Albery had returned.
“Perfect timing. Everything’s ready.”
Eugenia smiled brightly as she came out of the kitchen carrying dishes.
“Wow! Something smells amazing.”
At his lighthearted remark, Eugenia returned a gentle smile.
The inn was a three-story building. Enrique and Albery had rented out both the second and third floors.
But the first floor was left for the innkeeper to freely run a pub.
Since it closed early today, they had the whole space to themselves.
‘It’s been a while since we’ve been able to eat slowly and without rushing.’
That way, Selmia wouldn’t suffer from indigestion.
Selmia was rather frail, and hurried meals always put a strain on her small body.
Whenever that happened, Eugenia would give her digestive medicine or remedies made by combining herbs and medicinal plants she had gathered herself.
‘This spot will be good.’
Eugenia placed the tableware on a round table large enough to seat five people side by side.
Albery, who had been hovering nearby, asked,
“Lord Enrique… Ah, I suppose he’s not done yet.”
He peeked toward the kitchen and gave a short nod.
Though he had said he would serve Enrique, Albery didn’t seem at all surprised that Enrique was the one preparing the food himself.
He continued,
“I should’ve come earlier to help out a little… It feels like I’m just showing up to eat without lifting a finger. I feel bad about it.”
Looking genuinely apologetic, he scratched the back of his head, eyebrows furrowed.
Not taking someone else’s hard work for granted—Eugenia liked that about him.
So she didn’t feel prickly toward him. Her tone softened naturally.
“But you were out doing the hard work instead, Mr. Albery. Of course you deserve to eat.”
Albery looked touched by her kind words.
“Then I’ll go upstairs and bring the children down.”
“Yes, I’d appreciate that.”
Shortly after, Albery came down with Selmia and Joshua.
Selmia had her usual bright, cheerful smile, while Joshua still looked grumpy.
“Alright, everyone sit down. We can start eating right away!”
Just in time, Enrique emerged from the kitchen.
White steam billowed up, and a sizzling sound came from the cast-iron pan.
He placed the hot pan in the center of the table.
Eugenia quickly returned to the kitchen and brought out pancakes and whipped cream she had prepared in advance.
There was also a spinach quiche she had made with the leftover time.
“Wow, meat!”
Selmia’s eyes sparkled as she held a knife in her right hand and a fork in her left.
“It’s hot, so don’t touch it yet. I’ll serve it for you.”
“Okay!”
Enrique gave the eager girl a pancake and a piece of meat first.
“Sherry, do you think you can eat all that?”
“Yes!”
Selmia replied confidently, brushing off Joshua’s concerned question.
Eugenia chuckled softly.
‘She’s definitely going to overeat. I’ll need the digestive medicine again today.’
Still, she’d try to help her pace herself so the medicine wouldn’t be necessary.
Thinking that, Eugenia sat beside the girl.
Selmia stabbed a well-cooked piece of meat with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth in one bite.
Her puffed cheeks looked quite adorable.
She chewed for a long while, then gulped it down and shouted,
“It’s so good I don’t even know what to do!”
A small smile crept onto Enrique’s lips.
“Did you make this, mister?”
“Ah, mister?”
Albery looked flustered, glancing between Selmia and Enrique before stifling a laugh.
Enrique, unfazed, simply nodded.
“Yes.”
“It’s really good!”
“Then eat your vegetables too.”
At that, Selmia pouted.
“But Sherry wants meat!”
“They taste even better together.”
Unbothered, Enrique placed some warm vegetables on her plate.
“This looks delicious.”
“You should eat too, Mr. Albery.”
“Then I’ll eat gratefully.”
The meal began—not too rowdy, but light and comfortable.
Meanwhile, Joshua, frowning, was slicing his pancake before suddenly putting down his utensils.
Then he finally voiced his complaint.
“I heard the explanation earlier, but I still don’t really get it.”
Everyone except Selmia turned their eyes toward him.
“Why does Eugenia have to make up a fake identity and a fake marriage just to cross the border? Can’t we just go over?”
It was a question he’d been suppressing, but it had finally burst out.
“Did we commit a crime or something?”
He was especially annoyed by the fact that he also had to hide his identity.
Their parents had only died.
They weren’t criminals condemned to death. So why did they have to flee like fugitives? His young mind couldn’t grasp it.
“Well…”
Eugenia and Albery exchanged awkward looks.
But it was Enrique who responded to Joshua.
“Because it’s impossible to just cross over. That’s why the adults racked their brains to come up with this plan, boy.”
Joshua glared at Enrique with narrowed eyes.
Though they hadn’t known each other long, the boy seemed especially prickly toward him.
“I know the country’s in chaos, but I didn’t think it would be this hard to leave.”
“Well…”
Eugenia trailed off.
The truth was, she had deliberately avoided giving them the full story.
The situation was dangerous enough, but if the children got too scared and acted strangely, that would attract more attention.
‘The sun will be setting soon.’
Last year, right after the late Grand Duke died, a civil war broke out in the Duchy of Hallant.
It was because his illegitimate son, Benjamin, coveted the throne.
The country was split in two.
On one side was the rightful heir, Crown Prince Sigel, and his supporters. On the other, those who supported Benjamin’s usurpation.
Unfortunately, the advantage went to Benjamin. The crown prince narrowly escaped capture thanks to a loyal retainer.
Benjamin became regent and was now obsessed with capturing his half-brother, the rightful heir.
Until Sigel was caught and executed, the current situation would likely remain.
‘No. Things might only get worse from here.’
The surviving prince would surely do whatever it took to reclaim what he had lost.
With his fury boiling, he’d likely try to use anything and everything at his disposal.
The Marquisate of Kerayton, to which the children belonged, hadn’t sided with either faction.
However, the disappearance and subsequent death of the marquis and marchioness seven months ago had occurred during the same period as the civil war.
‘They may be young, but…’
Still, they were of noble blood.
Eugenia only hoped the twins wouldn’t get caught up in this dangerous power struggle.
‘And I can’t explain my concerns in front of them here and now.’
As she pondered these thoughts, a faint trace of worry appeared on her face.
Where should she even begin explaining this complicated political situation to young Joshua?
As she hesitated, unsure of how to respond, Enrique spoke again in a calm, unaffected tone.
“No matter how close the countries are, it’s not as easy as visiting a neighbor’s house. And border inspections are far stricter than you think.”
“How strict?”
“If you’re registered as a citizen of the duchy, you can’t leave its territory. In short, without our help, there’s no way for you to get to Eisa.”
Joshua frowned.
“Why are we the only ones without the right papers? You adults are in the same situation, aren’t you?”
“No. We have Eisa Empire citizenship papers.”
Eugenia looked surprised and turned to Enrique and Albery.
Albery gave a sheepish smile, as if to apologize for not telling her earlier.
Enrique continued calmly.
“If it were just Albery and me, we could leave. But even for us, it wouldn’t be easy.”
That is, there had to be a valid reason for them to have visited the duchy at such a time.
Just being a foreigner was enough to raise suspicion now.
‘Whatever their purpose is, they clearly don’t want to reveal their true identities.’
Eugenia saw through Enrique’s hidden intentions with clarity.
“So after much consideration, we decided to form a family unit, which arouses the least suspicion.”
Enrique began sharing the detailed cover story he had prepared with Joshua.
“You, Eugenia, and the girl will be imperial citizens of the Eisa Empire originally from the duchy.”
Everyone held their breath and listened to him speak.
“You returned to the duchy to attend your father’s deathbed—my wife, Hari—”
Joshua interrupted.
“Fake wife.”
Deliberately correcting “my wife” to “fake wife,” Joshua looked grumpy and stubborn.
