"Then… shall we start blessing from here?"
"Oh, sure."
Gabriel pretended to bless appropriately, considering Asha somewhat formidable.
"May the spirit of victory rise at the pinnacle of the Pervaz Castle, blessed in the names of Libato and Aguiles."
He spread his hands towards the ground and muttered a few more words of prayer. Asha wasn't sure if it was a genuinely effective blessing.
'Although the Imperial Palace's High Priest won't actually bestow blessings of victory, he's still a priest, so he wouldn't curse, would he?'
Feeling uneasy, Asha avoided the important places of the castle while guiding Gabriel.
Ezoic
Their footsteps stopped in front of a small room on the third floor of the castle, a place less significant and unlikely to attract attention.
Ezoic
"What is this place for? It seems to have been used more frequently than other places."
Gabriel asked, looking at the neatly laid stone floor.
Ezoic
"It's a prayer room."
Gabriel looked surprised, as if he had been hit on the back of his head, although Asha didn't notice because she wasn't looking at his face.
Ezoic
"My mother used it often before, but after she returned to her hometown, the rest of the family used it. It's a room where one person can go in and pray."
As Asha opened the small door, there was a small window on the opposite wall, with a tree of wisdom hanging above it.
On the floor were worn prayer chairs, a mat to kneel on, and a small table for placing scriptures.
Ezoic
That was all.
"There are… no candlesticks."
Ezoic
"We always ran out of candles, so we couldn't use candles even in the prayer room. And there's no requirement to light candles when praying."
Asha chuckled softly as she brushed the dust off the small table with her fingertips.
Gabriel, finding her actions natural, asked with curiosity.
Ezoic
"Are you still using it now?"
"Of course."
Asha's answer was simple. It was natural for her to offer prayers.
'A woman known as the Barbarian Princess, who is a devout believer, regularly offers prayers in the castle's prayer room? Surprising…'
Ezoic
Gabriel looked at Asha in a new light.
To him, those lacking faith were all barbarians and obstacles to the establishment of the Sacred Empire.
So it was refreshing to hear that Asha, whom he considered to be one of the biggest obstacles, frequented the prayer room.
***
"Congratulations! You are pregnant!"
Ezoic
The doctor who was examining Viviana congratulated her with a happy face.
Ezoic
"Me, really? I'm really pregnant?"
"Yes! That's right!"
"Haaa.... Thank you, Dr. Snayder!"
Viviana sighed in deep relief and thanked the goddess of abundance.
The maids who were anxiously watching the examination from the side burst into tears as if they had had a child after a long prayer.
Ezoic
However, Viviana did not.
She exchanged meaningful glances with her father, who was standing nervously at the door of the bedroom and waiting for the doctor's results.
"I will inform the imperial family of this fact immediately. His Majesty the Emperor will be truly delighted."
"Thank you. However... Please let them know quietly so that Her Majesty the Empress does not get upset."
"Ah, Lady Lowry is truly considerate! I understand. Don't worry and take it easy."
The imperial doctor, who nodded with a pleased smile, shook hands with Baron Peyton and left Viviana's bedroom.
As soon as he disappeared completely, Viviana hurriedly sent out her favorite maids.
Only she and Baron Peyton were left in her room.
"Is this… really okay, father?"
"Viviana."
Baron Peyton took the hand of Viviana, who looked anxious.
"The child in your womb is His Majesty the Emperor's child. Don't think about anything else."
"But...."
"I said it will come true if you believe it. It could really be His Majesty's seed."
Viviana's eyes shook slightly. Because both she and her father knew that it was not.
One day, about a year after trying to have the emperor's child, Viviana became almost insane and yelled at Baron Peyton.
[Why isn't the child that was supposed to be born in half a year still not born! What if I lose His Majesty's favor!]
It wasn't Baron Peyton's fault that she didn't have a child, but there was nothing else she could do but yell at him.
However, Baron Peyton, who had been taking all of her tantrums, didn't say anything that day, and a few months later, he called Viviana to the Peyton Barony.
It was strange that the Baron, who usually visited Viviana's mansion, called her to come. When she went, he was waiting for her with a young man.
[Vivi. Say hello. This is Antonio Morel.]
The man, who only had a different hair color, looked strangely like Emperor Kendrick with his golden eyes, facial features, and even height. It was like looking at the emperor in his younger days.
The moment she saw him, Viviana realized what her father was thinking.
[Fa, father!]
[Baron Morel is the eldest son of a local baronial family, but it is said that his family is declining and he does not have the money to pay taxes. It is a pity that he will be stripped of his title if he does not pay his taxes by the end of the year, isn't it?]
Baron Peyton said with a smirk.
[Vivi. This is a good thing for everyone. The Morel family will keep their title, and you will have a child.]
[We'll all die if we're caught!]
[Pull yourself together, Vivi! If you don't have a child, that's when we'll really die.]
Viviana trembled at the thought of deceiving the emperor, but she eventually followed her father's advice because she thought she would be forgotten as "the woman who was the emperor's mistress" if she didn't have a child.
In fact, it had been over a year since she had been with the emperor, and she wondered if she would even get pregnant after sleeping with that man a few times.
However, as if to laugh at such thoughts, the child came quickly.
"What happened to that man…?"
Viviana asked about the man who looked so strangely like Kendrick.
"He took the money and left for his hometown. The Morel family will be able to breathe a little easier."
"Will he really keep the secret?"
"How on earth could he prove that he is the father of your child? He would be accused of the crime of insulting the imperial family by daring to have features that resemble the emperor's."
Baron Peyton comforted his daughter with a warm-looking face.
"Besides, I've bought quite a few of that family's debt documents. If they know what fear is, they won't dare to mess around. If it doesn't work out, we can just get rid of them."
"Then that's a relief."
"What you need to worry about is what happens next. Even if the empress pretends to be happy on the outside, you never know what she will do behind your back."
Viviana gulped.
Beatrice had sent her a lot of good medicine, saying that she wanted Viviana to get pregnant.
Viviana, who believed that it must be poisoned, had several pharmacists examine what the empress had sent, but no matter how many times they checked, it was all high-quality medicine without any flaws. One of the pharmacists who was in charge of the inspection even asked Viviana to sell it to him.
'I don't know what the empress is up to.'
It was no use worrying about it now. Viviana made up her mind to believe that her child was really the emperor's child.
Naturally, the emperor was overjoyed at the news from the imperial physician.
"This is a great occasion for the imperial family!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! I am honored to be able to deliver the news that you have been waiting for for so long."
"Ahahaha! I never thought that the medicine you made to improve my virility would have such a quick effect. I should recommend it to others as well."
The emperor thought that he had seen the full effect of the medicine he had made. He even regretted that he had taken it too late, making Viviana suffer.
Feeling sorry for her, he ordered that all kinds of fruits and food be prepared for Viviana to eat whenever she wanted, and he sent her a new carriage, a chest of gold, a necklace full of sapphires and diamonds, and all kinds of maternity dresses as gifts.
Everyone was looking at the Empress's reaction, but Beatrice happily joined the Emperor and announced that she would also prepare a gift.
Thanks to this, she received compliments for being like an angel and even gained the Emperor's trust, but her true intentions were different.
'His Majesty the Emperor cannot have children, but Viviana has the Emperor's child.... How interesting.'
Beatrice smiled brightly as she waited for the moment to pick the cherry on top of the cake.