CHAPTER 102: Don't blame yourself

"Dad, what's going on? Why is mom talking to Leon-chan alone? She's not planning on declaring war on Leon-chan, is she? So I'm going to stop this right now!"

"Come back here!"

Anis asked anxiously.

She didn't know that her mother had bowed to Leon in the study room. She was so anxious that she was already planning to use her invisibility cloak to sneak in and snoop around.

However, Orphans grabbed her by the collar and unceremoniously gave her an iron fist of fatherly love to her head.

This girl was lying in bed for the last few days and couldn't do anything. Now that she has recovered, of course she has to make up for the previous points.

"It hurts so much!"

"Seriously, don't bother them."

"What exactly is going on there? Is there such a complicated relationship between Mother and Leon-chan?" Anis asked with tears in her eyes, covering her head.

"Well, this is more complicated than you think. In fact, Sylphine has been feeling guilty about Leon all these years. Ahem, children shouldn't worry so much. That's an adult business."

Orphans raised his hand and touched Anis's head again. There were some things that outsiders could not interfere with.

Even he, the king, was an outsider in this situation.

------

In the office.

"Leon, thank you for saving Anis. It's all thanks to you that she's okay this time. No, it's not just her. It's all your credit for the survival of the kingdom. Seriously... Thank you. You're a good boy."

Sylphine said with gentle eyes.

After hesitating for a moment, she gently raised her hand to touch Leon's cheek, but quickly let go, as if she thought she was unqualified to touch Leon.

Leon looked at her in surprise. It was completely different from what he expected.

"I'm a little confused."

"Um?"

"I thought, you kept me here because I stole Algard's throne and you wanted to declare war on me. I didn't expect... to be thanked like this."

He simply said what he was thinking.

Leon has the intuition that there is no need to hide or alienate her, she is not his enemy.

Because the way this woman looked at him was so complicated that even Leon, who was good at seeing people's hearts, couldn't analyze it, but he was sure that there was no malice in it.

Sylphine shook her head and said.

"How could I attack you? You are the only child left in the world by her. In fact... This should be your right in the first place."

"What are you talking about?"

"Leon, I always wanted to apologize to you."

Sylphine said and took a portrait.

It can be seen that the painting was done decades ago and was stored with special care. Although there is some wear, it is also well preserved.

After the portrait was unfolded, there were two beautiful women in it, one of which was Sylphine, and the other woman had hair as long as the night sky.

Leon's pupils constricted.

He recognized this woman instantly, but the moment he saw her, and he subconsciously said that word

"Mother."

"Actually, your mother and I were classmates when we were students. She is the person I respect and admire the most. She is a kind, delicate and beautiful woman. I have never met a more beautiful woman than her."

"Is that so."

"Ah, your mother always had a smile. She was kinder than anyone else I knew. Just being around her could make people let their guard down. I'm sure even a lion would turn into a kitten in front of her." ."

"When we were students, we always hung out together. I was like a sister to her, I always followed her everywhere. No, we were as close as real sisters."

Sylphine looked at the portrait with great nostalgia, the black-haired beauty similar in appearance to Leon, her late and important sister.

"You probably don't know, but the position of queen was actually your mother's. At that time, Orphans was fascinated by her and said he would rather not have the throne and run away somewhere else with her than be separated from him."

"Ehh, did something like that happen?"

"Yes, in the end, to silence the nobles, she gave up the position to me. She was obviously the most suitable person for that position."

Sylphine said with a wry smile.

Leon nodded awkwardly and understood why she said before that the throne should be his. If his mother was the queen, then he would be the 'legitimate' son.

"Shortly after Anis was born, you were born too. I'm sorry but I actually desperately wanted her to abort you back then."

"Because my mother was sick, right?"

"Yes, the doctor said she wouldn't live to be thirty. She was so fragile she could be blown away by the wind. And after giving birth to you...she was soon gone."

Sylphine's voice was painful, and even now she is still immersed in sadness over her sister's death.

"The night before you left, she entrusted you to me and expected me to take good care of you."

"But, but... I couldn't help but feel resentful towards you. I considered her death to be your fault. I... failed her."

She squeezed his hands so hard that her nails dug into his flesh.

"So that's why you left back then."

Leon stared at the black-haired woman in the portrait. His heart, which was stronger than a stone, was beating harder than usual at that moment.

Sylphine nodded guiltily.

"I didn't want to see you, and my resentment prevented me from carrying out your instructions, so I ran away... and broke my promise to her under the pretext of going abroad for diplomacy."

Looking back at that incident now, she almost wished she could slap herself a few times.

After serving as a diplomat abroad for a long time, Sylphine learned of Leon's experience in the royal capital upon his return.

Because of his natural black hair, lack of support, and lack of companions, Leon was ostracized and persecuted by many nobles and ministers.

In order to please the "legitimate heir" Algard, his beloved's son suffered many unfair treatments, and even his black hair, which was as beautiful as his sister's, was slandered as the devil's hair color.

After learning this, Sylphine was so guilty that she couldn't breathe and didn't have the courage to see Leon again.

"I should have been the one to protect you. It should have been your position. In fact, there was no need for you to fight for it. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, Leon, I really didn't have the courage to see you, let alone go see my own daughter..."

But that was just the beginning of his guilt.

If her feelings for Leon are her fault.

So the feeling towards Anis is one of self-blame.

"I didn't keep my promise, and you should blame me, but... you still helped my Anis."

Anis, who was born unable to use magic, suffered more serious ostracism than Leon at the time.

Because magic is a symbol of nobility and royalty.

The princess who couldn't use magic was even considered a bastard daughter of the king.

At the same time, Sylphine, who knew how much Anis wanted to use magic, blamed herself for not passing the magic on to her daughter.

My daughter can't use magic because of me.

The daughter will be excluded because of me.

Therefore, because of me, my daughter's dream could not be realized.

She even frantically read every book in the Forbidden Library, hoping to find a way to allow Anis to use magic, but found nothing.

And in the process.

Anis embarked on the journey of magical tools herself.

But what else made Sylphine cry?

When her daughter embarks on the "magical" path that left no one optimistic, that no one agreed with and everyone laughed at her, the only person in the world who supported Anis was, in fact, Leon.

"I didn't fulfill the agreement with my sister and made you suffer so much, but… you helped Agnes and my daughter.

Sylphine's face was full of tears, and she held Leon's cheek with trembling hands. His blue eyes were full of guilt, regret and self-reproach.

Compared to the child in front of her, she only felt selfish, ugly and unforgivable.

However, at this time.

"Please don't blame yourself."

Leon opened his arms and hugged her.

(End of chapter)

Give me some power stones there you go~😉