14.

‘Even if she was wearing a mask, her eyes and hair color were completely different from the Imperial Consort’s. And an Imperial Consort living mixed among commoners? A woman with such grand ambition would have no reason to do that.’

Unlike his rational thoughts, Kaian’s emotions churned mercilessly.

Wandering aimlessly, he found himself before the Astronomical Tower that observed the sky.

A tall tower located in a remote place free from light interference—the most suitable spot in the capital for observing the stars.

It was also a place he had once visited with Estelle long ago, avoiding the eyes of the late Emperor and the late Imperial Consort.

As if possessed, Kaian climbed the stairs.

With each step clung the lingering attachment he could not discard, and with another step the memories he could not let go.

When he finally reached the last step, Kaian encountered an unexpected person at the top of the tower.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

A man with straight silver-gray hair falling to his waist and gray-blue eyes bowed to Kaian with concise elegance.

“Cardinal Ruston.”

The man was Ruston, who five years ago had become the youngest cardinal in history at the age of twenty-five.

A priest of the noble god who personally looked after those in low places, he was a clergyman who received the respect and admiration of the Empire’s people.

“It is an honor to meet such a distinguished person in an unexpected place.”

“Unexpected for me as well.”

“Watching the heavens is also within a priest’s domain.”

“I heard recording and reporting the movements of the stars is mainly the task of apprentice priests.”

“I am honored that Your Majesty takes such interest in the temple’s affairs. Still, I occasionally come up here to recall the初心 of my days as an apprentice.”

Ruston said with a bright smile.

Perhaps because he possessed exceptional divine power, even Kaian could not fully read his aura. Such a case was rare.

“It seems Your Majesty quite likes the stars as well, to come all the way up here yourself.”

“Not particularly. A coincidence, nothing more.”

For some reason, the question of liking them felt as though it pointed not to the stars in the night sky but to Estelle, so Kaian immediately denied it.

“Even so, this is our first time meeting privately. May I offer an interesting tale related to the stars?”

‘Was this man always this talkative?’

Kaian wished to quietly organize his thoughts, but he nodded anyway, if only to shake off the distracting thoughts of the mysterious woman he had encountered in Aren.

“It is common knowledge that the ancient Holy Kingdom of Deutche reached the greatest heights on the continent not only in ancient sorcery but also in astronomy.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“However, the matter of several scholars who claimed that some stars are actually larger and shine brighter than the sun is not widely known.”

Stars brighter than the sun—depending on interpretation, it could be taken as a dangerous remark implying that the House of Astria stood above even the Emperor.

Yet Cardinal Ruston’s face remained calm despite the words he had spoken.

“Of course, most people did not believe them. To anyone’s eyes, the sun appears far greater. But they said the reason stars look smaller than the sun is because they are much farther away from us. One should not believe only what is seen. Quite interesting, is it not?”

“There is no way to verify it, but it sounds plausible.”

“But whether one believes it or not—what matters to the people of the Empire? What they truly need is not the cold stars, but the warm sun. Is it not the sun, not the stars, that nurtures the trees, grass, and crops of this land?”

At first glance, it seemed like flattery toward the Emperor, yet for some reason Kaian could not grasp his true intent.

“Ah, speaking with such a distinguished person has been enjoyable—I did not even notice the time passing. My apologies, but I shall take my leave now. The temple curfew approaches.”

“Very well. You may go.”

Leaving behind only words like pieces of a puzzle, Cardinal Ruston departed the Astronomical Tower.

Left alone, Kaian quietly gazed up at the sky.

Tonight, unusually, there was not a single cloud. Among the countless stars spread across the heavens, one particular star caught Kaian’s eye.

The star that shone brightest from the same place throughout every season—Estelle.

‘Of all things.’

It had been called by that name for over a thousand years. Yet if he could, Kaian wanted to change it to something else.

For every night he looked up at the sky, that name disturbed his heart.

***

Having encountered Kaian the previous night, Estelle spent the entire night wide awake.

‘Aeir is still too young to sail to another continent.’

‘Besides, within the Lecanto Empire I could somewhat predict and make use of the future using my memories from my first life and the novel, but I can’t take Aeir into unknown territory I don’t understand.’

‘At least he should be old enough to enter the academy…’

‘I feel uneasy today—should I keep him with me instead of sending him to kindergarten? Still, I can’t keep him cooped up forever. He’s lively, he’ll surely feel stifled.’

Dozens of escape plans formed and vanished in her mind again and again.

Even so, she packed their belongings so they could leave at any moment.

“Mommy! Good morning!”

Dawn had already broken, and Aeir, rising from the bed with a bright face, greeted her.

The child’s softly smiling voice was clearer and fresher than the chirping of the small birds in the early morning. Because of it, Estelle’s heart, confused all night, calmed down.

If she could protect this child, she could do anything. No—she had to.

With firm resolve, Estelle lifted Aeir into her arms.

The child’s cheerful laughter tickled her ears, and his warm, gentle scent filled her whole body.

Chirp!

Just then, the sound of a bird came from the window.
It was a carrier pigeon from Peter.

‘What is it?’

With a little over an hour left before work, there were not many matters urgent enough to send a pigeon in such haste. Holding her breath, Estelle unfolded the letter tied to the bird’s leg.

‘……!!’

Her eyes trembled as she read the two short lines written in cipher on the white paper.

“Rodalan Guild secured Soradan.
Visiting the company today.”

It was the news she had been waiting for so desperately.

Estelle hurried toward the kindergarten with Aeir in tow.

After encountering Kaian the previous night, she felt uneasy leaving Aeir behind—yet she was equally reluctant to bring the child to meet Zephion.

‘That one would notice at a glance.’

To make matters worse, today was the anniversary of Peter’s father’s death, so she could not leave Aeir with his family as she had yesterday.

In the end, Estelle had no choice but to send the child to kindergarten and station skilled guards nearby just in case.

‘I’ll just have to finish quickly and pick him up early.’

“Mommy! I’ll go now!”

“Yes. Listen to your teacher well today.”

At the kindergarten gate, Aeir hugged Estelle in farewell as usual.

“Huh? Mommy! It’s the pwince who saved Aeir!”

Just then, Aeir shouted brightly. He seemed to have spotted someone beyond Estelle’s shoulder.

Just then, Aeir cried out in delight, as if spotting someone beyond Estelle’s shoulder.

Estelle sensed someone striding up behind her.

Aeir slipped from her arms as though to go to him, and Estelle also tried to turn to follow the child and offer her thanks.

But before she could even turn her body, a chilling voice wrapped around her.

“Estelle. So it truly was you.”

It was a name that should never be spoken again—and Estelle recognized the owner of that voice at once.

“I never imagined you would have a son. One I know nothing about.”

Kaian’s aura, tinged with madness, pressed coldly against her.

“My child… is he mine?”

Estelle could not bring herself to turn around and face Kaian.

Kaian had come down to Aren early in the morning to investigate the forest cabin.

But once again, he found nothing. To settle his hollow and tangled thoughts, he rode his horse through the forest.

During it, he remembered the child named Aeir he had met here not long ago.

The fair face filled with a smile like the morning sunlight, and the blue eyes. Thinking of it made something in his chest itch faintly.

‘I don’t particularly like children, so why does that boy linger in my mind like this?’

Even Kaian could not understand it himself.

Before he realized it, he had reached the place where the kindergarten he had once taken Aeir to came into view.

Why was he curious about the child’s well-being even at this moment?

What had begun as simple curiosity froze coldly in place the instant he saw the woman who appeared holding Aeir’s hand.