Chapter 87

It was too rude for a knight to say that to the Duke.

But the Duke nodded and smiled.

“Okay, if His Majesty wants to see my grandson, I will personally take the child to the Imperial Palace. Can I do that?”

“It’s not possible. I have to bring the Young Master right now.”

Lyndon thought the Duke would reject it, but surprisingly the Duke readily agreed with him.

“Then we can go together.”

The Duke called the butler and ordered something.

The butler hurriedly headed somewhere.

“Wait a minute.”

After a while, a man came into the drawing-room and approached the Duke.

The Duke ordered him, “Bring the child here.”

The man glanced at Lyndon once before leaving the drawing-room.

The Duke looked at Lyndon who was standing like a statue and held back his laughter as if the situation was funny.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

Lyndon felt like Duke was making fun of him by not bringing Theor at once and instead constantly calling out to his people.

Still, he patiently continued to wait.

The Duke had admitted that Theor was in the mansion.

If he did something dangerous, Lyndon could turn this place around to find Theor and take him away.

“Duke, the Young Master is here.”

After a while, the door was opened.

The man who had left after receiving the Duke’s order came in with Theor.

“Oh, my grandson is here.”

The Duke got up from his seat.

He looked at Lyndon for a moment.

“Sir Lyndon. Aren’t you supposed to say hello?”

At first, Lyndon didn’t understand what the Duke was talking about.

“Mr. Lyndon!”

Theor spotted him and immediately ran to him.

“Young Master……”

He looked at him and tried to ask if he was okay.

But the moment he met Theor’s eyes, Lyndon could not continue his words and opened his mouth wide.

Theor’s eyes, which were obviously blue, had turned red.

***

The sunset was coloring the scenery of the capital city red.

Astelle was sitting by the window in the study, looking at the garden.

There was nothing to do because she couldn’t get out of here.

All she could do was wait patiently for Theor’s news inside the mansion.

Hannah knocked on the door.

“Lady Astelle.”

“Hannah? What is going on?”

Astelle approached her, wondering if there was any news about Theor.

Hannah’s face darkened.

Astelle intuitively realized that what she had brought was not good news.

Hannah handed a small folded paper to Astelle..

“Master Fritz has sent a letter.”

Astelle took the envelope with her trembling hand.

She hurriedly ripped open the envelope.

What was written on the letter was undoubtedly Fritz’s handwriting.

The content of the letter was that the Duke had kidnapped Theor because the people Fritz sent were late, and Theor didn’t seem to have arrived in the capital yet.

Astelle’s eyes widened before she could even finish reading the letter.

“Lady Astelle!”

Hannah supported Astelle who was about to fall.

“It’s okay.”

Astelle sat on a chair, supported by Hannah.

‘Is it over?’

All the efforts of the past have been in vain.

After she sat on the chair and calmed her mind, Astelle picked up the letter again and read the rest.

Fritz wrote that he will make sure to find Theor, and asked Astelle not to worry too much.

Even if Fritz did not save him, Kaizen had already sent the knights to the Duke’s mansion.

Astelle wasn’t worried about Theor’s safety.

If her father was the one who kidnapped Theor, he would not be in danger.

Astelle was worried that if her father saw Theor’s eyes, he would know that he was Kaizen’s son.

That was the problem.

Upon learning of Theor’s birth, her father will immediately try to take advantage of the child.

Theor is the only prince and sole heir in the Empire.

If his father reveals Theor’s identity, obviously everyone in the Empire will know who Theor’s biological father is.

Astelle said to Hannah,

“My father will find out about Theor’s birth. Maybe he already knew.”

Hannah’s face was now pale.

“Lady Astelle, what should I do?”

Astelle did not answer.

How could she find a way?

She is imprisoned here.

She couldn’t even get out of the mansion, and there was no way she could stop what was happening in the Imperial Palace and the Duke’s mansion.

Astelle closed her eyes.

There is only one way to rectify this situation and to make the situation even a little better.

She must find a way before her father devised an evil plan.

A way to protect Theor.

“Hannah. Tell the knight that I want to see His Majesty right now.”

***

Kaizen opened the door to the conference room with his own hand and went inside.

The guard hurriedly announced his arrival.

“Your Majesty the Emperor has come.”

As he sat in the highest chair, the officials sat down as well.

The sky seen through the window was already dyed red.

Because he was too busy with work, the meeting that was originally supposed to be in the morning was postponed to the afternoon.

There were a lot of things that were pushed back because of the tour, and there was a pile of new work to be done.

He was tired from the endless work, but Astelle’s work was the one who made him most tired.

Astelle was still rejecting his proposal.

Kaizen wanted Astelle to raise Theor in a comfortable Imperial Palace and live as an Empress.

The best thing he could do for Astelle was to make her Empress again.

But Astelle refused his help.

Kaizen could not understand Astelle’s thoughts at all.

He didn’t think she’d accept him now.

He just hoped that Astelle would not be blamed for his fault.

Kaizen wanted Astelle to live comfortably in a more comfortable environment.

But Astelle seemed to hate being tied up with Kaizen to death.

To the extent of rejecting even the Empress position.

Kaizen suddenly asked, “How are the preparations for the national wedding going?”

The inside of the conference room fell silent instantly.

Kaizen, who was looking at the document, looked at the senior officials sitting around the table.

At the meeting a few days ago, Kaizen announced that he would make Astelle the empress again.

Of course, no one welcomed it.

Kaizen already knew that the nobles were strongly opposed to it.

But now that the great nobles have fallen, no nobles dared to complain to the Emperor.

Instead, they were pouring out the anger they couldn’t tell Kaizen at Vellian.

“I ordered to build a new palace for the Empress. How is it going?”

“Your Majesty, that……”

At Kaizen’s question, the Minister of Home Affairs hesitated to answer.

Kaizen turned his gaze to the officials one by one.

Of course, the high officials averted their gaze.

“Are there any complaints among the officials that I will remarry the empress?”

A silence fell again at the urging to speak up if there were any complaints.

The officials who were gathered still looked disapproving, but no one dared to speak his mind.

knock knock.

Then an urgent knock broke the silence of the conference room.

“Your Majesty.”

The person who opened the door was the knight protecting Astelle.

“Why? What’s going on?”

Kaizen’s heart sank when he saw the knight who was supposed to protect Astelle come here.

‘Did something happen to her?’

Just looking at the sudden intrusion during the meeting, it was clear that something unusual was happening.

The young knight glanced at the officials gathered in the conference room and said,

“Your Majesty, I have something to report to you for a moment.”

Kaizen sensed the anxiety in his tone of voice.

“Let’s finish this today.”

Kaizen got up from his seat and went outside.

The knight said, “The Princess asked Your Majesty for an audience.”

“Astelle? Me?”

“Yes, she said she had something urgent to tell you.”

Kaizen ordered the servant by his side without asking any more questions.

“I’m going to the mansion where Astelle is right now. Be prepared.”

He headed straight for Astelle’s mansion.

The moment he walked into the mansion, the sun was setting completely.

Astelle was in the drawing-room, looking out over the garden.

Against the backdrop of the night sky, he could see Astelle’s back.

Kaizen was blown away by the sight in an instant.

His heart aches for some reason.

He asked urgently, “Astell, what’s going on?”

Astelle slowly turned towards him.

She politely bent her knees, bowed her head, then calmly raised her head again.

“I will accept Your Majesty’s proposal.”

Kaizen was stunned in surprise.

Astelle looked at him with an unwavering gaze.

“Instead, there is a condition.”