Chapter 104 : I’m Your Father

Duke of Metis, Sagan, had several days of confusion. The Emperor’s movements were unusual, but the cause was unknown, causing him frustration. Crucially shaking Sagan was the demon’s raid investigation that attacked the Emperor on his way home.

“There was someone…….” Sagan knitted his eyebrows, emitting a long smoke.

His spies reported that they found wagon wreckage in the cave.

He clearly recalled, Fabian had said that he came back to the Place riding a horse. Moreover, the carriage itself wasn’t the Imperial Family’s. It was already a proof that there was an important person besides Fabian in that incident.

“Don’t tell me…..? No. I have no choice but to think so.” His mind immediately fixed on someone. His guess wasn’t without reason. Recently, indeed, the Emperor visited the Felice Kingdom too often and stubbornly refused to remarry. That’s why Sagan predicted that possibility.

The most disturbing information for him now was that there were things in the carriage belonging to children. At first glance, it might belong to Prince Adrian, Princess Evelyn’s little brother. But then, it raised a terrifying question.

“That little Prince…”

Sagan blankly stared into the air. Even though Fabian still had lingering feelings for Evelyn, the former Empress, and even if they were in sync again, there was no reason for the Princess’s brother, the little Prince, to get involved in the process. Except for one thing, but it’s a very wild guess.

“What’s he playing with?” Sagan was Fabian maternal’s uncle, but he couldn’t read what inside his nephew’s mind. “Why did he suddenly call the Senate Elders?”

For Sagan, who had spent his entire life as an Imperial mastermind, he had never met a tougher opponent than him.

Usually, Sagan would immediately interrupt the Senate’s journey. However, Fabian seemed to have read Sagan’s movements and sent his knights to accompany the elders.

“Duke, it’s me, Gale.”

Gale, he was Sagan’s henchman’s who had been sent to the Empress Dowager.

“Why did you come back already?”

Gale took a note out and handed it to Sagan. “The Empress, she told me to deliver this. Then you’ll know everything.”

Sagan received the note, and he shook his hand annoyingly to repel Gale. And soon after he was left alone, he read the note in his hand. It was a short message in just a few lines, but Sagan breathed deeply as if someone had stabbed him in the back.

“No. It can’t be…….” His legs were nervously hovering over the same spot. “So far, I’ve been letting him and giving him a leeway! But I’m not going to give up on this last!”

Initially, this wasn’t a Metis plan. However, due to Monica’s reckless attitude and Fabian’s strong personality, as an outsider, it was difficult for Sagan to gain an Imperial power.

Still, as a last resort, Sagan thought that he had a shot when her daughter became an Empress. But, that stubborn kid, Fabian, chose Evelyn-another Kingdom’s Princess and completely turned a blind eye to the Metis family.

“I’ve had a hard time to get them divorced.”

Neither the imperial noble nor their wives accepted the Empress from foreign countries. Not just among themselves, but they blatantly ostracized and despised Evelyn.

It was kind of abuse, and Metis was the mastermind and had a significant influence on Evelyn’s suffering in the Imperial family. Fortunately, the Princess grew up knowing only love and innocence until she declared her divorce according to Sagan’s plan.

“I thought the problem was solved. But again … my back was stabbed in the back” Sagan clenched his teeth. Fabian was younger than his sons, but he never respected him as his uncle.

“Gale! Are you still there?” Sagan shouted as he didn’t have time to worry.

Gale came in after he heard Sagan’s cry and knelt down.

“Convene our whole faction.”

“You mean all of them?”

“Yes, all of them. Three days later, as soon as the day comes, I’ll go to the Imperial court and lodge a formal protest.”

Most of the nobles in the empire were subject to the Metis family. Among them, there were several factions with the same interests, and they all had great influence. If all of their authority were combined, it could be said their dominion was equivalent to the Imperial family.

---

And three days later, as soon as the morning dawned, Sagan and his faction confidently entered the Palace. Even the Palace courtiers chattered about their atmosphere, that was different from the usual.

“Duke.” He was greeted politely by the Chief of the Palace, who stood at the Congress Hall-huge door.

“I know there’s no congress today. But tell His Majesty to come. All of us… … We have something important to say.” Sagan pointed his eyes at his flock with arrogance. But, unexpectedly, the chief grinned at Sagan, saying, “You don’t have to.”

“How dare yo-..”

But even before Sagan’s anger rose, the huge door opened.

“His Majesty is already here.”

Despite being shaken on the inside, Sagan managed to maintain a calm-arrogant attitude and proudly walked to the open door.

There’s no chance Fabian knew his move. In other words, Sagan’s expectations were already deviating from the start. And to make matters worse, the Emperor wasn’t alone in this congress hall.

“Finally, the Duke of Metis is here.”

“I see you, Your Majesty,” Sagan struggled to put on a pretentious smile at Fabian’s calm voice.

Although there weren’t many of them, the Emperor factions, the anti-Metis nobles were also present there. Not only that, even the five Senate Elders already sat next to Fabian, showing their tremendous pressure.

“In fact, I didn’t invite you, Duke, but I’m glad you’re here.”

However, Fabian’s tone said otherwise. When Sagan raised his eyes and stared at the emperor, a slight smile emerged around Fabian’s mouth.

His black eyes were looking straight at Sagan. As if it were a Declaration of war, no… … It was a smile, that almost assured of victory.

---

 

***

-flashback-

A few days after Evelyn fainted, Fabian stayed with her in the secret chamber. It happened to be a time when there was no congress, and all his trivial jobs were postponed. And, in those days, he found a way to overtake Sagan.

“I hate to say this, but….soon my opponent will notice it.” This was the first time since he had been living with Evelyn that Fabian brought up such a heavy topic of conversation.

Evelyn was already well aware of the news about bringing a new Empress into the Palace. And about Duke Metis who was rushing to marry Fabian back with his daughter. Also, after the Duke decided to investigate the irregularity, he was able to immediately guess the whereabouts of the two ‘outsider’ in the Palace.

“I’m ready.” Evelyn had already shown that she was more determined than anyone else. “To save my child…… I’ve decided to do anything.” She looked at Adrian, sleeping in her arms with loving eyes.

“Just for that child?” Fabian murmured, looking a bit sullen.

Evelyn showed a warm smile as she watched Fabian muttered a little sadly. He got along and played well with Adrian, enough to match Arthur’s level. But sometimes he’s got jealous like this.

“For us too.” Evelyn’s voice rang out clearly. Only then did Fabian smile and gently wrap Evelyn’s cheek.

“I… Now I’ve decided not to back off.”

“So am I.” The same was true with Evelyn, Fabian’s determination wasn’t shaken either.

“For us, I’m not going to take a step back… Yes, for you and our child and……for me.”

Their second reunion was also the birth of a family. It was an amazing thing yet strange that the gap between them after several years disappeared so easily, and was quickly replaced by the warmth that emerged between the three.

Fabian loved Adrian so much even though he never saw his birth. And the two men side by side also fell in love with Evelyn.

“I’ve already called the Senate. It will be a boring and dirty fight.” Fabian sighed.

“It doesn’t matter.” Evelyn had come a long way to reach this happiness. She had already endured the suffering that was more unbearable than death, so she didn’t want to be a coward who fled and ran away.

“Yes. Nothing can separate us now.”

When Evelyn nodded, Fabian landed a light kiss on her forehead. Then, Evelyn’s face flushed red and avoided his gaze in embarrassment. Somehow, she felt like a newlywed couple again.

“Uhmmm……”

Suddenly, Adrian woke up in Evelyn’s arms, and his cry shook the two who were blushing at each other.

“Oh, dear.” Fabian startled a little sadly. Although he was a bit wistful about the sudden interruption, he couldn’t stop Adrian, who had opened his eyes.

“Jimoo?” Adrian punched him with his cotton-bat like-chubby fist. This might be the child’s way of showing affection, but other people who saw it, they would think he was hitting Fabian without fail.

“Adrian! I told you not to do that.” scolded Evelyn.

“Uh……Evelyn, shut up!” Adrian screamed back at her. As his vocabulary increases, he became harder to deal with and didn’t want to be obedient.

“I didn’t scold you, but you need to know the etiquette…”

“Evelyn! Shut up!”

Fabian quickly snatched Adrian, who was starting to cry out and hugged him. Adrian was struggling to get loose at first, but he got stuck in Fabian’s big arms and became quiet as he was held by his father.

“Adrian, even if it’s you, I won’t forgive you if you talk-back to Evelyn.”

“Jimoo! Evelyn is Adrian’s sister, she’s mine!”

“She’s mine, first.” Fabian didn’t want to lose.

Evelyn was almost giving up between the two men who argued each other. Adrian then slapped Fabian’ on the shoulder in anger, but he pouted his small lips when he couldn’t give Fabian any blow.

“And from now on……don’t call her Evelyn.”

“Jimoo! Don’t tell Adrian what to do!”

Fabian was stunned to hear the words that came out from that 2-year-old-child mouth. Adrian had just banned the Emperor to tell him what to do. Fabian now wondered, where did his son learn to say such a word?

Meanwhile, Evelyn’s face reddened.

“Oh, really? That’s too bad. I was going to give you a black hawk if you listened to me well.”

Adrian’s eyes widened soon at the ‘black-hawk’ words. His eyes shook as if there was an earthquake in his little pupil.

“Ji, Jimoo… I’ll do it.”

Fabian tried hard to put on a solemn look while pressed down his laughter.

“Adrian, now Evelyn…….” He glanced slightly, asking Evelyn for the permission with his friendly black eyes.

Evelyn hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded.

“You have to call her, mother.”

Adrian tilted his small head as if he was confused, “My mother isn’t here.”

“Evelyn is actually your mother.”

Adrian’s eyes shook again. Then he looked at Evelyn for help as he didn’t understand what Fabian had said.

“Listen, Adrian. Until now, Evelyn kept it a secret because she wanted to know if you were fit to be a black hawk or not. Now that you’re qualified, I will especially teach you.”

“Oh..oh…… teach Adrian!”

Evelyn looked amazed. She didn’t know Fabian had a talent for dealing with children.

“Actually, Evelyn is your mother. She pretended to be your sister all this time just to test you.”

“Mother……what kind of mother?”

“It means she’s the one who gave birth to you, and I’m not Jimoo, either.”

Adrian looked back in surprise again and turned his head down. Evelyn was worried because he was shocked by so many things during this day. Still, this time Evelyn decided to leave the child to Fabian.

“…..I’m your father.”

“Not Jimoo?” asked Adrian, clueless.

“Don’t worry. Father is much better than Jimoo. It means that the three of us will live together forever.”

It was still a little difficult for a child to grasp the meaning, but the last words were clearly conveyed. So, Adrian stomped excitedly, laughing like he wasn’t worried anymore.

“Then, Adrian loves it!”

Only then Evelyn, who had a restless heart, could laugh as she sobbed. It was a problem that she had been worried about for a long time. But it seemed to have been solved so easy because of Fabian and Adrian who are pure in heart.

However, she felt a little sorry to imagine Arthur’s heartbreak. It was rather fortunate that Arthur didn’t see this scene.

“Evelyn. May I have the Senate Elders to prove the child’s birth?”

“You mean……..The Silent Stone.?” questioned Evelyn.

“Yes.”

Evelyn nodded without hesitation. It was the same proposal, but the situation was completely different from the beginning. The Senate first had to be a witness to Adrian’s birth.

“Adrian. From now on, will you live together with me to learn how to be a man who fits a black hawk?”

“I like it!” shouted Adrian happily.

Evelyn could only smile, looking at her two precious men who looked so alike.

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“Let’s go together then!”

The sight of her beloved man holding her precious child was more beautiful than any painting in this world.

“Let’s go..go!”

After turning a long way around, the three finally became one again.