Chapter 127. What a wonderful person2021.04.20.
‘As expected, children are delicate.’
In particular, it was not unexpected because Renesmee was a member of the royal family and had a special family environment. Anyway, it was Mabel who held the tea party, so it was necessary to deal with the situation flexibly.
‘Let’s remember the memories of kindergarten volunteer work!’
Mabel, who summoned the memories of Yoon Winter, interceded with a friendly smile.
“Wouldn’t it be okay to just drink tea? Escort Enrique is fine, so let’s have tea together. After all, there’s Lisandro and there’s Langard’s escort. Let’s go, sit down next to Aidan.”
I glanced at Xavier, who was waiting, and the chair immediately became colonel.
“Excuse me.”
When Aidan obediently sat down next to Mabel, Enrique took a seat next to Renesme without hesitation.
“Come on, Renesmee. Should we wipe away the tears and talk happily again?”
“…yes. your majesty.”
Renesmee nodded, clutching at the handkerchief Mabel handed her. Seeing her calmly nodding her head with a troubled face, Mabel’s heart felt tight.
‘The Emperor of Langard said he had no interest in his children.’
In particular, the children in front of her were the children of the fourth empress. There were a lot of children up and down, so I had no choice but to be pushed out of attention. Since the Empress died after giving birth to Dylan, I heard that it was the Duke of Tristan who took care of those children. Because Mabel knew better than anyone the feelings of a child who grew up neglected, she had no choice but to feel sorry for Renesmee.
“Come on, Renesmee. Try this one. Nature’s chef bakes a cookie just fine.”
“you’re right. It is very delicious. Eat quickly, sister!”
Dylan, who was eager to eat snacks regardless of whether or not Renesmee was crying, also helped. As everyone’s attention turned to herself, Renesmee blushed and accepted the cookie Mabel handed her.
“It’s delicious…”
“Isn’t it?”
Mabel smiled broadly at the question, and Renesmee nodded with a bashful smile, still with bright red eyes. Thanks to Mabel’s efforts, the atmosphere at the tea party quickly became friendly. Renesmee, too, was content with the fact that Enrique was sitting next to her, and was no longer obstinate.
“Try this, Confucius.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. It’s delicious.”
Enrique, too, did not refuse the plate of cookies that Renesmee was pushing to avoid causing further commotion. Only Emily, who watched the whole situation, was not pleased. However, with the facial expressions she had cultivated over a long period of time as a lady of the duke’s family, such feelings were not evident at all.
“Where are these tea leaves? It smells good.”
“That’s tea leaves exclusively distributed by the Javier Merchant Company, Your Highness.”
Rather, she kindly answered Renesmee’s question and even said that she would take care of the tea leaves. The tea water in the teacup in front of everyone cooled down, and the time came to end the tea party. Renesmee hesitated and blushed.
“I’m sorry earlier, Your Majesty. Crying on my own…”
Renesmee didn’t know how to apologize, so everyone, including Mabel, was surprised.
“It’s okay, Renesmee. It’s natural to cry when you’re sad.”
“…really?”
“then. However, you shouldn’t embarrass others with repeated requests, right?”
“Yes…”
Renesmee sulked again, but Mabel did not soothe her.
“If you knew you were wrong, you should apologize to the other person, Renesmee. Wouldn’t it be Prince Javier, not me, to whom you apologize?”
He smiles affectionately, but somehow there is an irresistible force. Renesmee hesitated and apologized to Enrique.
“I’m sorry, Gongja.”
“It’s okay, Your Highness.”
After receiving Enrique’s answer, Renesmee looked at Mabel with droopy eyes. Mabel smiled and nodded at her face as if she were seeking praise.
“Nice job Renesmee.”
Renesmee’s cheeks flushed and she fidgeted with the handkerchief in her hand. It was the handkerchief Mabel gave me earlier. Mabel laughed bitterly at the child who had become calm as if she had never been stubborn.
‘There was a time when I wanted someone to scold me too.’
It was a response that he knew that it would come back when he had an accident to receive a little attention from his previous life. I tried to get a compliment, but it was useless. Just as she was lonely at the time, Renesmee might be looking for someone’s attention.
***
Escort shift times. Lisandro stopped by Esteban’s office to report. As soon as the door opened, Esteban immediately asked.
“Mabel.”
“Can’t I just breathe? I jumped right in.”
“Report and rest.”
“Oh, really… I can’t live because I’m sad.”
“Stop the small talk.”
At Esteban’s cool urging, Lisandro let out a deep sigh and reported.
“You had a tea party with the two royal families of Langard. There was a little commotion there.”
“Little fuss? Did Mabel conspire?”
“…?”
Seeing Lisandro’s dazed expression, Esteban cleared his throat, realizing that he was mistaken. Is it a problem if you know your daughter’s personality too well?
“Or else. So what’s the fuss?”
“During the tea party, Princess Renesmee burst into tears.”
“Isn’t this something that often happens when children are together?”
Although Mabel and Oscar were precocious, they were still children. It wasn’t unusual for children to fight among themselves.
“yes. Fortunately, His Majesty soothed it well, and it ended on a warm note.”
“As expected, Mabel.”
“What is it? Rather, I also do not understand why Langard brought members of the imperial family to this negotiation.”
“Oh that.”
Esteban’s expression darkened in an instant. Esteban buried himself deeply in the chair due to the sudden surge of fatigue and inexplicable emotions.
‘This feeling… if I had to give it a name, would it be guilt?’
A bitter smile leaked out. Thoughts sunk into the past. In those days when an all-out war with Devlin broke out every day, Esteban was in the position of crown prince. He was on good terms with his sister, Elise. Because she grew up relying on Elise, who was older than her, sometimes she felt like a mother. He left his sister and went to the battlefield, unable to control his boiling blood. When Esteban returned to the capital triumphantly after cutting Veron’s arm, his sister was not there. She had already left as if she had been sold by her father to Langard, a faraway country, through an arranged marriage.
“Do you really have to go to a dangerous battlefield? You are worried.”
“Because it’s better than being locked up in the damn imperial castle.”
“…Take care of yourself.”
That was the last conversation I had with my sister. Since then, we have exchanged our regards through letters. However, because Langard’s married life was not smooth, the letters stopped at some point. Since no news is good news, I thought that I would be fine. But what came back was Empress Elise’s obituary.
“Perhaps they sent their sister’s children to gain an advantage in the negotiations. I am indebted to my sister.”
Knowing that the empress had sympathy for her, she tried to use the gore in front of her. But I’m not in debt to Langard. Esteban smiled coldly when he could clearly see their true intentions to protect the territory at all costs.
“Besides, he thought that since he was the same age as Mabel, he might be able to ingratiate himself.”
“Well, there’s something you can relate to if you’re your age.”
Lisandro nodded silently. Certainly Mabel seemed to get along well with children. But in reality, the adults didn’t know that Mabel was taking care of them with the feeling of a guardian.
***
Late evening. The light in Renesmee’s bedroom was brightly lit at the time I would normally go to sleep. Dylan, hungry and robbing the kitchen, poked his head inside the door. A loaf of bread was held in each hand.
“sister. What are you doing?”
“huh. Speaking of His Majesty’s handkerchief…”
“I have to return it.”
“Is that right?”
Renesmee raised the handkerchief as if handling the most precious thing in the world. It reminded me of the first time I saw the emperor. When the delegation first entered the imperial castle and had an audience with the emperor, Mabel sat on the throne as if it were natural and greeted them most naturally. A small girl with a lovely appearance, she showed no signs of being intimidated by people twice her size. Rather, it was more assertive.
‘How could that be?’
Renesmee could never have imagined that she could not be nervous in front of strangers. In addition, the emperor even treated a large beast at once like a calm cat. At the banquet for the delegation, he stood out more than anyone else. Everyone’s eyes were on the girl emperor. Renesmee was envious of the attitude of taking it for granted.
“Dylan. Your Majesty. You were a wonderful person, right?”
“okay? I’m not sure. You seem like a nice person.”
“no. He is a wonderful person.”
Didn’t Enrique, who had stubbornly refused to drink tea with her, immediately sat down at Mabel’s words? Renesmee folded her handkerchief neatly.
“…want.”
Dylan tilted his head at Renesmee’s murmur.
“what?”
“Nothing!”
Renesmee quickly climbed into bed and lay down. I had to go to bed early to return the handkerchief tomorrow.
***
Second meeting with Langard. An unexpected person appeared in the meeting room.
“Long Donovan? What are you doing here?”
At the words of a nobleman, Pacifica turned to him with an expressionless face.
“Have you come to a place where I can’t come?”
“Oh no. No.”
Pacifica naturally sat in the always empty seat. The nobles of the Council were extremely confused by the appearance of Pacifica, who had not appeared at the meeting.
“What is this? Prince Donovan attending the meeting?”
“Didn’t you declare that you would maintain political neutrality and not attend?”
“I thought she would be absent because of her position as former empress, but…”
Hungry. The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat distracted as the council nobles were chatting among themselves. And then, the nobles of Langard stepped into the conference hall. Duke Tristan noticed that the atmosphere was uneasy.
“What is it?”
Duke Tristan insinuated a question to a nobleman who at least had contact with Langard.
“See that guy over there?”
“A brown-haired woman?”
“exactly. That’s Duke Donovan, but he doesn’t sit in Parliament. What kind of wind is blowing today?”
Fearing that the appearance of an unexpected person might have a negative impact on the negotiations, Langarde’s side was very nervous. After a while, when Hwang Sang-je and his aide were seated, negotiations began. Esteban only glanced at Duke Donovan for a moment, but there was no reaction. Each country had a fierce debate under the conviction that they could not see any loss from each other. In the end, today’s negotiations ended without much success. Unexpectedly, Duke Donovan, who assumed he would play a role, did not say anything. Negotiations were delayed again, and Gustav, the emperor’s aide, took a weary step. It was then.
“Throne.”
“Keeek!”
“….”
When Gustav turned around, there was Duke Donovan staring at him with an expressionless face.
“You are the Duke. Do you have anything to say to me?”
Gustav smiled brightly as if asking what had happened a while ago and asked slyly.
“Why was His Majesty the Emperor absent from the negotiating meeting? I know you attend the regular meeting.”
Gustav was bewildered.
‘Did Duke Donovan attend the meeting to see His Majesty?!’
I know it can’t be because of the Duke’s cold personality, but I can’t stop thinking that way. It’s natural for even Duke Donovan to fall for the cute Emperor. Gustav answered calmly, hiding his doubts.
“ah. His Majesty will attend after the negotiations with the Langard delegation are over.”
Then, Pacifica’s expression hardened slightly.
“That is such a strange word.”
“…yes?”
“The disputed territories are obviously the personal property of His Majesty the Emperor, so why exclude them from the negotiations?”
“That’s right.”
“Tell His Majesty the situation about this.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I hope to see His Majesty the Emperor at the next meeting.”
“I see.”
Gustaf erased the thoughts he had been thinking about earlier in his extremely businesslike attitude.
‘okay. There’s no way Duke Donovan will act on his own. Not to mention cancer.’
It was obviously his own misunderstanding. Gustav felt embarrassed for nothing.
