“I prefer living alone with you, Mother.”

Amelia was taken aback by Leonel’s casual response, his eyes shining brightly. She thought their relationship had improved recently, but perhaps it hadn’t. Although they bickered in front of her, it was a significant improvement compared to the beginning. Back then, Leonel was completely intimidated and turned pale whenever he faced Raphael.

“You might suffer.”

“I don’t care!”

Leaving the comfort of Siegfried could greatly affect Leonel. Yet he said he didn’t care without hesitation.

“There are probably people suffering more than us.”

She didn’t know whom he was referring to. The reason she had been so determined to save money was entirely for Leonel’s sake. If they lived a life on the run, it would be completely opposite to the life they enjoyed in Siegfried. And that wasn’t the only concern. Currently, Leonel was the sole heir to Siegfried, but if he left with her, who knew what might happen?

“…Leonel, this is a very serious matter.”

There was no one who could replace Leonel in Siegfried. But Leonel was only five years old. No one knew how things might change in the coming years. Raphael might find a new heir.

In the original story, Raphael didn’t remarry after Amelia’s death. But that was only because Leonel was there as the heir. Without an heir, he might remarry. In fact, being a divorcee didn’t tarnish Raphael’s reputation at all. Many women would still flock to him, even if he committed adultery.

“…”

Just imagining it made her feel sick, and she clenched her fists unconsciously. Raphael laughing with another woman made her feel nauseous.

“Mother?”

“You might not become the Grand Duke of Siegfried.”

She didn’t know if it was still his goal, but at one time, Leonel’s goal was to become the perfect Siegfried. Becoming the Grand Duke of Siegfried was a given. She worried that Leonel might regret this decision.

“It’s okay.”

“Leonel? I mean…”

“I understand what it means.”

It seemed Leonel didn’t fully grasp the seriousness of the situation because he was still young. Despite being mature for his age, he was still a five-year-old child.

“I have no desire to become the Grand Duke. It’s not a good position if you try it.”

Amelia found it hard to understand what Leonel was saying. Was this really coming from a five-year-old? He spoke like someone who had lived another life, as if he had already experienced life as the Grand Duke of Siegfried.

That couldn’t be possible, yet…

“I prefer living with you over becoming the Grand Duke of Siegfried!”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Leonel’s immediate and sincere response dispelled her worries. His pure innocence left no room for doubt. Maybe he was reacting to what he saw in Raphael’s current behavior. Her heightened sensitivity had led her to such ridiculous thoughts.

“Don’t worry.”

“Huh?”

Leonel’s bright smile and whispering made her tense heart soften. It was indeed all her imagination.

“I’ve been training hard.”

“What have you been training for?”

“Last time, I got caught right away because I made a mistake.”

Was he talking about the time they sneaked out using Leonel’s magic? Raphael quickly found out about their outing that day.

“I’ve been thinking about ways to sneak out of the castle.”

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t surprised. She was shocked to learn that Leonel had been diligently preparing while she hesitated.

“With my current body, it’s hard to completely fool Father, but…”

“Leonel…?”

“I can buy us some time.”

***

Leonel’s words about training were true. It was amazing how he could use such magic with his small body. He seemed more serious about this escape than she was. To escape Raphael’s watchful eyes, they absolutely needed Leonel.

“Father won’t stop pursuing us for a while.”

“I don’t think he will…”

Once they successfully escaped, Raphael’s pursuit would soon cease. He wasn’t the type to chase after a runaway wife. Only at that time, he might be dangerous because he felt mocked.

“I don’t think so. I’m blocking the sound even now.”

Leonel and she were having tea time in the garden. Although the maids were around, Leonel cast a spell saying it wasn’t safe.

“We get caught every time we go out.”

“How does he always know?”

They hadn’t made a serious escape attempt yet, but every time they went out, Raphael found out. At this rate, escaping for real was a distant dream. Sharing a room with him made a nighttime escape impossible.

“Mother, did Father give you anything?”

Did Raphael give her anything? Not at all. Amelia shook her head.

“Then why…”

She felt sorry for Leonel, who frowned deeply in frustration. To her, Leonel’s magic seemed perfect. No one in the castle noticed their outings.

“Leonel, do you know His Grace’s outing routine?”

“Father usually doesn’t leave Siegfried. And he returns quickly.”

She couldn’t help but pat Leonel’s head when he looked so downcast. His puffed-up cheeks and sighs were quite adorable.

“No, I mean his overnight outing routine.”

“Overnight outing?”

“About Siegfrieds… I heard there’s a cycle.”

Come to think of it, didn’t Leonel have such a cycle? She had heard that before becoming an adult, the body weakens, but she had never seen that in Leonel.

“Oh, that won’t help either.”

Leonel furrowed his brows and sighed deeply. Was it a rule that didn’t apply to Raphael?

“It doesn’t work on Father as he is now.”

She wanted to throw divorce papers in his face and leave, but she couldn’t. The empire’s laws were made to favor him. Besides, Raphael would never accept it willingly.

“Leonel? What’s wrong?”

“Father is nearby.”

She couldn’t see him, but it seemed Leonel had lifted the spell. Their outings disguised as escapes had never been actions that could be held against them. They no longer wore robes as they did before. Yet Raphael’s suspicions only grew.

“He’s coming.”

Amelia’s body tensed at Leonel’s words, even though she found his pouting expression cute for a moment. She had been avoiding him recently and didn’t want to face him. Maybe it was because she felt guilty.

“Wife. And my son too.”

“……”

He hadn’t shown up in front of them recently, so she didn’t know what brought him here today. Raphael seemed intent on driving her crazy by only appearing when she was about to go out. He just watched them at other times.

“Am I interrupting a cozy tea time between mother and son?”

“We were just finishing up.”

With Raphael’s appearance, today’s escape attempt ended before it even began. They had been playing right into his hands. It was a game of chase where only the chased took it seriously. The balance of power was too skewed. They had about three months left.

“It seems to have ended because I came.”

“Of course not.”

“Yes, we were just about to go inside.”

She worried whether they could leave him safely. Avoiding the imperial family’s eyes seemed easier. At least the Emperor didn’t have this kind of capability. She might have to rely on the Master for their escape.

“You don’t need to be so tense.”

She couldn’t tell if he was talking to Leonel or her. Or maybe he was talking to both of them.

“I brought good news.”

“What…?”

She felt uneasy at the sight of his crooked smile. It was best to avoid Raphael when he looked like that.

“I’ll be leaving the castle in a week.”

This was clearly a trap.