The Emperor who loves me dearly - Chapter 111

Two years ago, after Astrid thought that her twin sister was taken care of Logan, she wept hard that day, she was still a part of her after all, the sibling which came in from the same mother and father.

“Sister Astrid!” a little girl went running towards her, it was Claudia, her younger half-sister.

“Why are you crying?” she asked in his usual high-pitched voice, her braces showing each time she speaks. The sapphire like eyes welcomed Astrid’s.

Shoving the teardrops away, she kneels down to hug her younger sister, “Why are you here? Are you not enjoying the banquet?”

“I left when the woman who looks like you were taken by the guards, she’s pitiful sister,” she said, her face formed a pout afterward.

“She looks like you a little bit, right? You saw her too sister! You two have golden hair, I wish I had that same color” she continued speaking, “But for me, you are much prettier!” she retracted her words, wanting to brighten Astrid’s mood. Her sister has been good to her ever since, not getting angry at her for having blabbermouth and being clumsy.

Patting her head, Astrid began to show her perfectly white teeth, the sadness she felt knowing that her twin sister is now gone was replaced by a bud of joy due to Claudia’s presence.  She wishes for them to meet, but she guessed it’s impossible now right?

Days passed by, Logan’s shadow can’t be seen throughout the palace, Conrad and Esmeralda already arranged a press conference to disclose the twin’s identity. Wearing a long teal gown, with the twins by her side, they were ready. Talking the twins to agree that they will silently nod to everything she says, she felt at ease, these children, after all, are the last trace of her sister, Celestia.

An expert reporter from Star inquirer asked Astrid without prolonging anymore, “Your highness, why did you hide your children’s identity for four years?” the man in glasses inquired.

She expertly maneuvers one of her practiced smiles, “As we all have known, there’s a rebellious group named, ‘Dark Cartel’ that has been lingering around and sending death threat for many years now” the reporters remained silent, waiting for the empress to continue. “The terrorists are expanding as time goes by, they’re the reason why our current emperor today, His Majesty, Logan Daxon Fergus went missing four years ago”

“At that time, when he went missing, I made a vow to myself, if he returned safely, I will make sure that our future children will be held in discreet for a little while” her red lips, opening as she continues to explain.

The crowds can’t help but sympathize with their loving empress, they felt her anxiousness when the emperor went missing four years ago. Although in the duration where the emperor is missing, the public was clueless about the information because the emperor’s proxy went to pretend to be him. The citizens only came to know about it after he returned two months later.

“And so, let’s welcome, the Theavarian’s empire successors, my twins, Aiden and Eden” the flash almost blinded them, upon the entrance of the two heirs, the reporters started clicking their cameras in haste. This will be in the headline for a couple of weeks, “Just in: The Emperor’s twins, revealed!”

The toddlers are being carried by their personal nanny’s, Eden is adjusting her black glasses as she looks at the crowd, trying to find her true mother. If only she’s smarter, maybe she can track down her beloved mom. On the other hand, Aiden giggled in front of the camera, his mind still too young to comprehend what’s happening. But his mother says to always smile when meeting other people, so here he is, smiling on the crowd.

The twins awed the audience, capturing every person’s heart, Aiden, the jolly one and Eden the aloof one, what a tandem!

After many minutes of picture taking and smiles, the reporters were able to recover and proceed with the next question.

“Your Majesty! Another question, do His Highness, Logan Daxon Ruwedor Fergus loved you? If yes, then why did he release the cure?”

This question made Astrid’s perfect smile fade away, she was too dumbstruck and torn between answering the question truthfully or not. But what her mother told her, act as if she is Celestia, act as if she’s the one whom Logan loved.

‘Sorry sister, but since you are gone in this world, I will occupy your identity too, it was supposed to be mine, to begin with’

After a few silent moments, Astrid opened her red lips slowly, “His Highness loves me so much, he just wants the citizens of the Theavarian empire to be more efficient in their work, and by the use of cure, one will be more productive in his work” her voice like calming waters soothed the audience’s uneasiness.

She managed to fool the whole empire that day but Astrid Vega knew the truth, it was never been her.

Now, she’s unsure if it’s Celestia who stole everything from her, or is it her, who stole everything from Celestia1, her children and Logan’s affection.

Signaling the host that she must go, she waved one more time to her people.

“That concludes the conference for today, thank you for your time, everyone! Especially for our beloved empress, Astrid Vega Fergus”

The reporters took one last picture of Astrid, their eyes gleaming with adoration.

“Long live the empress!” one even shouted, imitating those who lived in the ancient past, this earned him a chuckle from Astrid.

“Until next time, everyone!” she replied one last time before exiting.

“Your Highness, where have you been?” she asked worriedly. Logan hasn’t returned home for three weeks after the banquet.

The man ignored her, not even a glimpse was given to the dainty woman who is wearing black silk lingerie, her cleavage exposing every time she moves.

Finally! He returned in their bedchamber.

He grabs some files hidden in a secret vault underground, and said, “I’m quite busy, I needed these files for the new drug we are developing” was the only thing the escaped his mouth.

“But what about our honeymoon? You never touched me” Astrid replied, sulking.

“We already have an heir, there’s no need for that anymore” the emperor replied in his icy voice. “If you want to satisfy yourself, you can hire another man to do so” he added before closing the door.

What he said crushed Astrid’s heart into pieces.

“WHAT’S THE MEANING OF BECOMING YOUR WIFE IF EVEN YOUR BODY I CAN’T HAVE?!” she screamed frustratedly as she began throwing everything that her eyes sees–pillow, lamp, and even the framed picture of her marriage, the one she painted for weeks.

Getting her mobile phone, she hurriedly dialed the only person who will always help her, ‘this is what you want Logan, do not blame me for being unfaithful to you!’

After three rings, the person from the other line answered.

“Astrid, what’s up?” it was midnight and the phone ring has awoken him.

“Where are you? C-can I go there?”

The man stands up, what is Astrid planning? Yawning for a bit more, he groggily replied, “Sure” even though the Alutia empire is a four hours flight from Theavarian.

Astrid hurriedly went off, grabbing only her white trench coat, she did not even clean the mess she made in the room.

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“Are you sure about this, Astrid?”

Grayson Rowan voice occupied the whole room, his brown tantalizing eyes and chiseled jaw made Astrid gulped nervously, why is it only now she realizes how attractive Grayson is?

She handles the contract which is freshly signed.

“Y-yes,” she replied while looking down, “Then you must keep in mind the rules,” Grayson said, standing up from his swivel chair.

“Number one, no one will know about this contract, not even Brielle,” he said, closing the distance, lifting Astrid’s chin and making her look into his bright brown eyes.

“Number two, you will come here only when I permitted you to do so” his rough hands tucking some of Astrid’s loose hair.

“And lastly, no strings attached” he finalized before sealing their contract with a kiss, thus, the start of their dirty little secret.

She was an empress of the Theavarian Empire yet her body belongs to the emperor of Alutia Empire.