AFRPR 65

Episode 65

Alice’s lips, which had been curved in a smile, flattened into a straight line.

Facing her indifferent gaze, Madam Alt became flustered.

“Is that all you have to say? If you plan to keep rambling on, leave.”

“Your Highness!”

Alice turned her head sharply.

The good mood from earlier had quickly cooled, and the other young ladies tactfully tried to change the subject.

“Your Highness, did you know DNA tests are all the rage these days?”

Ever since Estelle’s real father had found her through a DNA test and turned his life around, many people had started dreaming of suddenly becoming rich.

That desire had grown so much that Doctor Jerry had also become famous.

“Some foolish commoners even go into huge debt just to take the test.”

“They think bloodlines are like winning the lottery?”

“Exactly! And apparently, a lot of them really do turn out to be related.”

“Shows there are plenty of nobles who recklessly father illegitimate children. Not that it has anything to do with me.”

“Of course! You’re the only princess of the imperial family!”

Haha.

Thankfully, Alice seemed interested in the new topic, and the atmosphere warmed again…

Sniffle.

…or almost did, until Madam Alt’s quiet sobs broke in.

Alice raised an eyebrow.

“I’m getting a headache.”

“My parents know a skilled pharmacist—should I introduce you?”

“No. I just didn’t sleep enough. I only meant to drop by for a short while anyway, so you can all go now.”

“Your Highness!”

The young ladies tried to persuade her to stay, but Alice waved them off and left first.

Once she was gone, the awkwardly silent group was interrupted by Madam Alt’s sudden sobbing.

“I only spoke for Her Highness’s sake!”

“We know you meant well.”

The others patted her awkwardly.

“If Prince Cesar hadn’t run off with some commoner instead of marrying his fiancée, Her Highness wouldn’t be so arrogant now.”

Not realizing how inappropriate she was being, Madam Alt bit her lip.

The others tried half-heartedly to soothe her, which she took as them being on her side.

“Let’s not talk about that. It’s not a pleasant subject.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, it’s just that—”

“Everyone knows His Majesty strictly controlled Prince Cesar’s every move!”

It was said the Emperor even dictated how the Prince should breathe.

And yet, the prince had run away with a commoner lover—only to die in a magical beast attack.

With no body ever recovered, it was one of the greatest tragedies of the imperial family.

“Madam Alt, you’re getting worked up. You should go home now.”

The ladies hurried to guide her away.

“If only the Prince were to come back alive…”

“Madam, that’s impossible! His funeral was years ago!”

They tried to hush her, but she, now desperate, blurted out:

“Who knows? Maybe a hidden child of the Prince will appear. That would be wonderful.”

It was the harshest curse she could throw at Alice.

A few days later.

“Your Majesty! This child is Prince Cesar’s son!”

Coincidentally, a woman had shown up with a boy.

Seven years after Prince Cesar’s death, a supposed son had appeared.

The woman claimed the boy was born from her relationship with the prince before his death.

Naturally, the entire palace was thrown into chaos.

“This is obviously a lie! How could he suddenly have a son now?”

“Even if they did have a child, it’s ridiculous to think she left him with someone else before the Prince died.”

The ministers argued there was no way her story could be true.

“Your Majesty, have you seen the boy’s face?”

The Emperor nodded.

Unable to coldly turn them away, he had allowed the woman and child into the palace.

He had only watched from afar, but that was enough for him to notice something.

“He looks quite a bit like Cesar.”

For the Emperor, Cesar was a painful memory.

He had tried to raise him as the perfect heir by forcing perfection on him, but that had led to irreversible tragedy.

Having lost his son, the Emperor had been living with an unfillable hole in his heart for seven years.

It was only natural that seeing even a small resemblance to Cesar in the boy would stir his emotions.

“I can’t help thinking he might really be Cesar’s child.”

“Then let’s use the holy relic, Libra, to find out!”

“Libra is too subjective! Regardless of its authenticity, if the user believes something is true, it will confirm it as truth.”

“Exactly! That’s why it’s used so cautiously.”

As agreement spread, someone offered another solution.

“Your Majesty, what about a paternity test?”

Everyone turned to the speaker—Duke Lennox—looking surprised.

“My wife found her father through a paternity test. Right now, I believe it’s the most reliable method.”

Recently, Lennox had been in and out of the palace over the Bellonsa Count’s tax evasion case, and he had been dragged into today’s meeting by chance.

“I was going to suggest the same,” another minister agreed.

It was rare for someone to side with the powerful Duke of Winterlen, so the room felt oddly tense.

The mood shifted toward agreeing to the test.

The Emperor, after hearing the opinions, nodded.

“Summon Doctor Jerry. He said only hair is needed?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Fortunately, I still have a lock of Cesar’s hair, kept safe all this time.”

“Then the test can proceed smoothly!”

“We’ll arrange the date as soon as possible.”

While the ministers talked excitedly, Lennox recalled a conversation with Estelle.

“Do you think Tom is really my father?”

“No.”

He had answered honestly—it just didn’t seem possible.

“But that test has legal weight.”

He had already quietly asked the Tower Master to check whether the test was truly accurate.
He didn’t mention it, not wanting Estelle to think he often interacted with the Tower Master.

“I heard a boy claiming to be Prince Cesar’s son has appeared. I—”

With her words in mind, Lennox spoke again.

“Let’s make the test public.”

“In public, Duke?”

“Yes. Gather commoners and nobles alike in the amphitheater and let them witness it.”

“That’s not a joke—you want to make a royal child a spectacle?!”

“If we do it privately and simply announce the result later, even if the boy is legitimate, people will still harp on the fact that he’s half commoner and born out of wedlock.”

“…”

“But people believe what they see with their own eyes. Even if he’s attacked, public opinion will form in his favor.”

After all, once everyone had seen for themselves that he was royal blood, some would think, What does it matter?

It would also give the Emperor a chance to openly show his affection for his long-lost grandson—if the boy was real.

“But if he’s not the Prince’s son, the fallout will be huge. Can you handle that?”

“If he’s publicly exposed, no other scammer will dare approach the royal family again.”

Lennox shrugged.

He remembered Estelle’s words:

[Let’s make it a big event first.]

A child of Cesar.

It was something that hadn’t happened in the previous life.

Even Lennox, who had lived twice, couldn’t predict the outcome.