NOVPUB
Chapter 269: Emperor Durand’s Stance
Hearing the emperor’s question, Irene felt so nervous that she feared someone like him might know about her true relationship with Aldrian. She didn’t know what Emperor Durand would do if that became known, so she wanted to speak further to try to conceal her connection to Aldrian.
However, Aldrian simply grasped her hand, and smiled. He gave his mother a reassuring look before turning his gaze back to Emperor Durand. The look he gave her was one full of confidence, as if to say that nothing would happen as long as he was there. Irene’s heart calmed down a little, though she remained very nervous.
Aldrian was silent for a moment before finally answering.
"Yes, we have."
Emperor Durand’s heart shuddered. To think that his suspicion was correct—and if so, then the other thought lingering in his mind, might also be true.
"Are... are you her son?" Emperor Durand asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes," Aldrian replied, his answer unwavering.
Irene, who also heard it, grabbed Aldrian’s arm and clutched it tightly. She looked at the emperor’s shocked face, anxiously waiting for his judgment. But even after a minute, the emperor said nothing, his eyes darting back and forth between Aldrian and Irene. Only after another moment did he finally speak again.
"Truly unbelievable. How did this happen? Wait, let me think about it," Emperor Durand talked to himself. The news was truly shocking, and his mind seemed to short-circuit for a moment.
The man who had shaken the entire continent with his achievements and all those incredible feats was a descendant of his empire?
No wonder. No wonder he had come to the Rivas Grand Duchy to join the war. No wonder his actions seemed so closely tied to the Rivas family. All the missing pieces finally clicked into place in his mind.
"Since when did Miss Irene have Aldrian? If she was pregnant and Grand Duke Rivas never saw Aldrian, then she must have been away for a long time. The only time she was gone long enough for a pregnancy was when she was trapped inside the Everlasting Silent Forest. Ah, I see—it must have been there that Miss Irene had Aldrian."
But then he realized something absurd.
"If it was that time, doesn’t that make young Aldrian’s age now around 15 or 16? How is that possible? He’s already so powerful at this age! I thought he was at least decades older, with a genius talent never seen before!" He looked at Aldrian as if he were staring at a monster.
"Truly a terrifying existence. I’m glad he’s on our side."
But then, suddenly, he grinned. "Wait, doesn’t that mean our empire has a direct connection to Aldrian?" He grinned even wider at the prospect of Aldrian helping them.
Looking at the various expressions of the emperor, Irene thought Emperor Durand had gone crazy after learning that Aldrian was her son. As for Aldrian, he simply waited for the emperor to calm himself. He more or less understood what kind of thoughts were running through Emperor Durand’s mind.
After the emperor finally started to calm down, he looked at Irene and Aldrian again, but this time his gaze was noticeably warmer. His mood was elated after discovering Aldrian’s origin. Though Aldrian wasn’t of his family’s bloodline, it felt as if he were part of his own family.
This time, the Doria Empire had truly hit the jackpot!
"I apologize for my unsightly behavior earlier. I was simply overwhelmed by this revelation—it’s truly monumental news for our empire. I congratulate you, Miss Irene, on having someone like young Aldrian as your son. He is truly a hero of current generation and will undoubtedly leave his name in history," Emperor Durand said as he stood up.
Irene was stunned to hear the congratulatory words from Emperor Durand. He didn’t see it negatively at all? She had expected backlash from the emperor, but it seemed she had overthought the situation. However, she was still a little nervous because of Aldrian’s father’s identity. Would Emperor Durand react the same way after learning that Aldrian’s father was from a neighboring empire, and even from a noble family that rivaled her own?
Her worry deepened when Emperor Durand finally asked the question.
"Then, if I may ask, who is young Aldrian’s father? Once again, I won’t press you if you don’t wish to tell me," Emperor Durand said, still wearing his warm smile.
"My father is Aldrey Flamecrest from the Flamecrest family."
Silence...
Emperor Durand’s smile remained, but it grew awkward and rigid. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Emperor Durand finally spoke again.
"Sorry? Perhaps I heard that wrong. Could you say it again?"
"You’re not hearing wrong, Your Majesty. My father is Aldrey Flamecrest."
"Which Flamecrest?"
"There is no other Flamecrest family than that Flamecrest family, and there is no other Aldrey Flamecrest besides that," Aldrian answered with a calm expression.
A few minutes later, Emperor Durand slumped into his throne and covered his face.
"Rivas and Flamecrest? Truly unbelievable. How did this happen? Wait, no, I shouldn’t ask that. What did happen—Rivas and Flamecrest?" Emperor Durand then looked at Irene and Aldrian again. Irene had already clutched Aldrian’s arm so tightly, but despite the nervousness on her face, her gaze remained resolute, as though she was ready to protect Aldrian if things went south.
As for Aldrian, he simply looked back at Emperor Durand calmly. Aldrian knew that this could potentially cause a problem, but he had his own plan and was confident that the emperor would weigh his value more than the origins of his father. With all of his achievements and everything he had done for the imperial family and the Doria Empire, Emperor Durand would have to look at the bigger picture and swallow whatever displeasure he might have about Aldrian’s father’s origin.
Emperor Durand rubbed his face several times before finally looking at Irene and Aldrian.
"This would cause a huge ruckus in both our empires if it were made public. I assume Aldrey was also trapped in the same place as you, Miss Irene. To think that the two successors of rival families from two different empires could unite—how is that even possible? Miss Irene, you are truly bold. So, that’s why you didn’t tell Grand Duke Rivas about young Aldrian. If he knew his father’s origin, the Grand Duke would flip and likely storm the Flamecrest family instead."
"After all, young Aldrian was born out of wedlock. Many will have negative opinions about you, Miss Irene. Many nobles—no, many people in this empire—will start to question your integrity. I’m not saying this because I have a negative opinion of you, but this matter will blow up out of proportion if that old man in the Avandi imperial family and Grand Duke Flamecrest learn of it. We’re talking about two rival families that have been at odds for generations," Emperor Durand said. He touched his temple, massaging it as he already predicted the problems that would arise if Aldrian’s origin were to be made public.
"However, mark my words, young Aldrian and Miss Irene, I, as the Emperor of the Doria Empire, will always stand by your side. You can depend on me to help you if you ever need it," Emperor Durand assured.
Aldrian nodded in understanding at Emperor Durand’s words, as he had already anticipated this. That’s why he would need support from the imperial family to minimize the potential backlash in the future. From his understanding of Emperor Durand, he knew the emperor would accept this news more openly.
Most likely, the emperor would choose to side with Aldrian and disregard matters like family rivalry, just as Aldrian had guessed.
Hearing Emperor Durand’s reassuring words, Irene felt a sense of relief. She didn’t care about others’ opinions, but she wanted to avoid her own small family being viewed negatively by many. She looked at Aldrian, who stood beside her with his serene expression, unchanged as always.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your assurance is more than enough for me. As for the opinions of others regarding my parents, I will personally take care of it. I will make sure that neither my mother nor my father’s name is humiliated or stained by anyone, no matter who it may be," Aldrian said, his voice firm as he exuded an aura of might that seemed to rival that of the heavens.
The people throughout the entire palace could sense this aura. Many believed a heavenly tribulation was about to descend. Some even collapsed to the ground, too afraid to look upwards.
Aldrian then retracted his aura, but its effect lingered in Emperor Durand’s mind.
"Truly a terrifying existence. How can he exude the might of the heavens? How could those two have a son like Aldrian?" Emperor Durand thought, his expression solemn.
"I have to be careful not to attract trouble with him. That’s the last thing I want, especially during these uncertain times because of the prophecy."
Emperor Durand inwardly nodded, then remembered something. He turned his gaze toward Aldrian and Irene.
"Ah, regarding the Flamecrest family... I think I’ve heard something quite unpleasant from there, I must say."
