The Unemployed Prince Covets My Nephew - Chapter 34
Axel held the child with one arm and reached out his other hand to Hailey, but then stopped. Hailey, feeling a sense of relief that it was finally over, couldn’t stand up and had her head lowered because her legs had no strength.
Axel, who had lived his life as a prince, had no way of knowing what kind of life she had lived. But more than anyone, she deserved to be rewarded for this outcome.
Axel gently patted the back of her lowered head.
When Hailey finally looked up in surprise, Axel gave her a big smile.
“Now, no matter what anyone says, you are truly a mother.”
Hailey looked at Axel with tear-filled eyes.
“Well, thanks to you, I also became the dad of this cheeky little kid.”
Hailey laughed, tears welling up in her eyes, feeling exasperated.
‘This man really has no talent for comforting people.’
Hailey didn’t feel the need to remind him that he was just a one-year contract dad.
“You did well, Hailey.”
She hadn’t raised Theo to be recognized by anyone, but Axel’s indifferent touch made Hailey feel like he understood her past efforts, and she got choked up.
“Shall we go, my wife?”
Axel extended his hand to Hailey.
Hailey took the large hand that she had grown quite accustomed to.
‘If this man had just passed by me back then, many things would be different now.’
Hailey had mixed emotions.
It was truly all over. A few weeks ago, when she thought she had lost Theo, she couldn’t have imagined this.
Her heart was pounding as if it would burst.
“Your Highness.”
It was then.
Yulia, Duke Brahe’s daughter and Axel’s former fiancée, approached Axel and bowed her head.
Axel looked down at Yulia, who stood in front of him, without saying a word. Instead, he immediately frowned.
Even though he openly showed his dislike, Yulia, who seemed used to such behavior from Axel, was not disturbed.
People did not leave the courtroom, all looking at this scene.
It was an excellent spectacle. No one had expected Lady Brahe to speak to Axel.
Since their engagement was broken off, this was the first time the two had faced each other.
“I regret meeting you in such a place. Though it’s late, I greet you.”
“Don’t regret it. It’s a natural result, isn’t it?”
Axel had no manners for his former fiancée. He answered with a sly smile.
But Yulia was not easy either.
“Your Highness is still the same. I’m glad. It seems there will be nothing to regret.”
Yulia calmly smiled and looked straight at Axel.
“I don’t think I will see Your Highness again, so I bid you farewell. Please remember this day forever, Your Highness.”
Leaving behind words that could be a curse, Yulia lifted her head, gave Hailey a cold glance, and then turned around first.
Axel frowned, but he didn’t care enough to be bothered by such a woman, so he quickly ignored her.
“Just in case, don’t worry about it. She’s always been an unpleasant woman.”
“…I don’t really care. It’s hard to make me care about such things.”
It was true.
Hailey had grown up being despised even by maids, so the gaze of a noble lady didn’t bother her at all.
Axel liked even her indifferent reaction.
“Let’s go.”
Axel and Hailey, holding hands, crossed the courtroom.
Of course, as they passed by Duke Brahe, who was grinding his teeth in anger, Axel didn’t forget to offer a word of advice as a superior.
“It’s all thanks to you, Duke.”
The back of the prince’s family leaving the courtroom was on the front page of every newspaper the next day.
* * *
Hailey slept deeply for the first time in what felt like forever. The trial was over, and all the tension had melted away.
Of course, there was still punishment left, but since the burden on young Theo was lifted, what remained was for Hailey to handle.
After the trial, Axel and Khalid were busy dealing with the punishment of the defeated and clarifying perjury, while Hailey and Theo began to prepare to go to Winchester.
Hailey knew as little about Winchester as Theo, so following the Queen’s recommendation, she read children’s books about Winchester with Theo.
Far to the north of the continent, there is a large island called ‘Winchester.’
Mysteriously, the sea around this island is shrouded in thick fog all year round, so from a distance, you wouldn’t even know there was an island there.
There is an old legend that a door to the world of gods exists on this mysterious island, and the fog is a trick created by fairies to protect that door.
Also, so that the fairies wouldn’t live alone, the gods made mages with special abilities live together on that land.
The island is rich in stones with mysterious power called ‘magic stones,’ making it a paradise for mages.
To ensure they could live in peace, a strong human was sent to protect them, and he was Winchester.
The god gave Winchester the authority to rule this large island and received a special oath from him.
“I grant you the land of blessings, and you and your descendants must protect those who live in this territory and guard the door. If you fail to protect this place, an irreparable disaster will fall upon the world. I appoint you as the protector of Winchester territory and the guardian against disaster.”
Theo put down the fairy tale book with his tiny hands.
“Hailey. So now we’re going to Inchester to meet fairies?”
“We’re going to Winchester.”
With a candy in his mouth, Theo pronounced ‘Winchester’ as ‘Inchester.’
Imagining what disaster might happen if he said this in front of the Grand Duke, Hailey quickly corrected him.
“Theo, do you want to see fairies?”
“Yes! I only saw fairies… in storybooks.”
Theo squirmed shyly.
Hailey tried hard to hold back her laughter. She didn’t feel the need to tell a five-year-old that fairies were imaginary.
“What do you want to do if you meet fairies?”
“Uh… I’m going to make friends with the fairy!”
“Friends?”
“Yeah! The fairy said it was lonely. Theo doesn’t have any friends either, so the fairy can be friends with Theo.”
“……”
Theo started counting on his fingers, wondering how many days were left until he could play with the fairy.
‘Theo needs a friend.’
Hailey vowed to make sure Theo made friends on Winchester Island.
Theo, who had become accustomed to the palace, showed no interest when he first heard they were moving to an island called Winchester.
He even asked if he could continue living here with his grandmother and aunt. To spark some interest in the child, Hailey had prepared this fairy tale book.
Hailey felt like Theo’s unexpected response hit the nail on the head.
At the baron’s estate, Theo had never played with children his age because he wasn’t allowed to go outside. Even here, Theo was the only child in the palace, so he had no peers to play with.
‘Why didn’t I think of this?’
Hailey felt ashamed for forgetting that even five-year-old Theo could feel lonely.
Theo was only five years old. Wanting to play with kids his age was natural.
“When we go to Winchester, our Theo will make lots of friends.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There are many kids your age there.”
“…Will they like Theo?”
Theo hesitated and lowered his head, lacking confidence.
Hailey gently brushed Theo’s hair and looked at his round, pretty forehead.
“Of course. Playing with such a cool and smart five-year-old is so much fun.”
Theo’s eyes sparkled as he lifted his head at Hailey’s words.
“I’ll share my candy too!”
“That’s great, Theo!”
With a face full of anticipation, Theo put the candy back in his mouth and quietly mumbled to himself, ‘Winchester…’
* * *
“…The brave and smart royal child was only five years old, but his dignity in the courtroom was enough to make the nobles shiver.”
Hailey felt very embarrassed by the situation.
For an entire week after the trial, every newspaper featured the trial on the front page every day. There was a particularly significant amount of content about Theo.
Hailey also received a newspaper from Merrill and read it with delight, but she never expected the content to be brought up during the first family luncheon with all the royal family members.
To say Theo made people shiver was honestly an exaggeration.
However, Anais, excited, brought the newspaper and read out every passage mentioning Theo.
“Look at this. The sight of Prince Axel, the Black Lion of the battlefield, using his sturdy muscles like a personal carriage was quite impressive.”
Hailey couldn’t lift her head out of embarrassment.