Episode 132

Side Story 1. Summer Vacation (5)

Just before entering the parlor room, the “guest” was seen through the door.

The woman sitting on the velvet sofa, leaning her arms against the armrest, was beautiful and elegant.

‘Wow……’

The green and sky blue dress with the shoulders exposed looked fresh with dew on it.

The gold ring, decorated with the fingers of a woman stretched out, adds elegance.

Unlike her time at the Academy, when she had her hair untied or tied high, she had a lot of red hair on her back, showing her spirit suitable as the master of the southern part of the country.

“Yerine!”

As soon as I stepped into the parlor room, the elegant woman in question ran to me and hugged me tightly.

“Oh, my God, Astra, if you did that, I would’ve been locked up in a dungeon at the Imperial Palace.”

“You’re always the exception, Yerine.”

Then Cassius approached with a smile.

“Astra, if you knew that, you shouldn’t play tricks on me.”

“Oh, my God, are you willing to show mercy?”

Astra replied with a big smile.

“I’ve brought you a present. Can you take a look?”

“A present?”

Astra smiled and stepped aside when I asked.

Then a large basket of fruit hidden behind her appeared.

“What is this?”

The basket, decorated with green ribbons, contained full of delicious fruits.

“Isn’t this Clapney?”

I asked, pointing to yellow fruit with a shiny surface as if it had been polished.

“Yes, that’s right. I only picked the best local specialty.”

Astra smiled brightly and gave me a basket in my arms.

“Thank you very much, Astra. I heard this is really good.”

Then Casius put his arm around my shoulder, added.

“Yes, and it’s an honor to receive it directly from the local lord, Duke Jacqueline.”

“No, I don’t think that what the Emperor would be saying.”

Astra replied with an exaggerated look at Cassius’s teasing.

I tapped on the backs of those two people and spoke.

“Well, how about this? Let’s not talk standing up, let’s sit down and talk.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s good.”

The basket of fruit from Astra was placed on the table and placed alongside Cassius on a dark green velvet sofa.

Sitting across from us with the table between us, Astra slowly blinked her sky-blue eyes and smiled.

“Now you two have some time to go out on a date. How were you before I came?”

“Yes, I’ve only been here for two days, but I’m doing fine.”

Astra turned to me with a satisfied look at Cassius’s positive response.

“Hmm, how do you feel about coming south?”

The villa was located in the south, in the territory of the Duke of Jacqueline.

Of course, the villa belonged to the imperial family, but it was the territory of Duke of Jacqueline from the moment we left the entrance of the estate to the site.

This place was very close to the fortress where Astra lived, so I made an appointment with her as soon as the vacation schedule was set.

As I was visiting the territory of the Duke of Jacqueline, I thought I wanted to meet her, whom I had not seen for a long time since the Housekeepers meeting.

“I love it. I don’t think I’ve been annoyed all day.”

I leaned on Cassius’s arm like an arm pillow and spoke in a drowsy voice.

***

Three people who had a secret tea party last night gathered again when the Duke of Spade and the Emperor were explaining to their old friends what had happened so far today.

“Now, it would be fine with this product.”

Chester tapped on the head of the new bed and shouted in a confident voice.

“Yes, it looks much more stable. I was worried that it would take a long time to replace it, but I’m glad.”

Clayton held his hands tightly together and glistened his eyes.

“Well, it’s gonna last a little longer, right?”

Maya rolled her brown eyes around and spoke in an uneasy voice as if she was unsure.

“It’ll last longer than the former bed.”

Chester rubbed his finger under his nose, reassuring Maya.

“And if it’s going to break, we can change it again. We did it once, so why can’t we do it twice?”

“That’s true.”

Maya, who nodded, glanced down at the bed and put her hands on her cheeks.

“They’re not married yet, but I think they’re already married. The way they look at each other is so sweet! It would be great if they get married soon.”

“Hmm, I know.”

Clayton responded by fixing his glasses.

“After the wedding, I’ll have to replace the palace bed with a strong one.”

The other two people also nodded at his low voice.

***

“Ahaha! So, you’re a high treason criminal who overworked your lover enough to break the bed?”

Cassius grabbed his belly and looked down disapprovingly at Astra, who couldn’t stop laughing.

“Astra, aren’t you laughing too hard?”

“But it’s so funny. How well have you been playing?”

“I don’t know. We thought we were playing moderately, but it wasn’t the case for everyone else.”

I nodded, adding to Cassius’s words.

“Right. They thought we had a lot of fun. Of course, in ‘that’ matter.”

“Stop, Yerine, it’s so funny that I’m going to die.”

Tears were forming around her eyes, waving her hands and telling me to stop talking.

“Oh, my God. This is the Imperial villa, but if it was my castle, I would roll around and laugh.”

“No, I’m serious. Look at me being falsely accused of being a sinner.”

Cassius seemed to be disappointed, but Astra was busy holding back her laughter.

“Well, it’s true that it’s funny.”

“Even you, Yerine…….”

“Oh, I think this is going to be a long story. Can I tell Rachel a little bit?”

There was no reason to hide it from Rachel since I already told Astra.

So I nodded and answered in a drowsy voice.

“Yes, whatever you want.”

“Oh, Rachel’s fine, but Blothea and Eugene, please.”

“I can’t do that. They will show the funniest reaction.”

Cassius looked gloomy as he saw Astra smiling and refusing with a single stroke.

“Isn’t everyone too fond of making fun of me?”

“That’s how friendly we are. Friendly Emperor, isn’t that nice?”

“Yerine, that’s why you’re making fun of me a lot these days.”

“Now you know?”

I smiled and touched Cassius’s nose with my fingers.

He narrowed his brows and made a pitiful expression.

It was like a puppy acting cute asking for forgiveness.

I held the face with both hands and pushed my head in.

‘Well, you’re handsome again today. I’m satisfied.’

However, I did not intend to speak this out of my mouth.

“Yeah. Every time I make fun of you, you always make this funny expression, how can I stay still?”

“What? Fun? Are you saying I’m getting ugly?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Astra, who was looking at the two of us, opened her mouth with a cheerful voice.

“I understand your desire to keep teasing His Majesty, Yerine.”

Taking her body off the back of the sofa and dyeing her cheeks with a peach light, she seemed really excited.

“So when I’m at home, I keep…….”

But she suddenly shut up while she was talking.

She remained silent for a while afterward.

“Astra?”

The voice did not flow out between the slightly open lips, and the eyes, which had been shining like stars, had a dark shadow that had never been seen before.