Chapter 79

Lyndon beckoned to the knights.

It meant to take the marchioness quickly.

As soon as the knights entered the banquet hall, a clear and calm voice interrupted them.

“Yes, it is.”

The eyes, which had been shaken by shock, were all focused on one place.

Astelle stepped forward.

She confessed in a calm voice.

“Theor is my son.”

After confessing, she felt rather comfortable.

Eyes full of shock, astonishment, ridicule, and contempt were inserted down like arrows, but Astelle didn’t care at all.

This much is fine.

As long as I don’t lose Theor.

The Marchioness smirked and muttered, “Dirty and shameless……”

Astelle walked over to her without saying a word.

The Marchioness was startled.

“Then I will ask you, Marchioness.”

Astelle asked bluntly, “No matter how many illegitimate children I have, what does it have to do with you?”

The Marchioness shouted in surprise, “How can the imperial princess say such vulgar words……”

“Is it a crime for me to have a child? I’ve been living alone since I got divorced, and I’m not even having an affair with my husband, so what’s the problem?”

In the Empire, it is not a crime to have an illegitimate child. If both were single, there was no problem at all.

However, this was always followed by rebuke and criticism from the people of the world.

Especially the woman who gave birth to an illegitimate child was ridiculed and looked down on for the rest of her life.

Astelle turned her back and met the dark red eyes looking at her.

She said, “It is wrong to falsify the child’s origin in the documents, and if you punish me, I will accept it, Your Majesty.”

After she said that, she warned the marchioness again.

“But I will not forgive you if you insult me ​​and my son.”

The marchioness shut her mouth at Astelle’s threat.

She had nothing more to say because she had already revealed who the child’s birth mother was.

While everyone was shocked, there was a person standing with an unchanged expression.

Kaizen was looking at Astelle with calm eyes.

“I knew.”

Those present at this ball were shocked for the third time.

The deposed empress had given birth to and raised an illegitimate child, and the Emperor, knowing the fact, proposed to her.

“Lyndon, what are you doing?”

At Kaizen’s rebuke, Lyndon hurriedly beckoned to the knights.

The knights dragged the marchioness from the banquet hall.

The bewildered Marchioness turned to her husband, but he stood still like a stone statue.

“Your Majesty…… I’m sorry. Your Majesty!”

The Marchioness was dragged out by the knights, belatedly begging for forgiveness.

Astelle raised her head and looked at Kaizen.

She seemed to know only then why Kaizen had proposed to her.

She was surprised at first. Kaizen hoped Astelle wouldn’t be hurt and insulted by this scandal.

If she were a woman who received the emperor’s proposal, no one would dare to do anything with her.

“I am sorry for ruining the atmosphere, Your Majesty.”

But Astelle was unwilling to get his help.

Astelle politely bowed and said, “I’m going to leave now.”

She was about to leave the banquet hall, but as soon as she took a step, Kaizen grabbed her wrist.

“My proposal still remains the same.”

Holding Astelle, he said with earnest eyes,

“I want to marry you.”

“……”

There was a time when I was infinitely happy to hear that.

Young Astelle, who did not know the world yet, was delighted after receiving Kaizen’s proposal.

Even now as an adult and getting older, I still haven’t been able to understand all the principles of the world, but I do know one thing for sure.

Astelle and Kaizen are destined to never be together.

And Astelle was now swayed by Kaizen’s heart and did not want to repeat her past mistakes.

One such thing was enough.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

Astelle pulled out her gripped wrist.

“I refuse the proposal.”

***

It was dark outside the banquet hall.

The cool air clears my head a little.

My heart, which had been beating anxiously, gradually found stability.

“Astelle!”

Fritz, who followed, came to find Astelle.

“Brother, I’m fine.”

In fact, I’m not fine.

My heart was still beating erratically.

However, Astelle, pretending to be indifferent, skillfully hid her feelings.

“Lady Astelle!”

Hannah brought Astelle’s luggage and came to find them.

She heard what happened in the banquet hall and asked Astelle worriedly,

“Lady Astelle……are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Hannah.”

Fritz looked around the door of the banquet hall.

“I think it’s better to go back to the mansion quickly.”

Astelle agreed.

If she stays here long, she will run into other people.

It was enough to be a spectacle for curious people in the banquet hall.

Astelle returned to the mansion with Fritz in the carriage.

As soon as she arrived, Astelle headed to her bedroom.

She took off her necklace, put it on the dressing table, and sat down on a chair.

When she arrived at the mansion, the accumulated fatigue came over.

Today, everything was expected.

Kaizen is also aware of the relationship between Astelle and Theor.

Also Florin and the Marchioness are up to something related to that.

I guessed it roughly.

It was all things I had expected and prepared for.

However, Kaizen’s proposal could not be imagined even in my dreams.

I didn’t expect him to propose to me there.

No matter how much he wanted to protect me.

The emperor of the Empire made an open proposal to the divorced former empress.

‘Like a fool.’

Not only would it damage the dignity of the emperor, but it would also undermine the emperor’s face.

It was surprising that he could come up with such an outrageous method.

Before dawn, all the nobles in the capital will talk about this.

I think it would be better to pack up and leave immediately.

Now that I have obeyed the order to attend the ball, I can go home.

Astelle made up her mind to pack up and leave as soon as the sun came up.

knock knock.

A careful knock broke the silence in the room.

“Lady Astelle.”

Hannah opened the door and came in.

“Hannah.”

“I have prepared bathwater in the bathroom,” she said.

‘Yeah, I have to take off my clothes and remove my makeup.’

Astelle struggled to get her body up.

The dress, which had a puffed skirt, was incredibly heavy.

Hannah supported Astelle.

“Lady Astelle, don’t think about anything else and get some rest.”

Hannah’s calm voice comforted Astelle.

Astelle sighed.

“Okay. Nothing will change if I think about it more anyway.”

Anyway, the goal was achieved.

Theor left for the East with his grandfather.

It was not revealed who Theor’s biological father was.

At least for now.

Astelle sat down in front of the dressing table.

Hannah loosened Astelle’s hair.

“Can I prepare some tea before you take a bath?”

Hannah asked, looking worriedly at Astelle’s pale expression.

Just as she was about to say okay, she heard a sharp voice outside the door.

“Astelle!”

It was a familiar shout.

It was Astelle’s father, the Duke of Reston.

“Astelle! Where are you?”

Astelle stood up.

The untied hair flowed down her back.

She walked straight ahead and opened the door leading to the hallway.

“I’m here.”

Her father, who was coming up the stairs, found Astelle and stopped.

She could see Fritz rushing over his father’s shoulder.

“Astelle.”

Her father, the Duke of Reston, came into Astelle’s room grinding his teeth.

“What are you doing in the middle of the night?”

“What are you saying! After what happened at the banquet, how did you go back without my permission!”

“Do I have to get my father’s permission when I return to the mansion?”

Astelle asked calmly.

Of course, she didn’t need her father’s permission.

Because Astelle had been thrown out of the family.

The duke had an expression on his face that he wanted to hit Astelle immediately.

“Is that true?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking if that child is really your son?”

The duke shouted impatiently.

His eyes trembled from how angry he was.

Fritz, who followed the duke, stopped him.

“Father, please stop it.”

However, Astelle was not shaken at all.

He’d heard it a while ago, so I don’t know why he’s asking again.

She meekly repeated her answer,

“Yes, you heard it right in the banquet hall. Theor is my son.”

A cold silence settled in the room.

The duke was so shocked that he stood there blankly.

After a brief silence, his face burned with anger.

“This…… this dirty thing……!”

“Father.”

Fritz stopped the duke with a cold expression on his face.

“If you insult my sister, I won’t let you go.”