Chapter 53: The Beginning of The Change (2)
“I told you to drink slowly.” Sigren looked expressionlessly at Fiona, who had her face down and her silver hair messed up on the table. Many things about her often made him wonder. From the first time he met her, Fiona acted like she was his sister, but he could never see her that way, especially in moments like this. It was true that she was clever and a genius mage, but strangely, she was also fragile. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. One thing particularly surprising was how quickly she could understand the situation around her.
Sigren got up from his seat and carefully carried Fiona. She seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, as she didn’t wake up even when her posture changed. He gently laid her down on the bed. He considered untying her collar since she looked uncomfortable, but decided it would be better to call her maid later.
“Sometimes, I think I want to open your head,” he sighed quietly.
Of course, the sleeping Fiona didn’t answer.
“Without asking anything from me, why have you cared for me since the first time we met?”
Sigren covered Fiona with a blanket.
“There is no love without a price….”
Even among friends, lovers, and even parents and children, there is always an emotional exchange, even if it’s not explicitly expressed. But Fiona wasn’t like that. Deep down, even after spending several years with her, Sigren still felt like he didn’t truly know her. Fiona seemed to want nothing in particular. It was as if, whether her situation was comfortable or not, it didn’t really matter to her. She was like a dandelion spore floating in the air, without taking root anywhere. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I hope one day you can find something you truly want,” Sigren murmured. It was hard to imagine that someone who didn’t want anything could be truly happy, as people usually find happiness in getting what they desire.
After saying that, Sigren blew out the candle that was illuminating her room. “I hope you have the happiest dreams, Fiona,” he whispered to his most precious girl.
***
The next day, Abel tapped his crossed arms, with Celine and the young maid glancing at him. He had just entered Fiona’s room to check on his adopted daughter, who hadn’t woken up until lunchtime. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. Of course, he wasn’t there to scold her for oversleeping or for drinking too much alcohol before bed.
However, Abel noticed the two glasses of wine on the table.
“Two glasses of wine,” he remarked.
This suggested that someone had drunk with Fiona. Abel turned his gaze to Fiona’s bedside.
“For some reason, Sigren’s tie is on my adopted daughter’s bed.”
Additionally, the maid testified that she had seen Sigren leave Fiona’s room late at night. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Celine sighed quietly. “Your Grace…”
Abel smiled wryly. “Celine, it seems that taking care of children is harder than I thought.”
He picked up Sigren’s tie and waved it indifferently. “I never thought I’d become such an inflexible person.”
For a moment, Abel looked at Fiona, who was still sleeping peacefully. He could roughly guess what had happened. Fiona must have invited Sigren for a drink without a second thought, and Sigren, enjoying her company, would have joined her willingly.
Abel sometimes wondered about Fiona’s nature.
“Celine, when my adoptive daughter, who is the most vigilant person in the world, wakes up, make her something to relieve her hangover.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t think she’s going to wake up soon, so we’ll need to investigate another suspect,” Abel declared solemnly. “I’m going to catch Sigren.”
Upon hearing this, Celine sighed and almost blurted out, ‘You should call him ‘Prince’…’
***
A few days had passed since the banquet. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. One change was that Sigren had officially entered the Imperial Palace. As a recognized prince, it was only natural for him to be assigned to one of the palace residences.
“What if he gets bullied in the Imperial Palace?”
Abel looked sour at my concern. He had almost quarreled with Sigren before he left.
“Is he really someone who worries about being bullied?”
“But still…”
Of course, I wasn’t in a position to worry about Sigren. Something important was right in front of me: the Five Families Meeting.
This meeting was held regularly by representatives of the noble families that had contributed to the founding of the empire. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. The participating families were Heilon, Priscilla, Clovis, Ernest, and Erez. These five families were the reason it was called the “Five Families Meeting.”
And now, I was on my way to attend that meeting with Abel.
“By the way, Duke Ernest will object to anything I say, so just ignore it.”
The Duke of Ernest was from the family that produced the current empress. For this reason, they supported the empress’s son, the crown prince. They had no choice but to oppose Heilon, which was backing the new prince, Sigren.
“Ignore the Erez family as well.”
What was the point of mentioning them if he wanted me to ignore them?
“Priscilla and Clovis are neutral, right?”
“Yeah, they’re neutral. Both are just observing.”
I nodded quietly, already knowing this to some extent. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“We’ve arrived.”
The carriage stopped with the driver’s shout.
“Well, in conclusion, it means do what you want to do.”
“….”
It was such an Abel-like piece of advice. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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