The Empress Returns - Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Translator: Lunarise

Editor: Larkspur

Rosha pulled Viola close to her and patted her back. Lustian’s eyes were bloodshot as he watched her crying out. He clenched his fists and pursed his lips. The veins showing through the back of his hands showed how furious he was.

Just then, Viola felt that something was amiss. Rosha’s shoulders flinched. The two women had the same thought.

“…Y-Your Highness… Could this… be…”

“Rosha, I-”

“Wait. When did this start? Your sickness, I mean. Since it started when we were about to leave the Arpen Empire… Goodness! Your Highness!”

When Rosha looked at Lustian, he came up to them and grabbed Viola’s hand.

“Why? Do you know why you’re suddenly vomiting?”

“Perhaps… she is pregnant.”

“Excuse me?! P-Pregnant?”

Lustian’s eyes went wide. Viola looked at her lower stomach with trembling hands. She brought her hand to her own stomach.

“…Th-The annexe… The Kingdom of Koronis would likely have a midwife, wouldn’t it? Fetch her at once. Quickly. We must make haste. I must return by dawn….”

“Understood!”

Rosha hurried out of the room. There was holy ground near the border, but it wouldn’t be so difficult to find the midwife.

Lustian held Viola in his arms and laid her in bed. His eyes were flashing and various colors.

In disbelief, Viola touched her belly. “What is… the meaning of this? If I’m pregnant…. does this not mean that the curse has disappeared?”

“Just as expected, God’s Companion lives a special kind of existence. I think the fact that you avoided the curse eight years ago when it befell the Royal imperial family means that you’re immune to it.”

“It can’t be… Why only me….”

“I could ask the same question… I don’t know, but if a new heir appears, the lifeline of the Arpen Empire will never be cut off.”

“Does this mean we don’t have to lose hope?”

“Of course.”

Lustian held Viola in his arms and kissed her on the lips.

Pregnant… To think that I’m pregnant….

If she was pregnant, no matter how much God would try to keep the two apart, they still had hope. Viola was pleading.

Hours later, Paul, who had hurried to find the midwife, returned to the house. The midwife smiled and then put her head down after she felt Viola’s pulse. She was indeed pregnant.

♛

That night, Viola had a dream.

She was surrounded by a shimmering light. Just then, a man stepped forward through the light. Though she tried to call out his name, her voice would not come out.

‘Edward! Brother! Edward!’

With a gentle face, Edward held Viola and pet her head. In his embrace, she could feel his fragrance for the first time in a while. After holding and comforting her for a while, he removed himself. Then, he put his finger to his mouth as if to shush her.

“Why? Are you telling me to not talk?”

Edward nodded with a smile. He had nothing to say. He grabbed her hand and led her somewhere. The place he walked to was God’s territory. Viola stopped in her tracks but her brother led her inside. Soon after, they could see the castle that Guinev was staying in. He led his sister into the abandoned castle. The inside of the castle was complex like a maze.

30… 50… 78 steps…

Without even realizing it herself, Viola was calculating the distance with her footsteps. After estimating the distance, she went down to the basement that he led her to. Though the basement was unsettling and dark, something about it felt familiar.

As if it wasn’t the first time…. Of course, I did live here in the past. After all, a virgin from the past did make love with God in the castle without anyone knowing…

Just then, Edward, who was just next to her, suddenly disappeared. But even without a guide, Viola felt like she was floating along a stream. Then she arrived at an old wooden door. With a creak, the door opened.

Just then, another person was waiting for her. She could not see them in the dark.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see a woman wearing a plain dark blue dress. She pushed a box towards her. When she opened it, she saw a map.

[Back then, I couldn’t do this but… perhaps you can.]

Suddenly, there was a flash of shimmering light, the mysterious woman in front of her disappeared with it. Viola’s heart was beating. Who could she be?

The mysteries were solved when Viola was transported elsewhere.

There, the woman was lovingly looking at the previous emperor lying on the platform. After looking at him like he was a loved one, she kissed him on the lips. As if a holy light was burning, fireworks with ethereal colors exploded around the platform. Just then, something surprising happened. The previous emperor opened his eyes and held her hand. The two of them held each other and wept for a while.

Could you be… Ivan’s mother…!

It was Ivan’s mother who shared a true love with the previous emperor. Her eyes went back to Viola. Though there were no words exchanged, her facial expression relaxed.

[We’ve been waiting for you. The one who hid the map was you in a past life, so it should not be difficult to find it. Our usefulness ends here.]

She held the previous emperor’s hand and helped him get off of the platform. Just then, white wings opened up from behind her. She held the limp man. The light enveloped them.

Viola was the only one left behind. She lifted her head slightly and looked at the sky. From above the sky, white feathers came falling down one by one.