Chapter 279. Epilogue, Part VII

Leaving behind her pleasant encounter with Adelaide, who had given her new ideas, Julietta returned to the Tessa mansion. After that, she spent a full day deciding what to plant after the fall harvest and examining the management and financial status of the mansion.

The day after finishing the work, Julietta’s group departed and arrived at Tilia two days later.

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"It’s changed a lot."

Julietta and Simone had not visited Tilia in three years. She was reluctant to visit the place where the Duke and Regina had been once. She had heard that Killian had sent a man to rebuild the mansion, but it was the first time she had seen it for herself.

The Tilia mansion was reshaped from the garden to the inside of the building, and seemed to be a completely different place. Julietta had been nervous, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around the inside of the mansion. It seemed to be good to come here. She felt like she was finally getting out from under the shadows of the past.

At the end of the greetings and introductions of all the people in the Tilia mansion, Julietta ordered the butler to bring Phoebe in. As she waited in the Duke’s office on the first floor, Phoebe came in a while later. "Your Imperial Majesty the Empress!"

It had been three years. At the appearance of Phoebe calling out to her in a subdued voice with tears in her eyes, Julietta nodded sadly.

Just as she abandoned her origin and chosen another person’s identity, so did Phoebe. A deep consensus was formed between the two. The affection for one another had deepened over the past three years, even while talking only in letters.

"How have you been? Was there anything uncomfortable?"

"No. Thanks to your care, I didn’t feel any discomfort at all. I’m so happy to see you again." Phoebe gave an impeccable courtesy, a thanks for saving and caring for her. Her leg seemed a little shaky when she got up, but it was still done very well.

"I’m here to take you up. Let’s go back home."

"Home?"

"Yes, this is home too, but wouldn’t you prefer a home with a family? Let’s live together."

When Julietta said that, Phoebe started crying. She wanted for nothing, but she was lonely. Even the nearest maid was a stranger who could not know her embarrassing past.

"May I go?"

At the sight of Phoebe worrying about Killian, Julietta smiled reassuringly. "Yes, His Majesty has allowed it. Sir Reynold kept asking me about Phoebe. There are a lot of people waiting for Phoebe to come back. Amelie and Sophie are too, of course."

Julietta rang the bell to call Vera and Maribel, who were waiting in the next room. The two were in the parlor next to the office, and brought in Philip and Manny.

As she seemed to feel that the time had gone so fast after quickly looking at the child, Phoebe hesitated for a moment and greeted them with a cautious glance. "It’s been a long time, Mrs. Maribel and Vera."

"You look good." It wasn’t long, but it was a welcome greeting from Maribel.

Vera took Phoebe’s hands silently and gave her a pat.

"It’s very nice to see you again, Miss Phoebe." Manny stood at Phoebe’s feet to greet her.

"Manny, you are a fluent speaker! I’ve heard the rumor and knew about it, but it’s amazing. And you’ve grown so much!"

Phoebe stroked its head in surprise, and Manny cleared its throat.

"You should call it Sir Manny." Vera held back her laughter and corrected its title.

"Oh! You’ve been given a title. Oh, I’m sorry. Sir Manny, I made a mistake."

"It’s all right. Ahem!"

Manny accepted her apology, putting on airs, and then approached Julietta’s feet and fell on its stomach. Julietta took Philip from Maribel and presented him to Phoebe.

"You’re a Prince." Phoebe gazed affectionately at Philip, who was grinning. "Hello, Your Highness. I really wanted to see you."

Phoebe’s hand carefully stroked Philip’s cheek and his little finger clasped hers. Julietta laughed at Philip, who burst out laughing, shaking the prize in his hand with joy.

"I think he likes Phoebe. But it’s very hard to take Philip because of Maribel. She likes having an implicit fight with Vera every time." Julietta poked her mouth at Maribel, who was taking Philip back.

"I’m afraid it’s going to be hard for you. Even if you were in a stable period, it was too much for you."

At Maribel’s words, Phoebe looked anxiously at Julietta’s belly, which had lightly bulged. "Did you overdo it because of me?"

Julietta shook her head at Phoebe’s concern. "No, I had other things to do. It’s hard to move when I get heavier, so I wanted to bring you back before that."

"Will this fight subside if the second baby is born? When His Majesty takes care of the Prince, it is very hard to see the face of the Prince." Maribel smiled and looked at Philip, who was massaging her face with his curled hands.

Looking at Maribel, so different from what she used to be, Phoebe found her unfamiliar. "You’ve changed a lot."

Maribel replied to Phoebe’s surprise, "I didn’t know that I would do this. But he is so lovely that it is natural."

Philip smiled breathlessly and found herself liking Maribel as she nibbled on the Prince’s little hands.

As she looked at Maribel watching the baby happily, Phoebe felt relieved and happy to enter this group. It was a safe and warmer nest than anywhere else.

Seeing Phoebe looking relieved and happy, Julietta thought it was really all over.

Then, the thought that she would like to see Killian occupied her. For a while that she felt a sense of freedom when she left the Imperial Castle. Now, she wanted to go back home. She wanted to fall asleep in Killian’s arms as soon as possible.

She leaned her head gently on the sofa, looking at the people around her. Stroking her slightly swollen belly, she smiled contentedly.

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A New Business

Julietta and Killian’s second child, Luar, have already turned one year old. Luar was playing with Manny on the floor.

"Second Prince, look here. Do you like this handsome Oswald, or do you like the plain Marquis Rhodius here?"

Oswald stopped by the Imperial Castle for the first time in a while due to the opening of a branch of Raefany’s, and raised his energy for a fight of popularity. The first Prince Philip had already chosen the familiar Rhodius, who he had often seen, so Oswald decided to target the young Luar.

"I’m going to stop by the Imperial Castle when I commute every day. The opening preparation of Raefany’s branch in Bertino is now nearly done."

Oswald, full of an unyielding spirit, drew Luar’s attention with applause. "Come on, Prince Luar. Come to this Oswald. What’s this? It’s amazing!"

Thanks to living in Bertino for a while, he was able to ask for a toy from Magician Coupe, which sounded when he pressed it. He dazzled Luar, waving a little ball of glass.

"Give it to me."

When Luar began crawling to him on hands and knees with silver eyes glistening, Killian returned and took the toy from Oswald’s hand.

"No, Your Majesty!"

"You wanted this. Oh, my God. Is that so good?"

Tee-hee! When Killian pressed the ball and made it chime, Luar drooled and screamed in delight.

"I, I was going to give it to him, but..." Killian neatly ignored Oswald’s protests with an unfair eye.

Oswald grumbled, "Are you still angry? How did I know you were thinking about that?"

The origin of the incident was that Julietta asked about the new mineral found in Bertino. In fact, Killian wanted to make the mineral into accessories and give it to Julietta with gratitude for her hard work after Luar was born. But Oswald talked too much, so Julietta found out about the existence of the mineral and his plan to give it to her as a secret gift failed.

"Did Her Majesty the Empress go to the cafe?"

These days, Julietta was working under disguise to test a business of selling tea or drinks that people could carry around at the first cafe right next to Chartreu, wearing a wig and glasses that Killian had brought from Coupe.

Oswald’s question raised Killian’s eyebrows.

Next to him, Rhodius whispered about the reason why Killian felt bad. "He took one, but lost the other. Her Majesty the Empress also planned to sell wigs in Chartreu, but he didn’t object to her working at the cafe because he was afraid she would come out as a model herself."