CH 22

The three-syllable woman said she didn’t know her last name and that she grew up in an attic at the temple since she was born. She had no blood related family, but there were people she considered family.

‘Well, those noble jackasses have lots of fun with their lower halves, so it’s not surprising if there’s one that lost its way.’

In particular, the Pilsburg family had strict rules about preserving the imperial bloodline.

And it was their deplorable custom to have lovers without sleeping with their political marriage partner.

Over the course of 500 years of the empire’s history, Pilsburg had produced emperors for as much as 350 years, yet they now had a problem with taking the emperor’s throne once more and it was their biggest problem.

Details might only be known by the members of the household, but for some reason, Pilsburg offspring would die young without leaving any children behind.

‘The only one left in the immediate lineage is that old man who might kick the bucket today or tomorrow.’

The empire had a system wherein the next monarch would be chosen through an election, but if the present emperor wasn’t in the grave condition that he was now, the eldest son would have implicitly been elected nonetheless.

Although it’s a measure to minimize the inconvenience of changing hands when it came to the imperial throne, the Pilsburg remained to be in the position of siring the next emperors.

In any case, the Pilsburg household was a family that would have continued to reign for a much longer time without its lineage being cut off. However, all that was left from the direct lineage, which the goddess Isis had blessed, was that old man.

‘Well, even an old man like him seemed to be trying hard enough in his own right.’

All the things that were said to be ‘good for vitality’ like oysters and snake liquor continuously were rumored to be going into the Pilsburg palace. Of course, even essential oils, energy supplements and incense were also included.

It didn’t matter if the sired heir was going to be of pure blood. After all, they had painstakingly tried to restore the imperial family’s power for the longest time by keeping the lineage potent, but there had been no results with that.

‘If there’s a lot of that blood in this woman’s body…’

Whoa. This woman didn’t just win some mere lottery. If the Pilsburg blood was deeply mixed with hers, then she’d be able to take over the wealth of the imperial family, which had been accumulating for 350 years, if only she could prove her identity.

“Noona, will you be friends with Kiel? Can you please pat my head more?”

“Should I?”

Kiel was a reaper who learned long ago that ‘there’s no need to go all out for a better return in investment’.

Whether or not the blood that flowed in her veins were close to the immediate bloodline or not, it could only be ascertained with treasure that belonged to the Pilsburg successor.

‘We have plenty of time to get chummy. I can play the right part.’

No matter how potent or diluted, the bloodline was the same bloodline. Kiel lay down on Isabelle’s lap and acted cute. And with that lethal move, Isabelle couldn’t resist—she kissed those chubby cheeks.

But at that moment.

“……!”

Isabelle felt an ominous energy quickly approaching. This was exactly how the damp air felt like in the swamp where many people had drowned.

Kiel also felt this and looked towards the entrance of the library. There stood Ephelix Cardiago whose expression was as dark as it could be.

“Riggs!”

“…Isabelle. What did you do just now?”

“Huh? When I kissed Kiel?”

F*ck. Kiel gulped audibly.

“Hyung, good afternoon. Have you eaten? Eyy, let’s relax a bit there. Noona said that if you keep glaring at someone as if you’d kill them, you’ll get wrinkles later on that won’t look very pretty.”

Riggs’ eyes were trained on Kiel as the latter tried to escape the situation, shutting him up with one look.

Isabelle’s lips had never touched Riggs’ body yet. How dare this bastard do it first?

‘This damn reaper towards my wife? While acting like a kid?’

Riggs was disgusted. He wanted to terminate his contract with the reapers right then and there and throw them back to the underworld. However.

“Riggs, perhaps… You don’t like children?”

“Huh?”

Isabelle patted Kiel and gave him a kitten-like tearful look. And in a fraction of a second, Cardiego’s excellent brain processes began to undergo a quick deduction faster than the speed of light.

Children. She asked if he liked children. The one who asked was none other than the fiancée of Duke Cardiego. If he answered here that he didn’t like kids that much…

‘…That can’t happen.’

There was no telling. The two-year contract that Isabelle proposed suddenly came to mind. But after that, Isabelle might wonder what her husband would think about her having his children, and she’d think back at this moment.

“How can you not know that your childhood friend right here’s crazy about children?”

Riggs smiled radiantly. He took Kiel away from her arms, hugged him and stroked his head. Isabelle’s face instantly brightened up as though many lights had flickered on.

Kiel’s expression became distorted, but Riggs couldn’t care less about Kiel’s feelings.

“This is Kiel, my reaper. Unlike how he looks, he’s lived over 200 years. Even Bill, the butler, also talks respectfully towards him.”

“Ah, so you’re a reaper. No wonder you look like a child but act mature.”

“He’s an adult inside. If I imbue him with more shadow energy, he’ll grow and take on the appearance of an adult. But I’m refraining from doing that because this much is enough.”

So don’t kiss or stroke him. 

If you want to kiss, stroke or hold someone, your husband’s right here.

“Come to think of it, Isabelle, you’ve liked kids for a long time now, right?”

“Yes. If I see babies, I’d want to hug them or kiss them.”

“…Do you want to have kids, too?”

“Someday I guess?”

Facing Isabelle with a shy smile, Riggs chucked Kiel to the side and almost wrapped his arms around Isabelle’s waist.

She really didn’t know. She didn’t know what he was like, so she was smiling while saying this. Riggs smiled like a harmless deer and kept his inner feelings to himself.

“Then, won’t I be the father since I’m your husband?”

“I’m not sure. If there’ll be one that’s adopted, it’s not like you wouldn’t know…”

Riggs tilted his head to the side as if he couldn’t understand what she was saying at all, biting the inside of his cheek. He wanted to catch the bastard who spread the rumor about his lower body and make that person pay.

All he wanted at this moment was to embrace her slender waist and show her that those rumors weren’t true, but he was afraid that Isabelle wouldn’t like it. Even if it was just a little bit, he didn’t want to be hated by her.

‘I’ll have to be a bit more patient.’

It was clear that Isabelle didn’t even see him as a man yet. She wouldn’t even think of hiding her R-rated novels that she’d just leave scattered across the floor.

If she were to have another man’s child, he might just go crazy. But if it was half his blood flowing in that child instead, his reticent expression just might disappear.

Riggs once again wore the mask of an innocent baby deer. Then, with a tone that was full of disappointment, he spoke.

“From back then when we were only playing house and until now, I have the role of your husband. I’m not the kind of husband who would beat you or the kind of husband you’d chase out of the house because I couldn’t make money…”

“Okay, okay. I’ll have a child with you, too. Happy?”

“Really?”

Watching his master smile sincerely as Isabelle said that she’d make babies with him with a nonchalant tone as though the babies they’d be making would be made out of clay, Kiel inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘Even if you’re crazy, this is just beyond madness. I already knew that she had more power than me because she’s a three-syllable woman, but I’m reminded of it yet again…’

Kiel had a hunch that crazy things would continue to happen in the future.

* * *

Riggs asked Kiel to escort Isabelle, so he was left alone in the library. When Isabelle’s bright smile had disappeared from the room, the glow inside the library felt insignificant to him.

He came here because of Isabelle, but also because he felt a strong divine power. Kiel must have come here earlier for the same reason.

Looking for the cause, Riggs found the goddess’ scriptures that Isabelle probably left behind. The scriptures must have reacted to her touch.

Riggs opened the scripture. What caught his eye was the myth of the goddess Isis, which was a subject he learned in his social studies class.

The myth recounted that the goddess, who created everything, loved humans and wanted to be on their side completely, so she had divided her power and lent it to humans.

The ancestor of Cardiego received the power of the death and became a family that had an influence over the underworld. On the other hand, the ancestor of the celestial Raizelin received the power of foresight.

‘And lastly, the Pilsburg ancestor got the power of elemental magic over the four attributes, but that power is asleep.’

It was a myth that was no better than any other fairytale. Riggs closed the scriptures. Right now, he was interested only in Isabelle’s safety.

“Goddess Isis. If you don’t show up now, I’ll crush these scriptures.”

Riggs had no faith in the goddess at all, but the reason why he hadn’t treated the goddess worse until now was because she was the goddess that Isabelle believed in.

Condensing shadow energy into his hand, he showed that his threat was sincere. At that, an angry voice could be heard.

「 Faithless head of Cardiago. Your sacrilegious behavior is making me lose my temper, so I— Wait! Put down those scriptures and just talk! 」

Riggs put down the scriptures without any qualms. He wondered if she really would, but he didn’t expect that Goddess Isis would actually answer. Now that it was like this, the situation might be worse than he thought.

“What happened just now was in response to Isabelle, right?”

「 Oh my. It seems like everyone knows except for Isabelle. Just as you said, I am a goddess who now exists only for that child. 」

His forehead became deeply wrinkled.

“…Then Isabelle has the blood of Pilsburg in her veins?”

「 Yes. She is the last of the direct lineage. 」

The direct lineage. At that moment, Riggs’ heart seemed to drop to the ground, but he gulped down his agitation and asked calmly.

“Do you know that your blessing is a curse to the women of Pilsburg?”

「 …I am aware. It’s been like that until now. But I want you to know that I’m completely on Isabelle’s side. 」

Riggs looked as though he was doubting what she said. Isis, the benevolent goddess that she was, got offended by his attitude.

「 You, head of Cardiago, always imagine many impure thoughts about my Isabelle every night. 」

“……!”

「 Just know that my body or myself as a goddess has not lost the power of clairvoyance. Anyway, I have something I can show you to prove that I’m on Isabelle’s side. 」

Blue butterflies suddenly appeared before Riggs, who was trying to calm down his heated cheeks. Then, the scenes of a prayer ritual of the goddess could be seen.

There, many people wearing the Pilsburg Empire’s clothing were holding each other’s hands while praying.

「 Dear Goddess. The Lord had informed us that there is one person from the direct Pilsburg lineage who remains… 」

「 We must complete the duty of returning the imperial family’s blessing once more… 」

The goddess listened to the prayers of her devotees, and it was also possible to show this to others. Riggs realized that what was being shown to him right now was a scene that was happening at the same time. At this, he grimaced.

「 My Isabelle will soon be attacked. Perhaps before or after your wedding. As that child’s goddess, I am asking you to prepare to defend her. 」

“……”

「 Towards that child whose scent resembles ripe purple grapes, I want you to know that I sincerely want to protect Isabelle. 」

Riggs, who was listening until then, narrowed his eyes and glared at the butterflies fluttering in the air. It was the most ferocious glare that anyone would ever see.

In a low voice, he growled.

“It’s not a ripe purple grape scent, but a ripe green grape scent.”

「 …Are you really going to argue with me for that with such a serious expression? 」

“Green grapes.”

「 …… 」

She was at a loss for words. Isis couldn’t seem to get through to him at all.

t/n: hello hello~ this is yonnee, the new translator for this novel~ thank you so so so much to Hikaru for letting me continue this novel because i just couldn’t get enough of the interactions between isabelle and riggs <3

no regular schedule yet because i still have a ton of papers to write before the semester ends, but i’ll be sure to post one chapter a week~