Ch.393Chapter 393 – Mother is Strong

A woman with a heavily pregnant belly was racing through the imperial palace of the Gelebrio Empire without hesitation.

Maids of the palace were clinging to her sides.

“Grand Duchess! You shouldn’t be moving around!”

“Says who? I’m going to the audience chamber, so don’t get in my way!”

She was Karen, Pathos’s wife, known to the public as the Grand Duchess of Aurelion.

There was a reason she was heading to the audience chamber now.

‘He just returned, and they’re sending him away on that long journey again?’

It was because her father, Decatro IV, was planning to dispatch Pathos to the north.

She was already six months pregnant, and her children needed their father.

Karen knew how the babies in her womb reacted differently when Pathos was by her side versus when he was away.

When Pathos was with her, the children seemed to sense their father’s presence and remained calm.

But when Pathos was absent, it was as if they developed separation anxiety, constantly squirming in her womb.

For now, they had somewhat adapted and were staying still, but who knew when the children in her womb would start fussing again.

“He’s returned?”

“Yes, Grand Duchess. The Grand Duke has returned from his southern expedition.”

“Is he coming straight home?”

“Well, I heard he’s going to the imperial palace to have an audience with His Majesty…”

“What?”

He’s going to the palace instead of coming home?

Well, she could understand that much. Though they were father-in-law and son-in-law, they were also emperor and grand duke.

In the relationship between sovereign and subject, a subject must follow the monarch’s words unless it’s truly urgent.

Karen could understand that much, even if reluctantly.

“What? Mother, what do you mean?”

“It seems His Majesty intends to send the Grand Duke of Aurelion to the north.”

Someone who just returned after two months… is being sent to the north again? The north?

Unlike the south, the northern roads were treacherous, requiring at least two months of travel.

By the time he returned, it would be time for the baby to be born.

How could they make him stay away for six months while his wife was pregnant?

If others found out about this, the emperor would be severely criticized by the women of the empire, especially mothers.

“This is absurd. I need to see Father.”

Karen couldn’t bear it anymore and called for a carriage to head to the palace.

Making her live alone for two months was one thing, but she couldn’t tolerate the idea of being left alone until the child was born.

Shouldn’t he at least be able to witness the moment his child is born?

As Karen entered the palace, her face was contorted with fury.

“Loyalty!”

Even the guards at the palace entrance were so frightened by Karen’s angry appearance that they let her pass without issue.

As she entered the palace, the maids assigned to her rushed to her side.

This was because Karen was carrying the emperor’s grandchildren.

“Grand Duchess! You shouldn’t move so quickly during pregnancy!”

“The audience chamber is this way, right?”

“Grand Duchess! You shouldn’t do this!”

“I guess that’s a yes. Don’t interfere and get out of my way.”

Despite the maids’ attempts to stop her, Karen strode purposefully toward the audience chamber.

When she opened the door and entered, she saw Pathos about to respond and Decatro IV watching him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Karen’s booming shout echoed through the audience chamber, startling both Pathos and Decatro IV.

“K-Karen! You shouldn’t be moving around so hastily in your condition—”

“Father! This is going too far!”

Having entered the audience chamber, Karen began confronting Decatro IV without observing proper etiquette.

“W-well…”

“You know I’m pregnant. I’ve repeatedly told you that even with maids helping me, my husband needs to be by my side! I told you it’s even harder because there are two babies, not one!”

Decatro IV was especially shocked because this was the first time he had seen his eldest daughter come to confront him like this.

“So, what happened was…”

“Did I ask for something difficult? At least wait until after the babies are born. I can already feel the babies getting anxious when their father is away, so why do you keep sending the head of the household out to suffer? You can do that because you’re the emperor of the empire. But Pathos isn’t. This person should be allowed to stay quietly at home! He defeated the demon lord, didn’t he? He made the world safer, didn’t he? He even cured your baldness, didn’t he? He’s done everything, so why do you keep making him suffer?!”

“Kuhek!”

Decatro IV felt dizzy from Karen’s relentless attack, delivered without pausing for breath.

But at the same time, he felt proud of Karen.

To think that his beloved eldest daughter would stand up so boldly and speak her mind for someone else’s sake!

Moreover, he was the emperor of the empire. With just a word from him, Karen could immediately lose her status as a member of the imperial family.

Yet Decatro IV quietly listened to what she had to say.

Who was it that sent away the son-in-law who had the important mission of caring for his wife, who was pregnant with precious grandchildren?

It was none other than himself. So naturally, he had nothing to say in his defense.

“Hmm, I was too focused on my own thoughts. I’m sorry, Karen.”

“Haa, Father. You may be the emperor of the empire, but soon you’ll be the grandfather of two grandchildren. What will you do when your grandchildren ask you to play with them, and you say you can’t because you’re busy or have to run the country?”

“That’s why I’m diligently training Takitar, isn’t it? I need to pass the throne to him quickly. Only then can I spend time with our little darlings.”

“That’s right. So please stop making Pathos wander around outside. He prefers resting at home rather than traveling outside.”

When Pathos heard this, he quietly cheered in his heart.

‘That’s my Karen. She really understands me.’

Long-distance missions were a hardship for him, as he preferred staying comfortably at home rather than going outside.

“But Karen, this time I truly need your husband’s strength.”

“What could possibly be so important?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you the details. But I can promise you one thing.”

“What are you promising?”

Decatro IV cleared his throat with a slight cough.

“After this matter is resolved, I will never again call upon your husband for matters related to imperial governance. This will be recorded as an imperial decree.”

A declaration that he would no longer call upon Pathos for matters related to state affairs.

If misinterpreted, this could be seen as ‘the emperor has lost faith in the Grand Duke of Aurelion.’

“The Grand Duke of Aurelion has dedicated himself to the empire, and it would be wrong to burden him further with the empire’s weighty affairs. Therefore, I hereby forbid seeking his assistance in all major state matters so that he may rest. Unless he voluntarily offers his help first, I forbid anyone from approaching him to seek assistance.”

But Decatro IV included in the imperial decree why he was prohibiting people from seeking help from him.

That it would be too unfair to place another burden on him after all his hard work.

“This shall be recorded as an imperial decree. This decree shall take effect from the day the Grand Duke of Aurelion returns from resolving the northern matter. Is this satisfactory?”

“…I understand. If you go that far, I have no choice.”

Karen’s heart finally softened a bit when Decatro IV used an imperial decree to prohibit seeking Pathos’s help.

“This matter cannot be helped. It’s something only he can resolve.”

With that, he looked at Pathos as if telling him to explain.

Having received this hot potato from Decatro IV, Pathos looked at Karen and spoke.

“I’ll explain when we get home.”

“Tell me here.”

“It’s an issue I need to discuss with the other wives too, not just you.”

“…Then I have no choice. Here.”

Karen extended her hand to Pathos.

“My legs hurt from running all the way here, so I’d appreciate some support.”

“I’d be happy to help.”

Pathos took Karen’s hand and, as they left the audience chamber, gave a slight bow to Decatro IV.

Decatro IV, looking as if he had aged ten years, nodded his head, permitting him to leave the audience chamber.

After Pathos and Karen left, Decatro IV let out a sigh.

“Sigh, I hope my grandchildren don’t inherit that temperament… My poor son-in-law.”

Thinking of his grandchildren who would be born in four months, he sincerely hoped they wouldn’t inherit Karen’s temperament.

“You’ve been gone for two months, so you’ll have to make up for those two months!”

“T-that’s a bit…”

“Come on, hurry up and get it up!”

And contrary to Decatro IV’s concerns, Pathos was having a difficult day in a different sense.