The Empress Returns - Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Translator: Lunarise

Editor: Larkspur

In a gentle voice, Lustian pinpointed all of the previous emperors. With a sparkle in her eyes, Wendy nodded and looked at the portraits.

“But, they all have black hair. Just like me. Isn’t that right?”

Wendy was able to point out their key features right away.

“…Excuse me? Then… how about me?”

It was an innocuous question. Wendy already had questions about how their hair was the same color as her own. He then pointed to the next portrait. In that portrait was Lustian’s stern face.

“You are the daughter of this man.”

“…Excuse me?!” Wendy was shocked.

Viola looked at her anxiously.

Wendy rolled her eyes around to look at Viola and Lustian. Though she did look surprised, she wasn’t devastated. Soon after, her lips blossomed into a beautiful smile. She looked at Lustian face-to-face.

“…The older girls would constantly tease me. They would call me a child born out of the dirt. I came out of my mother, not dirt, but they still continued. My mother is a queen, but even so….”

“The woman that gave birth to you is not a queen.”

“——”

Wendy pouted. Judging by how she teared up immediately, it seemed that her heart was burning up. Viola’s eyes also became moist. She wanted to hold the little one in her arms and cry out.

He kissed Wendy on the cheek. Then, the little princess’s eyes went from tearing up to sparkling once again as her smile returned. Compared to Viola who was losing her composure, Lustian continued to calmly give an explanation.

“I am your father, and your mother is the empress of this empire. We met again under very difficult circumstances. We came a long way to meet each other and we became a family.”

“Is that so? Is that really so? The empress is my mother, and such a wonderful emperor as yourself is my father?!”

“Yes.”

He nodded his head, and then Wendy laughed. She put her little arms around his neck. He sighed in relief as he brought the child into his arms and spun around. Viola felt a catharsis after that feeling of a lump in her throat. As the little princess stretched her hand out to her mother, Viola held her in her arms and rubbed her face against her cheek.

“…Please forgive me. I did not abandon you. I waited until I could find you again. I’m sorry. Your mother is sorry.”

“No, no. It’s alright. Now I found my mother and father.”

Her little arms trembled. Even with the care of her nanny, it must have been hard for her. It was obvious how prejudiced they were towards her. Tears streamed from Viola’s eyes. As soon as the dam broke, she cried out like a child. Wendy was the one who comforted her. After wiping the tears from her mother’s eyes, she smiled.

As Viola cried like a child, Lustian teased her, “Your mother is a crybaby, isn’t she?”

“Heh heh. I’m alright with that. The most beautiful mother and father in the world are my parents.”

“I have more good news. Your younger sibling is in my belly.”

“Excuse me?! Is that true?”

“Yes.”

When Wendy squirmed, Lustian let her down on the floor. Wendy put her ear to Viola’s belly.

“Little brother, do you hear me? When you’re born, your older sister will treat you well. So you must grow up healthily.”

At Wendy’s words, Lustian was surprised. It was because there was a grain of truth to the child’s thoughtless words. He carressed the little girl’s head softly and started speaking.

“How do you know that the baby is a boy or a girl?”

“I just know. It’s a boy.”

Wendy put her finger in her mouth and repeated that the baby in her belly was a boy. Lustian looked elated. Viola was so overwhelmed that she could barely speak. All she knew was that he was about to be the emperor who would inherit the kingdom next.

Lustian held Wendy like he meant to protect someone dear to him. His voice was shaking.

“I will do whatever I can to protect my family. I will destroy the negotiations and find true happiness.”

♛

He couldn’t explain all that happened in much detail, but Wendy accepted them quickly, despite their worries. It seemed strange that this small child grew up experiencing so much prejudice.

Viola held her in her arms again and took in a deep breath. “Wendy, we are going to see Grandma. She is very ill.”

“Grandma?”

“Yes, she was the previous empress.”

Wendy looked back at Lustian, nodded, and stretched out her hand to him. She held their hands and walked out of the castle to get to the carriage prepared for them.

The three of them rode the carriage to the temple. As soon as they got to it, the smell of medicine assailed their nostrils. It was obvious that she was deeply ill. Lustian let out a heavy sigh.

Just then, the annexes came rushing in and stood in front of Lustian. When they looked at Lustian holding Wendy, their faces turned blue. They then looked at Viola with contempt. They seemed to realize that she was the companion that they were looking for.

Since Viola set her mind, she did not care what they thought of her.

“There is no longer any need to deceive them. I may as well face them head-on.”

“E-Empress. Even so, you will…!”

The head annex raised his voice. Just then, Lustian creased his eyebrows and spoke in an unsettling voice.

“You must have heard this through the emperor’s command, but the one that the annexes must serve is the emperor, not God. If you disobey me, you must leave my hand. I will not punish you for that.”