Chapter 300. Rashta’s Disappointment (1)

Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren

Moments before, Sovieshu had asked his secretary to bring Rashta to his room. But Rashta had refused again and Sovieshu muttered coldly.

“Always using the baby as a shield.”

Although he honestly didn’t expect her to come, it surprised him that she always made the same excuse.

The secretary looked Sovieshu in the face.

“If you ask a little stronger…”

“Forget it. I don’t want her to say again that her belly hurts or some such excuse.”

After Sovieshu shook his hand, he grabbed a box from a small table, opened it and approached the birdcage.

The blue bird stopped scratching and rushed in front of Sovieshu, opening its beak immediately.

Sovieshu examined the playful bird as he poured some of the food from the box into the feeder.

It was still a little thin, but now it had nice plumage.

Sovieshu smiled bitterly as he watched the bird eat from the feeder impatiently.

This bird, which he had tried to give to Navier but had been sent back, now became his little peace.

And he was disappointed to conclude that it was Rashta who plucked the feathers of this lovely bird.

How could she do that to such a weak and delicate bird?

“After…”

“I am listening, Your Majesty.”

“After the baby is born, I will assign a nanny to take care of it.”

“What?”

“I will need someone to take care of the baby when I can’t.”

“Hmm…”

“I’ll have to start reading parenting books.”

“…”

“Babies are small and weak.”

The secretary was silent as he could not understand Sovieshu’s thoughts.

Won’t Rashta take care of the baby when His Majesty is busy? Does that mean that the nanny will take care of the baby when His Majesty can’t and the rest of the time he will do it on his own? Does His Majesty want to take over his child’s upbringing entirely?

Several questions were about to come out of his mouth, but he managed to remain silent.

The secretary was puzzled.

The imperial family, like the nobility, was not primarily responsible for child rearing. The responsibility usually fell to the nanny.

In any case, Sovieshu would not change his mind because of his secretary’s opinion.

“What about the slave certificate? Haven’t found it yet?”

“My apologies. It would be easy to find if I could count on the help of many people, but that is not possible, so progress is not as fast as might be expected, Your Majesty.”

“You must get it as soon as possible. As soon as possible.”

Once the secretary left, Sovieshu stuck his fingers through the birdcage and stroked the bird for a moment before sitting down on his bed.

With his forehead resting on his clasped hands, he closed his eyes and suppressed his anxiety.

He had saved Rivetti because he knew of the crimes Rashta had committed, but also to keep Viscount Roteschu’s mouth shut.

Besides, he had several plans in case the slave certificate came to light, but it would be best to find it and destroy it.

As Sovieshu lay in bed for a while, pressing his temples with his fingers, he heard an unexpected voice,

“Your Majesty, the Empress is going into premature labor!”

Sovieshu jumped up. Premature labor?

When he opened the door and stepped out into the drawing room, he saw that his assistant had an expression that made it difficult to tell whether he was happy or concerned.

However, Sovieshu belatedly understood the situation.

“Premature labor!”

At that instant, Sovieshu hurried out and ran straight to the West Palace.

***

After two deliveries, Rashta realized that the pain was the same no matter where she gave birth.

Rashta cried out and writhed with her hands on her belly from the pain, while she felt her insides shudder.

The pain, which seemed to never end, slowly lessened after a few hours. Rashta eventually began to gasp with her whole body drenched in sweat.

‘It must be a boy.’

Rashta thought as she lay limply on the bed.

‘It has to be a boy.’

When she had a special relationship with Sovieshu, she didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl, but now the situation had changed.

It had to be a boy. There would be no second chance.

At Rashta’s side (beside Rashta), Viscountess Verdi exclaimed with joy,

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it’s a really beautiful baby!”

Rashta didn’t have the strength to answer, so she just turned her head to the Viscountess’s side. She blinked several times, trying to clear her blurred vision.

Viscountess Verdi held the baby wrapped in a soft cloth.

The baby’s cries spread throughout the room.

Meanwhile, the maids brought a basin of warm water and a couple of small towels to clean Rashta’s body.

“And the baby?”

Rashta asked Viscountess Verdi in a weak voice.

“Is it a boy?”

Rashta clearly saw how Viscountess Verdi’s smile turned rigid in an instant.

“So it’s a girl,” Rashta muttered in a daze, “A girl.”

Her vision blurred again. Rashta closed her eyes tightly and bit her lips in an attempt to hold back tears.

‘This can’t be. It had to be a boy.’

A deep sense of despair slowly rose within her as if she was sinking into a slimy swamp.

Rashta clutched her head with both hands as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Uh…”

For both the baby’s sake and her own sake, it definitely had to be a boy.

But it turned out to be a girl.

Rashta shuddered with vague anxiety.

The labor pains subsided, but now her heart ached.

“Your Majesty. Look at the baby.”

Viscountess Verdi tried to hand her the baby, but Rashta shook her head and waved her hand.

“Later.”

Now she was so disappointed that she didn’t want to look at the baby.

“I’ll hold her later.”

When the baby began to cry again, Viscountess Verdi rocked her in her arms to try to calm her.

At that moment, a maid ran up and asked Rashta.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor asked me to ask if he may come in.”

“Has the Emperor come?”

“The Emperor has been waiting at the door for hours.”

Rashta rubbed her eyes, stretched her arms and said to Viscountess Verdi,

“Give me the baby.”

In Rashta’s arms, the baby calmed down in an instant.

“Tell His Majesty to come in.”

The baby waved her tiny hands as if she could recognize her mother.

A deep love for the baby and intense disappointment. These two contrary feelings made Rashta cry again.

“Rashta?”

Sovieshu uttered Rashta’s name in surprise as he entered the room.

Rashta struggled to suppress her tears and smiled at Sovieshu.

“Your Majesty, she is a truly beautiful baby.”

Sovieshu quickly approached the baby and held her in his arms.

“Beautiful… a beautiful girl.” Rashta repeated.

Sovieshu’s face lit up when he saw the baby, but Rashta didn’t notice because she was wiping her tears.

Sovieshu held the baby carefully in his arms, a little nervous not knowing where he should put his hands.

Perhaps the baby was too small because she was premature.

However, Sovieshu looked at the baby’s wrinkled skin lovingly.

He too could not contain himself and tears came to his eyes.

To protect this baby, he divorced the woman he loved most.

For the sake of this baby.

“Your Majesty, you must hold her this way.”

Viscountess Verdi showed him how to do it.

“Is that all right?”

“Yes.”

Sovieshu properly held the baby in his arms, and carefully caressed her red, wrinkled skin with his large hands.