Whose Child Belongs to the Emperor - Chapter 9 - Part 6

Chapter 9 – Part 6

Leonard and Tenere rode side by side.

Tenere was diligently driving her horse as if the night before had never happened.

“Are you not tired?” Leonard asked. Tenere, startled, turned to him.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I wasn’t thinking that far ahead, so…… would you like to take a break?”

“No, I’m fine.” Leonard quickly shook his head. Although he felt some fatigue, it wasn’t unbearable.

However, he couldn’t help but wonder if she, despite being skilled in horseback riding, was pushing herself too hard, riding day and night.

“Well, then, Your Majesty, would it be alright if I increased the speed a bit? Josie might be waiting for me…….”

Tenere asked hesitantly.

Having never been apart for this long, Tenere couldn’t help but worry. At the mention of the child, Leonard, who had been watching Tenere with concern, nodded slowly.

Tenere urged her horse forward. James charged ahead vigorously, showing no signs of fatigue.

Her disheveled hair poked out from between her braids and flapped wildly. Her face was bright red from the cold wind.

As Leonard followed her, he suddenly thought about her in the north. How she would have looked in the north, dressed in ragged, comfortable hunting clothes and carrying a bow.

Would she have been happy, free, and riding her horse through the forest?

Would she have been happier there than she is now by his side?

‘What am I thinking? ’

He was indulging in pointless thoughts.

Should he make the Empress wear clothes smelling of earth or send her to live in that humble village?

Such thoughts were useless when they had decided to be together.

The two rode for a while. However, when the castle was not far off, both of them stopped abruptly, their faces filled with surprise. It was because of a group of knights in the distance.

“The Imperial Guard?”

Leonard stiffened up as he checked the flags. The general of the Imperial Guard stopped the knights and saluted, wearing a face as bewildered as Leonard’s.

“Why are you here?”

“We received a report that Your Majesty was under attack, and we came to provide assistance. But…”

“No such thing happened. Whose report was it?”

“Captain Benchley, Your Majesty.”

At the general’s summons, Sir Benchley stepped forward.

“A man named Jacob from a local village made the statement. It seemed urgent.”

“How many are left in the castle?”

Leonard turned to the general. He bowed his head as if confessing guilt.

“…I left only three to guard the Crown Prince.”

“What about the knights of the castle?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty, but I have received no reports.”

The general’s face twisted in displeasure.

The Emperor and Empress had been attacked unexpectedly. With the stability of the imperial family at stake, the Imperial Guard was supposed to rush to their aid.

However, since there was no attack, it was clear that leaving the castle undefended was a deliberate scheme.

Tenere’s face turned pale as she understood the situation. Without waiting for Leonard’s voice from behind, she ran forward.

“Tenere!”

Despite Leonard’s voice from behind, her only thought was about her child.

“Return to the castle first. I will hold you accountable for this later.”

Leonard spoke coldly, and he immediately followed her. The Imperial Guard hurriedly followed them.

* * *

“I’ll take care of the prince, my Lord; you must be very tired.”

“Is that so?”

Despite not thinking he lacked stamina, taking care of a crying child for several days felt like torture to Eric.

“Wah, waaaah, Mommy.”

Although he happily handed the child over, Joshua, who was held by the maid, cried even louder.

The maid, flustered, tried to console the child.

“Oh my, why is he crying like this? It’s alright, Your Highness.”

“Mommy. Mommy!”

Joshua clung tightly to Eric’s neck.

“You… seem a bit strange.”

“…Yes?”

The maid replied in surprise to Eric’s words. His gaze swept up and down her figure.

“You’re too clumsy to be a mother of twins. You wouldn’t have time to take care of the children while working as a maid.”

“Uh… well, My Lord.”

The maid awkwardly smiled and glanced around. After confirming there was no one nearby, she slipped her hand into her sleeve.

It was at that moment that she was about to draw the dagger.

“Tell me honestly, do you really take care of your children at home?”

“…Yes?”

“Does your husband take care of it? I mean, how do you find time to raise children while working?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, the maid quickly put the dagger down and tried to compose herself. Eric grumbled without realizing anything.

“Don’t they usually give you generous vacations and reduce your work hours when you have a baby? Most households do that. You should be given time to bond with the child.”

“Oh, here it’s… the same as usual.”

“An unscrupulous employer. It seems that way.”

Eric chuckled and yawned. While he was vigorously patting Joshua’s back and bottom, the baby’s face, which looked as if it wouldn’t yield even if attacked right away, seemed lethargic.

The maid stepped back a pace from him. Eric stretched and looked back at her.

“But if it’s twins, are they identical or fraternal?”

Eric’s face froze abruptly. It was because he saw the sword in the maid’s hand.

Seeing the unexpected situation, Eric quickly embraced the child and stepped back.

“…What?”

“You know, right?”

The maid, or rather, the woman with the sword, smirked, and Eric let out a short laugh at the sight of her.

“I let my guard down because you said you were a mother.”

“Everyone does that.”

The woman chuckled softly. Eric reached for his sword at his waist.

But before he could draw the sword, the woman swung hers faster.

It was a moment when Eric closed his eyes while holding the child.

“Hey, you bastard!”

Eric raised his head at the loud voice from somewhere.

And then he saw it. A mud-covered figure rushed toward him.

And with a shovel in hand, she swung without hesitation at the head of the attacker.

Bam!

With a loud noise, the woman in the maid’s clothes collapsed. If Eric hadn’t turned around, he would have received a blow to the side of his head. Due to the loud noise, Laura, who was swinging the shovel, was startled and stepped back.
Eric, with a surprised face, spoke to Laura.

“Y-Young lady…?”

Seeing the fallen attacker, Laura, still bewildered, stepped back. It was because the flowing blood from the head of the collapsed figure dyed the white snow red.

“B, blood. Is she dead?”

Then she lunged at him with such momentum that she didn’t think there would be a drop of blood. Eric covered Joshua’s eyes and lightly kicked the fallen figure with his foot. She moaned weakly without regaining consciousness.

“She’s not dead. Now calm down. And why do you look like that? Did you come here from a mine, digging for limestone or something?”

Eric’s words made Laura finally regain her composure.

The dress tied at the waist was covered in gray dust, and even the bare feet and hands without shoes were covered in dirty powder.

Moreover, although Laura herself couldn’t see it, when she jumped off the wall, her left cheek was scratched, leaving a visible wound.

“Oh, my brother locked the door to keep me in check, so I climbed the wall.”

“At least there should be guards near the main gate. I’ll have him sent for, but first get the butler or the maidservant, and then go to the doctor.”

“Doctor? Is the prince injured?”

Laura asked in surprise. Erich tapped his cheek.

“You got hurt on that side.”

“Yes?”

Laura touched her cheek with a bewildered expression. And the moment she confirmed the blood on her dirty fingertips, her face turned to astonishment.

“My face… my face…”

“Just a little scratch; it won’t leave a scar. Don’t worry.”

“I… I only had my face…”

A quivering tone mixed into Laura’s voice. The child nestled in Eric’s arms, and seeing the tearful adult again, he started crying once more.

If left alone, they would both burst into tears, so Eric hastily soothed the child and hissed in annoyance.

“Ah, if you only have your face, then you’re either a corpse or a monster. Is that what makes a person? As long as your arms and legs are intact, don’t say useless things.”

“I, I don’t have any skills…”

“What’s there to not have? You’re good at climbing walls and digging around. I heard you curse pretty well too.”

Eric mumbled roughly and bent down to examine the fallen mistress closely. The woman still hadn’t regained her senses.

“You knocked her out in one go. I don’t know who sent her, but when Her Majesty returns…”

“L-Lord Marquis…”

“Oh, she’s not dead. And what if she were?”

“That’s… that’s not it…”

With a trembling voice, Eric raised his head. And when he saw the strangers approaching them, the relieved expression on his face turned tense again.

“……I’m screwed.”

Well, at least there’s time to draw the sword. Eric handed the clinging child to Laura and kept his eyes on the approaching group.

“Are you a good runner?”