The Emperor cleared the 2nd Knights, who had been as clingy as dirt sticking to the floor, at once, saying, âHow long are you going to get on my nerves by staying in front of me?â
He was only going to look around for a while, so he left the Crown Princeâs Palace saying it was too late.
Before he left, Elisha made room for her children to pay their respects, but the Emperor was consistently indifferent.
It was a familiar experience to Asensio due to his position as the Crown Prince, but for Leon, who had never faced the emperor himself like this, it seemed like an embarrassing and terrifying experience.
Her proud child is bowing his head with his thin shoulders drooping.
As Elisha put her hand on the childâs head, the child lifted his round eyes and looked up at his mother.
Elisha waited for the child to have the courage to open his mouth without urging him. After a while, Leon licked his lips.
âDoes His Majesty not like me? So he treated me like a child who doesnât exist at all.â
Elisha sighed and Leon flinched.
These days, he blamed himself for being pathetic because he was too loose just because his mother had become sweet.
Elisha had no idea what her child was thinking with that little head, but she knew it didnât seem good to sigh again.
Elisha reached out a hand and ruffled the childâs hair, then lowered her posture and faced the child.
âWhy do you think so?â
â⊠Because I donât have enough⊠Because I donât have enoughâŠâ
Elisha heard her childâs murmur, and then she turned her gaze to Asensio.
âDo you think so too?â
Asensio didnât answer, but it all showed on his face.
Despite hating his Imperial father, he wanted to be recognized by him, and there is a mixed feeling that if he had been a better heir, he would not have been ignored like thisâŠ
What is a father to children?
Elisha kissed the cheek of the child in front of her.
And so that Asensio wouldnât feel left out, she placed her hand on top of his head.
Elisha herself had no feelings for the man they called father, but the children wouldnât feel the same.
Even though one day their father will be their worst enemy.
They will still remember this one thing.
âYour Highness, and Leon. Your Majesty is not like that because you havenât done enough.â
His eyes and the tip of his nose were red and hot.
Asensio was also curious, so his blue eyes widened and looked at Elisha.
âItâs because His Majestyâs personality is so bad.â
Asensio, who didnât know how to say such a thing, panicked, and Elisha made a rather puzzled look.
âItâs true. Did Your Highness not know this?â
Asensio, who became a senseless person in an instant, shook his head.
âHow could I not know? Of course I knowâŠâ
Asensio swallowed the later words silently.
Elisha hugged Asensio and Leon tightly.
âMy cute and lovely children.â
âSo, itâs His Majestyâs fault. What child in the world doesnât deserve to be loved by their parents?â
Parents all have different reasons to conceive a child.
Either because they want it, because they need it, or even by mistake.
Sometimes even under coercive oppression.
But the children born in this world burst into tears for only one thing.
Here I am, I pinch my fingers.
Iâm not asking you to grab it.
From now on, one point you make will be like a rock that stands tall on top of the world I live in.
The line you draw in front of me may become the boundary that separates my life.
So Iâm not asking you to hold me alone. I will also try to hold you.
As long as Iâm born, Iâll try my best to live, so you can love me to your heartâs content.
The first greeting of a new life to be courageous together.
So, if there is a parent who voluntarily ignores it, he or she is guilty of failing to fulfill their responsibility.
Parents had one chance to choose to have children, but the children were not given the same chance.
A child was not born because they wanted to be born. Since theyâve been deprived of the right to choose, then they should not be deprived of the right to enjoy.
Of course, Elisha didnât know this before either.
Even if one keeps everything perfectly, there are times when they will still end up on the verge of bankruptcy.
However, the Emperor, who ignored even such basic things, should not have left Elishaâs precious children scarred.
âYou, two people who were born in the Imperial family, what did you do wrong while trying to live up to it? You didnât do anything ugly or bad that made you deserve to be ignored even by your parents.â
Elisha stroked Asensioâs straight forehead once with her forehead.
After lightly bumping into Leonâs tiny head once.
âDonât be hurt by someone who doesnât love you two.â
âNo matter how much you two love someone, if they try to oppress and force you in a way you donât want, donât put up with it. Get angry, fight, and if that doesnât work, stick the sword into the otherâs chest.â
Even if that would be Elisha herself.
As long as it wasnât their own heart where the tip of the sword was headed, it would be okay.
âLove yourself more than anyone else. Only when you are yourself can you see the world around you and share your love. Do you understand?â
The two children hesitated for a moment, probably because it was a little difficult, but then they nodded their heads.
It felt like it had to be that way.
Elisha, who patted the children once more, got up.
She looked back slowly, as if she knew someone was already behind her.
âAre you going to tell His Majesty the story of this playful conversation with the children, Sir Rohan, the Knight among knights?â
Rohan, who stood a few steps apart from Elisa, nodded.
âIf he doesnât ask, I wonât tell him.â
Itâs better not to take lightly those words that sound good to hear.
Elisha changed the subject.
âWhatâs the matter, sir? I thought you were leaving with His Majesty.â
âI wanted to know the date of your visit to the Capital Guard, so I can inform His Majesty upon my return.â
There must be several reasons why the Emperor gave her his first knight.
Elishaâs plan must be observed by prying eyes, so save time by letting them know that the Emperor is behind her, clearing out those who interfere.
In order to shake the relationship between the Western Tower and Elisha, that is the second reason.
It may have been for the purpose of doing a favor for Elisha, but she was not sure.
It was not known whether Elisha would accept the offer of something she had never asked for.
There must be only one reason why Rohan went beyond obeying orders.
They donât have a point of contact. The 2nd Empress, who has no knights, must have thought that it might be difficult to send someone to him first.
âHow about noon in three days?â
âAlright. Iâll see you then, Your Majesty.â
Rohan answered, but did not leave immediately.
âYour Majesty. Your hand.â
At Rohanâs words, Elisha looked down.
When Dominique broke her sword, her hand, which was originally in bad condition, got wounded and blood was oozing out.
If one looked closely, they could see that there was blood all over her clothes.
The Emperor who had been silent even though he must have seen it, and Elisha, who did not even realize it until now, were amazing in a sense.
After seeing her wounds, Elisha quickly looked at the children.
Fortunately she had been using the other hand, so there was no blood on her children.
Elisha tried to comfort the children, saying she was fine, but Rohan pulled a handkerchief out of his arm.
When Elisha, who was about to decline, saw the handkerchief, she felt a sense of disorientation.
While she paused, Rohan folded the handkerchief a few times and wrapped it around Elishaâs wounds.
The hand holding her was cautious.
A pale yellow flower was embroidered on the edge of the handkerchief tied in a loop.
She suddenly remembered a woman who looked as fragile as a baby bird, with the same hair color as this man, but with purple eyes.
âHowâs Countess Jaylinne doing?â
Rohan made a puzzled face, but answered quickly.
âSheâs fine. Are you close to her by any chance?â
âNot really. Iâve heard that the Countess is good at embroidering, so when I saw this handkerchief, it suddenly came to mind.â
Jaylinne Jean Rappelcia, Princess Jaylinne Scherzer, was one of the few bloodlines that survived Kaidenâs purge.
Only in order to obtain this knight in front of her, that woman betrayed her blood brother and sided with her half-brother, Kaiden.
The tragic love of Jaylinne, who was sickly from birth and of pure beauty, was a favorite topic of discussion among many poets.
Of course, on the note that could truly be called love.
âItâs bloody. The handkerchiefâŠâ
âYou donât have to give it back.â
âSince the 2nd Knights have been disbanded, we need personnel to protect the Crown Princeâs Palace for a while. Can you help?â
âIt is natural to protect the Crown Prince. Until the 2nd Knights are filled, the 1st Knights will take responsibility.â
When Elisha shook her head when she was asked if she had anything more to say, Rohan left a light greeting and turned around.
Elisha stared at his back for a moment, then lowered her eyes.
A dark shade draped under the dense silver eyelashes.
Although she had given the prince some words before, Elisha, wondering if she had taken too much action regarding his knights, explained the situation to the prince once more.
Asensio eased Elishaâs concerns by saying that by choosing Elisha, it means that he supports everything Elisha does on his behalf, who is not yet able to move.
Elisha, whose expression had turned for the better, hurriedly cleaned up the surroundings and left the training ground.
Elisha, who was going out through the entrance, suddenly stopped.
âWhat is it, Your Majesty?â
As Jillian asks, Elisha looks down at her feet.
To confirm something where a crashing sound originated.
It was unfortunate that the thing was thrown hard on the floor and was already broken, but it would have been quite expensive in its original form.
It was large enough to fit on the palm of the hand and had a lid that opened and closed. The inside must have contained a milky white sticky substance.
She could see it dripping on the floor.
Even after standing for a while, the refreshing scent rushing into the tip of her nose seemed to be incomparably more valuable than the exterior decoration.
âI think itâs a medicine for bruises or injuries. Why is thisâŠâ
She was curious, but that was it.
Someone must have accidentally dropped it, but then Elisha realized that Marquis Blemir never came.
âIs there something wrong?â
Those who were expected to come did not come, leaving only those whom she did not expect to encounter.
There are not a lot of opportunities to talk to each other naturally in their current situation and possibly for some time in the future. So what should be done?
Elisha frowned lightly, then straightened her face before the children saw it.