Chapter 143

As soon as he bumped into his old subordinate in the hallway, the Marquis of Carlenberg stood still in bewilderment.

Ecklen smiled as he walked closer to his old boss.

“You always avoid me.”

“When did I… … .”

The Marquis could not continue his words. In fact, he had always avoided Ecklen ever since returning to the capital.

The Marquis sighed, avoiding his gaze.

“Because I have no face to show you.”

[T/N: it means he feels ashamed/guilty]

“Don’t say that. I don’t blame you.”

At first, he felt resentful, but as time passed, he realized the reality. Whatever happened, it was Jacqueline who finally made the choice.

For Ecklen, working with him remains a sad and beautiful memory.

He understood Jacqueline’s choice and respected her decision. He wanted to see her happy from afar for the rest of his life, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.

“I heard you got your estate back. That’s great. Congratulations.”

In fact, he had been waiting to hear the news that the Marquis had his estate back.

It was thanks to the Empress, his only granddaughter, that the Marquis was able to get back his long-lost estate.

‘And the Duke of Reston, the empress’ father, also gained power again.’

It was bittersweet. Although Ecklen gave his loyalty to the emperor who had chosen him and also despised the Duke, he also hoped that the Reston family would not be destroyed.

If the Reston family falls, the Duke’s children, Fritz and Astelle, will not be safe either.

To others, he would look like the Duke’s enemy. However, when the Duke was about to face the worst, he went so far as to help without anyone knowing.

“Her Majesty the Empress is a wonderful person. She resembles her mother a lot.”

In his opinion, Astelle resembles Jacqueline a lot.

He felt pity and respect at the same time for the young empress. How difficult it must have been for her to raise the prince alone while hiding his identity.

He wanted to help Astelle as much as possible.

“Yeah, the way she lives is very similar to her mother’s.”

“Are you staying in the Empress Palace?”

“That’s how it is.”

I can’t believe this stubborn man is enduring a troublesome palace life because of his beloved granddaughter.

Still, it’s a relief to see him in good health.

The bitter emotion that had been suppressed for a long time cast a shadow for a moment, but soon disappeared into the other side of the memory.

Fortunately, I heard that Jacqueline was very happy. The nobles of the capital said so.

They said they had never seen a newlywed couple as happy as the Duke and Duchess of Reston.

The two walked around the garden and talked about what had happened. Unaware of the passage of time, they had a conversation until the sun went down.

The servants were lighting up the hallways leading to the garden.

“It’s already time.”

The Marquis looked up at the indigo-dyed sky and turned to Ecklen again.

It was late, so he wanted to ask him to come to the Empress Palace later.

At that moment, the sound of urgent footsteps broke the silence of the hallway.

Suddenly, knights began to appear everywhere.

Everyone was busy walking around the palace.

They seem to be looking or checking something.

“What’s going on?”

“I do not know.”

* * *

Theor took Hannah’s hand and returned to his bedroom.

Servants and maids were busy going back and forth around the hallway. They all look anxious.

It was warm and quiet in the bedroom with the lights off. Hannah laid Theor on the bed and brought his teddy bear to him.

“Your Highness, would you like me to bring you some hot tea?”

Theor quietly shook his head.

Hannah was smiling as usual, but Theor somehow felt something was off.

There has been a strange atmosphere here and there for a while. The surroundings were noisy and his servant disappeared. More importantly, his mother looked very perplexed.

Theor had never seen his mother so surprised.

His maternal grandfather, Duke Reston, whom he had not seen for a while, suddenly came and said strange things.

But all of that just flashed through Theor’s mind. The strangest thing is,

“Hannah, where is His Majesty the Emperor?”

Hannah’s hand, which was pulling the blanket over Theor, paused. But it was a brief moment.

Hannah calmly said, “His Majesty went to bed early.”

“Already?”

It’s really weird. It was not yet time for the adults to go to bed.

Everyone is busy, but why is the Emperor already sleeping?

Even his mother hasn’t put on her pajamas yet. She was still wearing the pretty dress she wore at the previous event.

‘I think there’s something she’s very worried about.’

Why did the Emperor go to sleep at this time? It was beyond his comprehension.

Theor was aware that his parents were getting along better than before.

When his mother first came to the palace, she hated the Emperor. Even if the Emperor spoke to her, she treated him coldly without making eye contact with him.

Theor liked the emperor, but his mother didn’t like him, so he kept a little distance from him.

But not long ago, the two became close. They laughed and joked as they looked at each other.

‘Mom must be worried about something. Why did His Majesty go to bed early?’

“Aren’t you tired, Your Highness? You’ve been out of the palace all day for today’s event.”

Theor was tired, but the uneasy feeling overcame his body.

“Why did my grandfather say that?” Theor raised another question.

“Sorry?”

“He said I would become emperor.”

That’s what the Duke said when his mother hugged him.

‘I will become emperor sooner or later, but I need to know what is going on.’

“His Majesty also said that I would become emperor if he disappeared.”

The Emperor once said so.

Theor hates the loss of His Majesty the Emperor. Rather, he prefers not to be emperor forever.

“The Duke always says strange things. Just forget what he said.” Hannah answered in a firm tone.

Normally, Hannah wouldn’t say things like this, but now the situation was different.

Hannah covered Theor with a blanket and patted him gently.

“His Majesty is all right. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yes… … .”

Theor was forced to accept it, but something was still on his mind.

“I want to meet His Majesty tomorrow morning.”

When he sees him with his own eyes, he feels like this vague anxiety will disappear.

“When His Majesty wakes up, wake me up in the morning. Promise me. Hm?” Theor begged Hannah.

“… … yes, Your Highness.”

***

Astelle whispered quietly as Theor took Hannah’s hand.

“Call Gretel. Right Now.”

Astelle remained in the quiet room and continued her thoughts.

Will there be a solution when Gretel comes?

Astelle recalled an herb that can detoxify poison she had seen in Gretel’s lab.

Gretel may have a way. She used to roam around the continent and always produce extraordinary medicine.

Astelle felt a cold and clear reality as she thought about it. She had no choice but to lean on such a vague hope for now.

“Are there no other symptoms?”

Astelle returned to the drawing room and asked the Duke of Reston.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking you if it only makes him lie down like that all the time,” she continued.

“Yeah, it’s a very peaceful death that doesn’t suit him.”

The Duke was still sitting in front of the fireplace, drinking his tea. Astelle wanted to pour the hot tea on him.

The Duke turned his gaze to Astelle again.

“Do you know how much I paid for the poison?”

“There’s a lot I want to know about that poison, but I’m not curious about it right now.”

“If you take the poison, you will fall into a coma. It will make you look like you are asleep. So unless you examine it carefully, you won’t know it’s poison.”

It is a poison that can make a person look like he is asleep. It’s definitely worth the high price.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long will he stay like that?”

She couldn’t ask how long he had to stay like that until he died, so she asked so.

An indifferent reply came back immediately.

“It will be a few days at most.”

Can I find a way to save Kaizen in a few days?

Astelle had no choice but to admit the reality. It’s practically impossible.

“You will stay here?”

“I want to help you.”

“How are you going to help?”

“Call the ministers.”

The duke put down his teacup and spoke continued, “Tell them that the emperor is sick. So cancel the schedule from tomorrow and block the gates of the capital.”

The troops currently in the capital are the Imperial Guards Division and the Capital Guards. There are knights of Lanberg near the capital, but most of them went north with Seibel.

There aren’t many troops left.

In other words, if the Knights and Guards protecting the palace guard the capital’s gates, there are no troops in the capital to protect the emperor.

The two troops are to follow the orders of Lyndon, the commander of the Guards Division, and the Ministry of the Interior, respectively.

‘You’ve planned everything.’

Once again, Astelle was horrified by her father.

“First of all, keep the doctor from the ministers so he won’t talk nonsense.”

“Emperor doesn’t have a doctor….., will the ministers believe that?”

“There are many doctors besides the current doctor.”

So there was someone who had already been recruited among other doctors. Astelle sighed.

“My daughter is the empress, can’t she even do that?”

“… … .”

Astelle called the doctor who was waiting in Kaizen’s room.

The doctor came in with a tense expression.

“My father wants you to rest and find another doctor.”

At those words, the doctor became pale. He understood what Astelle meant.

He said shakily, “Your Majesty, I–”

“Can you do what I tell you?”

The Doctor looked at Astelle and Duke back and forth anxiously.

He looked reluctant, but he seemed to have realized that there was no other way.

After all, the emperor will die soon, and the young prince will become the new emperor.

And at this moment, he seemed to have realized that if he did not obey the Empress, he could be killed on the spot.

In the end, he nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”