Chapter 61

Chapter 61

“Isilis.”

Berthas stepped into the office.

For an instant, her mind went blank. She put her hand on the desk, barely catching her vision that was swaying.

“Your Majesty!”

Meryl, who was by her side, shouted, but Isilis didn’t heed it. She shook her hand and looked back at Berthas, seeing the child in his arms. The sleeping child was hers, even if she just looked at it from afar.

It was the daughter she was looking for over and over again.

“My child…”

“I have returned after fulfilling Your Majesty’s orders.”

Before she could finish her words, Allure stepped forward and spoke.

“Good job.”

She couldn’t show any indecency in front of Allure, so she tried to correct her expression. It wasn’t that she didn’t love the child. She wanted to go and hug her right away. However, because she was the Empress and was in the highest position to rule this country, she could not move.

“This is the regent of Hillenton.”

“…What did you say?”

When Isilis asked those words, Allure replied again with strength.

“The regent of Hillenton has arrived, Your Majesty.”

“Since when did you become the regent of Hillenton? No, if that’s the case, then the Emperor…….”

Her gaze returned to her child at those words.

It was only then did she saw a small crown placed over her child’s head. It was the crown that she had not been able to see because she was focused on her face.

“What is this…”

“Our child has become the Empress of Hillenton.”

Berthas sat down in the prepared chair, passing the child towards Meryl, who approached at Isilis’ beckoning. Isilis, who was looking around, dismissed them. Berthas opened his mouth as everyone except Allure and Meryl left the office.

“Did something happen?”

“Yes.”

“Your face looks bad.”

As she tried to calm her trembling voice, Berthas immediately recognized her condition. Even though she tried to hide her expression, she found it difficult.

Whose fault was it that she became like this?

‘…What?’

A sudden thought caused Isilis to express her doubts.

Berthas Hillenton was just as important to her. She did have given him her heart. She vowed that she shouldn’t do that as the Empress, that she shouldn’t give her heart to just one person, and she vowed again and again.

However, she vaguely felt that she couldn’t help that her heart had already been given to him… though was it like this? Did she care about him enough to affect her daily life like this? She didn’t know her own heart as she didn’t know her own self at night.

“You haven’t opened it yet.”

Berthas said, glancing down at the unsealed letter sealed with his seal. Unable to hide her puzzled face, Isilis opened her mouth, trying to make an excuse.

“It arrived today.”

“You don’t have to open it. I wrote that I had the child, but it arrived after such a long time. Where is Dahan?”

“Dahan?”

“Didn’t he bring the letter?”

“I brought it.”

Meryl cut the conversation split between them. Normally, although there would be a yell towards her, Isilis was dazed. It was because she struggled to hide her fluster before she could even point out Meryl’s recklessness.

‘He had the child?’

When Berthas’ gaze returned to Meryl, Isilis came to her senses. So, was this the letter he sent the moment the child disappeared? Why the hell did this letter arrive now? There was no way she could hide her resentment.

“Where is Sir Dahan?”

“He is at my house.”

“He’s got a good fortune.”

“I don’t think it’s something to say to an injured person.”

Berthas said, laughing at the defiantly speaking Meryl.

“A maid that intrudes on a conversation. Isn’t that right, Isilis?”

“…Step back.”

Meryl, who hadn’t even flinched at Berthas’ words, stepped back at Isilis’s words.

“You have a loyal maid.”

“That is enough jokes.”

“Isilis.”

As she spoke coldly, he called her name. She was being resentful.

Why did he bring the child only now? No, why did he leave her? Isilis was having a hard time without the child. She couldn’t eat well, and she couldn’t grasp the proper situation because the maid was not telling her anything though she seemed to be sleepwalking.

The day she accidentally looked down at her hands and found dirt between her fingernails, she installed a video orb directly in her bedroom. There was a video of her secretly leaving without her maids knowing, and there was also a video of Usman Khalifa bringing her in.

She realized that it wasn’t just once or twice she saw Usman leave the room right after laying her on the bed.

It was a shock.

Her weakened self, her collapsed self, and finally, the self who relied on others came as a great shock.

“Marry me.”

“What?”

“I will dedicate Hillenton to you. If you accept me as Larchen’s consort.”

The words Berthas threw had a great repercussion. Wondering how they knew, the nobles rushed at him.

A cabinet meeting was held, and the previous Empress and the officials gathered together.

Among the ardent nobles, Isilis was distracted. She could not properly perceive that Berthas had appeared with the child, that he had become the regent, that the child had become Hillenton’s Empress, and that he had finally proposed to her.

Her mind seemed to be clouded and she couldn’t think of anything, so she just stared blankly. Isilis couldn’t quite perceive the conversation going on in front of her.

Sensing her condition, the previous Empress stepped forward and cut it off.

“Stop.”

With the previous Empress’ words, everyone’s lips fell shut.

“I understand your opinion, so give Her Majesty some time to think.”

“Your Majesty! This is an opportunity that will never come again.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“….”

Isilis, who had been looking at the nobles with a blank gaze, rose from her seat. She parted her lips with an aloofness as the gazes were following her.

“Because Berthas Hillenton is also the Princess’ father, I will think positively.”

“What? That means…”

“So everyone, step back.”

Her mind was complicated. She had to go and rest.

Isilis walked, struggling to straighten her swaying body. Raising her head, lowering her shoulders, her gaze straight ahead. She didn’t want to think about anything.

Opening the door to the child’s room, she hesitated as she tried to enter the room.

“You’re here?”

It was Berthas.

When she saw him playing next to the child, her mind brightened.

“The meeting was long.”

His words sounded as if he had been waiting, so Isilis went and stood beside him. She saw the child smiling at him, then she looked at Isilis and waved her hand. It was a meaningless action, but it seemed to be an expression of pleasure to her, so her heart was relieved.

She straightened her quivering gaze and picked up the child. Her sweet scent comforted her.

‘Ah… my baby.’

The milk smell from the child.

The child burped with a sound. Surprised, she patted her back, and the child laughed. At the same time, Berthas, who saw the scene, also laughed.

“She just ate.”

“I see.”

Isilis laughed, not taking her eyes off the child. How long has it been? She missed this laugh. This soft cheek, and those ultramarine blue eyes looking at her, and the black hair.

Watching the child, she suddenly felt strange.

“The hair…”

“Her red hair is growing.”

“Did she manifest her powers?”

She felt a strange aura by the child. It was magic. She hadn’t felt it properly because she was distracted earlier, but it was certainly magic.

“My child, finally!”

“This is our child.”

Correcting Isilis’ words, Berthas stepped closer. Looking at her child, she spoke again.

“If she had manifested her magic, she would have had a hard time…”

How could this little child have gone through that hard time? It was already in the past, but she was worried. In order to carefully check the body for any abnormalities, she gently sent her magic to the child. Fortunately, the child’s magic was flowing smoothly.

“Allure and the wizards of Hillenton have suffered.”

“Did Allure calm her magic?”

“Because of that, my way to you was delayed.”

The Imperial Family of Larchen was born with powerful magical powers. It would have taken a while for ordinary wizards to calm down the magic.

She asked again, turning her gaze to Berthas.

“How did Allure get there?”

“Shall I tell you?”

Isilis set the child back on the crib, avoiding Berthas’s whispering face that was pressing close to her. Before she knew it, the child was sleeping quietly in her arms.

“Don’t avoid me, Isilis.”

She didn’t want to avoid him.

The feeling was different.

She knew in her head that the person in front of her was Berthas Hillenton, but her body wouldn’t move together. It was strange. The person she had been waiting for… she missed him over and over again, but why was the feeling different?

Berthas took Isilis’s hand, who said nothing but hardened. His warmth rushed from her hands, but it couldn’t warm her cold heart.

Isilis said, pulling her hand away from him.

“It’s late, so let’s go to sleep today and talk again tomorrow.”

She could see the look on his face as he tried to say something, but she tried to turn away. She couldn’t stand it any longer. Feeling strange, different from what she thought, she chose to get away from the place.

As soon as she returned to her bedroom, she dismissed all the attendants and collapsed down.

Tired as she closed her eyes, she soon fell asleep.

Late at night. Berthas could not sleep even after seeing the moon hanging in the middle of the sky. Isilis’ subtle attitude kept bothering him.

‘…Am I not welcome?’

Just looking at her, she was a precious person, so he hastened to get to her and even put his child on the Empress’ throne and forsook his subjects in Hillenton for the last time. The Empire he sought to protect abandoned him, so he abandoned the empire as well.

It was a disturbing night with constant thoughts.

After tossing and turning, he finally decided to go out.

Staying at the first-floor accommodation for distinguished guests in the imperial Palace, he jumped right through the window without even opening the door.

Since his room had direct access to the garden, he threaded casually. Getting some fresh air made him feel a little better. While the sound of the wind brushing the trees must have sounded gloomy, Berthas walked on without any thought.

The cool breeze made him feel better.

Suddenly, there were people who caught his eye.

They were the ladies-in-waiting. And in front of them were Isilis and Usman Khalifa… hugging her.

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