Chapter 86
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n‘I didn’t know that Kaizen would be interested in that illegitimate child.’
nObviously, Kaizen fell in love with Astelle. So I think Kaizen will treat the child like a thorn in his eye, and won’t care if he’s missing or not.
nThe Duke received a report that when the Marquis and the child had left for the East first, Kaizen didn’t respond at all.
nWhen the Duke heard this, he thought Kaizen was trying to leave Astelle’s child in the eastern countryside.
n‘Did he try to take the child to threaten Astelle because she rejected his proposal?’
nI wondered if Kaizen was looking for the child for the same purpose as me.
n‘I can’t go against Kaizen’s feelings right now.’
nNow it was a very important situation for Astelle to become Empress again.
nIt was unwise to go against Kaizen’s intentions in such a situation.
n‘What should I do with the child?’
nHe got up from his seat and headed to his bedroom.
n“I’m going to take a rest, so don’t disturb me.”
nHe gave orders to the butler who followed him to the bedroom.
nThe Duke’s bedroom was as splendid as the Emperor’s bedroom in the imperial palace.
nHe walked to the wall next to the bed.
nThe light blue wall was decorated with white jade and elegant lily bushes.
nThe duke pressed the white petals overlapped under the bushes with his hand.
nA crack appeared in the solid wall and a hidden door appeared.
nThe Duke had long taught his successor, Fritz, about the family affairs, but did not tell him everything.
nIncluding this secret passage was not disclosed to his son.
nHe told him all the other secret passages, but this one was the exception.
nThe Duke entered the door and went down the steep stairs.
nHe went down the stairs for a long time and passed through the dark passage and saw a door in the stone wall.
nThis was a secret room that he did not tell anyone except one of his most trusted men.
nWhen he knocked on the door, the man who had been waiting inside came out.
n“Duke.”
n“Did you bring the child?”
nHe received a report that the child had arrived a moment ago.
n“Yes, the Young Master is here, but……”
nWith a shocked face, the man paused for a moment.
n“Why? Is there something wrong with him?”
nThe duke was worried that the child might be injured or sick.
nIt didn’t matter whether that illegitimate child died or not, but it would be a problem if he died now, since Kaizen was looking for him.
nAfter hesitating for a while, the man said,
n“Duke, you must see the Young Master right now.”
n***
nTheor was locked up in a narrow, dark room.
nNo matter how much he looked around, he had nowhere to go.
nThere was one small wooden door, but it was closed tightly.
nTheor came to this strange place after riding for a long time in a carriage with strange men.
nHe didn’t know where he was. He only remembered seeing a huge building.
nAs soon as he got off the carriage, Theor was led by the men into an underground passage.
nAnd he was locked up in this little room.
n‘Where is this place? Is this room also underground?’
nThere is no window here, so he doesn’t know if it is night or day.
nThe man who brought Theor here kindly asked him to wait here.
n“Young master, please wait here for a moment. The Duke will be here soon.”
nTheor didn’t know who ‘the Duke’ he was talking about was.
nHe pondered for a moment to see if he had ever met someone with that name.
nHowever, there was no one with the name ‘the Duke’ in Theor’s memories.
nA stranger left Theor here, saying he would bring another stranger.
nIt was scary enough, but Theor wasn’t too scared.
nWhen he first found out he had been kidnapped, he was terrified.
nHe trembled in fear and wept.
nHowever, the strange men who kidnapped Theor took great care of him all the way here.
nTheor also regained some stability in their kind and friendly attitude.
nTheor raised his hand and touched the corner of his eye.
nWhen his red eyes became known to others, he thought something great was about to happen.
n‘Mom said red eyes are so precious that I’ll be in trouble if other people find out.’
nHowever, the strangers who were with Theor did not try to harm him even when they saw his red eyes.
nRather, the stranger who handed Theor a biscuit was very careful with him after seeing his red eyes.
nEvery time he got off the carriage for a while in the middle of the trip, they took him to lodgings, asked if he was uncomfortable, and even brought him delicious food to eat.
nTheor knew that the sudden change in the men’s attitude was because of his eyes.
nBecause the other man who had been bothering Theor also became surprisingly kind after seeing his red eyes.
nTheor was young, but he was aware of the situation.
nHe was kidnapped.
nNo matter how kind the men were, they were just kidnappers.
n‘I have to run away.’
nI don’t know where to go, but…… Still, I have to run away first.
nTheor looked around the room as soon as the man went out, looking for a way out.
nBut there was no place to go.
nThe door was tightly closed and there was no window.
nThere was a bell on the wall to call people.
nThere was such a bell in Theor’s house.
nTheor tried to touch the bell, but it was too high to reach.
nWhen Theor was looking around the square room and checking the walls for cracks, the door opened with a click.
nThe man who brought Theor came inside.
nBehind the man stood a stranger.
nHe was a man with light blond hair, who looked much older than the Emperor, Lyndon, and Vellian.
nThe man was skinny and had a monocle in one of his eyes.
nThat person seems to be of high rank.
nTheor thought so as he looked at the man.
nWhen he was at home, he didn’t know that people wore different clothes depending on his status.
nWhen he met the Emperor and traveled with him from place to place, Theor learned that the high nobles wore splendid and fancy clothes.
nCount Vellian always wore nice clothes, and so did the knight commander, Lyndon.
nThe man in front of him now was wearing much better clothes than Vellian or Lyndon.
nHe walked up to Theor with an astonished expression.
n“Is he Astelle’s son?”
n“Yes, Duke.”
nAstelle was his mother’s name.
n‘Does this uncle know my mother?’
nThe white-blond man looked down at Theor, then suddenly grabbed Theor’s neck and pulled him closer.
n“Ah!”
nTheor struggled in pain.
nThe white-blond man angrily pulled Theor’s body towards him.
n“Stay still!”
nHis body was lifted into the air and he was having trouble breathing due to the firm grip on his neck.
n“Open your eyes.”
nHe barely opened his eyes.
nHe could see the man’s face close enough to hear his breath.
n“Huh……”
nHe looked into Theor’s eyes for a long time and smirked.
nThe moment the man let go of Theor’s neck, he fell to the hard floor.
nThe man’s satisfied laugh sounded above Theor’s head.
n“Well…… There is no way my daughter will have an illegitimate child.”
nTheor couldn’t understand what he was talking about.
nAt that moment, the bell rang.
nThe white-blond man muttered as he looked at the bell.
n“Why is the butler looking for me?”
nHe ordered the man who had brought Theor.
n“Leave him here for a while. I will be back.”
n***
nLyndon was guided by the butler into the Duke’s drawing-room.
nHis subordinates, who were waiting for his orders, occupied all the way from the main gate of the mansion to the drawinh-room.
nThey were encircling the Duke’s mansion in order to find Theor who had disappeared.
nIt was his duty to find Theor and bring him back to Princess Astell.
nLyndon felt sorry for Astelle.
nDuring the tour, Lyndon was fascinated by Astelle’s dignified and neat appearance.
nAstelle was an elegant and wise lady.
nEven His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be drawn to her again.
n‘Young Master Theor is Princess Astelle’s son.’
nLyndon was also shocked to hear about it.
nIt was unimaginable for him.
nBut he soon developed sympathy for Astelle.
nThe poor princess had lost everything and struggled to raise her child alone.
nThat sad reality aroused pity rather than contempt.
nBesides, seeing Theor’s existence being ridiculed by people now makes Astelle look even more pitiful.
nHe wanted to quickly find Theor and return him to Astelle’s arms.
n“Oh, it is you.”
nLyndon met Astelle’s father, the Duke of Reston in the drawing-room.
nLyndon also hated this middle-aged great aristocrat.
nThe Duke smiled gladly to see him and asked,
n“What did you come to my mansion for?”
n“I’m here to pick up Young Master Theor.”
n“Who?”
nThe Duke had a puzzled expression on his face as if he was hearing the name for the first time.
nBut Lyndon was not deceived by him.
n“I know it was the Duke’s work. There is also evidence.”
n“I didn’t know there were so many people interested in me.”
nLyndon stepped closer to him and gave him a threatening look.
n“Kidnapping is a felony.”
nThe duke answered slowly,
n“Are you saying it was wrong for a grandfather to bring his only grandson?”
n“Even though you’re his grandfather, attacking his guardian and taking him away is kidnapping.”
nLyndon continued, “His Majesty the Emperor has ordered you to return Young Master Theor. Where is he now?”
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