“As a family?”
The contemplation subsides, and now I return to reality.
I continued the conversation while sitting on Joseph’s lap as he combed my hair.
“Yes, don’t we have a nice vacation spot?”
“…A nice vacation spot?”
My face contorted, wondering if he meant the Alperon lands.
In truth, the Alperon lands are just a name; in reality, it’s a desolate place abandoned for a thousand years amidst collapsed magic towers and lush nature.
No matter how much magic was used to create a resort there, it wouldn’t be a place where one could rest comfortably.
Perhaps only Euphemina and Raphael, who enjoy hunting and such, might find it agreeable.
“Don’t you know?”
Joseph said, bringing my hair caught on his fingertips to his lips for a light kiss.
“Isn’t Hotel Chronos about to be completed?”
“Ah…”
“They’ll start taking reservations from next year, so wouldn’t it be nice to use it as a castle for my wife and our children until then?”
He immediately narrowed his eyes and smiled gently.
It was as he said.
Hotel Chronos was finally scheduled to be completed at the beginning of this winter after a long construction period.
In fact, construction was already finished, and safety inspections were currently underway. Especially for the elevators going up to the ultra-high floors, no amount of safety checks seemed enough.
And when they start proper facility maintenance and interior work from winter…
‘By summer, the timing should be just about right.’
It sounded like quite a good suggestion. Enough to make me nod unconsciously.
“Well, it seems the worry has been resolved.”
In an instant, the shadow on the ceiling blocked the moonlight coming through the window. Instead, a red light source drew closer, and simultaneously, a sweet bodily scent wafted over.
“Now, please focus on me.”
He burrowed between my silk nightgown that had been pooled like water until just now, and settled in.
[This is the timeline separator]“Wonderful! Staying at the hotel with Mother, right? Let’s wear matching clothes, go on picnics, and take portraits. Just like we did last time!”
Euphemina, who had returned from her honeymoon, was very pleased with my suggestion.
The sight of a grown lady jumping up and down in anticipation of next year’s schedule was excessively lovable.
Her still dazed-looking innocent face was also charming.
However, Crown Prince Raphael’s expression wasn’t so good.
“Um, Euphi. Have you perhaps forgotten? Next summer, we’ve already planned a hunting trip to the summer palace with His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Ah, that’s right! I had forgotten.”
…So what happened?
What could be done, given there was a prior engagement?
I tried not to show my disappointment.
Euphemina and Raphael seemed to have some lingering regrets as well, saying they would try to persuade Emperor Silain, but I stopped them.
The priority of promises is important. Breaking a prior engagement depending on circumstances isn’t a desirable attitude.
“It can’t be helped. Instead, I hope we can spend next summer together.”
“I hope Kar elder brother and Chelsie are busy too. I don’t like monopolizing Mother…”
“Huhuhu. You shouldn’t say such things.”
Until I finally soothed Euphemina, who was acting childish to the end.
I really couldn’t have imagined that my daughter’s words would become reality.
“Ah, that’s right…”
Kardiel, who had just become Grand Duke, was busier than I had thought.
He was so busy that he returned to Daiern right after attending Euphemina’s wedding.
It seemed he intended to wrap up this year’s social season like that.
Upon receiving the letter, I clicked my tongue in disappointment again, but it couldn’t be helped.
Well, even if it weren’t for the construction, it was Kardiel’s first year of managing the territory entirely on his own. So it’s right for him to stay put.
Even if circumstances changed and he became less busy.
I’m really inconsiderate. Making such a thoughtless suggestion to go on vacation during such an important period.
Kardiel’s letter concluded thus.
And it was as the child said.
“I…”
The splendidly completed Daiern mansion.
Chersion, who had been staying there alone with Kongsam because Kardiel went down to Daiern, rolled his eyes and hesitated at my suggestion.
“I heard you have academic-related schedules.”
“Umm… yes.”
“What kind of schedules do you have?”
When Joseph asked, Chersion chewed his lips, then blinked his reddened eyes and answered.
“The Academy… I want to enter it. To study…”
Oh my.
It was an unexpected plan. I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Chersion, perhaps embarrassed, continued in a small, mumbling voice.
“I’m… not good at studying like elder brother Kar… Memorizing books is easy, but studying isn’t something you can do like that.”
“That’s true. Especially the Academy entrance exam is quite difficult.”
“Yes, that’s why. To become a kind and good magician like elder brother Kar and father Joseph, I need to study and learn a lot… but I’ve only been playing around until now…”
So he meant he wanted to focus on studying.
Chersion is now fifteen years old. It means he has 3 years left to formally enter the Academy. By next summer, it will be 2 years left.
‘He’ll be an exam candidate then.’
Then he should study.
‘And it’s a time when he should do his best.’
I couldn’t tempt my son to play when he was determined to concentrate on his studies, of all things.
I patted Chersion’s shoulder in support of his decision and said.
“Then you’ll need more tutors.”
Of course, Teacher Ernestine is still Chersion’s personal music teacher.
Now, rather than that, he’s focusing more on creating works and writing legends every year.
Well, as a result, he was more like a godfather figure than a teacher.
Above all, since his specialty is music, it would be unreasonable to expect him to teach the academics needed for the Academy entrance exam.
So now, where and how should we find teachers…
While I was pondering this, Chersion spoke up.
“Um, actually, elder brother Kar has already found some good people for me. They’ll move in next Monday. Brother even conducted the interviews before going down to Daiern…”
“What…”
What did he say?
‘He’s already found tutors without even telling me?’
For a moment, I felt a surge of disappointment.
Even though I’m currently staying at the Alperon Imperial Mansion with Joseph! Even if I’m no longer the regent grand duchess!
‘But I’m still the Grand Duchess of Daiern!’
Shouldn’t I at least know who my son’s tutors are?
Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something, Joseph hurriedly pressed down on my shoulder to calm me.
“If our eldest son has thoroughly interviewed them, they must be good teachers. After all, Kardiel, as the Grand Duke of Daiern and Minister of Finance, is known to be strict and meticulous in everything, despite his young age.”
“Yes, yes! That’s right!”
“…”
My son Kardiel is indeed like that.
Come to think of it, Kardiel is now practicing handling Daiern’s affairs alone as the Grand Duke. It’s not good for me to interfere unnecessarily at a time like this.
If I’ve left it to him, I should trust him.
‘But, it should be okay to visit Chersion once and check on the tutors, right?’
I stood up. I didn’t want to disturb my son who was determined to study any further.
And so…
“The plan to spend the summer vacation as a family at Hotel Chronos has fallen through.”
I finally felt deflated.
On the way back to the Alperon Imperial Mansion in the carriage.
Seeing my slumped shoulders, Joseph exhaled with a “Hmm.”
“This is a bit unkind.”
Only then did I raise my head to look at Joseph.
He was frowning with both eyebrows, wearing an awkward smile, as if quite displeased.
“What do you mean?”
“Lieselotte, I’m wondering if I’m no longer an attractive partner to you.”
Huh?
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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