Julietta had little trouble with her first child, Philip, but she had two days of hard labor for her second child, Luar. Killian didn't want to repeat that terrible time.

Ian hesitated for a moment and answered with courage. "A Prince may be born who looks more like no one than a half-half one."

At Ian's answer, Killian slapped his knee. "I see. I didn't think of that. Yeah, I can finally get over it. Thank you, Ian. I think you are getting more and more like Albert, but that's just my feeling. Isn't it?"

Ian calmly replied that he would never look like Albert. "Yes, that can't be. Shall we bring the meal?"

As he left the room to bring a meal, Killian's head, looking at Ian's back, tilted slightly to one side. Because he felt like he saw a white handkerchief sticking out of Ian's right pocket. "I must have seen nothing. I've been overworked lately."

Killian leaned his head against the couch and convinced himself that he was tired and saw nothing.

--------------

A Letter of Misfortune and Murder in the Back Room

Luar, the second Prince of the Austern Empire, turned eleven years old this year, came back from playing at his friend Iron Lazar's house and was eating snacks. Vera found a letter in his pocket while she was cleaning up his jacket and put it down on the table.

"You can throw it away. Iron plays with it."

Drinking tea next to him, Julietta asked, "What kind of a practical joke is that?"

"He said that it's a letter of misfortune. If I don't send it to five people, bad luck will come… It's like that."

Julietta burst out laughing at Luar's words. 'Oh, my G.o.d, there's a letter of misfortune here, too. I guess the places where people live are the same.'

"Luar, you are praiseworthy. When most people get a letter like that, they get nervous and send it to someone else."

"Yes. Iron was wondering who to give it to. So I got one."

The letter of misfortune that Luar had received was thus abandoned by Vera. They thought it was someone's practical joke and didn't take it seriously.

But that evening. Luar, who did not get sick easily, got suddenly fevered and said that he had a headache, and frightened people.

---

"He's all right. There is nothing serious and the fever's normal now."

Fortunately, as the royal physician said, the fever, which had suddenly risen, quickly fell as if nothing had happened, and Luar fell asleep.

The next morning, Julietta said, sweeping down her son's cheek. "Don't go out today and stay calm. I told your teachers that I will postpone your cla.s.s until tomorrow."

Luar's expression became gloomy when she said he would not study, but couldn't go out.

"Iron is coming to play this afternoon. So, stay in bed until then."

Julietta asked Manny on the bed to keep an eye on her son and went outside.

--------------------

"It's because of the letter. It's not too late, so let's write it down and send it to someone. Let me help you. You only need to send six."

Iron was of the same age as Luar, and he came much earlier than he had promised, saying that he missed today's fencing cla.s.s.

"Somebody's been carrying a practical joke around. There's no such thing as a letter of misfortune."

Iron lowered his voice when Luar snorted and refused to deal with him. "No, I thought it might be just a joke, just like you said, until yesterday. But the butler fell down the stairs this morning and sprained his foot."

Luar blinked at Iron's words. "What does the butler's fall have to do with the letter?"

"It's a problem because I gave it to the butler."

Luar's eyes grew at Iron's reply.

"You're uncomfortable hearing that, aren't you? So, let's write it down quickly."

Iron brought a letter paper and a pen to his desk, ready to write for himself.

"No. I don't want to write a letter of misfortune with the emblem of the imperial court. It's a coincidence that the butler fell. It can't be because of the letter of misfortune."

As Luar hated it, Iron couldn't help but bring the letter back and spoke in an una.s.sailable manner. "Yes, it's a coincidence, isn't it? I think so, too."

---

"Luar, this time my nanny cut her hand while cutting fruit, and the wagon driver almost got killed by a horse."

The next day, the pale Iron came to visit Luar early in the morning.

Because today was a day for history and math cla.s.s, Luar, who was pretending to be sick in bed for another day, jumped up. "What? Did you give a letter to your nanny and the wagon driver?"

"Yes. Yesterday in the horse-riding cla.s.s..." Iron blurred his words with a guilty face.

"Is it really not a coincidence? A letter of misfortune hurt a person! You're saying they were under a spell?"

Luar stood up suddenly after a moment of agony. "I have to tell my mom. If the letter of misfortune is real, my mom will solve it."

With a very urgent look, Luar ran the corridor of the main castle to get to the office where Julietta was.

Running behind him, Iron grumbled. "Panting… there will be nothing she can do, no matter how great the Empress is. Please go slowly. I'm out of breath."

----

The private office of the Empress…

Julietta greeted the cute kids with a big smile s they suddenly burst into her office.

"A man was hurt by a letter of misfortune?" She burst out laughing at what her son had said.

"It can't be. That's a superst.i.tion and a joke."

"Maybe it's a letter made by a magician or a priest?"