Chapter 14 – Part 3

“……I’m glad you seem to have reconciled.”

Laura said as the carriage began to move, helping the child into a chair.

Tenere looked back at her.

“What do you mean, reconciled?”

“I thought you two fought?”

Laura remembered how Tenere had refused to even say Leonard’s name as if drawing a line in the sand, even though they were going to be married again, and how Leonard had begged her the day before to love him again.

It wasn’t unreasonable to think of them arguing.

Tenere looked at Laura, who was watching her carefully, then nodded slowly.

“It’s not exactly a fight, but… it’s similar.”

“Did His Majesty do something wrong?”

Tenere laughed at the cautious question.

Laura didn’t probe further, turning her attention to organizing Joshua’s clothes.

“…By the way, the marquis will be surprised. He probably thought only Her Majesty the Empress was going.”

“I’m sure my brother heard about it last night.”

“I hope he doesn’t mind that I came along?”

“Why should he dislike you, Miss Laura?”

Tenere replied, but Laura didn’t look convinced.

Perhaps it was Eric’s not-so-gentle tone.

“He told me I picked a good nanny.”

Tenere’s words were true.

He’d mentioned a few times in passing that the nanny was more diligent than she looked, or that the child seemed to have a faster pace.

“He’s shy, so he doesn’t express it much, but don’t worry, my brother is very fond of you, too.”

Laura nodded slightly at the soothing words.

The child was staring out the window, his eyes wide and uninterested in the adults’ conversation.

When Tenere arrived at the manor, Eric was at the gates with a few of his servants.

The child stepped out of the carriage with his mother and ran to his uncle.

“Uncle!”

Joshua stood in front of Eric and raised his arms in the air. Eric chuckled.

“What. You want a hug?”

“Yeah!”

“Surely you mean ‘yes,’ Your Highness.”

“Yeah!”

Eric replied and quickly scooped the child into his arms.

“What’s ‘yeah?’ You should say ‘yes.’ Here, kiss me.”

As Eric lightly tapped his cheek, Joshua extended his lips and planted a kiss right on it.

Tenere watched with the corners of her mouth curl upward.

“You should get married and have your own children…..brother.”

“Why do you sound like an old man as soon as you get home?”

“Because you like children, brother.”

This was the same brother who, when he was in the north, had gladly fulfilled the village chief’s request to teach the children to read.

And if he was so fond of his nephew, Joshua, he could be with his own child.

“You haven’t even had your wedding yet. Anyway, let’s go inside.”

Eric said, still holding the child in his arms.

Tenere gladly stepped into the mansion, Laura following quietly behind her.

Eric’s gaze swept over Laura.

“As for the nanny… There was no need for her to come all the way here.”

“It’s ……?”

At Laura’s softly whispered words, Eric turned his head to the butler.

“Did you make sure the nanny’s room is ready?”

“Of course.”

“Right. Please follow the butler here to show you to your room. If there’s anything uncomfortable, you can tell the assigned maidservant or the butler, or you can tell me.”

Eric said, looking back at Laura.

Laura nodded, and he moved towards Tenere as if to guide her.

Laura glanced at him but quickly followed the butler.

* * *

Tenere’s room was the second largest in the manor and had originally belonged to Eric.

When she had abdicated, Tenere had been given the Marquis’s chambers, but now that she could continue her status, she was conscious of others’ eyes.

“……What happened?”

Eric asked as soon as he entered Tenere’s room.

Joshua slid out of his uncle’s arms and began to explore the unfamiliar room on his own, curiously.

“Do you know how surprised I was last night? I was wondering what you were talking about when you suddenly said you were bringing the kid.”

“I’m sorry, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

“No, I’m not asking you to apologize, I’m asking you to explain.”

“Umm……”

Tenere paused, unsure of what to say.

Her gaze fell on the child climbing onto the couch.

“Actually, that day His Majesty told me he loved me…… I couldn’t believe it. I thought he was lying, just for him to keep Joshua by his side.”

“Yes.”

“That’s not the case, he said he would follow my wishes, whether to take the child back to the North or raise him at the Marquis’ mansion… … .”

“Ah.”

Eric nodded as if he understood the situation with those words.

Then Tenere looked at him questioningly.

“Do you understand?”

“Roughly. That means he won’t hold the child hostage and tie you up.”

“…….”

It had to be true, but the way he said it made Leonard sound so unscrupulous.

Tenere hesitated, then retorted softly.

“You don’t have to say that, he’s not that bad.”

“I’m not. Marquis Salvatore was always well-spoken, too, until he turned out to be a renegade snitch.”

Eric said, poking his head with his finger.

The fact that he used the term “snitch” at every opportunity indicated that the trial had been quite a sore point for him.

“Besides, he’s a marquis. If you take away the title, he’s just a lunatic. That’s the irony of it.”

“…But, according to Viscount Stuart’s words…”

“Yeah, there’s no point in arguing with me about it, right?”

Eric grumbled, but he wasn’t in a bad mood.

Tenere chuckled awkwardly and continued.

“If the Viscount is right, your mother had a Livano herb as well.”

“That’s right…….”

Eric nodded without thinking, then looked back at Tenere.

A thin line creased his brow.

“You… you don’t have any strange thoughts, do you?”

“Strange thoughts?”

“No, you know, like, maybe you’re not of marquise blood, and therefore not eligible to be empress, or something…… like that.”

Eric grimaced as if the mere thought of it was frustrating.

Tenere gave him a small laugh.

“No, I don’t have such thoughts. His Majesty said it doesn’t matter. Besides…It’s probably better to say I wasn’t his biological daughter than to have a traitorous father.”

“……Is that so?”

Eric scratched his head in disbelief as if that weren’t a bad idea.

With the Emperor’s favor and a child of imperial blood, it shouldn’t matter who her father was.

“I was just wondering…… if our father forced her to take it or not.”

“Whether Father is a lunatic or not?”

“Lun… no, yes.”

Tenere was about to repeat Eric’s words, but quickly shut her mouth.

Eric chuckled at her.

“…Well, even though he wasn’t the quietest person, it’s suspicious that he didn’t have any illegitimate children. After your mother went to the forest, he was on good terms with your nanny, right?”

“Did you know that?”

“I didn’t want to know either.”

Eric shrugged. He was much older than Tenere, so it shouldn’t have taken him long to figure it out.

“Perhaps it would be quicker to speak to the Emperor than to me if you intend to find your mother and ask her.”

“I’m not that curious. Just… I was wondering if there was anyone among the mansion’s servants who was close to Mother. Like a dedicated maid…”

“I see. I’ll look into it.”

Eric nodded, unassumingly. Tenere glanced over at him.

“…Aren’t you bothered at all?”

At Tenere’s question, Eric looked at her as if he didn’t understand.

“You don’t know if I’m your real sister, after all the trouble I’ve caused you.”

“Who cares, we’ve always been family, blood or no blood, it doesn’t matter.”

Then, he suddenly crossed his arms, wrapping them around his shoulders as if he felt a chill, and grimaced as if shivering.

“Or maybe… because you think we might not be real siblings, you see me more as a man now?”

“…What?”

“You’re not my type. I like girls who are… a bit taller, you know? And a little more rugged, like this. And their eyebrows are slightly raised like this.”

Eric said, using his finger to lift the corners of his eyes.

Tenere didn’t exactly want to match her brother’s tastes either, but hearing him say this made her feel like she didn’t want to lose.

“……I like someone who talks pretty, too, and is a little taller and has a nice face…….”

“Hey, what’s wrong with my face?”

Eric snapped, and Tenere quickly turned away.

Meanwhile, Joshua, who had been playing on the couch, had come down to the floor and was touching the carpet.

“Josie.”

After calling his name a few times, Joshua finally looked up.

He giggled as their eyes met, then jumped up and ran to his mom.

“Mommy!”

“Yeah, that’s right. Let’s ask the kid. Joshua, is Daddy handsome or is Uncle handsome?”

Eric asked knowing Joshua would only say what is the last option.

Tenere rolled her eyes slightly, but Eric didn’t care.

“Yeah? Is Daddy handsome, or is Uncle handsome? Uncle is better, right?”

“…Daddy.”

“What?”

Eric looked as if he had been shocked by the child’s answer.

At his uncle’s expression, the child giggled and threw himself into his mother’s arms. Tenere patted him on the back.

“You heard that, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, something seems off about this. Wasn’t the nanny clearly…”

“Isn’t that right, Josie? Daddy’s much better looking, isn’t he?”

“You’ve got to be honest with me, you taught him that, didn’t you?”

“Of course not.”

Tenere shook her head, but Eric looked at them suspiciously.

“Is it because Daddy is easier to pronounce? Let’s try it one more time. Josie, do you think your dad is handsome or your uncle is handsome?”

“Daddy.”

Perhaps because the pronunciation of ‘Daddy’ was easier, or maybe because Joshua found his uncle’s expression amusing, the child gave the same answer despite repeated questions.

Eric pretended to be impatient and tickled Joshua, who giggled and burrowed into his mother’s arms.