AFRPR 64

Episode 64

“Are you sure Tom really met Mathius?”

“Yes, Princess. I saw it with my own eyes. It was definitely Mathius Bellonsa, your brother.”

The man answering Estelle was the coachman who had taken Tom into town.

He had secretly followed Tom on Estelle’s orders.

“Tom complained to Mathius that he wanted to give up this task. Then Mathius tried to persuade him with money and warned him not to contact you until you officially join the family! That’s exactly what happened!”

The coachman repeated their conversation word for word.

He acted it out passionately, like a play, and then glanced to check if Estelle was following.

“Princess, did I get too excited?”

“No, no. Thanks to your vivid explanation, I understand it clearly. Well done.”

“Should I bring some sweets from the kitchen?”

“Sweets?”

“I thought you might be feeling down…”

The coachman was big and rough-looking, but his eyes were clear and kind.

All the Winteren people were like that. Gentle despite their looks. It was cute.

Estelle smiled softly as she remembered Lennox, who always got between her and Tom like a wall.

“No, I don’t need snacks. But can you promise me one thing?”

“A promise?”

“I don’t want the rest of the family to find out about this. They’d be hurt.”

“Of course! I may be big, but my lips are sealed!”

The coachman mimed zipping his mouth and left. Estelle closed her eyes for a moment.

The reason she had agreed so easily when Tom asked to stay at the Winteren estate was simple.

“If the enemy is close, I can watch him better.”

The moment Tom pulled out a ring identical to his mother’s, she knew he wasn’t just a random conman.

He must really know her real mother somehow.

And Estelle’s intuition was right.

“So it was him.”

Her golden eyes, full of anger, stared into the air. Her wrath was directed at one person.

“The Bellonsa Count.”

Tom’s backer was the Bellonsa family.

At the same time, at the Mage Tower.

The huge archive room, full of accumulated documents.

Only magic engineers were allowed here. No outsiders. The door opened.

‘Is anyone here?’

Claude quietly stepped inside, tiptoeing to check.

He was looking at the spines of old research papers when suddenly…

“Master, what are you doing?”

“Ah! You scared me! Announce yourself next time.”

“I did. So, what are you doing here?”

Claude held his chest.

“I wanted to look up some research.”

“Research? I can get it for you.”

“No, no. It’s nothing serious. I can do it myself. You focus on your work.”

“I’m your assistant. That’s my job.”

“I command you as the Tower Master. Leave me alone, Spike.”

Claude tapped his assistant’s shoulder with a magic wand.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t you know? A Mini-Mu wand.”

“Just a toy for kids. Why buy something like this when you’re so careful about money?”

Claude smiled. “The moment I saw it, I wanted it. I don’t even have a daughter, but I feel like giving it as a gift. Marketing is clever.”

Spike looked confused.

“By the way, Spike, haven’t I made a ring with magic before?”

“A ring?”

“Yes. A magical tool that permanently changes the wearer’s appearance. Did I ever make one secretly?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Really, really not?”

“Really, really, really not.”

“Strange…”

“Strange how?”

“No, no. I command again, Spike Hill. Leave me alone for real this time.”

Claude tapped Spike again. Spike left.

Claude now roamed the large archive alone.

“I need to check the results about the ring. Something’s off.”

He had searched all lists of dismissed magic engineers but couldn’t find who made the ring.

“Maybe a self-taught mage made it. But still, it feels like I made it myself.”

Clap!

Claude clapped his hands.

“Ah, here it is! The parentage test tool.”

To get a patent, you must submit a paper about the technology.

“Let’s see… a 240 million gold job.”

Opening the paper, Claude’s brow furrowed.

“Why is it so sloppy? They approved this?”

He flipped through the pages.

“Who stamped this nonsense? It’s below even undergrad level!”

The signature on the last page: Spike Hill, Claude’s assistant who ran the tower while he was unconscious.

He had never doubted him.

“No way the top student didn’t notice this trash…”

After many years, distrust had grown.

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace.

The emperor’s worries deepened every day.

“Princess, even if you’re struggling, you should eat bread.”

“I won’t.”

Princess Alice hid under her blanket. She was fasting.

Since the shocking birthday party, she couldn’t eat.

“I’m tired. I want to sleep. Go away.”

“Hmm… call me if you want to eat anything.”

“I know.”

The emperor left. Alice removed the blanket, feeling empty inside.

She had been feeling different every hour: denial, anger, compromise, and now sadness.

Lennox really loves Estelle?

‘The world feels like a lie.’

Then someone spoke outside the door.

“Princess, Miss Soppen and her friends came to see you because they’re worried. What should we do?”

“What? Miss Soppen?” Alice jumped up.

“They were worried, so just let them in.”

Different from how she acted with the emperor, Alice perked up and invited her friends for tea.

“Princess, your face is so pale.”

“You must have been very upset since that day.”

“I’d have doubted the Winteren couple too. They had no contact before marriage.”

“Yes! The real problem is when ignorant people spread rumors.”

Seeing Alice, they flattered her immediately. Her lips lifted slightly.

“But how did the Duke really find the relic?” one asked curiously.

“During a monster hunt, he found the sacred site,” Alice explained.

It was full of magic energy, so verifying the truth alone was difficult.

“Thanks to the princess, the truth came out!”

“Yes.”

“Only two questions to tell the real relic from the fake! Amazing!”

“Well, it’s nothing special.”

Alice felt proud of the praise. The tea time seemed peaceful—until Mrs. Alt spoke.

“Princess… I have an urgent matter to discuss.”

“What is it?”

She explained that Estelle, just by helping Count Bellonsa, caused trouble.

She left out her own faults completely.

“And the Duke is even sabotaging my husband’s business! This is unfair!”

Estelle must have whispered sneakily behind Lennox.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t overreact.

‘The princess hated Lady Winteren before marriage! She’ll help me.’

Mrs. Alt expected Alice to intervene.

“So?”

“Yes?”

But Alice’s expression was cold. She looked down at Mrs. Alt with an arrogant gaze.

“So what do you want me to do?”

“You’d help me…”

“You chose this yourself. I don’t see why I should.”