Rather Than Be Taken, I Will Take - Chapter 22

When Joshua arrived at the door of the Emperor’s reception room, a servant knocked and announced his arrival.

“Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is here.”

Just before the door opened, Joshua turned his head towards the corridor.

His brow furrowed as he watched the retreating back of Count Tarel.

Until now, Joshua had completely forgotten whether the Emperor’s mistress or her offspring were even alive.

So far, neither the Emperor’s mistress nor his son had been on his mind……

He had finally gotten rid of Trinity, who had been like a thorn in his side, but now some bastard had appeared to muddy the waters, which did not sit well with him at all.

‘Like leeches.’

Joshua definitively labeled Countess Tarel and Filippo as a leech and a baby leech.

It was extremely unpleasant that they had deliberately appeared before him to sour his mood, but weak and feeble leeches could be easily crushed under his boot.

Unlike Princess Trinity, who had been both lucky and long-lived, causing him trouble.

“Let him in.”

Just as the Emperor’s permission came from inside, Filippo’s figure disappeared from view as he turned the corner.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please enter.”

The servant opened the reception room door and stepped aside.

Clicking his tongue, Joshua entered the reception room.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

Joshua bowed deeply towards the Emperor, who was sitting in the back of the reception room, sipping wine.

After quietly observing him for a moment, the Emperor finally spoke.

“Yes. You wanted to see me?”

He then gestured for Joshua to come closer.

The Empress, sitting upright next to the Emperor, gave Joshua a meaningful look.

It meant not to be so stiff, but to quickly cozy up to the Emperor and act affectionately.

“Yes. I came to see you because I have an urgent matter to discuss.”

As the Empress had requested, Joshua flashed a smile and walked towards the Emperor.

The Emperor nodded towards the sofa, indicating for him to sit.

As Joshua was leaning to sit on the sofa, the Emperor abruptly said.

“This is unusual.”

“……?”

“I seem to have many family members seeking me out today.”

The Emperor languidly raised his glass of wine.

Though his expression was gentle and his voice not harsh, there was a barb hidden in his words.

As if he knew all about the connection between Count Tarel’s visit today, the issue of the investiture ceremony, and the sudden visits of the Empress and Joshua.

“May I pour you a glass?”

When Joshua asked affectionately, the Emperor nodded.

“Please do.”

Joshua filled a glass to the brim with wine handed to him by the servant.

Watching this, the Empress carefully interjected.

“We’re family after all. Shouldn’t we be together at times like this?”

“That’s right. We are family. Just as the Empress says.”

The Emperor brought the wine glass Joshua had poured to his lips.

At that moment, the smile disappeared from the Emperor’s face.

And soon, with the cold eyes of a sovereign, he looked at Joshua.

“Well then. Tell me what urgent matter you needed to discuss among family.”

“My lady. Young Master Filippo has returned home.”

At the butler’s words, Countess Tarel’s face visibly brightened.

“Then tell him not to go straight to his bedroom, but to show his face for even a moment.”

“I will do so.”

After the butler left, Countess Tarel, unable to hide her joy, looked at Jieselgrante sitting across from her, conversing with others.

“Lady Amaterasu, may I… for a moment?”

She gestured towards the exit with her eyes.

“…Of course. Please excuse me for a moment.”

Jieselgrante excused herself from the noblewomen and stood up.

“Is something the matter?”

“Filippo has returned from the Imperial Palace. I thought it would be nice to see his face and talk for a moment before he goes to rest…?”

“Alright.”

As she had been curious about the events at the palace today anyway, Jieselgrante nodded readily.

“Let’s go.”

Countess Tarel moved with a vigor she hadn’t shown before.

It seemed as if she might snatch the Crown Prince position from Joshua and the Empress at any moment.

As Countess Tarel and Jieselgrante, in high spirits, headed towards the entrance of the Count’s residence, they happened to run into Filippo, who was walking in their direction.

“Ah… Lady Amaterasu.”

Filippo, who seemed a bit flustered at unexpectedly encountering Jieselgrante, soon extended his hand.

“It’s been a while.”

Jieselgrante gently placed her hand on Filippo’s.

“We meet again like this.”

After lightly pressing his lips to the back of her hand and withdrawing, Filippo looked at Countess Tarel standing beside him and asked.

“Were you two on your way somewhere?”

“We heard you had returned from the Imperial Palace and were just about to go greet you.”

Countess Tarel said with a fond smile, looking back and forth between Filippo and Jieselgrante.

“I was hoping we could talk for a bit if you have time? …Our Prince?”

“Ah, Mother, such a title is…”

“Oh, come now. It’s just us, right?”

Countess Tarel joked, seeking agreement from Jieselgrante.

Jieselgrante only responded with a small smile, without saying anything.

“Shall we go to the side room then?”

Countess Tarel said in a pleased tone as she began to walk.

“Let’s go.”

Filippo extended his hand as if to let them go first, and Jieselgrante nodded and followed Countess Tarel.

“I was actually a bit worried since your return was later than expected, but judging by your expression, it seems His Majesty the Emperor didn’t turn you away at the door.”

Countess Tarel said as she sat down on the sofa after entering the side room.

“As it happened, His Majesty was resting briefly after a meeting, but he readily invited me into his private quarters.”

At Filippo’s answer, Jieselgrante nodded inwardly.

The Emperor lived a very regular life, and she knew his schedule inside out.

So she deliberately guided Filippo to enter the palace at a time when the Emperor would be resting comfortably.

And it seemed things had progressed as she had anticipated.

At Filippo’s positive response, the corners of Countess Tarel’s mouth curled up pleasantly.

Unable to hide her joy, Countess Tarel urged Filippo.

“So what happened after that?”

“I played chess with His Majesty. As Lady Amaterasu suggested, I also succeeded in losing the game regretfully.”

Filippo looked at Jieselgrante with a wide smile.

At his gaze, which seemed to be seeking praise, Jieselgrante quickly spoke up.

“You did well. His Majesty the Emperor has a very strong desire to win and is quite suspicious. If you had won this match, he might have been wary of some hidden agenda.”

The Emperor had shown a tendency to dwell on that prophecy, which was now nothing more than a misdelivered message, for quite some time.

Leaving out the part about it being fine as long as it wasn’t the first child of the previous Empress, the Emperor had always worried that his sons would take his life.

Although only half, Filippo was of the Emperor’s bloodline.

It might not be entirely pleasant for a grown son to suddenly act affectionately towards him.

He might worry that the son approaching him in a friendly manner could be aiming for his throat as Emperor.

“…Thank you, Lady Amaterasu.”

At Jieselgrante’s praise, Filippo lowered his gaze slightly and fiddled with his nape.

His shy smile revealed a boyish charm that had not yet been fully weathered.

Countess Tarel’s beauty, which had even enchanted the Emperor, was undoubtedly beautiful even in the face of time, and judging by Filippo’s striking resemblance to her, it was clear he would be very popular once he entered society.

He was nearly of age to debut in society.

Countess Tarel patted Filippo’s back as if to praise him for a job well done.

“Ah, yes. I met His Highness Crown Prince Joshua and Her Majesty the Empress at the palace.”

At Filippo’s words, Countess Tarel’s expression visibly hardened.

“…What did they say?”

“Just… they seemed curious about why I had come to the palace.”

Although Filippo reassured Countess Tarel that there was nothing to worry about, her furrowed brow did not easily smooth out.

“Was there anything else?”

“Nothing in particular.”

As Filippo quickly shook his head, Countess Tarel’s expression relaxed, seeming somewhat relieved.

“From now on, visit the palace as often as time allows to comfort His Majesty the Emperor. The other family members will be busy preparing for the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony for a while, so make sure His Majesty doesn’t feel the absence of the late Princess.”

“Understood.”

Filippo nodded readily, and Countess Tarel let out a faint sigh.

She seemed worried that the Empress might step in to harm Filippo.

“You must be tired.”

Jieselgrante said, looking at Filippo.

“Yes, a bit. I guess I was unknowingly tense.”

“Go and rest now.”

Countess Tarel said, waving her hand.

“Then I’ll take my leave. I’ll see you again, My Lady.”

Filippo bowed to Jieselgrante and stood up. Jieselgrante also nodded to Filippo in farewell.

Jieselgrante spoke to Countess Tarel, who was about to stand up immediately.

“Countess Tarel. Could we talk for a moment?”

Countess Tarel, who had glanced at Filippo with a puzzled expression as he walked away, sat back down.

“Of course. Take good care of him.”

As Countess Tarel gestured with her eyes, the head butler nodded as if to say not to worry.

“Shall I prepare the bath water first? Or would you like to have dinner first?”

To the butler’s question, Filippo answered.

“I’ll take a bath first.”

“Understood.”

After the two left, Countess Tarel lowered her voice slightly.

“It’s good that His Majesty the Emperor is spending time with our Filippo, but I’m a bit worried. If the Empress knows that Filippo is frequenting the palace, she won’t just sit idle.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

At Jieselgrante’s confident reply, the concern on Countess Tarel’s face faded slightly.

“You might find it strange for me to say this, but…”

She cautiously began.

“…?”

“Somehow, when I’m with you, My Lady, I feel at ease.”

“…”

“Ah, in case you misunderstood, I absolutely don’t mean that you’re easy to deal with! Of course, at first, I did have some prejudice because of the rumors I heard… Anyway, now I think there were misunderstandings in those rumors.”

Jieselgrante responded with a faint smile in lieu of words.