Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 9 - Part 10

Chapter 9 – Part 10

Eric opened his eyes the next afternoon.

The first thing he saw when he regained consciousness was none other than Laura.

Of course, it was Tenere who had been by his side the entire time, and he had only opened his eyes in time to see Laura enter the room briefly, but it was enough to fool Eric, who was filled with distrust of the Viscount.

“Huh.”

“Oh, are you awake?”

Laura scrambled to her feet to fetch the doctor. Eric raised his hand to stop her. A hoarse voice came out.

“First it was the Emperor, and now it’s me?”

“What?”

“Did you change your target?”

Regardless, for Eric, Laura was a wicked woman who had her eyes on his brother-in-law. Since she, who harbored such thoughts, was now taking care of him, he thought there must be some ulterior motive.

Laura stared at him firmly and nodded shamelessly.

“Yes.”

“Well, I guess it’s better than aiming for a married man.”

“I’m going to try to target His Highness, the Prince.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

Surprised by the calm voice, Eric sat up abruptly. Then he grabbed his side with a painful expression.

Laura hastily stopped him, but Eric glared at her with a scowl on his face.

“No, isn’t this completely crazy? I’d rather be targeted than that little kid.”

“I can’t afford to raise a grown marquis!”

When Laura shouted, Eric finally shut his mouth with a grimace. His arms fell limply onto the bed.

“What did you say?”

“Her Majesty the Empress… asked me to be the nanny for the Crown Prince.”

“You’re lying. Good character is the most important criteria for the Crown Prince’s nanny.”

“I decided to hide it well.”

“Can that be hidden?”

Without answering, Laura turned her head away.

Eric looked at her suspiciously and let out a deep sigh. It meant he wouldn’t complain about his younger sister’s decision.

“Do you know how to take good care of the child?”

“How many younger siblings do you have?”

“I thought you said you didn’t know how to do anything.”

“It’s not something I’m good at by choice.”

Laura shrugged, and Eric, who laughed with a deflated sound, lay down again.

“If you do anything to Joshua, I won’t stand still.”

“Her Majesty will shoot me first, before you can even kill me.”

“….”

“Stay lying down. I’ll call the doctor, and I’ll bring Their Majesties with me.”

Uttering these words sternly, Laura quickly got up. Eric didn’t even bother to respond, and he turned his head away.

* * *

The crime of rebellion and the crime equivalent to rebellion were different.

While the empire had only one ruler, there could be multiple successors, and because of this, the crime equivalent to rebellion punished only those directly involved, not their families. Of course, even without official punishment, they had to prostrate themselves before the imperial court for a while.

Alaina Salvatore, the only daughter of the Duke, was leading a relatively carefree life.

First, because the Emperor’s travels meant she had no reason to be in and out of the palace, and second, because her father was being kept away by her uncle Callian, who was staying at the manor.

“I guess he’d rather be a good brother than a good father.”

Alaina muttered inwardly as she lifted the teacup.

Callian smiled cheerfully and pushed a plate toward her.

“The cake is delicious. I heard you like it, so I bought a bit.”

“…A bit?”

“Since the leftovers will be eaten by the kitchen staff anyway, eat as much as you want.”

The cake Callian brought was enough for seven people.

They didn’t see each other often, but whenever they did, Callian would bring Alaina all sorts of treats, as if he were determined to fatten her up.

And that wasn’t all.

Whenever he traveled, he brought back gifts of all sorts of specialties, and Alaina couldn’t help but worry about the viscount’s finances.

“Now that you’re here in the capital, look for a suitable partner. Uncle also needs to get married.”

“You’re giving the same advice as your father. Aren’t I old enough to give up?”

“Before it’s too late, you should consider your successor.”

“Successor? What are you talking about?”

Callian scratched his head awkwardly.

“Alaina, you see, it’s said that a man should meet a woman seven years older than him. Women live about seven years longer on average than men.”

The lengthy sermon always had the same conclusion.

It was about how he, being past forty, couldn’t find a woman seven years older than him to marry and have children with. Instead of striving to marry late and raise children, he preferred to live freely, like now.

“So, Alaina, you should also…”

Before Callian could say that Alaina should meet a man seven years younger, he suddenly fell silent.

It was because he recalled the words of his brother, who hadn’t given up on the dream of making her an Empress.

The news of the Emperor returning from the northern region with the Empress and their child had already spread throughout the capital, but in the noble houses, it was mostly dismissed as idle gossip.

This was because of Alaina, who had grown up as the prospective Empress.

Alaina, who had run away because she didn’t want to marry Leonaard, was holding a fork without denying or affirming Callian’s words.

Just as she was about to pick up a piece of cake from the plate, a cry-like shout echoed, and the door burst open. Alaina furrowed her forehead.

“How rude to open the door without permission. What insolent act is this?”

“S-Sorry, My Lady. The Imperial Guards are arresting the Duke…!”

“What did you say?”

Alaina and Callian both stood up simultaneously.

Without waiting for either of them to react, they both ran towards the main gate.

At the main gate, Duke Isaac Salvatore, the owner of the Duke’s house, stood surrounded by the Imperial Guards with a stern expression on his face.

“The Duke of Salvatore should be an example to other nobles. The severe crime of invading another’s territory with impure intentions, causing harm to the territory, and disturbing the order is by no means light. Moreover, the crime of attempting to harm the one and only imperial prince, as decreed by the Emperor himself, is as heavy as rebellion. Therefore, Isaac Salvatore will be imprisoned and punished according to imperial law!”

Even though the commander of the Imperial Guards issued the order, Isaac showed no reaction. He just glared fiercely at the imperial decree.

His clenched fist trembled.

“How dare…”

His chewed lips turned pale. How dare they? How dare his child, his own flesh and blood, dare to punish him?

“Kneel, Duke Salvatore!”

As the Duke did not kneel, the Imperial Guards approached him simultaneously. It was the moment when they were about to arrest him.

“How dare you lay hands on the Duke Salvatore!”

In response to the furious shout, the knights hesitated. Isaac glared at them.

“How dare you knights attempt to imprison Duke Salvator!”

“They come in the name of the Emperor, and if you don’t comply, we’ll consider you a mutineer and imprison you!”

When the commanding officer shouted fiercely, the Imperial Guards, with the rope, approached Isaac.

Isaac was angry. Was he being publicly humiliated as the head of the Salvatore family in front of his servants? And by his own child, no less.

If the Emperor would not finally appoint Alaina as the Empress, and if he intended to execute him for this…

“Imperial Guard and knights, show some respect to the Emperor’s father!”

The voice was loud enough to echo through the spacious ducal residence.

However, the only one who easily understood the meaning of those words was Alaina, whose face turned pale.

Isaac Salvatore, surrounded by bewildered Imperial Guards, shouted even louder as he looked around.

“The Emperor doesn’t want to be found out to be not of imperial blood, so he tries to frame me for it! Even barbarians won’t take it for granted to honor their parents, and yet the Emperor of the Empire tries to get rid of his own father just to cover his tracks!”

“What are you doing? Don’t listen to the words of a criminal; take him away!”

Ordered by the general of the Imperial Guard, the knights regained their composure and tied Isaac up. Isaac resisted fiercely, shouting like a whale.

“I am the true father of the Emperor! How dare you treat me like this…”

“Silence him!”

Duke Salvator was brought to his knees by the force of the knights. They gagged his mouth.

Isaac resisted vehemently, but he was outnumbered and couldn’t do much alone.

“Release me. Rel… Ugh! Ugh!”

The general of the Imperial Guard frowned as he watched one of the Empire’s dukes being dragged like a dog with a gag in his mouth.

It felt like the situation would turn out to be a headache.