Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 115

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏𝟓

But then, she suddenly looked at Callisto and smiled happily.

―Cal, Older Brother has given his permission. Once Cal sends the proposal letter to the Imperial Palace, I can take Prillice and go to Babenberg. We can hold the wedding ceremony in Babenberg and live quietly until the nobles at the Imperial Palace forget about me. He said it won’t take long.

Callisto’s lips spread into a wide smile, a rare sight.

“……Really? You promise?”

Louise laughed brightly.

―Older Brother never goes back on his word. Neither do I.

Callisto took a deep breath, his heart swelling with emotion.

His tongue felt dry with the desire to bring her to him immediately.

“I’ll send the proposal letter and come get you right away. You can wait here until the marriage is approved, can’t you?”

But unfortunately, this time Louise shook her head.

―I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cal. It would look strange to suddenly get married in the middle of my recuperation. I have to stop by the Imperial Palace for a bit.

She continued, her face apologetic.

―With Jenais unni leaving the palace, I’m the only princess left in the Imperial Palace. I want to show the nobles that I’m healthy, and I want to help Older Brother even for a little while. So Cal will have to come to the Imperial Palace to get me.

“……What about Prillice?”

When Callisto asked, Louise sighed.

―I’m worried about Prillice, but…… Older Brother said he’ll send a lot of Imperial Guards. Then, the nanny and Phoebe will take Prillice and move to Babenberg separately.

Callisto shook his head.

“I don’t want to be indebted to the Imperial Family for bringing my family over. I’ll send some of the Knights to Edessa. I want to see you soon.”

Louise smiled shyly, seemingly agreeing.

The two exchanged small talk for as long as the Communication Orb allowed.

After a while, the Orb’s magic was exhausted, and Louise’s face, which had been floating on the wall, disappeared. Callisto immediately summoned the Chief Attendant.

“I’m going to write a proposal letter to Brentania. Can you prepare for the wedding in two months?”

“Pardon? In just two months?”

The Chief Attendant asked back, then noticed that his lord’s blue eyes were filled with anticipation and determination, a rare sight.

He ended up swallowing hard and quickly corrected himself.

“I’ll do my best, Your Excellency.”

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

Meanwhile, at Sebitol Monastery, the northernmost part of the Empire.

Chilla sat alone in a chilly room, wearing a single layer of cotton clothing.

Even though she had been banished to the monastery, she was given no proper work, neither as a nun nor a maid.

She would have endured even the role of a maid if she could serve her parents, but the new Emperor did not grant her that.

She was not even allowed to send letters to her parents, making it difficult to know their news.

More than two months had passed since she started her life at the monastery, but no one had visited her.

The noblemen of the Empire, who used to bring all sorts of gold and silver treasures just to kiss the back of the princess’s hand, now seemed to have completely forgotten her, not even showing their noses.

So Chilla was only fighting boredom day after day.

Longing for the glamorous life at the Imperial Palace.

Then, she heard a knock.

―Knock, knock.

It wasn’t mealtime yet, was it?

Usually, no one visited her room except the maid who brought her meals.

As Chilla approached the door, puzzled, she heard the familiar voice of the maid.

“You have a visitor.”

A visitor?

Chilla’s glamorous golden eyes widened.

Perhaps one of her friends, after cautiously observing the Emperor’s mood, had finally come to visit.

She hurriedly opened the door, and the maid, unable to meet her gaze, spoke with difficulty.

“The visitor…… is waiting in the reception room.”

“Who is it? Where are they from?”

“They only asked me to tell you that they are an old friend……”

An old friend?

Chilla didn’t like the maid’s vague answer, but she stood in front of the mirror and checked her clothes.

A lingering hope, which had not yet been extinguished, arbitrarily sparked in her heart.

‘The Grand Duke should have received the letter by now.’

It would be difficult for him to come in person, but perhaps he sent someone.

It would be such an easy task for him.

‘Callisto is a benevolent person who even showed interest in the unwanted Louise……’

There were always rumors that he was going to propose to Louise, but it never actually happened.

So, Callisto might show her a little mercy.

The tiny sliver of hope grew in size in an instant.

As she walked down the long corridor, her heart began to race uncontrollably.

‘I used to resent him for not giving me an answer, but maybe today……’

Chilla, forgetting her pride, practically ran to the reception room.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

“Chilla.”

It wasn’t just her vain hope that prevented Chilla from recognizing the visitor’s face at once.

The shabby man in front of her spoke with a bitter expression.

“It’s only been a few months, and you don’t even recognize your uncle?”

“……Uncle?”

Chilla was both surprised and frightened.

Her uncle, the former Duke of Damiani, had committed the grave sin of kidnapping the Third Princess, losing his family and all his possessions, and was banished from the capital.

Unlike her, who was in the monastery only because she was the child of the deposed Emperor and Empress, he was a criminal and a thorn in the side of the current Emperor, the Third Princess’s own brother.

Chilla hesitated to sit across from him and stepped back.

“Chilla!”

The former Duke of Damiani, Gideon, grabbed Chilla’s wrist.

“Aren’t you even curious about your mother’s news? Do you think that delicate and pitiful woman can endure life in the monastery?”

Chilla hesitated and glanced around.

Fortunately, the people of the monastery didn’t seem to recognize him at all, and there were no guards watching.

Chilla finally asked in a trembling voice,

“Do you…… know about Mother’s news?”

Gideon nodded gloomily.

“The Kaisarea Monastery where your mother is staying is much more heavily guarded than this place. The Imperial Guard is stationed there, so I couldn’t go directly, but I managed to get some news by bribing someone.”

“Is she doing well? What about Father? Is he ill?”

Gideon, who was once the top nobleman of the Empire, used to look younger than his actual age, but in the past few months, he seemed to have aged ten years.

Tears welled up in the corners of his wrinkled eyes and finally streamed down his face.

“The late Emperor seems to have lost his ability to speak and has remained silent, and your mother seems to have lost her mind because of it. They say she wanders around the window all day without combing her hair or praying. The Emperor is being too cruel.”

Chilla gasped in surprise.

Even if the world were to collapse when she woke up in the morning, her mother would be the type to put on her Empress’s attire first.

She had never imagined her mother in such a disheveled state.

“C-Can’t we help her? You’re not imprisoned, at least, Uncle. Is there really nothing left of Damiani?”

“Nothing. Damiani has lost everything. Your aunt even cursed our family and left for her parents’ home with the children.”

Gideon shook his head and continued,

“Your parents are the same, but Chilla, you…… you’re different.”

“Me?”

Gideon looked at Chilla’s face in disbelief.

“Chilla, you need to keep your wits about you at a time like this. You have personal assets, not Imperial property, don’t you?”

Personal assets?

Chilla finally understood what Gideon was saying.

A villa belonging to the Areta family, inherited by her maternal grandmother, the former Duchess of Damiani, remained in Chilla’s possession.

Everything she owned as a member of the Imperial family and all of Damiani’s assets had vanished, but the Areta family’s villa was different.

It was possible because her grandmother, the former Duchess of Damiani, had kept her maiden name before marriage, just like the deposed Empress.

Moreover, the villa was located in a prime location in Timor, so it would be worth quite a lot.

‘Of course, in the past, I wouldn’t have batted an eye even if such a villa collapsed entirely……’

Chilla finally came to her senses and asked,

“Do I still have the right to dispose of the villa in Timor?”

“Of course you do!”

When Gideon raised his voice in excitement, Chilla quickly put her index finger to her lips to calm him down.

Then, she spoke softly.

“But I can’t leave the monastery.”

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