Chapter 46

"Brother."

At Dian's call, Lennox snapped out of his daze and hurriedly approached his sister. Dian, who had been carefully holding her stomach with both hands, looked up at the approaching Lennox and then lowered her head to look at her stomach. A smile crept onto her face. Seeing her, Lennox stopped in his tracks. A strong shiver started from the top of his head and swept through his body at the speed of light, reaching his feet. Lennox leaned in urgently and whispered very softly,

"Are you pregnant?"

At his words, Dian lifted her head. The corners of her reddened eyes glistened with something transparent, which soon rolled down her cheeks and fell. Dian laughed while crying. Her tears also reddened Lennox's eyes. He quickly turned to the attending physicians, almost interrogating them.

"Is it true that you are carrying a child?"

"Based on the symptoms, it is highly likely that you are pregnant."

At this, Lennox's eyes turned fierce.

"No, it's either pregnant or not, what do you mean by 'highly likely'? Is it or isn't it?"

The physicians' faces stiffened at his abrupt and disrespectful tone. The senior physician turned his gaze and replied formally,

"Current medical technology cannot confirm pregnancy in the early stages. We diagnose based on symptoms."

"Ah, so you're saying it's not certain yet?"

Unable to bear her brother's relentless questioning of the physicians, Dian stepped in.

"The physicians say it's highly likely. They will visit regularly to check on the changes in my body. It seems it hasn't been a month yet."

Lennox, who had a very angry expression, brightened up at her words and leaned towards Dian. The physicians alternated their gaze between the siblings, then left after warning Dian to take care of herself. As they left, Lennox grabbed Dian's hand with a moved expression.

"Good job, good job. You did really well, Dian."

Dian also held his hand and cried. When one of the physicians examining her as she vomited and collapsed mentioned the possibility of pregnancy, Dian thought it might be a dream. When she was told that her recent loss of appetite, missed period, constant nausea, and mood swings were all early pregnancy symptoms, she suddenly felt a heavy sensation in her lower abdomen. Lennox gazed at Dian's stomach. Inside this still-flat belly, their savior must be waiting.

"Did you wait all this time to appear as a savior at such an important moment?"

Savior! This baby is a savior. Lennox looked at Dian with his sky-blue eyes sparkling.

"Princess. Now, you must hope that this child is a boy and take care of yourself. No matter what sounds you hear from outside or what happens, do not worry. Do you understand?"

"Please don't be too hasty. The physicians said it's highly likely, but they didn't confirm it."

"Okay, I understand."

Thinking it was the gate to hell, but finding paradise inside, Lennox smiled deeply. ＊ ＊ ＊

Lady Gixs, who had been looking at the Empress with a bewildered gaze as she announced her sudden intention to go out, soon adopted a stern expression and tried to dissuade her. The Empress had been fasting for several days, and it was quite chilly for autumn. However, the Empress insisted it would only take a moment and, ignoring Lady Gixs's objections, started changing into a dress from her wardrobe. Lady Gixs continuously nagged as she hovered around the Empress. Adel, thinking the only way to avoid the nagging was to leave quickly, moved her hands faster. Lady Gixs, who followed the Empress, who was as quick as someone who had just recovered from an illness, with a running pace, clung to her.

"Go tomorrow, Your Majesty."

"What could be so urgent that it must be done now?"

"Will the sky fall if you go tomorrow? Will it?"

"Your health comes first! Look at this weather!"

"Where are you going? Just tell me! I'll summon them immediately!"

But the Empress pretended not to hear Lady Gixs's continuous objections.

"Empress!"

The old lady, who finally called out sternly, made the Empress stop and turn to look at her. The old lady's eyes were strict and stubborn. The Empress, who was convinced that persuasion was impossible, smiled at the old lady and said,

"It will only take a moment."

"Empress! Why now for just a moment!"

"Ah, the loud noise is making my head spin."

The Empress exaggeratedly held her head and groaned, making Lady Gixs quickly check her complexion. Adel, who had tightly closed her eyes, subtly opened them and gave the old lady, who was as cold as a snowy field, a crescent-shaped golden-eyed smile.

"..."

And, giving a deep smile to the speechless Lady Gixs, she whispered,

"I'll be back."

The Empress, who took a step back, pointed to a waiting maid.

"Follow me."

"Wh-What? Ah, yes!!"

The maid followed the Empress, who escaped the main gate at lightning speed to avoid being caught by Lady Gixs. Lady Gixs, who watched the two figures disappear, sighed deeply and shook her head.

"Ha..."

It seemed that the skill of shaking off nagging was not something the Empress had practiced just once. Lady Gixs silently comforted the unknown nanny who had raised the Empress in Gotrop. ＊ ＊ ＊

Meanwhile, at the Gotrop Imperial Palace. The Emperor of Gotrop, who had been away from the palace for a long time to attend the late Emperor's funeral, returned. The Emperor, who had grown unusually fast since childhood, was 14 years old but was taller than most adults and gave off an aura that made him seem anything but a boy. His name was Lucio Gotrop, the younger brother of Adelaide and the current Emperor of the Gotrop Empire.

Just before arriving at the palace, the news the Emperor received was shocking.

"Sister!!!!"

The Emperor, whose clothes flapped roughly as he walked, burst into the main gate of the palace where Adelaide had lived and roared.

"Adel, sister!!!!"

It can't be. The Emperor, who was walking briskly, eventually ran up the stairs. He stopped just before opening the door to the room Adelaide used, closed his eyes tightly, and took a deep breath to calm himself. After a moment, he opened his eyes and knocked on the door with trembling hands.

'Come in.'

Expecting a cool voice, he received no answer. The Emperor clenched his fists tightly and slowly opened the door, stepping into the room. The neatly arranged room had no warmth of human presence. This room, which was often empty even when its owner was around, felt different now.

"When did Sister leave?"

The nanny, who approached the Emperor, spoke.

"About a month after Your Majesty left for the late Emperor's funeral."

"Then, before I left, Sister already knew about her marriage, didn't she?"

"…Yes."

"Knowing that, she didn't say a word to me?!!"

"…Yes."

"Nanny!!! You must have known too!! If you knew, you should have told me!!!"

The Emperor cried out in anguish.

"Princess ordered me to keep silent."

In Gotrop, marriages were arranged by parents. Even though Lucio was the Emperor, the marriage of Princess Adelaide, the daughter of the Empress Dowager, was under her jurisdiction, making it difficult to interfere. Moreover, the Empress Dowager was currently regent. However, if he had wanted to, there were many ways to prevent it, but his sister had blocked them. The Emperor's shoulders slowly slumped as if he had lost all strength. The nanny, seeing the Emperor's betrayed expression, took out a letter from her pocket and handed it to him.

"A letter Princess left for Your Majesty."

The Emperor, who had let his arms hang limply, snatched the letter. After sending everyone except the nanny out of the room, he eagerly tore open the envelope. The letter was one page long. The abrupt and concise writing style, without any lingering sentiment, was typical of her. The golden eyes quickly read the words, and the hand holding the letter began to tremble. Eventually, the Emperor buried his face in the letter.

"…Your Majesty."

"…"

"Your Majesty."

"…Sister is truly a fool."

The Emperor, burying his face in his sister's letter, wept.

"Sister, you are truly a fool."

It was a letter of apology. ＊ ＊ ＊

Leaving Adelaide's palace, Emperor Lucio headed straight for the Empress Dowager's palace. The Empress Dowager was already prepared to receive him upon hearing of his arrival.

"Welcome, Emperor."

The Empress Dowager greeted him with a loving smile, her beautiful face exuding maternal affection. Seeing her mother's face, he remembered what she had once told him.

'Princess Adelaide's Tower Headquarters is an obstacle to strengthening the imperial power. When you become Emperor, you must suppress its power. Do you understand?'

Even as a child, Lucio found this strange. To him, his sister, who roamed the wilderness in a robe, seemed more impressive than his mother, who sat in the palace in luxurious clothes. His sister, who looked at him with a wild expression and one knee on the ground, seemed like a giant mountain. Looking into her magnificent golden eyes, Lucio felt incredibly proud of his own eye color, which resembled hers.

'Sister, can't you send others on expeditions and stay in the palace?'

To his childish whining, his sister always smiled affectionately. It was his mother who made such a great and excellent sister step down from the position of Crown Princess. The power his mother desired was truly cruel, demanding cruel sacrifices. Didn't she even send her own daughter into exile in a foreign country?

"I request a private audience, Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager was unfazed by the Emperor's sharp tone.

"Very well. Everyone, leave."

As the people left the room like a receding tide, the vast room of the Empress Dowager was left with only the Emperor and her.

"Why did you send Sister to Echmont without consulting me?"

The Empress Dowager, who had anticipated this, replied in a gentle tone.

"Adelaide is not meant to be just a noble's wife. It's better for her to be the Empress of Echmont. I apologize for not informing you earlier, but wasn't it the same for Adelaide?"

At this, Lucio smirked. The Empress Dowager, taken aback by her son's sudden laughter, widened her eyes and stared at the Emperor. The Emperor let out a long, suppressed sigh and leaned towards the Empress Dowager.

"Mother."

The golden eyes, which today resembled Adelaide's so much, made the Empress Dowager catch her breath. The Emperor whispered in a chilling tone.

"Mother, did you think I wouldn't know what you were threatening Sister with?"