Chapter 38
Maxim’s face distorted, as if he had eaten something bad.
Also, the name Max! It felt like she was calling him instead.
Rose hugged the wolf cub naturally and whispered to it, as if she was dying due to its cuteness.
“Max! If you’re up, say hello to your dad. Come on, come on!”
Rose tapped its nose and put it on the floor.
“Huh?”
Maxim was speechless.
He’s the father now. The father of that wolf cub.
Even Natalie, who was standing far away, looked at Rose with a puzzled face.
It was a name people wouldn’t dare to say, let alone give it to an animal. How could she be so bold in front of His Majesty Maxim?
Natalie looked at Maxim Lancert’s expression. As expected, his expression was frightening.
He looked at Rose with eyes that were telling her not to joke around. Even when she saw Maxim’s eyes, she ignored it and picked up her teacup elegantly.
The wolf cub, which was hovering under Rose’s feet, now started running to Maxim, wagging its tail.
“Don’t come. Go away!”
Maxim backed away.
Thinking that he wanted to play with it, the wolf rubbed itself against him and moved to the gap between his legs.
But after a while, Maxim felt something warm spreading on his calves.
The wolf cub peed on his leg.
Maxim’s face turned pale. Rose was surprised, put down the teacup, and stood up.
“Oh, Max! You shouldn’t be so rude. My Max is a good boy, so you shouldn’t act like your dad.”
Rose quickly hugged it after it finished peeing. She suddenly burst into laughter when she saw Maxim’s pale face.
After that, she tried holding back her laughter in front of Maxim, who was as stiff as a stone. Tears came to her eyes.
“Darn it.”
Maxim had forgotten why he was here in the first place.
“Both of you are here. Perfect.”
Jansen was standing in front of the open door.
The atmosphere in the room was unusual and he wondered what had just happened.
The empress, who was holding the wolf cub, held back her laughter, and Maxim looked as if he had been subjected to something terrible.
“What’s the matter?”
Rose asked curiously, wiping away her tears.
Jansen quickly straightened up and announced his purpose.
“Someone came to find Her Majesty.”
“Huh? Me? Who…”
Rose looked at Jansen. Who would suddenly visit her?
“Your brother, Sir Hans Etoile.”
Rose was so surprised that she almost let go of Max.
“Is Hans here?”
Natalie, who was listening behind Jansen, was so happy that she covered her mouth with her hands.
She couldn’t believe that he’s here! Young Master Hans!
Hans Etoile, who was waiting for Rose in the reception room, looked around the room leisurely. The servants and maids standing side by side looked at him.
Their eyes were mixed with a bit of hostility and curiosity towards the Empress’s brother.
‘When Rose first came here, she had to endure those glances. No, it must have been worse.’
From a young age, Hans had been traveling all over the world.
He was a man who easily adapted to and could act comfortably in foreign countries, as if he were in his own home.
However, he somehow couldn’t adjust to this place.
The castle was located on a cliff that seemed to have been around for hundreds of years. The hostile glances he received and the wolves that roamed around here made him uncomfortable.
Those things could naturally make people feel uncomfortable and afraid. What about Rose, who was raised like a precious flower in the arms of their warm family?
He couldn’t imagine how scary or unfamiliar this place must have been for her. Adding to that, she’s Maxim Lancert’s wife!
‘It’s no wonder that my dreams were scary.’
Hans, who was worried about his sister, sighed. Then, he looked up and made eye contact with a maid.
As he winked instinctively and gave her a smile, the maid’s eyes grew wide, as if she had seen a ghost, and she looked away.
Hans shook his head slightly and laughed because the maid’s reaction was funny. Then, he looked at the opening door.
“Rose!”
His heart was filled with glee seeing his sister. He really missed her.
It was his sister who appeared in his dreams every night. Hans looked at her with a warm smile.
Usually, in such a situation, Rose would call out his name and hug him. Although she was often scolded by their mother for acting like a child, the count always let it go by saying it’s normal for a family to be affectionate.
Of course, he thought Rose would come running to hug him. He opened his arms for her.
But…
Rose straightened her back, raised her head, and walked gracefully into the reception room.
Far from being hugged by his sister, whom he missed so much, she held out her hand as if she was a real empress.
Hans smiled mischievously and kissed her hand.
When he lifted his head and looked at his younger sister, he could see that Rose’s pretty eyes were filled with tears.
Hans smiled in response.
“Rose.”
“Hans.”
The two whispered each other’s names.
In his eyes, his younger sister, who was showing her dignity as an empress and behaving properly in front of her subordinates, looked lovely and praiseworthy.
A warm atmosphere surrounded them as they looked at each other without saying anything.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
The short greeting contained many emotions that could not be expressed in words. Then, they heard the door open from behind them.
As soon as they heard that sound, Rose’s expression changed to a dignified one again. Hans looked back. It was the young emperor of northern Helavant, who he had only heard of through rumors.
It was Maxim Lancert.
A family dinner was prepared that night to commemorate the visit of the Empress’s brother. Although there was only Hans, it was the first face-to-face encounter of the Lancert and Etoile family.
“I didn’t know Her Majesty had such a great brother.”
Chancellor Pierre spoke first.
“No, that’s too much of a praise.”
Hans looked at his sister lovingly as he said that. Mrs. Katrina and Ayla looked bitterly at the sight.
They never thought that she would have such an eloquent brother.
“To be honest, when Rose said that she was going to the north, everyone was so surprised. It’s because she would suddenly become the next empress of Solstern.”
“Yes… I see.”
Mrs. Katrina smiled bitterly and drank her glass of wine.
Maxim smiled slightly and looked at Rose. Rose quickly avoided his gaze.
He was staring at Rose without saying a word throughout the meal.
Her brother then continued,
“It doesn’t matter if she suddenly becomes an empress. I’m just relieved to see her doing well.”
“You must have been worried about sending your sister to a place like this.”
Mrs. Katrina said to him in hostility, but Hans replied with a dazzling smile.
“Yes, Rose was preciously doted on in our home. How can I not be worried when my sister went far north?”
Hans shook his head.
Pierre tried to patch up the chilly atmosphere.
“Don’t worry. Your sister is doing well as the hostess here.”
“I heard the Etoile family is second in terms of wealth in this empire. I was a little surprised that she was sent here.”
As soon as Katrina finished speaking, Maxim put down his glass with a loud sound.
“H-honey, don’t say something like that.”
The counselor Pierre restrained his wife with a bewildered expression.
He was still Maxim’s uncle and a member of the great Lancert family. He was a little ashamed of his wife who said such a thing insensitively.
There was no need to bring up such a thing and act as if she was Maxim’s mother. Hans only smiled in response.
“Of course, we’re surprised too. But we have thought about it thoroughly. Rose left in such a hurry that she didn’t have time to prepare.”
He was in a situation where he could be angry that their family had been insulted. However, seeing Hans Etoile drinking so leisurely, Mrs. Katrina was left speechless.
Ayla quietly opened her mouth as she watched Katrina turn red.
“But I wonder why a daughter from such a great family came all the way here. Did she do
anything wrong there?”
The table was once again quiet.
This time, it felt like she poured a bucket of ice on them, not just cold water.
“That’s…”
When Rose tried to answer, Hans held her hand under the table and interrupted her.
“She had done a deed.”
A deed.
No way.
Everyone only looked at Hans.
This time, Maxim also stared at Hans as he was interested.
“A deed…?”
Ayla asked him to clarify it.
Hans raised his hand and made a gesture. Everyone looked at him, not knowing what he meant.
Rose looked at Hans, completely embarrassed because of his actions.
What is he trying to say?
“She hurt the crown prince’s face.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Ayla was surprised and let go of the fork in her hand. The chancellor and his wife were also speechless.
Meanwhile, Maxim’s expression was like a woman that had been left behind by her lover.