Remarried Empress

a few years, the princess could save her.
Or perhaps Duke Elgy could come to her rescue, just as Emperor Heinley had rescued Navier.

‘Duke Elgy?’

Rashta looked up at a temple pillar with a frown.

‘Could it be because I just thought of him? How could Duke Elgy be here?’

Rashta saw a man who looked like Duke Elgy pass behind a pillar.

When Rashta stopped to stare, a knight called out to her in bewilderment.

“Empress?”

“Wait a moment.”

Rashta walked to where she saw Duke Elgy.

However, Duke Elgy was not there.
There was only a priest sweeping.

“Has no one passed this way?”

At Rashta’s question, the priest answered quietly.

“No, I’ve been here sweeping alone.”

“… Thank you.”

It may not have been Duke Elgy, but Rashta was sure she had seen a man pass this way.
Although she found it strange, she turned around and thought.

‘Maybe the man I saw was this priest.
Don’t his clothes flutter just like Duke Elgy’s? Besides, priests do not lie.’

“Your Majesty, you must hurry, the Emperor is waiting for you.” Said the knight coldly, as he believed that Rashta was delaying on purpose.

Rashta nodded, and headed to the place where the paternity test would be conducted.

Sovieshu and Viscountess Verdi, who had come in another carriage, were already there.

As soon as her eyes met Sovieshu’s, she remembered Navier’s painting in his bedroom.
Rashta could not bear it and turned her gaze to the princess in the Viscountess’ arms.

The princess smiled sweetly at Rashta.
When Rashta also smiled and waved at her, the princess laughed.

The baby seemed to recognize her mother.
Rashta’s eyes filled with tears as she felt her heart break, but she bit her lip to hold back the tears.

Soon everyone who doubted the princess would have to shut their mouths and bury their heads in the ground.

She had been a crybaby before, but now she didn’t want to satisfy the nobles who longed to see her suffer.

“Stand here.”

At the test site stood a lectern-like structure with two plates placed on top of it.
The priest directed the Emperor and the Empress to stand on either side.

Sovieshu took the baby from Viscountess Verdi’s arms and stood where the priest indicated.
Rashta approached hesitantly.

Ironically, their positions were similar to when they sealed their wedding vows.

The priest in charge explained what they needed to do.

“Just drop some of your blood into this plate.
I will hold the princess.”

One plate was already filled with a clear liquid, and the other was empty.

Sovieshu handed the princess to the priest, pricked the tip of his thumb with a dagger, and dropped his blood on the empty plate.

Rashta did not dare to prick a finger, so she extended her hand to Sovieshu.

On that hand, Rashta still had wounds from when she, herself, hit it against the floor.

Sovieshu hesitated for a moment, but quickly grabbed Rashta’s wrist, lightly pricked her thumb and made the blood drip onto his own.

As the blood of the two mixed, the priest poured some of the clear liquid from the other plate into the plate of blood.
Then, he gently pricked the baby’s thumb with a special tool.
The princess burst into tears as she felt a sharp pain.

As the blood flowed from the princess’s finger, Sovieshu frowned sadly.

The baby’s cry echoed terribly in the silent temple.

Everyone present held their breath as they watched the priest drop the blood from inside the special tool onto the plate.

When the blood of the three mixed with the special liquid, bubbles formed.

If the Princess was the daughter of the two, the mixed blood would clear up until it disappeared.
If not, the viscous blood would remain.

After a while, the priest finally declared with a pale face,

“The Princess is not the daughter of Emperor Sovieshu!”