“Moooom!”
Rosena’s head turned at the child’s voice.
As she lowered her eyes, a boy with a fairy tale book in his hand, stood.
“Illian.”
When Rosena called his name, the child smiled brightly.
Illian, who looked just like his father, was like an angel, and every time he smiled, Rosena smiled.
Rosena brushed Illian’s cheek lightly.
Bright blond hair and slightly droopy eyes reminded her of the man from seven years ago.
“You want me to read it?”
Illian noded.
Rosena put Illian, who was smaller than his peers, on her lap.
Illian grinned in Rosena’s arms.
Rosena, who opened a fairy tale book, slowly began to read the book.
The children’s book was written in easy letters for a six-year-old Illian to read.
Rosena let out a light sigh inside.
Illian, born prematurely, was slower in development than his peers, and was late in learning to speak.
She wanted to stay with him for a little longer, but there were many difficulties because she had to work as a private tutor for the Marquis family during the daytime on weekdays.
So Rosena was always sorry for Illian.
“A caterpillar that was sleeping under the leaves came crawling.”
When she read a fairy tale book, Illian’s face shone in interest.
Rosena looked at the round back of his head, smiled. As expected, a child was a child.
“It was the moment his friends in the forest were playing.”
Rosena read and changed a few variations in the book.
Having read quite a few books, she was as good as a storyteller now.
“A hawk appeared and struck the caterpillar’s friend!”
When Rosena said, clasping Illian on the shoulder, Illian screamed.
Illian, who dug into Rosena’s arms at once, carefully looked up.
“…It’s scawy.”
“It’s okay, you have mommy.”
As Rosena gave him a light hug, Illian grinned broadly.
Looking at the crystal clear smile, her heart seemed to melt.
After reading all the fairy tales, Illian approached the bookshelf to bring another book.
Knock, knock…
Rosena stood up at the knock on the front door.
When she opened the door, a middle-aged woman in a silk dress stood.
“Madam Elisa.”
Rosena opened her eyes wide and called the woman’s name.
Madam Elisa is the wife of the Marquis whom Rosena indebted to.
She was also the one who helped Rosena to settle down when she came to the Kingdom of Astania.
Even now, Rosena and Marchioness Elisa had a strong relationship.
“Please come inside.”
When Rosena opened the door wide, Madam Elisa stepped inside.
Madam Elisa, who came alone without a servant, hung her shawl up and said.
“I have news from someone from the Empire.”
She would always run to Rosena first when she heard fresh news from the Empire.
Rosena stood for a while and hurried into the kitchen. She was going to treat her to something.
She took the tea leaves she bought for guests out from the cupboard and made tea.
When Rosena came out of the kitchen and put down the teacup, Madam Elisa savored the aroma of tea.
Rosena looked at her for a moment. The necklace she wore is a popular design in the Herbet Empire.
Marchioness Elisa, unlike the closed-minded Astanian nobles, is interested in other countries.
She was also a person who insisted on establishing diplomatic ties with other countries, instead of sticking to the policy of closure as it is now.
She particularly was interested in the Herbet Empire, and often liked to visit Rosena and listen to the stories of the empire.
Rosena found Illian staring at her in the corner.
Illian, who held another fairy tale book dearly, waited calmly for Rosena’s words.
Illian, who had never hurried her, had become both admirable and sad.
Rosena approached Illian and brushed his hair lightly.
Then Illian’s eyes slid down.
“Illian, I think mom is busy, will you play in the backyard?”
Illian nodded with a slightly sullen face.
“I’ll make you your favorite chicken stew for dinner.”
“Yes, I wike it.”
Rosena grinned at a slightly dazed but youthful tone.
“Good boy. My son.”
When Rosena kissed Illian on the cheek, Illian grinned.
Rosena’s lips went up with that clear laugh.
When Illian went out, Rosena sat opposite Madam Elisa.
Madam Elisa tapped on the table after drinking her tea.
“It was news from three months ago, but there’s a lot of interesting things.”
Rosena straightened herself up to listen.
Then Madam Elisha told her the news quietly.
“A giant monster appeared in the Haylor region, north of Herbet, and it ate dozens of people.”
At the word ‘Haylor’, Rosena’s body froze.
Even though it was already seven years ago, the name reminded her of the scene.
– Where are you from?
– …Haylor.
Haylor, that is the province where Yerhan came from.
Rosena hurriedly changed her expression, nodding her head to show that she was listening.
“And without fail, the Crown Prince disposed of the monster.”
There was nothing special about it.
“But there was a man who saw the Crown Prince in the imperial palace the day the monster was overthrown.”
“In the Imperial Palace?”
It was a very strange thing.
It took at least two and a half months from Haylor to the imperial capital.
It couldn’t be done unless the Crown Prince did magic.
“That’s why rumors are the first thing that a few people are questioning about.”
Madam Elisa, who sipped the tea, said again.
“And it appears that the third prince is still suffering from madness. No one has ever seen the third prince properly, so…..”
Rosena also knew about the Third Prince.
A few years ago, the Herbet Empire was overturned by the existence of the Third Prince.
The Emperor’s illegitimate son, the Third Prince, was even more controversial because he appeared almost in adulthood.
However, the disturbance quickly calmed down because the prince was born with all the royal signs and the emperor officially admitted it.
After that, the Third Prince carried all sorts of rumors.
The most famous were rumors that he couldn’t maintain a proper life due to madness and that he was like a ghost, not seen in the Imperial Palace.
Rosena listed in her head what she had heard about the Third Prince and quickly erased them.
Madam Elisa was also the one who told her news about the empire.
She knew everything from trivial stories to the private lives of the nobles.
As she listened to it, there were many stories of someone Rosena knew, so she naturally concentrated.
“Oh, and the Count Estarot family has let their son-in-law succeed the title.”
Rosena, who was listening well, stiffened her shoulders.
The Count Estarot was the family Rosena ran out of.
Son-in-law….. there was no one to succeed in this generation, so that would have been the only way.
Rosena felt bitter for no reason about not being able to attend her sister’s wedding.
At that time, she was shocked and hated the two, but perhaps over time, the sadness faded a lot.
Can she meet them before she dies?
Perhaps they won’t be able to meet unless she returns to the Empire.
Rosena shook her head as she recalled the faces of her family.
Illian is more important to her.
***
Illian quietly closed the door and went out.
The moment he stepped outside, his bright smile was wiped out.
“Sigh…..”
It’s been a long time since his mom had a day off, so he tried to stay with her as much as he could, but an uninvited guest came.
Illian had no choice but to step out because the unwelcome guest was the Marchioness Elisa, who was close to Rosena.
Illian sat under a tree at the edge of the yard to quell his irritation.
The beautiful tree created a cool shade.
Illian threw away his cherished fairy tale book.
Then he opened a hidden wooden box and pulled out another book.
It was a very high level book for children to read, but he had already read it over and over again.
In fact, Illian thought fairy tales were childish.
Nevertheless, the reason he begged his mother to read it every time was because he could sit in her arms.
There was nothing he could do. He’ll have to ask his mother to read two more books after the marchioness leaves.
The wind was blowing softly, and only the quiet sound of the pages turning was heard.
Halfway through the book, there was a buzz from afar.
“That’s the stutter Illian!”
Over the fence, the children shouted at Illian.
It was the children he had encountered a few times.
Ilian ignored the glances and continued to read the book.
It was such a waste of time dealing with stupid children.
“Are you ignoring us?”
“It seems like he can’t hear us.”
“He’s a fool!”
With the booing, the children began to tease him.
Illian ignored them, saying they were just dogs barking.
“But his mother is fine. She’s pretty.”
Illian, who heard the word mother, closed the book loudly.
When Illian rose from his seat, the children flinched.
Obviously, he was smaller than then, but the look in his eyes naturally made them cower.
“Who said that?”
The children looked dumb when hearing his sharp speech.
Illian opened his mouth, pointing at the children with the edge of his book.
“If you don’t want to be beaten, tell me quickly.”
One of the children, who was dazed by fluent words, stuttered and shouted.
“You, you can’t talk properly, can you?!”
Illian was silent for a moment.
He was just doing that when his mother was around.
His mother will read him a book if he pretends to stutter.
“So what?”
When Illian answered convincingly, the children’s eyes curled.
Everyone had not adapted to the changed appearance of Illian.
Illian tried to retort at the children who were stupidly standing still.
It was at that moment.
“Illian?”
Illian’s body hardened for a moment when he heard a voice from behind.
And without time to think, he dropped the book on the floor and ran to Rosena.
“Moooom….!”
Tears had already formed in the eyes that were staring at the children coldly.
“IIlian.”
Rosena held Illian in her arms with a bewildered face.
Rosena looked up at the children standing over the fence.
She thought Ilian might be surprised when several older children flocked in.
“It’s all right.”
Rosena patted Illian on the back.
Illian, who was in her arms, turned his head with a sob.
His teary eyes were staring at the children fiercely.
The children’s lips were simply wide open at Illian’s heinous appearance.
“Moooom!”
Rosena’s head turned at the child’s voice.
As she lowered her eyes, a boy with a fairy tale book in his hand, stood.
“Illian.”
When Rosena called his name, the child smiled brightly.
Illian, who looked just like his father, was like an angel, and every time he smiled, Rosena smiled.
Rosena brushed Illian’s cheek lightly.
Bright blond hair and slightly droopy eyes reminded her of the man from seven years ago.
“You want me to read it?”
Illian noded.
Rosena put Illian, who was smaller than his peers, on her lap.
Illian grinned in Rosena’s arms.
Rosena, who opened a fairy tale book, slowly began to read the book.
The children’s book was written in easy letters for a six-year-old Illian to read.
Rosena let out a light sigh inside.
Illian, born prematurely, was slower in development than his peers, and was late in learning to speak.
She wanted to stay with him for a little longer, but there were many difficulties because she had to work as a private tutor for the Marquis family during the daytime on weekdays.
So Rosena was always sorry for Illian.
“A caterpillar that was sleeping under the leaves came crawling.”
When she read a fairy tale book, Illian’s face shone in interest.
Rosena looked at the round back of his head, smiled. As expected, a child was a child.
“It was the moment his friends in the forest were playing.”
Rosena read and changed a few variations in the book.
Having read quite a few books, she was as good as a storyteller now.
“A hawk appeared and struck the caterpillar’s friend!”
When Rosena said, clasping Illian on the shoulder, Illian screamed.
Illian, who dug into Rosena’s arms at once, carefully looked up.
“…It’s scawy.”
“It’s okay, you have mommy.”
As Rosena gave him a light hug, Illian grinned broadly.
Looking at the crystal clear smile, her heart seemed to melt.
After reading all the fairy tales, Illian approached the bookshelf to bring another book.
Knock, knock…
Rosena stood up at the knock on the front door.
When she opened the door, a middle-aged woman in a silk dress stood.
“Madam Elisa.”
Rosena opened her eyes wide and called the woman’s name.
Madam Elisa is the wife of the Marquis whom Rosena indebted to.
She was also the one who helped Rosena to settle down when she came to the Kingdom of Astania.
Even now, Rosena and Marchioness Elisa had a strong relationship.
“Please come inside.”
When Rosena opened the door wide, Madam Elisa stepped inside.
Madam Elisa, who came alone without a servant, hung her shawl up and said.
“I have news from someone from the Empire.”
She would always run to Rosena first when she heard fresh news from the Empire.
Rosena stood for a while and hurried into the kitchen. She was going to treat her to something.
She took the tea leaves she bought for guests out from the cupboard and made tea.
When Rosena came out of the kitchen and put down the teacup, Madam Elisa savored the aroma of tea.
Rosena looked at her for a moment. The necklace she wore is a popular design in the Herbet Empire.
Marchioness Elisa, unlike the closed-minded Astanian nobles, is interested in other countries.
She was also a person who insisted on establishing diplomatic ties with other countries, instead of sticking to the policy of closure as it is now.
She particularly was interested in the Herbet Empire, and often liked to visit Rosena and listen to the stories of the empire.
Rosena found Illian staring at her in the corner.
Illian, who held another fairy tale book dearly, waited calmly for Rosena’s words.
Illian, who had never hurried her, had become both admirable and sad.
Rosena approached Illian and brushed his hair lightly.
Then Illian’s eyes slid down.
“Illian, I think mom is busy, will you play in the backyard?”
Illian nodded with a slightly sullen face.
“I’ll make you your favorite chicken stew for dinner.”
“Yes, I wike it.”
Rosena grinned at a slightly dazed but youthful tone.
“Good boy. My son.”
When Rosena kissed Illian on the cheek, Illian grinned.
Rosena’s lips went up with that clear laugh.
When Illian went out, Rosena sat opposite Madam Elisa.
Madam Elisa tapped on the table after drinking her tea.
“It was news from three months ago, but there’s a lot of interesting things.”
Rosena straightened herself up to listen.
Then Madam Elisha told her the news quietly.
“A giant monster appeared in the Haylor region, north of Herbet, and it ate dozens of people.”
At the word ‘Haylor’, Rosena’s body froze.
Even though it was already seven years ago, the name reminded her of the scene.
– Where are you from?
– …Haylor.
Haylor, that is the province where Yerhan came from.
Rosena hurriedly changed her expression, nodding her head to show that she was listening.
“And without fail, the Crown Prince disposed of the monster.”
There was nothing special about it.
“But there was a man who saw the Crown Prince in the imperial palace the day the monster was overthrown.”
“In the Imperial Palace?”
It was a very strange thing.
It took at least two and a half months from Haylor to the imperial capital.
It couldn’t be done unless the Crown Prince did magic.
“That’s why rumors are the first thing that a few people are questioning about.”
Madam Elisa, who sipped the tea, said again.
“And it appears that the third prince is still suffering from madness. No one has ever seen the third prince properly, so…..”
Rosena also knew about the Third Prince.
A few years ago, the Herbet Empire was overturned by the existence of the Third Prince.
The Emperor’s illegitimate son, the Third Prince, was even more controversial because he appeared almost in adulthood.
However, the disturbance quickly calmed down because the prince was born with all the royal signs and the emperor officially admitted it.
After that, the Third Prince carried all sorts of rumors.
The most famous were rumors that he couldn’t maintain a proper life due to madness and that he was like a ghost, not seen in the Imperial Palace.
Rosena listed in her head what she had heard about the Third Prince and quickly erased them.
Madam Elisa was also the one who told her news about the empire.
She knew everything from trivial stories to the private lives of the nobles.
As she listened to it, there were many stories of someone Rosena knew, so she naturally concentrated.
“Oh, and the Count Estarot family has let their son-in-law succeed the title.”
Rosena, who was listening well, stiffened her shoulders.
The Count Estarot was the family Rosena ran out of.
Son-in-law….. there was no one to succeed in this generation, so that would have been the only way.
Rosena felt bitter for no reason about not being able to attend her sister’s wedding.
At that time, she was shocked and hated the two, but perhaps over time, the sadness faded a lot.
Can she meet them before she dies?
Perhaps they won’t be able to meet unless she returns to the Empire.
Rosena shook her head as she recalled the faces of her family.
Illian is more important to her.
***
Illian quietly closed the door and went out.
The moment he stepped outside, his bright smile was wiped out.
“Sigh…..”
It’s been a long time since his mom had a day off, so he tried to stay with her as much as he could, but an uninvited guest came.
Illian had no choice but to step out because the unwelcome guest was the Marchioness Elisa, who was close to Rosena.
Illian sat under a tree at the edge of the yard to quell his irritation.
The beautiful tree created a cool shade.
Illian threw away his cherished fairy tale book.
Then he opened a hidden wooden box and pulled out another book.
It was a very high level book for children to read, but he had already read it over and over again.
In fact, Illian thought fairy tales were childish.
Nevertheless, the reason he begged his mother to read it every time was because he could sit in her arms.
There was nothing he could do. He’ll have to ask his mother to read two more books after the marchioness leaves.
The wind was blowing softly, and only the quiet sound of the pages turning was heard.
Halfway through the book, there was a buzz from afar.
“That’s the stutter Illian!”
Over the fence, the children shouted at Illian.
It was the children he had encountered a few times.
Ilian ignored the glances and continued to read the book.
It was such a waste of time dealing with stupid children.
“Are you ignoring us?”
“It seems like he can’t hear us.”
“He’s a fool!”
With the booing, the children began to tease him.
Illian ignored them, saying they were just dogs barking.
“But his mother is fine. She’s pretty.”
Illian, who heard the word mother, closed the book loudly.
When Illian rose from his seat, the children flinched.
Obviously, he was smaller than then, but the look in his eyes naturally made them cower.
“Who said that?”
The children looked dumb when hearing his sharp speech.
Illian opened his mouth, pointing at the children with the edge of his book.
“If you don’t want to be beaten, tell me quickly.”
One of the children, who was dazed by fluent words, stuttered and shouted.
“You, you can’t talk properly, can you?!”
Illian was silent for a moment.
He was just doing that when his mother was around.
His mother will read him a book if he pretends to stutter.
“So what?”
When Illian answered convincingly, the children’s eyes curled.
Everyone had not adapted to the changed appearance of Illian.
Illian tried to retort at the children who were stupidly standing still.
It was at that moment.
“Illian?”
Illian’s body hardened for a moment when he heard a voice from behind.
And without time to think, he dropped the book on the floor and ran to Rosena.
“Moooom….!”
Tears had already formed in the eyes that were staring at the children coldly.
“IIlian.”
Rosena held Illian in her arms with a bewildered face.
Rosena looked up at the children standing over the fence.
She thought Ilian might be surprised when several older children flocked in.
“It’s all right.”
Rosena patted Illian on the back.
Illian, who was in her arms, turned his head with a sob.
His teary eyes were staring at the children fiercely.
The children’s lips were simply wide open at Illian’s heinous appearance.
