Chapter 89
“Come on, sweetheart. Try this.”
The Duke of Reston handed a cookie to Theor.
It was a sweet voice as if dripping honey.
It was a figure that no one could ever imagine.
“……I won’t eat it.”
Theor ran behind the chair, avoiding the Duke’s hand.
He hid behind the back of the chair, revealing only his face.
The Duke smiled and put the cookie back down on the bowl.
“You don’t like sweets?”
Theor replied while wary of him trying to catch him.
“No, I do not want it.”
Then he hid completely behind the back of the chair, avoiding his eyes.
Theor hated the man named the Duke.
The nape of his neck he had held still throbbed and hurt.
It was also strange that he suddenly smiled kindly, having grabbed his neck a moment ago and angry.
He seemed like a high-ranking person, but just looking at him frightened him.
The Duke smiled contentedly as he wiped his hands with a napkin.
“You’re not like a normal kid. Is it because you have precious blood?”
The Duke thought children would like sweets like this.
In fact, the Duke did not like children.
Children were just noisy and annoying creatures.
But he likes this little one.
This child is the heir to the throne.
When this child becomes emperor, he will become a regent and lawfully rule the empire.
Becoming a regent had long been his dream.
For that dream, he educated Astelle as the future empress.
Although he failed because of Kaizen, Astelle still did her part.
Because she gave birth to such a cute and clever prince.
‘If this child becomes emperor, I will rule the empire.’
While the Duke was imagining such happiness, there was a commotion in the hallway.
bang!
The door of the drawing-room opened with a bang.
Fritz entered the drawing-room.
“Father!”
“Have you forgotten how to knock?”
Fritz walked towards his father angrily.
“I heard you brought Theor. Where is he—”
“Uncle Fritz?”
Theor, who was hiding behind a chair, heard a familiar voice and raised his head.
“Theor?”
“Uncle Fritz!”
Theor rushed out and hugged him.
“Theor are you o-”
Fritz, who was about to ask if he was okay, stared blankly at Theor’s tearful face.
‘His eyes……’
His eyes are red.
“……uncle?”
When Fritz didn’t respond, Theor grabbed the hem of his robe.
“Why do you look like that? Are you surprised?”
The duke ridiculed his son.
“Father, he is……”
“That’s right. As you can see, your nephew is His Majesty’s son.”
The Duke laughed as if pleased to see his son’s silly expression.
“You were the emperor’s playmate when you were a child, but you can’t recognize your nephew? Just by looking at his appearance, it is clear he is Kaizen’s son.”
Fritz looked at Theor with trembling eyes.
The tearful eyes were still ruby red.
As soon as he saw Theor, he knew he was Astelle’s child.
Theor doesn’t look like Sigmund at all.
Rather, his thin stature, the shape of his ears, lips, and hands, were all very similar to Astelle’s.
And Fritz, who was close to Sigmund like a best friend, was well aware that Sigmund had no lover.
He could not believe it when he heard that a child from Sigmund had been born, so he had written several letters to his maternal grandfather.
The moment he put all of these together, there was only one answer.
That Theor is Astelle’s child.
But he did not know who the father was.
He once thought Theor looked a little like the emperor, but he never thought he would be the emperor’s son.
Above all, the color of his eyes was the most convincing evidence, so he did not doubt.
“Duke.”
Lyndon was standing by the door.
A little while ago, Lyndon had sent a knight to the Imperial Palace to inform the Emperor about Theor.
However, even before the answer came back, a messenger sent by the Emperor arrived first.
“His Majesty has asked you to bring the Prince…… Young Master Theor to Lady Astelle’s mansion right now.”
“It seems that my daughter has accepted His Majesty’s proposal, huh?”
Lyndon did not answer the Duke’s question and hugged Theor.
“Young Master Theor, I will escort you.”
***
Astelle was waiting for Theor.
Kaizen left the drawing-room after saying he would meet the conditions.
I don’t think he left the mansion.
He seemed to need some time to be alone for a while.
He suddenly heard the incredibly shocking news.
So it takes time to calm his emotions.
Marriage to Kaizen is now decided.
The marriage was nothing more than a formal marriage.
Astelle will live as an empress, but she will not be a real couple with Kaizen.
‘There is no other way for now.’
Running away from the imperial palace is possible only when Theor’s biological father is not revealed.
Since Theor’s identity had already been revealed, there was no other way to escape.
She hated the fact that she had to return to the imperial palace again, but she could endure it if it was to protect Theor.
It was better to gain the position of Empress and protect Theor than to go on a battle without any power outside the Imperial Palace.
I will do everything I can.
The important thing is to protect Theor.
Hannah opened the door and came in.
“Lady Astelle! Young Master Theor is—”
Before Hannah could finish speaking, Astelle stood up from her seat.
Footsteps were heard from the stairs.
Astelle hurriedly ran downstairs.
On the stairs were Sir Lyndon and Theor.
Theor found her and shouted with joy,
“Aunt Astelle!”
Astelle ran and hugged Theor.
“Theor……”
She could feel the familiar warmth and soft body.
She was so happy that she cried feeling the presence of the child in her arms.
“Theor, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Yes……”
Theor nodded, then put his hand on his neck.
“My neck hurts.”
“Do you have a sore throat?”
Astelle unbuttoned his shirt in surprise.
The red marks left on his slender neck could be seen.
“You have a bruise. Where did you get hurt?”
“The bad guy grabbed me like this!”
Theor grabbed his neck with both of his hands.
“What does that mean?”
She was about to ask more, but Lyndon, who was watching, coughed.
“Mhm. Lady Astelle.”
“Oh, Sir Lyndon, thank you for bringing Theor back.”
Lyndon looked at Astelle with a complex look.
There was a little anger on his serious face.
Are you angry?
That’s understandable.
Now Theor’s eyes were red like blood.
The former Empress, who was expelled, hid the emperor’s child and raised him as an illegitimate child.
As the emperor’s servant, he deserved to be angry.
“Whatever you think, Sir, I have no reason to deny it,” Astelle said calmly.
“Lady Astelle, I am not blaming you.”
Lyndon denied her words.
Then a familiar voice could be heard.
“Lyndon.”
Kaizen was standing on the railing on the second floor.
***
Kaizen, who was waiting in the break room, came out when he heard that Theor had arrived.
People were gathering under the stairs.
Theor was seen in Astelle’s arms.
Kaizen walked slowly towards the two of them.
Lyndon and the other knights hurriedly bowed.
Astelle also bowed her head.
Finally, Theor turned and looked at him.
“Your Majesty?”
When he turned around, his red eyes could be seen clearly.
He had already heard from Astelle, but that was the moment when he faced the truth with his own eyes.
‘Really……’
Theor is my son.
At that moment, Kaizen felt an indescribable deep emotion.
“Theor.”
Kaizen approached him.
He then gently stroked Theor’s face.
His soft, milky cheeks touched his fingertips.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”
“Not Your Majesty.”
Kaizen bent his knees to meet Theor’s eye level.
He had the same red eyes as himself.
“Call me Father.”
The knights and servants who saw the two could barely keep their mouths closed from the shock.
When Lyndon entered the mansion with Theor in his arms, they were all astonished to see the color of the child’s eyes.
Theor blinked, not understanding what he was saying.
“My father is in heaven.”
Kaizen’s hand fell helplessly.
Theor looked at Astelle in bewilderment.
“Aunt? His Majesty is talking about Dad.”
Kaizen gritted his teeth when he heard that.
“You don’t have to lie anymore. Just call her mother.”
Theor, as if frightened by the low-pitched voice, grabbed the hem of Astelle’s skirt and turned his head away.
“Theor, it’s okay. His Majesty was very worried about you.”
Astelle hugged Theor and comforted him.
“Your Majesty, Theor seems to be very surprised and tired today. Please come back tomorrow,” said Astelle.
“……”
Kaizen is feeling sad and miserable.
The son, whom he met after six years, did not think of him as a father, but was afraid and turned away.
Kaizen also knew that he could not be recognized as a father by the child right now.
Kaizen endured his sorrow and turned around.
“I will go to the Imperial Palace,” he said.
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