I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 235

Fortunately, the banquet was not as bad as Clive had expected. There were many reasons for this, but the most obvious one was that, just as he had anticipated, the Empress did not attend.

“I’m concerned to hear that she suddenly felt dizzy.”

“Now that you mention it, she also avoided the fish dishes last night.”

The ministers and nobles of the Sortenic Empire whispered among themselves as they sat at the table. A cautious sense of anticipation flickered on all their faces.

“Could it be… pregnancy?”

“We haven’t seen any signs of morning sickness, but dizziness and a weak stomach are early symptoms.”

There was no need to mention the Emperor and Empress’s strong bond, but strangely, they had not had a child for a long time. No matter how great a ruler one might be, failing to produce an heir often tarnishes their reputation.

Those who genuinely feared and respected Herix were concerned about this. Since it was unlikely that he would take a concubine, the situation was worrisome.

Yet, in this context, the news of the Empress’s health symptoms seemed to resemble early signs of pregnancy. How could hope not arise?

Among all the excited murmurs, the only one who remained gloomy was, of course, Johann.

‘If they all believe it, why isn’t there a child yet?’

Johann swallowed the truth he couldn’t share with anyone. The truth he would carry with him to the grave. He glanced at Herix, who was leading the banquet with a much livelier expression than before.

‘Luckily, it seems no one has figured it out yet.’

The faint scar visible above the neatly pressed collar hadn’t been there during the earlier banquet. So, what that scar revealed was clear.

It told him that Herix, in his impatience or perhaps to prevent Clive from interrupting his meeting, had pushed Ivonne too hard, causing her to bite him.

Of course, for Herix, who treated Ivonne like a precious puppy, it probably didn’t hurt much when she nipped at him, but Johann couldn’t help but feel his sharp intuition curse him.

‘I wish I didn’t know, I really do! There are some things I wish I could forget!’

But what could he do? It was precisely because of his sharp senses that he had survived and thrived in this land. So, Johann decided to think of something else. For instance, Clive, who seemed more pleased than anyone else by the Empress’s absence from the banquet.

‘Tsk, what a shame. I was thinking it might be easier just to give him a good scare and teach him a lesson.’

Herix was so remarkable that he outshone everything else, but Johann’s character was far from perfect. Whether he realized it or not, Clive glanced briefly at Johann.

In his eyes, there was no hint of mockery, no ‘What can we do, the Empress isn’t here.’ Perhaps Clive had come to understand that provoking Herix wouldn’t benefit him at all.

‘Well, I suppose that’s fine.’

Johann didn’t mind challenges, but he didn’t want to stir up trouble unnecessarily. With a shrug of his shoulders, he responded in kind, flashing a polite smile and starting a friendly conversation with others, just as Clive had done.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Ivonne was sitting in a chair, freshly bathed and wrapped only in a loose robe, her body glowing softly in the faint light.

In her hands was a small book. Through the wide-open window, the cheerful sounds of the banquet echoed faintly. Ivonne felt a pang in her chest but quickly calmed herself.

“Right. If Herix is right, I might have to deal with Minister Eisenwood’s hostility.”

Of course, she didn’t think the innocent-looking, big-chested young man would dare cause trouble for the Empress of the Sortenic Empire. But, with Herix’s sharp instincts, she couldn’t easily dismiss his words.

He was a man who didn’t lie, at least when it came to matters like this. If he had only wanted to claim Ivonne for himself, he wouldn’t have left the bedroom after just one time and headed for the banquet.

“But I really can’t believe it. Why? Why would the Foreign Minister from the Ortensia Republic try to provoke Herix?”

The dark, murky feelings of rebelliousness and inferiority were things only someone with the same nature could detect. Ivonne, born with a noble and high nature, still couldn’t fully understand the depths of the human heart.