Chapter 53: 53

When Astelle heard that they were getting a divorce, she wanted to die.

But Kaizen didn’t want her to die.

If Astelle dies, Kaizen will become the heartless emperor who killed his wife on the first day of their honeymoon.

He hoped Astelle would just go away, enduring the humiliation.

“Because Your Majesty wanted it, I accepted the divorce and left without any regrets.”

Astelle followed Kaizen’s wishes. 

She gave up on him, endured the humiliation, and left forever. 

It was ironic. 

The moment Astelle wanted to stay with Kaizen at any cost, Kaizen abandoned her. 

And now that she abandoned all her feelings and became indifferent to him, he asked her to return to the capital with him. 

Isn’t that amazing?

Astelle faltered and spoke coldly, “Your Majesty may think that you can do whatever you want, but there are some things in the world that can never be undone.” 

Kaizen seems to have genuinely believed that if he comes and makes it up to Astelle, the mistakes he had made in the past will disappear.

It was surprising that he could be so selfish.

“……” 

Kaizen said nothing.

Astelle looked at him, then bent her knees and bowed her head in a strict manner.

“If you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll be on my way.”

Astelle turned back without any regrets. 

Kaizen couldn’t take his eyes off her until she disappeared from view.

***

There were many great mansions in the capital, but the most splendid and magnificent was the residence of the Duke of Reston. 

A sharp wind shook the windows as the flames of firewood swayed in the dark. Duke Reston, sitting in his study room, looked at the reflection in the dark shadows and asked, “The Emperor?” 

The man standing next to him came out quietly and answered: 

“It is said that he arrived at Dentsu Castle.” 

“It’s sooner than expected.” 

The duke thought that if he leaked information stating that this place was preparing for a rebellion, the emperor would be wasting time in the country castle. 

The duke already knew that the man he had recruited was the emperor’s spy. He acted as if he was preparing for a revolt through him, letting the emperor get the wrong information. That way Kaizen won’t come back to the capital, turning his way around to trap the Duke.

‘Let’s see which of the two is the real trap.’

The Duke gave orders to the subordinate who was beside him. 

“While waiting at Dentsu Castle, if the opportunity arises, raid the emperor.” 

The duke had no intention of starting a rebellion from the beginning, he was aiming for an assassination. 

When the emperor is in the capital’s imperial palace, the chance of assassination seldom arises. 

However, while on the journey, the guards can not protect the emperor as much as in the imperial palace.

There will always be gaps. 

“I, by the way, Princess……” 

“Huh?” 

“Princess is with the emperor.” 

The Duke did not answer for a moment. 

It took him a while to figure out who the princess he was talking about was.

“I don’t care about Astelle.” 

An ungrateful little girl who dared disobey her father’s orders and left. 

The duke looked at the flames and thought of his only daughter. 

His eyes were sunken colder than the cold of the night. 

Astelle was a useful tool. It was definitely the case six years ago. 

The duke had the ambition to become regent by raising his daughter to be the empress from a very young age, making his grandson emperor. 

He took the daughter of a venerable marquis family and married her to give birth to a daughter of impeccable descent. 

When he got a beautiful daughter from his wife and betrothed her to the Crown Prince as planned, everything was running perfectly. 

However, his plans were quickly guttered. 

Because the emperor died suddenly, and Kaizen who became emperor ousted Astelle.

‘I should have married Astelle off earlier and had a child with the obedient Kaizen back then.’

The duke regretted it, but it was already too late. 

The gentle and foolish previous emperor died, and the cold and clever Kaizen took his place. Even if he regretted it, he could not turn back time.

Astelle left the house after getting a divorce, she was kicked out and cut off contact with him. 

The duke did not even know whether Astelle was dead or alive until Kaizen found her because of the will of Empress Dowager. 

It turns out that Astelle had been living in the house of her maternal grandfather for six years.

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“Yeah, that old man was there.” 

Is there any other place out there for her to go? 

In fact, when Kaizen asked about Astelle’s whereabouts, that was the first place that came to the duke’s mind, but he didn’t want to help Kaizen, so he said he didn’t know. 

‘If you need her, you should find her yourself .’ 

The duke heard that one of the daughters of the Croychen family fought with Astelle and was put in prison. 

It was worth seeing Marquis Croychen punished for his work. 

He is trying to push his second daughter into the empress’s seat, but Kaizen doesn’t seem to be very interested in the daughters of Croychen. 

Well, although Kaizen used to be kind to women. 

The fact that he is on Astelle’s side this time was probably to please her because of Empress Dowager’s will. 

Croychen’s daughter didn’t even know that and made a fuss. 

When the Duke thought of Astelle, his head throbbed. 

It was because Fritz, his eldest son and Astelle’s older brother, regretted letting Astelle leave. 

He cries every day and regrets not having taken care of his younger sister, and now he turned his arrow to his father, the duke. 

Still, the past six years have been pretty good, but when Astelle reappeared, their family became the worst of the rich these days. 

Fritz criticized the Duke by talking about Astelle whenever he had time. 

‘It’s no use giving birth to a child and raising them.’

Although he did not express it, the Duke regretted the incident as much as his son. He didn’t mean to abandon Astell like that 

Girls are always useful. 

Astelle was a princess who inherited the most precious blood in this country. 

‘I should have sold her to a worthy aristocrat, because even if she was divorced, there would have been some who wanted her bloodline.’ 

In the past, it would have been better to put Astelle in a convent rather than to disgrace Reston’s name by kicking her out. 

However, Astelle broke all ties with her father, the Duke, and left. 

Even if he asks her to come back to the mansion now, she would not accept him, let alone remarry. 

‘I have something to convince her.’ 

The will was not the only thing left from the Dowager Empress 

Unbeknownst to the emperor, she also left some belongings to Astelle. 

Since she couldn’t give it to her directly, she secretly sent it to the Duke and asked him to deliver it when he found Astelle later. 

Most of the items were pictures and books, but there were also some jewels. 

The Duke once wanted to sell the items as soon as Empress Dowager died but decided to save them for later. 

Astelle would want to have them. 

The Duke might be able to use it to bait her. 

‘Still, she wouldn’t accept remarrying another man just for a keepsake. Because that stupid bitch likes Kaizen.’ 

The Duke stroked his throbbing temple with his hand and said to his subordinate, “Astelle has already cut ties with me, so don’t worry about her. In case of emergency, I don’t mind killing her as well as the Emperor.”

***

Astelle spent several days in the annex being gloomy. 

“Honey, eat something.” 

Astelle, Theor, and the marquis sat around a table for breakfast. 

A sumptuous breakfast was prepared, including eggs benedict and sweet crepes, pancakes topped with whipped cream, and creamy soup with marjoram. 

Astelle shook her head at her grandfather’s words. 

“I’m sorry, I have no appetite.” 

Sitting next to her, Theor was eating his own crepes little by little. 

Astelle, on the other hand, hasn’t eaten anything. 

After eating the crepes, Theor asked her worriedly, “Aunt Astelle, aren’t you hungry?” 

“I am not. Come on Theor, you should eat more.” 

Astelle puts more pancakes on Theor’s plate. 

The Marquis who sat across from him, looked at the little figure with concern. 

Since the day of the ball, Astelle had been troubled because her request to return Theor was rejected by Kaizen. 

Astelle was worried about what to do now. She did not want to take Theor to the capital. That was too risky. 

Even if she keeps Theor in a room all day, she never knows what might happen. 

‘Considering what Kaizen said, even if I go to the capital, I may not be able to send Theor off easily.’

Kaizen said he wanted Astelle to stay with him. 

If he forces her, there will be no way she could escape. 

So it was better not to take Theor to the capital if possible. 

Even if caught, it would be better for Astelle to be caught alone.

‘But Kaizen wasn’t even allowing me to send Theor back……’

The day after Astelle’s failure, her grandfather directly requested an audience with the emperor.

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