Chapter 319 (1/2)

I saw his navy blue eyes getting wet with tears. Although he was the man I trusted more than anybody else, I wanted his reassurances because he had a soft spot for one person, who was none other than his daughter, Aristia, that lovely woman with silver hair resembling his, and her golden eyes resembling her late mother’s.

For some reason that I didn’t know exactly, she was very reluctant to be Rube’s spouse. If she was concerned about the end of the Monique family because of her marriage to him, it could be arranged for her baby with silver hair to be adopted as the Monique family’s foster son to succeed the family.

Marquis Monique valued her so much as if she was his life. I could understand his feelings because she was the only child his wife, Jeremiah, left behind.

So, I was anxious all the time because I could not figure out how he would react if I forcibly had her marry my son. As his family was connected with the imperial palace through the oath of blood, he could never do anything disloyal to the imperial family. But it would be a big loss to the empire if I lost him.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will help him. ”

I felt relieved a bit when I saw him vowing with a heavy voice, for he kept his promise without any failure.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt I could leave now without any worry about my son and the empire. As someone with absolute loyalty to the imperial family, he would be a great help to Rublis who would find it very difficult to deal with big and small national affairs.

“Lady Monique, I’m so glad to see you here.”

I called her, who resembled her late mother who I loved. Except for the color of her hair, she exactly looked like her mother in terms of her golden eyes, smiling and slender figure.

Wallowing in nostalgia, I looked into her eyes, who was looking at me with tearful eyes. How deeply I was touched after discovering that I found her eyes resembled her mother when she, wrapped in a baby blanket, opened her eyes for the first time.

I could vividly remember her toddling toward me, reaching out her little hands. Thinking that if her late mother could have my baby, the baby would do the same to me, I doted on her with deep love that I should have expressed to Rublis. At least, I loved her that much until she received her middle name through God’s prophecy.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I’m really sorry …”

I was sorry for her, whose eyes were welled with tears. Although she told me she would be the successor of her family, she was too weak to compete and survive in the turbulent world of politics. She would need to deal with the difficult situation with whatever she learned until now, but she would certainly get hurt in the process.

She was accustomed to supporting behind the scenes rather than taking the initiative to do something. I could confirm it when she offered comfort instead of the specific measures when I mentioned the damages of drought. I thought that the role of the empress as Rube’s wife would be more suitable for her than the successor of her family.

“… I wish I could survive until I resolve this matter, but I’m afraid I can’t. I am so sorry.”

I felt heartbroken, seeing her shedding tears, after all.

She was trained as the best candidate for the empress because she was trained rigorously since she was young. She was so smart that she didn’t need any further training after she turned ten.

At first, I held her because all those years spent training her as the empress were too precious. I could not let go of her again because I was concerned about her right to succeed the throne, and lastly, I could not give her up because Rublise loved her so much. Nonetheless, I didn’t feel good because I didn’t offer her any promising future. I was happy and sorry when she whispered into my ears that she regarded me as someone like her father.

I was about to tell her that she could go, but I stopped because I was so heartbroken about her confession that she took me like her father despite my refusal to free her, and about my son who became lovesick because of her. If they could get married and be happy, I could not ask for more, but if they couldn’t, I wanted her to be Rublis’s friend, so she could comfort him when needed.

“Finally, let me give you a small gift for you. I hope it can help protect you.”

I said my last greetings to them who kept looking back at me.