Astelle couldn't help but think, 'Doing something so obvious...' Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered how Vellian had previously attempted to deceive her with an obvious lie regarding a potential revolt in the South.
In the end, Astelle concluded, "Anyway, I don't like him." She understood the motivation behind Vellian's actions but remained skeptical of his methods. His suspicion likely stemmed from her hasty journey to the hunting lodge on a rainy day, raising questions about her intentions.
Astelle had always been uncomfortable around people who were quick to notice and harbored numerous doubts. That's why she had astutely discerned the true identity of the maid and had intentionally revealed the teddy bear.
She knew it would be easy to hide things inside the fluffy cotton doll, and her plan had worked. The old maid's interest had been piqued by the teddy bear, diverting her attention away from Astelle's hair.
Reflecting on the situation, Astelle realized, 'I need to be more cautious in the future.' She carefully examined the vial in her hand. The blue medicine inside the cool glass bottle gently swayed like waves.
She understood the potential consequences if the pharmacist had discovered this medicine-while they might not decipher its exact contents, an experienced pharmacist might detect the presence of color-changing ingredients. The mere thought of it gave her a headache.
'I was fortunate this time,' Astelle acknowledged, but she knew luck might not always be on her side. She gathered her resolve.
'There are only a few days left now. I must remain vigilant and make the most of the time I have left.'
With that determination in mind, she called out to Theor.
"Theor, let's take the medicine first and then have a bath." Theor approached Astelle quietly, and she carefully administered the eye medicine. Afterward, she placed the glass bottle on the shelf to keep it from breaking.
Curious, Theor looked closely at the medicine bottle Astelle was holding and asked, "Will my eyes turn red if I don't put in medicine?"
Astelle responded to Theor's question.
"Yes, but you can't tell anyone, alright?"
Theor, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked again.
"Why can't I tell anyone? Is it bad if my eyes are red?"
Astelle was taken aback and looked at Theor in amazement. The child was hanging onto the edge of the bathtub, gazing up at her with innocent, twinkling blue eyes. Astelle was momentarily at a loss for words, missing the perfect moment to respond. Theor's voice was innocent and sincere as he asked, "His Majesty's eyes are red too. Why can't I have red eyes?"
Astelle was left speechless, her heart feeling as though it had frozen in an instant. Theor might not understand the full details, but he had grasped the necessity of changing the color of his eyes in front of others. He had always followed this rule, thinking it was natural, but now he was asking why for the first time. Astelle realized that he was growing up and naturally starting to question his surroundings.
She gazed at Theor.
'He's growing.'
Astelle had anticipated that someday Theor would become older and ask about why he had to hide his eye color.
She had rehearsed what she would say to him in such a situation many times in her mind, but when faced with the reality of Theor's question, she found herself unable to provide a straightforward answer. It was because she couldn't reveal the truth just yet.
When Astelle remained silent, Theor lowered his head and started stirring the water in the bathtub, asking in a somewhat dejected tone, "Is it something I'm not supposed to know?" His words tugged at Astelle's heart even more.
Astelle decided to conceal her inner turmoil and smiled warmly at Theor. She gently cupped his soft cheeks with her hands.
"Theor, have you ever heard of fairy tales with magic beads? There's a story about a farmer who found a magic bead, but it was so precious that he kept it a secret. Do you remember?"
She was referring to an old fairy tale she had come across in her grandfather's villa, a tale featuring a prince, a princess, and a witch, with the central element being a magic bead and an adventure triggered by the secrets it held.
Theor had a fondness for the book, and as expected, his eyes lit up with joy when Astelle began recounting the story from the fairy tale.
"Yes," Astelle continued, "just like how the magic bead in the story disappeared when other people knew about it, your red eyes are very special and precious. That's why you have to keep them a secret."
Theor looked at her with pure curiosity in his blue eyes, absorbing her words. Astelle couldn't help but admire his adorable face and continued explaining, "Red eyes are also very special, so you can't show or tell other people about them."
Theor, now somewhat convinced after the fairy tale analogy, regained his enthusiasm and nodded vigorously. "That's why it's a secret."
Astelle realized that this was an opportune moment to clarify things with Theor. She knew that a similar situation might occur again, like the one at the hunting lodge. It seemed like the right time to be completely honest with him.
Astelle smiled warmly at Theor. "So you must promise never to tell anyone about your eyes, even to His Majesty the Emperor, alright?"
Theor, with a serious expression, nodded earnestly. "Yes, I will never tell anyone."
Astelle couldn't help but find his sincere nodding adorable.
Chapter 23
Começar do início
