Hiding the Emperor's Child

Chapter 77

Kaizen struggled to comprehend the magnitude of Astelle's revelation.

"What did you just say? Theor is my son?" he repeated.

In truth, Astelle had never intended to disclose this information. However, her unwavering love for Theor compelled her to speak the truth, regardless of the consequences.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Astelle confirmed, her voice unwavering as she met his gaze.

Kaizen's mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions, grappling with the implications of Astelle's revelation. He had never imagined that Theor could be his son, yet a part of him had harbored the same suspicion.

"How...?" Kaizen began, his voice trailing off as he struggled to find the words to express his confusion.

Upon learning that Theor was Astelle's child, Kaizen's mind immediately flashed back to the memory of their wedding night, the first night of their marriage when they formally consummated their union.

He remembered how, on that night, he had taken a contraceptive pill as a precautionary measure.

However, he was aware that contraceptive pills could sometimes fail, leaving a lingering hope within him that Theor might indeed be his son, born from that night.

With each passing moment, he clung to this hope, wishing fervently that Theor was his own flesh and blood. The mere thought of Astelle carrying another man's child ignited a fierce rage within him.

Yet, despite his desperate desire for Theor to be his son, the child's unmistakable clear blue eyes served as irrefutable evidence to the contrary.

Kaizen had been consumed by a tumult of pain and anger in the days prior.

But now, the revelation that Theor was indeed his son altered everything.

"I came across a skilled pharmacist and acquired a prescription for a potion that alters eye color. I've been using it to change Theor's eye color every day," Astelle revealed, her gaze fixed on the bewildered Kaizen.

"A potion?" Kaizen echoed, his mind racing to process this new information.

The notion of a potion capable of changing eye color was entirely foreign to him. It was a concept he had never encountered before.

Suddenly, a memory surged to the forefront of his mind—the day he had taken Theor to the hunting lodge in the woods.

Astelle had braved the rain to reach the hunting lodge at sunset, her heart heavy with worry for Theor's well-being.

"Was it because of that potion that you rushed to the hunting lodge from Maern Castle?" Kaizen demanded, his voice tinged with a rising sense of agitation as he observed Astelle's calm demeanor.

As Kaizen approached her, a surge of anger threatened to consume him. "Why did you hide it?" he demanded, his words laced with frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me until now!" he exclaimed, struggling to contain his rising fury.

He understood Astelle's initial decision to conceal Theor's birth and claim him as her nephew, given the stigma surrounding illegitimate children. She had likely felt compelled to protect Theor from the harsh judgment of society.

But if Theor truly was his son, then he was a Prince—a fact that only added to Kaizen's mounting frustration. He had unknowingly raised his own son as the child of a deceased knight, deprived of the rights and privileges that rightfully belonged to him.

Gritting his teeth, Kaizen confronted Astelle with the weight of his indignation. "If you had a child, you should have told me! I have rights as a father!" he declared, his voice resonating with the force of his pent-up emotions.