being held—and in the end, I concluded it was a good thing the children weren’t there.

Because at the entrance of the Grand Hall, Sionel, who had been waiting for Euclid and me, told me something unexpected.

“I knew the atmosphere was strange! So it really happened? His Highness the Crown Prince safely returning gave him a stomachache, and today’s victory was a disaster, you say?”

Apparently, the emperor had parroted my words and completely ruined the congratulatory speech.

“Yeah. You were so focused on Dior that you didn’t seem to notice, but you really didn’t catch it.”

Sionel responded incredulously.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Just as the Crown Prince came into view, Dior, beside me, let out a small groan.

Looking closer, his face was pale and sweat was beading on his forehead.

Clearly in pain, yet he kept his mouth shut and tried to endure it—I was so startled I didn’t know what to do.

‘He instinctively thought he shouldn’t show he was sick here.’

Usually, I’d think Dior’s quick wits were one of his strengths, but today it just made me feel worse.

Still, how did the emperor manage such a consistent and completely negative string of blunders even though I whispered so quietly in my surprise?

In the past, I might have brushed it off as ridiculous good fortune.

After all, it wasn’t a problem one could think through and reach a logical conclusion.

But not this time.

‘Was it the goddess’s blessing activating again…?’

That was the only explanation that made sense.

Otherwise, how could such an exquisite slip of the tongue occur?

‘The goddess must really not like the Crown Prince.’

I should’ve known back when that random bug appeared and let me slap the Crown Prince across the face.

Too bad I missed that scene while worrying about Dior. But in a way, I was glad.

Because I wasn’t sure I could’ve kept from laughing.

‘If I had laughed and the emperor or the Crown Prince got mad, that would’ve been a disaster.’

Almost as if reading my mind, Sionel said,

“Actually, a bigger incident happened after you left.”

“What happened?”

“Well…”

Sionel, shaking his head as if still baffled, lowered his voice and glanced around.

“Just like at your wedding, I think the High Priest has lost his mind. Would you believe it—he told His Highness the Crown Prince to repent for his past actions. That he must feel deep remorse for the pain and sorrow he’s caused others—and then launched into a long sermon.”

Good heavens!

To the emperor, who probably wanted to use the High Priest to bless Kaiden and justify the war and solidify his achievements, this must’ve felt like a thunderbolt.

Though the temple had shown its disapproval of the emperor’s actions in subtle ways, to say something like that outright at the victory ceremony?

‘You’re amazing, Damien.’

It drove me nuts when I was the target of his words on my wedding day, but imagining the emperor and the Crown Prince being on the receiving end…

“Honestly… it felt refreshing.”

Huh? Did Sionel read my mind?

As I gave him a surprised look, he said,

“Of course, the High Priest probably meant to say it to His Majesty, but since it was His Highness the Crown Prince who heard it, and since you, Evgenia, are the one he hurt the most…”

“…”

Sionel was the one who made all that fuss about how the Crown Prince had called me a mistress and whether he should throw down a glove—so I understood how he felt.

Still, he seemed to be going a bit overboard, and with Euclid watching, I tilted my head and replied nonchalantly.

“Not really? Maybe because I’m happy now—I don’t even remember.”

Then I smiled at Euclid, the source of my happiness.