Chapter 167

Proofreader: somnium

Cedric had returned home after three days. That’s how big the impact of this case was.

“What about Tia?”

Taking off his robe and leaving it to Ansgar, Cedric asked, it was something almost habitual.

“She hasn’t slept yet.”

“That’s a relief.”

He would have to leave the capital for a while, so he wanted to talk to her before he went.

A serious situation had arisen, so he had to discuss it with Artizea as well.

First of all, Cadriol was involved.

That day, his eyes were turned over and he couldn’t think. However, looking back, Cadriol withdrew too easily, considering that he had come all the way to the North.

Something must have been negotiated between Artizea and Cadriol that night.

‘Is it the assassination of the queen….?’

Cedric thought bitterly.

Hearing that Artizea was in the study, he headed straight for it. And he knocked on the door.

“It’s me, Tia.”

A voice was heard from inside saying, “Come in.” Cedric opened the door.

Hayley stood nervously, pale face, then trembled at the sound of Cedric coming in.

Cedric looked at her curiously. Hayley bowed politely to Cedric and walked away.

Artizea had a calm face.

Cedric thought he had not seen such a face in a long time. It was the face of the ‘Marchioness of Rosan’.

“You’re back?”

“I was late. I’m sorry.”

“You kept in touch. It’s a natural thing because it has a national significance.”

Cedric walked over to her.

It’s been three days. Unbeknownst to him, he had to stay in the Imperial Palace. He had a longing heart.

However, he felt something in Artizea that he could not readily hold and hug.

“Are you going to have to go out again soon?”

“That’s right. Sir Gayan has sent an envoy. Lawrence has been arrested.”

“Is that so?”

“You are not surprised.”

“So Lord Cedric isn’t surprised that I’m not surprised.”

It was.

Cedric sighed lightly. And he sat at the table, pulled up the remaining cold tea and drank the tea.

“His Majesty must have been very angry?”

“Yes. He is probably as angry as he likes.”

Cedric replied briefly.

Artizea got up from the desk and she came to the seat across from him.

Cedric said.

“There are so many things I want to tell you, but…… , I don’t have much time right now. Instead of Sir Gayan, I took over the Southern Conquest Army.”

Artizea was also surprised by this news.

“Are you going to go all the way down south?”

“I am not. I don’t know the geography of the South at all, and I have no experience in naval warfare. Perhaps the Central Army will pick up generals from the South and hire them.”

“Then, it’s temporary.”

Artizea nodded her head. Artizea didn’t want Cedric to go down south.

There was nothing worse to put his hands on than this. It was not very pleasant to see Cedric and Cadriol meeting again.

It’s best for Cardriol to get a decent win and get out.

But if Cedric intervenes, it becomes a full-fledged war. Then, the whole plan would go awry.

Thinking like that, Artizea felt bitter.

War is at stake. It was only in the capital that counted who held the military power, how much troops were consumed, and how much more supplies were needed, but in the South, where the battlefield would be, this could not be looked that way.

“…… .”

Cedric was also deep in thought. He was thinking about what to say first.

He had no intention of questioning what he had already done. The repercussions of this event are already showing.

There was more than enough to guess what Artizea was aiming for and why she was doing everything by herself.

He just thought they should talk. It doesn’t mean that Artizea has to get his permission, it’s that she shouldn’t be responsible for this alone.

Now, even Cedric had no intention of claiming his right without ever getting his hands dirty.

That said, he had no talent for intrigues and conspiracies, but at the very least he had to know what was being done for him.

She probably started doing this when he didn’t even think of anything at all. It would not have been possible to stop now.

But he was going to ask her to avoid dangerous things for the time being.

At that moment, Cedric’s eyes caught the box containing the marriage certificate and the prenuptial contract.

“Tia.”

“Ah.”

Artizea realized where his gaze had landed and groaned.

Embarrassed, she stood up from her seat. She then organized the prenuptial agreement that had been laid out on the desk and put it in the box.

“What were you talking to Hayley?”

“I was thinking of choosing a nanny.”

Cedric took a deep breath.

It was a sudden answer to a question he had never asked before.

“You have decided…… to give birth?”

“…… Yes.”

Cedric got up from his seat in a feeling of indescribable emotion. Then he approached and hugged Artizea.

At first it was soft, then he squeezed her arms and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you.”

Artizea could feel all the emotions contained in that one word.

So her throat was choked with soaring emotions.

She was grateful. Now, he should have known about her in his own way, but he still loves her.

So she wanted to live up to that feeling.

She was always thinking how great it would be if she was a person who could do that.

Artizea closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

Cedric’s body scent and temperature tried to melt her heart away. Artizea held her breath and pushed him away.

Before her heart softens.

This was a completely separate matter of the gratitude and love she felt.

“I have something to tell you about that.”

“Tia.”

Cedric was slightly embarrassed and let her go.

Artizea’s face, as she raised her head, was quiet and pale.

“I want to amend the prenuptial agreement.”

“Isn’t that already invalid?”

“The two-year contract…… We said that we should pretend it didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean that the contract on inheritance is invalid. The part that was originally supposed to be null and void was not even included in the contract.”

Cedric frowned slightly.

Until now, he had never had that prenuptial contract in mind. It was written in a formal way, as it is mostly used when title holders are married.

Like Artizea, he hardly cared because he did not know that this would turn out to be a real marriage.

And he didn’t think this contract would ever be executed after he proposed to make this a real marriage.

He hadn’t dared to think about it, and it wasn’t all void. The inheritance issue was something that the couple had to discuss and decide.

If the chances of having more children were slim, even more so.

“Tell me.”

Cedric decided to listen.

Artizea said.

“I want this child to inherit Marquisate Rosan.”

“If no more children are born, of course.”

“No. What I mean is that I want to separate the inheritance of Grand Duchy Evron and Marquisate Rosan, as originally intended in this prenuptial agreement.”

“Do you mean that you do not want the child to inherit Grand Duchy Evron? To inherit only Marquisate Rosan?”

“Yes. I may not have any more children…….”

“Tia.”

Artizea had been thinking for the past three days and tried to put forth the excuses she had made. But Cedric didn’t listen to everything and cut it off.

“In conclusion, you want it to be your own child.”

Cedric didn’t raise his voice, and he didn’t show strong emotions. He didn’t even have the pressure to force it.

But there was an indescribably deep and dark emotion in his voice.

So Artizea took a deep breath. It was in order not to be drawn into that feeling.

“Yes. Please. I want to.”

“You can’t.”

Cedric said firmly.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to have children because you are thinking of yourself. But that’s not what it is now, isn’t it?”

“Lord Cedric.”

“Don’t use Marquisate Rosan as an excuse. I am well aware that you are not attaching any meaning to the Rosan name.”

“Lord Cedric.”

“You want to make sure that that child does not become my child, or, technically, that your blood will not be mixed with Evron’s lineage, that’s what you mean?”

“…….”

No, the lie didn’t come out of her lips. Because she realized that Cedric was seeing through her thoughts.

Cedric said.

“I know what you are concerned about. I think it’s okay to teach it well, but if your innate personality is really bad, then you would have to worry about it.”

“If we do it that way, they will have legitimacy problems later. This is also for my child. Not Lord Cedric.”

Disputes arise when you try to exclude the firstborn and pass it on to the child below them.

If Cedric had remarried, the problem would be even greater. This is because there will be more people supporting the current empress’ children than the dead ex-wife’s children.

The child would not even have a mother.

Artizea advised Skyla about reclaiming legitimacy. It is no exception for her children.

If it was the emperor’s eldest son, he could only be excluded by death.

“And it’s also for the people of Grand Duchy Evron and the Empire’s people. Rather than causing another strife because of a hierarchical struggle.”

Cedric, who always listens, stopped her from talking for the second time.

“Are you aware that what you are assuming now is that I will have another child? Even with another woman?”

“…….”

Cedric’s black eyes glowed with anger like scorched coals. Artizea looked at it, and her head went numb.

Cedric said.

“The children you will give birth to will be all of my children, and they will inherit all of me as the firstborn.”

“Lord Cedric.”

“I will respect your will almost unconditionally on child matters, but I cannot yield on this, Tia.”

“You can’t. You can’t make this child Evron’s successor.”

Artizea said, half gasping for breath. She turned her gaze away from Cedric. It was because she was in agony and her chest ached.

“Why not? Is it because you were one of the causes of Evron’s destruction?”

Artizea opened her eyes wide in astonishment and turned to Cedric.

Cedric looked at her with a painful face.

AAAAA the next chapter is going to be B-O-M-B!!