Hiding the Emperor's Child

Chapter 3

"Your nephew?" Kaizen raised an eyebrow, his expression tinged with doubt. It was exactly the reaction Astelle had anticipated.

Fritz, who had served as the Vice Commander of the Knight Guards alongside Kaizen a few years ago, was Astelle's brother. She clarified, "Not my brother's child, but Sigmund's... So he's my cousin's child."

Sigmund, the only child of her maternal uncle, had tragically lost his life during the civil war in the north, precisely six months before Theor was born. Astelle had requested her maternal grandfather, Marquis Carlenberg, who had lost his heir, to register Theor as Sigmund's son.

Theor was born to a maid who had been known as Sigmund's lover. The maid, who had served in her mother's household her entire life, was officially registered as the child's mother, with the condition that she would continue to receive Sigmund's death pension until her own passing.

Astelle had heard that she had eventually married a wealthy merchant and was now living comfortably.

"I thought Your Majesty was aware of this as well?" Astelle asked, maintaining a composed demeanor.

She then widened her eyes, as if feigning surprise. "My grandfather sent me the necessary documents to gain approval for this child to be recognized as the Carlenberg family's successor along with a birth certificate and proof of blood ties."

In truth, it was Astelle who had orchestrated and arranged all these documents. She had taken meticulous steps to create the illusion that Theor was indeed Sigmund's child.

To further solidify the illusion of Sigmund having had an illegitimate child with a maid, she had also engaged a temple to conduct a blood test, with her grandfather's full cooperation.

As expected, the test results indicated matching blood ties. To her grandfather, Sigmund remained his true grandson, and Astelle was his granddaughter; they were simply given different titles. There was no issue with the test results, and her grandfather continued to view Theor as his grandchild, regardless of whether he was Sigmund's or Astelle's son.

Astelle pretended to hold Theor's hand, gently clasping the child's little finger. This was their secret code, a signal between them.

Theor, who had been keeping his silence as promised, grabbed Astelle's hem and looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Aunt Astelle...?"

"Yes, Theor. It's alright. Everything will be alright."

Astelle continued to feign comfort, hugging Theor and gently patting his back. Theor was following their act remarkably well, thanks to their numerous practice sessions.

The rules of the 'play' Astelle had taught him were simple enough for a child to understand. Instead of calling her 'Mother' he should refer to her as 'Aunt Astelle'. Keep conversations minimal unless directly asked, and if she holds his little finger, he should respond with 'Aunt Astelle.'

Astelle had patiently practiced these rules with Theor several times, ensuring he grasped them well. She intentionally avoided scolding him for any mistakes to prevent him from getting nervous during the charade. As a reward for his good behavior, she would treat him to a snack.

Whenever her grandfather observed their interactions, he would humorously comment, "It appears as though we're in the midst of an emergency evacuation drill."

While it might arouse suspicion if a divorced empress were seen caring for an unrelated child, no one would question it if she remained with her maternal grandfather while looking after her deceased cousin's child.

Kaizen, however, voiced his suspicions when he heard Theor speak.

"Ah, yes. I recall hearing that he left behind an infant before he passed away. But why are you taking care of him?"