Duke of tis, Sagan, had several days of confusion. The Emperor’s movents were unusual, but the cause was unknown, causing him frustration. Crucially shaking Sagan was the demon’s raid investigation that attacked the Emperor on his way ho.
“There was soone…….” Sagan knitted his eyebrows, emitting a long smoke.
His spies reported that they found wagon wreckage in the cave.
He clearly recalled, Fabian had said that he ca back to the Place riding a horse. Moreover, the carriage itself wasn’t the Imperial Family’s. It was already a proof that there was an important person besides Fabian in that incident.
“Don’t tell …..? No. I have no choice but to think so.” His mind imdiately fixed on soone. His guess wasn’t without reason. Recently, indeed, the Emperor visited the Felice Kingdom too often and stubbornly refused to remarry. That’s why Sagan predicted that possibility.
The most disturbing information for him now was that there were things in the carriage belonging to children. At first glance, it might belong to Prince Adrian, Princess Evelyn’s little brother. But then, it raised a terrifying question.
“That little Prince…”
Sagan blankly stared into the air. Even though Fabian still had lingering feelings for Evelyn, the forr Empress, and even if they were in sync again, there was no reason for the Princess’s brother, the little Prince, to get involved in the process. Except for one thing, but it’s a very wild guess.
“What’s he playing with?” Sagan was Fabian maternal’s uncle, but he couldn’t read what inside his nephew’s mind. “Why did he suddenly call the Senate Elders?”
For Sagan, who had spent his entire life as an Imperial mastermind, he had never t a tougher opponent than him.
Usually, Sagan would imdiately interrupt the Senate’s journey. However, Fabian seed to have read Sagan’s movents and sent his knights to accompany the elders.
“Duke, it’s , Gale.”
Gale, he was Sagan’s henchman’s who had been sent to the Empress Dowager.
“Why did you co back already?”
Gale took a note out and handed it to Sagan. “The Empress, she told to deliver this. Then you’ll know everything.”
Sagan received the note, and he shook his hand annoyingly to repel Gale. And soon after he was left alone, he read the note in his hand. It was a short ssage in just a few lines, but Sagan breathed deeply as if soone had stabbed him in the back.
“No. It can’t be…….” His legs were nervously hovering over the sa spot. “So far, I’ve been letting him and giving him a leeway! But I’m not going to give up on this last!”
Initially, this wasn’t a tis plan. However, due to Monica’s reckless attitude and Fabian’s strong personality, as an outsider, it was difficult for Sagan to gain an Imperial power.
Still, as a last resort, Sagan thought that he had a shot when her daughter beca an Empress. But, that stubborn kid, Fabian, chose Evelyn-another Kingdom’s Princess and completely turned a blind eye to the tis family.
“I’ve had a hard ti to get them divorced.”
Neither the imperial noble nor their wives accepted the Empress from foreign countries. Not just among themselves, but they blatantly ostracized and despised Evelyn.
It was kind of abuse, and tis was the mastermind and had a significant influence on Evelyn’s suffering in the Imperial family. Fortunately, the Princess grew up knowing only love and innocence until she declared her divorce according to Sagan’s plan.
“I thought the problem was solved. But again … my back was stabbed in the back” Sagan clenched his teeth. Fabian was younger than his sons, but he never respected him as his uncle.
“Gale! Are you still there?” Sagan shouted as he didn’t have ti to worry.
Gale ca in after he heard Sagan’s cry and knelt down.
“Convene our whole faction.”
“You an all of them?”
“Yes, all of them. Three days later, as soon as the day cos, I’ll go to the Imperial court and lodge a formal protest.”
Most of the nobles in the empire were subject to the tis family. Among them, there were several factions with the sa interests, and they all had great influence. If all of their authority were combined, it could be said their dominion was equivalent to the Imperial family.
And three days later, as soon as the morning dawned, Sagan and his faction confidently entered the Palace. Even the Palace courtiers chattered about their atmosphere, that was different from the usual.
“Duke.” He was greeted politely by the Chief of the Palace, who stood at the Congress Hall-huge door.
“I know there’s no congress today. But tell His Majesty to co. All of us… … We have sothing important to say.” Sagan pointed his eyes at his flock with arrogance. But, unexpectedly, the chief grinned at Sagan, saying, “You don’t have to.”
“How dare yo-..”
But even before Sagan’s anger rose, the huge door opened.
“His Majesty is already here.”
Despite being shaken on the inside, Sagan managed to maintain a calm-arrogant attitude and proudly walked to the open door.
There’s no chance Fabian knew his move. In other words, Sagan’s expectations were already deviating from the start. And to make matters worse, the Emperor wasn’t alone in this congress hall.
“Finally, the Duke of tis is here.”
“I see you, Your Majesty,” Sagan struggled to put on a pretentious smile at Fabian’s calm voice.
Although there weren’t many of them, the Emperor factions, the anti-tis nobles were also present there. Not only that, even the five Senate Elders already sat next to Fabian, showing their trendous pressure.
“In fact, I didn’t invite you, Duke, but I’m glad you’re here.”
However, Fabian’s tone said otherwise. When Sagan raised his eyes and stared at the emperor, a slight smile erged around Fabian’s mouth.
His black eyes were looking straight at Sagan. As if it were a Declaration of war, no… … It was a smile, that almost assured of victory.
***
-flashback-
A few days after Evelyn fainted, Fabian stayed with her in the secret chamber. It happened to be a ti when there was no congress, and all his trivial jobs were postponed. And, in those days, he found a way to overtake Sagan.
“I hate to say this, but….soon my opponent will notice it.” This was the first ti since he had been living with Evelyn that Fabian brought up such a heavy topic of conversation.
Evelyn was already well aware of the news about bringing a new Empress into the Palace. And about Duke tis who was rushing to marry Fabian back with his daughter. Also, after the Duke decided to investigate the irregularity, he was able to imdiately guess the whereabouts of the two ‘outsider’ in the Palace.
“I’m ready.” Evelyn had already shown that she was more determined than anyone else. “To save my child…… I’ve decided to do anything.” She looked at Adrian, sleeping in her arms with loving eyes.
“Just for that child?” Fabian murmured, looking a bit sullen.
Evelyn showed a warm smile as she watched Fabian muttered a little sadly. He got along and played well with Adrian, enough to match Arthur’s level. But sotis he’s got jealous like this.
“For us too.” Evelyn’s voice rang out clearly. Only then did Fabian smile and gently wrap Evelyn’s cheek.
“I… Now I’ve decided not to back off.”
“So am I.” The sa was true with Evelyn, Fabian’s determination wasn’t shaken either.
“For us, I’m not going to take a step back… Yes, for you and our child and……for .”
Their second reunion was also the birth of a family. It was an amazing thing yet strange that the gap between them after several years disappeared so easily, and was quickly replaced by the warmth that erged between the three.
Fabian loved Adrian so much even though he never saw his birth. And the two n side by side also fell in love with Evelyn.
“I’ve already called the Senate. It will be a boring and dirty fight.” Fabian sighed.
“It doesn’t matter.” Evelyn had co a long way to reach this happiness. She had already endured the suffering that was more unbearable than death, so she didn’t want to be a coward who fled and ran away.
“Yes. Nothing can separate us now.”
When Evelyn nodded, Fabian landed a light kiss on her forehead. Then, Evelyn’s face flushed red and avoided his gaze in embarrassnt. Sohow, she felt like a newlywed couple again.
“Uhmmm……”
Suddenly, Adrian woke up in Evelyn’s arms, and his cry shook the two who were blushing at each other.
“Oh, dear.” Fabian startled a little sadly. Although he was a bit wistful about the sudden interruption, he couldn’t stop Adrian, who had opened his eyes.
“Jimoo?” Adrian punched him with his cotton-bat like-chubby fist. This might be the child’s way of showing affection, but other people who saw it, they would think he was hitting Fabian without fail.
“Adrian! I told you not to do that.” scolded Evelyn.
“Uh……Evelyn, shut up!” Adrian scread back at her. As his vocabulary increases, he beca harder to deal with and didn’t want to be obedient.
“I didn’t scold you, but you need to know the etiquette…”
“Evelyn! Shut up!”
Fabian quickly snatched Adrian, who was starting to cry out and hugged him. Adrian was struggling to get loose at first, but he got stuck in Fabian’s big arms and beca quiet as he was held by his father.
“Adrian, even if it’s you, I won’t forgive you if you talk-back to Evelyn.”
“Jimoo! Evelyn is Adrian’s sister, she’s mine!”
“She’s mine, first.” Fabian didn’t want to lose.
Evelyn was almost giving up between the two n who argued each other. Adrian then slapped Fabian’ on the shoulder in anger, but he pouted his small lips when he couldn’t give Fabian any blow.
“And from now on……don’t call her Evelyn.”
“Jimoo! Don’t tell Adrian what to do!”
Fabian was stunned to hear the words that ca out from that 2-year-old-child mouth. Adrian had just banned the Emperor to tell him what to do. Fabian now wondered, where did his son learn to say such a word?
anwhile, Evelyn’s face reddened.
“Oh, really? That’s too bad. I was going to give you a black hawk if you listened to well.”
Adrian’s eyes widened soon at the ‘black-hawk’ words. His eyes shook as if there was an earthquake in his little pupil.
“Ji, Jimoo… I’ll do it.”
Fabian tried hard to put on a solemn look while pressed down his laughter.
“Adrian, now Evelyn…….” He glanced slightly, asking Evelyn for the permission with his friendly black eyes.
Evelyn hesitated for a mont, but then she nodded.
“You have to call her, mother.”
Adrian tilted his small head as if he was confused, “My mother isn’t here.”
“Evelyn is actually your mother.”
Adrian’s eyes shook again. Then he looked at Evelyn for help as he didn’t understand what Fabian had said.
“Listen, Adrian. Until now, Evelyn kept it a secret because she wanted to know if you were fit to be a black hawk or not. Now that you’re qualified, I will especially teach you.”
“Oh..oh…… teach Adrian!”
Evelyn looked amazed. She didn’t know Fabian had a talent for dealing with children.
“Actually, Evelyn is your mother. She pretended to be your sister all this ti just to test you.”
“Mother……what kind of mother?”
“It ans she’s the one who gave birth to you, and I’m not Jimoo, either.”
Adrian looked back in surprise again and turned his head down. Evelyn was worried because he was shocked by so many things during this day. Still, this ti Evelyn decided to leave the child to Fabian.
“…..I’m your father.”
“Not Jimoo?” asked Adrian, clueless.
“Don’t worry. Father is much better than Jimoo. It ans that the three of us will live together forever.”
It was still a little difficult for a child to grasp the aning, but the last words were clearly conveyed. So, Adrian stomped excitedly, laughing like he wasn’t worried anymore.
“Then, Adrian loves it!”
Only then Evelyn, who had a restless heart, could laugh as she sobbed. It was a problem that she had been worried about for a long ti. But it seed to have been solved so easy because of Fabian and Adrian who are pure in heart.
However, she felt a little sorry to imagine Arthur’s heartbreak. It was rather fortunate that Arthur didn’t see this scene.
“Evelyn. May I have the Senate Elders to prove the child’s birth?”
“You an……..The Silent Stone.?” questioned Evelyn.
“Yes.”
Evelyn nodded without hesitation. It was the sa proposal, but the situation was completely different from the beginning. The Senate first had to be a witness to Adrian’s birth.
Only
“Adrian. From now on, will you live together with to learn how to be a man who fits a black hawk?”
“I like it!” shouted Adrian happily.
Evelyn could only smile, looking at her two precious n who looked so alike.
“Let’s go together then!”
The sight of her beloved man holding her precious child was more beautiful than any painting in this world.
“Let’s go..go!”
After turning a long way around, the three finally beca one again.
Reviews
All reviews (0)