On the way back to my quarters.

I had gotten off the carriage and was trudging along the path.

‘My soul feels drained.’

Everything that happened during the day felt like a dream.

‘A very splendid nightmare, that is.’

The scheming sub-male’s ploy was enough to drain my soul completely.

I kicked the stones that got in my way.

‘Please give me time to think.’

I managed to delay my answer, but I didn’t think I could put it off for long.

I let out a quiet sigh.

‘Me becoming Kashar’s lover?’

And for the absurd reason that he liked my food.

On top of that, he said he liked me because I was funny.

‘Am I a comedienne or what.’

I felt a little flutter when he said the food was delicious, but he immediately poured cold water on it.

It was really ambiguous whether I should feel good or bad about this.

‘Besides, this wasn’t in the original story.’

I didn’t want to cause problems in the original plot because of me.

But thinking about it carefully, that wasn’t necessarily the case.

‘Come to think of it, I’m already trying to change things, aren’t I?’

Raising the twins properly was essentially the same as eliminating the villain of this story.

‘But will this be a problem?’

It was inevitable for Elseus to awaken as a saint, and in the end, she would have a happy ending with only the male lead.

As long as the two of them end up together, it should be fine, right?

As I was thinking this, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

‘Why do I keep thinking in the direction of doing it!’

I got goosebumps when I realized I had unconsciously gone with the flow of thinking it might be okay.

‘I think it’s better to refuse.’

He was supposed to come for my answer in a week, but the answer was already decided.

If he tries to find fault with my refusal.

‘I guess I’ll just cook some more for him.’

He definitely seemed to like the food I made.

There was nothing good to come from getting more entangled.

I quickened my pace.

‘I should hurry and make dinner.’

This was the first time I had been apart from the twins for more than half a day.

Maybe that’s why I missed the children more than usual.

I could see the Cold Palace in the distance. But the entrance was obscured by people.

“What’s going on?”

By this time, the loading and unloading of the gifts sent by Kashar should have been finished.

The gathered people were palace servants.

Emma was responding to the one at the very front.

‘Why so suddenly? Were the gifts too conspicuous?’

I arrived at the entrance almost at a run.

Emma, who spotted me first, looked relieved, as if she had been saved.

“Lady Eileen!”

“Yes, I’m back.”

I reassured Emma and stepped forward.

“I am the maid in charge of the palace. What’s the matter?”

When I asked without even catching my breath, the visitors turned their heads towards me.

The middle-aged woman who had been talking to Emma spoke up.

“We’ve come to see the young princes.”

“Please speak to me.”

While conversing, I checked their appearance and attire.

Seeing no palace insignia, they weren’t palace servants. Which made it even more strange.

‘Why would a noble family’s maid come to the Cold Palace?’

It’s not like they came to make connections with the abandoned princes.

When I took a firm stance, the maid snorted.

“Well, fine. Marchioness Lemang has invited the young princes to the Auloze party.”

“…Pardon?”

As I asked in surprise, goosebumps rose all over my body.

I had just remembered something I had forgotten.

‘Why did I forget about this?’

It wasn’t just Eileen who had traumatized the twins.

Marchioness Tuberosha Lemang was a social madame and a businesswoman leading the empire’s food culture.

The problem was that she was a pro-Empress faction and would stop at nothing to curry favor with the Empress.

‘The Auloze party.’

It was a special party held only once a year, where each family showcased special drinks or snacks made with secret recipes.

The twins in the original story were also invited to the party.

That wasn’t out of the Marchioness’s sympathy, but a planned accident.

‘There was a problem at the party.’

In an incident where a drunk nobleman suddenly swung a decorative sword, Evan, who stepped forward to protect Louis, got stabbed in the leg.

‘It wasn’t an accident.’

Empress Wayeno despised all royal family members except the Crown Prince.

Knowing the Empress’s nature, the Marchioness deliberately invited the princes to cause a disturbance.

As proof, the incident that day was portrayed as a fight between the twins.

The Marchioness received land where rare plants grew as a reward.

This entire incident was summarized in just three lines in the original story, and Eileen continued the abuse afterwards.

But something was strange.

‘This happened in the spring when the twins were 8 years old.’

Since it was March now, this shouldn’t happen for another 10 months.

The original story had changed.

Could it be.

‘…Because I met Kashar?’

The invitation from the Marchioness was now in my hand.

“We look forward to your attendance without fail.”

There was an edge to the maid’s words.

Everyone knew that Marchioness Tuberosha was the Empress’s person.

How many unsupported royals had Empress Wayeno brought down so far?

‘She made them paraplegic or sent them into exile.’

Some even died.

‘She’s trying to eliminate them in advance.’

Royals awaken their dragon abilities around the age of 15.

The reason the Empress wanted to kill young royals was that she feared they would awaken special abilities.

The reason the Empress had left Louis and Evan alone until now was because the children hadn’t reached the age of awakening.

But contrary to the Empress’s expectations, the twins awaken their abilities at 8 years old.

This was an extremely rare case.

‘If I refuse her invitation.’

If the princes don’t move according to her plan, the Marchioness will immediately run to the Empress and whisper.

To do as she pleases with those loose-ended princes and kill them.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

I remained standing there for a long time even after all of the Marchioness’s people had disappeared.

“Lady Eileen, are you alright?”

“…Ah, yes. I’m fine. More importantly, the young princes.”

“Eileen−!”

I could see Louis and Evan in the distance.

Louis, who ran up first, threw himself into my arms in one leap.

“Where did you go!”

“I had a quick errand to run outside. Did you have fun playing?”

Louis’s face as he looked for me was bright.

I couldn’t harden my expression in front of him.

I forced a smile and hugged Louis tightly.

“Yes! There were so many toys! But I think it would have been more fun if Eileen played with us!”

“You’re speaking so prettily. Shall we play together after dinner?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll prepare dinner right away.”

“Okay okay, I’m hungry−!”

Louis tried to enter the palace holding my hand.

After being pulled along by the child’s strength for a moment, I reached out my hand towards Evan, who was standing blankly.

“E-Evan, shall we go in too?”

Unlike Louis who had spent the day happily, Evan seemed to be in a very bad mood.

Evan, who had been glaring at me, turned his back abruptly and went inside first.

Emma, looking at Evan with worried eyes, said,

“Evan has been in a bad mood all day.”

“…Mm, I’ll have to try to cheer him up. Let’s go in too.”

As I knew exactly why he was in a bad mood, I could only keep my head down silently.

Since I arrived late, dinner was simple.

Feeling sorry, I played with Louis for a long time until he was tired out.

‘Of course, Evan didn’t even snort.’

Although Evan didn’t participate in the play, he slept together with us.

I patted the blanket covering Louis and Evan for a long time.

Snore. Snore.

The sound of Louis’s breathing, who had fallen asleep early, echoed in the room.

His sleeping face was so lovely that I couldn’t take my eyes off Louis for a long time.

Eventually, my gaze turned to Evan.

Even though it had been a while since he lay down, Evan couldn’t fall asleep.

“Um, Evan. About today…”

I chose my words carefully for a long time.

How should I explain it so he won’t be hurt?

Seeing the child whose pride must have been badly hurt by what happened during the day, I wasn’t comfortable either.

When I couldn’t find the words, Evan sighed as if frustrated.

And then.

“Stop caring and worry about yourself.”

The child turned to face away from me. There was a firm intention not to converse.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t leave.

My gaze was directed at the blanket. Where Evan’s legs would be.

‘…They said a lot of blood was shed.’

In the original story, the twins’ fear stemmed from the sharp sword and the blood that stained the floor.

And it was all adults who drove the children to the extreme.

‘I must protect them.’

I have to protect the children. Any normal adult would have acted the same as me.

Before leaving the twins’ room, I spoke with sincerity.

“Sweet dreams, Louis, Evan.”

May you be happy even in your dreams.

I’ll block all the nightmarish things that might happen in reality.