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n“A condition?”

nKaizen blinked a few times, not believing what he had just heard.

n“I can give you anything you want. You don’t have to put any conditions on it.”

nCan you give me anything I want?

nIt was amazing to be able to say such a thing even at a moment like this.

nThere was only one thing Astelle wanted.

nTo leave the capital and return to the East with Theor.

nBut Kaizen didn’t do the one thing she so desperately wanted.

n“Let’s have a contract marriage. If you are willing to sign the contract, I will set the terms and conditions of the contract clearly.”

nAstelle spoke calmly but clearly.

nKaizen clenched his fist at Astelle’s words.

nHe looked at her cold expression for a moment before he asked, “Okay. What is the condition?”

nAstelle took a deep breath, then she looked him straight in the eye and said, “Before that, I have something to tell you. It’s about Theor.”

n“I’ll bring Theo safely, so don’t worry too much.”

nKaizen replied before he even heard the explanation.

nHe knew how much Astelle loved Theor.

nEven though he is not his son, Kaizen intends to raise Theor as his own.

nHowever, what Astelle was trying to say was not what Kaizen thought.

n“Theor is Your Majesty’s son.”

nAt her words, Kaizen opened his eyes wide.

n“What?”

nKaizen couldn’t easily understand what he just heard.

nNo, he did not understand what he just heard.

n“What did you just say? Theor is my son?”

nIn fact, she never wanted to tell him.

nBut for Theor, Astelle could do anything.

n“Yes, that’s right, Your Majesty.”

n“But how……!”

nKaizen was so confused that he could not speak for a moment.

nActually, Kaizen had also thought that Theor might be his son.

nWhen he found out that Theor was Astelle’s child, the first thing that came to his mind was the memory of the first night of their marriage.

nThe memory of the first night of newlyweds when he formally slept with Astelle.

nThat night Kaizen took the contraceptive pill.

nBut he was told that the contraceptive pills sometimes fail.

nCould it be that the child was born at that time?

nFor a while, he had such hope.

nHe wished Theor was his son.

nEvery time he imagined that Astelle was pregnant with another man’s child, it made his blood boil upside down.

nHowever, Theor’s clear blue eyes were conclusive evidence that he was not his son.

nKaizen has been feeling endless pain and anger over the past few days.

nBut now, it turns out that Theor is his son.

n“I happened to meet a good pharmacist and got a prescription for a potion that changes eye color. I change the color of his eyes every day with that potion.”

nAstelle continued to explain while looking at the confused Kaizen.

n“A potion?”

nA potion that changes eye color.

nKaizen had never heard of it.

nSuddenly, something flashed through his mind.

nThe day he took Theor to the hunting lodge in the woods.

nAstelle had run through the rain to the hunting lodge at sunset.

nAt that time, he had been worried about whether Theor had an illness.

n“Was it because of that potion that you rushed to the hunting lodge from Maern Castle?”

nKaizen felt as if a fireball was rising in his chest when he saw Astelle standing calmly.

n“Why did you hide it?”

nKaizen managed to endure the rising anger and approached Astelle.

n“Why didn’t you tell me until now!”

nIt was understandable that Astelle hid Theor’s birth and said that he was her nephew, because he was an illegitimate child.

nShe wouldn’t have been able to reveal that she gave birth to an illegitimate child.

nBut if Theor is his son, Theor is a Prince.

nHe raised the prince as the son of a dead knight.

nKaizen gritted his teeth.

n“If you had a child, you should have told me! I have rights as a father!”

nKaizen was furious.

nThat she deceived him.

nHe was also furious with himself for letting her go that way without knowing anything about her.

nAstelle, who was hit by his anger, raised her head.

nLight green eyes looked up at him.

n“What would you have done if you had known then that I was pregnant?”

nMemories of six years ago came to mind.

nThe day he ascended to the throne at the young age of twenty.

nAt that time, he was in a civil war with the great nobles.

nHe killed countless people, and he was at risk of countless assassinations.

nWhat would he have done if he had found out that Astelle was pregnant during that bloody and cruel period?

nKaizen knew the answer to that question.

nHad he known Astelle was pregnant, he would have tried to get rid of the child.

nIf it was hard to get rid of the child, he might have tried to kill Astelle.

nAstelle said, “My father must have noticed Theor’s eyes and knew his identity.”

nHearing that, Kaizen immediately turned around and opened the door.

nHe couldn’t accept the current situation, but now there was something important.

n“What is Lyndon doing? Send someone to the Duke! Tell Lyndon to bring Theor here. Right Now!”

nKaizen closed the door and entered the drawing-room where Astelle was again.

nAstelle was still looking at him.

n“So you meant you’d marry me because of Theor, huh?”

nIt was ridiculous that he was happy for a while to hear that she accepted his proposal.

n“Don’t you know that I can only take Theor and punish you?”

nKaizen couldn’t calm himself down, so he spoke coldly.

nBut when he spoke like that, his heart ached.

n“If you want it, just do it.”

nAstelle replied calmly without any hesitation.

n“Haha……”

nKaizen laughed helplessly.

nHe was free to punish Astelle at will.

nShe might even be imprisoned for hiding a prince.

nIf it was a few months ago before he met her again, he would definitely have punished her.

nBut Kaizen himself knew better that he couldn’t do that now.

n“So, what is that condition?”

nKaizen gritted his teeth and asked.

n“Please appoint my brother as the Lord of the West.”

n“The position has been inherited from the Duke of Reston from generation to generation.”

nThe empire ruled the entire continent.

nIn the old days when the emperor’s authority was weak because the territory was too wide, the emperor’s authority did not work in areas far from the capital.

nIn order to effectively rule the empire, the old emperors divided the land into north, south, east, and west except for the central part where the capital is located.

nIn addition, the authority to manage the area was delegated to the nobleman with the largest territory in each area.

nAs the times changed and the emperor’s power became stronger, the families that were the Lords of the North, South, and East walked the path of destruction one after another.

nHowever, the Reston family still held the title.

nAlthough the current Duke of Reston lost his post as prime minister, he was still the Lord of the West.

n“I am not asking for it forever. Please let Fritz hold the position for three years, no, two years.”

nKaizen noticed why Astelle asked him to give the position to Fritz.

n“If my brother receives the title, there will be no difficulty for him to succeed the Duke in the future.”

n“Is that even possible? The Duke won’t back down so easily.”

nIn fact, Kaizen could get rid of the Duke if he wanted to.

nIf he investigated the attempted assassination, the Duke would be a traitor.

nBut he didn’t or else Astelle would be the daughter of a traitor.

nMoreover, if the Duke dies as a traitor, Theor will become the prince of a descendant of a traitorous family.

nSuch a disgraceful mark will follow him like a label for the rest of his life, even if he becomes emperor.

n“Don’t worry. I will convince him.”

nAstelle had the confidence to convince her father.

nTo be more precise, she will intimidate him, not convince him.

nThe best intimidation is about the attempted assassination masterminded by the Duke.

nBut Astelle can never use that card.

nIf that happens, it will be fatal to her and Theor as well.

nBut Astelle had another way.

nHow to threaten his father to hand over the title to her brother, Fritz.

n“……okay. I accept that condition. Do as you please.”

nAs long as the Reston family could be defended and only the Duke of Reston quietly retreated, it would be an advantage for Kaizen as well.

nAstelle looked at him for a moment and said,

n“……and there is one more condition. I would like to set the contract period to be five years. After that, if I ask for a divorce, please accept it any time.”

nKaizen, whose mouth was slightly open, looked at her in disbelief.

nHe looked like he never imagined that such words would be spoken by Astelle.

n“Theor is my son, he will be the Crown Prince.”

nKaizen’s voice trembled with anger.

n“Still, you’re going to get a divorce?”

n“Yes, I want you to promise that you will divorce me at any time.”

nIn order to protect Theor’s position, Astelle had to maintain the position of empress in the imperial palace.

nStill, Astelle wanted to hold the last key to finding freedom.

nShe would be able to endure the life of the imperial palace only if she had the key in her hand to untie the shackle.

nBut Kaizen did not understand her heart.

nInstantly, sparks lit up in his red eyes.

nKaizen was more furious than when he heard about Theor’s birth.

nAstelle intends to live as an empress for several years and leave after establishing Theor’s position.

n“What are you going to do if I don’t promise you?”

nLight green eyes of unknown depth looked at him again.

n“If you do not comply with the conditions, I will refuse the marriage proposal.”

n“Are you going to leave Theor in the imperial palace?”

nKaizen thought Astelle couldn’t do that.

nBut Astelle answered firmly,

n“If you don’t comply with my conditions, it can’t be helped.”

nKaizen clenched his fists tightly.

nHer attitude that pushed him away made him suffocate.

nBut all of this was caused by himself.

nIt would not have happened if he hadn’t abandoned Astelle six years ago.

nHe knew it was all his own fault.

nHowever, Kaizen did not want to let Astelle go.

nAstelle might give up on the two of them and leave, but Kaizen couldn’t give up on Astelle.

nHe closed his eyes tightly.

n“……okay. I promise.”

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