Chapter 164: 164

Astelle was taken aback the moment she heard that and missed the opportunity to answer.

“What?”

Theor looked up at Astelle with still-sparkling eyes and asked again, “Can’t we three sleep together?”

“…….”

Astelle tried to answer, “No, it’s too narrow. There’s no way three people can sleep in one bed.” But she couldn’t because the housekeeper just said it is large enough for three people to sleep on.

‘What should I do…….’

A calm voice interrupted Astelle’s thoughts.

“It will be uncomfortable if three people sleep together.”

Kaizen, who took a step closer, persuaded Theor.

However, Theor did not give up. “Then I’ll sleep in the sofa!”

“What?”

“In the past, I used to sleep in the same room with my mother and grandfather in winter. At that time, my grandfather slept on the sofa.”

Kaizen looked at Astelle with a puzzled look.

Astelle quickly replied, “It was because we had to save firewood.”

Winters in the East are cold and long. It cost a lot of money to get firewood in winter.

Occasionally, when the firewood was running low, they had no choice but to sleep in one room.

Young Theor rather liked sleeping in the same room with his mother and grandfather.

“Can’t we sleep together……?” Theor muttered helplessly with his face downcast.

Kaizen was also taken aback when Theor looked so disappointed.

Astelle let out a sigh and said, “Then, shall we sleep together just for tonight?”

Sleeping together in one room is not that difficult. Because Astelle and Kaizen are now in a relationship like lovers.

It’s just that she’s embarrassed and uncomfortable because she’s never done it before.

Fortunately, there will be Theor sleeping in the middle, so there won’t be any awkwardness or embarrassment.

“But it’s really just for tonight.”

“Yes!”

The decision has been made.

The housekeeper summoned the maids and instructed them to prepare new bedding for the three of them.

In the meantime, she showed them another room and led them back to the hallway.

Looking at Theor ahead, Kaizen came closer to Astelle.

“Are you okay?” he asked, a little worriedly.

“I can’t help it.”

Others would find it strange if she continued to insist no.

“How about you, Your Majesty?”

Astelle herself is fine, but she was worried about Kaizen.

Kaizen reassured her with a calm tone. “Don’t worry, I don’t care where I sleep.”

“…….”

It doesn’t sound like something a lord of the empire would say.

At those words, Astelle felt a little sorry for Kaizen. He had been willing to endure the discomfort to make Astelle comfortable.

Well, it would be nice to stay together like a family for a day.

Astelle walked down the familiar hallway while thinking so.

 

* * *

 

After touring the mansion and unpacking, it was time for dinner.

The dinner consisted of just four people: Astelle, Kaizen, Theor, and the marquis—while other knights and aides who came with them ate separately.

The four of them were eating together in front of a dinner table full of sumptuous menus.

“Grandpa, I’m going to sleep with my mother and father tonight!”

During dinner, Theor told the marquis that the three of them would sleep in one room.

The marquis looked at the two with very perplexed eyes.

“I’ve prepared Your Majesty’s bedroom in advance…….”

He looked at Astelle worriedly. He still thought the two of them had a slightly uncomfortable relationship.

Looking at her worried grandfather, Astelle replied, “I decided to do that just for tonight.”

The marquis said nothing more, but he still looked worried.

‘I have to tell Grandpa that I no longer feel uncomfortable with Kaizen.’

 

* * *

 

After finishing dinner, Astelle returned to the bedroom, gave Theor a bath, and then took a bath herself.

Her mother’s cozy bedroom was well prepared, with new, clean linens on the bed, and firewood burned in the fireplace.

Kaizen in pajamas also entered the bedroom.

The two lay side by side with Theor in between.

Astelle thought it would be embarrassing and uncomfortable to sleep in the same bed, but those were all useless worries.

Was it because she had arrived at her destination after a long trip? As soon as she lay down on the bed, her tension eased and she felt sleepy.

Thanks to Theor in the middle, the atmosphere was less uncomfortable. It would be different if there were only the two.

Theor turned to Astelle and asked, “Mom, tell me a bed story.”

Astelle started telling a story, trying to shake off her sleepiness.

“Once upon a time, there was a talking cat,” she said.

“I know that story.”

“There was a frog that lived in the well and came out……”

“I know it all.”

She said a few more things, but Theor already knew them.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t read a fairy tale in months.

She had been busy with empress duties, so it was her grandfather and maids who put Theor to bed.

Astelle looked at Kaizen with sleepy eyes. It was a look asking for help.

But Kaizen muttered helplessly, “All I know is about the tin soldiers. I don’t think it’s something Theor would like.”

“I know that too.”

“…….”

Kaizen remained silent.

Astelle traced her memory to see if there were any other stories. But no matter how much she did, she couldn’t think of anything else.

While tracing her memories, Astelle improvised a story, suppressing her sleepiness.

“There was a girl who lived in a high castle. The girl was in a beautiful and colorful room, but she was not allowed to go out. So she spent the day looking out the window every day to see her favorite prince pass by.”

Old memories permeated the haste story.

In her teens, Astelle often stayed at the Empress Dowager Palace to help the then Empress Dowager, Kaizen’s grandmother, who was struggling with the work of the imperial court.

Astelle volunteered to help with work in the study on the third floor. It was because the entrance to the Empress Dowager Palace was clearly visible from there.

There was only one person Astelle was waiting for: His Highness the Crown Prince. Kaizen had captured Astelle’s heart since she was ten years old.

However, Kaizen did not come to the Empress Dowager Palace very often.

Sometimes, when he came, Astelle would see him through the study window.

Seeing Kaizen coming, she smoothed her hair and dress and waited eagerly for him to arrive and call her.

However, Kaizen often went back without seeing Astelle because he had no time.

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Astelle concealed her disappointment, smiled, and comforted the Empress Dowager who felt sorry for her.

“Didn’t the prince know that the girl liked him?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Why was that?

She didn’t know at the time, but now Astelle clearly knew why.

“Because the girl couldn’t express it properly.”

Astelle herself had always fulfilled her responsibilities as a faithful and diligent fiancée, but it seemed that she had never honestly expressed her feelings for Kaizen.

Astelle’s father, the Duke of Reston, was a man who could take advantage of his young daughter because of his ambitions, and kill her own daughter along with the Crown Prince.

In retrospect, Astelle thought Kaizen deserved to misunderstand and dislike her.

At that moment, a low voice broke the silence in the room.

“I was young and stupid back then.”

It was Kaizen’s voice.

Astelle raised her gaze and turned to Kaizen.

Shrouded in a dark shadow, he was staring at Astelle.

“If I had known, I would have come to see you before you waited.”

There was a bitter emotion in his red eyes.

“I know, even if I say something like this now, nothing will change.”

You can’t undo the past.

“…….”

Astelle was speechless at the desperate remorse in those eyes.

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past.” Astelle calmly comforted him.

“The wait was long, but the two did a lot together and lived happily ever after.”

In recent years, there have been many twists and turns and unforgettable painful memories. But in the end, the three of them lived peacefully together.

Astelle thought that was fine.

The red eyes that looked at her trembled softly.

The subject was missing, but both knew what it meant.

Theor, who had been quietly listening to the story, burrowed into the blanket with sleepy eyes and murmured, “This is not interesting.”

“Pfft—”

Astelle restrained herself from laughing.

Kaizen was also smiling slightly.

After a while, the sound of soft breathing was heard. Theor seemed to have fallen asleep.

Astelle pulled up Theor’s blanket further.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine.”

Kaizen’s hand gently patted Theor’s small shoulder.

Astelle watched the scene and carefully held Kaizen’s hand.

The small warmth from the hands held together felt warmer than the warm energy from the fireplace.

 

* * *

 

The bright morning sun was shining brightly in the room.

Theor was the first to wake up the next morning. He carefully climbed out of bed, trying not to disturb his mother and father.

As soon as he set foot on the floor, Blynn, who slept all night on the cushion next to the bed, rushed at him.

“Blynn, Mom and Dad are still sleeping.”

Theor took Blynn away from the bed.

Next to the bedroom is a small sitting room. He carefully opened the door and stepped inside.

There is water, drinks, and snacks in the room. There’s also a fire in the fireplace, so it’s warm.

Theor looked around the room with Blynn.

“Woof woof!”

Blynn barked low toward the back of the cabinet.

“Hush Blynn!”

Theor quickly hugged Blynn by the neck.

Blynn stuck its nose behind the cabinet and whined.

Theor tried to reach into it.

There was nothing inside. As soon as he tried to pull out his hand, something hard was caught.

“What is this?”

Grabbing it with his fingers and managed to pull it out, it was a small book bound in leather.

It is much thinner and lighter than a normal book.

“Woof woof!”

Blynn tried to bite, so Theor held the book in his arms.

“No! This is a book. Don’t bite.”

This is the first time Blynn has been so interested in a book. Is it because it’s made of leather?

Theor ran his small hand over the leather cover.

A rustle was heard from the bedroom.

It seems that his mother and father woke up because of the noise.

Astelle in a robe over her pajamas approached Theor.

“Theor, what are you doing here?”

“Mom, there was a book like this,” said Theor, pointing to the back of the cabinet.

“A book?”

“Blynn found it.”

Astelle was holding the book Theor handed over.

A small name was written on the cover: Jacqueline.

That’s Astelle’s mother’s name.

Is it my mother’s book?

She opened it and saw neat handwriting.

Concise records were written by date, such as going out to the garden for a walk today, ordering ribbons, and having guests visit in the evening.

The contents are short to be called a diary.

‘Is it like a notepad that records daily life?’

But why did she hide it?

Astelle closed the book and put it on the dressing table.

Even though it was her mother’s, it bothered her to look at other people’s daily records.

It wasn’t something she would do in front of young Theor.

“I think this is your grandmother’s book. It’s hidden because it’s precious, so let’s not touch it and leave it alone.”

“Yes.”

Knowing that it was a precious book, Theor readily agreed.

Astelle smiled and stroked Theor’s hair.

“Then let’s go to our house now.”

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