Chapter 63:
"A magician''s oath?"
"Yes. If there are promises that must be kept, magicians often make oaths."
Sarah held up her pinky finger. A bright azure thread was connected to ude''s pinky finger.
"If they don''t keep the oath, magicians will lose their power and, in the worst case, die."
"......Nanny!"
ude was startled and called out to Sarah. Sarah said, stroking the boy''s hair softly.
"I just made an oath with ude-nim. It''s an oath to stay with ude-nim until he''s happy."
"Nanny"
"So, don''t worry. I''ll always be by your side until ude-nim bes really happy."
Tears welled up in ude''s eyes at the sound of Sarah''s sweet voice. It was real tears, not fake tears like before.
"Why, why are you doing this?"
ude finally asked with tears in his eyes.
"I heard Nanny was my mother''s friend. I made her die, don''t you hate me?"
The child''s voice trembled faintly with fear. Sarah really poured out an infinite amount of affection on him. He could tell just by looking at those eyes. That Sarah likes ude a lot. So the more he tried to be happy, the more he liked Sarah''s affection, the more... ude became anxious.
''What if she hates me again after that?''
''What if Nanny resents me because she misses my mother?''
''What if she leaves me?''
He didn''t remember ever getting his hands on anything. Even more so for a precious person. ude couldn''t sleep at night, thinking she was someone who could leave at any time.
"There is something I want to tell ude-nim someday."
"What?"
"It''s not yet the time, but one thing is certain: ude-nim is a child worthy of love."
""
"The mistakes, were done by the adults. ude-nim shouldn''t think of those mistakes as yours."
Sarah''s face darkened painfully. How long would she be able to hide that truth from ude? In fact, she was afraid too. When ude found out all the truths, how would he react? Would he hate Dieline, or would he resent her? Or would he be happy that his mother was alive? Or if he found out that it was Sarah who did all this.
''He might hate me. He might loathe me.''
Just imagining ude looking at her with sharp eyes made her heart ache. So Sarah wanted to do her best to make ude happy. When Dieline''s absence and the misfortunes of childhood could no longer shake him, she would confess everything and beg for forgiveness. And that would be the day when Sarah broke the oath she made with her disciples.
"Did you do something wrong? Nanny?"
Sarah nodded slightly at ude''s question.
"Yes, it is a mistake that I may not be forgiven for the rest of my life."
ude pondered for a moment at Sarah''s words. No matter how much he thought about it, it was because Sarah had done nothing wrong to him. However, ude didn''t care what his nanny had done to him. She was the person he needed the most, the person he appreciated the most, and the person he loved most of all.
"Then I will forgive you."
".......!"
"Whatever Nanny did wrong to me, I''ll forgive you! Because I like Nanny."
Sarah''s eyes widened at ude''s words. It might have been just the words of a child who knew nothing, but Sarah felt somehow saved by those words.
"ude-nim"
"You can stay with me for as long as you feel sorry for me. I like it."
Toc toc, transparent tears fell from Sarah''s eyes. ude raised his small hand and wiped the tears as Sarah began to cry like him.
"Nanny is crying, too."
"Yes, it''s all because of ude-nim."
"Why is it because of me? Nanny is crying!"
"I don''t know, it''s because of ude-nim, so give me a hug."
"......Hi hi hi."
udeughed and jumped into Sarah''s open arms.
<b>***</b>
"His Majesty the Emperor of the Crombell Empire ising!"
All the nobles in Stenia Hall stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads to show their manners. The Emperor was the noblest and wields undisputed power in this Empire. Kylos de Crombell. Although he was old and decrepit, they felt strength in his steps across the Stenia Hall to the seat of honor. The nobles exchanged subtle nces with each other as if the appearance showed that it was not yet time to put down his power.
"The third glory of the Crombell Empire, His Highness the Third Prince ising!"
Following the Emperor, the Third Prince, Eleon de Crombell, entered Stenia Hall. He had long blond hair resembling the Emperor and roughly tied it up, and he was a handsome man with an innocent look. However, his darkly sunken eyes and straight lips clouded his impression.
"Why is His Majestying in with His Highness the Third Prince?"
"Come to think of it, I heard that His Highness the Third Prince carried out the secret orders given by His Majesty this time."
"It sounds like His Majesty''s interest was notpletely leaning towards the Second Prince?"
The nobles quickly saw through the Emperor''s intentions. Although he attended a party hosted by the Second Prince and supported him, he did notpletely rule out the Third Prince.
"Indeed."
The more fierce thepetition between the princes for the throne, the more powerful the Emperor''s authority and power. Although the abdication was dered, the Emperor had no intention of giving up power yet.
"What about Ilior?"
The Emperor, who sat at the top of Stenia Hall, found the Second Prince, Ilior, was missing even though he had entered.
"I received the information that Older Brother is speaking alone with Duke Ambrosia."
"With Duke Ambrosia? Hmm..."
When he heard the name Ambrosia, the Emperor''s eyebrows went up and down interestingly. He asked Eleon, who was standing quietly next to him.
"You heard your older brother is in private contact with Duke Ambrosia, yet it doesn''t seem to bother you."
When asked by the Emperor, Eleon pursed his lips for a moment and soon closed them again. Then he gave the answer the Emperor wanted in a dull way.
"It bothers me."
"......Tsk."
The Emperor did not hide his displeasure at Eleon and clicked his tongue.
"I don''t know if what you really want is the throne or something else."
"......I just hate fighting over blood with my brother. It''s already done enough with Brother Cazer."
"Cazer, he''s just a little scared. If you and Ilior were by his side and looked after him, he could have realized it quickly."
"......"
Eleon did not respond to the Emperor who was saying in a disappointing voice. He only clenched his fists in a ce where the Emperor could not see them and then released them. He got tired of hearing that tant favoritism and love for the First Prince no matter how many times he listened to it. It was so by simply dismissing Cazer''s act of sending assassins to his younger brothers, who had grown to the point of threatening his right to the throne, as just being timid. He and Ilior had survived the crisis of death over and over again. However, the Emperor''s eyes seemed full of pity for his eldest son, who had be so distracted that he was wary and threatened his younger brothers.
"Brother Ilior will be back soon. Because Your Majesty is here."
"I guess so. He''ll want to enjoy the victory that he had sent his older brother away."
The Emperor''s voice, as he nodded and spoke, was still low. Eleon sighed quietly and shook his head. The Emperor had not yetpletely let go of the First Prince. Only the Emperor did not know that such tant favoritism caused the First Prince to repeatedly experience hopes and despair.
"Bring me a ss from there. I''m thirsty."
"Yes."
Eleon quietly moved ording to his father''s will and released his clenched fist. At the same time, he scanned the faces of the nobles who attended the party.
''I can''t even see the figure of Young Lord Ambrosia.''
Eleon, who was trying to keep a close look at Young Lord Ambrosia today, was tongue-tied with regret. Elexa was severely scolded the day he went to the Ambrosia mansion. Eleon threatened Elexa that he would never go out in the future, and in return, he saw his son confronting him for the first time.
''I don''t want to! Dad doesn''t even y with me... It''s fun to y with ude! I don''t like this ce, I hate Nanny, I hate Mom, I hate Dad too!''
Eleon''s shoulders drooped when he recalled his son who raised his voice for the first time. As for how he had coaxed his son, it was time for him to look around the party hall once again to find that nanny. At that time, someone hit his shoulder and passed by, perhaps he didn''t see properly.
"Ack, I''m sorry, Your Highness the Third Prince."