Chapter 3 – Part 5

Camilla quickly tried to hide the medicine bottle behind her back. However, Eric’s hand, which had suddenly appeared, was faster in grabbing it.

“Master…”

“What are you doing?”

The time for the spider to spin its web had come. The face, which hadn’t been illuminated by the lamp yet, looked dark and twisted.

Unable to respond, Camilla, when Eric glared at her, handed the medicine bottle to Tenere. Only belatedly did she turn to face Tener.

“Oh, My Lady. This is just…”

“Is this a lethal poison? Or… is it a potion to end the child’s life?”

She was speechless at the bland voice. Seeing her unable to answer, Tenere muttered to herself.

“Most likely the latter, since you did this as soon as you heard of my pregnancy”

“Ah, no, my lord, my lady. What do you mean..”

“This is shameless…”

Eric’s voice rose as he realized that she wasn’t going to fall to her knees and beg for forgiveness right away.

In the dimness, I could see his face red with anger. Camilla hastily created an excuse.

“It’s just, it’s just a nutritional supplement, and since you’re pregnant, I thought I’d especially…….”

“Would you like to try it, then?”

Tenere’s voice was as calm as ever. She could sense no anger, no fury.

But it sent a chill down Camilla’s spine.

She couldn’t tell what was in that emotionless voice.

Tenere watched her tense face, then laughed softly.

“I have not been wasting my time in the palace.”

She had lived in the palace for four years, three of them close to Beatrice.

During that time, Beatrice had taught her more than just the duties of an empress.

“I was wrong to think that the person who wanted my dethronement might have been from outside the palace.”

She couldn’t help but wonder that a child, who hadn’t been born during their frequent reunions, had been born so soon after the abdication.

The doctor had mentioned that the timing of conception varied from person to person, but the fact that the child was conceived immediately after Tener’s dethronement raised suspicions.

Many things made that night different from the others.

It was impulsive, she had confessed her love, they had called each other by their names, and… no one else knew about that night except for Leonard and herself.

This meant that someone might have been sabotaging their meetings to coincide with their scheduled night.

The daily meals, the frequent tea, and the pills taken before and after their scheduled intimate night.

There were many suspicions, but there was no point in dwelling on the past.

She could only assume that whoever had disrupted her meetings at the palace would have planted someone in the manor as well.

“If there were spies, they would be closest to me. You’re the only one who’s suddenly gotten so close to me in the manor.”

Using the excuse of not wanting to cause a disturbance, Tenere delayed informing the palace, saying that she would let them know a few days later.

If the presence of the imperial grandson became known, she thought that at least until before giving birth, she would receive protection from the imperial family. If there was someone who did not want her to bear the imperial grandson, they would undoubtedly show their intentions before that.

“Why did you do that?”

Tenere asked straightforwardly. Camilla’s face turned pale.

“I no longer have a husband, Camilla. Now, all I have is this child… And even this child had to be taken away like that?”

It was a calm and slow voice, filled more with sadness than anger.

I felt a rush of relief and bitterness at the same time as she realized that it wasn’t her fault that she hadn’t had a child for so long.

Why? What did she do so wrong?

“I was threatened, My Lady.”

Camilla desperately kneeled. She knew who she had to cling to.

The new Marquis was in such a rage that he would rip her throat out at a moment’s notice, so she had to cling to the Empress, who could never say no.

“If I didn’t put the medicine, they would kill my family. So I had no choice.”

“Stop lying”

“It is true, My Lady. Please forgive me.”

Camilla grabbed Tenere’s hem desperately, tears streaming down her face.

Eric tried to separate her from Tenere, but Tenere stopped him. She slowly bent her knees to meet Camilla’s eye level.

“Is it true?”

“Yes, My Lady !”

“Were you forced, and you had no choice?”

Though Eric raised his voice, Tenere paid no attention. Her gaze was solely on Camilla.

Camilla felt as if that was a glimmer of hope.

“It’s true. I had no choice. My siblings in my hometown are starving…”

“So, you tried to harm my child for that?”

Camilla raised her head. In her blurred vision, the gentle face appeared as always.

“My Lady…?”

“If what you say is true… then you must have tried to harm my child to protect your family.”

There was no question of proof that she had been threatened, no reprimand as to why she hadn’t told her.

Camilla found it a bit strange. Tenere’s gaze was fixed on her somewhat hesitantly.

“Then you can fully understand why I cannot forgive you for trying to harm my child.”

“…What?”

Camilla dumbfoundedly muttered. Tenere slowly stood up.

“As much as your family is precious to you, my child is precious to me. I won’t give you private punishment, but I can’t forgive your crime.”

She had tried to harm the Emperor’s child, and even if Tenere did not punish her, she would still be punished for trying to kill a member of a royal family.

Camilla’s face turned pale at the meaning of those words.

“Oh, My Lady, My Lady!”

She desperately shouted, but Tenere, who had stood up, went back to the room without looking at Camilla.

Instead, Eric caught her from behind. Camilla gasped in surprise.

“Hey, you’re quite bold. Trying to touch the child of the Emperor?” Unlike the raised voice earlier, Eric’s lips were upturned.

Tenere’s rejection of Camilla’s excuse seemed to please him.

“Master…”

“Yes. Since my kind sister said she won’t give you private punishment, I can’t help it. If you have any excuses, try telling the Emperor tomorrow.”

Eric dragged her down the hallway. The maid’s scream echoed through the hallway belatedly.

Returning to the room, Tenere took a deep breath. In her hand was the vial taken from Camilla. Her heart kept pounding, and her head was throbbing.

‘I did well.’

Yes, she did well. Since it was revealed that someone was interfering with her reign, all she had to do was tell Leonard about it when the day broke and request protection.

Then Leonard would surely thoroughly investigate the palace, and until she gave birth, no one would be able to touch her and the child. 

But…

‘…What happens after that?’

After giving birth, what happens? Tenere’s fingertips stiffened.

It was clear that the child, who inherited the imperial blood, would live in the palace as a princess or prince.

But if Leonard were to take a new empress, and if the new empress were to give birth to a child…

‘A child born from the one who betrayed the throne.’

Can the child live well in the palace? Would the child become a threat just for being born?

Tenere slowly caressed her belly.

Leonard was the person who advised her not to seek love and rejected her love.

It seemed strange to her that she should give birth to the child of a man who didn’t love her. That she couldn’t be the child’s mother even though she was the one who gave birth.

One of the reasons for the Empress’s dismissal was because of her pregnancy but maybe she would be reinstated after giving birth to the imperial heir.

But it wasn’t because of love, but rather for the sake of the child she would bear. Tenere could not bring herself to face him, could not bring herself to live by his side.

If only she hadn’t said those words that day, she could have continued to mistake his kindness for love.

Even if they didn’t exchange words of love, she could have thought that they were loving each other.

“…… Then we wouldn’t have had a child”.

Tenere caressed her belly. It was hard to believe that life was growing inside this still-flat belly. The biggest trace of the man she loved was right here.

“But if he takes a new empress… Through that person, he will see another imperial son.”

Unreasonable greed slowly arose. If the child couldn’t avoid facing danger in the palace anyway. Then maybe… 

The thought was abruptly cut off. The hand that was stroking her belly stopped.

‘What am I thinking? I should stop.’ She scolded herself as if trying to wake up.

“…This is an Emperor’s child.”

Tenere reminded herself. This child is not mine. This child is the Emperor’s. So she had to inform him. As soon as the day broke, she had to request an audience with the Emperor…

“Let’s not be greedy.”

She muttered to herself. She’s used to giving up anyway.

Before entering the palace, it was nothing more than doing the countless things she used to do.