Chapter 24

***

*The B*stard Scandal

What did she just hear? Bastian’s child?

Bastian gave birth to an illegitimate child? Llewelyn looked at the woman. The woman was staring at Pamela, not Bastian. Llewelyn saw a cold smile cross Pamela’s lips.

“His Majesty’s blood? What do you mean?”

Bastian exclaimed.

“Nonsense!”

At that cry, people’s eyes snapped in the direction of Bastian. Llewelyn examined Bastian’s face. He had a very confused expression. On his birthday, his bright, flower-like appearance was disturbed by the appearance of a woman and child.

Llewelyn looked at Bastian’s expression and was convinced she was telling the truth.

“My name is Vivian of the Mod family.” The woman said calmly.

“Go on.”

“Two years ago, I had a meeting with His Majesty. It wasn’t long before I found out that I was with child.”

“His Majesty’s child? But why didn’t you show up earlier?”

“Because I was scared. It was terrifying that I dared to have His Majesty’s child out of wedlock.”

Vivian looked at Bastian and continued.

“His Majesty said it then. ‘I don’t want children. If you are with child, I will kill you.’ I was afraid that His Majesty might kill me.”

“What?!”

Bastian exclaimed. He looked extremely disappointed. Then he stared at his mother in surprise as if he had realized something. This was Pamela’s plan.

“Don’t be afraid, Miss Mod. Bring the child here.”

Pamela spoke kindly, and Vivian came closer with the child. Pamela lovingly examined the child held out to her.

“Oh my, this baby…”

Even Llewellyn knew it. Light blonde hair and white, plump cheeks. Bright blue eyes looked at her and smiled. He looked like a mixture of Vivian and Bastian. It was clear whose child this was. Bastian screamed.

“No!”

“Your Majesty, I sincerely greet you. I tried to raise this child by hiding him from His Majesty, but… The prince who grew up without knowing his father was so pitiful that I came here.”

People murmured. The child’s mother made a desperate plea. Anyone could see that Vivian was in a pitiful situation.

“Oh my God, this child is His Majesty’s child. Anyone can tell just by looking at him. Look at the freckles on his soles. It’s just like His Majesty as a baby.”

Pamela raised the corners of her lips as she looked at the child. Then she handed the child over to a maid, and grabbed Vivian’s hand, making her stand up.

“Stand up.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Didn’t you say that you were a maid? I know the Mod family well. I will not forget that you are from a family that helped me a lot when I was not married yet.”

“…”

“I will cherish you as the prince’s queen.”

People murmured at the Queen’s words. She acknowledged the baby as a prince without even confirming his paternity. This was a deliberately staged situation. Here, too, people knew who to bow to. Who was the real ruler.

“Mother!”

“If you are the king of this country, you must show responsibility!”

Bastian clenched his teeth at Pamela’s reprimand. Bastian glared at Vivian with a bitter expression. Anger welled up in his eyes. He was about to say something explosive. However, at that moment, Bastian’s blue eyes turned to Llewelyn.

He opened his eyes wide, and then his face contorted in agony.

“Llewellyn.”

“…”

“It’s not…”

“…”

“Llewellyn, really. He’s not…!”

“Your Majesty!”

Pamela exclaimed. Bastian looked at Llewelyn sadly. Llewelyn couldn’t respond. No, she shouldn’t respond.

If that child was really a prince, he was the successor to the throne. Llewellyn had no greed for the throne, but it was the reality. Llewelyn avoided Bastian’s gaze.

“Your Majesty’s birthday came with a great present.”

Bastian clenched his fists at Pamela’s words. Llewelyn carefully entered the crowd and mingled among the people. It seemed like attention was focused on Vivian. She was tired of this situation.

“Ah…”

Llewelyn frowned at the feeling of heat on her neck. The stigma she had forgotten heated up as if it wanted to show it’s presence. At the same time, a low voice rang in her ears..

“Let’s talk.”

It was Almondite.

*

Llewelyn entered a break room and saw Almondite properly. The reason why she had not noticed him until now was because of Bastian’s illegitimate child scandal. When his hair, which had always been left to run wild, was combed neatly, his appearance was elegant. In particular, his turquoise eyes that were no longer covered with bangs had a mysterious charm.

He had a beautiful face, as if sculpted by an artist. Even though he wore a relatively conspicuous black jacket, his beauty was not hidden. He took off his gloves in frustration.

“What’s the matter?”

Llewelyn remembered her last meeting with him. Eventually, he burst into tears, and Llewelyn became angry. Almondite put his gloves on a side table and leaned back in his chair, interlocking his hands behind his head.

“What are you doing?”

“What about me? I have to be quiet so I can leave peacefully.”

“Are you really leaving?”

Llewelyn was under no obligation to answer. Llewelyn looked at him coldly instead of answering and tried to leave, but Almondite grabbed her arm.

“Llewellyn.”

“Even if my life is in danger, there is no reason to join hands with you. Leave me alone.”

“Are you going to find Prince Alpheus?”

Llewelyn flinched. Why did he mention Alpheus? Llewelyn tried to remember Alpheus’s face. She couldn’t remember the face of her little brother while he was being dragged away crying, ‘Sister!’

“I will find him my way.”

“How?”

“This has nothing to do with you!”

Llewelyn exclaimed. The relationship with her childhood friend had already been damaged beyond repair. Still, he was more annoying now than when they were little. Did he go crazy?

“You are doing this even though you know that your life is in danger if you go on like this?”

“So you’re telling me to kill my family and become Queen? No, you mean to kill my missing older brother before that?!”

Llewelyn bit her lip and cried,

“Otherwise I will die?”

“Don’t die. I’m not going to let you die!”

“Let me wait until twenty-five. If I survive to twenty-five, I can live in a monastery.” 

At that moment, Almondite looked at Llewelyn in disbelief, and sighed with a laugh.

“Llewellyn… Do I have to tell you how often the corpses of royalty who lived in monasteries are found?”

“…”

“You know how easy it is to assassinate someone in a monastery, right? Even under the protection of the Pope, there are many royal families who have died questionable deaths.”

Llewelyn felt her heart sink at those words. She didn’t know about that happening. However, her fear disappeared with the easy reassurance of ‘I wouldn’t be.’

She wanted to get out of Brygent. If she was favored by the Pope, and if Bastian was kind to her, then she could live her life.

Knowing that if the pope took good care of her, he would face death threats for the rest of his life, Llewelyn still hoped to live in a monastery. She dreamed of anywhere other than the palace.

Because there was no hope here.

“Llewellyn, really you, Monastery… You… … You’ve really thought of living in a monastery? Really…?”

“…”

“Even though you know how much the Queen hates you, you are planning on doing this now?!”

But Bastian would be able to stop Pamela. However, the Bastian who had easily been torn down by Pamela’s scheme came to mind.

A child was recognized as a prince by Pamela’s words, and even made known to everyone on Bastian’s birthday in the most provocative way possible.

Pamela didn’t mind the shame of Bastian’s ‘private life’ being exposed. Could Bastian, who was deceived by his mother on his birthday, stop her?

“Stop!”

“Llewellyn.”

“Ah!”

As soon as Almondite touched her hand, a moan came out. Heat spread from the nape of Llewelyn’s neck, and she struggled to suppress it. Cooling, something cooling was needed.

“What…”

“…”

It was clearly strange. They both heard it and knew it. Almondite looked at Llewelyn with a surprised expression. Llewelyn pushed him away and ran out of the room as fast as she could.