Rashta repeatedly squeezed the armrests of the chair.
Her eyes were on the beautiful tapestry on the opposite wall, but her mind wasnât really focused on the tapestry.
She was remembering Joansonâs 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?
âYour Majesty. The Emperor is here.â
But now it seemed that she wouldnât even be able to escape. Hearing that Sovieshu had come, Rashta muttered in fear and helplessness.
âLet him inâŚâ
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!
âIs that true?â
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 todayâs paper.
âI asked if that is true, Rashta. Is it true what is claimed in the article?â
Rashta responded weakly.
âDid you come here in search of an answer or do you already have one?â
Her wretched voice and pale expression could elicit pity, but Sovieshuâs gaze remained indifferent.
âWhere did the man who sang lullabies to my belly a few months ago go? The current Sovieshu even took my daughter from me.â
âWill you believe Rashtaâs answer?â
âWhat if I donât believe you?â
ââŚâ
âBe honest. You need to tell me now so I can help sort it out.â
Rashta bit her lip.
Looking at the newspaper spread out on the coffee table, Sovieshu continued,
âWhether that person is your real father or not, itâs not your fault that he showed up so unexpectedly. I donât intend to blame you for this. So be honest with me. Letâs make this easy.â
âIf Rashta liesâŚ. Will Your Majesty also abandon Rashta?â
âDonât waste my time.â
âWhat do you mean, letâs make this easy?â
âRashta.â
She felt really suffocated by Sovieshuâs voice.
Rashta hesitated and answered,
âHeâs not my real father.â
Rashta lowered her eyes to avoid Sovieshuâs gaze.
Seeing Rashta stay like that for a while, Sovieshu calmly said, âItâs okay.â Then, he turned around and walked out. He did not ask again if it was true.
âDid he realize I lied?â Fearing that he might return at any moment, Rashta froze in terror, swallowing hard.
However, Sovieshu did not return and she belatedly regretted it.
She didnât want to be a nuisance to Sovieshu, so she said that man was not her real father. Even if Sovieshu sorted it out, she didnât want him to think in the process, âSheâs an incompetent and stressful woman.â
Sovieshu already knew about Rashtaâs lies. As soon as he entered the office, he mentioned this to Marquis Karl,
âIn the end she lied.â
âAgain?â
âYes. Again.â
Marquis Karl sighed,
â⌠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.â
Sovieshu nodded. That was why he had intended to help her if she answered honestly, it was an opportunity he had given her.
âWhat are you going to do, Your Majesty?â
âIf 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 itâs too late.â
âShall we do it now?â
âThere are a lot of attentive people right now. It will be better to deal with him once peopleâs attention shifts to another matter⌠or after I leave the capital.â
***
âWell, itâs better to do that as soon as possible. Later on the pregnancy will be very advancedâŚâ
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.
âBut the palace doctor indicated to me that the first few months require the most care.â
The cushion on my back had shifted, so I reached back to adjust it.
After I leaned back on the cushion, Heinley put his hand on my belly again and responded,
âThat also worries me a lot, My Queen. But later on it canât be hidden that youâre pregnant.â
âThatâs true.â
When my belly grows, everyone will know that Iâm pregnant. The news will reach other countries as well.
Heinley sighed.
âArenât the neighboring countries on alert since we proclaimed ourselves an empire? If word gets out that youâre pregnant, your life could be in danger down the road.â
âYou are right.â
âI prepared a large, comfortable carriage. Think of it like a few vacation days.â
âYes.â
I answered, and put my hand over Heinleyâs hand on my belly. Heinley turned his hand to intertwined his fingers with mine and whispered,
âMy Queen. If we go to Wirwol, weâll pass that way too.â
âWhere we dined together.â
âYes. That place.â
Our minds were connected, Heinley kissed my hand and smiled broadly. I leaned over to kiss Heinleyâs forehead. Although you never knew when ice was going to come out of my hand, he didnât seem the least bit afraid.
We also wanted to go out together after such a long time, so we would take advantage of the trip to Wirwol.
Thatâs where I asked him to marry meâŚ
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 personally, 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.
âStay. I can go alone.â
I felt sorry for Heinley, who was excited about the trip together, but it couldnât be put off.
âNo, My Queen. Itâs dangerous.â
âViscount Langdel said he would escort me with the Supranational Knights. What could be dangerous?â
âButâŚâ
âHeinley. The king of another country is going to visit us in person. We canât both be absent at the same time. Especially you.â
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.
âIâll be back as soon as I learn about mana.â