When I Took Back My Beloved Child Who Had Been Taken From Me, My Husband's Obsessive Love Began. Why? - Episode 36

Claudine pushes aside the maid who had been told to say that Leoldo is currently napping and enters.

Lucienne, with surprise, welcomed Claudine, who was approaching unconsciously.

“I don’t like it, Lucy. It’s precisely because His Highness is asleep that I can talk to you.”

“……Do you want to talk to me?”

“Yes, of course. It’s about the future. I heard that you weren’t accompanying His Highness for his nap today, so I hurried over thinking we could finally talk.”

Hearing Claudine’s words, Lucienne’s eyes widened.

I always accompany Leoldo during his naps, but today, only Craig, besides the people assigned to this room, knows that it’s different.

Even the guards outside shouldn’t know, and Lucienne was shocked, once again realizing the intimacy between the two.

Lucienne might have already been informed that she intends to return to the empress’s room.

“…If you promise not to raise your voice, go ahead.”

“Oh, of course. I don’t intend to have a long conversation.”

Lucienne reluctantly guided Claudine to the sofa in the living room.

Claudine, not only with her words but also with her attitude, sat down on the sofa with an air of ownership and even placed an order for tea leaves with the waiting maid.

The maid glanced at Lucienne but quickly lowered her eyes and entered the waiting room.

It seems that Claudine takes precedence over Lucienne’s orders.

Lucienne wasn’t irritated by it, but she waited without showing it, curious about what Claudine’s short story was about.

“So, what does that mean?”

“Well, aren’t you quite cold? Are you being so bold because you can still hold the position of Empress even with His Majesty’s return?”

“As a mother, I can become strong to protect my child.”

“Leaving me alone for over two years? Coming back now and pretending to be a mother is so shameless. The prince is just getting attached because it’s rare to have a mother around. You shouldn’t get carried away.”

“Is that a long story?”

“Oh, no, that’s not right.”

Of course, I knew it was different, but Lucienne dared to ask.

No matter what Claudine says, I have no intention of backing down.

From now on, Craig has also acknowledged that I will be by Leoldo’s side.

Even if she were to be ousted from her position as empress, Claudine didn’t care about remarrying Craig.

That said, to be honest, it’s really tough.

I can’t stay holed up in Leoldo’s room like this forever, but that doesn’t mean I can take Leoldo to the detached palace either.

Perhaps, Craig’s earlier question—asking if I intended to return to the empress’s room—was to give something to Claudine?

That room is called the Empress’s room because it is adjacent to the Emperor’s room, but it is not exclusively for the Empress’s use.

In the past, it seems that many emperors have given their beloved concubines such privileges. — Whether or not an empress existed.

Neither Lucienne nor Claudine continued their conversation when the maid arrived, but they did not break their smiles.

The maid placed the cup between the two and, without hiding her curiosity, glanced at them repeatedly.

However, since both Lucienne and Claudine began drinking tea in silence, they gave up and returned to the waiting room.

After a while, Claudine places her cup first.

“Well then, shall we get to the main topic?”

“— Please.”

Lucienne, still smiling, slowly placed the cup down and tilted her head slightly as if to encourage.

The empress is Lucienne, and her status is overwhelmingly higher than that of Claudine, who is merely a marquis’s daughter.

Unlike before, just because she’s my cousin, I don’t hold back or consider her.

From the words that Leoldo occasionally let slip, it was clear that Claudine was having a negative influence, and Lucienne couldn’t forgive that.

No matter how exceptional Leoldo is, he is still only two years old.

Since Lucienne couldn’t be by my side, I believed that Claudine was treating me with affection, just as the rumors suggested.

That’s why I thought it was the “Thank you for giving birth” comment from about a year ago.

However, it seems that not only did they not take care of him, but they hardly ever came to see him either.

Nevertheless, Lucienne’s dismissal of the nurse and caretaker she had chosen was probably just a form of harassment and a way to spread rumors favorable to Claudine.

The public supports the marquis’s daughter who diligently takes care of the child abandoned by the empress.

Even now, the strong support for Claudine within the imperial palace was partly because Lucienne did not make an appearance.

However, for Lucienne, both public rumors and support are of no concern.

As long as Leoldo grows up healthy, I didn’t mind being a fake empress.

Lucienne, who seems to have such a calm demeanor, makes Claudine look quite irritated.

Erasing the smile from her lovely face, she raised her well-shaped eyebrows and glared at Lucienne.

“You can afford to be relaxed for now. After all, His Majesty loves me.”

“So?”

It seemed that Claudine was more unsettled than Lucienne, who showed no signs of being disturbed.

For a moment, he seemed taken aback, but he quickly changed his expression to a smug smile and continued.

“So, you’re just a figurehead empress. His Highness is fond of you, so His Majesty reluctantly keeps you on the throne.”

“What’s the problem with that? If you and His Majesty are in love, then by all means, spend time together as his concubine. Well, it seems His Majesty has been quite busy lately and doesn’t have much time for that anyway.”

Any time you can spare, you use it for Leoldo.

Lucienne, who knew that, smiled brightly and said.

Even if Craig and Claudine are actually in love, I have known that for a long time.

It was no longer about getting hurt; what mattered to Lucienne was that Craig loved Leoldo.

And being able to be by Leoldo’s side.

“Could it be that that’s all there is to the story?”

“J-Just that… isn’t it pathetic? You’ll never be able to win His Majesty’s heart, no matter how long you live.”

“Even so, I was able to have Leoldo. I think that alone has brought me a lifetime of happiness.”

“I can’t believe it! You say you don’t care about His Majesty!?”

“Could you lower your voice? Leoldo will wake up.”

Thinking that it might be distorted again when conveyed to Craig, Lucienne didn’t answer and instead worried about Leoldo.

Claudine unleashed her magic, infused with anger, but it had no effect on Lucienne, nor did it wake Leoldo.

That alone shows how weak Claudine’s magic is.

“Anyway, if that’s all there is to the story, it’s about time for Leoldo to wake up, so could you please leave?”

“Lucienne… you…”

Claudine stood up, trembling with anger.

Lucienne instinctively braced herself, but Claudine merely looked down at her with a grotesquely twisted face.

If there hadn’t been a table between us, they might have reached out.

Lucienne also stood up, met his gaze, and smiled again.

“Is seeing off necessary?”

“That’s enough!”

Spitting out the words, Claudine turned on her heel and left the room.

Lucienne let out a sigh of relief, sat down on the sofa, and drank the remaining tea.

I am filled with a sense of fulfillment as if I have finally defeated Claudine.

I never intended to fight until now, but deep down, I probably had a sense of rivalry.

Realizing such a thing about herself, Lucienne mocked herself.