Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Chapter 82  The carriage traveled on a well-traveled dirt road.Dense shade was provided by landscaping trees that had been carefully planted and tended, not naturally growing.A large fountain spouted cool water, and beside it were endless statues of mythical figures.‘I can’t believe there’s a country house this big not far from the capital.’The scale and grandeur of the place put my imagination to shame, as I had envisioned a small cottage as a country house.However, it was also true that there were some awkward corners to just admire the scenery of the mansion.‘Suddenly invited to dinner…’The letter sent by the Grand Duchess contained the contents of having a meal together at a country house on a hot day.I was puzzled by the sudden invitation, but since she said she wanted Escal to come with me, I assumed she was lonely, so I wrote back that I would accept it.With my body half out of the window, I turned to Escal, who was watching the outside.“Escal, sit up straight.”“Yes.”As Helios pointed out harshly, Escal immediately changed his posture and sat down.I closed the window and said to Helios.“It’s huge.”“His Majesty the Emperor has taken special care to create it. I’ve only heard of it, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it.”“It would be nice to rest without thinking.”The carriage drove across the spacious gardens and finally reached the front door.“We have arrived.”Helios’s words were barely out of his mouth when a servant ran up and opened the carriage door for him.“Welcome, Duke. Her Majesty the Grand Duchess is waiting for you.”“I don’t know if she’s been waiting for a long time…”Helios’s expression hardened slightly as he stepped out of the carriage at the servant’s greeting.“Helios?”“Oh, be careful.”Helios, who suddenly raised his head, got off the carriage and escorted me.As the carriage that had dropped off Escal left the front door, the servant opened the door of the mansion.“I’ll take you inside.”I took Escal’s hand and entered the mansion.Like a country house, it was cozy inside. The house was built with logs, so even though it was indoors, a cool breeze blew.While we were looking around the mansion, thinking it would be a good place to spend a hot summer, Grand Duchess Crawford greeted us.“Welcome, Duke. It must have been hard to come here in the hot weather.”“No at all, Grand Duchess.”“Thank you for the invitation.”“Thank you for coming.”The Grand Duchess, who was greeted with a rare gentle expression, smiled at Escal.“Escal is here too.”“Hello, Grand Duchess.”“Yes. Come on.”Grand Duchess Crawford gently stroked Escal’s head. Her eyes were warm, as if looking at her grandchildren.“I’m going to the market, so let’s go to the dining room.”“Yes.”I stood next to the Grand Duchess and naturally supported her.“Where has the Countess of Walford been?”“She seems weary of the heat, so I sent her to rest for a few days.”“I’ll take you down.”“That’s why I called you.”Grand Duchess Crawford answered with a smirk.For some reason, it was quite enjoyable.‘But why is Helios doing that?’Helios, whose expression had not been bright since he got off the carriage, still looked somehow eerie.The doubt was quickly resolved.In the dining room with Grand Duchess Crawford, guests who had come before us were seated.“Come now, Duke.”“… I see, Your Majesty.”Ah, somehow it didn’t feel right.Helios knelt down on one knee and bowed to the Emperor. I bent my knee slightly as I realized what was happening.“I see, Your Majesty.”“It’s a private place, but you don’t have to be polite.”The Emperor smiled kindly and raised Helios.It wasn’t just the Emperor. The Empress, Prince, and Princesses. All five members of the royal family were seated around the table.Furthermore.“Greetings, Duke Anthemion. This is my cousin Sirius Peterson.”Sirius was there too.Helios’s neck trembled as his eyes met Sirius.He’d played it cool in front of me, but it was clear he still held a grudge.Helios, who succeeded in suppressing his emotions, reached out.“Hello, Sir Peterson. This is Helios Anthemion.”“Nice to meet you, Duke Anthemion.”Sirius responded cleverly and took Helios’ hand.Seeing ‘I’ll see you again’ means that we’ll keep that day a secret.I politely greeted you.“Hello. I’m Lenia Anthemion.”“It is an honor to meet you, madam.”Sirius kissed the back of my hand, as if to approve. Helios’s eyebrows narrowed, and I quickly pulled my arm away.“Come on, sit down.”I took a seat in an empty chair and the servants brought a trolley full of food.Seeing that the table is so colorful but there are no crustaceans, you sent the invitation with a determination.I swallowed the leaking sigh and covered my face with a glass of wine.It’s the plight of an uninvited guest at the imperial family’s intimate dinner. If I had known it was a place like this, I wouldn’t have come.… She knew I would say no, so she didn’t say it on purpose.I drank the wine one after another, wondering if this must have been the reason Helios’ expression was not good from the moment he got off the carriage.“I think your wife likes alcohol.”Sirius, who had been watching me, said playfully. I hesitantly rolled my eyes at him.“I was thirsty while coming.”“It was very hot today.”He quietly accepted my words and emptied the glass.“As usual, the imperial liquor is delicious.”“Drink in moderation. Don’t get drunk in front of guests.”“Don’t worry. I don’t even get drunk in any way.”At Sirius’ generosity, the emperor received the word.“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, so drink to your heart’s content. If you get drunk, I’ll carry you.”“Haha, I’ll drink to the brim if I can be carried on your back.”“It’s because I don’t have such a cunning slate. That’s why you couldn’t get married at your age.”“It’s okay if you’re married, it’s okay if it’s not.”“Don’t talk nonsense, find a good marriage partner and get married soon.”At Grand Duchess Crawford’s sarcasm, Sirius swung his eyebrows.“I would like to, but there is no woman in the kingdom that I like.”“Then we should look for it here. Wasn’t there a woman that caught your eye at the banquet?”“There was, but that woman….”Clink! The wine glass Helios was holding hit the marble floor and shattered.“I’m sorry. My hand slipped.”Helios, who stopped Sirius from speaking with a sharp burst, opened his mouth calmly.Grand Duchess Crawford asked with a surprised look.“Are you hurt, Duke?”“It’s okay.”“Bring me a new cup.”While the Grand Duchess asked the maid for a new cup, I pinched Helios’ thigh painlessly.I really don’t know why you’re being so childish.The Grand Duchess, unaware of the nerves between the two men, nagged again.“You chase after monsters day and night, which woman likes you? You have to stop now and take over the family.”“I want to do that too, but there are still a lot of them I need to catch.”“How long do you plan to live like that? Then, if you get hurt, who will be responsible for the rest?”“Yes, Sirius. What your sister said is correct. Your brother would have been relieved if you stopped.”“Until next winter. 10 years should be enough.”Sirius accepted the Emperor and the Grand Duchess’s request with laughter.Helios, who had been listening silently, suddenly opened his mouth.“Is that why you’re visiting the Empire?”“What do you mean?”“If a demon hunter has come to the Empire, doesn’t that mean that the time has come for the Empire to be infested with demons?”“……”The Emperor’s expression turned serious at the sharp question.“Is that what you mean, Sirius?”“Well, I suppose you could look at it that way.”It was an ambiguous answer, neither positive nor negative.“I’m sure you’re aware that demons are usually at their peak as winter approaches. I came here just to see you two.”“Then I’m glad.”“Still, I think it would be better to strengthen defenses before winter comes.”“Do what you say.”The Emperor nodded with a slightly relieved look.I didn’t know much about the Empire, but I often heard that local territories were troubled by monsters that appeared every time.Considering that Tiaris were also seriously injured by monster attacks, the appearance of monsters seemed not uncommon.Even in the original story, Escal made a contribution to killing monsters, so if it goes on, the whole Empire was going to suffer because of the monsters in a few years.Of course, that shouldn’t be the case.As the atmosphere grew heavy and I looked worriedly at Escal, who rolled his eyes at me.The child who recognized the existence of the monster because of Tiaris looked nervous.“Escal, it’s okay. Go ahead and eat.”I soothed him as I scooped the cutlets from the bowl onto his plate.“Hah, it looks like you talked about something in front of the kids.”Grand Duchess Crawford clicked her tongue lightly.