TPOVF 25

Chapter 25

Knock, knock.

“Kyle, may I come in?”

“Yes, Teacher!”

As soon as she heard Yurenia’s knock and voice, a bright voice came from inside the room.

Her heart ached at the child’s cheerful response, unaware of what had happened outside.

‘For now, let’s follow the Duke’s instructions.’

Yurenia decided to bury the fact that Lillian was in critical condition for the time being.

There was no point in telling him in advance—it would only upset the child that much sooner. It wouldn’t be too late to tell him after they arrived.

Giving Kyle as much time as possible before he learned the sad truth was the greatest consideration Yurenia could offer him right now.

“Teacher, why?”

As the door opened, she quickly composed her expression. Then she smiled gently and spoke.

“Kyle, we need to pack our things.”

“Why? Where are we going?”

“We’re going to see your mother and your younger sibling.”

“Really?”

Kyle’s eyes went wide at Yurenia’s words.

“Really, Teacher?”

It was as if a bright light spread across the child’s face.

Delighted by the unexpected news, Kyle pulled her into the room. As soon as the door closed, the boy’s questions poured down like rain.

“When? When are we going? For how long? No, why are we going all of a sudden?”

“We need to leave right now. I’ll tell you the rest slowly.”

“Right now?”

At Yurenia’s explanation, Kyle’s excited expression shifted subtly.

He furrowed his brows and lowered his gaze. It seemed he was thinking deeply about something.

“…Okay.”

Unlike moments before, a low, subdued voice came from the child.

As if he had somehow guessed the reason.

“I’ll pack my own things.”

Kyle walked over to his desk and busily tucked papers into a small envelope. The paper he had been writing on just before was filled with dense black handwriting.

Yurenia’s heart stung watching the boy fold the paper with his small hands.

She felt she knew what it was without even looking.

It must be the letter he had been writing as a birthday gift for his mother.

She had wondered what he was working on so diligently by himself. It seemed he had been in the middle of writing a letter.

“This is all I need.”

“Alright. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Yurenia spoke kindly. She pretended to be calm as she brought out the luggage bag.

And instead of clumsy consolation, she tried to offer a warm smile.

For the sake of the child who was trying so hard to stay composed.

The Valerio family’s townhouse was the residence of its head, Chester Valerio.

His father, the Grand Duke of Hudson, and his sister-in-law, the Marchioness of Dalton, each resided in the Imperial Palace.

More precisely, they lived in the separate palaces within the imperial grounds reserved for nobles working in the imperial court.

So to visit them, one had to go to the Imperial Palace.

“They call them separate palaces, but it’s really like a small village of nobles living in the imperial service.”

Inside the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace, Chester explained calmly.

“A village?”

Yurenia, listening to him, exclaimed in admiration.

As a lower-ranking noble, she hadn’t known this fact.

That the homes of nobles serving the imperial court were separately provided within the Imperial Palace.

And that the scale was large enough to be called a village.

She knew the Imperial Palace was vast enough to encompass a mountain range, but it was still surprising.

“Strictly speaking, my sister-in-law has a house in the Imperial Palace. My father does too.”

“I didn’t know both of them worked in the imperial court.”

“Father serves as the State Mentor, advising His Imperial Majesty, and my sister-in-law serves as His Majesty’s aide.”

I see.

Yurenia nodded slightly.

Listening to Chester, she understood why the Valerio family was the empire’s greatest house.

It wasn’t simply because of wealth and power.

It was because of their close ties with the imperial family.

And that was thanks to the intimate positions of the Emperor’s advisor and aide.

“So do the two of them live together in one house?”

“Of course not.”

Chester chuckled. He looked at his nephew, who had fallen asleep with his head on Yurenia’s lap.

Having departed at night, Kyle had fallen asleep as soon as they set off. He lowered his voice so as not to wake the child.

“My sister-in-law lives in the separate palace, but my father doesn’t. He has a residence in the separate palace too, but most of the time he stays in the imperial family’s quarters. He’s close friends with His Majesty.”

Just then, the carriage tilted as it made a sharp turn.

Chester paused briefly to steady himself. A moment later, as the carriage entered a smooth road, he continued.

“So we won’t be seeing Father on this visit. …Unless the worst happens.”

The worst.

It was clear what Chester meant by that without having to spell it out.

A funeral.

If it came to holding Lillian’s funeral, they would see everyone then.

Though that must never happen.

“……”

Yurenia couldn’t find the right words and looked out the window.

Wishing that the peaceful time of the child sleeping soundly on her lap would continue.

The carriage stopped at the main gate of a large mansion located deep within the Imperial Palace.

The grand mansion, complete with a garden and a training ground, was so impressive that one would hardly believe it was inside the Imperial Palace.

The servants lined up at the main gate to welcome the guests were also impeccably courteous.

“Welcome, we have been expecting you.”

As the carriage door opened, the head servant approached and greeted Chester.

While Chester was stepping down, Yurenia woke Kyle.

As she tidied his sleep-mussed hair, the servants placed a footstool suited to the child’s height in front of the carriage.

“Young master, please step down carefully.”

“Mmm.”

Kyle rubbed his eyes, still drowsy.

“Where is my sister-in-law?”

Chester asked the servant who was greeting him. The head servant, who had been overseeing the accompanying staff and luggage carriages, answered promptly.

“She is in Lady Lillian’s room.”

Chester strode into the mansion without even a word of reply.

At his urgent movement, Kyle and Yurenia, who had stepped out of the carriage, hurriedly followed behind him.

—

A chilly air hung thickly within the mansion.

If one only looked at the elegant decorations and antique interior, it would have seemed bright, but the gloomy and somber atmosphere unique to a house with an invalid had consumed everything.

Perhaps that was why, despite it being midsummer, a chill could be felt.

“Lillian!”

Chester unhesitatingly went up the stairs in the center of the lobby and walked briskly down the corridor.

His voice calling for his nephew’s mother showed how urgent the situation was.

Yurenia followed Chester up to the second floor with Kyle. Then, about halfway down the corridor, she spotted a slightly open door.

Light was spilling out, suggesting Chester had just entered there.

Yurenia cautiously walked closer to the room with Kyle.

And when the two of them reached the doorway.

“You brought Kyle?”

A sharp and irritable woman’s voice was heard.

Yurenia cautiously looked through the crack in the door.

Through the gap, open about a handspan, she could see a woman with red hair and green eyes similar to Kyle’s, but a deeper shade.

The woman was a slender, tall, stunning beauty.

But she looked haggard, as if she hadn’t slept properly for a long time.

“I called only for Chet, so why did you bring Kyle…!”

The woman, who had been crying out sharply, felt a presence and whipped her head around.

In that moment, the gazes of Kyle, standing with Yurenia, and hers met in midair.

Kyle, seeing his mother after a long time, spoke in a trembling voice. And hesitantly, he reached out his hand toward her.

“Mother…?”

“Don’t come in!”

Maeve’s harsh cry cut through Kyle’s affectionate words.

Her eyes blazing, she strode over and grabbed the doorknob. Then, turning her face away from her son, she slammed the door shut.

*BANG!*

In front of the child desperately reaching for his mother, the harsh sound of the door closing violently echoed coldly.