Chapter 78

Kaizen of course did not object.

“You two are the organizers, do as you please.”

Astelle gave her brother a look of gratitude.

Choosing to do the waltz was an excellent choice.

This is because, unlike minuet, the waltz is a dance where two people dance closely together, so the man can support the woman.

“Do you remember when you were young and practiced dancing for fun?”

“Of course.”

Astelle recalled memories of her practicing a waltz and standing on her brother’s foot when she was about six or seven years old.

Fritz looked delighted that Astelle remembers that moment.

“Let’s do it like then.”

“I must be too heavy.”

Fritz lowered his voice and smiled.

“It’s okay.”

The sweet melody of the waltz was heard.

Still, I couldn’t get on my brother’s foot as I did when I was young.

Astelle followed his steps, raising her heels so that the tattered heels did not touch the floor.

She nearly lost balance a few times, but luckily she was able to follow his steps without a hitch.

Every time Astelle stumbled as if to fall, Fritz grabbed her and led the steps.

Astelle leaned on his arm and managed to keep pace.

Even while supporting Astelle like that, Fritz didn’t seem troubled at all.

Astelle looked up at her brother and admired him inwardly.

‘You have great strength.’

Fritz was once the leader of the Imperial Knights.

It seems that it is not difficult to support Astelle’s body because he has strength-trained in swordsmanship.

After a few rounds like that, the first music ended.

Fritz stepped out of the center of the ballroom, supporting Astelle.

Astelle whispered to him without moving her lips, not losing her smile.

“Please go to the balcony.”

People looked a little curious, but no one asked where they were going.

It’s not unusual to take a break after dancing.

Astelle went up to the balcony on the second floor with Fritz.

As she leaned against the railing of the balcony, she let out a sigh.

Astelle expressed her gratitude to Fritz with a weary face,

“Thank you very much.”

Fritz asked with a worried look on his face,

“Why don’t you ask His Majesty’s permission and go to the mansion?”

“No.”

There was no need for that.

Even if I wanted to go back anyway, Kaizen wouldn’t let me go.

Now that I’ve finished the first dance, I don’t need to do it again.

I can spend time here.

Hannah noticed something was wrong and hurriedly followed Astelle to the balcony.

“Lady Astelle, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. The shoes are broken.”

Astelle took off her shoes, leaning against the railing.

“I definitely checked it…… She worked hard on it.”

“It really is a useless malicious intent.”

Hannah went to the maids’ waiting room and got indoor shoes.

They were low-heeled shoes made of soft fabric that were closer to slippers than shoes.

Hannah also brought two glasses of champagne for both of them.

Astelle drank some cool champagne.

Refreshing champagne cooled down her throat.

“Lady Astelle.”

“Sir Lyndon?”

Lyndon opened the balcony door and stepped inside.

He bent down to Astelle and delivered Kaizen’s orders.

“His Majesty is looking for you.”

“Now?”

Didn’t he say he wanted to meet after the ball?

After exchanging glances with Fritz, Astelle opened the door of the balcony and walked out.

There was silence in the ballroom downstairs.

Astelle, as soon as she entered, caught the attention of people.

‘I don’t know how many times this has happened.’

Every time she enters the banquet hall, people’s eyes are focused on her.

“Astelle.”

She turned around and saw Kaizen standing there.

Astelle thought his appearance was a little different from usual.

His tense expression and frozen red eyes seemed unfamiliar to her.

He walked close to Astelle and slowly lowered his head.

Like an ordinary noble gentleman asking a lady to dance.

Astelle stiffened in surprise.

Those who watched were even more surprised.

Numerous nobles gathered widened their eyes.

Even if Kaizen suddenly took out a bomb and threw it away, everyone seemed less surprised than this.

Astelle stuttered, perplexed by this chaotic situation.

“Your Majesty…… Why……”

Kaizen ignored the gazes of the people directed at him.

He was only looking at Astelle.

As if he and Astelle were alone in this place.

He spoke slowly with clear pronunciation,

“Astelle, please be my wife.”

***

In an instant, the world seemed to stop.

‘What did I just hear?’

Everything around me became blurred.

The flow of time and the scenery of the banquet hall disappeared in an instant.

Only Kaizen remained in front of her.

Kaizen stood proudly in the center of the banquet hall and looked at Astelle.

Standing in the emperor’s formal attire, the majesty of a strong and relentless monarch stands out.

While everyone fell silent in confusion, Astelle broke the silence first.

“Your Majesty, what does that mean?”

I can’t judge what kind of situation this is.

Astelle asked in a trembling voice.

Kaizen answered without hesitation at all,

“I’m proposing to you.”

There was silence in the banquet hall.

Normally, there would be murmurs or even exclamations.

It was such a shocking thing that the Emperor proposed to the former empress he divorced six years ago.

Everyone was so shocked that they couldn’t even breathe.

Astelle was also shocked and looked at Kaizen.

A ten-year-old Kaizen appeared in her dusty memories.

The young crown prince handed over a necklace with blue jewels and proposed to her.

‘Astelle, marry me.’

She still vividly remembers the young prince who smiled with his youthful face.

Although it was an engagement made by the grown-ups’ calculations, Astelle felt blissful at that moment.

Ten years have passed now, and Kaizen was saying the same thing as back then.

“Marry me, Astelle.”

Why are you saying this?

Astelle felt doubts in the midst of the confusion.

Kaizen was noticing that Theor was Astelle’s son.

Nevertheless, he proposed to her. She didn’t understand.

‘Why are you doing this?’

Astelle was too confused to answer.

The first to respond to Kaizen’s words was the Marchioness of Croychen.

The Marchioness, who had been standing in the corner, suddenly ran forward.

“Your Majesty!”

The eyes in the banquet hall were focused on the shout.

“Your Majesty! Princess Astelle is raising an illegitimate child that she disguised as her nephew!”

“Mother!”

Florin ran and stopped the Marchioness.

Unlike the Marchioness, Florin seems to have judged that saying this would not help in the current situation.

If you do something that defames the person the emperor proposes to, it is an insult to the emperor.

However, the marchioness lost her mind the moment she saw the emperor proposing to Astelle.

She slapped her daughter’s hand away and pointed at Astelle.

She said, “You gave birth to an illegitimate child without a father, and you shamelessly appeared in the imperial palace and disguised your illegitimate child as your nephew……!”

The shock spread like a wave at the sudden revelation of the marchioness.

The former empress gave birth to an illegitimate child……

The nobles, who thought that there would be no greater shock than the Emperor’s proposal to the deposed Empress, were dumbfounded at the Marchioness’ words.

Of course, the person who received the most shock was the Duke of Reston.

The duke asked in disbelief, “What, what did you just say?”

Fritz was also puzzled by her father’s reaction.

“Astelle, is that true?”

Astelle did not answer her father’s questions.

She might be caught off guard by her quick-witted father if she says something useless.

Now, there was no reason to explain the past to her father in detail.

The frustrated duke shouted at his daughter,

“Astelle!”

In the midst of confusion, Kaizen opened his mouth,

“Lyndon.”

At Kaizen’s cold voice, the banquet hall, which had been buzzing, became quiet as if cold water had been poured on it.

Kaizen turned to look at Lyndon standing by the door and gave the order,

“Bring out the Marchioness. How dare she insult the princess in the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty!”

The Marchioness shouted desperately.

“I am not lying! There is a witness! Just ask her!”

A witness.

With that one word, Astelle understood what had happened to her.

I see.

I wondered how she found out, and she seems to have found a maid who registered as Theor’s biological mother.

She is the only one who can be a witness in this matter.

There was also a midwife who helped give birth, but she did not know the exact identity of Astelle.

The only person who could be a definite witness was the maid.

‘You put a lot of effort into it.’

She would have been difficult to find.

The marchioness had a grudge against Astelle for her eldest daughter Marianne and for her work at Dentsu Castle, so she did everything she could to disgrace Astelle.