Chapter 160

A heavy silence enveloped the room. The two remained silent with dark faces.

Kaizen turned to Astelle with worried eyes. Astelle was still sitting quietly with an expressionless cold face.

For the past few days, Astelle has deliberately erased her father’s work from her mind. As time passed, she knew that her father would die naturally.

Every time she thought of her father’s death, she felt a sense of relief and complex emotions, so she tried not to think about it as much as possible.

“What happened?”

“The duke suddenly collapsed.”

Lyndon answered Kaizen’s question in a cautious voice.

“Why did a normal person suddenly collapse?”

“He hasn’t been feeling well for a few days… … I think his condition has worsened from living in an abandoned palace.”

Lyndon replied so, but in a less confident tone.

He tried not to look at Astelle as much as possible.

However, Astelle was rather relieved to hear Lyndon’s answer.

She thought her imprisoned father had caused some trouble.

I’m glad it wasn’t.

On the one hand, she felt a little bitter about the current situation where she was relieved that her biological father was sick.

‘Is he really sick?’

To be honest, Astelle doesn’t really believe it. She wonders if her father is playing a trick because Astelle refused to meet him.

Her father, the Duke of Reston, had contacted her several times over the past few days, asking to meet.

She ignored him over and over, and this time he might pretend to be sick.

Kaizen also doesn’t have a good expression on his face, probably thinks the same as Astelle.

“Did you call the doctor?”

“Yes, I have already sent the doctor to the abandoned palace.”

Lyndon looked at Astelle for a moment with worried eyes.

“But the duke said he wanted to see Your Majesty the Empress. He won’t receive treatment until he meets the empress… … .”

“… … .”

Kaizen and Astelle remained silent.

It’s obvious what the duke wants. If he stays like this, he’ll be quietly killed, so he’s probably trying to save himself somehow.

Astelle had no intention of saving her father.

‘Last time, I left him on the condition that he hand over his title to Fritz, and now he wants me to do it again?’

It can never be.

In particular, this incident was difficult for her to forgive him personally.

The appearance of Kaizen dying from poison was still vivid before her eyes.

Looking at Kaizen, who had overcome the crisis of life and death, made her even more disgusted with her father.

Astelle answered firmly, “I won’t meet him.”

Astelle continued in as calm a tone as she could, “If he is very sick, he should see a doctor. I don’t think I need to go.”

She thought it was too heartless, but Kaizen comforted her with a relieved face.

“Do what you want.”

Astelle thanked him, and then she turned to Lyndon.

“I don’t want to hear from my father anymore. Please handle it according to the rules.”

“I will obey your orders, Your Majesty.”

Lyndon also bowed his head with a slightly relieved expression.

Lyndon is one of those who has a rough idea of what happened last time.

It seems that he was worried inside that there would be trouble again when Astelle went to meet the duke after not being able to refuse her biological father’s request.

After the heavy conversation, Lyndon went out.

When only the two were left, Kaizen wrapped Astelle’s hand and carefully comforted her.

“Are you okay?”

Astelle nodded without answering.

Kaizen put his hand on her shoulder and slowly pulled her into his arms.

Astelle closed her eyes, feeling the familiar warmth.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble because of my father.”

“Don’t say that.”

Hugging her tenderly, Kaizen said, “This is not your fault. You don’t have to apologize to me.”

Her heart was warmed by his friendly consolation.

At the same time, Astelle wonders if Kaizen might have poisoned her father.

Kaizen said he would lock the Duke in the abandoned palace and kill him quietly. Astelle herself did not know how he would kill him.

‘Did he try to kill him by slowly weakening him?’

She was curious but kept those questions in her mind.

She thought she didn’t have to ask about it.

After a while, Kaizen gently released her.

He said, “You look tired, go in and rest first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Astelle got up from her seat obediently.

If she stayed here any longer in this heavy atmosphere, fatigue would only increase.

***

Kaizen went out only after making sure Astelle had gone to the room.

“Call Lyndon.”

The servant at the end of the hall quickly ran outside after hearing his order.

After a while, Lyndon, who had gone out of the palace, appeared again.

“Your Majesty. What’s going on?”

“… … .”

Kaizen had ordered to add drugs to the duke’s food which slowly made him sick and die.

The only person who knew about it was the servant in charge of the food going to the abandoned palace.

He didn’t have to tell many people, including Lyndon in front of him.

But Astelle seemed to still think about the duke even a little bit. It was understandable since the duke is her biological father.

Originally, Kaizen was going to do it slowly, but he changed his mind.

Kaizen decided to put an end to this troublesome problem for Astelle’s sake.

“Send a doctor to heal Duke Reston, even if by force.”

“Your Majesty, do you mean… … .”

“A sick person can die suddenly,” replied Kaizen after looking back into the room where Astelle is for a while.

That means getting rid of him quickly and quietly.

Lyndon understood the emperor’s will and bowed down.

“I will obey your orders.”

***

The Duke of Reston, lying in bed, struggled to get up to see how much time had passed.

A small candle flickered pitifully in the dark room.

It was already midnight.

Outside the window, he could see a dark sky.

The duke lay back on the bed.

There is no energy left in his body and he has a fever, the air is also very cold.

Saying it hurts wasn’t a lie.

Trapped in such a pit of dust, as time went on, his whole body weakened and ached here and there.

‘Don’t tell me someone put drugs on my food?’

He had such doubts, but he could not starve to death.

Even though he intentionally overreacted and fell in front of the young knight, the Duke of Reston was really sick, whether it was from poison or a mild cold.

The doctor rushed over, but he insisted that he would not receive treatment unless he met the empress.

‘I have to meet Astelle.’

He intended to intimidate Astelle.

If she doesn’t save him, he will expose the truth about the emperor’s poisoning, that it was led by him.

If that happens, even Astelle and the Crown Prince won’t be able to escape this.

But it doesn’t matter. His life is paramount to him.

“I brought you medicine, Duke.”

A young servant approached him.

The duke shouted angrily, “I don’t need it.”

“It’s His Majesty’s orders.”

“Ha, orders–”

However, the duke’s words did not continue to the end.

The servant covered his mouth with a handkerchief.

***

The next two days passed without a hitch.

The death of the former Duke of Reston became known three days later.

Astelle heard the news early in the morning. It was the news that the former Duke, who was staying in the palace due to the last case, died of chronic disease.

Hannah conveyed the news with a calm gaze, and she bowed her head in condolences according to the etiquette.

“I will prepare mourning clothes.”

“Yes.”

She has to wear mourning clothes since her biological father is dead. Fortunately, the emperor’s children are not obliged to wear mourning clothes. So there’s no need for Theor to be dressed all in black.

“Are you okay?”

The Marquis of Carlenberg came to Astelle as soon as he heard the news.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Noticing the worry on her maternal grandfather’s face, Astelle comforted him.

“Don’t worry. It was something I had already expected. I don’t care.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

The Marquis sighed long. It was a sigh of sadness and relief.

Of course, it wasn’t a feeling of sadness for his son-in-law, the Duke, but for Fritz and Astelle, who lost their father in this way.

“But that’s a relief your father’s work ended like that.”

Astelle thought so too. At least now there’s no problem with her father anymore.

This case is also being settled to some extent, so if she manages to completely treat Kaizen, she will be able to live without any problems.

As she was thinking about it, someone knocked on the door and came in.

It was Naen, who was helping Astelle’s business.

“Your… … Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Miss Naen? What’s going on?”

Naen had a darker expression than usual.

“Well, that… … I heard the news of the Duke. Please accept my condolences.”

Naen bowed her head with a face full of sympathy.

She seems to have come to console Astelle after hearing the news of the Duke of Reston.

“Thank you Miss Naen.”

Astelle asked her with a smile, “If you don’t mind, can you select only important tasks so that I can handle simple things today?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will sort it out now.”

Naen quickly showed courtesy to the two and went outside.

Astelle doesn’t look good, even though she said she’s fine.

‘Miss Naen doesn’t look well. Is there something wrong?’

As such a thought crossed her mind, her maternal grandfather whispered to her.

“I think that lady’s father has some kind of problem.”

“Yes?”