Chapter 234

Perez came to the front of the Imperial Palace to see Florentia and the Patriarch of Lombardi off.

"Second Prince."

Rulac, who was about to get into the carriage, called Perez.

"It was His Majesty's order, so I will give permission. But don't even think about using Tia."

The Patriarch of Lombardi, whose fatigue can be seen on his face, was still taking care of his Granddaughter.

"With or without the money of Angenas, leave Tia alone. The Prince should take care of most of the things."

Rulac's love for his Granddaughter was something he knew well, so Perez nodded his head silently.

"Grandpa! It'll be a huge sum of money!"

Next to him, Tia grumbled with dissatisfaction.

"I mean, Claryvan Pellet should also be rewarded."

"Get as much as you need from Lombardi. That's fine, isn't it? I don't see why my Granddaughter is picking up where she left off."

"Did you forget that Pellet Corporation is mine, too? You want me to take my money and fill the hole in my business? That's more of a loss!"

"Well, that's true, but..."

Rulac couldn't refute Tia's words and was embarrassed.

"I'm going to tear down Angenas mansion and sell the bricks to get all the money."

Tia said, clenching her fist.

Her murmur, 'I don't know who will buy it because it's unlucky,' was also followed.

Rulac could no longer say anything to his Granddaughter, but started briefly at Perez.

"Do well on your own, Second Prince."

"Yes, I understand."

Tia patted Perez on the shoulder, who gave a flat answer. 'I don't know, I don't know!'

Even without speaking out, he could hear what she was saying with her eyes.

Perez quietly escorted Tia to their carriage with a smile at his mouth.

"Take a break."

Tia told Perez through the closing door.

"Don't overdo it."

It was a warm nagging, full of worries.

Click.

The carriage door closed, and Lombardi's carriage started to move.

Perez, who stood looking at the back for a moment, began to move busily.

After confirming that the Empress had arrived in the dungeon, he made a list of the Imperial Knights who followed the Empress.

Then he sent a trusted troop to the Angenas townhouse located on the Ecliptic to seal the door.

He sent letters to important families, including Killian who is the chairman of the aristocrac council, explaining what the Empress's clan had committed and the imperative to punish them severely.

Finally, he sent a letter of appointment to the Crown Prince, written by Yovanes in blurry letters, to the representative families of each region.

As if it has been done for a long time, Perez has done his work without hesitation.

The bureaucrats who were helping with the work next to him were amazed and their eyes were wide open.

Everything was done in just a few hours.

Perez, who worked like a machine without eating, drinking or resting, rose from his seat at some point.

"I will go alone."

He continued walking, leaving only those words to the Imperial Knights who followed him.

Perez's footsteps, which had continued to move as if he had no destination, arrived somewhere and stopped.

Whoosh~

In winter, bare branches that had fallen all its leaves made a wretched sound of wind.

Perez looked up at the palace in the scrawny forest.

The doorknob was broken, and the rusty door rattled every time the wind blew.

Perez took a few more steps towards the star palace.

He stepped on fallen leaves that had not yet rotted.

"Mother."

Perez frowned slightly at the awkward words that he hadn't spoken for so long.

It was as if he were wearing clothes that didn't suit him.

The word 'mother' didn't suit him.

Likewise, Perez's mother, Kayla, a maid-in-honor, was far from being a mother.

"My Prince, Your Highness."

His mother always called Perez that way.

Not as a son, but as if she was serving a master.

Kayla, Perez's mother, smiled broadly when he read the book and talked about it.

Even in the eyes of Perez, who is still young, that smile is so beautiful, and she looks so happy.

Perez eagerly read.

But, there was only one time though...

A moment Kayla showed something similar to affection.

In midsummer, he remembered the hand that swept his sweaty forehead after running around in front of the detached palace.

With no sign of filth, Perez still remembered the gentle hands that had been wiping away his sweat.

"Is it painful?"

Sadly, since then, most of the memories of his mother were those things.

With a sobbing voice looking for a Knight.

"Rather, kill me. Kill me now, please."

The dry fingers that held onto the Knight that the Empress sent to prevent her from entering the palace.

Kayla wanted to die.

And after that, she refused to eat on her own.

It was the only resistance Kayla could have made against a world that didn't give her the graces of death while not being helped by the Knights.

Perez opened the door that was swaying in jeopardy and stepped into the palace.

The birds that were building their nests in the collapsing ruins were surprised and can be heard flying away.

Some of the feathers they dropped were the most remarkable in that place.

The building, which would not be strange at any time, was filled with dust that could no be black or white.

"Mother. Don't die, mother."

Perez listened to him as a child, thinking that his trembling voice seemed to come from somewhere in the ruins.

With dry eyes that didn't even shed tears because of her refusal to drink water, Kayla spoke.

"Poor Prince. The Prince must live."

She leaves behind her son, who is only eleven years old, and she chooses to die, which she said.

"I have something to ask you, Prince. The Prince likes me, so will you listen?"

"Please listen. Will you follow your mother's words?"

"Live and kill the Emperor and Empress. If you feel sorry for me, please avenge me."

The ordinary powerless brown eyes gleaned fiercely at that time.

"Before that happens, the Prince must not die. Until you avenge me."

"Mother...?"

"You like me, so please do me a favor. Survive and avenge me...?"

Baiting a child's blind love for his mother, Kayla made such a cruel final wish.

"It's not over yet."

Perez's dry voice echoed in the high ceiling of the palace.

"Are you a little satisfied now?"

Mother.

The words were swallowed to the end.

A wind blew from somewhere and tickled Perez's bangs.

It was like a touch of the wind was wiping away his sweat that didn't suit the ruins, Perez closed his eyes.

The dark shadows of those days, when he longed for a piece of affection and endured the evil while surviving alone, seemed to seep into his whole body again.

It was then.

"I thought I told you to rest."

The gloomy energy that had been imprisoning Perez instantly shone and shattered by a bright clear voice heard from behind his back.

"Is our future Crown Prince not going to listen to me anymore?"

He could tell without looking back.

"...Tia."

"What are you doing here, Perez?"

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of small steps approaching without hesitation.

"Wait, I was organizing my thoughts."

Perez slowly turned back.

"Yeah, I thought you'd come here."

Tia looked at him and her green eyes seemed to glow.

And she said, looking back at the old palace.

"It's been a long time since I've been here. A place of memories."

"...Memories."

"Is it not? The first time we met in the forest in front of us, and the second time we met, we shared chocolate cookies in the bedroom over there."

"Ah."

Perez's red lips were slightly wide open.

"If I'm the only one who thinks so, I'm a little disappointed."

Tia laughed.

"No, me too."

Perez said, as if urgently excuses.

"I'm kidding, Perez. I thought I knew how you feel about coming back here, so I made a joke on purpose."

Tia, who said so, reached into Perez's chest.

"Isn't it weird?"

"Uh."

"You should be proud, though, It's all your achievements."

Tia's vivid green eyes were as intense as seeing through everything.

"Still, is that okay?"

"Of course, you survived and came this far."

Tia said in a low voice.

"Good job. You're really amazing. So now live a life for you, Perez. Not for anyone else, but for you---!"

Pere hugged Tia.

His hands trembled as he struggled with fear of hurting Tia with his strength and wanting to hug her tighter.

Tia, who seemed a little surprised, quickly patted Perez on the back.

"Tia."

"Huh?"

"Thank you."

Hugging her body tightly once more, Perez thought.

Now I will live a life for you.

I will live a life for you and me.

And right now, he revised his plan to demolish this villa.

"I have to rebuild this building."

"Why all of a sudden?"

At Tia's voice, who was buried in his chest and murmuring slightly, Perez replied with a quiet smile.

"As Tia said, it's a place that contains our memories."

In the woods near the Empress's Palace, this little villa without a name would now be remembered by him in that sense.

****

(Florentia's POV)

"A child in a new country, or an adult, should go to work now!"

I shouted like that, checking myself in front of the mirror.

"Do you like it so much? About liquidating the property of Angenas, my Lady?"

Laurel asked as she smiled at me.

"Of course, there were a lot of hidden assets! There was no money to pay off their debts, but there was money when we collect expensive jewelry."

How many secret places with expensive items are hidden throughout the large townhouse mansions?

Today's the third day, and seizing the assets of the Angenas family was fun as if they were going on a treasure hunt.

"What are you looking for today? Ruby? Diamond?"

I was about to answer, humming like that.

"Sister!"

"Oh, Crenny!"

From afar, Crenny, who was in a distance, approached with a big smile.

"I heard you came back from the academy. But I was so busy that I completely forgot."

"I thought so, so I came first."

He's tall, Crenny had a much brighter face than the time in his previous life.

Is my early education paying off?

It was natural because he was doing so much better in the academy that in his previous life.

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, to do some cleaning."

"Cleaning?"

"Yes, something like that. Is it urgent?"

Crenny shook his head at my question.

"No, I just wanted to see my sister's face, so I came to say hello."

"Oh, my pretty one."

I said, patting his head like when he was a kid.

"Would you like to come back tonight and have a meal together?"

"Yes! I want to tell you about what happened at the academy, and I also have a present for you!"

"Okay. This evening---oops!"

I stumble down the stairs while talking to Crenny.

"Uh, are you all right?"

I almost sprained my ankle.

Thanks to Crenny, who was next to me, I didn't get hurt.

"I can't. I'll escort you to the carriage, sister."

I thought he was only tall, but he has a lot of power on his hand that was holding me.

"When did you grow up like this?"

I tried to stoke Crenny's head again while saying so.

"...Crenny?"

Until I saw Crenny's smiling face turned white.

And the reason was immediately revealed.

"Who are you?"

Perez was approaching with a cold look.

With his gaze stuck in my hand, which Crenny is holding tightly.

--------

A/N: Oh ohh... you better introduce yourself fast, Crenny ma' boy.

So this is the chapter that was related to Chapter 213 where Perez reminisced about his mom and then on Chapter 213, Perez told the Lavigne that his mother died apologizing. I already checked Chapter 213 already, and so far so good! You don't have to go back since what I originally proofread was right. :))