*Edited

Watching the knight that could not hide his despair, Claude just nodded his head without knowing the reason.

Is it that hard to deliver this one thing?

It was too complicated for the child to understand. Sarah smiled at Claude, who was looking at her with a look of asking what was wrong, raising her index finger and touching her lips.

Shh.

Perhaps he understood the meaning, Claude nodded calmly and stepped back. Sarah said in a soft, affectionate voice.

“I have heard of and knew the honor of a knight who worked hard for the Imperial Palace for a long time. It is impossible to make such a knight suffer with such a small task.” 

“What do you mean……?”

Sarah took out an Imperial Palace Pass with her name on it from her arms. A glimmer of hope flashed in Jerome’s eyes as he looked at it. Looking at Jerome’s slowly brightening complexion, Sarah nodded her head as if it was the correct answer.

“Please grant me permission to enter the Imperial Palace with the Young Lord of Ambrosia with my pass. If that’s the case, then Duke Ambrosia’s pass will go to its master safely. As if it had never been away from its master.”

“……!”

Jerome’s eyes widened after checking Sarah’s pass.

‘Countess Sarah Millen? I heard that she disappeared 6 years ago!’

Sarah Millen was the only lady to make her debut at the rank of Countess. However, she disappeared shortly after her debutante, so she received all kinds of curiosity from people.

I can’t believe that I only recognize Sarah Millen now!

“I will open the gates. Countess Millen. Thank you so much for your consideration!”

Jerome bowed his head, remembering her from 6 years ago, she was a kind and caring woman. Sarah achieved her purpose lightly, and then grinned as she looked at Claude.

“Young Master Claude, why don’t we take a look around the Imperial Palace?”

At Sarah’s words, Claude lifted his head. The twinkling eyes of the child filled with anticipation.

“Let’s do it!”

Claude got into the carriage with Sarah’s help.  Claude rolled his feet as he opened the carriage’s window wide and looked at the slowly opening gates.

* * *

“Wow! Look over there, Nanny! Over there!”

“Okay, Young Master Claude! Please don’t run! You’ll get hurt!”

Claude ran around the Imperial Palace with a glowing face. The child’s shining green eyes were constantly rolling around.

It was a reaction that made her feel rewarded. How frustrated he must have been because he lived only in the mansion.

‘He loves it so much, I want to bring him here every day.’

Sarah knew why Claude especially liked it so much, so she struggled to overcome her bitterness. Children of Claude’s age usually visited the Imperial Palace once or twice.

This was because the Emperor, who thought they were talented people to work in the Imperial Palace in the future, allowed aristocratic children of Claude’s age to enter with their guardians.

“Nanny, Nanny! Is it true that there are only five gardens in the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes. There are five in total, including a rose garden cherished by His Majesty the Emperor, a tulip garden taken care of by Her Majesty the Empress herself, and a garden owned by each Prince.”

“I want to see everything but I don’t have time, right?”

Claude groaned nervously. He deserved it too.  Claude was probably the only nobleman son of this age who had never visited the Imperial Palace. Before the coming-of-age ceremony, the noble son could not enter the Imperial Palace without parental permission and companionship.

Secretly, among the children of nobles, the number of visits to the Imperial Palace became a token of the expectations, interest, and affection they received from their parents.

‘How much did he long for this?’

According to Sarah’s investigation, the previous Duke was also famous for never taking his children to the Imperial Palace until adulthood. Ethan Ambrosia also had no record of visiting the Imperial Palace as a child.

Perhaps that was why Ethan Ambrosia also had no intention of bringing Claude to the Imperial Palace. There wouldn’t be anyone around him who dared to advise the Duke of Ambrosia.

‘It must be an important issue among noble children.’

In the end, Claude had no choice but to be discouraged whenever there was a meeting of noble children. Looking at Claude, who liked it so much, she was glad to have sneakily stolen the Imperial Palace Pass in Ethan Ambrosia’s arms.

“Today, we will visit the rose garden, which is closest to the Emperor’s Palace, where His Grace will be staying. You can visit the other gardens next time.”

“Next time? Will I be able to come to the Imperial Palace again next time?”

“Of course. Next time, His Grace and I will hold your hands and we will come as a group of three.”

“Really? With Father?”

“Of course. Do you remember? Once a week, there is time for His Grace and Young Master Claude to play together.”

“Ah, that’s right! It was!”

“If you want to, Young Master Claude, you can visit the Imperial Palace once a week! It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah!”

Claude smiled, coloring his cheeks beautifully.  The thought of walking through the Imperial Palace holding his father’s hand filled his mind with happiness. Now, he had something to say to the noble children, who secretly ignored him and said that he must not be loved by his father.

“Let’s go to Father first!”

The sight was good, but Claude, who remembered the purpose of coming to the Imperial Palace, smiled brightly and ran to the front. In the Duke family, the child who was still trying to act like a grown-up was an unparalleled child here.

“Oh my, you’ll get hurt if you run!”

Laughing as if she couldn’t help it, Sarah followed the child diligently. At that moment, Sarah’s face hardened terribly when she saw the man walking in front of them.

“Ouch!”

The accident happened quickly. Sarah had no time to call Claude. Claude, who was running in a hurry, did not see what was ahead of him, and bumped into a man’s leg and got bounced off.

‘Why is that man here!’

Sarah hardened her face and ran to Claude. A small scream escaped from Claude’s mouth, who had fallen heavily backward.

“Uh uh……”

“Young Master Claude, are you okay?”

Sarah approached in haste and helped Claude stand up. She looked around at the child’s delicate body with a busy gaze. The child began to hiccup, perhaps surprised.

A man’s voice with a sense of arrogance fell heavily over their heads.

“Oh, who is this? Isn’t it Countess Sarah Millen?”

“……”

“I’m seeing that precious face that seems to hide fully even though I’ve been looking for it.”

The man’s voice, who recognized Sarah at once, was filled with hate that was close to obsession. The sound of a sword being pulled out of the scabbard came straight to Sarah’s ear.

“Nan, Nanny……”

The sharp metal was so close to Sarah’s neck as if it would cut her head off at any moment.  Seeing that, Claude trembled with a pale face. Sarah raised her hand, covered Claude’s eyes, pulled him into her arms, and hugged him.

“Shouldn’t you raise your head?”

Once again, the man’s order was issued over Sarah’s head. She could feel the child’s body flinching and trembling in her arms. Stroking the child’s back with her gentle hand in reassurance, Sarah raised her head and looked straight at the man. The man, who looked several times older than she remembered, seemed to have been hit very directly by the flow of time.

“You’re finally showing your expensive face. It’s been 6 years, Sarah Millen.”

A mean smile appeared on the man’s wrinkled face. The sword, which was gripped violently in his large hand, vibrated faintly. She didn’t know if it was because of anger or because of joy.

“It’s all the more nice to see you like this.”

The man laughed with a voice that was uncomfortable to hear as if he had something in his throat. Even though Sarah knew that the blade drenched in flesh and blood was touching her neck, Sarah smiled brightly as if it were nothing.

“Sarah Millen of Count Millen’s family meets His Highness the First Prince of the great Crombell Empire.”

He was the First Prince of the Crombell Empire, the beloved son of the old Emperor, and most hated son of Crombell Empire.

It was Kazer de Crombell. The shame of the Crombell Empire, who had gone mad because he hated his father who still did not give up the throne at the age he should have ascended to the throne.