Chapter 105.2

at his words, i quickly covered my mouth with both of my hands. maybe my father wants to send my mother to the emperor? then there was no point in her surviving because my mother died for that emperor.

“there wasn’t as much resistance as i thought.”

“even if it looks like this, i am a citizen of the empire. so, if she’s with you, are you going to leave today?”

“you should definitely be held responsible for what you did, but that’s… if you give her up, i’ll let you go.”

at the emperor’s words, dad moved, as if he were about to bring my mother.

“daddy!”

i grabbed his cheeks and shook his head. it can’t be like this. he can ever send my mother back to the emperor. i’d rather go as far as i can.

“what’s wrong?”

“really… are you really going to send mom?”

“if the emperor wants her?”

“…”

for a moment, tears welled up in my eyes like a child. i trusted my father, but he seemed to think nothing of my mom.

he said he loved us. didn’t he love her too?

all the words were about to come out of my mouth, but i swallowed it. i had to say anything, but i was embarrassed and didn’t even know what to do.

‘should i go to my mother right now and run away with her?’

it was then…

“but i need to know her crime.”

“what?”

“he said she made such a big mistake with the imperial family, but i’ve never heard of anyone committing such a crime. there, he made such a big mistake. i’m sure you brought official documents, right?”

for a moment, the emperor’s expression hardened. he was confident just now, but he shook his head at my father, rubbing his lips together.

“the emperor is the witness. what official documents do you need?”

“well, i think it’s better to set things straight, so please give me the documents on this case. after i see it… i’ll decide.”

“stop talking nonsense and let the woman go.”

but dad was adamant.

“i can’t do that. she’s here as my wife. you’re not going to kidnap the grand duchess, are you?”

“that’s… she really can’t be the grand duchess. if you find fault with me anymore, you know that you’re going to lose to the imperial family.”

“i do not know. on the contrary, it feels like what your majesty is doing right now is in line with the grand duke? you want to take a lady, who is the grand duchess, without any documents. even if she is a noblewoman other than the grand duchess, i think it’s going to happen.”

tears welled up. it was clear to me that dad wasn’t really trying to let my mom go.

dad looked at the emperor with a stronger tone and a stern expression than ever. it was quite different from the face he had when he joked.

“even to his majesty the emperor, this kind of visit is unwelcome.”

“are you going to kick me out?”

“no, i’m trying to protect my family. you’re trying to break in and take my child’s mother, but i can’t just stand still. if you hadn’t come for that reason, i would have welcomed you, but now i can’t.”

for a moment, a strong force flowed from my father’s body that it was hard to stand still.

it stood and flew like a beast, and its power was burdensome.

“grand duke!”

“do not touch my family.”

“…you will regret it in the end. i’ll come back with my papers. you will have no choice but to let her go.”

but there was no answer. the sudden uninvited guest retreated more easily than expected. with a very uncomfortable expression, he was insidious while showing a pattern of behavior that seemed to be ready at any moment. the emperor’s words that he would not let it go continued for a long time, and my father turned his body away as if to ignore him.

the emperor’s voice grew fainter, and after passing the long hallway, my father smiled and made eye contact with me.

“i’m sorry if i surprised you. if i don’t do this, you know there will be another uproar, so i must have surprised you when i tried to give your mother over.”

as if he had become a different person than he had been, his voice was sweeter than ever.

“wow, no! i hated my dad at that moment… but now that i know your heart, i don’t hate you anymore. but really, what if he brings the documents?”

“next time, even if he brought the official documents and accuse your mother of charges, i’ll just have to kick him out differently.”’

“really…? so he’s never going to take mommy?”

“yes. i’ll never let adele go, so don’t worry.”

there were many things i wanted to ask, but i couldn’t ask anything right now, so i stared quietly.

“adele is your mother, but she is the one i love and also the grand duchess, so she will never, ever be in danger.”

“wow…!”

it was at that time that a smile was about to spread across my trustworthy father’s face.

i made eye contact with the person who looked at us insidiously. as if he had been looking at us for a long time, the opponent did not back down easily even when we were looking at him.