The Tamed Heiress

Two small fingers were made into tongs and gently stretched toward the end of the dragonfly’s wings. But even before it touched, the dragonfly flew away.

“Oh…”

Dana bowed her head deeply as she looked at the dragonfly that flew away with a disappointing face. It may be because Leon was told that she was his bride, but he was somehow concerned that her small shoulders were drooping.

“There are dragonflies all over here.”

“Huh?”

“Wait, I’ll catch it for you.”

“Really?”

The blue eyes that seemed to capture the clear autumn sky shone. Leon was proud of his small hand and somehow burdened by his liking.

“Yes, follow me.”

Still, he shouted confidently and headed toward the inside of the garden, and Dana nervously followed him.

Owen and Russell watched the children from the second floor of the room. Even though it had been a while since the two met, they didn’t talk for a while.

“…Did you hold the funeral well?”

“Yes, I put on makeup and sprayed it on sunny places.”

Owen’s eyes turned red. He looked out the window on purpose to hide it. Russell looked sideways at him and carefully opened his mouth.

“… I’m sorry. Your Grace.”

“What’s there to be sorry about?”

“He… After running away together for a long time… Listen to me…”

“Did you think I’d blame you for that?”

Owen turned his head and looked at Russell and tapped him on his shoulder.

“I was more relieved because it was you. You are a responsible and good person, so you must have made her happy.”

“Yeah, it was hard wandering around… I was so happy to have a child.”

“Protect your child well. Sophia is… a persistent person. I’ll keep an eye on her, but in Elisha’s time, she did things without even a mouse or a bird.”

Owen sighed with a gloomy look. In a situation where there was doubt but no physical evidence, he could not drive his wife, Sophia, as the culprit.

Furthermore, Elisa was the woman of the fallen nobility and was even more so because she was wanted.

Russell clenched his fist and said, suppressing his anger.

“Yes, I used to pick up several children of similar age and take them around on purpose. Even at the top, only a few people know who she really is.”

“Then who usually takes care of the child?”

“I put a nanny who can’t talk. I’d like to ask Countess Felice to educate her when she grows up a little bit more.”

“If it’s Mrs. Felice… How do you know her?”

Russell explained to Count Felice in a reliable voice.

“Yes, she is my mother’s relative. She’s a strict and upright teacher, so she’ll be a good teacher.”

“The child is the last in the bloodline of the Romoc family. All I have is a guilty heart. No, it’s a sin for everyone in the kingdom that’s gone.”

“At that time, that was the best we could do. But I heard that the Haschel Empire is very considerate of this side.”

It had been a long time since it became a country, but they still talked about the Haschel Empire as if they were talking about another country.

“Caring, well.”

Owen smiled fishy and readily disagreed with Russell.

“Then, I don’t think Elisa would have to run away like that… she wouldn’t have died.”

“Your Grace.”

“If she knew we met today, she wouldn’t stay still again.”

“Yes, I’m going to wander around the continent with my child for a while. I want to let her see and experience a lot.”

Owen nodded lightly, and Russell suddenly knelt on one knee as he saw him. He took out two rolled papers that he had in his arms and held them out.

“Your Grace.”

Owen looked down at him with grateful and sorry eyes, not stopping him.

“All the money at the Deniz merchants is the property of the Tertius family. It was done with the seed money Your Highness entrusted to me. I will never do it in vain. And I’ll give it back to you whenever and whatever it is. I’m here to promise you that.”

“How can you be so obsessed with what you’ve been called? There’s a clearer way than that.”

“What’s that method?”

Owen took his eyes off Russell and stared out of the window. Eyes remained on the children running between the gardens for a while.

“Leon is a pretty picky guy, and he plays well with your daughter.”

Owen’s way of speaking was somehow filled with serious mischief. At what he said, Russell also stood up and looked at Dana and Leon.

“The relationship that Romoc’s veins have had with our Tertius is not just one or two generations long. It’s not a grand idea to regain the old glory, but doesn’t it feel strange to see him like that?”

“Your Highness, may I…?”

“No, it’s not. That’s also a blood call. But you need to be a little more solid. Also, I have to give that child a suitable position again. Otherwise, Elisa, who went first, and Romoc’s family will not be able to see each other.”

They lowered their voices and talked a little more. The expressions of the two who left the door seemed mixed, but when they saw the approaching children, they brightened up again.

Owen looked at Dana gently and smiled.

The children ran quite a bit, and young Leon was staring at Dana from the side with his cheeks blushed.

“Well, she looks a lot like her. For you… I’m always grateful.”

“No, Your Highness. I will always live with the guilt. I hope you stay healthy for a long time…”

“I’m sorry for you. I can’t even raise my head. Because I couldn’t stop her even though she was next to me… I promise this child will definitely be greeted by Duchess Tertius.”

“Your Grace.”

Unlike when he first met him, Russell politely greeted Owen as an example of a Knight. Dana pulled Russell’s hem from the bottom. The other hand held Leon’s hand tightly.

“You’re already going… I haven’t caught a single dragonfly yet.”

Dana muttered in a gloomy voice, and Leon, who didn’t say much, was also full of regrets on his face.

After a long time, Owen stroked the tops of the two children’s heads with a pleasant smile.

“Guys, you’ll be together for a long time in the future.”

At that, Leon recalled Owen’s words that Dana was a priest earlier.

“Really? See you again?”

Dana opened her eyes wide and checked with Leon once again. Leon grabbed Dana’s hand, which he was holding tightly, and put it down.

“Yes, see you again.”

He thought the two children would be able to meet again soon, but it took much longer than he had expected.

In the meantime, a lot had happened to each of them, and they had completely forgotten their memories of each other.