“A magician’s oath?”

“Yes. If there are promises that must be kept, magicians often make oaths.”

Sarah held up her pinky finger. A bright azure thread was connected to Claude’s pinky finger.

“If they don’t keep the oath, magicians will lose their power and, in the worst case, die.”

“……Nanny!”

Claude was startled and called out to Sarah. Sarah said, stroking the boy’s hair softly.

“I just made an oath with Young Master Claude. It’s an oath to stay with Young Master Claude until he’s happy.”

“Nanny……”

“So, don’t worry. I’ll always be by your side until Young Master Claude becomes really happy.”

Tears welled up in Claude’s eyes at the sound of Sarah’s sweet voice. It was real tears, not fake tears like before.

“Why, why are you doing this?”

Claude finally asked with tears in his eyes.

“I heard Nanny was my mother’s friend. I made her die, don’t you hate me?”

The child’s voice trembled faintly with fear. Sarah really poured out an infinite amount of affection on him. He could tell just by looking at those eyes. That Sarah likes Claude a lot. So the more he tried to be happy, the more he liked Sarah’s affection, the more…… Claude became anxious.

‘What if she hates me again after that?’

‘What if Nanny resents me because she misses my mother?’

‘What if she leaves me?’

He didn’t remember ever getting his hands on anything. Even more so for a precious person. Claude couldn’t sleep at night, thinking she was someone who could leave at any time.

“There is something I want to tell Young Master Claude someday.”

“What?”

“It’s not yet the time, but one thing is certain: Young Master Claude is a child worthy of love.”

“……”

“The mistakes……, were done by the adults. Young Master Claude shouldn’t think of those mistakes as yours.”

Sarah’s face darkened painfully. How long would she be able to hide that truth from Claude? In fact, she was afraid too. When Claude found out all the truths, how would he react? Would he hate Dieline, or would he resent her? Or would he be happy that his mother was alive? Or if he found out that it was Sarah who did all this.

‘He might hate me. He might loathe me.’

Just imagining Claude looking at her with sharp eyes made her heart ache. So Sarah wanted to do her best to make Claude happy. When Dieline’s absence and the misfortunes of childhood could no longer shake him,  she would confess everything and beg for forgiveness. And that would be the day when Sarah broke the oath she made with her disciples.

“Did you do something wrong? Nanny?”

Sarah nodded slightly at Claude’s question.

“Yes……, it is a mistake that I may not be forgiven for the rest of my life.”

Claude pondered for a moment at Sarah’s words. No matter how much he thought about it, it was because Sarah had done nothing wrong to him. However, Claude didn’t care what his nanny had done to him. She was the person he needed the most, the person he appreciated the most, and the person he loved most of all.

“Then I will forgive you.”

“…….!”

“Whatever Nanny did wrong to me, I’ll forgive you! Because I like Nanny.”

Sarah’s eyes widened at Claude’s words. It might have been just the words of a child who knew nothing, but Sarah felt somehow saved by those words.

“Young Master Claude……”

“You can stay with me for as long as you feel sorry for me. I like it.”

Toc toc, transparent tears fell from Sarah’s eyes. Claude raised his small hand and wiped the tears as Sarah began to cry like him.

“Nanny is crying, too.”

“Yes……, it’s all because of Young Master Claude.”

“Why is it because of me? Nanny is crying!”

“I don’t know, it’s because of Young Master Claude, so give me a hug.”

“……Hi hi hi.”

Claude laughed and jumped into Sarah’s open arms.

***

“His Majesty the Emperor of the Crombell Empire is coming!”

All the nobles in Stenia Hall stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads to show their manners. The Emperor who was the noblest and wields undisputed power in this Empire. Kylos de Crombell. Although he was old and decrepit, they felt strength in his steps across the Stenia Hall to the seat of honor. The nobles exchanged subtle glances with each other, as if the appearance showed that it was not yet time to put down his power.

“The third glory of the Crombell Empire, His Highness the Third Prince is coming!”

Following the Emperor, the Third Prince, Eleon de Crombell, entered Stenia Hall. He had long blond hair resembling the Emperor and roughly tied it up, and he was a handsome man with an innocent look. However, his darkly sunken eyes and straight lips clouded his impression.

“Why is His Majesty coming in with His Highness the Third Prince?”

“Come to think of it, I heard that His Highness the Third Prince carried out the secret orders given by His Majesty this time.”

“It sounds like His Majesty’s interest was not completely leaning towards the Second Prince?”

The nobles quickly saw through the Emperor’s intentions. Although he attended a party hosted by the Second Prince and supported him, he did not completely rule out the Third Prince.

“Indeed.”

The more fierce the competition between the princes for the throne, the more powerful the Emperor’s authority and power. Although the abdication was declared, the Emperor had no intention of giving up power yet.

“What about Ilior?”

The Emperor, who sat at the top of Stenia Hall, found the Second Prince, Ilior, was missing even though he had entered.

“I received the information that older brother is speaking alone with Duke Ambrosia.”

“With Duke Ambrosia? Hmm……”

When he heard the name Ambrosia, the Emperor’s eyebrows went up and down interestingly. He asked Eleon, who was standing quietly next to him.

“You heard your older brother is in private contact with Duke Ambrosia, yet It doesn’t seem to bother you.”

When asked by the Emperor, Eleon pursed his lips for a moment and soon closed them again. Then he gave the answer the Emperor wanted in a dull way.

“It bothers me.”

“……Tsk.”

The Emperor did not hide his displeasure at Eleon and clicked his tongue.

“I don’t know if what you really want is the throne or something else.”

“……I just hate fighting over blood with my brother. It’s already done enough with Brother Cazer.”

“Cazer, he’s just a little scared. If you and Ilior were by his side and looked after him, he could have realized it quickly.”

“……”

Eleon did not respond to the Emperor who was saying in a disappointing voice. He only clenched his fists in a place where the Emperor could not see it and then released them. He got tired of hearing that blatant favoritism and love for the First Prince no matter how many times he listened to it. It was so by simply dismissing Cazer’s act of sending assassins to his younger brothers, who had grown to the point of threatening his right to the throne, as just being timid. He and Ilior had survived the crisis of death over and over again. However, the Emperor’s eyes seemed full of pity for his eldest son, who had become so distracted that he was wary and threatened his younger brothers.

“Brother Ilior will be back soon. Because Your Majesty is here.”

“I guess so. He’ll want to enjoy the victory that he had sent his older brother away.”

The Emperor’s voice, as he nodded and spoke, was still low. Eleon sighed quietly and shook his head. The Emperor had not yet completely let go of the First Prince. Only the Emperor did not know that such blatant favoritism caused the First Prince to repeatedly experience hopes and despair.

“Bring me a glass from there. I’m thirsty.”

“Yes.”

Eleon quietly moved according to his father’s will and released his clenched fist. At the same time, he scanned the faces of the nobles who attended the party.

‘I can’t even see the figure of Young Lord Ambrosia.’

Eleon, who was trying to keep a close look at Young Lord Ambrosia today, was tongue-tied with regret. Elexa was severely scolded the day he went to Ambrosia mansion. Eleon threatened to Elexa that he would never go out in the future, and in return, he saw his son confronting him for the first time.

‘I don’t want to! Dad doesn’t even play with me…… It’s fun to play with Claude! I don’t like this place, I hate Nanny, I hate Mom, I hate Dad too!’

Eleon’s shoulders drooped when he recalled his son who raised his voice for the first time. As for how he had coaxed his son, it was time for him to look around the party hall once again to find that nanny. At that time, someone hit his shoulder and passed by, perhaps he didn’t see properly.

“Ack, I’m sorry, Your Highness the Third Prince.”

“It’s fine……”

An olive afterimage lingered in front of Eleon’s eyes, who raised his head while holding his staggering body.