Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 6 - Part 5

Chapter 6 – Part 5

There were four of them in the carriage returning to the capital. Eric, who had insisted on riding in a different carriage on the way to the duke’s castle, was in the same carriage this time.

The spacious imperial carriage was roomy enough for four people, including a child, but the air was somehow uncomfortable.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

Whether it was the tea leaves Mrs. Anzu had packed for her or the cabbage the maid had brought chilled, the heat in her chest had completely subsided and the rumbling had stopped.

Her appetite had returned, and she was eating again. Still, Eric fretted unnecessarily. Whenever Leonard spoke to Tenere, he would frown as if to say, ‘When did this happen?” It was a rather disrespectful way to address an emperor, but Leonard ignored Eric’s behavior. Only once in a while did Tenere call out to his brother in a reprimanding tone.

“Maybe we can see the festival on the way back.”

“It’s almost time for that already; I think Josie would love it.”

Unlike her brother, who was giving off a lot of unpleasant vibes, Tenere treated Leonard the same as before. When they were at the duke’s castle, she’d go out with him in her arms, and she would gladly accept his invitations to dinner.

Nothing had changed, except for the absence of gifts and whispers of love. Tenere often gave Josie to him and spoke to him about his return to the palace. Each time, Leonnard was unexpectedly relieved, and he couldn’t help but notice Tenere’s eyes on him.

“I’m sure the weather will improve as we make our way to the capital, so let’s set up a time to…….”

“Hey, Josie, look at that!”

Eric exclaimed, looking out the window. Tenere and Leonard looked over in unison.

“Look at that. The sky is blue and the clouds are white, right?”

“…….”

“Look at that barren field, Josie. There’s nothing there!”

“Why don’t we take a look around and see what we can find…….”

“Do you see the people over there? The ground is still frozen, so they can’t plow the fields. Don’t ask me when they plow the fields. I don’t know.”

Eric was holding Joshua tightly and saying whatever came out of his mouth. For some reason, the two of them fumbled whenever Leonard tried to talk to them, so the purpose was obvious.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then the knights will…….”

“Look at those tall mountains, Josie. Your mother could slay the beasts that live up there with a single blow, so should you be good at it or not?”

Eric growled, shaking Josie’s body from side to side, but instead of purring, the child grimaced in response.

“……danzu.”

“Danzu” was how Joshua called Eric, who hadn’t quite mastered the pronunciation of “uncle” yet. It wasn’t quite right yet, but it had come a long way.

“danzu.” Catching his uncle’s attention, Josie raised a small hand and slapped his own butt with a flourish. Eric’s face contorted slightly.

“Did you ……?”

“Uh-huh.”

Josie nodded, and as if on cue, the smell began to permeate the wagon. Tenere and Eric quickly opened the windows, and Leonard ordered the coachman to take an early break. Soon after the carriage stopped, the drivers set up a makeshift barracks for diaper changes.

Josie grimaced a little in annoyance but didn’t cry. Temere pulled a new diaper, a towel, and a bottle of clean water from her pack and handed them to the servant, then turned to Eric.

“.Brother”

“…….”

“May I speak to…… in private for a moment?”

The voice was gentle, as always, but it felt different when you were being stabbed. Eric scratched the back of his neck and followed her. Tenere landed under a tree not far from the carriage. Not quite out of sight of the knights, but far enough away that private conversations could not be overheard.

“What did I do?”

Eric made a small grumble as soon as Tenere stopped, but when she turned her head, he shut up, as if he were hot under the collar.

“Isn’t that what you meant?”

“What.”

“When His Majesty speaks, you intentionally make loud noises every time. Saying the sky is blue, the clouds are white….”

“No, I haven’t said anything untrue. I didn’t say the sky is white and the clouds are blue.”

“Oh, brother.”

Eric, who was grumbling, closed his mouth again at Tenere’s call. His lips protruded in a pout.
Tenere sighed and smiled reassuringly.

“It’s not proper.”

“…”

“Even if His Majesty overlooks it, if you keep doing this, he’ll be uncomfortable. So….”

“Ah, you keep doing that because you’re a fool!”

Eric shouted. Tenere was startled by the sudden, loud noise. Eric glared at her and grumbled.

“Now you, why are you so calm and polite now? What happened to the fiery spirit, huh?”

The fact that they were talking about it as if nothing had happened made Eric feel that if there was even a hint of discomfort between them, it would be understandable, but both of them continued to act as if nothing had changed, and it was frustrating for both.

“His Majesty apologized. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Hey, honestly, do you still like His Majesty?”

Eric asked, gripping his forehead. Tenere smiled awkwardly.

“If you’re doing this because you’re still crazy about His Majesty, just be honest. I’ll find some love potion or some magic medicine and secretly give it to you.”

“It’s not like that. I have my pride too.”

Tenere timidly retorted, but Eric just chuckled.

“No, a person with pride says that? Oh my, thank you for the apology, and just move on?” This time, Tenere was speechless. Eric sighed deeply.

“I should have married you off to someone like Hans long ago. At least he was sincere.”

Eric said, thinking of the young man from the village who used to blush when he looked at Teneur.

He might have been a bit foolish, but he seemed to take care of his appearance and household affairs, and he seemed to genuinely like Tenere. However, Tenere narrowed her eyes awkwardly.

“Well… is my taste not important?”

“What?”

Eric raised his eyebrows, not expecting his younger sister to say such a thing. Tenere awkwardly smiled and scratched her cheek.

“As long as I receive love, it doesn’t matter who it is…”

“What are you saying?”

Eric squinted at his younger sister, not expecting such words from her. Tenere seemed a bit embarrassed as she smiled and scratched her cheek.

“I mean, if I get love, anyone is fine, right?”

“Uh… well, okay…”

Even Eric, who thought he knew his sister better than anyone, couldn’t hide his confusion at moments like this. Since she had severed ties with their father so determinedly, he had always felt a sense of bewilderment.

“You’re subtly firm, huh?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Preferences. Talking about preferences…”

Eric muttered, touching his chin.