Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 5 - Part 2

Chapter 5 – Part 2

After the walk, Tenere and Eric bid farewell to the villagers. Although the villagers were somewhat disappointed, they wished Tenere and the child well. Among them, Mrs. Anzu expressed regret as if she were parting with her daughter. She packed snacks, Josie’s treats, dried tea, and herbs for their journey.

“It’s a long way; did you pack everything properly?”

“Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Anzu.”

“It’s nothing. You’ve been through a lot; even valuable people like you came here.”

Mrs. Anzu held Tenere’s hands tightly. Her once soft and delicate hands had become a bit rough.

“It’s because you want to go back, right?”

It was a voice filled with regret and concern. Tenere smiled and nodded, and Mrs. Anzu

“I may not know what kind of person Josie’s father is, his looks are no joke. With that face, I’d follow him even through a thorny path.”

“…”

“Maybe it’s a bit too late for me to say this, but congratulations. Even if I don’t know why you came all the way here, please live well when you return.”

“Thank you.”

Tenere sincerely thanked Mrs. Anzu. The village had been their refuge when they had nowhere else to go. Mrs. Anzu, especially, had been a grateful person who not only helped during childbirth but also assisted in recovery.

“If you need help anytime, just let me know. I don’t know how much help I can be, but I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Anzu.”

Tenere hugged Mrs. Anzu tightly. “Live well. You have to live well,” a tender voice echoed in her ears.

* * *

The belongings they took with them to the capital were not many. All their clothes and furniture were too worn for the empress to use, so they only took a jewelry box, undergarments, a stained bow, and hunting clothes. The old things left in the house were shared among the villagers.

James, the horse that used to carry them around the village, would be looked after by Hans. Parting with the horse was regrettable, but being a wild horse, James might find the palace confining.

“I could buy you a new bow once we’re back.”

“I’m used to this one. I want to keep it as a memento.”

Tenere touched the familiar bow as she spoke. Leonard didn’t scold her for carrying unnecessary things.

“When we arrive at the palace, I’ll have a storage box made for you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Tenere held Leonard’s hand and boarded the carriage. The carriage sent by the duke’s mansion was spacious enough for about four people to comfortably ride. Although Leonard had ridden in larger and more luxurious royal carriages several times, riding the carriage in worn-out clothes made him feel awkward.

“Eric, bring Josie here.”

“I’ll ride with Joshua in the rear carriage.”

Tenere extended her hand outside the carriage, but Eric only bowed his head, holding the child. Leonard looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression.

“The carriage is spacious, so we can all ride together.”

“Your Majesty, I’m not that oblivious. I’ll take care of the child, so please enjoy some private time together,” Eric teased in a playful tone, making Tenere blush. Leonard happily wrapped his arms around Teneur’s waist.

“If His Lordship insists, we won’t decline,” he said with a smile.

“Your Majesty,” Tenere said, turning to Leonard with a slightly resentful look, but he had already closed the carriage door.

Eric, seeing Tenere’s flushed face through the transparent window, chuckled and quickly got into the carriage. Josie was nestled in Eric’s arms.

“Mommy!”

“Your mother is busy. Even if you’re young, you should have some sense. This is how social life works, okay?”

“Mommy, Mommy, Dada!”

“Look at this. You can’t even call your uncle, who changed your diapers every day, but you’re calling your dad, whom you just met today, so well.”

Eric tapped Josie’s bottom a few times and skillfully took out a snack. The child reached out for the snack, but Eric didn’t give it to him right away.

“Try calling your uncle.”

“…”

“Uncle.”

“Dantoo. Dantoo.”

“Why am I a button? I’m your uncle.”

Eric grumbled, but handed him a snack anyway. Josie grabbed the snack with his small hand and quickly brought it to his mouth.

“It seems like your mom still likes your dad very much.”

“…”

“Do you think so too?”

“Um.”

Josie nodded, but it was clear that he didn’t really understand. After all, the most important thing for a child was delicious snacks, not such complex matters.

Eric pursed his lips.

“Better than your uncle?”

“Um.”

“Traitor…”

Eric looked at Josie with a slightly unjust expression.

“Are you betraying your uncle?”

“Um.”

“I still haven’t gotten over the time you peed in my face while changing your diaper. I was going to keep it a secret, but look where it got me. There’s no point in regretting it now.”

“…”

“Oh no. Are you laughing?”

Tickling his stomach, Eric made Josie laugh uncontrollably. Eric tickled him a few more times.

The child, occupied with repetitive play, never seemed to get bored, and the one who always felt exhausted was the adult. After playing with Josie for a while, Eric looked up. He saw the face that resembled Leohard so much.

“Why wasn’t I surprised when I saw him?”

This was a situation he’d been looking forward to, but as time went on, it grew strangely tense.

Why did he only find Tenere now? He could have captured her when she first escaped. Was it really because he loved her that he came to find her? Why wasn’t he surprised when he saw the child?

‘Did he know Josie was here the whole time?

Eric shook his head at the thought.

‘If he’s only here for the sake of the heir, he doesn’t need to whisper her love.’

It would have been enough to say, “I’m taking the prince to the palace, and you can come with me if you want.”

“I’m being sensitive, aren’t I?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Eric asked, and Josie nodded, not knowing what he meant.

Eric gave him a wry smile, still engrossed in his snack.

“Yeah. If you say so.”

All this hiding had only increased his suspicions. All he had to do was rejoice that his wish had now come true.

The child smiled innocently, grinning broadly.

* * *

Tenere sat in the carriage with Leonard. It still didn’t feel real, but being alone in a confined space made it impossible not to be conscious of it, especially because of her brother’s actions.

‘I look like this.’

Leonard, in a neat uniform with only a little bloodstain, looked dignified. However, Tenere wore a worn-out dress, no different from the villagers, and under a rough coat, a plain green hem was visible, stained with blood and dirt, making it unbearable to look at.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the child?”

Trying to cover the messy hem and worn-out sleeves, Tenere finally came to her senses at Leonard’s question.

“If you want to punish me, I will accept it gracefully.”

“How can I punish the Empress?”

Leonard said, touching her hand. Tenere knew that his words were not wrong. He had never been angry with her, even now that he knew she had fled with the imperial son.

“At first, I was going to tell you.”

Tenere wiped the tears from her eyes as she tucked her protruding sleeve inside her coat.

It wasn’t hard to tell him everything. She loved Leonard, and she didn’t want to hide anything from the man who said he loved her.

“After I returned to the Marquis, I didn’t feel well, so I called a doctor, but…….”

Tenere calmly recounted the past events, from the sudden news of her dethronement to suspecting the imperial palace’s conspiracy.

“When I returned to the manor after the abdication, there was a girl who suddenly wanted to be my personal maid, even though I hadn’t had much contact with her before. I figured if they had spies in the palace, they must have put spies in the mansion as well, so I kept an eye on her, and I saw her trying to put medicine in my teacup.”

“If it was medicine…….”

“I asked the apothecary about the medicine, and he said it was a potion to kill the child inside my womb. It wouldn’t harm my life, but it would make it difficult for me to return to the palace after a miscarriage.”

At those words, Leonard’s hand stopped moving.

Tenere raised her head discreetly. His firm lips, which always drew lines of confidence, were now hardened.

“Your Majesty…?”

“Ah.”

When their eyes met, Leonard’s expression softened again. Tenere continued speaking.

“I planned to tell you after imprisoning the maid in the mansion and informing you in the morning, but when I heard that you were in the presence of Lady Salvator, I was terrified…….”

Now that his fiancée, Alaina Salvator, was back, she thought it was only natural that he would welcome her back as Empress.

“Did you think I would throw you out and only take the child?”

“…I apologize.”

Tenere did not deny it.

Leonard, the Emperor, and the imperial son were essential figures in the imperial family.

“I failed to earn trust.”

Leonard said it with a bitter smile. Tenere glanced at the hand she held for a moment.

“I thought you were just going to send me to…….”

“…”

“When I started running away from the capital and heard that you did not order a pursuit to find me and bring me back to the palace, I thought that you just wanted to let me go.”

“I actually did that at first.”

Leonard spoke, running his hand through her hair.

“I thought that if you were determined to run away, you must have a good reason, and I also thought that since I hadn’t been able to reciprocate your love, I didn’t deserve to hold on to you for even a moment.”

“…….”

“I didn’t realize how stupid that was until much later.”

A bitter smile spread on his handsome lips. Tenere hesitated for a moment and spoke cautiously.

“Did you… know about the child?”

The question was unexpected, and Leonard looked at her as if he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“I thought you might know because you kept the maid imprisoned.”

Perhaps leaving the maid, who knew the truth, in the manor like that was her last act of selfishness.

She couldn’t let go of the hope that he might take her back once he knew she was carrying his child.

“The maid didn’t say anything.”

Leonard spoke, partially telling the truth.

“If it’s revealed that she tried to harm the imperial son, she won’t escape unscathed. She died during interrogation due to a mistake by the interrogator.”

“She was silenced.”

“Most likely.”

The two fell silent for a while.

The carriage smoothly moved, avoiding cobblestones. As they approached Avila, the road became well-paved.

“That day when I met Lady Salvatore, it was because she had returned after hiding for a long time. Like me, she has no intention of marrying me.”

“…”

Tenere absentmindedly played with her nails. Leonard tightened his grip on her hand.

“For me, you are the only Empress. It has been that way, and it will continue to be.”

“But…Lady Alaina could be of help to you, Your Majesty.”

It was natural that the daughter of a great Marquis could provide support to the emperor. As the reality of becoming Empress again sank in, practical considerations began to hinder her.

She wondered if she should go back if she would trouble him with her selfishness.

At the same time, there was a childish hope that he would deny her words.

“So, are you changing your mind now?”

“That’s not…”

Tenere’s words trailed off. Leonard smiled gently and pulled her hand away.

“I’m not going to let you go now, even if you ask me to.”

His lips settled on her crooked finger. His sweet, golden eyes studied her.

“I will protect you and Josie no matter what, so please stay by my side, Empress.”
Teneur hesitated before nodding her head.

His thick fingers traced a circle on hers as if trying to hold onto something. Tenere didn’t mind; she actually liked it. Every word, gaze, and touch felt like a measure of love.

“Your Majesty…”

“Yes, Empress.”

The voice that reached her ears remained affectionate. Tenere hesitated before speaking.

“From now on, can we not call ourselves by our title and use our names instead when we are alone?”

Leonard didn’t respond. Tenere looked up, finding a bashful smile on her face.

“It was so nice when you called my name that day. So… when it’s just the two of us…”

Tenere couldn’t finish her sentence. His large frame hugged her tightly. The sound of their hearts beating echoed as they pressed against each other.

“Tenere.”

The affectionate voice she had heard countless times resonated. It was the same as that night, with the only difference being the addition of words she hadn’t heard back then.

“My love.”

Tenere slowly met his embrace. When she raised her head, there was a gaze looking at her.

His face came closer, gently. Tenere closed her eyes. A kiss didn’t require love, but a kiss imbued with love seemed to melt away all grievances and hardships.

Their cheeks were stained with a spring-like flush.