How to Hide the Emperor's Child - Chapter 16

Vellian came down the stairs and found Astelle standing at the end of the corridor.

Astelle was having a conversation with the emperor’s servant.

Since it was far away, he could only see the side view, but her calm and elegant face was pale.

Vellian approached her in surprise.

“Lady Astelle?”

As he approached to see what had happened, Astelle turned back one breath late.

Astelle smiled calmly at Vellian.

“Oh, Count. Nice to meet you again.”

The face looking back slowly wasn’t different from usual.

It wasn’t pale at all.

‘Did I see it wrong?’

As he turned to the servant, the middle-aged servant quickly explained the situation.

“His Majesty took Young Master Theor to the hunting lodge, and I was talking about it to Lady Astelle now.”

“What?”

‘The child? Why?’

The hunting lodge was a remote place in the middle of the forest.

The forest was so wide that the hunting lodge was built in case the emperor couldn’t return to the castle during hunting.

Even if he thought about it roughly, it wasn’t a good place to go with a child.

Besides, Kaizen wasn’t particularly fond of children.

‘Why did you do such a weird thing all of a sudden?’

Vellian, feeling the doubt, looked at Astelle standing quietly and found the answer.

‘No way, was it because of her?’

Astelle, standing silent, asked Vellian, “Count, how long does the hunting lodge take from here?”

“If you go on horseback as soon as possible, you will get there in an hour.”

One hour.

If I leave right now, can I be on time?

Even if he left as quickly as possible, the effect of the potion would soon wear off.

The tip of her fingers trembled.

Astelle hid her trembling fingers under the hem of her long sleeves and turned her gaze back to Vellian.

You should never show concern in front of this man.

Astelle did not show a tense appearance and tried hard to maintain a calm expression.

Don’t be panic.

I’m not sure what will happen yet.

“As I said before, the child got sick of the flu some time ago……”

Astelle spoke calmly with an unshakeable smile.

“He should take medicine on time.”

“Oh yeah, you said it before.”

When young children are ill, they sometimes continue to take physical supplements or nutritional supplements for a month to two months.

“I’m not in a hurry, but can I come to the hunting lodge and give him some medicine?”

Vellian looked at Astelle with a little surprise.

In this weather, it can rain at any moment.

In this situation, she wanted to go to the hunting lodge and give the child some medicine.

Vellian thought that even a birth mother wouldn’t go this far.

Or is it because she can’t believe His Majesty the Emperor?

Are you afraid the child will get hurt?

Although Kaizen was a competent emperor who ruled the empire well, of course, he was not a man who could take care of a child.

He didn’t even like children.

Still, there must be knights and servants in the hunting lodge.

‘Well, I have no reason to refuse.’

Vellian wanted to maintain a good relationship with this dignified former empress.

To him, the emperor seemed to be interested in her.

“Sure. Because the rain has just stopped. Let’s go to the hunting lodge at this time. Prepare a carriage right now—”

“No, I would like to ride a horse after a long time rather than a carriage.”

Astelle intercepted Vellian, who was trying to order the servant to prepare a carriage.

It wasn’t a particularly strange request, but Vellian felt a little weird.

He had not known the former empress for a long time, but as far as he had observed, Astelle was not one to want to ride a horse in this situation.

Why are you doing this all of a sudden?

Do you have to go to the child so urgently?

He looked closely at Astelle.

But Astelle’s smiling face did not reveal any suspicious signs.

There was no urgency or an impatient expression on her face at all.

Vellian nodded after a brief silence.

“Yes, Lady.”

***

Heavy rain could be seen outside the window.

It was good until he arrived at the hunting lodge, but as soon as he went inside, heavy rain poured out as if the sky had been opened.

Kaizen and the party had to stay at the hunting lodge as soon as he arrived.

“It’s raining again……”

Theor muttered without energy by the window.

The little child’s small hand left a dry handprint on the white frosted glass.

Kaizen, sitting in the study room and looking out the window, said, “Shall I show you the bear now?”

“Is the bear here?”

As soon as Kaizen said that, Theor approached him with twinkling eyes.

Kaizen smiled and woke up from his seat.

“Sure, there is one here.”

With a feeling of hope, Theor followed Kaizen.

The room in the middle of the hunting lodge was full of various ornaments.

Kaizen took the child in front of a large ornament hanging on the wall.

The wall was decorated with crossbows and hunting guns, there was a bear tall enough to reach the ceiling.

To be precise, a stuffed bear over 2m with thick brown fur and sharp claws.

“Is this a bear……?”

Theor stared at the bear blankly.

The bear stood with its palm as large as a plate.

In its largemouth, sharp fangs could be seen.

The bear that Theor thought was not like this.

A little more fluffy, dongle, and cute smile…… he thought it was like a teddy bear.

Far from being fluffy, it was like a terrifying and threatening beast.

Theor turned his gaze to Kaizen.

“Is this…… a bear?”

“Yes, is this your first time to see a real bear?”

This is a real bear.

It was very different from what he imagined, but Theor approached the bear with caution.

The bear was so big. Even if Theor reached out his hand, his fingertips were barely struck by the bear’s waist.

Theor grabbed the bear’s leg with both hands.

Stiff brown hair touched his hand.

He carefully pushes the bear’s leg, but it did not move.

He pushed again with both hands, but the leg still didn’t move.

The bear stood still like a stone statue with its arms out and its mouth open.

Theor removed his hands from the bear and asked Kaizen again, “Why didn’t the bear move?”

“Of course it didn’t.”

“Why?”

Theor blinked his blue eyes with an innocent face.

Kaizen did not know how his words would affect this child.

So he replied without much thought.

“Because it was dead.”

Theor was astonished and looked up at Kaizen.

With his eyes wide open and his mouth open a little, he solidified like a stone statue.

The child’s blue eyes shook greatly. His little lips trembling.

At this point, Kaizen was also a little bewildered.

Theor asked as he looked up at Kaizen with a look as if the world had collapsed.

The child’s voice was trembling with shock.

“……Bear ……why did its die?”

“……”

Kaizen was a monarch who led the war at the age of 20 and led to victory.

He was also a powerful emperor with dignity who maintained his composure even in front of some of the great nobles.

But when he faced a young child who was shocked and trembling with his tearful face, Kaizen couldn’t have the courage to tell him, ‘I killed the bear’.

“Oh…… oh, yeah, here’s the hunting gun that my grandfather used.”

Embarrassed, Kaizen pointed to a long hunting gun hung behind the bear to turn Theor’s attention.

“It’s an old-fashioned firearms gun. It broke down a long time ago, so I removed the detonator inside and left only the outer shape.”

He never dealt with a child, but maybe this young boy would like a weapon or something.

He explained as hard as he could to get the child to turn his attention.

“I’ll drop it off, so can you touch it. I can’t put a bullet inside anyway, so you can play with it.”

There was nothing dangerous even if the child plays with it, which is only used as decoration.

“……”

But the child didn’t answer.

Even though he pointed at the gun on the wall and explained this and that, Theor vaguely opened his mouth and looked at Kaizen.

Kaizen realized it belatedly.

This little kid does not understand what it means, whether it is a hunting gun or a bullet or anything, and has no desire to know.

That means that.

The child was still in shock, chewing over only one fact.

That this big bear is dead.

Thanks to this, even if Kaizen said he would show him a rare hunting gun, he didn’t show any interest, far from being happy.

He just looked up at him.

The blue eyes that were shaking began to get faintly wet.

Now, the child seemed to cry.