The Count came at a quick pace and hugged Amelie.

“Oh, my, you’re back home!

When he saw Amelie’s face away, he hugged her again. 

Amelie gently hugged the back of the Count who welcomed her. The servant of her mansion smiled happily at the sight. 

‘My father and the people at the mansion always welcome me.’

Amelie was relieved to know that she had a comfortable place to return to anytime, and tears welled up in her eyes.

*****

After a short hug, the two moved to the Count’s office. It was a nostalgic place where Amelie would often drink tea when she stayed in the mansion. 

“It hasn’t changed a bit here. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

“Any big city like the capital changes quickly, but local estates like ours always remain the same.”

The butler smiled, prepared the tea and went out. Then the Count asked as if he had been waiting. 

“Amelie, how did you get here? Did something happen in the capital?”

His face was full of concern. He was worried because she suddenly appeared without any news.

“The wizard took me there. I wanted to ask father something.”

“I see, you mean the wizard last time. Yeah. What are you curious about?”

Amelie hesitated a little. The Count waited patiently for her to open her mouth with warm eyes.

“It’s about my mother—. I, I don’t even know her name.”

“Do you not remember her at all?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Yeah, when she died, you were too young.”

The Count’s eyes were wet. Even though it’s been decades, he still gets sad whenever the story of his wife comes up.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s okay. It’s just because I miss her. If you want, tell you about her now.”

The Count sighed long and cleared his voice.

“Your mother is Hazel Bourbon. She was a witch who looked just like you.”

So it’s really the same person. Even though she kind of expected it, her heart sank when she checked through her father about it.

“I first met her there when I went on a tour of the capital. Hazel was a maid in the Imperial Palace.” 

“Brown hair?”

“Yes, that’s right. Originally, it was the same pretty color as you, but she changed it to magic because it stood out too much. She used her last name Brown to hide her family name.”

Even the description was the same. Traitor Hazel was clearly her mother.  Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴ0velFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

‘Ah, mother…’

Amelie clasped her head.

“Amelie? Are you okay? Does your head hurt? I’ll call a doctor!”

“No, I’m fine. I—just suddenly got motion sickness.”

“It must be a side effect of teleportation. Drink more tea. I also prepared a lot of snacks that you liked.”

The Count looked anxiously at Amelie. Amelie ate the snack hard to ease his anxiety.

“Please tell me more about my mother. What kind of person is she?”

“How should I put it? The more I knew her, the more I didn’t know.”

Hazel was an unpredictable person. 

She turned a person into a frog if she thought they were a good person, and showed justice if she thought they were a bad person. Although she was an ordinary maid, she did not hide her pride in being special and was proud of her powers. She seemed arrogant yet modest, and while it seemed to be hiding something, she showed a sincere appearance, revealing even the smallest details. 

The contradictions she had were free and attractive rather than strange. The more he knows, the more he is curious about a person named Hazel. 

“Hazel had a charm that I couldn’t get out of.”

“So, the Regent King is also…”

“Huh? His Highness Regent King? Ahaha. That’s right, it was. There was a scandal with him, so I once complained to the point of pulling my hair.”

The Count laughed as if it was a pleasant happening. But Amelie wasn’t in the mood to laugh at all.

“Is it true?”

“No! Not at all. It’s a rumor. Where the hell did you hear about that old thing?”

“I met Lady Caitlyn. Marquis Lewin’s mother.”

“I see, so you met her. Are you okay? She has always misunderstood Hazel. That’s what made Hazel suffer.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, otherwise there’s no reason for Hazel to come all the way to Dellahaim to see me.”

The Count was full of confidence. But there were too many stories to believe. 

‘Father, you must want to believe that!’

If Hazel wasn’t the Regent King’s lover, why didn’t she stop the witch hunt and betray her people?

Amelie was exhausted. She heard the story so shocking that she felt dizzy.

“Are you okay? You look pale. Do you want to go to your room and rest? I always keep your room clean.”

“Let me ask one more question.”

Amelie took the pendant out of her pocket.

“Have you seen this before?”

“How do you have this? It’s a pendant that your mother had.”

As expected, it’s her mother’s. Amelie let out a long sigh. 

“Where did you get it? I heard someone stole it.”

“At the lake. Father, I’m going to take a rest for a while.”

“Okay. Go ahead. You don’t look good. Do you want me to call a doctor?”

“I’m alright.”

Amelie staggered to her room. Seeing Amelie’s back,  the Count looks sad. 

*****

Meanwhile, there was a colder atmosphere than the winter wind in Amelie’s palace.

“Ruben disappeared with her?”

“Yes, it was a blink of an eye.”

Serwin looked at the seat where Amelie had been sitting before. By the time Marquis Lewin barely resisted, the situation was already over.

Amelie and Ruben disappeared, and Caitlyn quickly escaped the palace. Serwin was belatedly told what had happened, and had no choice but to be angry alone.

“Where did he say he was going?”

“She’s going to see her father—I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Mrs. Enard bowed deeply. Serwin clicked his tongue. 

‘Then it’s Dellahaim. Ruben, how dare you kidnap Amelie?’

Taking Amelie without telling him to go to Dellahaim or anywhere else was like kidnapping.

It will take at least three days, even if he sends the knights. There was nothing Serwin could do now. He gritted his teeth. He shuddered at the feeling of helplessness. 

Another laughter of disaster came into his head.

‘She told me to think of something happy.’

Serwin endured negative thoughts and struggled to recall pleasant memories.

The first memory that comes to mind is when he was seducing her and he rolled him in a blanket. Thinking of how lovely she was then, his anxiety disappeared and he felt happy right away.

“Sir Ethan, detain the Duke of Odorus and Young Master, who will be in the palace right now.” 

“Will it be okay? There could be a fight.”

“Well, he dares to pay for kidnapping my girl.”

Serwin laughed coldly.

“Huh? Were you plotting something right now? The atmosphere is gloomy.” 

At that moment, Ruben appeared in the drawing room. Normally, he couldn’t enter the Imperial Palace by teleportation, but he was able to enter as Amelie’s party.

Ruben looked at Serwin. It felt strange to see the person who had tried so hard to meet him in person.

“Your Majesty, it’s nice to see you like this.”

As soon as he took one step, Ruben felt eerie and used magic.

Clank! 

The defensive wall that Ruben had built collided with Serwin’s blue sword and shattered.

“Y, Your Majesty—?”

Serwin silently dug up the attack again. Ruben made a shield with his magic, but it broke apart at the touch of the whole sword. At the same time, Ruben’s pride was shattered. 

‘You break the defense magic so easily? Is it human power? There’s not much time left for mana stone either!’

Ruben screamed inside. When the mana stone ran out, he was a dead man. Even if he tried to talk, Serwin’s eyes showed that he seemed to be out of his mind. 

The furniture was smashed in Serwin’s attack, and debris was splashed all over the place. The drawing room was turned into ruins in an instant.

“H, hey stop this!”

Ruben begged around, but Sir Ethan and other knights were only watching.

“It’s understandable that you kidnapped Miss Amelie.”

A knight’s murmur was right in Ruben’s ear.

“It’s not kidnapping! No!”

Ruben screamed and explained, but no one listened. When Ruben’s last mana stone ran out, Serwin kicked Ruben and pointed his sword at him. 

“Ugh.”

Ruben’s face hardened as the cold blade touched his neck.

“Are you serious?”

“Why? Do you think I can’t do it?”

When Serwin looked down at Ruben and laughed, Ruben swallowed his dry saliva.

‘I knew he’d be angry, but I didn’t know he’d swing the sword first.’ 

It was expected that Serwin would get angry. But he thought he wouldn’t attack him.

Because he was the only one who could take him right to where she was. Ruben planned to use it to get  Serwin’s inner feelings and slightly take revenge on Serwin, who had been burning his heart.

“Where’s Amelie?”

“She’s in Dellahaim.”

“Bring her in right now.”

No matter how much he said he lived like other people, he’s his younger brother, how can he swing the sword so casually? Didn’t he really intend to kill him? 

“No, she went because she wanted to, but why should I bring her back? And you say it’s kidnapping.”

“Then take me there.”

“I don’t want it even more.”

Serwin’s face was distorted.

‘Uh… my heart is going to shrink.’

Looking at Serwin with Amelie from a distance, he had forgotten for a moment that he was originally a tyrant. However, that didn’t mean that Ruben would back down. 

“Please do me a favor. Then I’ll take you to Miss Amelie right away.”

Despite his fear, Ruben insisted. The appearance of not losing a single word could be called a brother with Serwin.

“Ha, that’s pretty good.”

When Serwin pulled back the sword, Ruben stood up, looking around.

“What do you want so much that you risk your life?”

“I want to know why Your Majesty avoids me.”

“What do you mean avoid you? You must be delusional.”

Serwin stared at Ruben. Ruben didn’t lose and took a look. He didn’t lose anywhere as much as his stubbornness. 

It was Serwin who raised his hand first. In fact, as long as Amelie had gone to Dellahaim alone, it was as if Serwin had no choice. If he tried to go to Dellahaim without Ruben’s help, he would be away from Amelie for too long. Besides, he’s here to check on the bad news. He wanted to be by her side as soon as possible. 

The attack on Ruben was only to warn the evil Ruben. 

“Let’s go.”

“Oh, I ran out of mana stones, so I need additional mana stones. There must be quite a lot to take Your Majesty and come back with you.”

“Prepare it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Knights of the Emperor were spread out.

“While you’re getting ready, why don’t you talk to me for a moment?”

“I’ll see you when everything is ready.”

Serwin left Ruben behind.

“What? Look, you’re really avoiding me!”

*****

‘Why did my mother betray her people? Is it really because of the Regent King? But she has father!’

Amelie lay with her face buried in the pillow. She was so confused and depressed that she couldn’t move.

Knock, knock. 

When she heard a knock, Amelie said in a weak voice.

“I don’t have to eat dinner. I’m just going to sleep.”

“You refuse to eat? You?”

Amelie raises her head. It was Serwin who was standing by the door. 

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