Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Chapter 102 Escal, who had just come out of the room, saw the Emperor and stopped there.Helios beckoned to Escal.“Escal, come and greet Your Majesty.”“Hello… No, I see Your Majesty.”Escal, dressed in a child’s tuxedo, curtsied, his clumsy manners looking quite convincing.The Empress tenderly tapped Escal on the shoulder.“Happy birthday, Escalium.”“Thank you.”“Are you turning seven now?”“Yes, Your Majesty.”“You’re all grown up. You’ll just have to send him off to be married.”The Emperor laughed and threw out a silly joke. Helios just bowed his head instead of answering.It sounded meaningless at first glance, but there was no lie in the Emperor’s words. When she saw the Empress’s expression, she was even more so.“Everyone will be waiting. Come on in.”The Emperor strode into the banquet hall. The musicians, who had lifted the mood with their light performances, stopped playing.The air in the banquet hall became quiet for a moment.The nobles, unaware of the Emperor’s arrival, put down the cup they were holding and bowed hastily. The Emperor waved his hand.“Everyone, get up. This is a place to celebrate young master Anthemion’s birthday, and I’m only a guest today, so there’s no need to be polite.”After saying that, the Emperor stepped back, and Helios naturally took a step forward and greeted them.“Thank you for coming to celebrate my son’s birthday. We hope you have a great time.”After Helios had finished his welcome speech, Helios glanced at the door and blinked, and the waiters pushed in a trolley with a large cake.Helios lit the seven candles on the cake. I took Escal’s hand and stood in front of the cake.“Escal, make a wish first and blow out the candles.”“Yes.”Escal nodded as if he knew what I was talking about, then clasped his hands together and made a wish.“Fuu.”He blew out the candle with a single breath. The applause was thunderous, and I smiled broadly.While the servants cut the cake and shared it, the Emperor raised a cup and shouted.“Let’s make a toast together to celebrate young master Anthemion’s birthday.”At the Emperor’s suggestion, the nobles happily clashed with a glass of wine.I wondered why the Emperor was suggesting a toast.“Come on, let’s make yourself comfortable.”“Yes, Your Majesty.”The banquet was quickly overflowing, with drinks and food flowing and conversation lively.People hadn’t yet met Escal came up to him to offer their congratulations, and some even brought gifts.Unfortunately, the Emperor’s presence prevented him from serving his guests well.People wanted to congratulate him, but they also wanted to get a glimpse of the Emperor, so it was hard to get away from him.‘Maybe we should have a talent show.’When I was thinking about whether to bring a piano like in the Honor Society in a quiet atmosphere for a birthday, Princess Adela reached out to Escal.“Shall we dance?”“Yes?”“Yes, Adela. That would be nice.”The Empress gently pushed Escal’s back, who was bewildered.“I, Her Majesty, Escal is not good at dancing…”“So what if he’s clumsy? Adela will lead him well, go on.”The Empress slowly closed her eyes and urged Princess Adela. In response, Adela took Escal’s hand and went out into the middle of the banquet hall.People’s eyes turned to the two children. Everyone was interested in the rumors surrounding the children.“Take care of me, Escal.”When Adela lifted the hem of her dress first, Escal, who was not sure what to do, bent one knee to answer.‘Viscount Espenser was right.’If there is a birthday banquet, there may be some dancing, so it would be better to teach the basic steps in advance.I smiled bitterly at Viscount Espenser sipping champagne from one side of the banquet hall.Meanwhile, the musicians started playing. It was a slow polka.Adela held Escal’s hand without hesitation and started dancing. In line with that, Escal also dancing awkwardly with his feet.It was a good dance, considering it was her first time dancing with a partner, but objectively, it was a terrible one.However, as the Empress had assured, Princess Adela’s lead was excellent. Adela covered Escal’s mistake by stepping slowly without rushing.“It’s a good match, isn’t it?”“… Yes, it does.”I nodded absently at the Empress’s question.I hate to admit it, if a stranger had seen them, they would have judged them as a good match.When the music ended, applause poured in from all sides.Princess Adela, who was sweating all over, smiled satisfied. Escal smiled face to face with a red, reminded face.While gazing at it, I suddenly looked around the banquet hall.‘Come to think of it…’The pink hair that was always with Escal was nowhere to be seen today. ***** Tiaris, who watched Escal dancing with Princess Adela, quietly left the banquet hall.For some reason, she felt a little shabby.She d looked stunning in the dress she had received as a gift from Lenia, but it was nothing compared to Adela’s dress.Tiaris hid in the corner of the mansion, fiddling with the puppy doll that Escal had given her.‘It’s fun…’I’ve been hanging out around Escal’s room all morning, but I haven’t had a chance to congratulate him.She wished she listened to her grandfather, Baron Hazel, when he asked what she was doing in such a noisy place.Tiaris wrapped the doll’s spring with a depressed face and set it down on the floor. The doggy doll swarmed and approached Tiaris.“Hehe…”After repeating it a few times, the gloom seemed to go away a little. The moment the doll was wound up again and set down on the floor.Bam! Someone kicked the doll with their shoe. The doll caught in the foot tumbled and crashed into the wall.“My dog!”At that time, Tiaris was crying and picking up the wrinkled doll on the floor.“Who are you?”A sharp voice pierced my ears. Tiaris raised her head.The girl who had danced with Escal earlier was looking down at her with her hands on her hips.“I don’t recognize you. Who are you?”“I, I am Tia.”“Tia? Are you a maid here?”“I’m not a maid!”Tiaris blurted out.Princess Adela, who frowned, violently snatched the doll Tiaris was holding.“By the way, what are you with this?”“It-It’s for Tia! Give it to me!”“Why is this yours? I give this to Escal.”“It’s my puppy, my brother gave it to Tia!”At Tiaris’ words, Princess Adela’s eyebrows rose.‘Maybe that hairpin?’Suddenly, I remembered the hairpin she saw in Escal’s room. Princess Adela was very upset with her and threw the doll.“Oh, no! My dog!”“If you are a maid, act like a maid. Don’t be so impudent as to touch other people’s things.” ***** “Adela, what took you so long?”“I don’t know.”It had been a while since Princess Adela, who had been going to the bathroom, returned. The Empress asked as if puzzled by her daughter’s answer, which was full of annoyance.“Why, what’s going on?”“There’s a weird kid out there.”Weird kid?With that words, I pricked up my ears and overheard the conversation.“Weird? Who is that?”“It was a pink-haired girl, but I think she was a maid.”Pink hair girl? Are you talking about Tiaris?“What did she do to you?”“She had my puppy doll that father gave me.”“Puppy doll?”The Emperor frowned and asked.“Are you referring to the doll I gave you on your birthday last year?”“Yes, it is. I gave it to Escal as a gift, but a kid who doesn’t know her place…”It was Tiaris. I’m sure.The Emperor’s gaze traveled from me to Escal to Helios, as if he understood what was going on.“It seems that Escalium was kind and treated the maids too well.”“Your Majesty, that child—.”“I have troubled you, Your Majesty. I will get the same doll and send it to the Princess.”Helios intervened, stopping me from trying to explain. He seemed to have decided that there was nothing good about the long speech.As the Emperor coughed and turned his head, the Empress comforted the crying Adela.‘Is Tiaris okay?’Princess Adela’s temper is not normal.Worried that she might be hurt, Merlin approached me just as I was about to tell Mary to come and see her for a while.“Sir, I have something to tell you.”Helios asked the Emperor for his understanding and moved to a corner.“What’s going on?”“Marquis Melks has arrived.”“What?”