How to Hide the Emperor’s Child - Chapter 97
Chapter 97
‘Why is he here?’
Astelle was walking through the garden while talking to Seibel.
There is a quiet atmosphere in the garden at sunset.
A man and woman are having a friendly conversation in the peaceful garden.
Seibel said something to Astelle who was next to him.
Astelle covered her mouth and burst into laughter.
The moment he saw that, he was furious.
Kaizen opened the glass door leading to the garden.
“Your Majesty?”
The two walking through the garden found him and stopped.
“What are you doing here?”
Kaizen asked, barely holding back his anger.
Astelle replied indifferently, “I was talking to Sir Seibel.”
Kaizen looked back at Seibel.
“You must be very free.”
He wanted to speak calmly, but it sounded sarcastic instead.
Seibel bowed his head in embarrassment.
“I am sorry, Your Majesty.”
He apologized as if he was very sorry, but he wasn’t sure what he did wrong.
It’s understandable that he doesn’t know.
Kaizen doesn’t even know what he did wrong.
It just made him angry to see this young handsome knight with Astelle.
Astelle intervened after looking at this without any hesitation.
“Your Majesty, Sir Seibel came here at my request.”
“Why?”
Astelle looked at him blankly.
“I was looking for Theor’s teacher as ordered by Your Majesty. I asked Sir Seibel to become Theor’s swordsmanship teacher.”
Those words made Kaizen even angrier.
‘Who wants this guy to be a swordsmanship teacher?’
Sensing that Kaizen’s expression was unusual, Seibel quickly excused himself.
“I am sorry, Your Majesty. I will take my leave.”
“Yes, go away.”
Kaizen answered quickly as if wanting him to leave immediately.
Seibel greeted Astelle with an apologetic look and walked out of the garden.
Kaizen didn’t say anything until he left.
There was an uncomfortable silence in the peaceful garden.
Astelle asked Kaizen first, “Has Sir Seibel ever offended Your Majesty?”
At Astelle’s cold question, Kaizen realized that he had made a mistake.
He couldn’t control his anger and did something useless.
He blamed himself and asked back, “……why are you asking that?”
“I have appointed him to be Theor’s teacher, but Your Majesty doesn’t seem to like him, so I am asking this question because I am worried.”
Kaizen did not hate Saibel.
Seibel was young but capable, and his stepfather, Count Ecklen, was also a loyal and faithful servant.
But today, the moment he saw his young and handsome face, he felt uneasy.
And he doesn’t understand why it has to be Seibel among many knights.
“Why did you choose him as Theor’s teacher?”
Kaizen asked, calming his mind as best he could.
Astelle replied calmly, “Vellian recommended him.”
“……”
Kaizen poured swear words at Vellian in his mind.
Why did that guy do something I didn’t even ask, he couldn’t even do what I told him to, Kaizen thought.
It wasn’t that Vellian couldn’t do his job well, but everything was bothering him now.
He was even more offended because he couldn’t understand why he was so offended.
“Well, I don’t need him,” Kaizen responded bluntly.
He added, “I can teach horseback riding and swordsmanship. I will teach Theor whenever I have time.”
Astelle looked at Kaizen with a puzzled gaze.
“Your Majesty is busy with government affairs, how are you going to teach Theor?”
“I can come and teach at a set time every day.”
“You even came late today because you have a lot of work to do.”
“……”
Kaizen couldn’t say anything to Astelle’s question. Astelle also felt a little worried.
‘Do you hate Seibel?’
Seeing his reaction, he seems to really hate him, Astelle thought.
He showed a bit of an irritated reaction when we met before, but I don’t know if it’s because he hates Seibel.
The Lanberg Knights were one of the Emperor’s important knight orders, but even so, there was no way Astelle would appoint the person the Emperor hated as Theor’s teacher.
‘Should I not choose Seibel?’
I chose him because he was the most suitable person.
But if the Emperor doesn’t like him, I’ll have to think again.
“Mom!”
As Astelle was thinking about this and that, Theor saw the two of them and ran to them.
“Theor, did you have fun?”
Theor, who was clinging to Astelle, looked at Kaizen.
“Your Majesty, aren’t you busy today?”
“I finished my work quickly to see you.”
It was a friendly voice with a strong affection for his young son.
But Theor didn’t seem too impressed.
Theor tilted his head as if not understanding.
“But I already met you yesterday……”
“……”
Kaizen bit his lip with disappointed eyes.
Astelle sighed and said, “Then I will think again about Sir Seibel’s matter later.”
Kaizen didn’t respond.
She wondered if he regretted his actions.
Kaizen hugged Theor and asked again, “Theor, do you need anything more? Anything you want.”
Theor thought for a moment as he was in Kaizen’s arms.
“I want to ride a pony.”
Astelle did not allow Theor to ride horses until he learned the basics of riding properly.
“Then I will come early tomorrow and teach you how to ride properly. Let’s go outside the Imperial Palace and practice horseback riding.”
Astelle, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, intervened in surprise.
“Your Majesty, it is dangerous to go outside the Imperial Palace.”
“It’s okay because I’m going with him.”
What do you mean it’s okay?
It had only been a month since the last time we went out together, and Theor nearly died from drinking Lintail juice.
Kaizen also remembered the incident.
“I’ll be careful this time,” he said confidently.
“Still, it’s not good to go outside the Imperial Palace at this time.”
The wedding was just around the corner.
You know this is a crucial time but you still want to take your child out of the palace?
Kaizen responded indifferently, “Then you don’t have to go.”
At that time, Theor, who was quietly listening to the conversation between the two, got down from Kaizen’s arms with a sullen face.
“If Mom doesn’t go, I won’t go either.”
“……”
Kaizen looked at Astelle again.
“……let’s go together.”
“We can’t go outside the Imperial Palace.”
“Then we can go to the Rose Garden.”
Behind the Imperial Palace was a large garden called the Rose Garden.
Originally, as the name suggests, it was a place full of roses.
It is said that during the reign of Emperor Gilbert, there was an attempted assassination of the emperor.
The Imperial Guards couldn’t find the assassin hiding in the garden because of the thick rose bushes.
The furious Emperor Gilbert cut down all the rose bushes and turned the garden into a flat vacant lot.
Now it has become an open garden where grass and plants have grown.
Kaizen looked into Astelle’s eyes and said, “You don’t have to worry too much if it’s there.”
“……”
Astelle could no longer refuse.
Having obtained unspoken consent, Kaizen looked at Theor.
“Let’s ride a pony on the lawn.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Theor was delighted, but there was sadness in Kaizen’s eyes again.
Astelle once asked Theor why he didn’t call the emperor Father.
Theor just stared at Astelle and replied, “Just…… it’s more convenient to call him Your Majesty.”
Even if Astelle asked more, he didn’t say any other reason.
‘Someday he will call you father.’
Astelle doesn’t know when that will be, but she didn’t want to force him.
Theor lived without knowing his father for five years.
She couldn’t force him to call someone who suddenly appeared in his life as his father.
***
The next day, Kaizen went to the Rose Garden with Theor from broad daylight.
“Stand upright and maintain your posture. It’s not scary, so don’t be afraid.”
Kaizen taught Theor horseback riding again this time.
Astelle only watched the two.
Theor was not afraid and followed Kaizen’s instructions diligently.
‘You are not afraid easily. Just like your father.’
Astelle remembered the first time she learned to ride a horse.
At that time she was about ten years old. Astelle put off learning to ride for fear, and then she started learning to ride too late.
It was also because her father, the Duke, did not pay attention because horseback riding was not a virtue of a lady.
Still, she couldn’t put it off any longer, so she officially learned to ride from then on.
‘At first, I couldn’t even get on the horse because I was afraid.’
One day, Kaizen came to Duke’s mansion and saw Astelle learning to ride a horse.
Astelle was so scared that she was about to cry, but she was brave enough to get on the horse because the Crown Prince was watching her.
But when she managed to get on the horse, she just trembled while holding the reins.
Kaizen, who was watching quietly, approached her and held her hand.
“It’s okay, Astelle. It’s not scary. It’s okay.”
How comforting that warmth was.
He had that kind of affection sometimes, and because of that, she kept herself clinging to vain hopes.
Even though he looked indifferent and cold, in a corner of her heart, she thought that Kaizen might like her.
“Come on, hold on tight. Never let go of it.”
“Yes! I won’t let it go.”
Theor grabbed the reins with both hands.
The pony walked briskly across the lawn with Theor on.
“I want to go faster,” Theor said excitedly.
Kaizen smiled and helped him speed up. The fast-walking pony started to run slowly.
Theor was happy, but Astelle, who was watching, was feeling anxious.
“Your Majesty, it is dangerous.”
Astelle followed the two and stopped them.
Kaizen heard this and warned Theor, “It’s going too fast. You have to slow down again.”
But even before he finished speaking, a small squirrel stuck his head out between the grass.
The pony, which was running well, saw the squirrel and was startled and raised its front paws. Therefore, Theor missed the reins and fell from the saddle.
“Theor!”
The moment Astelle shouted, Kaizen hugged Theor and rolled on the ground.
