When I Took Back My Beloved Child Who Had Been Taken From Me, My Husband's Obsessive Love Began. Why? - Episode 44

The first meal surrounding Leoldo ended peacefully, with no particular issues except for the initial accident.

And as Lucienne saw off Craig, who was returning to work with Leoldo, she let out a deep sigh.

I no longer fear Craig, but I feel tense in a different way.

“Mother, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But, well… it was a bit surprising because it’s different from usual. You know, it’s not every day you get to have someone else feed you as an adult, right?”

“Did you also get surprised, sir?”

“Sure. But it looked like fun. Thank you, Leoldo.”

Actually, Craig really seemed to be having a great time.

It was rare for him to show his emotions so openly, and remembering that made Lucienne happy, so she hugged Leoldo.

I thought it was outrageous to have us feeding each other while sitting between Leoldo, but now it’s starting to feel strange.

Lucienne chuckled along with Leoldo, who was giggling and having fun in her arms.

It was amusing to see Rite and the maids, who were watching the three, trying to maintain their composure while their eyes were wide with surprise.

Surely, by evening, the earlier incident will become the talk of the palace.

Among Leoldo’s maids, there are some who are not harmful but cannot be fully trusted either.

Having thought that far, Lucienne steeled herself, realizing that she must urgently take action regarding personnel matters.

――That night.

Surprisingly, Craig appeared again to visit Lucienne, who had finished getting ready for bed and was in her bedroom.

Moreover, the tension rises knowing that Craig has also finished getting ready for bed tonight.

I hadn’t seen Craig in his nightgown for over three years.

I can’t suppress my racing heartbeat, but I can pretend to be calm.

“Craig, what would you like to drink tonight?”

“Let’s have the same tea again.”

“Understood.”

I hated that Lucienne was disappointed that it wasn’t alcohol.

In the past, when there was nighttime activity—more precisely, Craig never visited the bedroom at any other time—he would either not drink anything or have some alcohol.

Perhaps tonight will be just like last night, and we’ll just talk.

Lucienne, hiding her complex feelings, tried to tidy up the list she had placed on the table.

“What is that?”

“Ah, yes. This is the list of servants within the imperial palace.”

“Do the servants also have a list?”

“Well, we can’t just hire someone without a guarantee of their identity.”

“That’s true too…”

It is only natural that Emperor Craig is not well-acquainted with the servants.

Lucienne stared at Craig, who was smirking, and then, steeling herself, sat down in the chair across from him while holding the roster.

“Lucienne?”

“Do you have an important conversation tonight as well?”

“Well… I was curious about how Leoldo has been since then, so I wanted to ask you about it.”

It seems that Craig found it strange that Lucienne was still holding the list.

However, Lucienne asked if they should first hear Craig’s request.

Craig hesitated slightly, let out a light sigh, and answered Lucienne’s question.

Just then, Rite appeared with tea, but Lucienne, not caring about the content, spoke up about Leoldo.

“They were quite happy. It seems they were really pleased to have both parents together for a meal. So… if you have the time, would you like to join us again in the future?”

“Of course.”

Lucienne conveyed Leo’s condition and bravely expressed her desire to continue moving forward.

Actually, my own desires are included as well.

Although there was some guilt, Craig’s firm nod lightened my heart.

Since deciding to trust Craig, the feelings of “like” that I thought had withered away are gradually growing stronger and stronger.

Even though she didn’t have the courage to confess her feelings yet, not wanting to create any more secrets, Lucienne opened the list she had.

“Here is the latest list of palace staff. To be honest, nearly half of them have been reassigned in the past two years, and half of those are newly hired.”

“Is that so?”

Craig was puzzled as to why Lucienne had started this story, but he soon gasped in realization.

I lift my face from the roster and look straight at Lucienne.

“The personnel rights of the servants within the palace should originally belong to Lucienne—the Empress.”

“Yes. You are absolutely right.”

Of course, it was not Lucienne, the empress, who made personnel decisions down to the lowest levels, but even so, it was unusual for half of the personnel changes to occur while she was away.

Lucienne opens another list and shows it to Craig.

“This is… one of the legacies of the late Empress.”

“The previous generation…?”

“Yes. The late Empress was clumsy and hopeless, but she loved Craig. She just couldn’t show her affection honestly… That’s why the Empress left me the detached palace and various other things. I finally feel like I understand those reasons.”

“What does this mean?”

Lucienne pointed out several names in the newly opened list.

There is a small mark there.

“The names with this mark are almost no longer on this list. The Empress marked those she could trust and informed me.”

“…So, conversely, does that mean we can’t trust the newly added names?”

“――Yes”

Lucienne, who nodded in response to the quick-witted Craig, hesitated to continue her words.

Craig deliberately avoids bringing it up, but it must be communicated.

“As I mentioned earlier, your mother loved Craig. That’s why she understood what Craig was trying to achieve and the problems he would face because of it, and she left this list to help in any way she could. It seems she was quite certain that I would be chosen as Craig’s bride. She probably heard about my magical abilities from Aman and the others.”

“Even if… even so, it is undeniable that my mother loved you—Lucienne—regardless of me.”

“Thank you very much.”

Craig no longer denied his mother’s love.

There may still be things that I can’t accept, but more than that, they give me the necessary words while being considerate of Lucienne.

At that kindness, Lucienne felt a tightness in her chest, making her feel both pained and yet she smiled.

“At first, I thought the personnel changes that happened without my knowledge were simply Claudine and Marquise Arment manipulating things to suit their convenience. However, when it comes to changing such important positions…”

Lucienne hesitated and pondered how to respond.

Not only have personnel changes been made for important female positions such as the head lady-in-waiting, head maid, and head maidservant, who oversee the female servants, but also for male servants such as the chief chamberlain.

That was also true for Namia, the Crown Prince’s caretaker.

And some of the predecessors have been dismissed or relegated to suitable sinecures.

Even though the empress, Lucienne, is still alive, there is no way Claudine could be touched just because she is the emperor’s favorite concubine.

Without a doubt, there must be a mastermind behind this.

“I see. I need to look into the servants again. It would be quite helpful if the former ones who were dismissed were still around… It would be best to start by finding out where they are now.”

“As for that, there’s no need to worry.”

Craig quickly put his mind to work and concluded that it was necessary to investigate those involved in the staff personnel matters.

Furthermore, it seems that they thought they could obtain various clues if they could hear from former chamberlains and others.

Astonished by the thought, Lucienne replied with a bright smile.

“Could it be that you already have a lead on their whereabouts?”

“To be precise, we have already re-employed them.”

“What?”

“The late Empress Dowager asked me to employ any palace servants who were dismissed from the Imperial Palace at the Detached Palace.”

Craig remained silent for a while, as if he were slowly processing the meaning of Lucienne’s words.

However, when Craig eventually spoke, his expression carried a more serene demeanor than before.

“I apparently take after my mother. I’m scared, yet I have an unnecessarily high pride.”

“Craig…”

“As you suggested I write a letter to my mother, you must have done the same, right? But neither my mother nor I did it. We were both too afraid of being rejected… I have nothing but regrets.”

To Craig’s muttering, Lucienne had no words to offer.