Chapter 93

“You need my help?”

The Duke ridiculed Astelle, “You seem to have come to your senses now.”

“I will soon become the Empress, and Theor will become Crown Prince, but there is no one to help me.”

Astelle said frankly that she needed her father’s help.

“Isn’t the Emperor so into you?”

“How long will it last?”

Right now, Kaizen is obsessed with Astelle and doing whatever she wants, but Astelle doesn’t know when Kaizen will change again.

The Duke of Reston clicked his tongue as if agreeing with Astelle.

“Well, it won’t last long. He is too old now.”

Fritz glared at his father, stunned.

Astelle beckoned him to remain still and then turned to the Duke.

“I asked His Majesty to make Fritz the Lord of the West.”

“What? Why?”

The Duke, leaning on the back of the chair, was surprised and looked back at his son when he heard that the Emperor was going to give Fritz the position he should have.

“I asked him to return your position, but he didn’t allow it. I had no choice but to ask him to appoint Fritz,” Astelle explained.

Kaizen removed the Duke from the position of Lord of the West two years ago after he became embroiled in a rebellion in the North.

“Did he give his permission?”

“Yes, he promised.”

“Good job.”

The Duke looked at Astelle with eyes full of affection as if appreciating her.

Astelle’s weakness was that she wasn’t young anymore, but she was still quite beautiful.

She was still wearing a plain dress like a maid, but there was dignity in her beautiful face and her skinny body.

It was not unreasonable that Kaizen fell for Astelle.

However, it was surprising that he would return the position of the Lord of the West to the Reston family.

Kaizen has made every effort to destroy the Reston family.

But he changed his mind as easily as turning his palm over just because of Astelle’s words.

‘This turned out to be easier than I thought.’

The Duke said, “Okay. Trust this father of yours. I’ll do anything for you and the prince.”

“Thank you, father.”

Astelle smiled as if touched.

‘I’m sorry, but it’s not going to go your way.’

Astelle had a clear picture of what her father was thinking.

However, Astelle had no intention of doing what her father wanted.

She could feel Fritz’s gaze looking closely at this side.

Astelle blinked at him.

Fritz nodded as if understood.

***

The next day, as soon as I woke up after sleeping overnight, Kaizen sent an attendant to deliver a message.

I was told to take Theor to the temple.

“Already?”

I heard that the Theor would go through the verification process at the temple, but I didn’t know he would go this early.

Astelle finished breakfast quickly in her room and changed. Theor was still asleep in his room.

The Emperor’s attendant bowed his head as if he was sorry.

“His Majesty has ordered me to bring the prince as soon as possible. The priests in the temple have already finished the preparations and are waiting.”

Kaizen seems to want to check the lineage in the temple as soon as possible and grant Theor the status of a prince officially.

Reluctantly, she woke Theor up and prepared to head to the temple after finishing his light breakfast.

“Where are we going?”

Theor rubbed his sleepy eyes as he ate a slice of potato pancakes with apple jam.

Cooling down the cream soup in the bowl, Astelle said, “We are going to the temple with His Majesty.”

“Why are we going to the temple?”

Theor didn’t seem to understand well that he had to go somewhere again before he could adapt to the Imperial Palace.

“We are going to the temple to pray and to let others know that His Majesty the Emperor is your father.”

Astelle bathed Theor, changed his clothes, and headed to the outer palace where the carriage was waiting.

When she arrived at the outer palace of the Imperial Palace, Kaizen was waiting for the two of them.

“Theor, did you sleep well yesterday?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kaizen, who was stroking Theor’s hair, looked at Astelle and hardened his expression for a moment.

Kaizen said reluctantly, “If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to go.”

Astelle wondered what this meant, but it seems that Kaizen is worried that she will be uncomfortable because she will face numerous nobles in public.

At that unfamiliar concern, Astelle replied calmly, “It’s okay. I can’t just let Theor go. I will go with him.”

What’s there to be uncomfortable about?

He had already publicly proposed to her at the charity ball.

Kaizen looked at her and carefully reached out to escort her.

She wanted to say no, but Theor was watching the two with sparkling eyes.

Astelle took his hand slowly, reluctantly.

His hard, calloused hand wrapped around hers.

“I’m sorry for calling you in a hurry. I want to finish the temple work as soon as possible.”

“It’s okay, Your Majesty. It’s something you have to do anyway, so it’s better to finish it quickly.”

Under the bright sunlight, Astelle looked at Kaizen who was wearing an emperor robe.

Even though there must be a lot of backlog of work, he came out early in the morning to stabilize Theor’s position as a prince.

She had to admit that he cares for Theor.

Although Astelle herself gave up her expectations from Kaizen.

As she was walking side by side in the Imperial Palace, the memories of the past came to mind.

In the past, she used to meet him at the outer palace of the Imperial palace and go to the temple together.

In particular, whenever Empress Dowager’s health deteriorated, Astelle and Kaizen went to pray for her.

Kaizen came out first and waited for Astelle.

“Astelle.”

He politely reached out to her, took her hand, and walked along.

“Thank you for coming with me, Astelle.”

In her memory, the teenage Kaizen smiled affectionately.

Astelle blinked her eyes at the bright sunlight as past memories came and went.

Next to her was Kaizen, who had now become an imposing emperor, and the young Theor.

The two headed to the temple with Theor.

***

As the attendant explained, the priests had already been in the temple and were waiting for the emperor.

It was early, but the altar was crowded with nobles who had gathered to see this historic scene.

In the past, when Astelle came here to sign the Empress Dowager’s will, only the ministers and other high-ranking nobles were present.

But now, even noble ladies and young noble ladies were filling the altar.

There seemed to be more people than on the day of the charity ball.

“The Emperor has come.”

Astelle followed Kaizen with Theor.

People’s eyes focused on the three of them.

Theor seemed a little nervous when too many people looked at him.

Astelle held Theor’s hand and whispered, “It’s okay, Theor.”

At Astelle’s words, Theor walked confidently.

At that moment, the old high priest poured gold-colored water into the holy grail.

It was a special water used to test blood ties.

When Theor was born, he proved that he had a blood relationship with the Marquis of Carlenberg.

The blood of the Marquis and the newly born Theor was put into the water in the holy grail.

The test process was simple.

If there is a direct blood relationship, it shines, and if there is not, then no change occurs.

Of course, the stronger the blood ties, the stronger the light.

At that time, the light appeared on the surface of the holy grail and then disappeared.

Still, it was enough to prove that Theor was a great-grandson of the Marquis of Carlenberg.

“Prince, your hand……”

The priest reached out to Theor. Theor looked at Astelle with a slightly frightened face.

“It’s okay, Theor. It won’t hurt much.”

The High Priest poked Theor’s finger to draw his blood.

Theor frowned at the prickly pain, but bit his lip and endured it.

Drops of blood fell into the holy grail.

In an instant, there was a light that shone so brightly that it blinded the eyes.

“Oh, my……”

“He really is His Majesty’s son……”

There were murmurs of admiration among the gathered people.

Everyone knew that Theor was Kaizen’s son, but when they saw it officially confirmed, they were more surprised.

There was shock and confusion in the eyes of some.

The High Priest comforted Theor kindly, “It’s all over, Prince.”

Theor stopped crying and touched his painful finger.

Astelle took his hand and applied the medicine she had prepared.

Kaizen gazed at Theor with a look full of pride and beckoned, “Theor, come here.”

Theor hesitated and walked over to him.

Kaizen lifted Theor with one arm and hugged him in his arms.

The high officials who were watching at that sight belatedly approached Kaizen and bowed.

“Your Majesty, I congratulate you for finding the Prince.”

Kaizen nodded his head in satisfaction.

But Astelle couldn’t even pretend to be happy.

‘Congrats on finding the prince……’

I hoped that this day would never come in my life.

Today was an important day for Theor to be recognized as a prince.

However, the two parents had different mixed feelings.

Kaizen showed his son to others with a happy face, but Astelle, standing next to him, felt nothing but vain and bitter feelings.

Astelle hoped Theor would spend the rest of his life comfortably without getting involved in political strife as the emperor’s son.

Even though she knew it was hard, she wanted to let him live a quiet life without his identity being revealed forever.

But her hopes were shattered in vain.

Now, like it or not, she had no choice but to live here to protect Theor.

As Astelle was standing still and having such thoughts, someone looked at her and approached.

He was a skinny, middle-aged man.

“Um, Lady Astelle. Long time no see. I am Viscount Bürgen, Minister of Home Affairs.”