Chapter 173

The night was silent and tense after word spread that the empress was bedridden, followed by news that the emperor was furious with the doctor.

The simple welcoming ceremony that had been scheduled was also canceled.

The servants and maids in the castle walked carefully, trying not to make a sound. The soldiers guarding the lake area also spent the night cautiously not to make unnecessary noise.

The small castle, which had been noisy with the arrival of the imperial family, quickly fell into a heavy silence.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, it’s no big deal.”

Astelle tried to reassure him that everything is fine. To prove it, she emptied a bowl of soup and a plate of fish.

“I was a bit dizzy during the day, but it didn’t affect my appetite. I feel much better now.”

Seeing that, Kaizen was slightly relieved. It had been a long time since he had seen Astelle eat so well.

She probably finished her food trying to reassure him. Because of that, he couldn’t really be reassured.

Kaizen sent the doctor out after making sure Astelle finished dinner and lay in bed.

Astelle quickly fell asleep, probably tired. But Kaizen couldn’t close his eyes for even a moment.

He received a reassuring answer from Gretel and the doctor confirmed it several times, but he still couldn’t calm his mind.

He just sat silently watching Astelle sleep for quite a while, then decided to go out for fear of waking her who was sound asleep.

“Your Majesty?”

The attendant who was waiting outside approached in surprise.

“I just can’t sleep. Nothing happened.”

He walked down the hallway to get some fresh air.

Theor went to bed early after having dinner with Hannah.

Everyone also seems to be asleep. Since it’s a small castle, everyone’s rooms are close together.

But when Kaizen reached the end of the hallway, he saw lights twinkling on the terrace overlooking the lake.

Kaizen opened the glass door and stepped out onto the terrace. There, the Marquis and Fritz were sitting together.

The two found him and got up from their seats.

“Your Majesty.”

“What are you two doing in here?”

“We couldn’t sleep, so we got some fresh air.”

This is the terrace in the middle of the third floor. The entire lake is visible from here.

With a light night breeze cooling the summer heat, the night view of the lake under the white moonlight looks like a painting.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to join.”

Kaizen saw the two sitting without a glass of water and gestured to the attendant.

“Bring something to drink.”

The attendant quickly brought them a bottle of chilled white wine and light desserts.

Marquis and Fritz didn’t look very pleased, but Kaizen still poured them drinks.

Kaizen knows that the two of them don’t really like him.

Even though Fritz is polite to him, he always keeps his distance.

Is it because of the dead duke? I can’t help it.

Kaizen has no regrets about killing the duke and has no intention of making excuses.

But if it’s because of Astelle and not the duke…… he wanted to make excuses somehow, but he had none.

Unlike Fritz, the Marquis clearly hates him undeniably because of Astelle.

Even though they were sitting together over a glass of wine, there was silence on the terrace.

“What were you talking about?”

“Well…….”

At Kaizen’s question, Fritz cleared his throat and turned his eyes to the Marquis.

The Marquis said calmly, “We were talking about the time Astelle came to me during her first pregnancy.”

At those words, Kaizen’s face darkened.

Fritz quickly added, “I was asking how Her Majesty the Empress was when she was pregnant with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I’m curious about that, too.”

Earlier, the Marquis said that when Astelle had Theor, it was easier than now, but he did not explain any further.

I would like to hear more. I want to know everything about her condition when she had Theor.

“Can you explain it in detail?”

Seeing his ardent gaze, the Marquis showed a slightly wry expression.

“Well, there wasn’t anything special.”

The Marquis slowly began to bring out his old memories.

* * *

That day, seven years ago. A thin mist enveloped the yard covered in gray clouds, but not a single drop of rain fell from the overcast sky.

It was an oddly calm and somewhat ominous day.

Marquis Carlenberg closed the window, displeased with the humidity getting into the study.

The Marquis had long since lost his estate, so since then, he has been living in a small house near his estate.

The current emperor’s grandfather, Emperor Gilbert, deprived the Marquis’ estate but did not give it to any other nobleman. So the Marquis’ estate remained under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial family.

Inside the small mansion, sadness enveloped him like a mist that brought loneliness.

Not long ago, his grandson who was the heir to the Carlenberg family died in a war. His son and daughter-in-law had long since died of illness, and his wife the Marchioness had also died at about the same time.

Now, only the old Marquis was left alone in the house.

That year was a year of misfortune for his family.

Prior to the death of his grandson, his only granddaughter, Astelle, was deposed from the position of empress after a day of marriage.

The Marquis was heartbroken over his beloved granddaughter’s misfortune.

‘Poor thing.’

What made the Marquis even more heartbreaking was that Astelle had disappeared after she got divorced.

His son-in-law, the Duke of Reston, said he was looking for Astelle, but he didn’t believe it at all.

‘I’d rather trust the young emperor who kicked out Astelle than trust him.’

The Marquis had long hated his son-in-law, the Duke — though now he hated the new emperor as well.

“Marquis…….”

An old servant knocked on the door with a pale face when the Marquis felt sentimental looking at the moist gray mist.

“Why?”

“We have a guest.”

“Guest?”

“The princess is here,” replied the servant in bewilderment, not knowing what to do.

The Marquis was silent for a moment.

“Astelle is here?”

As if making an excuse, the servant replied stutteringly, “I- I apologize. I didn’t know that she was the princess, so I told her to leave, but—”

The Marquis hurriedly got up and went downstairs without listening to him any longer.

A woman wearing a black hood was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Astelle?”

The woman took off her hood when she saw him.

Bright platinum hair and a thin face were revealed. It was definitely Astelle.

“Grandpa.”

“You……. No, why…….”

The Marquis could understand why the servant was trying to tell Astelle to leave.

At first glance, the Marquis himself barely recognized her. Astelle was dressed in a starched, plain wool dress and topped with an old coat.

Her hair was messy and her face without makeup looked pale. Looking at her drenched clothes, she must have been caught in the rain.

Astelle walked towards the Marquis, crying.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa.”

“What do you have to be sorry for? You came back safe and sound.”

I don’t know where she’s been and what she’s been up to all this time, but she seems to have had a lot of trouble.

‘It must have been difficult.’

Although she grew up as a fiancée of the crown prince, she was a princess who grew up preciously in the Duke’s mansion.

I wonder how much she must have suffered to leave her home and live alone.

The Marquis felt sorry for his granddaughter and was heartbroken.

“Come in first.”

The Marquis took her hand and went upstairs.

“Grandpa, I have something important to tell you.”

As soon as they entered the room, Astelle leaned over him and whispered softly.

“What is it?”

“Not here. It’s really urgent.”

Hearing Astelle’s anxious voice, the Marquis tried to guess the situation.

Maybe it’s about the new emperor or the duke, and it must be a secret matter.

The Marquis took Astelle’s hand and entered a small narrow room.

The small room attached to the bedroom was originally used as the prayer room of the previous owner of the bedroom. The non-religious Marquis used this small room as a storage place for non-essential items.

The Marquis closed the door and stood facing Astelle.

“It’s safe here. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Even as the Marquis insisted, Astelle kept her head down and her mouth shut for a long time.

The longer the silence, the more the Marquis’ anxiety increased.

‘What’s going on? Why are you so hesitant?’

After a while, Astelle raised her head and looked at the anxious Marquis.

Despite her pale and haggard face, her light green eyes were calm.

“I am pregnant.”

* * *

“…….”

Fritz listened to his maternal grandfather’s story in silence.

The Marquis had quite a straightforward personality.

Even when he was telling a story, he always spoke honestly and to the point without any rhetoric.

Just like now, his grandfather was telling only important facts briefly, but Fritz, who heard that, felt like his heart was breaking with guilt.

‘I should have stopped Astelle back then.’

At that time, Fritz thought that Astelle should not give up her position as empress and fight for her family name.

Looking back now, that was a very stupid and selfish thought.

He should have embraced and protected Astelle who had left the empress position, and returned home.

If he had taken care of and protected her, his grandfather would not have suffered for six years.

He regretted it several times, but after hearing the story directly from his grandfather, the regret came even more bitter.

Fritz who was listening to his grandfather’s story with a look of remorse, suddenly looked at Kaizen and coughed.

Kaizen was listening to the Marquis’ story with a miserable expression.