Chapter 67
Cringe.
She was feeling like she was being hunted.
The Duke of Mubisk smirked.
“?”
He looked away as if it was no big deal. For some reason, the crisis seemed to have passed.
“Phew…”
As she breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes locked with the boy who was walking right behind the Duke of Mubisk.
“?”
Jet-black hair, icy light-blue eyes. A boy who looked like Aaron’s, only without the charming mole in his right eye.
Aaron’s older brother, Duke of Mubisk.
‘I wonder if his name was John.’
They looked alike, but their aura was completely different. She flinched, and he looked away. He had lost interest.
‘That’s a very cold man.’
It seemed she could no longer pretend to be Aaron.
She had an epiphany. Aaron was cute because he was fluffy.
Mmmm.
While she was engaged in a little self-reflection, the entrance was noisy again.
This time it was some nobles, scholars, and wizards. It wasn’t as loud as the knights, but there were more of them this time.
What’s going on?
“Haha. Well, well. I heard there were a lot of guests, but there were a lot of familiar faces. Thanks for the greetings, but I have to go say hello myself.”
Immaculate gray hair, clear golden eyes.
The Duke of Sperom, unmistakable even from a distance.
‘Wow, the richest man in Albrecht.’
The father of the twins, and the richest man in the country, took a moment to marvel.
‘Oh.’
She locked eyes with the Duke of Sperom.
“…?”
The Duke of Sperom’s eyes widened at the sight of her, and he suddenly winked.
What is this?
***
The mood in the hall took on a different fervour as the master of the purse strings entered, as the old Imperial adage goes, Sperom’s money doesn’t go anywhere.
“His Excellency Sperom…!”
Wizards from the Magic Tower, scholars from the Golden Tower, knights from the Knights Templar, and noblemen from the ranks of the rich and famous were all eager to get one more word in the Duke of Sperom’s mouth.
A very different atmosphere from that of the Duke of Mubisk, who was revered and awe-inspiring.
The Duke of Sperom dismissed the situation with a wave of his hand, as if he was used to this sort of thing.
“We’ll save the cerebral talk for a solemn occasion, but for now, enjoy.”
There was no human being in the room that could have captured his interest.
‘Oh, there’s one.’
The Duke of Sperom’s eyes narrowed as he spotted Arellin of Halbern, whom Browning, whose tears never dried on the backs of his sons, had praised dryly as an angel.
His attention had been drawn to the early evening, but thanks to Mehen’s impenetrable defenses, he had never seen the much-rumored maiden.
‘Hmph.’
The <Golden Eye> he habitually activated showed Arellin’s worth.
“Ugh.”
Duke Sperom groaned at the sight before him.
He hadn’t really listened to his sons when they spoke.
‘I’ve never seen this before.’
Duke Sperom mused, oblivious to Arellin’s intrigued gaze.
‘I’ll have to look into it.’
He didn’t want to touch Halbern, but the anomaly involving the Golden Eye was a must.
Duke Sperom smiled at Empress Ageni as he finished his thoughts.
The noblest and most brilliant woman in the empire returned the favour.
“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed, Duke Sperom, your time is worth more than a thousand gold pieces, and I thank you for taking the time to come here.”
“Hahaha. This is the first tea party my sons have invited his father to, and it’s worth more than a thousand gold pieces.”
Duke Sperom, who is said to have succeeded in farming talent but failed in farming sons, looked sad for a moment.
“I am grateful to Her Majesty in many ways.”
“Hoo-hoo. What else.”
“No, really. I know my sons have always been a great credit to the imperial family.”
Duke Sperom smiled sadly, recalling the mishaps that were bound to happen in the palace on any given day.
“The twins will be different when they grow up.”
“I… don’t… think so….”
The Duke of Sperom, who knew his sons better than anyone, gave her a dark look of disbelief.
“Trust the children.”
“Hah….”
‘That’s easier said than done, Your Majesty.’
“With that, I beg your favor.”
Empress Ageni let out a clear laugh at the Duke of Sperom’s unconcerned voice, which was practically a request.
“Thank you, for being so good with my children. Take care of them.”
Duke Sperom shook his head in relief, but sighed at his only problem: child rearing.
Seeing the Crown Prince, who was a thousand times better than his own sons, made him feel even worse.
“Thank you for organising this, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Thank you for coming, Duke Sperom.”
His heart ached at the sight of the Crown Prince , who was no match for his sons.
Envy. So much envy that tears came to his eyes.
Ouch. If only the twins were as good as the Crown Prince’s claws…!
Chewing on the futile hope, Duke Sperom made his way to his seat.
“You seem to be in a good mood today, my sons.”
The Duke of Sperom was surprised to see the boys in such good spirits, as he had always seen them in a mess before an accident, or a muddy mess afterwards.
“Your mother would have loved it if she were here.”
The Duke of Sperom’s eyes became wistful as he remembered his wife, who had fled to the estate to escape the stress of parenting.
“But Mother’s in convalescence.”
“Father, have the divorce papers come yet?”
“….”
Who’s to blame for all this!
The Duke of Sperom sneered.
They were his sons, but they were so shameless.
“That’s strange. Mother said she was sending you divorce papers?”
“She said she was going to abandon you?”
Duke Sperom exclaimed.
He wonder what Sperom’s future holds.
This is why he pleaded with his wife to create another healthy heir, only to be abandoned.
The twins were the perfect manifestation of Sperom’s goldeneye, so he couldn’t even dethrone them.
“Hah… My fault.”
There are some things gold can’t buy.
He was looking enviously at the Duke of Mubisk, who, unlike him, had succeeded in farming his children.
There was another commotion, and the best man Duke Sperom had been waiting for appeared.
“Mehen!”
***
Arellin called out to Mehen, the Nursery, and even Dylan as guests of Halbern.
After a fierce internal debate, however, the attendance was narrowed down to two: Mehen and Lena, a noblewoman from the nursery.
All because of the Nursery’s strong insistence that the young lady be honored.
‘We can’t have you being attacked while the Archduke isn’t even there!’
‘Yes!’
Arellin was disappointed to hear this, but the Nursery was happy to receive the invitation.
She had already made plans to cherish it for the rest of her life and pass it down through the generations.
“Mehen, Lena. Thank you for coming!”
“Of course I had to come, Young Lady.”
Lena’s reassuring smile made Arellin smile, even though she was in an uncomfortable position.
“If you’re so grateful, why don’t you go back and teach a class on ‘Ancient Asla Chronology’….”
“I don’t think so, Lena.”
“… chit.”
Lena clicked her tongue as she tried to extend the lesson.
“You’re our last guest.”
Arellin and Lena looked up at the sound of Mehen’s voice.
As if anyone could be last, the servant’s voice was the loudest of all, accompanied by the colourful pollen.
“Princess Shirua and Prince Therion, guests of the Crown Prince, please enter.”
Princess Shirua and Prince Therion, dressed in dresses and regalia embroidered with the imperial crest.
Everyone in the hall rose to their feet at the entrance of the two royalty.
“Oh, you look quite well dressed.”
“Drinking!”
Princess Shirua smiled with satisfaction as he took in the hall’s decorations.
Prince Therion, who had no interest in anything but food in the first place, was already ready to run off somewhere.
Grabbing Prince Therion’s hand, the Princess Shirua walked over to Empress Ageni, who was looking at her with a reprimanding glare.
Still, she made sure to catch every glance that fell on her.
“Well.”
Princess Shirua paused in front of the Halbern table and turned her head.
‘I’ve never seen your face like this before.’
Pale pink eyes, as soft and fragile as rose petals, looked up in surprise.
“?”
