Chapter 14 – Part 11

“I’m sorry, brother. I wasn’t paying attention…… and somehow the way you were looking at Miss Laura wasn’t quite right.”

“I told you it wasn’t like that, didn’t I? It was a misunderstanding. We were just talking…….”

After Leonard returned to the palace, Tenere teased Eric from time to time.

Not only at mealtime or tea time but also at random times, she would knock on his door and bring up that day’s events.

“Well, that’s true. You’re neither family nor lovers… Just talking and then falling asleep leaning on each other’s shoulders…”

“…….”

“I told you, I hope you meet someone you like, brother. I’m glad you finally found someone who captures your heart…”

“Oh, come on, it’s not like that!”

Eric exclaimed, and Tenere laughed.

Was it just a misconception that her laughter seemed strangely triumphant?

“Laura doesn’t need anything else in her milk tea. If you catch the drops of honey falling from your eyes and add them…”

“……We should stop. I won’t do that anymore either…….”

“Don’t tell me to stop already, brother, I’m…… just getting started.”

“Oh, you really……did I do something wrong? Huh?”

She teased him about how honey dripped from his eyes when he looked at Laura, how he couldn’t look back because he felt embarrassed, and even how his gaze turned fiery when she glared.

Seeing him desperately trying to defend himself, it seemed there was quite a bit of accumulated tension.

Although Eric pleaded as if he were willing to kneel, Tenere simply turned her head, indicating there was no chance.

Laura, who woke up half a day later with a hangover, didn’t take his side either.

“You should have been more like ……your usual self, Marquis.”

“No, it’s nobody’s business but yours, and I don’t want you to say a word…….”

“What? You’re not doing it to me, so why should I?”

“Wow, you’re making my head spin.”

Eric ran his hands through his hair, but Laura just clung to Tenere like it was none of her business.

What’s more, she couldn’t even remember what they’d been talking about that day, which was driving Eric crazy.

She leaned on him first…….

‘You were the first one to try to play tricks on someone who was standing still.’

And then she was the one who was trying to get away with it.

‘…I must be insane.’

It was madness to be swept away by the atmosphere even for a moment.

He never noticed such a woman before.

Eric rubbed his forehead as if trying to calm his boiling stomach.

“Hey, when are you…… going to the imperial palace?”

“Are ……you kicking me out, brother?”

Tenere lowered her eyes ruefully. When Eric flinched at the sight, she gently took his cheek and glanced at him with tender eyes.

“But…… if I go, Miss Laura will have to come with me.”

“…….”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be? You’re really…!”

With a squeal, Eric stomped back into the room.

He immediately took out a pen and paper and began to write a letter to Leonard.

It was an urgent letter, begging him to take his sister away as soon as possible.

Tenere, who had followed, knocked cautiously on the door, her voice as affectionate as ever.

“Brother, are you by any chance writing Miss Laura a marriage proposal?”

“Oh, no, I’m not!”

Eric shrieked rolled up the letter and sealed it.

He burst through the door and handed the letter with the marquis’s seal to the butler.

“Send this to the Emperor as an urgent message. Now.”

The butler looked at his flushed master, confused, but then bowed respectfully.

Leonard’s reply came less than an hour later.

Eric hurriedly opened it, and when he saw what it said, his face fell.

“Uh……uh…….”

“What’s wrong, brother?”

“Nothing.”

Eric tried to hide the letter, but Tenere was quicker to snatch it away.

“Hey, you……!”

“No, brother. It’s a letter from the Emperor himself, and if you tear it, it’ll be disrespectful.”

Tenere said, tugging at his brother as he tried to snatch the letter back.

It was overly bold for her to snatch it first.

Eric spat out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“No, why did you snatch it away?”

“You should have held on to it tighter.”

With that mocking comment, Tenere turned away from Eric and opened the letter.

Her gaze swept over the flowing script.

My dear Lord Evan.

I, too, am anxious to see the Empress, but since she seems to be enjoying her time at the Marquisate, the carriage will be sent on the day of the wedding as scheduled.

PS. I speak from experience, the shorter the period of denial, the better.

Tenere’s eyes narrowed once more as she read the message.

Eric wrapped his hand around his forehead.

* * *

“Your Majesty, you must have quite a lot to deal with.”

“Does it seem so?”

After four long days of teasing her brother, Tenere, feeling as refreshed as if ten years of accumulated discomfort had lifted off her shoulders, climbed into the royal carriage with a bright face.

Laura, sitting across from her with a child in her arms, giggled.

“Well, to me, you two definitely seem like close siblings.”

“……I apologize, Laura, I only meant to tease my brother a little.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. As long as the empress is happy.”

Laura didn’t seem to realize that Tenere was sincerely trying to connect her and Eric.

Tenere quickly dismissed her hand.

“But are you sure you don’t remember?”

“I’m a little drunk, and I think the Marquis told me to punch him…….”

“……Told you to punch him?”

“Um…… I’m not really sure, I think it might have been a dream.”

Laura laughed awkwardly, scratched her cheek, and changed the subject.

“Anyway, it’s finally the wedding day, and our prince is officially a member of the royal family.”

“Yes. And now he’ll have his own room in the main palace.”

Tenere said, stroking the child’s cheek.

Joshua clutched the toy tightly and said something every now and then.

It was still half intelligible, half unintelligible, but it was an adult’s job to respond to what a child said as best they could.

Tenere looked at the child and tried her best to respond.

Seeing her trying to accommodate him, Laura cautiously spoke up.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“What?”

“I… think, if it’s a baby like the prince, up to five should be fine.”

Laura spoke very decisively, but Tenere did not immediately understand what she said.

Laura smirked at her.

“The more heirs to the throne, the better, right? Our prince will be lonely by himself. Right, Your Highness?”

“…….”

Joshua looked at her, his eyes wide as if he hadn’t understood her.

Laura spoke again.

“It’s the prince’s brother, the baby, the baby.”

“A baby?”

“That’s right, a baby.”

“Isn’t that kind of talk…… a little early?”

Tenere blushed in embarrassment.

Laura burst out laughing as if she’d heard a funny joke.

“Oh, come on, Empress, you’re on your way to a wedding.”

“……Yes, but.”

With both herself and Leonard still young and healthy, there was always the possibility of another Joshua.

She didn’t lack the desire to have a second child either.

But.

“His Majesty didn’t seem very eager.”

“Oh, didn’t he mentioned worrying about your health?”

“After the trial, I tried to talk to him again, but he didn’t seem to want to.”

Leonard hadn’t been pleased with her words, though she had once told him that she didn’t mind if the second child took after his grandfather, now that it had been established that there was nothing wrong with the blood.

She doesn’t know if it was because she didn’t accept him at the time, or if he really had no intention of having a second child.

“…Do you really want to have a child, Your Majesty?”

“I see no reason why not, though five would be a bit much…….”

Tenere hesitated, then held up three fingers.

“I think ……three would be fine.”

“Then why don’t you make it clear to His Majesty? If you assertively express your desire, His Majesty won’t be able to stop you.”

“…Do you think so?”

“Of course.”

Laura replied with conviction, and Tenere nodded involuntarily.

A second brother. Joshua’s brother.

Since Joshua resembled Leonard so much that it was unfair for her who give birth to him, the second child could resemble her.

“…Laura, didn’t you say you wanted to have many children?”

“It’s just a hope. But once you actually have them, the pain might be too much, and you might not want to have more.”

“Well, usually, it’s not that painful.”

“Actually, my mother said it wasn’t that painful. She said it was just a bit of discomfort. It didn’t even take an hour, including preparation… I’m just hoping I take after her.”

“I guess that’s possible because I was in labor for six hours and they said it was an easy birth.”

“They say the first labor is usually the hardest, so maybe next time will be easier.”

At Laura’s words, Tenere nodded slowly.

The palace was getting closer and closer.

* * *