“……Lady Leah’s voice.”

The Emperor’s voice trembled enough for anyone to notice as he spoke so.

Moreover, the necklace Valter handed over was something he already knew about.

On a night when the moonlight was exceptionally bright, the necklace that touched Leah’s neck and chest when they kissed.

He tightly held the blue jewel and heard Leah’s voice again from beginning to end.

“My son seems to like Edith a lot. Oh, I should talk about my son first.”

It was the voice that came to me when I was secretly sharpening the sword in the dark training ground to avoid notice. Although the overall content was a letter introducing Edith to Franz, conveying greetings and apologies, my heart throbbed even more.

When I received the letter saying that Leah was leaving with the man she loved, I thought it was the end of the secret meetings that had been going on.

Even as I made the throne completely mine, I tried to trace her footsteps several times.

But she was Leah Lexion. There was no way for ordinary wizards to find her deliberately hidden whereabouts.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. If we release more people, we might find something, but if we do that…”

“Other people will know that I’m looking for someone. Stop.”

If she hadn’t been on a time limit, he would have tried to capture her forcibly and keep her by his side.

But he didn’t have the courage to drag someone who wanted to live the rest of her life freely into an anxious situation.

How much does she love, how much does she want to protect, and why she wants to leave the familiar capital.

When faced with questions without answers, he deliberately ignored and focused on organizing those who revealed their feelings to him. The palace where the Empress, who walked alongside Leah, was always left empty.

But now, Valter was calling himself the father.

When he heard that Leah’s son had returned to the capital with the title of the Imperial Prince, a much greater emotion overwhelmed him than when he heard the news of Leah’s return.

“It’s the first time someone called me the father, so I don’t know what to say.”

The Emperor honestly said, examining Valter’s face in detail. When he tried to figure out which child Leah had conceived, he saw parts that were not visible, parts that resembled himself.

Things like deep green eyes or a coolly flowing eye line. Other than that, it was really a face that resembled Leah.

“Valter Jacques Lexion.”

Valter looked at the Emperor without much expectation. He thought that since he was known as a cold-blooded person, the Emperor might deny or quickly overlook his existence.

However, the words that came out of the Emperor’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“If Leah and you want, there’s no reason I can’t give the title of Agnas. But Leah already said she wants to inherit her father’s surname. So if you want, I’ll order you to prepare the residence of the Crown Prince right now.”
“……”

“If you have any other wishes, I’ll grant them, so go ahead and say anything.”

The Emperor said so without any hesitation. Things like a paternity test didn’t even cross his mind.

His animalistic instincts were speaking. The man in front of him was the child of him and Leah.

Thinking that Leah must have thought of him many times while looking at Valter, there was no hesitation. The only thought dominating his mind was that he had to do something for the child Leah raised alone.

Although he didn’t know that Valter saw through his thoughts and wore a meaningful smile.

“Thank you for saying that; I’m not sure if I should be grateful. As it happens, there’s something I’d like to ask Your Majesty for a favor.”

“I won’t go back on my words, so speak freely.”

Valter lowered his voice and proposed something to the Emperor.

Edith, who had been watching the wealthy couple from a distance, pricked up her ears as much as possible, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying.

‘Looks like Valter is proposing something.’

Whenever he made such a self-assured face, it was when he made a proposal with overwhelming confidence or participated in a deal where he had a clear advantage.

It was typical of Valter to change his stance right after hearing that he would be given the position of the Crown Prince. But facing the Emperor, he felt a nervous heart.

‘I hope he’s not demanding something as a condition for entering the imperial family, like he did with Duke Lexion.’

At that time, I wondered how courageous he must be to propose such a deal against Lexion, but now he was dealing with the Emperor.

Unlike Edith, who was watching with curiosity to resolve her curiosity, Franz, who was standing next to her, let out a wry smile.

“If it’s Lexion’s bloodline, it shouldn’t be taken lightly even in front of His Majesty.”

“Yes, sir.”

Adrian, who was in Edith’s arms, seemed to agree, whimpering as if acknowledging.

‘You won’t let yourself be treated badly somewhere else, will you.’

Edith comforted Adrian quietly.