Proofreader: somnium

After Story 2. Spring Wind

The window was open. Whenever the wind blew, the long tails of the bookmarks fluttered.

There were a lot of books piled up all over the living room, and most of them had tags of all kinds, reminiscent of decorative twigs tied to branches instead of flowers at an early spring tea party.

Countess Eunice leaned her back comfortably on the cushions, sobbing in her thoughts.

‘I think this is pretty good, too? I think it would be good for education, and it just looks pretty.’

The maid will dust the books anyway. If she looked like a lady who always has a book by her side, how elegant would she look?

It could also have a good influence on her second daughter, who runs around like a pony and is anxious about not being able to burn her face in the sun.

‘Yes, I should read some books this year, too.’

Countess Eunice, in her mind, tried to arrange the valuable books that were in the living room, and thought of its contents.

Most of them had pretty bindings.

This will be the new fad. Countess Eunice was convinced.

Velvet, silk and ceramics have always been right, but isn’t it now spring? It was time for a more fresh look.

And from the beginning, socialite fashion was a law set by the most noble lady in the socialite world.

Because the gates of the Empress’ palace were closed, so few people could come and go as the guests, there wasn’t anything that could be called a fashion to follow from the Empress yet.

Soon, she herself would be a leader.

Countess Eunice smiled sweetly. Following the former Countess Martha, Marchioness Camellia, she herself will become the most intelligent and influential lady in the Capital.

‘I should look into the books you’ve been reading, right? Yes, I’m really going to read it.’

Countess Eunice thinks so, and she picks up a book at hand.

〈Phonological Study of Proper Nouns Recorded in the Temple: Before and After the Formation of Alia Wall....〉

Countess Eunice put the book down without reading the subtitles. The black one was the binding and the red one was writing.

The compilers were foolish. They should have gilded this title. That would have looked like a decorative pattern.

Flutter flutter.

The spring breeze that came in through the window once again blew her away.

Just then, the door to the living room opened. Countess Eunice stood up with a face puffed in embarrassment.

“The book is heavier than I thought.”

She chattered for nothing and looked back. She smiled brightly at the baby standing at the door.

“Oh my, Princess.”

“Aunt!”

Leticia threw the picture book she was holding on the floor, and with excitement came up and ran to her, like flapping her wings with both arms.

“Oh. You got heavier again.”

Countess Eunice hugged Leticia. Mielle, who followed Leticia, greeted her politely,

“Hello, Countess Eunice? I’m sorry. Did I disturb you?”

“How could it be? I was just waiting for the Empress.”

Countess Eunice smiled with a supremely gentle smile.

No one knew that Leticia was the head of the Empress’ court. Isn’t she the precious princess and the future of the Empire?

Far from making Artizea do any political moves, she was also the only reason the Empress’ Palace was closed, why she never even had a personal meeting.

And to the future of the Empire, she was only her second favorite after her mother and father and Mielle.

There was no interruption. Rather, she had to say, thank you for interrupting.

It was thanks to Leticia, who called her Aunt, that Countess Eunice was able to enter and leave her palace.

And it was thanks to Mielle that Leticia called her that way. Mielle had said Leticia would be too young to understand the relationship between Countess Eunice and Cedric, that she should just call her ‘Aunt.’

So she couldn’t help but find Leticia lovely enough to want to bite her. It was the same with Mielle.

Artizea, and even Mielle, were so calm and mature, why can’t they do that to their daughters?

Leticia reached for the collar of Countess Eunice’s jacket. The collar had a brooch in the shape of a soft bunny doll.

“Aunt, this.”

“It was on Aunt’s clothes.”

“Can I touch it?”

“Sure.”

That’s why, she purposely came wearing this cute brooch. Leticia was very curious when she saw something that was pretty and wanted to touch it.

The last time she squeezed a brooch that looked like a bunch of grain, she nearly cut her palm.

“Like a baby.”

Leticia mumbled and fiddled with the brooch as she put her cheeks there. Countess Eunice did not know that her supple expression of affection would come down.

Mielle said with a smile,

“Yesterday, the nanny gave birth to her second child. She came to say hello to Miss Tisha, and she has been crazy about it.”

Countess Eunice nodded her head.

“Do you want a younger sibling?”n(0)vel(b)(j)(n)served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l-B1n.

“Baby is so cute.”

Leticia said as she stroked the brooch with her fingers.

“I want a younger sibling, too. The baby is soft.”

Leticia’s fingers were so soft. Countess Eunice said with a laugh,

“Tell your Mother.”

Leticia looked up at Countess Eunice, tilting her head as if thinking.

At that time, Artizea in a comfortable dress came in lightly.

“Mom!”

Leticia struggled to get down. Countess Eunice carefully tried to put her down, but she nearly dropped the child because Leticia was so strong while struggling.

“You have to be careful.”

“Mom!”

Leticia shouted as she hung from Artizea’s skirt,

“Mom! A sibling, for me, too!”

“I wonder what you’re talking about.”

Artizea lightly stroked Leticia’s hair. Expecting to hear negativity, Leticia burst into tears.

“Weren’t you here to read picture books?”

“I want a sibliingg. Hiinngg.”

Artizea let the whining flow away, stroking Leticia’s head as she clings to her. And she said to Countess Eunice,

“You came all the way here, but Leticia bothered you.”

“No, Your Majesty. It is an honor.”

Countess Eunice politely bowed her head. And she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“It doesn’t bother me at all. What an honor it is for the princess to call me Aunt.”

She didn’t even bother to change the subject.

It has already been five years since she knew what kind of person Artizea was. Artizea would be looking into her mind anyway, so it was better to just let it out.

After Leticia became aware of the concept of relatives, Countess Eunice was accepted as a member of the Imperial Family in a different way than before.

She used to be the Emperor’s daughter and yet the illegitimate child, so she was not legally guaranteed a status.

Her position gained by favor was inherently precarious, and without succession rights, there were risks.

Compared to that, how good is her life when she hugs the future Crown Princess and is called ‘Aunt’.

The distance from power was perfect. How many people can come to the Empress’ Palace after sending only one letter?

Solicitations and gifts poured down like a mountain. Countess Eunice only took in moderation enough so that she would not be guilty.

At first, she sent them all back to see Artizea’s countenance, but Artizea didn’t seem to really pay any attention to it.

Instead she had in mind that she had to work. The rabbit doll on her chest was one of them.

Countess Eunice sent Leticia’s two-year-old birthday present a doll the same size as the baby and clothes made of rabbit hide. Ever since Leticia wore that outfit and she held her birthday party with a bunny doll the same size as her, neither bunny clothes nor bunny doll fashion would go away.

The fashion spread to other places. The ladies quarreled and wore cute rabbit fur ornaments. In the interim, she wore a fist-sized rabbit fur decoration on her bag.

Besides, she loved babies.

Artizea offered her a seat. Countess Eunice said with a bashful smile,

“By the way, are you really not considering it?”

“What?”

“A second.”

Leticia thought that Countess Eunice was going to take her side, and she clinged to her lap.

“One is lonely.”

“I don’t know. When I gave birth, I suffered so much.....”

“Of course, our princess is in such good health, but it’s because you never know what the world will be like. The stronger the heir, the better, and Marquisate Rosan should also be passed on.”

Countess Eunice covered her mouth and said that she had said something silly.

It was a common story when the first baby grew up a little, but it was hard to say that because she was an imperial relative. Perhaps, the Empress Dowager was the only one who can talk like this.

Maybe she’s trying but it’s not happening.

‘Well, she was so weak.’

Before and after the Coronation, she thought she had grown old. People thought that it was the reason why she didn’t come out of the Empress’ palace at all and didn’t go out.

Now, Countess Eunice found her looking as fine as she was, except that in her view her hair color had not fully returned.

“I have no intention of leaving behind Marquisate Rosan. The same goes for the title of Grand Duke Evron.”

Artizea said.

“What’s the point of forcing generations to inherit? If you leave the old honor only, I think that’s enough.”

People already know how to separate lineage and ability. Sacrifice for the glory and lineage of the family is a value that should be abandoned.

The hereditary title was simply not worthy of the new era in itself.

Artizea looked at Leticia as she sat on Mielle’s lap and shook her leg.

“Sister Mii, my book.”

It seems that she only rolled over yesterday, but Leticia was now able to talk and read picture books. It was before she was two years old that she began to mimic flipping pages of a book.

She didn’t know the letters yet, but she used to pretend to read by memorizing words on pages that Mielle often reads.

But when Artizea didn’t open the book next to her but instead opened the picture book, Leticia crawled back down from Mielle’s lap.