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

Chapter 9 – Part 9

Tenere sat by her brother’s side.

Although there was no harm to his life, seeing his face pale from the loss of blood made her feel a surge of emotions.

“Brother…”

He had been the one who had protected her continuously from the mansion until now.

When her father scolded her or beat her, he would come secretly to comfort her awkwardly. When her father left the mansion for a while, he would secretly lend her his ear or fetch her a bow.

Though he sometimes said harsh words like calling her a fool or an easy mark, she knew that he always worried and cared for her.

Even when she retorted to his words and pretended to get angry, even the slight upward curve of his lips couldn’t be hidden.

Now, the person who had protected her and got hurt for her sake was lying in bed, and all she could do was wait by his side.

“I’m sorry.”

Tenere tightly held his limp hand against her cheek. His motionless hand twitched slightly.

“Are you… okay?”

When a feeble voice was heard, Tenere raised her head. Eric, who had opened his eyes, was looking at her.

“Oh, brother…”

“I had a hard enough time soothing Josie’s crying; I don’t want you to cry too.”

Despite his grumbling, his stiff hand gently wiped away her tears. He asked, “Did you meet her?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now you can finally be at ease.”

Eric smiled. Tener bowed her head.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to get hurt like this and…….”

“What do you mean? Did you stab me?”

“…..”

“You didn’t stab me, so why is it your fault? The most at fault is the guy who stabbed me and the guy who paid for it, and then… it’s because I’m so good, right? Because your brother is trustworthy enough to leave your child in his care, right?”

He asked with a chuckle, and Tenere nodded, tears hanging in the corners of her eyes. A weak hand patted her shoulder.

“Where’s Joshua?”

“He’s asleep.”

“Well, he must be tired after all that crying. I’m sleepy too. I feel like I’ve been up a long time…….”

“It’s probably the painkillers; get some more sleep.”

Tenere pulled the covers over him. Erich lay still.

It was when Tenere placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

“…Why do you like His Majesty so much?”

“What?”

“He used your feelings to take your child, so what’s so great about him?”

His piercing words left Tenere speechless. Eric, seeing her expression, chuckled.

“I knew you wouldn’t say anything. I’ve known you for years, and just by looking at your face, I can tell.”

“Who talks about something like that to their siblings? It makes it awkward.”

“Well, it’s not entirely untrue. We’ve been together since you were born, so I know you as well as your age.”

Eric laughed heartily. Hearing his words, Tenere also chuckled softly.

“It’s because… I’m sorry for you.”

The hand on his forehead stiffened a little as she heard the words for the first time. Eric raised his eyes to meet Tenere’s.

“I guess I’m to blame for you taking a liking to the emperor so easily. Neither our father nor I were ever very nice to you…… so  it’s not impossible that you might have fallen for the slightest hint of his niceness.”

Eric remembered the look on Tenere’s face when he’d told her to watch out for Empress Dowager.

The way her cheerful face had sunk into a sullen expression, like a child being forced to give up her favorite candy.

That’s why he couldn’t help but say that he liked the Empress Dowager, who showed her love.

He knew how hungry she was for love.

“It’s not your fault. You always helped me.”

“I thought helping you was the right thing to do. But looking back, it seems different. I was a marquis even then, and he wouldn’t have been able to stop me if I’d set my mind to it, but I think I treated you the way I did because I was afraid of being hated.”

“…”

“It was ultimately cowardly. No matter how well I tried to justify it, no matter how reassuring it was to see you continue to treat me like a big brother, I was still afraid of…”

Eric’s brow furrowed slightly and he slowly closed his eyes. He seemed to be drowsing.

It was the moment Tenere was about to rise from her seat.

“…I don’t understand His Majesty’s feelings.”

“…”

“He acts like he really likes you, but it’s all lies. Then why is he always looking at you? I wonder why he followed you without looking back when I told him you were gone…”

“…”

“Anyway, I’ll get some rest. Why is this painkiller so strong?”

With those words, Eric fell asleep again.

Tenere gently wiped his face with a wet towel and then stood up.

Returning to the room, she laid the sleeping child in the crib.

Joshua, who had cried incessantly until now, was now sleeping as if nothing had happened.

Though relieved to see him peacefully asleep, the heaviness in her heart persisted, thinking about the injured Eric, who was hurt while protecting her child.

“Now, there won’t be such incidents, Josie.”

Tenere whispered as she brushed her son’s soft hair.

“Daddy will protect you, so everything will be okay now.”

Was it faith or resolve? Tenere wasn’t sure.

Despite receiving a report that uncovered the mastermind of the recent event and despite her suspicion of Duke Salvatore, she still felt uneasy, just like when she heard about her father’s rebellion.

“Is it really the Duke’s doing? ”

But the Duke would have expected to face consequences once this came to light.

So, he wouldn’t have openly sent knights associated with him.

‘Did someone else try to frame the Duke’s knights, or did the Duke take the risk of being exposed and try to handle it first?’

Or maybe he was confident that he could handle it without being exposed.

Either that, or the certainty that he would not be punished if he was found out…….

“…I don’t know.”

Leonard had said that neither Alaina nor he had any desire to marry each other. It made no sense to Tenere that the Duke would risk harming her and her child when neither of them had any intention of doing so.

“It’s something I shouldn’t know.”

Tenere tapped the bed railing, lost in thought. Despite feeling exhausted to the point of collapsing, she couldn’t rest comfortably. Leonard’s demeanor made it even harder, as if he were hiding something.

“He says he loves me…”

It was ironic to be upset about his attitude, given that she claimed not to believe his words and yet found his secretive behavior troubling. She had asked him to make the impossible possible if he wanted her to believe in him, and in the end, she had hoped for that.

A knock sounded at that moment.

Tenere quickly rose from the bed, expecting it to be Leonard, but the person who entered upon opening the door was someone else.

“I greet Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Hello, Lady Hale.”

Laura, entering with a limp, bowed politely. She had a band-aid on one cheek.

She seemed a different person than the one who called her Lady Evan and didn’t hide her displeasure.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Thanks to your care, the marquis…”

“He briefly opened his eyes earlier. Due to the effects of the medicine, he quickly fell asleep again.”

“Fortunately.”

Laura sighed in relief. Tenere looked at her, raising the corner of her mouth slowly.

“I’m sorry I threatened you that day. Thanks to you, I met my mother.”

“…”

“You helped me in so many ways; is there anything else you want?”

Laura had been eagerly awaiting these words as compensation for rescuing the crown prince.

Whether it was wealth and a good marriage for her family, titles and territory, or friendship with the empress. However, surprisingly, she couldn’t think of anything.

Whether it was because of the severe injuries she suffered earlier or the swollen eyes of the empress, she couldn’t tell.

“…I don’t know.”

No, she didn’t want to think about what she should receive. It was even more difficult with her family coming with excited faces. Among them, there were those who pointed out the scars on her face.

Laura considered telling them that her feet were even more injured, but she refrained.

There were too many things to think about, and they were all tedious.

Looking at her tired face, Tenere chuckled.

“You once said you wanted to be my maid.”

“But… you dislike me.”

Laura dropped her head deeply.

Considering her own path, she didn’t want to be close to someone who didn’t like her. Not that anyone would like her in the first place.

“I’ve said it before, but I don’t dislike you, Laura. I just thought we were a bit incompatible.”

Although Tenere said it with an awkward expression, it meant the same thing to Laura. She hesitated before speaking.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I behaved badly.”

“It was seven years ago, Laura. I didn’t hate you, and it wasn’t an attempt to kill or harm me. It was just a few misspoken words. It’s not enough to make me hate someone. And…”

Tenere paused for a moment. Her light eyes softened.

“…”

“If you don’t want anything, you can speak to His Majesty and ask the Viscount to…….”

“Now, not the Viscount.”

At the word viscount, Laura quickly opened her mouth. Tenere looked at her, a little surprised.

Laura lowered her head and hesitated.

“I just want to live well on my own.”

Tenere didn’t respond. Did she say something unnecessary? Laura endured the empress’s gaze, staring down at her own toes.

Tenere, who had been lost in thought, turned her head towards her.

“I hear you’ve been taking care of your siblings.”

His voice was still soothing. Laura nodded slowly, wondering if he was going to ask for some trivial family history.

“It’s not a great place; we only have one nanny.”

“Do you take care of your siblings well?”

“Huh?”

Laura raised her head in surprise. It was only now that she understood the intention behind the question.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like you to be the prince’s nanny.”

“I, me? Huh, but when selecting a nanny, you have to look at personality as well…….”

“Well, that’s true.”

The selection of the Crown Prince’s nanny required thorough verification. It was even more crucial, as she would be responsible for the child’s life and education until she reached the age to hire a private tutor.

Family background, education, personality, health, and many other factors were evaluated, and those chosen as nannies were often considered to have earned the trust of the imperial family.

The choice of Laura Hale for such a position was not just because she had saved the prince.

“Until that incident, I was close to Lady Salvatore. So, surely, someday, I’ll be of use.”

If it were indeed Duke Salvatore who tried to harm Joshua, his daughter Alaina would also be someone to be wary of. And if it wasn’t Duke Salvatore but another person, then she didn’t know who to trust.

In a situation where it was unknown who tried to harm Joshua, the only person he could be sure of was Laura Hale, not the one who had sent the killers. Moreover, when she covered her son’s eyes even while trembling with fear, it was memorable.

“Just hide it well in front of the child.”

Tenere whispered with a small smile. Laura nodded vigorously, her nose turning red.