Hiding the Emperor's Child

Chapter 6

Astelle's appearance still exuded a sense of calm and composure, which strangely grated on Kaizen's nerves. He couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

It wasn't that he found her appearance displeasing. Even in her current state of disarray, Astelle possessed a natural beauty that was enhanced by her light green eyes and delicate pink lips. Her inherent dignity shone through, even without makeup.

And yet, Kaizen realized he had never truly seen Astelle. She had been his fiancée from a very young age, and he had married her without ever truly understanding her.

Now, watching her smile as she spoke with Lyndon, Kaizen felt like he was seeing her for the first time. The sun's light reflected in her eyes as she looked up at Lyndon, and a faint, elegant smile graced her lips.

Kaizen couldn't resist approaching them.

"Your Majesty...!" Lyndon exclaimed in surprise as the emperor approached. He quickly stood at attention.

Astelle, too, rose from her seat.

"I have something to discuss briefly. Please look after the child for a moment," Kaizen instructed Lyndon.

Lyndon carefully took the child into his arms.

Observing Astelle's maternal demeanor, Kaizen wondered how long she had been caring for this child. Commoners with means would hire a nanny to tend to their children, but here was a woman of noble birth, fulfilling the role of both a maid and a caregiver.

It was evident that Astelle had endured a difficult life, serving her impoverished grandfather under what seemed to be exploitative circumstances.

• 🍁 •

Astelle was taken aback when Kaizen suddenly approached her. She had secrets she wanted to keep hidden, so being confronted by him like this made her heart race. She desperately wanted to avoid any entanglements until she reached the capital.

Hiding her emotions, Astelle asked in a feigned calm, "What's going on?"

Kaizen, however, surprised her with an unexpected question, "Why didn't you remarry?"

Astelle was momentarily silent, not expecting him to ask about her marital status. She couldn't fathom why he was suddenly interested.

"Wouldn't it be better to remarry than to endure such hardship?" Kaizen continued.

Astelle contemplated her response. While the main reason she hadn't considered remarriage was because of Theor, she decided to give a more honest answer, saying, "Going through that once was more than enough."

The mention of 'going through that' seemed to sour Kaizen's expression. It was clear he didn't appreciate her bluntness.

In turn, Astelle asked him, "Why haven't you remarried?"

"I had no need for a wife to complicate matters while I was acting as a spy," Kaizen replied sarcastically.

Astelle maintained her calm demeanor and responded, "Now you don't have to worry, as all the complications that might threaten Your Majesty are gone. You can confidently select a new empress."

Her words carried an underlying skepticism, hinting that perhaps Kaizen refrained from selecting a new empress because he was apprehensive about the idea.

Astelle had never spoken to him in such a manner before. Her demeanor was more assertive than angry.

Kaizen chuckled coldly, gazing intently at Astelle. "You've changed quite a bit."

"Perhaps," Astelle replied.

Feeling that the conversation had run its course, Astelle politely requested, "If you don't mind, may I return to the carriage?"

Kaizen agreed with a nod, and Astelle bowed her head in acknowledgment before making her way back to the carriage. Kaizen watched her depart, finding the woman he had encountered again after six years to be remarkably different and somewhat vexing.

• 🍁 •

The woman who stepped forward appeared quite young. Could she be no more than around twenty-two years old? She had a youthful face, yet it radiated a stunning and exquisite beauty.

It was evident that she was an unmarried lady, given her finely styled honey-blond hair, with some strands neatly arranged and the rest flowing loosely. The blonde lady asked, casting a slightly cautious glance at Astelle.

"Who is this person?"

Astelle made eye contact with her and suddenly recollected who this lady was.

"Lady Marianne, it's been quite some time."

Evidently, this lady was the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Croychen. Back when Astelle was active in society, she had been a charming adolescent girl of merely 14 or 15 years old. That was already six years ago.

"Do you recognize me?" Marianne was taken aback, prompting Vellian, who was standing beside her, to intervene swiftly.

"Lady Marianne, this is the former empress."

"Your Majesty the Empress?"

Upon hearing Astelle's title, Marianne studied her with a softer expression. Her slightly guarded gaze moved past Astelle's casually disheveled white-blonde hair and a simple, patternless dress.

A hint of mockery played on Marianne's lips. "Oh, my... you were cast aside after that incident..."

"Lady..." Vellian tried to interject to stop Marianne's disrespectful remarks, but Astelle paid them no mind and chuckled.

"Yes, I am the empress who was dismissed after just one day. I suppose you remember now." Astelle surmised that this young lady might have been one of the emperor's paramours.

The Croychen family, while once insignificant, had evidently risen in prominence, now holding the trust of Kaizen after the fall of the major nobles. Marianne bit her lip, visibly irked by Astelle's pointed remarks, but Astelle's composure remained unshaken as she continued.

Then, Marianne noticed the young boy standing behind Astelle and halted. "Who is this child?"

"He is the son of my late cousin's brother. I am currently looking after him," Astelle explained.

Marianne quickly lost interest in Theor upon hearing he was her cousin's child. On the other hand, Theor couldn't tear his gaze away from Marianne.

He seemed curious, having never seen such an exquisite woman before. As he looked up at Marianne, the child bowed and politely greeted her.

"Hello, Lady."

Theor had learned some lessons in chivalry from his maternal grandfather, an elderly nobleman. While he hadn't been taught anything inappropriate, Astelle chose to leave those lessons aside for the time being.

Marianne continued to observe Theor, while Vellian admired the boy for his politeness.

"Wow, the young master is quite well-mannered," Vellian commented. He hadn't questioned the child's identity even when he saw him earlier.

Prior to their arrival, word had apparently spread about the former empress and the child she had brought with her.

Vellian offered to show them to their accommodations. His demeanor was kind and courteous. Marianne trailed behind them, her curiosity piqued as to why the former empress appeared with the emperor and seemed somewhat disheveled.

Astelle, holding Theor's hand, followed Vellian down the corridor. Once they turned a corner, Vellian turned to apologize to Astelle.

"I apologize. Marianne isn't aware of the situation yet. I'll explain everything to her slowly later."

Astelle waved off the apology with a smile. "No need to worry. I'm fine. I'm actually sorry for possibly offending someone who seems to be favored by His Majesty."

Vellian paused and looked at Astelle with a blank expression. "Pardon? No, it's not like that..."

He hesitated to say more, realizing that discussing the emperor's private life was a taboo for him as the secretary.