Chapter 186:
Chapter 186:
Seeing Eleon unknowingly swallowing his saliva, Sarah smiled a little. Then she turned her gaze to the side to see Penelois and Elexa staring at her with wobbly eyes.
"It's been a while, Penelois-nim."
"......Heuuk."
Sarah greeted her with a smile. Penelois' eyes burst with tears at the soft voice.
"Penelois?"
Flustered by the cry, Eleon called Penelois, but before he knew it, she was shaking off his hand and running to Sarah.
"Countess Millen-nim!"
"Ack!"
Sarah hugged Penelois, who was crying like a child.
"Finally, you're awake...... Heooong. I am, unable to do anything despite the fact that I received a lot of help from Countess Millen-nim...... I am...... Heooong!"
Regardless of face, Penelois cried out all her tears and runny nose. Looking at Penelois crying like a child, even Elexa, who was biting his lips, flinched his lips. Then, soon after, he cried loudly following his mother.
"Uaaaang!"
"Huheooong!"
Seeing the mother and son burst into tears side by side, Eleon hovered around, not knowing what to do.
"Penelois, were you that sad? You should've told me......"
"What do you know!"
"Yeah, I don't know anything. But Penelois, if you're going to cry, I want you to hold me and cry......"
"Heoooong, Countess Millen-niiim."
"Yeah, yeah. You don't like it. Okay."
Eleon awkwardly withdrew his arm outstretched toward Penelois.
"My son?"
Then he opened his arm again toward Elexa.
"Uaaang."
"Don't cry, Elexa. My nanny is fine now!"
However, Elexa only cried in Claude's arms and seemed to have no intention of going to Eleon.
"......"
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Eleon became a little lonely.
* * *
Penelois calmed her reddened eyes and lifted the teacup as Sarah suggested. Penelois glanced at Elexa, who was looking around the greenhouse with Claude from afar. It was the first time she had ever cried so sadly in front of her little son. The belated embarrassment rushed in all at once.
"I'm sorry, I looked stupid."
"It's okay. I'm used to it......"
Sarah smiled and soothed Penelois. In fact, there were so many people crying and running after Sarah woke up. From Ronda, Veron, May, Benjamin, and Belluna, Jade to the Knights and servants. She was already accustomed to comforting those who cried as if they would run out of breath just looking at her. If they kept going, there would be no end, so Sarah smiled lightly and changed the topic.
"Since you've checked my safety, please let me know what's going on outside. I heard that Penelois-nim is working with His Highness the Third Prince."
"Ah......"
"I heard that you are revered as a saint among the people of the Empire, how do you feel?"
At Sarah's words, Penelois blushed in embarrassment. She was given the nickname because she roamed the battlefield with the Third Prince Eleon, eating and sleeping with the people of Crombell and protecting them. Of course, in the place where Penelois passed by, she was called the 'Bloody Saint' precisely because she was drenched in blood, but Sarah lightly pretended not to know that.
"I'm satisfied with the fact that I can now confidently be recognized as Eleon's lover."
Penelois really smiled brightly like a saint. Seeing Penelois' face like that, Eleon laughed heartily, forgetting his image. Sarah said, thinking that the two of them looked good.
"Of course, His Majesty was furious, but what can he do? Because the abandoned child has abandoned the justification for interfering with whomever he meets."
"Right. Her Majesty the Empress is also very happy about that."
"How's Her Majesty the Empress doing?"
Eleon answered Sarah's question with a smile instead of Penelois.
"She's always the same. His Majesty holds everything he wants in his hands and never gives it away."
"She's got the neutral nobles in her hands."
Eleon's eyes narrowed at Sarah's words. The fact that the Empress succeeded in recruiting the neutral aristocrats together was news that Eleon had only heard yesterday. Because of the Continental Army approaching as if besieging the Imperial family, he had to sacrifice a lot even to receive the Empress' letter.
"You've been lying down for a long time, but you seem to know more about the Imperial family than I do."
At Eleon's words, Sarah looked at Ethan and smiled.
"Because I am the person next to Duke-nim."
"Indeed, you are."
Eleon nodded and looked at Ethan returning a friendly smile to Sarah. It was safe to say that everything in the Crombell Empire lay in the palm of Ethan Ambrosia. That was why Eleon rushed to the news that Sarah woke up this time. With Sarah awake, Ethan Ambrosia's ironclad heart would have been a little more generous, so it would be better to negotiate with him.
"Then, can I rely on Duke Ambrosia's intelligence?"
Eleon's gaze at Ethan became more serious than ever. Sarah gently stroked Ethan's hand and urged him, who seemed to be uncomfortable with the interruption of his long-awaited intimate time.
"Duke-nim will be happy to meet that expectation, right?"
"......Of course."
And it became a very good remedy for Ethan, who was really upset.
"Certainly, the Emperor is now in a tight spot."
When Ethan opened his mouth, Eleon began to listen carefully.
"Knights who know honor are reluctant to participate in the war because they know very well that the cause of this war lies with the Continental Army, and nobles are the only ones who don't know how to give up theirs easily. The Emperor has no more useful cards."
At least, the Second Prince, who was moving according to the Emperor's order, was surrounded. Even if he felt sorry for the Third Prince now, the Emperor would never reverse what he said. That was why the Emperor frantically sought Ethan Ambrosia. Because he knew Ambrosia's power well.
"At this rate, it will be only a matter of time before the Imperial family is overthrown by the Continental Army."
However, Ethan had no intention of playing with the Emperor's will. Ambrosia was going to end everything while hibernating in the monster's forest.
"So we want to finish it before the Imperial family is overthrown by the Continental Army and brings further shame to Crombell."
"Are you saying there's a way to end this war, Duke?"
"If Your Highness the Third Prince can lend us a hand, we'll be able to finish it easily."
"It's just barely enough to protect the people of the Empire. But how......"
"It is enough to take away the justification from the Continental Army."
"......!"
As soon as Ethan's words were over, Eleon jumped up from his seat.
"Is there a way to bring about the justification?"
"Of course."
Eleon's face was gradually colored with joy. The most important thing in the war was justification. The nobles were not actively engaged in this war because of the Continental Army's cause to punish the black magician. There was no need for merits that were not honorable in the war. However, at Ethan's subsequent words, Eleon's face hardened horribly.
"If Your Highness the Third Prince becomes a traitor to the Imperial family, it will be solved very simply."
* * *
Sarah rose up with Penelois, leaving the Third Prince and Ethan, who had a serious conversation. Then they approached Claude and Elexa, who were playing in the corner of the greenhouse.
"Claude-nim. We'll go somewhere else and play."
"Nanny!"
Claude smiled brightly and jumped into Sarah's arms. Sarah lifted Claude lightly into one of her arms.
"The war story was so boring that I ran away to go to Claude-nim. Will you play with me?"
"Of course! Let's have more fun since we have Elexa."
Claude blushed and nodded. Claude was a big fan of playtime with Sarah, but Claude's mood was soaring thanks to the visit of Elexa today.
"Elexa-nim, please come here too. Shall we play in the water for a long time?"
"Yeah, I'd love to!"
Sarah stretched out the other arm that wasn't holding Claude at Elexa. Elexa jumped into Sarah's arms and hugged her as if he was very used to it.
"Ha......, I missed you so much. This feeling, this weight."
A satisfied smile formed on Sarah's lips. The child's unique, soft and fluffy smell was so good. Penelois, who was watching the scene, said in a laughing voice.
"I think Countess Millen-nim likes children very much."
"Children are the ones that bring joy to adults. Not to mention the cuteness of Claude-nim and Elexa-nim."
A cute cat and a lovely dog were in her arms at the same time. How much she missed this sense of fulfillment when she was in Park Hyeyeon's body. Sarah decided to fully enjoy her current happiness, recalling her longing for a while.
"You're really the same."
Penelois laughed out loud at Sarah, who had the happiest face in the world. Then she asked, subtly poking Sarah on the side.
"Come to think of it, Duke-nim kissed Countess Millen-nim on the cheek earlier. Are you two......"
"Oh my."
Sarah was startled and put Claude and Elexa down from her arms. Then she covered Claude's ears with her hands and lowered her voice to a whisper.
"Did you see that?"
Penelois answered with confidence, covering Elexa's ear with her hand.
"Of course, you seemed to have no intention of hiding it."
"Ah ah, really! Claude-nim doesn't know yet, but Duke-nim is very...... without care......"
Looking at Sarah's embarrassed face, Penelois tilted her head.
'Young Lord Ambrosia seemed to already know......?'
Penelois' eyes went to Claude, who was trying hard to escape from Sarah blocking his ears. Earlier, as the Duke of Ambrosia kissed Sarah on the cheek, Claude was staring at them. Of course, when Sarah looked back at him, he pretended not to see it and was looking away.
"Please pretend you don't know. I'm going to officially propose to Claude-nim later."
"Propose?"
"Yes, I even prepared a ring to ask him to accept me as Claude-nim's mother......"
It was when Sarah was about to continue her secret story with Penelois. Claude, who couldn't stand the frustration, succeeded in removing Sarah's hands, which were covering his ears.
"Nanny, what's a proposal?"
"......Heok, did you hear that?"
Sarah's body stiffened in an instant. She gulped at the feeling of cold sweat trickling down her back.
"I even heard a proposal and a ring."
"What about before that?"
"I couldn't hear it because Nanny covered my ears."
Sarah finally relieved her heart at the uneven voice of Claude. She almost proposed to Claude this unsightly.
"By the way, what's a proposal?"
"That......"
It was just when Sarah was relieved and tried to answer Claude's question, his innocent eyes shining.