My Child's Father is The Emperor - Chapter 5.1
“Adele.”
Adele’s face was pale.
“This is a misunderstanding.”
The coldness emanated distinctly through the clothes.
Van was bewildered.
“Adele.”
Adel trembled, then fainted again.
Van lifted Adele into his arms.
In the morning, he saw her sleeping soundly. But she was a mess, looking like she’d been rolled in a warehouse somewhere.
The sight of her scratched and bloody feet and her torn and dusty clothes made him gag.
“Hey.”
The attendants stepped back due to his force.
“Who brought Adele to the prison?”
Two knights stepped forward.
“Uhm, His Majesty ordered to take her…”
The knight’s hand trembled as he held the spear.
“Take her.”
Van frowned.
Usually, when someone said ‘take her,’ it meant ‘get rid of her.’
The destination was the underground prison.
The only reason I could think of was that Adele was locked in the tower because she was the prince’s mother and a woman.
Van looked at the unconscious Adel in his arms.
“I never wanted to hold you like this.
Bitterness rose in his mouth.
Van carried Adele out of the prison.
“Go in.”
At the Emperor’s gesture, the two knights entered the prison without a word, through the distorted bars.
Creak.
Van restored the bars with one hand.
Despite the bent iron bars here and there, the prison returned to a functional state for confinement.
“Let’s go.”
As Van left, only the two knights, who had borne the Emperor’s anger, remained in the icy prison.
***
Adele shivered all over.
It had only been two days since the Emperor appeared, claiming to take the child.
Whether it was due to the overwhelming shock or spending half a day in the freezing prison, she felt like she had the flu.
“It’s too scary.”
When she gave birth to Leo, it wasn’t this terrifying.
She was trying to be strong.
Did that innermost feeling reach him?
Laughter echoed from the top of her head.
“He might not be such a frightening person.”
“No. He was so scary; I thought I was going to die.”
Adel grumbled petulantly, squinting her eyes.
“Adele.”
It was a dream.
Van affectionately kissed her forehead.
Soft lips, a gaze filled with affection.
Honey seemed to drip from Van’s eyes.
“Did I die?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Phew. Then it must be a dream.”
Adele hugged Van in relief.
Sometimes Van appeared in her dreams.
Exactly as he was four years ago. The Van she knew.
Perhaps because she had never seen him in a different attire, he always looked similar in her dreams.
He would appear at her bedside as she slept, dressed in the same light shirt as then.
When she saw him in her dreams, she would tell him everything that had happened.
Ban held Adele, lying on the bed in the dream, and listened to her stories.
Whenever she dreamt of Van, Adele felt good the next day.
Because in her dreams, Van was always on Adele’s side.
If she talked about something sad, he sympathized; if it was something good, he celebrated. If there was anything that made her angry or hurt, it was always the other person’s fault.
But today, after meeting Van in her dream after a long time, she cried. It was the first time.
Adele cried, expressing her anger.
“Why did you come so late?”
“Sorry. I had some busy matters to attend to, so I couldn’t help it.”
Van gently stroked her head.
“You didn’t give me a kiss to say you’re glad you came.”
Adele felt sad.
After meeting the Emperor, she realized that the Van in her dreams was just a figment she had created out of loneliness.
“Van, I met you.”
“I see.”
“You… You were the Emperor.”
Van hugged her tightly.
“Did you recognize him?”
“He looks just like Van.”
“Am I as handsome as him?”
Adel shook her head.
“No, you’re even better looking.”
“Oh, really? That must have been disappointing.”
Van laughed, amused.
Come to think of it, he seemed to be in a good mood today.
It was the opposite of Adele’s imaginary world.
“Why are you crying? It’s the first time I’ve seen you cry.”
“I’m afraid I might die….”
“…Why?”
“He… He tried to take only Leo.”
“He probably… wouldn’t do that.”
“No, really. He said, ‘I can’t help it, I’ll take a woman too,'”
Imitating the Emperor’s stern expression, Adele made a serious face.
Van chuckled in response.
“Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”
“Well… maybe there are unavoidable circumstances?”
Adel felt upset.
“Why?”
“Van, today you’re acting strange.”
“What’s strange?”
“Why are you not on my side?”
A wistful tear fell from the corner of Adele’s eye.
For the first time in a long while, Van appeared in her dream.
Even if it was in a dream, she wanted comfort from him, to feel scared or troubled but be consoled by him.
Was it because she was different from Van in everyday life?
“Could it be… this is the last time?”
“What do you mean?”
As Adele blinked, tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Now that I’ve met the real Emperor… will you not appear in my dreams anymore?”
Van wiped away Adele’s tears with his finger.
“I planned to come again tomorrow.”
Van stared intently at her.
“Do you dislike it?”
Adele couldn’t answer. Even though it was in a dream.
All she could do was cry.
“Adele.”
Ban’s voice faded into the distance.
Adele cried herself to sleep, exhausted.
Van laid her still on the bed as she fell asleep in his arms.
“Adele.”
I ran my hand through her soft chestnut-colored hair.
He pressed his forehead against Adele’s smooth forehead.
“Hang in there.”
Pressing his lips to Adele’s forehead once more, the Emperor rose from the bed.
