Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 4- Part 5

Chapter 4 – Part 5

Back in her home, Tenere bathed in hot water. Unlike the city, the village lacked proper plumbing, so Eric had to fetch clean water every day. The soap she brought from the city wasn’t luxurious, but it had a pleasant scent.

Life in the village, with the help of his brother, made things easier for Tenere. Although she had faced difficulties with household chores due to her lack of experience, the kind villagers provided much-needed assistance.

Tenere and Eric were also ready to help when needed, willingly offering their assistance in various tasks.

“Follow my writing, ‘Handsome El.’“

Eric was teaching the children to write while holding Josie tightly in his arms.

It was only when the children hooted in unison at Eric’s words that Tenere entered the room.

“Uwee-eek.”

“I’ll write ‘Ugly El.'”

Eric had a rather handsome face, but the children didn’t care. They came up with ridiculous epithets like ‘Ugly El,’ ‘Bald El,’ or ‘Duck Butt El,’ thinking they were amusing.

Tenere approached the children slowly.

“If you write it correctly, the teacher will give you candies.”

Regardless of the difficulty they faced, the children were most motivated by entertaining games or delicious snacks.

Reacting to Tenere’s words, the children quickly changed their attitudes and started boasting.

“Really? Then you’re the most handsome El in the world.”

“I’ll write ‘El more handsome than the emperor.'”

Tenere smiled and accepted Josie from Eric.

“I don’t think so.”

Tenere muttered softly, and Erich spun around to look at her.

“Are you getting carried away?”

“I spoke the truth.”

Despite trying to forget, memories of Leonard lingered. All the small moments they shared were too happy to be easily forgotten. The fact that those memories were all happy made it even harder to let go.

“Did you meet Emperor Leonard, Tasha?”

One child, hearing Tenere’s voice, asked with wide-open eyes. Tenere hesitated for a moment, but then smiled and nodded.

“I’ve only heard stories. Sean, have you ever met him?”

“No, but my dad says he has!”

“Dude, that’s not His Majesty the Emperor; that’s His Majesty the Zen Emperor.”

“My dad said His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Well, Auntie Tasha. Will His Majesty the Emperor come to the North?”

“But how old is the Emperor?”

There was no pause in the children’s stories.

They liked to interrupt rather than wait for others to finish, and they would raise their voices to get attention if they thought they weren’t being heard.

Having grown up with children who acted like little adults, Tenere was not yet used to dealing with children like this.

So instead of keeping them in line, her head would inadvertently turn towards the louder voice or the topic of interest.

“His Majesty is coming to the North.”

It was Leonard’s news that caught Tenere’s attention. Eric’s expression stiffened a bit, as if he hadn’t heard the news either.

“Why is he coming to the north?”

“He’s coming because the weather is cold this year. But he won’t come to our village. I also want to see him, though.”

“Maybe not to this village, but I wish I could see him too.”

“He must be on a tour.”

In times of disaster or famine, the emperor himself would travel to the provinces.

It was usually impossible for him to visit every single one of these small towns, so he would deliver relief supplies to the local lords and order them to take care of their estates and their neighborhoods.

Tenere was relieved and a little bittersweet.

She wished in vain that if she were still Empress, she would have traveled with him.

“I know he can’t come here, but it’s a great favor to have him come from the capital to the cold north. Don’t be too sorry you can’t meet him now, for you will when you become a competent official and enter the palace.”

“Yes.”

Even though she was no longer Empress, Tenere wanted to be of service to Leonard here, even in the smallest way.

It was her love, her longing, and her guilt that she had taken his child from him without telling him.

Tenere greeted the children and rose from her seat, holding Josie tightly in her arms.

Eric’s expression seemed to harden a little.

First-time motherhood was difficult for anyone. It was especially difficult for Tenere, who had been a noblewoman all her life.

She had no employer to take care of her chores and no nanny to nurse her.

Eric had to bring plenty of provisions, but he kept them to a minimum because he didn’t want to appear old and wealthy in a rural village full of strangers.

It was a hard life, but a rewarding one. Every time she watched her child grow up, she would say.

“Come here, Josie.”

Tenere opened her arms to Josie.

Josie, who had been dragging his knees and crawling until last month, now stood up without difficulty if he had something to hold onto.

Sometimes he could stand for a few seconds, and sometimes he could walk, even if it was precariously.

“Abu, mommy.”

Josie slowly took his feet off the ground.

He wasn’t very steady, but he was centered and taking one step at a time.

Tenere adjusted her steps to match her son’s and took a few steps backward, stumbling.

“Mom, Mommy.”

Josie finally leaned into Tenere’s arms without falling.

In reality, Tenere quickly embraced him the moment he seemed about to fall, but she considered it a success nonetheless.

“You did well, Josie.”

As she kissed his forehead and cheeks, there was a cheerful face with a laughing sound.

Whenever she felt guilty about taking the imperial child away from them, that smile would set her mind at ease.

After playing with his son for a while, Tenere smiled broadly at her brother as he entered the room.

“How are you? Josie took five steps today.”

Tenere quickly gestured towards Josie as if asking for praise, but Eric didn’t respond.

He just glanced at the child briefly before pulling a chair to sit. Tenere raised her eyebrows, seeming puzzled.

“Brother?”

“Haven’t you forgotten about His Majesty yet?”

Eric’s voice was heavy. Tenere was a bit surprised by the unexpected question, but soon her eyes softened.

“Because he was a good man.”

It was a positive statement.

Despite feeling guilty for taking away his son, Tenere loved Leonard.

Even if he welcomes a new empress or sees an imperial son through that empress, Tenere wishes for his happiness.

“…I’m sorry.”

Tenere lowered her gaze. However, when Josie grabbed onto her and made baby noises, she quickly smiled at the child.

“If… His Majesty decides to reinstate you as the empress, what will you do?”

Eric asked in a heavy tone. Tenere hesitated for a moment but then shook her head.

“That won’t happen.”

“Her Majesty has yet to appoint a new empress.”

“…”

“Even though it’s been almost two years since you stepped down,”

Eric seemed to expect something.

Even though Alaina Salvatore had returned, the fact that the empress’s position had been vacant for nearly two years held some meaning, as if it signified something.

“They said he would soon be engaged to Alaina Salvatore.”

“That story has been going on for years now…”

“Sorry, brother. I’m a bit tired today… I want to rest early.”

Tenere said. It meant she didn’t want to continue the conversation.

Eric opened and closed his mouth several times but eventually nodded.

“Okay. Go to bed early. Did you change Josie’s diaper?”

“Yes.”

As Tenere nodded, Eric left the room without saying anything more.

Tenere laid Joshua in the crib next to the bed. The child seemed reluctant to sleep and whimpered a bit.

“You need to sleep soon, Josie, so you can play more tomorrow.”

Tenere turned off the light and slowly rocked the crib.

As she sang a lullaby and stroked his belly, his drowsy eyes closed.

Moonlight pouring through the open window illuminated the crib.

Teneur slowly brushed the black hair that resembled Leonard’s.

The child reminded her of the person she loved, making him even more adorable.

“I shouldn’t have unnecessary expectations.”

Tenere whispered.

She knew that if she didn’t expect anything, she wouldn’t be disappointed or hurt.

So Tenere tried not to think about his brother’s words.

She was already in a different world than he was.
***

After the lullaby in Tenere’s room ceased, Eric still couldn’t fall asleep.

The expression she made when talking about Leonard came to mind.

He was a brother who couldn’t properly protect his sister when their father was alive.

He felt a pang of guilt every time he watched her shrink and give up at the slightest challenge.

When Tenere said she didn’t want to lose Josie, he felt a strange sense of joy.

She said she was greedy, and the words stirred his heart.

“Do you want to run away with me?

Even as she looked at him as if it were impossible, hesitation crept into her face.

And when she finally nodded, he felt a bit pleased.

She let go of the things given in exchange for adapting to the mansion, titles, and estates and pleasing their father, washing away a bit of guilt.

He was relieved to see Tenere mingle with the villager as easily as he did and to see her crack jokes at his expense like any siblings.

However, watching Tenere occasionally smile with a hint of bitterness when looking at Josie, he couldn’t help but wonder if his decision had been wrong from the start.

Tenere still hadn’t forgotten Leonard and still loved him.

“Maybe it would have been better if she met someone else.”

Half of it was sincere, and half of it wasn’t.

Though he wished Tenere would meet someone else to forget Leonard, on the other hand, as her brother, he didn’t like the idea of his younger sister, who used to be an empress, meeting a man beneath her stature.

“Her Majesty is coming to the North…”

If it were a routine visit, she wouldn’t have come this far, as Tenere said.

But even the fact that he was coming to the North made Eric feel uneasy for no apparent reason.

It might be because he noticed Tenere’s lingering longing for Leonard.

‘Nothing should go wrong.’

Eric lay on the hard bed for a long time, staring out of the window.

Sleep would not come.