Blin chased after Theor, gripping onto the maid's sleeve, and they both dashed away. Theor fled, ignoring the maid's scream, calling him, and hurried along the winding stone path of the garden, his only goal to escape and find a hiding spot.
For a while, he ran, with Blin trailing behind at first, then later taking the lead, and Theor following after the dog. Exhausted, he finally halted when Blin stopped, panting heavily.
"Blin... ha... are you looking for flowers?" Theor asked between breaths as he noticed the dog standing by a bed of tall yellow flowers.
A place where tall yellow petals lined up like waves—it was the Tokar flower bed. Blin attempted to enter it, prompting Theor to stop the dog.
"Blin, don't!" he cautioned, wrapping his arms around Blin's neck to prevent it from entering.
"Theor?" A familiar voice startled him. Kaizen appeared at the road leading to the flower bed.
"Your Majesty!" Theor ran to Kaizen and clung to his legs.
Kaizen was on his way to the annex to meet Astelle, whom he hadn't seen in a few days. He had been contemplating whether to visit her and received a letter from Astelle expressing gratitude for the dresses and jewelry.
In her letter, Astelle apologized for the delay in thanking him, explaining she was busy organizing the gifts he had sent. Encouraged by the letter, Kaizen made his way to the annex to see her.
As he approached the annex, Kaizen noticed a child running around. Theor was the only child who would roam freely in this area.
Following Theor's path, which led to the flower bed, Kaizen arrived there.
He gazed down at Theor's anxious expression. "Why are you here all by yourself?"
Astelle never left Theor unattended, there was always a maid nearby to keep watch over him.
While Astelle had asked the maid to ensure Theor's safety and prevent any mishaps, from Kaizen's perspective, she had taken extraordinary measures to safeguard Theor.
Now, Theor clung to Kaizen's legs, his face damp with sweat and tears. He recounted the incident to Kaizen.
"I was in the garden, and the maid tried to catch me."
"Catch what?"
"She tried to get me!"
When prompted for clarification, Theor explained further, doing his best to articulate the situation despite his tender age. He detailed the events, ensuring not to omit any crucial points, despite the complexity of his story for a child his age.
Apologies for the confusion! Let's dive back into the dialogue:
Kaizen quickly grasped the situation.
"Have you really never seen that maid before?" Kaizen asked, trying to confirm if the maid was from Astelle.
"Really! It's the first time I've seen her," Theor answered sincerely.
Kaizen fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation. If Theor's words were true, it was indeed a serious matter.
Kaizen was outraged by the attempt to abduct a child from the palace where the emperor resided. He questioned silently, 'Why are you trying to take this little boy?'
Gazing down at Theor, trembling with fear, Kaizen gently held the frightened child.
"It's fine now. Do not worry," Kaizen assured Theor, who looked up at him, tearfully seeking comfort, and then buried his face in Kaizen's arms. The child appeared small and fragile in that moment of distress.
