Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 10 - Part 3

Chapter 10 – Part 3

Originally, nobles enjoyed privileges even when they were punished.
 
High nobles, in particular, were rarely thrown into cold dungeons for trivial offenses.
 
They were given a small but decent bed, a dressing table where they could groom themselves, and a hearth in the winter, so they could maintain their dignity until sentencing.
 
However, the authority and dignity of nobility are things that are bestowed by the imperial court.
 
Those who challenged this authority often found themselves in the same underground prison as common criminals.
 
“How can you imprison a Marquis of an empire in a place like this when the verdict is not even in yet!”
 
A familiar voice drew nearer. It was Callian’s voice, Isaac’s younger brother.
 
Isaac slowly pulled himself up and leaned against the cold stone wall.
 
“The attempt to harm His Highness, the only prince of the empire, was an attempt to harm the imperial succession, which was a very high treason…”
 
“You’re jumping to conclusions before a proper verdict has been rendered.”
 
“……I have no right to plead.”
 
The guard led Callian to the front of the cell, where Isaac was held.
 
“Brother.”
 
He couldn’t believe that Isaac, who had always worn nothing but the finery befitting a Marquis, was dressed in nothing more than a ragged prisoner’s uniform.
 
His hair was disheveled from a lack of brushing, and his face was dusty and gray from a lack of washing.
 
“How could the Marquis look like this…….”
 
Callian muttered in disbelief.
 
His gaze swept the shabby cell. There was no bed to sleep on, just a few blankets on the cold stone floor, and the windowless space was even smaller than the servants’ quarters in the Marquis’s mansion.
 
“Would you mind leaving us alone?”
 
 Isaac spoke first. His refined but strong voice was strained, filled with a heavy cough.
 
“I apologize. We cannot leave a high-ranking prisoner alone with a visitor.”
 
“Ugh, people can be so stubborn…”
 
Callian quickly pulled a small pouch from his arm and handed it to the guard. The guard shook his head.
 
“You can’t do this. The bribe is…….”
 
“What do you mean, a bribe? How does it make sense for a man to…… to have nothing but that thin fur to cover himself with when the cold hasn’t completely gone yet?”
 
“…….”
 
“I’ve put enough in there. Go outside and get a good blanket. And if there’s anything left, use it for your drink. It would be your problem if he froze to death before the trial even begins.”
 
The guard looked uneasy, but when the viscount gestured for him to inspect the contents of the pouch, he reluctantly nodded.
 
“I’ll be back for the shift change in thirty minutes.”
 
“Okay. Take care.”
 
Callian waved pleasantly at the guard, and as soon as he was out of sight, he turned to Isaac.
 
“Brother, why did you say such things?”
 
“It is not a lie, Callian. The Emperor, Leonard, is my son.”
 
“Such…….”
 
“I was the Empress’s lover. Whenever the Emperor went to war, leaving the capital empty, I comforted her loneliness by her side. Leonard is my child from that time.”
 
At Isaac’s words, Callian fell silent, unable to think of anything to say.
 
After a long moment of nervously swiping at his face, he spoke.
 
“Didn’t you take any medicine? ”
 
It was only after producing an heir that the empress could take a lover.
The Empress would take contraceptive medicine before becoming pregnant, especially if the child might not inherit the imperial bloodline.
 
“Between men and women, it often happens without any rhyme or reason. There are no fixed rules or principles.”
 
“…….”
 
“Looking at your expression, it seems like you know. I thought you didn’t, since you haven’t been in a relationship in years.”
 
Isaac chuckled, and Callian avoided his gaze.
 
“And yet you tried to make Alaina an empress.”
 
Callian had never thought of his brother as a bad person.
 
Unlike his parents, who only cared about their own interests, Isaac was the one who readily gave the Viscount Stuart title to his younger brother, who had inherited nothing.
 
So it was inconceivable that he would want to marry off his own blood children.
 
He could only think that there must be a reason behind all this—something he didn’t know.
 
“I found out only later. Before the Emperor passed away, he revealed that fact and left. The Emperor was unable to conceive, so he pretended not to know about my relationship with the Empress Dowager. I also found out about it too late and tried to break off the engagement between them… … .”
 
Isaac dropped his head in disbelief.
 
“I am guilty of raising my children wrong.”
 
“I’m sorry, …… brother.”
 
“I was afraid that she would be intimidated because her mother died giving birth to her, so I gave her whatever she wanted. I also raised her to become the crown prince’s fiancée, so she must have felt like the world was hers.”
 
“…….”
 
“It was reckless. She said that the engagement should not be broken off, that she should become the empress, and that if the engagement was broken off, she would never return again. She even ran away from home… … .”
It was the kind of story that would have made Alaina seethe with rage, but Isaac continued nonchalantly.
 
“The emperor has a new empress, but she hasn’t gotten over it, and I thought that in time she might give up her vain dreams, but Ludwig Evan lost his mind and rebelled, so I guess it’s all in vain again.”
 
“…….”
 
“That kid said that. If the emperor is not of imperial blood anyway, what does it matter whose bloodline the successor is? They can just go through the motions and see the child through the concubine. “
 
“Such…… nonsense…….”
 
“Right. It doesn’t make sense. But I, too, was swayed by that nonsensical talk. I told her I would do anything just for her to return.”
 
Callian was speechless for a moment. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
 
But the way his niece’s face stiffened at the mention of the Emperor and Empress lent credence to Isaac’s story.
 
“Does His Majesty know……?”
 
“His Majesty knows that all of this is my doing. I was worried he might do something to Alaina…”
 
“So this is how you were framed,” Callian muttered in confusion, and Isaac smiled bitterly.
 
“Actually, at first I thought it was a false accusation, but…… I’m beginning to think that perhaps Alaina did it behind my back. Perhaps she orchestrated all of this secretly. She couldn’t let go of the dream of becoming Empress, so the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess might have been obstacles for her.”
 
“…….”
 
“Callian.”
 
Isaac spoke softly.
 
Callian lifted his head and looked at his brother.
 
“I must ask you a favor…….”
 
“Go ahead.”
 
“Protect Alaina for me.”
 
“…….”
 
“She might try to prove me wrong. She believes she could be Empress if she weren’t related to the Emperor, so I need you to watch her and make sure she doesn’t pull any stunts.”
 
He looked as if he were entrusting her with a troublesome child. When Callian nodded in silence, Isaac lowered his voice and added.
 
“There’s a letter I exchanged with the Empress.”
 
“A letter……?”
 
“I hid them in my office, fearing Alaina might try to destroy them. Since I’ve been arrested, she might attempt to access the restricted area where I kept them. So, you must spread them before she finds them.”
 
The eerie voice echoed low in the dark dungeon.
 
Click, click, click.
 
Rats squealed intermittently.
 
* * *
 
After his talk with Marquis Salvatore, Callian made his way back to the Marquis’s residence, his brother’s words echoing in his head.
 
He already knew about his brother’s relationship with the Empress during his younger days, thanks to Isabelle’s revelation, her sister-in-law. However, the idea that Isaac would engage in secret meetings and even avoid contraceptive measures was hard to grasp.
 
‘He’s not that careless… … .’
 
His brother is not the type of person to be swept up in a mood.
 
He was used to setting the tone and not doing things without thinking about the consequences.
 
‘Is it certain that the Emperor was infertile? ‘
 
If what he said was true, then whose seed was the Empress Dowager carrying?
 
There were many questions he wanted to ask, but he never did. Long-simmering guilt silenced him.
 
‘Isabelle…….’
 
Calian covered his face. He wasn’t listening to her words, nor was he considering helping her. However, even if he could turn back time, he knew he would make the same choice.
 
How could he refuse her plea? How could he spit out words of rejection at her?
 
The carriage arrived at the marquis residence. The manor was quiet without its owner.
 
As Callian stepped out of the carriage, the butler greeted him.
 
“Welcome, Viscount.”
 
“Where is Alaina?”
 
“She’s inside.”
 
“How is she?”
 
“It’s…….”
 
The butler bowed his head. There was no way she was feeling good.
 
She had wanted to be empress, and her father’s words were about to end it all.
 
But he knew it was the only way to save his brother.
 
Isaac Salvatore had to be the Emperor’s father, whether it was true or not.