Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 96

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟔

The Emperor, naturally, immediately thought of the Empress.

Just the day before, she had come to him, demanding that he investigate the staff at the detached palace and obtain the testimony she desired.

However, he couldn’t honestly reveal that to Lurik.

‘As she said, the Empress and I boarded the same ship long ago.’

That was when they placed the magic sword in the hands of young Lurik.

The Emperor forced a smile.

“There must be some misunderstanding. Someone must have made a mistake.”

At that habitual excuse, Lurik’s red eyes flashed with a vivid brilliance.

“How can you say that everything is a misunderstanding and a mistake?”

Lurik slowly recited.

“Giving the magic sword to me as a child was a mistake. Wishing for a new expedition was a misunderstanding. Trying to pass the magic sword back to me was a misunderstanding. Duke Damiani kidnapping Louise was a mistake.”

In his eyes looking up at his ailing father, there was no longer any loyalty or obedience.

“Now, the Imperial Guard has arrested the head maid of my palace. Is that also a mistake?”

The Emperor, flustered, spoke sternly instead of soothing his son.

“It hasn’t even been a week since your brother’s funeral. You should try to understand that the Empress is sensitive.”

Lurik coldly retorted.

“Even when you suspect me at every turn, trying to frame me for crimes I didn’t commit, and persecuting my subordinates as well?”

“Lurik……”

The Emperor grasped his shoulder.

“Now you are my only son, my sole heir. The Emperor must be a forgiving person……”

“I……”

The crimson eyes glared at his ailing father.

“I will not become an Emperor who cannot even protect his own people. And of course, I will not do something like inflict the evil spirit of a magic sword upon my child.”

“Lurik, at that time, I, no, we……”

Lurik, without even listening to the Emperor’s excuses, bowed and said.

“Then, I will go and search for my subordinate elsewhere.”

It was a rude act, but the Emperor couldn’t stop him.

In truth, he lacked the confidence to righteously complete the false sentence he had just uttered.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

At the same time, in the underground prison.

Several members of the Imperial Guard knelt before the head maid sitting on a chair, looking up at her helplessly.

“We apologize, Head Maid-nim. Her Majesty the Empress will be here soon to see you, and we need to leave some traces of your suffering.”

In reality, the Imperial Guard was already under Lurik’s control.

Moreover, it was Helena’s strategy to provoke the Empress through the First Imperial Consort, so Lurik could naturally prepare for what would follow.

‘Now that the First Prince is dead, even a passing dog would know who the next Emperor will be.’

No matter how much the detached palace was in the shadows of power, the head maid in charge of it couldn’t be unaware of that much.

Head Maid Paula was certainly frightened by the gloomy appearance of the prison.

However, if His Highness, the Prince she had served for half her life, was finally going to seize power, she had to muster even non-existent courage and help him.

Paula knew better than anyone how much he had sacrificed for this Empire and the Imperial Family.

“What should I do? His Highness promised to get me out safely, so I will trust him and do what he needs.”

The Imperial Guard had deliberately chosen the youngest members, especially those who frequented the detached palace, for this task.

They had considered that the head maid might be intimidated if they sent burly and large men, and because of this consideration, the young and inexperienced guardsmen were burdened with a difficult task.

“If it’s alright with you……”

The head maid of the castle was the highest position among the female employees.

Of course, her rank wasn’t higher than the Imperial Guard, but considering her age and experience, she was more than capable of overwhelming young guardsmen.

The guardsman, feeling awkward, stammered his suggestion.

“C-could you…… make your clothes a little dirty…… and apply some ashes……?”

The head maid, who was usually a symbol of etiquette and cleanliness, chuckled and swept the ashes on the floor with both palms.

Then, she smeared them all over her face and her white apron.

As the guardsmen watched nervously, she crumpled her apron and said.

“How about…… tearing it a little?”

“……Yes?”

The guardsman was quite flustered, but eventually drew his sword and carefully tore the apron so as not to injure the head maid.

Paula then actively took off her headscarf and ruffled her hair.

The guardsman thought that he would never see the head maid in such a state again until he died, and that he would prefer it if he didn’t.

“You must be cold…… I’m so…… so sorry.”

One of the guardsmen splashed water on her face to wet it, and now the head maid looked as if she was sweating from torture.

Even in that state, she joked for the sake of the flustered guardsmen.

“How is it? Do I look pitiful enough to make up a story even if you just nudge me?”

Of course, the guardsmen couldn’t answer and just lowered their heads.

Soon after, the iron door clanged shut.

After the sound of several footsteps, the Empress appeared with a deeply furrowed brow.

“She won’t confess?”

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard had appeared outside the bars.

He answered with his head bowed.

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“Open it.”

At the Empress’s command, the iron door creaked open.

The Empress herself bent down and picked up the water bowl by the doorway, then splashed it on the head maid.

Paula pretended to be unconscious, leaning against the chair, then suddenly straightened up as if she had come to her senses.

The Empress spoke coldly.

“While your own blood relative, the Crown Prince, was suffering because of the magic sword, hiding the Saint in the detached palace is no different from treason.”

The Crown Prince had already been deposed at that time, so it was a statement that no longer held true.

Paula wanted to argue that point, but she held back and replied.

“What do you mean…… I don’t understand.”

The Empress scoffed sharply.

“There’s a witness who said that you talked about a maid named ‘Helena’ at the sewing gathering.”

Paula answered with trembling lips.

“I know every single maid in the detached palace. That is my duty. However, there is no child named ‘Helena’ among them……”

The Empress threw the empty water bowl at the head maid’s face.

The brass bowl struck her with a thud and rolled on the floor with a clang.

“Do you think your insolent sins will be hidden just because my son is dead and there’s no evidence?!”

The Empress ordered the Imperial Guard.

“Don’t let her sleep or eat until she confesses the truth!”

After the Empress left, fuming, the door slammed shut with a bang.

However, the heavy door was quickly opened again.

The young guardsman bent his knees and lowered his posture to look at the head maid’s face.

“Are you alright? I’ll have the maids bring you a change of clothes and medicine.”

Paula, with her forehead red and swollen, nodded and asked.

“How was it? Was my acting good enough?”

The guardsman frowned.

“Acting? You were really hurt. Please don’t say such things. Please wait just a little longer.”

Paula spoke to the guardsman who was hurriedly trying to leave the prison.

“Don’t tell His Highness anything unnecessary. So that His Highness can focus on what he’s trying to do without worrying about trivial matters…… Understand?”

The guardsman nodded firmly and retreated.

Paula wiped her wet face and hair with the dry towel handed to her by the remaining guardsman and thought.

‘I can get hit in the forehead with a water bowl a hundred times.’

She recalled the young Prince Lurik who was dragged to the battlefield when he was only twelve years old.

He didn’t cry, even when he had to forcefully separate Princess Louise, who was clinging to her brother while crying and wailing.

Perhaps because of that, Paula didn’t want to feign pain.

‘The Imperial Family must repay Prince Lurik.’

That was the justice she wanted to see in this place, and the reason she endured this unfair humiliation.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

A few days after sending the rocking chair to the Magic Tower, I received a reply from Ren.

Along with an apology that he couldn’t leave the Magic Tower right now because Moghald wasn’t recovering as expected, the letter stated that he would commission the production mages to start producing the furniture.

After reading Ren’s worried letter, I stealthily took out my diary.

It was time for the diary entry about the day Moghald promised to read the stars for me to be revealed.

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