A witch crying, and sobbing like a child at that.

And moreover, that cry was not for herself.

Though there were some inexplicable aspects, Pellio and Louise observed the situation.

At least outwardly, Anri easily permitted Ermedillin and Ferdant’s meeting.

“Let’s go see her together once the Empress has calmed down. She is staying at a mansion near the palace.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Ermedillin, her face soaked with tears and snot, bowed her head with a faint smile. Her appearance seemed very alien yet familiar to Anri’s eyes.

Seeing her pitiable appearance, Anri unknowingly reached out to brush back Ermedillin’s disheveled hair.

But fortunately, Loony was one step ahead.

Watching Loony skillfully arranging Ermedillin’s hair, Anri felt relieved that his hand hadn’t been the first to reach out.

“It’s late today, so rest for now. I will arrange for you to meet your son whenever you wish.”

His voice softer than usual, perhaps his heart softened by seeing a woman cry so loudly, Anri spoke.

Ermedillin stared at the retreating figure of Anri with complex eyes.

‘He is also my husband. Another family that’s less than a man, using me, ready to execute me.’

His affection and consideration were never for his wife, who was a family member.

It was only for the Empress, his political partner, to prevent the dignity of the royal family from being damaged.

In this world, Ermedillin had family connected by blood, and by marriage, but she was utterly alone.

Ermedillin’s wickedness had undoubtedly far surpassed a forgivable level, but one could somewhat imagine how desperate she must have been, with her only family, her son, held hostage.
Of course, it is rare for someone to make the horrifying choice to torment others over and over again, just because their family is being held hostage.

In that respect, Ermedillin’s wickedness in the novel is inexcusable.

She is indeed a witch, a heartless demon made of stone.

But that demon was an abused daughter, a neglected wife, and someone’s mother.

“I still have things to discuss, but I seem to have collapsed, and the Prince has come all the way here.”

Ermedillin, having momentarily composed herself, tried to raise her voice and smiled at Pellio, who was standing a little behind.

“Ah, yes. Well…….”

In truth, he had followed her out of concern for Ermedillin’s condition rather than for discussion, but she herself was unaware of this fact.

Anri had left just a few minutes ago.

Thus, Pellio’s reaction to Ermedillin, who had cried and then recovered too quickly, was apprehensive.

“Your Majesty, it is almost dinner time. Would you like to talk with the Prince while having a meal?”

But the shrewd Loony quickly grasped the situation and tried to refresh the atmosphere.

It was not difficult to ignore emotional wounds when reallife problems were piling up.

Since she was very young, Ermedillin had practiced this half willingly, half forcefully, so returning to the problems at hand was quick.

Loony, who hadn’t grown up so pleasantly either, also had this ability.

Thus, in the situation where Anri and Louise had returned, only Pellio was unable to escape from the mood of just a moment ago.

A woman had cried.

That woman was surely a demon that wouldn’t even bleed if pricked, or if she did bleed, the blood would undoubtedly be a poison that could kill a person in an instant.

But the tears that flowed from her eyes were not poison.

They were just transparent liquid that aimlessly rolled down her white cheeks and weakly fell when they reached her slender chin.

Restless, utterly restless.

He stood still, as if turned into a pillar, but inside, Pellio was in chaos.

It had been 7 years since his mother passed away.

Even before that, Pellio, who had never been assertive, had a rapidly worsening attitude toward women after his mother’s death.

He was dragged into various social gatherings but found it hard even to converse with women or to make light greetings.

Moreover, Ermedillin was not just crying but wailing. And now she was smiling lightly, looking at Loony.

Pellio had no idea what reaction he should have in such a case.

“Prince, how about having dinner with me and finishing our unfinished conversation?”

Calm Ermedillin’s voice reached Pellio’s heart, lost in a sea of confusion.

Like a single beam of a lighthouse illuminating a night sea devoid of any starlight.

“The young master will want to see you too.”

“?”

A somewhat irrelevant answer to the question, but Ermedillin quickly grasped his meaning.

Pellio had offered words of comfort in his own way.

“So, you mean you will have dinner? Or you won’t? Is this also a secret?”

Pellio was just chewing his lips and not eating the prepared food.

‘A secret? A secret?? A secret???’

The playful tone in Ermedillin’s voice was growing louder in his head.

Of course, Pellio knew well that Ermedillin was just teasing him.
And he should have lightly laughed off that remark.

But the moment he heard that word, the memory from before vividly came to mind, and Pellio involuntarily let out a strange sound.

“Th…uh…hehehehe.”

He originally meant to respond with “As if I would take it lightly?” but his tongue got twisted halfway.

Pellio wanted to hide in a mouse hole if there was one, but Loony began to roll on the floor, clutching her belly.

“Uhaha, uhahahahahahahaha! Uhahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Apparently, the witch was not Ermedillin but her maidservant Loony.

Ermedillin made a dumbfounded expression and scolded Loony for Pellio who was standing blankly.

“It seems the gentleman’s tongue has become twisted for a moment. It must be embarrassing, so stop laughing.”

But even Ermedillin, trying to stop Loony, seemed unable to completely suppress her laughter as she tightly clenched her teeth, her shoulders shaking.

“Heh, heh. He,he,heh.”

Ermedillin was almost out of breath, trying to suppress her laughter.

“Just laugh, okay? Don’t faint again because of holding in your laughter.”

Though she was teasing in her way, as soon as her words ended, Ermedillin too began to laugh uproariously.

“Uhaha. Uhaha. Uhahahahahahahahahaha!!”

Ermedillin and Loony, holding each other, almost wailed as if crying, wiping away tears before finally stopping their laughter.