Translator: Aura

/ Editor: SaWarren

The princess waved her little hands as she went, “bubu, bubu.”

Sovieshu smiled broadly and pressed the baby’s cheeks with his fingers.

“My baby. Who’s daddy? Who’s daddy?”

“Bubu!”

“Who is daddy?”

“Abubu!”

Viscountess Verdi stared at Sovieshu. The Emperor was evidently an affectionate father. Even in this situation, he frequently visited the princess to take care of her.

Not as attentive as in the past, when he used to take her to his office, but much more so than an ordinary emperor.

In Viscountess Verdi’s eyes, the Emperor and the Princess were like a glass cup just before it broke.

At times, Sovieshu would hold the baby in his arms and pat her on the back with a somber expression. At other times, tears welled up in his eyes even though he had a smile.

The baby’s laughter brought Viscountess Verdi out of her thoughts. Just then, Sovieshu burst into tears as he held the baby.

Viscountess Verdi looked away and hurriedly left. Sovieshu sobbed in silence for a while, tears spilling down his cheeks and his broad shoulders shaking.

The baby didn’t know what was going on, so she just looked around the room with wide open eyes. She was full of curiosity about the world, and everything seemed fun to her.

Eventually, Sovieshu raised his head to examine the baby. Today he also tried to find the resemblance he had to the princess, as he had done lately.

Again, there was no resemblance.

Sovieshu reached out and carefully fixed the baby’s soft hair, which had become tousled.

“My baby. Princess.”

“Bubu…”

“Princess.”

After Sovieshu affectionately called the baby a few times, he carefully placed her in the splendid cradle.

As he began to rock the cradle gently, the princess’s eyes slowly closed.

She was a very sweet baby, not even her personality resembled his. Sovieshu’s gaze darkened, he removed his hand from the cradle and walked away.

Sovieshu always wondered if the princess had his blood, though he feared to know the answer. It would have been a humiliation for the emperor to take the initiative to do the paternity test.

Fortunately, that foolish young nobleman named Alan, created this situation with his own hands.

The paternity test, which he wanted to do but could not, had been raised by the people.

In this scenario, Sovieshu only had to say that he was forced to take the paternity test ‘for the sake of the princess and the empress’.

If it turned out to be true that the princess was not his daughter, he might be seen as a lovesick fool in the Eastern Empire, but he thought that more people would sympathize with him.

However…

He wanted to believe in Rashta one last time.

Sovieshu watched the baby sleep peacefully, then shook his head and left his room.

Not in the current Rashta, but in the Rashta he had wanted to protect.

He didn’t know what had made her change like that, but the Rashta of before definitely had no contact with other men.

Unless he had misjudged her, Glorym would be his daughter.

Definitely.

Definitely.

Definitely.

***

When I opened the lid of the box dented in one corner, I saw a light blue jewel. Inside it shone a fairy-like white color.

I sighed unconsciously.

Legend has it that this jewel, called the ‘fairy tear’, came from a fairy who lost her husband and fell into an eternal sleep.

It was very, very precious.

There are many precious jewels, but few with a story as mysterious as this behind it.

The jewel was sent by Sovieshu. My ex-husband.

What was the point? Now that I remember, I asked him for this jewel for my birthday a few years ago. Sovieshu agreed at first, but then changed his mind.

‘I’ll give it to you when we have our first child.’

Did he remember that promise? An unknown emotion welled up inside me, I clenched my fist and put the jewel back in the box.

He had not accepted that I was happy at Heinley’s side. Why did he send this? Why did he send a jewel that reminds me of our happy days?

Also, this precious object was not sent as an official gift, but as a personal gift.

It would have been better if he had sent it through the delegation, along with the other gifts that I had not yet seen.

After I closed the box, I finally called Evely to return it to him.

“Can you return this to Emperor Sovieshu?”

However, Evely quickly shook her head and said quietly,

“Ah… I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But… it puts me on the spot.”

“I can’t keep it. It’s a gift from my ex-husband.”

“His Majesty Sovieshu ordered me to give it to you. If I were to return it to him…”

Evely spoke in a weak voice with her hands clasped tightly. Only after I heard those words did I understand the awkward position Evely was in.

Being the Empress of the Western Empire, I did not mind returning my ex-husband’s gift. However, Evely was still a citizen of the Eastern Empire.

In the end, I had no choice but to let her leave. Then I placed the box on a small table as I reflected.

Sovieshu had secretly given it to me through Evely.

If I gave it to someone from the Eastern Empire delegation… even if I specified that it was to be ‘returned’ to the Emperor, it would look like a gift from me to Sovieshu.

The only alternative was to return it secretly with someone from the Western Empire. For that, I would have to get someone who completely believed in me to the point where that person wouldn’t even consider it strange that I secretly sent something to Sovieshu.

Was there a person who would fulfill that and want to go to the Eastern Empire to meet Sovieshu?

Should I talk to Heinley first? But wouldn’t he be offended?

Every time he heard me speak well of Sovieshu, he was saddened.

If I told him that Sovieshu sent me a very precious gift, wouldn’t he feel sad and worried?

Still, I had to tell him. But I must do it in the right words and at the appropriate time.

While I was deep in thought. Unexpectedly, Grand Duke Kapmen came to visit me and asked me a strange question.

“Your Majesty, are you close to Miss Evely of the Eastern Empire?”