Chapter 61. Complicated Family Matters

The person referred to as a harmless old man had a bear-like, honest, and warm demeanor.

The former King, William Frederick, approached us with a bright smile as soon as he saw us. It was clear from his eyes full of affection that he cherished Enoch.

“So, how have you been?”

“Same as usual. How have you been, Father?”

“You rascal, I told you to call me Dad.”

Even as he playfully scolded, His Majesty William wore a proud expression. It seemed true that Enoch was his favorite among his children.

“And this young lady is my son’s fiancée? Miss Ellenore Lopez, I’ve heard about you.”

Although officially he was said to be living in seclusion due to health issues, he was still the former king. There was no doubt he had detailed information about me.

So, what did he think of me, someone who’s surrounded by rumors? Naturally, my heart felt heavy. I awkwardly smiled and shook his outstretched hand. He had very warm hands.

“My son may look fine on the outside, but he’s missing a few screws inside. I hope you’ll take good care of him. I’m counting on you.”

I had been tense, fearing negative remarks, but I was surprised by his unexpected words of encouragement, and my eyes widened. As I struggled to find the right words, the former King waited patiently with a kind smile.

Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer, I quickly gathered my thoughts and spoke.

“Thank you for your kind words. I’m lacking in many ways, but I will do my best to support His Highness the Grand Duke.”

…Saying it out loud, it sounded more like something a vassal would say rather than a fiancée. But the former King seemed satisfied and nodded with a pleased smile.

“Yes, I trust you, Miss Lopez. Please tame this wild dog well.”

“What do you mean by ‘missing screws’ and ‘wild dog’? What kind of insults are these?”

Enoch interrupted the former King with a grumble of dissatisfaction. Despite his somewhat rude and disrespectful behavior, the former King just laughed good-naturedly.

“You rascal, I’m still your father. Don’t you think I know you well? You still have a long way to go to become a proper person.”

Judging by how naturally they exchanged barbs, this seemed to be their usual way of communicating. I looked between the two men, trying to gauge the situation. It was like watching a cat and a raccoon snarling at each other. The cat was obviously Enoch, and the raccoon was the former King William.

“You’ve come all the way up here, but are you planning to leave without seeing Henry? What about Julian and Roelyn?”

Enoch asked with his usual insolent tone. His audacious attitude made me anxious. No matter how close they were, he was still the former King…

“Henry? …Well, I’ve already met Julian and Roelyn.”

“You’ve already met Julian and Roelyn? You should have met Henry first.”

Enoch clicked his tongue in genuine disbelief as he scolded the former King. The former King averted his sharp gaze and feigned ignorance, and I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

I didn’t want to get involved in their complicated family matters…

“Before you return to Eidelberg, take some time to drop by the palace and spend some quality time with Henry. Have a conversation with him. Understand? So that the nobles don’t start gossiping about how you ignored Henry again.”

I couldn’t help but be impressed by Enoch’s harsh tone. He used polite language, but it didn’t sound respectful at all. It was quite a unique skill.

“…Alright, I’ll make time.”

“Make time? Don’t you have plenty of time on your hands?”

Excuse me, Your Highness? Your remarks are getting increasingly blunt… I fervently hoped he hadn’t forgotten his manners towards the former King.

“…Let’s put Henry aside for now.”

“What do you mean ‘put aside’? As a father—”

“Young man, isn’t your mother’s memorial day coming up soon?”

The unexpected topic made me freeze. …Come to think of it, Lady Terezia’s memorial day was May 25th. …It really wasn’t far off. I glanced up at Enoch’s face, and I was surprised to see his unexpectedly cold expression.

…Did Enoch not have a good relationship with Lady Terezia? I’ve never heard such a thing… There might be secrets that others didn’t know. The relationship between parents and children is something outsiders can never fully understand…

“I plan to stay in the capital for a while to mourn Terezia. How about visiting her grave together on her memorial day? If it’s alright, Miss Lopez can join us too.”

The former King, His Majesty William, glanced at me with a gentle smile. With his kind and gentle demeanor, he was completely different from Enoch, and I suddenly wondered who Enoch took after. Perhaps Lady Terezia? I quietly recalled her portrait I had seen in the Winter Palace. …They both had golden eyes, but other features—like the sharp jawline, fierce eyes, and thick eyebrows—were completely different.

“For me, if Your Majesty wishes, I would gladly—”

“I won’t go. And neither will my fiancée.”

Enoch cut off my response abruptly. His voice was sharp. Startled, I blinked rapidly, looking between him and the former King. It seemed like there were complicated family issues involved… The piece of cake I had at the engagement ceremony felt like it was stuck in my stomach.

“Enoch… why won’t you forgive Terezia already?”

His Majesty William sighed heavily and ran his hand over his face. His eyes, now revealed, were filled with deep sorrow. I suddenly realized that his blue eyes were just like King Henry’s.

“I know ‘that incident’ left a deep scar on you when you were young, but…”

“Don’t misunderstand. It wasn’t a scar or anything. It just made me trust people even less.”

“That’s the problem, Enoch. Do you know how much I worried because you couldn’t find a partner until you were an adult? I’m so relieved you finally met Miss Lopez.”

“My disinterest in marriage was a matter of values, not because of the past. Let’s stop talking about things my fiancée doesn’t know. I’ll consider visiting my mother’s grave on her memorial day.”

“…Alright.”

I couldn’t follow their cryptic conversation, but one thing was clear. I understood why His Majesty William was so kind to me. He must have been worried about Enoch being alone all this time.

After that, Enoch repeated his advice to meet Henry more than twice, and the former King shook his head as if giving up and reluctantly agreed.

From then on, there were no more arguments between the father and son, so I could smile more comfortably.

On the way back to the hall where the banquet was in full swing after parting with His Majesty William, Enoch remained silent. I also didn’t want to force a conversation, so we walked quietly in silence.

Then, the sight of the lilacs blooming beautifully in the garden caught my eye.

There were several lilac trees, with flowers in various shades from deep purple to light colors, all blooming splendidly.

I was so entranced by the sight that I accidentally missed a step.

“Ah!”

“Tsk.”

Enoch clicked his tongue and caught me before I fell. My face instantly grew hot. I couldn’t blame him for thinking I was clumsy since similar situations had happened many times before…

“Are you going to blame the uncomfortable shoes again this time?”

Enoch asked in a nagging tone. I avoided his gaze, my face turning red, and replied nonchalantly.

“I was just distracted for a moment.”

That can happen… I added timidly, to which Enoch chuckled as if he found it amusing. I glanced at him and focused on my steps this time, trying to walk gracefully like an elegant swan.

“…!”

Then, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, and my view changed in an instant. I was so startled that I let out a high-pitched scream. Enoch, who had lifted me without warning, was smiling mischievously like a rascal, his eyes sparkling.

I couldn’t tell if my heart was pounding from the surprise or his smile.

“Alright. As you wish, let’s skip the engagement celebration.”

“…What?”

For a moment, I felt dizzy. Enoch, while holding me, started walking towards the cluster of lilac trees beyond the corridor.

“Are you saying we should play hooky on our engagement celebration?”

“Yes, as you wish.”

“When did I ever say that? I never said such a thing!”

I was so flabbergasted that I stomped my feet.

He was falsely accusing me!

“It’s not me who didn’t want to attend the celebration; it’s you,Your Highness!”

“When did I ever say that? You wanted to see these lilac trees up close. You said you didn’t want to attend the complicated and bothersome celebration.”

“I did want to see the lilac trees, but I never said I didn’t want to attend the celebration!”

I almost fainted from shouting. Though, since I was still somewhat afraid of Enoch Bayern, my shout was more like a small voice.

“Just admit it, Ellen. Look… we’re here.”

“No…”

I was so frustrated that tears welled up in my eyes. It seemed pointless to argue further as he wouldn’t budge. In the end, I gave up and turned my head to look at the nearby lilac trees with a gloomy expression. The fresh scent from the light purple flowers wafted up.

As I stared blankly at the flowers, forgetting my frustration, Enoch leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“Do you like it?”

As always, his question left out many details. I nodded and answered, feeling familiar with his way of speaking.

“Yes, I like it…”

“If you like it, why does your voice sound so weak?”

“Because someone falsely accused me…”