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Chapter 69
Maybel and Hishin hurried to the meeting place, only to find Zigmunt already there.
He rose from the bench under the shade of a tree.
“Why are you so late?”
“Ah! Sorry!”
Maybel, still clinging to Hishin, quickly apologized.
“No, it’s not that I’m blaming you.”
Zigmunt approached and took Maybel from Hishin’s arms.
Hishin’s hands lingered in the air for a moment before dropping helplessly.
“My… egg…”
Ella patted Hishin’s slumped shoulders consolingly.
Zigmunt glanced at the flushed Maybel and spoke, pretending to be slightly disappointed.
“I was wondering what could have been so fun that you’d be late without me.”
Maybel, instinctively wrapping her arms around Zigmunt’s neck, shook her head.
“Nope, it wasn’t fun at all.”
Of course, sightseeing here and there was enjoyable.
Though there were long stretches stuck on crowded streets, the bustle was something she couldn’t feel in the Grand Ducal Castle or the town’s main districts.
But the events in the cafeteria earlier had been far from fun.
“It wasn’t fun without you, Head of the House.”
Maybel muttered softly, burying her face against Zigmunt’s shoulder.
“Hm?”
Zigmunt’s mouth twitched, as if surprised by her sudden cuteness.
Maybel’s body was trembling lightly, just like when they had left the banquet yesterday.
Zigmunt’s eyes quickly flicked toward Ella and Hishin.
Both lowered their heads apologetically, as if acknowledging some fault.
He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but clearly something had occurred.
“I see… I guess I should have stayed with you from the beginning.”
He ran his hand gently over her back, soothing her in a tender voice.
“No… it’s not that…”
Maybel shook her head, her face still buried.
After a pause, as if gathering her words, she hugged him tighter.
“It’s just… it’s just like that.”
Until recently, Maybel had felt fine.
She had been slightly nervous facing those women, but it wasn’t unbearable.
She could tolerate being insulted herself, but she couldn’t stand insults against the Grand Ducal house.
And somehow, she felt that Zigmunt would support her if she stood up like that.
When Ella intervened earlier, she had felt a small sting of disappointment.
She had always thought Ella was on her side, so there was a hint of betrayal.
Though, at the time, she didn’t know that was “the kind of handling” Ella meant.
As they came to the meeting place, Ella explained.
- “Our lady is just kind~ I only wanted to resolve it through conversation~”
In truth, Ella had planned from the start to send Maybel out and overturn everything herself.
But since Maybel seemed determined to act, Ella simply watched and supported her.
She only intervened when the women tried to escape.
Even Hishin admitted that Ella had exercised remarkable restraint.
When Maybel asked if that was truly okay, Ella smiled cheerfully.
- “Miss~ No matter how great nobles are~ in front of my fists, everyone’s equal~”
Of course, behind Ella was the backing of the Esclide Grand Ducal house.
Ella also knew that Zigmunt wouldn’t scold her for her actions.
All of Maybel’s lingering disappointment melted away, and she felt at ease.
Or so she thought.
“So… next time, I hope we stay together from the start…”
Seeing Zigmunt immediately eased her tension.
Her arms, which had been tightly wrapped around him, gradually relaxed.
Zigmunt silently patted the back of the child who had already fallen asleep in his arms.
The warm, humid breeze occasionally brushed against her sweat-damp hair.
He sat under the tree, holding and gently patting Maybel until she woke.
He hoped she would only have sweet dreams, that bad memories would wash away, and that she would wake with a bright morning-like smile.
Soft, soft…
The child’s gentle breathing in his arms was endearing.
“I’ll always be with you from now on.”
Zigmunt whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
The noisy sounds of the festival felt distant, like they belonged to another world.
That evening, Zigmunt received reports from Ella and Hishin.
“So… that’s what happened, huh…”
His voice was low and cold, mixed with a heavy sigh.
The flickering candlelight on his desk cast shadows across his face.
Resting his chin on his clasped hands, his mouth twisted slightly.
Looking up from Ella’s report, he fixed his gaze on the two of them.
“So?”
He wasn’t expecting them to only gather names, was he?
Ella looked him straight in the eyes and spoke firmly.
“The investigation showed that the two leading the gossip were connected to the Empress. Margaret Warren is the younger sister of the Empress’s steward, and Nancy Burns is the elder sister of a handmaiden close to the Empress.”
“So, the Empress’s circle manipulated public opinion. It would’ve been troublesome if discovered.”
Their reason for keeping their faces hidden behind fans made sense now.
“Is it possible that they approached Maybel intentionally?”
“That seems coincidental. They were in the cafeteria first, and our visit today was unexpected.”
“But that cafeteria is frequented by nobles. Everyone there was of noble status.”
Hishin added that their plan to spread rumors to subtly sway the nobles had been foiled when Maybel appeared.
“Is Maybel alright now?”
Maybel, who had napped in Zigmunt’s arms, seemed in better spirits.
She had walked the festival streets, played ring toss at a stall, and even won a doll.
She bought gifts for Aselt and Kellic, and thanks to Zigmunt helping her against Ella, she even had churros slathered in chocolate.
It seemed all was well, yet earlier, she had suddenly spiked a fever.
Fortunately, after taking medicine, she recovered—but it appeared related to today’s events.
“She has no fever now and is sleeping peacefully.”
“Good. Keep watch tonight. If her fever rises or if she has another episode… no, I need to stay with her.”
“Excuse me? Your Highness?”
“Yes. That way, both Maybel and I can be reassured.”
Zigmunt immediately rose and went to Maybel’s bedroom.
He didn’t forget to give instructions to Ella and Hishin.
“Make sure Margaret Warren and Nancy Burns are properly dealt with.”
“Properly, how exactly~?”
Ella, regaining her usual tone, tilted her head questioningly.
Zigmunt, hand on the doorknob, glanced back at her as if asking, “What do you mean?”
“So that the Empress hears about it properly.”
Ella and Hishin bowed simultaneously.
The next morning.
Maybel woke in Zigmunt’s arms.
“Uh…?”
Why was Zigmunt here…?
Blinking in confusion, he gently patted her back.
“You can sleep more, why are you awake already?”
“I… I just woke up…”
Maybel mumbled as he loosened his hold.
Sitting up, she looked down at Zigmunt.
“When did you get here?”
“When you took your medicine and went to sleep.”
“Oh… why?”
She asked, and he looked up at her, propping his arm casually.
“Just because.”
His casual answer made the corners of Maybel’s lips twitch.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Just because.”
She lay back down, snuggling slightly into his arms.
Zigmunt looked at the round crown of her head and held her without saying a word.
Quietly, Maybel spoke.
“Head of the House… yesterday… something unpleasant happened.”
“Mm.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
She lifted her head to meet his gaze.
“Then… why didn’t you ask me?”
“Because I knew you’d handle it well.”
Resting his arm and looking into her eyes, he patted her back.
“How would you know I handled it well? I could have done something wrong.”
“Then the one who caused you to do wrong is the one at fault.”
“What does that mean?”
Maybel giggled and buried her face back in his chest.
“I’m getting spoiled.”
“You can spoil even more.”
Zigmunt chuckled.
Maybel quietly traced the wrinkles in the rumpled blanket.
“Can we… go home soon?”
The capital had been fun, and everything was new, but everything felt strange.
It was so unfamiliar that only Zigmunt’s arms could soothe her.
Understanding her feelings, he kept patting her back gently.
“Yes… let’s go home.”
To the place where their peaceful everyday life awaited.
Zigmunt continued to gently pat the child, letting her drift into a long, peaceful sleep.
