Choosing the Baby’s Father From the Following – Chapter 97

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟕

“Phew.”

Feeling unnecessarily tense, I took a deep breath and opened a blank page.

When I touched my finger to the embossed pattern, the diary entry appeared.

No way. That can’t be true.

What did I do wrong?

It was only two lines, but I felt my heart drop.

It must be the diary entry from the day Moghald-nim read my astrological chart.

‘Could it be that it was the same as the future that blind fortune teller saw?’

I anxiously turned to the next page.

As I brought my finger to it again, thankfully, another diary entry appeared.

Perhaps her heart had calmed down a little after a day had passed because this time, a slightly more detailed entry was written.

I thought about Moghald-nim’s words all night.

From the very beginning, he said that as a member of the Magic Tower, he couldn’t falsely perform astrology.

So, unlike when he said that I only had to trust his astrology, in the end, he didn’t even tell me my fortune.

Just like the fortune teller said, it must be because I’m destined to die.

Thinking back now, he was very flustered from the moment he looked up at the stars.

“Fate is something you overcome.”

He said that and forced a smile……

But if there wasn’t a problem worth overcoming, there would have been no reason for him to say that.

Not everyone born into royalty enjoys everything they deserve and lives happily.

At least I haven’t, but it seems like God felt it was a waste to even grant me this short life.

It was a diary entry so depressing it made me want to vomit.

As I closed the diary and caught my breath, I heard a knock.

—Knock, knock.

The door opened, and Ernst appeared.

“I got a message from the Royal Palace. Today is Duke Damiani’s trial.”

He squinted his eyes at me as he delivered the news.

“Lou, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Yeah, a little……”

The sadness in the diary felt like it was suffocating me.

While Ernst hurriedly went to call Phoebe, I ended up throwing up everything I had eaten for breakfast.

The physician was summoned immediately.

Physician Zita-nim examined me and said,

“Now that Baby-nim is getting heavier, your digestive function may be declining. Please don’t be too alarmed and eat small meals frequently.”

The physician’s voice and the worries of those around me faded away.

‘I’m here, even if I was destined to die before, it has nothing to do with me now……’

I didn’t know why my heart was aching so much.

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹

On the night before his fifty-fourth birthday, the Emperor woke up feeling a strange presence.

At first, he thought there was a fire because the outside of the window was so red.

“He, Hey! Someone!”

The Emperor rubbed his eyes and looked out the window again.

Torches blazed densely along the walls, and beyond the crimson torches, something black flickered.

It was an army, so dense that it was impossible to count.

“Re, Rebels……!”

As soon as the Emperor threw off the covers and ran out, he spotted someone standing tall in a dark corner.

The Emperor gasped.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t sense the presence of the Imperial Guard at all.

As he frantically fumbled along the wall to find his sword, his eyes, accustomed to the darkness, finally recognized the man’s identity.

“……Lurik!”

The Emperor, relieved, approached him and grabbed his arm.

The chilling sensation of metal he felt from his son’s arm hammered a warning into his dazed brain, but he desperately tried to reassure himself that it couldn’t be.

“Wh, What’s going on? Did Damiani finally make his move?”

Lurik was not surprised by his father’s foolishness.

He simply corrected his mistake in a calm voice.

“Last week, the Imperial Judge confiscated the Damiani family mansion, territory, and private army, didn’t he? Your Majesty gave me the mansion, saying you wanted to console Louise for the hardship she suffered due to Gideon Chad Damiani’s schemes. The territory became Imperial property, and the private army was absorbed into the Capital Defense Force.”

“Th, Then who……”

The Emperor’s hand, gripping his arm, trembled.

He desperately wished the answer that came to mind was wrong, repeatedly denying it, but Lurik casually moved one hand and brushed off his father’s hand that was trying to lean on him.

It was a cold gesture, like swatting away a bothersome summer fly.

Then, with a snap, he unfolded the thick scroll he was holding in one hand.

Soon, an emotionless voice began to slowly read the words written there.

“One. Emperor Charles Frederick Brentania, hereinafter referred to as Emperor Charles, neglected the young prince, who was only twelve years old, leaving him to endure the side effects of the magic sword alone. This constitutes an act of filial impiety against a direct descendant under Imperial law.”

The Emperor gasped and shook his head.

“No, I didn’t do it on purpose……!”

But Lurik didn’t stop.

“Two. Emperor Charles, in committing the aforementioned act of filial impiety, caused the former Tower Master to violate the Mage’s Code of Ethics, thus betraying his trust. This undermines the foundation of the Master-Servant Oath established between the Imperial Family and the Magic Tower at the time of the founding of the Empire, and further endangers the entire Empire, thus constituting dereliction of duty of the monarch under Imperial law.”

“Wh, Who……”

The Emperor seemed to be trying to deny it, but his only remaining son continued reading mercilessly.

“Three. Emperor Charles was aware of Empress Dorothea and the Damiani family’s vicious schemes against the sickly youngest princess, but failed to prevent them in advance. This constitutes neglect of a direct descendant and turning a blind eye to the crime of harming a member of the Imperial Family.”

The list of charges continued.

“Four. Emperor Charles suspected the poisoning of Second Imperial Consort Freesia Vessa twenty years ago, but did not investigate the perpetrators. This is also an unconscionable crime that forsakes humanity.”

Only then did the Emperor shout.

“Nonsense! You’re talking about something from ages ago without any evidence!”

Just then, a woman dressed in finery entered the room and curtsied gracefully, holding her dress.

“Your Majesty, there is no evidence, but there is a witness. Your Majesty promised the Empress that you would not investigate the suspicious death of the Second Imperial Consort in exchange for the safety of Prince Lurik. Didn’t I act as a witness to your promise?”

“First Imperial Consort! That was to protect Lurik, as you said……!”

The Emperor shouted, trembling, but Lurik didn’t even listen to him.

“If we were to list even minor wrongdoings, such as the unjust arrest of the head maid of the detached palace, the Emperor’s crimes would be endless. Therefore, I, Lurik Cideric Friesland Brentania, impeach the Emperor for the sake of justice. The supporters are as follows.”

This time, a long list of names followed.

“First Imperial Consort Victoria Nersa Tata, First Princess Jenais Zoe Tata Brentania, King Mariano Ceset Hal Flavius of Flavi, King Prioro Cluny Hashid of Hashitind, Grand Duke Griz Neon Wets of Wes, Marquis Gently Pereira……”

Following the names of the Imperial Family and three heads of vassal states, the list of Imperial nobles that followed seemed endless.

“……Captain of the Guard Noah Derfel.”

When the list finally ended with the name of the Captain of the Guard, the Emperor let out a hollow laugh.

Then, he finally glared at Lurik.

“……You wretch! How much longer could this old man have lived! Did you covet the throne that much!”

Lurik looked directly at his father for the first time since entering the room.

“I have never coveted the throne in the slightest. I simply devised the way to inflict the greatest pain on you. I have to repay my debts, too.”

The Captain of the Guard walked in with a sword in one hand.

The Emperor’s feet became pathetically wet, and he collapsed to his knees.

“Wi, Will you take my life? How many days does this old man have left……!”

“Of course not.”

Lurik scoffed.

He felt it was a waste of the countless lives he had taken on the battlefield throughout his life for that man.

“I have no intention of dirtying my hands any further. Live miserably until the end of your days. You can go to the very place you tried to abandon me.”

The Captain of the Guard dragged the Emperor out.

It was still before sunrise, but the Royal Palace was as bright as day.

Countless onlookers watched the Emperor’s downfall from beyond the fence.

As the Emperor, clad in his nightclothes, was confined to a transport carriage without even a chair, the Empress was also dragged out.

She struggled and shouted.

“Kill me instead, you bastard! I’d rather die as Empress……!”

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