Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren

  Rashta repeatedly squeezed the armrests of the chair.

  Her eyes were on the beautiful tapestry on the opposite wall, but her mind wasn’t really focused on the tapestry.

  She was remembering Joanson’s warning.

  Rashta eventually got up from the chair. The more she thought about it, the more severe the headache became, so she was going to lie down on the bed to take a nap. What better place to forget and escape from reality than a sweet dream?

  “Your Majesty. The Emperor is here.”
But now it seemed that she wouldn’t even be able to escape. Hearing that Sovieshu had come, Rashta muttered in fear and helplessness.

  “Let him in…”
In the past, his very presence made her feel good. How did it turn into such an unpleasant relationship in less than a year?

  Rashta looked sadly at the man who entered. Unlike the haggard Rashta, Sovieshu still exuded dignity and charm.

  But he had a very cold expression, which made Rashta even more frightened. He had read the article!

  “Is that true?”
Sovieshu got to the point. He asked immediately as soon as he closed the door. As Rashta feared, he seemed to have read the article in today’s paper.

  “I asked if that is true, Rashta. Is it true what is claimed in the article?”
Rashta responded weakly.

  “Did you come here in search of an answer or do you already have one?”
Her wretched voice and pale expression could elicit pity, but Sovieshu’s gaze remained indifferent.

  ‘Where did the man who sang lullabies to my belly a few months ago go? The current Sovieshu took my daughter from me.’
“Will you believe Rashta’s answer?”
“What if I don’t believe you?”
“…”
“Be honest. You need to tell me now so I can help sort it out.”
Rashta bit her lip.

  Looking at the newspaper spread out on the coffee table, Sovieshu continued,

  “Whether that person is your real father or not, it’s not your fault that he showed up so unexpectedly. I don’t intend to blame you for this. So be honest with me. Let’s make this easy.”
“If Rashta lies…. Will His Majesty also abandon Rashta?”
“Don’t waste my time.”
“What do you mean, let’s make this easy?”
“Rashta.”
She felt really suffocated by Sovieshu’s voice.

  Rashta hesitated and answered,

  “He’s not my real father.”
Rashta lowered her eyes to avoid Sovieshu’s gaze.

  Seeing Rashta stay like that for a while, Sovieshu calmly said, “It’s okay.” Then, he turned around and walked out. He did not ask again if it was true.

  Did he realize I lied? Fearing that he would return at any moment, Rashta froze in terror, swallowing hard.

  However, Sovieshu did not return and she belatedly regretted it.

  She didn’t want to be a nuisance to Sovieshu, so she said that man was not her real father. Even if Sovieshu sorted it out, she didn’t want him to think in the process, ‘She’s an incompetent and stressful woman.’
Sovieshu already knew about Rashta’s lies. As soon as he entered the office, he mentioned this to Marquis Karl,

  “In the end she lied.”
“Again?”
“Yes. Again.”
Marquis Karl sighed,

  “… But this time I feel a little sorry for her. It must have been because of that man that Rashta became a slave. And now he has reappeared.”
Sovieshu nodded. That was why he had intended to help her if she answered honestly, it was an opportunity he had given her.

  “What are you going to do, Your Majesty?”
“If I leave him alone, he will harm my daughter. Such a person has no scruples and there is no way he will change in the future. He must be dealt with discreetly before it’s too late.”
“Shall we do it now?”
“There are a lot of attentive people right now. It will be better to deal with him once people’s attention shifts to another matter… or after I leave the capital.”
***

  “Well, it’s better to do that as soon as possible. Later on the pregnancy will be very advanced…”
Heinley, who had been quietly caressing my belly, finally decided how to handle the matter of going to Wirwol.

  He seemed to think it would be better to go now rather than some other time in the future.

  “But the palace doctor indicated to me that the first few months require the most care.”
The cushion on my back had shifted, so I reached back to adjust it.

  Leaning back on the cushion, Heinley naturally placed his hand on my belly again and replied,

  “That also worries me a lot, My Queen. But later on it can’t be hidden that you’re pregnant.”
“That’s true.”
When my belly grows, everyone will know that I’m pregnant. The news will reach other countries as well.

  Heinley sighed.

  “Aren’t the neighboring countries on alert since we proclaimed ourselves an empire? If word gets out that you’re pregnant, your life could be in danger down the road.”
“You are right.”
“I prepared a large, comfortable carriage. Think of it like a few vacation days.”
“Yes.”
I answered, and put my hand over Heinley’s hand on my belly.

  Heinley turned his hand to intertwined his fingers with mine and whispered,

  “My Queen. If we go to Wirwol, we’ll pass that way too.”
“Where we dined together.”
“Yes. That place.”
Our minds were connected, Heinley kissed my hand and smiled broadly.

  Although you never knew when ice was going to come out of my hand, he didn’t seem the least bit afraid.

  I leaned over to kiss Heinley’s forehead.

  Although we were going to Wirwol to settle the mana issue, we both wanted to go out together after such a long time.

  That’s where I asked him to marry me…
As soon as we decided, we started to prepare for the trip.

  As it was not an official visit, but a short visit, the preparations took less time.

  Mainly the essentials were prepared, and the carriage was decorated like an ordinary noble carriage.

  Heinley occasionally mentioned the names of the delicious restaurants in Wirwol, saying with great enthusiasm that we would go one by one.

  But two days before we left. An urgent message came from Whitemond. The King of Whitemond would come in person to meet with Heinley. He wanted to discuss the port issue in person, not through a delegation.

  Given the time the message arrived, the king must have already left his country.

  Whitemond was not a distant country. If the king left immediately after sending the message, he would arrive here by the time Heinley and I had departed, unless some special circumstance arose.

  I held his cheeks with both hands and comforted Heinley who was in pain.

  “Stay. I can go alone.”
I felt sorry for Heinley, who was excited about the trip together, but it couldn’t be put off.

  “No, My Queen. It’s dangerous.”
“Viscount Langdel said he would escort me with the Supranational Knights. What could be dangerous?”
“But…”
“Heinley. The king of another country is going to visit us in person. We can’t both be absent at the same time. Especially you.”
Heinley nodded reluctantly after I spoke firmly. Although he seemed to act emotionally at times, Heinley actually had no problem separating public matters from personal ones.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I learn about mana.”
Once promised, Heinley again nodded dejectedly.

  ***