Chapter 23

“Ah, well, about that….”

Dian, flustered and unable to answer, was saved by Diana, who spoke up instead.

“My brother stayed at an inn. He said he’d rather not stay at our house, thinking I’d get annoyed, so he stayed elsewhere.”

“Oh, really? Dian, what made you think so thoughtfully?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Instead of drinking at some inn, you should’ve just stayed at our house. Isn’t that right, brother? That would’ve been so much better.”

In reality, he stayed at the inn to avoid Diana’s nagging, and then caused all that trouble. Feeling guilty, Dian only nodded, avoiding Diana’s gaze.

“So next time you come to the capital, you have to tell me, brother. Okay? Don’t wander around alone.”

“Yeah, sure.”

If one didn’t know the backstory, it would’ve seemed like a heartwarming sibling conversation. Ben, watching his children fondly, spoke up.

“Isn’t it wonderful for the whole family to be together after so long?”

“Exactly. Once we grew up, everyone got so busy we never had time to gather like this. I’m really glad we could all meet again.”

Seeing their parents’ sparkling eyes, Dian and Diana instinctively realized they wouldn’t be able to escape the table easily.

This would take at least a few hours.

Sure enough, Dian already looked desperate to get out of his chair. Glancing around, he tried to quietly stand up.

“Ah, I have something to do, so I’ll just….”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Of course, Ben’s firm grip on his shoulder forced him back into his seat.

“Dian, since you’re all home after so long, we need to talk.”

“…About what?”

“What else? You’re supposed to inherit the title, so how long are you going to keep wandering around outside? Hm? If you brought home a nice bride, I wouldn’t say anything. You’re old enough, so when are you going to get married?”

“Well, maybe a bit later….”

“Later? No more later! I’m telling you, I’ll only let it go until the end of this year. If there’s no news by then, I’ll set the wedding date myself!”

Dian sat there looking miserable as Ben’s words rained down on him. Diana, worried the trouble would land on her, pretended not to notice and focused on moving her fork around her plate.

*   *   *

Finally escaped.

The table conversation continued for ages, with their parents having so much to say. Diana eventually managed to slip away, claiming she’d left something in the carriage.

“What time is it… Looks like everyone’s asleep.”

Perhaps out of consideration for the reunited family, the staff had left early. It was already late, and the hallway was very quiet.

She was getting tired.

After the long carriage ride, sleepiness crept in. But seeing her parents so happily chatting, she couldn’t bring herself to say she was going to bed first. Stifling a yawn, Diana walked slowly down the hallway to wake herself up.

With no one around, she finally had time to herself. Only then could Diana truly take in her home. It was a space filled with memories from her childhood. Though some things had changed, the basics remained the same. Smiling, Diana slowly climbed the stairs.

“…….”

The upstairs hallway was the most familiar part of the house for Diana. She could find her way even with her eyes closed. It was where she’d lived since birth, where her room was.

“Really, nothing’s changed. Wow, the curtains are still here? I remember tearing these up with my brother, but they fixed them.”

Perhaps because she hadn’t been home in so long, even the curtains in the hallway felt nostalgic.

Come to think of it, they were talking about changing all the palace curtains too. It’s probably time. They can’t change them all at once, so maybe start with the first floor… No, no, focus.

Even now, she was thinking about work. Diana shook her head vigorously. She’d come home to rest—work thoughts were not needed. But she couldn’t quite stop thinking about the capital.

Are they managing well?

Her body was away from the capital, but her mind couldn’t fully leave. She worried about whether Neil was handling things, about the anti-Emperor faction leader, and whether Sophia was really behaving.

And of course, the person she worried about most….

She remembered Evan’s face when she said goodbye before leaving for vacation—the way he’d stared at her. She couldn’t read his expression, and wondered what he was thinking. She worried he might actually follow her, or cause some strange incident while she was gone.

“No, forget it, forget it. While I’m here, I’ll forget everything. The blond hair, the red eyes, all of it.”

Determined to erase all thoughts of Evan, Diana flung open her door. It had been years since she’d entered her own room. She stepped inside.

“My room hasn’t changed at all…?”

Moonlight, previously hidden by clouds, shone into Diana’s room. What she saw made her jaw drop.

“Is this… really my room?”

For a moment, Diana wondered if she’d gone to the wrong room. But the familiar bed, desk, chair—everything was in place. Yet there were so many things she’d never seen before.

“……?”

The first thing she saw was a pile of toy boxes on the floor. There was also a small bathtub, various clothes, and items scattered all over the room. Diana picked up one of them.

“Ah, baby clothes?”

Holding a tiny piece of clothing, Diana’s eyes darted around. What was going on, and why were there baby items in her room? Her mind raced with possibilities, when a small sound reached her ears.

“Uuh.”

“…….”

It was definitely the sound of a living creature. Diana slowly turned her head and spotted a baby crib in the corner.

“…No way, really? Right?”

Babbling, a crib, baby supplies—everything pointed to one thing, but Diana desperately tried to deny it. Still, she moved closer to the crib.

“There’s no way there’s a baby in my room. Maybe my parents left these as gifts? They have so many friends, after all. Or maybe they’re starting a baby goods business….”

As she considered all sorts of possibilities, Diana suddenly thought of one more.

“Don’t tell me, my brother….”

Given how much trouble he caused, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had a secret child or two. With her faith in her brother at rock bottom, this theory seemed likely.

“Uu.”

“……!”

She was now right next to the crib. The sound came again, even clearer. Taking a slow breath, Diana stepped forward and looked under the crib.

It was dark, but she could see a baby squirming on the mattress. Diana’s eyes went wide. The fact that there was a baby in her room was shocking enough, but what truly stunned her was something else.

“What… what is this?”

Blond hair and red eyes. The face she’d tried so hard to forget was right in front of her. More precisely, a baby boy who looked just like Evan was lying in the crib, staring straight at Diana.