I’ll Quit as The Empress

Luckily, Adrian’s condition recovered and returned to his liveliness. He ran around the Inner Palace gardens, and the maid was quite overwhelmed. But Fabian and Evelyn couldn’t laugh at the sight.

“Adrian has never learned such a words. He’s a child who still doesn’t know what death is.”

“But even so he also said that to me clearly.” Fabian said with a shady face. Then Evelyn bit her lips in a whisper.

“That man named David…Do you think he cursed Adrian? Can he do that?”

“Evelyn, I can’t jump to conclusions yet. It’s true that he used mysterious powers, but my conclusion was that he’s not almighty.”

After analyzing several incidents, David had limited power. Otherwise, there were too many unexplained situations.

“And if he’s going to do something, it will only happen when he enters this Palace. Do you think I can’t protect my son in my own Imperial Palace?”

“…… It’s not like that. But I was really worried when Adrian said that.”

“He probably had a nightmare since the demon attack back then.” Evelyn was so comforted by his words. But somehow, Fabian’s heart still felt heavy, believing it was a strange omen.

“Evelyn.” Fabian reached out and pulled Evelyn gently to his side. It was close enough for them to hear each other’s breathing rhythm. “I only say this to you, so listen carefully.” His voice sounded as low as a whisper.

“The Imperial royal family is special.”

“That’s…… I know.” said Evelyn softly.

Black hair and black eyes, something rare in this world, looked elegant with a tall appearance.

Not only that. Even though it was odd, there was only one heir born to the Imperial family. The child wouldn’t die until he rose safely to the throne.

That’s why this Empire was believed to be blessed by God.

Fabian looked at her with dim eyes, “No, there are still many things you don’t know.”

Until now, the Empire had never been involved in any orthodox controversy over a successor’s legitimacy. Even if the child born was a girl, there wouldn’t be a dispute. Because as the only successor, she deserved to sit on the Emperor’s throne.

“Whoever succeeds the Imperial family’s blood …… never dies before he sits on the throne.”

“Pardon…?” Evelyn startled.

“Never, not once since its long history.”

Evelyn blinked her eyes at that unbelievable story. Even though she knew there were many secrets in the Imperial family, it was definitely shocking that there was a fundamental part of her husband’s family that she didn’t know.

“That…..What does that mean?” asked Evelyn.

It was a secret that Fabian told in a low whispering voice that sounded more like muttering to himself while seeing a little Adrian ran and played with his maid in the distance.

“The Imperial family is different from ordinary people. I’m not talking about nobility or status. We’re just literally something else.”

Evelyn tilted her eyebrows.

“I can only guess that David is a similar case.”

As Fabian turned aside and looked around, Evelyn still had a shocked face. So he held Evelyn’s hand to calm her down. “Hey no….. I’m not such an evil man like him. I can’t play with demon or do anything that doesn’t make sense.”

Only then did Evelyn exhale the breath she had been holding on for a while. “You scared me ….”

“I don’t know the exact origin either. Maybe the old book you saw then is somewhat true.”

The King, who was insane about massacres, searched for the guardian and begged him to seal his madness. From then on, the guardian made him an Emperor to lead and protect the people from the demons.

“This Empire has a long history so there’s no record of our first ancestors.”

“Then, that story… … .”

“Maybe, that’s not far from the truth. Even I, his descendant, don’t know about it.”

Evelyn gasped, feeling suffocated for a moment. Those words overturned the people’s common sense in the world.

“I heard that, the Empire has a genealogy from its ancestors and has been passed down like any other dynasty… … .” Evelyn abruptly stopped talking. She was also a daughter of the royal family. Therefore, she had to learn about the dynasty’s history from an early age until she could memorize it even with her eyes closed.

Neither the Felice Kingdom nor the other kingdoms were always peaceful. Sometimes the royal throne relocated to another territory, and direct descendants of the royal family would usually regain their rights. And there would be chaos in history.

“Yes. This Empire has never been shaken by power struggles.”

It was a fundamental difference in where they lived. From birth, Evelyn had a vague knowledge that the Empire was the center and the sovereign of this world. Everyone believed so. That’s why no one had ever thought of it or asked why.

Even the official representatives called parliamentary ministers, couldn’t beat the young Fabian, and could only bark at him.

“It’s the only thing in this world that I couldn’t reasonably understand.” he said.

Why was the Royal Family reigning?

Why did they have an extraordinary insight, physical superiority, and solid blood ties as if beyond the boundaries of human beings?

Something that couldn’t be explained by human’s logic had been passed down in the blood of this Imperial family.

“But looking at myself and my father …… I came to the same conclusion that… It must have been the same with our previous ancestors. We’re only born to rule this Empire.”

Evelyn shook her head as she recalled the whereabouts of David, but she still had her doubts.

Could there really be such a thing?

Now it appeared that Evelyn couldn’t see the whole world again using her logic.

“So don’t worry. Adrian is my son and he won’t die until he takes the throne.”

“But…”

“So far no one has died as a child. Besides, no Emperor has been killed before. All of my ancestors died like feel asleep at the end of their lives.” Fabian’s calm and firm dark eyes made Evelyn feel relieved.

“I’ll do anything to protect you and Adrian. And, it’s also my job to get rid of the perpetrator.”

Before she knew it, Fabian fondly embraced Evelyn’s shoulder from behind. Her cheeks were blushing sheepishly even though she didn’t look at his face.

“Well, maybe you don’t like it, but there’s no stronger escort in this world besides me right now since Duke Akshire whom you trust is busy moving with my black hawk knights.”

Over and over again, Fabian’s reassuring voice sounded sweet in her ears.

Evelyn suddenly turned her head, and her eyes stared at Fabian deeply. The distance between them was really close that the sound of his breath was heard so clearly.

“Evelyn”

“Your Majesty, I ….”

Their lips whispered close together as if to touch. There seemed to be love in the air that enveloped them.

“Mom*!”

And…. the intimate atmosphere was shattered in a second by Adrian’s bright-loud voice.

“What are you doing with Jimoo?”

Evelyn was startled and quickly sprang to her feet. Fabian also turned his head to the side, looking a little embarrassed.

They didn’t do anything bad, but when seeing their innocent child, somehow, both Evelyn and Fabian felt ashamed for no reason.

“Huh? Nothing! We didn’t do anything! Rather than that, you should call me ‘mother’. You’ve learned it from Sir Hans, haven’t you?” Evelyn sighed.

Adrian, covered in dirt all over his clothes, smiling brightly when he heard Evelyn’s nagging.

“-Mom- it’s much shorter!”

“But you still have to call me mother…”

“Mo-ther, mo-ther, mo-ther,…….No! It’s creepy!” Adrian blew his cheeks. Then Fabian hugged him.

The dust and garden soil also stained Fabian’s clothes, but he didn’t care a bit. Instead, he smiled happily seeing Adrian rubbed his dirt-covered chubby-cheeks.

“Adrian, anyone who can’t say the title properly can’t receive a black hawk.” Fabian told him softly.

“Ugh………. the hawk, it’s mine… It’s Adrian’s…..” He rounded his big-black eyes, glanced back and forth, gazing around.

When Evelyn also made a severe look, Adrian immediately became teary-eyed. Looking at her son, she was about to burst into laughter. Still, Evelyn tried to put up with it for Adrian’s etiquette lesson.

“Jimoo, you will give it today?”

“If you call us with the right title.”

Then Adrian’s expression became very severe. It was like he faced the most difficult challenges in his short life. In fact, Adrian knew the title, but he was stubborn enough and didn’t want to call Evelyn properly. But now he’s worried.

“Come on, Adrian. Say it.” Evelyn looked into Adrian’s eyes and smiled.

“Ugh..hmm….” But, Adrian was still struggling between his young-pride and bewilderment.

“Oh well, you can’t get a hawk today.”

“No!….Mo-mother……! Mother!”

Finally, for the first time, Adrian shouted out the correct title. Evelyn unwittingly felt something warm rising from her heart.

Initially, Evelyn had imagined that she would live as Adrian’s sister for the rest of her life.

She didn’t even dare to say that she was his mother. But at this moment, Evelyn got all the happiness she had given up.

The sight of the man she loved looking at her affectionately while carrying their child was so beautiful in her eyes.

“Yes, good job. In the future, you must call her like that.” Fabian, who could read Evelyn’s mind, quietly grabbed her hand and coaxed Adrian. “And I’m not Jimoo……”

Adrian thought deeply. He was pleased whenever he called Fabian Jimoo. But the people around him kept saying no, and it made him feel intimidated.

“You’re not Jimoo…….” Adrian whimpered sadly.

“Nothing has changed. Whatever you call me, I’ll always be by your side.”

It was only then that a smile bloomed on Adrian’s face when his worries were over.

“Well, I know! Jimoo…..Your…Mas-ty!”

Evelyn and Fabian’s eager face turned to perplexed.

“Adrian, not that……Shall we try again?”

“Jimoo is Your Mas-ty!”

At this moment, Fabian’s look grew a little sulky. At least Adrian called Evelyn’ mom’, and it’s still similar and related. But he seemed displeased because Adrian still called him Jimoo and couldn’t say the word ‘Your Majesty’ correctly.

Fabian sighed, “Can you say another name?”

“Oh, Adrian is smart! I know everything!”

“Really? Try calling me with different title, then.”

Fabian bent his eyebrows, looking at Adrian with faint hope. Evelyn, who saw them, could only chuckle while listening to the conversation between the two guys.

“Your Mas-ty. Sire!” Shouted Adrian confidently.

Evelyn burst into laughter in a second. Fabian took a deep breath and looked at Evelyn and Adrian in turn, feeling a little unfair.

“Just now ….. What did he say?” asked Fabian.

“The first he said Your Mas-ty, and the second, he said Sire.”

Fabian remembered something. If he thought about it, he’d always called his father by those two things.

First of all, his family’s atmosphere made it impossible for him to use the soft title like ‘father’. And since he was a child, Fabian couldn’t even use the term ‘mother’ because the people around him always used adult-words.

“Perhaps, Sir Hans educated Adrian according to Imperial etiquette.” laughed Evelyn.

Well, it wasn’t Hans’ fault. He had been working his hardest to teach the naughty prince day by day until his bones were cut every day. But it couldn’t be helped that Fabian was upset.

“Evelyn.”

“Yes?”

“It’s just my sudden thought…. Anyway, if you are going to raise Adrian yourself, could you teach him some other examples …. maybe we can simplified a little bit…”

Evelyn quickly grasped what Fabian was trying to say. “Sure, next time I’ll tell Sir Hans to teach him the word ‘father’.”

Fabian coughed a little, “No, well … It doesn’t have to be exactly like that …”

“Cough!”

Adrian then copied Fabian’s coughing. Evelyn stared at them. She couldn’t believe such a warm sight brought her blissful happiness.

She used to think it would just be a dream forever. But now, she wanted to pray to God that she was grateful to be alive.

“Mom-mo-ther! Now give me the hawk!” Adrian stuttered a little. His tongue seemed still too short to pronounce it perfectly.

“….Haa..ckck.” Fabian swallowed a sigh alone with a cheeky grin. But Adrian noticed it at a glance and raised his round-black eyes straight at him.

Only

“Did you lie to me?”

“Huh, ….I never lie.”

“Then what about the hawk? Where’s my hawk?”

Fabian’s face rarely flushed because of embarrassment. He winked at Evelyn, asking her for help with a desperate look. Still, Evelyn deliberately pretended not to know what was going on.

It seemed that this quarrel would end soon with Fabian’s defeat.

*(T/N: There’s a mistake. So Adrian called Evelyn with ‘mom’. (informal) in the previous chapter. )