Chapter 23

In the morning, Albert woke up feeling refreshed. Corinna was still asleep. After staring at her sleeping face for a short time, he carefully left the bed. While he changed clothes in his own room, Nella appeared and in a low voice, he told her, "Let Corinna rest for a little longer."

Nella nodded with a gentle expression.

Preparing to head to the royal palace, Albert went to the dining room before leaving the mansion. Duran and Frigga, who were seated, looked at their son who just appeared.

"Will you be having breakfast, milord?"

"No, I'm okay. I'm heading straight to work."

When he answered the butler who was coming into his direction, Hans nodded and quickly left, saying "Please wait a moment." They would probably prepare a light snack that he can carry around. Before Corinna came to this house, even if he would come back home sometimes, Albert still didn't have the habit of having meals together with his parents.

"Albert."

Frigga, who kept silent as if to ignore the existence of her son, suddenly called out. When Albert turned his eyes to check if it was going to be a continuation of last night's talk, Frigga used a quiet voice, but still said something about it.

"You can be such a troublesome child."

"I apologize."

"It has always been that way. Even if we worry about you, you have always solved your own problems and the outcome is always better than if we had interfered in any way."

Frigga said in a tired tone. Duran was silently gazing at Albert.

"As the eldest son of the Heres household, I was really struggling to find you a partner because you had to get married. I was trying to find a person who suited you as best as I could. After all, you almost never came back home because of work, and even if you had one or two children only as the duty of a legitimate heir, the woman who married you would surely be disappointed and would turn her eyes to other men. And if someone eventually did end up seducing her, it would have become a sham marriage, and this mansion would be turned into a joyless place.''

Albert recalled that someone had said exactly the same thing, and thought about something that His Highness mentioned before. Even His Highness and his own mother could imagine him in such an awful marriage, he laughed bitterly at what kind of image he had in their minds. But indeed, that was one of his possible futures.

"While we were so worried about it, you found a marriage partner in such a calculating manner. And it was even a wonderful person like Corinna--"

Frigga sighed.

"Corinna is a really good girl."

"A nice girl."

Duran, who was silent until then, agreed.

"I'm really angry, Albert. To take such a gentle girl for yourself and in that questionable manner-- Corinna is just too good for you."

"Yes, I think so too."

When Albert nodded obediently, Frigga hit the table with her fan.

"I'll only tell you this. If something goes wrong between the two of you, the one who will be chased out from the Heres family is going to be you, Albert. It doesn't matter to me if you're the heir. I'll be on Corinna's side no matter what. Please keep that in mind."

As soon as Frigga finished, Hans brought in a cloth-wrapped meal. Receiving it, Albert turned to his parents and smiled.

"Father, mother. I don't remember a single time that you have praised me."

Hearing those words, Duran and Frigga seemed a little embarrassed.

"But I don't care about that anymore. I discovered that being praised by Corinna was more joyful than any other compliments I ever received. So don't worry about it, it doesn't matter what happens, I will never let her go-- well, excuse me now, it's time to work."

When Albert turned his back, Frigga's usual grumbling followed, "He can be so annoying!".

Albert met his eyes with Hans, who was sending him off, and both of them stifled laughed at it.