Chapter 127

After Kaizen went back, Astelle prepared to start the day.

With the help of the maids, she took a bath and changed clothes.

“Your Majesty, please take a rest today. You haven’t slept a wink last night……”

Hannah looked at Astelle worriedly and advised her to rest.

“I’m fine. You didn’t sleep all night either.”

“But……”

“Today, I will only do what I have to do and rest.”

Hannah sighed, still worried.

“Don’t overdo it.”

Even if she wants to rest, she can’t.

Before she started work in the morning, a visitor came.

“Your Majesty, the Duke of Reston……”

As soon as she heard the maid’s words, she frowned without realizing it.

Astelle put down the papers and went into the drawing room.

Her father, Duke Reston, was sitting as he did at dawn in the same chair.

Seeing that he was dressed the same as when he had met her at dawn, Astelle wondered if he had been waiting for morning to come and just looked at the clock.

“Has the emperor returned to his palace?”

“He did a long time ago.”

“Didn’t the emperor say anything else?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Astelle sat face to face with her father again.

“Do you think His Majesty the Emperor is targeting you?”

“Or maybe one of the other ministers……”

The duke didn’t finish his words.

It means he doesn’t have a clue who it is.

‘I think it’s good in a way.’

Astelle decided to take advantage of this situation.

In the current situation, there is no way for her father to take risky action first.

Her father will move only when he feels it is dangerous.

“I will help you.”

“You?”

The Duke looked at Astelle, not believing what he just heard.

“If my father is safe, then Theor and I will be safe too.”

Astelle continued, “I will find out what the Emperor is thinking. And I will try to win His Majesty’s heart even more so that he does not become hostile towards us.”

Simply put, she will keep an eye on the Emperor while seducing him.

She got little goosebumps when she said so.

But the Duke of Reston nodded and listened intently to Astelle.

“But if His Majesty the Emperor is targeting our family…… then we have to think of another way.”

Astelle added so in a meaningful tone.

No matter how she seduces him, if the Emperor does not give up on his will, Astelle is willing to use any other method.

For example, she will agree to her father’s extreme plan to get rid of the Emperor.

A satisfied smile appeared on the Duke of Reston’s face.

“Yes, that’s my daughter.”

Once again, Astelle really hates the fact that she was born as the daughter of such a father.

“Then first, you have to look into the emperor’s heart.”

“Yes.”

I’ll have to tell Fritz right away to be careful not to get caught by father.

“Is our prince okay?”

After the conversation with Astelle ended satisfactorily, only then did the Duke ask about Theor.

“He is better now. It wasn’t even a serious illness in the first place.”

“Nevertheless, be very careful. He’s still young, it’s a big deal if his body gets weak.”

The Duke glanced back at Astelle and added again what he had said at dawn.

“As I’ve always said several times before, when you have the chance, give birth to more princes. The more princes, the better.”

Astelle held back her anger and smiled again.

“Thank you for your concern, father.”

***

This time it’s not the annoying visitor who comes.

Before afternoon, Fritz also came to the empress’ palace again

“Theor, are you all right now?”

“Yes, I’m all better.”

Theor, sitting on the bed, was playing with the toy boat Fritz had brought.

It is a gift he brought from the West.

“Can I go out and play with Uncle Fritz?”

“No, you haven’t fully recovered yet.”

The Marquis of Carlenberg next to Theor looked at Fritz and spoke to him.

“You must have had a hard time in the West. You look more skinny.”

“This is nothing compared to what Grandpa and Astelle have been through.”

Yesterday, Fritz rushed home, so the two didn’t have time to meet.

Come to think of it, the Marquis and Fritz seem to have made up to some extent.

For the past few years, Fritz had been indifferent to his grandfather, and his grandfather did not consider him his grandson.

Do people make up over time?

‘It must be because they are blood relatives.’

My relationship with Kaizen is different. There’s no way I can make up with him like my grandfather and my brother did.

“Brother, I have something to tell you.”

Astelle took Fritz to the next room and told him about the Duke, her father.

“So be careful not to get caught.”

“I will be fine. But how about you?”

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

“If His Majesty knows about this……”

“His Majesty knows this to some extent.”

Kaizen wanted to take down the Duke without much conflict so Theor wouldn’t be hurt.

But isn’t that a much more peaceful way than secretly assassinating the Duke?

“Okay. I get it.”

After sending Fritz back, Kaizen came to visit in the afternoon.

Astelle thought he stopped by to check on Theor’s condition, but he called her after.

There was already tea prepared on the table.

There is bitter-smelling tea in the clear pearl-colored teacup.

“What is this…..?”

“They say it’s a medicine to relieve fatigue.”

Astelle looked at him in confusion.

He continued calmly, “I prepared it for you.”

Astelle picked up the teacup.

There is a strong aroma of herbs in the steaming hot tea.

When she smelled it again, she remembered what kind of tea this was. This is a medicinal tea made from precious herbs for relieving fatigue and energizing.

Astelle herself had prepared this kind of tea for Kaizen in the past.

Astelle took a sip of the tea.

The herbal tea had a bitter taste.

However, unlike before, there was a calm atmosphere between the two.

It’s quiet and peaceful, but not boring.

Since taking care of Theor together, Astelle feels that her relationship with Kaizen has improved a bit.

It’s not that she really likes him.

‘But I feel more comfortable than before.’

I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

We have to live as an official couple in the future, but it was tiring to continue our uncomfortable relationship.

“What happened to your father at dawn?”

As Astelle put the empty teacup down, Kaizen asked.

Astelle turned her gaze to him. Kaizen seemed to have noticed that Astelle was up to something.

Well, suddenly, her father came running in the early morning, and her brother came in today as well.

‘It would be weird if he didn’t notice.’

Whenever she had something to deal with, she did it by herself without telling Kaizen.

Because she thought it was her responsibility to solve problems related to herself.

But Kaizen was angry each time that she had done her job alone.

Ever since she became the Empress, they had argued about this matter several times.

‘Would it be better if I tell him in detail this time?’

Astelle opened her mouth slightly impulsively after thinking about it.

“I asked Brother Fritz to steal documents from the estate.”

Astelle told Kaizen about what she asked Fritz to do.

And that her father was suspicious of Kaizen.

“He has every reason to doubt me.”

Kaizen snorted. Then he said to Astelle.

“If there’s anything I can help you with, just tell me.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

After answering, the conversation paused for a moment.

There was again a comfortable silence between the two of them.

“It’s getting late. I have to go back.”

***

The maid announced the arrival of another visitor.

“Who?”

The maid bowed her head and, like a parrot, repeated her words.

She said, “Count Ecklen, the Minister of Military Affairs, is here.”

Is today a visitor day?

Usually, there were occasional guests, but today, for some reason, visitors come one after another.

‘Count Ecklen.’

After hearing about everything from her maternal grandfather, Astelle felt a little uncomfortable to meet him.

But she had invited him before, so she couldn’t help but meet him.

Astelle headed to the drawing room.

In the drawing room, the Count of Ecklen was waiting for her.

He said, “I heard that the Prince fell ill, so I came to visit.”

“The prince is fine now. Thank you for your concern.”

Count Ecklen spoke as he looked at the box he had placed on the table.

He said, “I have prepared some medicine to help the Prince recover his health.”

Astelle understood why her mother once had a close relationship with this man.

Even though this man is in a high position, he has an honest and naive impression.

Astelle smiled lightly as she thought about it.

Just thinking about what happened to her mother and this man makes her feel a little uncomfortable and sorry.

‘I don’t think he’s a bad person.’

Astelle doesn’t want to be hard on this man.

She doesn’t need to be cold towards him either.

“Thank you. This way, please.”