Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 4- Part 9

Chapter 4- Part 9

Even if Leonard came to the north, it couldn’t be guaranteed that he would come to Avila today. However, hearing the news that he was close by, Tenere tightened her grip on his child as if feeling uneasy.

“It’s better for the time being to stay in the village. No… should we leave again? Because of my carelessness, saying the name in front of the security chief…”

“So it was…….”

“I think we should stay in town for now. Or maybe…… we should just leave again? I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake with my words……..”

In his haste, he couldn’t help but feel bad about calling Tenere’s name in front of others.

Even more so in front of the town guard.

It was bad enough that he’d lost his nephew, but now that he’d mentioned her name in front of other people, Eric could barely contain himself.

“Don’t say such things. I was the absent-minded one.”

Tenere comforted him while patting Josie’s back. She knows that she can trust her brother with his son’s life.

Before becoming empress, her brother had been her only support, and he even sacrificed everything for her when her father died.

She was shocked to lose her child, but she didn’t blame him, who had always been by her side.

Tenere raised the corner of her mouth, looking at Eric’s slumped shoulders.

“But, brother, you don’t seem to have the talent for acting.”

“What?”

“The lark is…… a bit strange, don’t you think?”

A young woman raising a child without her husband was likely to become an unwanted target. So, whenever a man outside the village showed interest in Tenere, Eric played the role of her husband.

But calling her ‘my sweet lark’ was a bit much.

Eric scratched the back of his head awkwardly at Tenere’s words.

“Then what’s okay? How about something like’my adorable honeybee’?”

“That sounds a bit creepy…”

“What did you say?”

Laughter is a good way to put off anxiety because you can cover your mouth and not think about what’s coming while you’re laughing.

But once the laughter stopped, the overwhelming anxiety about the future rushed in.

***

Leonard was exploring the academy.

The academy, the first one built in the vast northern territory, was so large that it would take more than a day to explore fully.

It seemed that even outsiders beyond the territory were interested, so there wouldn’t be much difficulty in settling them.

“As I mentioned, everything is being prepared smoothly except for a shortage of instructor applicants, especially with dormitories, even outsiders…”

Imperial efficient manager James Paul was tense, and it was because of the emperor’s expressionless face since yesterday.

As far as he knew, Emperor Leonard was always a person with a smiling face that seemed to be drawn.

James was one of the many admirers of the young emperor. He even took out a new perfume he had saved when he heard that the emperor would visit his workplace.

However, the emperor, who should have praised and encouraged his efforts, remained indifferent, as if lost in thought.

“…Your Majesty?”

“Yes. At what age is admission allowed?”

“We start at ten years old, but even younger children can be admitted. We plan to organize classes based on the number of children under ten.”

“…Is that so?”

The indifferent response made James break out in a cold sweat. Was there something the emperor didn’t like?

“Is the admission age too high or too low?”

“No.”

Leonard shook his head. He was just curious about whether even a young child he saw the day before could be admitted.

Only later did he realize that the manager was unable to relax.

“It’s good that everything else is in order. Don’t worry too much; we will also recruit instructor candidates from the capital.”

Leonard smiled familiarly. He forgot to lift his mouth slightly; it was ironic.

Distinguishing between emperor and worker was a natural thing. He was the emperor, and the emperor was the empire.

If he wavered, the empire would waver. That’s what he had heard, so he didn’t want to show weakness to anyone.

‘…No.’

There was only one person who had seen the side he didn’t want to show.

Leonard remembered the arms that had embraced him.

After Beatrice died, she cried until she fainted, and then she asked him if he was okay.

The one who told him to cry even just for that day.

Whenever he thought of her, he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

How would it have been if he had done this or that?

The longer he went without finding her, the more he regretted the things he couldn’t change.

‘…I need to pull myself together.’

Leonard closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

It was not the time to think about such things. Since the imperial knight was already searching for her, Leonard had to do what he could as the emperor.

“Your Majesty.”

It was his maternal grandfather, Samuel Travell, who called to him.

His kindly face hardened slightly as he whispered in Leonard’s ear.

“The people you spoke of have been gone since last night. I urgently traced their whereabouts, and it seems they are heading to the Assassin Guild.”

“What…”

“I don’t know if they found her, or for another reason; I cannot say, but since I ordered the tracking…”

“I will go.”

Leonard cut him off without hearing more.

Samuel looked at him with a strange expression, and James, who didn’t understand the conversation, just glanced around nervously.

“As I said, there might be another reason. So please be careful…”

Although Samuel said so, Leonard didn’t listen and turned away. His steps were urgent.

***

A day had passed, but nothing had happened.

Tenere held Joshua in her arms all day.

When she told the chief what had happened in Avila, he told her not to separate them for a few days and to take good care of him at home because he must have been scared.

Tenere was grateful for the gesture.

“…Is it not dangerous to stay here continuously? The village name is written down in the orphanage. If someone from there notices even a little, we’ll be exposed soon.” Eric looked anxious throughout.

“But…… it’s not like the emperor is still looking for me.”

“We don’t know that. Moreover, if His Majesty sees Josie, he will quickly realize he’s the Crown Prince, and it will be dangerous either way.”

“….”

“We need to decide quickly, Tenere. Or you can stay elsewhere until the emperor returns to the palace.”

At Eric’s last words, Tenere’s expression also showed a hint of uneasiness.

It wouldn’t be too bad to stay at the inn for about a month, considering the emperor wouldn’t be in the north for too long.

Seeing the look on Tenere’s face, Eric nodded as if he’d gotten his answer.

“I’ll go to the village chief first to ask for permission. If it takes too long, it means I was caught by Mrs. Anzu, who was scolding me, so keep that in mind.”

“Okay. Take care, brother.”

Tenere smiled and replied.

Eric patted her and Josie’s heads and left the house.

They didn’t realize they were being watched. Tenere, alone with Josie, showed him picture books and breastfed him.

She had been gradually increasing the intervals between feedings in favor of solids, and she wanted to reassure Josie a little more.

“Sleep, Josie.”

The baby found comfort just by being held in her arms.

Tenere, looking at the baby in her arms, tried to dispel the remaining anxiety.

“Are you sleepy?”

With a face resembling Leonard’s but inheriting Tenere’s tendency to sleep a lot, Josie found comfort in just being breastfed.

Tenere rocked him a few times, then laid him back down on the bed, still inside.

Josie was comfortable on his mother’s stomach, smiling whenever their eyes met.

“Hmmm, hmmmm.”

His mother’s eyes slowly closed as she patted his fluffy rump.

Tenere’s eyelids grew heavy with the warmth of his embrace.

“…….”

Their breathing became long and deep.
* * *

Tenere had a dream. She dreamed of seeing Leonard again.

In his dream, Leonard looked no different than he had two years ago.

He saw Tenere holding the baby and, without any surprise, opened his arms.

It was unclear if he wanted the baby handed over, wanted Tenere to come closer, or if he just opened his arms without a clear intention.

“Do you… love me?”

She asked softly, but he didn’t answer. Tenere opened her mouth again.

“If you love me, can’t you……?”

At that, Leonard opened his mouth. There was no expression or touch, only an open mouth.

Just as Tenere was about to hear his response, a sudden sound startled her awake.

Thud!

The noise of someone knocking on the door as if trying to wake her from the dream echoed again.

Thud, thud.

Someone was knocking on the door. Tenere carefully rose to avoid waking Josie.

‘No one should be coming at this time.’

“Who is it?”

She asked softly, but there was no response.

Did I mishear?

Tenere shook her head with a smile, then yawned deeply. Josie, who had just woken up, whimpered softly.

“Uh, Josie. I think Mommy misheard. Let’s go back to sleep.”

Tenere patted Josie a few times, but as she turned, the door was pushed open.

Thud!!

The sound behind her froze her in place. Her half-closed eyes snapped open.

“……”

Tenere turned slowly.

She must have misheard. It must be the wind.

She tried to think so, but she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding in her chest.

“Brother?”

The strained voice was met with silence. Then Tenere let out a short breath.

Snap!. Thud!, thud!, thud!. Clank!

The sound of a doorknob turning loudly. Tenere backed away slowly, terrified.

Her bow was lying right next to the doorway, but she didn’t dare grab it, knowing that the door would open at any moment.

“Who are you……”

Tenere’s face went white, and her mouth twitched. Her thoughts stopped, but her instincts screamed.

Tenere hurried into the room. She wrapped Josie in a blanket from the rocking chair.

She grabbed the arrows from the shelf, but they were useless without a bow.

Should I get my bow now? What if the door opened?

Should I scream for help?

Or should I hide in a closet or under the bed?

The door opened, and she heard a bang outside.

Footsteps were getting closer, but she didn’t make any judgement calls. The pounding of her heart overpowered her thoughts.

The door burst open, revealing masked men.

Tenere froze in place, unable to scream.

She clutched her child tightly and stumbled backward, but that was all.

“Who……?”

These people were breaking into a house in broad daylight, knowing it was occupied. They couldn’t be simple thieves.

Her face turned pale as she stammered. The sounds had stopped, but her instincts told her that if she said nothing, a sword would be drawn from the waistband at any moment.

“I think you’ve got the wrong house……, we’ve never met you before…….”

She had to buy time until someone came.

However, would it make any difference if someone came? The ones she saw in front of her only looked like bandits.

At that moment, Josie burst into tears.

Was he able to read his mother’s anxiety?

Tenere tried to calm the baby down quickly, but Josie’s cries didn’t stop.

“I’m sorry. The baby is being fussy… I’ll calm him down soon. Just a moment… please.”

Tenere, with a face that seemed like she was about to cry, tried to soothe the baby, but Josie didn’t stop crying.

The more Josie cried, the whiter Tenere’s face became.

“I’m sorry. It must be very noisy. How about you return next time, as I am not able to welcome visitors now?”

Tenere tried to squeeze out a casual voice.

Whether she wanted to act as if she didn’t know what was happening or pretend to know nothing was unclear.

But the men said nothing. As they reached for the swords at their waists, Tenere quickly reached out and pointed to the wardrobe.

“If it’s money you’re after, it’s inside there. There’s a small box in the second drawer on the inside; you can take it with you. I’ll give it all to you…”

Tenere paused for a moment. Trying to swallow her voice’s trembling, she said,

“Could you just take that and… leave?”

Perhaps her desperate plea had an effect.

One of the men opened the drawer of the wardrobe and took out a box. After checking its contents, he whistled softly.

At that sight, Tenere felt a moment of relief.

But as the men drew their swords, she had to step back again.

The cold wall pressed against her back. As the men with swords approached slowly, she said,

“He’s just a baby who hasn’t even weaned yet. He can’t talk… He’s still too young.”

Her dry lips trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Neither turning away nor persuading had any effect. All that was left was to be pathetic.

“Please spare him.”

The child was still sobbing viciously. Tenere stroked the tiny body and swallowed her sobs.

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to do, and I’ll leave as soon as you tell me to go somewhere else, and I’ll stay out of sight, and I’ll be quiet, and I’ll…… if you could just pretend you didn’t see me once?”

Although an arrow was in her hand, it was not enough to be a match against the men with swords.

She should have brought a bow. If only she had…

“Please, please, even if it’s just the child…”

“Let’s just end it all at once. It’s easier for both you and us. We’ll soon send your brother with you…”

The man raised his sword high.

Tenere embraced the crying child and closed her eyes tightly.