《Empress of Otherverse》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1:


    </h4>


    Strange ce. Strange smell. Strange light.


    And strangers.


    Loud noises were everywhere. Why am I standing here? My legs gave out and I felt like throwing up. I tried to stand up, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Then someone offered me a hand. This pale and slim hand was covered with scars.


    I looked up.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was such a short moment, but to me, it felt like forever.


    He was glowing like a candle in the dark.


    Thinking back, perhaps my fate was sealed the moment I took his hand.


    ***


    A piercing scream cut through the air.


    It was from a familiar voice.


    I felt confused and sleepy, but I managed to remember whose voice it was.


    Yes. It was my ssmate Mihyun¡¯s voice.


    We were assigned to the same examination building, so we would meet at the station in the morning and go together.


    I heard the scream again.


    ¡°No! Bina!¡±


    Gasp!


    I finally woke up from the nightmare. I felt dazed and confused.


    I tried to blink a few times. My eyes were dry.


    The ceiling was white. I sit up. My arms and legs were wrapped in a wet sheet. My whole body was damp.


    Oh! It was such a horrible nightmare. I didn¡¯t remember the details.


    I felt relieved. I was starting to feel better when I remembered something important.


    I said the words out loud, ¡°That right! SAT!¡±


    I stood up quickly. Today was the SAT!


    What time was it? I was sure I set up my rm. Did I sleep so deeply I didn¡¯t hear it? I can¡¯t believe it! It can¡¯t be!


    Suddenly, my mind went nk. I noticed my surroundings.


    ¡°Where... am I?¡±


    No one answered.


    I should have been at my old home in my tiny shabby room, yet here I was.


    I was in a huge room on a giantcy bed.


    What¡¯s this? What¡¯s happening? A, am I dreaming?


    I looked down. Thankfully, I was still wearing my own clothes. I caressed my arm and face. They all felt normal.


    Then this wasn¡¯t a dream?


    I thought about pinching myself, but I shook my head instead. I hated pain.


    I looked around again. The furniture looked antique and expensive. I finally got out of the bed carefully. The carpet felt like smooth silk.


    I murmured to myself, ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Again, no one answered. It appeared that I was alone.


    I studied the room.


    The furniture looked so fancy, I was afraid to touch them.


    I pinched myself just to make sure. It hurt, but I could think more clearly.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I wake up?¡±


    Should I continue pinching myself until I woke up? No way.


    When I looked around, I found something familiar.


    ¡°Oh, my coat!¡±


    I ran towards it and grabbed my winter coat. I felt relieved.


    I started wearing my coat slowly. It felt warm. Having something familiar made me ease up a bit.


    When I looked around again, I noticed a window. I walked towards it.


    The scenery I saw shocked me.


    ¡°What... what is this?!¡±


    A beautiful forest. It looked like a green ocean.


    I rubbed my eyes, but what I saw was real. I wasn¡¯t hallucinating. It looked so surreal that it looked like aputer graphic.


    There was no way this was Korea. I had never heard of such a forest in my country. There were mountains near DMZ, but not a tnd of trees like this.


    There where certainly no castle like this in Korea!


    Then suddenly, I remembered.


    That forest.


    Yes, that forest...!


    I was lost in that forest.


    I gasped as I remembered. I was wearing the same clothes while I was running through that forest.


    What¡¯s happening? Where did this memorye from?


    I tried to focus.


    ¡®Yes, SAT! I was on my way to write my SAT...! And...?¡±


    Suddenly, my memories shed through me like a waterfall.


    ***


    I got into the subway to get to the SAT building.


    I didn¡¯t get to sleep very well the night before because I felt so nervous. I was tired both mentally and physically, but I got up and washed myself anyway. I ate my breakfast and left the house. I thought about taking the bus or a cab, but I was worried about the rush hour, so I chose the subway.


    Was that the problem?


    However, it was a logical decision. It wasn¡¯t a mistake.


    When I got to the station, I stood behind the yellow line. As the subway arrived, the wind blew strongly.


    The light blinded me, giving me a sharp headache.


    I felt dizzy.


    I lost my bnce.


    People screamed.


    Among them was Mihyun¡¯s voice.


    That was as far as I could remember.


    ***


    ¡°Did I get hit by the subway?!¡±


    I screamed. Again, no one answered.


    I was in a panic, but I realized something odd.


    Something¡¯s not right.


    If I did get hit by the subway, then I would have died.


    But...


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive?¡±


    Also, I was in a strange ce.


    I got hit by the subway, but I was still alive, and I arrived at some European castle. How? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Was there a gate on the subway floor that led to a different world?


    ¡°Haha.¡± Iughed dryly. I went back to the bed and sat down.


    What is happening here?


    I just couldn¡¯t understand. My memories were all mixed up. I tried to organize them, but it was unsessful.


    Suddenly, I remembered one more thing.


    That¡¯s right. After getting hit by the subway, I first woke up in the forest.


    Forest. I was lost in the forest. I was wearing the same clothes I had right now.


    When I focused enough, I started to remember clearly.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: <Chapter 2></h4>


    ¡°What... what¡¯s this? A forest?¡±


    I was in the middle of a forest. I sat down in shock.


    Birds flew above me. I could hear insects around me. The ground was covered in thickyers of brown leaves, cushioning me.


    Everything felt surreal. This situation didn¡¯t make sense.


    There was only one logical exnation.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m dreaming!¡±


    That was it. Could it be anything else?


    Thest thing I remembered was losing consciousness as the subway arrived. I must be dreaming now. It can¡¯t be that I fell onto the track. I must have fainted.


    I denied the possibility that I may have died. It couldn¡¯t be. Even if it was true, there was nothing I could do about it now.


    This was a dream. It must be a dream. It had to be a dream.


    However, I didn¡¯t wake up from it.


    I thought I should at least explore. There were no clear paths, so I walked carefully around sharp rocks and tree stumps. It was a good thing I was wearing a pair of sturdy sneakers.


    I can¡¯t remember how long I walked. Soon, the darkness arrived. I could see the moon rising. A full moon. It provided enough light for me to continue walking. I stayed up all night. I had nothing to eat or drink all day and night.


    As the sun came up, I wondered.


    Why do I feel so tired if this was only a dream? Was I supposed to feel hunger and thirst while dreaming? I tried to remember how I felt while dreaming in the past, but I couldn¡¯t remember.


    Despite my fatigue, I continued to move. I was afraid I may die if I stop moving. My brain was not working, but my feet continued leading me.


    Then suddenly, I heard it.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The entire forest shook.


    Something hit the ground near me. Dirt and leaves flew everywhere. I screamed as I fell backward.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    ¡°Woof woof!¡±


    I felt dizzy and nauseous. The sky spun above me. Someone ran towards me hurriedly. I could hear shouting.


    Was it because I was confused? I couldn¡¯t understand a word.


    I was so tired.


    I felt like it would be better to die right here, right now. I lost consciousness again.


    ***


    Now, here I am.


    What I heard was a gunshot. A hunting dog. Someone must have shot me, thinking I was an animal. When that person realized the mistake, I must have been brought back to this castle.


    I checked my body again. I wasn¡¯t hurt.


    A few scratches on my arms and legs, but nothing bad.


    I felt relieved.


    I finally made a decision.


    It was hard to believe, but I had to ept it. I organized my thoughts.


    First, I got hit by a subway on the day of the SAT.


    Second, I don¡¯t know how, but somehow, I fell into a forest with a strange castle.


    Lastly, someone found me and brought me to this castle. Probably someone who lived in this castle.


    I nodded in satisfaction.


    I made a smart deduction. It was the most logical exnation.


    ¡°...dammit!!¡±


    I swore out loud angrily.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense! Things don¡¯t happen like this even in fictions!¡±


    However, it really did happen. This was really happening.


    I needed some time to ept this situation. Lots of time.


    It was so sudden. Anyone in my situation would have been in denial.


    It took me a while to ept it.


    Soon after, servants came into the room. I met the man who shot me and his family. Even then, I had difficulty epting the situation.


    They spoke anguage I have never heard of.


    If I wasn¡¯t dreaming, it must be that I somehow arrived in a different world.


    I had to ept this fact, even if I didn¡¯t want to.


    After about a month, I stopped trying to wake up from this nightmare.


    That¡¯s right. I came to apletely different world.


    The man and his family who saved me were mostly kind. Except for one. The man¡¯s wife often red at me. Still, most people treated me warmly. They gave me food, a warm bed, and fancy clothes. I lived a luxurious life.


    I slowly became stable. I was thankful to the family for the life and education they provided me. What I didn¡¯t realize at the time was that they were grooming me for something. They were taking care of me like cattle.


    It was a year ago when I arrived at this strange world.


    Exactly one year ago.


    I worked hard to fit in here for all this time, and only after a year I finally realized the truth.


    Middle of the night.


    It was dead quiet.


    I slowed down my breath, pretending to be asleep. The girl who was hired to keep an eye on me fell asleep. I checked multiple times to make sure.


    I had a few close calls. I was very careful.


    I was sure she was asleep, but I continued to act asleep. I needed to bepletely certain before I act.


    I listened closely. All I heard was my own breath and that of Orlean, who was also breathing deeply. I didn¡¯t hear any footsteps outside the door, but I couldn¡¯t be sure if someone wasn¡¯t patrolling the hallway.


    I opened my eyes a little.


    ¡°...¡±


    The room was quiet. I turned to Orlean, who was facing me, and she looked asleep. I had tried to run away three times already before, so Orlean had been monitoring me closely. That meant she hadn¡¯t been sleeping much for thest three to four days. She finally seemed to give in to her fatigue.


    I got out of the bed like a cat. Thankfully, Orlean didn¡¯t wake up. I walked towards the window slowly.


    The window was locked. I prayed as I reached for the metaltch.


    Click.


    It made a small noise, but to me, it sounded like thunder. My heart pounded as I looked around. Thankfully, nothing happened. The room remained quiet.


    I opened the door slowly. It made a small noise, making my heart beat even faster. Luckily, my room was on the second floor. Orlean wanted a room on the third floor, but the only avable room was this one.


    I slowly stood on the window frame.


    ¡°...¡±


    The wind blew.


    It was fall. The wind wasn¡¯t cold, but it felt cool. It was probably because I was standing on the second-floor window, looking down. If I jumped from here, my legs won¡¯t fare well.


    I hesitated. I knew I would get hurt, but if I stayed here...


    I murmured quietly to gain courage.


    ¡°This is myst chance.¡±


    Tomorrow, we will arrive at Rombrook Ind. There, I will never be able to escape.


    ¡®I can only die once, right?¡¯


    When I was about to do it, a sharp scream came from behind.


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    The cool air must have woken Orlean. I closed my eyes and jumped. Then...


    ¡°Aahhh!¡±


    I suddenly felt my arm being pulled. When I looked up, I saw that Orlean was grabbing onto my arm.


    ¡°Dammit...!¡±


    People started to run into my room after hearing her scream.


    This was thest night before arriving at the ind.


    Myst escape attempt was aplete failure.


    ***


    Clunk clunk.


    The carriage ride was bumpy.


    I swore silently.


    At who?


    The family that took care of me for thest year.


    They called me ungrateful.


    However, to put me in this situation...!


    I cursed them.


    The Bonafit family had ck hair, which was rare in this world. I, at first, felt close to them because of their hair. I felt like they could be my new family. I was thankful to them.


    ...I was an idiot.


    I should have asked questions.


    Why would they be kind to aplete stranger?


    I thought I was just lucky.


    Until a week ago.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: <Chapter 3></h4>


    Through the carriage window, I saw the giant white castle getting close. That castle would be my grave. I would die there.


    I chewed on my fingernail. I felt incredibly anxious. I nced at Orlean. I was told she was my maid, but in fact, she was my jailer. Orlean was loyal to Lady Lisbeth, and so she took this job very seriously. She actually volunteered to apany me on this trip.


    She saw my look and sneered, ¡°What you tried to dost night was beneath your status as an adopted daughter of the great Bonafit family.¡±


    She smiled at me triumphantly. It was true. She did winst night. She managed to drag me to this ce.


    ¡°...¡±


    I red at her. She continued to mock me.


    ¡°... I guess you can¡¯t help yourself since you are a lowborn girl, but can¡¯t you at least try to hide it? That would be the best way to repay Duke Aeal for his kindness. If you continue to act this way, you will dishonor his family name. I just don¡¯t understand. The other tutors told me you learned very fast, yet here you are. I guess you can¡¯t help it.¡± Orleanughed.


    Duke Aeal was the head of the Bonafit family. The family was made of Duke Aeal, his wife, and their beloved daughter Lisbeth.


    Until recently, they were my saviors, but now, I hated them with all my heart.


    I clenched my blue silk dress and trembled.


    Orlean looked at my hands disapprovingly. She was probably worried about my dress. As soon as I realized it, I used my nails to scratch the fragile fabric.


    ¡°You!¡±


    I continued to destroy the dress. I ripped the whitece trimming into threads.


    ¡°Oh my...!¡± Orlean screamed. She picked up a piece of whitece that fell on the floor. ¡°Do you not realize how expensive this dress is? The Duke was being so generous, yet here you are being ungrateful...!¡±


    She didn¡¯t get to finish her statement though.


    ¡°SLAP!¡±


    It was just the two of us in the carriage.


    And I pped her as hard as I could.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I pped so hard I fell backward. The seat was heavily cushioned, so I didn¡¯t get hurt. Orlean looked at me in shock. She didn¡¯t seem to realize what had happened. I shook my left hand (I¡¯m left-handed) and said to her.


    ¡°You are shameless.¡±


    ¡°W...W, what?¡±


    ¡°You are helping them to sell me off instead of your precious Lisbeth. You want me to be thankful to them? Are you kidding me?¡±


    I was so furious. I had never been this angry in my life.


    I had all the right to be. My 20-old-year life would be over!


    ¡°You have all tricked me into bing a 70-year-old sadist¡¯s concubine instead of your preciousdy! How can you do that? Then here you are being worried that I might ruin this ridiculous dress?!¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Orlean still looked shocked. Then suddenly, she found her voice.


    She stood up and screamed at me, ¡°What an ungrateful girl! They treated you so kindly! They are giving you the honor of bing the concubine of the great Emperor of Cransia! Do you not realize what an honor it is?!¡±


    ¡°If it is such a big honor, then why won¡¯t they let their daughter Lisbeth marry him?!¡±


    Orlean became speechless.


    She stammered, ¡°...L, Lady Lisbeth is only fourteen years old this year! She is still too young...¡±


    ¡°But you said girls get married all the time starting at the age of twelve here. She must have already had her first period. They told me they have been postponing this marriage for as long as possible, but they couldn¡¯t anymore. It had to be this year!¡±


    ¡°T, that is...! Whatever. It is a huge honor, especially for someone like you, a lowborn girl. Why do you not realize this? You should be thankful to the Duke and his family! It is your duty!¡±


    This was ridiculous. I sneered at her.


    I was very good at making a mocking expression. Even my parents and my sister told me before. They used to be impressed at how annoying my facial expression could be.


    At first, I tried my best to show my gratitude to the Duke and his family. For the past year, I learned theirnguage and culture. I tried to show them the best version of me.


    Orlean had never seen me act this way. She was shocked by my rude behavior. The shock quickly turned into anger. Good. That was exactly what I wanted.


    I felt a little better. The situation still remained bleak, but I needed a way to relieve my frustration. This was the only way I could think of.


    I sneered at her. ¡°Grateful? [You should just shut your mouth!]¡±


    ¡°W, what did you say?¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t speak the newnguage perfectly. I mixed my oldnguage into my rant.


    ¡°You are selling me like a prized horse!¡±


    I remembered from history ss how women were sent to appease the king. Some women ended up with power after the marriage, but that was rare. Even in the olden days, women tried to avoid being sent.


    I took a deep breath. This was really happening to me. About half a year ago, the Duke got me to sign an adoption paper. I was thrilled and thankful to officially be part of the family. I signed it without hesitation. If I could go back in time, I would throw the pen at his face and kick myself for being so stupid.


    However, that was not possible.


    I was on my way to the Rombrook Ind of Cransia. The paper I signed six months ago gave the Duke the power of an attorney over me. I hadn¡¯t realized it at the time obviously.


    A week ago, they asked me to go somewhere and wee an important guest instead of Lisbeth. They smiled as they got me into the carriage. When I thought back on their smiling faces, I felt like throwing up.


    As they saw me leave, their expressions changed. They looked at me oddly.


    Now I understand what they felt. Some sympathy. A grain of guilt. A whole lot of relief.


    I felt like throwing up.


    I had been in this bumpy carriage for the entire week. I physically felt nauseous. I didn¡¯t want to hold it anymore.


    I gagged.


    Orlean started to freak out. She knocked on the carriage wall desperately. She screamed.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Stop the carriage! Thedy...! Oh my! If she throws up on the dress, it will be ruined! It¡¯s silk, so we can¡¯t even wash it...!¡±


    Thanks for letting me know, Orlean.


    I grinned at her slowly. I then ced my finger deep into my throat. It didn¡¯t take much.


    I vomited onto my blue dress.


    ¡°Gyaaaaa!¡±


    ***


    A luxurious white dress wrapped my body. It felt like being trapped in a soft jail.


    I looked at the door in desperation.


    An unpleasant voice said to me from behind, ¡°You can¡¯t act like yesterday.¡±


    It was Orlean. I hated her voice.


    She continued to whisper, ¡°If you behave like yesterday, you will be the first one to be executed. You don¡¯t want to die, do you?¡±


    The Bonafit family would in trouble as well. Officially, I was Sa Bina Bonafit. My crime would be my family¡¯s crime. My aplishment would be credited to the family.


    I would love to damage the family, but I also obviously didn¡¯t want to die.


    I could throw up on the emperor on our wedding night. It would be easy.


    However, I didn¡¯t want to die. I hadn¡¯t lived yet! I had been studying my butt off for the past 12 years plus thest year in this strange world. It was not fair.


    Orlean must have learned her lesson. She didn¡¯t goad me anymore. She sat quietly behind me.


    The propagandist standing in front of me checked his gold watch. It must have been time. He put his watch back into his pocket and unrolled the scroll.


    He announced loudly, ¡°Duke Aeal¡¯s first adopted daughter and the fifteenth concubine of the Emperor! Sa Bina Des Bonafit!¡±


    The giant white door opened.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: <Chapter 4></h4>


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±


    I yelped in surprise. The bright light showered me. I was trembling in fear when Orlean poked me from the back. I started to walk slowly towards the door.


    The red carpet covered the path and the stairs.


    People around me murmured, ¡°Wow, look at that jet-ck hair.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think she is the Duke¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°I heard she is his bastard daughter.¡±


    ¡°I thought she was a distant rtive.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t a younger daughter supposed toe today? The emperor was really excited about that.¡±


    ¡°What an unusual skin color.¡±


    It was no wonder people were confused. Lisbeth was supposed toe, yet they presented a 20-year-old girl.


    Somehow, I didn¡¯t fall. I arrived at the bottom of the stairs. I was taughtst night what to do today. I didn¡¯t want to, but I remembered the ceremony steps clearly.


    I bowed first.


    Before Orlean could poke me again, I said out loud the words I memorized, ¡°It is my honor, as a daughter of Bonafit family, to meet the Emperor of the Empire Cransia.¡±


    I could hear Orlean sighing in relief. I must have done it right.


    As soon as I was finished, I heard the footsteping towards me. It was the emperoring down the stairs towards me.


    A pair of pointy shoes appeared. It was such a ridiculous pair I almostughed but stopped myself just in time.


    A stranger¡¯s voice said to me.


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    A harsh voice.


    I trembled so hard my teeth chattered. I clenched my teeth and raised my head.


    I stared at my future husband.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh~ not bad. A little different, but not bad at all.¡± The 70-year-old creep said to me.


    I had hoped I was mistaken, and that I was to be married to a young hot guy. Perhaps this guy was under a curse, and once the curse was lifted, this old man would turn into a handsome prince.


    However, I was being stupid.


    My future husband was a wrinkly, ugly, old man. He was fat, yet he was so wrinkly it didn¡¯t make sense. He also smelled horrible. His hair waspletely white as if it was covered in powder.


    If my grandfather was still alive, he would have been about 70 years old. I remembered seeing my grandfather in a photo and he looked neat and gentlemanly. I expected someone simr, but I was dead wrong.


    This situation felt real now. I would be the concubine of this ugly old man.


    My knees gave away as the harsh reality hit me. Orlean gasped in shock. Suddenly, the room became silent.


    I knew I had to stand up, but I couldn¡¯t feel my legs.


    Then, someone offered me a hand. White-gloved hand.


    ¡°Thedy must be very tired from the long journey.¡±


    I took his hand and stood up.


    He smelled wonderful. When I looked up, a young man was standing in front of me. He was the exact opposite of my future husband.


    This must be a joke. The contrast was shocking.


    Beautiful face, shining blond hair, kind green eyes. A handsome young man. He looked a few years older than me.


    Why couldn¡¯t this be my husband?


    I murmured my thanks, ¡°T, thank you.¡±


    He smiled. Such a kind smile.


    ¡°No thanks needed. You are about to be one of my stepmothers, so we are family now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    My head spun. Stepmother?


    I realized then. This man in front of me was the one and only heir to the great Cransia.


    Lucretius Le Cransia.


    It was him.


    With a bright smile, he handed me to his father.


    My future husband.


    The old man.


    The wrinkly sweaty hand touched my skin. It felt like a bug was crawling on my hand, but I had to stop myself from cringing. I already made one mistake. I couldn¡¯t make another.


    I lowered my face as if I¡¯m being shy. I didn¡¯t want to look at the father or the son.


    I didn¡¯t want to face this cruel reality.


    The Emperor led me to the top of the stairs. At the top, seven women waited for us.


    The Emperor pointed at one of the women and ordered me, ¡°Bow to her. This is Empress Katleyanira.¡±


    She was surprisingly young and beautiful. She looked slightly older than the prince, but not by much. She was at most in her early 30s.


    The prince looked younger than his age, so perhaps the empress was older too. I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Her ruby red hair was in an updo. She was also heavily pregnant.


    I bowed to her. ¡°It is an honor to meet the great empress of this empire.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She replied to me nkly. She clearly was not interested in me.


    ¡°And these are her daughters, Princesses Liliana and Roselia.¡±


    The emperor introduced me to the two young girls. One was in herte teens and the other looked like she was about 15. Just like their mother, they both had red hair. Luckily, their faces also resembled their mother instead of the emperor.


    I bowed again to them. They bowed back to me politely.


    The next four women were the emperor¡¯s wives. Some looked older than Empress Katleyanira, while others looked younger. They must have been all from different countries as they were of different races.


    The four women were all beautiful. They greeted me insincerely.


    The emperor had one empress, four wives, and fourteen concubines. I was to be the fifteenth. Only the empress and the wives were considered to be official figures. That was why none of the concubines were here.


    Fifteenth concubine. The newest and therefore the weakest and lowest of them all. My eyes watered.


    Finally, the emperor introduced me to the prince.


    ¡°And this handsome young man is my only son and heir, Lucretius.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to meet the great heir to this empire.¡± I bowed. When I nced up, his smile looked different.


    He still had a kind smile, but his eyes looked nk. It was brief, but I still saw it.


    ¡®...what was that?¡¯


    The emperor pulled me towards him. I lost my bnce, but thankfully I didn¡¯t fall.


    The emperor got me to kneel in front of him. He then ced two drops of oil on my head and announced loudly.


    ¡°I now pronounce Sa Bina Des Bonafit, the first daughter of Duke Aeal, to be my fifteenth concubine.¡±


    Everyone apuded. It felt surreal, but one thing was for certain. I was now this old creep¡¯s concubine.


    I tried my best not to bite my lips. I did my best to smile, but my mouth trembled violently.


    The emperor grabbed my waist quickly. It felt like a snake was choking my body.


    When I looked up in surprise, the emperor grinned at me. His teeth were ck and decayed. Nothing surprised me anymore.


    I tried to smile again.


    The emperor whispered to me quietly, ¡°As the Duke imed, you have an unusual skin color. It¡¯s strange, but I like it. And... I see that you are shy, which must mean you are a virgin.¡±


    His eyes looked at me in a vulgar manner.


    ¡°Tonight will be interesting.¡±


    Goosebumps covered my body.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: <Chapter 5: I know what you didst night.></h4>


    My hands were cold. It was only autumn, but I felt cold as if I was in the middle of a winter storm.


    I rubbed my hands together to warm up. They shook uncontrobly. I tried to calm down, but it was useless.


    The maid looked at me with sympathy. She led me patiently as I fumbled.


    Orlean followed from behind. She rushed me coldly.


    ¡°Lady, we have no time for this.¡±


    I bit my lips. I had no strength to get angry at her anymore. The fear took over me. I had difficulty walking because I was shuddering so hard. The maid and Orlean knew why. Everyone knew it, but there was no one who could save me.


    The maid took my hand to help. ¡°Let me help you walk.¡±


    ¡°T...thank you.¡±


    My voice was so small it was barely audible. I thanked her, but I couldn¡¯t really mean it. After all, she was leading me to the emperor¡¯s bedroom.


    The maid¡¯s kindness and Orlean¡¯s malice... They both meant the same thing.


    Their goal was to clean me up and present me to the emperor. It was their job. I knew they had no choice.


    Should I try to run away? But to where?


    I already tried to escape a few times and failed. Orlean and Duke Aeal¡¯s guards kept a close eye on me. If I couldn¡¯t escape the Duke¡¯s castle, there was no way I could escape this huge fortress filled with guards and servants.


    We walked by a giant ss window adorned with blue silk curtains.


    Oh, should I just jump off the window?


    Perhaps it would be for the best. I would die quickly and the Bonafit family would probably be punished. However, I didn¡¯t have the courage. What if I didn¡¯t die quickly? What if I didn¡¯t die at all and just get hurt very badly?


    My mind was racing with so many thoughts. I was seriously considering jumping when the maid said to me.


    ¡°We have arrived, mydy.¡±


    I raised my head, still trembling. The giant door was painted in gold. The maid fixed my dress.


    ¡°This is where we part. We can¡¯t follow you into the room. The emperor has ordered us to stay at least 100 kinas (1 kina = 1 meter) away from this room.¡±


    Stay at least 100 meters away from this room? Just what was that old pervert going to do to me?


    ¡®Tonight will be interesting.¡¯


    I remembered his creepy grin and his ck teeth. I shuddered.


    The maid checked my dress onest time. When she nodded, two doorkeepers opened the door.


    ¡°Please enter.¡±


    I trembled as I took a step forward. I continued to walk. After the fourth step, the door shut behind me loudly. It sounded like the end of my life.


    ¡°...¡±


    I could hear the maids scurrying away quietly. If I opened the door and try to escape, they would stop me.


    I would be able to run for a hundred meters, but the guards and the servants were probably surrounding the room beyond that distance. When I get caught, it would not be pretty.


    I continued to walk slowly. The emperor¡¯s room was huge. It had its own reception room, which was where I currently stood. I saw another smaller door nearby.


    Could I just stand here and spend the night? The emperor looked old enough that perhaps he was senile. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t even remember that I was here.


    I knew it was a ridiculous thought, but I still hoped.


    I didn¡¯t have the courage to run away. Still trembling, I dragged myself to the small door. I opened it and entered the bedroom.


    The door squeaked cruelly. I became speechless when I saw him.


    ¡°You arete.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The old emperor was naked except for a golden gown. He was sitting on the bed and drinking red wine.


    I stopped myself from swearing out loud. I bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Sa Bina des Bonafit is honored to be here with the emperor.¡±


    He grinned unpleasantly and waved me toe closer.


    ¡°Good. Look at you, so fragile and innocent in your nightdress.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His stare made my skin crawl. I began to sweat heavily.


    I considered turning around and running away when the old man approached me.


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    Before I could react, he grabbed my wrist. I tried to resist.


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    He pulled me towards the bed and grinned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I, I need to tell you... Something first...!¡±


    He was surprisingly strong for an old man. He dragged me to the bed, and I was powerless to stop him.


    ¡°Sure, sure, alright. I will hear your beautiful moan in the bed.¡±


    I wanted to cry. I fought back as hard as I could, but when the emperor pushed me to the bed, there was nothing I could do.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    When I raised my head, the emperor was looking down at me with a disturbing smile. He raised my chin with his finger as he said to me.


    ¡°I thought you are just an innocent little girl, yet here you are fighting back like a passionate wild horse. A horse needs to be ridden by a good master. I shall honor you by riding you tonight.¡±


    ¡°N, No...!¡±


    Before I could scream, the emperor jumped into the bed.


    His fat body covered me. His wrinkly fingers grabbed my cor to pull it down. The old man grinned as he saw my bare shoulder.


    ¡°Oh! What a strange skin color. It¡¯s almost golden. I wonder how it would feel...¡±


    The emperor was getting excited. I couldn¡¯t even scream. And even if I could, no one could hear me. And even if someone did hear, no one was going to help me.


    I finally started to cry. This was finally happening. I closed my eyes and screamed the name of the person I missed the most in my ownnguage.


    ¡°[Mom!]¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What?


    Nothing happened.


    I became confused. I was expecting the pervert¡¯s hands all over me, but nothing was happening.


    The emperor remained still. I slowly opened one of my eyes.


    The emperor was staring at me wide-eyed. He wasn¡¯t moving at all.


    What is happening?


    I couldn¡¯t understand. I froze.


    Then suddenly, the emperor¡¯s body slumped on top of me slowly.


    He was heavy and wet, and he smelled foul. However, the most shocking thing was his back. On his back, I saw a dagger sticking out.


    Slowly, blood started to seep out.


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Today was the most stressful day of my life.


    I panicked. I was about to scream when someone¡¯s hand covered my mouth.


    ¡°...!¡±


    It was an intruder who was wearing a mask. His eyes met mine.


    They were cold, green eyes.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: <Chapter 6></h4>


    I had no time to process the situation.


    The man whispered to me in a threatening tone, ¡°Shh, be quiet.¡±


    He continued to cover my mouth and pushed my shoulder down. He was strong, and I was too weak. There was no point in fighting back.


    This was a killer. He murdered the emperor. A professional assassin. There was nothing I could do to stop him from killing me too.


    I wanted to live. I didn¡¯t care about the emperor. I just wanted to live.


    I nodded to show him I would obey his orders.


    His green eyes narrowed. Even though he was wearing a mask, I knew he was smiling. Such confidence and calmness in this situation.


    He said to me again, ¡°I¡¯ll trust you not to scream. If you do, I will kill you. You will end up joining your dead husband.¡±


    I shook my head. Heughed quietly and removed his hands.


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    I was finally able to breathe.


    The man looked down at me with a strange expression. I looked up nervously.


    He was in control of this situation. I had only two options. Either do what he said or die. So in truth, I had no options at all since I wanted to live.


    He took out another dagger. It was the same one he used to kill the emperor. A simple,mon dagger without any decorations. It touched my neck.


    ¡°...!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. It felt cold and deadly against my skin. If I didn¡¯t do something, he would murder me.


    Think! I had to think of something. Somehow, I had to survive this situation.


    Suddenly, an idea came to me.


    I trembled as I said to him. ¡°I, I...¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I can help you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He looked at me as if I went crazy. It was understandable. What could a useless concubine from a weak colony do for this man?


    However, I had an idea.


    In this room were a body, the assassin, and I.


    Just the three of us.


    If I survived this situation, I would be the only witness.


    ¡°I... I can testify!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes brightened. He seemed intrigued. I had to grab this chance. This could work. I had to make it work.


    ¡°Whatever reason you had for killing the emperor, I don¡¯t care. You want to make sure no one finds out about you and whoever hired you, right? Then you need someone to testify with a lie.¡±


    ¡°If I kill you right now and escape, no one will find me.¡±


    ¡°But this is a castle. Just outside the 100-kina radius, this room is surrounded by guards. Wouldn¡¯t it make it safer to have me as a witness? I can keep quiet until you escape, and tomorrow, I can tell everyone that the assassin had a visible scar above his right eye with ck eyes and dark skin.¡±


    Of course, this man didn¡¯t have dark skin nor any scars. His eye color was also green. If I testified this false ount, he would be safe.


    There was no reason why I wouldn¡¯t do this. This man saved me from bing the old pervert¡¯s sex toy.


    I thought this was a perfect n. I looked up at him expectantly.


    Heughed. Heughed loudly.


    ¡°Hahaha! You are full of surprises.¡±


    My hopes died. The knife on my neck pressed harder.


    My fear escted.


    ¡°What if I tell you I don¡¯t need your help at all?¡±


    ¡°...pardon?¡¯


    ¡°I was able to get into this room despite the countless guards, and your assumptions are wrong. I don¡¯t need to run away that far. I don¡¯t need a witness at all.¡±


    There was nothing I could say.


    I felt dizzy. I really thought it could work, but I was wrong. The only hope I had now was that this man would show me mercy.


    Unfortunately, it seemed unlikely. This man killed the emperor without hesitation in cold blood. Killing another nameless girl would mean nothing to him.


    His cold, green eyes looked down at me. It was as if he was looking at a piece of meat, not a person.


    I didn¡¯t want to look away. I couldn¡¯t hide my fear, but I still wanted to be courageous. If I would die anyway, I wanted to save my pride.


    Thankfully, the assassin killed the emperor quickly. He could probably show me the same kindness.


    ¡°Then can I... ask you for a favor?


    ¡°A favor?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°...If you¡¯re going to kill me, then please kill me... quickly. You can do that, right? It doesn¡¯t look like it will be that hard.¡± I sighed deeply.


    My hands still trembled visibly. My jaw was shuttering too.


    He remained silent for a few seconds beforeughing.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Heughed as if he meant it. For a second, I was worried someone might hear him ande into the room. That¡¯s when I realized how stupid I was.


    It would be better if someone came in. I might live if that happened.


    Why was I even worrying about this assassin?


    It was like a mouse worrying about the cat¡¯s safety.


    It seemed like he read my mind. Heughed again and removed the de from my neck. I was able to breathe again.


    ¡°Whenever the emperor takes a na?ve young girl to his bed, all kinds of screames out of the room. That is why he ordered the guards and the servants to stay 100 kinas away from the room. No matter what kind of noises they here, no one wille into this room.¡±


    Just what did the emperor do to those women? I wanted to kick his dead body.


    I restrained myself and said to the intruder, ¡°...I guess I¡¯m lucky this happened.¡±


    The man grinned and yed with the dagger. He threw it in the air and caught it midair. He kept doing this over and over again. It was like watching a circus. I just hoped he doesn¡¯t throw it at me.


    I sat in front of him obediently and waited for him to speak. It was always a smart idea to look meek when someone in front of you had a knife.


    The man finally said to me, ¡°Your logic has many holes, but it¡¯s notpletely wrong.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°There is something you can do for me.¡±


    I could see the light at the end of this dark tunnel.


    ¡°W, what is it?¡±


    He grinned. ¡°You look like you are willing to do anything. Would you lick my foot if I asked?¡±


    ¡°I am willing.¡±


    I meant it. If he ordered me to, I was ready to lick his boots.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got guts. I will give you that.¡±


    He sounded genuinely impressed. He reached for me.


    He ignored my flinch as he pulled my gown up to cover my bare shoulder. He then pulled me off the bed. He studied me carefully.


    Suddenly, he ordered, ¡°Turn around.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    When he red at me, I did as he asked. When I faced him again, he nodded in satisfaction. Did he like what he saw...? That was ridiculous.


    I was right.


    ¡°Good thing there isn¡¯t any blood on your cloth.¡±


    Blood?


    He continued, ¡°As I said before, no one wille in even if they hear a scream. However, it would be a different story if you ran out screaming.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°When I leave, you need to run out of this room.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to do as I say or just keep asking questions?¡±


    ¡°...¡± I nodded in silence.


    He continued, ¡°I won¡¯t be leaving through that door. Not the windows either. There is no way I will get caught by the guards. So when I leave, you run out screaming. Tell the guards the emperor has been murdered. Cry or faint or whatever you want to do.¡±


    ¡°That... That will help you?¡±


    He nodded.


    I couldn¡¯t understand. Didn¡¯t murderers want their victims to be found aste as possible? However, he wanted the emperor¡¯s body to be found immediately?


    ¡°That is all you need to do. Tell them you haven¡¯t seen anyone at all. Oh actually, I will leave one window open, so tell them you saw a dark figure leaving through the window, but you didn¡¯t see who it was.¡±


    I nodded. If he would let me live, I was willing to do anything, and this seemed too easy. That¡¯s all I had to do?


    His green eyesughed at me again.


    He continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. If you do what I just said, you will live, and... I could even give you a reward.¡±


    Reward? What reward?


    He was talking nonsense. As I contemted what he said, he turned around and walked towards one of the bedroom walls. When he pushed a few bricks, a small opening appeared.


    Ignoring my gasp, he winked at me. ¡°Good luck, my aplice.¡±


    ...Then I suddenly realized.


    I have met this man before. Those unusual green eyes. They looked kind at first, but I saw the coldness and cruelness in them.


    I murmured without thinking.


    ¡°Luc...cre...¡±


    His face turned rigid.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: <Chapter 7></h4>


    Lucretius Le Cransia.


    The heir to the Cransia Empire.


    The one and only son of the emperor who was now dead in his own bed.


    The one who helped me this morning.


    It was him.


    ¡°You are smart. Too smart for your own good.¡± The man, I mean, the prince, said to me disappointedly. He looked like he was thinking. I felt terrified.


    I was so stupid! Why did I let him know that I realized who he was?


    He turned around.


    Lucretius said to me sharply, ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°I will do anything you tell me to! I don¡¯t know who you are! Just run away!¡±


    I then ran towards the reception area. It felt like it took me a thousand years to get to the door. I kept expecting the prince to grab me from behind, but it didn¡¯t happen.


    He would have escaped by now through that secret pathway. He would have a solid alibi. I knew he contemted killing me just then, but I escaped in time.


    I ran as fast as I could. When I saw the maids and the guards, I fell to the ground and screamed.


    ¡°Ahhhhh! The emperor...! The emperor has been murdered!¡±


    I wanted to live!


    ***


    The emperor was murdered. It happened in the well-guarded castle. In his own bedroom no less.


    The one and only witness were, of course, me. The fifteenth and the newest concubine. On her wedding night.


    I cried and cried until I almost fainted.


    At first, I was just acting, but as I cried, the reality hit me and I cried for real.


    The next day, with swollen eyes, I was dragged to arge reception room. In that room were many people including him.


    He looked different thanst night. His blond hair was brushed back neatly. Instead of the ck outfit, he was wearing luxurious purple clothes decorated with jewels. His face wasn¡¯t covered with a mask anymore.


    Instead of a simple dagger, he had a bejeweled sword hanging on his belt.


    However, there was one thing that remained the same.


    His cold green eyes.


    It was definitely him.


    The man who killed his own fatherst night.


    The one and only heir to this empire.


    My aplice.


    Lucretius Le Cransia.


    His green eyes were directed at me. I felt ufortable, so I bowed my head politely.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Suddenly, the empress, who was sitting next to the prince, criticized me angrily.


    ¡°You must have bad eyesight.¡±


    I realized my mistake and bowed to her deeply. The proper etiquette dictated that I greet the empress first as she had the highest rank in the room. I was so tired I made an easy mistake.


    I almost lost my voice from crying and screamingst night. I used that to my advantage as I apologized.


    ¡°I apologize, your highness. I... I...¡±


    A beauty with long grey hair listened to me carefully with a smile. She was the only woman in the room other than me, and she¡¯s the Empress. Strangely, she was wearing a piece of intricate jewelry over her eyes.


    ¡°Sa Bina, right? Sa Bina went through such a shocking and horrible eventst night. She must be still very confused.¡±


    Whoever it was, she was clearly very powerful. The Empress seemed to ept this woman¡¯s words.


    However, she had to have thest word.


    Empress Katleyanira said to her, ¡°Priestess, you are too kind.¡±


    Priestess.


    Daughter of the god. The only person in this world who could hear the god¡¯s voice. I was told there was only one ce where a priest or a priestess existed in this world. This meant this woman was thest priestess of this world.


    She was the most revered person in all countries. Even I knew that, and I only have been living in this world for a year.


    I nodded towards her in thanks. I wasn¡¯t sure if she could see me, but she smiled at me in return.


    As soon as I finished greeting everyone properly, the discussion started.


    ¡°The reason we asked you toe here is because of the horrible incidentst night.¡± A white-haired old man said to me. Who was he?


    Someone who could speak freely in front of the prince and the Empress. He was clearly a high-ranking figure. I remained quiet.


    The empress interrupted as she said in a shrill voice, ¡°We must find the murderer and whoever hired him!¡±


    The prince agreed with a kind smile, ¡°Of course. Our priority will be to avenge the former emperor.¡±


    I kept my head bowed and listened. If the prince really wanted vengeance, all he had to do was kill himself. Of course, I didn¡¯t say this out loud.


    The Empress asked irritably, ¡°Former emperor?¡±


    The prince didn¡¯t waver at all. I didn¡¯t see his face, but I could imagine what kind of expression he would have on his face.


    ¡°He is deceased, god bless his soul, so wouldn¡¯t it make sense to call him the former emperor?¡±


    ¡°But...!¡±


    The white-haired man said to the Empress, ¡°Empress dowager, please remain calm.¡±


    The empressined loudly, ¡°Chancellor! How could you call me the dowager? The emperor¡¯s body hasn¡¯t even cooled yet!¡± This was clearly a very important topic for her.


    She was wrong. His body was dead cold.


    The chancellor ignored her and continued, ¡°He passed away, so it is proper to call him the former emperor. You are, from now on, to be revered as the dowager empress. The prince is now the new emperor. This is thew. Don¡¯t you agree, your highness?¡±


    The chancellor kneeled in front of the prince. The others followed, except for the empress and the priestess. The new emperor. I wanted to live, so I kneeled as well.


    The room became silent.


    The prince announced in a sad voice, ¡°I am not worthy, but I will do my best to continue the former emperor¡¯s legacy.¡±


    By the chancellor¡¯s order, everyone said together, ¡°Long live the emperor!¡±


    ¡°Stand.¡±


    The coronation didn¡¯t take ce yet, but he was now the new emperor of Cransia.


    Lucretius Le Cransia.


    The chancellor stood up and walked towards the empress, I mean, the dowager empress. He politely but firmly asked her.


    ¡°Then dowager empress, please hand the official seal to the new emperor.¡±


    The dowager empress paled. She made herst attempt to stall.


    ¡°But the coronation hasn¡¯t taken ce yet, so we must wait till...¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, thew states when the emperor passes away, the empress needs to hold the seal.¡±


    The dowager empress brightened. ¡°So...!¡±


    ¡°But if the heir to the throne is over the age of 18, he immediately bes the new emperor even before the coronation. This means you need to hand him the seal immediately. His Highness is 27 years old. We are all lucky this empire has a legitimate, healthy, and fully-grown heir ready to take over right away.¡±


    The Empress, I mean, the dowager Empress reddened. She couldn¡¯t hide her anger. Dowager Empress Katleyanira held on to the ck box, which must have held the seal, and growled in defiance.


    ¡°Legitimate? After the birth of the prince, the formal empressmitted adultery and ended up giving birth to another child that was not of royal blood! This man is that woman¡¯s son! The emperor always suspected Lucretius may not be his son!¡±


    The room became silent. I remembered the dead emperor¡¯s face. Obese, wrinkly, and blotchy. Even considering that he was much older, he couldn¡¯tpare to Lucretius¡¯s beautiful face. Anyone who didn¡¯t know both of them would be surprised to find out that they were rted at all.


    The dowager empress¡¯s usation sounded real.


    ¡®Could it be...¡¯

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: <Chapter 8></h4>


    It was the priestess who broke the silence. Her voice was smooth and beautiful.


    ¡°Dowager Empress, have you seen the painting of the Emperor Kentius the third, who was the deceased emperor¡¯s father and the current emperor¡¯s grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then how could you make such an usation?¡± The priestessughed quietly.


    The dowager empress replied, ¡°But the priestess does not know much about the royal family.¡±


    ¡°The building I live in includes a temple that was gifted by the Emperor Kentius. In it is a painting of him tomemorate him.¡±


    ¡°S... so?¡±


    ¡°It is a painting of Emperor Kentius when he was in his 20s. I heard that he looked shockingly simr to our Emperor Lucretius. I couldn¡¯t see for myself, as you can imagine due to my eyes, but that is what everyone said to me. If you look in the royal library and the vault, it shouldn¡¯t be very hard to find a painting of Emperor Kentius, and then you will be able to see for yourself.¡±


    The room fell into a deafening silence once again.


    That was the end of the dowager empress¡¯s attempt to thwart Lucretius off the throne. No one could openly doubt the priestess¡¯s words. That would be simr to going against the god himself.


    The dowager empress had no choice but to hand over the ck box.


    The priestess took the box from her and handed it to the new emperor. She then kissed him on his forehead with a blessing.


    ¡°Please be a kind and generous emperor.¡±


    It was clear now, even to an ignorant foreigner like me. He was officially the new emperor of this empire.


    The prince, I mean the emperor, opened the box and took out a thin gold band. He put it on his finger.


    Was this it? Was everything over now? I felt relieved.


    Why did they call me here then? The chancellor said they called for me to talk aboutst night...


    Then suddenly, the dowager empress turned towards me. All her anger was now directed at me. Her expression was shockingly scary.


    W, what¡¯s happening?


    Before I could understand the meaning of her re, she screamed as she pointed at me, ¡°That woman! Take her to the dungeon! She is an aplice to the emperor¡¯s murderer!¡±


    N, no!


    The dowager empress¡¯s voice filled the room. Her maids flinched. They hesitated at first but started walking towards me to follow her order. They were going to drag me to jail!


    I nced at the prince, I mean, the emperor. He had his arms crossed and watching the scene with interest. Was he going to just watch me go to jail? He wasn¡¯t going to forget about his aplice and his promisest night, or was he?


    I couldn¡¯t be sure if he would help me. Therefore, I had to save myself.


    I copse to the floor and started crying.


    I cried out as loudly as I could. My throat was so sore from cryingst night. My voice was almost gone. My face was red and swollen. I looked atrocious, which helped my case.


    I screamed, ¡°Please hear me out before you send me to the dungeon! I saw the face of the assassin!¡±


    The room suddenly buzzed with excitement.


    ¡°What...!¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    The high-ranking officials all jumped around frantically. They looked ridiculous.


    The dowager empress walked toward me with the help from her maids. She was so pregnant that she walked funny. Her eyes sharpened.


    ¡°You really saw the murderer¡¯s face?¡±


    I looked up and said confidently, ¡°Yes. I saw him.¡±


    The Emperor interrupted.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so yesterday?¡±


    I turned to him. Looking straight into his green eyes, I raised my voice and replied confidently, ¡°Because there wasn¡¯t an official meeting yesterday. It was too informal with too many unnecessary ears. I have been waiting for the right time, just like now, where all the most important figures are in one ce.¡±


    I red at him in silence. I hoped he got my message.


    ¡®You better help me now, or else I¡¯m going to tell them about you.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t stand the pain! I hated darkness too. If I was tortured in the dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t take much for me to spill the truth.


    I was sure he got the message. He looked calm throughout this meeting until now. His eyes started to waver.


    He sighed quietly. Before the dowager empress could say something, he stepped forward towards me.


    ¡°Then please tell me. As his son, it is my duty to avenge my father. If you help me, I will thank your courage with a ¡®reward.¡¯¡±


    He emphasized the word, reminding me of his promisest night.


    The dowager empress red at the emperor and turned to me.


    She looked at me with fake kindness and asked me softly, ¡°Alright, tell us then. What did he look like? Did he tell you who hired him?¡±


    I knew what she wanted me to say. She wanted me to say the new emperor was the one who was behind the murder. Perhaps if I did, she would let me live.


    However,dy, you were going to send me to a dungeon only a minute ago. Your fake kindness can¡¯t full me.


    ...Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that I trusted the new emperorpletely either.


    ¡°...¡±


    I thought fast for a few seconds.


    Whose side should I take? The dowager empress or the new emperor?


    If I sided with the emperor, his position will be secured, and the dowager empress would be powerless to do anything. If I sided with the dowager empress, it would give her a good chance. This would be the best chance she would ever get from anyone.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was not a difficult decision. This world belonged to the emperor. The only heir to the throne. I was the only one who could bring him down.


    Perhaps I had the upper hand in all this. I knew his worst weakness. I knew the weakness of the emperor.


    Siding with the dowager empress would be too risky. It was clearly the wrong decision.


    Besides, who would believe me if I said the truth? The heir killing his own father the emperor in person? No one.


    The dowager empress probably thought Lucretius hired someone for the job. Who would imagine the prince wouldmit the murder himself?


    This meant telling the truth would mean my death.


    I finally organized my thoughts. I had to say the right words. I couldn¡¯t make any mistakes.


    ¡°By the time I entered the bedroom, the former emperor was already... dead.¡±


    ¡°We already heard that part!¡±


    The dowager empress said to me in frustration. She seemed hysterical, which confirmed that I made the right decision.


    I took a deep breath. All I had to do now was to lie convincingly.


    ¡°A window was already opened. I saw a man in a servant outfit jumping out the window.¡±


    ¡°The right window was indeed opened.¡± The emperor agreed.


    I didn¡¯t see it, but he must have opened a window before escaping through the secret path. Goodman. Ipletely forgot to do it myselfst night.


    I continued, ¡°Yes, that window. Before he jumped off, I saw his face.¡±

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: <Chapter 9></h4>


    A sketch artist was brought in.


    I exined, ¡°Yes, but a thinner face. A mole on the lower left cheek. Yes, that¡¯s right. He had more wrinkles on his forehead.¡±


    I described the face of my high school teacher from Korea, Bong Manshik. The artist was very good. The final product had a decent resemnce to my old teacher.


    I nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. His height was... a little shorter than the emperor and his waist was a bit thicker than that of the chancellor.¡±


    The emperor said as if he was impressed, but I knew he was being sarcastic, ¡°You have such a great memory.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. The former emperor is probably helping me even in his death.¡±


    ¡°Thank gods you are safe, mydy. We are very lucky to have you give us such important clues for this unfortunate mystery.¡±


    I smiled nkly. This profile sketch will be sent everywhere in this world. I¡¯m sorry, teacher Manshik, but I¡¯m sure you understand. You took by bread once, and I think this will make us even now.


    I hated my teacher when I was at school, but now I missed him. Especially since I was in this horrible situation.


    They will never be able to find a man that looked like the sketch unless they went to my world and visited Seoul, Korea. Of course, this was not possible.


    I fulfilled my part of the bargain.


    I turned to him and looked at him straight in the eyes.


    It¡¯s your turn now.


    The Emperor picked up the sketch and smiled oddly.


    Oh, it was that same smile. The same cruel cold smile I saw in that bedroom. Like a snake.


    Did I make the wrong choice?


    There was nothing I could do now though. It was done.


    The emperor put on the nice-guy expression again. He handed the sketch back to the artist and he walked towards me. He kissed the back of my hand. His lips felt cold against my skin.


    My hand trembled. He felt it too.


    He looked up at me. His expression was sharp and cold again. It was as if he had two different faces and he had full control over which face he wore. One was that of a generous upstanding young man who grieved over his father¡¯s death. The other was the cold killer who murdered his own father.


    He would have been an amazing actor if he was born in my world. Especially since he was so hot.


    ¡°I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without your courage, I don¡¯t know what we would have done to avenge my father.¡±


    ¡°...I was only doing my duty.¡±


    My lips felt dry. What will happen now?


    He stared at me with a grin. It was an ugly smile.


    This was the real him. A cold snake. A murderer.


    I was his aplice.


    The emperor called out loudly, ¡°Scribe!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A man who was waiting nearby hurried towards us. He brought with him a pen, a piece of paper, and he waited.


    The emperor continued to stare at me and put on his fake kind-hearted face. He then announced.


    ¡°I appointdy Sa Bina Des Bonafit as my first wife.¡±


    People around us gasped and eximed in horror, ¡°Wife?¡±


    ¡°Did you say wife?!¡±


    ¡°First wife?¡±


    The Empress, I mean, the dowager empress, had the most violent reaction to this announcement. The others seemed shocked while she seemed furious.


    The empress grabbed her stomach and stood up. I was worried she might faint.


    She yelled hysterically, ¡°How could you take your father the emperor¡¯s own concubine as your wife?! This is madness!¡± She pointed her manicured finger at me.


    I was pretty sure the emperor was indeed mad, but for a different reason.


    I remained quiet. My mind raced as I watched the scene.


    ¡°...¡±


    If I said one wrong word, I could be executed.


    The dowager empress said angrily, ¡°She is only a lowly girl from nowhere! A nobody! How could you appoint her to be the FIRST WIFE? This can¡¯t happen!¡±


    What a rude woman!


    However, I didn¡¯t say anything. I remained quiet and looked at the emperor in shock.


    why wouldn¡¯t I be shocked? A wife out of blue?


    The chancellor stepped forward, ¡°You are incorrect, dowager empress.¡¯


    Was it just me or did the old man emphasized the word ¡°dowager?¡±


    The dowager empress replied heatedly, ¡°What did you say, chancellor?¡±


    ¡°I am only giving you the facts, dowager empress.¡±


    He did it again!


    I loved the old man¡¯s voice. It sounded smooth yet powerful, especially when he spoke against the dowager empress.


    That old man... He was obviously helping the new emperor in the fight against the dowager empress. There must have been a reason for it, other than an obvious one, but I couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    He turned to me and asked, ¡°I apologize, but I must ask mydy. The night the emperor was murdered, it was your wedding night, correct?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    He nodded as well. ¡°Thank you, and even before you entered the room, the former emperor passed away. ording to thew, this means the marriage didn¡¯t take ce. We need to also consider the diplomatic side of this situation. The Aeal colony sent us a gift, but before she could be married to the emperor as promised, this unfortunate event urred. Wouldn¡¯t it be unfair and cruel of us to ask for another girl to be sent since we have a new emperor?¡±


    The ¡°diplomatic gift¡± the colonies sent were basically female hostages for the emperor to hold and use as he wished. The old man was right. It wouldn¡¯t be right to ask for another.


    The dowager empress, however, wouldn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°But...! Even if you¡¯re right, how could the son take his father¡¯s woman as his wife?!¡±


    The priestess chimed in this time, ¡°But dowager empress, the marriage hasn¡¯t taken ce even in the eyes of our god. So technically, thedy is still single.¡±


    ¡°But!¡±


    The priestess smiled generously. Her smile was so soft and kind, but she gave a powerful aura. Even the dowager empress couldn¡¯t win against her.


    ¡°I know what you mean, dowager empress. You are worried the new emperor may get an unpleasant reputation. A scandal may erupt.¡±


    ¡°E, exactly! So...!¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry about that. When the bride or the groom dies before the marriage is consummated, it is not umon for the remaining partner to marry another member of the same family.¡±


    The chancellor replied, ¡°That is very true.¡±


    The priestess said firmly, ¡°There is no legal or ethical problem here, and I will help as well. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°H... help?¡± The dowager empress¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°Yes. I will conduct the wedding myself right here with the blessing of god himself. If we announce how this wedding took ce, everything will be alright.¡±


    The chancellor pped. ¡°That is an excellent idea!¡±


    The dowager empress paled.


    Three against one.


    It was fun to watch the fight. How interesting!


    W, wait. Huh?


    They were talking about ME!


    I am to marry the new emperor?! How could they decide this without asking me?


    ¡®W, wait a minute?! How did this happen?¡¯


    I became speechless. I was soaked in my own sweat.


    My heart started to beat fast in fear. The emperor and the dowager empress stared at me intensely.


    They were the predators. I was their prey.


    A mere mouse.


    The dowager empress suddenly said out loud, ¡°I am d the priestess is willing to do this for the emperor... But there is one thing.¡± She turned to me and continued, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we ask thedy for her opinion as well?¡±


    Everyone in the room turned to me.


    W, what¡¯s this?


    The dowager empress added sharply, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be unfair to appoint thisdy as the first wife without even asking if she was willing?¡±


    This was ridiculous! When I was first dragged into this castle, I was never asked if I wanted to marry the former emperor. Yet here she was! Why was she pretending to care about my opinion?!


    I continued to sweat profusely. Everyone was looking at me intensely.


    The dowager empress asked, ¡°Now, answer me. What is your opinion? Do you ept or not?¡±


    I got goosebumps.


    The dowager empress was smiling kindly at me, but her words had hidden threats. I could feel my fear rising. It was clear what her message was.


    ¡®If you ept this position, I will kill you.¡¯


    Her eyes were on me.


    I couldn¡¯t think clearly. I felt like drowning. Intense fear made it hard for me to breath.


    Then suddenly, his hand was on my shoulder.


    When I looked up, his handsome face filled my eyes. When I first met him, I thought he was an angel, but now, I knew the truth.


    He smiled at me warmly. I felt cold.


    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t follow a proper protocol. My mistake.¡±


    ¡°P, pardon?!¡±


    He took my hand and kissed it. His hand was gloved, but it still felt cold.


    ¡°I should have proposed to you first. You are so fragile yet so courageous. You have helped me greatly with this investigation. I have fallen in love with you.¡±


    They were such romantic words, but instead of love and happiness, I felt fear and anxiety.


    He asked firmly, ¡°Will you be my wife?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What should I say?

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: <Chapter 10></h4>


    I looked around in panic. The chancellor and the priestess looked at me and the emperor with gentle smiles. The dowager empress was ring at me as if she wanted to kill me right here.


    The emperor and the dowager empress were forcing me into giving an answer. Whichever response I give, one of them will never forgive me.


    The dowager empress asked again, ¡°What would you like to do?¡±


    I looked at the emperor and the dowager empress again. I had no choice but to turn one of them into my enemy. No matter what, I was now in the middle of their fight.


    In reality, there was nothing for me to decide. There was only one right answer.


    I opened my mouth slowly. ¡°Your Highness, I... ept your proposal.¡±


    The game now began. I knew exactly who my enemy was. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if my ally was truly on my side.


    The first wife.


    This was a position of unusual status in Cransia empire.


    In this world, the emperor could have more than one legal wife. The Empress, on the other hand, was not only the emperor¡¯s wife but his partner as well. She had the same ruling authority as her husband.


    The first wife was in control of all of the emperor¡¯s women other than the Empress.


    Obviously, the empress was not to be chosen for love. It had to be a calcted political move. A daughter of an influential family often was chosen. The power she wielded was too great to be given to just anyone. It had to be someone the emperor could trust with absolute certainty.


    When the empress was chosen, the first wife was often selected at the same time. The first wife was usually chosen from the same family as the empress, so that the two women in power, the empress and the first wife, would work in harmony and with absolute power. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t umon for the sisters or the cousins of the same family to marry the emperor at the same time.


    If the empress became ill or couldn¡¯t perform her duties for whatever reasons, the first wife took over the position of power.


    Of course, there were exceptions.


    The first wife didn¡¯t always turn out to be the empress¡¯s ally. For example, the dowager empress was originally the former emperor¡¯s first wife. She plotted against the previous empress and was able to dethrone her. That was how Katleyanira became the Empress herself.


    On the other hand, there were also plenty of first wives in history who cared for and protected all of the emperor¡¯s wives, concubines, and children.


    It was a fair statement to say that the first wife set the tone of the royal family.


    Therefore, this was a very important position. I had to ask.


    ¡°Why did you appoint me as your first wife?¡±


    Gorgeous murderous emperor.


    My husband Lucretius.


    He was giving me a description of what my position entailed on our wedding night.


    I felt like screaming as he answered nonchntly, ¡°Just because.¡±


    Oh, I was going crazy.


    ¡°Are you nuts?!¡±


    I screamed without thinking. Suddenly I realized how loud I was and looked around nervously.


    Thankfully, we were in the bedroom prepared for the first wife of the emperor. In this room were just me and the emperor. It wasn¡¯t as big as the emperor¡¯s room, but it was still huge. There was no way people could hear me from outside.


    The emperor sat on a sofa and watched me with a nk expression. I shrieked.


    ¡°Just say something!¡±


    ¡°What would you like me to say?¡±


    ¡°An excuse. An exnation, Anything!¡±


    He frowned and ced his metal cup on the table loudly. He looked angry.


    I got scared suddenly.


    He stood up and walked towards me slowly. Every time he took a step, I took a step backward involuntarily. Soon, I could feel the wall against my back.


    I was sweating again. I was so stupid!


    This man in front of me killed his own father, and he became the new emperor of this world. It would be so easy for him to shut me up.


    When I looked up nervously, Lucretius grinned in satisfaction.


    Oh! I had to admit he was the most gorgeous guy I had ever met. I would have fallen for him except for the fact that I remembered the feeling of his dagger against my neckst night.


    I blurted out whatever was on my mind without thinking.


    ¡°E, even if you smile like that, I won¡¯t fall for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ...what the hell did I just say? Have I finally gone crazy? Did I lose my mind?


    What the hell!


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!!¡± Heughed loudly.


    Heughed for a long time. Even hisugh was beautiful. I gawked at him in shock.


    He wasughing so hard he started to cry a little. Wiping away his tears, he said to me.


    ¡°You are very good at surprising me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you find me funny.¡±


    ¡°I see you are good at sarcasm too.¡±


    What did he want from me? I just couldn¡¯t tell.


    With hisugh, I regained my courage. I had to get as much information as possible. I lowered my voice andined again.


    ¡°What¡¯s with getting me to be your first wife?¡±


    ¡°...shouldn¡¯t you thank me first?¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I saved you from the empress, I mean, the dowager empress. You were about to be sent to hell, but I pulled you out to heaven. Of course, you should thank me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He returned to the sofa and sat down again. He picked up the cup again and drank from it.


    His behavior was very simr to that of the former emperorst night. Like father like son. The only difference was that the former emperor was a pig, while this guy was stunning.


    Oh, the power of beauty.


    He exined to me.


    ¡°You were about to be the fifteenth concubine to a 70-year-old man, but now, you are the first wife of this young handsome emperor. On top of that, I don¡¯t have an empress yet. You are the only wife so far. Of course, you should be on your knees thanking me.¡±


    ¡°And this is the reward you promised me?¡±


    He nodded. My anger rose.


    I walked towards him. I grabbed the cup away from his hand and gulped it down.


    I ced the cup down on the table loudly and continued, ¡°When you give someone a reward, you should at least ask the recipient if she or he wants it! WHO SAID I WANTED THIS STUPID REWARD!¡±


    He looked genuinely surprised.


    Oh, it felt good to yell at him. Finally, I got him!


    I poured another drink from the silver sk. Golden liquid filled the cup quickly. It was strong, but it tasted amazingly sweet and fragrant.


    ¡°You! You¡¯ve never had to work on building a proper [human rtionship], have you?¡±


    ¡°What? [Human rtionship]? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t people tell you that you are rude and selfish? If you acted like that, you would be [bullied] if you went to [my high school.] Well, maybe not since you are good looking.¡±


    I continued to drink. Lucretius seemed confused at the use of my oldnguage.


    As I drank, my tongue started to feel uncontrobly heavy.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: <Chapter 11></h4>


    I arrived in this world before I was legally allowed to drink in Korea. The only alcohol I¡¯ve had so far was a few sips of wine while dining when I lived in the Aeal colony. This was, in fact, the very first time I actually really drank an alcoholic beverage, so I didn¡¯t know the range of my tolerance and when to stop.


    This was the biggest mistake I made today.


    Lucretius took my cup away from me.


    ¡°You need to stop.¡±


    I became furious. He took my drink! The day¡¯s stress finally exploded in me. This man was the reason behind all my problems!


    In Korea, they said alcohol was a gift from the devil. It made wines by using a sheep, a monkey, a lion, and a pig¡¯s carcasses as fertilizers for the grapes. That was why when people drank, they became meek like a sheep, loud like a monkey, followed by bing violent like a lion, and ended up acting dirty like a pig.


    That was exactly how I behaved.


    I was initially calm, but I started to raise my voice like a monkey. When he took my cup away due to my loudness, I became a lion.


    I roared.


    ¡°My drink! Give me back my drink!¡±


    ¡°I said stop...!¡±


    Lucretius was getting angry, but I was so furious I couldn¡¯t think straight. I became an furious lion.


    ...I went after his hand that held my cup. I bit it as hard as I could.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaa!¡±


    He screamed, more so because he was shocked at my behavior rather than the pain. I bet he had never been bitten by a drunk woman before.


    When Lucretius dropped the cup in shock, I grabbed it quickly and roared at him again.


    ¡°This is MY DRINK!!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The emperor stared at me as if I was an alien. His hand had a clear imprint of my teeth.


    Why did I do that? I didn¡¯t know... other than that I was drunk and lost my mind.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the end of my embarrassing night.


    The pig phase.


    I began to feel nauseous.


    I gagged.


    Lucretius became pale. He looked even more shocked at what was about to happen. I dropped the cup and fell on the floor in front of him. I grabbed his sleeve.


    ¡°W, wait...!¡±


    The emperor screamed in genuine fear, but it was toote. I became a pig.


    ¡°rghhhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius looked resigned.


    That was when I lost my consciousness.


    The biggest problem was when I woke up the next morning, I was greeted by an enormous hangover and a clear memory of my drunken behavior the night before.


    I was alone on the bed. It was a beautiful morning with the birds singing about, but I screamed silently.


    ¡®Oh my god! What have I done!! What the hell!!!¡¯


    ***


    I made another ridiculous mistake in the morning. I felt so embarrassed I kicked the nket. The problem was I was actually NOT alone. He was sleeping on the edge of the bed. It wasn¡¯t the nket I ended up kicking. It was the emperor.


    He woke up and red at me in irritation.


    What I didst night was unforgivable. What I just did to him was icing on the cake.


    Oh, I¡¯m dead.


    He ordered the servants to bring our breakfasts. He then grabbed me as I was trying to get underneath the nket to hide. He threw me onto the soft rug.


    When I looked closely, it was a different rug than the one I sawst night. The servants probably changed it after I puked all over it.


    ...I wanted to disappear.


    Why was he sleeping on my bed though?


    We were on the third floor of the wives¡¯ wing. He ended up spending the night with me and asked the servant to bring our breakfasts so we could dine together.


    A table was set up out on the terrace.


    I could imagine that the castle was probably in an uproar. A new emperor was appointed along with his first wife yesterday quite suddenly and unexpectedly. Now, the cooks were probably busy preparing the emperor and his wife¡¯s breakfast.


    They were probably expecting us to have a lovey-dovey conversation as newlyweds. However, the truth was, it was a conversation between the former emperor¡¯s murderer and his aplice who happened to be his new wife.


    Surprisingly, our conversation wasn¡¯t as shady as one would have expected.


    I took a deep breath. I had only known this man for two days, but I already knew that he was no ordinary man. It was very obvious. He killed his own father after all. I had to remember not to let him get to me.


    I breathed slowly and opened my eyes. The absurdly handsome young man grinned at me.


    I said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t kid around.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He picked up a baked grouse leg. He looked elegant even when he was chewing on a bird.


    I did the same. Not as elegantly as the emperor, but I knew my manners were passable. He saw my effort and grinned at me.


    ¡°I see that Duke Aeal made a huge effort to prepare you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply. For the year I spent at the Aeal castle, I was trained meticulously. The etiquette they taught me seemed unrealistically strict, but at the time, I didn¡¯t know why. Now I knew.


    They had been preparing me for this life in the Cransia royal castle. In fact, the protocols they taught me weren¡¯t even of Bonafit family, but those of the Cransia family. I admit in my current situation, I was finding those lessons helpful, but I still couldn¡¯t help but hate that family.


    ¡°What a wise duke.¡±


    ¡°I agree. My father is indeed a very smart man.¡±


    Ironically, we had the same sarcastic sense of humor. However, that was where our simrity ended. I took this chance to gain more information from him.


    ¡°You have exined to me the important role the first wife ys. Now, please exin to me why you have given me this role.¡±


    He ced a clean bone on his te and shrugged. ¡°I already told you. It was an impulse decision.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You gave me this crucial rank on an impulse? I don¡¯t believe you. Do I look like an idiot?¡±


    He smiled quietly.


    He cleaned his fingers using a white basin on the table as he replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure if you are an idiot, but... I know one thing for sure. You are a terrible drunk.¡±


    His hand was still clearly marred with my teeth mark fromst night. He intentionally waved his hand around to show it off!


    ¡°...¡±


    I dropped the bird on my te.


    Dammit! I was so embarrassed I wanted to disappear!

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: <Chapter 12></h4>


    While I tried to recover from my embarrassment, he grinned at me and continued, ¡°Why do you think my decision wasn¡¯t made impulsively?¡±


    I weakly replied, ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.... Could my smart wife exin it to me in more details?¡±


    Was it because of the sunlight? I could see the yellowness in the emperor¡¯s green eyes. He looked like a cat who found a mouse to y with. He seemed like a snake about to kill a mouse for dinner.


    I knew without a doubt where I stood. A mouse could never win against its predator.


    I replied cautiously, ¡°You are the man who killed the former emperor with a meticulous n.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°You would¡¯ve known that after the murder, some people, for example, the dowager empress, would suspect you to be behind the whole plot. No one would ever suspect that you killed him yourself though. You knew they would look for a killer you hired, which means they will never find the killer. I myself wouldn¡¯t have believed you killed him yourself unless I saw it happen in person.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t you think that I killed him impulsively and spontaneously on the spot in anger? That would be the most logical exnation.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, but then I saw the secret pathway you used. It would have been too risky to share something like that with someone, which means you had to get involved yourself to keep the whole event a secret. Of course... I¡¯m just guessing.¡±


    He nodded for me to continue.


    I felt insulted at his rude gesture, but I didn¡¯t show my displeasure. I knew I was powerless. The man in front of me was inplete control of this situation.


    ¡°You let me live after careful consideration. It was a calcted move. I think you meant to kill me at first, but you changed your nst night. You probably counted on someone finding the emperor¡¯s body the next morning, but instead, you decided to have me alert the guard right away. By that time, you would have returned to your own room through the secret pathway. I assume only you and your father knew about this pathway. The guards would havee to your room to let you know what happened, which means you got yourself a solid alibi.¡±


    He smiled coldly. ¡°You got one thing wrong. It was the library, not my room.¡±


    ¡°And you are the one who left the window open?¡±


    ¡°Yes, since you forgot to do it yourself. You should thank me for that too, but... I assume you won¡¯t. After all, you are the woman who didn¡¯t thank me for granting you such an honored position.¡±


    I turned away. ¡°I will thank you for opening the window. I admit I forgot to do it.¡±


    ¡°I am overwhelmed by your kindness.¡±


    He replied to me in an exaggeratedly sarcastic tone.


    I picked up the grouse leg from my te again and asked, ¡°So other than the library thing, I got the rest of it right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Oh, and the guards found a servant¡¯s outfit in the outer garden this morning. It was suspected that the assassin threw it away while escapingst night.¡±


    I gaped at him. ¡°That is very impressive.¡±


    I really was impressed and shocked. He obviously had the outfit nted after I gave my testimony yesterday.


    ¡°With it, your testimony has been verified. Now, no one will be able to doubt your helpful role in this investigation. This means no one will question why I fell in love with you and chose you to be my wife.¡±


    His voice was sweet like honey. However, I knew what he had wasn¡¯t honey; it was venom.


    I didn¡¯t fall for it. How could anyone believe his words when his eyes looked so cold?


    ¡°So that is the official reason behind your decision.¡±


    He grinned tightly and replied, ¡°You really are too smart for your own good.¡±


    I decided to be direct. There was no point in dragging this out.


    ¡°So are you going to kill me?¡±


    His green eyes shined brightly. He looked up to stare at me. A nk face, then a sudden smile.


    I shivered as he asked me, ¡°Why do you think I will?¡±


    ¡°...because I know your biggest weakness.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    He nodded in agreement. Then he suddenly stood up.


    I gasped in awe. I couldn¡¯t hide my nervousness. I could never predict what he would do next.


    He walked towards me and lowered himself to my eye level. His green eyes looked at me intensely.


    ¡°It would be best if you stop bringing this subject up.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The more you talk about it, the more you reminded me that you are the only witness to the incident. And then... what you fear the most may actually happen.¡±


    ¡°Is this... a threat?¡±


    He patted my hair gently and whispered, ¡°No, it¡¯s an advice.¡±


    ¡°... I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re smart.¡± He then returned to his seat and smiled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back to our original conversation. Can you guess why I killed the emperor when all I had to do was wait a while longer till he died of natural cause? In time, I would have be the emperor anyway.¡±


    ¡°You just told me not to keep talking about this topic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok when I bring it up.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Such an egotistical man.


    I thought very hard toe up with an answer.


    I learnedst night that the dowager empress hated him. She tried to bring up the previous scandal about his legitimacy. She was clearly very pregnant.


    ¡°I assume that the dowager empress isn¡¯t your birthmother.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°And she is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    It was an obvious andmon storyline. The stepmother hoped she gave birth to a son. If she could get everyone to question Lucretius¡¯s rightfulness to the throne, there was a chance her son may end up wearing the crown.


    Lucretius added, ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but the former emperor really loved Katleyanira. He loved her so much that he killed his first empress.¡±


    I remembered what the dowager empress saidst night. The first empress must have been Lucretius¡¯s real mother.


    Lucretius raised his head. His eyes shone with interest.


    ¡°You said something interestingst night.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You told me I should have asked what you wanted as a reward.¡±


    ¡°If I tell you, will you give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    My lips felt dry. I couldn¡¯t help but be hopeful. I knew I couldn¡¯t trust this man, but I blurted out my wish.


    ¡°I would like to leave this castle.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I want to give up the name Bonafit as well. I just want to live a normal average life. So please help me get out of here.¡±


    He touched my chin with his fingers as he murmured, ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. Well, I guess it makes sense. You were basically sold to us like a ve.¡±


    I looked up anxiously. ¡°Will you... let me go?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide the desperation in my voice.


    I wanted to leave this hell. If I could, I wanted to find a way to get back home. My true home.


    However, he asked me a question that made me speechless.


    ¡°If you leave here, do you have somewhere you can go?¡±

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: <Chapter 13></h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    How could I answer that question?


    The answer could be both yes and no. Technically, I had a home. In Seoul, Korea. However, if he asked HOW I would get home, I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer him.


    I spent all my time and effort for thest year to fit into this world. I never had the chance to think about how I would go back. Besides, was it even possible?


    My heart felt heavy.


    The emperor obviously didn¡¯t know about my dilemma. He wanted a logical answer.


    Could I tell him the truth? That I came from a different world, and I wanted to go back somehow?


    No. He would think I had lost my mind. He might even kill me since he would consider me useless.


    This was a hard question to answer.


    I decided to give him a vague reply.


    ¡°...you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    He smiled faintly. Was it even a smile?


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lucretius narrowed his eyes. He gave me a sharp knowing look.


    He didn¡¯t believe me. He was used to people lying to him all the time. He needed to be calcting and always suspect the worst of people. I realized I made the right choice by not telling him the truth. He wasn¡¯t someone I could trust.


    Lucretius grinned at me widely. It was a chilling smile.


    ¡°I know one thing for sure. You do have a ce you can go back to, and you are desperate to get there.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, your highness.¡±


    ¡°When I heard Duke Aeal is sending his adopted daughter, I assumed he found one of his bastard daughters from somewhere instead of his legitimate daughter. Things like this actually happen quite frequently.¡±


    I remained silent.


    ¡°But now that I see you, I think I understand. I don¡¯t think you are rted to the duke at all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The Bonafit family has ck hair, which is very unusual. When I first saw you, I assumed you were the duke¡¯s bastard daughter. You don¡¯t resemble him, but your hair does.¡± He yed with the leftover pieces of onion and pumpkin as he continued calmly, ¡°Other than the ck hair, you look too different from those who live in the north. You also don¡¯t resemble those from the southern desserts. To be honest, I have never seen someone like you before. Your facial features are very unique.¡±


    He was analyzing me like a profiler. The scary thing was that he was getting it right.


    ¡°Your manner is very good, as if you have been educated, but it doesn¡¯t seem like you grew up with it. Themon etiquette seem new to you still. I think... you grew up in apletely different culture. It doesn¡¯t seem like the duke got a low born girl and taught her. It was more like he got a well-educated person from apletely different country and taught our customs.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was very good.


    My back was wet with sweat. He smiled as if he knew he got it right.


    ¡°...which means you do have a ce to go back. In theory, you are from the Aeal colony, but you didn¡¯t ask to let you return there. You asked me to let you leave the castle. You don¡¯t n on going back to that colony, I know that for sure now. I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter though. You can¡¯t leave.¡±


    I sighed in surrender and replied, ¡°...even if I tell you the truth, you wouldn¡¯t believe me anyway.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He frowned as if I swore at him.


    He lowered his voice and asked in a threatening manner, ¡°What I believe or not believe shouldn¡¯t be yours to decide. I find it very disturbing that you are trying to hide something from me. You are the one asking for a favor, yet you won¡¯t even give me a full exnation?¡±


    Should I tell him? Would he believe me?


    This was such a dangerous game. This was the man who killed his own father in front of me two nights ago. Would this be the death of me?


    I sighed deeply and asked, ¡°Then... Could you promise me something, your highness?¡±


    ¡°A promise? You didn¡¯t even give me an exnation yet.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t automatically assume I¡¯m crazy or joking after you hear what I have to say. Keep an open mind.¡±


    Lucretius looked at me questioningly. He seemed confused at my seriousness.


    He nodded. My heart pounded hard as I said to him, ¡°I... came from a different world.¡±


    Silence.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what the emperor was thinking.


    Shock? Suspicion? I would have been happy with these emotions.


    What I was afraid of was he would think I was crazy and lock me up somewhere.


    I felt so nervous. He continued to study me pratingly.


    After a few minutes of silence, he finally replied, ¡°... you don¡¯t look or act crazy, but...¡±


    ¡°...but?¡±


    He twirled his finger around my temple.


    ¡°Your calm behavior doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you aren¡¯t crazy, I guess.¡±


    I knew it!


    I bit my lips and replied heatedly, ¡°So your words mean nothing.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s face turned nk.


    He agreed to not think that I was crazy, yet here he was breaking his promise! He deserved my disapproval.


    His silence and emotionless face scared me, but I tried my best to hide it.


    To act this brazenly in front of a murderer! Perhaps I was really crazy.


    He agreed on a promise though! he was the emperor too!


    I continued to re at him.


    To my surprise, he nodded in the end.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°P, pardon?¡±


    ¡°My bad. I did promise you to keep an open mind, yet I broke my promise.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of his sudden amodating demeanor.


    I asked, ¡°Then you believe me?¡±


    As I suspected, Lucretius didn¡¯t nod.


    He shook his head and replied, ¡°I promised to keep an open mind, not to believe your words blindingly.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    When I tried to interrupt, he continued quickly, ¡°But I do believe that you aren¡¯t intentionally lying to me. Especially since you won¡¯t gain anything by making up such a strange story.¡±


    He was right.


    ¡°And your behavior tells me you have a good head on your shoulders. I see you studying me and the situation carefully and making sound decisions. A madwoman wouldn¡¯t behave like that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But to believe your words outright... It¡¯s just too ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±


    ¡°Which means either someone tricked you into believing this, or you are one of those crazy people who act calm.¡±


    I red at him and dered firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Lucretius smiled at me dryly.


    I hated him at that moment.


    ¡°Well, I will at least keep my promise.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll believe me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You, I mean your highness...!¡±


    ¡°But I will pretend to believe you for now.¡±


    ¡°Pretend?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Pretend. As I promised, I won¡¯t automatically assume you¡¯re crazy. I didn¡¯t promise to believe you though. I don¡¯t know you very well yet. Your story is too crazy for me to believe at this point.¡±


    ¡°Then you are asking me to convince you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Until I really believe you, I will ¡®pretend¡¯ to believe you.¡±


    ¡°... alright. I will take it.¡±


    Aprise of both of us.


    I sighed again deeply. How would I convince this man who probably grew up doubting everything and everyone?


    He asked me.


    ¡°But if you came from a different world... You want to go back there if you leave this castle?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I want to go back. If you were in my position, wouldn¡¯t you want the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. Remember, I killed my own father. I don¡¯t have any friends. I don¡¯t know if I would want to return.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Somehow, I could understand why this man in front of me turned out the way he did.


    Not a single friend. What kind of life did he live here? His infuriating personality probably formed from his unusual upbringing.


    My face must have held a sympathetic expression. He was chewing a piece of white bread and looking at me oddly.


    I consoled him with genuine concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You have a long life ahead of you, right? I¡¯m sure you will make at least one friend in the future. Besides, you are in a better situation than I am. I am in a strange world with no one to help me.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows sharply. Oh, did I go too far?


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    When he ordered me angrily, I bowed my head.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    He looked at me suspiciously and said to me, ¡°And I can¡¯t let you leave this castle.¡±

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: <Chapter 14></h4>


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    Was he just ying with me this whole time? Was this man really that twisted?


    He must have read my mind because he warned me.


    ¡°If you are thinking that I am being cruel on purpose, you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I know we haven¡¯t had an official wedding, but the priestess married us. You should be honored that the priestess personally acknowledged you; that doesn¡¯t happen often even for an empress. So you are officially my wife. Many people already know your face. I can¡¯t let you leave even if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°But there must be a way. You can perhaps fake my death and give me another identity!¡±


    I was sure it was possible. He had absolute power over this kingdom, so it should have been easy for him. Thy wouldn¡¯t he then?


    He grinned at me as if to goad me. ¡°Why would I go that far for you?¡±


    Oh, I knew it! He was a twisted bastard! I was 100% sure!


    ¡°The first thing you need to do is to convince me that you are indeed not crazy or lying.¡±


    I gritted my teeth quietly.


    How could a man be this petty!? He was an emperor to boot! I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    I pushed down my anger and put a bright smile on my face. It was time for ttery tactic.


    ¡°Um, your highness...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Um, hey handsome...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Still no answer.


    ¡°Um, your highness, the generous?¡±


    Nothing. He remained silent. He was done with his breakfast and wasn¡¯t even looking at me.


    I finally lost my patience. I stood up and yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying topliment you! You should have the decency to at least hear me out!¡±


    He had been ying with his fork. He finally looked up.


    ¡°Hmm? What? I wasn¡¯t listening.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What did you say?¡±


    He was trying to get me riled up. I put on the most condescending smile I could muster.


    He added, ¡°I heard you out, remember? I¡¯m not going to grant your wish, but I did listen to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This man was so twisted!


    He continued, ¡°And you call that ttery? Handsome and generous? That¡¯s just stating facts.¡±


    I wanted to hit him.


    At that moment, I would have done anything to get a chance to p his handsome face.


    Of course, mymon sense wouldn¡¯t let me be impulsive.


    What to do... What to do...


    I had to convince him, which meant I couldn¡¯t make him any angrier.


    It took me a while to ease my ever-growing rage. Meanwhile, the breakfast trays were removed, and the table was set for tea time.


    Gosh, what a long breakfast.


    It must have been alreadyte morning.


    ¡°For an emperor, you aren¡¯t very busy, are you?¡±


    The maids were on standby far away, so he poured the tea himself. He also poured one for me and handed me the cup. I nodded in thanks.


    ¡°But of course. It¡¯s a special day today, right?¡±


    ¡°Special?¡±


    ¡°The morning after our sweet wedding night!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I see.


    That¡¯s right. I kept forgetting that I married this manst night. The day before, I married his father. I was a married woman. Twice married at that!


    What a life I had. This all happened in less than four days.


    I sighed deeply.


    He looked at me and asked, ¡°You said you wanted to return to your homnd?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°And you want to leave this ce?¡±


    ¡°I already told you.¡±


    He suddenly wore his ¡°nice guy¡± mask.


    What was he nning to do now?


    ¡°Perhaps if you work for it, you may get a chance to change my mind.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He swirled his teacup slowly. It was a funny habit of his.


    He continued, ¡°I will be frank. Would you be interested in a deal?¡±


    ¡°D, deal?¡±


    He stared at his teacup before setting it down on the table. It made a sharp sound as it hit the saucer.


    My lips were dry from nervousness. I picked up my teacup with both bands. As I got the cup to my lips, he raised his hand. He then pointed at his own cup and drew an ¡°X¡± in the air.


    He clearly meant that I shouldn¡¯t drink my tea.


    I set my cup down slowly.


    Why?


    He smiled smoothly as if to relieve the tension and continued the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m 27 years old.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 20.¡±


    ¡°And I have been the only heir to the throne for all my years.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I am an average [Korean] [high school student] and I was about to write my [SAT] when...¡± He red at me to stop, so I did. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop.¡± For now.


    He continued, ¡°And I have remained unmarried until yesterday. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    It was indeed very strange. Why didn¡¯t I notice it?


    In this world, men often got married in theirte teens and women in their mid-teens. This meant the emperor should have had a few wives by now. He should have also had an heir for the stability of this empire.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have never married before. In fact, I have been engaged many times too, but strange things kept happening before they progressed to marriage. One of my fianc¨¦s died suddenly, while another one apparently ran away with another man. Myst fianc¨¦ became a nun.¡±


    ¡°Oh my... then how about your wife...?¡±


    ¡°The only woman that seeded in marrying me was killed the same way the former emperor died.¡±


    I started to sweat heavily.


    The former emperor was killed by this man. Was he saying he killed his wife too?


    He sighed and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not that I killed because I am a psycho serial killer. I had to do it to survive.¡±


    ¡°To survive?¡±


    ¡°The empress, I guess the dowager empress now, tried her best to make sure that none of my fianc¨¦s marry me. She usually got me to get engaged to women from the families she controlled. When I somehow seeded in getting married, I almost got murdered in my own bed a few times. Whenever there were talks of me getting a new wife, the dowager empress arranged it so that the girls ended up bing the emperor¡¯s concubine instead. It was the same in your case too.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak. The Bonafit family pushed me into this hellish situation. They used me to save themselves.


    In some way, I could understand why. Lisbeth was beautiful but not very bright. If she was sent, she would have been used and possibly murdered by now.


    However, I was still angry with them.


    They knew how dangerous this would be, yet they still sent me here.


    My hands trembled in anger.


    He asked curiously, ¡°Are you in shock?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m furious.¡±


    He looked at me with great interest. I didn¡¯t like the idea of amusing him, but I couldn¡¯t help blurting out my thoughts.


    ¡°He called me his daughter with such a kind face. Then he sent me here instead of his own daughter. That Duke Aeal is a scumbag.¡±


    He studied me quietly.


    He did that a lot, watching me like I was ab rat.


    ¡°Let me ask you one question.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What would you do to those who harmed you? Would you forgive them, or do you prefer revenge?¡±


    I answered without hesitation, ¡°I am no saint. I will never forgive them for betraying me.¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Excellent. I feel the same way.¡±


    Were we meant to be? A twisted man and a vengeful woman...


    I shook my head harshly. What was I thinking! I blushed.


    He looked at me curiously as he continued, ¡°As I said, the reason I am still unmarried is because of the dowager empress. It was strange for the prince to be unmarried; it would be absolutely uneptable for an emperor to be single. However, the dowager empress would continue to try to do something to any woman who is to marry me.¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°She has done it before. The dowager empress¡¯s power here is great. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she tries to fill my harem with female assassins. Another problem is the role of my future empress. An empress isn¡¯t just my wife, but also my partner. She would have equal power as me. If she ced her own woman in that position, it would be very troublesome for me.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed a big problem for you.¡±


    When I replied indifferently, he frowned at me.


    ¡°You should be worried. This is your problem too.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You are my only wife. Without an empress, you wield great power. I know one thing for sure. You are not on the dowager empress¡¯s side.¡±


    I suddenly realized what he meant. I shuttered.


    This man!


    Anger flooded me.


    I asked in a trembling voice, ¡°You! Did you marry me to use me as a shield against the empress?¡±


    He admitted it without hesitation.


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: <Chapter 15></h4>


    Again! I was used again!


    I bit my lips and red at him. It was all a lie when he called it a ¡°reward.¡± He lied when he said he married me ¡°just because.¡±


    All lies.


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t believe him at the time, but I still couldn¡¯t help my anger.


    I asked him bluntly, ¡°So, the deal you mentioned, tell me more about it.¡±


    He smiled. That smile. I hated it. It was a bad sign whenever he smiled. It was poisonous.


    ¡°You need to act as my shield until I get rid of the dowager empress. It would be even better if you can help in getting rid of her.¡±


    ¡°... .and what do I get in return?¡±


    ¡°I will grant your wish. I can make it possible for you to create a new life outside of this castle, or I can even help you find your way back home.¡±


    ¡°But you said you didn¡¯t want to!¡±


    ¡°This is all under the assumption that you will be able to convince me of your story. If your story is really true, then I obviously won¡¯t be able to promise to return you to your world. However, if you want me to try, you can be sure I would be the best person to help you in this world.¡±


    That was true. He was the emperor of Cransia, the strongest empire in this world. If I wanted even a chance of going back, I needed his help.


    I remembered the dowager empress¡¯s expression. She clearly wanted to kill me. This wouldn¡¯t be easy. It will be very dangerous. However, I knew the saying. No pain, no gain.


    I looked straight into his eyes and asked, ¡°How can I trust that you will keep your promise?¡±


    ¡°I believed in your preposterous story, so you should trust me too. You are my aplice, after all.¡±


    ¡°You said you will pretend to believe me, not believe me for real.¡±


    ¡°Same thing.¡±


    I sighed. I couldn¡¯t trust him, but I had no other choice. I nodded in the end.


    ¡°Alright. I will pretend to believe your word.¡±


    Let¡¯s give him another chance.


    Heughed loudly.


    We both stood up. Before leaving, I saw the inside of his teacup. The silver edges of the cup had turned ck.


    We looked at each other but didn¡¯t say anything.


    A kind and calm looking middle-ageddy bowed to me.


    Her light brown hair was brushed back neatly, and her dress was elegant but not overly extravagant. The pieces of jewelry she wore on her hair and on her body were minimal and ssy. She was older, but it was clear that she must have been a beauty in her younger days.


    ¡°Greetings, mydy. I have been assigned by the emperor to be your chief maid in waiting. I am Duchess Gust. Please call me Samantha.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you, Samantha.¡±


    The lines around her lips were deep and pronounced. Her face looked like she was smiling even when she wasn¡¯t. Unlike the woman standing behind me.


    The woman behind me asked sharply, ¡°Excuse me, Duchess Gust.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dame Cloyne.¡±


    Orlean Cloyne.


    Dame was the title given to a woman equivalent to the rank of a knight.


    Technically, Orlean¡¯s rank could notpare to that of Duchess Samantha. However, Orlean was my maid who came with me from my ¡°homnd,¡± and that was why the duchess was being especially deferential to her as a show of respect for me, her superior.


    Orlean knew this, and that was why she interrupted our conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you, but I am the chief maid in waiting to thedy. There is no reason for you to be here.¡±


    Orlean couldn¡¯t be any ruder!


    The duchess¡¯s kind face hardened. When I remained silent, Orlean became even more confident.


    She continued, ¡°I came all the way from the Aeal colony to serve mydy, so it is only right that I take care of her.¡±


    What a stupid woman. Well, it made sense now that Lisbeth was the way she was. She was raised by Orlean. I realized something unexpected today.


    Who did she think she was?


    I ced my teacup down roughly on purpose. It was the tea Orlean brought for me.


    A sharp noise echoed in the room.


    The two women¡¯s eyes widened.


    The Duchess stepped back wisely, but Orlean red at me. She still saw me as a lowborn girl she dragged from Aeal colony. I red back at her.


    ¡°The tea is bitter.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Orlean continued to re at me rudely. She lowered her voice and murmured to me, ¡°Your Highness, we can talk about thatter...¡±


    She addressed me as ¡°Your Highness,¡± but it was clear she had no respect for me.


    However, Orlean was mistaken about one very important thing. I was the one in charge, not her.


    I inhaled deeply. Then, I raised my voice.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    The room filled with sudden tension. Orlean finally realized her mistake and stepped back hesitantly.


    I pushed the teacup away which spilled tea all over it.


    I ordered, ¡°Get me another cup immediately. How odd that you don¡¯t even know how I like my tea when you supposedly came with me here to serve me...¡±


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    Orlean looked at me as if I was being unfair, but I ordered again coldly. I said to her like she was a lowly servant, ¡°Are you refusing my order?!¡±


    Duchess Gust followed suit and agreed with me.


    ¡°You have been given an order by the emperor¡¯s wife. Will you not follow it?¡±


    Orlean had no choice. Her hands trembled as she took the tea tray and left the room.


    Samantha studied me for a few seconds before asking quietly, ¡°So Dame Cloyne isn¡¯t your person?¡±


    I looked up at her and stared. I didn¡¯t hide the fact that I was studying her. She was doing the same anyway.


    I replied, ¡°Orlean came to serve me on the day I was sent away to Cransia.¡±


    Duchess Gust nodded silently. She probably could guess how I came to be here. I was sold instead of the Duke¡¯s own daughter. Orlean was obviously more of my jailer than anything and the Duchess probably already knew this. My behavior today should have been enough to confirm her suspicion.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if this woman was someone I could trust, but my hate towards Orlean was too big. At this point, I would have preferred basically anyone over her.


    I decided to test Duchess Gust to see what kind of woman she was.


    ¡°You must be on the emperor¡¯s side.¡±


    Her face rxed as she nodded. ¡°Yes. I have been serving his highness since he was very young.¡±


    I was surprised. Knowing him, he would have meticulously surrounded himself with only those he could trust. I could guess this woman was one of the few he trusted the most. He sent her to me.


    Iughed softly. ¡°I must thank his highness. He made me his wife and even sent me someone like you to help me. How generous of him.¡±


    Duchess Gust smiled. ¡°You must be very important to him.¡±


    Um, I don¡¯t think so,dy. I guess her definition of important might be different from mine.


    Lucretius was the man who made me into his shield against the dowager empress. He needed to keep me alive as long as possible for protection, that was why he would¡¯ve sent Duchess Gust to me.


    He was protecting me, but for a selfish reason. In fact, he really wasn¡¯t protecting me at all but putting me in obvious danger. By appointing his trusted person as my maid, he was announcing to the world, especially the dowager duchess, that I was important to him. This would make me a clear target for the dowager empress.


    This was his n.


    This was too dangerous.


    I felt anxious. I remembered the teacup the emperor used this morning. ckened silver edges. The tea was poisoned.


    Thankfully, the emperor noticed it before it was toote, but it was a clear warning. My tea was most likely poisoned as well.


    We almost died! It was only the morning after our wedding!


    What a dangerous honeymoon. I felt so tired.


    What have I gotten myself into?

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: <Chapter 16></h4>


    I didn¡¯t know for sure why the emperor ignored his poisoned tea. He had an undeniable proof right in front of him.


    I could think of two reasons why. Either it wasn¡¯t enough to implicate the dowager empress, or even if it was, he didn¡¯t have enough power to use it against her. Maybe it was both.


    ording to the emperor, the dowager empress had huge power and influence. Just because he became the emperor didn¡¯t mean she would have lost her authority.


    She tried her best to harm him when he was the heir to the throne. It was clear why the emperor appointed me to be his first wife so hurriedly. He had to do it before the dowager empress could ce her own woman in this position.


    The way she red at us when he announced his intention was deadly. If a look could kill, I would have been dead by now. This was very bad.


    However, the biggest problem wasn¡¯t the dowager empress. Of course, she was an obvious threat to my life, but from my point of view, the emperor was my biggest problem.


    The dowager empress was my enemy, and I had no doubt about it. The emperor, on the other hand, was a questionable ally. I would never be betrayed by the dowager since I would never give her my trust. However, the emperor was a different story. I had no choice but to trust him to some extent, but it was too dangerous for me to give him my full trust.


    In all honesty, the emperor scared and worried me more than the dowager empress.


    Therefore, the fact that Duchess Gust was on the side of the emperor, an ally of mine, didn¡¯t mean I should trust her.


    We were aplices and partners, but I didn¡¯t trust him fully. I was sure he felt the same way about me too.


    My life depended on the emperor, yet I couldn¡¯t trust him. This was such a maddening situation!


    What if he poisoned me and framed my murder on the dowager empress? It would be like killing two birds with one stone. Get rid of the only witness to his murder and also the dowager empress both in the same scheme.


    My situation worried me sick.


    Did I make smart decisions? Did I make the right assumptions so far? No one could tell me. I had to make every single decision myself, and I was responsible for each one of them. One wrong decision could be the death of me.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die!¡¯


    I forced myself to smile brightly. I had to have thick skin if I wanted to survive.


    I said to the duchess, ¡°I can¡¯t help but be anxious. I am new here and so many bad things have happened so far. I will trust you to guide me.¡±


    Duchess Gust smiled neutrally and bowed. ¡°It would be my honor.¡±


    So that was how my royal life on this thin ice began.


    Suddenly, a maid walked in to speak to Duchess Gust. As soon as I heard the message, I almost dropped my cup.


    ¡°The dowager empress would like to see you, your highness.¡±


    Already?


    ***


    Unfamiliar maids surrounded me to dress me. Afterward, I headed towards the dowager empress¡¯s wing.


    Her residence was separate from all the other wives¡¯ living quarters. In fact, she was living next to the emperor¡¯s quarters.


    The proper rule dictated that the dowager empress needed to move from the empress¡¯ wing to another residence after the death of her husband. However, she imed that the shock of the former emperor¡¯s death was too much for her, she needed more time to grieve in her own room.


    This was clearly a poor excuse from the dowager empress. If the new emperor had an empress, the emperor would have had a solid reason to kick her out, but for now, things had to be left as it was.


    I felt strange. Only a few days ago, she was my fellow wife to the old emperor. However, now, I was her daughter-inw. This was absurd.


    Didn¡¯t people think it strange that the father¡¯s concubine married his son? ording to the priestess and the chancellor, there seemed to be no legal problems, but it still surprised me at how open-minded people were in this world.


    This would have never been eptable in the olden days of Korea. It seemed like this world resembled the western countries more than the Asian nations in my world.


    Historically, the customs of having multiple wives and concubines weremon in many Asian countries. I remembered reading about Korean history at school. I enjoyed history sses, especially European history. In fact, I nned on studying history at university.


    I wished I studied harder though. It could have been helpful in my current situation if I knew more.


    There was no point in regretting the past. There was nothing I could do. All I needed to focus on now was my own survival.


    I took a deep breath. It felt like my heart would burst. My hands were trembling. I clenched my fingers to ky myself at ease.


    I couldn¡¯t show any weaknesses.


    When I arrived, the dowager empress¡¯s maid announced loudly.


    ¡°Your Highness, the first wife has arrived.¡±


    I stood tall and entered the room.


    ***


    The dowager empress was surrounded by high-rankingdies. They all red at me chillingly. Clearly, they were on the dowager¡¯s side.


    Their stares felt ufortable, but I hid my nervousness as best as I could. I walked slowly towards them and bowed politely.


    ¡°Good morning to the honored dowager empress.¡±


    Her cold voice ordered me, ¡°Rise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Thedies around the dowager started to greet me together in unison.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness.¡±


    The dowager empress¡¯s maid guided me to a chair across from everyone. My maid in waiting, Samantha, carried the golden box on a silver tray to the dowager empress.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    The Duchess answered with a gentle smile.


    ¡°It is a gift from the first wife to the dowager empress. It is to celebrate the recent asion.¡±


    The dowager frowned slightly. This was amon practice for the new daughter-inw to present a gift to the dowager empress. Usually, the announcement of a new emperor was a happy event for the dowager empress since her son had been crowned as the new emperor. However, in this case, it wasn¡¯t her real son. This was definitely not a happy asion for the dowager empress.


    A gift was an insult, and I didn¡¯t order it. Samantha nned it without even consulting me!


    The dowager empress put on a disturbing smile and faced me. She lowered her voice and thanked me.


    ¡°Thank you. I guess all I have left to do is to move to the back room and enjoy the happiness of my son and his wife. For that, I thank you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond. My mind went nk with nervousness and shock.


    The dowager empress announced, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s open the gift. I would love to see what you brought me.¡±


    The dowager empress¡¯s maid took the box from Samantha and opened it in front of thedies.


    Inside the shiny golden box was a small golden can with ck tint. On top was beautiful silver decorations.


    Thedies around the dowager empress eximed.


    Samantha exined proudly, ¡°This is Kamak, the best ck tea that was harvestedst year. They say its quality is the best it has ever been in a hundred years.¡±


    Onedy who appeared to know much about tea recognized it.


    She eximed, ¡°Oh my! This is worth more than gold nowadays!¡±


    Anotherdy agreed, ¡°I heardst year¡¯s leaves are indeed of the highest quality.¡±


    Thedies all nodded in agreement. The dowager empress looked at them disapprovingly. When they realized her displeasure, they quieted down.


    The dowager turned to me and gave me another fake smile.


    ¡°How could I ever repay you for your kindness?¡±


    There was no way I would be able to appease her even if I beg for her forgiveness. Besides, if I showed any weakness, she would use it against me.


    Samantha sessfully angered the dowager empress, and now I had one option left. I tried to think positively. I knew from the beginning I would never be able to have an amicable rtionship with the dowager empress.


    I finally opened my mouth.


    ¡°There is no need for thanks, Your Highness. I tried to find the best gift for such a HAPPY OCCASION. I am d you approve it.¡±


    When I emphasized the words ¡®happy asion,¡¯ I saw the dowager empress¡¯s face spasm.


    The dowager empress gave a stern expression and pped her hands.


    ¡°Well then, should we enjoy the first wife¡¯s gift together?¡±


    Suddenly, it was teatime. The servants moved quickly to set the table.


    When I saw the teacups and pots, I couldn¡¯t help but be stiff.


    They shone brightly. They were all made of silver.

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: <Chapter 17></h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    The empress exined when she saw Samantha and I frown with displeasure, ¡°I need to think of my baby, so I am always very careful.¡±


    In Cransia, it was a clear insult to use silverware during a social meeting, especially when the host was about to serve the food or drink gifted by the guest. It meant the host didn¡¯t trust the guest.


    Most people had one or two pieces of silverware for safety and they used them when dining privately. But this!? This was too much. It was one thing to have the edges of a few tableware painted with silver, but it was another matter to have everything madepletely from silver.


    I knew enough of the Cransian customs to realize that this was an unforgivable insult to me.


    Her maids prepared tea as if nothing was wrong. A warm beautiful aroma filled the room, but I still felt cold.


    A tulip-shaped silver teacup was ced in front of me. The dowager empress and the other women stared at me with interest. They were curious about how I would react to this offense. Depending on what I did, their attitude towards me would change.


    My decision was quick. I didn¡¯t n on letting them win.


    Never let anyone bully you into anything. I learned this from the emperor.


    I smiled brightly. I picked up the silver teacup quickly before anyone else and took a sip.


    ¡°...¡±


    Gulp. I swallowed loudly.


    I took a few more sips for show and turned to the dowager empress. She looked baffled. It was rude to eat before your superior, therefore, everyone¡ªincluding myself¡ªshould have waited for the dowager empress to have the first sip.


    Before she could criticize me, I exined to her quickly, ¡°There is nothing wrong with the tea. You can rx and drink it now, Your Highness.¡±


    The dowager¡¯s lips showed faint spasms.


    A deadly tension filled the room. Everyone¡ªthedies, Samantha, and the maids¡ªstared at me in shock. I ignored them and smiled.


    I knew exactly what my action meant. The dowager empress insulted me by implying that my gift may be harmful. I insulted her right back by drinking before she did. I was also very blunt in pointing out her rudeness towards my gift.


    Now, I was the one waiting for her to respond. I wondered how the dowager empress would react.


    I kept a nd smile on my face. I didn¡¯t know how, but I managed to pull it off.


    The silence was painful, but I knew it had to end at some point. I was sure it probably felt much longer than it actually was.


    The dowager empress¡¯s cold re suddenly turned into a smile. Then, she started tough out loud.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    The tension broke finally. I almost dropped my cup in shock; thankfully I didn¡¯t.


    The dowager empressughed for a long time before gesturing her maid. The maid handed her the teacup. The dowager empress took a sip herself and nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It has a beautiful aroma and the taste is very smooth.¡±


    As if on cue, the otherdies also picked up their cups.


    The room rxed into mundane conversations as everyoneplimented the tea.


    The dowager empress looked at me with a mysterious smile. She was older, but her beauty was beyond this world. What a dangerous woman. Her lips were smiling, but her eyes remained cold.


    If the emperor was a snake, the dowager empress was a hawk.


    She was gawking at me. I was a mouse that just survived the hawk¡¯s ws.


    ¡°What an intelligent and thoughtful daughter-inw you are. I am so happy to have you. You realized my worries and took an initiative to help me feel safer. What a smart child. No wonder the emperor wanted to marry you no matter what.¡±


    It was apliment wrapped around a deadly thorn. All the women recognized it and looked at me smugly.


    Thedy, whomented on my gift before, said to me, ¡°I have been excited to finally meet you, Your Highness.¡±


    Samantha whispered to me from behind, ¡°That¡¯s Countess Dere.¡±


    I nodded and replied to her, ¡°I am happy to meet you too, Countess Dere.¡±


    She nodded and said to me smoothly, ¡°Only a few days ago, you were the former emperor¡¯s concubine. Today, you are the new emperor¡¯s wife. Many believe that you must be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Now that I see you in person...¡± Her voice was kind, but her words were like knives directed at me.


    ¡°...¡±


    Countess Dere didn¡¯t finish her sentence on purpose.


    I felt furious. I realize I am not a great beauty, but how rude of her to point it out! It made sense that people would make such an assumption since I supposedly ¡®seduced¡¯ two emperors with my beauty. However, in reality, of course, I wasn¡¯t beautiful at all.


    The womenughed mockingly at my expense.


    Countess Dere sneered at me. I was the woman who married the father and his son. It was a ridiculous situation. Even I had difficulty believing that I truly could be the current emperor¡¯s wife.


    Suddenly, I felt hopeful.


    If it wasn¡¯t proper for me to be the emperor¡¯s wife, then wouldn¡¯t the emperor let me go since I would be of no use to him?


    A clear voice from behind interrupted the situation.


    Samantha said to Countess Dere calmly, ¡°Countess, her highness was a candidate to be the former emperor¡¯s concubine, but it didn¡¯t actually happen. Therefore, her highness has every right to be the current emperor¡¯s wife.¡±


    Huh? What was Duchess Gust talking about?


    The room buzzed at Samantha¡¯s sudden deration. Countess Dere narrowed her eyes and asked.


    ¡°What lies are you spreading? We all know that two days ago, her highness was officially pronounced as the former emperor¡¯s concubine!¡±


    Many women agreed out loud, but Samantha replied quickly with a confident smile, ¡°ording to ourw, the marriage is valid only after it is consummated. Since the former emperor passed away even before her highness entered his bedroom, the marriage is invalid. Isn¡¯t that right, Marchioness Toruka?¡±


    Marchioness Toruka was the dowager empress¡¯s principle maid in waiting. The fact that Samantha asked her must have meant Marchioness Toruka¡¯s words carried a great power in this ce.


    Marchioness Toruka looked around the room ufortably before finally answering, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Samantha smile and stepped back. She looked like a knight who just won a duel. She whispered to me from behind.


    ¡°Three generations ago, a simr thing happened in the Toruka family.¡±


    I could understand now. If the same thing happened in her family, Marchioness Toruka had no choice but to agree with Samantha¡¯s logic.


    Marchioness Toruka must have been an influential figure. The women epted her words without question. They didn¡¯t look happy about it, but they still remained quiet.


    Samantha whispered to me again, ¡°The dowager empress¡¯ maiden name was Toruka.¡±


    Oh. I nodded.


    This meant Marchioness Toruka was a rtive of the dowager empress. If they questioned my marriage, they would have no choice but to question the dowager empress¡¯s family history as well.


    I now had a clear understanding of this situation. I enjoyed the expensive tea quietly and watched the women talk among themselves.


    This was less scary than I expected. It would have been worse if I was meeting the dowager empress alone, so I was thankful.


    Now, I thought it was my turn to attack.

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: <Chapter 18></h4>


    I smiled as I finished my tea. I then asked the dowager empress, ¡°How is your health, Your Highness? I should have asked you earlier.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The dowager empress patted her huge stomach. I guessed that she must be at least six to seven months pregnant. She was almost due.


    If the baby was a boy, it would be dangerous for the emperor. If I took care of the baby and the dowager empress, I was sure the emperor would let me go and even help me.


    The dowager empress patted her stomach again and continued, ¡°The baby is also very healthy. I just hope my son resembles the former emperor.¡±


    Hmm. That ugly fat former emperor? Really?


    The women around her started to agree excessively. ¡°Of course he will be.¡±


    ¡°It will be a prince for sure.¡±


    ¡°If the former emperor was still alive, he would have loved this baby boy as the only true legitimate heir...¡±


    So there still was a doubt that Lucretius was not fathered by the former emperor. Lucretius¡¯ mother, the original empress, was executed under the suspicion of adultery. The Katleyanira orchestrated the whole plot.


    I looked straight into her burgundy eyes.


    I smiled politely and said to her, ¡°After what happened to the former emperor... Especially in your condition... I was very worried, but now that I saw you in person, I feel relieved, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    I smiled even more brightly, which seemed to difort the dowager empress.


    I continued, ¡°You look like you¡¯re glowing, especially since you are so well dressed. I am relieved to see you looking so happy despite the sad event. Since you¡¯re doing well, I¡¯m sure the baby is healthy too.¡±


    The room became quiet with tension again. I guess everyone was able to read between the lines.


    Well, I was only stating the facts.


    The dowager empress looked amazing considering her own husband died only two days ago. Bright clothes and full makeup. She really was glowing.


    I epted the second cup of tea from Samantha.


    The tea tasted so sweet.


    I used to not enjoy ck tea when I was living in Korea. I liked the aroma, but it tasted like warm perfume to me. However, at this moment, nothing could be sweeter than this fresh, sweet tea.


    Myment must have been shocking. Everyone in the room barely breathed. They kept ncing at the dowager empress nervously.


    The silencested longer this time. I expected my remark to sting a little, but I hadn¡¯t realized it was such a big deal. I became confused.


    Suddenly, big tears started to stream down the dowager empress¡¯s eyes.


    ...I clearly underestimated her.


    Thedies and the maids eximed, ¡°Dowager empress!¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry!¡±


    I froze in shock.


    One maid quickly brought the dowager empress a beautiful sheer handkerchief.


    The dowager empress wiped her tears with it and murmured sadly, ¡°My love... Your Highness... I should have followed you... I should have died with you... I am so selfish...¡± It was such a loud murmur everyone could hear it clearly.


    Everyone cried out at her to stop ming herself.


    I couldn¡¯t stand the situation. Knowing what I knew about her, I expected her to fight back with fury. This was the exact opposite of what I was waiting for.


    Thedies tried to console her.


    ¡°Your Highness, please think about your baby!¡±


    Suddenly, Marchioness Toruka turned towards me with a deathly re.


    Her voice was sharp like broken pieces of ss. She used her words to fight this battle.


    ¡°Your Highness! How could you say something so cruel! Her Highness, the dowager empress, hasn¡¯t been sleeping well for thest few days since the former emperor passed away! We begged her to rest today, but she insisted on entertaining you on this special asion...! And that is the only reason why she dressed up. For you! How could you, someone who was going to marry the former emperor herself, be so harsh?¡±


    Everyone red at me.


    How did this happen? How did I suddenly be the viin?


    Thedies started to murmur among themselves quietly. I was now the evil woman who ill-treated the poor pregnantdy who recently lost her husband.


    I wanted to scream at them. She started it!


    This was unfair, but I knew what I had to do. I gritted my teeth and stood up.


    I approached the dowager empress. I took out my handkerchief from my sleeve to wipe her tears and squeezed her hands.


    The dowager empress looked at me as if she ate a bug.


    I forced myself to cry. I bit my tongue hoping the pain would help. It wasn¡¯t as hard as I expected because I was so frustrated by this situation.


    I started toe up with an excuse. I needed to publicly announce that I didn¡¯t mean to be cruel. It didn¡¯t matter if it was true or if people believed me. This was the story, and I was going with it.


    ¡°Oh my! I can¡¯t believe you misunderstood me! I just meant that I was so worried about you! I was worried your grief may affect your health. I can¡¯t believe my thoughtless words hurt you, Your Highness! How could I ever make it up to you?¡±


    I should have won the academy award for the best actress.


    I hated myself for acting sad and begging for her forgiveness, but I did it so well. I thought it was a very convincing act.


    Technically, what I said could be interpreted in a genuine way too.


    The dowager empress suddenly stopped crying and smiled.


    This woman was definitely one to fear.


    ¡°Oh my, I think I have acted too emotionally. It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m pregnant. I overreacted.¡±


    The dowager empress suddenly turned into a textbook benevolent mother-inw. She was an even better actress than I was. I knew better though. I smiled while my back became wet with my own sweat.


    The dowager empress hugged me with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you for your thoughtfulness.¡±


    When I remained rigid in shock, the empress whispered in my ear quietly.


    ¡°What a brave child you are. I will let you y for a while, but not for long.¡±


    ¡°...T, thank you.¡±


    I said loudly enough for everyone to hear.


    I was frightened. It felt like my spine was being scratched by a sharp talon.


    She was a monster. This wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    I knew my life here would be dangerous. For now, I had to finish what I started. I hugged her back and continued to chat with her for a while longer.


    When I finally left the room, my hands were cold and mmy.


    Katleyanira¡¯s warning would haunt me for a long time.

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: <Chapter 19></h4>


    ¡°Phew...¡± I sighed deeply.


    Samantha, who was helping me undress, murmured to me in a consoling voice, ¡°You did very well in front of the dowager empress. Don¡¯t worry too much about it, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Really? Did I do ok?¡±


    I asked doubtfully. I thought I did well at the beginning, but towards the end, I messed up badly.


    Samantha replied, ¡°Your Highness is young and the only wife of the current emperor. The dowager empress¡¯s time is winding down, while you are the new rising sun. You may not be an expert in the art of politics yet, but you will get better. I must say I am pleasantly surprised at how mature and wise you are considering your young age. I think you will find your own ce here very soon.¡±


    ¡°You are quite a tterer.¡± I grinned at her.


    I felt morefortable around Samantha than the dowager empress or Orlean, but that didn¡¯t mean I could trust her entirely.


    I asked nonchntly, ¡°Who prepared that gift for the dowager empress?¡±


    ¡°...His Highness has ordered me to do so.¡±


    I knew it.


    I turned around to face her. I lowered my voice, hoping it soundedmanding.


    ¡°Please make sure not to do something like that again without my knowledge. Especially if it is something that will anger the dowager empress.¡±


    By giving the dowager empress the gift of tea, the emperor and Samantha ced me in an awkward position. I knew that as the emperor¡¯s supporter, Samantha would do her best to save me from the dowager empress if necessary.


    However, to her, the emperor¡¯s well being was the top priority. She would do her best to do things that would benefit him, not me.


    I had to be firm on this. I couldn¡¯t be ced in such a risky situation again. I needed to be well prepared when it came to the dowager empress.


    Samantha¡¯s face became rigid as she kneeled in front of me.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    When she appeared to be very genuine in her respect for me, I couldn¡¯t help but like her even more.


    It was probably because of how horrible Orlean was to me. She was so awful.


    Now that I had thought about it, where was Orlean? Ipletely forgot about her. I asked Samantha, who was handing my clothes to another maid.


    ¡°What happened to the maid who came with me from the Aeal colony?¡±


    Samantha smiled and gave me a perfect answer, ¡°I was very surprised at how ignorant she was about serving herdy. Perhaps that¡¯s how things are done in Aeal colony, but not here. I sent her away for a week to learn about the proper royal customs.¡±


    I nodded with a smile.


    Thank god! I didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with that woman after the ordeal I had with the dowager empress today.


    I started humming. It was such a long day, but I finally got to go to bed.


    However, my hope died quickly when Samantha announced.


    ¡°Now, you must get washed and wait for his highness.¡±


    I was shocked.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    What?


    In a beautiful, moon-shaped tub were steaming water covered in blood-red rose petals. Surrounding the bathtub were maids, each holding a jar for some reason.


    W, what were they nning to do to me?


    I turned around awkwardly towards Samantha. She was the one who dragged me here.


    ¡°Um, I already washed when I returned to my room today.¡±


    I had dry skin, so it could get rough if I washed too often.


    Besides, I thought in this world, people didn¡¯t wash often. It was one of the few things I found unpleasant when I used to live in Aeal colony. Especially during winter time.


    Samantha continued to give me a cool smile. She shook her head firmly and held my shoulder.


    ¡°You are a new bride. During your honeymoon, you need to keep your body clean at all times. The emperor has announced he will be visiting your room tonight. Yesterday, you had to spend the night in the emperor¡¯s room because your room wasn¡¯t ready. I apologize, but today, everything is in order. It will be a perfect night for you and the emperor.¡±


    ¡°No... I mean, it¡¯s not necessary... Gyaaa!¡±


    Samantha and the maids took all of my clothes off suddenly. I was naked before I even realized it. S, so cold!


    I wanted to say something, but it would have looked funny reprimanding someone naked. Samantha seemed determined to get this done.


    ¡°Please get into the tub, Your Highness.¡±


    She smiled as she pushed me into the tub. There was no way I could stop her. Instead of a maid in waiting, Samantha now acted like my mother or my aunt.


    It was freezing, so I gave up and entered the tub.


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    I had to admit, it did feel nice to take a warm bath. The water smelled pleasing, and it felt slippery; they must have put bath salts in the water.


    I kept feeling the water. It felt strange yet wonderful at the same time. Even its color was different and pretty.


    ¡°The color and the texture feel different.¡±


    ¡°We got the hot spring water from the nearby city named Maram.¡±


    I was surprised.


    ¡°You brought water all the way from the hot spring?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They only have a limited amount of water in the hot spring, but it is said to be effective in skin rejuvenation. It is also great for fatigue. Some of the most important figures in the castle often bath in this water.¡±


    The maidsughed excitedly as they exined. Samantha reprimanded them for being slow.


    She ordered them, ¡°Start working! Did you get enough shampoo and essential oils like I ordered?¡±


    Three maids showed Samantha their jars. Samantha opened each of them to check the contents with her finger. She ordered them to bring more and mix them well.


    ¡°And where is the face cleanser?¡±


    ¡°Right here, mydy.¡±


    ¡°Good. Pour the essential oils into the bath and start massaging her highness. Move fast! We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    The maids followed her order. They poured the oil and started massaging and washing my body.


    ¡°I can wash myse...!¡±


    My protest was ignored.


    I was thoroughly washed and moved out of the tub where they washed me again with clean, warm water. I felt rxed and drowsy by the end of this ritual.


    Afterward, I wasid down in another shallow tub with warm water. Several maids surrounded me quickly.


    Samantha ordered quickly, ¡°Now, you wash thedy¡¯s hair. Make sure to be careful not to damage a single strand! Now, you girls need to massage her highness with oil again! And you and you! Work on her nails.¡±


    The maids worked quickly. There was nothing for me to do other thany still.


    It felt great. This was a luxury I have never experience anywhere, either in Korea or in the Aeal colony.


    Everyone worked so efficiently, and I was half asleep. By the time I became aware, I was already lying down the bed.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    How did I get here?


    ¡°[What am I wearing?!]¡±


    I was wearing sheer lingerie!


    Before I could say anything to Samantha, all the maids including her, left the room quickly after bidding me goodnight.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    No one answered. The door closed firmly behind them.


    ¡°...¡±


    I looked around the room, but there was nothing I could use to cover myself. You would think there would be something, like a piece of cloth, but there was absolutely nothing.


    Realizing the futility of it all, I gave up and came back to the bed. I got underneath the cover.


    I got frustrated and cried out.


    ¡°[Samantha, how could you!]¡±


    I told her not to do anything against my will, yet she did it again! That woman!


    I became nervous.


    Last night, I was so confused I didn¡¯t even realize what was happening, but I knew now. This was... my honeymoon. He woulde into my bedroom soon. And... and...


    I knew that was what everyone expected, but I wasn¡¯t sure how Lucretius felt. He was legally my husband. He was also the most beautiful man I had ever met. BUT! I didn¡¯t want to be murdered in my own bedroom!


    I stayed underneath the cover with my eyes wide open. Only my eyes were visible; the rest of my body was under the nket.


    Please let me sleep alone! I didn¡¯t want to spend another night with a murderer, especially someone who killed his own family member.


    I was his aplice, but that was beside the point.


    ... Of course, being murdered wasn¡¯t my only concern.


    Let¡¯s be honest here. I couldn¡¯t deny it anymore.


    What I really worried about wasn¡¯t being killed by the emperor.


    Being alone with him in this outfit...


    I was obviously worried about losing my virginity!


    I hadn¡¯t had the chance to even date a boy! I was too busy studying, so I could get epted into a good university. I nned on dating once I was in college. I was so excited about it!


    Yet, here I was. I had never even been on a date before, but now, I was already a married woman.


    If the emperor wanted, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him.


    So please! I prayed he wouldn¡¯t evene to my room!

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: <Chapter 20></h4>


    As time passed, I thought perhaps my prayer had been answered.


    The night deepened and there was no sign of the emperor.


    At first, I was so nervous I was wide awake. However, when he didn¡¯t show up, I dozed off. I began to rx and finally fell asleep.


    Oh my god!


    I wanted to scream in delight. I was so happy.


    In front of me was a pot full of kimchi stew. I hadn¡¯t had it in over a year!


    Oh! The smell! The stew boasted of beautiful kimchi and fatty pork belly!


    I picked up a spoonful of it and opened my mouth wide.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Suddenly, the spoon disappeared from my hand. When I looked up, the emperor was holding it. He stole it from me.


    He ate it! He then looked down at the pot on the table. He slowly took the whole pot and smiled at me.


    That bastard!


    I couldn¡¯t stand him!


    He opened his mouth with a grin.


    ¡°...up.¡±


    What? What did this thief say?


    How could he steal my kimchi stew? I would never forgive him!


    His mouth opened again. He was frowning.


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    His face was too close.


    I finally woke up. I must have been dreaming, and, at some point, it blurred with reality.


    Now that I was fully awake, I realized where I was.


    I was on top of the emperor.


    ***


    I apologized quietly. My head was bowed, and my hands were on my knees respectfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    The emperor and my husband, Lucretius, was sitting across from me on the bed.


    He grinned at me and asked, ¡°So in your dream, I stole your [kimchi stew], and that is why you got angry?¡±


    It was so embarrassing, but it was true. I nodded ufortably.


    His pronunciation of mynguage was funny, but if Iughed at him now, the situation would get much worse.


    He asked me curiously, ¡°So the [kimchi stew] must be a very rare and precious delicacy in your world? You got so angry just because I ate it in your dream. You were about to hurt me over it.¡±


    If I told him that I became furious over amon dish, and it was a VERY average dish in Korea, then I would never hear the end of it.


    So I faked a big smile and lied like a pro.


    ¡°Of course! It was a very valuable dish. Most people got to eat it every few years if they were lucky!¡±


    ¡°Ohh...¡±


    He seemed interested. I continued to sell my lie.


    ¡°[Kimchi] is made from very rare ingredients. When it is prepared, it is ced in a [traditional pot], which is a very expensive jar. This [traditional pot] is then buried for a few years underground for ideal fermentation. [Kimchi] is then cooked with pork and the most luxurious ingredients for three days straight. They say the smell of it can make a [monk] want to steal it!¡±


    My story didn¡¯t make sense, but who would ever know?


    After listening quietly, he asked me, ¡°[Monk]? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s equivalent of a priest in your kingdom. They are not allowed to eat meat.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I suppose if it is that rare of a dish, I can understand your reaction.¡±


    Thankfully, he nodded. He then suddenly seemed to realize something.


    He asked, ¡°If you are saying you had this dish before, then you must be from a good family?¡±


    Why did he have to have so many questions?


    I contemted. I didn¡¯t think he would understand the concepts of democracy and presidency. I thought it would be beneficial for me if he thought I came from a prominent family.


    I thought quickly and answered him, ¡°Yes. It was a small family, but our family was one of the oldest families in the country. We served two kings over two generations.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a lie. In the time of Goryeo kingdom, one member of the Sa family had a high-ranking job.


    ¡°My mother was a descendant of a royal family.¡±


    My mother¡¯s maiden name was Lee from Junju. A long long time ago, there was a king whosest name was Lee, so technically, I wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°Oh, I knew it. You seemed to learn fast and know about a lot of things.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. When I looked confused, he exined it kindly. He could be kind like this sometimes.


    ¡°Even if the Aeal family taught you for a year, there should have been a limitation as to how much they can teach you. Your manners aren¡¯t perfect, but it¡¯s still excellent. You sound like you are very well educated. You seem to have a lot of general information.¡±


    He was very observant.


    I nodded. ¡°In my own country, men and women were all educated equally. It wasn¡¯t umon for women to get eminent jobs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±


    He seemed very interested in the education and political systems of my country. I tried not to lie too much. I exined as vaguely as possible.


    Thank god. This was better than I expected. We could just talk all night. I could be like Scheherazade.


    However, things escted quickly.


    After two hours of my homnd stories, he stopped me. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? But there is still so much to tell...¡±


    ¡°We have plenty of time. You can tell meter. I¡¯m tired.¡±


    He did look very tired.


    It had only been two days since he became the emperor. There must have been a lot he had to aplish during this time. Not to mention, it was the middle of the night.


    I nodded nervously. He slowly got underneath the nket.


    I moved to the edge far away from him. Thankfully, it was a gigantic bed, so I managed to put quite a distance between the two of us.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When he saw me run away, he silently stared at me as if I was being ridiculous.


    I was so embarrassed. I thought about remaining quiet, but I thought I should say something to make the mood lighter.


    ¡°Good night!¡±


    Lucretiusid down on his side facing me. He tapped the ce on the bed right next too him. It was a clear order for me to get closer to him. I started to sweat nervously. I shook my head emphatically.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so tired! I¡¯m going to sleep now!¡±


    Even before I could finish my sentence, Lucretius rolled towards me quickly and grabbed my waist.


    ¡°WAAAA!¡±


    He put his lips against my neck and whispered, ¡°I told you not to goad me. When I see someone run away, it makes me want to chase.¡±


    When I struggled, he hugged me tightly and trapped my arms.


    I yelled, ¡°W, wait! Let¡¯s make a rule!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I made myself turn toward him.


    Oh, even his dark circles looked gorgeous. He was such a beautiful man. It wasn¡¯t fair. My heart was going to burst.


    Especially when his face was so close to mine. This was too dangerous.


    I was so close to him I could hear his own heartbeat and feel his body temperature.


    I tried to calm down and blurted out.


    ¡°Th... That is... Let¡¯s make...! Let¡¯s make a bedroom rule!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He knew exactly why! This arrogant man!


    He grinned at me. I wanted to punch him in the face.


    I tried to calm down again and continued, ¡°So... Do you... Do you want to do it with me?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    Really! I was dying from embarrassment!


    I must have looked silly. Heughed and asked me again. He had a habit of answering a question with another question.


    ¡°Is there a reason why we shouldn¡¯t do it?¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: <Chapter 21></h4>


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    He seemed genuinely surprised.


    He murmured to me quietly, ¡°That¡¯s shocking to hear. You are the first woman who ever refused me in bed in my 27 years of living. Even my first wife, who tried to kill me several times, didn¡¯t refuse me once.¡±


    It made sense. No one could deny he was blindingly hot. Until recently, he was the only heir to the throne. Any woman would have weed him into her bed even if they knew it was only for a night.


    However, I wasn¡¯t from this kingdom. I wasn¡¯t even from this world. I knew the truth about him. Despite his good looks, he was a cold-hearted killer.


    Definitely not good husband material.


    I said to him bluntly.


    ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t love me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t love you either.¡±


    He seemed bbergasted.


    After a few seconds of silence, he smiled and asked, ¡°Why would there be a need for love between a man and his wife?¡± He sounded resigned.


    There was something wrong with this guy.


    Perhaps it was the norm here. Not for me. I shook my head.


    ¡°You and everyone else here may think that¡¯s okay, but not me. I don¡¯t want to get involved with someone I don¡¯t love. Even more importantly, I can¡¯t trust you. To sleep with someone I can¡¯t trust... I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I understand thest part at least, but you are not considering my situation.¡±


    ¡°Your situation?¡±


    He raised my chin with his finger and whispered to me. I could hear my own heart beating fast.


    ¡°I desperately need an heir. If the dowager empress gives birth to a daughter, it won¡¯t be as important, but if she has a son, it will be a huge problem. I need a son as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°T, then get more wives or concubines!¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°If I announce my intention to take more wives, the dowager empress will interfere. When ites to the wife selection process, the dowager empress has the most influence and say in the matter. Haven¡¯t you noticed she is still living in the empress¡¯s quarter? The only reason I was able to marry you was because I moved so fast and unexpectedly.¡±


    That was why he ced me in this position.


    He continued, ¡°Get it? Until the dowager empress is gone, I can¡¯t have any more wives. She will get me to marry women of her choice, and I will be in even more danger. Until the dowager empress is defeated, you are and will remain my only wife. That means the only way for me to get a son is through you.¡±


    I tensed.


    Really? Was he really going to do it? To get a son, you had to do it, right?


    I started to tremble. His hands wrapped around my shoulder and my waist tightly.


    Was he really going to...!?


    I wanted to scream. It was like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu of my first night in this castle. However, at that time, the old emperor ended up being murdered so nothing happened! Not this time! Of course, this was better since the current emperor was so much better looking, but...!


    I closed my eyes tightly.


    I expected to feel his hands on my body, but instead, he whispered in my ear.


    ¡°But I¡¯m too... tired tonight. We... will get to the heir part...ter.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I rxed.


    When I opened eyes, the green eyes were looking at me. When I became speechless, he grinned.


    ¡°You look disappointed.¡±


    ¡°No way! If you aren¡¯t going to do anything, let me go! I want to slee...!¡±


    He ignored me and hugged me even tighter.


    ¡°You are so warm, it feels really nice. You need to just... get used to me.¡±


    ¡°U, used to you?¡±


    ¡°I will being here... three to four days a week, so...¡±


    What was he talking about!


    Before I could protest, he fell asleep. His eyes closed firmly.


    What should I do?


    I tried to move, but he was too strong even when he was asleep.


    ¡°Gosh... But he is so gorgeous... Damn it!¡±


    I didn¡¯t get any sleep at all that night.


    ***


    The next day, I heard shocking news. The former emperor¡¯s assassin was arrested.


    I was told the man who hired the assassin was found to be Count ne. The name sounded unfamiliar.


    Apparently, his daughter was also sent to be the former emperor¡¯s concubine before me. However, the next morning, after the wedding night, she was found dead in the emperor¡¯s bed. Her body was covered in bruises. It was obvious what had happened, but no one would dare to say or do anything against the former emperor. The count had to bury his own daughter. This happened three months ago.


    The rumor was that the count had been nning this assassination for thest three months and finally seeded.


    I asked desperately, ¡°... And the people believed this story?¡±


    Lucretius smiled confidently. ¡°That¡¯s not important. What matters is that we have clear proof and a motive.¡±


    The count recentlymitted suicide after the death of the former emperor. He apparently left a letter stating his prayer has been answered when the emperor got murdered. He was satisfied and had nothing else left to live for.


    ¡°But this sounds too perfect and nned.¡±


    Heughed evilly. ¡°It sounds more usible than the truth, which is that the heir killed his own father in cold blood. It is also more likely than the story of how my wife came from a different world.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Touch¨¦.


    The countmitted suicide, and he had no other children. There was no one left in his family. All his wealth would be confiscated by the royal family. No one would care.


    Except for one.


    ¡°Would the dowager empress ept this story?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. She already sent her own people yesterday insisting a more thorough investigation.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    Lucretius gave me an annoying smile and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just need to go with this story. The former emperor is dead and I am the new emperor. Time is on my side.¡±


    He seemed so confident.


    However, I couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious.

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: <Chapter 22></h4>


    Every day had been a challenge since I arrived in this castle.


    I had a feeling that it would be even harder in the future. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh nervously.


    The scary thing was, I was getting used to it all.


    For the first year after I arrived in this world, I had no time to think. I spent all my time and energy learning the newnguage.


    Luckily, I used to live in Germany for a few years when I was younger due to my father¡¯s job. Thenguage in this world was more simr to German than Korean.


    Even so, it was not easy learning an entirely newnguage and customs. I was proud of myself at how far I came.


    I think my desperation helped me the most. It made me stronger and worked harder.


    The continent where I lived currently was called Gardenbrook. It had the look and the feel of the 19th century Europe on earth.


    It resembled what I remembered of the princess storybooks I used to read in elementary school. Everything here, food,nguage, buildings, and even the air differed vastly from Korea.


    I had to admit the Aeal family did do their best to make me fit in. I hated them with all my heart, but it was the truth.


    They spent a lot of time and effort to teach me everything about this world. They must have been very desperate. As they saw me progress quickly, they couldn¡¯t hide their delight.


    I gritted my teeth just thinking about it.


    What were they thinking when they saw me try my best to learn? Did theyugh at me behind my back? Were they relieved? Maybe both?


    Either way, I would never forgive them.


    It was true I did owe them initially. No matter what their intention was, they did help me survive in this world. Objectively speaking, this was the truth.


    Did I owe them anything now though?


    No.


    I was indebted to them at the beginning, but I paid them back in full when they tricked me and sent me to this ce.


    In fact, I would say they owed me now. They helped me only for a year, while I was paying back with my whole life in this ce instead of Lisbeth.


    Even if my position had improved since I became the first wife of the new emperor, they couldn¡¯t take credit for it.


    The emperor asked me once if I could forgive those who harmed me. I already answered him.


    That¡¯s right. I was not a kind-hearted soul. I was a selfish and evil person.


    That was why Orlean was mistaken. She was crying in front of me, but I had no sympathy for her.


    She protested loudly, ¡°How could you do this to me?¡±


    Samantha frowned as Orlean continued, ¡°You may be the emperor¡¯s first wife, but this won¡¯t do! Have you forgotten how the duke, his wife, and his daughter saved you and helped you? If you haven¡¯t, you would never treat me this way!¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply to her and continued to enjoy my tea quietly.


    Unlike Orlean, Samantha learned my taste quickly. I realized the reason why I didn¡¯t like ck tea in Korea was that it was of poor quality. Samantha managed to make beautiful tea that suited my taste. She also used the highest quality tea leaves. I loved ck tea now.


    I continued to ignore Orlean.


    ¡°Your Highness! I have been ordered by the duke to take care of you! Nody would treat her own maidservant this way! Especially someone who followed you from your homnd!¡±


    I ate my third cookie, which was baked this morning. My taste had been upgraded since I got here. The snacks I used to buy from convenient stores couldn¡¯tpare to what I ate here. Food was made from the highest quality ingredients. Also, the fact that it was freshly baked made a huge difference. The warm cookie smelled heavenly and buttery.


    I knew ignoring her would goad her more than anything. When I didn¡¯t show any reaction to her tears, Orlean finally exploded.


    ¡°What an ungrateful lowly girl...!¡±


    Crack!


    I have been waiting for her to forget herself. When she finally did, I put down my teacup loudly on the table. I nodded to Samantha, who quickly understood what I wanted. Samantha approached Orlean menacingly.


    ¡°W, what?¡±


    Orlean finally realized her mistake. She paled and stepped back. The maids grabbed both of her arms to hold her down. Samantha stood in front of her and raised her hand.


    p! p!


    What a beautiful sound.


    After pping Orlean with all her strength, Samantha yelled at her, ¡°How dare you, Dame Cloyne!¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh...!¡±


    ¡°How could you call yourself her maid when you act unforgivably towards her highness!? She is the emperor¡¯s first wife!¡±


    ¡°B, but I...! The duke...!¡±


    ¡°How long are you going to bring up Duke Aeal? This is Cransia empire!¡±


    I loved this situation, but I also couldn¡¯t help but fear Samantha.


    I knew it. Samantha was not just a soft-spokendy. The way she pped Orlean! It would be very hard to have her as an enemy.


    I didn¡¯t have to do or say anything. Samantha took care of Orlean perfectly.


    I was purposely letting Orlean stay instead of kicking her out of the castle days ago. She was like a zit. You have to wait until it is nice and ripe before you pop it. This stupid woman has been acting just as I predicted. I was told that she had been using my new status to treat everyone horribly.


    What an idiot.


    Samantha announced firmly, ¡°Dame Cloyne is no longer her highness¡¯s maid in waiting. Without solid proof, we cannot ept her word that she is from a noble family. Especially without her highness vouching for her.¡±


    ¡°What...! Your Highness!¡±


    I smiled at her coldly. I, of course, had no intention of vouching for her nobility. Why would I?


    Samantha continued, ¡°But it would be too cruel for us to send you back to Aeal colony, so we will allow you to stay here in the castle as a servant.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    Samantha asked for my opinion. I paused on purpose to give Orlean a false hope. After a few seconds, I nodded.


    Orlean screamed, but no one cared. The maids dragged her down to the servant¡¯s quarter. I smiled at her. Orlean looked devastated.


    Bye, bye~ Orlean. Thanks for giving me a reason to kick you out. Goodbye. I hope to never see you again.


    I felt light-hearted. If I let her go back to Aeal colony, I knew she would have afortable life serving Lisbeth. I wouldn¡¯t let her have that.


    Samantha exined to me that Orlean will, from now on, do the lowliest and the hardest work, such as cleaning the floor or doingundries. I nodded in satisfaction.


    Hmm. Samantha was great.


    She was a good person in my book.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: <Chapter 23></h4>


    The date for the emperor¡¯s coronation was decided much quicker than expected. The castle became busy with the preparation.


    Normally, the coronation of the new emperor took ce within 3 months from the death of his father, but this time, Lucretius ordered it to be done within the month. The n was to have a simple minimal ceremony. He also ordered to include our official wedding service to take ce at the same time instead of having it as a separate ceremony.


    It was obvious why the emperor was in such a hurry. The dowager empress was still as powerful as ever. She also remained in the empress¡¯s living quarter instead of moving out as the tradition dictated.


    After the coronation, the dowager empress would not have any valid excuse to stay in the empress¡¯s ce. The empress¡¯s room was right next to the emperor¡¯s room, and Lucretius felt unsafe in his own bed. The dowager empress had to go.


    Rushing the coronation was a logical decision on his part.


    I became very busy in preparing myself. Since Lucretius didn¡¯t have an empress, I had to attend in her ce during the coronation as his first and only wife. I couldn¡¯t wear the empress¡¯s crown or sit on her seat, but I still had to be part of it. I sighed worriedly.


    The whole process would take a week. It included the official coronation ceremony and several congrattory parties afterward. I was expected to change my dresses at least twice every day for the eight days of festivity. That meant I needed to have sixteen dresses made. In less than a month!


    It was an impossible task!


    So far, we had three dressespleted. To save time, it was decided that the seamstresses will reuse the dresses and jewels of the former emperor¡¯s first empress, who was Lucretius¡¯s birthmother. Even though this made it quicker and easier, I still had to spend a lot of time being a human mannequin so the dresses could be adjusted to fit me.


    There was something I haven¡¯t thought of when I first learned of the coronation n. Whenever such a big event took ce, important figures from other countries were invited. Small, weak colonies of Cransia, such as Aeal, had no right to refuse such an invitation.


    The day before the coronation, Duke Aeal and his family arrived at the castle. When I heard this news, I dropped my bread on the table in shock.


    What the hell!


    Samantha took away the dropped bread without question.


    The emperor, who was sitting across from me and eating a bread himself, said to me as if I was being foolish, ¡°How could my only wife be so careless...¡±


    ¡°If you are so unhappy with me, then I can give up being your wife.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. An emperor needs to have at least one wife at all times. If I didn¡¯t have any wife, I don¡¯t even want to think about what the noble families would do to me.¡±


    He was smiling as if joking, but his voice sounded strange. He was hiding something from me.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt like his voice sounded expectant.


    Expectant of what?


    I tried to analyze what he had said so far, but nothing came to mind.


    I buttered my new bread Samantha handed to me and asked, ¡°...Do you know something that I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Know something? I know a lot of things, but I don¡¯t know what my sweet wife is talking about.¡±


    Bastard!


    He had been calling me many cutesy pet names, including variations of ¡°my wife,¡± ¡°your highness,¡± and ¡°mydy wife.¡± I didn¡¯t like it at all.


    Now, he was making fun of me!


    I chewed my bread angrily like my life depended on it. I pretended the bread was the emperor. They were both very pale. The difference was that the bread gave me nutrition while this man was harmful to me. Both my mind and body.


    He came to my room against night so I couldn¡¯t get much sleep. Unlike his promise of visiting my bedroom three to four times per week, he had beening to my chamber pretty much every night.


    Thanks to him, it had been like hell. My virginity was still safe, but he used me like a human hot pack. Every night, he hugged me tight and fell asleep.


    Because I hadn¡¯t been sleeping very well, my dark circles became huge, and I often fell asleep during the day. What I hated the most was that people interpreted my tiredness as something else entirely. When I yawned, usually around lunchtime, they looked at me knowingly and proudly and prepared me for a nap. They also often got me food that was known to be good for stamina.


    I wanted to scream at them that it¡¯s not like that. I wanted to tell them I was still a virgin, but of course, I couldn¡¯t.


    A rumor started that the emperor was madly in love with his wife, and that was why he spent every night with me.


    However, at least, my effort to protect my body worked. On the second night we spent together, the emperor promised me he won¡¯t do anything until I said yes.


    How did I manage it? I dared him.


    I asked him boldly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you confident in yourself?¡±


    ¡°Confident?¡±


    ¡°That you can make me want you... Aahhh!¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, the emperor pulled my wrist and practically threw me on the bed. He then came close to me.


    Close enough to kiss me.


    He grinned. Oh man. It should be illegal for a man to look this beautiful.


    I knew the real him though. The real Lucretius made me anxious. Especially when he smiled like this.


    ¡°I will go along with it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He rubbed my lips with his finger and whispered, ¡°I will wait till you beg me for it. Until then, I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Yes! My n worked!


    That was a month ago. At the time, I thought I won the battle, but I was terribly mistaken. If I could go back in time, I would stop myself from being so stupid.


    I dared him to keep myself safe, but he took it as a personal challenge.


    It was a challenge to seduce me.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: <Chapter 24></h4>


    The emperor Lucretius knew exactly how good looking he was.


    He was devastatingly gorgeous. Looking at him made me even forget the news about the Aeal family arriving. He was that hot.


    Oh right. He took his challenge very seriously. For example,st night, he took a bath in my own bedroom and wore only a gown to cover his wet body. This morning, he wore a pair of sses even though he had perfect eyesight. He said to me that the maids told him the sses made a man look more attractive. He grinned at me as he exined.


    I tried my hardest to resist his charms.


    I had to remember that this man was the one who had been disturbing my sleep for the past month!


    I said to him in annoyance, ¡°Get your stupid face away from me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help how my face looks. I was born like this.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, fine!¡±


    I lowered my gaze so I was only looking at his nose. It helped. As long as I didn¡¯t look at his lips, I was okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you knew for a while that the Duke of Aeal wasing, right? You probably knew when he left his home.¡± I asked in frustration. He needed to answer for this.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the meaning of this? You didn¡¯t tell me in advance, but you should have still told me nheless rather than keeping me ignorant till after they arrive. Why?¡±


    He smiled innocently and replied, ¡°Because it¡¯s more fun this way.¡±


    ....my blood pressure...


    Rx. Rx. Rx.


    I needed to calm down and let it go, but it was hard. I was at my limit with this guy. He had been annoying me every single day.


    I said to him firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see them!¡±


    ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    He smiled at me as he picked up his cup.


    That smile. I knew that smile meant something bad. For me.


    ¡°But if you don¡¯t see them, you better be ready to face a huge scandal.¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    ¡°If you refuse their request to see you, you will be seen as the woman who refused her own family. It will be quite a scandal.¡±


    I breathed in deeply to calm down.


    ¡°If I see them, I will want to punch them in the face!¡±


    He answered nonchntly, ¡°Then do it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What was he saying?


    When I looked at him in confusion, he continued to drink his water elegantly.


    He replied, ¡°As I¡¯ve said, you can do whatever you want. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    I was angry. I could almost feel steaming out of my ears.


    I asked in frustration, ¡°But you are also saying whatever I do, I will be responsible for it?¡±


    He shook his head to my surprise.


    ¡°No. You can literally do whatever you want. You can p the Duke and pour cold water over his wife¡¯s head. It won¡¯t affect Cransia politically at all.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    The emperorughed at my shocked expression. He was an asshole.


    ¡°Geographically, Aeal colony is not of great importance, and that is why 5 generations ago, the Cransian emperor gave it away to his step-brother. It¡¯s too far, too small, and not productive. Aeal family is one of the poorest and weakest noble families. A few generations ago, they could have imed to be a distant rtive of the Cransian royal family, but not anymore.¡±


    I became speechless.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t do anything in public, I don¡¯t care what you do. However, if you refuse to meet them at all, there will be an unavoidable scandal. Why not see them then? Whatever you do to them in a private setting can¡¯t be used against us. Aeal family won¡¯t mention your behavior, whatever it will be, to anyone.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Because if they do, it will be too embarrassing for them. What could they say? That you were rude to them because they sold you to Cransia instead of their own daughter? They are a prideful bunch so they will never admit to it. They can¡¯t.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. I felt eager.


    After thinking for a few seconds, I asked for a confirmation, ¡°I can do anything I want as long as it is done at a private meeting?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    I swallowed and asked him, ¡°Could I ask you for a favor?¡±


    His green eyes brightened like those of a snake.


    After lunchtime, the Aeal family requested to meet me. I approved it without hesitation.


    ***


    I checked myself in front of the giant mirror ced inside my dressing room. I looked great in a luxurious dress.


    This dress was the one I was to wear tonight at the pre-coronation party. Most dresses were recycled from the previous empress¡¯s wardrobe, but three dresses were custom-made especially for me. They were for the pre-coronation party, the coronation itself, and thest party on thest day of the celebration.


    I nned on wearing this dress only for the party tonight, but I changed my mind and wore it now. I asked the maids who were helping me get ready.


    ¡°How do I look?¡±


    They all said at the same time


    ¡°You look beautiful!¡±


    ¡°So elegant!¡±


    ¡°The emperor will be proud!¡±


    I didn¡¯t care what the emperor thought of it.


    This dress was made especially for tonight¡¯s event where I was to be officially introduced for the first time as the emperor¡¯s wife. However, right now, I would use it for a personal reason.


    I wore the dress and makeup like a knight wearing armor for the battle. As soon as I received the request from Duke of Aeal, I asked Samantha to prepare the most luxurious reception room in the castle. I got her to ready the room with the most expensive pieces of furniture and decorations. I wanted it to look intimidating.


    I had never ordered the maids like this, so when I did with a firm voice, all the maids seemed surprised. They moved fast like little mice to do my bidding.


    Since I was not an empress, I wasn¡¯t allowed to use the colors gold and purple. There was also a limit to what kind of jewelry I could wear as the only wife of the emperor. I dolled up as much as possible, but my outfit could neverpare to that of the dowager empress.


    However, because the current emperor didn¡¯t have an empress, I was allowed to dress a little morevishly than usual for a non-empress figure. After all, I was the only wife of the emperor, and therefore, the second most important female in the castle after the dowager empress. I now represented the emperor and this kingdom. How I looked mattered greatly.


    In short, my outfit looked impressive.


    Ufortably tight corset. Beautifully curled updo. Silk dress with a huge puffed-out skirt. Puffy sleeves, which was all the rage in Rombrook.


    I carefully examined myself.


    When I was sure everything looked perfect, I ordered Samantha, ¡°Please get me the blue diamond tiara I was supposed to wear for the coronation.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but she followed my order without question nheless.


    The blue diamond tiara used to belong to Lucretius¡¯s birthmother. It was one of the most valuable jewelry in the empire, part of the dowry the former empress brought when she got married. I was told this was the most important item to the empress.


    I would have loved to wear the imperial crown, but again, I wasn¡¯t an empress so I couldn¡¯t. The blue diamond tiara was the next best thing.


    As I looked at the mirror, it looked beautiful in my hair, like shining blue stars in the dark night sky.


    Perfect. I was ready.

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: <Chapter 25></h4>


    I started to get ready an hour after the scheduled meeting time. As I got dressed, the Aeal family sent a maid several times to my room let me know that they were waiting. I ignored it and didn¡¯t even reply.


    This was war. I needed to show them who had the upper hand.


    I moved slowly. I walkedzily towards the reception room. As I ordered, even the hallway that led to the room was beautifully decorated.


    When the servant saw me and opened her mouth to announce me to the reception room, I raised my hand to stop her.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    I shook my head at her, who looked at me in confusion. I raised my hand and roughly opened to door myself.


    SLAM!


    When the loud noise echoed through the room, everyone waiting inside jumped and stared at the door in shock. I enjoyed their attention as I walked in.


    I was happy with what Samantha had done to the room. It was perfect as I hoped. I reminded myself topliment the maids and Samantha after this meeting for a job well done. I walked elegantly towards them.


    I walked as if I was on a catwalk. I wanted them to feast their eyes on my expensive look.


    The Duke and the Duchess¡¯s shocked expressions slowly turned into nervous looks. I loved it. Young lovely blond Lisbeth, on the other hand, was looking at me expectantly with a smile.


    She didn¡¯t have the brain to understand this situation.


    I sighed and walked towards the seat prepared for me by the maids. My chair, which was more like a throne, was on the top of a stage-like structure which required to climb up three stairs. Behind the throne was an entire wall of daunting tapestry boasting the proud Cransia emblem.


    My throne looked impressive especiallypared to the meager sofas the Bonafit family was sitting on. Samantha told me quietly that she borrowed the throne from the emperor¡¯s wing.


    I walked towards it as if I owned the ce and sat down. I ordered them imperiously.


    ¡°You may sit down.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The three Bonafits stayed quiet. I¡¯m sure Duke Aeal found this situation awkward. Until recently, I was a nobody who was indebted to them, but now, I was in the position to order them around. He didn¡¯t look happy about it, but there was nothing he could do.


    His daughter, Lisbeth, on the other hand, still had no idea.


    Na?ve Lisbeth smiled brightly and said to me, ¡°Thank you, sister!¡±


    She practically jumped into the chair excitedly.


    The Duke and the Duchess looked at their real daughter, and then at their adopted daughter, who was wearing the biggest dress they have ever seen. Finally, they sat down clumsily.


    They murmured gratitude to me for letting them sit. I barely heard it, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I smiled happily and pped my hand. The Duchess jumped in surprise.


    I continued to smile as I asked Samantha, ¡°Duchess Gust? Remember the tea the emperor gave me as a gift? Please prepare it right away. These are important guests.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Smart Samantha bowed to me exaggeratedly and left. She backed away respectfully until the door closed in front of her.


    Samantha was a very intelligent woman.


    The room was tense as the beautiful aroma of tea filled the air. I learned to really enjoy a good cup of tea thanks to Samantha. She was an excellent tea brewer.


    The first person to break the ufortable silence was the Duke.


    He wiped his sweat off his forehead and greeted me politely, ¡°Bina... I mean your highness... How have you ...¡±


    Well, he tried to give me a greeting, but I interrupted him rudely, ¡°Yes, I have been doing VERY well. THANKS TO YOU.¡±


    I emphasized the words as much as possible. I smiled even wider.


    They sent me here expecting me to have an unhappy life.


    When someone was betrayed or used, different people react differently. Some people would react loudly with anger, frustration, and pain. They might scream or p someone. In a Korean TV series, people often threw cold water or hot tea at the culprit.


    The emperor told me I could do anything I wanted to these people.


    There were so many bad things I could do to them. However, I couldn¡¯t send them to jail or execute them since what they did to me wasn¡¯t illegal. Besides, to the outsiders, the Bonafit family probably still looked like generous people who adopted me and took care of me.


    If I punished them publicly, I knew I would look cruel and unfair. I also didn¡¯t really want to send them to jail or execute them. Perhaps, the extent of my anger didn¡¯t go that far. The worst I could think of doing was to throw hot tea at their faces.


    Well, maybe I could shave Lisbeth¡¯s beautiful golden hair.


    However, I knew very well these weren¡¯t good ideas. If I did these things, I would look petty.


    I didn¡¯t want that. They wanted to protect Lisbeth at all cost. That was the truth. They spent a lot of resources on me to aplish it.


    I knew they expected me to have a terrible life here. Unexpected things happened, and my situation changed dramatically, but I wasn¡¯t sure how much they understood of it.


    A little over a year ago, I was Sa Bina, a weak desperate girl with nothing.


    Now, I was finally a somebody. I wanted to show them how much I had changed. I wanted them to see that I now had the best life anyone could hope for.


    In addition, I knew the emperor was watching me to see what I would do. He let me know of the Bonafit family¡¯s arrival at the veryst minute on purpose. He obviously wanted to see how I would react, and what I would do in such short notice.


    He also gave me the freedom to react as I wanted. He was testing me like ab rat. Since I knew this, I wouldn¡¯t act impulsively.


    I smiled broadly and exined, ¡°This is one of the many gifts the emperor gave me as a wedding gift. It tastes so much better than the tea I used to have in Aeal colony.¡±


    ¡°I, I see.¡±


    The Duke and the Duchess frowned visibly.


    I smiled in satisfaction. I knew I was being childish, but I couldn¡¯t help enjoying this situation.


    I would belittle them as much as possible. As the emperor exined, Aeal was such a small insignificant colony. Everything I had here was better than anything they owned.


    The tea tasted especially sweet today.


    Lisbeth, sweet stupid Lisbeth, eximed, ¡°Yes! I agree! It tastes so good, and you look so pretty, sister!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, child.¡±


    I knew the Duke and his wife never considered me their family. However, what I hadn¡¯t expected was for Lisbeth to be this empty-headed. She replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee! I am so excited to be here! Soon, I can wear beautiful clothes like you and live here in the castle, right?¡±


    ...What the hell was she talking about?

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: <Chapter 26></h4>


    I saw the mortified expression on the Duke¡¯s face. He tried to hide it, but I saw it anyway.


    I ignored him and waved my hand to order Lisbeth closer.


    ¡°Child!¡±


    ¡°Lis...!¡±


    Na?vedy Lisbeth ignored her parents¡¯ warning and approached me excitedly. She eximed when she saw my jewelry up-close.


    ¡°If I wear a beautiful dress and jewels like yours, will the prince, I mean, the emperor, think I¡¯m pretty?¡±


    Lisbeth looked at me like a young girl in love.


    Oh! I finally got it. She wasn¡¯t coveting my dress or jewelry. She was in love with the emperor.


    Of course! If the girl was to be young, handsome Lucretius¡¯s wife, the Bonafit family would have never needed me. They would have sent Lisbeth happily.


    I wondered if Lisbeth knew what the emperor Lucretius looked like beforeing here. There was a good chance that she saw a portrait of him at some point in her life. That was probably enough for a young girl to madly fall in love.


    If the Duke had a chance to marry his daughter to Lucretius when he was the prince, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Lisbeth could have been the first and, possibly, the only wife to the heir to the throne. It would have been a wonderful chance to promote their family name.


    However, because of the dowager empress, who made sure that Lucretius never gets a wife that wasn¡¯t on her side, all girls sent to Cransia were forced to marry the former emperor. That was why I was sent instead of Lisbeth.


    I finally got the urate story of how everything happened.


    I put on what I considered a kind-older-sister smile. It worked because Lisbeth seemed to rx when she saw it. This girl was so easy to manipte.


    I pulled her towards me by her hand and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tell me everything, child.


    The Duke and the Duchess were about to stop their daughter, but Samantha quickly moved in on them to offer tea and dessert. Nice timing! They seemed intimidated by Samantha, who was an influential Duchess in Cransia. They couldn¡¯t refuse her offer.


    Perfect! Thanks to Samantha, I managed to hear the full story from Lisbeth without interruption.


    ¡°You are the first wife of the emperor, right? Father said the first wife and the empress usuallye from the same family. The emperor doesn¡¯t have an empress yet... So father said the fact that the emperor chose you means he chose the Aeal family.¡±


    ¡°...is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so I will be the empress very soon...¡±


    The girl¡¯s cheeks reddened like a ripe apple.


    Did the girl have flowers in her head instead of a brain? It seemed that in Lisbeth¡¯s mind, she was the most important woman in this kingdom. Wearing the imperial crown and standing next to the emperor while I stood nearby like a servant.


    I couldn¡¯t stand it. Anger rose uncontrobly from deep inside.


    I knew they were bad, but I hadn¡¯t realized just how much.


    I had expected them to try to use my new status to their advantage. I made preparations all day in anticipation.


    However, this was beyond anything I could ever imagine. They didn¡¯t just want a piece of the cake; they wanted the whole thing.


    I looked down at them coldly. At first, they had the decency to look contrite, but they quickly decided to push forward with their n.


    The Duke straightened and exined, ¡°It is best to appoint an empress as soon as possible. It is an honorable tradition for the empress and the first wife toe from the same family. The fact that his highness chose you as the first wife means he wants to choose his empress from our family as well.¡±


    His tone had changed from the beginning of this meeting. He dropped his fake respectful tone to me, and he now was talking down to me outright. Samantha¡¯s face crumpled as she watched quietly.


    Duchess Aeal agreed with her husband wholeheartedly. No surprise there. She had always hated me ever since I arrived at the Aeal colony.


    ¡°It makes perfect sense. You, a mere adopted daughter to the great Bonafit family, was chosen to be the first wife of the emperor. The emperor obviously wanted the true Bonafit daughter as his empress. The Bonafit family is of true royal blood, as you must know by now. Did his highness ever talk to you about us? I understand that he has been very busy with the preparation for his coronation, but shouldn¡¯t the announcement of Lisbeth¡¯s engagement to the emperor be made as soon as possible? You should suggest it to the emperor. Perhaps tonight at the pre-coronation party...¡±


    Lisbeth smiled shyly as she listened to her parents with a nod. She then turned towards me expectantly like a child.


    So they were afraid to talk to the emperor, but they had the audacity to think they could use me to convince him?!


    Ha! I became speechless. How could I ever think that they were kind and generous people? I thought they were wonderful when I first arrived and for the year they took care of me. How could I have been so blind?


    I felt sick looking at their greedy faces.


    My face must have shown my disgust. The room became tense quickly.


    Lisbeth, despiteck of any notable intelligence, finally must have noticed that something was wrong. She came closer to me. Instinctively, I pushed her away.


    The room became dead silent.


    Lisbeth seemed shocked as she backed away slowly. She almost fell off the stairs but caught herself just in time.


    Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at me. ¡°S, sister?¡±


    She acted like I pped her in the face. What a joke.


    I continued to coldly stare at them one by one. Such greedy shameless faces.


    How should I handle them? What should I do to them?


    I came here with a n. All the necessary preparation was done. The emperor epted my request for help, so the n was a go. However, I realized that it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    It¡¯s just wasn¡¯t enough. Something... Something more...


    I needed a better n. Something that would make me feel better.


    The sharp tension lingered in the room like an invisible shroud. The red-hot anger filled me while I contemted what I should do. Lisbeth seemed to be in shock. She looked like she was about to weep.


    The Duke and the Duchess looked disappointed but not defeated. I knew they were trying to think of something to turn this situation around.


    While we all thought quietly, a sudden unexpected sound broke the silence.


    SLAM!


    The door opened loudly, just as it did when I burst in earlier.


    Emperor Lucretius walked in wearing a striking outfit that matched my dress. He smiled broadly when he saw me and greeted me radiantly.


    ¡°Oh, my love!¡±


    ...this man... had he lost his mind?

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: <Chapter 27></h4>


    His timing was perfect. Was he in the next room eavesdropping so he could walk in at just the right time?


    I asked him to do this, but I still found it ridiculous. Of course, I didn¡¯t let on how I felt. I knew this was absurd, but in truth, this was perfect. Lisbeth was in love with Lucretius, so this would be the most effective revenge.


    I put on the brightest smile and opened my arms to him.


    ¡°My king!¡±


    The emperor walked towards me as if there was no one else in the room. He ignored the Duke and the Duchess¡¯s bows. He didn¡¯t even nce at Lisbeth, who was standing beside the stairs. Lisbeth¡¯s face crumpled into shock and sadness, and I gloried in it.


    The emperor opened his arms melodramatically, and I jumped into them.


    This was when the emperor became creative and went off my script.


    His beautiful face came close to mine quickly. His unexpectedly big hands enveloped the back of my head and his warm soft lips touched mine.


    ¡°...!¡±


    His hot tongue invaded my mouth. Instinctively, I tried to push him away, but he moved too fast. He tightened his arms around my waist and hugged me. When I tried to push his arms away, he effortlessly held my arm in a way that made it look like I was holding on to him passionately.


    And... The deep ardent kiss continued.


    It was a long, long kiss.


    My mind went nk.


    I felt weak. What was wrong with him? Why would he do this? Should I make him stop?


    That was when I remembered where I was.


    I nced at my guests and noticed that the Duke, Duchess, and Lisbeth were staring at us in shock.


    To be fair, it was me who asked the emperor toe here. I was the one who came up with this n. I asked the emperor to pretend to be madly in love with me. I wanted to trick the Bonafit family, but I began to realize that perhaps, I was the one whom the emperor tricked.


    If I pushed him away and pped his face, my n would be ruined. I would look stupid.


    What was more important? My annoyance at the emperor or my anger at the Duke¡¯s family?


    It was an easy answer. The Bonafit family needed to be taught a hard lesson.


    I chose revenge.


    It wasn¡¯t because Lucretius was an amazing kisser. It wasn¡¯t that at all!


    I stopped fighting him and raised my arms to hug his neck. When I kissed him back, he flinched. It was for the briefest second, but I noticed it right away. It was a little funny.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    W, what was... this?


    Skin to skin. I felt the fireworks where we touched. It was exciting and erotic. It started on my lips and moved down my body.


    What was this feeling?


    It was something I had never felt in my 20 years of life. The strange sensation spread through me like a storm. It was different, but... it wasn¡¯t bad or repulsive. My body felt like it was floating, and finally...


    ¡°...¡±


    Just before I was about to explode, the emperor¡¯s lips left mine. A faint smear of my pink lipstick was visible on his lips.


    I suddenly became alert.


    The emperor saw my expression and grinned smugly.


    T, this man! He knew exactly what he was doing!


    He knew I wouldn¡¯t stop him. He nned this all along.


    Before I could frown, he pulled me back to him and kissed me soundly on my forehead.


    B, bastard!


    He said to me with an evil smile, ¡°My Bina. I don¡¯t understand how you can be even more beautiful every time I see you.¡±


    I pushed down my boiling anger. My priority wasn¡¯t this petty evil emperor. It was my adopted family standing nearby like statues.


    I cleared my throat and replied in an exaggerated tone, ¡°Oh my, you are making me blush, Your Highness.¡±


    Gosh... I hated myself for saying something so embarrassing.


    I felt awful, but the thought of sweet revenge helped me to continue. I acted as if I was a blushing new bride helplessly in love with her husband.


    ¡°But your highness, my parents and my little sister are here. You can¡¯t act like this in front of them... I am too embarrassed...¡±


    When I looked at him with a coy smile, the emperor pretended to finally notice the people around him.


    He eximed loudly, ¡°Oh. Oh! I remember now. You are meeting with the Duke of Aeal. Did I just interrupt a family union?¡±


    ¡°N, not at all, Your Highness.¡± The Duke Aeal replied hurriedly.


    Lucretiusughed. He looked a little crazyughing so loudly.


    The emperor said to the Duke, ¡°Well, I guess I am part of the family now, so it¡¯s okay for me to be here, right? Hmm? My lovely Bina.¡±


    He called my name so sweetly it was sickening. This man was so rotten.


    I felt nauseous, but I hid it well. I nodded shyly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my father is happy that you¡¯re here.¡±


    I turned to the Duke with an innocent smile.


    ¡°Right, father?¡±


    ¡°O, of course, Your Highness.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s tone became respectful again. Such a two-faced man. I hated people like him.


    Now that the emperor was here, the Bonafit family couldn¡¯t try to convince me to do their bidding. It was over for them. I could see them feeling defeated especially after seeing me and the emperor acting madly in love. Lisbeth was trying her best not to cry.


    It was fun to watch them like this.


    The emperor walked up and sat down on the throne where I was sitting only a few minutes ago.


    I looked at him for a second before walking up the stairs myself. To his surprise, I boldly sat on his knees.


    The Duke and the Duchess gasped loudly.


    The emperor looked surprised but grinned. When he saw my attempt at a seductive expression, he grinned even wider. He moved his arm to wrap around me, so I could sit morefortably.


    I went one step further and wrapped my arm around his neck as if I was hanging on to him. I turned around and looked at Lisbeth with the happiest smile I could muster.


    The emperor whispered to me yfully, ¡°You are so funny.¡±


    I pinched him secretly. He didn¡¯t show it on his face, but I felt him flinch.


    Good.


    I was sure Lucretius was eavesdropping and therefore knew what was going on, but he asked anyway.


    ¡°So what were you guys talking about?¡±


    Before the Duke could say anything, I replied quickly, ¡°We were talking about how generous you are to me.¡±


    ¡°Generous?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you appointed me as your first wife.¡±


    The Bonafit family¡¯s faces became hopeful.


    I grinned at their stupidity as I continued. ¡°... I assume that you would have never taken me as your wife if my family name wasn¡¯t Bonafit.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s face hardened. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I married you for you. It had absolutely nothing to do with the Duke of Aeal.¡±


    I bit my tongue to make myself cry.


    ¡°I was sold here to marry the former emperor, but he passed away suddenly. You felt sorry for me and thought it would be unfair to ask for another daughter from the Bonafit family. Isn¡¯t that why you married me?¡±


    ¡°Never! Who would say such a vile thing?¡±


    The emperor red at the Duke and the Duchess angrily. The room became tense.


    Lucretius turned to me and whispered sweetly, ¡°All of this had nothing to do with our marriage! Do you really think I care about the Duke of Aeal at all? I saw you and fell in love, and that is why I married you. Besides, your marriage to the former emperor didn¡¯t actually take ce legally, so there was no need to request another daughter from the colony. Not now, anyway. Perhaps when you have my son, we may ask for a girl for him.¡±


    I leaned against his chest as if I was embarrassed.


    Our act was perfect. It was as if we rehearsed it. We were such good frauds.


    With this, the emperor made it clear to them that he had no intention of taking Lisbeth as his empress, let alone his wife.


    I nced at them gleefully from the emperor¡¯s arm.


    Suddenly, a piercing scream made me jump.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡±

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28: <Chapter 28></h4>


    Everyone turned to Lisbeth, who was pale and trembling.


    I grinned. This was too perfect.


    She was shuddering visibly as she announced, ¡°You can¡¯t do this. I have been waiting to be your highness¡¯s woman for the past four years!¡±


    What was she talking about? I watched Lisbeth and the emperor as if I was watching an interesting movie. All I needed was some popcorn.


    Lisbeth wobbled towards the emperor and melodramatically copsed in front of him. She reached out to touch his leg with obvious desperation.


    She continued to exin, ¡°Remember four years ago? We were at a party and we danced together? Ever since then, I have been waiting for you! You have been the only man in my life.¡±


    Four years ago, Lisbeth would have been only 10 years old. The emperor would have been in his early 20¡¯s. To her, he would have looked like a true prince on a white horse. He was her first love.


    The emperor pulled his leg away from her reach. He looked at her so coldly that even I shivered.


    Lucretius asked cruelly, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I...!¡±


    ¡°I have danced with hundreds of women in my life. Does that mean I should marry all of them?¡±


    Big drops of tears rolled down from Lisbeth¡¯s eyes. The Duke couldn¡¯t stand to see his daughter being rejected. He stood up.


    ¡°Your highness! The Bonafit family has been loyal to your family ever since ournd was gifted to a royal member a long time ago. We have been gifting you with our daughters for generations. My own sister was sent here to be Emperor Kentius¡¯s concubine!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, your oldest daughter, Sa Bina des Bonafit, has be my wife, so you have done your duty.¡±


    The Duchess of Aeal raised her voice sharply, ¡°But Sa Bina was sent here to be the former emperor¡¯s concubine!¡±


    She was finally losing it just as I had hoped.


    The emperor replied, ¡°The former emperor passed away on the day of their wedding. His death urred even before Sa Bina entered his bedroom. Therefore, my Bina had never been anyone¡¯s wife.¡±


    At the emperor¡¯s solid logic, the Duke and his wife became speechless.


    Based on my understanding from living here for a month, it was indeed true that my marriage to the former emperor was invalid.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, the Duke eximed, ¡°In that case, I will no longer acknowledge Sa Bina des Bonafit as my daughter!¡±


    What the hell was he talking about?


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The emperor asked in a harsh voice.


    The Duke repeated himself. ¡°I said that I officially un-adopt Sa Bina.¡± He must have believed that this was the only way to get what he wanted.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This means that I still need to fulfill my duty as the Duke of Aeal. I need to present you with my daughter to be your wife.¡±


    I understood now. The Duke was correct. If I was no longer his daughter, he needed to send his daughter to the emperor for marriage. This also meant I had no right to marry the emperor without the family name Bonafit.


    Only those of noble families could marry the emperor. If I wasn¡¯t adopted by the Bonafit family, I was a nobody in this world.


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt angry and bitter. I spent a year with him, yet he threw me away just like that. I was like disposable garbage to him.


    Sadness and anger filled me, but suddenly, I thought of something.


    Did this mean I could leave the castle?


    If I couldn¡¯t be his wife anymore, the emperor had no choice but to let me go. I would be useless to him.


    I began to feel hopeful when the emperorughed quietly.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!!¡±


    Hisugh filled the room. Everyone jumped and watched him nervously. Even Lisbeth had stopped crying and watched him wide-eyed like a rabbit.


    Suddenly, the emperor stoppedughing abruptly and yelled, ¡°Scribe!¡±


    The door opened with a loud bang and the scribe walked in holding a pen and a leather-bound book. It was a different scribe than the one I saw before.


    The emperor ordered, ¡°Write this down!¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness!¡±


    ¡°Create a pledge for the Duke of Aeal to un-adopt his oldest daughter Sa Bina des Bonafit!¡±


    Everyone looked at Lucretius as if he went crazy. The scribe didn¡¯t react. He just followed the order efficiently.


    After it was written, the emperor checked the document before handing it to me.


    ¡°Do you ept?¡±


    What was he nning to do?


    I was only happy to be free from them, even if only in name. Perhaps, this was my chance to leave this ce.


    I signed my name expectantly. Since I was being un-adopted, I didn¡¯t sign as Bonafit. The emperor shook his head when he saw this.


    ¡°Once this document bes valid, that is when you can stop using thatst name, so for now, you need to sign as a Bonafit.¡±


    Following his order, I added thest name on the paper. It felt strange knowing that this would be thest time I write this name as my own. I felt sad and freed at the same time.


    The scribe handed the form to the Duke. He seemed surprised at how fast things were happening. He also appeared to be suspicious of the emperor.


    Why was Lucretius agreeing to his request so quickly and without question? Didn¡¯t the emperor just say he didn¡¯t want to marry Lisbeth? The duke hesitated to sign.


    The emperor asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you just say this is what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°That... is correct.¡±


    The Duke had no choice but to sign.


    The emperor signed as the witness and the notary. He then announced.


    ¡°With this document, my wife Sa Bina is no longer rted to the Duke of Aeal, Demetri des Bonafit.¡±


    Finally, I was no longer a Bonafit. I also was no longer of the noble family.


    Was this it? Could I leave here now? Would Lucretius be that kind to me?


    Was he going to let me go?


    I couldn¡¯t hide my hopeful expression. The emperor must have seen it.


    He looked at me with a smile. It was the same smile he gave me on the night he murdered the former emperor.


    I knew something wasn¡¯t right.


    The Duke stepped forward and made a request.


    ¡°This means I haven¡¯t done my duty in gifting my daughter to the royal family, so I am happy to let my only daughter Lisbeth to...¡±


    The emperor shook his head.


    ¡°No, you are mistaken. You have already fulfilled your duty.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Was Sa Bina un-adopted before or after she was sent to this royal family?¡±


    ¡°... It was after.¡±


    ¡°ording to ourw, that means Sa Bina was married to me when she was still a member of Bonafit family. Am I not correct?¡±


    The scribe agreed with the emperor. The Duke and the Duchess¡¯s faces looked shocked. I was impressed by the emperor¡¯s cunning.


    Suddenly, the scribe announced, ¡°But your highness, there is one problem.¡±

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29: <Chapter 29></h4>


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This means that her highness¡¯ origin is now questionable. Traditionally, all of the emperors¡¯ wives have been of noble families or royal families from foreignnds. As the first wife, her highness needs to be...¡±


    The Bonafits looked triumphant, but the emperor interrupted the scribe.


    ¡°No need to worry. She is fully qualified to be the first wife.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The truth is, my first wife is actually of noble family from a very faraway kingdom.¡±


    What the heck was he talking about?


    Ignoring my stunned expression, the emperor exined dreamily, ¡°Bina told me that she came from thend so far away that it took months to get here by ship. That is why she has unusual hair and skin colors. She told me that her father¡¯s family served two generations of the royal family in her country, and her mother is distantly rted to the royal family. Therefore, she is fully qualified to be my wife.¡±


    ¡°Wha...!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Many protested, which was understandable. Even I thought his im was absurd. I knew for a fact that it was false because I was the one who fed him these lies!


    My face became pale, but the emperor continued firmly.


    ¡°As the ruler of this kingdom, I have heard her story and recognized it to be true.¡±


    As preposterous as it was, he was right. He was the emperor, which meant everyone had no choice but to ept his words as the truth. Questioning him could be considered treason.


    This was why monarchy couldn¡¯tpare to democracy. Having someone so crazy as Lucretius as the ruler could ruin the entire kingdom.


    How frightening.


    I was about to say something, but the emperor beat me to it. He stood up suddenly and lifted me, who was sitting on hisp. He then gently sat me down on the throne.


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    He then offered me his hand. I hesitated, but I knew I had to take it. I ced my hand gently on his.


    He raised me up to my feet and kissed the back of my hand exaggeratedly. He then made a shocking announcement.


    ¡°But Sa Bina¡¯s maiden name can¡¯t be used in our kingdom. She is already my wife, so...¡±


    Um, what are you talking about? You are already using my maiden name, which is Sa. My first name is Bina and myst name is Sa. You already said it right!


    He continued nheless.


    ¡°I gift her with my own name ¡®le Cransia.¡¯¡±


    ...what?


    If I understood correctly, the only female who could use the surname le Cransia in this castle was the dowager empress.


    Katleyanira.


    This man was crazy!


    Le Cransia.


    In the entire kingdom of Cransia, there were only about 10 people who had the honor of using this royal family name. The emperor, the empress, the heir, and the handful of immediate family members.


    Still, Lucretius gave this name to me without a second thought. They most probably thought the emperor nned to have me be his empress.


    One of those people were probably the dowager empress.


    If she had a son, he would be the biggest rival to Lucretius for the throne. If the dowager empress thought I would be the next empress, she would now see me as her biggest enemy.


    This was exactly what that man wanted. To have me be the dowager empress¡¯s target.


    I was the idiot who let him do it. I was blinded by my anger against the Duke of Aeal.


    I now realized why the emperorughed so loudly when the Duke said he would redact my adoption.


    By giving me his name, the emperor had me now. He had trapped me with no possibility of escape.


    ¡°...¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much time left. Tonight was the eve of the coronation ceremony. The entire Rombrook would be partying all night. Tomorrow at the first light, Lucretius would be officially crowned as Emperor Lucretius the First of Cransia.


    This was undeniably important. He had been acting as the emperor, but this would make it permanent and official.


    I needed to talk to him now. If I didn¡¯t, I knew I wouldn¡¯t get a chance to talk to him privately until after the coronation tomorrow.


    I didn¡¯t have much time, but I had no intention of bing the one who talks first.


    So far, I had always been the one who made the first move and broke the silence. This allowed Lucretius to get time to n and act against me to his advantage. No matter how hard I tried, he always ended up getting what he wanted.


    I learned my lesson. I couldn¡¯t be impulsive. I was sure the emperor had a detailed n for everything, and I had to make sure I didn¡¯t be part of his n. I had to do my best not to be used by him.


    I also knew I didn¡¯t have the skills to be as strategic as him yet. This meant all I could do now was to remain quiet and wait.


    ¡°...¡±


    This was all I could do at this point. This was the best move I had.


    It was always smart to not make sudden moves in front of a predator.


    I stared at him right in the eyes. He was smiling at me, giving away nothing. I couldn¡¯t tell at all what he was thinking or feeling.


    What should I do? What could I do to escape thisplicated man?


    Suddenly, the bell rang. Time was up. Unlike Cindere who had to return to being a mere girl after midnight, I had to turn into Sa Bina le Cransia, the first wife of the emperor. I was no longer an average girl named Sa Bina.


    Ding, dong.


    The final ring.


    For some reason, it felt different between us.


    Lucretius offered me his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I silently gave my hand to him. He grabbed it tightly like a spider capturing its prey. I felt terrified.


    He pulled me strongly towards him and guided me to the party.


    He whispered to me, ¡°I like that about you.¡±


    The words could be interpreted as a romantic deration, but when one looked at his cold expression, it would be enough to make them realize otherwise.


    He was looking at me as if I was a helpful tool or a weapon.


    I felt a sudden anger at being treated like an object, so I whispered back to him bitterly, ¡°And I really hate that about you.¡±


    Heughed as if I said something amusing.


    We finally entered the brightly lit banquet hall.


    We entered as the emperor and his beloved wife.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30: <Chapter 30></h4>


    After a night of partying, the coronation ceremony started the next morning as the sun rose.


    Underneath the intense sun, I stood and watched the ceremony beside the emperor.


    I was holding the empress¡¯s royal crown in my hand. It was heavy and it felt like a pair of handcuffs weighing me down.


    I knew that I still had a small chance though. I wasn¡¯t actually wearing the crown yet. I was almost sure I would never have to wear it myself.


    I pitied the woman, whoever it was going to be, who will end up wearing it. She would be a hostage to this kingdom.


    As I kneeled in front of Lucretius, I looked up at him defiantly.


    ¡®I will not be used by you.¡¯


    ***


    Thevish celebrationsted eight days and nights. The end of the coronation relieved me. Nothing extreme or bad happened to me and I was thankful for it.


    During those days, I was coached by Samantha on who everyone was, including those from foreignnds. I yed the gracious hostess, and it took everything I had to aplish this.


    When it was all over, I asked the emperor for a vacation.


    ¡°A vacation?¡±


    He asked me with distrust.


    I answered him nonchntly, ¡°I have never had a day off since I arrived at this castle. I need to rest.¡±


    The emperor stared at me as if he could see right through me. He seemed like he wanted to figure out my ulterior motive. I didn¡¯t care. I just needed a break.


    For the past 13 months in this new world, I had never been able topletely rx. Even though I had my own room, which was fabulous, the fact that I shared this castle with the emperor and the dowager empress was enough to keep me on my toes.


    After a few seconds of thinking, the emperor surprised me by nodding.


    ¡°Well, I guess it has been hectic here. Would a day be enough? How about tomorrow? You can stay in your room and cancel anything scheduled for tomorrow...¡±


    I put down the fork hard on the te which made a sharp sound.


    I red at him. I raised my voice. ¡°This is a legitimate and fair request.¡±


    ¡°... what?¡±


    He seemed surprised at my serious attitude.


    I looked into his eyes and asked again, ¡°I am letting you use me as you see fit, right? So I would like you to do me a favor in return.¡± I was desperate.


    ¡°I have already beenpensating you enough...¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around,¡± I interrupted him decisively. ¡°You have never given me what I wanted. In fact, you are not even interested in what I want. You never listen to me, but this is your chance. I am telling you what I want. I am asking you as your aplice. As your wife.¡±


    The ufortable silence filled the room. It was awkward, but I felt better. I pushed the empty te away and picked up the wine ss.


    Finally! I felt pleased because I was able to express how I really felt all this time. I didn¡¯t care anymore! I was bing so tired of everything.


    His attitude towards me bothered me. He would call me his aplice, partner, and wife, and give me shiny things, but in truth, he had never given me what I wanted!


    I knew he was in control. I had to follow whatever decision he made. This meant I had to somehow make him want the same things as I do.


    Unfortunately, things weren¡¯t going well for me so far.


    The cold green eyes smiled at me strangely. He always smiled like that when I did something unexpected. His smile didn¡¯t mean he was upset or angry at me. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it when I challenged him as if he was ying a game.


    After a long silence, he gave me his permission with a mysterious smile.


    ¡°Fine. Go for it. There is a wing called Lonez connected to the castle but still quite separate and isted. I will let you use it. How about... a week? That¡¯s the best I can do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± I sighed in relief.


    ***


    Lonez was one of the many small remote wings in Rombrook connected to the castle. This ce was particrly special because other than the door that connected to the castle, Lonez had no other entrances.


    It was often used for ill members of the royal family for special cares and rest. To the public, it was announced that my health had deteriorated, and that was why I was visiting this wing.


    When I first entered the ce, I became speechless.


    What a view!


    Samantha smiled when she saw my reaction.


    She asked me, ¡°Do you like the garden?¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh... Yes.¡±


    I stared at the pretty wildflowers that filled the entire garden.


    In the castle were only the fanciest flowers such as roses. Everything in the castle wasvish and extravagant.


    It had been a long time since I had been in afortable cozy space. I felt at peace. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at the garden.


    Samantha offered, ¡°How about you have your meal here?¡±


    ¡°Can I really do that?¡±


    ¡°If your highness wants it, I will order it.¡±


    I asked carefully. I loved the idea, but I was worried.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be against the castle rule?¡±


    ¡°His Highness has ordered me to let you do anything you would like.¡±


    I nodded.


    I felt relieved and bitter at the same time.


    I always knew Samantha was on the emperor¡¯s side. No matter how kind she was to me, I could neverpare to the emperor.


    There was nothing I could do about it. I decided to enjoy this time off.


    The next morning, I woke up on my own before the sunrise. I realized how my body had gotten used to the life here. Ever since I arrived in this world, I was always awakened early in the morning.


    I didn¡¯t leave the bed or call for the maids. I just stayed in bed and enjoyed beingzy. I slept so wellst night, especially because the emperor wasn¡¯t in the bed with me for once.


    I dozed off and woke up again around lunchtime. Samantha brought my breakfast to bed. It was a light meal consisting of an egg, milk, and some toasts.


    I got dressed casually and visited the garden.


    I took a walk with Samantha and two maids. When I got hungry, we sat down underneath arge tree and enjoyed a pic lunch.


    On my second day, I had tea time in the garden. It was so peaceful it felt surreal.


    On the fourth day, Samantha left to meet with the man in charge of this ce. I took two maids to take a walk in the garden again.


    Security was never an issue. When I was moving to this wing, I already saw that there were more than enough guards around for my safety. It was a short distance from the castle, yet so many royal guards followed me here.


    ording to Samantha, one of the five royal units was guarding this wing. No one could enter this ce without going through the horde of guards.


    Even now, five guards were nearby watching us like hawks.


    I was used to being surrounded by people and being watched at all times. It didn¡¯t bother me anymore. I barely noticed it now.


    I continued to enjoy the lovely garden. It was so quiet and peaceful.


    I said quietly, ¡°It feels like the time has stopped in this ce.¡±


    ¡°I never knew Lonez looked like this.¡±


    Luis, one of the maids I brought to Lonez, smiled and said to me. She was rmended my Samantha. Luis was the oldest of the two daughters of Count Loventis.


    ¡°Me neither. I heard horrible rumors of this ce, so this is quite unexpected.¡±


    Her younger sister Elza added loudly. She was already on her third sandwich.


    I was about to pick up my second sandwich when I looked up and asked, ¡°Rumors?¡±

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31: <Chapter 31></h4>


    Luis reprimanded her younger sister, ¡°Stop talking about useless rumors, Elza! Mydy, you needn¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Elza realized her mistake. She smiled awkwardly at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking...¡±


    ¡°My little sister talks nonsense sometimes. You shouldn¡¯t pay attention to her, your highness.¡±


    Luis was obviously hiding something. It bothered me not knowing what it was.


    Four days of peaceful time was great, but I was beginning to get bored. I must have gotten used to the hectic life.


    Besides, this sounded juicy!


    I questioned them with a firm voice. I had been very polite to everyone including the servants based on Samantha¡¯s suggestion. However, for the first time, I ordered them with all the authority I could muster.


    ¡°I can¡¯t unhear what you just said. Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    Their faces paled. Elza looked at me and Luis anxiously. Luis saw my interest and sighed. She tried to convince me one more time, but it only made me want to find out even more.


    ¡°The principle maid in waiting had ordered us that there is no need for you to know about it...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help my frown. I always knew Samantha worked for the emperor. She had been in the castle for a long time. She knew things I would never know in my lifetime. I probably looked like a newborn baby to her.


    What made me feel cold was the fact that my own two maids were more worried about Samantha than me, who was sitting right in front of them.


    It was chilling.


    Being from the 21st century Korea, it was hard for me to ept the social structure in this world. It was very close to the old European feudal system. I could never get used to someone like Samantha and the Chancellor bowing deeply to me and the emperor, who were so much younger than them.


    However, this was a different matter. It was difficult for me to get used to it, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t understand the system and its significance.


    I was their superior. Samantha was their superior too, but I had a higher status than Samantha. No matter how I looked at it, I was above everyone, yet these girls considered Samantha¡¯s order more important than mine.


    It was a huge problem for me to not have aplete authority over my own people.


    ¡°Y... your highness?¡±


    The two maids looked at me nervously. I must have looked angry.


    Internally, I sighed, but I had to keep up an appearance of full control and majesty. I kept a severe expression on my face instead.


    I couldn¡¯t trust the emperor. I couldn¡¯t trust Samantha either. Every single one of ¡®my entourage¡¯ belonged to the emperor and Samantha. I had to do something about this.


    I had no intention of bing a mere tool for the emperor to wield whenever he wished.


    It was time for me to be strong and build my own team.


    I said to them bluntly and coldly. I scared even myself with my own voice.


    ¡°Who do you belong to? Are you Duchess Gust¡¯s maids or mine?¡±


    The sisters¡¯ faces reddened. My question was both usatory and demeaning.


    Count Loventis was one of the most powerful nobles in this kingdom. He was even distantly rted to the royal family. This was why the sisters were selected by Samantha to serve me. Based on my understanding, Count Loventis was more powerful than Duke Gust.


    Luis bowed her head to me. ¡°Of course, we belong to you, your highness. We are your maids.¡±


    Elza bowed and said the same thing.


    In truth, I had absolutely no power. The only thing I had was an appearance of authority given by the emperor. Nheless, I was the only wife to the ruler of this kingdom. I was one of the few who could use the name ¡°le Cransia.¡± These things alone should carry more weight than Duchess Gust¡¯s power.


    I felt disappointed that I had to bring up my credentials just to have my own people respect me. Things couldn¡¯t continue like this.


    I hated myself for doing this, but I had to finish what I started.


    I put a bright smile on my face. At the same time, I tried to keep up the appearance of control and authority. It had to be a delicate bnce of kindness and power. I felt like my face was about to spasm very badly.


    A regal yet generous monarch. That¡¯s what I needed to be. My tone and behavior needed to exude this fa?ade.


    I asked them kindly but firmly, ¡°Then could you tell me the story? If I don¡¯t hear it, I don¡¯t think I will be able to sleep tonight from curiosity.¡±


    The two maids¡¯ faces lightened visibly. They seemed relieved.


    Elza looked at me and her sister before whispering to me, ¡°Well, I heard that it lives in this Lonez wing.¡±


    ¡°What lives here?¡±


    ¡°A ghost!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That¡¯s it?


    A ghost? GHOST? I made this much effort for such a stupid answer?


    I felt so embarrassed that my cheeks reddened, but I couldn¡¯t show my disappointment. I had to give them a reaction they wanted.


    I kept up an interested face and asked, ¡°A ghost?¡±


    The sisters, who were a few years younger than me, nodded seriously. The younger Elza seemed to really believe in ghosts. She looked afraid and excited at the same time.


    She worked on her fourth sandwich and exined to me, ¡°And that is why this wing is practically abandoned.¡± She reminded of a squirrel.


    She told me she heard it from the servants.


    She continued, ¡°Originally, Lonez was Empress Beatrice¡¯s favorite ce in the castle. She was the current emperor¡¯s birthmother and the original empress before Katleyanira. At the time of Empress Beatrice¡¯s rule, it was better kept with more people maintaining it.¡±


    Beatrice.


    It was the first time I heard this name, but I already knew about her. She was Lucretius¡¯s real mother. She was executed after being used of adultery.


    ¡°After she passed away, the former emperor and the dowager empress left this ce to ruin because they didn¡¯t like it. After a few years... that¡¯s when it started to appear.¡± Elza lowered her voice.


    I asked to make sure, ¡°A ghost?¡±


    Elza nodded vigorously and whispered as if she was afraid someone might hear her.


    ¡°A few times a week, people can hear a woman¡¯s scream or weeping at night.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The garden was so quiet. I felt the goosebumps on my back.


    ¡°One time, I heard that there was a maid who fainted after seeing a woman in a white dress running like a madwoman!¡±


    No way. There was no such a thing as a ghost. I tried to convince myself and smiled calmly.


    ¡°People must have nothing better to do here in Lonez if they have time toe up with such a silly story...¡±


    There was no such a thing as a ghost.


    I thought to myself as we finished our lunch.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32: <Chapter 32></h4>


    Why did I have to insist on hearing about it? I med myself for all this as Iid down on my bed in the dark.


    I murmured.


    ¡°[Why... I¡¯m so stupid.]¡±


    I was alone in the room. I kept telling myself it was okay. In the next room were at least two maids who woulde if I called. I wasn¡¯t alone.


    ... I couldn¡¯t ask them here because I was scared of ghosts. That would be too embarrassing. I promised myself to be a regal and generous monarch. Begging them to sleep in the same room because I feared the darkness was a bad idea.


    I was okay. I had to be okay. I¡¯m o...


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    I thought I saw something white out of the corner of my eye. I raised myself up with a shout. When I looked closely, I realized it was just a white curtain dancing against the blowing wind.


    I felt a sudden relief followed by mortification. I buried my head underneath the nket and murmured.


    ¡°[I¡¯m such an idiot...]¡±


    Trembling in the dark... This was embarrassing.


    I had always been a wimp. I had never been able to watch a horror movie. Why did I insist on hearing the ghost story?


    I was so stupid. I wished out loud.


    ¡°[I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I wish he was here.]¡±


    Just then!


    ¡°What a strangenguage!¡±


    Something appeared in front of me.


    I screamed immediately before checking to see who or what it was.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaa!!!!¡±


    m!


    My scream was deafening. The maids and servants stormed.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong! Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±


    The guards couldn¡¯t enter the female quarters, especially the emperor¡¯s wife¡¯s bedroom. However, I could hear them outside my window ready to help if necessary.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was too embarrassing. When the maids came in, what they found were me screaming and the emperor in his night clothes. The room became silent. I wanted to just disappear.


    However, it was his fault! He was the one who sneaked into my room without a warning! Of course, I would be frightened! This wasn¡¯t my fault!


    The emperor waved his hand for everyone to leave. I hid my face in embarrassment. The maids and the servants tried to hide their smile as they left the room politely.


    They must have told the guards outside about what happened. After a few minutes, it became very quiet outside.


    I felt like I would die from humiliation. I prayed that the emperor would leave the room and let me be.


    However, he didn¡¯t leave. I had my hands covering my face, so I couldn¡¯t see, but I felt his weight on the bed as he sat down near me.


    The emperor didn¡¯t like me hiding my face. He forced my red face to be revealed andughed at me.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±


    ¡°Your ugly face looks like it¡¯s on fire!¡±


    How dare he!


    ¡°If you hate my face so much, why are you still here! Go back to the castle!¡±


    He smiled and got his face close to mine.


    ¡°Are you sure you want me to leave?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie?¡±


    ¡°I saw the truth though. I saw how my lovely wife missed me.¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You eximed in happiness when you saw me. Everyone in this wing heard it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This guy was crazy. He lost his mind.


    Then, I was no better. I actually wanted him here because I was afraid of a ghost!


    I red at him and asked, ¡°Why would you think I am happy to see you?¡±


    ¡°Really? Then were you happy because you thought it was another man? You do know that adultery is treason, right? If you were expecting another man here, then I must suspect you are having an affair behind my back.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius continued to grin widely. He knew he was being ridiculous.


    I was so tired. I had no energy left for this game. I decided to let it go.


    He asked again, ¡°So you admit that you were missing me?¡±


    ¡°Think whatever you want.¡± Iid down on the bed and asked, ¡°So how did you sneak in here?¡±


    ¡°This is part of the castle, which means it¡¯s mine. As a matter of fact, there is nowhere in this kingdom I can¡¯t go. I am the emperor after all.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure...¡±


    Whatever. He thought he was SO great. That was just the way he was.


    Suddenly, I remembered what Elza said to me.


    This was the favorite ce of the former Empress Beatrice.


    His birthmother who was executed.


    A ghost.


    Perhaps it was Empress Beatrice who became a ghost because she couldn¡¯t ept her fate.


    I remembered what the dowager empress said during the meeting after the former emperor¡¯s murder.


    Empress Beatrice was the empress who was executed for adultery.


    Here was her son who killed his own father to be the emperor.


    Without thinking, I asked him, ¡°... How would you feel if you saw a ghost here? A ghost of someone who died here.¡±


    The room became silent. This silence felt different. Usually, Lucretius was quick in his words. He was a smartass.


    This stillness was different.


    ... I was the idiot who said the wrongs thing. I didn¡¯t know the details, but I knew enough. His father killed his own mother. This was definitely something I shouldn¡¯t have asked.


    While I regretted my foolishness, he finally said to me in a chillingly calm voice, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t looking at his face, so I didn¡¯t know what kind of expression he had. For once, I didn¡¯t know what to say to him.


    After a few seconds of silence, which felt like an eternity, he continued, ¡°But there is no such a thing as a ghost, so I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about what to say or how to feel about seeing a ghost.¡±


    When I looked up, his face had his usual confident smirk.


    He was the worst. Probably one of the strongest men I had ever met.


    He asked, ¡°By the way... I didn¡¯t expect my wife to miss me so terribly. It has only been four days! I should have visited you earlier.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen you now so it¡¯s all good. You may go now.¡±


    I waved at him goodbye.


    ¡°My only wife is so shy. She always says the opposite of what she really feels.¡± He goaded me as he got in underneath the nket.


    There was nothing I could do. Officially, we were husband and wife. Lucretius was being a good husband who visited his sick wife. He was also the emperor. I couldn¡¯t kick him out of the room or else, it would make me look bad.


    He hugged me tightly underneath the nket. I felt a sudden chill.


    This man was like a snake. His body temperature was shockingly low, and that was why he liked to hold me. It was for warmth.


    I thought aboutining like I usually did but decided against it. If there really was a ghost of Empress Beatrice here, then perhaps she would be kinder to me knowing I kept her son warm.


    Of course, there was no appearance of any ghosts during the next two days.


    Lonez remained as peaceful as ever. I was officially here because of my health, so everyone around me was careful not to make loud noises or excitements.


    The only annoying thing was the emperor sneaking into my bedroom at night on the fourth and fifth day, but it wasn¡¯t so bad.


    However, then, it finally happened.


    In the early morning of the fifth day, I woke up to a woman¡¯s piercing scream.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaaa!¡±

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33: <Chapter 33></h4>


    It was a horrifying scream. It sounded sad and raw. I was deep in sleep, so when I first woke up, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was real or if I was just dreaming.


    However, another scream made me jump, confirming this was really happening.


    ¡°... your highness! Your highness!¡±


    I could hear the maids and the servants hurrying around outside my room. The scream continued. At some point, I realized it was someone screaming a name.


    I couldn¡¯t quite catch the name. I could hear people running around outside in confusion.


    ¡°... to get her hig...!¡±


    ¡°...rry up... to get to the roo...!¡±


    ¡°... consciousness...!¡±


    Four or five different voices mingled together that I couldn¡¯t understand anything. This made it even scarier for me.


    I quickly realized this wasn¡¯t about a ghost. Someone, a real live person, was creating this havoc, not a ghost.


    My fear lessened. I put on my coat and opened the door that led to the maids¡¯ room. In the next room weren¡¯t the maids that were supposed to be waiting in case I needed something. It was empty and the door to the hallway was wide opened.


    I had a clear view of the hall and what I saw there was something unexpected.


    A white-haired woman was on the floor being restrained by my maids and the guards. One of the maids was covering the old woman¡¯s mouth. I realized it was this woman who was screaming.


    When I approached them, they seemed embarrassed and tried to greet me properly.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    ¡°Greetings, your highness!¡±


    The maids and the guards looked ufortable at my appearance. I ignored them and turned to the elderly woman.


    She was thin and weak. Her long white hair was knotted badly. The maids were the ones holding her down. If the guards pushed her, it looked like her bones would break.


    Despite her feeble state, she continued to fight wildly and desperately.


    I became curious.


    Why was this elderly woman here? What was she doing?


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    A familiar face called me from behind. When I turned around, Samantha was running towards me. She looked disheveled. She probably just woke up now like me.


    She approached me and looked around. When she saw the elderly woman, she became pale.


    Samantha quickly put on her poker face and bowed to me deeply.


    ¡°I apologize for allowing them to disturb your sleep, your highness. In the morning, I will ept any punishment you deem appropriate. For now, I will take care of this situation, so please return to your bedroom to rest.¡±


    The maids agreed I should return to my bed and tried to take the old woman away. However, I had no intention of doing what they ask.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    At my order, the maids paused. The guards and the maids turned to Samantha for an order. They weren¡¯t going to do my bidding until Samantha approved it.


    So clearly, Samantha was in charge. It looked as though she knew already who this elderly woman was. it was obvious she didn¡¯t want me to find out about her.


    I asked, ¡°Samantha, who is this woman?¡±


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Samantha looked at me with unease


    I knew I couldn¡¯t stand down. If I did, I was letting Samantha win. I would truly be the emperor¡¯s puppet.


    I didn¡¯t dislike Samantha. In fact, I needed her help desperately if I wanted to survive in the castle. In thest month, I saw her skills and her kindness, and I liked what I saw.


    What I really needed was for Samantha to be my person, not the emperor¡¯s. I knew she was trying to protect me, but if I let her, I would be a powerless person.


    ¡°Who is this person? Why is she here?¡± I asked her firmly so there was no doubt I was giving her an order, not a request.


    Just then, another voice yelled from afar.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    A middle-aged woman ran towards us. She was a voluptuous br. When she saw the white-haired woman, she screamed. She reached the elderly woman and checked to make sure she was unhurt. She rxed a little when she realized her mother was fine but became pale when she noticed me. She bowed deeply to me.


    ¡°Greetings, your highness.¡±


    I remembered her face. She was the woman who was responsible for maintaining this wing. Her name was Agnes. When I first arrived here, she was the first one to wee me.


    I asked Agnes and Samantha calmly, ¡°Is this Agnes¡¯s mother?¡±


    This was very strange. Agnes may have been the director of this wing, but it was still the royal family¡¯s property. Having one¡¯s sick elderly mother, who may have been also mentally ill, probably wasn¡¯t allowed.


    There could be only two exnations for her situation. Either Agnes was keeping this a secret, or someone higher up was allowing her mother to stay.


    Agnes exined, ¡°Yes. This is my mother, and...¡±


    Samantha interrupted Agnes, ¡°The emperor allowed it.¡±


    ¡°His highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand. The emperor I knew was a cold killer who murdered his own father and was feuding against his stepmother, the dowager empress. Being kind to an elderly woman didn¡¯t seem like something Lucretius would do.


    I would have expected Samantha to be the one who allowed it, but the emperor?


    Samantha must have read my mind.


    She exined, ¡°Dame Dotrya was also Empress Beatrice¡¯s nanny.¡±


    Oh! I finally understood. The ghost the maids were talking about must have been this woman.


    The elderlydy continued to cry as she called out a name.


    ¡°Bea, my baby Bea...¡±


    I knew who she was crying for her.


    It wasn¡¯t a ghost of Empress Beatrice that roamed this ce. It was her nanny who had gone mad after losing her empress.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34: <Chapter 34></h4>


    There once was a girl. Her mother called her Bea. She was the daughter of a noble family that protected the southern border of Cransia. The northern border was often attacked by pirates.


    It was an old, powerful family, but unfortunately, Bea didn¡¯t lead a privileged life. It was because her mother was an unmarried lowly maid who got pregnant by the count.


    Her beauty was legendary, but it didn¡¯t help her. Her father¡¯s legal wife, the Countess, was angry at how Bea was more beautiful than her own daughter. The Countess was cruel to her. The count, her own father, ignored her.


    She didn¡¯t lead an easy life. It got even worse when she turned 16.


    The former emperor, Levencius, was over 40 years old at the time and still without an heir. An order was made to every noble family in the kingdom to send in their daughters. The emperor would choose some of these girls to be his concubines and bear him a son.


    The former emperor¡¯s cruelty and deviant taste were well-known to everyone. Any girls sent to him were bound to be abused by him.


    The Countess had no intention of sending her own daughter to such a pervert. She nagged her husband and finally, when Bea became 16, she was legally acknowledged by the Count as his daughter. Within six months, she was sent to the former emperor.


    The emperor did not select all the girls sent. If she wasn¡¯t chosen, or she didn¡¯t keep the emperor¡¯s interest, she could have had a quiet peaceful life.


    However, her beauty worked against her. She was one of the three most beautiful women in the castle. The former emperor didn¡¯t favor her the most, but she still held the emperor¡¯s interest.


    This made many to hate her. The one who was most jealous was Katleyanira, who, at the time, was the second wife to the emperor.


    The following year, Bea gave birth to a son. It was Lucretius. The former emperor was so thrilled that he gave her the position of the fourth wife. He demoted the existing fourth wife to be a mere concubine, which made her hate Bea.


    When Lucretius was three years old, the former emperor anointed him as his heir to the throne. He was the only living son to Levencius. The former emperor divorced his empress at the time and ced Lucretius¡¯ mother in the position. This made the divorced empress and his powerful family Bea¡¯s enemy.


    She collected so many enemies over time. On top of it, Bea didn¡¯t have a good personality for an empress. She was neither sneaky nor diplomatic.


    If she married an average nobleman and lived a normal life, perhaps she would have be a good wife and a mother with her gentle, na?ve personality.


    However, as an empress, it made her weak. Katleyanira, who was the second wife at the time, pretended to be her friend. When the position of the first wife became avable, it was Empress Beatrice who begged the emperor to ce Katleyanira in that ce. She ced her in a ce of huge power.


    After a while, Katleyanira finally gave birth to a son and became the emperor¡¯s favorite. He lost interest in Empress Beatrice and didn¡¯t sleep with her for a long time. Then one night, he became terribly drunk and visited Bea. From this night, Empress Beatrice became pregnant and her belly started to get bigger. The problem was, the emperor was so drunk that night he didn¡¯t remember visiting Empress Beatrice.


    He became angry and suspicious as the empress got bigger. A record was kept of which wife the emperor visits every night. This should have cleared Bea¡¯s name, but Katleyanira bribed the record keepers to delete the entry. She then paid off a few witnesses to swear the emperor was with her that night.


    Empress Beatrice had no one to help her. Her own father, the Count, abandoned her, and there were many who despised her for her rise to power. When she gave birth to a child, the emperor was convinced it was not his.


    She was used of adultery and, therefore, treason against the emperor.


    In the end, Empress Beatrice and her baby were executed. Bea knew the baby was the emperor¡¯s child. She was a kind honest woman, but no one helped her when she needed them the most.


    When Bea went to the emperor, her mother couldn¡¯t let her go by herself. She disguised as Bea¡¯s nanny and followed her daughter into the castle.


    Dame Dotrya was Empress Beatrice¡¯s own mother.


    When her daughter was executed by her husband, Dame Dotrya lost her mind.


    Agnes cried as she told me this painful story. I never expected to hear such a cruel story, so I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    After a long hesitation, I asked, ¡°Then... You are Empress Beatrice¡¯s sister?¡±


    Agnes shook her head.


    ¡°I was just one of Empress Beatrice¡¯s maids, but thisdy, Dame Dotrya, took me in when I became an orphan and adopted me as her daughter.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I still didn¡¯t know how to react to the horrible story, but I knew one thing for sure. I now understood why Lucretius despised his own father. I felt like he had every right to hate him.


    How could he not resent his own father who killed his mother? I would have felt the same way if I were in his shoes.


    I felt ashamed. I used to think he was such a horrible bastard, but now I knew I was wrong to judge him so harshly.


    I was about to let them go back to bed when I suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°You just said that Katleyanira had a living son?¡±


    As far as I know, Katleyanira only had two daughters. I had already met them when I first arrived here.


    Agnes replied severely, ¡°Her son died before he turned one. What goes around,es around.¡±


    She sounded bitter, which told me how much she cared about her adopted sister, Empress Beatrice.


    I felt silly for worrying about a ghost when the real story was even more chilling.


    Dame Dotrya, Agnes, and Empress Beatrice.


    Three women with such cruel unfortunate fates.


    Beatrice le Cransia.


    Bea.


    I found the story of her life familiar. This could be how my life would turn out. Was it because we had simr names?


    Bea and Bina.


    Just like her, I was sold to this royal family as a concubine. Just like her, I suddenly found myself to be in a position of power.


    I remembered a short conversation with the emperor.


    It happened right after the coronation ceremony.


    I was angry at the emperor for giving me thest name le Cransia. I wanted to goad him a little as a small revenge.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little disappointed?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    We were in the bed underneath the same nket. It was an odd question to ask one¡¯s husband, but then we were an odd couple.


    ¡°About Lisbeth.¡±


    He frowned deeply. I smiled wickedly and continued, ¡°She is so pretty. She is also young and na?ve.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that you rejected such a pretty young girl and ended up with someone like me. You must be very disappointed...¡±


    His frown deepened even more.


    My heart beat fast as I waited for his answer. I knew I was being petty, but I wanted to put him in an awkward position like he always does to me.


    Suddenly, he smiled brightly. ¡°I hate women who are stupid.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I hated that smile. Such a fake evil smile.


    However, now that I think about it, perhaps it showed how he really felt about women. Especially his mother.


    ¡°And I hate kind, soft-hearted women even more. That¡¯s worse than being stupid. Of course, I don¡¯t think that girl was truly a kind person anyway.¡±


    I thought at the time how strange and twisted he was. I felt envious of Lisbeth who got away from bing this man¡¯s wife.


    That was the end of our short conversation. Now that I learned about what happened to his birthmother, I could understand the true meaning of that conversation.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35: <Chapter 35></h4>


    My one-week vacation ended in a blink of an eye.


    I felt sad to leave such a peaceful, cozy ce. I now had to return to the harsh life of the castle. I felt devastated.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what I heardst night. The tragic story of Empress Beatrice. I also thought about her son, Lucretius, constantly.


    The murder of the former emperor on my wedding night was his revenge for his dead mother. At the time, I couldn¡¯t understand how he could do such a horrific thing. How could a man kill his own father? In person no less.


    I used to wonder why he didn¡¯t hire someone to do his dirty work. I thought there could be two possibilities. Either he was truly a bloodthirsty, mad man, or he couldn¡¯t trust anyone to do it right.


    I knew vaguely of what had happened to Empress Beatrice even before I heard the detailsst night, but it never crossed my mind that there would be such a tragic story behind this whole thing.


    I still thought what he did was wrong, but I could absolutely understand why he did it.


    I remembered the historical figures in my own world. There was a king in Korea who lost his own mother in a simr tragic event and became a tyrant. However, there also was a king who lost his parents in a sad death who became a good, wise king. In Ennd, Queen Elizabeth lost her mother in an executionmanded by her father, andter herself became the queen of Ennd.


    Some people became heroes despite their unfair pasts, while others gave in to their anger.


    What kind of ruler would Lucretius be?


    I was slowly getting used to Lucretius, just as he wanted. His odd behaviors and words didn¡¯t shock me as much anymore.


    It was myst night in Lonez. I was in the bed when Lucretius came in through the terrace window like amon thief. I waved at him nonchntly.


    ¡°Well, doe in!~¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you were expecting me. You don¡¯t scare easily anymore... I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    He closed the window behind him and walked towards me.


    I smiled and asked, ¡°Are you disappointed that I didn¡¯t scream? Don¡¯t you get embarrassed when I do something like that? Like screaming at you?¡±


    Last time he sneaked in, I screamed and caused everyone to storm into my room. I was mortified.


    He smiled confidently and replied, ¡°Why should I be embarrassed? YOU should be since you were the one who screamed, but not me. In fact, I was a victim myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure...¡±


    Why did I even bother asking him?


    Suddenly, I remembered our kiss. His lips were so soft and his tongue...


    ¡°...¡±


    I must be losing my mind.


    I shook my head vigorously to remove such an improper thought. I felt like my face was burning.


    I waved at the emperor and asked, ¡°Just get me a ss of water over there.¡±


    He frowned at my rudeness. I watched him with interest to see what he would do. Would he reprimand me?


    Again, he surprised me by doing what I asked. He poured a ss of water and brought it to me.


    ¡°T... thank you.¡±


    I epted it nervously. I didn¡¯t expect him to actually do it.


    He smirked at me. There was no doubt his confidence was bottomless.


    I took a deep breath and slowly drank the water. The room was so quiet the gulping noise sounded thunderous. I drank the whole thing in one shot, but I felt even thirstier.


    Annoying man. If he would get me water, why didn¡¯t he get me a full ss? He only got me half a cup.


    I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and handed him the cup.


    ¡°One more please.¡±


    He smiled and took it.


    Will he go back to the table and pour me another one? Would I get the honor of ordering the emperor twice?


    Disappointedly, he put the cup down on the nightstand.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°Wow, how annoying. You did it once, so why can¡¯t you do it for me again, or why not get me a cupful the first time?¡±


    When Iined, heughed quietly. It was a genuineugh.


    ¡°You must have had a good rest here. You sound energetic.¡±


    Just then, arge bell rang loudly.


    It rang twelve times. It was loud enough everyone in Rombrook must have heard it. It was meant as an announcement of the end of my vacation.


    Tomorrow morning, I would go back to the castle where my enemies lived.


    As he listened to the bell, the emperor smiled coldly. It was so beautiful and perfect like that of a Greek statue. I thought it looked a little sad and lonely too.


    I asked him, ¡°Umm... I don¡¯t know how to say this, but... You sent me here with purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Of all the ces here, you sent me to a wing where your grandmother lives. Didn¡¯t you send me here so I would learn about your mother?¡± He didn¡¯t reply. I felt a little embarrassed, but I added, ¡°Umm... Well, anyway, I learned a lot about your past.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He looked at me as if I said something silly. I became confused.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you send me here so I could understand what happened to your mother?¡±


    ¡°... I sent you here as a warning. Do you not get it? You are living in a dangerous ce. If you make even the smallest mistake, it will be the death of you.¡±


    ¡°... Thank you for the warning.¡±


    Couldn¡¯t he use kinder words? He was pretty much repeating what I just said!


    ¡°Anyway, thank you for letting me know, Mr. Aplice. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t easy for you to do so.¡±


    He frowned deeper.


    Was it because it was gettingte? I felt like my eyesight was bing blurry. I started to feel numb on my fingertips.


    I looked at him in confusion. He was looking down at me with an odd expression.


    Suddenly, I felt weak. It was a terrifying sensation that was worse than pain.


    When I finally realized what was happening, it was toote.


    ¡°Y... you...!¡±


    What did he do to me?


    I couldn¡¯t talk. My arms felt weightless and eventually, I fell forward. Before my head hit the bed, the emperor reached out for me to hold me.


    I lost consciousness in his arms. Before everything wentpletely ck, I could hear him whispering to me.


    ¡°... Sorry, but don¡¯t worry. The dose isn¡¯t high enough to kill you...¡±

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36: <Chapter 36></h4>


    I woke up abruptly from a feeling of falling.


    I was confused. I couldn¡¯t understand what has happened or where I was.


    It felt like I escaped from a dark muddy cave. Barely.


    I had no strength. I was wet with my own sweat as Iid on the bed. I looked at the ceiling nkly.


    It took a while for my mind to start working again. I counted the patterns on the ceiling. By the time I counted to fifteen, I was able to remember bits and pieces.


    Thest thing I remembered was the emperor holding the cup filled with water. I remembered him whispering to me.


    It wouldn¡¯t kill me.


    What happened was so bad I found it a little funny. I was about to trust him a little when he did this to me.


    I wanted to swear, but I didn¡¯t have the energy. My body felt heavy like a piece of wet cotton. My head felt like it was filled with fog.


    I started to get annoyed.


    This whole situation was beyond frustrating.


    I tried to get up. When I tried to push myself up with my arm, I felt a sudden headache.


    ¡°Ouch...!¡±


    It was painful. It felt like someone picked me up and spun me around several times.


    I heard someone enter. They must have heard me groan.


    I assumed it was either Samantha or one of the sisters, Luis or Elza. I wanted to say something, but my throat was so dry no sound came out of my mouth.


    Then suddenly, I heard a voice that made me forget anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I was wide awake now. Despite the aches and dizziness, I raised my head. The room spun around me, but I managed to see clearly.


    It was the same face I saw right before losing my consciousness.


    He was looking down at me with a strange expression. His face looked a little tired.


    Why?


    He helped me sit up. He arrangedrge cushions behind my back so I can lean backfortably. His behavior was caring. When I thought about it, his words were always sharp and sometimes hurtful, but he always acted with gentleness.


    I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry, and I had no spit to swallow. It felt sore and sharp.


    He seemed confused at my pained expression but quickly figured it out. He poured me a cup of water and handed it to me.


    Last time he gave me water, it was in a white ceramic cup. This time, he handed me a silver cup. The water looked clear and cool, but the man holding it couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    I looked up at him with clear distrust. He grinned and took a sip from it himself. After I saw him swallow, I raised my hand to ept the cup.


    ¡°Hmm...!¡±


    He watched me as I struggled to hold the cup, but because I was so weak, I almost dropped it. He quickly took the cup away from me and got it to my lips.


    ¡°...¡±


    I was annoyed, but my thirst was greater than my distrust of him. I hated him and this situation, but I drank it desperately with his help. It tasted sweet and cool. I emptied the whole cup quickly.


    How long have I been out? As I wondered, he took the cup away andid me down on the cushions.


    How kind my husband was!


    I looked at him with all the anger I had. I cleared my throat and tried out my voice. Thanks to the water, I managed to speak although my voice sounded rough.


    ¡°How many days had passed?¡±


    ¡°Three days.¡±


    That long. I had never been out like this in my life.


    This was bad. This was very bad.


    I gave him a sarcastic grin and replied, ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What did you gain by taking three days away from me?¡±


    He looked at me nkly.


    I put on a calm face and remained silent. Was it because he felt guilty? For once, he didn¡¯t make me wait for an answer.


    ¡°Two days ago, Marchioness Toruka and a couple of dowager empress¡¯s maids were sent to the dungeon.¡±


    I was a little surprised. Marchioness Toruka was the dowager empress¡¯s principle maid in waiting and also her sister-inw. The Marchioness¡¯ husband was the dowager empress¡¯s younger brother. The Toruka family was dowager empress¡¯s biggest supporter.


    By having me poisoned for three days, the emperor managed to get rid of the dowager empress¡¯s right arm.


    If Marchioness Toruka was med for this, then it was probably possible to even implicate the dowager empress herself.


    I was genuinely impressed.


    ¡°Nice job. You did well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me. He looked ufortable.


    I waited for him to reply. He continued to look at me as if waiting for something. He studied me carefully.


    After a few minutes, he finally said to me, ¡°I thought as soon as you opened your eyes, you would scream at me.¡±


    I did consider doing it. I gave him half of the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength, and my throat hurts.¡±


    He continued to stare at me as he exined, ¡°Officially, it was Samantha who found you in your bedroom on the floor. She got my doctor on call and he diagnosed that you were poisoned. You and our unborn baby, who didn¡¯t survive.¡±


    A baby?


    What the hell was he talking about? What baby?


    I became confused but only for a second. I understood the situation quickly. The emperor had been visiting my chamber almost every day for the past month and a half. Recently, I was sent to an isted wing to rest for a week.


    To the outsiders, it made sense that I got pregnant and the emperor wanted me to take some time off. It was a well-thought-out n.


    On myst day, he handed me a cup of poisoned water. When I lost consciousness, the emperor used appropriate figures of the murder of our non-existent baby and attempted murder of me, the first wife.


    Bravo.


    ¡°I see that you worked very efficiently during thest three days.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He again stayed quiet. The silence felt ufortable.


    When he finally opened his mouth, he said something I found odd.


    ¡°My personal doctor prepared the poison himself. He measured it so the dose puts you to sleep for only a day... I was waiting for you to wake up the next day, but it took much longer. It wasn¡¯t my intention.¡±


    I became confused. His tone was different.


    Was he trying to give me an excuse?


    When I became speechless, he seemed to get even more anxious.


    He continued to exin, ¡°The doctor assured me you would wake up in a day... But you didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t know what to do when you didn¡¯t wake up.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just stared at him.


    He continued hurriedly, ¡°I trusted him. I trusted his skills and that was why I hired him... I guess I was wrong about him.¡±


    I felt flustered. This was a different Lucretius than I had seen so far.


    I asked nervously, ¡°You... you aren¡¯t going to punish him, are you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that obvious? You are okay, so I won¡¯t execute him, but he still needs to be punished. He won¡¯t lose his life, but a finger perhaps...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    I screamed at him. The emperor¡¯s eyes widened. He looked much younger than his age.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He asked me with genuine curiosity.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37: <Chapter 37></h4>


    This man! He truly was a tyrant.


    He was a terrible man.


    He was showing the signs of bing an oppressor. His father, the former emperor, apparently was the same.


    Lucretius¡¯s grandfather, Emperor Kentius, was supposedly a great king who ruled for over 30 years with a firm but fair hand. Unfortunately, Lucretius was showing his resemnce to his horrible father rather than his kind grandfather.


    Coming from 21st century Korea, I couldn¡¯t ept a punishment of cutting off someone¡¯s finger especially when I was the reason behind it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it! You said he is a doctor! Why would you cut off a doctor¡¯s finger? That¡¯s terrible!¡±


    ¡°He is right-handed, so I was nning to cut his left finger. It won¡¯t affect his job at all. I am actually being generous considering he harmed a royal member.¡±


    He sounded as if this was normal. How could he talk about cutting someone¡¯s finger off so nonchntly?


    I became angrier. I shouted at him.


    ¡°You are the one who fed me poison, so why are you ming the doctor?!¡±


    The emperor frowned and didn¡¯t answer me. He just stared quietly.


    I couldn¡¯t stop talking. I couldn¡¯t let an innocent man get hurt because of me. However, I realized convincing Lucretius with my 21st-century logic wouldn¡¯t work. I had to try something else.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be the one to be punished first before anyone?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how he would react to my words.


    I expected him to get angry or sarcastic, but after staring at me for a while longer, he unexpectedly nodded.


    What?


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°... pardon?¡±


    He grabbed my hand.


    Lucretius¡¯s body temperature was usually lower than mine, so whenever he touched me, it felt like a cool air gently blowing against my skin. However, this time, his hands were warmer than mine. My body obviously hadn¡¯t recovered fully yet.


    The point was, his reaction was shocking. What he said after was even more baffling.


    ¡°What kind of punishment do you think is fair?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Did he lose his mind? Was he ok?


    I couldn¡¯t understand, so I just stared at him like an idiot. After a long pause, I finally asked him.


    ¡°Why... Why are you acting this way?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s green snake eyes looked at me.


    He whispered quietly, ¡°Why? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was very strange. How was I supposed to take this?


    I decided to push aside my confusion. Let¡¯s slow down a little. My first goal was to make sure that the doctor didn¡¯t lose his finger. My second goal was to make the emperor understand it was never okay to cut someone¡¯s finger off.


    Poisoning and plotting was one thing, but he needed to stop at the finger chopping.


    Well, I suppose I had to talk about the poisoning too. I felt like no matter what kind of promise I got from him, he would do it all over again if necessary. The problem was that the next time I get poisoned, I may not wake up.


    I chose my words carefully and said to him, ¡°I think I get why you did this. I do believe you didn¡¯t mean to kill me or cause me permanent damage.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It was a smart thing to attack Marchioness Toruka. It was really a good idea. I agree with you on that, but...¡±


    He seemed to get nervous. His shoulders became rigid.


    ¡°But it¡¯s only eptable if you exined the n to me in advance and get my consent. To be honest... When I copsed, my immediate thought was that you were trying to kill me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I sighed deeply and continued, ¡°I won¡¯t ask you not to do something like this again in the future, but please let me know ahead so I am prepared.¡±


    He asked me in confusion, ¡°Is that my punishment?¡±


    I opened my eyes wide and asked, ¡°Seriously?! You think that¡¯s an appropriate punishment?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I smiled slowly. I thought maybe I saw him smile too.


    ¡°You owe me one. I will take my time to think of a proper punishment for you.¡±


    ¡°I suppose... I guess it makes sense.¡±


    I would take all the time in the world to make the best decision. I wouldn¡¯t let this go easily.


    Besides, I was unconscious for the past three days! I couldn¡¯t think clearly at this point.


    I decided to find out how far I could go with this punishment. This could be my chance for something big in the future.


    ¡°What are the parameters for this punishment? How far would you let me go with it?¡±


    Surprisingly, he answered easily. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    Whatever?


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    This was not what I expected from the great tyrant Lucretius.


    Wasn¡¯t he afraid of what I might do to him?


    I waved my palm in front of his face and asked, ¡°Can you see okay?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He frowned, but I yelled at him.


    ¡°Do you have a fever or something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well... That¡¯s the only possible exnation for your answer. Whatever? You must be ill.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s face crumpled as he replied, ¡°You... are so rude.¡±


    I was surprised again.


    ¡°You mean... You really mean whatever I want...?¡±


    Before I could finish my question, he interrupted me sharply. He now had his signature sneaky smile on his face.


    ¡°Well, I guess ¡®whatever¡¯ doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I misspoke. I will give you a better answer. I will listen to your idea, and if I find it eptable, I will take it.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? You can¡¯t do that! [You can¡¯t change your mind just like that!]¡±


    I was so frustrated I used my mother tongue. I forgot my condition and turned my face so quickly I copsed on the bed from sudden dizziness.


    He looked down at me as if I deserved this pain.


    ¡°... Was that your oldnguage again? I don¡¯t care what you said to me, but I¡¯m not going to change my mind.¡±


    I red at him.


    ¡°You are so small-minded!¡±


    Even after days ofining, he really didn¡¯t change his mind. I regretted how I didn¡¯t just take his initial offer. I was an idiot.


    I should have just gone with his first answer!


    Dammit!


    ***


    Officially, I was poisoned and lost my baby, so I was given a long time to rest.


    It was nice to rx. My body was poisoned for real too, so I did need some time off. The emperor allowed me over a month of vacation.


    Lowson took excellent care of me during this time. When he first came to me, he kneeled before me and thanked me for saving him from losing his finger. He swore to serve me with his life. I was shocked because I didn¡¯t know how he found out about the whole finger situation. Lucretius must have told him about it.


    There was no doubt he was a skilled physician. I took his medication every day and I recovered quickly. I didn¡¯t need over a month of rest at all. In only two weeks, I was almost back to myself.

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38: <Chapter 38></h4>


    I spent my time off at Lonez. It was wonderful. Elza and Luis didn¡¯t know that the baby story was fake, so they treated me like I was made of fragile ss. I felt guilty for lying to them.


    During my stay at Lonez, they came to me for punishments. While we sat in the lovely garden, Luis asked me respectfully.


    ¡°Your highness, we deserve to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What are you talking about?¡±


    I was so surprised I almost dropped my cup of hot, sweet milk tea. My eyes widened as I stared at them.


    Elza, Luis¡¯s younger sister, also looked determined.


    Luis answered, ¡°We were going to ask you earlier, but we thought it would be best to wait a while until you recovered. That tragic day when you were poisoned, it was Elza who was on duty that night.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t remember for sure, and I didn¡¯t understand why that mattered.


    Luis continued, ¡°Both Elza and I should have prevented it, yet we didn¡¯t even know what had happened until the principle maid in waiting alerted us. We deserved to die for this crime.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    I almost dropped my cup again, but thankfully, I ended up spilling a little bit of my tea on the whitece dress.


    I hoped it didn¡¯t stain.


    While I looked shocked and confused at their resolute derations, Luis continued, ¡°As the daughters of Count Loventis and the maids of the first wife of the emperor, we have failed to do our duties. Please punish Elza! I am no better as I am responsible for my little sister¡¯s mistakes. You must punish me as well!¡±


    Why does everyone want me to punish them?


    I started to sweat as I sat my cup down on the wooden side table.


    How would convince these two women?


    I thought carefully before I put on a bright smile. I finally opened my mouth.


    ¡°But I am very happy.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    The two girls looked up at me with wide eyes. I hoped my smile looked genuine.


    ¡°That night... It was very unfortunate. I¡¯m not saying you have no fault in this, but even Samantha found me after I was already poisoned. Even if you found me before her, there was nothing you could have done that would have changed the oue.¡±


    ¡°Y...your highness!¡±


    ¡°There is a saying in my homnd. Misfortune is always followed by a blessing. I am happy to have such wonderful people like you worrying about me. Those who are truly responsible are in jail already, so there is no need for you to be punished.¡±


    Luis looked at me reverently, but she shook her head.


    ¡°But your highness, the fact still remains that wemitted a terrible crime. The water in your room was poisoned. It should have never happened.¡±


    Well, it was actually the emperor who put poison in that water, but I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth.


    Luis continued, ¡°Please punish us.¡±


    The doctor was expecting to lose a finger, so I suppose the girls were sure they would be punished too. Was everyone in this castle masochist?


    I tried to control my expression.


    Deep breath!


    ¡°... Alright. If you insist, here are your punishments.¡±


    I was only doing what they asked, but their faces darkened when I agreed. Well, I guess no one ever really wants to be punished. I could understand they had no choice but to ask for it.


    ¡°Elza will work as both my maid and my servant for a month. I will also be cutting both of your sries for half a year. In addition, you two will alternate being on night duties for the rest of my stay in Lonez.¡±


    ¡°Y... your highness!¡±


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    The sisters both looked up at me with tears.


    The punishments I gave were embarrassingly light. Being demoted to a servant from a maid status was considered demeaning, but it was only for a month. She would be reinstated when I returned to the castle.


    Sry cut was an unpleasant deal, but these women were from a powerful noble family. They didn¡¯t serve me for money. They were here for the honor of working for the royal family.


    The fact that I ordered them to the night duties was actually apliment to them. It meant despite what had happened, I trusted them with my life. It meant


    I considered them my people.


    The girls looked up at me with adoration.


    I knew what exactly happened that night, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty. However, this didn¡¯t mean I could tell them the truth and not punish them at all.


    This was overall the best solution. I smiled at them.


    ¡°I trust you both. Please serve me to your best abilities, Luis and Elza.¡±


    Gosh, I sounded so fake, but they didn¡¯t know. They looked up at me lovingly.


    ***


    My sweet vacation finally ended, and I returned to the castle. Many high ranking figures weed me warmly.


    The dowager empress didn¡¯te to see me. I was told she wasn¡¯t feeling well. I knew the truth, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Everyone treated me very carefully. Those especially close to me acted cautiously and made sure not to show any overt happiness or excitement.


    It made sense. Officially, I just recently lost a baby.


    I smiled and chatted as if nothing happened, and soon, people started to treat me normally. I didn¡¯t want to be pitied, so I felt relieved when things went back to the way they were.


    To celebrate my return, the emperor ordered a day off for everyone including the servants. Expensive foods were gifted to them as well. I made sure it became known that I was behind this idea.


    Because of this, people seemed to treat me with genuine warmth. Of course, I didn¡¯t trust them still, but this was a positive thing.


    I learned that in this world, the noblemen treated their servants as if they were animals or furniture. I wanted to make sure that people, especially the low-born folks, knew I was different. Giving the servants a day off was a calcted move on my part.


    This was how I would survive in this world. I needed to win people over.


    I epted the fact I was on the same boat as the emperor. If the dowager empress wasn¡¯t defeated, the emperor¡¯s future was bleak and in turn, my life could be over.


    Unfortunately, I needed the emperor more than he needed me. If he lost this game, I would be executed, but if I died, it didn¡¯t mean the emperor would lose his fight against the dowager empress.


    This was not fair, but it was what it was.


    While I rested at Lonez, I thought of many ns. Treating the servants kindly was one of them.


    The servants were a very important part of the castle life. If they disliked you, they could sell important information about you to the highest bidders. I heard of many asions when something like this happened in Korean history. I thought it would be smart to use what I knew from history sses.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t expect people to be loyal to me with a mere day of rest. What I wanted were small changes.


    I wanted them to see me a little differently. I hoped they would see me as a kind and fair person who took care of my own people. I thought this small change in perception alone could make a difference in my future.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39: <Chapter 39></h4>


    Another news greeted me when I returned to the castle. It was of Marchioness Toruka.


    In the end, she was abandoned by her family and the dowager empress. The Toruka family imed they knew nothing of what she did. Her own husband denounced her as a traitor and filed for a divorce. The dowager empress also announced her ignorance in this matter.


    Even after being imprisoned and tortured, Marchioness Toruka remained silent. However, when she learned of being abandoned and betrayed by everyone, she swore she would tell the emperor everything.


    The next morning after she promised to confess, she was found dead in her cell.


    Everyone knew who killed Marchioness Toruka, but no one had any proofs.


    Beside her dead body was a letter written with a shaky hand. It stated that she felt jealous of me, the first wife, and that was why she tried to kill me. She stated that she did it all on her own.


    The funny thing was no one could figure out how she got a pen and paper to write this letter. Not to mention, where did she get the poison to kill herself?


    Again, everyone knew who was behind the murder of Marchioness Toruka, but no one could say it out loud.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was an unpleasant topic to discuss during the morning teatime. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I felt cold.


    My enemies were cruel and efficient. They eliminated their own without hesitation.


    These were the people the emperor wanted me to fight and shield him against.


    I hid my fear and replied to him, ¡°... So we gained nothing from poisoning me. Basically, Marchioness Toruka is gone, but the dowager empress will just get new maids. How disappointing.¡±


    He smiled. I always found his confidence annoying.


    ¡°Not exactly. We will make sure to get something out of this.¡±


    Good for you.


    I hated how he said it as if he was the one who was forced to make a sacrifice for this plot. It was me who was poisoned, not him!


    I didn¡¯t say anything, and the emperor continued to smile.


    He exined, ¡°Because of this, Marquis Toruka lost his heir.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°The Marquis and Marchioness had two grown sons. One was 17 and the other was 15. Anyway, the oldest was the confirmed heir to the title. The Marquis had several concubines and other children. He didn¡¯t want toplicate anything though, so he sent away all his other children to be married or to be adopted by other noble families.¡±


    It was strange, but apparently, this was amon practice here.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°But after the Marchioness was arrested, things became uncertain for the Toruka family. By betraying his wife, Marquis Toruka managed to protect his sister, the dowager empress, and her unborn child, but I went a step further.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    His evil smile gleamed. I waited for his answer nervously.


    ¡°Marchioness¡¯s crime was treason, but we promised them she won¡¯t be executed. However, the family session situation was a different story.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    I understood immediately. By divorcing the Marchioness, Marquis Toruka could protect his family name, but his sons! They were also the sons of the traitor Marchioness. This meant the emperor had the right to insist on her sons not inheriting the title.


    Lucretius ordered a servant to bring a bottle of wine. He poured a ss himself. It was a dark ruby color. I suspected it was the highest quality wine one could find in this kingdom.


    He came towards me and poured me a ss as well. I epted it without a word.


    ¡°The Marquis is already over 40 years old. All his other sons have been adopted to other families. He could technically re-adopt them, but he needs the emperor¡¯s approval and I will not give it to him. I will tell him he is not old enough to adopt an heir. He should try to remarry and sire a son naturally. To do this, he will have to move fast... Of course, I would be surprised if any noble family would allow their daughter to marry the man who abandoned his wife in the dungeon and left her to die.¡±


    Lucretius smirked. He was such a cold man. I agreed with his actions, so I supposed that made me a cold woman too.


    I usually preferred white wine or champagne. I found red wine to be often sour and bitter. Sometimes, I thought it smelled a little bit like blood. Perhaps it was just my imagination.


    After a quick taste, I looked up and asked him. I guess it was a little toote to get his permission when it was already a done deal.


    ¡°I already gave her a position and a ce to stay in my wing, so I guess I have done this backward. I should have asked for your permission first.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Agnes.¡±


    ¡°You mean Agnes Dotrya who is responsible for Lonez?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I would like to have her as my maid.¡±


    He looked at me suspiciously.


    ¡°She is definitely someone you can trust, but... why? How did you convince her toe? Agnes would never leave her adopted mother behind.¡±


    I remembered Agnes¡¯ anguished face as she talked about what had happened to Empress Beatrice. She was taking care of her adopted mother Dame Dotrya, who was Empress Beatrice¡¯s mother.


    It was clear she loved her adopted mother and sister like her real family. That exined her extreme fury.


    That was why I chose her. She could be the best weapon against ourmon enemy.


    I didn¡¯t let the emperor know of my real reason.


    ¡°I chose her because she can be trusted. The more trustworthy people I have, the better.¡±


    He looked like he didn¡¯t believe my exnation. He studied me for a few seconds and sighed deeply.


    ¡°You are getting better at hiding your feelings. Well, why not. I¡¯m sure you have a good reason for it.¡±


    He put down his empty ss. I didn¡¯t reply to him.


    Lucretius was about to stand up when he suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Duke of Aeal is very persistent. Apparently, he still hasn¡¯t left yet. He is insisting on seeing you before he leaves. Do you want to kick him out yourself?¡±


    This was a surprise. Iughed loudly and pped.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s perfect. I thought he already left and was nning on getting him back.¡±


    The emperor frowned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He obviously wanted to know my reason, but I pretended not to notice him. When I refused to exin, he questioned me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want them gone immediately? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    I smiled at him mysteriously. I loved this situation. Finally, I was, for once, taking control of our conversation. I paused on purpose and waited for his reaction.


    Lucretius started to tap the table with his finger impatiently. He looked cross.


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t going to kick them out. You are saying you would have called for him anyway. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean to forgive them and keep them here, right?¡±


    I drank my wine slowly and answered. It was very strong.


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Unless I had gone crazy, I would never do something like that. He knew it well.


    Lucretius looked at me curiously. I thought I probably made him wait long enough.


    I paused a little while longer until it looked like he was about to ask again. Before he could say anything, I interrupted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. It¡¯s just I think they can be useful in fighting against the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°You are going to use them against the dowager empress?¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t sound convinced and I understood why.


    He continued, ¡°Duke Aeal has no power at all in this kingdom. He won¡¯t be any help for you against the dowager empress. On top of that, I¡¯m sure they hate you, so...¡±


    Suddenly, his eyes widened. He seemed like he realized something. He smiled slowly.


    ¡°Aha! Could it be...?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even say anything, but it appeared that he understood what I meant to do. He was definitely an evil genius.


    Lucretius murmured to himself loudly, ¡°I can definitely see them doing something stupid to fulfill their greed. I only met them once, but it was pretty obvious.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Lisbeth will be especially useful. If I keep her near me, she won¡¯t be able to stop herself from doing whatever it takes to get what she wants. She will grab the dowager empress¡¯s attention for sure.¡±


    I looked at my husband.


    Beautiful golden hair and clear green eyes. Any girl would fall in love with such a gorgeous man.


    Lisbeth would have been sent here if I wasn¡¯t avable. However, because she was a na?ve, fragile young girl, I doubted she would have survived. She would have been murdered along with the former emperor on their wedding night.


    I basically saved Lisbeth¡¯s life and this meant I repaid my debt to the Bonafit family for taking care of me for a year.


    We were even. If they gave up their impossible dream and left this castle, I would let them go and they would live. However, will they be able to let their greed go?


    I didn¡¯t think so. Just the fact that they were still here meant they wouldn¡¯t give up on their ambition. I knew if I ignored them or kick them out, they would try to harm me in any way possible.


    They weren¡¯t grateful to me for saving Lisbeth. In fact, they saw me as the thief who stole Lisbeth¡¯s chance at bing the emperor¡¯s first wife herself.


    It would be a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t angry. I was honest enough to admit I would love to cause them serious harm as an act of revenge for tricking me. However, the decision to keep Lisbeth close was based on pure logic.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40: &lt;Chapter 40&gt;</h4>


    The dowager empress was most likely preparing her move against the emperor, and there was a very good chance I could be her next target.


    I was the weakest link and harming me would damage the emperor a great deal. In addition, thest attack on her was in my name as I was supposedly poisoned by her people. It was likely she would get back at me for being a major part of that plot.


    This meant it would be useful for me to have a clear target the dowager empress would want to use against me.


    The best option was to have my own spy nted in her group, but it was impossible. My influence in this castle was weak at best, and I couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would risk their lives for me. Besides, the dowager empress was a formidable enemy. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to nt someone without having her be suspicious.


    That meant that there was only one option.


    To have someone beside me who is very likely to be bought and used by the dowager empress.


    Lisbeth could be that person. I felt confident she would be an easy person to control.


    I didn¡¯t have to exin anything to Lucretius. He understood my n quickly.


    ¡°So you mean to test them.¡±


    ¡°Possibly...¡±


    I gave him a vague answer.


    What he said was urate, but I didn¡¯t want to admit out loud that I was doing exactly what Lucretius did and continue to do to me.


    Unfortunately, I learned a lot from this guy.


    He grinned at me andmented, ¡°So I was right about you. You are not a nice person.¡±


    I wanted to throw something at his handsome face.


    He continued, ¡°You are hoping they will destroy themselves so you don¡¯t have to dirty your hands. You know very well the dowager empress won¡¯t change, which means it¡¯s her turn to attack us. You will just have to be careful your little n doesn¡¯t look too obvious.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny it. He was right about everything.


    He looked at my pouting face and smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°I think I like that about you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Whatever.


    Like I cared what he thought about me.


    I continued to stay quiet while he looked at me. He called for a servant to take away the empty wine sses and bring in the tea set.


    Hot tea was brewed freshly and poured into our cups.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°So give me the specifics of your n.¡±


    ¡°I will have Lisbeth as my new maid.¡±


    His face became rigid.


    ¡°And I will get Orlean back so she can be Lisbeth¡¯s servant. This will make both of them happy.¡±


    The emperor asked me quietly, ¡°You... you realize that is a very dangerous move, right?¡±


    ¡°I know, but I need to take risks if I want to win. I will be very careful. Lisbeth will be surrounded by Samantha, Agnes, Elza, and Luis. I doubt Lisbeth will be able to do something crazy to me while being monitored so closely by everyone. She isn¡¯t that smart.¡±


    Lucretius looked unconvinced.


    I continued to exin, ¡°The news of my ill-treatment of Lisbeth will spread like wildfire. The dowager empress will be interested in her quickly.¡±


    ¡°I guess...¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t borate.


    After a few minutes of silence, I asked, ¡°Why do you look so unhappy about this?¡±


    ¡°... Aren¡¯t you afraid? If it doesn¡¯t work ording to your n, your life may be endangered. The dowager empress isn¡¯t an easy opponent. She is especially dangerous now as she must be furious over what happened to Marchioness Toruka.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware of the danger. I was there. It was me who almost died, remember?¡± I grinned.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. I suppose he was embarrassed.


    ¡°I am doing this because I want to live, but life doesn¡¯t mean much if you live in constant fear and restrictions. I want to have control over my life. To aplish that, I need to take some risks.¡±


    I nned to survive, and I would go back home.


    For that, I needed to take control of this situation.


    Lucretius looked at me with an expression I had never seen before. He looked like he was pped in the face.


    I didn¡¯t know at the time, but soon, I realized what that expression meant.


    <A day after Bina¡¯s poisoning: From Lucretius¡¯s point of view>


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t my wife awake yet?¡± The emperor asked sharply.


    The physician cowered and replied, ¡°It appears that her highness... doesn¡¯t have any tolerance to this poison.¡±


    The emperor started to scream but realized she was lying on the bed in front of him. He lowered his voice.


    ¡°I already know...! I was sure you administered a dose with that fact in mind.¡± He gritted his teeth.


    The physician bowed even deeper and answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s because I haven¡¯t been her highness¡¯ physician, I didn¡¯t know of her body condition very well. The dose must have been miscalcted, but do not worry. Her life isn¡¯t in danger, your highness.¡±


    Before the emperor could scream again, Samantha added carefully.


    ¡°Your highness, Lowson is the best physician in the kingdom. Losing him would be a great loss to all of us.¡±


    Samantha knew what the emperor would say, and that was why she interrupted him. The emperor tried to calm down and think logically. After a few minutes, he finally decided.


    ¡°If something happens to her, you will be executed, but if you can heal her and she wakes up within two days, you will receive a much lighter punishment.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    The physician thanked the emperor and left the room to check on the medication. The emperor sat on the bed and asked Samantha, ¡°What is happening with Marchioness Toruka?¡±


    ¡°She is keeping her silence.¡±


    ¡°How annoying. Well, I suppose admitting to something you didn¡¯t do would be hard.¡±


    ¡°But we were able to get some confessions out of a few of her maids after extensive torture.¡±


    The emperor started to nod but shook his head immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough. We need to get as much out of this n as possible.¡±


    ¡°What else would you like us to do?¡±


    ¡°We need to get the dowager empress, or at the very least the Marquis. If we don¡¯t, I would consider it our defeat.¡±


    After a brief silence, Samantha replied quietly, ¡°Sleep torture and starvation won¡¯t be enough to make Marchioness Toruka give in... And... Because she is the principle maid in waiting to the dowager empress, it would be unseemly to torture her physically.¡±


    The emperor answered without hesitation, ¡°Do whatever is necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Samantha bowed deeply and left the room.


    One way to aplish this was to torture her where the scars wouldn¡¯t be visible unless she was naked.


    ***


    The girl was on the bed as if she was dead. It has already been two nights and it was the afternoon of the third day. She still hadn¡¯t opened her ck eyes.


    Lucretius was a wreck. He didn¡¯t know what to do or where to go. He felt like he was burning from the inside. He was not used to this kind of emotion.


    Thest time he felt something simr was when he attended his own mother¡¯s execution.


    After that day, Lucretius led a difficult life. His father despised him and was abusive towards him. That woman, Katleyanira, had full control over his father and tried her best to get any girl pregnant with the emperor¡¯s son so she could take away Lucretius¡¯s position as the only heir.


    His own wife, who ended up being Katleyanira¡¯s spy, tried to kill him with a poisoned dagger.


    All these horrible things happened throughout his life, but he had never felt any strong emotions towards these events. His previous wife once told him his heart was frozen like a block of ice, and that was why he felt nothing.


    He agreed. He knew it wasn¡¯t normal, but he was the way he was. That was that.


    He kept thinking about his previous wife who he killed to defend himself. He remembered her anger at him. Was it because a simr thing was happening now? The result and the intention werepletely different, but there were some ufortable simrities between the two events.


    Both times, he measured his dose carefully and he ced the poison in the water himself. He handed the cups to both women, but one girl was buried in the crypt while the other girl was in front of him lying on the bed.


    Was it the lighting or did the bed look like a white marble coffin?


    Ingrit. That was his dead wife¡¯s name. The woman he killed.


    He made her the way she was.


    Her family was on the dowager empress¡¯s side, but at first, Ingrit was different. If he was a better man and treated her with kindness, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have be such an angry vengeful woman.


    She was a na?ve kind woman who loved him, but he didn¡¯t ept her love, and she became livid. The dowager empress was no doubt involved in morphing Ingrit into a resentful killer, but it was definitely him who turned her into a scorned wife.

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41: &lt;Chapter 41&gt;</h4>


    When he finally got himself to be the emperor, he had to find a wife. The problem was it couldn¡¯t be just anyone.


    Firstly, his wife couldn¡¯t be from a powerful family. Normally, the emperor¡¯s wife needed help from her family to rule the castle, and that was why it was best for the wife toe from an influential family. However, Lucretius had seen what Katleyanira did to his kingdom and he had no intention of his own wife repeating it.


    Secondly, he needed a woman who was intelligent and calcting. Unfortunately, Lucretius didn¡¯t have enough power to fight the dowager empress alone. He could help his wife to grow her own power, but there was only so much he could do. He needed someone who had a brain.


    Thirdly, it couldn¡¯t be a soft-hearted woman. He had already witnessed what happened to his own mother. A na?ve, trusting woman would end up being killed. He needed someone who could follow him to hell.


    Lastly, it couldn¡¯t be a woman who loved him. Ingrit loved him and her love ended up killing her. Same thing couldn¡¯t happen again.


    He remembered the first time he met the ck-eyed girl Bina.


    At first, he saw her as a fragile young girl who was sold to the royal family just like his mother. Soon, he realized that he was wrong.


    On that night when he killed his own father, she showed her intelligence and cunning.


    Duke Aeal was a powerless noble and she wasn¡¯t even his real daughter.


    However, his favorite thing about her was the fact that she didn¡¯t look at him with adoration like all the other young girls. It was clear she didn¡¯t trust him. She was suspicious of him at all times and her moves were always calcting. He really liked that about her.


    He had found a perfect woman for him.


    That was how he felt.


    Until now.


    Why did he felt like his heart was falling? He almost felt nauseous and seasick. He felt anxious as well. Why? He couldn¡¯t understand.


    He always thought he had no emotions, but then why was he feeling this way?


    At this moment, he was willing to give up anything to have her open her eyes.


    He felt frustrated. In his 27 years, nothing had frustrated him like this before.


    ***


    He had lived his 27 years fiercely. No one could deny this. He wasn¡¯t being arrogant; it was just a simple fact.


    His life had never had a rest or a moment to rx. It was never allowed, but he wasn¡¯t resentful about it. In fact, he epted it because he knew no other ways to live. Every move he made needed to be carefully premeditated including eating and sleeping.


    His life was harsh, but then everyone around him had simr lives. He supposed that this meant no one around him actually ¡®lived¡¯. They had no control over their own lives.


    Katleyanira, on the other hand, was filled with anger and lived with passion. She looked like she at least had some control over her life.


    The person that had the least control was his own mother, Beatrice. She had never truly lived her own life.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t love her, and he knew she loved him, but the fact still remained. Lucretius believed Beatrice led a life that was never her own.


    Tragically, she was na?ve and stupid.


    She never aplished anything. Things just happened to her. She just happened to be sold to the castle. By coincidence, she ended up giving birth to him, and somehow, she became an empress. In the end, she was used of a crime she didn¡¯tmit and was executed. Her life and her death. Both happened without her intention.


    He had seen so many people live this way. They were all like puppets. The only people who weren¡¯t puppets were usually his enemies.


    This was how battles were fought. The leaders used their puppets to win. The world was made mostly of innocent animals and a few figures on the top who controlled everyone and everything.


    Nothing used to interest him or give him joy. His life consisted only of surviving.


    That was why he found her so shocking.


    She said she came from a different world. It was such a ridiculous story. But the most stunning thing she said was something else.


    ¡°I am doing this because I want to live, but a life doesn¡¯t mean much if you live in constant fear and restrictions. I want to have a control over my life. To aplish that, I need to take some risks¡±


    It was such a shocking statement.


    He was born to be an emperor. He was always surrounded by strangers. He saw that his mother was killed because she trusted the wrong people. From this, he learned early on how to be suspicious rather than to trust. Over the years, he learned to judge people urately.


    However, this woman was unexpected. She kept throwing him off.


    At first, he thought she was just like every other woman he met before. Just a girl forced into bing the emperor¡¯s concubine. The harem was filled with women just like her.


    He was wrong. She was nothing like them. She understood the situations urately and made quick but smart decisions. Everything she did was to get what she wanted.


    She was stronger than she looked. Her determination was beyond anything he had ever seen. To him, she shone like the brightest star. He suspected her soul was made of clean transparent light.


    He didn¡¯t truly believe she actually came from a different world. However, he had to admit knowing she was perfectly sane, there was no logical reason for her to make up such a lie.


    That was why he decided to semi-believe her.


    Since it was impossible to believe her story fully, he assumed that either she was mistaken or perhaps she was talking figuratively.


    The thing that confused him was how she spoke a strangenguage. He thought maybe she was educated in multiplenguages including an old tongue no one used anymore.


    He did find one thing very otherworldly, and that was her liveliness. Her vitality and zest for life! He had never seen anything like it.


    What kind of life did she have that made her the way she was? He couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    She glowed without any help from jewelry or expensive clothes. It came from deep inside her.


    It was shocking. He had never met someone like her before.


    He knew she would never change. No matter what he did or said to her, she would remain who she was. She was a finished product, and he knew her soul was beyond his reach.


    If he did seed in coloring her soul into his own dark shade, he knew she would lose herself. It was such a dilemma.


    He had to admit it now. He was attracted to her.


    He decided not to act on his feelings though.


    Besides, she was already dependent on him. Legally, she was his wife. She was already his. These thoughts made him feel relieved, but it didn¡¯tst long. He suddenly felt anxious again.


    She was his, but her heart wasn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t control how she felt. He knew she would never look at him lovingly because he was her husband. This would never happen, and he felt terribly disappointed.


    In this world, women often were married to men chosen for them. Even if a woman loved another man, she would give up quickly and learn to love her own husband.


    Would Bina do the same? Would she learn to love him because he was her husband?


    He knew the answer was no. Even if she did fall in love with him, would she be hispletely? Again, the answer was no.


    He felt like he was going crazy.


    She will never love him. Even if she does, she will never give herself up to himpletely.


    It was funny how this was exactly what he looked for in a wife only a month ago.


    It was a smart decision politically, but his heart disagreed, and once he realized it, he felt devastated.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42: &lt;Chapter 42&gt;</h4>


    Crash!


    Beautifully decorated porcin cup smashed with a sharp noise.


    What a waste. This was the fourth cup already. My face crumpled in displeasure.


    Samantha and Agnes¡¯s expressions were more vicious. The Loventis sisters looked downright hostile.


    Luis finally couldn¡¯t stand it. Luis was known to be a stickler even to her own sister.


    She yelled sharply, ¡°Lady Lisbeth!¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯srge blue eyes filled with tears.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m... so... sorr...¡±


    Her voice trembled so wretchedly she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. However, no one felt sorry for her in this room.


    It had been four days since Lisbeth became my maid. In those four days, she destroyed countless tes and decorations.


    Four cups, five to six tes, and arge ss vase. She even damaged a couple of my jewelry.


    They all belonged to the royal family and, therefore, were of the highest qualities. They were such priceless items I felt like we should charge the Duke of Aeal.


    I sighed loudly. The principle maid in waiting and the other maids¡¯ eyes sharpened. I could understand why they would be frustrated.


    As the maids of the royal family, their work was never physical or hard. They all came from influential noble families and, therefore, weren¡¯t expected to ve away.


    Real works likeundry, cleaning, and dishes were done by servants who were bornmoners. The maids only had to serve what the servants prepared to me. The servants worked under the maids themselves.


    For example, the servants would clean the dishes and arrange the food on the tes. All the maids had to do was bring the te to me and sit with me while I ate.


    Sometimes maids brewed the teas themselves, but as the newest member, Lisbeth was given the easiest of the duties. For thest four days, all she had to do was hand the items to Agnes or Samantha. However, she couldn¡¯t even do that. She kept dropping fragile things on the floor.


    Every time she made a mistake, she would just cry. None of the maids had any sympathy for her stupidity and uselessness.


    Luis frowned and yelled, ¡°Just spit it out!¡±


    ¡°I, I... I¡¯m...!¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s voice trembled violently. In fact, her entire body was shaking.


    I remembered how things were when I was in Aeal colony. Lisbeth was the precious princess of the Bonafit family. As the only daughter, she was spoiled rotten. She had never known any kind of hardship in her life.


    However, this wasn¡¯t Aeal colony, and her people did not surround Lisbeth.


    Luis¡¯ voice was cold as ice.


    ¡°Wipe your tears first! As her highness¡¯s maid, your duties are very easy! All you have to do is to hand her highness cups and tes then help her get dressed! A five-year-old should be able to do this! How is it that you are failing at such simple tasks!? And why do you keep crying!¡±


    ¡°... I, I¡¯m... so...¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s blue eyes were now filled with tears. She could barely speak at all.


    Suddenly, someone jumped into Lisbeth¡¯s rescue as if Lisbeth was a cub and she was her mother lion.


    It was Orlean who red at me and screamed, ¡°Lady Lisbeth is the only daughter of the Duke of Aeal. She was raised as a properdy and so it is natural she doesn¡¯t know how to do things like this!¡±


    Orlean hugged Lisbeth and red at Luis and I.


    ¡°You are indebted to the Bonafit family, so how could you treat Lady Lisbeth like this!?¡±


    Lisbeth, by now, was engulfed by Orlean and weeping.


    I grinned at Orlean wickedly. I was now used to dealing with people like the dowager empress and the emperor. Someone like Orlean or Lisbeth was no match for me. This was downright boring.


    I replied to her, ¡°I have already paid back in full when I was sent here instead of Lisbeth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! How can you ever repay them when they saved your life and educated you...!?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing. I stood up and walked towards them slowly.


    Orlean flinched and backed away as if I was going to hit her. It was too funny.


    How silly. I had never touched a hair on either of them. Well, it was partly because I had no chance to do so. I did dream of hurting them, but when I saw how pathetic Lisbeth was, all I could do was drop a sigh.


    I stood in front of them.


    ¡°What are you using me of doing?¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    Orlean couldn¡¯t finish her sentence because I really didn¡¯t do anything to Lisbeth. All I did was have a meeting with the Duke of Aeal and request to have Lisbeth as one of my maids.


    It was an honor to be a maid of any royal family members. Maids weren¡¯t servants at all; they were more like friends and political allies. Maids always came from powerful noble families. A maid was one of the very few who could physically touch a royal family member.


    All I did was to give Lisbeth the honor of bing my maid. I also only gave her the simplest responsibilities.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how useless Lisbeth was, but this made my n simpler. I had been worrying about how to bully her publicly so that the dowager empress bes interested in Lisbeth. Now, I didn¡¯t have toe up with anything. She was making it too easy.


    On top of being a horrible maid, her servant, Orlean, was being incredibly rude to me in Lisbeth¡¯s stead.


    I said to her quietly, ¡°What are you using me of doing? I just don¡¯t understand why you are so angry at me. Just as you said, the Duke help me in the past, so I was just repaying my debt by honoring his daughter with a maid position. Was that such a horrible thing? Luis, Elza, is it so terrible to be my maids?¡±


    Luis bowed deeply and denied it, ¡°There is no way anyone would feel that way, your highness. You are the only wife to the emperor. You have been gifted with the honorable name ¡®le Cransia.¡¯ You are the most esteemed woman in this kingdom.¡±


    Elza added, ¡°That is true, your highness. When we first heard the news that we were to be your maids, our parents couldn¡¯t be happier. They were grateful.¡±


    I nodded lightly. ¡°Good. I¡¯m d to hear it. I would never want anyone to be ufortable around me. So if serving me is so horrific, then I would never force you to stay. You are always free to go back to Aeal, Lisbeth. You aren¡¯t my ve.¡±


    I turned to Lisbeth and smiled brightly. I tried to mimic the smiles of the kind movie heroines from my world. I hoped it looked generous and caring.


    I continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do things you aren¡¯tfortable with. So please let me know if you want to leave. All I did was try to help your father, the Duke.¡±


    Lisbeth turned red. Like magic, she stopped crying and trembling.


    She shook her head firmly and replied, ¡°N, no...! Sist... I mean, your highness...¡±


    She tried to call me her sister but changed quickly when she saw Samantha ring at her.


    On her first day, Lisbeth called me ¡°sister¡± and was harshly reprimanded by Samantha and Agnes. They reminded her how the Duke unadopted me publicly and legally.


    They thenughed at Lisbeth¡¯s face.


    I didn¡¯t stop their mistreatment of her. I just watched from afar because what they were saying was all true. I didn¡¯t care if I was being petty.


    It didn¡¯t make sense but being unadopted hurt me deeply. Perhaps it was because, at one point, I trusted him with my life.


    I smiled at her. ¡°Really? I¡¯m d to hear it.¡±


    I walked towards the mirror to change and I asked Lisbeth for help, ¡°It¡¯s almost time and I should get ready. Could you help me?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes...!¡±


    Lisbeth was, at first, sessful in helping me take my outer gown off, but as she tried to hand it to the servant, she stepped on Elza¡¯s dress and fell on the ground. As she fell, she also knocked off a vase filled with water. The water spilled onto my new dress I was supposed to wear this morning.


    It was a morous red dress and it waspletely soaked. Agnes couldn¡¯t control her anger anymore.


    She screamed, ¡°Lady Lisbeth!¡±


    ... perhaps it was a mistake to bring Lisbeth here. I was starting to regret my decision.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43: &lt;Chapter 43&gt;</h4>


    I bowed lightly and greeted them. My maids, who were standing behind me, bowed as well respectfully.


    ¡°Good morning to his highness the emperor. Good morning to her highness the dowager empress.¡±


    The dowager empress and the emperor were sitting across from each other.


    The emperor had a fake smile stered on his face. He stood up and stepped forward to give me his hand.


    I wanted to p it away, but the dowager empress and Lisbeth were watching me closely. I wouldn¡¯t make a stupid mistake of showing them my true feelings.


    I pretended to be shy as I lowered my face and ced my own hand on top of his.


    The emperor said to me, ¡°You look so beautiful this morning, my wife.¡±


    ¡°... The dowager empress is here too, your highness. You¡¯re making me blush.¡±


    I sounded so fake I almost made myself sick!


    However, no matter how much I disliked him, I stood close to him and looked as if I was the happiest woman in the kingdom. The emperor escorted me to the sofa across from the dowager empress. I sat down next to him.


    I didn¡¯t see for myself, but I was sure Lisbeth must have looked awful as she saw me with the emperor. I had hoped the dowager empress saw Lisbeth¡¯s expression.


    I took the tea from the dowager empress¡¯ new maid and smiled broadly.


    ¡°Are you feeling well this morning, mother?¡±


    I could see the veins popping on the dowager empress¡¯s forehead. No one believed I meant well when I called her ¡®mother¡¯, perhaps except for na?ve Lisbeth. I did it to goad the dowager empress. I had hoped she would make a mistake at some point if she became angry enough.


    Well, she didn¡¯t be the empress by losing her temper easily. She was the one who survived the dangerous life of this castle and reached the highest position possible for a woman. She was dangerous.


    The dowager empress hid her frown quickly and returned to her serene expression.


    Katleyanira smiled innocently and replied, ¡°Of course. My baby and I have slept very wellst night.¡±


    She patted her enormous belly exaggeratedly. It was sorge it looked like a full moon.


    I guessed it must be hard for her to even walk.


    Depending on whether it was a girl or a boy, my life here would change dramatically. In my own world, it would have been possible to know the sex by now, but here, all we could do was wait.


    After patting her belly for a few seconds, the dowager empress put on a surprised expression. She turned to me and apologized. She looked almost sincere. Almost.


    ¡°Oh, no. I shouldn¡¯t have said anything in front of you, who went through such an unfortunate incident recently...¡±


    ¡°... It¡¯s ok.¡±


    What a liar.


    If I really did lose my baby, her words would have hurt me badly, but I didn¡¯t, so I had no problem with herments.


    It would have been strange for me to look perfectly okay, however, so I had to pretend to look upset. It had to be a fine bnce of looking heartbroken but trying to hide it in front of everyone.


    I must have done a decent job because I saw the dowager empress looking satisfied. I felt annoyed, but I let it go.


    The dowager empress said to me, ¡°I never knew my own sister-inw would do something so horrible, but there is nothing to worry. Once I give birth to a prince, the royal family won¡¯t have to worry about a legitimate heir. You, my dear, won¡¯t have to feel the heavy burden of reproducing anymore.¡±


    ... What a bitch!


    I stopped myself just in time from showing my disgust on my face.


    I smiled quickly and replied, ¡°I am not worried at all, your highness. The emperor is so young and healthy. Besides, the emperor will soon get an empress, and I¡¯m sure he will have a legitimate heir in no time.¡±


    Both the dowager empress and the emperor looked ufortable. I could understand why the dowager empress would look unhappy, but what was wrong with him?


    Anyway, I focused on the dowager empress. I also had to remember Lisbeth. The emperor will have to get over whatever was bothering him on his own.


    I thought I would continue the topic of a possible new empress, but both the dowager empress and the emperor quickly changed the subject. How odd!


    Again, I understood the dowager empress¡¯s reason, but the emperor? It would have been beneficial for him to get an empress and an heir, so why was he trying to avoid this subject?


    Then, I remembered him telling me about his previous wife. The emperor worried the dowager empress would fill his harem with her assassins.


    I supposed it would be harder for me to focus on the dowager empress if I had to worry about other wives as well. The only good thing about it would be that he wouldn¡¯t visit my room so often at night.


    Hmm... That actually sounded tempting.


    Perhaps, I should really try to convince him to get an empress.


    Getting one or two wives from trusted noble families would help his fight. In addition, the emperor really did need an heir as soon as possible.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t talk about this right now, but I decided I should bring it up when I was alone with him.


    While I was deep in my own thoughts, the emperor and the dowager empress were carrying on a boring conversation.


    I learned quickly that the royal family¡¯s conversations were basically polite garbage. They never talked about anything important.


    The room, however, was still filled with tension. Even now, the emperor and the dowager empress were battling against each other with polite words.


    Suddenly, the dowager empress turned to me. She looked at me as if I was her prey.


    Wait! No! She wasn¡¯t looking at me. She was looking at the new face who followed me!


    The dowager empressmented, ¡°I don¡¯t believe I have seen her before.¡±


    I tried my best not to grin in satisfaction.


    I tried to look protective as I replied, ¡°Yes. She is the daughter of my previously adopted father. She became my maid recently.¡±


    The dowager empress nodded and waved Lisbeth towards her. Lisbeth didn¡¯t seem to understand what was going on until Elza whispered to her what to do. Lisbeth flinched and bowed to the dowager empress.


    I was sure she would fall on her face, but thankfully, she walked towards the dowager empress without any incident.


    ¡°Greetings to the dowager empress. I am Lisbeth of Aeal.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    The dowager empress studied her leisurely as if she was looking at a piece of meat. I tried to look as if I was hiding my nervousness. The dowager empress nced at me to see my reaction.


    ¡°What a pretty child. Make sure you serve yourdy well. She is the only wife to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes... Your highness!¡±


    Being a maid in the castle offered the best chance at bing the emperor¡¯s concubine. That was why the Duke of Aeal was thrilled when I gave Lisbeth the position.


    Of course, I had no intention of making Lisbeth one of Lucretius¡¯s wives. It just wouldn¡¯t work. Based on what I heard from him, she definitely was not his type.


    Lisbeth was simply here to be a bait for the dowager empress.


    There was a chance the dowager empress wouldn¡¯t take this bait, but I had to try. I had nothing to lose from this anyway.


    I also liked having Lisbeth around just to see her suffer. She probably thought she had a chance at Lucretius. Knowing it was hopeless, I enjoyed watching her try and fail.


    Whether or not it was true love, it was clear that Lisbeth was in love with Lucretius. To see him every day and not be able to have him will be painful for her. Knowing that I DID have him would kill her.


    When the maids brought in snacks, I picked up a raisin cookie and fed it to the emperor myself.


    The emperor¡¯s eyes widened, but he was quick. He ate it as if I did this all the time.


    Oh, right! The emperor hated peanuts.


    ¡°Your highness, here is another one...¡±


    I smiled innocently and pushed a peanut cookie into his mouth. I then looked at him like a good loving wife.


    The emperor couldn¡¯t show his displeasure. He had no choice but to eat something he hated.


    Those around me either looked at us with a smile or with disapproval.


    People serving me and the emperor looked happy to see us get along. The dowager empress¡¯s people were definitely unhappy.


    The ones who reacted most violently were Lisbeth and the dowager empress.

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44: &lt;Chapter 44&gt;</h4>


    Lisbeth¡¯s hands trembled visibly. She couldn¡¯t hide the fact that her eyes were quickly filling up with tears. The dowager empress was watching the emperor and I with annoyance when she noticed Lisbeth.


    The dowager empress looked at her with interest.


    Then suddenly, amotion was heard from outside the reception room.


    Crash!


    I heard something breaking sharply.


    What¡¯s happening?


    The noise became louder.


    ¡°Nooooo! My Cuuup!¡±


    ¡°... a!¡±


    ¡°Plea.... calm d...!¡±


    ¡°The dowa... is...!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear clearly, but I did hear a young child crying.


    ¡°No!¡±


    The emperor and I looked at each other in confusion. When I turned around, I noticed the dowager empress¡¯ face crumpling in anger and frustration.


    ¡°M, mother!¡±


    The child outside was crying out desperately. It was clear the dowager empress¡¯s daughter was outside.


    What I found most disturbing was the fact that her own child was crying out for her, yet the dowager empress looked annoyed.


    It was such a cruel expression I almost screamed in shock.


    The dowager empress ordered sharply, ¡°What are the maids and the nannies doing!? Can¡¯t they even take care of one child!?¡±


    At her anger, the maids bowed apologetically. None of the maids seemed surprised at how the dowager empress was reacting to her own child¡¯s distress.


    The dowager empress said coldly, ¡°Make it go away!¡±


    I could still hear the child crying. Any mother would feel heartbroken hearing a child¡¯s suffering, but not the dowager empress.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    One of the maids bowed and quickly walked towards the door. When she opened it, something unexpected happened.


    A small girl about seven or eight stormed in before anyone could stop her. Her hair was beautifully red, just like her mother¡¯s.


    When she entered the room, the child looked around and brightened after spotting the dowager empress. She ran towards her mother.


    The little girl grabbed onto the dowager empress¡¯s yellow dress and looked up with tear-filled eyes.


    ¡°Mother!¡± The child exined, ¡°I brought a cup of raspberry juice for you... But I dropped it and broke the cup. It was so delicious...! I brought it for you because sis said you like raspberries!¡±


    The child¡¯s hopeful face clearly wanted to be either praised or consoled by her mother, but when she saw the dowager empress¡¯s face, she became pale with fear.


    I felt cold. The maids were watching nervously at the mother and the daughter.


    The dowager empress was looking down at her own child as if she was looking at an annoying bug. She looked resentful at her daughter.


    The dowager empress raised her hand. And...


    SLAP!


    She pushed her daughter away angrily.


    The little girl fell backward on her butt. She looked up at her mother and finally started to cry.


    The dowager empress didn¡¯t even blink an eye. She ordered her maids again.


    ¡°Get her out of here. Punish the maids and the nannies responsible for this shenanigan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    When the principle maid in waiting waved, the maids from the outside ran inside.


    A middle-aged woman who looked like the child¡¯s nanny tried to lift the girl, but the young princess wasn¡¯t quite done yet. As soon as she realized what was happening, the princess stood up quickly and grabbed onto the dowager empress¡¯s dress again.


    ¡°MOTHER!¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°Princess Roselia!¡±


    The maids eximed anxiously. The dowager empress looked like she was about to lose it.


    This was the first time I had ever seen the dowager empress showing such a strong emotion. She looked hysterical.


    She screamed uncontrobly, ¡°Let it go!¡±


    She raised her hand.


    Was she going to hit a child? Her own daughter?


    Without thinking, my body moved.


    The dowager empress¡¯ hand never reached the princess.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing, Lady Bina?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I was grabbing onto the dowager empress¡¯ hand in midair. When she screamed at me, I let her hand go slowly and backed away.


    Thankfully, the dowager empress didn¡¯t try to p her daughter again, but unfortunately, her anger was now directed at me.


    She looked like she wanted to kill me. I felt goosebumps. I started to sweat in fear.


    Perhaps I made a huge mistake.


    She used me in a distant voice.


    ¡°Answer me! What do you mean by this?! Who gave you the right to stop me when I am about to reprimand my own daughter?¡±


    The dowager empress couldn¡¯t seem to calm down.


    It was a little strange. This woman has always been collected. She had never shown such an outright emotion before. This was an over-the-top reaction.


    This must have been personal. She was yelling at me, but I could see her original source of anger came from her daughter Princess Roselia.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. How could you hate your own daughter so much?


    I tried to think of a good answer. I knew that my 21st-century logic wouldn¡¯t work. No one here would understand if I imed it was wrong to hit a child.


    Even in modern Korea, it was difficult to intervene when someone hit his or her own child or spouse.


    I had toe up with another reason.


    ¡°Please, you need to calm down. It is bad for your health.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°Extreme anger is not good for your body. And most of all... It may hurt your highness¡¯s baby. Please calm down.¡±


    I tried to look calm. I even smiled. The dowager empress became speechless. She continued to re at me angrily, but my logic couldn¡¯t be denied.


    Thank god!


    I smiled again and stepped back. I returned to my husband¡¯s side, who had been acting useless this whole time.


    When I nced at him, he grinned at me. He looked at me like I was his hunting dog who brought him a prey. I hated this guy!


    I leaned against him and secretly pinched him hard. His shoulder flinched, but it was of such small movement no one noticed.


    I was feeling grateful the dowager empress seemed to be calming down when another red-haired girl ran into the room. The dowager empress frowned again.


    ¡°Rose!¡±


    This time, the girl was in her mid-teens. She looked beautiful and resembled the dowager empress greatly except for her eyes.


    So the girls I saw on my first day at the castle were here in this room.


    The older sister Liliana grabbed her younger sister, who was still sitting on the floor in shock.


    ¡°Rose! I told you not to be like this...!¡±


    Princess Liliana couldn¡¯t finish her sentence, because the dowager empress¡¯s sharp words cut her off. It wasn¡¯t directed at me, but it still gave me chills.


    ¡°Liliana!¡±


    Princess Liliana trembled as she turned towards the dowager empress. I could see she was genuinely fearful of her own mother. I became speechless at the tragedy of it.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I saw bad mother-daughter rtionships. In Korea, I had seen it a few times, but I didn¡¯t expect to see it here.


    I was na?ve in thinking that. This world valued men over women overtly. Things like this must have happened all the time here. I realized I made a wrong assumption because of what I saw at Aeal. There, Duke and the Duchess treated their only daughter like a treasure.


    The dowager empress was abusive towards her eldest daughter. Her shrill voice filled the room.


    ¡°How many times have I told you to watch Roselia? You and your sister have shamed me in front of the emperor and his wife!¡±


    ¡°I, I apologize... M... mother...¡±


    ¡°Take her away from here immediately. I will punish youter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother...¡±


    Punishment? Really?


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Liliana bowed to me and the emperor shakily and took her sister out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness.¡±


    After the girls left, the dowager empress quickly returned to being herself.


    She looked calm and elegant as she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my daughters¡¯ rudeness.¡±


    Her smile was scaring me very badly. She patted her belly lovingly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45: &lt;Chapter 45&gt;</h4>


    I felt unhappy when I left the dowager empress¡¯s ce with the emperor.


    As far as I knew, the dowager empress was not an overly emotional person. Of course, I couldn¡¯t say I knew her very well, but I was her enemy. This meant I had studied her like my life depended on it and therefore knew her well enough.


    That¡¯s right. I was Katleyanira¡¯s enemy, so I was sure of one thing. What I just saw in her room was not the usual dowager empress.


    When I first met her, she didn¡¯t show such disgust towards her daughters like she did today. At the time, she looked perfectly normal.


    Today, what I and the emperor saw meant one thing.


    She hated her children, and because she must have thought it was a normal feeling, she had no qualms about showing it to anyone, including her own enemies.


    There was no doubt the princesses were Katleyanira¡¯s offspring. Both girls were miniature versions of their mother. It was strange to see the dowager empress mistreating those who looked exactly like her.


    I had seen simr urrences when I was in Korea. No matter how far Korea hade, the deeply rooted male preference or son favoritism still existed. Even in my own home, my parents only had two girls and the rtives often criticized them for not having a son.


    However, I knew it wasn¡¯t so bad in my own household, because I saw a worse example when I entered high school.


    My friend Yoojung¡¯s mother was just like the dowager empress.


    Yoojung¡¯s mother had been trying to have a son but ended up with three girls. She was sure Yoojung was a son before she was born, but when it turned out she was a daughter, her mother became cold and resentful towards her.


    Yoojung told me that she was never breastfed and that she had never celebrated her birthday.


    In the end, Yoojung¡¯s mother did seed in having a son. It was obvious to everyone that she only loved her son. She ignored all her daughters and even showed hatred towards them.


    It seemed like the dowager empress was the exact same way.


    In the second year of high school, Yoojung moved away because of her father¡¯s job. I hadn¡¯t seen her since, but I still remembered her very well.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t be a hundred percent sure if the dowager empress felt that anger towards her daughters. However, if she cared even a little about her children, she wouldn¡¯t have acted that way especially in front of the emperor and I.


    I did briefly consider that perhaps she acted that way as a part of her convoluted n, but it seemed unlikely. I knew genuine emotions when I saw them.


    I wondered suddenly.


    Why was I so interested in the dowager empress and the princesses¡¯ rtionship?


    I asked myself.


    Why? Was it sympathy? Did I want to protect those young girls out of empathy?


    I shook my head with a bitter smile. I knew I couldn¡¯t afford to be that emotional.


    I did remember what Yoojung told me before moving.will be sessful no matter what! I will be so sessful my mom will want me back, and when she does... I will get back at her!¡±


    I remembered her eyes filled with fury.


    Those princesses looked like they were living in hell. I couldn¡¯t be sure if they felt like Yoojung since different people felt differently in simr situations.


    However, I decided that I needed to learn more about the dowager empress and her daughters¡¯ rtionship. I felt like there was a good chance I might be able to use it against the dowager empress.


    If the princesses felt the same way as Yoojung, then I would be able to help them. It was unfortunate for them, but that was the way it was in life.


    I felt nasty that I was nning on using little girls¡¯ unhappiness, but my only goal at this point was my own survival.


    ***


    ¡°...me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±


    I suddenly realized the emperor was talking to me.


    I raised my head in surprise. He must have been speaking to me for a while now because he looked annoyed.


    I smiled hoping to hide my embarrassment.


    The emperor¡¯s frown lessened and asked me, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Well... Just about what I saw back there.¡±


    ¡°... It¡¯s nothing new. The dowager empress is cruel to those who she considers useless to her.¡±


    I was truly surprised. Was he saying this was normal behavior for her?


    ¡°So she is always like that to the princesses?¡±


    ¡°She was actually kinder today, probably because you and I were there. It¡¯s usually worse. I¡¯ll bet Liliana will get a severe punishment either today or tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The emperor said it so calmly. It sounded as if he was talking about what he ate for breakfast.


    They were only half-sisters to him, but still his sisters. How could he feel nothing towards what was happening to them?


    Then again, he was a cold insensitive human being. In some sense, I could understand why he didn¡¯t feel sorry for them. The dowager empress was his nemesis. Even if the princesses were innocent, they were still the daughters of his enemy. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to feel sympathy towards them.


    In fact, I didn¡¯t think the emperor felt empathy even towards those who were on his side.


    The two young princesses were useless to everyone in this castle.


    It was a sad situation. I hid my sigh and said to the emperor. I had to return to my ce and get ready to learn about the princesses.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You must have a lot to do, so I will be returning to my ce.¡± I smiled and asked politely, ¡°Please allow me to leave your presence.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really asking for his permission. This was just proper etiquette when you were about to leave the emperor. I was basically telling him I was leaving.


    Until now, whenever I ¡®asked¡¯, the emperor would quickly give me ¡®his permission¡¯. We had a strictly business rtionship.


    But today, he acted differently.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t give you my permission.¡±


    ¡°... Pardon?!¡±


    I was so surprised that I gaped at him. What was wrong with him today?


    I asked him in confusion, ¡°Did you eat something weird today?¡±


    ¡°... Why would you think that?¡± He sighed deeply and offered me his hand. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    I got closer to his ear and whispered, ¡°... You¡¯ve only been an emperor a short period of time, yet you are already procrastinating?¡± I wanted to make sure the maids couldn¡¯t hear me.


    He frowned. Without bothering to hide his annoyance, he whispered back to me into my ear.


    ¡°You are so clueless.¡±


    In my 20 years, I had never been told that. I prided in myself for being quick!


    When I looked at him in annoyance, the emperorughed out loud. I didn¡¯t understand why he was so happy.


    He looked down at me and murmured quietly, ¡°... I have a long way to go.¡±


    Of course, he did. The dowager empress was a formidable enemy. In fact, I felt like I had a long way to gopared to him.


    I thought about pointing this out to him but decided against it. Instead, I smiled and announced rather than ask.


    ¡°Well then, I will see youter.¡±


    I bowed quickly and turned around. I thought if I left quickly enough, he would just give up this nonsense.


    I was wrong.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    The emperor grabbed my hand and pulled me to him.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for it, and he was very strong. My body turned around towards him and I fell into his embrace.


    ¡°...!¡±


    My face was stered against his chest, which felt hard and muscled.


    I always found it strange how despite being a man, he always smelled so good.


    I looked up and red at him as hard as I could.


    He smiled smoothly. ¡°I will be taking some of your time today.¡±


    ... What was he talking about?

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46: &lt;Chapter 46: The Kiss of the Snake&gt;</h4>


    What the hell was this man talking about?


    I frowned at him, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. He continued to smile knowingly and wrapped his arms around me tighter, so I couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    He was very quick.


    I warned him in a low threatening voice.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡±


    Lucretius continued to smile innocently, which made me even angrier.


    ¡°You have a lot of work to do, and so do I, thanks to you.¡±


    It was true. As the emperor who was just beginning his reign, Lucretius had an incredible amount of work to aplish everyday. I have been watching him for the past couple of months, so I knew it very well.


    He often arrived at my room well after midnight. At first, I thought he liked to sneak around in the middle of the night, but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    When I realized it was because he had so much work to do, I briefly felt sorry for him, but only very briefly, because having him in the bed was frustrating and exhausting.


    It also wasn¡¯t an exaggeration when I said I myself had a lot of work too. I was the only wife to the emperor, which meant the dowager empress and I managed all castle internal affairs.


    The dowager empress wanted to take the entire responsibility and, therefore, power, but the emperor wouldn¡¯t let that happen. He used the excuse of her being very pregnant and made sure I get half the work.


    I hated it, but I knew it was necessary if I wanted to grow my authority in this castle.


    Recently, I got even more responsibilities due to the Marchioness Toruka situation. The dowager empress was missing some of her key personnel, so I was given more work topensate for it.


    This was all because of this guy!


    My not-so-subtleint was ignored by the emperor.


    He replied, ¡°Perfect. We both have worked very hard for the past few months, so we need to rest. We will take a day off today. It¡¯s an order!¡±


    Why was he acting this way?


    I tried to look normal. I sighed and replied, ¡°Then I thank you for a day off. I will return to my room to rest...¡±


    The emperor interrupted me quickly.


    ¡°Do you like horses?¡±


    ¡°Horses?¡±


    I looked up at him with excitement. My heart began to beat fast.


    ***


    Horses were the best animals on earth.


    They were born to run. Perfectly muscled with strong bones and beautiful hair!


    I almost drooled at the exquisiteness of it.


    I knew what the emperor was trying to do, but I fell for it anyway.


    Because I loved horses!


    One of the few things I enjoyed about this world was the fact that I had an easier ess to horses unlike in the 21st century Korea.


    I learned how to ride when I was in Aeal, and I enjoyed it immensely. I was taught how to ride like ady, which was done delicately with a woman¡¯s side saddle.


    However, it was a bit different in Cransia. When I let Samantha knew I was going riding, she seemed thrilled and got me dressed in the fashionable riding gear called culotte. Culotte was women¡¯s knee-length trousers cut with very wide legs to make it look like a skirt. It was veryfortable to wear and move in it.


    I didn¡¯t remember having a culotte made as a part of my wardrobe. I had a huge wardrobe, so I didn¡¯t know what I owned. Luckily, I had Samantha to take care of everything for me.


    Samantha exined when I first became the emperor¡¯s wife, she thought I might need a culotte someday, so she made sure I owned one.


    Smart!


    Riding a horse was one of the few things I enjoyed doing in this world. When I was in Aeal, I wanted to be a good adopted daughter, I didn¡¯t ask for further riding lessons even though I desperately wanted them. When I came to this castle, I had no time to ride at all.


    So when I saw the horses in front of me, I couldn¡¯t stop eximing.


    Beautiful ck stallion and a smaller but gorgeous white horse.


    I gathered my hands greedily.


    The emperor seemed happy when I followed him voluntarily, but when he saw my excitement, he looked a little strange.


    After a few minutes of contemtion, he finally returned to his normal expression and asked me, ¡°Have you had any riding lessons in the past?¡±


    I nodded emphatically. ¡°I had basic lessons when I was in Aeal. I know how to ride!¡±


    I only knew how to ride with a side saddle, so I didn¡¯t know how riding straight would be, but I didn¡¯t care. I really wanted to ride!


    I didn¡¯t know why, but at my increasing eagerness, the emperor looked even stranger.


    He offered me his hand.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get you up.¡±


    I walked towards the one that stole my heart.


    Oh my... Such beauty! I get to ride him!


    When I took lessons in Aeal, the otherdies were annoyed at the ufortable riding dresses. However, here in Cransia, which had even more strict etiquettes, the riding clothes and the saddle were surprisingly simpler and morefortable. This would be amazing.


    When I patted the gorgeous horse with lovely ck eyes, those around me gasped. Why were they surprised?


    The white horse was pretty, but the ck muscr beauty was definitely my type.


    People seemed to hold their breathes. The emperor asked me from behind.


    ¡°Do you... want to ride that one?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I answered without turning around. I was so absorbed by the horse I didn¡¯t even care or notice what was happening around me.


    After a few minutes of silence, the emperor finally ordered the servant to help me onto the horse.


    What took him so long?


    My heart beat fast as I got onto the horse.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    I felt like I was on top of the world. Meanwhile, the emperor got onto the white horse by himself. I nced at him briefly.


    Golden-haired Lucretius in white riding gear and on a snow-white horse. He looked exactly like the prince from a fairy tale.


    However, I knew the truth. He was not a prince; he was a tyrant.


    When I tapped the horse¡¯s side with my foot lightly, the ck horse started to walk slowly.


    Yes! It¡¯s happening!


    It had been almost a year since my riding lesson, but my body remembered it well, and I had no difficulty riding. The horse felt warm against my skin. I was seated high above the ground, but I still felt stable and safe thanks to his muscr build.


    It was also easy to change directions. He must have been a very well-taught horse because it followed my orders well.


    The emperor caught up with me and asked, ¡°You seem like you¡¯re doing okay.¡±


    I smiled brightly. ¡°Of course! I told you I had lessons!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The emperor didn¡¯t answer me. Oh well, I didn¡¯t care.


    The emperor¡¯s personal riding field was huge. I guessed it was the size of a standard ser field.


    After trotting for a few minutes, I became more confident. After a brief hesitation, I decided to go for it.


    Let¡¯s run!


    I kicked the horse a littler harder. The ck horse immediately understood what I wanted and started to run.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Yes! I felt the wind blowing pleasantly against my face. I loved it!


    When I ordered, the horse quickly slowed down. I patted his neck gently.


    Such a good horse!


    Now, I wanted to go faster!


    ¡°Giddyap!¡±


    I thought I heard people yelling behind me, but I was captivated by this moment. The sound and the feel of the hooves, the horse¡¯s heart beat, and my heart beat! They allbined into a beautiful music and I was enthralled by it.


    ¡°Giddyap! Giddyap!¡±


    I felt free.


    I realized I had been feeling trapped inside the castle all this time. I thought I was adapting well to this new world. I thought I wasn¡¯t as stressed as I could be considering the situation. I felt proud of my resilience.


    I realized that I was very wrong.


    After feeling the freedom on this horse, I learned I had been craving this. Very badly.


    Hmm.


    ¡°... Bina!¡±


    Through the loud sound of wind, I thought I heard someone screaming my name. Who was that? It sounded desperate.


    ¡°Bina!¡±

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47: &lt;Chapter 47&gt;</h4>


    Someone was calling me desperately. I turned around.


    Clear green eyes filled my view. He was riding almost beside me.


    He yelled, ¡°Stop! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    I suddenly felt rebellious. Why couldn¡¯t I go wherever I wanted to?


    I shook my head and yelled, ¡°No!¡±


    The emperor looked surprised at my scream. He bit his lips and after a few seconds, he let go of his rein.


    He then stood up on top of his horse. That man! What was he trying to do?


    I could hear the servants and the maids screaming from far away.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    Suddenly, he jumped onto my horse. I thought my heart would stop just then.


    While I tried to understand what had happened, he sat behind me smoothly and took the rein away from me.


    He pulled it back hard and the ck horse slowed down.


    ¡°Whoa-!¡±


    The horse stoppedpletely. The servants ran towards us quickly, but I couldn¡¯t think clearly.


    The emperor¡¯s lips were against my neck and he was breathing hard.


    My fingers felt tingly. I used my right hand to massage my left fingers.


    W, was I in shock?


    I felt hot with him sitting so close to me. I tried to ignore it andined to him.


    ¡°How could you! I was just about to have some fun...¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer right away. He was still panting like an animal. Before I could say more, he interrupted me.


    ¡°... Beginner riders often make a mistake of riding too fast and then breaking their necks.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t die that easy! Besides, I wasn¡¯t riding that fast anyway!¡±


    Behind me, he sighed as if I was being childish. I felt angry again.


    I continued coldly, ¡°Get off this horse. I promise I will ride slowly.¡±


    I grabbed the rein, but he made me let it go by force. He was too strong for me to resist.


    What was he trying to do here? He promised me that I could ride!


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you ride alone.¡±


    Why was he being so difficult today?


    Before I coulde up with a smart retort, he motioned the horse to start trotting again. It wasn¡¯t a slow walk but not as fast as I was going just a few minutes ago.


    I said to him in annoyance, ¡°We are too heavy for the horse. You are abusing him!¡±


    ¡°Nope. He is strong enough to carry both of us with no problem.¡±


    I could hear a grin in his voice. I tried to protest again. Two people, especially a big man like him, would be too heavy for any horse. We couldn¡¯t do this to this beauty!


    ¡°How would you know?!¡±


    ¡°I know very well. Canon can handle our weight.¡±


    ¡°Canon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this guy¡¯s name.¡±


    He patted the horse familiarly. Now that I see, he seemed to know this horse very well.


    Suddenly, I realized why the servants gasped when I picked this particr horse.


    Could it be... I asked in hesitation.


    ¡°Is this horse yours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. He was given to me as soon as he was born. We basically grew up together.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He then pointed at the white horse following us from behind.


    ¡°And that girl, who you rejected, was the one that was picked out for you. Her name is Be. She is a purebreddy. I got her as a gift for you, but unfortunately, you rejected her even before I could give her to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I now understood why everyone looked at me strangely when I chose this ck horse. Even if I was the beloved wife of this man, it must have still looked rude for me to insist on riding the emperor¡¯s personal horse.


    ... I must have looked like a spoiled little brat.


    I sighed and gave up.


    Such a petty man! If he didn¡¯t want me to ride his horse, why did he allow it to begin with?


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m sorry. I will ride the other horse now. Happy? Let me down so I can ride Be alone.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply for a long time.


    When I was about to turn around to look at him, he suddenly kicked the horse hard.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Following his order, Canon started to run like a wind. The speed was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    ¡°I will not let you ride alone.¡±


    ¡°W, what?¡±


    He rested his face on my neck. I could feel his lips on my bare skin. It felt cool.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The only sound I could hear was the horse¡¯s hooves against the ground. The emperor was right. Canon had stamina like I had never seen. He ran as if we weighed nothing.


    What a beast!


    I red at him as harshly as I could, but Lucretius smiled smoothly and ignored my silent protest.


    This man was intolerable!


    I finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    I said to him, ¡°Let me down.¡±


    He asked me teasingly, ¡°Why? You said you wanted to ride a horse!¡±


    I gritted my teeth and replied, ¡°I do, so let me ride alone!¡±


    ¡°... Too dangerous. My wife is a new rider who doesn¡¯t realize she is only a beginner, so I can¡¯t let her ride alone yet.¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t go fast!¡±


    ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t.¡±


    He was unreasonable. Why was he acting this way?


    Being so close to him made me feel hot. I remembered the feel of his lips against my neck.


    When I remained silent, he teased me.


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯ve calmed down. My wife is such a minx!¡±


    I forgot my embarrassment and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m not a minx!¡±


    He replied calmly, ¡°Yes, you are. I have never seen such a sassy woman in my life!¡±


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t. I was from apletely different world. I had a vastly different mindset than all the women here.


    Until recently, he was the only heir to the throne. Every woman would have acted respectfully towards him ever since he was born.


    I was different.


    I raised my head high and replied, ¡°It¡¯s because I am one of a kind in this world, so you better consider yourself lucky. You are the husband of the most special woman in this world. Well, at least temporarily.¡±


    ¡°Temporary?¡±


    His voice sounded sharp. I tried to turn around to see his face, but his arms tightened around me so I couldn¡¯t move. I had no choice but to ask without facing him.


    ¡°Did you forget already? Our contract. I help you now, and you promised you will help meter.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I always keep my promises. I will help you with the dowager empress as best as I can. So you have to keep your side of the bargain too. You promised to help me go back home. To get out of this castle.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Why wasn¡¯t he answering me? Why was he silent?


    I became nervous as the silence lengthened.


    When I was about to repeat myself, he murmured, ¡°What will you do if I don¡¯t keep my promise?¡± He said it very quietly, but I still heard it.


    I had to turn around this time. I straightened my body, which made him loosen his arms a little. I quickly took the chance and turned around to face him.


    I grabbed his cors and pulled him towards me. His green eyes looked surprised.


    I enunciated every word. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will never forgive you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even after I die, I will never forgive you.¡±


    ¡°... Alright.¡±


    Despite the seriousness of the situation, he gave me a half-assed answered.


    I thought about saying something when he looked down at me.


    ¡°Huh?...!¡±


    He kissed me.


    When I iled my arms, his arms wrapped my body like arge snake.


    I was trapped like a little mouse.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He let me go after a long time. It was a good thing since I was almost out of breath.


    While I remained in shock, he let me go and got off the horse.


    I didn¡¯t even realize the horse had stopped moving. It was that damn kiss!


    He offered me his hand gracefully.


    ¡°Now then, pleasee down, mydy.¡±


    I just couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking about.


    My head was nk.


    I became unaware of his hand and the servants who came nearby. All I kept doing was shaking my head in panic.


    The servants started to look at me oddly when the emperor smiled and pulled me down.


    I lost my bnce and fell into him.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    As he embraced me, he murmured loud enough so everyone around us could hear clearly.


    ¡°My wife is so shy. I would think you would be used to me by now.¡±


    At that moment, I suddenly locked my eyes with someone in the crowd.


    Large blue eyes were trembling and filled with tears. She was looking at us intently.


    Lisbeth!

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48: &lt;Chapter 48&gt;</h4>


    Lisbeth.


    I had forgotten about her because of the emperor¡¯s unexpected move.


    The embarrassment and confusion I felt suddenly disappeared because I knew now why he was acting this way.


    I put my arms around his neck and whispered to him, ¡°Good idea! Although I think you¡¯ve gone a bit too far.¡±


    ¡°...¡± He sighed deeply in frustration.


    I didn¡¯t know why he seemed irritated, but it didn¡¯t matter. He let me down slowly, and the maids came to me.


    Lisbeth was one of them, and she looked very pale. The emperor lowered his head and whispered to my ear, ¡°I will visit you tonight too, so be ready for me.¡± He said it loudly enough for everyone to hear.


    Ready? Ready for what?


    I looked up at him in confusion. He grinned at me and left with the ck horse.


    I remained motionless while the maids surrounded me.


    ¡®That man! What the hell is wrong with him?¡¯


    I wanted to scream, but I had enough senses to remain quiet.


    The rest of the day went by fast. The night came quickly, and I ate my dinner nervously.


    Afterward, Agnes politely asked me, ¡°Mydy, it¡¯s time for your bath...¡±


    I jerked up and shook my head.


    ¡°Nope! I don¡¯t need it!¡±


    Agnes seemed unconvinced.


    ¡°But your highness, you went riding this morning, right? Wouldn¡¯t it feel better to wash with warm water before going to bed?¡±


    ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t need it! I didn¡¯t even sweat that much today!¡±


    I was desperate. When I insisted on not bathing, Agnes, Samantha, and other maids looked at me strangely. Samantha especially seemed confused.


    It made sense she didn¡¯t understand because, ever since I came here, I had loved taking hot baths. Now, I was refusing it adamantly.


    It was true I loved to take baths. Here in the castle, it was a luxurious experience. The water was brought from a hot spring and I was free to enjoy copious amounts of expensive essential oils and bath salts. It was nothing like I experienced in Korea.


    The water was always covered in red rose petals, and I never had to wash myself. I was washed and massaged by the maids and the servants in arge tub big enough for five people.


    Thanks to them, my skin was impossibly smooth and shiny. My hair also was incredibly silky. My nails were maintained perfectly. I felt like this would be one of the things I would miss if I returned home.


    It must have been odd when I refused to take a bath.


    Samantha asked me cautiously, ¡°There was a message that the emperor will be visiting tonight, so it would be best if...¡±


    I shook my head again.


    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to do it! I don¡¯t want a bath!


    ¡°Nope! I¡¯m fine!¡±


    The maids looked troubled. I supposed that refusing to wash up when my husband was nning to visit me must have looked strange. I was desperate though.


    Samantha whispered to me anxiously.


    ¡°Your highness, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a fight with the emperor?¡±


    I looked at their worried faces. Suddenly, I noticed Lisbeth.


    She was looking at me expectantly like she was searching for something wrong. I realized this wouldn¡¯t do. I was so worried about what she might think, I yelled out the first thing that came to my mind.


    ¡°H, his highness likes me this way!¡±


    An awkward silence fell.


    ***


    I knew this would start a strange rumor, but at least I managed to avoid a bath. I also refused to use any perfume or oil.


    He was a clean freak, so, perhaps, he would leave me if he didn¡¯t like the smell of me! I really hoped so.


    I kept remembering his knowing smile. He asked me to be ready for him.


    Ready? Ready for what?


    No matter how much I had thought, there was only one thing I could think of. I remembered the feel of his lips on my neck.


    The deep kiss too.


    I wanted to forget it. I wanted to deny it.


    However, I couldn¡¯t.


    Did he really mean to do it tonight?


    No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    I bit my lips.


    If he meant to, I would stop him.


    I waited for a long time. I had hoped I was wrong about this whole thing.


    He took the morning off today. I knew he had a lot of work to do, so I thought maybe he would be too busy toe to my room tonight.


    Please make it so!


    Suddenly, the door opened, and his familiar face walked in. It always annoyed me at how good looking he was.


    ¡°I¡¯m here as I promised.¡±


    ... Howe my wishes never came true?


    He asked me in a low voice and walked towards me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my wife?¡±


    I smiled brightly and answered as I backed away quickly, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The silence was unbearable. I couldn¡¯t help cringing my shoulders.


    He looked at me with a frown and stepped back. I felt relieved and my body rxed a little.


    He took this as his chance andunched at me like a cobra.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    He hugged my waist and lifted me up. My feet hung in the air.


    I screamed, ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Huh? To my surprise, he let me go easily, but instead of putting me down on the floor, he ced me on the bed.


    I thought about how I could escape this situation, but he was standing right over me.


    I red at him.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell anything from his expression, which made me even more nervous.


    He looked calm. He leaned towards me until his face was right in front of mine. He touched a strand of my hair and whispered sweetly.


    ¡°... Do you really not know why I¡¯m doing this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak. He smiled at my difort. I red at him angrily.


    This annoying man!


    Unfortunately, I knew exactly what he was doing.


    When in public, he always treated me lovingly and affectionately. However, when we were alone, he treated me like a toy or a pet.


    Tonight, he was looking at me differently.


    I replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    He looked unhappy, but I couldn¡¯t understand why he was acting this way.


    He knew I wanted to and will try to go back home. I hoped desperately to return to my parents and my older sister.


    My family may have assumed I¡¯m dead by now since it had been over a year. If I did go back, I would have to study for my SAT all over again. Unfortunately, I forgot everything I learned.


    I didn¡¯t care. If I could go back, I would do anything.


    I tried my best to stop from crying. I didn¡¯t want to show weakness to this awful man.


    I always felt like a mouse in front of a predator when I was with him. He had the power to kill me with a flicker of a finger. He was the ruler of this kingdom.


    He was as cold and cruel as ice.


    I was afraid of what he would do if he fell in love.


    If this man became in love with me or already loved me, then I knew he would never let me go. I was worried and fearful.


    I repeated myself again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply. He just studied me with his deep green eyes. I didn¡¯t like the way he looked at me. I felt goosebumps travelling all over my body.


    I could never love him. I couldn¡¯t even trust him.


    After a long silence, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and said to him, ¡°... Your highness.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Wrong.¡±


    ¡°... Pardon?¡±


    His face came close to mine again. His lips touched my ear as he whispered.


    ¡°Call me by my name.¡±

 Chapter 49

    <h4>Chapter 49: &lt;Chapter 49&gt;</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    What the hell!


    I didn¡¯t n on losing this battle. I looked up straight into his eyes and replied, ¡°Your highness, the emperor.¡±


    He scowled at me and sat right next to me on the bed.


    I thought about jumping off the bed and run, but I knew I couldn¡¯t outrun him. He was surprisingly athletic, while I was terribly unfit.


    He reached out for me and touched my neck gently. To me, it felt like a snake or a poisonous spider walking on my body.


    He held my chin and turned my face towards him.


    He said to me, ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But this is beyond what I expected. You always surprise me like this.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be sarcastic.


    ¡°What? Did you think I would feel honored to be a recipient of your love? Did you think I would fall madly in love with you?¡±


    This was one of my pet peeves ever since I was a young girl. Why did some men think women had to reciprocate love to every man who fell in love with them?


    This man must have expected it from me. He genuinely thought I would have fallen in with him by now.


    I know that a lot of girls would have been interested in him. A gorgeous emperor! A bad boy who cares only for you!


    However, I knew the truth. I knew for a fact he wasn¡¯t some hero from a romance novel. Lucretius would never be a selfless man who would die for love.


    If he could gain something he needed by sacrificing his loved one, I knew he would do it in a heartbeat.


    He chuckled and replied, ¡°I know you aren¡¯t that kind of girl.¡±


    ¡°... Good.¡±


    I was d he still had hismon sense.


    He smiled.


    ¡°I see I have lost your trustpletely.¡±


    ¡°Are you surprised considering what you did to me recently?¡±


    ¡°... I guess not, and I have no excuse for it.¡±


    I smiled bitterly.


    ¡°So stop ying around.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a while. He looked at my cold face and asked quietly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    He touched my shoulders and answered, ¡°Afraid I might force myself on you.¡±


    I flinched. I couldn¡¯t help but show fear on my face and by my bodynguage. He seemed disappointed.


    ¡°I see I have lost your trustpletely.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll believe me, but I want you to know you are safe with me always. I will not break my promise.¡±


    I knew exactly which promise it was. He promised me before if I didn¡¯t want it, he wouldn¡¯t do anything.


    I red at him distrustfully.


    He continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me so angrily. It looks like you want to stab me like my previous wife.¡±


    ¡°... I don¡¯t even have a knife.¡±


    ¡°But if looks can kill, I would be dead by now.¡±


    I needed to make sure he really meant to keep his promise.


    I asked, ¡°You... really mean to keep your word, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He sounded genuine. He smiled at me and tucked my hair behind the back of my ear. He was being unusually sweet.


    He continued, ¡°I am a very greedy man. I want my woman to bepletely mine, body and soul.¡±


    ¡°... I will never let myself be anyone¡¯s property.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take my word like that. I don¡¯t mean it like I want to own you. I just... I meant I will wait for you until you want me too.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand this man. I just stared at him nkly. Lucretius smiled at me like a little boy and answered. It was such an innocent smile.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me, then there is no point in me having you. You are worth the wait.¡±


    He took my hand and kissed the back of it teasingly.


    ¡°So would you please do one thing for me?¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°Please say my name.¡±


    I was confused. I couldn¡¯t understand him at all.


    One thing was clear. He had power over everything. He could take me at any time.


    Despite that, he was stilling to me humbly and honestly. He was the predator of this rtionship, but he was being considerate.


    He also was ¡®asking¡¯ me, not ¡®ordering¡¯ me or making a deal with me. This was the first time he offered me a true gentleness.


    I couldn¡¯t refuse it outright. This could be the beginning of a more trusting rtionship for both of us.


    After a long hesitation, I opened my mouth.


    ¡°Luc... retius.¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t have done it.


    Once I said the name, it changed everything.


    ***


    ¡°You know what you¡¯ve done, right, Liliana?¡±


    In her fourteen years of life, her mother had never been kind to her. Her mother¡¯s voice was especially chilling today. Liliana cringed in fear as she nodded.


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    ¡°If you know it so well, then tell me.¡±


    She was a princess, and, therefore, she was the highest-ranking girl in this kingdom. Right now, her status wouldn¡¯t help her.


    Since her birth, her station was never a positive thing for a simple reason. It was because she was the daughter of the empress Katleyanira.


    Liliana trembled as she exined, ¡°I... I didn¡¯t keep Rose under control, which caused you to be embarrassed in front of the emperor and his wife.¡±


    Katleyanira snarled and asked, ¡°Is that really it? Try again.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Liliana¡¯s lips trembled as she contemted, but she couldn¡¯te up with a better answer.


    Katleyanira yelled angrily, ¡°The problem started with your birth! You shouldn¡¯t have been born, you useless twit!¡±


    Liliana had heard this many time, but it still hurt her every time she heard it. Her body shook as if she was being stabbed, but no one could protect her.


    ¡°You should have died! Instead, you killed your twin brother! How could you live with yourself...!? If Tomilis had lived, I wouldn¡¯t have to see that bastard Lucretius crowned!¡±


    Her twin brother died before he turned one and ever since then, she was the target of her mother¡¯s fury.


    If Tomilis had lived, he would have been 14 and be a powerful contender against Lucretius.


    There was a very good chance Tomilis would have be the new emperor, and Katleyanira would have ruled as his regent.


    ¡°Do you know what Lucretius is doing to me?¡± Katleyanira yelled hysterically, ¡°Even this morning, my breakfast was poisoned again! It must have been him, but I have no proof!¡±


    The dowager empress and Lucretius poisoned each others¡¯ food and sent assassins every few days. It was a regr urrence now. Even Liliana, who was just a child, knew this.


    ¡°Because of that bastard, I can¡¯t even drink a sip of water without fear!¡±


    Her scream was shrill and piercing. Her fury was directed at her own daughter, who couldn¡¯t protect herself or fight back. It was unfair, but there was nothing that could be done.


    ¡°This is all your fault! If you died instead of Tomilis, everything would have been great!¡± Katleyanira pinched her daughter¡¯s back and waist mercilessly. ¡°On top of killing your own brother, you ruined your fianc¨¦ too!¡±


    Liliana lowered her face. Originally, Liliana was supposed to marry Marquis Toruka¡¯s heir, who was also her cousin. The wedding was supposed to take ce next year and through this marriage, dowager empress Katleyanira would strengthen her status. It was a smart political marriage.


    However, after Bina¡¯s poisoning incident, Marchioness Toruka was framed and her two sons were disqualified by the emperor from inheriting the title. Lucretius also made sure Marquis Toruka couldn¡¯t adopt an heir with a im he was still young enough to be able to sire a legitimate son.


    The dowager empress has tried her best to find him a new bride, but it was very hard to find noble families willing to give up their daughters to a man who abandoned his own wife in the dungeon.


    At this rate, the only option would be to marry a woman of low birth, but this will be huge damage to the Toruka name.


    Katleyanira knewshing out like this wouldn¡¯t solve anything, but she needed a way to relieve her immense stress. After the death of her husband, things had not been going her way. She was also very pregnant and had difficulty controlling her emotions.


    She found her oldest daughter to be the ideal victim. Liliana was helpless.


    ¡°Was your brother not enough? You had to destroy your fianc¨¦ and the Toruka family too?¡±


    After panting for a few seconds, the dowager empress ordered her maids.


    ¡°Bring me the rod!¡±

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50: &lt;Chapter 50&gt;</h4>


    Liliana trembled violently. It was against the rules for even a royal member to physically punish another royal family member, but Katleyanira didn¡¯t care. She always made sure that she didn¡¯t leave any scars on visible areas.


    The maids brought her a well-worn rod.


    The dowager empress took a deep breath and leaned against the sofa. After the maids took Liliana¡¯s top off, the dowager empress started hitting her daughter with the rod. The terrible sound of whipping filled the room.


    Roselia, who had been watching in fear, was now starting to panic. She could barely breathe anymore, but no one helped her.


    If the princess¡¯ own nannies were there, they may have reacted more caringly, but they weren¡¯t allowed to be present here. The dowager empress gave the rod to a maid to continue and watched in satisfaction.


    Liliana looked at her mother who patted her belly lovingly. Sadly, she was used to this kind of situation.


    When she was younger, Liliana used to be jealous of Roselia before she was born. Just like now, the dowager empress used to show infinite love for her unborn child because she thought it was a son. Of course, this was only until Roselia was born, and it turned out she was a girl.


    Her father, the former emperor, showed no interest in his children. Her stepbrother, Lucretius, was the same as he was Katleyanira¡¯s nemesis.


    No one seemed to notice her except for her fiance, but he lost his title and was gone from her life. She had no one now.


    It was the same for Roselia ever since she was born. Liliana took care of her all her life.


    Liliana couldn¡¯t hate Roselia because she was going through the same hellish life. In fact, Liliana felt sorry for her, so she tried her best to take care of Roselia and be a mother to her.


    However, in days like this, she ended up failing to protect her little sister.


    Liliana was fearful. She was deathly afraid of her mother. She was also concerned for the unborn child. If it was another girl...


    Liliana prayed it was a prince. She didn¡¯t care about politics; she just wanted Roselia and herself to be left alone. That was the best life she could hope for.


    Liliana also knew this was thest chance for her mother Katleyanira. After the death of her father, this would be thest child for the dowager empress.


    If it was a girl, she didn¡¯t know what her mother would do. All Liliana knew was that it would be something horrible.


    ***


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    I kept blinking because I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. My older sister was standing in front of me and calling me. I said her name out loud.


    ¡°Biin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Come quickly.¡±


    ¡°Sis?¡±


    My sister seemed confused.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong? Let¡¯s go. Mom and dad must be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Mom? Dad?¡±


    It had been so long since I said these words out loud. It felt strange.


    My sister smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s get going. You finished your SAT, so let¡¯s go out to eat!¡±


    Behind my sister, I saw the shapes of my parents forming like magic.


    I stared at them silently.


    I already knew then this was just a lovely dream.


    My family! I loved them so much.


    I stayed still in fear I may wake up.


    I wanted to run to them and hug them, even though I knew this was just a dream, but I was afraid that they would disappear if I moved.


    In thest year, I have dreamt simr dreams.


    I tried not to cry and held on as best as I could to this beautiful dream.


    ***


    I woke up suddenly.


    Ever since I arrived in this new world, I hadn¡¯t been dreaming often. Even when I had a dream, I couldn¡¯t remember what it was as soon as I woke up in the morning.


    Last night¡¯s dream felt so real.


    It was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.


    I held on to it as long as possible, but I couldn¡¯t stop the morning froming. When my eyes opened, I noticed that my pillow was wet.


    I blinked a few times. It was a struggle not to cry.


    Suddenly, I realized I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    A voice said to me from behind.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    I was so surprised my heart almost stopped.


    I screamed, ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    I iled around like a cat getting an unwanted hug, but it was useless.


    Why?


    ...


    My husband was hugging me tightly from behind.


    What the hell!


    ¡°L, let me go!¡±


    He replied annoyingly, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna.¡±


    Gosh... How could one person be so annoying? It was amazing.


    I tried to get free, but it was useless.


    He wasn¡¯t that big, yet he was so strong. Lucretius often lifted me up, so I knew this very well.


    Heughed teasingly before he finally let me go.


    I was still iling, so when he loosened his arms, I ended up rolling off the bed.


    I squealed, not because I was in pain, but because I was embarrassed. The floor was covered in thick luxurious carpet, so I wasn¡¯t hurt at all.


    However, my pride was damaged.


    I was so mortified I wanted to disappear.


    Please make him leave! Please!


    Of course, he didn¡¯t.


    He asked me, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was standing right in front of me. He sounded like he wasughing at me. I couldn¡¯t feel any worse right now.


    He suddenly sat down beside me. I was covering my face with my hands and flinched at his sudden move.


    ¡°Bina?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I knew something was different.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time he called me by my name, yet...


    Wait! Actually, this WAS the first time he had called me properly by my first name in private. He often used my name in public so we could pretend to be a loving couple but in private... This was the first time he had looked at me in the eyes and said my name intensely.


    I looked back at him in silence. He repeated, ¡°Bina? That¡¯s how you say it, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I remember you exining that Sa was your family name and Bina was your first name.¡±


    That was right. When I was lying to him about my world and my family, I did exin my name to him.


    He said it again questioningly, ¡°Bina.¡±


    I hesitated, but I couldn¡¯t just continue to remain quiet. It just felt strange being called by my given name instead of ¡®your highness¡¯ or ¡®mydy.¡¯


    It was especially intense because Lucretius was saying it.


    I finally had no choice but to acknowledge him and reply.


    ¡°Why...¡±


    He smiled so happily. It was such a bright smile it looked strange. It didn¡¯t suit the Lucretius I knew.


    He answered, ¡°Good. I was afraid you turned mute from the shock of falling from the bed.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was such an ass. I red at him, which made him chuckle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are hurt... But then why are you not getting up?¡±


    Should I answer? Should I tell him because I was embarrassed?


    I turned away from him and ignored him. He continued to look at me.


    Then he did something unexpected. Again.


    He lifted me up effortlessly.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    When I looked at him in surprise, he smiled in satisfaction.


    This was the Lucretius I knew.


    ¡°I like it when you look at me.¡±


    ¡°... Is that why you lifted me up?¡±


    ¡°Well... why do you think I did it?¡±


    He grinned as heid me down the bed. He mussed my hair and said to me, ¡°I think my wife wanted me to ignore her embarrassing fall and leave...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Can¡¯t you be kinder to me?¡±


    I sighed, but what he said next was surprising.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    I looked up at him in shock, which made him sigh. He must have seen my disbelief at his answer.


    He came closer until his face was so close to mine.


    He replied, ¡°This is what a man does when he falls in love.¡±

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51: &lt;Chapter 51&gt;</h4>


    Lucretius said proudly. It was ridiculous.


    ¡°I¡¯m such an understanding guy. Look how I am treating you! I am willing to do anything you ask, even though you won¡¯t even look at me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure...¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any energy left to argue with him. When he saw my expression, heughed.


    ¡°I think if I go on any further, you will get really angry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I answered calmly.


    He chuckled and pulled the rope beside the bed to call for a maid.


    He continued, ¡°I know you still don¡¯t believe me, but my feeling for you is genuine. I will prove it to you.¡±


    ¡°Prove it to me how?¡±


    When I looked at him curiously, he whispered to me, ¡°It will be a ball season soon. I will be throwing a banquet in your honor.¡±


    ¡°A ball?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will be the biggest one of this year. Every important figure from all over the world will be invited. Someone you know will also attend.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Someone you have met before.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t figure out who it could be.


    ¡°It¡¯s someone I know?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the priestess.¡±


    Oh! Oh! I remembered. Thatdy!


    She was the one who was present in the room when Lucretius dered himself the new emperor for the first time. If Lucretius was the most handsome man I had ever met here, then the priestess was the most beautiful woman around.


    He touched my cheek gently and whispered, ¡°She is the symbol of our religion Aos. It is believed Aos began even before the beginning of our history.¡±


    ¡°And how would you prove your feeling by that?¡±


    ¡°I will exin. The biggest treasure in Aos is the record by every priest and priestess in history. It includes everything that has happened on thisnd.¡±


    I was surprised. He smiled vaguely and continued, ¡°If there were ever a person who came from a different world like you, there could be a record of it. The priestess is the only one who has ess to this record.¡±


    My mind became a turmoil. I couldn¡¯t understand why he was voluntarily giving me this information.


    If his feelings for me were genuine, then he wouldn¡¯t want me to leave. That was my biggest fear. What if he won¡¯t let me go? I was afraid.


    I was wrong. He was really helping me to return home as he promised. He was doing it even before I kept my side of the bargain, which was to help him thwart the dowager empress.


    I bit my lips, which were dry.


    I asked sharply, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Like I just said, I want you to choose me voluntarily. This means I need to provide you with all possible options. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t think even the priestess will be able to find a way for you to return. Anyway, it will also be advantageous to have a good rtionship with the priestess.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. If I epted this as proof of his sincerity, that meant I had to acknowledge his feelings for me.


    After a few seconds of silence, I asked, ¡°What is it that you want in return?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Give and take. This was what I learned from him. This was how I defined our rtionship.


    He flinched. I wanted to ignore it, but his disappointed expression was one I cannot ignore. He touched my chin and gave me an answer that surprised me.


    ¡°I would like you to call me Luc.¡±


    What?


    For a second, I thought I misheard him.


    He knew I was stunned, so he said it again.


    ¡°I would like you to call me Luc.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I started to sweat. Yesterday, he asked me to call him Lucretius, and now, he wanted me to call him by a pet name. I stared at him like a cautious cat.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Another silence fell. Unlike my worry, he didn¡¯t insist on mepleting my part of the deal right away even though he had all the right to ask of me in exchange for this favor.


    Then why didn¡¯t he?


    There was only one reason I could think of.


    To me, I could only ept a business rtionship with him. I had hoped he would want the same thing, but I was beginning to think perhaps he really did want more.


    Did he really feel something for me?


    My heart started to beat fast. I felt strange. What was this feeling?


    I had to ignore it before it became too big. I decided to take up on his offer. I said to him.


    ¡°Lu... c...¡±


    A happy smile bloomed on his face. It was so bright I almost fell for him right then and there. I turned away quickly.


    He said to me, ¡°I like it.¡±


    He giggled like a child. I became red as I yelled, ¡°Why are you smiling!¡±


    He continued to grin and replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m happy.¡±


    I became speechless.


    He was acting like a prince from a fairy tale. It was so strange to see him being kind and loving. I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt anxious while my heart fluttered.


    He was acting like apletely different person. This was not the Lucretius le Cransia I knew. He was being so sweet.


    He was a man who killed his own father and wife. He also handed me a cup with poisoned water. However, right now, it was hard to believe he was the same person.


    I wondered if he asked me to call him Luc because he wanted me to see him as a man in love rather than Lucretius le Cransia, the emperor.


    ***


    My head felt heavy. Was it because I was thinking too hard? It felt like a balloon filled with water. Like pricking the water balloon with a needle, I wanted to get all my thoughts out of my head.


    I watched as the maids and servants worked busily around me.


    Suddenly, someone walked towards me.


    It was Lisbeth.


    ¡°...¡±


    We were one of the few people who weren¡¯t actively working. She sat in front of me with a sour face.


    Everyone else was working to get ready for the banquet. The emperor announced his n yesterday.


    There wasn¡¯t much time to prepare because it was such a short notice. The castle and the entire kingdom were bustling with excitement.


    This would be the first ball ever the new emperor held. It would be the biggest event of the year. As Cransia was the biggest kingdom of thisnd, the royalties from other nations would be attending too.


    This would be a celebration for the entire world.


    Every avable body was recruited to get prepared.


    Samantha came to me in a hurry. She was holding several pieces of paper.


    ¡°Your highness, I have brought you the list of names you asked for.¡±


    I took it with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    My work began now, which meant Lisbeth was the only person in the entire castle who wasn¡¯t working. Even if I wanted her to work, I couldn¡¯t let her. She couldn¡¯t aplish even the easiest tasks.


    After Lisbeth showed how ipetent she was, no one ever gave her any responsibilities. She was quickly bing an outsider.


    Despite it, she didn¡¯t show any effort to change this situation. She didn¡¯t even try, but I knew why. The only reason for her to ept this position was because she wanted to be noticed by Lucretius.


    Her ultimate goal was probably to rece me.


    I had to stop myself fromughing out loud. Just thinking about Lisbeth standing beside the emperor was so ridiculous.


    I didn¡¯t like the idea at all.


    I was at a crossroad. I thought very hard, and I was sure I came up with the right decision. I had thought of it wellst night.


    I just couldn¡¯t ept Lucretius¡¯s feeling even though I now knew he was sincere.


    The main reason was that I was not of this world.


    My only priority was to survive and return home.


    This meant Lucretius¡¯s feeling was a hindrance to me. I thought very carefullyst night. Thankfully, Lucretius had too much work and didn¡¯te to my room, so I had plenty of time alone to think.


    Would it be better if I made an attempt to push Lisbeth towards the emperor? I did consider it briefly. If he became interested in another woman, he would lose his interest in me. Not to mention, this world was filled with women who wanted to be in his bed.


    I really wanted to go back home. This meant I couldn¡¯t ept his feeling.


    I knew he felt this way because I was the only woman in his life right now. Even if this wasn¡¯t the case, it didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t care.


    I just needed to make things work.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52: &lt;Chapter 52&gt;</h4>


    There were three things I needed to do.


    First, I needed to talk to the priestess and find a way back home.


    Second, I needed to find another woman who Lucretius could fall in love with.


    Third, I needed to defeat the dowager empress.


    After I organized my thoughts, I considered Lisbeth for my second goal. I did think about throwing Lisbeth in Lucretius¡¯ way, but I knew this wouldn¡¯t work.


    Lisbeth wasn¡¯t the right woman.


    He told me once Lisbeth was not his type. On top of that, if Lisbeth did be Lucretius¡¯s wife, it would work against me. She and Orlean hated me, so if Lisbeth gained any power, I would be in trouble.


    I had to find a right girl. A girl who Lucretius would like but also someone who doesn¡¯t hate me.


    This was why I asked Samantha to bring me a list of names.


    Samantha asked me curiously, ¡°Your highness, may I ask why you wanted the list ofdies from the noble families loyal to the emperor?¡±


    I smiled and gave her the answer I prepared in advance, ¡°Things are getting so hectic for me, especially because of the preparation for the banquet, I am thinking about hiring one or two more maids.¡±


    All the maids around me smiled in relief. Lisbeth was useless, and the amount of work they had to do was increasing fast. More hands would be weed.


    ¡°Great idea, mydy.¡±


    ¡°You are so wise, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Very wise indeed.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    While everyoneplimented me, Lisbeth remained silent. She obviously didn¡¯t like this idea. More girls meant morepetition for her.


    However, I had no reason to be considerate of Lisbeth¡¯s feelings. I ignored her scathing nce and continued to read through the list.


    ***


    Everyone was overwhelmed with the amount of work in preparation for the banquet. The emperor was the busiest person in the castle, but I also had an incredible amount of work. The emperor didn¡¯t have an empress and the dowager empress was too pregnant to take on the responsibility. I needed to y the hostess for the biggest ball of this world.


    Many of the big or small decisions needed to be made and confirmed by me. I was also asked to provide my opinion on the guest list.


    I learned that the emperor needed to be the one to invite any single male or couples as an official decree, while I need to invite any single female attendants.


    In most cases, most invitations were signed under the emperor¡¯s name, but there were some that needed to be under the hostess¡¯ name. Usually, it was the empress who took care of these things, but at this moment, I had to do it myself.


    I was asked to make an invitation list of women I personally had to invite.


    I started with the most obvious name.


    ¡®The Priestess of Aos, Izvita.¡¯


    She was my only hope.


    The priestess may be able to help me return home. I prayed this was true.


    I wrote down her name carefully on the top.


    Below, I added other names of single female or widows from noble families. Of course, these names were from the list that was already given to me by Samantha.


    Afterpleting the list, I handed it to Samantha.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. Please send this to themittee.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Samantha took the paper respectfully. It was an official document with my seal on top.


    Samantha was about to leave when someone grabbed it from her hand.


    Samantha yelled in anger and shock, ¡°Lady Lisbeth! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s eyes widened at her scream and started to whimper, ¡°I, I just... I was curious about the list... I wanted to know if my parents will be invited...¡±


    Every maid and servant red at her in frustration.


    Samantha said to Lisbeth roughly, ¡°Hand it back to me right now!¡±


    Lisbeth didn¡¯t obey right away. Even while sniveling, she continued to read through the list to check the names.


    Lisbeth was educated enough that she could read, but she wasn¡¯t very smart. She also didn¡¯t have enough concentration level to read the list quickly. It took quite long for her to read all the names.


    Samantha and Agnes both lost their patience after a while.


    Agnes ordered angrily, ¡°Return that list immediately to Duchess Gust!¡±


    Lisbeth finally started to cry. She continued to look down on the paper as she used me.


    ¡°How could this be? Sis, I mean... Your highness?! Why aren¡¯t my parents¡¯ name on this list?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A long silence fell. When I didn¡¯t¡¯ answer, Lisbeth yelled, ¡°How could you not invite such an influential and important family like mine? Why? Is it truly because you hate my presence here? Orlean told me you are jealous of me because the emperor may show interest in me. Is that why?! How could you!? How could you let your personal feelings interfere with your duties for this kingdom... You are not worthy!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I continued to frown and remain silent. I wanted to hear everything.


    When no one stopped her, Lisbeth continued, ¡°Did you really forget your debt to our family? How do you think you became the wife to the emperor? Is it really true you hate me and my mother because you tried to seduce my father?!¡±


    What? What the hell was she talking about?!


    When I was about to say something, Agnes roared like a lioness that lost its cub.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re saying?!¡±


    Agnes was so angry even I flinched a little. Lisbeth forgot she was crying.


    Her eyes widened as Agnes continued furiously, ¡°Are you sure you can take responsibility for what you have just said?!¡±


    ¡°I, I...!¡±


    ¡°You are here as one of the maids for the wife of the emperor! You must know every single word you say here will affect your whole family!¡±


    ¡°But her highness owes a great debt to my family...!¡±


    Agnes¡¯s face turned ugly.


    ¡°No one!¡± Her voice was booming. It echoed throughout the room. ¡°No one would ever consider sacrificing anotherdy to save their own daughter a kind deed!¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s face became red.


    Agnes snatched the paper from Lisbeth and continued, ¡°And if what you just said is true, it means your father, the Duke, molested his adopted daughter and then sent her to the emperor of Cransia. That would mean the Aeal colony has given an irreparable insult to the greatest kingdom known to man! It would be considered a treason against Cransia.¡±


    Lisbeth turned pale.


    Agnes lowered her voice and asked in confirmation, ¡°Now, can you tell me again what happened?¡± It was said calmly, but it was clearly a threat.


    Lisbeth started to whimper again.


    Gosh, what an annoying girl. Whenever she felt like she was losing the battle, Lisbeth always turned to her greatest weapon: tears.


    However, this time, she picked the wrong person.


    Agnes asked again, ¡°Lady Lisbeth! Please tell us! If what you said is really true, we need to tell the emperor! If it¡¯s true, the Duke will be punished as a traitor. If not, then you and your mother, the Duchess, have lied and therefore need to be punished!¡±


    Lisbeth was trapped. After a little more sniveling, Lisbeth quickly stopped crying and answered weakly, ¡°I... I misspoke. My mother... She has never said anything like this either... And, what I said... It has never happened.¡±


    Agnes smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d to hear it!¡± She turned away from Lisbeth and added, ¡°By the way, her highness only sends invitations to female guests who will be attending alone. As the Duke and Duchess will be attending together, the invitation will be sent under the emperor¡¯s name. If you want to check whether they are invited, you should have asked the emperor.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was true. The fact that the Bonafit name wasn¡¯t on my list didn¡¯t mean anything. Lisbeth made a stupid mistake.


    Elza added angrily, ¡°We know you won¡¯t be any help to us, but from now on, please at least try to learn what is going on around you.¡±


    A few servants and maids snickered. Lisbeth¡¯s face became even redder and started to whimper again, but no one showed her any sympathy.


    Agnes showed me the paper and asked me apologetically, ¡°I am sorry, your highness. The document has been dirtied, so we can¡¯t send this to themittee. You will have to write another one. You already have so much work to do, so I apologize again.¡±


    I smiled brightly and replied, ¡°It¡¯s ok, Agnes.¡±

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53: &lt;Chapter 53&gt;</h4>


    After the incident, Lisbethined of a headache and left to rest.


    I didn¡¯t stop her, and no one paid attention to her. It was better and easier for all of us without her.


    After Lisbeth left, Luis finally eximed, ¡°Dame Dotrya, I was so d you said something!¡±


    Elza added excitedly, ¡°I agree! I just don¡¯t understand what Lady Lisbeth was thinking. She often acts so rudely towards her highness.¡±


    Samantha didn¡¯t jump into their gossiping, but she sighed in agreement.


    Agnes replied, ¡°All I did was to just state facts. Personally... I hate people who use others in the name of protecting their own family. I also can¡¯t stand it when someone falsely uses ady of adultery. I couldn¡¯t help but be emotional.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The room fell silent.


    Everyone here knew the story of the previous empress Agnes served in the past.


    It was the former empress Beatrice, who was also Agnes¡¯s adopted sister.


    Everyone knew how Beatrice was sent to be a concubine andter was executed after being framed of adultery.


    I wasn¡¯t very close to Agnes yet. It made sense since we hadn¡¯t spent a lot of time together. Agnes did overreact to Lisbeth considering how she and I weren¡¯t very close, but I suspected what happened today made her remember her painful past.


    Perhaps, I reminded Agnes of her beloved Beatrice.


    I sighed and asked Samantha, ¡°By the way, what is happening with the invitations for the noble families that live in our castle?¡±


    Samantha bowed and replied, ¡°There is nothing to worry about. The emperor has taken care of it and so it is already almost done.¡±


    I nodded and asked nonchntly, ¡°And what usually needs to be arranged for the princesses?¡±


    ¡°The princess that are married will be invited along with their husbands by the emperor.¡±


    I asked more specifically, ¡°Then what about the unmarried princesses? Should I be the one who invites them?¡±


    Samantha nodded.


    ¡°That is correct. That was actually going to be your next task. There is a total of seven princesses in this castle. Fivedies are living in their respective mothers¡¯ wings and...¡±


    Samantha hesitated. This was why I brought up this topic. I wanted to hear about the dowager empress¡¯s daughters.


    I insisted, ¡°And the other two princesses?¡±


    Samantha looked ufortable before answering me.


    ¡°Princesses Liliana and Roselia will have to attend as well. Because the dowager empress won¡¯t being to the ball due to her condition, I suppose you only have to invite the princesses, but...¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°It is just very awkward to send invitations directly to the dowager empress¡¯s quarters.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°That makes sense, but if I don¡¯t send the invitations to the highest ranking princesses, I will look rude. Please make a proper arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡±


    I refuse to do nothing just because I feared the dowager empress¡¯s reaction. No matter what happened, I was sure it would be beneficial to get to know the princesses and this was a good excuse for me to make contact with them.


    I ordered Samantha, ¡°And please find out where the princesses usually spend their time and what they like.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Samantha looked at me in surprise.


    Agnes frowned and asked me, ¡°Why do you care about that awful woman¡¯s daughters?¡±


    I could understand why Agnes hated them. I smiled innocently and answered, ¡°This might help his highness.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Agnes still looked unconvinced, but she didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Later, however, I learned her silence didn¡¯t mean she was convinced of my intention.


    ***


    I was engrossed in my work when I received a message that the emperor was looking for me.


    I tried my best to hide my annoyance and asked, ¡°Me?¡±


    The messenger bowed deeply and answered, ¡°Yes, his highness would like to see you.¡±


    Recently, Lucretius had been making an effort to spend a lot of time with me. It was hard for me to avoid it as we were legally married, but it was getting a bit too much.


    Another problem was the ce he wanted to meet. I asked the messenger to make sure.


    ¡°Did... Did his highness really ask me to his office?¡±


    ¡°... Yes, mydy.¡±


    Even the messenger looked ufortable.


    The emperor¡¯s personal office was considered to be the most important ce in the castle. It was the heart and the brain of thisnd.


    Even the highest political figures and noble men dreamt of being invited to the emperor¡¯s office. It was the greatest honor to enter this ce.


    On top of that, women generally did not enter his office.


    What should I do?


    I had to think carefully. Should I ignore his request, or should I go?


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t very brave. No matter what, he still had an upper hand in this rtionship.


    To be honest, I wanted to avoid being alone with him. I couldn¡¯t ept his feeling. I felt ufortable and pressured when I was with him.


    Again, I considered rejecting this request. I could say it wouldn¡¯t look proper for a woman to enter the emperor¡¯s office. However, I knew this wouldn¡¯t deter him.


    No matter what reason I gave in not going, it wouldn¡¯t matter. I would just look like a wife who didn¡¯t obey the emperor¡¯s order.


    ¡°...¡±


    When the silence lengthened, everyone¡¯s gazes became more concerned. When Samantha opened her mouth to say something, I nodded and made my decision.


    If I rejected it, I knew Lucretius would get back at me somehow. I had to see him every night and I didn¡¯t even want to think about what he would do.


    He was a very small-minded petty man.


    The messenger looked relieved at my answer. He nodded emphatically.


    I wondered what would have happened to the messenger if I said no.


    He said happily, ¡°Thank you, mydy. I will let his highness know right away.¡±


    Samantha and other maids looked relieved too. Except for one.


    I saw Lisbeth looking sad and disappointed. Then suddenly, she looked hopeful.


    Wherever I went, all of my maids followed me. Lisbeth must have been happy she will get to see him.


    I hated that, but I didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°...¡±


    When I became quiet, Samantha asked me, ¡°Your highness?¡±


    I smiled nkly and stood up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When I started to walk towards the door, Samantha said to me quickly, ¡°Your highness! Are you going there right now like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why?¡±


    I became confused. Of course, I would go like this. What did she mean?


    Samantha approached me and whispered, ¡°There will be a lot of people in his highness¡¯ quarters.¡±


    I understood quickly what she meant.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Samantha pped her hands and ordered, ¡°Now, let¡¯s get ready!¡±


    I quickly regretted listening to Samantha as the servants started to bring in bags of outfits and pieces of jewelry.


    ***


    Samantha and Agnes wanted me to get a bath first and a facial, but I didn¡¯t want to go that far. As to make up for it, they dolled me up extravagantly.


    I changed my entire outfit and they redid my hair.


    Originally, I had a simple braid, but this time, my hair was decorated with beautiful flowers.


    Agnes looked proud as sheplimented me, ¡°Your highness¡¯s hair is such a gorgeous jet ck that it looks like a dark night sky with stars of flowers.¡±


    Elza and Luis added their ownpliments, which made me... embarrassed. I tried to change the subject.


    ¡°By the way, where is Lisbeth?¡±


    Now that I think about it, I hadn¡¯t seen Lisbeth in a while.


    Elsa and Luisined as they tightened my corset.


    ¡°She dropped another cup and ruined one of your dresses, so we asked her to wait outside.¡±


    ¡°But when I went to check, she wasn¡¯t where she was supposed to be.¡±


    I knew what they wanted. It would be best if Lisbeth wasn¡¯t with us so that she wouldn¡¯t ruin anything else.


    I felt the same way. Her presence always annoyed me.


    I couldn¡¯t get rid of her, however. She was here for a reason, and so far, my n hadn¡¯t worked as far as I could tell. I didn¡¯t think the dowager empress had approached her, but no matter what, I had to keep her with me.


    I said to them, ¡°Please don¡¯t be too harsh. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t mean to be rude. Please be nice to her.¡±


    Luisined weakly, ¡°Your highness is too generous.¡±


    Elza agreed with her older sister.


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt guilty as I knew this was the opposite of the truth. I was actually keeping her here to use her.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth.

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54: &lt;Chapter 54&gt;</h4>


    ¡°You are so beautiful, your highness!¡±


    ¡°How lovely!¡±


    Samantha and the other maids had me stand in front of the mirror and eximed. It was embarrassing, but... Even I thought I looked good.


    I could understand this was very important. Cransia was the biggest and the most powerful kingdom in this world. As the only wife of the emperor, how I looked mattered. A lot.


    This world¡¯s best makeup, fashion, and skincare were applied to me as the pride of Cransia. Day after day, ever since I arrived at this castle, the conditions of my skin and hair improved greatly. My skin was porcin smooth and my hair shined naturally.


    Looking the way I looked now, it was possible even my own family in Korea may not recognize me.


    I was horrible at eptingpliments, but I thought perhaps this time, they were right. I tried murmuring it out loud.


    ¡°I... I look beautiful...¡±


    I got goosebumps! Humbleness was so deeply ingrained in me it felt so ufortable. I blushed in mortification.


    Objectively speaking, I did look better. It was a good transformation.


    My hair was decorated stunningly with white flowers, pearls, and diamonds. Elza carefully chose a dress I wore during the coronation celebration. It was an ombre dress with the darkest indigo on top and got lighter as it flowed down. Whenever I moved, it looked like an ocean wave at night.


    It was such a beautiful color I didn¡¯t have to wear many pieces of jewelry. I wore a simple ne made of diamonds and pearls but didn¡¯t wear any bracelets or earrings.


    Elzaplimented me, ¡°You look like Orestita, the goddess of the night!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take any more ttery, so I changed the subject quickly.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to go. The emperor must be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! That¡¯s true!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going!¡±


    All the maids started to move fast, but I still didn¡¯t see Lisbeth anywhere. Where did she go? Did she return to her room to cry?


    When I was about to ask one of the maids to find her, the door opened slowly and a familiar figure walked in.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The room became silent with tension.


    Lisbeth smiled brightly like a blooming rose and announced.


    ¡°Thank god. You haven¡¯t left yet.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to see the other maids¡¯ faces to know what they looked like. I knew they probably looked like my own horrified expression.


    Lisbeth didn¡¯t seem to notice as she continued to smile shyly.


    I murmured rigidly.


    ¡°I see that you changed your outfit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Lisbeth lookedpletely different than an hour ago. Her hair, makeup, and clothes were all new. She shined like a beautiful rose.


    Her dress... It was a pretty dark blue dress.


    ¡°...¡±


    Everyone was thinking the same thing except for Lisbeth. Anyone with half a brain should have been able to read the room, but not Lisbeth. She must have felt the cold stares, but it was clear she didn¡¯t understand why. She looked at me as if she was being treated unfairly.


    What the heck! Was she asking me to help her?


    I became so shocked I just stared at her.


    She did look very pretty. Looking like that, I knew any man would be interested.


    ¡°...¡±


    I turned away without sympathy. Without looking at her, I walked past her coldly. The other maids followed me in a simr manner.


    I walked with a huge entourage. The number of maids and servants one wielded was proportional to the level of one¡¯s power and influence. Currently, the dowager empress was the only woman who had a bigger entourage than mine.


    What Lisbeth did was unforgivable. As the emperor¡¯s wife, my maids needed to do their best to make me stand out. Being dolled up herself with a dress simr to mine was shocking.


    It was clear she had openly challenged me. There was no way she didn¡¯t know what this meant.


    She wanted to be noticed by the emperor. She actually thought she had a chance to beat me here.


    ¡°...¡±


    As I walked towards the emperor¡¯s office, people bowed to me deeply. I could see their eyes turned towards Lisbeth in confusion.


    I felt annoyed.


    Why did I feel this way?


    I felt frustrated, but I didn¡¯t know why.


    If I was in love with my husband, then it would make sense that another woman¡¯s attention would cause me to be jealous.


    I didn¡¯t love Lucretius though, and I was doing my best to leave this world.


    The logic in my head couldn¡¯t exin how I felt about this situation. I had no control over my feelings.


    I wondered how Lucretius would react when he saw me and Lisbeth together. I knew there was no doubt Lisbeth was more beautiful than me. I know he imed he valued intelligence and strength in woman, but at the end of the day, he was still a man. What man would ever reject a beautiful woman?


    I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe. Was it because of the corset?


    ¡°Your highness.¡±


    Samantha called me out from my thoughts.


    We were standing in front of the emperor¡¯s office.


    ***


    The emperor¡¯s wife going in and out of his personal office wouldn¡¯t have looked good, but the only thing that made it fine was the fact that the emperor himself ordered it. His servants bowed to be respectful.


    When I was about to enter as the servant opened the door for me, I could hear voices from the inside.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    One was that of the emperor, which I was familiar with, but I was unsure whom the other voices belonged to. I couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about.


    Someone else was inside with him after all.


    Did he invite another person too?


    For some reason, I became angry.


    I asked the servant coldly, ¡°Is there someone else inside?¡±


    The servant answered apologetically, ¡°His highness is having a discussion with the chancellor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no...¡±


    I came at the wrong time, but to leave now after making such a scene would make me look ridiculous. I decided to wait.


    ¡°Then I can wait here until he¡¯s done.¡±


    The servant started to sweat visibly and shook his head.


    ¡°No, your highness.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t I wait until the first guest was done? It was the chancellor. It was someone even the emperor couldn¡¯t disrespect.


    However, the servant exined to me.


    ¡°His highness ordered me to make sure you are ushered in immediately as the most important guest.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What?


    Did he really have something urgent to tell me? Perhaps he found a way for me to return home!


    I became hopeful. I followed the servant in as my heart beat fast.


    ¡°Your highness, her highness the first wife is here.¡±


    The door opened and we walked in.


    Inside had a very different atmosphere than my own office. There was arge mahogany desk and the walls were fully covered with books to the ceiling.


    There was also a low table decorated with an elegant white map.


    As I walked past the table, I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. It was a beautiful table that had the map of the entire world on top. There were gs and small gold pieces representing the rtionships between different nations. I didn¡¯t understand them well, but it dawned to me again how powerful this man was.


    Why did he ask me toe here? I wondered again.


    A kind-looking old man smiled at me.


    ¡°Long time no see, your highness.¡±


    I reacted quickly.


    ¡°Yes, how have you been?¡±


    The white-bearded manughed delightedly.


    I finally remembered him. Such a kind face! It was him.


    The day after the former emperor¡¯s murder, I was ordered to a meeting and this was the chancellor who helped Lucretius.


    I still didn¡¯t know his name or his exact title, but I knew I couldn¡¯t act confused.


    This was awkward. It appeared the emperor and the chancellor was discussing something very important. It would be best if I excused myself. At least, Lucretius wouldn¡¯t be able to use me of not following his order.


    I smiled like a wise wife and stated.


    ¡°It looks like I have interrupted your important meeting. I will return to my wing, so please call for me again when you are avable.¡±


    However, unlike my expectation, the chancellor shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°There is no need, mydy. We weren¡¯t discussing anything you can¡¯t hear about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lucretius grinned annoyingly. When I looked confused, he studied me slowly and smiled.


    He said to me, ¡°Such a brightness! My eyes are being blinded.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? It¡¯s actually quite cloudy right now...¡±


    ¡°No, I meant your beauty. You overwhelm me with your exquisiteness, my wife.¡±

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55: &lt;Chapter 55&gt;</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. He needed to stop this ridiculousness right now.


    When I stood speechless, the chancellorughed and said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, you are embarrassing her highness.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Theyughed at their own jokes. Lucretius had such a thick face it was impossible not be get annoyed.


    If I was braver, I would have thrown a teacup or a piece of cream pie at his face.


    While smiling at me infuriatingly, he suddenly nced at my maids who were standing behind me.


    ¡°...¡±


    He slowly looked at every one of them. I became tense, but I tried my best not to show it.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly where Lisbeth was situated behind so I couldn¡¯t tell when Lucretius saw her.


    I studied his facial expression carefully, but he remained the same the entire time. I felt a little scared he mightpare me to the beautiful Lisbeth. Then I quickly hated myself for thinking it.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Luc seemed to be contemting for a few seconds before smiling brightly and nodded.


    ¡°I agree with what my wife said before.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    When I seemed confused, Luc stood up and walked towards me quickly. His eyes were only on me and nowhere else.


    ¡°We will talk about it again when we are alone.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Samantha seemed to understand quickly.


    She bowed deeply and replied, ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Huh?


    While I watched the scene in confusion, it seemed Samantha and the emperor had an unspoken understanding. They looked at each other and Samantha added in satisfaction.


    ¡°Then we will leave you alone at once.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t me who eximed but Lisbeth. When I turned around, I saw her trying to get the emperor¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What? W, wait a minute...¡±


    No one paid attention to her. Agnes red at her and pulled her by her blue dress towards the door.


    Within seconds, it was just the emperor, the chancellor, and I in the room.


    While Lisbeth was dragged away, Lucretius¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t linger for a second on her. He didn¡¯t show a single shred of interest in her.


    m.


    The door finally closed.


    His cold fingertips grabbed my chin and turned my face towards him. Familiar green eyes looked down at me.


    He pouted.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you show even a little interest in your own husband?¡±


    What was he talking about?


    When I looked at him in confusion, he didn¡¯t miss a beat.


    His lips covered mine. They felt warm and forceful.


    When I iled my arms, he quickly hugged me and thereby trapping me in his embrace. I felt weak.


    His kiss was always passionate and intense. My whole body burned.


    Before I became out of breath, he finally released me.


    Tears filled my eyes while I red at him. It wasn¡¯t that I was emotional. I just needed more air, which made my eyes water.


    I protested in a low voice, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±


    Lucretius treated me like I was a pouting cat.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just showing how much I love my wife.¡±


    ¡°How...! What¡¯s the point...!?¡±


    I was about to say there was no point since Lisbeth wasn¡¯t in the room, but his hand quickly covered my mouth.


    He whispered to me, ¡°Shh. We aren¡¯t alone in this room.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    That¡¯s right! I forgot about him. Lucretiusughed at me as I looked shocked.


    When I turned around, the white-haired gentleman was smiling at us kindly.


    ¡°Oh, my. I need to apologize. It seems I have ruined your time together.¡±


    Lucretius smiled and let my waist go.


    He nodded towards the chancellor and replied, ¡°No worries. I just couldn¡¯t help myself when I saw my beautiful wife. It¡¯s my bad.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    I wanted to scream at Lucretius, but obviously, I couldn¡¯t. I decided to forget about this for now.


    One thing I found interesting was how Lucretius treated the chancellor. I have never seen the emperor treat someone with genuine respect. He was polite to everyone, including the dowager empress, but anyone could see he wasn¡¯t sincere towards her.


    However, this time, it was different. It seemed Lucretius truly liked and valued the chancellor.


    I watched their conversation with interest.


    The chancellor continued to smile at us kindly like a grandfather.


    He continued, ¡°This kingdom is blessed your highness and her highness have such a loving rtionship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°That means it¡¯s good. Your highness always has difficulty expressing his true feelings. Anyway, I am relieved and happy to see you like this.¡±


    Lucretiusughed quietly. It was a genuineugh, which surprised me.


    It was now obvious to me Lucretius really liked this gentleman.


    The chancellor turned to me.


    ¡°The truth is, I was a bit worried when his highness announced to take you as his wife.¡±


    That was understandable. I was a nobody with no power. I also almost became the former emperor¡¯s concubine. I was definitely not an obvious choice.


    When I didn¡¯t say anything, the chancellor smiled mysteriously and continued. His tone was kind, but his words were chilling.


    ¡°At your marriage ceremony with the former emperor and when you first gave a witness statement... I felt like you were too weak to be the emperor¡¯s wife and stand beside him to rule this kingdom.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His words were sharp, but he continued to smile generously. The contrast was shocking.


    He continued, ¡°To me, it seemed like you were being forced into various situations, and you didn¡¯t seem to have a strong will. Of course, I didn¡¯t think it would be bad for his highness to take a wife he liked, but... To have a meek woman as his first wife especially when he doesn¡¯t have an empress... I thought it would be too much responsibility for you.¡±


    If the emperor or the dowager empress said this to me, I would have taken it as a direct challenge.


    However, the way this man said it to me... It felt neutral. It felt like he was just stating facts.


    This made me be even more afraid of him.


    This was not a man to be yed with.


    I forced a fake smile on my face and replied with a textbook answer, ¡°That is an understandable reaction.¡±


    He looked at me quietly for a moment. I felt like his soft eyes could see right through me.


    It seemed he knew exactly what I was thinking and feeling.


    He said to me kindly, ¡°I see that this old man¡¯s silly words have upset you, your highness.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I started to sweat.


    I knew if I didn¡¯t give him the right answer here, he would always see me as a silly young girl.


    My mouth felt dry. I tried my best to sound calm.


    ¡°It is normal to feel upset when hearing any kind of criticism. I admit I still have much more to learn. However, being upset doesn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t ept the facts and learn from them. I would like to think I¡¯m not that small-minded.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t tell what this man was thinking. He continued to study me quietly. It was different than how Lucretius studied me. In front of the emperor, I often felt like a mouse in front of a snake.


    In front of the chancellor, however, I felt like a student being judged by her teacher.


    Why was it that everyone here liked to study me?


    One thing I knew for certain was this was no ordinary man.


    Just then, the old man softened. This time, it wasn¡¯t just his lips but his eyes smiled at me as well. He pleaded with me like he would with his own granddaughter.


    ¡°Your highness, please take good care of his highness.¡±


    I knew what was expected of me.


    I acted like a blushing new bride and replied, ¡°I am not worthy, but I will do my best.¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction and nodded.


    Before he left, he added, ¡°Soon, my daughter-inw will be visiting to greet your highness. Please be kind to her.¡±


    ¡°It would be my honor.¡±


    I could tell the subtle change in his attitude towards me, but I didn¡¯t know why. After the chancellor left, Lucretius said to mefortably, ¡°I¡¯m d Cornelius seems to approve you.¡±


    ¡°Cor... nelius?¡±


    It was a long name, like Lucretius¡¯.


    He nodded and exined, ¡°That¡¯s the chancellor¡¯s name. Cornelius des Lonensia. He is the Duke of Lonensia and has served three generations of emperors. He is also my teacher.¡±


    So I was right. He was no ordinary man.


    What Lucretius said next, however, was a big surprise.


    ¡°And his granddaughter was one of my many fianc¨¦s.¡±

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56: &lt;Chapter 56&gt;</h4>


    ¡°Fianc¨¦?¡±


    My heart felt funny.


    A fianc¨¦. I remembered hearing about how Lucretius had many fianc¨¦s in the past. He even said he had a wife who he ended up killing. She tried to kill him, so he killed her instead.


    I imagined different women standing next to Lucretius. I didn¡¯t know why, but my heart felt heavy. Why?


    I asked in an attempt to hide my feelings, ¡°You said you had many fianc¨¦s. Which one was she?¡±


    ¡°She was my first. She was also the only one I thought was worthy. She would have made a great empress.¡±


    ¡°... really?¡±


    First fianc¨¦. Perfect empress material.


    I felt cold, but I continued to chat casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. If you married her, she would have been a great ally for you in this fight against the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± He nodded in agreement.


    ¡°...¡±


    Why did I feel this way? I felt... upset. The fact that I dolled up toe here made me feel angry.


    I asked with a bright smile, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you make her your empress now?¡±


    He smiled smoothly and shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± What he said next made me freeze. ¡°She is dead. She was assassinated a month after our engagement announcement.¡±


    This didn¡¯t make sense. He was talking about such a horrible event, yet his voice was so calm and even light.


    He continued calmly, ¡°We could never prove who ordered it, but we pretty much know who did it.¡±


    I murmured, ¡°Dowager empress Katleyanira...¡±


    He nodded again.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He smiled beautifully. ¡°But I am thankful to Katleyanira for that. Because of it, the dowager empress ended up with an incredibly powerful enemy, while I gained the greatest ally: Cornelius.¡±


    I got goosebumps.


    The death of a girl, especially someone who would have been his wife, didn¡¯t seem to affect him at all.


    What a cold, heartless man.


    I sometimes forgot what he really was. He was a murderer. He killed his wife and his father.


    Now, I learned his fianc¨¦¡¯s death didn¡¯t mean anything to him.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°Isabe, my first fianc¨¦, was the daughter of Cornelius¡¯ first son, who died. Isabe¡¯s mother died, too, so Cornelius raised her by himself with love.¡±


    I remembered when Cornelius supported Lucretius in front of the dowager empress on that fateful day.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°I became engaged to her at the age of 18. She was a year younger than I. She was known for her beauty and intelligence, so I had noints.¡±


    I tried my best to stop my voice from trembling.


    ¡°And she was murdered?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Cornelius was so heartbroken he left his chancellor position for three years.¡±


    ¡°But he came back.¡±


    Why?


    His smile broadened.


    ¡°I like how you are so quick when ites to things like this. You are so slow in some things, but not this.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    Lucretius continued, ¡°By the time my third engagement ended in disaster, I visited Cornelius and convinced him.¡±


    I could guess how he did it. There was only one thing these two men had inmon.


    A need for revenge.


    I felt cold as I looked up at him. Lucretius smiled at me, and I knew I got it right.


    He added, ¡°I ended up losing my first fianc¨¦, the second most perfect woman for the position of an empress, but with that, I gained Cornelius¡¯ dedicated support. I would like to think it was a good deal.¡±


    Second most perfect woman? Then there was a better woman than her?


    This was a man who called his fianc¨¦¡¯s death a ¡°good deal¡±, yet what I worried more about at this point was the fact that there was another woman he thought of with high regards.


    What was wrong with me?


    I forced myself to keep my voice light.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For a good deal. I agree that having the chancellor as your ally is definitely worth your sacrifice, so I guess congrattions are in order.¡±


    I sounded awkward.


    He looked at me strangely.


    ¡°Sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She was your fianc¨¦ and you said she was perfect for the empress position. If she had survived, she would have been a great shield for you against the dowager empress.¡±


    He looked oddly at me and replied, ¡°It¡¯s true if Isabe became my empress, I may have been able to bring down the dowager empress quickly, but I would have had to fight my own empress afterward for the ultimate power. For me, this current situation is better, I think.¡±


    I said to him calmly, ¡°And that is why I congratted you.¡±


    He frowned.


    ¡°This is strange...¡± My mouth felt dry. I wanted a ss of water, but I couldn¡¯t ask him for it. He continued, ¡°You are acting very strange.¡±


    I red at him and replied, ¡°I¡¯m acting perfectly normal.¡±


    ¡°No, normally, you would have criticized me or say something twisted. The Bina I know would have said something sarcastic.¡±


    He said my name, which made me shiver. It felt like he stabbed my heart. What was this feeling?


    He patted my cheek slowly, then ced his finger on my lips.


    His face came close to mine and I couldn¡¯t move at all. I had no will to run or refuse him.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t kiss me again. He whispered to me in my ear.


    ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    My body burned.


    ***


    I knew Lucretius was an obsessive man. Once he wanted something, he would pursue it to the end. Because of this, his behaviors often concerned me.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, you seemed pale when you first entered this room.¡±


    His forehead touched mine. When I felt his cool skin, I realized I was indeed very warm.


    What is going on here!?


    He didn¡¯t care that I seemed flustered.


    He stated, ¡°You definitely have a fever.¡±


    ¡°N, no, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    He now ced his hand on my forehead.


    ¡°Nope, you have a fever.¡± He also touched my neck and nodded firmly. ¡°Your whole body is burning up. You¡¯ve been working very hardtely. Are you overworked?¡±


    At this point, I couldn¡¯t even hear his words.


    All I could do was stare at his chest.


    This was the middle of the day. We were in his workce. Lucretius was fully clothed, but I kept thinking about what he looked like underneath those silk and linen he wore.


    His pale skin... What would it feel like to touch...


    ¡°Oh, no!¡±


    My embarrassment took over my rationality. I tried to run away, but he hugged me tighter. His voice became very serious.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    My face burned.


    What should I say? If I don¡¯t give him a convincing answer, I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    I felt like my brain was melting. What should I tell him? I had to say something.


    I couldn¡¯t tell him the truth. I was imagining him naked! How could I tell him this?


    I finally came up with something and stammered.


    ¡°T, the thing is...! My corset is too tight...! And that¡¯s why I feel ufortable!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He looked down at me quietly. He seemed to be considering my answer.


    Fortunately, he epted my exnation.


    ¡°I suppose it makes sense. Your waist did look much narrower than I remembered, so I was surprised.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He always had to say something annoying.


    I murmured, ¡°Samantha and Agnes told me I needed to look my best since I will be seen by many. They tightened it much more than usual.¡±


    He grinned.


    ¡°Then should I loosen it for you?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57: &lt;Chapter 57&gt;</h4>


    It took everything I had to dissuade him. He wanted to ¡®help¡¯ me get my dress off and loosen my corset.


    I refused him as emphatically as possible. I told him I actually lost a lot of weight recently, so the corset wasn¡¯t as tight as he thought it might be.


    When he insisted on ¡®helping¡¯ me, I finally said to him, ¡°This is your workce! What do you think the dowager empress would say if she finds out?!¡±


    Thankfully, he agreed with me on this point and gave up.


    What would the dowager empress, and everyone else in the castle, think if I left the emperor¡¯s office with my clothes in disarray? Lucretius would have looked like a sex-crazed tyrant. I would have been called worse.


    I assured him I now felt much better. Lucretius seemed disappointed, but he let me go nheless.


    ¡®This was way too close. I better be more careful from now on!¡¯


    I sweated a little while picking up the teacup the servant brought.


    I looked down at the tea while trying to calm down.


    Come on, Sa Bina! Snap out of it!


    Luckily, Lucretius changed the subject.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m d the chancellor appeared to like you.¡±


    ¡°Is... that so?¡±


    ¡°He said his daughter-inw wille to visit you. He is referring to his second son¡¯s wife, the Countess.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°He is offering to boost your social status in this kingdom.¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°It will be very helpful to establish myself while the dowager empressy low until the birth of her child. I am thankful.¡±


    He looked at me again like he was studying me.


    Finally, he asked me nonchntly, ¡°By the way... I heard you are interested in the princesses?¡±


    My whole body tensed. I knew I couldn¡¯t hide my reaction on my face, but quickly, I smiled and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t show him any hesitation or uncertainty.


    I answered immediately, ¡°Do I really need to answer that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He became stiff. This was new. Lucretius has always shown confidence in everything, but this time, he looked stunned.


    This was perfect.


    I exined, ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t tell you about this, you already knew about it. I am sure you already thought about it and decided you know why I did it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt like I swallowed fire. I drank a big gulp of my tea, but it didn¡¯t help. In fact, it felt worse.


    Strangely, my head was clear and calm.


    I smiled openly and asked, ¡°Was it Samantha?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Or Agnes?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I guess it could be the Loventis sisters too. It¡¯s unlikely, but I suppose I can¡¯t rule out Lisbethpletely either.¡±


    The room became silent.


    Who was it? I contemted coldly as I said to him.


    ¡°You must already know everything but humor me. It was only this morning when I asked to find out about the princesses.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And then, it took my maids two hours to prepare me for this visit. So it must be during that time, someone came to you to let you know exactly what I said.¡±


    My lips smiled, but I knew my eyes didn¡¯t.


    ¡°This means you must have a good guess on why I did it. Won¡¯t you be a dear and tell me what you think?¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect him to actually answer me. He always did what he wanted. He always wanted to be in control of the situation. Therefore, I didn¡¯t think he would let me have this.


    Even then, I pushed on. My instinct told me if I didn¡¯t do this, I will never gain any kind of control in the future.


    Maybe I will never be able to haveplete faith in him, but I at least needed to be able to trust him, even for a little.


    If I didn¡¯t, then there was no point in working with him. It would be a better option for me to just run away from this castle.


    Most of all...


    I was just furious.


    I was angry, that was why I pushed him.


    I insisted.


    ¡°Please tell me. You already know, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A long silence persisted all over us before he finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°... You probably decided that the princesses will be helpful for you in the future.¡±


    I gave him a cold smile and asked, ¡°And? What did you think I would do?¡±


    ¡°... If I guessed correctly, you will try to contact them personally. If you treat them with kindness, there is a good chance they will learn to like you. They have been deprived of any form of kindness, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a perfect deduction. This was exactly what I was nning to do. When he told me his guess, I felt even more furious.


    I felt angry that he was spying on me this closely. I felt frustrated that he could read me so easily. I felt ashamed that my way of thinking was so simr to his. I also felt petty for trying to use children for my n.


    Everything made me angry.


    However, I calmly continued. I congratted him sarcastically.


    ¡°You are indeed very wise.¡±


    I sat my cup down loudly. I bowed deeply and asked, ¡°Now, please allow me to leave.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for his answer. Instead, I said to him sharply, ¡°Was it really necessary to make mee here to confirm this? I am aware that you are monitoring me and that you know everything that goes on around me. If you feel like you need to spy on me even at night, I really don¡¯t see the point, so there is no need for you to visit me every night.¡±


    I turned around before waiting for his answer.


    Until the door closed behind me, Lucretius didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t know why, but my heart felt shockingly cold.


    ***


    I looked around the room. My maids were working together while chatting with each other.


    My first guess was Samantha.


    She was my principle maid in waiting, but she used to be the emperor¡¯s first. The chances were very high that she was his spy.


    The next possibility was Agnes.


    I could see her being the mole as well. Agnes was the adopted sister of Lucretius¡¯ birth mother. She hated the former emperor and the dowager empress with all her heart. She was also the one who overreacted when I showed interest in the princesses.


    The next was Elza and Luis. It was unlikely that they were the spies, but I couldn¡¯t rule them out for sure.


    I was kind to them when I was poisoned. Since we were about the same age, we became close. However, they were from a noble family loyal to Lucretius. They were also ordered by the emperor to serve me. If they were asked to spy on me by Lucretius, I knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse him.


    Andstly, Lisbeth.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a ridiculous idea. I did consider the possibility, especially the way she acted in the emperor¡¯s office, but I knew it was not possible. She had the motive and willingness, but I didn¡¯t think Lucretius would be stupid enough to use someone so unreliable.


    It could be anyone, but I felt certain it couldn¡¯t possibly be her.


    Suddenly, I remembered what Lisbeth did yesterday. I became so furious at finding out about a spy, I forgot what she did to me.


    She dolled up topete against me for the emperor¡¯s attention. She ended up being dragged away, and now, she was ring at me.


    I wondered if my n for her was at all realistic.


    ¡°...¡±


    I sighed while Lisbeth continued to re at me angrily.


    All the other maids could see her discontentment too. Samantha finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Lady Lisbeth, please stop your ring. It¡¯s rude.¡±


    ¡°P, pardon?¡± Lisbeth seemed shocked as she looked around. She then answered innocently, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ring at her highness at all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Agnes said to her in a low voice.


    ¡°Everyone here can see how you are ring at her highness.¡±


    ¡°But, that¡¯s...!¡± Lisbeth seemed flustered for a second, but she recovered quickly and yelled, ¡°It¡¯s because what her highness did to me yesterday. I just felt like I was treated unfairly.¡±


    The room became tense.


    I asked her carefully, ¡°What is it that I have done? I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s eyes sharpened as she pouted her pretty pink lips. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she answered.


    ¡°I know your highness hates me... I know you are concerned that his highness maye to like me. At first, when Orlean told me this, I didn¡¯t believe her, but... The way her highness treats me proved that Orlean was right all along.¡±

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58: &lt;Chapter 58&gt;</h4>


    I didn¡¯t expect Lisbeth to be smart, but this was beyond anything I could imagine. How oblivious could a girl be?


    I asked coldly, ¡°So Orlean told you this?¡±


    ¡°Yes! She told me the truth.¡± Lisbeth looked straight into my eyes and continued, ¡°I am more beautiful than your highness, so once his highness notices me, you will lose your position in power. That is why you kicked me out from the emperor¡¯s office yesterday!¡±


    She was shouting by the time she was finished. Everyone stared at her in disgust.


    When no one said anything for a while, Lisbeth must have thought she won. She looked confident as if she was sure she was right.


    I stood up quietly and walked towards her. She flinched at first, but quickly straightened her shoulders.


    I smiled and asked, ¡°You are saying I¡¯m jealous and afraid of you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I kicked you out yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what you did.¡±


    ¡°And Orlean told you this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Orlean is older and therefore wiser.¡±


    Iughed at her quietly. The other maids followed suit and did the same.


    I suddenly stoppedughing and asked simply, ¡°Was Orlean there in the emperor¡¯s office yesterday?¡±


    ¡°... n, no.¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s voice weakened.


    ¡°Then wise Orlean made up a story without witnessing the event. She basically told you a lie about me and my thoughts. Well then, she needs to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    ¡°Orlean didn¡¯t follow us into the emperor¡¯s office yesterday, right?¡±


    Samantha answered quickly, ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    ¡°And who asked everyone to leave the office yesterday?¡±


    ¡°The emperor, your highness.¡±


    I continued, ¡°Then Orlean lied about something she knew nothing about. Or... You, Lisbeth, told her a lie so she makes a wrong assumption.¡±


    Lisbeth jumped.


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    I smiled kindly and asked her, ¡°Which is it?¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s eyes widened as she realized her mistake.


    She now had to make a choice. Either Orlean or she herself had to be punished for lying.


    ¡°Th, that is...¡±


    While Lisbeth stammered in shock, I asked Samantha casually, ¡°Samantha, what kind of punishment is given in cases like this?¡±


    She answered coolly, ¡°For a servant, a whipping. For a maid, she will be locked in her room for a number of days, your highness. The amount depends on the amount of time served in this castle.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I continued to smile at Lisbeth and asked, ¡°So which is it? I need to know, so I know who to punish. Is it you or Orlean?¡±


    ¡°T, the thing is...¡±


    Lisbeth became pale and she started to shake. She looked pathetic, but no one showed any sympathy towards her. She has been causing everyone so much trouble that she was disliked by all.


    As the silence continued, Agnes stood up, making Lisbeth jump.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you answer? Is it because it¡¯s you who fed lies to Orlean?¡±


    ¡°N, no!¡± Lisbeth screamed.


    Agnes then smiled kindly and replied, ¡°So it¡¯s not you then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t me!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s Orlean who needs to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? B, but...!¡±


    When Lisbeth tried to protest, Agnes red at her and asked again, ¡°Then was it you, Lady Lisbeth?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If it was you who told Orlean these lies, then you will be punished.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me!¡± Lisbeth answered as she continued to tremble.


    Samantha ignored her and asked me, ¡°It appears Orlean is the one who needs to be punished, your highness.¡±


    I answered, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°How many times should she be whipped?¡±


    I looked at Lisbeth and replied decisively, ¡°30. And for three days, she will be given only one meal a day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Samantha left with a smile to carry out my order.


    While all this happened, Lisbeth didn¡¯t once defend Orlean.


    If Lisbeth was punished, the worst would have been for her to stay in her room for a few days. However, for Orlean, she was to be physically punished. Lisbeth knew this, yet she threw Orlean under the bus.


    She was a selfish little girl.


    I sat down on my chair again. Lisbeth looked around at everyone hoping to ask for help, but it obviously wouldn¡¯t work. When everyone looked at her coldly, Lisbeth seemed to give up.


    ¡°...¡±


    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have done something like this. However, today, I was angry.


    I was very angry.


    Lisbeth made a huge mistake in picking a fight with me today.


    I opened my mouth and said sweetly, ¡°Lisbeth.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes?¡± She looked up in fear.


    She was truly a beautiful girl, but I felt nothing for her. The more Lisbeth hated me, the better chance I would have in the dowager empress bing interested in her. I had to give Lisbeth as many reasons as possible to hate me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not fight anymore.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    I smiled kindly and confidently as I continued, ¡°His highness will be visiting me tonight. You should dress up like yesterday and wait with me. Let¡¯s see if it was really me who kicked you out yesterday or if it was his highness who just wasn¡¯t interested in you. This will be a good test to find out who was mistaken, right?¡±


    ***


    I sat alone in my reception room. I had a lot to think about, so I asked all of my maids to leave. I needed to be alone.


    I made Lisbeth leave even earlier.


    I told her, ¡°Make sure you look your best ande tonight to my room.¡±


    I meant to arrange a surprise blind date between the emperor and Lisbeth.


    I didn¡¯t understand what I was feeling. I was still angry about the fact that Lucretius was spying on me.


    I already knew he didn¡¯t trust me just as I didn¡¯t trust him. We had a purely business rtionship.


    It made sense that he was spying on me. I shouldn¡¯t be feeling angry about it.


    Yet...


    ¡°[Why am I so angry?]¡± I murmured quietly in my ownnguage.


    I put down the book I was holding and looked out the window.


    ¡®Why do I feel so angry?¡¯


    Who was I angry at?


    One thing was certain. It was him. I was angry at my husband.


    Why?


    Because he carelessly let me know he was spying on me.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, it didn¡¯t make sense. I already knew how our rtionship worked.


    I wasn¡¯t making any sense. I was being unreasonable.


    I felt frustrated. I bit my nail out of an old habit.


    I hated this feeling.


    ¡®Call me by my name.¡¯


    Suddenly, I remembered his voice.


    I blushed instantly! I felt hot.


    I knew. I knew why I felt angry. I wanted to ignore the truth, but it was right in front of me.


    ¡°[He said he liked me, yet this is what he does to me...]¡±


    He imed he had feelings for me, but he clearly didn¡¯t trust me. That man!


    This was why I was angry.


    Secretly, I must have wanted to believe he meant what he said. I did believe him because I couldn¡¯t find a reason why he would lie about it. He would have gained nothing from it.


    ¡°[So why... why would he...]¡± I was furious. ¡°[Why did he do this to me...!]¡±


    I couldn¡¯t calm down.


    When he first told me how he felt, I wanted to tell him I didn¡¯t want to know about it. I wanted to ignore it.


    Why wasn¡¯t I happy that he didn¡¯t trust me? Spying on me meant he clearly wasn¡¯t truly in love with me. I should have been relieved.


    One possible exnation popped up in my mind.


    Did I like him too? Did I start having feelings for him? Was that why the fact that he didn¡¯t trust me bothered me?


    ¡°...¡±


    I hated this. I shouted out loud.


    ¡°[This can¡¯t be!]¡±


    How could this be!? Was this really true?


    No! This didn¡¯t make sense. There had to be a more logical exnation.


    I tried to organize my thoughts better.


    What about Lisbeth?


    A beautiful girl. She could have been Lucretius¡¯ wife instead of me if things worked out differently.


    I had to admit it. I didn¡¯t like her. She made me feel insecure. Imagining her with Lucretius made me feel upset.


    But...


    ¡°[It¡¯s because Lisbeth doesn¡¯t suit him!]¡±


    So this meant...


    ¡°[I have to find a more suitable woman for him!]¡±


    Lisbeth was just a bait to get the dowager empress. Once I went back home, Lucretius would be wifeless. He needed a woman.


    What I needed to do was to find him a good woman.


    Lisbeth was definitely not an empress material.


    This must be it! I was angry because someone like Lisbeth was trying to get a guy who confessed his feelings for me. I must have been just annoyed!


    When I imagined Lisbeth bing the empress, it made me angry again.


    Yes! This exined everything.


    I knew what I had to do.


    I had to find a great girl for Lucretius. Definitely not Lisbeth. Then I would leave this world.


    It was a perfect n.


    ¡°[Perfect! It¡¯s a solid strategy.]¡±


    Once I came up with this conclusion, I felt lighter. I knew it didn¡¯t make perfect sense, but I ignored the nagging feeling.


    Just then, the door opened, and someone walked in.

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59: &lt;Chapter 59&gt;</h4>


    Agnes entered and bowed deeply.


    ¡°Your order has been carried out, your highness.¡±


    Samantha was still away, and I expected her to be back in an hour or two. I sent Elza and Luis to go n out and prepare my outfit and jewelries for tonight. It would take them a little while.


    As I expected, Agnes was the first one to return. It was just her and I in the room.


    This was what I was waiting for.


    I tried to make sure my voice was even. Not too high or not too low.


    Emotionless.


    ¡°I assume his highness ising to my room tonight? Since you heard what I said to Lisbeth earlier.¡±


    Agnes looked up at me in surprise.


    After a brief silence, she asked me politely, ¡°Are you ordering me to let the emperor know about this situation?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No, there shouldn¡¯t be a need for that. You already reported to him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The silence was unpleasant.


    After searching my face with her grey eyes, Agnes asked me, ¡°Why would you think that, your highness?¡±


    I answered calmly, ¡°Because you overreacted when I mentioned the princesses.¡±


    Agnes was my number one suspect. It made sense.


    At first, I had difficulty narrowing the suspects down. It could have been anyone. However, yesterday, when I showed interest in the dowager empress¡¯ daughters, it was Agnes who reacted angrily. That same day, Lucretius asked me about the same princesses.


    It was too good to be a coincidence.


    I said to Agnes, ¡°I am lucky to have someone like you who works so tirelessly. I now have no need to ever tell his highness anything or send him a message because of you. Isn¡¯t that right, Dame Dotrya?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I surprised even myself with the coldness of my voice and statement. The moment I stopped calling her Agnes and addressed her as ¡°Dame Dotrya,¡± a huge gap was created between us.


    ¡°...¡±


    Agnes continued to look at me silently. I couldn¡¯t tell at all what she was thinking or feeling.


    Agnes was better than even Samantha at hiding her feelings. Her face was always nk, especially when it involved the dowager empress Katleyanira.


    The woman who killed her beloved empress Beatrice.


    Her adopted sister.


    I chose her to serve me because I thought her anger against the dowager empress would help me. I never imagined this would actually backfire. I didn¡¯t consider the degree of her fury; it was so great that if necessary, she was willing to betray me.


    Agnes bowed calmly and replied, ¡°I did let his highness know, and if you feel I have done something wrong, I am only happy to receive your punishment.¡±


    I felt relieved that I guessed correctly.


    I said to her, ¡°I have no right to punish you.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    When Agnes looked up at me curiously, I smiled lightly and replied, ¡°You work for the emperor, so how could I dare to punish you?¡±


    ¡°...!¡± I added slowly, ¡°But this is my home, my wing. I rule this ce, and I cannot have people I can¡¯t trust to serve me.¡±


    For the first time, Agnes became pale.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    I didn¡¯t even blink. I said to her coldly, ¡°You may go back to Lonez if you wish, or you can go to the emperor¡¯s quarters. Where you stay is none of my concern, but you can¡¯t stay with me here.¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    I ordered calmly, ¡°Please leave my ce today. That is all I have to say.¡±


    Agnes bit her lips. She screamed at me desperately.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me you will make the dowager empress pay for what she did?!¡±


    ¡°Yes I did, and I still n to. I will defeat the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°Then why would you show sympathy towards her daughters?¡±


    I sighed. Agnes was so furious she couldn¡¯t see the big picture. It was a bit concerning.


    I didn¡¯t want to drag this for too long, so I answered simply, ¡°They can be useful. They may be the dowager empress¡¯ children, but I doubt they feel any love for her. I have seen something simr so I can guess how they feel about her. All I did was... consider the possibility of them being useful to me, and therefore, to his highness.¡±


    ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Look at their bloody red hair! They are Katleyanira¡¯s daughter, they must be evil too!¡±


    I answered calmly, ¡°If and when that turns out to be true, I will throw them out.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust them. All I did was think of the possibility that they could be of use somehow.¡±


    Agnes seemed speechless.


    After a brief hesitation, she asked cautiously, ¡°Then why are you so angry that I told his highness? You are his highness¡¯ wife, so why would you feel upset that I told him...¡±


    I smiled smoothly and interrupted her, ¡°There is a difference between me telling his highness myself and someone else telling him without my knowledge. This is my wing, therefore, anything that involves this ce should require my knowledge and permission.¡±


    This was true. Other than the dowager empress and her daughters, I was the highest-ranking woman in the entire castle.


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    I said to her simply, ¡°So please leave my ce. Thank you for your service.¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hear anymore. When I stood up to leave, Agnes kneeled before me.


    ¡°Your highness! I can¡¯t leave like this. That woman! I have lived all this time to see Katleyanira defeated!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Do you know how evil that bitch is? You know that empress Beatrice was pregnant at the time of execution, right? Empress Beatrice begged Katleyanira to dy the execution until after the birth so the baby could live! She begged her on her knees for her baby¡¯s life! Empress Beatrice didn¡¯t care if the baby wouldn¡¯t be acknowledged as royal blood. She just wanted it to live!¡±


    I felt cold.


    ¡°That bitch at first pretended like she would help her, but... She instead asked the former emperor to make the execution happen earlier than nned!¡±


    I felt like someone threw ice water at me.


    Agnes continued urgently, ¡°And Katleyanira even made Luc watch the execution. She made him watch his own mother¡¯s death! It was because she asked the former emperor to do it. Empress Beatrice begged her to spare Luc such a trauma, but Katleyaniraughed at her!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I became speechless. Katleyanira was worse than I thought.


    ¡°That is why I couldn¡¯t stand how you showed sympathy towards that bitch¡¯s daughters! I know I have done you wrong, but... I need to see her dead! She needs to suffer and die a horrible death!¡± Agnes started to weep. ¡°I understand why you are angry at me, your highness, but the only thing I ever told his highness was about the princesses. You can ask his highness yourself. I swear on the empress Beatrice¡¯s grave. I have never spied on you or told his highness anything about you other than about the princesses.¡±


    ¡°Agnes...¡±


    ¡°Please give me a chance. I am not asking for you to trust me or be kind to me.¡± She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Please use me as a weapon against that bitch. I swear to you, I will give up my life dly. Not for his highness, but for you, mydy! I don¡¯t think I will be of great help to your highness, but...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You will find me useful. I have lived in this castle for the past 20 years. I also have experience in serving empress Beatrice. My life is yours, mydy. You can use me any way you see fit.¡±


    Agnes¡¯s eyes were burning.


    After a brief contemtion, I decided. What Agnes said and the way she acted right now didn¡¯t seem fake. I could see her genuine desperation.


    After a short silence, I said to her, ¡°It is true that I need a tool. A weapon against the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want a weapon I can¡¯t control or else, I might end up getting hurt with it.¡±


    Agnes nodded passionately. ¡°Yes, your highness, I will never do anything like this ever again.¡±


    ¡°Even for the emperor.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mean harm against the emperor, I will never betray you.¡±


    ¡°There is no way I would ever harm his highness.¡±


    In fact, it was Lucretius who may end up hurting me.


    Finally, Agnes smiled widely. It was such a pure abnormal smile that it made me feel ufortable.


    ¡°Mydy, I give you my life.¡±


    Agnes kissed the top of my foot.


    That was the day Agnes became mine.

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60: &lt;Chapter 60&gt;</h4>


    ¡°Greetings to your highness, the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Greetings to your highness, the emperor.¡±


    All of my maids and I bowed deeply as Lucretius entered my room.


    Lucretius and his servants all looked oddly at one person.


    It was Lisbeth.


    I wasn¡¯t a look of surprise or annoyance. It was an expected reaction. I ned this situation myself.


    Lisbeth looked like a blooming rose. She was the most beautiful woman in this room.


    Unlike her, I was not wearing any makeup and was only wearing a simple gown.


    Other than Lisbeth, all the other maids and servants were also dressed simply. Lisbeth stood out with her gorgeous outfit. She looked like she was ready to attend a grand ball.


    She was blushing with excitement. It was clear she could feel Lucretius¡¯ eyes on her.


    Lucretius stared at her for a few seconds before turning to me.


    He said coolly, ¡°What an odd situation.¡±


    I smiled and took Lisbeth¡¯s hand. I escorted her to him.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this girl look beautiful tonight?¡±


    I pushed her towards him. Lisbeth looked pleased and shy at the same time.


    I smiled and studied Lucretius¡¯s face.


    He continued to look nk as he answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    I could feel Lisbeth¡¯s hand trembling excitedly. I became curious. What will he do? What will he say?


    I wanted to say to Lucretius.


    ¡®Show me what you got. Show me you meant what you said. Show me your true feelings.¡¯


    I knew I created an absurd situation, but I didn¡¯t care. I needed to see what happens. I needed to see what he would do.


    Lucretius turned back to Lisbeth again.


    Sky blue eyes, golden blond hair, and luscious pink lips. Even I found her attractive.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a long silence, Lucretius finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°I agree that she is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s hand trembled with pleasure. Her eyes nced at me triumphantly.


    ¡°...¡±


    I had no time to feel anything at hisment because Lucretius approached me quickly and grabbed my waist. He hugged me and smelled my hair deeply.


    ¡°Did you use violet in your bath today?¡±


    He had an amazing sense of smell.


    I nodded and answered, ¡°Yes. Samantha ced violet petals in my bath water.¡±


    ¡°Good. It smells wonderful.¡±


    He continued to hug me and walked towards my bedroom.


    He said to me, ¡°You are too generous.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He was looking only at me. His green eyes narrowed as if he could see right through me.


    Gosh, he already knew exactly what was happening here. He knew what I was doing.


    How annoying.


    ¡°I realize all women like to look beautiful but aren¡¯t that too much? There are times and ces for dressing up, and to try to outshine your owndy you serve...¡±


    He emphasized the next words, which were clearly directed at Lisbeth.


    ¡°Is outrageously unattractive.¡±


    I answered innocently, ¡°As you say.¡±


    I turned around and my eyes locked with Lisbeth.


    She was shaking with humiliation.


    With that, the door to my bedroom closed.


    ***


    I felt like I was walking on the clouds.


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt excited and happy.


    Why?


    As soon as he spoke, my happiness disappeared.


    ¡°How was that? Are you satisfied?¡±


    I replied coldly, ¡°About what?¡±


    Heughed quietly. To me, it sounded like an animal growling.


    ¡°What I did to that girl. I am asking if my reaction to her was enough to make you forgive me for what I did yesterday.¡±


    So he really did know what was going on. When I red at him, he was looking down at me as if he was waiting for me to praise him.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°You are so hard to please.¡±


    Heined and continued to hug me as he got closer to the bed.


    Huh? Not so fast!


    I got away from his embrace and red at him.


    He looked a little different today. He came to my room often, but today, he looked like he dressed up a little.


    I criticized him coldly.


    ¡°You are wearing too much perfume, even more than me. Why would you put so much on? It¡¯s too strong.¡±


    ¡°... Alright. I will make sure not to do it again in the future.¡±


    He was being unusually agreeable. He must have realized that I was very angry.


    This made me feel happy. I was in a very good mood, which was lucky for him.


    He persisted.


    ¡°So, did I pass your test today? Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t continue to be difficult. I answered slowly, ¡°You didn¡¯t do too bad.¡±


    Lucretius smiled broadly. His smile was infuriating.


    ¡°So it was good. I did well.¡±


    ¡°There is a big difference between not bad and good.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s either good or bad. There are only two options.¡±


    Iughed at him.


    ¡°Nope. The world isn¡¯t always ck and white. There is a huge array of greys in-between.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He walked towards me until his face was close to mine.


    ¡°Then am I standing near the white or ck in your book?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was asking me to tell him how I feel about him. I didn¡¯t expect him to ask me outright like this so soon. He was putting me on the spot.


    When I looked ufortable, he smiled as if to make me rx, but I didn¡¯t feel relieved at all.


    I had to say something, so instead of answering his question, I asked my own, ¡°... Did you really mean what you said?¡±


    ¡°Ever since we first met, I meant everything I said to you.¡±


    I knew for sure this was not true.


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    He frowned and eximed, ¡°I really did!¡±


    He sounded desperate like a child. I was a bit surprised, but I continued, ¡°There is no way you felt that way about me when we first met. You meant to use me for your n!¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I did, and I meant what I said at that time, but I started to feel different after a while, and I told you how I felt.¡±


    ¡°You are so good with words.¡±


    He smiled smoothly.


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was still so confident that it was annoying.


    When he saw my unimpressed expression, he continued to exin, ¡°Samantha and Agnes aren¡¯t spying on you for me. They don¡¯te to me to tell me about you. This was the only time when Agnes overreacted and asked me to stop you. I didn¡¯t ask her any questions either.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Was this really true?


    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t trust him.


    He kissed the back of my hand and continued to whisper sweet words, ¡°Remember what I said? I want you to choose me on your own. I admit that in the beginning, I chose you because you would be useful to me. I still feel the same way; I believe in your intelligence and willpower. But now...¡±


    He grabbed my chin and pulled me towards him.


    ¡°I want you more than anything in the world.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ... too much! How could anyone say such corny words! Why couldn¡¯t he speak like a normal person?!


    I felt ufortable. When I looked at Lucretius, he smiled at me like a child waiting to be praised.


    He continued, ¡°I am not asking for an answer right now. I don¡¯t expect you to choose me immediately. I know enough about you that you aren¡¯t the type who would give herself up that easily. All I ask of you at this point is for you to enjoy my beauty and be impressed by my thoughtfulness. I will allow it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I wanted to hit him.


    Lucretius changed the subject.


    ¡°By the way, it was hrious to see her expression.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide my grin.


    ¡°I agree. It was funny.¡±


    He smiled as well.


    ¡°She must have really made you mad.¡±


    ¡°She did.¡±


    Lisbeth did go too far. I haven¡¯t felt that kind of anger in a long time.


    Suddenly, I realized I wasying on the bed.


    How did this happen?


    Lucretius and I were on the bed together. He was hugging me from behind, and I haven¡¯t realized it until now.


    This was too dangerous. I was getting too used to the feel of him.


    I felt nervous. I licked my lips and opened my mouth.


    ¡°Um... Your highness.¡±


    ¡°Nope, wrong.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    He whispered to my ear, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to call me Luc.¡±

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61: &lt;Chapter 61: Honey Trap&gt;</h4>


    We talked about mundane things as weid together in my bed. We talked about what we ate, what happened during teatimes, and so on.


    Finally, we returned to the subject of Lisbeth.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see too closely, but she seemed like she wanted to kill you. Is she going to be dangerous?¡±


    I answered easily, ¡°That¡¯s what I want, so it¡¯s okay. She needs to genuinely hate me so that the dowager empress bes interested in her.¡±


    ¡°What if she does something stupid even before the dowager empress approaches her?¡±


    ¡°I will get rid of her if that happens. I have other ns too, so even if Lisbeth doesn¡¯t work out, I am not worried.¡±


    Lucretius reminded me.


    ¡°I know you are already aware of this, but it is always dangerous to keep someone who hates you close. It could get out of hand if the dowager empress really gets to Lisbeth. It could get very dangerous for you.¡±


    I knew what he was trying to say, so I answered in the same serious tone.


    ¡°I know, but if I continue to y defensively, I will never be able to get someone like the dowager empress. You know this already. Even if I have proofs and witnesses that Lisbeth was ordered by the dowager empress to kill me, we still wouldn¡¯t be able to dethrone her.¡±


    ¡°... I know.¡±


    Attempting to assassinate me wouldn¡¯t be enough. This was only a small part of the n. We needed something bigger, like proofs the dowager empress was nning the murder of the emperor or a rebellion against him.


    I exined, ¡°So when it looks like the dowager empress is about to use Lisbeth, we will have to be ready for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. When the timeses... We will have to make it look like the dowager empress was trying to kill me through Lisbeth.¡±


    After a brief silence, I sighed and replied, ¡°... I feel like I am giving up on my morals.¡±


    Heughed quietly.


    ¡°I will take care of the details, so let me be the one who feels any guilt. You are only doing what I am asking you to do. Besides, I am the bad guy, remember? I am the one who killed my own father.¡±


    I shook my head in response.


    ¡°No, we are aplices.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So I will not let you take on everything. I can¡¯t me you for it and pretend I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I chose to do this. It was me who made my own decisions, whatever I feel is my own burden to carry. Don¡¯t try to take that away from me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ***


    Lucretius was impressed again. She was willing to ept her guilt as her own. He never imagined her to say something like that.


    Lucretius was so used to taking on everything and be alone. No one had offered to be by his side. He started to think that perhaps it really was true that Bina was from a different world.


    She was so strong and decent.


    Lucretius answered, ¡°... alright.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Oh, by the way, that girl will have to be monitored closely so we know exactly when and how the dowager empress contacts her.¡±


    Bina nodded.


    ¡°I already told Agnes to keep an eye on her.¡±


    Lucretius nodded as well.


    ¡°Good. She can be trusted.¡±


    Lucretius hugged Bina tighter and sighed. He continued, ¡°... From now on, let¡¯s not talk about things like this in the bedroom, especially in the bed.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Why? This is the most private ce for us and the best spot to talk about things like this.¡±


    ¡°I just want to feel you close to me. I don¡¯t want to talk about businesses like we are still at work. It¡¯s not romantic at all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius was serious.


    ***


    He was always serious. He could feel her small body trembling in his tight embrace. He loved it.


    The girl he wanted was quick and smart. She always analyzed his words and actions. She calcted his moves and knew his motives before he told her.


    Her intelligence made him happy, but the thing he liked the most about her was something else.


    ¡°What stupid romance?!¡±


    It was her frank attitude.


    No one had ever treated him this casually and coolly. Even the dowager empress never showed her displeasure in front of him this obviously.


    He noticed Bina secretly looking at him. When he looked at her, she became startled and turned away quickly. Her beautiful ck eyes looked surprised.


    She was so adorable.


    He knew she was probably trying to escape this situation. She was also trying to figure out what he was thinking about. His wife was always suspicious of him.


    It was no wonder she didn¡¯t trust him. Ever since they first met, he made sure he acted callously.


    She saw him kill his own father. After they made a deal, he continuously used her. He even poisoned her, which he regretted with all his heart.


    In his defense, he was certain she wouldn¡¯t be in any real danger. When she didn¡¯t wake up right away, he felt true fear.


    Considering all that happened, it made sense she didn¡¯t trust him. If she did, he would have thought she was an idiot.


    By the time he realized his feelings for her, it was toote. She had already formed her opinion of him, and it wasn¡¯t very ttering. She was wary of him and he epted it.


    In a way, this was necessary. To survive in this hellish castle as royalty, she needed to be suspicious of everything and everyone.


    If he only thought of Bina as a good empress material and aplice, he wouldn¡¯t have been concerned at all. Just like he didn¡¯t truly care about Isabe, other than having her as his ally. When she died, he was disappointed, but not sad. In fact, he was thankful for her death as he was able to gain an important ally.


    However, it was different with Bina. He wanted different things from her.


    He didn¡¯t want her to be just his partner. He wanted to get rid of the wall that stood between them. He wanted HER.


    He was so obsessed with this feeling that he even felt less focused on the fight against the dowager empress.


    At this moment, the ck-haired girl, his wife, was in his arms. She felt warm and real. He felt the urge to take her and make her his, but he stopped himself.


    Frankly, he could have her if he wanted. She was in his arms, and tonight could be the night if he wished.


    ¡®No. Not yet.¡¯


    This wasn¡¯t a woman who would submit to be his woman by force. She was strong and proud.


    If someone like her came to truly love him, he knew it would feel like he won the sun itself. He couldn¡¯t even imagine the joy he would feel.


    It had to be her choice. She had to give herself to him, body and soul. Only then would he know she was truly his.


    He was a greedy man and he wanted her everything.


    He was ready for this hunt. He knew in order to win a cautious prey, a predator had to be patient.


    ¡®I will do everything I can to make you fall for me.¡¯


    He knew he first had to make her feel safe around him. That was why he hid his ws and acted childishly in front of her. It was a calcted move.


    He insisted again.


    ¡°Now, say it.¡±


    She answered awkwardly, ¡°S, say what?¡±


    Heughed quietly. He even made an effort to make hisugh sound innocent and gentle.


    ¡°My wife must be developing a hearing problem.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    She sounded truly offended. She was so cute. He grinned and smelled her hair again. A lovely violet scent tickled his nose.


    ¡°I told you to call me Luc when we are alone!¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    She knew what he was doing and that was why she hesitated.


    She knew he was doing his best to disarm her.


    Bina wanted to return to her world, and she knew he could stop her. That was probably the biggest reason why she was always distrustful of him.


    What he needed to do was to ask for small things. In return, he would offer her a big reward.


    After a few times of gaining big returns for small favors, she would soon feel like she owes him. This was what he wanted. It was a good start.


    He needed to make himself familiar to her. Already, she was getting used to his touches and hugs.


    Calling by nickname would make them even closer. Lucretius would make himself a part of her and by the time she realized what was happening, it would be toote.


    ¡®It won¡¯t be long.¡¯ He continued to tell himself, ¡®Just a little bit longer... Soon, she will be mine.¡±


    He convinced himself.


    ¡®I need to be patient and wait a while longer.¡¯


    After his insistence, she finally said it.


    ¡°Luc...¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction.

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62: &lt;Chapter 62: To hold an apple or to eat it&gt;</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Samantha apologized to me calmly, but her face was deathly pale.


    ¡°I am so sorry, your highness. I am always so careful...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am aware that this is a usual urrence around here.¡±


    I hid my sigh and assured Samantha.


    This first happened to me in the morning after I became Lucretius¡¯s wife. At the time, Lucretius didn¡¯t say anything. He just gestured me to not drink my tea.


    Just like then, the silver edges of my teacup turned ck. This had been happening a few times every week for a while now.


    The small sauce bowl, which was made of silver, also had the same ck marks.


    I pushed the bowl away. It was fine since I didn¡¯t eat it, but I still didn¡¯t want it close to me.


    Samantha quickly took the bowl away and handed it to a servant. Agnes¡¯ face crumpled as she kneeled in front of me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this happened again. I have no excuse, your highness. This time, I will make sure to find out who is responsible.¡±


    ¡°... Please do.¡±


    Even as I asked, I knew there was only a small chance she would ever find the culprit behind this.


    After the bowl was taken away, Samantha and Agnes poked all the food again with silver forks. At least today, it wasn¡¯t a close call.


    A few days ago, I was about to put a spoonful of food into my mouth when Elza noticed the silver spoon discoloring. She screamed and I dropped it in time. After that incident, I lost all my appetite. Even drinking water required bravery.


    I obviously couldn¡¯t stop eating. The others also couldn¡¯t know I was afraid to eat. From then on, I forced myself to eat small bits, but I made sure to be extra careful every time.


    ording to Samantha, all my foods were checked before leaving the kitchen. The fact that it passed the first test meant a specific poison was being used. It was probably something that doesn¡¯t show when the food is still hot.


    That must have been why the silver color doesn¡¯t change in the kitchen. It only changed after the food cooled.


    This meant that timing was everything. If I didn¡¯t wait long enough, I could die.


    I was walking on thin ice.


    ¡°Everything has been checked, your highness. It¡¯s all good.¡±


    Samantha said to me confidently. I finally started to touch the food but didn¡¯t eat until I poked around a little while longer with my own silver fork.


    I wasn¡¯t hungry anymore, but today was an important day. I needed to eat for strength.


    ***


    My face hurt. I couldn¡¯t stop my mouth from spasming.


    However, I had to continue on smiling. I tried my best to keep my voice pleasant.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s amazing, Countess.¡±


    ¡°I am ttered, your highness.¡±


    An elegant middle-aged woman smiled gracefully.


    She was the wife of Count n and the daughter-inw of Cornelius.


    Norma des Lonensia.


    Currently, her husband, who was Cornelius¡¯ second son and the heir, was only a count. However, Cornelius was a Duke, which meant someday Norma would be a duchess.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that thisdy would be the most influential noblewoman in the future.


    Lonensia was an old and powerful family. It would be beneficial to be friends with her. Of course, by the time she came to power, there was a good chance I would be back home.


    ¡°By the way, your nieces are so beautiful.¡±


    When Iplimented the two girls the Countess brought, Norma smiled broadly. She didn¡¯t have any daughters, so I was told she treated her sister¡¯s girls like her own children.


    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    Two teenage girls blushed. One looked shy as she became red, while the other appeared to be acting shy just to be polite. She bowed lightly to show her thanks.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I studied this girl carefully. Unlike her sister, she was calm and confident. Beautiful brown hair and light grey eyes. She shined with intelligence and strength.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I remembered that I needed more maids.


    I especially needed a maid who could be a good match for Lucretius. After I leave, I was sure his harem would overflow with women, but right now, I was the only one.


    Lucretius was courting me openly, but I had no intention of epting his feeling. I couldn¡¯t. I had to go back home. I didn¡¯t n on bing one of his many women in the harem!


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt like this girl could be the one, but I needed to learn more about her.


    I decided to test her.


    I dropped my teacup and spilled my tea towards the two sisters.


    ¡°Oh my...!¡±


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    Everyone, including myself, eximed except for that girl. Her eyes widened, but she remained quiet and calm.


    Very good.


    The Countess asked me worriedly, ¡°Are you okay, your highness?¡±


    ¡°I am fine, but are you two okay? It was my mistake. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I studied the two girls. One looked annoyed and upset as she blotted her dress with her handkerchief. The other one, however, continued to look calm as she cleaned up.


    The one I was interested in was the younger sister, but she was definitely the more mature one.


    ¡°I am so sorry,dies. I got you girls something and I hope this makes it up for my silly mistake...¡±


    I ordered Samantha to bring in the gifts I prepared in advance.


    I arranged a gift for the Countess, but I didn¡¯t know her nieces wereing. When I found out, I secretly asked Samantha to pick something from my jewelry collection for the girls as well.


    ¡°Oh, my!¡±


    The older sister eximed when she saw the gifts.


    Samantha brought three pieces. One was elegant and simple, which was perfect for the Countess. The other two pieces were more extravagant, which suited young, unmarried girls.


    The Countess declined.


    ¡°Your highness, but these are royal jewelry!¡±


    ¡°His highness and I am very thankful for your father-inw¡¯s hard work. This is only a small token to show our appreciation.¡±


    I handed the ne studded with ck diamonds to the Countess. I then ced the other two pieces in front of the girls.


    ¡°You can choose among yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The older sister quickly picked the one that looked borate. The younger sister calmly took the leftover, which was a much simpler bracelet.


    She replied, ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    I liked her. I obviously still didn¡¯t know much about her, but what I saw so far looked promising.


    For some reason, I felt bitter that I found a potential girl for Lucretius. Why did I feel this way? I felt confused, but I ignored the feeling.


    The Countess took the ne and smiled ufortably.


    ¡°This is too much, your highness.¡±


    This was what I was waiting for.


    I smiled and asked finally, ¡°Then would you do me a favor?¡±


    ¡°A... favor?¡±


    A strange expression appeared on her face, but only very briefly. I could see that she realized my intention for the gift.


    She had no choice, however, so she replied quickly, ¡°Of course. You have given us such precious gifts, so I am happy to follow your wish. Please give me your order.¡±


    Iughed quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an order. It¡¯s just a very small favor.¡±


    The Countess picked up the teacup and was about to take a sip when she paused as I continued.


    ¡°I would like to take one of your nieces as my maid.¡±


    The three looked surprised. Even the younger sister, who has been keeping her cool, looked amazed.


    The Countess replied politely, ¡°But these girls aren¡¯t worthy, your highness. I fear they may not be helpful.¡±


    She was declining out of good manners, but it was clear she was ecstatic.


    It made sense. Bing a maid to the emperor¡¯s wife was a great honor for any families. As my maid, there was a very good chance to make an advantageous marriage. In some cases, the maid also had a chance to be the emperor¡¯s wife.


    This was exactly why Lisbeth wanted to be my maid.


    I replied, ¡°I am so busy, especially with the uing ball, I need more help.¡±


    The Countess nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s true... I have heard you only have five maids and that is not enough.¡±


    So the countess knew a lot about my situation. She obviously had a good source of information.


    I continued, ¡°So please, help me.¡±


    The Countess smiled broadly at my insistence.


    She replied, ¡°Well if you insist...¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I turned towards the two girls. They were old enough to know what this chance could mean.


    I asked casually, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    The Countess answered instead, ¡°The older girl is 17, and the younger is 16. The older one will be married in three months.¡±


    I replied as if disappointed, ¡°Oh, congrattions, but if the wedding is in three months, then it will not be possible for you to work for me.¡±


    Usually, a maid worked a two-to-five-year term. A maid often retired by getting married. Once they raised their children and be middle-aged, they sometimes returned to serve again as the principle maid in waiting like Samantha.


    I said to the older sister, ¡°Congrattions again. I am sad to say you can¡¯t be my maid, but I will send a wedding gift when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    The older sister looked disappointed, but at the mention of a gift, she blushed in pleasure. It was rare for a royal member to send personal gifts.


    I finally turned to the younger sister, who returned to being calm.


    She was definitely something. She must have learned much from her aunt the Countess.


    I asked, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Yulia, your highness.¡±

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63: &lt;Chapter 63&gt;</h4>


    I sat on my sofa in my bedroom. Agnes came to me and started to brush my hair.


    It was a busy day and after a hot bath, I felt rxed. As Agnes brushed my hair slowly, I felt sleepy.


    I shook my head a little to wake myself up and ordered, ¡°Please find out about Yulia des Maximillian.¡±


    ¡°Yulia... des Maximillian?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let me know everything about her including her reputation.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of that name before.¡±


    Agnes seemed curious. She was busy working on preparing for the ball today that she wasn¡¯t present at the meeting with the Countess n and her nieces.


    I told her what had happened and what I knew of Yulia.


    ¡°She is the daughter of Viscount Morian. She will work as my maid starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Agnes seemed surprised. She replied, ¡°I remember you saying you would hire another maid, but I thought you have forgotten about it since things have been so hectic.¡±


    ¡°... It¡¯s true that I did forget. I have indeed been very busy.¡±


    After a brief silence, Agnes replied, ¡°Viscount Morian... Now I remember. Many years ago, Countess n¡¯s sister married him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The new maid is one of Countess n¡¯s nieces.¡±


    Agnes nodded.


    ¡°I did hear that Countess n has been taking care of her nieces like her own children. Her sister died after the birth of those girls.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Countess n took great care to arrange a good marriage for the older girl. I heard she has been worried about getting a good husband for the younger girl too, so she must have been very happy when you offered this position for the girl.¡±


    I agreed silently.


    ¡°...¡±


    I tried imagining Yulia standing next to Lucretius, just like I did with Lisbeth.


    Yulia seemed intelligent and tranquil. Unlike Lisbeth, I found her to be a good match for the emperor.


    ¡®They will make a good couple.¡¯


    Once I realized this, I felt unhappy. I started to get upset.


    Why?


    I almost felt sick. Did I eat something bad today?


    I was very nervous about meeting Countess n, so perhaps I was just tired from all the stress.


    Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Why are you looking so sad?¡±


    W, what the...!


    I turned around in shock to find Lucretius standing quietly.


    ¡°Y, you scared me... How long have you been standing there?¡±


    ¡°Not long.¡±


    ¡°You need to make some noise when youe in!¡±


    ¡°I wanted to surprise you.¡±


    The servant always announced him when he entered a room, which meant he must have ordered them to remain silent. He had done this a few times before.


    When I sighed deeply, heughed.


    ¡°By the way, that maid of yours...¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    I was shocked. How did he already know about the new maid? Who told him? Agnes? Samantha?


    I hid my shock and answered calmly, ¡°Yes, I decided to get another maid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°... I was talking about that silly blond. You know, the Duke of Aeal¡¯s daughter?¡±


    We were talking about different girls. I thought he was referring to Yulia, but he was actually talking about Lisbeth.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t seem to notice my mistake. In fact, he was now openly staring at my hair as Agnes brushed it.


    He asked, ¡°So you are getting a new maid?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I need more help with my work. It¡¯s Countess n¡¯s niece.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure the Countess is very happy about it. It makes sense you need another maid since one of them is actually quite useless.¡± Heughed at his own joke and continued, ¡°Anyway, about that senseless maid.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Lisbeth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to remember her name. Anyway, she acted ridiculously again when I came in just now.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    What did she do this time?


    He exined proudly as if he deserved praise.


    ¡°That woman was waiting for me at the door half naked.¡±


    He paused for me to show interest. I asked reluctantly, ¡°So what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I said this to her...¡± He cleared his throat and repeated what he said to her in an ice-cold voice, ¡°You look absurd.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That must have hurt. I asked him.


    ¡°S, so... What did Lisbeth say?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say much.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°She just started to cry and ran out.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I decided to feel a little sympathy for her.


    Just for one second.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said something like that to a young girl...¡±


    Lucretius scoffed and replied, ¡°She annoys me. If I didn¡¯t do something like this, she would try again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    This was true. Lisbeth was persistent. She must have felt hurt today, but I knew in a few days, she would try something else.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy about Lucretius¡¯ nastiness towards Lisbeth. What an awful person I am!


    Lucretius continued to stare at my hair as Agnes brushed it. After a few more seconds, he seemed confident. He nodded and took the brush from Agnes.


    He then started to brush my hair.


    Iughed at his silliness.


    ¡°My hair is all brushed now, so why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to. I see that the more you brush, the shinier your hair bes. Your maids must be treating you well. All of them except for one.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Except for one.¡±


    ¡°When I first met you, your hair looked so rough like straws, but now, they look like silk.¡±


    This man had a knack for making apliment sound like an insult.


    I murmured, ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was.¡± He grinned and continued, ¡°Especiallypared to my hair.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Whatever.


    ***


    I was so sleepy. I was ready for bed.


    Thefortable bed beckoned me seductively. I was about to climb it when Lucretius stopped me.


    ¡°How are your dance lessons going?¡±


    I was tired, so I answered quickly, ¡°Very well. I am practicing every day.¡±


    The first dance at the ball was to be performed by the emperor and his empress. Since there was no empress, I had to dance with him as his only wife.


    It would in front of the most important people in this world. I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself, so I had been practicing daily.


    Lucretius grinned mischievously and took my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I believe you. I¡¯ll have to see for myself.¡±


    He wanted to dance right now?! In the middle of the night?


    It was a quiet night. I took his hand and followed his steps. There was no music, but it had been almost a month since I started the lessons, so my body moved easily.


    At first, I was worried I might make mistakes. I had stepped on Elza¡¯s feet a few times already during my practices.


    I had never danced with Lucretius until now. I didn¡¯t know how well he danced.


    I was pleasantly surprised. He danced like a professional. He led me well and I feltfortable following him.


    Lucretiusmented, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and replied, ¡°Do you have to be so stingy withpliments?¡±


    He grinned and offered his hand again like a gentleman.


    ¡°Then would you like to dance with me again, mydy? I will be generous with my assessment this time.¡±


    This felt pleasant. I no longer felt sleepy. I took his hand demurely.


    ¡°If you insist.¡±


    The moon shined through the window. The only sound I could hear was our hearts beating together. It was enough. There was no need for music.


    Even if I returned to earth, I knew I would never forget this moment.

 Chapter 64

    <h4>Chapter 64: &lt;Chapter 64&gt;</h4>


    The next morning, a new face arrived. Except for Lisbeth, all the other maids weed her with genuine excitement.


    Yulia bowed deeply and greeted me, ¡°It is my honor to serve you, your highness.¡±


    I felt unhappy at seeing her, but I smiled smoothly anyway and replied, ¡°Wee, Lady Yulia.¡±


    After all the formalities, Yulia left with the other maids to chat.


    She was clearly an intelligent young girl. Samantha and Agnes seemed to approve of her instantly.


    Elza and Luis also treated her with respect and kindness.


    Lisbeth, however, was the only one who continued to re at Yulia with distrust. She most likely saw Yulia as a newpetition for the emperor¡¯s affection.


    Finally, it was time for Yulia and Lisbeth to introduce themselves to each other.


    Yulia said to her, ¡°You are the daughter of Duke Aeal, right? May I call you Lisbeth? Please call me Yulia.¡±


    Lisbeth responded sharply, ¡°... You are the daughter of Viscount Morian?¡±


    Everyone could hear the rudeness in her voice.


    Yulia¡¯s face became rigid for a second, but she quickly put on a calm face and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lisbeth yelled at her offensively, ¡°How rude!¡±


    ¡°... Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I am a proud daughter of the Duke of Aeal. The Bonafit family is one of the most influential and powerful families in the empire. On top of that, her highness herself owes a huge debt to my family. It is uneptable for a mere daughter of a viscount to call me by my given name!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The room tensed as if someone threw a bucket of ice water on everyone present.


    Everyone, including Samantha, Agnes, Elza, Luis, and I, remained quiet.


    We all stared at Yulia, who was gravely insulted by Lisbeth. Everything that will unfold henceforth depended on how she reacted.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a long cold silence, Yulia suddenly put on a beautiful smile and replied, ¡°Oh my, I see that I made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Today is my first day at the castle, so I am ignorant of the proper etiquette expected of me. I didn¡¯t mean you any offense. Please teach me from now on about proper manners, Lady Aeal.¡±


    It was a perfect apology and it made Lisbeth look childish and petty.


    I was impressed. The other maids didn¡¯t say anything, but it was obvious they felt the same way.


    Yulia quickly became part of the group, while Lisbeth continued to remain as an unwanted outsider.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re amazing. Your organization skill is perfect. It¡¯s better than my own work, Yulia.¡± Luis eximed excitedly. Her reaction was exaggerated. I could hear her voice was louder than usual.


    Elza agreed with her sister in the same grand manner, ¡°It¡¯s true! So much better than me!¡±


    Yulia responded humbly, ¡°I am ttered. It is all thanks to your excellent lessons,dy Luis anddy Elza.¡±


    Luis treated Yulia with a surprisingly friendly manner. She was usually very reserved.


    She said to Yulia, ¡°Please let¡¯s be friends, Yulia. Just call me Luis.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Yulia!¡±


    They quickly became close. The three worked very well together too. The Loventis sisters seemed thrilled to have such a useful worker.


    I knew why the sisters acted this way. They praised Yulia openly and loudly because they wanted Lisbeth to see it.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lisbeth was sitting apart from them. She bit her pretty pink lips and watched enviously. She was still working on a simple task Luis gave two hours ago.


    After a while, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She finally stood up and approached them.


    ¡°Uhm...¡±


    No one paid any attention to her.


    ¡°L, Luis...¡± This was the first time Lisbeth tried to call her by her given name.


    Luis¡¯ eyes narrowed as she said to her, ¡°Lady Lisbeth, I never gave you permission to call me by my first name.¡±


    Lisbeth flinched. ¡°B, but... You just allowed Lady Morian to call you...!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we became close very quickly. Besides, don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Luis reminded Lisbeth coldly, ¡°When we first met, you told me to show you the respect you deserve as the daughter of a duke.¡±


    The room grew tense once again.


    It was true. When Lisbeth first came to work as my maid, she made sure to unt her status and demanded respect. She expected everyone to serve her.


    Everyoneughed at her and ignored her from then on. This was the biggest reason why no one liked her or tried to befriend her.


    Lisbeth stammered, ¡°B, but that was...!¡±


    Luis interrupted, ¡°As you said to me before, I am only a daughter of an earl, so I don¡¯t deserve your friendship. So go back there and continue with your work. I don¡¯t want to bother you.¡±


    ¡°But...!¡±


    The other maids also didn¡¯t look kindly at how Lisbeth tried to catch the emperor¡¯s attention. Luis turned around with a bloodshot gaze and ignored her. Elza and Yulia also turned away from her.


    Lisbeth looked around like she was lost. Her big eyes filled with tears.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She looked like she expected someone to help her, but we were all sick of her tears by now. We all turned away from her and ignored her.


    ***


    Lisbethined of a headache and returned to her room before dinner time. No one stopped her.


    In her spot was still the work she didn¡¯t finish. Even Yulia, who was new to this ce, would have been able to finish such a simple task in an hour. Luis sighed deeply and asked Yulia to take care of it.


    Agnes informed me quietly.


    ¡°The Duke and Duchess of Aeal have arrived yesterday for the ball.¡±


    I was surprised.


    ¡°Really? So soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they arrived much earlier than necessary, and...¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Agnes hesitated.


    I could guess why. I grinned at her and stood up.


    Samantha turned to me questioningly.


    ¡°Mydy?¡±


    I yawned loudly and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t get a good sleepst night so I¡¯m tired. I think... I will go take a nap. Please take a break while I rest.¡±


    I started to walk toward the door as I asked Agnes, ¡°Agnes, do we still have the Lihi tea? It helps me sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness. I will bring you a cup right away.¡±


    ¡°I will wait in my bedroom.¡±


    Agnes bowed deeply and left.


    As I walked to my room, I wondered what information Agnes wanted to give me.


    ***


    What Agnes told me in private was unexpected.


    ¡°So... The dowager empress is showing no interest at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, your highness.¡± Agnes bowed apologetically. She then exined, ¡°I have someone watchingdy Lisbeth and her servant, Orlean, at all times.¡±


    When I ordered this recently, Agnes wasn¡¯t surprised. It seemed that she knew already why I hired Lisbeth in the first ce.


    However, unfortunately, things were not working out as I hoped.


    Agnes continued, ¡°We have not noticed any form of contact or even interest from the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing.¡±


    Then I realized something odd. There was no need for Agnes to tell me this.


    Why then did she want a private meeting?


    I asked, ¡°Is there something else?¡±


    Agnes nodded. Her eyes burned with anger.


    ¡°There is a strange rumor going around among the servants in the castle.¡±


    ¡°A rumor?¡±


    By the look on her face, it was obvious this wasn¡¯t an ordinary rumor. I got a bad feeling about it.


    Agnes continued, ¡°It... it¡¯s about the former emperor.¡±


    ¡°The former emperor?¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect this.


    Agnes exined, ¡°There is a rumor that your highness murdered the former emperor.¡±

 Chapter 65

    <h4>Chapter 65: &lt;Chapter 65&gt;</h4>


    ¡°What!? Me?¡±


    I started to sweat. I pretended to remain calm, but I couldn¡¯t hide my anxiety. Agnes tried to console me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, your highness. It¡¯s not a widespread rumor yet. Everyone knows it was Count ne who arranged the assassination.¡±


    ¡°Th... That¡¯s true.¡±


    However, this rumor had some truth to it. I didn¡¯t personally kill or ordered the assassination, but I was an aplice.


    Of course, I had no intention of ever letting anyone know. Agnes and Samantha were no exceptions. Only Lucretius and I would ever know the truth.


    I felt a sudden panic. Lucretius made sure Count ne was framed for everything, so why did this rumor suddenly start?


    My first thought was it was Lucretius who started the rumor. There were only two of us who knew the truth, and since it wasn¡¯t me, there was only him.


    However, I shook my head quickly. There was no reason why he would backstab me like this. Even without his love confession, it still didn¡¯t make sense he would do this to me. I was his only wife and he would gain nothing if he framed me for the crime. In fact, it would hurt him.


    My voice trembled slightly when I replied, ¡°What a silly rumor. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Agnes nodded.


    ¡°Yes, so I will take care of it as quickly as possible. I will find out who is spreading the rumor and...¡±


    I suddenly thought of something. Before Agnes could finish her sentence, I interrupted her and ordered, ¡°No, leave it.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Agnes looked up at me in shock. I knew I was not making any sense, so I could understand why she was confused, but I was sure about this.


    ¡°Do find out who is spreading the rumor but continue to feign ignorance. There is something I want to find out first.¡±


    After a brief silence, Agnes asked quietly, ¡°Are you thinking it¡¯s the dowager empress¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°A rumor like this doesn¡¯t just appear out of nowhere. There must be a reason for it, and the most likely suspect is the dowager empress. In a way, this could be a chance for us to find out who works for her.¡±


    ¡°... you are wise, but...¡±


    ¡°I know this is dangerous, but to get what we want, we need to take certain risks. It will take everything I have to defeat someone like the dowager empress. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Agnes seemed impressed. She bowed deeply and replied, ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    After Agnes left, I drank the tea, which was cool by now.


    Iid down the bed, but I couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    ***


    It took so much work to get ready for the ball. My maids and I worked tirelessly.


    The rumor about me started to be more widespread. I needed to make sure my own people were on my side. I made an excuse to give gifts and bonuses to everyone who worked in my wing.


    I knew a mere gift wouldn¡¯t be enough to buy people¡¯s loyalty, but I hoped my reputation would benefit from it, even if just a little.


    For my own personal maids, I presented special gifts. When they saw them, they were overwhelmed.


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Even Samantha and Agnes seemed speechless.


    The gifts were picked out by me personally. They were from my own royal collection of jewelry. I made sure to pick out the pieces I wore at least once.


    Gifting items used by royal members was considered an honor. The pieces I gave to the Countess n and her nieces were mine, but they were brand new and never used. Giving a piece of jewelry I personally used meant I trusted the recipients with my body.


    I picked out the pieces I thought would suit each person.


    Everyone looked happy except for one person.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lisbeth.


    She was staring at me with an expression I had never seen before. She was looking at me like I was a monster.


    I gave her a silver hairpin with a sapphire that matched her blue eyes. As she looked at me with an unpleasant expression, the hairpin shined ominously.


    The girl¡¯s world was always filled with bright hope. When growing up in her home, she was the center of her universe.


    The Bonafit was a powerless family in Cransia, but it still ruled an entire colony. At least in Aeal, the Duke of Aeal and his family had absolute power.


    Lisbeth was the only child. She, therefore, never experienced any hardship. She nevercked luxuries including silk clothes and priceless jewelry.


    Everyone treated her like a treasure. She grew up like a spoiled princess.


    Then she came to Cransia.


    Here, the girl realized how small and insignificant her world and her life had been until then.


    No one cared about her in this castle. She finally realized her father¡¯s rank was meaningless and even lowly. She saw how her father had to grovel to many young noblemen.


    Her mother, the Duchess, who ruled her home like a queen, also looked poorpared to the other nobledies in Cransia.


    Then, she met him for the first time. It was at a party and she was wandering around like an outcast. Her dress, which her mother prepared herself, looked old-fashionedpared to the other youngdies¡¯ outfits. No one seemed to want to talk to her.


    Then he walked in. He looked like the prince from a fairy tale. Everyone turned to him with admiration. She heard someone whisper.


    ¡°Prince Lucretius, the heir to the throne...¡±


    Lucretius.


    The girl already knew this name. Ever since she was a little girl, her parents told her he would be her husband.


    Lucretius le Cransia.


    The future emperor of Cransia.


    Based on the old contract between Cransia and its colony, Aeal, she was to marry him when she was older. She knew the name, but she didn¡¯t know how beautiful he was until then.


    Her father took her hand and walked towards the prince. Her heart beat fast and she blushed.


    Lucretius was the first guy she ever danced with. It wasn¡¯t that he only danced with her that night, but it was magical enough for the little girl to fall in love with him.


    From then on, the girl counted the days until she became his wife.


    As she became older, the girl learned the sad news that, as the emperor, Lucretius would have many wives. When she realized she wouldn¡¯t be his only wife, she cried.


    However, her parents consoled her that she would be the most beloved of all his wives. The girl finally epted the reality of her situation and tried her best to learn the proper manners necessary to be the emperor¡¯s wife.


    The girl tried her hardest, but it was too hard. She was no good at all. Her mother hugged her and said she was lovely and beautiful, so it would be alright.


    Then when the girl turned thirteen, horrible news arrived. Instead of marrying the prince, the girl was ordered to be the old emperor¡¯s concubine. Her parents were furious, and the girl cried every day, but there was nothing that could be done. Aeal was powerless against Cransia.


    They postponed the wedding date with an excuse for the girl¡¯s young age.


    Then one day, her father came back from his hunt with a ck-haired girl. She looked a few years older than her and had an unusual skin and hair.


    The strange girl said her name was Sa Bina. Bina had simr hair color as her father. Her mother, at first, hated it because she suspected the Duke had an affair and Bina was his bastard daughter.


    However, Sa Bina couldn¡¯t speak theirnguage and other than her hair, she looked very different from the Duke. The Duchess had no choice but to ept that Bina wasn¡¯t the Duke¡¯s daughter.


    Her mother still didn¡¯t like Bina even after the Duke decided to send Bina instead of his own daughter to be the emperor¡¯s concubine.


    No matter what her mother said, to Lisbeth, Bina was a godsend. Lisbeth didn¡¯t want to marry the old emperor and finally, her arrival saved her!


    At first, Sa Bina didn¡¯t know anything. Lisbeth tried her best to be kind to her. Bina would be sent instead of her and although the Duke said Bina owed them for her life, Lisbeth still felt guilty.


    In less than a year, Sa Bina learned theirnguage as well as the necessary etiquette to be the emperor¡¯s wife. Lisbeth felt bad as Bina aplished what she failed to do in three years. However, Lisbeth was prettier, and Bina would be forced into marrying an ugly old man, so Lisbeth felt better.


    Besides, Lisbeth would marry the handsome prince.


    Of course, Lisbethter learned things didn¡¯t happen as she expected.

 Chapter 66

    <h4>Chapter 66: &lt;Chapter 66&gt;</h4>


    For a long time, Lisbeth wondered.


    The ck-hair girl was lowborn and uglier than her. She was to be a sacrifice for the old dreadful emperor instead of pretty Lisbeth. This was what was supposed to happen.


    Lisbeth was supposed to have a better life because she deserved it. Yet... How did this happen?


    Her prince ignored her. Instead, he showed his affection towards that ugly girl. No matter how beautifully Lisbeth dressed, his eyes always looked at that ugly girl.


    Lisbeth¡¯s mom and Orlean told her it was only a brief infatuation. That girl was unusual-looking, and that must have been why the emperor was interested in her. In time, he will realize his mistake and fall in love with Lisbeth.


    However, even as time passed, Lucretius continued to look at Lisbeth coldly.


    Confident Sa Bina smiled generously and handed her a small box. Lisbeth knew what was in it. It was the silver hairpin with a beautiful sapphire. Sa Bina used it a few times in the past. Lisbeth remembered because it was very pretty, and she wanted it.


    Sa Bina gave it to her like it was nothing. Then she turned to Yulia and gave her a gift as well.


    Bina looked around the room and announced.


    ¡°This is a small token of my appreciation for your hard work.¡±


    Sa Bina looked grand as she stood in front of everyone. It made Lisbeth feel small and insignificant.


    ¡°I hope you all like it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    All the maids bowed and murmured. Lisbeth pretended to do the same just to be polite.


    Lisbeth was supposed to be in Bina¡¯s ce. She was supposed to be Lucretius¡¯ wife. However, instead, she was only a lowly maid and everyone hated her. They were jealous of Lisbeth¡¯s beauty. She had no one on her side.


    She felt desperate.


    What should she do?


    How did this happen?


    She could onlye up with one answer.


    That woman.


    Everything went wrong after that woman appeared. That woman took everything away from Lisbeth. That woman was the reason for everything that went wrong.


    This realization hit Lisbeth hard.


    ***


    The weather has cooled significantly. The cold wind blew, making me shiver.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to go inside. When I get to my warm room, I was going to eat a freshly baked scone and drink hot tea!


    ¡°...¡±


    However, this wouldn¡¯t happen for a while. I felt sad. In front of me were a cold sandwich and an icy cup of tea.


    It had been a few hours. I gritted my teeth. I couldn¡¯t give up yet.


    ¡°I will bring another hot cup of tea, your highness,¡± Agnes said to me apologetically.


    I smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Agnes.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, your highness.¡±


    Agnes stood up and picked up the adorable teapot. The table was filled with cute and childish cushions, dolls, ribbons, and books. They were all mine, but they were not based on my taste.


    These were baits.


    I sighed and picked up the sandwich again.


    Elza, whose lips were now turning blue, whispered, ¡°Uhm... your highness. You are going to get sick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I said I was okay, but Elza still looked at me worriedly. I must have looked awful, but I remained seated.


    I had to try.


    I added, ¡°Just a little while longer... Let¡¯s wait just one more hour.¡±


    Elza looked worried.


    I was sitting in a garden situated near the princesses¡¯ rooms. It was freezing cold.


    I had been nning this for a week. I gathered as much information as possible and nned carefully. I thought I was being smart and sneaky, but I realized now how stupid I was.


    My n was to create a tea party for the young princesses.


    ording to my sources, Lilian was very shy and rarely left her room, but her younger sister Roselia was different. She was active and curious and often roamed outside.


    This was what I was waiting for.


    I had set up an adorable tea party three times already today. Every time, no one showed up. It was not possible for me to openly invite the princesses, so I was hoping to meet them ¡®by chance¡¯.


    The table was covered with a prettyce tablecloth. There were colorful and sweet However, snacks on pretty tes.


    But so far, nothing.


    ¡°Your highness, your fingers are turning blue,¡± Elza said to me anxiously, but I was determined.


    In the afternoon, I decided to ¡°y¡± hide-and-seek with my maids. By the evening, we were all sweating and shivering at the same time. Yet, there were no signs of the princesses.


    Finally, I was having myst tea party. The sun was setting, and I have been outside in this cold for 10 hours today.


    I kept telling myself this was nothing. It was worth it. I had gone through harder things than this. I can do this!


    ¡°Oh no! Your highness!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Luis eximed as I dropped my teacup. My hands were so cold I couldn¡¯t feel them anymore.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m... fi... fine.¡±


    As I replied, my teeth chattered. My maids looked at them worriedly. I could see they desperately wanted me to order them back inside.


    When I was seriously contemting giving up, a small pale hand picked up the teacup I dropped on the grass.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When I looked up, I saw a ruby red hair.


    I wanted to scream sess, but I knew I had to contain myself.


    The little girl looked at the cup curiously.


    ¡°Is this yours, your highness?¡±


    I tried my best to put on a kind smile.


    ¡°Yes, Princess... Roselia, right?¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t nod or say anything.


    Roselia stared at me with her green eyes for a while before asking, ¡°Why are you drinking tea here?¡±


    ¡°I thought this garden was so lovely, so I came here on purpose.¡±


    The child nodded and replied coolly, ¡°You must really like it here. You have spent all day today in this garden.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The cold wind pped me sharply. So the princess knew!


    H, how? W, was she watching us? I didn¡¯t see her at all today though!


    I gaped for a second but quickly recovered.


    ¡°I, it¡¯s true. I really like the scenery here.¡±


    I tried to sound kind as I asked her, ¡°Can I have my teacup back?¡±


    The girl shook her head.


    ¡°...¡±


    My face spasmed as I smiled brightly.


    ¡°Do you like the cup? Then I will give it to you, but won¡¯t you have some tea and cookies with me?¡±


    The girl answered coldly.


    ¡°Your tea looks like it¡¯s ice-cold and your sandwiches and scones look cold. I don¡¯t want them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This girl was something. This wouldn¡¯t be as easy as I thought.


    I asked again, ¡°We will be getting a new pot of hot tea, so won¡¯t you join me?¡±


    Finally, the girl smiled like a blooming flower! I became excited. Finally!


    However, the princess replied, ¡°My older sister told me not to eat anything a stranger offers!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Then she ran away.


    My maids and I looked at the little girl as she disappeared. We felt weak and stupid.


    I admitted defeat. I was an idiot.


    After a long sigh, I stood up.


    ¡°... Let¡¯s go back inside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Elza and Luis¡¯ voices were quiet, but they seemed happy that we were going back. I felt sorry I made them do this.


    As the maids cleaned up, I suddenly realized.


    ¡°Oh, my teacup!¡±


    Dammit!


    I lost my bait to that little girl!

 Chapter 67

    <h4>Chapter 67: &lt;Chapter 67&gt;</h4>


    Lucretiusughed hysterically.


    ¡°Hahahaha!!¡±


    He seemed to truly enjoy this situation. As hisughter rang throughout my room, Iid in my bed helplessly. I had no energy and my headache was getting worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t...ugh.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s so funny! How could I notugh?¡±


    I scowled crossly.


    ¡°It¡¯s... all... thanks to you!¡±


    He grinned and got close to me. His face was right in front of mine as he whispered, ¡°What do you mean? This all happened because you were being stupid.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I had nothing to say because it was true.


    It was my silly n that caused me to get cold like this.


    I had a fever, my head ached, and my throat was sore.


    By the end of that day I had the ridiculous tea party at the garden, Samantha brought Lowson to me and I was diagnosed with a severe cold. I was given some medication to take for two days.


    The worst thing was that the maids and the servants who followed me to the garden all became sick too. I felt so guilty.


    I wanted to scream at him.


    I know! I know how stupid I was! So stop it!


    He opened his mouth and I knew he would make fun of me again. Luckily, he couldn¡¯t because Samantha walked in with my medicine.


    Everyone became sick except for Samantha. She was such a strongdy. She deserved my respect.


    Samantha bowed to Lucretius lightly and approached me with the medicine.


    When she was about to open the medicine bottle, Lucretius stopped her.


    ¡°I will feed it to her myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Samantha politely stepped back, but Iined quickly, ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    He goaded me with an annoying reply. ¡°You have no choice.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I am telling you I will take it myself.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    I was so sick of this ¡®allowing¡¯ business!


    I screamed at him, ¡°What is there to not allow?! At this rate, it sounds like I can¡¯t even get sick without your permission?!¡±


    My throat was so sore and dry, and I started to cough after my outburst.


    Samantha quickly brought me a cup of water and helped me to drink it. She was such a good caretaker.


    I red at Lucretius who grinned at me ominously. This was not good.


    He replied to me, ¡°You¡¯re correct. Who gave you permission to get sick?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe him.


    ¡°... What?¡±


    At my sharp response, he got closer to me and whispered, ¡°Every breath you take belongs to me, so how could you get sick without my permission?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I got goosebumps. What was wrong with this man? He was so corny I couldn¡¯t stand him!


    I said to him, ¡°My breath is my own, and my cold is mine as well!¡±


    I coughed again. Suddenly, he smiled and...


    He did it again!


    He kissed me!


    This was bing a bad habit for him.


    Normally, I would have pinched him or something, but I was so weak I had no energy. I remained still.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He must have remembered that I was a patient. His kiss ended much quicker than usual.


    He kissed my forehead and whispered, ¡°So hot.¡±


    Of course, I was hot. I had a fever!


    I wanted to scream at him, but then again, I had no energy to do so. When I remained quiet, he continued to talk nonsense.


    ¡°I took your hot breath into me, so you must admit it now. You are mine.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He continued to annoy me, but I couldn¡¯t think clearly anymore. I was so tired.


    I pushed his shoulder away weakly.


    ¡°E... enough.¡±


    Lucretius nodded easily for a change.


    ¡°Alright. You must be really sick.¡±


    He finally stopped joking, but he still insisted on feeding me the medicine himself. While we argued, Samantha silently brought a silver spoon and handed it to Lucretius.


    He opened the bottle, which contained a gross green liquid. It looked sticky as he poured it onto the silver spoon.


    He brought the spoon carefully to my lips. I had no choice but to open my mouth. I didn¡¯t want to make an unnecessary scene, especially in front of Samantha.


    ¡°Now...¡±


    The taste of the green medicine was bitter and strange.


    Lucretius slowly pulled the spoon out from my mouth. I felt even hotter and out of breath. He was sitting too close to me. My heart began to beat faster.


    It must have been because of my fever. I feared he might be able to hear my heartbeat. It sounded so loud in my ears.


    ***


    For two days, I was in my bed. It was a bad cold.


    The funny thing was, Lucretius got my cold too.


    When I was about fully recovered, I noticed I haven¡¯t seen him all morning that day. I had an easy morning and when I still didn¡¯t see him for lunch, I found it odd. By that night, I felt worried. I hadn¡¯t seen him all day. In thest two months, I had always seen him at least once a day.


    I knew he was very busy, but he always made time for me.


    ¡°...¡±


    Why did I feel upset?


    I couldn¡¯t focus on my work.


    I even lost my appetite. I barely ate my dinner.


    Samantha asked me worriedly, ¡°Your highness, are you already done with your meal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can clear the table.¡±


    ¡°... But we prepared your favorite meal. You are still recovering from your cold, so please try to eat a little bit more...¡±


    I usually enjoyed duck dishes, but tonight, I didn¡¯t feel like eating. I shook my head.


    ¡°I must be still feeling unwell. If I eat anymore, I might get sick.¡±


    Samantha nodded anxiously.


    While I watched everyone work, I finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I had to know.


    I asked hesitantly, ¡°Uhm, was there... no message from the emperor¡¯s quarters today?¡±


    Samantha¡¯s face became stiff for a second. I persisted.


    ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    After a brief reluctance, Samantha finally replied, ¡°His highness ordered us not to tell you...¡±


    ***


    He was on the bed sleeping. His face was red with fever.


    ¡°...¡±


    When I didn¡¯t say anything, Samantha whispered to me, ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s nothing to worry about. He will be up and about in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And... He made sure not to let anyone know. He didn¡¯t want the dowager empress to find out.¡±


    That must have been why I wasn¡¯t informed. I smiled to ease Samantha¡¯s worries.


    ¡°Alright. You may leave now. I will take care of him tonight.¡±


    Samantha seemed to want to say something, but she bowed and left.


    The door closed behind her.


    In the dark room, there were only two of us. He was fast asleep. I was told he took his medicine and fell asleep around dinner time.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    I took a deep breath.


    The room was dark. Only a few candles were lit so the brightness doesn¡¯t disturb him.


    I studied his face quietly.


    Was it theck of light? His face looked dark and different tonight.


    He looked very ill, making me feel nervous. I got closer to him to check his breathing. It was rough, but his breathing was still regr.


    I felt angry. I didn¡¯t know why, but I wanted payback.


    He made me worry for nothing!


    I poked his forehead lightly. His skin felt smooth. He was so handsome that he didn¡¯t look human, but he still was only a man.


    His lips were...


    ¡°Stop it! Stop thinking about it!¡±


    I shook my head vigorously. My body began to feel hot again. I had to stop thinking about it.

 Chapter 68

    <h4>Chapter 68: &lt;Chapter 68&gt;</h4>


    I continued to stare at Lucretius. He was deep in his sleep.


    He couldn¡¯t hear me, so I said to him quietly, ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being stupid!¡±


    There was no answer as I expected. I felt relieved and confident.


    I continued spitefully, ¡°You were talking some nonsense about owning my breath, and here you are! You got this cold from me!¡±


    He still didn¡¯t say anything. He was fast asleep.


    I loved this! This was so fun!


    I continued, ¡°You are so weak! You look sicker than I was! Such a wimp! Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence fell. I felt a little silly talking to myself.


    Suddenly, I felt embarrassed. My face became red. I decided I¡¯ve said enough.


    It was time to take care of him. That¡¯s what I promised to do to Samantha.


    I stood up quickly.


    What should I do...


    Oh! Medicine!


    ¡°Yes. I need to give him his medicine.¡±


    As I murmured, I remembered he just took his medicine and fell asleep.


    ¡°... Then dinner...¡±


    It was past dinner time though. He probably already had a meal before he took the medication.


    ¡°Uhm... What should I do?¡±


    I sounded idiotic even to myself. Then suddenly, I noticed Lucretius was sweating. His forehead was wet.


    Yes! This was it!


    When I was sick, I felt awful sweating. My body felt wet and sticky.


    I felt silly, but I needed to call Samantha back.


    ¡°Please get me a towel and water. Uhm... Also another shirt for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Thankfully, Samantha didn¡¯t ask me why and what they were for. She quietly brought me the items and left.


    I felt nervous. I didn¡¯t know why.


    I had to do this.


    I can do this!


    I wet the towel in warm water and wiped his sweaty forehead. I tried my best to cool him down. Perhaps it was my imagination, but he looked much better afterward.


    Good! I continued down to clean his neck.


    Even his neck was long and sexy.


    ¡°...¡±


    I started to get tense.


    As I got lower, I noticed his chest.


    His hard wide chest.


    He must have sweated a lot because his shirt was soaking wet. It was practically see-through by now.


    Yes, he needed to change. Good thing Samantha brought me a new dry shirt.


    However, to change him...


    I needed to take his wet shirt off first.


    I stared at his chest hard.


    T, this was necessary. He was a patient, and I was only trying to take care of him.


    I reminded myself and grabbed his shirt with trembling hands.


    As I was about to pull it, his hands grabbed my wrists and pulled hard. I lost my bnce and fell on to the bed.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I felt his bare skin against mine. It was shocking.


    When I slowly opened my eyes, his face was above mine, looking down at me.


    His green eyes met mine. He was smiling knowingly and said to me, ¡°You are so passionate and aggressive.¡±


    What?


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to care that I was in shock. He continued to grin at me happily.


    I wasying on my back and he was on top of me. I tried to move, but it was no use.


    In this dimly lit room, I wasying on the bed with a man who was wet and half naked.


    T, this was... too dangerous!


    We have spent a lot of time together, but never like this.


    He smirked and yed with my hair as he whispered, ¡°So it looks like you finally want me now. You practically leaped into my bed.¡±


    I jumped and replied, ¡°What the hell are you talking about! I didn¡¯t jump into anything. You are the one who pulled me into your bed!¡±


    ¡°Same thing.¡±


    They weren¡¯t the same thing! Not at all!


    ¡°Stop being silly!¡±


    I tried to move my arms, but it was useless. I knew he had full control over this situation. So instead of trying to escape, I turned my face away from him.


    ¡°...¡±


    He responded immediately, ¡°Hmm, are you pouting?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I remained quiet to make my point, but instead of letting me go, heughed.


    How annoying!


    I was about to say something when he loosened his grip.


    ¡°Well, if you insist.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt embarrassed as he let me go this easily. I slowly got up.


    But... This was worse! My body became even closer to his half-naked chest.


    T, this was even more dangerous!


    When I flinched and tried to back away, he grabbed my wrist again.


    ¡°L, let me go!¡±


    ¡°If you get any farther away, I won¡¯t be able to see your face very well. It must be the fever; my eyes feel a bit blurry right now.¡±


    I felt hot again. Even my brain felt like it was in an oven. This was too much! This was too dangerous!


    I shook my head.


    ¡°It looks like you are all better now, so I¡¯ll get going!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think straight.


    Lucretius was one sexy man, to begin with, even when fully clothed. His eyes, his face, and his smile all screamed sensuality.


    Lisbeth fell in love with him with only a single dance.


    Right now, this gorgeous man was half naked. He was wet and slightly flushed, which made him even sexier!


    My body was about to explode. I wasn¡¯t thinking when I blurted out.


    ¡°This is too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Danger? What¡¯s so dangerous? I would never harm you.¡±


    He seemed confused. His facial expression was so innocent, it surprised me. I blurted out again.


    ¡°No! I mean! ... Me! You are in danger from me!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ... What was wrong with me?


    The silence was awkward. I prayed he would faint from his illness. Perhaps he would forget this whole thing!


    Of course, this didn¡¯t happen. Lucretius asked me in confusion, ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Are you saying you might harm me, like poison me? If you do that, it wouldn¡¯t benefit you in any way. In fact, it would be bad for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Gosh! Just stop! He was making me sound like an idiot!


    He continued, ¡°I know you aren¡¯t a stupid woman, so...¡±


    Just stop!


    I twisted my body to get my wrist out from his grip, but it didn¡¯t work. I could never win against him in strength.


    I replied to him, ¡°That¡¯s right. I am a dangerous woman, so let me go...!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even finish my sentence. He pulled my wrist and I wasying on my back again. Before I knew what was happening, I was staring at the ceiling.


    He was on top of me again!


    Stop! Don¡¯t!


    He said to me, ¡°A dangerous woman needs a dangerous man. Don¡¯t I look like a dangerous man to you?¡±


    Without thinking, I replied to him, ¡°I know you are the most dangerous man in this kingdom.¡±


    What was wrong with me! I should have stayed quiet!


    Lucretius¡¯s eyes narrowed as he grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to hear that you know.¡± Before his lips touched mine, heughed which sounded like a growl. He whispered to me, ¡°And you are the most dangerous woman in this kingdom.¡±


    Then... the long kiss began.


    I must have lost my mind. Without thinking, my hands moved to hug his arms and shoulders. Our lips and tongue met.


    I was panting by the time it ended.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius smiled smoothly as he tapped my tight corset. My body tensed immediately. I knew he could feel my reaction too.


    N, no! Stop!


    The scary thing was if he tried tonight, I knew I would give in. My brain knew better, but my body wanted what he wanted too!


    I needed to be strong!


    He said to me slowly, ¡°I would love to finally do this...¡±

 Chapter 69

    <h4>Chapter 69: &lt;Chapter 69&gt;</h4>


    My heart was about to explode! Was this really going to happen?!


    Then suddenly, Lucretius lowered his face and said weakly, ¡°But I can¡¯t... My body won¡¯t listen to me. It has been so long since I felt so weak like this. All because of a simple cold...¡±


    I felt strange.


    I felt relieved, but...


    I felt disappointed too!


    Why?


    ¡°...¡±


    ... I must have lost my mind. I must be going crazy!


    While I contemted in confusion, he copsed onto the bed. He grabbed his head and sighed.


    He seemed very ill. I sat up quickly and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I want to say yes, but... To be honest, I¡¯m not okay...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being stupid. You are a patient and you better remember that.¡±


    Heined quietly, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. Even your cold is persistent and crazy.¡± His voice sounded hoarse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I forced you to take it from me. It¡¯s all your fault.¡±


    I wet the towel again and turned towards him to help.


    However, what I saw made me stop.


    His shirt was almost off by now and he was panting loudly.


    This... This was getting too erotic.


    Then, Lucretius moaned in pain.


    I couldn¡¯t leave him like this. I had to help him feel better.


    I tried not to stare as I wiped his sweaty face and body. His eyes closed and smiled.


    ¡°It... feels nice...¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes... When I was little... My mother used to do this for me when I got sick...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. His voice sounded dreamy. I suspected he was half asleep. He continued to smile happily.


    I finished cleaning his upper body.


    Now, there was one more thing left to do. I had to get him into a dry shirt.


    His pants... I knew I just couldn¡¯t get myself to go that far, but I had to at least help him into a new shirt.


    ¡°Umm....¡±


    After a long hesitation, I finally reached for his shirt. This was the most erotic thing I ever had to do in my entire life.


    Lucretius seemed asleep, so I rolled him a little to his side to take his shirt off him. As hey topless, I became speechless.


    ¡°...¡±


    He was gorgeous. Even his muscles and bones looked handsome. It was annoying.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    I noticed that on his bare back were several old scars.


    ***


    All day, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about those scars I sawst night.


    They were clear signs of abuse. They didn¡¯t look like they were from an ident. They were localized in one area, and it looked like differentyers of scars on top of each other. Someone had hurt him over and over again. It had to happen over a long period of time.


    Some looked like they were created by a knife, while others looked like burn scars.


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t focus at all. I didn¡¯t know why, but my mind was nk. I kept remembering those scars.


    ¡°[Just forget it. Don¡¯t think about it.]¡±


    Yes. I needed to think about something else.


    I tried to remember how funny it was when he copsed. He deserved it.


    Then suddenly, I remembered him whispering to me.


    ¡°You are so passionate and aggressive.¡±


    I could feel my face bing red.


    My body felt hot again. I remembered the feeling of his chest and his weight on top of me.


    I felt like I was having a heart attack.


    His warmth, his wet skin, and his kiss.


    Then when nothing happened...


    I actually felt disappointed.


    This was bing too dangerous for me. If he wasn¡¯t sick, I knew it would have happened.


    Of course... I was an adult now. I was no longer a high school student. If I was still in Korea, I would have been enjoying my dating life in college.


    However, what I wanted was a normal college boyfriend, not an erotic emperor in this strange world!


    I bit my fingernails and whispered to myself.


    ¡°[Stop being stupid, Sa Bina! This isn¡¯t the time for romance!]¡±


    This was the truth. I needed to be focused on defeating the dowager empress and returning home.


    Besides, Lucretius was not someone I could trust. Why did I feel this way about a guy who I couldn¡¯t even trust?


    I reminded myself out loud.


    ¡°[Just snap out of it! This is hell, and you need to focus on surviving this awful ce!]¡±


    ***


    I sighed and ced the book back in its ce.


    I was at the biggest library in the castle. There was a smaller one in my wing, but it couldn¡¯t bepared to the main one here where it was created specifically for the emperor, the empress, and their children.


    Since I was the only wife of the emperor, the library was usually empty. It was a nice quiet ce for me to think.


    The maids who followed me stayed outside the library. I was the only one in here. I used it as if it was my personal library. I grabbed several books andid them out on the table. It was very quiet, but I couldn¡¯t focus at all.


    It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t read the letters. When I first arrived in this world, I worked my butt off to learn itsnguage. In only six months, I was able to read difficult books even Lisbeth couldn¡¯t read. The Duchess hated it. What a selfish woman.


    Remembering my time in Aeal made me angry and disturbed. I couldn¡¯t concentrate.


    The Bonafit family was the first people I met in this world. My impression of them determined my impression of this entire world.


    That was why I couldn¡¯t trust or love this ce.


    My only goal was to survive and return home.


    I had to return to my family.


    After I organized my thoughts, I felt much lighter. I felt like myself again.


    I even felt happier. I hummed quietly and picked up a book.


    I was at a huge library filled with precious books. Cransia was the richest kingdom on thisnd, and it received important books from all around the world. Most books had expensive leather covers and gold decorations.


    On earth, these were probably considered priceless antics.


    I yed with the books by using them like building blocks.


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt silly and useless ying like a child.


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡±


    I stood up quickly. I had a lot of work to do, and I have been procrastinating.


    I needed to go back and start working again!


    I had to prepare for the ball. I had to think about what to say when I meet the priestess. I had a girl picked out, so I had to figure out how to introduce her to Lucretius. I also needed to learn more about how things were going with Lisbeth.


    So busy!


    When I turned around, I suddenly became speechless.


    ¡°[Where... am I?]¡±


    ***


    In my defense, I had good reasons for this situation.


    Firstly, this library was huge. It was actually the size of arge building.


    Secondly, I had been here only a few times.


    Yes, that¡¯s right. I had good reasons.


    I shouldn¡¯t be embarrassed that I got lost.


    It wasn¡¯t stupid at all!


    ¡°...¡±


    It WAS embarrassing though. I couldn¡¯t deny it.


    Elza was worried I would get lost because the library was so big, and every corner looked very simr. I told her not to worry and insisted oning in by myself. I did this to myself!


    I was an idiot.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, there was no point in sitting around regretting my decision. I had to find a way out.


    I started walking towards the spot that looked most familiar. I looked at the colors of the books on the shelves and tried to remember, but it was not an easy task.


    I didn¡¯t have a photographic memory!


    I realized I would be here for a long time.


    ... I felt sad.


    I wondered if I would be able to escape before dinner time.

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70: &lt;Chapter 70&gt;</h4>


    I continued to walk inside the library. I kept trying to remember how I got here, but it was useless. I should have left a trail of crumbs like Hansel and Gretel.


    I sighed again loudly.


    Just then!


    ¡°¡ª.¡±


    ¡°¡ª!¡±


    I could hear some people talking. It was so faint for a second, I thought I imagined it. I could barely hear anything, but I was sure somewhere in this ce, there were people talking.


    I listened carefully and followed the sounds. I didn¡¯t know who they were, so I made sure to remain quiet and walk carefully so they wouldn¡¯t find out about me.


    Finally, I found them. When I realized who they were, I hid behind arge bookcase.


    There were two people. A male and a female. I knew one of them, but not the other.


    I knew the girl.


    Bright red hair. Clear ruby eyes like her mother¡¯s but with innocence.


    ¡®Princess Liliana!¡¯


    I was shocked at seeing her. The precious princess was meeting with someone secretly in the deserted library.


    I stayed quiet and listened. I thought perhaps I would be able to get a piece of important and useful information from this encounter.


    Luckily, I could hear well from where I hid.


    The man asked the princess in a low voice. He sounded like he was a few years older than Princess Liliana. His voice sounded serious and desperate.


    ¡°Do I still have a ce in your heart?¡±


    The red-haired princess eximed passionately, ¡°Yes, of course...! Now and forever, you will be the only man in my heart!¡±


    The man looked relieved. I realized they were a couple in love.


    He replied, ¡°That is enough for me... Even if you be another man¡¯s wife...¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she held his hands. I never knew how forward Princess Liliana was until now. I always thought she was very shy. This was a surprise.


    She replied, ¡°How... How could I do that? You... you are the only one who has ever been kind to me! I have been dreaming of leaving this castle with you!¡±


    The boy looked pleased but quickly frowned unhappily.


    ¡°... I am so sorry for everything.¡±


    The princess started to cry.


    ¡°Why would you say that!? You and I both know the truth! Your mother... was sacrificed by the dowager empress!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Princess Liliana didn¡¯t call the dowager empress her mother. She probably didn¡¯t think of her as her mother, just as the dowager empress didn¡¯t treat her like her daughter. Other than their red hair, they had nothing else inmon.


    I remembered my friend from Korea again. I knew now for certain how Liliana felt about her mother.


    The princess continued to cry and whispered, ¡°It is I who should be ashamed. Even the emperor didn¡¯t find out the culprit who was behind your mother¡¯s murder, but we both know who did it. Everyone in the castle knows.¡±


    ¡°... Your highness.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say you¡¯re sorry? It was the dowager empress who ruined your family... And because of her, you lost your title...¡±


    The boy¡¯s face darkened even more. After a brief hesitation, he held Liliana¡¯s beautiful face and kissed her forehead lightly.


    ¡°Perhaps once the dowager empress achieves what she desires, my mother, my brother, and I will be reinstated.¡±


    The boy¡¯s voice trembled. Liliana shook her head.


    ¡°But... you know what will happen! If your father gets another wife and gets a son... Then you will lose your title forever!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And... Before you get your title back, the dowager empress might marry me to someone else!¡± Liliana was shouting by now. She continued, ¡°You know this might happen... You and I both know...¡±


    Liliana started to weep. Her fragile shoulders shook sadly as she whispered.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t want that... It has to be you...! I want you!¡±


    ¡°Lili...¡±


    The boy called her by her pet name and hugged her.


    Suddenly, Liliana stopped crying and said hopefully, ¡°I will try to beg for us. I will ask the dowager empress. Maybe if we get her what she wants, she will let us be together. Perhaps she might even give you your title back! You are her family after all!¡±


    The boy shook his head unhappily.


    ¡°But you know it¡¯s not possible. You know the dowager empress better than anyone. Do you really think she will listen to you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The girl couldn¡¯t answer. The boy took her hand and lifted her sleeve.


    What I saw was shockingly disturbing.


    From her elbow to her upper arm were scars and bruises. It looked like she was whipped over and over again. Who would dare hit the princess?


    I could think of only one person, dowager empress Katleyanira.


    I remembered what I sawst night.


    The scars on the back of Lucretius.


    It all made sense now. I had a good guess what had happened. It had to be the dowager empress.


    My body shook with sudden anger.


    Why though? Why was I so angry?


    While I contemted my fury, the girl and the boy continued to talk.


    The boy gently touched the princess¡¯s scars.


    ¡°If you ask for anything, the dowager empress will do something even worse than this.¡±


    The boy insisted that the princess say nothing to the dowager empress. He made her promise. He was desperate.


    The girl looked like a sad doll. Large tears rolled down from her eyes.


    She asked, ¡°Then... what should we do...¡±


    The boy couldn¡¯t say anything. He just hugged her tightly. The princess continued to cry.


    ***


    I could guess who that boy was.


    Clodys des Cornell.


    The first-born son of Marquis Toruka, who is the dowager empress¡¯s older brother. Clodys was supposed to inherit the family title. He was also Princess Liliana¡¯s fianc¨¦ until recently. Once he lost his name and title, the marriage became void.


    Clodys and Liliana were cousins, so when I first heard about this, I was shocked. However, I knew even on earth, there were some countries allowing cousins to marry. Even in Korea, it was legal for cousins to marry each other in the olden days.


    I knew marriage was a political move, but I hadn¡¯t realized they were actually in love.


    Clodys lost his title because of Lucretius¡¯s plot. I felt guilty. It was one thing to attack the marquis and marchioness Toruka, but their children were innocent. I had been trying to ignore this fact until now. However, I saw the result right in front of me and it was devastating.


    I shook my head. It wasn¡¯t me who did it. I was actually used myself by Lucretius. I reminded myself to hold my head high. I shouldn¡¯t have to feel guilty.


    While I tried toe into terms with my feelings, Liliana left. She kept looking back at the boy she loved, but eventually, she was gone.


    When he was finally alone, Clodys yelled.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    I flinched as I looked at him. He looked furious and was ring at something.


    ¡°...¡±


    I knew then.


    I knew this boy was dangerous. He was a boy, but he was in histe teens. Being alone with him in this empty library was dangerous.


    However, despite knowing this, I knew I had to take my chances. I felt that I could actually use the element of surprise to my advantage.


    Before I could wimp out, I walked out. I put on a poker face and greeted him in a calm voice.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Clodys des Cornell.¡±

 Chapter 71

    <h4>Chapter 71: &lt;Chapter 71&gt;</h4>


    Surprisingly, Clodys didn¡¯t seem surprised at all by my sudden appearance. He turned around casually. I could no longer see any traces of anger in his eyes. He looked calm as if nothing happened.


    I felt cold with fear. I could think of two reasons how Clodys could act calm so suddenly. Either the concern he showed in front of Liliana was an act, or the calmness he¡¯s disying now is a lie.


    Either way, I thought he could be useful to me.


    After a brief and tense silence, he finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know your highness has a nasty habit of eavesdropping.¡±


    So he knew who I was.


    I replied, ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean to do it. It was not intentional.¡±


    ¡°... I hope you are telling the truth.¡± After another short silence, he continued, ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anyway. Even if you tell people what you heard here, it won¡¯t be any use to you. It is only a silly story between a man who lost his title and a powerless princess.¡±


    He turned around to leave.


    He obviously wanted to leave, which made sense. This was an embarrassing situation, but I had no intention of letting him go. Not yet.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    He replied angrily, ¡°Do you need something from me? I can¡¯t think of anything you would want from me.¡±


    His words were sharp. He most likely saw me as one of the people who caused his mother¡¯s death. I felt sympathetic, but this didn¡¯t mean I would let him go.


    ¡°I do feel bad about your situation.¡±


    Clodys frowned harshly.


    I continued, ¡°I can¡¯t forgive your mother for poisoning me, but... I don¡¯t agree with punishing you for your mother¡¯s crime. To lose your title like that... I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair.¡±


    Of course, I knew his mother was innocent of the crime, but I obviously couldn¡¯t let him know. I decided to go with the story.


    He asked, ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    I knew I was making him angrier, but I wasn¡¯t worried.


    He said impatiently, ¡°Then are you asking me to apologize for what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You shouldn¡¯t have to pay for your mother¡¯s crime. That wouldn¡¯t be right.¡±


    ¡°... Then I don¡¯t understand why you are talking to me.¡±


    He looked like he wanted to kill me. I hid my nervousness by smiling calmly.


    I replied, ¡°I think it would be best to just get to the point.¡± I paused with another smile and continued, ¡°I will be direct. Would you like to work with me? Be on my side?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The silence was killing me, but I continued to maintain a smile. I looked at his eyes and kept my mouth shut. I couldn¡¯t show any weakness.


    He finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that this is a serious matter? I am a busy woman, so why would I waste my time kidding with a nobody?¡±


    He became angry at the word ¡°nobody.¡± I knew it would, but it was done on purpose. I added.


    ¡°I just want to give you a chance.¡± I added.


    ¡°... A chance?¡±


    He looked confused, so I decided to exin it a little better.


    ¡°Yes. A chance for you and... poor Princess Liliana.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You and your father aren¡¯t in the same boat. Your father will regain everything if the dowager empress wins, but you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°... If the dowager empress wins, she will reinstate my mother to a position of honor. With this, my brother and I will get everything back as well. When that happens, you, of course, won¡¯t be around anymore.¡±


    This was true. If the dowager empress won, I would be gone. Either I would be sent to the dungeon or be poisoned to death.


    I grinned on purpose and replied, ¡°Do you really think it will be that easy? I heard your father the marquis is actively looking for a new wife to get another heir.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If he gets another son, you won¡¯t ever be able to get your title back.¡±


    This was true. Whoever was going to marry the marquis would want a contract that promised her son to inherit the title. I knew the marquis would sign this contract without hesitation.


    Clodys was in a precarious position. His future was full of uncertainty.


    He replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The dowager empress will be triumphant very soon, so I am not worried at all.¡±


    He was smart and I liked that about him. He clearly hated the dowager empress, but he was hiding it very well.


    I smiled at his smooth face.


    ¡°Really? Do you really think it will be that easy?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°I am only telling you the truth. We don¡¯t know if the dowager empress¡¯ baby is a boy or a girl.¡±


    He replied too quickly, ¡°It will be a prince.¡±


    I answered him nonchntly, ¡°Even then, she won¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Even if it is a prince, it is only a newborn. What do you think the chances are for the baby prince to survive and be an adult?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening to harm the unborn prince?!¡±


    I smiled and shook my head. If someone would harm the new prince, it wouldn¡¯t be me. It would be Lucretius.


    ¡°I am telling you it won¡¯t even be necessary for me to harm the baby.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°A newborn baby prince against the 27-year-old emperor. Do you really think it would be a fair match?¡±


    It would be a fully-grown adult against a baby. Of course, the baby would have his mother, the dowager empress, to fight the battle, but I didn¡¯t mention this fact.


    ¡°Besides, many things can happen while the baby grows up. Remember what happened to the dowager empress¡¯ other prince? He died before he turned one.¡±


    The death rate of babies in this world was much higher than on earth. Many of Lucretius¡¯s other siblings apparently died before they became adults.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I admit the dowager empress is ambitious and a formidable woman, but her limitation is too great. You know this, right?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t say anything. I could feel that I was winning this argument, so I pushed on.


    ¡°And for the sake of argument, let¡¯s say the dowager empress won. Even then, how much do you think she will do to help you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This is the woman who abandoned your mother, who was her most devoted maid in waiting. Also... look at how she treats her own daughter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...!¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I already knew how the princesses are treated by the dowager empress. I¡¯ve seen it myself.¡±


    I took a step towards him. Suddenly, the fully-grown young man looked small and fragile like a young boy.


    I continued, ¡°And have you heard the rumor?¡±


    ¡°What... rumor?¡±


    I knew I had him now.


    ¡°The dowager empress is thinking about getting Princess Liliana to marry Marquis Galisia.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The boy looked shocked and despairing. I knew I won this game.


    I also realized that Clodys was truly in love with Liliana. This was a good thing.


    The way he acted in front of Liliana reminded me of someone. Someone with green eyes.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be. I was thinking nonsense.


    Clodys eximed, ¡°Marquis Galisia is over 50 years old! He has been married three times already!¡±


    ¡°But he is powerful, especially in the south. He also has a sizable military.¡±


    ¡°But...!¡±


    ¡°I heard... that Marquis Galisia has an... unusual taste. In fact, one of his divorced wives asked to be separated from him because of his perverted way.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes wavered. It was game over.


    Clodys asked, ¡°Just... what do you want me to do? Do you want me to run to the emperor and tell him that my father and the dowager empress aremitting treason against him?¡±


    ¡°No. Even if you do that, it won¡¯t do any good. The dowager empress will deny it and without any proof, it will be you who ends up in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°Even if the baby is a boy or a girl, the dowager empress will try something. Whatever she does, it will be something very dangerous and most likely, she will fail. When she fails, you and Princess Liliana will also be in danger.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Clodys bit his lips.


    I continued, ¡°So before that happens, you better find a way to save yourself.¡± I said enough. It was time to leave. I smiled kindly and added, ¡°I am not telling you that you need to think of something right now. I will give you some time. And... I am only telling you this because I feel bad for the princess. Even if you don¡¯t ept my offer to work together, please do your best to stop the princess¡¯ marriage to that old man. I don¡¯t know if it will help, but I will ask the emperor as well.¡±


    Clodys seemed confused when he asked, ¡°She is the daughter of your enemy who caused you to lose your baby. Why would you try to help her?¡±


    ¡°... Princess Liliana reminds me of my old friend. In my homnd, the sins of the parents don¡¯t get passed onto their children. I don¡¯t want that to happen here.¡±


    I meant what I said.


    I picked up a thick book with a ck leather binding.


    I said to him, ¡°Think carefully about my offer. If you ept it, please leave a note in this book here. I will visit this ce twice every week to check.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I turned around gracefully. I wanted to leave like a cool heroine in the movies, but I remembered something.


    I didn¡¯t want to, but I knew I had to ask.


    I said to him in embarrassment, ¡°Um... and... can you tell me the way out of this library? I¡¯m lost.¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72: &lt;Chapter 72: Calm before the hurricane&gt;</h4>


    I finally escaped the library with help from Clodys. I walked straight to Lucretius¡¯s quarters. To his bedroom.


    He looked at me in confusion, but I ignored it and asked without preamble, ¡°Please stop the dowager empress¡¯s marriage n for Princess Liliana.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He studied me as usual. He patted his chin and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Please just do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t understand why I need to do it.¡±


    I smiled brightly. I knew exactly what to say to make him do what I want.


    ¡°When you gave me a cup of poisoned water, you didn¡¯t give me an exnation either, remember? I think you need to do me a favor without knowing the reason.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He seemed stunned for a second. After a short silence, he raised his hands as a sign of surrender and replied, ¡°Alright. I will do it. Besides... I can guess why.¡±


    He already knew I was trying to get to the princesses, so it was not a hard guess. Obviously, I was trying to be on the princess¡¯ good side.


    It would have been easy for me to exin my reason to him. I knew that if I did, he would have done what I asked. The reason I insisted on not telling him was... I was just being difficult.


    I was still a bit angry at him. Now that I forced him to do something for me, I felt a little better.


    Perhaps I could stop being angry at him for spying on me.


    Then suddenly, I noticed where I was.


    I was in his bedroom and Lucretius was on his bed. He still wasn¡¯t fully recovered, but he was already back to work. There were several pieces of paper scattered around him.


    The fact that I didn¡¯t even ask him how he was doing made me feel guilty. He was still a patient after all.


    To hide my guilt, I grabbed the papers from his hand and said to him angrily.


    ¡°This is why you aren¡¯t getting better faster! Look how I recovered in only two days! I rested and I got better quickly!¡±


    He tried to make an excuse in a weak voice.


    ¡°But I am getting bett...¡±


    I ignored him and called for his assistant. I handed the documents to him and ordered him not to give Lucretius any work until he became well again.


    After a long sigh, I turned around. He was still in his pajamas and leaning against the headboard. He did look much better than yesterday.


    Suddenly, I remembered what happenedst night.


    His naked chest, his weight on me, the kiss...


    And the scars on his back.


    Without thinking, I blurted out.


    ¡°Last night... I didn¡¯t mean to see it, but... While I was changing your shirt... I...¡±


    When I hesitated, Lucretius seemed to realize what I was asking.


    He smiled bitterly and answered, ¡°So you saw.¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were bound to find out sooner orter. We will always live together after all.¡±


    ... What the heck was he talking about? Always live together?


    Normally, I would have argued the fine points, but I didn¡¯t feel like it was appropriate. We were talking about a sensitive subject, so I decided to let this one go.


    He asked, ¡°So, what do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it... ufortable?¡±


    ¡°They happened a long time ago, so they don¡¯t cause me any pain anymore.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Not that. Um... I just meant that you must not want anyone to see them.¡±


    Lucretius surprised me by smiling.


    ¡°Like I said, you were bound to find out at some point. Besides, it¡¯s not a secret. Everyone knew how the dowager empress and the former emperor treated me when I was little.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand. It made sense that the dowager empress was cruel to him, but even the former emperor? Lucretius was his only living son, so why would he hurt him?


    I must have looked confused because Lucretius smiled awkwardly and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t consider the former emperor my father. I have his blood, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    If I had a cruel father like that, I would have felt the same way too.


    He continued quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are aware, but my grandfather, Kentius the Third, was a great and celebrated emperor.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I vaguely remembered the priestess mentioning his painting. She said he looked just like Lucretius.


    The emperor continued, ¡°For thest several generations, my family has been having difficulty siring a male heir. That was why the former emperor was able to take the throne despite howcking he was.¡±


    That made sense. The former emperor was such a creep who was not very bright.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°The former emperor didn¡¯t resemble my grandfather at all. Both his looks and his abilities. There were constant rumors about him not being my grandfather¡¯s legitimate son.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°So when I was born, the former emperor was very pleased at first.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I resembled my grandfather. This proved that he was my grandfather¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Then why did the former emperor hate Lucretius?


    I asked, ¡°Then why did he abuse you? You were the living proof that he had royal blood.¡±


    Lucretius smiled bitterly. ¡°It was because... He has always been jealous of his father.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°All his life, the former emperor has beenpared to my grandfather, and he could never be as good of a man or an emperor.¡± Lucretius paused before continuing, ¡°Imagine how the former emperor must have felt whenever he saw me, who looked exactly like his hated father.¡±


    However, to me, it still didn¡¯t make it right. To abuse your own son because you felt inadequate was uneptable.


    I replied, ¡°It¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s uneptable.¡±


    Lucretius smiled smoothly.


    ¡°I agree. On top of that, that woman made it even worse. Of course, it happened only until my mid-teens. When I got big enough, I fought back, and they stopped.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°From then on, the dowager empress sent all kinds of assassins to me. If I wasn¡¯t the only living son, the former emperor would have sent his own assassins too.¡±


    Even on earth, the fight for power between father and son happened in history too.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°It was getting very dangerous. As the dowager empress¡¯ due date got closer, the former emperor was wondering about how to get rid of me in case the baby was a boy.¡±


    ¡°And that is why...¡±


    ¡°Yes. Before I was killed, I killed him first to survive. You may scorn me, but I don¡¯t regret what I have done.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There is nothing I wouldn¡¯t do to survive. That is why I killed even my own father. I don¡¯t even have the moral or decency to regret what I have done.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why he was telling me this.


    He reached out to me and held my wrist. He wasn¡¯t forceful likest night. Instead, he pulled me towards him gently.


    I knew in my head I should resist, but I couldn¡¯t. My body moved towards him easily.


    He kissed the back of my hand and looked up.


    He asked, ¡°Do you feel contempt for me?¡±


    It felt like someone hit me in the head. I felt stunned.


    I asked myself.


    Did I scorn him?


    It was true his past was terrible. His childhood was like hell. To survive, he had to be the devil himself.


    Lucretius killed his own father, and he said he didn¡¯t regret it.


    It was shocking and immoral. Anybody would have looked down on him, but...


    Not me. I couldn¡¯t. I shouldn¡¯t.


    I smiled honestly. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t have the right to judge you.¡±


    His smile was bitter. ¡°Such a vague answer.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Do you not remember?¡±


    I took a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°I was there with you that night, and I gave a false witness statement. Even when everyone used the wrong person of the murder, I stayed quiet.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the world may judge you harshly, but at least for me, I don¡¯t have the right to do that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what his expression meant.


    Was it relief?


    He looked like... he was freed.


    He kissed my hand again and whispered, ¡°Yes. You are my only aplice. I forgot.¡±


    He hugged me, and again, I couldn¡¯t refuse him.


    Just like that, Luc fell asleep.

 Chapter 73

    <h4>Chapter 73: &lt;Chapter 73&gt;</h4>


    ¡°Your highness.¡±


    Luis handed me the book with a ck leather binding. I asked her to bring it for me from the library.


    ¡°Thank you. Was it heavy?¡±


    ¡°A little. By the way, why did you want a book about the Coronos War?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth. My meeting with Clodys at the library needed to remain a secret. This book was my way ofmunicating with Clodys.


    I replied, ¡°I started to read it by ident, and I became interested. I didn¡¯t get to finish itst time.¡±


    As I flipped through, I found a message card stuck in the middle of the book.


    Luis nodded when she saw it.


    ¡°That must be where you left offst time.¡±


    She must have thought it was my bookmark. I smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Yes. The book is very interesting and informative.¡±


    I picked up the message card. It had a simple design and Luis didn¡¯t pay attention to it. The material and design of the card were very different than the ones I used, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    Luis left my side and I turned the card around. On it was a picture of a red lily, which was Princess Liliana¡¯s symbol. There was also a message.


    It was one word.


    Yes.


    Below it was two initials.


    C & L


    I smiled secretly.


    We had a deal.


    ***


    It was an unexpected rtionship built on needs rather than trust. However, I felt that this was a better rtionship. We needed each other in order to get what we wanted, which meant we couldn¡¯t betray each other.


    Besides, you could never trust anyone anyway.


    What I needed to do was to report to Lucretius about this.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, I had no idea if this new development would work out. Should I let him know after I have aplished more?


    I couldn¡¯t figure out what to do.


    I also wondered if he already knew about this. If he did, it meant he was spying on me still. I felt angry at the possibility, but it also would have meant I wouldn¡¯t have to report to him about it.


    If he didn¡¯t know what was going on, it meant he wasn¡¯t spying on me. I would have felt relieved, but I didn¡¯t want to have to report to him about it.


    There were a few reasons why I hesitated in telling him about this.


    First, Liliana and Clodys were a part of his family whether he liked it or not. This would be an ufortable alliance. On top of that, this meant he now had to protect two more people and promise their safety.


    Another thing I worried was how he would feel about what happened in the library.


    The fact was, I was with another man alone in the library.


    It wasn¡¯t intentional. It was to make a political deal. In addition, Clodys was in love with someone else. Lucretius and I weren¡¯t exactly a couple anyway.


    All in all, I knew I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but I just didn¡¯t want to tell him about it.


    Why did this bother me so much?


    ¡°...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why. I just felt ufortable and nervous telling him about it.


    I felt as if I cheated on him.


    ¡°[... Have I finally gone mad?]¡±


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Only the sounds of cutleries were heard in the room.


    Today was the day all royal family members gathered for a meal. The former emperor¡¯s concubines weren¡¯t invited. Only the direct family members of the current emperor were allowed. This included the dowager empress, the emperor, the wives of the emperor, and their children


    As soon as a royal child turned five, he or she received a personal wing with servants and maids. It was rare for the entire royal family to eat a meal together.


    The Great Meal, as it was called, happened in the Mano Hall. It wasn¡¯t the biggest hall in the castle, but still too big for my taste.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The dowager empress didn¡¯t attend with an excuse on the matter of her pregnancy. As the emperor didn¡¯t have any children or any other wives, this meant this Great Meal would consist of just Lucretius and I.


    This was awkward.


    I saw him every day, but in this hall with such a huge long table, it felt strange.


    Was it because I felt guilty?


    I shook my head. Why should I feel guilty? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    My mouth felt dry. I drank my wine, but it couldn¡¯t quench my thirst. I was very nervous.


    How should I start this conversation? Why wasn¡¯t he saying anything? He usually sputtered nonsense all the time.


    My heart was pounding. My eyes met with him briefly, which made my condition worse.


    Why? I couldn¡¯t understand.


    When I finally got the courage to say something, he said to me.


    ¡°You look tired. Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    His quiet voice rang throughout the hall. It surprised me. I flinched and dropped my fork.


    Clink!


    It hit the floor and made a huge metal sound. The servants nearby walked towards me to pick it up.


    Suddenly, Lucretius raised his hand.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    At his order, the servant left quickly.


    Why? What was he doing?


    I was stunned. Royal families didn¡¯t pick things up from the floor. It was a rule apparently.


    The servant should havee to pick it up and hand me another fork, but Lucretius stopped it.


    Why? What did he want? Did he want me to pick it up myself? Why?


    Was he making fun of me?


    I started to sweat. Why was I so nervous? I felt anxious.


    While I contemted picking up the fork myself, he suddenly stood up.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He walked towards me.


    W, what was he doing? Should I stand as well?


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He stopped in front of me and kneeled.


    ¡°...¡±


    While I remained quiet with shock, he stood up again. In his hand was the fork I dropped.


    Huh?


    While I stared at him in surprise, he smiled proudly and tried to ce the fork back on my side of the table. Then suddenly, he seemed to realize something. He turned towards the servants and ordered.


    ¡°Get me a new fork.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    The servant quickly moved to bring him a brand-new silver fork. Lucretius took it and smiled at me in satisfaction.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let my wife use a dirty fork!¡±


    He made sure the fork was clean. Then suddenly, he kissed it lightly.


    He then ced it on the table for me.


    Huhhhh?


    What the hell? Now I couldn¡¯t use the fork. Was he trying to bully me somehow?


    He said to me, ¡°Now that I see you up close, you look fine. I¡¯m d.¡±


    He then returned to his chair.


    What was with him today?


    But then... He was always this weird.


    I became annoyed.


    Without thinking, I ate a piece ofmb and pumpkin. It tasted great.


    Suddenly, I realized I used the fork! It was the one that man kissed!


    My face became red. I felt like I was going to explode.


    Lucretius asked me, ¡°It looks like you want to tell me something.¡±


    ¡°P, pardon?!¡±


    I shouted in surprise. My voice rang throughout the giant hall.


    I tried to look like nothing was amiss, but it didn¡¯t work.


    He wasn¡¯t that stupid.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a long awkward silence, the snake finally showed its teeth.


    He grinned at me. His lips were smiling, but his eyes weren¡¯t.


    ¡°I see that there really is something.¡±


    I continued to sweat. What should I do? Should I pretend nothing happened? Should I lie?


    Suddenly, I realized something.


    Why should I be so anxious? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! In fact, I worked my butt off to make something happen!


    Besides, even if I did like another man, it wasn¡¯t a big deal! It wasn¡¯t like Lucretius was my boyfriend....


    Oh, wait... He was my legal husband...


    Hmm...


    Well, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong anyhow.


    I decided to tell him.


    ¡°It¡¯s something to do with the favor I asked recently.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    He raised his hand to stop me.


    ¡°Please leave, everyone.¡±


    As soon as he ordered, the maids and the servants left in a hurry.


    Soon, in the giant hall was just me and him.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s hear it.¡±

 Chapter 74

    <h4>Chapter 74: &lt;Chapter 74&gt;</h4>


    Lucretius crossed his arms and waited for me. I felt like I was being judged, but I remained strong.


    ¡°A few days ago, I saw Marquis Toruka¡¯s oldest son and Princess Liliana meeting secretly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...? Oh, that¡¯s right. They were engaged until recently. It wasn¡¯t announced, but it was a done deal.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Anyway, I was able to talk to Clodys in private, and I offered to make a deal with him.¡±


    ¡°A deal?


    Lucretius nodded with his arms still crossed. His eyes looked sharply at me.


    I continued confidently, ¡°It was nothing special. I just reminded him of their dangerous situation. I told him the dowager empress is in a weaker position, so they should tell me if they find the dowager empress¡¯s weakness.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°In return, we will clear Marchioness Toruka¡¯s name and restore Clodys des Cornell¡¯s position as the heir to Toruka family. I also promised him a marriage to Princess Liliana.¡±


    Lucretius frowned deeply.


    Before he could criticize me, I continued quickly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier, but I wanted more progress before letting you know. If you don¡¯t approve of it, then I will tell them the deal needs to change.¡±


    ¡°... So that was why you asked me to stop Liliana¡¯s current marriage n.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I needed them to think I have the power to give them what they want.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    He became silent and contemted. I felt very nervous.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°Are you sure you can trust them?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to think before answering. I shook my head immediately.


    ¡°No.¡±


    He asked in amusement, ¡°If you don¡¯t trust them, then the deal won¡¯t work. I would be afraid for them to bring us false information about the dowager empress.¡±


    This was true. I thought the same myself.


    I admitted it easily and replied, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you going with it?¡±


    I hated the fact I had to exin my actions. It felt like I was being judged.


    I pushed down my anxiety and frustration as I continued, ¡°What I trust isn¡¯t them, but their desire and selfishness.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lucretius smiled brightly. He always acted this way when I gave him an unexpected answer. It was as if he was my teacher, and I was taking a test.


    ... Hmm. I supposed this was true. Basically, he was like my employer. Right now, I was getting my work checked and confirmed by him.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have worked if I tried to convince them by appealing to justice. To defy the dowager empress because she is cruel, and you would be a better ruler? No way. They would never listen. If they did, I wouldn¡¯t trust their words.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So I told them they can wait till they are sure the dowager empress would lose. At that time, they should bring us a piece of key information that will help to expose the dowager empress. This way, they have nothing to lose.¡±


    ¡°Their answer was?¡±


    ¡°Obviously they said yes, and that is why I am telling you all this.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    A long silence fell. I began to feel even more nervous.


    Just when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Lucretius smiled smoothly and said to me, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He allowed it so easily that I felt annoyed.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a bad n as long as we are aware that they can¡¯t be trusted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a good idea to have people close to the dowager empress on our side. I do agree that they are desperate, and we can give them what they want. I don¡¯t know about Liliana, but Marquis Toruka¡¯s son probably doesn¡¯t like his father right now.


    If they help us in a major way, I can make things happen for them.¡±


    ¡°Princess Liliana has enough reasons to help us as well. She is being abused by the dowager empress. She was also about to be married off to an old man for her mother¡¯s gain. I¡¯m sure she wants to go against the dowager empress...¡±


    Lucretius shook his head to my surprise.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she is angry at the dowager empress, but the Liliana I know won¡¯t dare to defy her mother. She is a meek child. Whenever I see her, she looks just like the dowager empress, but her demeanor reminds me of my own mother. It always made me upset.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I forgot Lucretius has known Princess Liliana much longer than me. He obviously knew her better.


    He continued, ¡°And that¡¯s why I am surprised.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Even if the situation is bad, I would have never guessed Liliana would go against the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who convinced her. It was Clodys. She may not have done it for herself, but perhaps it was easier to do for the one she loves.¡±


    ¡°I suppose she has never known love, so when a good looking man professed his feelings for her, she must have fallen for it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so negative. I could see that Clodys truly loves Princess Liliana.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what caused it, but Lucretius suddenly looked annoyed. His serious expression changed into that of a pouting young boy.


    ¡°By the way, why are you calling Marquis Toruka¡¯s son by his first name so familiarly?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Familiar? When did I...¡±


    ¡°You did.¡±


    He was being unreasonable. I started to sweat again.


    ¡°I also called Princess Liliana by her first name.¡±


    ¡°You called her by her rank, not just her first name.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s frown deepened.


    ¡°Now that I think about it... You said you talked to ¡®him¡¯ and not ¡®them¡¯, right?¡±


    I did say that, and I had no intention of lying to him now. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I talked to him after Princess Liliana left.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s eyebrows went up sharply.


    ¡°Where was this?¡±


    ¡°In the main library. Why?¡±


    He now looked very angry.


    W, what? Was he really mad?


    Lucretius drank a sip of water in a fit of aggression before he asked me, ¡°So you two talked in a private deserted ce? Just the two of you?¡±


    ¡°We just talked very briefly.¡±


    He used me in frustration.


    ¡°Just the two of you after Liliana left!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What the heck!


    I shouted angrily, ¡°What are you insinuating? Nothing happened! Besides, I didn¡¯t trust him, and I was very careful!¡±


    To my surprise, he agreed.


    ¡°I know. You would have been careful.¡±


    ¡°... Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you I believe you.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you bring this up?¡±


    I was bing furious. If he gave me a stupid reason, I would explode.


    However, what he said to me made me speechless.


    ¡°I was just jealous.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    W, what?


    I felt myself bing red.


    I turned away quickly.


    ¡°Stop being stupid. We have more important things to discuss.¡±


    Thankfully, he stopped his nonsense.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    I sighed in relief.


    While I tried to calm down, Lucretius continued, ¡°Anyway, you did well by making a deal with Marquis Toruka¡¯s son and Liliana. I was right about you.¡±


    What? What was he talking about now?


    Before I could ask him about it, he continued, ¡°Especially considering the news I heard today.¡±


    ¡°What news?¡±


    Lucretius smiled and replied, ¡°The dowager empress announced that she will not attend the uing ball. In fact, she decided to spend her time somewhere else during the celebration.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    ¡°She said she didn¡¯t want the noises and the crowd. She is also very pregnant and needs some time for herself, some peace and quiet.¡±


    ¡°So where is she going? Lonez?¡±


    ¡°No. She hates it there.¡± He paused, enjoying my curiosity. After a brief silence, he finally answered, ¡°Now that the former emperor is gone, she said she wants to go somewhere peaceful to rest.¡±


    ¡°Could it be...¡±


    He shook his head with an odd expression.


    ¡°Not her family home. She decided to go to Girand, which is simr to Lonez. Girand was a wing where pregnant women often go to give birth or recover from it. I felt ufortable having her where I can¡¯t spy on her... but I feel better knowing we have Princess Liliana on our side.¡± When I nodded, he continued, ¡°The best thing would be for her to give birth to a princess, but... If she has a prince and openly tries to take over the throne, it might be even better. It will give us a good reason to take her down. Besides, even if it¡¯s a girl, the dowager empress won¡¯t give up.¡±


    I agreed with him. The dowager empress wouldn¡¯t give up no matter what.


    Lucretius added, ¡°Also, as long as I don¡¯t have a child, all of my sisters still have a chance to take the throne. They can¡¯t sit on it, technically, but their husbands can still be the emperor.¡±


    I was shocked. I didn¡¯t know this.


    ¡°So the princesses can inherit the throne as well?¡±


    ¡°It used to be not possible, but four generations ago, there was no living male heir, so they changed thew. A princess¡¯ husband can be the emperor.¡±


    ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Until I get my own child, Liliana¡¯s husband can be the emperor. This means... Marquis Toruka¡¯s son may be more ambitious than you think.¡±


    I got goosebumps. I thought the way he looked at Liliana was from love, but perhaps I was mistaken.


    ¡°...¡±


    So Liliana could be Lucretius¡¯s biggestpetitor. This meant it would benefit Lucretius for Liliana to marry a nobody like Clodys rather than someone with more power and influence.


    ¡°...¡±


    This must have been why he agreed with the deal I made with them. It worked out in a much bigger way than I anticipated. Then why did he ask me to exin myself in such a judgmental manner?


    He was so annoying.


    I replied to him sarcastically, ¡°Well, congrattions. It seems like I brought my master two birds instead of one like a good dog.¡±


    He grinned.


    ¡°And you can even make it into three birds.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Give me a child. It will fix a lot of our problems.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That bastard!

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75: &lt;Chapter 75&gt;</h4>


    The dowager empress left quickly, and she took both of her daughters.


    The wing she was staying at was a hidden ce, so it was now harder to spy on her. However, since we had Princess Liliana on our side, we didn¡¯t worry about it too much.


    Lisbeth has been quiettely. She sometimes red at me, but other than that, she was meek and silent. It was strange. I also expected the Duke and Duchess Aeal to make a scene, but so far, nothing had happened.


    The preparation for the ball was also going well, so luckily, I was able to take some time off to enjoy myself.


    ¡°Your highness, it is ready.¡±


    The servant handed me Be¡¯s rein.


    I hadn¡¯t had the chance to ride this beautiful horse, but finally today, it was going to happen.


    ¡°Whoa.¡±


    I patted her snow-white hair. As Lucretius mentioned, she was an obedient horse.


    I handed her a sugar cube and she licked it off. Her tongue tickled my hand.


    I got onto her back. The saddle was the same white color as the horse with beautiful golden decorations.


    I patted her neck gently and urged her on.


    Suddenly, there was amotion. When I turned towards the noise, I noticed a familiar figure walking towards me.


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    It was Lucretius. I changed the direction, so I could trot towards him.


    I expected Be to slowly turn, but an unexpected happened.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    The horse suddenly jumped. I grabbed onto the rein as tightly as I could. The horse seemed to be spooked. It started to run at full force.


    I screamed.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    The maids screamed too. They tried to get close to me, but the horse had gone crazy.


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    Suddenly, I noticed Lucretius who was dangerously close to me. He opened his arms and shouted.


    ¡°Jump off!¡±


    As soon as I heard him, I cringed and hugged the horse tighter. I was an okay rider at best, and I had never been on an excited horse. I certainly never jumped on or off a horse before.


    He was asking me to let go of the rein and jump into the air. I couldn¡¯t help but be scared.


    He shouted again, ¡°Bina!¡±


    He was all I could see. Somehow, I was mesmerized by his green eyes.


    I let go, and I threw myself off the horse and towards him.


    ¡°...!¡±


    I saw the sky and the ground jumble into one. I felt myself hitting the ground. My head felt a sudden shock.


    Everything went ck.


    ***


    The maids shrieked.


    ¡°Your highness!!¡±


    ¡°The emperor caught her safely, but before he did, the horse kicked her body.


    ¡°Your highness, are you alright?!¡±


    The knights, maids, and the servants all crowded the emperor and his wife.


    Lucretius moved quickly away from the crazed horse and checked on Bina.


    ¡°Bina...¡±


    His voice was desperate. Bina had lost consciousness. Her pale face was like a knife into his heart.


    He yelled, ¡°Get me Lowson!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t move Bina. He didn¡¯t know where she was hurt. If her head or her back were hurt, it could kill her if she was moved.


    Lucretius took his cloak off andid Bina down on it gently. The maids all came running and looked down with tears. One of the maids, the blond one, was standing afar with an odd expression. It annoyed him, but he had no time for her.


    Lucretius stood up. The servants and the master horsemen were trying to calm down the horse. Even though several men were holding onto her, Be was still uncontroble. Her usually blue eyes looked strange. She was foaming in her mouth. Clearly, there was something wrong with the horse.


    This was too strange. Be was a meek horse that was well trained. Lucretius made sure of it personally. This kind of ident shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    He knew it wasn¡¯t the horse¡¯s fault, but there was no doubt it hurt Bina.


    The servants saw his deadly expression. They paled in fear.


    ¡°Y, your highness...¡±


    A colonel tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence.


    The emperor took out his sword and walked towards the crazy horse.


    sh!


    Bright red blood sprayed onto the horse¡¯s white hair. It even got onto Lucretius¡¯s right arm, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. The horse spasmed a few times before quieting down.


    Lucretius looked at it coldly. Everyone around barely breathed.


    Then finally, Lowson arrived.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    Lucretius ordered in a low voice.


    ¡°Her highness has fallen from the horse. Treat her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t save her, you will have to give up your life.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best!¡±


    Lowson ran towards her and opened his bag.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°Yes. You better save her or else, everyone here will die with her.¡±


    The servants became pale. They knew very well how cruel their emperor could be.


    He had softened considerably after his marriage to his exotic wife, but they all knew his true nature. They didn¡¯t doubt his threat.


    While they trembled in fear, Lowson announced, ¡°Your highness! I have done the emergency treatment. Her highness can now be moved to her bedroom.¡±


    Lucretius moved quickly. He threw away the bloody sword on the ground and ran to Bina. He carefully picked her up, making sure not to move her head too much.


    Bina looked pale as if she died.


    His heart stopped as he looked down at her.


    Lucretius tried to ovee the fear that overwhelmed him and walked towards her bedroom. Lowson followed from behind.


    As he walked, Lucretius ordered, ¡°Investigate the horse and its gears. If there is anything suspicious, report back to me. I will interrogate the relevant figurester.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    ***


    My head felt icy.


    It felt like someone was poking my head with needles.


    It hurt! It hurt so bad!


    I started to cry.


    ¡°[No!]¡±


    I felt like a little kid again. My head was killing me, and my chest felt tight.


    I cried as I thrashed around.


    ¡°[It hurts!]¡±


    I cried like a baby and thrashed around like a beast. I wanted someone to hug me and make it better.


    ¡°[Mom...!]¡±


    I called out to the person I missed the most.


    I was a little girl again.


    ¡°[Mom!]¡±


    ¡®Bina.¡¯


    I thought I could hear her voice, but I knew this couldn¡¯t be. I knew I was hallucinating, but I didn¡¯t care as long as it continued.


    ¡®It¡¯s ok, Bina. You¡¯re ok.¡¯


    ¡°[No, mom. It hurts. It¡¯s not okay at all.]¡±


    I purposely didn¡¯t open my eyes. I didn¡¯t want this hallucination to stop.


    My headache worsened.


    I continued to cry and wondered.


    Why?


    Why should I endure such hardships here?


    Why couldn¡¯t I be with my parents and my sister? All I did was trying to get to the SAT exam building.


    My family probably looked for me. I vanished without any trace. I wondered if they handed out pamphlets with my face all over the people on the street.


    Would I ever see them again?


    I was in apletely different world.


    Why was this happening to me?


    What did I do to deserve this? Why did I have to live in fear all the time?


    ¡°[I don¡¯t want this!]¡±


    I felt furious. I screamed.


    ¡°[Let me go home!]¡±


    I was in pain. I felt sad and angry. I wanted to go back home.


    Let me go!


    I scratched and grabbed the first thing my hand touched.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Someone was calling my name.


    ¡°...na!¡±


    I knew this voice.


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    I finally opened my eyes.


    There was a man. He was holding me and my arms.


    I saw that his face and neck were scratched. I realized it was me who did it.


    Lucretius lifted me up and let me lean against him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bina.¡±


    He said my name consolingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Nothing like that will ever happen again. You are safe.¡±


    I felt tired. My body felt heavy.


    I desperately needed someone, anyone.


    I hugged him tightly.


    He said to me again, ¡°You¡¯re safe now, my Bina.¡±


    This reminded of the time when I was poisoned by this same man.


    I asked, ¡°H, how many days has it been?¡±


    My mouth was so dry it felt like I was chewing on thorns.


    Lucretius patted my sweaty forehead and smiled.


    ¡°This time, it has been a little over a day.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°At least it hasn¡¯t been that long... I¡¯m d.¡±


    Lucretius became angry.


    ¡°Are you serious? Considering what happened to you, how can you be so calm?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lowson said if you didn¡¯t wake up in three days, there was a good chance you might never wake up! You fell off the horse for god¡¯s sake?!¡±


    He was genuinely angry. I was still in shock, so I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lucretius seemed upset. He lowered his face. He was holding my right hand tightly. He looked like a child afraid to let go of his mother.


    He said to me tearfully.


    ¡°No, no... that¡¯s not what I meant. I am the one who is sorry.¡± He kissed my hand several times and continued, ¡°I just wanted to say thank you... For opening your eyes.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Lucretius looked so sad and lonely. I wanted to touch his face, but I had no energy.


    Instead, I fell asleep. He whispered to me, and I felt safe as I closed my eyes.

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76: &lt;Chapter 76&gt;</h4>


    The castle was in an uproar. The emperor¡¯s wife fell off a horse. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t die, but she lost consciousness for a full day.


    This was an uneptable incident. Even if it was a pure ident, the people responsible for it would pay dearly.


    Soon, it was revealed it wasn¡¯t an ident. The emperor¡¯s investigators examined the horse and the gears, and it was clear that someone tampered with them.


    Lucretius was in my bedroom as he looked at the investigator.


    He asked, ¡°Someone tampered with this?¡±


    The investigator nodded and lifted the saddle to show the insides of it.


    He then pushed from the outer surface, which caused a tiny needle to appear from inside. It was a clever device. This meant when I sat down, the pressure caused the needle to appear and prick the horse¡¯s back.


    Lucretius asked quietly, ¡°And what was on the needle?¡±


    ¡°A stimnt. This was why the horse went crazy after her highness sat on it.¡±


    Lucretius touched the needle with his fingertip. It was so small he could barely feel it.


    There was only one possible suspect for this.


    Dowager empress Katleyanira.


    She was such a persistent and evil enemy.


    She took so much away from him, and now she was trying to take everything from him. She almost seeded. She almost took away the woman he loved the most.


    ording to Lowson, Bina could have died. She hit her head when she fell, and this meant she may have never woken up.


    Thankfully, she gained consciousness in a day, but the source of the threat still remained. Lucretius still felt fearful.


    He ordered, ¡°Search the dowager empress¡¯s quarters. I don¡¯t want to have anything of hers left in this castle!¡±


    ***


    An inquisition started. Every relevant person was brought in for questioning.


    The emperor sat on his throne as the head judge.


    On both sides of him were royal guards. Lucretius was wearing a ck robe like the god of death. People bowed to him deeply in fear. Lucretius looked murderous.


    He ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s skip the unnecessary formalities and get to the business at hand.¡±


    The principal investigator announced, ¡°As your highness ordered, we have investigated her highness¡¯ ident and found a few suspicious points.¡±


    As he continued, people tensed.


    ¡°Her highness¡¯s saddle had this device hidden in it.¡±


    He brought out the saddle as a piece of evidence. When he demonstrated how it worked, people gasped.


    ¡°The only conclusion we can draw is that someone nted this to harm her highness.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± At the emperor replied, the room tensed.


    The principal investigator continued quickly, ¡°We have a witness who needs to testify.¡±


    When he raised his hand, a guard brought in a man whose hands were tied behind his back.


    ¡°This is the servant who took care of her highness¡¯ horse.¡±


    The servant shouted with a pale face.


    ¡°I, I did not harm her highness! I swear!¡±


    The principal investigator frowned.


    ¡°You are standing in front of the emperor! How dare you speak without permission!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The servant realized his mistake and kneeled for forgiveness. He was shaking with fear. Lucretius didn¡¯t care about the formalities.


    He ordered the investigator, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just get to the point.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, your highness. There was something odd about this man¡¯s witness statement. Tell him.¡±


    The servant nced at the emperor and the investigator before he opened his mouth.


    ¡°One of her highness¡¯ maids came to check on the saddle three times. The maid said she was ordered to check it. It was the same maid who came when her highness first came to ride with his highness.¡±


    Samantha was present in the hall.


    She volunteered to speak, ¡°That is not correct. Never did your highness nor her highness ever ordered any of the maids to check the horses.¡±


    Everyone turned to the servant who became even paler.


    He shook his head and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m not lying! It was... It was a beautiful blond maid! She said her highness personally ordered her...!¡±


    When he said this, everyone turned to one person. Only one of her highness¡¯ maids were blond.


    She paled and shook her head.


    ¡°I, it wasn¡¯t me!¡±


    The witness turned towards the blond maid. As soon as he saw her, he nodded emphatically as he recognized her.


    ¡°It was thatdy! Thatdy came three times a few days ago to check the horse! She said her highness ordered her to do it in secret!¡±


    Agnes¡¯s eyes fumed in anger.


    She shouted, ¡°What have you done this time, Lady Lisbeth!¡±


    The emperor frowned harshly.


    He asked in a disturbingly quiet voice, ¡°This time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Lucretius ordered, ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Agnes walked to the center and kneeled.


    ¡°Your highness! Lady Lisbeth of Aeal needs to be punished!¡±


    ¡°A, are you trying to frame me again?!¡±


    Lisbeth screamed but no one paid attention to her.


    Lucretius ordered, ¡°Continue, Agnes.¡±


    However, at that point, Lisbeth ran to kneel in front of the emperor.


    She cried as she shouted, ¡°They are all lying, your highness!¡±


    His face was cold.


    ¡°I never gave you permission to speak.¡±


    ¡°But...!¡±


    Lisbeth tried to argue, but when she saw Lucretius¡¯s livid face, she became speechless.


    Agnes continued calmly, ¡°Yes, your highness. I will tell you everything.¡±


    Agnes continued smoothly without hesitation. It was clear she came here well prepared.


    ¡°You may think it¡¯s not relevant, but please hear me out. For a little while now, there has been a disgusting rumor about her highness. It was... a rumor that falsely used her highness of assassinating the former emperor.¡±


    People gasped in shock. Lucretius smiled bitterly.


    ¡°How amusing. Continue.¡±


    ¡°Her highness didn¡¯t want innocent people to get hurt, so she asked me not to investigate this rumor. She was innocent, so she said nothing else mattered, but... I couldn¡¯t let this continue, so I did my own investigation.¡±


    Agnes decided that Bina needed to appear like a victim. She made it sound like Bina was trying to be kind and ended up being wronged.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°Are you saying that rumor was created by that maid?¡±


    Agnes and Lisbeth answered at the same time.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s a lie!¡±


    The emperor frowned again.


    ¡°I never gave you permission to speak, Lady Aeal. Dame Dotrya, you may continue.¡±


    Lisbeth looked frightened. She looked around for help, but no one looked at her kindly.


    Agnes continued, ¡°I looked into this and found that it originated from Lady Lisbeth¡¯s servant Orlean.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    This time, it wasn¡¯t Lisbeth who denied it. It was Orlean and Duchess Aeal. In the room were Duke and Duchess Aeal.


    The Duchess walked towards her daughter and hugged her as if to protect her. The Duke followed as well.


    ¡°Your highness! Someone is trying to frame my daughter!¡±


    The emperor announced angrily, ¡°Did I give you permission to speak?¡±


    The room became silent.


    Lucretius continued to re at the Bonafit family and Orlean as he ordered, ¡°Continue, Dame Dotrya.¡±


    Agnes bowed. ¡°Your highness, I have servants Lolya and Doroles who will testify to my ount.¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°I will allow it.¡±


    The two servants were brought forward. They trembled in fear and bowed deeply.


    They stated, ¡°Dame Dotrya is correct. Orlean told everyone that Lady Lisbeth personally heard her highness confessing her crime.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t believe her, of course! We all knew her highness would never do something like that!¡±


    Agnes added, ¡°They have proofs as well. Show them to his highness.¡±


    The servants took out several pieces of jewelry.


    Lolya, who was the older of the two servants, exined, ¡°Orlean gave these to us and asked us to spread the rumor.¡±


    The jewelries were obviously of high quality. One of them shined especially brightly, catching Lucretius¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°That... Isn¡¯t that her highness¡¯s?¡±


    Among the items were broken pieces of blue stone. Lucretius picked the pieces out and a silver hairpin. When he put the pieces together like a puzzle, it made a silver hairpin with a sapphire.


    Lucretius announced.


    ¡°I have definitely seen this piece on her highness¡¯ hair before.¡±


    Samantha became pale as she said to him, ¡°Yes, your highness. This is her highness¡¯ and it was given as a gift to Lady Lisbeth recently.¡±

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77: &lt;Chapter 77&gt;</h4>


    An ufortable silence fell from all around.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius grabbed the sapphire pieces and threw them at Lisbeth and her mother.


    The shiny stones scattered in front of Lisbeth¡¯s feet.


    The emperor asked, ¡°Now, exin yourself. How did my wife¡¯s gift for you turned into these small pieces and in the hands of those servants? It would have been very hard to break a stone like this. They said you gave these to them and asked them to spread the nonsense rumor. What do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    Lisbeth trembled pathetically, but no one showed any sympathy.


    ¡°N, no! It¡¯s all lies. I¡¯ve never done anything like that!¡±


    Duchess Aeal hugged her daughter tighter and added, ¡°Those lowly servants stole it! They must have stolen it and are trying to frame my daughter!¡±


    Lucretiusughed and asked, ¡°And the other servant also lied about seeing your daughter with the horse?¡±


    The Duchess answered confidently, ¡°Yes!¡±


    She red at him and yelled, ¡°Everyone in her highness¡¯ wing hated my daughter because she is more beautiful than her highness! I know it! They are all trying to frame my daughter! I know your highness will see right through their lies.¡±


    Lucretiusughed loudly.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    He continued tough, but people knew it wasn¡¯t from pleasure. They could see the anger in hisugh. Everyone tensed.


    The emperor asked again, ¡°So... Everyone is out to get her? People, who are jealous of your daughter?¡±


    ¡°T, that¡¯s right!¡±


    He continued to ask her questions and with every answer, the logic of the Duchess¡¯ im went downhill. She wasn¡¯t making any sense.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°So who are you saying was so jealous of your daughter and nned this whole thing?¡±


    ¡°Who else other than her highness?! Her highness has always been jealous of my Lisbeth, even when she lived in Aeal! Her highness nned everything to frame my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The Duchess didn¡¯t even realize what she had done.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°My wife? Her highness? Do you not remember that she almost died after falling off the horse? The doctor said she could have never woken up! What you are saying is she nned this despite the risk of her own death?¡±


    ¡°T, that is...!¡±


    ¡°And my wife also spread a horrible rumor about herself? To frame your daughter? Do you really think that makes sense?¡± Lucretiusughed again and asked the principal investigator, ¡°Did you find it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    While everyone looked confused, the hall door opened, and several servants and royal guards walked in the hall.


    They brought in a ck box, which was ced in front of the emperor. The box was about one kina in length. It was painted ck with a simple design. It was amon looking box often used bydies to store clothes.


    The highest-ranking royal guard kneeled and exined, ¡°Per your order, we searched Lady Aeal and her servant¡¯s quarters during this integration.¡±


    ¡°What...!¡±


    Lisbeth and Orlean became pale, but they weren¡¯t given a chance to defend themselves.


    The ck box was opened by a servant. Inside were clothes and underwear. Lisbeth reddened in embarrassment.


    At the bottom of the box was something metallic and shiny. A royal guard reached in to pick it up.


    When the item appeared, everyone stopped breathing.


    ¡°That¡¯s...!¡±


    ¡°It looks exactly like that other saddle!¡±


    The royal guard took it to Lucretius.


    ¡°As you have ordered, we have found proof, your highness.¡±


    The emperor took it and examined it. It was indistinguishable from the tempered saddle.


    Lucretius asked the investigator, ¡°Are all the saddles used in this castle look like this?¡±


    ¡°No, your highness. Every person has a saddle with different shapes and decorations. This one was specially made for her highness, and therefore it is one of a kind. There shouldn¡¯t be two of the same saddle.¡±


    ¡°So this means someone copied it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    The emperor smiled coldly and said to Lisbeth, ¡°I suppose it would have been very hard to dispose of something so distinctive, yet to keep it in your own bedroom... How stupid.¡± Lucretius continued, ¡°This was made by a special saddle master in this castle. It would be difficult to find another saddle maker who can copy such an intricate item. I know for a fact that there wouldn¡¯t be someone like that in Aeal.¡±


    The Duke grew pale and eximed, ¡°So that means we had nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°No. It only means Lady Aeal was able to find someone in Cransia to make it for her. Finding this item and the witness statements from the servants prove that Lady Aeal is guilty.¡±


    The Bonafit family begged.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°They are all lying!¡±


    The Duke and his family had no logical exnation for it. They just continued to im they were being framed.


    Lucretius ignored them and continued, ¡°I have seen and heard enough. I have made a decision.¡±


    The scribe picked up his pen quickly.


    The emperor announced angrily, ¡°Lady Lisbeth des Bonafit and her servant Orlean Cloyne have clearlymitted a crime against her highness. Attempting to harm a royal member is considered treason against this kingdom, therefore...¡±


    ¡°This is unfair, your highness!¡±


    The Duke tried to approach the emperor but was quickly stopped by a royal guard. The guard ced his sword against the Duke¡¯s neck. The Duke had no choice but to remain still.


    The emperor continued, ¡°Orlean will be executed. Since Lady Aeal is from a noble family, I will be more generous. I will allow her tomit suicide.¡±


    The scribe wrote down the verdict and the document was stamped with the emperor¡¯s seal.


    It was done.


    The guards dragged Lisbeth and Orlean away.


    The Duchess moaned painfully.


    She screamed, ¡°N, no! This can¡¯t be! Liz didn¡¯t do anything wrong! She was framed!¡±


    No one listened to her.


    ***


    It was two days after my ident when I could finally think.


    My mind was still foggy, but I was starting to recover. There were only ten days left until the ball.


    When I opened my eyes the second time, the first person I saw was Lucretius.


    I felt incredibly emotional at seeing him, but I stopped myself from showing it. I tried to sit up and he helped me.


    ¡°Thank you...¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? How¡¯s your head?¡±


    Lucretius looked haggard. He had dark circles underneath his eyes. I looked away and replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s... okay now.¡±


    His cool hand touched my shoulder. It felt nice against my mmy skin.


    He said to me, ¡°You are still sweating.¡±


    Why was I sweating so much?


    I was confused. My heart was pounding fast as I stared at his face.


    Why? Was I having a heart attack? This had never happened before.


    I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears. I felt almost dizzy.


    Was it because of Lucretius?!


    ... No, it couldn¡¯t be. I must have been hurt worse than I thought.


    I replied, ¡°N, no! I¡¯m fine. Just tell me what happened.¡±


    Suddenly, Lucretius¡¯s face came closer. His forehead touched mine, and I became even hotter.


    He asked, ¡°Now, your face is bing red. Your forehead is hot. Do you have a fever? Should I get the doctor...¡±


    I grabbed his wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! Just tell me what is happening with the investigation!¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem convinced, but he nodded and told me.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident. We were able to find who switched your saddle. They were the same people who were spreading the horrible rumor about you.¡±


    I already had a good idea of who was behind the rumor. Agnes told me a while back, but still, hearing about it was a bit shocking, especially the part about my sapphire hairpin.


    He exined, ¡°At first, I thought she broke it, so it would be easier to sell as smaller pieces, but it looked odd. I think she broke it and stepped on it out of anger.¡±


    ¡°... If it made her so angry, she should have returned it to me.¡±


    It was made of real sapphire and silver. I really liked it.


    I asked, ¡°So how are they going to be punished?¡±


    ¡°The servant will be executed, and the Duke¡¯s daughter was given an option tomit suicide. If she doesn¡¯t, she will be made to do it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I realized this man didn¡¯t even know Lisbeth¡¯s name. It was odd, considering she tried her best to flirt with him on several asions.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I like the fact that Lucretius had no interest in her.


    I knew it was cold of me to feel pleasure when two people were going to die very soon.

 Chapter 78

    <h4>Chapter 78: &lt;Chapter 78&gt;</h4>


    I asked calmly, ¡°Has the punishment taken ce already?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. The trial happened only yesterday, and the ball will be taking ce soon. I decided it would be best to carry out the sentence after the ball.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    I asked another question hesitantly, ¡°What happened to... Be?¡±


    Lucretius darkened, ¡°... She hurt her leg while jumping. It¡¯s best to put them to sleep when a horse is hurt like that.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I knew the answer even before he gave it to me, but I still felt my heart sink.


    I knew any animals that harm a human was killed on the spot even if it wasn¡¯t the animal¡¯s fault.


    Be was dead, huh?


    I remembered her beautiful white hair. I didn¡¯t get to spend a lot of time with her. If she wasn¡¯t my horse, she wouldn¡¯t have died.


    It was disturbing to know that I felt sadder about the horse¡¯s death than the execution of two women.


    I asked Lucretius, ¡°Before the execution, I would like to see her.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Why do you want to see that bitch?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°So that I get a chance to salvage the original n for bringing in Lisbeth. I will make her give a statement that the dowager empress made her do it.¡±


    ¡°Bina...¡± He couldn¡¯t hide his worries.


    I smiled confidently to make him feel better, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t go with her alone. Give me one or two royal guards to apany me. If Lisbeth refuses to do what I ask, I will threaten the Duke and the Duchess as well. I will get them to make their daughter do it. This will be the only way for Lisbeth to live.¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t answer me right away.


    I grinned again and added, ¡°I can¡¯t let Be¡¯s death be for nothing.¡±


    ***


    Lisbeth and Orlean were prisoned at the top of the nearby wing. Usually, the prisoners were sent to the dungeon, but because of the murder of Marchioness Toruka during her imprisonment, it was decided the dungeon was not a safe ce.


    I walked up to the stairs with help from Agnes and Samantha. Two royal guards from Lucretius¡¯ personal unit followed us.


    I walked into the room.


    Inside were more crowded than I expected. There were Orlean and Lisbeth, and the Duke and the Duchess who apparently insisted oning in as well.


    A guard brought in a clean chair and a cushion for me. They must have also heard about my ident. I appreciated the gesture since I was feeling a bit dizzy.


    Until I sat down, no one said a word. All I could feel were deathly res from the prisoners.


    After a long tense silence, Lisbeth said to me dryly, ¡°Did youe here tough at me?¡±


    Oddly, she wasn¡¯t crying. Her blue eyes looked angry.


    She must have realized that there was no one here who would sympathize even if she showed tears.


    I smiled lightly and replied, ¡°No. I don¡¯t have that kind of time to waste.¡±


    The Duchess screamed, ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡±


    Normally, I would have replied sarcastically, but I didn¡¯t feel patient now. I was tired both physically and mentally. I skipped to the point.


    ¡°I came here for one reason only. I have an offer for you.¡±


    ¡°... offer?¡±


    The Duke¡¯s edgy voice rang throughout the room.


    I nodded and continued, ¡°Yes. An offer. You can consider it yourst chance.¡±


    ¡°Last chance for what?¡± Lisbeth¡¯s fuming voice asked. Her voice was so annoying it made my headache worse.


    I replied with a frown, ¡°A chance to live.¡±


    Her blue eyes widened.


    ¡°You... will let me live?¡±


    The Bonafit family looked hopeful, which made me furious.


    What the Duchess said next made it even worse, ¡°Y, yes, of course, so you remember your debt to us...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    This was the first time I had ever swore like this, especially in front of them. They seemed shocked.


    The Duke asked nervously, ¡°W, what did you...?¡±


    My headache worsened.


    Who did they think they were? I couldn¡¯t contain my anger. I remembered the beautiful Be.


    ¡°I said you need to shut up, or think before you speak.¡±


    ¡°How rude...!¡±


    ¡°You tried to kill me, yet you are shocked at me swearing at you?¡±


    Lisbeth yelled, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t do it!¡±


    Her shrill voice stressed me out.


    I replied, ¡°Gosh, I know you wanted to kill me, and you tried your best. Yet, I am here to give you another chance! [What an idiot I am!]¡±


    I was so frustrated I used my mother tongue. They appeared to be confused.


    I shook my head and asked, ¡°You people obviously didn¡¯t make that saddle yourselves. Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°...¡± They looked at each other silently.


    I continued, ¡°I already know who gave it to you. Luc... I mean the emperor is already looking for the person who made it. We will find out sooner orter, but if you tell me now, you may live.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Now, tell me. Who gave it to you? Who told you to kill me?¡±


    The Duke¡¯s family couldn¡¯t answer. They looked fearful.


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°I already know who it was. I just need to hear the name from your lips. Listen, I am being generous here. You should be thankful.¡±


    Their faces looked pale. I could see they were scared of the dowager empress.


    I ordered the guards to take out their swords. I wasn¡¯t going to kill them right now, but I hoped this was enough to pressure them.


    The Duchess hid Lisbeth behind her back and asked, ¡°Y, you don¡¯t mean to kills us here, right?¡±


    I answered coldly, ¡°If you are no use to me, what¡¯s the point of keeping you alive?¡±


    ¡°You cold bitch!¡±


    This was taking too long. I said to them directly, ¡°I know it was dowager empress Katleyanira.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They didn¡¯t answer, but I was sure.


    I continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you say no. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s true or not. All I need is for either Lisbeth, Orlean, or the Duchess to testify the dowager empress ordered to kill me. You need to make a formal statement at the privy council. You need to tell them you were also told to assassinate the emperor.¡±


    The royal guards that followed me could be trusted ording to Lucretius. They would never reveal what was said in this room today.


    Even if the Bonafit family let people know of what I said here, no one would believe them. It would look like they were making things up to save themselves.


    The Duke became pale and yelled, ¡°If we say something like that, the dowager empress will kill us!¡±


    ¡°You will die anyway if you don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a threat. This was the truth.


    I continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t do anything, Orlean will be executed and Lisbeth will die as well. You and your wife will be kicked out of this country unless, of course, you get murdered before that.¡±


    ¡°W, what?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°The dowager empress is a woman who killed her own sister-inw to shut her up. I know she gave you the saddle, which means she will do her best to kill you, so you can¡¯t testify against her.¡±


    This was a very likely scenario.


    I continued, ¡°Without me and the emperor¡¯s protection, you will not survive, but if you don¡¯t testify against her, you people are useless to me. You better think carefully if you want to live.¡±


    I was getting too tired for this. I was starting to sweat. I had to return to my room.


    I had to recover soon. The ball was only a few days away, and I couldn¡¯t miss it.


    I was about to stand up with the help from Agnes when Lisbeth¡¯s voice stopped me.


    ¡°... if I say what you want, what will you give me?¡±

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79: &lt;Chapter 79&gt;</h4>


    ¡°I told you that I will let you live.¡±


    Lisbeth¡¯s blue eyes red at me. She escaped from her mother¡¯s arms and walked towards me. Agnes stopped her before she got too close. Lisbeth tried to kill me after all, so there was no way Agnes or my royal guards would let her get near me.


    Her blue eyes looked crazy.


    She murmured, ¡°You will take everything from me and all you¡¯ll give me is my life? How could you say that?¡±


    The Duke tried to stop his daughter, but Lisbeth wouldn¡¯t let him.


    She screamed, ¡°How can you be so selfish? You stole everything that was supposed to be mine!!¡±


    ¡°Stole?¡±


    Lisbeth nodded and replied, ¡°Yes! Without you, I would be the emperor¡¯s wife! If it was me who was sent to be the concubine, I would be the one the emperor falls in love with!¡±


    I knew this wasn¡¯t true. If Lisbeth was sent instead of me, she would have been dead by now.


    I said to her, ¡°It was your choice to send me instead of yourself. It was your family¡¯s choice too. This means the current situation was created by your choice. You tricked me and sent me to save yourself, and now you want what is mine?¡±


    ¡°You want to steal everything from me and now all you offer in return is my life? How can you even say that?¡±


    I had enough. She wasn¡¯t making any sense. This conversation was useless.


    She yelled again, ¡°If you are going to use me, then you need to pay for it!¡±


    ¡°Pay?¡±


    ¡°Give me the emperor¡¯s love. It should have been mine! Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I was speechless. I was beyond angry now.


    What the hell was this bitch talking about? His love?


    ¡°How dare you?!¡±


    I spat my words out like knives.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t ept his highness¡¯s love, do you really think he will give his feelings to you?¡±


    ¡°... well...!¡±


    Before Lisbeth could answer, I continued, ¡°Even if you were the one who came to the castle, there is no way the current emperor would have fallen in love with you. It will never happen in this life or your next.¡± I smiled cruelly.


    Lisbeth suddenly started to cry like an animal. ¡°No! It can¡¯t be!¡±


    She tried to get to me and scratch my face. The guards stopped her quickly and threw her towards her parents.


    ¡°Liz!¡±


    ¡°Lisbeth!¡±


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    Orlean and her parents held her while she continued to cry out loudly.


    I looked at them coldly and said before leaving.¡±Think carefully about what you do next.¡±


    ***


    Lucretius entered the Girand with an unpleasant expression.


    The dowager empress requested his visit after Bina met with the Aeal family. It was clear the dowager empress knew what was happening.


    She tried to kill Bina but failed. The emperor had the murder weapon in his possession. The dowager empress must have felt anxious.


    Lucretius could ignore her request, but officially, she was his mother. He had to, at least, pretend he respected her.


    He nned on warning her during this meeting. He grinned at the prospect of threatening her.


    However, his smile quickly disappeared as he entered the dowager empress¡¯s room.


    The very pregnantdy was sitting on a semi recliner. Her red hair and eyes were blinding.


    Katleyanira smiled like a snake.


    ¡°Wee, your highness. I am sorry to bring you here, but your mother is unable to move due to her condition.¡±


    She spoke as if Lucretius was her beloved son.


    He answered just as smoothly, ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. I am sorry I didn¡¯t get to visit you sooner.¡±


    The dowager empress smiled and asked him to sit. The maid brought in the tea set. Inside the cups were lined with silver. Lucretius grinned and took a sip.


    ¡°Your highness¡¯ tea is the best.¡±


    ¡°My new principle maid-in-waiting is very good.¡±


    Lucretius smiled at the mention of the change in maid.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it.¡±


    The dowager empress smiled generously. ¡°By the way, I heard something bad happened?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ face became rigid for the first time.


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. She hasn¡¯t been in this kingdom for too long, yet so many bad things have happened to her already.¡±


    Lucretius smiled again calmly and replied, ¡°Your highness has nothing to worry about. We have already found the culprit, and based on the quality of the replica saddle, we know for sure the Bonafit family had someone helping them.¡±


    ¡°I... see.¡± The dowager empress¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver.


    The emperor added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The prisoners will confess soon. I will make sure nothing will happen to them, like what happened to Marchioness Toruka.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The dowager empress scratched her teacup causing horrible sounds.


    Lucretius said to her quickly, ¡°I am d to see that you are doing well, your highness. As I said earlier, I have a lot of work to do, so I will get going. Please take care of yourself.¡±


    Hisst words sounded threatening, but Katleyanira answered without even blinking.


    ¡°Please stay safe.¡±


    ***


    After Lucretius left, Katleyanira tapped her cup again with her fingernail.


    ¡°So they are protecting the prisoners day and night.¡± Katleyanira giggled. ¡°Well, there is more than one way to get them.¡±


    She already had a n in motion. The reason she asked the emperor toe was for something else.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised, but it must be true.¡±


    She always thought he was emotionless. This was why he made the worst enemy.


    However, something has changed.


    It was only for a second, but Lucretius couldn¡¯t hide his fury. He was always so careful in front of her.


    He must have had genuine feelings for her.


    She dropped the teacup on the ground. It hit it with a loud ng and shattered.


    ¡°How young and na?ve to fall in love so easily.¡±


    ***


    That night, I woke up from a nightmare. When I opened my eyes, I could hear noises from outside my window.


    I walked out to the terrace, and what I saw made me speechless.


    The burning smell made me cough. I almost fell on the floor.


    The castle was burning. The fire was so big and red the sky above it looked like it was burning too.


    It was a huge fire. It started from a nearby wing, and it almost reached the main quarters.


    Many died, including the Aeal family who was trapped in the tower.


    No one could figure out how the fire started.


    I felt cold and hot at the same time. It was like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Lucretius, who was sitting across from me, seemed to mirror my thought.


    He murmured, ¡°I have seen something simr before.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He smiled gently and asked, ¡°Who do you think it was? I want to see if we are thinking the same thing.¡±


    I opened my mouth without hesitation. We were in my bedroom. It was just the two of us.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously the dowager empress. Last time, it was Marchioness Toruka.¡± I paused before adding. ¡°This is too good to be a coincidence.¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t joke as usual. Instead, he agreed immediately.


    ¡°Yes. We were just about to interrogate the Bonafit family when this happened. Those were the only people who could testify against the dowager empress... How annoying.¡±


    I felt angry. I frowned and nodded.


    Lucretius smiled unpleasantly.


    ¡°She is an evil genius.¡±


    I agreed with him. She was very intelligent, cruel, and determined.


    The worst possiblebination in one¡¯s enemy.


    She was getting even more dangerous. It was one thing to send an assassin, but to cause a fire big enough to burn down a whole wing was crazy.


    Could... Could we really win against this woman?


    I wanted to go back home. To return home, I had to first survive in this world.


    I felt anxious and was about to bite my fingernails when Lucretius grabbed my hand.


    I was confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He touched my damaged fingernails.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve ruined your hand.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Samantha and the other maids did their best to keep my nails pretty, but I always ended up ruining them with my bad habit.


    I sighed and mumbled, ¡°I should apologize to my maids.¡±


    Something must have ticked him off. He frowned and held my hand tightly.


    He asked, ¡°Just your maids?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Who else would I apologize to?¡±


    Lucretius pouted like a child.


    W, what the heck was with this guy?


    ¡°You hurt yourself. You should treat yourself better, my wife.¡±


    He was making no sense, but I agreed with him anyway.


    ¡°I guess. I guess I should apologize to myself then.¡±


    To my surprise, he continued to pout.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what else he wanted.


    ¡°What else is there?¡±


    Lucretius kissed each of my fingers. After the five kisses, he asked me, ¡°If you hurt yourself, it hurts my heart, so shouldn¡¯t you apologize to me too?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Too much! Too corny!


    Someone help me!


    I pushed my hand toward him. It was an unexpected move and because he was holding my hand, my action caused him to kiss the back of his own hand.


    His green eyes looked surprised as they blinked.


    I thought he looked cute just then.


    What I did next... I couldn¡¯t exin even if my life depended on it.


    Perhaps it was temporary insanity.

 Chapter 80

    <h4>Chapter 80: &lt;Chapter 80&gt;</h4>


    Lucretius had his lips on the back of his hand, which was holding my hand. I got closer to my hand and kissed the back of my own hand.


    At that moment, our lips were apart only by our own hands.


    An indirect kiss.


    Suddenly, I realized what I had done. I became red.


    Why? Why did I do it?


    I tried to look calm as I said to him, ¡°Well, there. Now I don¡¯t have to feel sorry.¡±


    He seemed to be genuinely surprised. He opened his mouth to say something. I needed to escape this situation, so I pulled my hand and turned around.


    I tried to run, but I realized I was in my own bedroom!


    Within a few seconds, he grabbed me from behind.


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    He pulled me back to the bed andughed in delight.


    ¡°But... I can¡¯t help feeling disappointed. This was a good chance to get rid of the dowager empress.¡±


    He tried to console me gently. He was so sweet. A few months ago, if someone told me Lucretius could be like this, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. It would have been nice if we could implicate the dowager empress, but there was never a guarantee this could bring her down. She is not an easy enemy.¡±


    ¡°I... I guess.¡±


    I had to agree with him. Even if we were able to implicate her in an attempted murder of the emperor and me, the dowager empress wasn¡¯t someone who would go down easily.


    Lucretius added, ¡°I always considered the possibility of something not going ording to our n.¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    When I seemed upset, he asked me, ¡°Are you afraid of her?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say no. I couldn¡¯t even lie about it. He would know the truth anyway.


    He kissed my forehead lightly and tried to make me feel safer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That woman has been trying to kill me for the past 20 years, and I haven¡¯t died yet. I will protect you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I almost fell for him then.


    I must have been feeling more anxious than I realized. Small kind gestures seemed to affect me much more than usual.


    I added quietly, ¡°I am also worried whether the baby will be a prince or a princess.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, her due date is very soon.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If I remembered correctly, it was supposed to be at the beginning of the ball, so it has to be either today or tomorrow.¡± He added ominously, ¡°It would be best if it is stillborn.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was an atrocious thing to wish for one¡¯s step-sibling, but I couldn¡¯t say anything because I felt the same way.


    I also had little feelings toward Lisbeth and her family¡¯s death.


    I liked to think it was because of my situation, but it was a poor excuse.


    I realized the way I think and feel was changing since I arrived in this world.


    ***


    Only ashes remained of the Bonafit family. I didn¡¯t want to go see to confirm.


    It was considered an embarrassment to have an unfortunate ident right before such a big international event. To have important guests see the remnants of the fire was uneptable.


    At least from the outside, the castle had to look intact.


    Every able-bodied men were called to clean up the ce. Any burnt structures were removed and cleaned. New trees and flowers were nted around the area. Thankfully, by the time the guests arrived, there was no obvious evidence of the recent fire.


    It was a relief not to have to see the burned wing anymore. It was a constant reminder of the dead Bonafit family. I hated them, but I didn¡¯t wish them to burn to death.


    I felt bitter. I knew who did this terrible thing.


    Dowager empress Katleyanira.


    She killed Marquis Toruka and the Aeal family to protect herself.


    In doing so, she killed so many others, but I was sure she didn¡¯t care.


    She still stayed in Girand getting ready for the birth.


    I was scared. Could we really defeat this woman? Would I be able to survive this?


    ***


    It was finally the time for the ball.


    The first day started early in the morning. Even before the sun rose, I woke up and took a bath with help from my maids. The bath water was covered with white rose petals.


    It was heavenly and over-the-top. I could sense that my maids wanted to make me look my best. They also seemed to want to cheer me up.


    After the bath, my whole body smelled like a rose. On top of that, the maids put on a luxurious body facial made of honey, butter, and essential oil over me. It felt funny putting honey butter on myself like a piece of bread.


    I remembered the honey butter chips from Korea. It was very popr it sold out in most stores. My older sister was able to get a few bags for me, and I remembered eating them.


    Perhaps when I went back home, it would be easier to buy them.


    Afterward, the maids cleaned my body with a warm cloth. My skin felt so soft and shiny.


    ¡°Please take a deeper breath, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Just a little bit more...¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Samantha and Agnes tightened my corset much tighter than usual. It was so ufortable I worried my ribs would fracture.


    Thankfully, it was over soon. Samantha let me go.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    When I panted, Yuliaplimented me smoothly.


    ¡°Your highness will have the narrowest waist at the ball.¡±


    Elza added.


    ¡°Exactly, and your skin and hair look extra shiny today. Everyone will be awed by your beauty, your highness.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt embarrassed... But it still felt nice to beplimented. I was a woman after all, so I couldn¡¯t help but like being dolled up.


    Luis soon brought in the new dress made especially for this ball. It was an elegant beautiful dress.


    ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s lovely!¡±


    ¡°Please try it on!¡±


    It was a deep violet dress. When I was on earth, I heard this kind of purple color was made from crushing certain insects. I wondered if they did the same here.


    I put on the gorgeous dress ordered by Lucretius. He made sure a dress fit for a Cransian royalty was made for me. This was why the royal color was used.


    The top part was a silver silk shirt decorated with pearls. It gradually darkened into violet as it went down to the skirt portion. Multiple violet silkyers made up the skirt, making it look almost ck. The skirt was huge with pearl and diamonds ced in-betweenyers.


    On the topyer were depictions of four seasons, stars, and the moon.


    No matter how you looked at it, this was a dress made for an empress.


    ¡°...¡±


    When I realized this, I didn¡¯t know how to feel about it.


    Only an empress could wear such a dress, so why did Lucretius order it for me?


    I was doing things an empress would usually do, but I definitely was not his empress. This was why during his coronation, my dress was purposely made not to have this purple color and designs that symbolized the empress.


    When people saw me in this dress at the ball, they would make two possible assumptions.


    Either I was designated to be the next empress, or I had the ambition to be the empress.


    I didn¡¯t like either of them because I wasn¡¯t consulted on the design, I had no idea the final product would look like this. It was Lucretius who made all the decisions.


    I contemted for a second. I felt like the right thing was to not wear this dress, but I didn¡¯t have enough time to get another dress ready.


    I had no choice.


    ¡°It is really beautiful. I don¡¯t think we have much time left, so could you help me?¡±


    The maids gathered around me and continued to prepare me.


    I looked at the mirror. It was so strange to see me like this. It didn¡¯t even look like me.


    My maids started to put on my makeup. My face and neck were covered with a foundation made with pearl powder. My eyebrows were drawn with coal and oil mixture. Purple eyeshadows and gold power were ced lightly above my eyes.


    Yulia eximed that I looked seductive.


    My lips were reddened with a mixture of honey and pink flower powder.


    My hair was minimally decorated as my dress was extravagant. A diamond tiara was all I wore on my head.


    ¡°You are ready, your highness.¡±


    Now, thest thing I needed was my partner to escort me to the ball.

 Chapter 81

    <h4>Chapter 81: &lt;Chapter 81&gt;</h4>


    ¡°Your highness! His highness has arrived!¡±


    The door opened and Lucretius entered. He looked perfect and glowing.


    The emperor was clearly wearing an outfit designed to match mine. It was an elegant mixture of deep purple and ck. His cloak was the color of bright blood. It was such a strong and aggressive color, but it suited him


    He looked so magnificent I felt in standing next to him.


    As I stared at him in awe, Lucretius walked towards me and smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°My wife looks beautiful as usual.¡±


    ¡®But you look prettier than I am.¡¯


    I thought secretly but didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    After looking at me from top to toe, he pped loudly.


    At his signal, a servant walked in with an expensive-looking wooden box.


    Lucretius took the box and opened it to show it to me. Inside were sparkly items that made me exim.


    ¡°T, these are...¡±


    ¡°My gift for my wife. What do you think? Do you like them?¡±


    Honestly, I thought they were too much. It was way over-the-top gift, especially considering this extravagant dress was also his gift.


    However, many were watching us and there was only one right answer for me to give.


    Inside the box were lined with ck silk. Two items were ced on it.


    One was an ear cuff that looked like fairy wings. It was made of opal and depending on the angle of the light, its color changed.


    The other item was a silver hair essory made of four pins and one sapphire.


    A silver hairpin with a sapphire.


    I paused when I saw it. When I looked up slowly, Lucretius smiled at me gently. I knew why he was giving this piece to me.


    It greatly resembled the hairpin I gave to Lisbeth. I guessed he was giving this to me so I would forget about the one I gifted to Lisbeth.


    I knew he meant well, but to be frank, it just made me feel ufortable, but I couldn¡¯t show my true feelings to him.


    I replied politely, ¡°Thank you, your highness. You are always so generous to me. I don¡¯t know how to thank you enough.¡±


    Lucretius smiled lovingly and exined, ¡°I tried to pick out the best pieces for you...¡±


    He picked up the ear cuff and tried it against my ear.


    ¡°But anything looks... dull against your beauty.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Why did he have to say such weird things like that?


    I tried to hide my annoyance, but it was hard especially because he continued.


    ¡°Now, I would love to put this on your beautiful ear myself. Would you give me that honor?¡±


    I wanted to p his hand, but I had to remember there was an audience.


    You can do this, Sa Bina!


    I pretended to look shy and answered, ¡°Of course, your highness.¡±


    He chuckled and put the ear cuff on my ear. It felt strange and cool against my skin.


    Lucretius¡¯s face came close to mine.


    Was he going to kiss me again? There were so many people in this room though!


    I tried to look calm, but I could feel butterflies in my stomach.


    To my surprise, he kissed my ear instead of my lips.


    ¡°Oh!¡± He eximed and continued, ¡°I knew it! Beside your loveliness, this kind of jewelry looks dull. For your great beauty, you need something superior like Genoa¡¯s ¡®Blue tear of the Goddess.¡¯¡±


    I suddenly got goosebumps.


    The blue tear of the Goddess! I heard of this before. It was a national treasure of a northern kingdom from Genoa.


    The way the emperor motioned its name was...very dangerous.


    If I said I wanted to have or see this jewelry, or even show any interest, it could mean going to war against Genoa to steal it.


    Did he want a war? Was that why he was saying this to me?


    I started to sweat. I picked my words carefully.


    ¡°How could I everpare to such rare jewelry? Your highness overestimates me.¡±


    Lucretius frowned and pulled me towards him.


    He replied, ¡°You are so beautiful in my eyes, wife, so I don¡¯t understand why you would say that. It sounds like you question my judgment.¡±


    I whispered to him so only he could hear me, ¡°I don¡¯t want a war in my name, so you¡¯ll just have to be known as the man who has bad eyesight.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled and stepped back.


    ¡°As you wish, mydy.¡± He let me go and put on his white gloves. He ordered, ¡°Now, we should go or else we might bete.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I took his hand.


    ***


    The ball was at the same ce where Lisbeth¡¯s trial took ce. Lucretius and I walked together quietly to the event. Normally, the hallways were filled with people, but today, it was empty.


    They were all at the ball. They were gathered there to wait for the emperor and me.


    Standing in front of the giant white door, I felt nervous. I held Lucretius¡¯s hand tightly.


    This wasn¡¯t my first big event. I remembered being at the coronation, but it was different. At that time, I was a small part of the group, but this time...


    It was very different.


    I was different for one. I was now the one scheming. I had nned plots that involved many people including the priestess, the dowager empress, Lisbeth, and Yulia.


    I always thought I had no choice if I wanted to return home. I thought I couldn¡¯t get anything on my own as I was only a pawn in Lucretius¡¯s scheme.


    However, now, I wasn¡¯t a passive member of this game. I was actively involved. I could make things happen on my own. I wasn¡¯t as helpless.


    Yet somehow, I felt even more anxious. Perhaps it was because I was involved at a much deeper level.


    The dress I wore felt too heavy.


    It was such a dark purple, it looked ominous. I wondered if this was Lucretius¡¯ way of telling me I was forever trapped in this world.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. I remembered the silver hairpin he gifted me. It seemed that Lucretius meant it as a way to erase the memory of Lisbeth and her family. I knew he meant to ease my pain, but...


    This was how he saw people. Just tools, nothing more.


    I knew I was no exception.


    How could I ever trust him and his love for me?


    Was his definition of love the same as mine?


    I felt fearful.


    He must have felt my uneasiness. Lucretius held my hand tighter. When I looked up at him in surprise, he smiled at me beautifully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will always be by your side.¡±


    He must have thought I was nervous about the big event.


    I replied lightly, ¡°That makes me even more nervous.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Just then, I heard the sound of the trumpets.


    The silence after it was deafening.


    I knew there was a huge crowd on the other side of the door. They were all waiting for us.


    ¡°His and her highness, the emperor and his wife!¡±


    The servant inside announced loudly.


    So it began. I had no time to be nervous.


    I took a deep breath and stood tall.

 Chapter 82

    <h4>Chapter 82: &lt;Chapter 82: One thing after another&gt;</h4>


    ¡°Your highnesses, the emperor and his wife!¡±


    ¡°Long live the emperor!¡±


    Hundreds of people greeted us in unison.


    When we entered, inside the hall was a long red carpet that led to the thrones. It was a path usually only for the emperor.


    It was called the royal road.


    Everyone else including any other royal members had to follow the emperor from behind.


    However, instead of following this rule, I was walking alongside Lucretius.


    I was so nervous I was trembling. I felt like my brain was melting.


    He whispered to me, ¡°Now, lean on me. I think you must be very nervous.¡±


    ¡°Al, alright.¡±


    His hands felt big and steady as I hung onto him. He was the only one who could help me.


    He was the only one I could lean on in this entire world.


    He steadied me as we walked together. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I would have fallen on my face.


    Lucretius supported me like a giant tree. His shining crown and the bright red cloak looked palepared to his splendid presence.


    He looked so strong.


    I felt even more terrified. He was right beside me, but he felt too distant and intimidating.


    It would have been easier to follow him from behind. To walk beside him was painful.


    The pressure I felt was overwhelming. My anxiety reached its peak when I walked up to my throne.


    I had been here before. It was the first day I arrived here.


    I had no idea how my life would turn out that day. All I could think of at the time was to run away.


    I remembered kneeling to the royal family members at the time.


    Today was different. I was the one sitting on one of the thrones.


    I breathed deeply.


    The empress¡¯ throne was always ced at the same level as the emperor¡¯s. Today, because I wasn¡¯t an empress, the architect had to change the setting. Since it was not possible to lower the existing empress¡¯s throne, they ended up putting an extra step and ce the emperor¡¯s throne on it to make it higher than my throne.


    I wondered why they didn¡¯t just let me sit somewhere else. It would have been simpler.


    Lucretius helped me climb the stairs. When I reached my throne, I turned around to get ready to take a seat. Just then, what I saw in front was overwhelming.


    The grand hall was filled with hundreds of the most powerful people of this world.


    All the eyes looking at me felt like knives stabbing my body.


    ¡®T, too much!¡¯


    Lucretius raised his hand and announced.


    ¡°I happily wee everyone to my very first ball as the emperor of Cransia.¡±


    His voice was booming. It echoed throughout the room.


    Everyone apuded and at Lucretius¡¯s signal, I sat down as he did.


    ***


    The servant continued to announce each guest. This had been going on for a while now.


    Individuals walked up to the stairs closer to our thrones to be introduced to Lucretius and me.


    ¡°Genoa¡¯s second prince his highness Coronel and the second princess her highness Ludia.¡±


    Being from the southern nation, they had darker skins. They approached us and bowed deeply. Lucretius nodded slightly to them while I bowed a little deeper than him.


    Genoa. This was thend where the ¡°Blue tear of the Goddess¡± resided. It was the biggest kingdom in the southern continent and, therefore, very powerful.


    Prince Coronel greeted cheerfully.


    ¡°Long live the emperor. I am very impressed, your highness. What an event you created.¡±


    Lucretius had a nk face as he replied, ¡°Now that I think about it, this is your first Cransian event of the year.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Untilst year, only my father, who was a prince at the time, attended. I couldn¡¯t apany him as we were going through the session war. I had to protect my family.¡±


    ¡°I heard Rumel the Fourth was able to kill thest of his brothers six months ago. Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure my father will be happy to hear your words.¡±


    It was such a chilling story that I couldn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°...¡±


    I remembered hearing about Genoa. It was a country of knights and to be the king, you had to prove yourself as the strongest fighter.


    The princes fought each other in battles and the one who remained became the king.


    About a year ago, after the long bloody battles, Rumel the fourth became the king of Genoa.


    The fact that Prince Coronel attended this ball meant he probably was the most powerful among all of Rumel¡¯s sons.


    Coronel chatted for another few minutes before he finally revealed his true intention.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce you to my sister. Please bow to the emperor of Cransia, Ludia. Your highness, she is called the pearl of Genoa.¡±


    Princess Ludia bowed politely to Lucretius. As her brother exined, she was a voluptuous beauty.


    It was clear I was not to be part of this interaction. This must have been why Prince Coronel acted as if I didn¡¯t exist.


    He continued topliment his sister.


    I understood why. Lucretius was the most eligible bachelor of this world. He was young, childless, and had only one wife. He also had no empress.


    I felt ufortable.


    Lucretius turned to Princess Ludia and greeted her respectfully, ¡°Nice to meet you, Princess Ludia. Last year, your father Rumel the fourth couldn¡¯t stop talking about his second daughter¡¯s beauty. Now I see why.¡±


    Ludia blushed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Coronel seemed proud. He was determined to see his sister at Lucretius¡¯ side.


    He asked, ¡°Your highness, perhaps you could have your first dance with Ludia...¡±


    Just then, Lucretius grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. I ended up standing awkwardly in front of the prince and the princess.


    W, what was he doing?


    When I looked up at him in shock, Lucretius gave me an annoyingly devoted look.


    He announced, ¡°Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t introduced my wife to you yet. Please show your respect to my only wife. She is considered the most precious jewel of this kingdom.¡±


    He hugged my shoulder.


    W, what was he talking about?!


    ***


    More guests approached us to be introduced. It was tiring, especially because apparently, my husband was the most popr guy in the world.


    Majority of the guests brought high-rankingdies with them. This wasn¡¯t apetition to find the emperor¡¯s next wife, but it sure felt like it. Every powerful family was looking to have their sisters or daughters be the next empress of Cransia.


    Four positions remained. The empress and three official wives. Every unmarried woman here was after one of these spots.


    However, every time a woman was introduced, Lucretius had me stand and show off.


    I felt like a human shield!


    This made me the most hated woman at the ball. People openly red at me. All I did was stand and smile, but being hated was mentally tiring.


    Gosh, I wanted to leave and go to sleep.


    I didn¡¯t want to be the empress. I didn¡¯t even want the position of the emperor¡¯s first wife.


    I wanted to scream my thoughts, but of course, I couldn¡¯t. I wanted to run away, and this feeling continued to grow strong.


    Just when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, it was finally over. Lucretius took my hand and escorted me to the center of the dance floor.

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83: &lt;Chapter 83&gt;</h4>


    The ball officially started with the emperor¡¯s first dance.


    His partner was usually his empress. If there was no empress, a substitute danced with him instead. It could be the dowager empress, a princess, or any of his wives.


    As his only wife, I took his hand and walked to the dance floor.


    When I took a deep breath, he asked me quietly, ¡°You must be nervous.¡± His voice sounded like he wasughing at me.


    There was no point in lying as it was obvious.


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Just a little.¡±


    I tried to smile.


    This felt surreal like I was in a dream. I was so nervous that I no longer was shaking. This didn¡¯t feel real.


    Lucretius must have noticed something was wrong. He kept ncing at me.


    Just then, the music started. It was time to dance.


    Following the rhythm, I took my first step. However, instead of doing what we practiced, Lucretius took a different step.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I lost my bnce and was just about to fall.


    Oh, no! This couldn¡¯t be! I couldn¡¯t embarrass myself at the biggest event of the year!


    I felt terrified.


    However, thankfully I didn¡¯t fall.


    Lucretius grabbed and pulled my body. Suddenly, I was floating in the air as he spun me around.


    ¡°Huh...!¡±


    He took my hands and held them tight. He spun me around a few time in midair.


    J, just how strong was he?


    He was holding me up with his arms only. Following the music, he spun me six times before letting me down.


    We were supposed to spin together six times, but he did this on purpose!


    I red at him and nced around the room to see people¡¯s reaction.


    Fortunately, it seemed no one noticed what had happened. Lucretius followed the music well and because my dress was so long, my feet probably weren¡¯t showing.


    This dance was named the Rolka, and it boasted ofplicated and dizzying steps. Foreigners like myself found it very hard to master let alone spontaneously change the steps.


    Lucretius was definitely an amazing dancer. How annoying!


    I gritted my teeth as I continued to dance.


    I whispered to him sharply, ¡°Let¡¯s try to keep it safe!¡±


    At least, I felt grounded. This situation no longer felt surreal. My body moved as Imanded.


    Lucretius whispered back to me, ¡°You¡¯re finally back to normal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He must have noticed how nervous I was.


    However, even then, doing something so spontaneous at such a big event was ridiculous. He was crazy!


    We continued to dance in circles until the music ended.


    When it did, everyone apuded.


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    ¡°It was perfect!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Wow...!¡±


    I panted from exhaustion. It was tiring, but I felt awake. When I looked up, he chuckled quietly.


    ¡°You are back to yourself.¡±


    I replied to him sarcastically, ¡°Can¡¯t you help me in a normal way?¡±


    ¡°But then, it wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    While we argued lightly, new slower music started.


    ¡°Huh? Another song already?¡±


    It was a love song that required the dancers to get closer to each other. I didn¡¯t like it, but at least, it required fewer movements.


    Before I could react, Lucretius took a step while holding me.


    I let out a small yelp in surprise, but no one heard it. The first dance was to be performed by just the emperor and his partner, but now it was dance time for everyone. This music, which was called Minote, was a very popr song among couples.


    This was the same dance we danced that night in my bedroom.


    I remembered it very well. The moonlight was especially beautiful that night.


    I was deep in my own thoughts when suddenly, I saw a face ring at me.


    She looked familiar. It was one of the former emperor¡¯s wives. I remembered her because she had beautiful dark skin. She must have been from the same country as Coronel and Ludia. In fact, they were all standing together.


    Her re was terrifying. Luckily, Lucretius and I spun around, and I didn¡¯t have to look at her anymore.


    What I saw next were my own maids. They looked at me proudly and happily. I also noticed Countess n and her people. Standing next to her was her oldest niece, who was Yulia¡¯s older sister. She was talking to a man, who must have been her fianc¨¦. She looked very happy.


    I continued to see different faces. Some were dancing with their partners, while others stood and watched.


    The first day of the ball finally began like this.


    ***


    I didn¡¯t get to see the one person I wanted to meet the most.


    The priestess.


    I first met her the day after the death of the former emperor.


    Long silver hair with unusual jewelry covering her eyes.


    She was the most powerful religious figure of this world. She belonged to the religion that served Aos, the god of wisdom, knowledge, and history.


    The priestess was the most respected and beloved religious leader. She was also the only high-ranking figure left in Aos.


    Considered to be the daughter of god, she was thest of her magical kind.


    If she didn¡¯t know about how I arrived in this world, I thought there would be no one else who could help me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she could find a way for me to return home. Realistically, I knew it was unlikely, but I couldn¡¯t help but be hopeful. I needed to believe in something, anything.


    At this point, I couldn¡¯t ept my life here as a permanent reality. I knew Lucretius believed it as a likelihood, but I couldn¡¯t yet.


    Who knows? If it happened to me, it was very possible that it happened to others.


    I couldn¡¯t give up yet.


    The priestess was myst hope.


    As I danced with Lucretius, I continued to look around, but I couldn¡¯t find her.


    An invitation was sent to her and Lucretius promised I would be able to meet her. I even confirmed that the invitation was sent to her in my name. I also got a reply stating that she will attend this event.


    I felt frustrated.


    I turned to Lucretius to ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the priestess will be here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and you said you got her reply, right?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see her here!¡±


    He put his finger on his lips to warn me.


    ¡°Shh. You are yelling.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    I must have raised my voice out of frustration. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice. The music was too loud, after all.


    I lost myposure. I felt embarrassed.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I know for a fact that she arrived at the castle. She probably isn¡¯t attending this particr dance.¡±


    This didn¡¯t make sense. Why wouldn¡¯t she attend the very first day of the celebration?


    ¡°If she is in the castle, why wouldn¡¯t she attend this event?¡±


    He grinned. It looked like he wasughing at me.


    ¡°She is the messenger from the god and the living miracle. Obviously, she can¡¯t attend this.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Currently, she is considered the religion itself.¡±


    I knew this. The daughter of god. Living proof of all miracles. Her power and authority were absolute.


    So what?


    Lucretius continued, ¡°As you saw, the first day consists of everyone gathering to kneel in front of me as the most powerful ruler of this world. They are acknowledging my authority over them. Of course, the priestess can¡¯t attend it.¡±


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    A sky couldn¡¯t hold two suns.


    If the priestess appeared, it would be awkward. Who should bow to who? Both Lucretius and the priestess couldn¡¯t show any weaknesses. This must have been why she didn¡¯t show up at all.


    She epted the invitation as a sign of respect but didn¡¯t attend the ball. She would probably continue to avoid attending any public events. This was the only way to keep easy peace between the emperor and herself.


    The priestess also didn¡¯t attend Lucretius¡¯ coronation. She only acknowledged his right to the kingdom and our marriage at a private setting. This must have been why.


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Lucretius smiled gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel anxious. She will ask to meet with you either tomorrow or at thetest in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°She will want to meet you in person rather than go through me. It will be easier and less pressure.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d.¡±


    I must have looked too happy. Lucretius frowned unhappily.


    ¡°Are you that happy?¡±


    I nodded honestly. ¡°Yes. Of course, I¡¯m very happy.¡±


    After a brief silence, he asked, ¡°... If it¡¯s possible... Do you still n on returning to your home?¡±


    The music stopped.


    The dance was over. We just looked at each other quietly.


    The third music began, and Lucretius tried to take me to the center of the dance floor again. However, I didn¡¯t feel like it.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at me.


    He asked me a question, so I needed to answer him.


    I didn¡¯t know how to do it though. I just put on a nk smile like a good hostess and remained quiet.


    Thankfully, Lucretius didn¡¯t insist on getting an answer.

 Chapter 84

    <h4>Chapter 84: &lt;Chapter 84&gt;</h4>


    When the emperor returned to his throne after the second dance, people started to approach him slowly again. They looked like hyenas going for a leftover carcass after the lion finished his meal.


    The hyenas were led by the Genoa siblings. Coronel was one persistent and determined man.


    ¡°Haha, what an amazing dancer you are, your highness!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Lucretius answered in an uninterested voice. He obviously didn¡¯t want to talk to Coronel, but the prince didn¡¯t give up. Thisrge dark man was determined to get his sister Ludia into Lucretius¡¯ arms.


    I thought about helping the prince. My n was also to get Lucretius a woman. Whether it was Yulia or Princess Ludia didn¡¯t matter to me.


    A princess from Genoa definitely was worthy of bing the Cransian empress. The former emperor¡¯s third wife was from Genoa as well. It was that woman who was ring at me during the dance. I didn¡¯t see her anywhere anymore.


    That Genoan woman married the former emperorter in his life, but she easily climbed to be the third wife from starting out as a concubine. It was probably because she was from Genoa.


    When I was about to help the prince, he said things that changed my mind.


    ¡°I just danced with my sister. Ludia is famous for her dancing skills in Genoa.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Despite Lucretius¡¯s disinterest, Prince Coronel continued.


    ¡°I can guarantee you, your highness, that my sister has a more beautiful face, body, and dancing ability that your current wife.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hmm...


    I had to admit that Princess Ludia did have one sexy body. Very curvy indeed.


    As I started to feel irritated, Prince Coronel continued, ¡°And Ludia also has royal blood with clear lineage. She is the daughter of the Genoan king and his second wife.¡±


    I flinched. The prince wasn¡¯t just bringing up my appearance; he was outright attacking me about my background.


    Lucretius announced I was a nobledy from a farawaynd, but most people didn¡¯t believe it. They all thought I was a random nobody the Duke of Aeal brought with the possibility of being his bastard.


    Even if I was a proper daughter of Duke Aeal, I still couldn¡¯tpare to the princess of Genoa. It was clear Prince Coronel was disrespecting my unknown lineage.


    The prince looked at me from top to toe.


    He obviously saw me as a lowly born woman.


    He looked confident. He seemed sure he could aplish his n with Genoa¡¯s power, his sister¡¯s beauty, and his own political skills.


    I would have let a lot of things pass, but not this.


    I smirked at him and reached out to Lucretius. I took his arm and whispered, ¡°Should we go for another dance?¡±


    The third song was about to end. Lucretius¡¯ green eyes sparkled.


    He chuckled and led me to the dance floor as he said to the Genoan siblings, ¡°I am well aware of Genoa¡¯s love for dance, but it appears your kingdom doesn¡¯t teach good manners. At least not to you or your sister.¡±


    ¡°... Your highness!¡±


    Ignoring Coronel¡¯s protest, we walked down the stairs. I hung onto Lucretius and turned around to grin at the prince and the princess.


    ***


    The fourth song was amon ball music.


    What was the name?


    Oh, yes. Feldita. It was very simr to waltz on earth.


    It was a smooth yet rhythmic dance.


    I was impressed again with Lucretius. This man was a master dancer.


    He made it so easy for me to follow him.


    I asked with a smile, ¡°But Genoa is a powerful country. Is it okay for you to disrespect them like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He can¡¯t get mad at something so small like this. If he does, oh well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It sounded like Lucretius wanted Coronel to make a big deal out of this. He seemed a bit upset. He looked annoyed.


    ¡°...¡±


    I could guess why. It was probably because I still haven¡¯t answered his question.


    ¡°... If it¡¯s possible... Do you still n on returning to your home?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t answer him. I just didn¡¯t.


    Of course, I wanted to return home. I wanted to see my family again. This wasn¡¯t my world. This was a mistake.


    I always thought I couldn¡¯t live here forever.


    However, if I knew for certain it was impossible to go back, I didn¡¯t know how I would feel. I supposed it wouldn¡¯t matter. I would most likely change my attitude and ept my fate.


    However, at this point, nothing was certain. In fact, I was about to meet with someone who might be able to help me.


    The priestess.


    I would do everything I could to return.


    Lucretius couldn¡¯t me me for trying. If he was the one who ended up in a strange world like modern Korea, what would he do?


    He would do the same. He would do everything possible to return to his own world.


    Just like me.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An ufortable silence fell between us, but we both knew what each other was thinking.


    Despite the uneasiness between us, we danced amazingly well together. We didn¡¯t have to say anything. We just knew.


    When the music finished, we did ourst step and let each other¡¯s hand go.


    As we walked away from the dance floor, we were approached by familiar figures.


    ¡°Long time no see, your highnesses.¡±


    Deep smooth voice.


    The white-haired elderly gentleman came to us. He was followed by Countess n and a man who appeared to be her husband.


    Lucretius smiled lightly and replied, ¡°Hello, Cornelius.¡±


    Count n and his wife greeted us as well.


    ¡°Greetings to his and her highnesses.¡±


    After Lucretius replied to them, I smiled as well and greeted them.


    ¡°Hello. I think this is the first time we meet, Count n.¡±


    The kind looking manughed and replied to me, ¡°It is an honor to meet you, your highness. I heard you gave a generous gift to my wife recently.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at the countess¡¯ ne. It was beautifully made with precious ck diamonds. I was very careful to choose this elegant piece.


    The countess smiled shyly while making sure she folded her fan to show off her neck. She thanked me.


    ¡°Your highness has an impressive taste.¡±


    I smiled and replied, ¡°I am ttered, but now that I see it on your neck, it looks dullpared to your beauty, Countess n. I should have picked something better.¡± I was bing well versed at the royal etiquette.


    We conversed pleasantly for a while longer. I was still nervous, but not as much as when I was with the Genoan siblings.


    The members of the n family were very pleasant especially considering how powerful they were. After talking with Lisbeth in the past, I hade to appreciate intelligent conversations. Of course... I no longer had to ever talk to that girl again.


    Just then, Countess n brought up the subject of Yulia.


    ¡°How is Yulia doing? I didn¡¯t have enough time to teach her much, so I have been worrying about her.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to worry about. Yulia is doing very well. My principal maid in waiting, Samantha, and Count Loventis¡¯ daughters all are very happy to have such a smart youngdy around us.¡±


    I raised my voice a little. I had briefly forgotten about my purpose for Yulia.


    I nced around to find my maids. Luckily, they weren¡¯t far. I was sure they could hear me. On top of that, the Genoan siblings were also nearby.


    This was perfect.


    Countess n replied, ¡°Thank you for your kind words, your highness.¡±


    I was about to carry out my n, but my chest felt tight. Something bothered me, but I had no time to waste. This was necessary for me to return home safely.


    Objectively speaking, Yulia was a solid candidate to be the emperor¡¯s wife. She was beautiful, smart, and came from a good family.


    Lucretius obviously didn¡¯t like Princess Ludia and I could guess why. She was from a powerful kingdom and having a wife with such a powerful background was probably not a weing thought.


    Yulia, on the other hand, was a different story. Her father was from a weak noble family. Her aunt would be influential, but she wasn¡¯t her birth mother. A powerful rtive was different than powerful parents.


    Yulia was perfect for Lucretius.


    However, the more I thought about it, the tighter my heart felt.


    Was it indigestion perhaps?


    I ignored it. I smiled brighter and called for Yulia, who came to us in confusion.


    I wanted to go back home. This ce was too much for me. Living in fear all the time was not a life.


    I couldn¡¯t trust Lucretius either. Even if he felt genuine affections for me now, how long would those feelingsst? Soon, he would tire of me and I would be abandoned like all his other fianc¨¦s and his previous wife.


    This possibility terrified me.


    I couldn¡¯t take it. I had to avoid this situation at all cost.


    I had no choice.


    I forced my voice to sound cheerful.


    ¡°His highness just told me he wants to dance next with my maid Yulia.¡±

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85: &lt;Chapter 85&gt;</h4>


    The atmosphere tensed suddenly. Everyone froze.


    I knew what my words meant. If what I said was true, it meant Lucretius was interested in Yulia. This would make her a strong candidate to be the emperor¡¯s next wife.


    Some looked delighted while others looked angry. Countess n was the happiest. The Genoan siblings¡¯ faces darkened in fury. They red at me.


    What surprised me was the way Yulia looked.


    I expected her to look thankful, just as any nobledy would. It was a chance to be royalty.


    However, Yulia looked pale. It definitely was not the face of a happy young girl.


    Meanwhile, Lucretius... I purposely turned away from him. I didn¡¯t want to see his face.


    It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if he looked interested or angry. Either way, I was afraid to see it.


    I wanted Lucretius and Yulia to start dancing right away, so I could leave. I was surprised at Yulia¡¯s reaction, but this had to happen.


    Before I could say another word, arge hand grabbed my shoulder. His deep voice announced firmly.


    ¡°... I believe my wife is feeling unwell.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    I raised my voice in protest.


    ¡°I...!¡±


    Just then my eyes met his and I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I forgot what I was going to say.


    It was brief, but the way he looked at me was... shockingly cold.


    He was furious and...


    He looked disappointed.


    Lucretius quickly took my hand and pulled me towards him.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Lucretius looked around and stopped at the chancellor.


    Lucretius said to him, ¡°My wife seems to be feeling unwell. I will take her out for a quick break.¡±


    The chancellor looked confused but agreed with the emperor.


    ¡°Of course. Please take as much time as you need.¡±


    I felt frustrated. My n would be ruined.


    I had to get a good woman for Lucretius and find my way back home. This would be a perfect n.


    I started to feel angry at Lucretius. We were in public and he was embarrassing me. Why couldn¡¯t he just go along with it!?


    I had to make this work.


    ¡°W, wait...!¡±


    I almost yelled at him but remembered where I was. When Lucretius pulled me, I tried again.


    ¡°Y, your highness, I...!¡±


    Lucretius looked at me again, and I lost my train of thoughts. His green eyes looked enraged.


    He must have realized that I wouldn¡¯t go with him easily. He let go of my hand and instead, he lifted me up.


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    Lucretius announced simply.


    ¡°My wife is feeling dizzy. She was also talking nonsense just now. I think she really needs to rest. Have fun.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡±


    He held me tight and continued to walk.


    ¡°...¡±


    We passed a few doors to get to one of thedy¡¯s breakrooms. As we walked, all the rooms and the hallways were empty.


    Yulia didn¡¯t follow me. It didn¡¯t matter anyway. My n had failed.


    I was angry. All he had to do was to dance with Yulia once. Was it so hard to do?!


    Why was he being so difficult?


    I screamed at him, ¡°Stop!¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me.


    ¡°Lucretius!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Again, no answer. He just continued to walk.


    The third door mmed open. He must have kicked it. The loud noise made me flinch.


    ¡°Luc!¡±


    Finally, he answered me.


    ¡°Why.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His voice was chillingly quiet. Suddenly, I realized that this man was truly angry, and his anger was directed at me.


    ***


    There were a few breakrooms made ready for thedies during the celebration. They were prepared so the noble women could take breaks and gossip among themselves.


    Depending on how powerful one¡¯s family was, the size of the breakroom varied. The more influential they were, the bigger their breakroom was.


    My own breakroom was, of course, huge. It was the size of arge guestroom.


    This was where Lucretius brought me.


    The room also had an elegant bedroom. He gently and slowlyid me on the soft bed.


    It has been a long time since I felt afraid of the emperor.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This situation reminded of the night Lucretius murdered his father. He was the snake, and I was only a mouse then.


    He asked me angrily, ¡°What were you thinking?¡± It sounded like he was growling. His voice was cold and twisted. While I thought of an answer, he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are thinking.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was usatory.


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°W, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lucretius looked up at the ceiling in frustration. After a brief silence, he looked at me again and said to me, ¡°You are so cruel. I don¡¯t know why you keep making me feel pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to tell him.


    What was he trying to say?


    Cruel? Pathetic?


    I couldn¡¯t believe he was saying these to me!


    I looked up at him, but his face was turned away.


    I asked, ¡°What are you saying?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Slowly, he turned towards me. He looked at me as if he couldn¡¯t understand me.


    ¡°You are smart, yet your memory is horrible, or is it that you don¡¯t want to remember?¡±


    What was he talking about?


    Before I could ask him, he continued, ¡°I told and showed you how I felt so clearly, yet you are asking me what I¡¯m talking about?¡±


    Huh?


    My heart fell.


    He continued, ¡°I know you are trying to ignore it.¡±


    ¡°S, stop...¡±


    ¡°No! Today, you will listen to me!¡±


    When I tried to back away, he grabbed my hand and pulled it. His eyes looked into mine passionately and said to me.


    ¡°Do you know how horrifying it is when the woman I love offer me another woman?¡±


    T, this wasn¡¯t fair!


    My heart couldn¡¯t take this. I felt my face burning.


    I protested with all I had, ¡°W, why?! You need an empress and you also need to have many concubines!¡±


    No. This was dangerous territory. I shouldn¡¯t be even talking about this.


    I had to go back home. I had no time to even consider love in this world.


    He shouted at me, ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡±


    He was talking nonsense. As an emperor, he needed an empress and at least four wives. I was trying to help him, so what was his problem?!


    I shook my head.


    ¡°You need an empress and more wives, at least for political reasons! So let me go back home and take other women!¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    ¡°And Yulia is a perfect girl for you...!¡±


    Suddenly, I noticed his eyes.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    He looked hurt. The emperor of Cransia looked hurt.


    It was all because of me.


    He asked me quietly, ¡°Is that your answer to my question earlier?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t think at all. My head was nk.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When I remained silent, Lucretius smiled bitterly. He turned around to leave.


    ¡°Alright. So this is your answer.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    He was leaving. My heart... It felt like my heart was rolling down the stairs.


    My body moved without thinking. My hand reached out and my feet moved on their own.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When I realized what I was doing, it was toote. My hands were grabbing onto his red cloak.


    Lucretius was taking a step when I pulled him. He lost bnce and fell backward, and I fell along with him.


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    Oh my gosh! What just happened!?


    My head was spinning. The carpet was soft and thick, so thankfully, we weren¡¯t hurt.


    Wait!


    When I put my hand on where I was, I realized it wasn¡¯t soft at all. It was hard.


    I knew the castle carpets were made from the softest wool, so why was it so hard?


    No. It wasn¡¯tpletely hard. It was... soft and hard at the same time.


    My hair was covering my face. When I could finally see, I realized why it felt odd.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was because I was on top of Lucretius.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86: &lt;Chapter 86&gt;</h4>


    I had never seen him, but I knew Lucretius was an expert swordsman. You could tell he worked out. His body was hard and muscr.


    I knew this very well. This wasn¡¯t the first time I was on top of him.


    ¡°...¡±


    W, what should I do?


    I felt my face burning.


    His chest was muscr, which meant it was soft and hard at the same time. It was warm too.


    When I stared down at him in shock, Lucretius looked up at me weakly.


    ¡°If you wanted to give me an answer, you could have just said it. You didn¡¯t have to show me with your body.¡±


    ¡°Bo, body?!¡±


    NOOOO!!


    I was about to explode from embarrassment.


    He grinned.


    ¡°Why are you so red? What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I stood up quickly and awkwardly sat down on the carpet. He slowly sat up as well.


    Lucretiusughed softly.


    ¡°Your answer is so creative. It¡¯s so unexpected that I forgot I was angry.¡±


    ¡°T... I... I mean...¡±


    I became speechless again. After a short hesitation, I finally was able to form proper words.


    ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I kept ncing at him as if I was a child in trouble.


    Lucretius lost his smile and asked me coldly.


    ¡°What are you sorry about?¡±


    ¡°Um, I mean...¡±


    ¡°Why did you grab me?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think clearly.


    He asked me if I really meant to return home and I didn¡¯t give him an answer. When I remained silent, he took it as a yes and was about to leave.


    I stopped him.


    Why? What did I want?


    There was no doubt I wanted to go back home. It was my home. I grew up there for 19 years. I missed everyone and everything about it.


    I also couldn¡¯t trust him. I was afraid his feelings for me would be temporary. I feared he would lose interest in me and I would be just one of his many women.


    That was why I tried to get Yulia for him. I couldn¡¯t trust his feelings, so I wanted them to be for someone else.


    I knew I wasn¡¯t making any sense.


    I had to tell him the truth. I needed to tell him that yes, I nned to go back home if possible.


    However, I couldn¡¯t.


    Why couldn¡¯t I?


    Lucretius reached out to push my messy hair out of the way. I looked into his eyes. They were beautifully green like a calm ocean. I felt like I was a small paper boat on it, waiting for a storm to destroy me.


    He was truly like a sea. He could be cruel and moody. I couldn¡¯t understand him a lot of the times. He could be violent. He could hurt me.


    What I was afraid of was how he made me feel.


    Lucretius smiled and touched my lips. My shoulder trembled lightly.


    ¡°I told you already several times. I want you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I tried my best to think of something. I opened my lips and tried to escape this situation again.


    ¡°You need a wife. You need a capable empress who can rule alongside you. Soon, your harem will be filled with princesses anddies from all over the world. I just don¡¯t want to be one of them.¡±


    He frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any woman other than you.¡±


    I yelled at him, ¡°I can¡¯t be an empress! I am not worthy!¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I gave you the royal family name, Sa Bina le Cransia? You can¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know what that meant. You are smarter than that.¡±


    ¡°... I haven¡¯t epted it yet, besides... I won¡¯t tolerate any other wives or concubines. In my world, a man cannot have more than one woman!¡±


    Lucretius smiled smoothly and replied, ¡°As I said, you are the only one for me. I don¡¯t need any other woman.¡±


    ¡°But you need them for political reasons! I don¡¯t have a powerful family that can be of help to you.¡±


    He smiled confidently and annoyingly.


    ¡°I am strong enough to rule without anyone¡¯s help. You are worth it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand him. How was I worth it?


    He continued, ¡°I believe in you and your capability. You will make a great empress. As for a powerful family... Didn¡¯t I tell you a wife from a powerful family would be a burden to me? Have you forgotten the dowager empress?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He had answers for my every excuse.


    He was telling the truth. If he had a wife with a strong family, he believed she would fight for the ultimate power after they defeated the dowager empress together. Lucretius thought there maye a time when he may have to do something cruel to such a wife, just like his father did to his birth mother Empress Beatrice.


    I knew he was capable of cruelty. Considering this, it was true that myck of powerful family could be a positive thing for him.


    On top of that, it seemed that he truly believed I could make a good empress.


    He continued, ¡°You are like a miracle to me. At first, I thought you would be perfect for me in terms of just your situation and abilities.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°Now, you fulfill my emotional needs too. You are the perfect woman for me. The only one. You are my miracle.¡±


    ¡°... it can¡¯t be.¡±


    My heart was beating fast. I felt like I was about to have a heart attack.


    I knew he meant what he said. Most of all...


    ¡°...¡±


    No! I had to be logical. I couldn¡¯t fall for him. This was not my world. I had to return to my own world.


    I shook my head. I felt like I was being strangled. He saw my expression and must have realized what I was thinking.


    He murmured bitterly, ¡°You always try to run away, but not today. I am going to say it and you are going to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Luc!¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hear it. I couldn¡¯t hear it. He shouldn¡¯t say it!


    I already knew. He has never actually said it out loud, but it was clear.


    I was... falling for him. I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Besides, would I really be able to return home? Would the priestess even believe me when I told her I was from a different world?


    If someone told me there was a different world when I was still in Korea, I would haveughed at that person.


    My home was so far away and unreachable, but this man in front of me was finding his ce in my heart.


    I was getting used to Lucretius like I breathed air.


    That was why I was scared. The feeling I had for him was... I didn¡¯t want to think about it. If I acknowledged the fact that I could really have this man in front of me... The thought alone scared me like hell.


    I begged him.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it, Luc! Please!¡±


    However, this time, he wouldn¡¯t listen to me. This was our rtionship. He had all the power. We weren¡¯t equals.


    When I shook my head, he stopped it with both of his hands. He held my face gently but firmly. I felt like crying.


    He made me look at his eyes. I had no way to escape anymore.


    He looked into my eyes and whispered.


    ¡°I love you.¡±

 Chapter 87

    <h4>Chapter 87: &lt;Chapter 87&gt;</h4>


    The most caring yet the scariest word in the world.


    He gave it to me.


    ¡®Love.¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    Love?


    It felt unreal, but not unexpected.


    Lucretius has been courting me for a while now. I knew this, but I had been ignoring it. I didn¡¯t want to even think about it.


    I knew I was being cruel to him. I could understand why he would be mad at me.


    He seemed to know what I was thinking. He whispered to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are being too harsh to the man who loves you?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak. I had no answer to him.


    Lucretius gently kissed both of my eyelids and said to me, ¡°I swear no matter how you feel about me, my love for you will never change.¡±


    He seemed to know why I was so fearful and distrusting. His whisper was sweet and loving.


    He continued, ¡°I am not asking you to decide right now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Like I already said, I want you to choose me because you truly want me. Just like I chose you, I want to be chosen by you.¡±


    He took a deep breath and added, ¡°I want to be chosen by Sa Bina.¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    My heart couldn¡¯t take this anymore.


    He continued, ¡°So don¡¯t feel pressured. You are doing more than enough. I realized how we met wasn¡¯t conventional, but don¡¯t you think you can trust me just a little bit now?¡±


    Tears rolled down my eyes uncontrobly.


    I knew this. I knew it very well.


    I knew how he felt about me, but I was afraid. If I acknowledged and believed his feelings for me, I was afraid I would be weak and dependant on him.


    I was doing my very best to stand on my own and survive in this dangerous world. This was because I thought there was no one who could protect me.


    The very first people I met in this world betrayed me in the worst way. My current enemy, the dowager empress, was a dangerous woman. I had never felt safe since I arrived here.


    Perhaps I have been treating my life as if it was just a dream. I secretly thought that one day I would just open my eyes and wake up from this nightmare. I desperately hoped and prayed for it.


    Whenever I dreamt of earth or seeing my friends and family again, for a brief moment, I thought I finally woke up. However, after over a year of this life, I was tired. Waking up every morning to this hell was devastating.


    Would I ever be able to go back home?


    Was this a dream?


    Did I even exist?


    Was I really Sa Bina from earth? Was I just a crazy woman from this world who believed she came from a different world?


    I couldn¡¯t help but question everything and it made me despair. I felt weak and useless. Everything was uncertain.


    I had to hide all of these overwhelming feelings. I had to appear to be strong. I had to pretend and lie.


    I couldn¡¯t trust or get close to anyone. Because I believed this wasn¡¯t my home, I didn¡¯t want to get to know anybody.


    To be perfectly honest, I didn¡¯t know who to trust.


    I couldn¡¯t let go of myself even for a second. I just looked ahead and continued on without a break.


    I was at my limit. I didn¡¯t even realize it, but it was clear that he knew it before me. He could see my desperate loneliness and weariness.


    He did the one thing I was afraid of the most. He saw right through my wall. He saw my true self.


    Not the strong intelligent woman.


    Not the capable wife of the emperor.


    All these fake masks I had been wearing broke away from me.


    I was only Sa Bina. A twenty-year-old girl who was shaking in fear.


    In his arms, I finally let go.


    ¡°I, I...! I...!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak because I cried so hard.


    I hadn¡¯t shown tears since the first night I woke up in this world.


    Tonight, I couldn¡¯t stop crying until early in the morning, and Lucretius was there for me the whole time with his arms around me.


    ***


    I cried all night and the next day, I couldn¡¯t leave my bed.


    I was sick and required bed rest. As it was the second day of the celebration, Lucretius had to leave me and attend the event by himself.


    I knew all thedies and the princesses would use my absence as a chance to get Lucretius. I felt sorry for him.


    A rumor started that I worked too hard and ended up fainting at the ball. The emperor had to carry me to my bed. People believed it was because I was weak from the recent ident and working hard on top of it caused me to be ill.


    Thankfully, myment on Yulia dancing with Lucretius was quickly forgotten. There were only a few who heard me say it, and Lucretius must have said something to make sure all the relevant people remained quiet.


    The ball was supposed tost for a week and I already missed the second day. I apologized to Lucretius for being careless, but he told me it didn¡¯t matter at all.


    The embarrassing truth was I tried to do a little matchmaking for my own husband and ended up crying my eyes out. It was hard to see Lucretius¡¯ face without feeling mortified.


    One of the biggest reasons why I felt embarrassed was because of my eyes.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t the swelling around my eyes go down?¡±


    When Iined in front of the mirror, Samantha tried to help. My fever was down, but my face was still very swollen.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s put more ice on it.¡±


    I pouted loudly.


    ¡°But I already did it for an hour now! My eyes get too cold. It hurts!¡±


    Samantha sighed and said to me like I was her disobedient daughter, ¡°Cold is the best way to bring down puffiness! Besides, it¡¯s not like anybody made you cry so much during such an important event!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was true. I picked up the bag of ice and ced it on my eyes.


    So cold! Even my eyeballs felt frozen!


    It was unfortunate I got sick, but I didn¡¯t regret crying. After a good cry, I felt much better. I felt a little lighter.


    Thanks to it, I was able to treat Lucretius and others a little more informally than before.


    Those around me seemed to be happy with the change in my attitude. They treated me even more warmly. Samantha and Agnes especially started to treat me like their unruly daughter.


    I realized how coldly I had been treating them. Without realizing, I had built an invisible wall around me. I decided I should treat them better from now on.


    The door opened and a familiar face walked in. It was someone who made me feel guilty.


    She said to me in a rigid voice, ¡°Greetings to her highness.¡±


    It was Yulia. Since that night, I felt very ufortable around her.


    Yulia handed the medicine to Samantha, who in turn handed it to me. When I drank it, Samantha groaned quietly.


    I still had a bag of ice on my eyes, but I could guess what Samantha¡¯s groan meant. Perhaps it was because we spent six months together; I knew her pretty well.


    Everyone was working double time at this point. Even without the recent fire and my ident, preparing for such a big event alone would have been hard enough. There were still many who were secretly working to clean up the damages from the fire. All of my maids, especially Samantha, were working day and night.


    It was partly because I had fallen ill. Samantha had to do my job as the hostess too.


    I ordered her, ¡°If you have work to do, you are free to leave.¡±


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Samantha seemed unconvinced, but I wanted to talk to Yulia in private anyway. This was my chance. I smiled and pushed Samantha gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Yulia is here, right? She will take good care of me. There are also other maids in the next room if I need them.¡±


    Yulia agreed. ¡°Mydy, I will take care of her highness so please don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Samantha contemted for a few seconds before sighing.


    ¡°If you need me, please send someone.¡±


    Yulia nodded. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, mydy.¡±


    Samantha gave Yulia a few more instructions before leaving hesitantly.


    Finally, it was just the two of us.

 Chapter 88

    <h4>Chapter 88: <Chapter 88></h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An awkward silence fell.


    Hmm, I wanted to be alone with Yulia, but I didn¡¯t know how to start the conversation. I still had an ice pack on my eyes, which made it even more awkward.


    I decided I should get rid of it first.


    I removed the pack and slowly sat up. I wanted to look natural and casual, but the bed made a screeching metal noise as I moved.


    Dammit!


    Well, it didn¡¯t matter. I turned towards Yulia. This conversation had to happen.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Why was this so hard? Why did it feel so awkward?!


    I had to say something, anything.


    What should I say? What should I tell her?


    I was wondering if I should start talking about the weather when Yulia finally opened her mouth.


    I felt relieved until she said something unexpected.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness.¡±


    ¡°... pardon?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand why she apologized to me.


    ¡®Hmm? What was she sorry about?¡¯


    At my confusion, Yulia seemed astonished. After a brief hesitation, she looked into my eyes and exined.


    ¡°I... I cannot ept the honor and responsibility your highness ns to bestow upon me.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    What the heck? What was she talking about? When I continued to look nk, Yulia seemed confused. She looked cautiously at me and continued.


    ¡°I am referring to what happenedst night when you ordered me to dance with his highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    So we WERE talking about the same thing, but why was she saying I ¡®ordered¡¯ her? I still couldn¡¯t understand.


    I must have had a stupid expression on my face. Yulia seemed to make up her mind to be direct.


    ¡°Your highness, I... I cannot live as someone¡¯s wife or mother.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    This was very unexpected. When I didn¡¯t say anything else, Yulia kneeled in front of me and looked up.


    ¡°I grew up seeing how my mother ended up having an unhappy marriage.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°My mother was weak ever since she was a child. When she was sixteen, she was told she wouldn¡¯t live past the age of twenty. When she turned twenty, she was told she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear any children. This was... a devastating fact for an unmarried nobledy, so instead of being married to an appropriate nobleman, she ended up marrying my father.¡±


    It was a surprise to me that Yulia would refer to her father this way.


    I remembered what Agnes told me, which matched what Yulia was telling me. Yulia¡¯s father, Viscount Morian, was much lower born than his wife.


    ¡°My father was only interested in my mother¡¯s dowry. He was very cold to her. My mother tried her best to appease to him, and that was why she decided to bear children despite her poor health.¡±


    I see, so her mother hoped to give her husband an heir, but ended up with two daughters. This must have made things worse.


    Although not as bad as this, I had heard simr things happen in Korea. There were still women who had daughters after daughters in an attempt to bear a son. I had even heard of a husband divorcing his wife after his girlfriend bore him a son.


    Yulia continued, ¡°My father, of course, hated me and my sister for not being a son. My mother ended up passing away soon after giving birth to me. Only a month after she died, my father remarried.¡±


    Only one month after the death of his first wife?


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°And six months after his second marriage, my stepmother gave birth to a son. My father was very happy to finally get an heir. My stepmother... She was someone my father knew even when my mother was still alive.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If she gave birth only six months after her marriage, it obviously meant she got pregnant earlier. It must have been when Viscount Morian¡¯s first wife was still alive. He was having an affair with his current second wife.


    Yulia sighed deeply and continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad. At least, my father and my stepmother didn¡¯t physically abuse us.¡±


    They weren¡¯t as bad as the dowager empress Katleyanira, but it still didn¡¯t excuse Yulia¡¯s father¡¯s atrocious behavior.


    ¡°The main problem arose when my sister and I became older. My father and stepmother told us they can¡¯t provide us with dowry when we get married.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    I shouted in shock. As far as I knew, providing dowry was like giving inheritance in advance in this world. A woman without a proper dowry often couldn¡¯t find a good husband.


    This meant Yulia¡¯s father was determined to ruin his daughters¡¯ lives.


    A question suddenly popped up in my head. Didn¡¯t Yulia¡¯s sister have a fianc¨¦?


    ¡°But... I swear I heard your sister have a fianc¨¦. I remember seeing him at the ballst night.¡±


    Yulia¡¯s sister looked happy as she was dancing with him. It would have been impossible to get a good husband if she didn¡¯t have a dowry.


    Yulia nodded.


    ¡°Thankfully, my sister and I have our generous aunt. Our aunt had a daughter who died as a baby. It was the same year as our mother¡¯s death.¡±


    In a year, Countess n lost her child as well as her sister. I could now understand why she considered her nieces her own daughters.


    ¡°Perhaps that was why our aunt has been so kind to us. My sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ is a good man. My aunt has been eyeing him for a while before introducing him to my sister. Luckily, they fell in love too.¡±


    This was such a rare urrence in this world.


    Being kind to one¡¯s nieces unconditionally and marrying for love.


    Yulia smiled and continued, ¡°This marriage is all thanks to our aunt.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°Our father refused to give any of our mother¡¯s dowry back to us as our own dowry.¡±


    This was horrible, but it still didn¡¯t make sense why Yulia didn¡¯t want to marry anyone. She seemed to have read my mind as she exined.


    ¡°I have witnessed so many terrible things a woman may go through in her lifetime. I saw my mother¡¯s tears and pains.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to live like that.¡±


    ¡°I... I understand of course.¡±


    I tried to console her in my own awkward way. I always found it hard to say the right thing in this kind of situation. I never knew what to say.


    Yulia smiled faintly.


    ¡°Your highness is a very kind woman.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? No, I¡¯m not...¡±


    What? She was very mistaken. In fact, I sometimes even surprised myself at how cold I could be.


    However, Yulia protested.


    ¡°No, you are truly generous. You try not to show it, but it¡¯s true. That must be why you tried to bestow me this great honor.¡±


    ¡°H, honor?¡±


    I started to sweat. I finally understood how she saw this situation. She thought I was trying to help her, when in fact, it was the opposite. I tried to make her marry Lucretius without even asking her if she wanted it!


    I felt ashamed of myself as Yulia continued, ¡°You felt bad for me and that is why you were trying to gift me with this great honor of royal marriage. I am forever grateful for your kindness, but... I cannot marry his highness.¡±


    ¡°I, I see.¡±


    I felt... happy.


    I tried to imagine how I would have felt if Lucretius did agree to dance with Yuliast night.


    I would have been devastated.


    The truth was, I felt nervous about this conversation with Yulia. What if she was happy about my attempt and wanted to ept the marriage? I was scared of this.


    I continued to sweat. I felt relieved but also curious.


    Based on what I sawst night at the ball, Lucretius was definitely the most eligible bachelor of thisnd. Why was Yulia determined to refuse him?


    She said it was because of her parents¡¯ unhappy marriage, but it still didn¡¯t make sense to me. Her sister was happy to get married. Her aunt, Countess n, would have helped her get a good husband too.


    Why then was she against the royal marriage?


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I understand about your past, but I still don¡¯t get it. Bing the emperor¡¯s wife is a great opportunity for any woman, especially at a time when the emperor doesn¡¯t have any children.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So why would you refuse such a great chance?¡±

 Chapter 89

    <h4>Chapter 89: <Chapter 89></h4>


    Yulia looked down at the floor. After thinking for a few minutes, she finally raised her head. Her eyes were shining and confident.


    ¡°On thisnd, a woman cannot simply be herself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A woman lives as someone¡¯s daughter, wife, and eventually a mother. If I follow this route, there will be no room for me to live as ¡®Yulia.¡¯¡±


    I finally understood.


    I knew there wouldn¡¯t be many people who would appreciate Yulia¡¯s ideals. Even in the 21st century Korea, women were pressured to live as a wife and a mother, and it was even worse in this world.


    ¡°In a marriage, I may end up unhappy like my mother or happy like my aunt, but it¡¯s not a matter of happiness to me. I just... don¡¯t want to live as an extension of someone else.¡±


    It was such a modern way of thinking. Even in Korea, this was not something everyone could ept as a norm. Here, I could see that Yulia would be seen as an irrational woman.


    ¡°Yulia...¡±


    Yulia murmured bitterly, ¡°Your highness has no idea what it meant for me to hear your offer of a maid position.¡±


    In this world, living as a single woman was almost impossible. A woman usually couldn¡¯t possess wealth. She had to be married and that was the end of the story. If her husband died, she often remarried. By doing so, everything belonged to men.


    Being my maid was one of the very few ways a woman could legally be independent. Most maids wanted to serve the royal family because it meant better marriage prospect, but to Yulia, this was a career.


    I took Yulia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yulia.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Yulia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why are you apologizing to me, your highness?¡±


    ¡°I nned your life without even asking you. I didn¡¯t consider what you may want and how you may feel. I was incredibly inconsiderate and I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yulia smiled thankfully. ¡°See? I was right. Your highness is a kind and warm person. There is no need for you to apologize.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, whether you ept my apology or not, I need to do it. I should have known better.¡±


    I meant what I said. I had made so many mistakesst night, and I had to make amends.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yulia.¡±


    She held my hand tightly.


    ¡°... So you understand and ept how I want to live my life.¡± When I nodded, Yulia murmured, ¡°I never imagined there would be someone who would... understand me. Even my sister and my aunt... they thought I was being unreasonable. They told me I was being silly because I was too young to know better.¡±


    ¡°Being a wife and a mother isn¡¯t the only way for a woman to be happy.¡±


    Yulia¡¯s eyes filled with tears at my statement.


    ¡°You are the first and only person who ever said that to me...¡± Her voice trembled.


    On this day, we were able to be genuine friends.


    I felt like I made my very first friend in this world. I was excited and happy. We talked for a long time until Samantha returned.


    Yulia was intelligent and cautious, and she had a very unique way of thinking. Her ideals would have been considered strange here, but they were very familiar to me.


    In history, there were people who were born at the wrong ce and at the wrong time. If they lived in the right time or ce, they would have had better lives.


    Yulia was one of those people. In fact, of all the people I met in this world, I found her to have the most things inmon with me, even more so than Lucretius. Yulia and Lucretius were the two people I met here who had the most exceptional ideas and personalities.


    At first, I saw Lucretius as a typical entitled rich boy with power, but I was mistaken. He did have qualities of a tyrant, but he also was one person who saw me as the real me.


    As a person named Sa Bina.


    Of course, he did try to use me at first. In fact, he saw people as tools or means to an end, which was strange.


    The fact that his attitude towards me changed probably was because of his feelings for me.


    His feelings for me...


    Suddenly, I felt warm. His confession fromst night still made my heart beat fast.


    While I was rememberingst night, I must have had a telling expression on my face. I found Yulia looking at me with a knowing smile.


    ¡°W, why are you smiling at me like that?¡±


    Yulia smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you like this.¡±


    ¡°L, like what?¡±


    Yulia looked naughty as she replied, ¡°You were thinking about his highness, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What? N, no! It¡¯s not like that!¡±


    When I shook my head, Yulia said to me unconvinced, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you are aware, but your highness looks rxed when you are with his highness.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    R, really?!


    I was mortified! I wanted to disappear into the thin air.


    ¡°Just now, you were thinking about his highness and that is why you were smiling happily.¡±


    ... please tell me this is not true! It can¡¯t be!


    I screamed silently. Arrggg!


    I was so embarrassed.


    Seeing my reaction, Yulia took my hand with a kind smile.


    ¡°So please don¡¯t try so hard.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this what Lucretius said to mest night?


    Yulia continued, ¡°This must be painful for you, your highness, and that was why you became ill.¡±


    ¡°W, what are you talking about?!¡±


    While I panicked, Yulia said to me consolingly.


    ¡°It may be your duty as the emperor¡¯s wife, but I can see how painful it would be to get women for the husband you love so much.¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    Gosh, I couldn¡¯t be any more embarrassed.

 Chapter 90 - Light and Shadow>

    <h4>Chapter 90: <Chapter 90: Light and Shadow></h4>


    I remembered my mother asking me with a sad face.


    ¡°Luc, would you like this baby to be a brother or sister?¡±


    She was patting her fast-growing belly.


    She wasn¡¯t looking at him with her usual loving expression. He was only a young boy, but he was mature enough to understand.


    Ever since he could remember, peopleplimented him for resembling his grandfather the great Emperor Kentius. Lucretius was the only living heir to the throne. Whenever he stood in front of a mirror, he knew he was a good-looking boy.


    He was able to read by the age of three and started to learnplicated mathematics at the age of five. He was always praised for his looks, intelligence, and his unmistakable royal blood.


    This made the boy arrogant. By the time he turned ten, Lucretius le Cransia couldn¡¯t be any more egotistical.


    As he looked back now, Lucretius knew it was all wrong and abnormal, but as a child, he had no idea.


    As a boy, he treated people objectively and coldly. The way he treated his own mother was no exception.


    He wasn¡¯t as cold to her, but he secretly hated his mother for being weak.


    It didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t love her, but he knew not to show how he felt about her. Lucretius regretted it now, but his mother probably knew anyway.


    Despite knowing his hatred towards her, his mother was still loving.


    She once said to him with a gentle smile, ¡°This is your younger sibling.¡±


    The boy pulled his hand away from his mother¡¯s belly coldly. She looked at him with deep sadness in her eyes, but at that time, the boy didn¡¯t understand what it meant.


    That was why he answered unkindly.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s a girl. I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, but if it¡¯s a brother, I will have to fight him for the throne.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His mother smiled bitterly and patted his cheeks.


    ¡°Yes. I hope it¡¯s a girl too.¡±


    The boy secretlyughed at her. It made sense that the boy would want a sister so he wouldn¡¯t have apetitor, but his mother should have wanted a son. An empress could never have enough sons so she could gain more political power.


    The boy didn¡¯t show it, but heughed at his mother¡¯s naivet¨¦ and tender heart.


    When Lucretius thought of that time, he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly at his younger self. He was so stupid and big-headed.


    However, even if he traveled back in time to that moment, he would have done the same. He was a cold man.


    As a boy, he didn¡¯t know everything his mother had to do to survive in this castle. The woman heughed at for being na?ve had secretly sacrificed herself to protect him and his childhood.


    It waster when he found out about the rumor. The emperor refused to acknowledge his mother¡¯s unborn child as his.


    This was why his mother hoped for a daughter instead of a son. She wasn¡¯t just saying it to appease him. Even if she lost her position as the empress, a princess would have been allowed to live. A prince would have been a different story.


    Even when her life was in danger, his mother was thinking of her children and not herself.


    This was a month before Empress Beatrice was executed.


    ***


    A dagger fell to the ground from the woman¡¯s fragile hand.


    Lucretius kicked it away towards the corner of the bedroom. He then let go of the woman¡¯s wrist and pushed her roughly onto the bed.


    He normally wouldn¡¯t treat a helpless woman like this, but it was different today. His wife just attempted to murder him, so he felt his actions were justified.


    The woman fell onto the bed feebly. Her shoulders were so thin and dry. Lucretius waited for her to cry as she always did.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, today, she didn¡¯t. He was surprised.


    She lifted her face toward him. When he first met her two years ago, she was beautiful like a pink rose, but now, her face looked like a skull. Her body was as thin as a dry stick.


    He didn¡¯t feel anything as he looked at her. He felt nothing for her. Not anger nor affections.


    At first, his wife felt the same about him.


    Lucretius needed to be married, but Katleyanira had been preventing it for years. When she finally couldn¡¯te up with any more legitimate excuses, she volunteered to arrange it herself.


    She made sure it was she who picked his wife. Octavia was her name and Katleyanira bought her family off for this asion. Octavia was brainwashed to hate Lucretius, but when sheid her eyes on him for the first time, she fell in love.


    At first, Lucretius was d that it happened. Octavia¡¯s family tried to use her against him, but Octavia, in turn, tried to convince her family to help him.


    Lucretius tried his best to treat Octavia kindly. He respected her, but that was not what she wanted. She loved him with everything she had, and she wanted the same from him. Lucretius couldn¡¯t understand why.


    His first fianc¨¦, Isabe, didn¡¯t ask him for love. She only wanted him to be a fair and dependent partner. Lucretius agreed with her that it was the best rtionship he could hope for. That was why he felt truly disappointed when Isabe died. She could have been a perfect political partner.


    However, with her death, he gained something even more valuable. He saw Cornelius cry out in front of Isabe¡¯s dead body and swore vengeance against Katleyanira.


    Other than his mother, no one had ever shown or demanded him for his love. He had only known political rtionships.


    Therefore, when Octavia came along, her demand for love caused Lucretius immense stress. He tried his best to show her that he cared. He spent a lot of time with her and in public, and he treated her respectfully. He also sent her gifts often.


    He thought he did more than enough, but he couldn¡¯t give her what she truly wanted. In fact, he didn¡¯t understand what she wanted.


    This drove Octavia crazy, and slowly but surely, her love turned into anger and obsession.


    Even her maids and servants couldn¡¯t stand her anymore. Towards the end, she became so cruel she cut one of her servant¡¯s wrist. Lucretius couldn¡¯t let this go on.


    When he tried to convince her to be kinder, she became angrier and jealous.


    She screamed, ¡°Is that lowly servant girl more important to you than me?¡±


    At the time, Katleyanira was spreading unsavory rumors about him and the maids. As Octavia slowly lost her mind, Katleyanira managed to get to her.


    This was the result of Katleyanira¡¯s scheme.


    Octavia¡¯s eyes looked wild as she murmured, ¡°Why won¡¯t you even ask me why I am doing this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to answer this question.


    At his silence, sheughed bitterly. She looked like an empty shell. She looked like she had given up. Herugh was disturbing.


    She must have been tired. She fell forward andid on the bed on her stomach. She just stared at him silently.


    He was so sick of her obsession. He couldn¡¯t understand her and why she was turning into a monster,


    This was uneptable.


    His wife red at him heatedly. She looked like she wanted to kill him.


    Lucretius warned her quietly, ¡°Octavia.¡±


    She replied in a screeching voice, ¡°Do you even know my nickname?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You think you are so great. You think you are above everyone, even love... Your highness, the great heir to the greatest kingdom of Cransia!¡±


    She giggled. Clearly, she has lost her mind.


    Lucretius shook his head at the situation. He finally realized that human emotions, especially love, were impossible to understand and control. It was dangerous to y with them.


    A zealous love could quickly turn into a treacherous emotion.


    It was a double-edged sword, and he didn¡¯t want to ever hold it again.


    However, today, the sword was already in his hand.


    His wife murmured again, ¡°I wonder if you could ever love someone... I never want to see it, but I am also curious. I wonder what kind of expression you would have if you fell in love with someone who didn¡¯t feel the same way about you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He looked down at her silently. He couldn¡¯t stop frowning as she continued tough at him.


    ¡°Oh... I wonder how you would feel if that happens, but... One thing I know for sure is that you would never feel that way about me...¡±


    ¡°Octavia!¡± Lucretius shouted, but his wife wouldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°I pray that you fall in love with someone who will abandon you. Only then will you understand a little of how I feel.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But no, no! I don¡¯t want you to ever fall in love with anyone.¡± She continued to murmur to herself.


    Lucretius couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    He suddenly felt an incredible thirst. He saw the water jar nearby.


    He poured himself a cup of water, and, as a habit, he dipped his silver ring in it.


    The silver turned ck.


    ¡°...¡±


    Katleyanira again. This was happening too often now.


    He was about to pour the water into the sink when his wife suddenly stood up and walked to him.


    ¡°...¡±


    She looked like a ghost, but instead of acting like a madwoman, she now spoke to him shyly.


    ¡°Luc.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a disturbing and sudden change.


    She asked him bashfully, ¡°Could you pour me a cup of water too? I¡¯m thirsty, Luc.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t remember or understand what he was thinking, but he remembered exactly what he did.


    He poured the poisoned water into a new cup and handed it to his wife. She took it with a bright smile and emptied the cup. She then walked back to the bed to lie down.


    Lucretius didn¡¯t look back as he left the room.


    The next day, Octavia was found dead from poisoning. The source of the poison was never found as usual.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91: <Chapter 91></h4>


    Lucretius had never spent the night alone. Every night, the dead women in his life came and clung to him. His mother and Octavia. In the dark, they med him for his coldness and disturbed his sleep.


    He was used to this now. It didn¡¯t even feel ufortable or painful anymore. It was just part of life.


    Therefore, when he woke up in Lonez, he was genuinely shocked.


    The sun was up high, and it looked like it was already in the middle of the day.


    He murmured in disbelief, ¡°What time is it?¡±


    The ck-haired girl, who was sitting at a nearby table, turned around. Her beautiful long hair danced around her face.


    Smart ck eyes looked at him and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking out the window? Samantha just came by to tell me it will soon be lunch time.¡±


    ¡°... Samantha was here?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe it. He slept through the night andte into the morning. Any slight noise always woke him up. Even the smallest movement from Bina did as well. Yet, this morning, Bina got out of the bed, and he didn¡¯t even know about it? Samantha came and went while he was asleep, and he didn¡¯t feel anything?


    When he sat up in confusion, Bina came to him and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you ill? You have a strange expression on your face.¡±


    He looked up to see his wife¡¯s familiar face. Behind her, the sun shined brightly, creating a beautiful halo around her.


    It was such a warm light he felt like it may be enough to make his ghosts disappear.


    ***


    It felt like a cold spider was climbing on my waist.


    I felt even more nervous than when I entered the ballroom on the first night of the celebration.


    I was waiting anxiously in the reception room when Samantha¡¯s voice rang from outside the door.


    ¡°Your highness! The priestess of Aos Izvita has arrived.¡±


    I replied, making sure my voice didn¡¯t tremble, ¡°Enter, please.¡±


    The door opened and the woman in all white entered. Her long silver hair reached the floor, and her eyes were covered with jewelry.


    The only messenger left on thisnd from the god. The only person who was beyond the emperor¡¯s rule.


    The only one who may be able to help me return to my home.


    Today, I would find out if my wish woulde true.


    A goddess of a woman smiled mysteriously and thanked me.


    ¡°I am very happy that you invited me here.¡±


    I bowed and replied, ¡°No, it is my honor to see you, priestess.¡±


    Priestess Izvita was truly an amazing woman. Her appearance and her voice weren¡¯t of this world. Even if I didn¡¯t know who she was, I would have known that she was someone very special.


    Even with her eyes covered, it seemed that she could see everything. After nodding to me, she turned to Lucretius, who was sitting next to me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were going to be present as well, your highness.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Officially, I¡¯m not here.¡±


    The priestessughed in delight. ¡°Of course. So I will make it official as well. I am here to see only her highness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Thank you.¡± Surprisingly, Lucretius sounded sarcastic and sullen.


    The priestess walked towards me naturally and sat down on the guest chair. It really looked like she could see everything.


    When I openly stared, sheughed quietly. ¡°Are you curious whether I can see or not?¡±


    Oops! Was she able to read my mind?


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry. Your movements look so... fluid. I apologize for my rudeness.¡±


    The priestess smiled generously. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everybody wonders that about me. When I first met his highness, who isn¡¯t present here officially, he actually asked me outright if I was really blind.¡±


    When I looked at him in shock, Lucretius replied unconcernedly, ¡°I was only twelve. Besides, it¡¯s strange, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Even as a child, this man was rude.


    The priestess continued, ¡°So don¡¯t feel too bad. My eyes can¡¯t see light, but they allow me to see other things. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have any difficulties with everyday life.¡±


    Lucretius added, ¡°It¡¯s true. She can even avoid holes in the ground.¡±


    I started to sweat. Did he mean... Did he dig a hole himself to test her?


    Lucretius continued, ¡°And she looks exactly the same as when I first met her. I don¡¯t even know if she is human.¡±


    At his rude remark, the priestess didn¡¯t even blink.


    She replied to him in a simrly sharp tone, ¡°I am human just like your highness and her highness. I am not a monster his highness thinks I am.¡±


    Lucretius murmured, ¡°You are still as annoying as ever.¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t changed at all either, your highness.¡±


    I could feel the tension between the two.


    The priestess helped Lucretius take the throne the day after the former emperor died. Because of it, I assumed they knew each other very well and they had a friendly rtionship.


    I asked hesitantly, ¡°A... Aren¡¯t you two friends?¡±


    Lucretius smiled unpleasantly and asked, ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Well, because the priestess helped you to take the throne.¡±


    The priestess answered quickly, ¡°I am not someone who would involve my personal feelings in a business matter. His highness was the only legitimate heir to the throne, and that was the reason why I supported him.¡±


    Lucretius smiled and said sarcastically, ¡°Exactly. She did what she was supposed to do, so Bina, don¡¯t think I owe that woman anything.¡±


    They were arguing with each other but strangely, they were doing it through me.


    The priestess said to me, ¡°Oh my, someone here is a very ungrateful person with an unfortunate bad memory. I... I feel bad for your highness.¡±


    Grit!


    D, did Lucretius just clenched his teeth?


    I turned to find him ring at the priestess openly.


    I felt nervous. I was stuck between these two, and I couldn¡¯t understand why.


    I guessed Lucretius felt ufortable around her because she was the only one who didn¡¯t have to bow to his authority. She was the messenger from god. She was the religion itself and, therefore, independent of anyone¡¯s rule.


    She was the daughter of god, not a mere human.


    The priestess was definitely different. She didn¡¯t seem like she was entirely from this world.


    However, she also wasn¡¯t like me either. She was certainly from this world but just lived at a different level than the rest of the people here.


    I felt like I could even see an aura of bright light around her body. Perhaps I was imagining things.


    As things got heated, I decided it was time to bring up the main subject. I didn¡¯t invite the priestess here so I could watch her argue with the emperor.


    I asked, ¡°Could you listen to my story for a while?¡±


    The priestess, who was giving Lucretius a cold smile, turned to me. Her eyes were covered, but it felt like she could see right through me.


    Where should I begin? I hesitated.


    Yes, I should start from the beginning.


    I was very nervous. I felt stiff and my brain wasn¡¯t working right.


    Like an idiot, I blurted out.


    ¡°Do you believe in an existence of a different world?¡±

 Chapter 92

    <h4>Chapter 92: <Chapter 92></h4>


    I sounded crazy even to myself.


    After a short silence, the priestess answered awkwardly, ¡°A different... world?¡±


    Because her eyes were covered, I couldn¡¯t really tell how she felt about myment. However, I knew she found it strange.


    This wasn¡¯t going as well as I hoped.


    I wanted to cover my face in embarrassment but couldn¡¯t. I had to pretend I meant what I said. I tried to continue calmly.


    Beside me, Lucretius took a shaky breath. He wasughing at me!


    Bastard!


    I would get himter, but right now, I had to do this.


    ¡°Yes. I heard you can hear the god¡¯s voice.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    The priestessughed mysteriously and touched her lips.


    Her reaction to this conversation was veiled. I couldn¡¯t tell at all what she was thinking.


    The only thing I could do was to continue, ¡°Has the god ever told you about an existence of a different world?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She gave me a nk smile. She thought for a few seconds before replying to me.


    ¡°I am only an unworthy messenger, and, therefore, do not know everything... But based on what I am hearing right now, it sounds like your highness is certain of an existence of a different world... Am I correct?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Was she really blind? Perhaps, she had the ¡°sight¡± of some kind?


    I tried to figure it out but gave up quickly. It didn¡¯t matter.


    I got back to the topic at hand.


    ¡°Yes, I believe in it.¡±


    Lucretius looked at me in surprise. He obviously didn¡¯t think I would be this straightforward.


    I had no choice. If I wanted to find out the answer, I had to be frank.


    ¡°Actually, what I meant to say is, I know it. I know it exists.¡±


    There was no going back. This was it.


    I added firmly, ¡°I know it because I myself came from a different world.¡±


    ***


    An ufortable silence fell.


    The priestess continued to stare at me nkly. At least, I thought she was looking at me.


    I took a deep breath. Now I had to wait. The ball was in her court.


    She just looked at me quietly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The silence began to feel unpleasant.


    My brain was spinning. I guessed the priestess was thinking hard as well.


    After a while, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. When I was just about to say something, Lucretius opened his mouth.


    ¡°She is telling the truth. I give you my word.¡±


    His big hand covered my own as if to protect me. I could feel my face turning red.


    This wasn¡¯t the time to be romantic, you idiot!


    I wanted to scream at him, but I obviously couldn¡¯t.


    Just then, the priestess finally replied, ¡°A different world... And your highness came from it... I don¡¯t know if that can be true.¡±


    I felt like someone punched me.


    ¡°Are you... saying you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    The priestess shook her head.


    ¡°It just means there are a lot of things I don¡¯t know or understand. I admit based on what I heard about you, your highness has a different appearance than any of us. However, this only means there may be a kingdom somewhere in this world with people like you, and I am not aware of it.¡±


    I felt like my throat was burning. My tongue felt stiff.


    ¡°I am not asking you about this because I want some kind of political help from you.¡±


    I stood up. Lucretius seemed surprised as he tried to stop me, but I avoided him and walked to the priestess.


    ¡°I heard that the god reaches out to you, priestess. That means you are the only one who can answer my question.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Do you... really not know of another world? Did your god not tell you anything about it?¡±


    I got closer to her, close enough to cling to her. I was desperate.


    However, what the priestess told me was despairing.


    ¡°I have never actually heard god¡¯s voice, so I do not know.¡±


    I felt betrayed. I became angry.


    ¡°What? But... You are the priestess! You¡¯re supposed to hear god¡¯s voice and create miracles!¡±


    Why couldn¡¯t I have a miracle of my own?!


    Of all the people in this world, I needed a miracle.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sound frantic, but the priestess replied to me evenly, ¡°Ever since I was born, people have revered me as the priestess who could hear god, but I have never actually heard or saw god. Like I told you, I am just a normal person like you and his highness.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°I am not a daughter of god and I cannot make miracles happen. I can¡¯t even be sure if god actually exists.¡±


    Thest of my hope disintegrated.


    My only hope.


    The most powerful and influential emperor Lucretius couldn¡¯t help me personally. The only thing he could do was to introduce me to the one person who may could help.


    That person just told me she couldn¡¯t do it.


    My legs suddenly felt weak. Just when I was about to fall, I heard Lucretius call out my name.


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    I wanted to deny it. It was hopeless now.


    Just when I was about to fall into a deep despair, the priestess held out her hands to support me.


    Beautiful long fingers. They felt smooth and warm. It felt like a p in my face.


    They were human fingers, just like mine. She was just a normal woman. She couldn¡¯t help me.


    I tried to push her away, but she was stronger than me.


    She refused to let me go.


    ¡°Can I confirm something?¡±


    ¡°Confirm what?¡±


    ¡°I realize this may sound rude, so I apologize in advance.¡±


    The priestess paused before continuing.


    ¡°Could I see your past? Your memories?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    My past? My memories? She wanted me to allow her to see them?


    I couldn¡¯t understand her request. How would she be able to see them?


    When I looked at her nkly, she smiled awkwardly and exined, ¡°Without your permission and your belief, I cannot see it, but if you open your mind to me, then I can. Its all because I have the ability to ¡®see¡¯ into people¡¯s memories.¡±


    If it was anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it, except this was the priestess.


    However, didn¡¯t she just say she wasn¡¯t even sure of the existence of god?


    I couldn¡¯t understand her logic.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say there are no god or another world?¡±


    She smiled kindly and replied, ¡°I said I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t say they didn¡¯t exist for sure.¡±


    ¡°I...!¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I haven¡¯t seen god, and I do not perform miracles. That is why I told you that I simply don¡¯t know. However, I know enough that just because I haven¡¯t seen them doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist. One thing I can do is to read your memories. It is possible, and after I read them, I will be able to tell if you are telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me this in the first ce?! Why...!¡±


    Why did she squash my hope so cruelly?


    She apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s a bad habit of mine. Everyone asks me about the existence of god and miracles. Every time, I try to be careful not to make definite statements.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I have to be very careful of every word I say, because different people would interpret it differently. Often times, people only hear what they want. Many also take my words as direct messages from god. Because of my position, I am just used to being vague.¡±


    She patted my hands gently.


    I smiled and asked, ¡°So it¡¯s an upational hazard?¡±


    Sheughed and replied, ¡°That¡¯s a funny way of putting it, but it¡¯s true.¡± Then, she asked again, ¡°Now, can I see your past?¡±

 Chapter 93

    <h4>Chapter 93: <Chapter 93></h4>


    I asked the priestess again, ¡°I won¡¯t... ask you again if it¡¯s really possible to see my memories, but I want to know... After seeing my memories, will you be able to find out how I can return?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I was disappointed and angry.


    If it was Lucretius or even the dowager empress, I would have shown my anger. However, I couldn¡¯t do that now. Not in front of this woman.


    She was the mysterious priestess, and on top of that, I couldn¡¯t tell the extent of her power and abilities.


    If the priestess herself said it was not possible, then I didn¡¯t even know what to do next.


    This meant that everything depended on her answer.


    One thing I found odd was how checking my memories could help me return home.


    If there was even a small chance, I had no problem showing her my memories. However, without any guarantees... Who would ever want to open your mind to a stranger?


    I picked my words carefully. I didn¡¯t want to make her upset and angry at me. She was myst hope after all.


    ¡°Then how would seeing my memories help you? Are you saying you can¡¯t be sure, but it may still be possible to help me?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I guess I should exin better. I realize that showing your memories to a stranger would be... unpleasant. The reason why I want to do this is that I might be able to see the exact process of how you got to our world from yours.¡±


    ¡°Process?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your highness told me of a different world because you would like to go back. Am I correct?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Are you by chance aware of what the priests at the temple do? Do you know who and what Aos does?¡±


    I tried to think of what I heard before.


    ¡°Aos represents memory, record, and history.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We, those who serve Aos, travel the world and record what we see and experience. Before we die, we present our records to the temple of Aos. The priests at the temple protect and maintains these records. I am the principal individual who is responsible for all these. The extent of the records is so great that it is not humanly possible to read and know all of them, but as I said before, I have the ¡®sight¡¯ that allows me to see things others can¡¯t. For example, I can see into people¡¯s memories.¡±


    ¡°So... what have those records got to do with me?¡±


    The priestess smiled. ¡°If I can see your own world, I may be able to confirm if simr things have happened to others from the records. If there are, perhaps I can find out how others returned.¡±


    I finally understood. I could see why she couldn¡¯t give me a definite answer, but only a possibility.


    I believed there still was hope for me. With all the records of everything that had happened in this world, there was a very good chance something useful might appear.


    I prayed for it.


    She took her eyepiece off and offered me her beautiful pale hands.


    ¡°Now, will you... give me your hands?¡±


    I did without hesitation.


    She slowly opened her eyes. In her eyes, a deep dark pool appeared.


    Suddenly, everything turned ck, and I lost consciousness.


    ***


    Beep, beep...


    A loud rm bell rang.


    The person in the bed didn¡¯t wake up. Still wrapped in a thick nket, the person continued to sleep.


    Outside the window, darkness still remained. It was only 6 am on one November day. It was going to be a while till the sun rose. From the room, familiar noises could be heard from the kitchen. It was an important day for the girl, so her mother was preparing a special breakfast and a lunch box for her.


    The girl was so nervousst night she fell asleep around 3 in the morning. This meant she only had three hours of sleep.


    The girl pushed the snooze button, but in only five minutes, the rm started to ring again. This time it was even louder.


    She had to wake up. It was time. If she didn¡¯t, her older sister and her mother would barge in to wake her up themselves.


    She was still very sleepy, but today was a very important day.


    She opened her eyes wide and stood up.


    First name Bina,st name Sa.


    She was an average high school student on her day of SAT.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Her mother sounded worried, and it was no wonder. Today was the day that would determine Bina¡¯s future. Usually, she only ate a piece of toast for breakfast, but today, it was different. Her mother woke up two hours earlier than usual to prepare her breakfast.


    Bina shook her head sadly. She looked very tired.


    ¡°No. Gosh... I¡¯m doomed. I didn¡¯t get any sleep at all... What should I do...?¡± Bina sounded distressed.


    ¡°Oh no...¡±


    When her mother eximed nervously, Bina¡¯s older sister suddenly appeared and smacked her back loudly.


    ¡°Why are you acting so weak already!¡±


    ¡°Arrg! It hurts, sis!¡±


    Biin was two years older than Bina and currently attended a university in Seoul. Biin took the SAT two years ago, so she tried to pass on important wisdom based on her experience.


    ¡°Everyone sleeps poorly the night before the exam. I did the same two years ago.¡±


    ¡°Really? You did too?¡± Biin grinned evilly.


    ¡°Yup, and I bombed it!¡±


    ¡°Grrrr!¡±


    While Bina screamed, Biin smirked.


    Their mother reprimanded her oldest daughter, ¡°Why would you say something like that? Come on, just set the table!¡±


    ¡°Alright~!¡±


    Biin continued to giggle as she helped her mother. She might have sounded mean, but there was no reason for her to wake up this early, other than in an attempt to help Bina. Biin was probably just as nervous for her and wanted to make Bina rx as much as possible.


    Her mother also took great care to make the best breakfast she could. She prepared food that was easy on the stomach, and also prepared a lunch for her to take.


    None of the side dishes included ingredients such as eggs, seaweeds, and rice soup. There was a superstition that these food could make a person do poorly on an exam.


    Bina could see that her mother did her best with the food. She felt truly loved.


    Suddenly, her cellphone beeped.


    It was a text message from her father, who was away for work. He felt sorry for not driving her to the SAT office this morning, but Bina let him know she would take the subway anyway. During the rush hour, the subway was the surest way to get to ces on time. She had heard some horror stories of how some students got stuck in traffic and couldn¡¯t make it to the exam room on time.


    Subway was no doubt the best way as long as there wasn¡¯t any unexpected ident.


    Her father still felt apologetic and didn¡¯t forget to send a message on the morning of SAT.


    Bina smiled brightly.


    ¡°Good luck, daughter!¡±


    It was a short message with a silly emoticon, which she taught him how to use a few months ago. Binaughed and texted back.


    ¡°You too, dad! Love you!¡±


    She didn¡¯t usually show affection, but today, she did.


    Her mother asked, ¡°What time will the exam end?¡±


    Biin answered instead, ¡°3 or 4 pm? Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, around 4 pm.¡±


    Their mother ced three bowls of rice on the table and said to Bina, ¡°Then I will pick you up around that time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What about your work?¡±


    Their mother worked at a small design office and was very busy with a huge project nowadays. She often workedte, so Bina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Her mother smiled gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can use my vacation hours.¡±


    Biin whistled enviously. ¡°Wow! I¡¯m jealous!¡±


    Their mother asked Bina, ¡°It¡¯s an important day, so we should go out for dinner to celebrate! What do you want to eat?¡±


    Celebrating depended on how she did on the SAT today. Bina felt nervous because she didn¡¯t get good sleep, but she still decided to think positively.


    She gave her a big smile and replied, ¡°Kimchi stew! I want mom¡¯s kimchi stew!¡±

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94: <Chapter 94></h4>


    Bina¡¯s eyes blurred.


    She could barely see the priestess¡¯ beautiful face.


    Bina felt her hands on her own. When she looked into the priestess¡¯ eyes, everything turned ck again. Just like a moment ago, Bina started to see her past as if she was watching a movie.


    The morning of SAT.


    The day I somehow arrived at this world.


    My family was happy.


    It had already been a year and a half since I got here. I wondered what was happening on earth. Was I assumed dead by now?


    My friend Mihyun must have seen me fall into the subway track, so it was very possible everyone thought I was dead.


    However, I was very much alive and living in this strange world. They wouldn¡¯t have found my body, so perhaps I was considered ¡°missing.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter, however. All I could think of was how my family must be feeling. It killed me to think of how much distress I must have caused them.


    ¡°[Mom...]¡±


    I wondered what happened to the lunch box my mom prepared for me. She got up so early to make it. Did it get destroyed by the train?


    ¡°[Dad...]¡±


    Now that I thought about it, I also didn¡¯t know what happened to my backpack. My dad bought it for me for my birthdayst year. Where did it go?


    ¡°[Sis...]¡±


    When I first woke up in the forest, I was still wearing my old coat, but the items I should have had in my pockets were gone. My cellphone was there. I had all of my family photos in it.


    When I woke up in Aeal castle, I searched for days to find these items without sess. All I had left were the clothes I was wearing at the time.


    I was afraid I was starting to forget my family¡¯s faces. Even in my dreams, they looked blurry.


    One positive thing from today was how the priestess¡¯ technique enabled me to see my family¡¯s faces clearly. I missed them so much that I had been trying hard not to think about them.


    However, at this moment, seeing their faces, I gave in to my sorrow.


    ¡°[Mommmm...!]¡±


    Tears rolled down my eyes uncontrobly. The sadness I felt was painful. I hung on to the priestess and wept. She hugged me as if she was my long-lost mother.


    ¡°[I... I want to go back...!]¡±


    ***


    ¡°Are you feeling a little better?¡±


    The priestess¡¯ voice sounded motherly, and it helped me a lot to calm down.


    I nodded weakly.


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    My voice sounded horrible. It sounded that of a seventy-year-old woman.


    When I could think again, I realized how I had behaved. This was only the second time I had met this important woman, and I cried like a child in front of her. I couldn¡¯t be any more embarrassed.


    When I nced at her, what I have done to her lovely white dress horrified me. My tears had stained it in various areas, ruining it.


    The priestess sighed and said to me, ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t believe you at first, but now... I have no choice but to admit that you are telling the truth.¡± I raised my face as she continued. ¡°You... you really are from a different world.¡±


    So she finally believed me. ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true... What I saw was nothing I have ever seen in this world. Strange people and strange ces...¡± She sounded excited. ¡°It¡¯s very interesting.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide how upset I was at her reaction. The priestess must have seen it because she smiled apologetically.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but studying and analyzing new findings are part of our job, so I got carried away.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Even so, I felt distraught. She continued to apologize.


    ¡°It was not sensitive of me to show excitement when it concerns your homnd and your family. I know how much you miss them. I apologize again.¡±


    Even if I still felt angry, I couldn¡¯t show it to her. She was the only one who could help me.


    I had no choice.


    ¡°It¡¯s... alright.¡±


    I must have still looked upset because the priestess patted the back of my hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will help you as best as I can.¡±


    I raised my head quickly. ¡°Really?!¡±


    She smiled kindly. Just then, the priestess looked like the statue of Virgin Mary I often saw at a church near my house.


    I said to her happily, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    I really meant it.


    The priestess and I worked hard together to find an answer while Lucretius watched quietly. I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking or feeling, but I was thankful he remained silent.


    ¡°What was the huge structure that came towards you right before you fell into the dark valley?¡±


    Dark valley? Oh, she meant the subway track, and the huge structure was the subway train.


    I contemted how I could exin what it was. After a few seconds, I decided to give her the actual word.


    ¡°It¡¯s a [subway train.]¡±


    ¡°[S... subway train?] What is that? What is its purpose? Is it a building? But it was moving...¡±


    She tried to mimic the pronunciation. The priestess seemed very curious; she asked many questions. I tried to exin as best as I can.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s like a big carriage that can carry many people at a time.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She seemed satisfied.


    We started the process again. She took my hands and opened her eyes. The darkness took over me, and I went through my past again. It was like watching the same movie over and over again.


    We did this for over an hour. By the end, I couldn¡¯t remember how many times I had to experience the fall into the track.


    ***


    Because I didn¡¯t get a night of good sleep, I felt horrible. I was anxious and I decided to leave earlier than I nned. I thought if I could get to the exam office early, I should have a little more time to cram.


    Many of the train stations in Korea had installed a safety door, which closed off the track until the train arrived. Unfortunately, the station nearby my house didn¡¯t have this yet.


    I could see the train light approaching. The announcement stated the arrival of the next train and warned people to step back and stay behind the yellow safety line.


    I ignored the safety caution. I was anxious to get there as soon as possible. I stood too close to the track.


    As the train arrived, a strong wind blew.


    A loud noise was heard, and the bright light of the train blinded me. Suddenly, I felt dizzy and fell forward. I could hear Mihyun¡¯s scream from behind.


    ¡°No! Bina!¡±


    I wondered what happened to Mihyun.


    She witnessed her friend getting hit by a subway train. Was she able to write her SAT alright afterward? I wasn¡¯t sure. I felt sorry that I might have caused her to do poorly on her exam.


    This was the first time I thought of so many things about that day. I had forgotten about a lot of it, and this was my chance to analyze the incident. Thanks to the priestess, I had the opportunity to re-live the moment over and over again.


    This was truly magic. Even in the 21st-century earth, this was not possible.


    It was the priestess¡¯ miracle.


    This was the first time I had seen something magical in this world. There were times when I thought perhaps I was still on earth somewhere, but it was unlikely. Strangenguage, culture, and now this.


    We were able to narrow down to the exact moment. I was falling into the track and just about to lose my consciousness. As if pushing a pause button, the priestess froze the scene in my mind.


    She said to me, ¡°This is it.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    When I asked, the priestess did something to zoom into the scene and I was able to finally see ¡°it.¡±


    The strange phenomenon that transported me to this world.


    It was arge opening in the middle of the track.


    ¡°What... is that?!¡±

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95: <Chapter 95></h4>


    The hole wasn¡¯t very big. It was just big enough for a person to go through.


    I murmured in confusion, ¡°[Is it a sinkhole?]¡±


    I knew in Seoul, many sinkholes were urring and causing problems in the city. I remembered seeing on the news that the experts were discussing where all the soils and rocks were disappearing to when a sinkhole appeared.


    One of the theories was the overuse of underground water. People used too much of it and the empty spaces were being filled by the dirt and the rocks.


    However, now that I thought about it, maybe they disappeared from earth.


    Perhaps, they actually were transported to a different world as I did.


    ¡°Oh my...¡±


    Just like everyone, I knew of the dangers of sinkholes, but I never thought I would be a victim of them. No one ever thought bad things would happen to them.


    I realized how na?ve I was in believing that.


    In a way, it is possible the sinkhole saved me from being hit by the train.


    However, in return, it transported me to this world, and now, I was stuck here.


    Suddenly, the scene in front of me disappeared, and I was again able to see the priestess. She was putting on the eyepiece back over her eyes again.


    When I remained seated quietly, she said to me, ¡°So that was it.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes.¡±


    ¡°The thing that made youe here...¡±


    The priestess didn¡¯t finish her sentence. She seemed like she was thinking about something.


    I wanted to give her as much information as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the [sinkhole.]¡±


    ¡°[Sinkhole]?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It... happened suddenly. It is a hole that appears on the ground, and sometimes, it even happens at the bottom of the ocean.¡±


    She nodded as I continued. ¡°Perhaps some of the holes are actually some sort of a connection between different worlds.¡± She seemed troubled. ¡°This isn¡¯t great. If what you think is right, returning back home would be... very difficult.¡±


    ¡°I know...¡±


    I bit my lips. If I was transported by someone or something intentionally, it would have been better. I could try to find that person or try to make the opposite happen.


    However, this was not the case. If it was a random natural phenomenon, like a typhoon or an earthquake... How could I make it happen?


    I turned to the priestess desperately.


    ¡°C... could there still be a way?¡±


    I knew I was asking the impossible, but I had no one else. She was my only hope.


    The priestess.


    This was the first time someone gave me any kind of hope. A real possibility.


    Without her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to learn about this sinkhole.


    The priestess raised her head slowly. Izvita patted my hand gently.


    ¡°At this point, I can¡¯t tell you anything. I can¡¯t promise you anything.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt like my heart was breaking. My eyes started to fill again with tears. I blinked a few times to stop myself from crying. Just then, the priestess smiled and gave me the answer I hoped for.


    ¡°But I will search for the answer. I will do my best to find a way for you. I will examine all the records in the Aos temple...¡±


    She hesitated before continuing, ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, but there might be an answer to what you seek.¡±


    I cried. I couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± That was the only thing I could tell her. ¡°T, thank you so much.¡±


    While I talked with the priestess in tears, Lucretius continued to watch us silently. He didn¡¯t interfere at all. He kept his promise to me.


    ***


    Time passed by fast from then.


    Nothing major happened during the celebration, which was fortunate. What I learned from the session with the priestess was so overwhelming I couldn¡¯t¡¯ stop thinking about it.


    I had to do my best not to get too hopeful. Despite this distraction, I made sure I did my duties as the emperor¡¯s only wife during the events.


    Other than missing the second day due to my illness, I never missed another event.


    The only difference from the first day was the fact I learned to enjoy the jealous and angry stares from other singledies.


    Knowing Lucretius¡¯ feelings helped me to rx a little, but it didn¡¯t mean I decided to stay with him permanently. I still nned on returning to my home and family.


    I also couldn¡¯t be sure of how I truly felt about him. How he felt about me was apletely different thing than how I felt about him.


    A woman didn¡¯t have any obligation to return a man¡¯s feeling. It wasn¡¯t my duty to love him just because he felt that way about me.


    However, I knew one thing for sure.


    ... I was starting to fall for him.


    My heart pounded fast whenever I was around him. I couldn¡¯t deny the new feelings I was beginning to have.


    I didn¡¯t know for sure why. Was my feeling genuine, or was it because of his looks and background? Was I just ttered that an emperor confessed his love for me?


    I tried to look at myself objectively. I had minimal experience with boys. I went to an all-girls¡¯ schools since junior high. I dreamt of dating someday since I was young.


    This meant I was an easy target when it came to romance. A gorgeous rich ruler being kind and loving to me...


    It would have been odd not to feel something.


    That was why I couldn¡¯t help but doubt my feeling. Was it really genuine?


    And... if Lucretius wasn¡¯t so beautiful, would I have felt the same way?


    I remembered when I saw my first husband, the former emperor, for the first time. I was devastated. I had actually hoped Lucretius would be my husband instead.


    At the time, I had no idea I would really be his wife, and that he would end up falling in love with me.


    What if he wasn¡¯t an emperor with all the riches and powers in this world? Would I have felt something for him?


    ... I couldn¡¯t be certain.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure if my feelings were from shallow reasons. I didn¡¯t know if my feelings were for what he was, rather than who it was.


    In fact, at the beginning of our rtionship, I was actually afraid of him. I felt a little ashamed that my feelings changed so fast.


    ***


    Finally, it was thest day of the celebration.


    I had greeted and met with so many people over thest few days that I was exhausted.


    People approached me with never-endingpliments.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    ¡°You look so beautiful today.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even remember their faces or names, but they acted like they knew me well.


    ¡°Your silver dress is so lovely.¡±


    ¡°Soon, everyone will be wearing silver dresses. You are such a style setter.¡±


    Someoneughed and agreed. ¡°I know! Many youngdies are already wearing the wing-shaped ear cuff.¡±


    A nearbydy exined to me, ¡°On the first night, your highness wore the most beautiful ear cuff. Everyone found out that it was a gift from his highness made for you from Losinite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right and because of it, Losinite was able to make a year¡¯s worth profit in only a few days recently.¡±


    Losinite, named after the owner and jewelry maker, was apparently was one of the best jewelry workshops in Cransia.


    Thedies eximed excitedly, ¡°You are so loved by his highness!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will be hearing good news very soon.¡±


    Theyughed exaggeratedly, which annoyed me.


    So the ear cuff was a very expensive piece?


    I nned on saying something to Lucretiuster. For now, I had to take care of these annoying women.


    A tyrant usually had a witch of a woman next to him. A woman who was both mean and corrupt. It was unfair, but sometimes, the woman was med for many of the tyrant¡¯s actions.


    The women here were insinuating I was that witch, and I didn¡¯t n on letting them continue.


    ¡°Oh my... I didn¡¯t realize it was such a precious piece, especially for someone unworthy like me. If I knew, I would have refused...¡±


    When I looked upset, thedies became pale and tried to fix the situation.


    ¡°But it is only a small price considering how wealthy Cransia is as a kingdom!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true! It¡¯s nothingpared to the budget for the dowager empress¡¯ wing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Your highness is well known for your frugalness!¡±


    I finally gave them a small smile of relieve.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear.¡±

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96: <Chapter 96></h4>


    There were so many people who wanted to talk to me. Currently, I was Sa Bina le Cransia, the most important woman in this kingdom. I was also the person closest to the emperor.


    ¡°Hello, your highness. We have met once before on the first night.¡±


    The voluptuous beauty smiled at me challengingly.


    I smiled in return and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. Hello, Princess Ludia.¡±


    Genoan princess Ludia.


    She looked like she put a lot of effort into her outfit today. Her dress had a color of a pearl and entuated her vast breasts and narrow waist. Against her dark skin, her beautiful light blond hair shined brightly.


    Even as a woman, I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her breasts. I was sure men felt the same way, but of course, they couldn¡¯t stare openly as she was a royal princess of Genoa.


    However, I was the wife of the emperor and a woman. I could enjoy the gorgeous cleavage if I wanted to.


    ¡®Wow! I could probably put a cup in it if I tried.¡¯


    Ludia must have assumed I was envious because she straightened, causing her breasts to jiggle.


    I really was impressed. They looked great.


    She suddenly whispered to me, ¡°Could you give me a brief moment of your time, your highness? I would like to chat with you.¡±


    ¡°Chat? About what, Princess Ludia?¡±


    She looked at me with her light-colored eyes as if she was studying me.


    After a brief silence, she said to me something unexpectedly rude, ¡°You really... have an unusual skin color. It¡¯s not like the people from the north with their pale skin. It¡¯s also different from my dark skin color. I guess the Duke of Aeal¡¯s mistress was from somewhere very far away.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    People around looked shocked and upset.


    I already knew there was a rumor that I was the Duke of Aeal¡¯s bastard daughter, but Ludia was the first person who ever said it out loud in front of me.


    This was beyond rude.


    I had an urge to throw my Champagne at her face, but I was a rational modern woman. I wouldn¡¯t let this silly girl win.


    While I wondered how to respond, Ludia continued confidently, ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? Then the other rumor must be true. I heard you were a traveling gypsy and the Duke¡¯s mistress. The Duke became tired of you and sent you to be the old king¡¯s concubine.¡±


    She smiled innocently at me. She was disgusting.


    How could she say something so awful?


    Everyone knew the emperor favored me. This meant no one dared to talk openly about these rumors. This woman must have believed her status and her beauty would protect her.


    However, I would not let her off that easy.


    I smiled and was about to say something when I was interrupted.


    A familiar voice said rigidly from behind, ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    Along with a false exim, something flew towards Princess Ludia.


    Liquid sshed all over her dress.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    Princess Ludia screamed, and I looked at my hand in shock. Did I just throw my drink at her without even realizing it?


    I didn¡¯t. The golden-colored Champagne in my crystal ss still remained in my hand, and the drink thrown at the princess was red. I wasn¡¯t drinking red wine.


    Who did it then?


    When I turned around in shock, I saw a familiar face.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    It was my husband, Lucretius.


    Now, his red wine ruined Princess Ludia¡¯s pearl-colored dress. Some of it also sshed onto her golden hair, making it look dirty.


    ¡°Oh no!!!¡±


    Ludia tried to clean up with her tiny handkerchief, but it was useless. An entire ss of wine was thrown at her.


    When she realized her dress was ruined, she started to cry, ¡°H, how could you!¡±


    The crowd gathered around us in excitement. Ludia¡¯s brother came running quickly and after seeing what had happened, he red angrily.


    ¡°How dare...! Who did this?!¡±


    After looking around, Prince Coronel stopped at me. He started to use me.


    ¡°Was it you?! How dare you do this to the princess of Genoa! I know you have the emperor¡¯s favor, but you can¡¯t do this! Are you trying to start a war between Cransia and Genoa?¡±


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t do it!¡¯


    When I was about to defend myself, Lucretius held my shoulder and pulled me towards him. When I looked up at him usingly, he looked back at me with confidence.


    He said to Coronel, ¡°I think you are mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Your highness! Even if she is your favorite, you cannot allow her to behave this way! How could she insult a Genoa princess just because of her jealousy!?¡±


    Lucretius gave Coronel his signature annoying smile and replied, ¡°I am not jealous of Princess Ludia.¡±


    ¡°... Pardon?¡±


    Prince Coronel was obviously confused but it was understandable. He wasn¡¯t here when this happened, so he didn¡¯t see what really took ce. Since I was standing in front of his sister, who was covered in wine, he just made an obvious but wrong assumption.


    The scene did look like a result of a woman¡¯s jealousy, but his mistake would cost him.


    Lucretius showed him his wine ss with a few drops of red wine left.


    ¡°I ¡®identally¡¯ spilled wine over her, so I don¡¯t understand why you think any jealousy was involved. Why would I be jealous of your sister?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    Prince Coronel frowned and turned towards his sister questioningly. Princess Ludia couldn¡¯t answer since she was crying, but she didn¡¯t deny Lucretius¡¯ words. Her silence said it all.


    Coronel asked in confusion, ¡°Did you say... identally?!¡±


    Lucretius continued to smile and nodded. ¡°Yes, I am so sorry. My hand slipped. I was walking by when I heard YOUR SISTER talking to MY WIFE in such an extraordinarily rude manner that I became shocked and made this mistake.¡±


    Wow.


    By emphasizing that this was between Coronel¡¯s sister and his wife, Lucretius was saying this was a personal matter, not political. He was also letting Coronel knew that it was Princess Ludia who started this by being rude.


    If it was me who spilled the wine, Coronel would have demanded that I receive appropriate punishment. Just the fact that he brought up the possibility of war meant he was furious.


    However, if it was the emperor who made the ¡°mistake,¡± then this was not possible. Prince Coronel had to respond carefully.


    Coronel remained quiet for a while. Depending on how he reacted, the result could be devastating. I truly hoped this wouldn¡¯t result in war.


    People stared awkwardly. After a few minutes, Coronel finally sighed deeply.


    ¡°It was only an ident.¡±


    Ludia, who was still crying, yelled in shock, ¡°B, brother!¡±


    He consoled her.


    ¡°His highness said it was a mistake.¡±


    He then called for her maids.


    ¡°Take Ludia to the breakroom and take care of her.¡±


    The maids followed his order. I assumed they would bath her and get her a new dress.


    It was too bad about the dress. It looked very expensive and red wine would impossible to remove.


    While I worried about the ruined dress, the tension between Lucretius and Prince Coronel remained.


    ¡°My sister must have been stunned.¡±


    Lucretius smiled. ¡°Too bad, but I think her head wasn¡¯t right, to begin with anyway. She was talking nonsense about my wife.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ lips were smiling, but his eyes didn¡¯t.


    ¡°She was spewing silly rumors about my wife¡¯s background. It was hard to hear such garbage.¡±


    Coronel smirked. ¡°Women just like to gossip and it¡¯s nothing to get mad about. Besides... Who knows if it¡¯s really just a rumor?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Oh? So you believe in these rumors?¡±


    Coronel smiled kindly but his words were callous.


    ¡°No, but... I find that some rumors do turn out to be true.¡±


    Lucretius warned him quietly, ¡°You are too inexperienced, Prince. If you naively believe everything you hear, it will be your downfall.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your advice,¡± Coronel replied confidently.

 Chapter 97

    <h4>Chapter 97: <Chapter 97></h4>


    The celebration was finally over.


    Other than the incident with Princess Ludia, nothing major happened.


    Unfortunately, ¡°identally¡± throwing wine at the princess was considered a big deal. Even considering her rudements at me, Lucretius overreacted. Genoa was a powerful nation, and this was an unnecessary incident.


    I sighed deeply.


    Why did he do that?


    I red at my husband, who followed me into my bedroom as if he owned it. Lucretius shrugged and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What were you thinking? I get you got angry, but they are from Genoa, not Aeal.¡±


    He chuckled annoyingly and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. Genoa is definitely nothing like Aeal.¡±


    ¡°So why did you do it?!¡±


    He gave me a chilling smile.


    ¡°Because they needed to be reminded.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When I gaped at him in shock, he smiled to reassure me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. It wasn¡¯t your fault at all. Because of the former emperor¡¯s stupidity, other kingdoms have been bing arrogant. I need to show them I am not like my weak father.¡±


    His smile looked excited as if he wanted... a war. Was that why he mentioned the ¡°Blue tear of the goddess?¡± Was he nning something?


    I got goosebumps all over myself.


    ***


    As we got into my bed, he asked me, ¡°Now that this event is over, would you be interested in working on something else?¡±


    I looked up at him in surprise. Under the dim light, he looked like he was choosing his words very carefully. I became suspicious.


    ¡°What kind of work?¡±


    He replied slowly, ¡°Normally, it is something an empress would take care of.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    When I reacted negatively, he calmly exined, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s not a big deal. The dowager empress is supposed to be doing it, but even when the former emperor was still alive, Katleyanira showed no interest. She, in fact, stole the budget for this job and used it for personal reasons. The former emperor knew this, but he didn¡¯t care.¡±


    I became curious. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t really even a job. It¡¯s more like working as the face of the royal family. An empress unting her generosity and kindness to the public.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Rombrook is overflowing with the poor. It had always been like this, but during the former emperor¡¯s rule, it became much worse. Unfortunately, there hadn¡¯t been a solution to this.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°During his rule, our economy wasn¡¯t great. As I said before, my grandfather was a great emperor, but the former emperor ruined everything my grandfather achieved for thisnd. Now, what we have left is years of poor crops and an epidemic that destroyed the southernnd.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no...¡±


    I was unaware of this. For all the time I spent in this world, I had never been out with regr people. I lived in the Aeal castle for a year, and the rest of the time was spent in this castle. I was ignorant of the sickness and bad crops.


    ¡°Poor crops? Was it badst year too? I wasn¡¯t told about this at all!¡±


    This was the beginning of the year. If we had a poor harvestst year, this would be a difficult year. When I was about to panic, Lucretius calmed me down.


    ¡°It was an average harvestst year, so it was okay. It could have been much worse. The illness still remains, but the worst is over.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This must have been why he was so busy. I wondered why he hadn¡¯t told me until now.


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you let me know about this before? Why are you telling me this now?¡±


    He grinned infuriatingly. I knew this grin very well.


    He was about to lie.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you.¡±


    I smiled as well and pinched his arm hard.


    ¡°Stop lying and tell me the truth.¡±


    He surrendered quickly and replied, ¡°Like I said, this is supposed to be the empress¡¯s duty and I wasn¡¯t sure if you would be up to it. Besides... I wasn¡¯t sure you would be capable of carrying out this responsibility.¡±


    ¡°So... you now think I can do this?¡±


    Lucretius kissed the back of my hand lightly and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So? Will you do it? It is very important, but it¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯m not ordering you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hesitate for long.


    I still didn¡¯t know if I would be able to return home.


    Even if I was sure I could, I still had to establish my power in this world and defeat the dowager empress. With this duty, there was a good chance I would learn more about the running of this kingdom and establish myself as an influential royal member.


    ¡°Yes. I will do it.¡±


    I knew this meant I was going into an open fight against the dowager empress. I knew it, and I chose it intentionally.


    Two days after thest day of the celebration, we heard the news of the dowager empress¡¯ baby.


    A princess.


    I should have felt relieved, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t shake my nervousness. In fact, I became even more fearful.


    ***


    The dowager empress gave birth to a daughter, but this didn¡¯t mean she would give up her fight for the ultimate power. I wondered what she would do next.


    The dowager empress didn¡¯t leave Girand. Lucretius sent many spies, but her ce was well hidden and protected.


    Another unexpected news arrived. Marquis Toruka was able to remarry. The young bride wasn¡¯t from a powerful family, but she was still a nobledy.


    Lucretius smirked and said to me, ¡°The new bride apparently turned sixteen this year.¡±


    ¡°S... sixteen?¡±


    She was too young, especially considering how old the Marquis was.


    ¡°Yes. I hear that the Marquis is overjoyed. His oldest son, the one Liliana fell for, is only seventeen. This means the marquis literally took in a wife who is young enough to be his daughter.¡±


    I gaped. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not umon. Apparently, the new bride only brought a minimal dowry, but on the wedding day, the marquis sent gifts worth over three times the dowry. As I said, it¡¯s not unusual to buy a wife, or getting a much younger wife.¡±


    ¡°... I must say I can¡¯t condone such things.¡±


    Lucretius smiled brightly, but the words that came out of his mouth were ominous.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t nning on letting him die easy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sometimes I forgot what kind of man Lucretius was, but when he said something like this, it was a chilling reminder.


    I said to him, ¡°By the way, now that his father is remarried, Clodys must feel troubled.¡±


    ¡°True, and it can be a good thing.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°He will have no choice but to help us.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    I understood immediately what he meant.


    It was true. If Marquis Toruka got a son from his new bride, it would be game over for Clodys. His mother¡¯s family was trying their best to help him reim his title, but at this point, only the emperor or the dowager empress could aplish this task.


    The problem was, Clodys knew that being on the dowager empress¡¯ side didn¡¯t guarantee him anything. In fact, it was unlikely that it would be helpful to him. On top of that, the dowager empress just had a daughter.


    So far, Clodys had been trying to keep an appropriate distance from both the emperor and the dowager empress to see which side looked promising. With the recent developments, it was clear that Lucretius was the best bet. This also meant that Lucretius could now, in turn, trust Clodys to some extent.


    ¡°...¡±


    I wondered how the Marquis managed to find a young bride so fast. If the dowager empress gave birth to a son, her brother the Marquis would have been considered a good husband material. However, with another princess, the dowager empress¡¯ power was significantly reduced.


    With Lucretius¡¯ interference, the Marquis had been having difficulties finding a new wife until now. This meant that for Clodys, he needed Lucretius desperately.


    This was too good to be a coincidence.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Did... you make the marquis¡¯ marriage happen?¡±


    Lucretius grinned.


    ¡°My wife is so quick. Our child will be very intelligent no matter who he or she resembles.¡±


    ... Lucretius had finally gone mad.


    I stuck my tongue out at him and instead of replying to his ridiculous remark, I asked, ¡°If you made this marriage happen... That means you couldn¡¯t trust Clodys.¡±


    He frowned in displeasure.


    ¡°Of course. He can talk the talk, but he was definitely not trustworthy. I had to do something to make sure he had no way out. By the way... This has been bothering me for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Why do you keeping calling him by his first name? As your husband, it is very concerning.¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98: <Chapter 98></h4>


    Samantha was surprised at my order.


    ¡°Pardon? You want me to set an official schedule for you starting tomorrow?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I have already discussed this with the emperor. The major event is over, so I should have the time to carry out my duties again.¡±


    Luis seemed concerned.


    She agreed with Samantha, ¡°But your highness, you are too overworked. You also fell from a horse just before the celebration. You got sick on the second day of the ball as well. I think you should take a little break for now.¡±


    Elza nodded emphatically. Yulia didn¡¯t say anything, but she seemed like she was thinking the same. I wondered how Agnes would have reacted, but she wasn¡¯t here in the room at the moment.


    I was thankful for their concerns, but I replied to them simply, ¡°Soon, the dowager empress will return.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A heavy silence fell.


    My maids looked tense. They knew very well what my situation was like.


    The dowager empress was nned to return in four days. She was not a young woman, but she nned on going back to work only three weeks after giving birth.


    It was obvious why. She needed to be in action to maintain and gain more power. It had already been a month since she left the main castle.


    I could still constantly feel the threat of assassination despite the dowager empress¡¯ absence.


    Thest time she attempted my murder was through the Aeal family. It ended with me almost dying and the entire Bonafit family being burned to death. Even after such a gruesome and cruel deed, the dowager empress was nning to return like she did nothing wrong.


    I was in fear when she wasn¡¯t even around, so what would I do when she returned?


    This was why I felt the need to act fast first.


    For the past two weeks, Lowson had very well taken care of me. I felt good, and it was time to go back to work.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    I still didn¡¯t know if I would be able to return home. I expected that I would have to wait a very long time until I got an answer from the priestess.


    If it turned out I couldn¡¯t go back home... I had to live in this world forever.


    If that was the case, perhaps it wasn¡¯t so bad to be with Lucretius.


    After the first day of the ball when I cried in his arms, I began to think this way. Lucretius kept his promise to me. He arranged the meeting for me with the priestess and didn¡¯t interfere at all.


    His behavior made me fall for him, at least just a little.


    Initially, I nned on escaping this castle even if I couldn¡¯t return home. This was what I asked of Lucretius at the beginning.


    At the time, I wanted him to help me run away.


    Now, if I had to live in this world... I was beginning to think staying with Lucretius could be a good thing.


    I didn¡¯t n on letting him know how I felt. What I needed to concentrate on was establishing myself as a powerful figure in this castle.


    If I would live in this world, I figured I should learn more about it first.


    I knew this world had very different political and social systems than 21st-century Korea. However, my knowledge of this kingdom was minimal. I had lived here well over a year, yet I was only just beginning to learn and understand the system.


    What Lucretius asked me to do was more symbolic than anything else. It wasn¡¯t really a job.


    I expected it to be very simr to what the firstdies did in Korea. They would visit the orphanages and the poor around election time. It was just for show.


    I was right, but I also learned something new. I realized I made some wrong assumptions about this world.


    It was understandable that I didn¡¯t know a lot about this ce. When I first arrived here, I was found by the Duke of Aeal. He was one of the least influential nobles, but still the head of an entire colony. He lived in a castle and had countless servants.


    Now, I lived as the wife of the Cransian emperor. Cransia was the most powerful and richest kingdom in this world. There was no doubt that I lived in luxury.


    When I first met with the poor, it was shocking. I became speechless.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Your highness?¡±


    The official helping me raised his head in confusion. He was acting very carefully around me.


    He said to me with his nose and mouth covered with a perfumed handkerchief.


    ¡°I apologize for the unsavory scene... Please bear with me just for a while longer.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I was visiting a ce that resembled a homeless shelter. Poorly made temporary tents were everywhere and a few metal pots were being used to make a thin soup that didn¡¯t look edible.


    People still lined up to get a bowl of this horrible meal though. Every single one of them was wearing badly-worn clothes and didn¡¯t have any shoes on. The ground was riddled with filthy feces.


    To be honest... I thought I was very unlucky. I was transported to this world on the day of my SAT and was sold to be the ugly old emperor¡¯s concubine. I almost died a few times since then.


    I thought I worked very hard to get to where I was despite the incredible hardships I had to face.


    However, watching these people here, I had no choice but to admit I was very lucky. I felt ashamed.


    What would have happened if the Duke of Aeal didn¡¯t find by?


    What if I wasn¡¯t sold to the former emperor?


    ... If things didn¡¯t happen the way they did, I could have very well been one of the people here waiting for a bowl of gruel.


    It didn¡¯t mean I felt thankful to the Duke¡¯s family. They still tricked me and tried to kill me.


    However, I was thankful for being lucky.


    I knew I was being selfish, but it was the truth.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine being one of these devastatingly poor people.


    ***


    The political and social systems in this world were rudimentary at best. They were extremely underdeveloped, evenpared to the olden Josun era of Korea.


    Rombrook¡¯s idea of refugee center was shameful. It consisted of a few worn-down tents against the outer castle wall. It barely protected the people from the rain.


    Many didn¡¯t even have any form of shelter. They just sat on the bare ground and only stood up to stand in line for a bowl of gruel, which was offered once a day.


    Some walked around to beg, but they were often ignored or even attacked by the soldiers for being a nuisance to the nobles.


    It was not a life.


    The part of the kingdom they lived also was filthy. Rombrook didn¡¯t have a good sewer system, and they forced the poor to live where all the filth gathered.


    All they asked me to do was to visit the area and smile.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    That was it? Just wave my hand at them and smile? Then return to my luxurious bedroom, eat fancy meals, and wear silk clothes?


    I didn¡¯t know much, but I knew this wasn¡¯t right.


    Samantha said to me quietly, ¡°We can now go back to the castle, mydy.¡±


    I asked nkly, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The previous empresses also just looked around and that was it?¡±


    ¡°Many of them didn¡¯t even do that. The dowager empress certainly never did.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think clearly.


    Samantha asked again, ¡°What would you like to do?¡±


    I bit my lips.


    What should I do? How should I do it? What can I do?


    ... I knew one thing for sure.


    ¡°... I will decide after I look at the entire ce again.¡±

 Chapter 99

    <h4>Chapter 99: <Chapter 99></h4>


    After the thorough tour of the shelter, I headed to Lucretius¡¯ personal office. When I got there, I realized a guest was inside already again, but the servant let me in without hesitation.


    I walked in immediately.


    What greeted me was like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Inside were Lucretius and the chancellor discussing something just like the first time I came into this room.


    The white-bearded chancellor smiled at me kindly. ¡°Long time no see, your highness.¡±


    I bowed as well. ¡°You as well, sir.¡±


    Lucretius grinned and stamped the document with his royal seal. It was then handed to the chancellor.


    ¡°We will go ahead with this budget.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Lucretius turned to me and asked, ¡°By the way, what brings you here, my wife?¡±


    I felt a little ufortable with the chancellor in the same room, but what I wanted to discuss wasn¡¯t something that had to be kept private.


    ¡°I visited the shelter.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d, but you must have had a difficult time. You look pale.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult for me at all. It was frustratingly easy.¡±


    Lucretius looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    He looked like he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about, but I wasn¡¯t sure if he was feigning ignorance.


    It didn¡¯t matter. I decided to be frank.


    ¡°Did you really send me there just to look?¡±


    Surprisingly, Lucretius still looked confused. I realized he really didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You really wanted me to go and smile at the poor people then return here like nothing? You didn¡¯t send me to find a solution to this problem?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice. What I saw today was unforgettably awful. I stood in the room in shock as the emperor and the chancellor, the two most powerful men in this kingdom, looked back at me in confusion.


    The chancellor asked me, ¡°A solution? Was there an ident, your highness?¡±


    Lucretius agreed with him and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. The shelter has always been that way. Is there a need to change it?¡±


    The chancellor seemed to realize something.


    ¡°Oh, do you mean we should eliminate it...? I understand that your highness probably didn¡¯t like how filthy it was, but... It¡¯s realistically not possible.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    What was he talking about? Eliminate it?


    ¡°Emperor Kentius did try to push out the poor and the refugees out of Rombrook, but... It onlysted two or three years. They somehow always got back into the city like mold. Besides, we don¡¯t have the money to make this happen at this time.¡±


    I asked in surprise, ¡°Kick them out from the city? That wouldn¡¯t fix the problem. Shouldn¡¯t wee up with an actual solution?¡±


    Lucretius and the chancellor looked at me as if I had gone crazy.


    I realized these men genuinely didn¡¯t know what I was talking about.


    Lucretius asked again, ¡°Solution? I don¡¯t understand. We are already doing all we need to do. We are running the shelter and providing them food. We also have the soldiers patrolling to make sure we don¡¯t have any riots. What else is there for us to do?¡±


    He was the emperor of this kingdom. He was responsible for everyone, yet how could he say something like this?


    This was an odd situation. Did I really have to exin the obvious to them?


    Well, I guess I did.


    ¡°Of course you need to do something. Having so many poor citizens is a problem for the entire kingdom. As a nation, taking care of everyone in it is an obvious responsibility. Those people need to be given jobs and to be taken care of, right?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I finally realized the truth.


    This wasn¡¯t the 21st century Korea. If there were this many desperately poor in Korea, there would be a riot. Something like this would never happen there unless there was a war or a natural disaster. Bad harvest or epidemic would never cause this big of a problem.


    In modern Korea, the government had a system in ce to make sure something like this would never happen.


    Suddenly, I remembered a movie I watched before I came to this world. In it, the main character managed to travel back in time and tried to use his future knowledge to change history. Unfortunately, due to the butterfly effect, the main character ended up not being even born and therefore disappearing from Earth.


    After watching this movie, I wondered at the time


    ¡®Would there ever be a situation where changing history can be justified?¡¯


    In truth, I didn¡¯t believe in god or fate. When the priestess told me she wasn¡¯t sure of the existence of god, I despaired, but I was also secretly relieved.


    I felt that I was the one who got to decide my own future. This meant I needed to think carefully about what I should do about the shelter.


    I could think of a few things that may improve the situation. I was by no means an expert in running a city, but if I exined how the 21st century Korea was run, I was sure the officials here could find some things that could be helpful.


    However, would that be the right thing to do? Could my interference here negatively affect the natural course of history in this world? I was worried.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t earth and that meant my actions wouldn¡¯t change the future of my old life.


    Did that mean I could do whatever I wanted?


    I had no problem helping Lucretius fight against the dowager empress, but this kind of thing worried me. A political fight and power struggle here would whether or not I was involved. Changing the city system was a different story.


    I couldn¡¯t forget Lucretius¡¯ confused expression. He really didn¡¯t understand why he should help the poor. In the modern world, many would im that some of the poor people deserved it, but if they saw a shelter in such a shameful condition, most would agree we needed to do something to improve the situation.


    However, apparently, no one thought of it this way here.


    Since Lucretius and the chancellor treated me with respect, I hadn¡¯t realized how they felt and thought about the less fortunate.


    Perhaps they treated me well because I lied to Lucretius early on that I came from a noble family in a farawaynd.


    Lucretius wasn¡¯t a na?ve man, so he probably didn¡¯t believe mepletely, but my manners and knowledge indicated I was educated at a level only noble families could afford.


    He most likely assumed I was from a well-to-do family.


    It wasn¡¯t that I thought Lucretius and the chancellor were bad or wrong. This was just the way it was in this world. To them, maintaining the poor as they were at the moment was enough as long as there wasn¡¯t any riot.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if they would understand the concept of human right. I supposed they wouldn¡¯t, and I shouldn¡¯t even try to convince them of it.


    This was a reminder that I was indeed in a strange world.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t my home.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have the right to interfere, but... Did this mean I should just ignore what was happening outside the wall?


    ¡°...¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if my conscience would let me. I remembered the little girl I saw at the shelter. She was only about five or six years old. She looked up at me like I was a beautiful angel from the sky.


    The girl had no shoes and had all her nails broken. She was holding a dirty bowl, waiting in line for a meal. I could imagine how I would have looked in my silk dress to such a girl.


    If I was that girl, I would have been filled with jealousy and hatred. However, that girl... she looked at me with such innocence and wonder.


    Sympathy and guilt.


    I couldn¡¯t help these emotions. I knew what I had to do.

 Chapter 100

    <h4>Chapter 100: <Chapter 100></h4>


    The next morning during our teatime, Lucretius asked me in surprise, ¡°I heard that yesterday, you asked whatever is left of your personal budget to be spent on the shelter?¡±


    I spread orange jam on a warm scone and nodded. I knew he would ask me about it.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Lucretius still looked confused. He probably considered those people to be a nuisance who didn¡¯t pay any taxes.


    He didn¡¯t consider them his subjects. Even the regr people of Cransia probably hated them.


    He finally couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    He asked, ¡°Why? As the first wife, your budget is significant. It is based on the average number of wives over the generations, which means about fourteen... Four wives and ten concubines. Since you are my only wife, the budget currently is a quarter of what it used to be, but it is still the most amount of money for a single wife in history.¡±


    I knew what this meant. Lucretius was treating me like an empress and that was why I received such a generous budget for my wing.


    He continued, ¡°The dowager empress insisted on taking double the amount! But you... you haven¡¯t even spent a tenth of your budget and ended up wasting the rest of it into the shelter.¡± He studied me for a second before asking, ¡°Why?¡±


    I answered casually, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I felt bad for those people and I had some money left over. Just think of it as a simple charity work by your idle wife.¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°I can tell that you aren¡¯t telling the truth. Didn¡¯t I ask you to be a little bit more honest with me?¡±


    If he asked like that, I had no choice but to tell him the truth.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing special, and I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I just felt guilty, so I gave them what I had to make me feel better. I¡¯m just being a coward.¡±


    Lucretius looked unconvinced, but this really was the truth. To be honest, I myself didn¡¯t know why I was doing this. When I didn¡¯t exin further, he gave up.


    ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. The budget was for you to use as you wish... I just don¡¯t understand why you would waste your money on something like that. Anyway, as you have ordered, arge number of necessities have been sent to the shelter this morning.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°I hear those poor people are now calling you the goddess... I guess it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±


    Goddess...


    Then I was probably the most selfish and cowardly goddess in the world.


    ***


    That night, the dowager empress returned to the main castle.


    We, the emperor and I, greeted her as she walked in with her princesses. Lucretius smiled annoyingly.


    ¡°Your highness, congrattions. Now I get to see my beautiful new sister.¡±


    ¡°... Thank you.¡±


    The dowager empress¡¯ smile was confident. She looked around before locking her eyes on me.


    ¡°So it has been almost a month since west saw each other. Has there been good news with you since then, first wife?¡±


    I bowed apologetically.


    ¡°... Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh no... But don¡¯t worry. We don¡¯t have a male heir, but we still have plenty of legitimate princesses.¡±


    Sheughed loudly.


    The dowager empress now no longer had a chance to bear a male heir, but Lucretius also still remained childless. So for now, Princess Liliana was still the number one heir to the throne after Lucretius.


    At the dowager empress¡¯ment, Liliana trembled as if she was whipped. Roselia hung onto her sister¡¯s dress and looked around nervously. It was hard to watch them in this state of absolute fear. I could guess how the dowager empress relieved her anger after the birth of another daughter.


    Lucretius asked brightly, ¡°So where is my baby sister? I would like to see her.¡±


    When the dowager empress nodded, a nanny who was standing far away approached us with a bundle.


    The baby had the same shocking red hair as her sisters and mother. Lucretiusplimented her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will grow up to be a great beauty just like her mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡±


    ¡°So what is her name?¡±


    ¡°I named her Margaret. Normally, the father would name her, but as the former emperor has passed, I did it myself.¡±


    ¡°How pretty. It suits her.¡±


    It was a normal conversation, but the tension between them was palpable. Everyone, including myself, barely breathed.


    Suddenly, I noticed a familiar group of people. I didn¡¯t expect to see them here. Darker skin and lighter hair.


    I murmured to Samantha.


    ¡°Genoa¡¯s Prince Coronel and Princess Ludia... Right?¡±


    Why were they still here? The celebration was over, so they should have returned like the rest of the guests.


    Instead, it seemed like even more of Genoans came. There was a whole group of them.


    Samantha turned towards them to check.


    When she did, she nodded and exined to me, ¡°After the celebration, they wanted to visit with their aunt, her highness Ksania, for a few more days. They got permission from the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Ksania?¡±


    ¡°She is the third wife of the former emperor.¡±


    I remembered. It was the woman who red at me on the first night of the ball. A woman from Genoa.


    She was standing here. She looked like she was in herte 20¡¯s or early 30¡¯s. She was beautiful with her dark skin and silver hair. She was definitely too young to have been the old emperor¡¯s wife, just like Katleyanira.


    Samantha continued, ¡°My guess would be that Genoa wants to make Princess Ludia the next empress no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Even after the embarrassing insult from Lucretius at the ball, they still couldn¡¯t give up.


    I supposed bing the Cransian empress was worth it. It seemed that the sibling now recruited their aunt¡¯s help as well.


    I said to Samantha, ¡°Yes. It seems like her highness Ksania decided to help her niece.¡±


    Samantha nodded. ¡°Yes. The fact that her highness Ksania came to the weing event for the dowager empress means a great deal. In the past, she made sure to avoid the dowager empress at all cost. Her highness Ksania had a huge grudge against the dowager empress. Genoa as well.¡±


    ¡°A grudge?¡±


    This was the first time I heard about this. When I looked curious, Samantha made sure no one was listening before answering me.


    ¡°You are aware of how the dowager empress interfered with the current emperor¡¯s marriage ns for a long time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember... Are you saying Ksania was supposed to marry the current emperor?¡±


    Samantha answered bitterly, ¡°... It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Her highness Ksania just turned 30 this year, which makes her only three years older than the emperor. It was not a bad match. Genoa sent her highness to be the next empress.¡±


    This made sense to me. It wasn¡¯t umon for a younger man to marry older women in an attempt to get an heir as quickly as possible. Ksania would have been a good match for Lucretius.


    Even a nobody like Lisbeth was nned to be Lucretius¡¯ concubine, so a princess from a powerful nation like Genoa definitely had a good chance to be the Empress. Of course, the dowager empress wouldn¡¯t have liked the idea.


    Samantha continued, ¡°At that time, the dowager empress interfered to change the n and made Princess Ksania marry the old emperor as a concubine. Princess Ksania was in her teens at the time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I could understand her anger towards the dowager empress.


    I nodded in agreement.


    ¡®This could mean they could be helpful to me. An enemy of my enemy could be my friend.¡¯


    Just then, my eyes met with Ksania¡¯s eyes. When I nodded lightly, her beautiful face crumpled into anger, disgust, and... jealousy.


    It was so shocking that I froze.


    She then turned away and looked at someone with such a yearning.


    She was looking at Lucretius.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®This man...¡¯


    Being his only legal wife was making me a target for so many women.


    This was not good.

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101: <Chapter 101></h4>


    I exchanged messages with Clodys on a regr basis through a designated book in the library. Lucretius was aware of this arrangement as well.


    After the dowager empress returned to the main castle, it was Clodys who contacted me to meet in person. Inside the ck leather book was a small card with a date and time.


    It was past dinner time at the same ce inside the dark and empty library.


    As I walked into the ce, I felt like I was walking into a lion¡¯s den. I ignored the feeling.


    I didn¡¯t trust Clodyspletely. I was aware of how our rtionship was a precarious one at best. Therefore, just to be safe, I ordered Agnes to hide nearby with a guard in case of an emergency.


    In addition, I ordered my maids to be on stand by just in case.


    ¡°If I don¡¯te back from the library in an hour, pleasee find me.¡±


    The maids looked surprised.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    My face reddened in embarrassment.


    ¡°The thing is... Last time in the library, I got lost for a while.¡±


    Elza eximed loudly, ¡°Oh! That was why you stayed there for so long. Were you really lost?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes.¡±


    I was mortified, because it was partly true. I WAS lost. Luis, who was sitting nearby, red at her sister.


    ¡°That library is so big that many first timers get lost all the time. In the olden days, there used to be librarians to help, but not anymore.¡±


    Hmm. So that was why the library was so empty.


    I asked casually, ¡°So there isn¡¯t anyone managing the library at all?¡±


    ¡°After the emperor was coronated, he reduced the unnecessary budgets significantly.¡±


    I already knew this. The royal coffer was not doing well, so it was time to save wherever possible.


    With me as the only wife of the emperor, our quarters were nearly empty. The library was the least of the priorities to Lucretius.


    ¡°The servants go in once a week to clean, and that¡¯s it,¡± Luis looked at me and continued, ¡°but if I let people know that your highness likes to visit the library often, I¡¯m sure the servants will take better care of it. They may even reinstate a librarian or two.¡±


    I shook my head hurriedly. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I prefer the quietness of it.¡±


    ¡°Then should I apany you, your highness? I have been in the library a few times so I can be of help to you.¡±


    I shook my head quickly. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°But your highness...¡±


    I replied to Luis firmly, ¡°I need to be alone in a quiet ce so I can think. Please let me be for a while.¡±


    I didn¡¯t tell them that Agnes was following me with a guard. They all thought Agnes was away on another chore. I didn¡¯t want my maids to think I was nning something.


    ¡°...¡±


    Luis didn¡¯t look happy about it, but she let it go.


    I was already a bitte. I got worried I might miss him. Since we didn¡¯t have cellphones here, arranging meetings like this could be tricky.


    Finding the spot wasn¡¯t as hard as I expected because this was the second time I had been here.


    When I finally turned around the corner, I saw a familiar figure.


    He was standing with his back towards me. I cleared my throat and called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you wait, sir.¡±


    Clodys turned around and bowed with a smile. ¡°Not at all, your highness. I just arrived here myself.¡±


    It was a rather slight bow considering I was a royalty and he was currently a nobody, but I let it go.


    Clodys looked handsome as he smiled and thanked me.


    ¡°... First of all, I would like to thank you for preventing Princess Liliana¡¯s marriage to that old man. I should have thanked you sooner.¡±


    ¡°That was actually the emperor¡¯s doing, so you should thank him.¡±


    ¡°But if not for you, the emperor would have never done it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter at this point. So where is Princess Liliana?¡±


    ¡°She will be here soon. She needs to make sure not to be seen by anyone, so it probably is taking her longer.¡±


    It made sense. Princess Liliana was surrounded by spies both from Lucretius and the dowager empress. She had to be very careful.


    The princess stayed with the dowager empress at Girand, so there was a good chance I should be able to get some good information from her.


    However, I didn¡¯t know when she will arrive, and I needed to start the conversation right away.


    ¡°So what is happening with the dowager empress?¡±


    Clodys stopped smiling at the mention of ourmon enemy. He studied me like the emperor and the chancellor often did. The only difference was that his stare was more youthful and immature.


    ¡°Unfortunately, what I have are just guesses based on the information I got as a minor nobleman. I have nothing firm to share.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I assume you¡¯re smart enough to be able to make fairly urate guesses.¡±


    Clodys grinned.


    ¡°I am ttered.¡± He responded humbly, but he seemed pleased at mypliment. ¡°Even though the marriage with the princess has been cancelled, Marquis Galisia is still staying close to the dowager empress. I am concerned they may be nning something dangerous.¡±


    Just then, a noise was heard behind me. Clodys shouted with hostility.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡±


    I turned around in shock. I didn¡¯t see anyone, but I heard someone running away.


    Far away between the bookcases, I saw a glimpse of an exotic ivory dress. Beautiful white blond hair and dark skin.


    ¡®Princess Ludia!¡¯


    My blood ran cold.


    Suddenly, a familiar voice called my name from behind.


    ¡°Your highness?¡±


    When I turned around slowly, I saw her.


    ¡°Princess Liliana...¡±


    Liliana walked towards me worriedly. ¡°Is something wrong? You look pale. Where is Clodys?¡±


    Just then, Clodys, who ran after Princess Ludia, returned. He looked frustrated.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get that person.¡±


    I shook my head and answered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if you caught her, it would have been useless.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who it was?¡±


    ¡°Genoa¡¯s Princess Ludia.¡±


    Clodys and Liliana gasped in fear. I knew I looked scared too.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do. Princess Ludia would tell Prince Coronel and Ksania immediately, and I could guess what they would do.


    I grabbed Princess Liliana¡¯s wrist. Looking like a fragile white lily, her eyes widened in fear. I said to her desperately.


    ¡°Princess, no Liliana!¡±


    ¡°Y, yes?¡±


    ¡°You need to do me a favor. You can consider it a payback for the emperor and myself for helping you avoid the marriage to Marquis Galisia. If you do this, it may help all of us, including Clodys. Will you do it?¡±


    Liliana was only a young girl, the same age as Lisbeth. A girl abused by her mother. I felt guilty for putting so much pressure on a child, but I had no choice.


    This could be the end for everyone, including Lucretius and I.


    Thankfully, Princess Liliana nodded determinedly and squeezed my hands.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Your highness!¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°Please call me Sa Bina.¡±


    ***


    As I expected, I was called to the dowager empress¡¯ quarters two dayster. Since I knew this would happen, I wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    I ordered my maids to dress me in my finest clothes. I fashioned myself with the violet dress I wore at the celebration ball and put on a blue diamond tiara, which used to belong to Lucretius¡¯ birthmother Empress Beatrice.


    Makeup, dress, and jewelry were like armors for women, so I was dressed for a battle. I would meet with the enemy, so I needed to dress for it.


    I ordered Samantha, ¡°Please let the emperor know that I am heading to meet the dowager empress regarding the matter we discussed earlier.¡±


    Samantha looked nervous. She didn¡¯t know the exact details, but she knew something was happening.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    I took only a few of my maids and entered the dowager empress¡¯ room. Inside were the dowager empress sitting on her throne and a group of now-familiar foreigners.


    Ksania, Prince Coronel, and Princess Ludia.


    I greeted the dowager empress nonchntly.


    ¡°Did you want to see me, your highness?¡±


    ¡°You look astonishing today.¡±


    Suddenly, the woman standing next to the dowager empress said sarcastically, ¡°You are dressed like an empress.¡±


    It was Ksania, who was ring at me openly.


    I calmly replied, ¡°I was on my way to see his highness when I was asked toe here. The emperor asked me to wear this dress for him.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ksania smirked. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why you are having an affair when his highness has been so loving to you.¡±


    I replied without a blink, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Why would I do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Ha! You say that, but who knows what you have been doing behind his back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about, mydy, but if you continue to insult me this way, I won¡¯t stand by idly.¡±


    Ksania opened her fan, which had exotic symbols, and covered her face except for her eyes. She continued to re at me furiously.


    ¡°How dare you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°It is you who is being rude, mydy.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    It was the dowager empress who stopped this nonsense.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this silly fight and discuss what really matters.¡±


    Ksania turned towards the dowager empress and red at her. She looked even angrier, but the dowager empress ignored it.


    ¡°Now, I called you in here because Ksania made a serious usation that you are having an affair with another man.¡±

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102: <Chapter 102></h4>


    I answered coolly, ¡°I am being framed.¡±


    Ksania¡¯s shrill voice ordered, ¡°Ludia, please tell us what you saw two days ago.¡±


    Princess Ludia nced at the dowager empress, me, her aunt, and her brother before speaking. It was exactly what I expected.


    ¡°Two days ago, I visited the castle library out of curiosity and saw the emperor¡¯s wife from afar. I noticed she was with another man. They looked very close.¡±


    Coronel shouted in anger, ¡°This is uneptable. A proper Genoan woman would nevermit adultery.¡±


    I asked Ludia coldly, ¡°Did you see the man I was with?¡±


    Ludia flinched but quickly smiled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see his face clearly, but I remembered his outfit. He was wearing a deep green top decorated with golden thread and a pair of ck pants.¡±


    As I expected, she didn¡¯t get to see Clodys¡¯ face, but just in case, I had already warned Clodys not to be seen by Ludia in the castle. You could never be too careful.


    Ksania continued to use me triumphantly, ¡°Why would any married woman meet with a man in secret unless she was having an affair?¡±


    The dowager empress answered, ¡°I agree.¡±


    It was funny how in this case, Ksania and the dowager empress seemed to be in perfect agreement. An enemy of my enemy was my friend...


    Ksania threatened me, ¡°If an empress or a wife of an emperormits adultery, it¡¯s considered treason. Isn¡¯t this correct, your highness the dowager empress?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In fact, the former empress Beatrice was executed for this exact crime.¡±


    The dowager empress looked at my neck sharply. She was probably remembering the Empress Beatrice¡¯s execution.


    She continued, ¡°If Sa Bina hasmitted this crime, she won¡¯t be able to escape from execution.¡±


    Ksania seemed like she wanted to high-five someone. Ludia and Coronel also seemed excited.


    I found this situation hrious.


    Even if I was found guilty and was executed, this didn¡¯t guarantee that Ludia would be the next Empress. Yet, the Genoans were acting like I was the only obstacle.


    I answered evenly, ¡°I am innocent.¡±


    Ludia smirked. ¡°A guilty person always says that.¡±


    Ksania agreed with her niece, ¡°If you are innocent, you should be able to tell us who that man was in the library.¡±


    I knew they would never be able to find out it was Clodys. Usually, anyone entering the main castle was required to sign in. On that day, Clodys did sign in as well, and I knew leaving this record was dangerous. Not only for this incident but if the dowager empress ever happened to look at it, it would look suspicious. So I asked Liliana to delete this record that day.


    Then, I ordered Agnes and the trusted guard to hide Clodys out of the castle by having him leave inside a vegetable carriage. This meant there was no record of Clodys ever being in the castle that day.


    The only problem left was to figure out how to exin who the man I supposedly met in the library was.


    If I gave them a reasonable answer, this whole thing would go away.


    In fact, this could be a chance for me to get rid of the Genoans.


    When I remained quiet, they looked triumphant. Just then, I addressed the dowager empress.


    ¡°Before I answer, I would like to confirm something, your highness.¡±


    The dowager empress looked confused.


    ¡°Confirm? Confirm what?¡±


    ¡°What will happen if I am found innocent?¡±


    Ksaniaughed loudly. ¡°Ha! Innocent?¡±


    The dowager empress looked at me knowingly. I could tell she figured out what I meant. I knew she didn¡¯t care for the Genoans. It wasn¡¯t like she made an official deal with them. In fact, I was sure she wouldn¡¯t mind getting rid of Ksania.


    She would have preferred to get rid of both of us, but she wouldn¡¯t get that chance.


    Katleyanira yed with a strand of her red hair and answered with interest, ¡°If you are innocent... Then those who used you will, of course, be punished.¡±


    Ksania flinched and protested, ¡°It is a wife¡¯s duty to prove her purity, just as it is her duty to question other wives¡¯ purity. I am only doing my duty as a proper royal woman and her highness should do the same.¡±


    I asked usingly, ¡°How could it be the emperor¡¯s wife¡¯s duty to use an innocent person? If I prove my innocence, it means her highness Ksania was attempting to frame me. How could this not be a crime?¡±


    ¡°What...!¡±


    Before Ksania could reply, the dowager empress stopped her. No matter what, Katleyanira had the highest rank in this room. On top of that, Ksania reported my imaginary crime to the dowager empress, which gave Katleyanira the right to act as the judge.


    This was Ksania¡¯s biggest mistake in this scheme.


    ¡°If the emperor¡¯s wife can prove her innocence then it means her highness Ksania used her without solid proof and therefore would have to pay for her mistake.¡±


    Ksania frowned while Ludia looked at me nervously.


    The dowager empress turned towards me. She looked like she was having a good time. I hated it, but I had no choice but to continue.


    ¡°So how will you prove your innocence?¡±


    It was time.


    I smiled confidently. ¡°It is true I did meet with a man that day in the library.¡±


    ¡°Finally, the truth!¡±


    Both the dowager empress and I ignored Ksania¡¯s exim.


    ¡°That man is...¡±


    I paused dramatically. I could hear the noise outside.


    He was here.


    ¡°Just about to enter this room.¡±


    As if nned, the servant at the door announced loudly.


    ¡°Your highness the dowager empress, his highness the emperor has arrived!¡±


    ***


    As Lucretius walked in, a silence fell in the room.


    He approached us elegantly and greeted the dowager empress with respect.


    ¡°I apologize for a sudden visit, your highness.¡±


    The dowager empress tried her best not tough. She knew exactly what was going on.


    ¡°Not at all. This involves you as well, your highness, so you should be here.¡±


    Lucretius slowly took off his cloak and handed it to the servant. When people saw what he was wearing underneath, they gasped.


    Deep green top with gold decorations. A pair of ck pants.


    Lucretius wore an outfit resembling Clodys¡¯ clothes the most from his own closet.


    I took his arm and turned to Ksania and Ludia.


    ¡°Two days ago, the man I met in the library was his highness.¡±


    Ksania stood up and screamed, ¡°That, that can¡¯t be...!¡±


    Lucretius looked around as if confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why this is happening. Why is my rendezvous with my own wife such a huge problem? Exin yourself, Princess Ludia.¡±


    When Lucretius red at the princess, Ludia became pale.


    ¡°T, that is...! I, I saw it!¡±


    The dowager empress interrupted her, ¡°You said that you saw a man wearing a simr outfit as his highness is wearing right now, correct?¡±


    ¡°Well...!¡±


    Ludia couldn¡¯t say anything. She saw Clodys and I from afar, which meant there was no way she could see Clodys¡¯ face clearly.


    Even if she did, we would insist that she was mistaken. Meeting my own husband secretly was not a crime. If Lucretius imed he was there, we both knew no one would dare question him.


    Ksania¡¯s hand trembled visibly. The dowager empress summarized the situation with a smile.


    ¡°So this is it, then.¡±


    Ksania, Ludia, and Coronel couldn¡¯t say a word.

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103: <Chapter 103></h4>


    Her highness Ksania was ordered to be banished from Cransia as a punishment.


    Banishment.


    She was to return to her homnd and never set foot to Cransia ever again. Considering the importance of the rtionship between Cransia and Genoa, this was the harshest punishment Lucretius could give.


    That same night, we were sitting in my bedroom when he asked me, ¡°Are you unhappy with the punishment?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. Why would I be?¡±


    ¡°She tried to harm you, Bina.¡±


    ¡°But she ended up failing, so I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I truly didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Besides, if you gave her a harsher punishment, Genoa wouldn¡¯t just stand down. I don¡¯t want a war.¡± I added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why my wife is so generous and kind.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°It¡¯s not true. I just don¡¯t want a war. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... By the way, that Katleyanira is so annoying.¡±


    I nodded wholeheartedly. ¡°I know. She profited from this more than we did.¡±


    The dowager empress didn¡¯t have to do anything to get rid of Ksania. As for me, although I was officially found innocent, I knew there would be nasty rumors about me. Everyone liked to gossip.


    Plus, Lucretius now had an ufortable rtionship with Genoa. He already had an incident with Prince Coronel, and this worsened the situation.


    As I suspected, it would be very difficult to defeat the dowager empress. I couldn¡¯t imagine what she was nning next and it scared me.


    Lucretius must have read my fear. He took my hand.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at me with a big smile, making me feel ufortable.


    W, what is this? Why was I feeling so hot? Was this room getting warm all of a sudden?


    However, it was winter. Why was my face burning?


    It must have been the firece. Perhaps the fire was too big.


    I reached out to pull the rope on the side of the bed to call for my maids, but Lucretius stopped me gently.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I became even redder.


    ¡°I, I...! It¡¯s too hot! I¡¯m going to get the servants to adjust the fire...!¡±


    Lucretius shook his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s winter. If the fire isn¡¯t going, it will get very cold in the night and my precious wife may get sick. I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    Why was my heart beating so fast? Why?


    I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears like a drum. Lucretius grinned and whispered to me.


    ¡°If you are so hot, should I help you undress?¡±


    Crazy man! He has lost his mind!


    I shook my head and shouted, ¡°No! It¡¯s not necessary! I¡¯m not hot anymore!¡±


    Lucretius continued to grin wickedly and tried to grab my pajamas.


    Just then, a noise was heard outside the window.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Someone was shouting loudly. I could hear several people trying to stop this person, but the noise grew louder and louder.


    We couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore.


    Lucretius asked whoever was outside, ¡°What is happening?!¡± He was clearly annoyed.


    Someone answered as if he was waiting for this.


    ¡°This is what Cransia did to Genoa!¡±


    It was a familiar voice of Prince Coronel.


    What was the prince doing outside our window? How dare he make a scene in the middle of the night? Was he crazy?


    This was a royal wing where the emperor and his wife slept. The entire ce was surrounded by multipleyers of royal guards, which meant even a foreign prince couldn¡¯t enter.


    His voice seemed far away, he must have been stopped at the main entrance door.


    Lucretius realized something was off. He nodded at me. I grabbed my nightgown. I was only in my pajamas, so it made sense I should put something on top.


    However, Lucretius overdid it. He tucked me into the nightgown and tied the sash rather tightly around me with a pretty bow.


    Iined, ¡°It¡¯s too tight and ufortable.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Then you can stay in the room.¡±


    I was curious, so I shook my head. Just then, Coronel cried out again like an animal.


    ¡°Come out right now and see! See what you have done!¡±


    Lucretius was now openly annoyed as we walked outside together.


    ¡°How dare you...!¡±


    He was about to shout, but what we saw was... shockingly gruesome.


    It was snowing in the garden. On the white ground, red blood shined brightly.


    Prince Coronel was holding a woman and kneeling in front of us. I knew the woman in his arms.


    ¡°Her highness Ksania!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t moving. There was a delicately designed dagger in her chest. She was covered in blood.


    Coronel screamed again, ¡°My auntmitted suicide out of humiliation! You have shamed our country! How will you make this right?!¡±


    ***


    Coronel was frantic. He remembered his father the king¡¯s order before he left with Ludia to attend the Cransian ball.


    ¡°If you aplish this, you will be the next king.¡±


    The king showed Coronel the half-moon scimitar made from the desert¡¯s ck metal. It was an item Coronel and his eight brothers desperately coveted.


    It was Mohav, the sword that united the twenty-five desert nations to create Genoa.


    The sword was simple without a single piece of gold or precious stone, but this made it look even more severe. It represented the power of all desert nations. It was the symbol of Genoa as the greatest kingdom.


    It was the one thing Coronel desired the most in this world.


    He red at the woman sitting in front of him.


    ¡°So what are you going to do, aunt?¡±


    Ksania Al Bint Genoeum. Prince Coronel¡¯s aunt and the only sister of the current Genoan King. She was also the woman sent as a gift to Cransia many years ago.


    She frowned as she took a sip of jujube tea. It was her favorite and the Genoan King sent it as a present for his sister.


    ¡°What else is there to do other than return home?¡±


    Coronel became angry. ¡°How could say that so easily?!¡±


    ¡°Then what are you saying I should do? You begged me and that was the only reason why I worked with that bitch dowager empress. Your n failed and now I lost my ce here. What can I do?¡±


    Coronel red at his aunt and took out something from his pocket.


    It was a stylish dagger decorated with silver flower pattern. It wasmon for Genoan women to carry a dagger for protection.


    Ksania used to carry such daggers before she came to Cransia. However, here, the emperor¡¯s wives were not allowed to own weapons.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Coronel requested determinedly.


    ¡°Aunt, please sacrifice yourself for our country.¡±


    His sister Ludia, who was sitting nearby nervously, screamed, ¡°B, brother!¡±


    Ksania looked pale as she shuddered. ¡°Are you telling me... to kill myself?¡±


    Coronel nodded. ¡°Yes, if youmit suicide in defiance, Cransia will owe a big debt to Genoa. This crime against the emperor¡¯s wife will be quickly forgotten with your death and you will be remembered for the great sacrifice you did for your country. Please do this for all of us.¡±


    Ksania trembled as she yelled, ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    ¡°Yes! You already sacrificed yourself once when you married the former emperor! So just once more...!¡±


    Ksania pped her nephew with her fan.


    ¡°How dare you! How dare you say something like that to me?!¡±


    ¡°Aunt!¡±


    Ksania stood up and red at her ambitious nephew.


    ¡°Did my brother order this? It can¡¯t be! My brother would never ask me of such a thing because he knows why I married the old emperor! I spent my youth as the wife of that horrible man so my brother could be the king!¡± Ksania continued in anger, ¡°That is for you, Coronel and Ludia, could be a prince and a princess! It was all thanks to me!¡±


    Coronel tried to protest, ¡°But that was the king...!¡±


    ¡°Go back and ask your king! Ask him what I sacrificed and what my brother promised me before I left home! Ask him what I did for him for the past ten years so my brother could take the throne!¡±


    ¡°Aunt!¡±


    Ksania shook with anger and replied, ¡°I gave up my youth for my country and my brother! No Genoan can ever ask me of anything else! Even my own brother wouldn¡¯t dare! Yet here you are... My own nephew dares to ask for my life?!¡±


    Before Coronel could say anything, Ksania threw her fan at him. It hit him right on the nose.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Ignoring him, Ksania turned to her young niece. ¡°Ludia.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes? Aunt?¡±


    ¡°If it was at all possible, I would have continued my effort to make you the next empress, but it¡¯s won¡¯t work. Not as long as that bitch Katleyanira is here, and...¡± She frowned. ¡°As long as that woman Sa Bina is here. She is young, but I can see that she will be a bigger monster than Katleyanira. You won¡¯t survive here. Give up now and let¡¯s return home together.¡±


    ¡°A, aunt...¡±


    Ludia seemed speechless as she looked at her aunt and her brother.


    Just then, Coronel groaned. ¡°Alright...¡±


    He grabbed the dagger quietly as Ksania sighed and turned away. Ludia sighed in relief as well, thinking this conversation was finally over.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    Coronel took out the dagger from its sheath.

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104: <Chapter 104></h4>


    Stab!


    Ksania felt a sudden searing pain on her right chest. She turned around.


    ¡°Co... Coronel?!¡±


    Coronel whispered coldly to his aunt, ¡°If you won¡¯t give up your life, I will have to take it myself.¡±


    ¡°You... bastard...!¡±


    Coronel had used one hand to stab his aunt. He then grabbed Ksania¡¯s right hand with his free hand and pulled it towards the dagger. He made her grab it, so it looked like she stabbed herself. He then used both of his hand to twist the knife.


    Crunch!


    The sound of ribs breaking rang throughout the room. Blood poured out from Ksania¡¯s mouth as she gasped.


    ¡°Y, you...!¡±


    Coronel smiled like a beast and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, aunty. Your sacrifice will be forever remembered by Genoa. It will help me greatly as well, so thank you.¡±


    ¡°W, when my brother... finds out about this... you¡¯ll...!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that either. The king will be told that his only sistermitted suicide after our country was insulted.¡±


    Heid Ksania down on the floor and turned towards his sister.


    ¡°Right, Ludia?¡± Ludia shuddered fearfully.


    She knew if she didn¡¯t agree with her brother, he would not hesitate to kill her too.


    Ludia nodded urgently.


    ***


    This was perfect. It couldn¡¯t look any more devastating.


    Coronel smiled as he looked down at his bloody clothes. The blood from his aunt.


    He was stopped by the royal guards before he reached the castle, but they couldn¡¯t silence him. He screamed as loudly as he could, and it worked.


    The emperor came out. Coronel assured himself he finally won.


    After the encounter, her highness Ksania¡¯s body was removed by the servants and the maids.


    The next step was for Coronel and Lucretius to meet as the representatives of their countries and discuss the funeral arrangement. Lucretius forced his wife Sa Bina to return to her bedroom and met with Coronel in private.


    This was exactly what Coronel wanted.


    Lucretius picked up one of the wine sses filled with warm honeyed wine. He was still in his pajamas.


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    Coronel didn¡¯t pick up his ss. Instead, he looked at Lucretius angrily.


    Coronel didn¡¯t like the emperor at all. Lucretius was only four years older than him, yet he wore the golden crown and sat on the throne of the strongest kingdom in this world.


    Coronel respected his father the king, but he hated the emperor sitting in front of him. Cransia was too different from Genoa.


    In Genoa, only the physically strongest became the king. However, in Cransia, things were different. Those in power were too weak. This emperor in front of him came into power because he was born into it. Coronel could guess how useless and stupid Lucretius was.


    That was why Lucretius couldn¡¯t even get rid of Katleyanira, a mere woman. It would be so easy, just like he took care of his aunt.


    Lucretius grinned and asked directly, ¡°What does Genoa want?¡±


    Coronel finally smiled.


    He finally had the upper hand.


    ¡°Take Ludia as your empress. This will be the only thing that will appease our dead aunt.¡±


    Lucretiusughed out loud. ¡°Haha! Wow, how simple. It¡¯s not even a request. It sounds like an order.¡±


    Coronel smirked and threatened him, ¡°ording to Genoanw, a blood debt can be only repaid by blood. If you don¡¯t ept my proposal, Genoa will want blood from Cransia.¡±


    Lucretius asked quietly, ¡°Is that what your king wants?¡± He didn¡¯t seem nervous or anxious.


    Coronel answered vaguely, ¡°In this room, I am the representative of Genoa.¡±


    Lucretius nodded in understanding andughed. ¡°Oh, I see. How proud you must be.¡±


    Coronel brightened and asked, ¡°So you will ept it?¡±


    Lucretius gave him the biggest smile he could muster and answered, ¡°I refuse.¡±


    Coronel screamed, ¡°Do you want a war?!¡±


    Lucretius emptied his wine ss and put it down loudly on the table.


    ¡°Why not.¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    Lucretius announced, ¡°There is only one woman I would ever take as my empress, and it is not your sister.¡±


    Things were being decided for me without my control.


    Lucretius didn¡¯t tell me about his private conversation with Prince Coronel.


    He was the emperor and he had all the power. I might have been doing the duties of an empress temporarily, but I certainly didn¡¯t have much decision power.


    The next day after Ksania¡¯s suicide, Prince Coronel openly cursed Lucretius and returned home with her coffin. The Genoans were in truth kicked out by Lucretius, who refused to negotiate.


    The group marched out headed by the coffin. They held up arge ck g and wore ck clothes in overt defiance.


    However, Lucretius ignored them. I looked out the window as they left with a heavy heart.


    It was a cloudy day soon followed by snow.


    He said to me from behind, ¡°You look unhappy.¡±


    ¡°... Isn¡¯t it understandable?¡±


    Her highness Ksania killed herself.


    I did what I had to do to protect myself but knowing someone died from the incident was still shocking. Seeing the dead body in person didn¡¯t help either.


    This was the second time someone died due to a happening I, myself, am involved. Lisbeth and Ksania both died horrible deaths.


    It wasn¡¯t that I felt guilty or sympathetic. In truth, the fact that I didn¡¯t feel these normal emotions troubled me.


    I felt nothing. The longer I stayed in this world, the worse my sense of morality became. I was beginning to be worried.


    Would everything turn out okay?


    I had no choice but to do my best to survive until Priestess Izvita found me a way back home.


    If she couldn¡¯t find the answer, then I had to stay here till I died. If I did... it might be nice to live with Lucretius.


    Was this really okay?


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    Lucretius ced his hand on my shoulder. His hand slowly moved up and held my chin. He was being gentle but firm as he raised my face towards him.


    My eyes met his.


    He asked me, ¡°Do you feel guilty?¡±


    I smiled bitterly. ¡°... I wish I did.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I murmured as if talking to myself, ¡°I am looking through my thoughts to find guilt, but I can¡¯t find it. I feel something simr to guilt, but it¡¯s not real. In fact, I am making myself feel it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like I am redefining the definition of guilt.¡±


    After a short silence, he said to me, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel guilty, so it shouldn¡¯t bother you.¡±


    ¡°You are used to this life. You have lived like this since you were born.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What you feel and don¡¯t feel is normal for you, but not to me. Where I used to live, things didn¡¯t happen like this... I wasn¡¯t like this.¡±


    Lucretius tried to console me, but it didn¡¯t help. It just sounded like he was trying to convince me of something a mistake I know I made.


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s normal for you to not feel guilty.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Because I took away your guilt.¡±


    I smiled awkwardly. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about now?¡±


    ¡°I am the one who forced you into this battle, and with that, I also took away all your guilt and sympathy. So...¡± He paused before emphasizing hisst sentence. ¡°You just have to me me for everything.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Stop it. Nobody took away anything from me.¡±


    ¡°I did. I want everything from you. I am greedy for you.¡±


    He grabbed my hair and kissed it.


    He whispered again as if to brainwash me, ¡°Your guilt is mine. I am taking it, so if you want, you can hate me for it.¡±


    ¡°You said you love me... So why would you want me to hate you?¡±


    He smiled confidently. ¡°Because I am a monster without a heart.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You have a heart.¡±


    ¡°I do, but it¡¯s here.¡±


    He pointed at me. ¡°You are my heart, so as long as you are safe, I will be invincible. You can me me and resent me all you want. I will allow it.¡±


    I gave him a small smile. ¡°You are very kind today.¡±


    ¡°Just to you. Only you.¡±


    Even when he was trying tofort me, his words were violent, selfish, and... painfully sweet.


    I wanted to believe him.


    Of course, this was not the way. I always had to have thest word.


    ¡°My guilt is my own. Don¡¯t think you can steal it from me.¡±


    I hugged him. I hugged my aplice tightly.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105: <Chapter 105></h4>


    In his arms, I asked, ¡°What did Prince Coronel want from you for Ksania¡¯s death?¡±


    I already knew the answer and that was why I didn¡¯t ask him earlier. Now, we needed to talk about it.


    When I insisted on pulling at his shirt, he answered, ¡°He wanted Ludia to be my empress.¡±


    I knew it.


    I also could guess why he refused, but I asked anyway. It was bing a bad habit.


    ¡°Why did you say no?¡±


    He answered stiffly, ¡°To have a Genoan princess as my empress would be too risky. It will give too much power to Genoa and I can¡¯t afford that.¡±


    I stared at him and asked, ¡°And that¡¯s the only reason?¡±


    Lucretius smiled smoothly. ¡°I think it would be best not to exin my main reason to you, unless... You can tell me you are ready to take the position. Can you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t.


    I wasn¡¯t sure especially after the meeting with the priestess. I was freshly reminded of my home and family, and I couldn¡¯t just forget about them.


    Lucretius reassured me kindly, ¡°I promised you I wouldn¡¯t pressure you, and I am going to keep that promise. It will mean something only if you choose me on your own, and... As you know, if you choose me, it means you choose this world.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°... I will wait for your answer patiently.¡±


    He was sure of what my answer would be.


    He continued, ¡°I am not worried. Your answer may bete, but I am certain what it will be.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you think so.¡±


    He smiled happily. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you smile again.¡±


    At the time, I didn¡¯t know the real storm wasing for us. In fact, I was already inside the eye of the hurricane.


    ***


    It would take the Genoan Prince a month to get back to Genoa. At least a week or two for the king to make a decision regarding what to do with the current situation with Cransia...This meant we were going to hear from them in a month and a half.


    During this time, Lucretius nned on preparing for any possibilities. The worst scenario was war.


    However, even if a war started, it was very rare for the emperor to actually leave his castle. Knowing this made me feel better. Lucretius wouldn¡¯t leave me.


    I was still tense because of the current situation, so I couldn¡¯t help but overreact at anything he said to me.


    ¡°A hunting game?¡± I asked him to confirm.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It hasn¡¯t been long since Lucretius became the emperor and therefore his power was still unstable. This was only a ruse to hide the military movement. He wanted to move the defensive royal guards without suspicions from anyone.


    However, a hunting game was a double-edged sword. An event led by the emperor himself could be a golden chance for those who wanted Lucretius gone. When the emperor stayed in the castle, he was almost impossible to assassinate, but outside, it was a different story.


    During the hunt, anything could happen. Lucretius would be in an open area. It would be easier to get to the emperor.


    Of course, the emperor would also n a trap for any assassins while hunting, so a smart assassin would have to be well prepared if he or she wanted to seed.


    It was impossible to predict what would happen during this event, so when he told me to stay behind in the castle, I protested.


    ¡°You want me to stay here by myself?!¡±


    Lucretius continued to get dressed with the help from his servant and answered quietly, ¡°You are an acting empress. You didn¡¯t forget, did you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! But...!¡±


    His servant helped him into a purple cloak.


    The color of royalty.


    He favored this color, so I saw him in purple often.


    Today, it didn¡¯t look right.


    ¡°I need someone who can remain in the castle and watch the dowager empress.¡±


    ¡°Your highness...!¡±


    ¡°And you are the only one I can trust to do it right. You get it, right Bina?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny his logic.


    With the dowager empress residing in the main castle, both of us couldn¡¯t leave at the same time. We knew how sneaky she could be.


    Someone needed to stay to spy on her. Besides, I knew I couldn¡¯t be any help to him with military strategy. It made sense that I stayed behind.


    I sighed deeply and replied, ¡°Fine. I will protect your throne for the next three days while you are gone. To be honest, it is a huge responsibility to stand against the dowager empress... But I will do my best.¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction. ¡°I trust my wife.¡±


    I grabbed his cloak and pulled him down so his face was closer to mine.


    ¡°But promise me.¡±


    ¡°Promise what?¡±


    ¡°Please make sure toe back safely in three days. Come back to me.¡±


    He smiled smoothly and answered, ¡°Of course, your highness.¡±


    He hugged me and came closer to kiss me.


    Just likest time, I didn¡¯t refuse him.


    ***


    After Lucretius left, Samantha gave me a box.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Samantha bowed deeply. ¡°His highness ordered me to give this to you after he leaves.¡±


    ¡°... Do you know what is in it?¡±


    Samantha shook his head. ¡°He ordered me not to open it.¡±


    ¡°Does that order... apply to me as well?¡±


    ¡°No, but... He asked me to make sure you open it when you are alone.¡±


    I immediately began to worry.


    After Samantha left the room, my heart began to beat crazy. Slowly, I opened the box.


    The box was simply designed and inside was lined with deep purple velvet.


    In the middle of it was a thick golden ring with the Cransian symbol of three eagles.


    I knew very well what this was. It was the royal seal Lucretius wore since the first day he became the emperor. He had never taken it off.


    Until now.


    Cransia was in my hand.


    The gold ring felt heavy in my hand. It was made out of pure gold.


    I looked at it closely. Having this ring meant I was sitting on the throne, at least temporarily.


    With this, I was the head of Cransia.


    Why did Lucretius borrow this to me? I knew why he asked me to stay behind. I was his only wife working in ce of an empress. I was also his aplice and his helper.


    I knew he trusted me, but... The royal seal was beyond what I expected. It was too much. It was unnecessary.


    Which meant one thing.


    His message was clear.


    I walked slowly towards the window. It was a cloudy day,t and I couldn¡¯t see Lucretius¡¯s procession anymore.


    I squeezed the ring tightly and prayed the next three days would pass without incident.


    I prayed to the god in this world and the one from mine. I wasn¡¯t certain of the existence of any of them, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I prayed he could return safely. I hoped he kept his promise toe back to me.


    My heart ached without him near me. I realized how important he was to me. He grew on me and I didn¡¯t even know until now. When he returned, he would hear from me. I would make him work for the ring.


    I would tease him mercilessly and only give him the ring back when he begged for it.


    So please...


    Please...


    Come back to me.

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106: <Chapter 106></h4>


    The next morning, news arrived that destroyed my hope.


    It was another gloomy day. An injured carrier pigeon arrived from the west after we noted the ominous ck smoke from the nearby mountaintop.


    Chancellor Cornelius brought me the dead pigeon and informed me.


    ¡°Your highness, a rebellion has urred.¡±


    Until now, every time I saw the chancellor, he had always been calm.


    However, today, he looked tense and anxious. He looked decades older.


    My voice trembled as I asked him, ¡°What does that mean exactly?¡±


    ¡°All of the provinces were asked to join his highness during his hunting event and part of the southern military group attacked the emperor.¡±


    I was familiar with the southern province because Lucretius was concerned about it. This was where Marquis Galisia worked as the chief of the military for a very long time.


    Since Lucretius didn¡¯t trust him, he moved Marquis Galisia to another province recently and ced his own trusted man in the southern military base.


    However, it was this very army that attacked Lucretius. What did this mean then? Did the man Lucretius trusted betray him? Were the southern men still loyal to Marquis Galisia because he led them for so long?


    Suddenly, it clicked.


    ¡°Southern province, Marquis Galisia... The dowager empress...!¡±


    The chancellor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only possible exnation.¡±


    I clenched my teeth and asked, ¡°How is the emperor? Did anything happen to him? Any other news?¡±


    Cornelius shook his head. ¡°Other than this message, we received nothing else. I am not even sure if the battle has ended or if it is still going on.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think. My eyes became blurry in shock.


    Lucretius? Was he safe?


    He had to be!


    Could he be... Dead?


    He left with a promise that he would return to me safely.


    He said he woulde back in three days.


    The dead pigeon in the chancellor¡¯s hands looked gruesome. It was covered in its own blood.


    Was Lucretius hurt as well?


    No! It can¡¯t be!


    ¡°NO!¡±


    ¡°... ness!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be...¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    At the chancellor¡¯s firm voice, I managed to regain my thoughts. He looked at me steadily. His hand was on my shoulder. He must have been shaking me, and I haven¡¯t even noticed it.


    ¡°You need to snap out of it!¡±


    I nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, I know. Thank you.¡±


    The chancellor looked relieved.


    ¡°Did his highness by chance leave you something before he left?¡±


    For a second, I hesitated. Could I trust the chancellor?


    I tried to think hard and remember what Lucretius had told me. The chancellor lost his beloved granddaughter because of the dowager empress. This made him Lucretius¡¯ greatest ally and, therefore, the dowager empress¡¯ enemy. I had already seen Cornelius and Katleyanira go head to head a few times.


    If I had to beware of the chancellor, Lucretius would have warned me already.


    As long as the dowager empress remained as ourmon enemy, I decided I could trust the chancellor.


    I nodded carefully.


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°Thank god.¡± He looked tense as he continued, ¡°There is nothing we can do about the emperor¡¯s situation in the field, but your highness needs to do what you must before the rebellion spreads to the city.¡±


    My hands shook and they felt numb, but I couldn¡¯t let my fear take over me. I had to be strong. I had no time to waste.


    ¡°The item his highness left you... Does it give you the authority over our military?¡±


    I nodded and showed him the royal seal. He looked relieved.


    ¡°Good. Firstly, your highness, you need to call for a Senate meeting.¡±


    ¡°Senate meeting? I thought only the emperor could call it.¡±


    ¡°As the only wife to the emperor, you are considered the acting empress. Without the emperor present, the empress bes the acting ruler. So... at this point, your highness is the head of this kingdom.¡±


    The Senate was the agency that had the authority over any major decisions involving Cransia. Even the emperor, who was considered to have absolute power, still couldn¡¯t disregard the senate members. The group was made of the most powerful noble family members in the kingdom.


    Before Emperor Kentius, the Senate didn¡¯t have much power, but Kentius changed this. He made sure the Senate gained more authority during his reign.


    Lucretius exined to me that Emperor Kentius didn¡¯t trust his only son and that was why he did this. Knowing the former emperor, I could understand why. Before he died, Emperor Kentius¡¯st words for his son was to always follow the senate¡¯s decisions.


    The Senate had the most power it ever had in history and the chancellor was now asking me tomand them.


    I felt overwhelmed.


    ¡°Sir... Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to do call the meeting?¡±


    Cornelius shook his head. ¡°His highness gave you the royal seal, which means he wants you to represent him. You are the only one who can do this.¡±


    The chancellor picked up a pen and started to write the order for the Senate meeting. He also wrote out other orders at the same time.


    ¡°One of the Cransian armies started the rebellion, which means we need to quickly assess which of the generals we can trust. The first thing is tomand the castle defense team and the royal guards.¡±


    The chancellor handed me one of the orders that called for all the royal guards and the defense team. The defense team was to be deployed to help the emperor fight against the rebels and the royal guards were to stay and protect the castle. It was a standard procedure and I quickly stamped it with the royal seal.


    The messengers were called in, and they each left with the orders.


    Suddenly, I realized I missed something.


    This all started with the dowager empress. I needed to address the route of all these problems.


    I shouted, ¡°Royal guards! Get me all the royal guards in the castle!¡±


    ***


    I had the royal seal in my hand. Lucretius ced it with me to keep it safe.


    It represented power.


    In addition, I was the acting empress at the moment. With the emperor missing, I had the authority to do anything I saw fit. This was an unusual case, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    With every avable royal guards, I headed towards the dowager empress¡¯ quarters. I sent some of the guards to princesses Liliana, Roselia, and Margaret as well.


    I was certain the rebels were connected to the dowager empress. This meant she most likely nned on cing Princess Liliana on the throne. If I arrested the dowager empress and the princesses were in my hand, we would still have a chance even if the rebels captured Lucretius.


    The dowager empress¡¯ principle maid in waiting stopped me at the door.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?!¡±


    I ordered coldly, ¡°Arrest her! Everyone in this quarters who work for the dowager empress is a rebel whomitted treason.¡±


    The guards grabbed any maids and servants who tried to stop me from entering the room.


    ¡°How dare you...?!¡±


    ¡°This is the dowager empress¡¯s chamber!¡±


    They protested and screamed, but it was easy to ignore them. The only thing I could think of was Lucretius. The maids were dragged away quickly.


    m!


    The door to the dowager empress¡¯ bedroom opened.


    The guards and I ran in like a tidal wave, but the room was empty.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    We were toote. The guards I sent to get the princesses also came back empty handed.


    My anxiety increased drastically, but there was nothing I could do about the dowager empress at this point.


    Now, it was time to attend the Senate meeting.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107: <Chapter 107></h4>


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    Samantha looked up at me nervously. Agnes was so shocked she almost fainted. When they also learned the fact that we didn¡¯t know whether Lucretius was safe, they started to pant in panic.


    Agnes reacted the worst. She was in such a shock and grief she needed to be helped by other maids. She was the stepsister of the dead Empress Beatrice. I knew how she cared for her stepmother, who was Beatrice¡¯s birthmother.


    It made sense for Agnes to react this way, Lucretius¡¯ safety was the priority at all times. He was the only living child of her beloved Beatrice. Not knowing what had happened to him would have been dreadful indeed.


    I always thought she was one of the strongest people I¡¯ve ever met. Thus, when I saw her copse, it reminded me again how serious this situation was. We were all in grave danger, and this wasn¡¯t the time for me to just sit and be idle.


    I needed to take care of the situation or else, it would be game over. Even if Lucretius came back safely, it would be pointless if the dowager empress sessfully took over the castle. She could easily marry off Liliana to a man she chooses and ced him on the throne.


    The royal seal felt heavy in my hand.


    Lucretius probably thought of many different possible situations and nned for them, but I wasn¡¯t sure if he predicted this particr scenario.


    On the other hand, the fact that he left me the royal seal must have meant he did expect some sort of danger to himself.


    I needed to get going. I needed to move fast.


    The news of the Senate meeting spread throughout the castle fast. I already sent the defense team to Lucretius and instructed the royal guards to protect the castle. However, I needed the Senate¡¯s official acknowledgment of the rebellion to be able to send other military forces to help Lucretius.


    ¡°Your highness?¡± Yulia asked for my order.


    I put as much force as possible into my voice and requested.


    ¡°The dress... The violet one I wore at the ball... Please bring me that dress. The blue diamond tiara as well.¡±


    I needed to look regal.


    ***


    A Senate meeting called by the emperor¡¯s wife. This was the very first time it had ever happened in Cransian history.


    The room was filled with tension as all the noblemen gathered.


    The men argued nervously with each other as to what should be done.


    How would they fight against the rebels?


    Was the emperor even still alive?


    Did we have his body?


    Should we send the scouts to find out what was happening?


    However, these rebels are well-trained military men. They would spot scouts and had them killed immediately.


    What about the castle?


    What about the situation with Genoa...?


    So many questions and unknowns. No one coulde up with a logical solution.


    The one who needed to decide was the emperor, but he wasn¡¯t here.


    Someone asked carefully, ¡°This meeting was called by her highness, yet why isn¡¯t she here?¡±


    Someone shouted, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been called by the wife of an emperor in the first ce! She doesn¡¯t¡¯ have the authority! This isn¡¯t how things are done!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the chancellor who is conducting this meeting in ce of the emperor?¡±


    ¡°But even the chancellor doesn¡¯t have the authority! In the past, an empress or the heir to the throne were given the power to call such meetings. Not a chancellor and definitely not an emperor¡¯s wife!¡±


    ¡°And what are we going to do about the situation with Genoa?¡±


    As people continued to talk on top of each other, the chancellor pped the table loudly.


    ¡°Stop this immediately!¡±


    A silence fell.


    The chancellor raised his voice and announced, ¡°How dare you suggest the emperor has passed! How disloyal! This is treason!¡±


    Suddenly, someone from the far corner sneered.


    Everyone turned towards the rude sound, which came from a man who held his head up high.


    It was the dowager empress¡¯ brother, Marquis Toruka.


    The dowager empress and the princesses hid as soon as the news of the rebellion reached the castle. However, her brother didn¡¯t need to do so at this point. There was no solid proof the dowager empress was involved in the rebellion.


    Marquis Toruka asked sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is most likely that the emperor is dead?¡±


    The chancellor warned him, ¡°You should think carefully before you speak.¡±


    ¡°On this table, everyone has an equal right to speak. It has been so since the time of Emperor Kentius.¡± The marquis stood up dramatically and added, ¡°Besides, what is the point of this meeting? We don¡¯t even have a figure who has the authority to rule us.¡±


    The chancellor smiled confidently and replied, ¡°Oh, but we do.¡±


    Before the Marquis could say something, the chancellor moved quickly.


    He walked to the door and opened it elegantly as he announced, ¡°Let¡¯s continue our discussion with thedy who has the authority over all of us.¡±


    The door opened to reveal a majestic woman in a deep violet dress.


    The first wife, Sa Bina le Cransia.


    The youthful woman walked inside with the elegance of a real empress.


    ***


    Everyone seemed shocked to see me. Marquis Toruka looked especially tense.


    I stood straight and walked slowly towards them. It seemed like Marquis Toruka was about to say something, but the chancellor spoke first.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness.¡±


    He sounded too happy to see me, which made sense. We had already gone over what would happen at this meeting.


    ¡°I apologize for beingte to the meeting I called myself,¡± I said to the chancellor nonchntly as if this was an ordinary day. I continued respectfully, ¡°I admit that as a woman, I may not be the best person to stand here, but there is no other way. This is for the good of the emperor and the kingdom.¡±


    The Marquis interrupted me.


    ¡°Your highness, unfortunately, the wife of an emperor doesn¡¯t have the authority to call a senate meeting. I would like to ask you why you would do this.¡±


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to answer him since another nobleman answered instead, ¡°Her highness technically does have the authority.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Currently, we do not have an empress. In such cases, the first wife legally has the same authority as the empress.¡±


    The chancellor added quickly, ¡°That is very true. Without the emperor in the castle, the empress can act in his ce temporarily. Therefore, it only makes sense that her highness has the authority of the emperor at this moment.¡±


    The marquis argued, ¡°How could you say a mere wife can act in ce of an emperor!? That has never happened in the entire history of Cransia!¡±


    My heart pounded hard. I had never been more anxious in my life.


    However, I put on a confident smile and looked around the room. I then raised my right hand so everyone could see it clearly.


    ¡°I am indeed qualified as Sa Bina LE CRANSIA. On top of that, his highness has left me this in case of an emergency.¡±


    Marquis Toruka¡¯s face crumpled in anger. ¡°That is... the royal seal!¡±


    The noblemen murmured among themselves in shock. Everyone could see the golden ring on my finger. They knew what it meant for me to possess it.


    It was a heavy ring. It felt even heavier knowing the responsibilities I gained from it.


    When I was sure everyone had a good look at it, I lowered my hand and smiled. ¡°Now, can you all acknowledge that I am qualified to stand here?¡±


    The chancellor smiled and answered for everyone, ¡°Even without the seal, you were qualified, your highness.¡±


    Some clearly wanted to argue, but they didn¡¯t dare.


    Finally, the question of whether I could call this meeting was shushed. Now, the real fight would begin.


    I swallowed hard nervously.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108: <Chapter 108></h4>


    The chancellorid out his n based on logic and years of experience. I could see why Lucretius valued him so much. All I had to do was to agree with him and thereby giving him the royal permission to carry out his proposal.


    ¡°We need to mobilize every imperial army and ce an official subpoena for the rebels. To do these, we need permission from the Senate.¡±


    Those noblemen on the dowager empress¡¯s side didn¡¯t seem to agree with the chancellor, but they didn¡¯t dare to oppose him openly.


    What the chancellor proposed was a standard procedure. There was no reason to disagree with him.


    The chancellor turned to me. ¡°Your highness, I require your royal seal.¡±


    I nodded and raised my hand towards the document.


    Just then, Marquis Toruka¡¯s voice stopped me. ¡°Wait! We need to confirm something before we continue.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Our priority is to stop the rebels and search for the emperor.¡±


    The chancellor red at the marquis, who didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°I agree that we need to stop the rebels and find the emperor. It is a very obvious next step. I am sure the chancellor will do a good job carrying this n out.¡±


    The chancellor looked confused. I felt the same way.


    The marquis continued, ¡°However... Shouldn¡¯t we also consider and n for other possibilities too?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He sounded hopeful and expectant.


    ¡°We need to discuss what we will do if his highness does not return.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A heavy silence fell in the room.


    Marquis Toruka wanted to discuss the possibility of Lucretius¡¯ death. He most likely hoped for it with all his heart.


    I couldn¡¯t stop feeling anxious, especially after looking at the marquis¡¯ confident face. It also bothered me that I didn¡¯t know where the dowager empress and her princesses were. Things were not quite right.


    I knew she was nning something, but I just couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    My heart felt tight and hot. I kept imagining Lucretius getting hurt, or worse, dead.


    However, I couldn¡¯t let my fear get in the way. If I showed any weaknesses now, I would make everything worse.


    I closed my eyes.


    The heavy ring in my hand calmed me down. It felt as if Lucretius¡¯ hand was holding mine.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think he left me the royal seal because he expected something like this to happen. Why didn¡¯t he tell me in detail before he left? I felt angry at him. When he returned, he would never hear the end of it.


    The important thing was that Lucretius probably had ns in ce in case of situations like this. I had to believe this.


    Just as I believed in him, I knew he believed in me to take care of the situation.


    I opened my eyes. I knew what I had to do.


    I turned towards the royal guards and ordered, ¡°Please arrest Marquis Toruka.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What do you mean, your highness?!¡±


    The marquis protested. Many other men also seemed shocked.


    I continued, ¡°Until we are certain Marquis Toruka is innocent of this rebellion, we need to have him in custody.


    The marquis raised his voice. He seemed shocked, but also seemed overly confident I couldn¡¯t do what I was about to do.


    ¡°Please show me the proof. Even the emperor himself cannot use someone like this without evidence.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any proof, but I knew I had a shred of solid circumstantial evidence.


    ¡°After hearing the news of the rebellion, I visited the dowager empress¡¯ room this morning to discuss the situation. However, when I arrived, she was gone. Her three daughters as well. The exact same time his highness was attacked by the rebels, the dowager empress and the princesses left without a trace.¡±


    Marquis Toruka protested strongly, ¡°Are you suggesting the dowager empress was somehow involved in this rebellion?!¡±


    I kept my voice even.


    ¡°It is unclear at this point, and therefore we cannot rule out this possibilitypletely. With that possibility, you need to be detained until we know for sure you are innocent.¡±


    The chancellor agreed with me vigorously, ¡°Her highness isn¡¯t saying with certainty that the dowager empress and the marquis are involved. She is only suggesting the possibility based on what we know so far. Therefore, we need to follow hermand.¡±


    Marquis Toruka screamed, ¡°Duke!¡±


    The chancellor replied calmly, ¡°If you are innocent, Marquis, this will be a short-lived detainment.¡±


    When the chancellor nodded, the guards grabbed the marquis¡¯ shoulders and tried to drag him out.


    Just then!


    ¡°Waaaaaa!¡±


    Loud cries of men were heard from nearby. Sounds of weapons and fighting also came from the outside.


    It seemed like they wereing closer when it suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What is happening?!¡±


    ¡°Is it the rebels?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be! We still have a part of the defense team protecting the city from the border and the outer wall of the castle!¡±


    Marquis Loman, who was the chief of the defense team, shook his head and made a request.


    ¡°Your highness, I will go with the guards to find out what is happening!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness!¡±


    Marquis Loman left with the majority of the guards, leaving only a few for our own protection.


    However, even after much time has passed, the noise wouldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°What is happening out there?¡±


    ¡°The rebels couldn¡¯t have entered the castle. We have plenty of the defense guards in and out of the castle...¡±


    Suddenly, the chancellor flinched as he realized something.


    ¡°Unless... The rebels have been hiding inside the city or even inside the castle...¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. Perhaps inside the city, but where would they hide inside the castle?¡±


    The chancellor answered with a pale face. ¡°The two northern wings.¡±


    Girand and Lonez.


    The two secluded wings were connected to the main castle and they were not monitored closely. In addition, the dowager empress stayed in Girand for almost a month.


    My voice trembled. ¡°Could it be...?!¡±


    The heavy footsteps got closer and closer. The noise was actuallying from the opposite direction from the two wings. Marquis Loman took the guards towards the north. It was very likely that they didn¡¯t know what was happening right now.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think of the worst scenario.


    When I was about to say something, the sounds of fighting were heard from right outside the door.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Suddenly, it became quiet. The royal guards, who were inside with us, surrounded the chancellor and I, facing the door. The guards who were holding Marquis Toruka also joined to protect us.


    m!


    The door ripped open and a knight covered in blood came in.


    He shouted desperately, ¡°Hurry! Hurry up and run!¡±


    The chancellor, who looked shocked, recognized the knight and asked, ¡°What is happening there, Chief of security?!¡±


    It was the man who was responsible for the security of this hall and the outer wing.


    The Chief of security was about to answer, but he didn¡¯t get a chance. Someone, who followed him from behind, stabbed him in the chest without mercy.


    Blood sprayed everywhere.


    The man who slew the Chief of security walked towards us confidently. When the chancellor saw him, his face crumpled in anger.


    ¡°How dare you, Marquis Galisia!¡±


    The marquis approached the chancellor quickly and ced the sword on his neck.


    ¡°You better shut up if you value your life, Chancellor.¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    The chancellor couldn¡¯t continue as the marquis¡¯ sword cut into his neck.


    Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t deep enough to kill him, but Marquis Galisia clearly wasn¡¯t giving an empty threat.


    As blood dripped from the chancellor¡¯s neck, more knights covered in blood stormed in.


    ¡°What... How...!¡±


    This was their n. The noise far away was a distraction to get the majority of the royal guards out of this room. In fact, I realized that the rebels attacked Lucretius because they wanted as much of the castle defense team to be away from this ce and sent to help the emperor.


    They wanted us to be vulnerable. They wanted the castle.


    I began to sweat in fear.


    Just then, a familiar woman walked in slowly.


    ¡®The dowager empress!¡¯


    She approached us as if she owned the entire castle.


    The chancellor looked frantic and devastated.


    ¡°... Your highness the dowager empress!¡±


    Marquis Toruka quickly walked towards his sister and bowed deeply. He acted like he was her servant and the dowager empress seemed used to it.


    She looked around the room and announced dramatically, ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m afraid I am veryte for this meeting. I heard something bad has happened?¡±

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109: <Chapter 109></h4>


    The dowager empress and the chancellor stared at each other.


    He looked tense, but he didn¡¯t show it as replied smoothly, ¡°You are correct. I see that news travel fast.¡±


    His words were sharp.


    It wasn¡¯t just me who was shocked at this situation. Other than those who were on the dowager empress¡¯ side, everyone else looked confused and fearful.


    I stood straight and stopped my body from trembling. I bit my lips hard enough to taste my own blood. I clenched my fists and dug my nails into my own skin.


    The dowager empress walked towards me and stood right in front of me.


    It was her.


    Dowager empress Katleyanira.


    She askedughingly, ¡°Do you still not understand what is happening, little girl?¡±


    I prayed my voice didn¡¯t tremble.


    ¡°Of course not. How could I not know when it is happening right in front of me? I¡¯m not that slow.¡±


    The dowager empressughed loudly and grabbed the orders from the table. She ripped them into small pieces and threw them at me grandly.


    It took everything I had not to scream and attack her right then.


    ¡®Calm down, Bina. You need to be calm, or else...¡±


    My hands were wet with sweat.


    ¡®It will be game over.¡¯


    I put on a smile and said to her, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect you to go this far.¡±


    The dowager empress looked disappointed.


    ¡°That was your biggest mistake. Who cares about the process or reason as long as you get the result you desire? The most important thing you can ever have is power. It is the most important thing.¡±


    ¡°... Well.¡±


    I gritted my teeth and smiled.


    Marquis Galisia and his rebels now owned this castle. I had assumed Marquis Galisia was outside the city leading the attack against Lucretius. However, I was clearly wrong. I also thought the dowager empress escaped the castle. Again, I was wrong.


    This room was filled with the most important and influential noblemen of Cransia. With the emperor missing, whoevermanded the Senate had the power over this kingdom.


    Right now, it was the dowager empress who owned all of us.


    She smiled in satisfaction like a well-fed cat.


    ***


    Marquis Galisia and his men started to tie ropes around the hands of the noblemen. As they sat the chancellor down on a chair by force, he red at the dowager empress, Marquises Toruka and Galisia, and shouted.


    ¡°How dare you betray the royal family and attack the senate... Do you really think you will get away with this?!¡±


    His voice was regal, but it was useless against this situation. The dowager empress snickered at him.


    ¡°One thing you should remember is that your threat against me is hopeless, but my order to kill you will be carried out immediately.¡±


    ¡°How dare you...!¡±


    Marquis Galisia shook his head in frustration. ¡°He will not listen.¡±


    The dowager empressughed quietly. ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t kill him. Not right now anyway.¡±


    Marquis Galisia bowed deeply. ¡°Of course, your highness.¡±


    Some noblemen weren¡¯t tied down. Instead, Galisia¡¯s men surrounded them.


    The dowager empress turned towards these men and asked, ¡°Think carefully what you want to do next.¡±


    None of them answered. None of them objected.


    I realized these were the dowager empress¡¯ men. They were on her side, to begin with. They smiled and walked towards the dowager empress confidently. They looked proud of the situation.


    It was sickening.


    Finally...


    Her gaze found me again.


    ¡°I must admit you made my life miserable for a while now. You are the one who forced me to act on this n...¡±


    ¡°... I am honored that you acknowledge me like that.¡±


    I smiled brightly, which made her angry.


    ¡°Yes. I should thank you for all this. I should show my appreciation by killing you in the worst way!¡±


    She smiled beautifully, making me shiver in fear.


    She came closer to me.


    ¡°Now, give it to me.¡±


    I knew what she was talking about. I stepped back slowly.


    Lucretius gave me this royal seal, and I couldn¡¯t let that woman have it.


    I couldn¡¯t let Lucretius down by handing this kingdom to her!


    Suddenly, Marquis Galisia grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind my back.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    He pushed me down and tried to grab the ring from me. I fought back as hard as I could and screamed.


    ¡°How dare you ce your hand on the emperor¡¯s wife, you traitor!¡±


    The dowager empress sneered at me.


    ¡°Emperor¡¯s wife? Who? There is no emperor, so what is the point of his wife?!¡±


    At her cruel joke, Marquis Toruka and other traitorsughed at me.


    ¡°Arrg!¡±


    It didn¡¯t take much for Marquis Galisia to take the ring from my hand.


    When he handed it to the dowager empress, she grabbed it with pure joy on her face. The ring shined brightly under the light.


    ¡°Finally! It¡¯s mine. It took so long. The former emperor wouldn¡¯t let me even touch it when he was alive.¡±


    I screamed emotionally, ¡°Give it back to me! That does not belong to you!¡±


    The dowager empressughed at me.


    ¡°You are right. It isn¡¯t mine. I am just holding it until the real owneres in.¡±


    She then pped her hands. Suddenly, the door opened, and a pale girl was dragged in by a knight.


    ¡°Princess Liliana!¡±


    The dowager empress grabbed Liliana¡¯s hand and forced the ring onto her right-hand finger.


    ¡°Finally, the royal seal has found its true owner.¡±


    Liliana became even paler as she screamed, ¡°Please stop! Stop this, mother!¡±


    She was sobbing, but no one cared. Liliana was helpless just as I was.


    I shouted at the dowager empress, ¡°This is wrong! You are a traitor! You aremitting treason against the emperor!¡±


    Her loudugh sounded like broken sses.


    She smiled at me and replied, ¡°You are wrong. I have never harmed the FORMER EMPEROR Lucretius.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, former emperor!¡±


    Some of the noblemen protested as well, but the dowager empress ignored them.


    ¡°The reason why I ordered Marquis Galisia this attack was to arrest the real traitor who murdered former emperor Lucretius.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I suddenly realized what was happening. It couldn¡¯t be...


    ¡°Make the traitor kneel.¡±


    At her order, Marquis Galisia pushed me down onto my knees.


    The dowager empress smiled at me sharply and announced, ¡°Sa Bina le Cransia. You murdered the emperor and tried to take over the throne.¡±


    ¡°What... what nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    This was ridiculous, but she continued seriously, ¡°This is the truth. You tried to take the throne by murdering your husband.¡±


    I trembled in anger as I shouted, ¡°That is a lie! Do you have a proof?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for a proof. It simply is the truth and that is what matters.¡±


    ¡°This is ludicrous...!¡±


    However, my protest was ignored. When the chancellor and a few of the noblemen protested, they were kicked in the faces.


    I realized there was nothing I could do. The dowager empress was the one with all the power. I was weak and useless.


    Sheughed again.


    ¡°Now, that we have established this... The only thing left to do is make the decision.¡±


    Decision? What decision?


    I tensed as she continued to smile at me.


    Before I could say anything, she raised her hand and ordered, ¡°As the regent of the new ruler Liliana, the heir to the former emperor Lucretius, I, Katleyanira le Cransia, order the following.¡±


    As soon as she started her announcement, Marquis Toruka dragged the scribe to the table and made him write down her order.


    She continued sharply, ¡°The crime of murdering the emperor and attempting to take the throne cannot be forgiven.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡±


    I screamed despite knowing it was hopeless.


    ¡°This is treason against Cransia, and therefore, I order Sa Bina le Cransia to be executed.¡±


    I fought against the knight who held me down. The dowager empressughed at me as she stamped the royal seal on this order.


    My execution order was now official.


    She looked around the room and asked, ¡°If anyone objects to this, please tell me now.¡±


    No one would dare.


    Marquis Toruka bowed his head and announced, ¡°We are all impressed with your highness¡¯ wisdom.¡±


    The other traitors murmured their agreements.


    The dowager empress added confidently, ¡°The execution will take ce tomorrow morning at sunset in this hall.¡±

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110: <Chapter 110></h4>


    I was dragged to a bedroom in the dowager empress¡¯ wing.


    She said I was to be executed at sunrise tomorrow.


    I looked outside the window. It was just about to get dark, so there was still a little bit of time.


    Knowing her, I expected the dowager empress to execute me in public. My death would make a great example for all the noblemen to show what would happen if they went against her.


    She would say something like...


    ¡°Those who don¡¯t follow me will face the same fate as the emperor¡¯s wife!¡±


    I didn¡¯t n on waiting for my death like a good prisoner. I wasn¡¯t a docile little girl. I never was.


    I would survive this!


    I didn¡¯t want to die!


    Then there was Lucretius.


    I refused to believe he was dead. I couldn¡¯t help being worried, but I had to be strong.


    However, just because I believed he was still alive didn¡¯t mean I would wait for him to rescue me. I wasn¡¯t some fragile princess trapped in a tower waiting for her prince.


    My belief that Lucretius was still alive was based on logic. It appeared that this rebellion was cooked up rather hastily. This meant the dowager empress probably didn¡¯t have enough time to gather up significant military force. The emperor was very well protected withyers of guards, so my guess was the attack on Lucretius was more of a distraction than an actual attempt to kill him.


    She sessfully aplished her goal. She would take over the Senate and capture me. She also got the royal seal.


    A majority of the royal guards seemed like they were still loyal to Lucretius, which meant the few men the dowager empress had were not enough to cover the entire castle.


    The only reason why the loyal royal guards couldn¡¯t do anything against her at this point was that the dowager empress had me, the chancellor, and the Senate members as hostages. On top of that, the chief of royal guards was also murdered and, therefore, the guards had no one to lead them.


    I was well watched by the dowager empress¡¯ maids and servants. They were big women, and they clearly wouldn¡¯t sleep tonight.


    I tried to think of a way to escape. Should I insist on going to the washroom by myself? Should I pretend to get sick?


    Either way, I didn¡¯t think they would listen to me.


    If I didn¡¯t escape before sunrise, I would be dragged out and executed.


    Think, Bina, think!


    Just then, I saw the firece. I estimated its distance from where I was sitting. I also noted the ring with arge pearl on my finger.


    I grabbed my stomach and copsed onto the floor. I was tied to the chair, so the chair fell with me as well. I iled around to get closer to the firece.


    ¡°Oh! Arrrh! My, my stomach!¡±


    The maids and the servants came to me quickly.


    ¡°Stomach?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she is lying.¡±


    They were right, and I knew they would suspect it. However, I had to try.


    I moaned as if in pain. ¡°Oh, my... my baby...!¡±


    As I continued toy on the floor, the women seemed confused.


    ¡°W, what do we do? Is she really pregnant?¡±


    ¡°We should ask the principle maid in waiting...!¡±


    ¡°But she is a prisoner anyway! She will be executed tomorrow, so what¡¯s the point?!¡±


    ¡°But we should still inform her...!¡±


    I hadn¡¯t realized I was such a talented actress. I continued to whimper.


    ¡°Aaaaa! D, doctor...! Please get me a doctor...¡±


    Suddenly, I quieted and pretended to faint. The servants checked me and hesitantly untied me. They seemed to want to help me get morefortable.


    The reason why the dowager empress didn¡¯t kill me right away was that she knew she could use me. We still didn¡¯t know Lucretius¡¯ whereabouts and if he dide back alive, I would make an excellent hostage.


    Thus the fact that she decided my execution to take ce tomorrow morning must have meant she would know the result of the battle by then. If things didn¡¯t go ording to her n, she would probably dy my execution. This meant if I, a possible useful hostage, died tonight, it would be a huge problem for her.


    The maids and the servants responsible for me looked disordered, which was what I wanted.


    It worked. I was very close to the firece. Everyone else was also near it. This was perfect.


    I quickly took out the ck pearl from the ring and threw it into the fire. I then covered my nose and mouth.


    Boom!


    It wasn¡¯t a loud sound, but the small explosion created an incredible amount of smoke, which caused brief sleepiness.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What is happening?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°This...!¡±


    The woman seemed confused but quickly lost consciousness after breathing in the smoke. They copsed onto the floor. I quickly moved away while still holding my breath. As the room was filled with the sleep smoke, I calmly took out a round pill form another ring on my right finger and swallowed it. It tasted bitter but it was necessary as it was the antidote for the smoke.


    These two rings were from Lowson. If I survived this situation, I would have to thank him.


    I went back to the servants and took off one woman¡¯s clothes. I wore it myself and hid my hair with the servant¡¯s headband. Thankfully, the winter outfit covered me very well. As long as I kept my face down, I wasn¡¯t recognizable.


    After taking a deep breath, I opened the door and left the room.


    ***


    The guards standing in front of the door looked at me questioningly. I made sure to close the door quickly so they couldn¡¯t see the smokeing from the inner area. All of them seemed oblivious except for one.


    ¡°What was that noise?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I could feel the cold sweat. They must have heard the noise when I fell onto the floor. I came up with something quick and said in a low voice.


    ¡°Her highness made a scene, so we had to grab her down.¡±


    ¡°And how is everything now?¡±


    ¡°We tied her down tighter so it should be fine.¡±


    The guards seemed to ept my answer. They didn¡¯t open the door to confirm my story. Perhaps it was because this was the dowager empress¡¯ personal bedroom. Without her permission, a man other than her husband or family members couldn¡¯t enter.


    The same guard suddenly asked me, ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    I thought quickly and answered, ¡°While we were grabbing her highness, a few of the maids got hurt, so I was sent to get some medicine.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The guards nodded and waved me on.


    ¡°Go then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I lowered my head like a good servant and walked away quickly. Where should I go? I didn¡¯t know where the dowager empress¡¯ royal guards were located. I tried to make an educated guess.


    Just then, a familiar voice asked me from behind, ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    Unpleasant grating voice. I felt my heart falling to the floor.


    The dowager empress. It was her.


    Why was she here? She should have been busy nning her plot and taking care of the castle, shouldn¡¯t¡¯ she?


    When I hesitated, the footsteps approached me fast. I tried to run, but it was toote. She was very quick.


    She pulled my headband off. My ck hair flew out uncontrobly. I bit my lips and raised my head.


    The dowager empress looked at me in satisfaction.


    She looked impressed. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    She raised her voice and ordered, ¡°Get her!¡±


    Rough hands grabbed me.


    ¡°[Dammit!]¡±

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111: <Chapter 111></h4>


    My arms were tied again, and they dragged me to the same bedroom where the maids and the servants were suffering from severe headaches.


    Everyone was asked to leave and soon, it was just me and the dowager empress sitting across from each other.


    Dowager empress Katleyanira.


    My mouth felt dry and I tasted blood. I must have bitten my lips at some point.


    This was unbelievable. Of all the people to walk by at that exact moment, why did it have to be her?


    The dowager empress poked me andughed.


    ¡°What a cute talent you have.¡±


    ¡°How did you know it was me from behind? I was wearing a servant¡¯s clothes and had my hair coveredpletely. You are very good.¡±


    She scratched her chair with her red fingernail and answered, ¡°The way you walked was not right. You looked like a servant, but you were walking like a noblewoman. You were right in front of the chamber where the prisoner was held, so obviously I had to check it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This woman¡¯s ability to observe was shockingly good.


    She said to me, ¡°I can hear you think, but you should know it¡¯s hopeless by now.¡±


    I smiled on purpose to hide my fear.


    ¡°You never know. Perhaps Lucretius and his army are surrounding the castle as we speak and about to barge into this very room.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    She stood up and came towards me. With her sharp nails, she poked me in the neck. It felt like a knife stabbing me.


    I swallowed hard as she continued, ¡°That is why I captured you.¡±


    ¡°W, what?¡±


    ¡°Even with Marquis Galisia on my side, I would never be able to raise enough army to go against the emperor. Only the emperor can own and train military men in this kingdom.¡±


    ¡°So you know. Then why did you do this? Lucretius will win no matter what, so you need to give up now. That will be the only way for you to survive.¡±


    ¡°What is the point of life if that is all you have? All my life, I have worked to get what I have right now. Yet if I have to live under your rule, what would be the meaning of my life anymore? It will be pointless.¡±


    ¡°... Nothing is more important than life.¡±


    The dowager empress sneered.


    ¡°You know that is not true. You know very well that an empty life is not a life worth living.¡±


    ¡°How... can you be so sure of how I feel?¡±


    I asked even though she was right about me. It scared me to think about how well she knew me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I know you because you are my enemy, just as you must understand me perfectly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her voice was kind, which was even scarier than if she was yelling at me.


    ¡°Anyway, I would never be able to raise enough military to take over the throne by force.¡±


    ¡°So why did you do this?!¡±


    She smiled and raised my chin up with her finger. ¡°That is why I got you. Everything I did for this n was to capture you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I never imagined Lucretius would ever fall in love. He knew very well what would happen if he came to love someone, yet he let it happen anyway. How stupid.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    I tried to get free, but it was useless. In addition to the ropes, the guards tied me further with metal chains to the chair.


    The dowager empress watched me struggle with joy and got closer to me to whisper, ¡°You are Lucretius¡¯ heart. If I threaten to kill you, he wille even though he knows it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    She continued to smile and exined to me kindly, ¡°Tomorrow, your execution will take ce inside the castle surrounded by my knights. The news has already been spread and I am sure Lucretius heard it as well.¡±


    The dowager empress seemed very sure of herself.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be enough time for him to gather all the military forces from different provinces to recapture the castle. This means he wille by himself.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°No, he¡¯s the emperor. His blood is made of ice. He will never risk himself like that.¡±


    He shouldn¡¯te. He couldn¡¯t.


    This was clearly a trap. If he came, the dowager empress would try to kill him.


    This couldn¡¯t happen. I didn¡¯t want to be a burden.


    However, I knew I already was.


    I felt desperate.


    The dowager empressughed quietly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯te. If he abandons you, I will just kill you as I nned, and it would still benefit me.¡±


    ¡°If he abandons me, then it would mean I mean nothing to him. So what would you benefit from it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean everything to him. I know this. I have never seen Lucretius look at someone like he looks at you.¡±


    ¡°You talk like you are his mother or something!¡±


    ¡°Mother...? Yes, I supposed I am like his mother. Not all parents raise their children with love and dedication. I didn¡¯t bear him myself, but I raised him with hatred and desperation.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I got goosebumps.


    I remembered how Ipared Lucretius to the dowager empress. They had the same coldness and cruelty.


    She really was like his mother. She raised him to be just like her.


    ¡°So I know that boy very well. The moment he fell for you, there were only two possible paths for him. Either die with you or lose his soul in front of your dead body.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care which path he chooses.¡±


    Her cruel smile sickened me.


    I replied, ¡°If you kill me and Lucretius lives, your entire family will not survive this. You, your children, and your brother will all die!¡±


    Katleyanira nodded in agreement. ¡°I know, so what?¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    ¡°This is the fight for the throne. Whoever is involved knows that possibility. Gahes is aware of it too.¡±


    The name sounded unfamiliar, but I could guess who it was. It must have been Marquis Toruka¡¯s given name.


    ¡°Liliana and the other girls... Well, Liliana is already hurt.¡±


    I screamed in shock, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That weak girl must have felt guilty and upset. After the Senate meeting, she returned to her room and apparently tried to kill herself.¡±


    ¡°How... could you say something like that without emotion? You are talking about your children! They are innocent!¡±


    ¡°Why should I care for people who can¡¯t even do their job properly?¡±


    This woman meant what she said.


    I knew not every parent loved their children, but to talk about her daughters in this horrible way was uneptable.


    Just a while back, she said I must understand her well because she was my enemy. However, she was wrong. I couldn¡¯t understand how she could feel this way about her own children.


    I said to her angrily, ¡°How fortunate that Liliana is nothing like you!¡±


    The dowager empressughed. ¡°You are wrong.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The reason why I hate Liliana so much is because she is so much like me when I was young and na?ve.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Suddenly, she frowned as if she realized she said too much.


    ¡°I must enjoy talking to you. You make me say things I shouldn¡¯t and now... You made me remember something bad.¡±


    Her red eyes stared at me.


    ¡°It was fun chatting with you, but I¡¯m tired now. It¡¯s time for you to go to sleep.¡±


    The dowager empress took out a needle from her bracelet. It was a piece of simr looking jewelry as the rings I wore.


    Without hesitation, she stabbed my neck with the needle.


    ¡°...!¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow morning, it will be thest day of your life.¡±


    I tried to keep my eyes open, but I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Damn you...!¡±


    I lost my consciousness.

 Chapter 112 - The Morning Comes>

    <h4>Chapter 112: <Chapter 112: The Morning Comes></h4>


    When the sun started to rise, I was finally untied from the chair. My arms and legs were asleep, and I was in a lot of pain.


    The maids dragged me out of the room. I wasn¡¯t given even a single sip of water and I was still wearing the well-worn servant¡¯s clothes. My hair was in a mess and my face and hands were dirty.


    Would I be given time tob my hair and make myself presentable?


    ... No.


    I was immediately taken to the central hall of this castle. This was the ce where I first met the former emperor, the dowager empress, and Lucretius. This was also the ce where I danced with Lucretius at the ball for the first time.


    I never imagined I would be dragged back here as a prison to be executed.


    The dowager empress was sitting on the throne confidently. Beside her were Marquis Galisia and her brother Marquis Toruka.


    I didn¡¯t see Princess Liliana anywhere. I heard she hurt herself yesterday. Was she hurt badly? I remembered her pale face from yesterday as the dowager empress forced the royal seal on her finger.


    In front of the dowager empress were a man in a ck mask and a wooden block.


    It was a simple block with a faint red tinge. I assumed it was from the blood of past prisoners after they were executed. It had a small dimple where the neck was supposed to be ced. I even saw some marks made from an ax on the block.


    It was a chilling sight.


    Therge man was holding a huge ax. The scary thing was that the cutting edge of the ax looked dull and cracked.


    Blinding fear gripped me.


    Cransia was in financial trouble, but I was sure we could afford a new ax.


    ¡®Did she pick that ax on purpose?¡¯


    I remembered reading a history book when I was still in Korea. It would have been better if I didn¡¯t remember it, but it was toote.


    An experienced executioner with a sharp ax or sword could carry out the execution painlessly in a single swing. However, if an amateur executioner did it, or he used a dull weapon, it could take multiple swings to kill the prisoner. Often times, the family of the prisoner bribed the executioner for a swift death.


    Seeing the dull and broken ax, I realized what the dowager empress ordered for me.


    The servants handed me to the knights, who dragged me to the block.


    I looked around to find a familiar face.


    I didn¡¯t see Lucretius anywhere.


    The dowager empress watched me with a triumphant smile. She looked truly happy. I was able to keep calm until now, but as I saw the scene in front of me, I couldn¡¯t anymore.


    Logically, I knew if Lucretius came here, we would both die. If he didn¡¯te, it would be just me. I knew it would be better for it to be only me and not both of us.


    But... I didn¡¯t want to die!


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    No matter how loudly I screamed, nothing changed. I tried to escape from their grasps, but the knights held me tight.


    I could see that my death would be prolonged and painful.


    The knights threw me onto the block and pushed my shoulders down. My chin hit the block hard, causing my eyes to be blurry.


    When my eyes went back to normal, I was already positioned on the block and the executioner was standing near me.


    ¡°N, no!¡±


    I tried to get away again, but it was useless. Two big men held me down as Marquis Toruka announced loudly.


    ¡°The first wife of the emperor, Sa Bina le Cransia hasmitted treason against this kingdom. She murdered the former emperor Lucretius and attempted to take over the throne. Her sentence is execution by an ax!¡±


    The dowager empress looked around the room as if she was waiting for something. She was clearly looking for Lucretius.


    Time passed and silence remained.


    She turned toward me andughed at me. ¡°Do it!¡±


    I tried to twist my neck, so I could see. The executioner raised his dull broken ax, and I knew I wasn¡¯t going to die in one swing.


    I didn¡¯t want to die. I didn¡¯t want my life to be over like this in this strange world. I wanted to go home!


    No, no that wasn¡¯t it.


    I didn¡¯t want to go home. The only thing I could think of was one person.


    I closed my eyes tight and thought of his name.


    ¡®Luc!¡¯


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    A familiar voice rang throughout the hall. It felt like a stone being thrown in the middle of a calmke. People started to murmur in shock.


    I raised my head.


    The man I missed the most was standing in the crowd.


    ¡®Luc!¡¯


    The sun was still rising as it was very early in the morning.


    The light shined on him, who was standing with his shoulders shaking painfully.


    He was disguised as one of the knights. His outfit covered his whole body and face. Therefore he was not recognizable.


    He took off his helmet and I couldn¡¯t breathe. The face I most wanted to see in myst moment of life was right there.


    His golden hair gleamed, and his green eyes stared at me. My eyes filled with tears and I started to cry silently.


    Everyone around us remained motionless and quiet. They were in such a shock that they couldn¡¯t move at all.


    I felt the men holding me loosen their arms in surprise. My shoulders were no longer being pushed down hard, so I used all my strength to get free.


    Then I called out his name and ran to him


    ¡°Luc!¡±


    He had his arms open for me, so I jumped into his embrace.


    ¡°Luc...¡±


    ¡°Hello, Bina.¡±


    He kept his promise he made before he left. It had been three days, and he really was back with me here.


    His voice filled my ears. It was beautiful.


    ¡°Luc.¡±


    I kept calling out his name. I feared if I didn¡¯t keep calling him, he would disappear from my arms like a bubble.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t vanish, and he answered patiently. ¡°Yes, Bina.¡±


    ¡°Luc...¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Luc!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappear, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Lu... c...¡±


    As I cried out his name over and over again, he hugged me tighter and replied, ¡°My Bina.¡±


    His warmth and scent wereforting.


    I cried out loud angrily, ¡°Why did youe?!¡±


    ¡°I promised, didn¡¯t I? I said I would return to you.¡±


    He did and he kept his promise despite the immense danger he would face.


    He held my face and smiled at me as I cried. He then kissed me.


    A desperate breathless kiss...


    I forgot where I was and kissed him back passionately. I wanted to feel him and only him. I kissed him as if it was myst kiss.

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113: <Chapter 113></h4>


    p p p...


    The silence broke with a loud apuse from the dowager empress who was sitting on the throne elegantly.


    She said to us in a mocking tone, ¡°How amazing. What a great love!¡± Katleyaniraughed at Lucretius openly. ¡°Of all the people in this world, I would have never guessed Lucretius to be the one risking his life toe here for love.¡±


    She seemed excited, probably at the perspective of killing Lucretius.


    The dowager empress continued, ¡°But how did you get here without anyone noticing? I can understand you entering the city secretly but into the castle!¡±


    Lucretius answered confidently, ¡°This kingdom is mine and therefore there is nowhere I can¡¯t go in this empire.¡±


    The dowager empressughed at him as if he told her a great joke.


    ¡°So the emperor sneaked in like a mouse. How funny.¡± She pped her hands and continued, ¡°Whatever. Your stupid decision has decided your fate.¡±


    The guards surrounding us took out their swords and faced us. It seemed like the hall was filled with the dowager empress¡¯ knights. There were at least thirty to forty of them.


    Even if Lucretius was the best swordsman in this kingdom, there was no way he could protect me and kill everyone here at the same time.


    I squeezed his hands and whispered to him, ¡°Why did youe here?! I didn¡¯t realize you are this stupid.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean that. I can see you missed me terribly.¡±


    ¡°... You made a wrong decision.¡±


    I closed my eyes. Was this really how we die? However, the Lucretius I knew always had a n for every situation.


    ¡°Do you have a n?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Lucretius smiled at me nkly.


    Did... did he reallye here without a n?


    If he did, I wanted a chance to throttle him myself before the dowager empress killed both of us!


    While we whispered, the knights came closer to us. In a few steps, the swords would reach our bodies.


    The dowager empress told Lucretius, ¡°Put down your sword, Lucretius.¡±


    He continued to smile and held his sword tighter, ¡°Actually, these knights should put down THEIR swords first. By the way, you must be losing your eyesight. It must be your age.¡±


    The dowager empress sneered and asked, ¡°Eyesight?¡±


    ¡°You are sitting on my seat. You are getting so old you must not be able to see where you¡¯re going.¡±


    Katleyanira didn¡¯t react to his goading. She still had a smile on her face, but it looked chilling.


    Lucretius was making things worse by angering the already crazy Katleyanira.


    What the heck was this man trying to do?


    The dowager empress replied, ¡°I¡¯m tired of this foolishness.¡±


    Surprisingly, Lucretius threw his sword on the ground.


    ¡°Okay. Now, are you satisfied?¡±


    He then raised both of his hands and smiled brightly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Everyone, including the dowager empress and myself, became speechless.


    Did Lucretius finally lost his mind? O, or was he always this crazy?


    The dowager empress screamed, ¡°How dare you...!¡±


    Just then, Lucretius whistled loudly with his fingers.


    Following the sharp sound, something flew in.


    ¡°Arrrrg!¡±


    The dowager empress grabbed her shoulder and cringed. When all the knights turned towards her, Lucretius grabbed his sword he threw a minute ago and started ying the knights around us. He pulled me towards him, and we hid quickly behind a column.


    From the second-floor terrace, arrows started to fall like heavy rain.


    This was a three-storey building with tall windows covering the walls. From the second and third floor terraces, it was easy to look down to the first floor. The arrows wereing from those terraces.


    ¡°Gyaaa.¡±


    ¡°Arggg!¡±


    Many knights fell to the ground, while some of them who were wearing full metal armors survived.


    Along with the arrows, a loud roar could be heard nearby. Suddenly, all the doors burst open and the knights ran in.


    The symbols on the armors shined brightly.


    Three eagles.


    These were Lucretius¡¯ royal guards!


    ***


    It was like watching a battle in a movie.


    The noise of the weapons and screams of injured men.


    ck-red blood was spewing everywhere.


    It was clear early on that Lucretius brought enough men to win this.


    He smiled confidently and asked, ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    I had no choice but to give him the answer he wanted. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    He smiled proudly. ¡°Obviously.¡±


    He was such an arrogant guy, but the truth was, he really was remarkable.


    I felt an overwhelming happiness just being near him and feel his warmth.


    I whispered to him quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    I confessed to him remorsefully, ¡°You left it to me, but I lost it to her. The royal seal, I mean.¡±


    He smiled smoothly. ¡°Just the fact that you are alive is the greatest gift I could ever receive.¡±


    He took his cloak off and covered my body which was confusing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡±


    His answer was very serious.


    ¡°I should be the only one who gets to see you like this. You should dress like this only in our bedroom.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was the corny Lucretius I knew. It was true they took away my servant outfit before sending me into this hall. I was only wearing a thinyer that resembled a pajama.


    Normally, I would have protested or argued, but I decided to ept his offer this time without another word.


    I just survived my own execution, and my husband came to rescue me. I couldn¡¯tin.


    Perhaps it was the adrenaline talking, but he looked even more handsome. He was alive and standing in front of me. Nothing else mattered.


    I did something I would never normally do; I hugged him again tightly.


    Lucretius at first smiled but quickly groaned.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    It was a very small moan only I could hear, but it sounded like he was in pain. His forehead was sweating heavily.


    Was he...?


    ¡°Luc?¡±


    He noticed I realized what had happened to him. He gestured for me to keep quiet.


    I became scared. Was he hurt very badly? He must have been injured either when the rebels attacked him or when he was sneaking into this castle.


    He was standing on his feet, and he did fight off a few knights while protecting me. I tried to assure myself he couldn¡¯t have been hurt seriously.


    But... Perhaps he was pretending to be okay because he couldn¡¯t show any weaknesses in this situation.


    I asked him very quietly, ¡°Are... you really ok?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After a quick pause, he continued, ¡°But... It does hurt.¡±


    I knew it!


    I put his arm around me so he could lean on me for support. Lucretius joked in a pained voice.


    ¡°This is embarrassing. I was hoping to carry you to the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around. How did it happen...?¡±


    I felt like crying again.


    I wanted to check on his wound right away, but this wasn¡¯t the time.


    Just then, the head of the royal guards and other generals came towards us.


    ¡°Your highness, it is done.¡±


    When we turned around, an incredible scene greeted us.


    The dowager empress was still ring at us, but she was severely disheveled. Her hair was a huge mess, and she was missing a shoe. Part of her dress was ripped to shreds.


    She was dragged in front of us with her arms tied with a rope. She still had an arrow sticking out of her shoulder.


    Marquis Toruka and Galisia, who looked just as bad, were brought to us as well.


    Dowager empress Katleyanira red at us angrily and yelled, ¡°How did you do this?¡±


    Lucretius ignored her and asked me, ¡°Did you say that this traitor forcefully took the royal seal from you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t protect it.¡±


    He shook his head and kissed the back of my hand.


    ¡°Like I said, there is no reason for you to feel sorry. It is that woman whomitted a crime.¡±


    He then turned to a royal guard nearby and ordered.


    ¡°Bring the royal seal here.¡±


    The knight nodded and approached the dowager empress. He tried to take the ring off her finger, but she clenched her hand and resisted. She looked desperate as if keeping the ring would change anything.


    Lucretius became annoyed as the guard struggled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you get it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness!¡±


    The guard immediately took out his sword. I turned away quickly as he swung it.


    sh!

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114: <Chapter 114></h4>


    I heard something being cut and the dowager empress¡¯ scream.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    The knight wiped the bloody ring with his cloak and tried to hand it to Lucretius, who shook his head.


    ¡°I gave it to my wife for safekeeping, so it should be my wife who returns it to me.¡±


    The knight bowed deeply and offered the ring to me. I reached out and took it as Lucretius gave me his hand.


    I teasingly turned his hand around so I could see the back of it. His right hand was covered in dry blood and cuts. All of his fingernails were broken badly.


    I knew it would have been hard three days for him but seeing the proof of it made my heart ache.


    I put on the ring on his finger, making sure not to touch the broken fingernail. It shined beautifully on his hand. This was where it was supposed to be.


    Lucretius smiled at me and kissed my cheek.


    He pulled me close and announced, ¡°We will hold a trial for the dowager empress and her men here. As the ruler and protector of this kingdom, this is my right and responsibility to carry this out. No one will dare to deny me this!¡±


    This was happening very fast.


    ***


    Suddenly, my execution turned into the trial for the dowager empress and her followers. It took only an hour to arrest them from all over the castle and brought to this ce. Many of them were killed in the process and some of them escaped.


    The three leaders, dowager empress, Marquises Toruka and Galisia, kneeled on the very floor where I was ced to be executed. I was now sitting where they were only an hour ago.


    Both Lucretius and I didn¡¯t have the time to get dressed properly, but it didn¡¯t matter. The strange thing was that Lucretius was sitting on the emperor¡¯s throne and me on the empress¡¯ throne. It seemed so natural for me to be sitting here. No one protested, not even me.


    The Senate members who were held as hostages were rescued by Lucretius¡¯ men. They attended this trial as witnesses.


    The dowager empress was holding her bloody hand in silence.


    The emperor started the trial with an announcement, ¡°I begin this trial as Lucretius le Cransia. The traitors are the dowager empress Katleyanira le Cransia, Marquis Galisia, and Marquis Toruka.¡±


    The chancellor answered, ¡°We are honored to carry out your order, your highness, the ruler of Krugadia, Orlen, and North Santus, and the 15th emperor of great kingdom Cransia.¡±


    All the noblemen kneeled in front of Lucretius to show respect.


    Lucretius wasn¡¯t wearing a priceless crown or silk clothes. He was only wearing a simple knight¡¯s armor and nothing more.


    However, sitting proudly on the high throne, he had never looked more regal. No one could deny who he was.


    He was the emperor of the greatest kingdom in this world.


    He looked grand, but I worried about his injury. It was possible he was hurt very badly from the battle. He looked unusually pale.


    I considered calling for the royal doctor, but I knew why Lucretius pushed to have this trial right away.


    We barely made it against the dowager empress. We needed to get rid of her permanently when we have the chance.


    We have worked so hard for this very moment. We took risks and almost lost everything. I was worried about Lucretius, but I couldn¡¯t let my feeling ruin this opportunity.


    Thankfully, the trial progressed easily and quickly.


    The dowager empress¡¯ plot was revealed through the captured knights and soldiers. It was the dowager empress who convinced Marquis Galisia to fight for her. Marquis Galisia was a talented general who had a huge influence and power over the southern province and its military force. Thew stated that a nobleman couldn¡¯t own a personal army. However, since Marquis Galisia worked as a general for a very long time, many of the southern soldiers were willing to follow him.


    The dowager empress enticed him by offering him her young royal princess Liliana. If the rebellion worked, he could have be the next emperor.


    The chancellor summarized the crimes.


    ¡°She has stolen and abused the military that belongs to the emperor and the kingdom. She has attempted to assassinate his highness. She forcibly took over the Senate and tried to frame her highness, the emperor¡¯s wife. She also tried to execute her highness...¡±


    Her crimes were never-ending and clear. The proof was this very situation.


    The witnesses were all gathered here.


    The emperor who survived the rebels¡¯ attack.


    His wife who was just about to be executed.


    The chancellor who was held hostage.


    Lucretius raised his voice and proimed, ¡°The stated crimes are beyond forgivable. Even the sentence of death will not be enough.¡±


    The chancellor looked excited. After all, the dowager empress was the one who murdered his beloved granddaughter.


    ¡°She needs to be executed!¡±


    All the other noblemen agreed.


    ¡°Execution!¡±


    ¡°Please order her execution!¡±


    Lucretius raised his hand and dered.


    ¡°Dowager empress Katleyanira le Cransia is from now on no longer a royal member. She will be executed.¡±


    Katleyaniraughed silently.


    Lucretius continued without hesitation.


    ¡°Her head will be disyed for the public to witness. Her execution will be carried out immediately.¡±


    ***


    The order of execution was decided quickly. It would be Marquis Galisia, Marquis Toruka, and the dowager empressst. I thought I could guess the reason. The fear she will feel as she watched the men lose their heads... As she waited for her turn...


    The execution couldn¡¯t take ce right away, however. The executioner who was brought for me was killed during the fight. We had to find another one.


    I heard Lucretius asked the chancellor to find a horrible executioner with minimal experience. I didn¡¯t say anything as I didn¡¯t feel the need. These two men were victims of the dowager empress. They lost their family members because of her. This was their justice and revenge.


    While we waited, Lucretius asked me.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be pretty, so if you want, you can return to your chamber.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I will stay till the end.¡±


    I then turned towards the dowager empress, who was kneeling on the floor ring at me. I looked into her eyes and didn¡¯t look away.


    I had to witness her death with my own eyes.


    Lucretius nodded.


    After a little while, a new executioner arrived.


    A royal guard was ordered to escort Marquis Galisia. It was, in a way, an honor to be escorted by the emperor¡¯s personal royal guard, but the marquis was in no position to notice it.


    ¡°Please...! Please let me live! I only did what I was told to do! Your highness!¡±


    Marquis Galisia¡¯s excuse was pathetic and meaningless. The knights pushed him down onto the block and he died with a single swing.


    However, his neck wasn¡¯tpletely severed and so the executioner had to swing the second time.


    I couldn¡¯t help closing my eyes when the ax hit his neck, but I did see the blood and the head rolling onto the floor.


    Next was Marquis Toruka. After seeing Marquis Galisia¡¯s gruesome death, his hands were shaking visibly. However, he didn¡¯t scream or make an excuse like Marquis Galisia.


    He pretended to look calm, but unlike Marquis Galisia, he didn¡¯t get an immediate death. The first swing didn¡¯t kill him because the ax was too dull. It took another swing for him to finally die.


    The dowager empress didn¡¯t say anything as she saw her brother¡¯s head being cut off. She turned towards us again and red without any signs of fear.


    When she was about to be dragged to the execution block, Lucretius stopped it.


    ¡°There is something I want to tell her. Bring the prisoner here.¡±

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115: <Chapter 115></h4>


    The dowager empress was dragged in front of us. Lucretius ordered to have her kneel close to us so we could have somewhat of a private conversation.


    The dowager empress looked at both of us andughed loudly.


    ¡°So you won.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Are you upset about it?¡±


    The dowager empress frowned. ¡°Of course. I bet everything I had and lost. I can understand how you could have snuck in by yourself, but... How the hell did you sneak an entire army inside the castle? It doesn¡¯t make sense that you brought them here without a single fight with my men in the city or outside these halls.¡±


    Lucretius smiled leisurely and replied, ¡°The castle is full of secret passages that connect to everywhere like a spiderweb. My grandfather let me know all of these. Only the heirs to the throne can know about them.¡±


    The dowager empress murmured in confusion, ¡°He... told you about them? You were born after he passed away. There is no way you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°He left a record of it. The former emperor didn¡¯t get to see this record because my grandfather didn¡¯t acknowledge him to be a worthy heir. After my mother died, Cornelius gave me this record from Emperor Kentius. That is how I found out about them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I am grateful.¡±


    ¡°I... see.¡±


    The dowager empress looked faded. At the mention of Emperor Kentius, her voice trembled subtly.


    After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, she suddenly started tough.


    ¡°Ha, haha... Hahahaha!¡±


    She smiled bitterly and turned to me.


    ¡°Do you think you are now the winner, little boy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The dowager empress took a step towards Lucretius, not me.


    Her hands were tied behind her back and she still had an arrow stuck in her shoulder. One of her fingers was cut off. There was no way she could harm him at this point, so she wasn¡¯t stopped by the guards.


    She turned towards me and gave me a bloody re. I felt like my heart froze in fear.


    ¡°Do you think that when I die, it will truly be all over?¡±


    ¡°What are you...¡±


    ¡°But this is only the beginning for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The dowager empress turned towards Lucretius again.


    ¡°An emperor is alone for his entire life. He lives with suspicion by his side. Distrust is his best friend.¡±


    She then looked at me.


    ¡°An empress is not just the emperor¡¯s partner. She is the emperor¡¯s nemesis.¡±


    Her words were like cold chains around my heart.


    ¡°Do you know what happens when the beast gets caught during the hunt?¡± Katleyaniraughed and continued, ¡°The hunting dog gets put down first. The hunter can¡¯t help but fear that the dog may turn on him.¡±


    Lucretius stood up angrily. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Katleyanira giggled as she enjoyed Lucretius¡¯s fury.


    ¡°I am only telling you the truth. Even the greatest love can¡¯t survive time. Eventually, your heart will return to being a block of ice. When that happens, who do you think you will hurt next?¡±


    I pulled Lucretius¡¯ arm as he got angrier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get emotional. You are hurt, remember?¡±


    ¡°Bina...¡±


    I turned towards Katleyanira.


    ¡°You got one thing wrong, Katleyanira.¡±


    ¡°Wrong? What did I get wrong?¡±


    I answered evenly, ¡°I¡¯m not a hunting dog. I¡¯m a human.¡±


    Katleyanira didn¡¯t reply. She just looked deep in thought and I didn¡¯t know what it meant.


    At Lucretius¡¯ gesture, the knights dragged Katleyanira down to the execution block. It was the very block where I was supposed to be executed. It was the same dull ax that would cut into my neck.


    The cutting edge of it was covered with blood and oil, making it even duller. The dowager empress¡¯s death would be the most painful and prolonged.


    However, Katleyanira didn¡¯t look afraid at all. In fact, her face was void of any emotions.


    The knights grabbed her hair to move her neck onto the block. Even if she tried to fight, there would be no use. She was tied by a rope and those knights were strong.


    I knew exactly how she must be feeling.


    My hands trembled remembering the moment, but a big hand covered my own. When I looked up, Lucretius was smiling at me warmly.


    ¡°You can rx now. I will never let anything like that happen to you again. I promise. In fact, I meant to rescue you earlier today, but things didn¡¯t happen ording to my n.¡±


    I nodded without a word and squeezed his hand.


    I must have been very nervous because my hands were cold. His hands felt incredibly warm.


    Just then. the chancellor¡¯s cold voice rang.


    ¡°Carry out the execution!¡±


    The executioner raised his ax high.


    Thump!


    Following a heavy sound, I heard a piercing scream.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    The hall filled with the prisoner¡¯s agonizing scream and moan.


    The executioner continued on without hesitation. Clearly, the ax was too dull.


    Two, three, and four swings.


    The shriek became quieter and quieter until it finally stopped as the ax got stuck into the wooden block.


    The red-haired head rolled onto the ground. I kept my eyes open and forced myself to watch the whole thing.


    Lucretius held my hand the entire time. His warmth helped me to stay calm.


    When the executioner picked up and raised Katleyanira¡¯s head high to confirm her death, the hall filled with excited cheers.


    ¡°Waaaaa!¡±


    How strange it was to see people celebrate such a gruesome death.


    No one showed sadness or sympathy. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t be like them.


    ***


    Katleyanira and the two marquises¡¯ heads were sent to the public square for disy. People will throw stones and spit on them until there was nothing left of them except skulls.


    I walked with Lucretius slowly to my chamber. He pulled me closer to him, which made me blush.


    I whispered, ¡°W, what are you doing?! You are embarrassing me!¡±


    He gave me a sexy smile. ¡°I¡¯m just enjoying our reunion.¡±


    Hearing his corny joke made me feel a little relieved.


    He seemed normal.


    He came back alive and the dowager empress was dead. She was never going to be able to harm us anymore.


    It finally started to feel real. I felt relieved and leaned against him.


    Suddenly, he moaned.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    That¡¯s right! Luc was injured. I was an idiot, how could I forget?


    ¡°A, are you ok? I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    When I asked worriedly, he smiled even though he was sweating and pale.


    ¡°I¡¯m tough, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He then chuckled. ¡°Look ahead and smile. The castle is still in a disarray, so we need to smile and show them everything is okay.¡±


    I followed his suggestion. He was right. I smiled confidently and walked on. Everyone we passed by, the noblemen and the soldiers, kneeled to us.


    I said to him, ¡°How hard your life must be.¡±


    He was injured, yet he couldn¡¯t even show that he was in pain.


    Just then, he replied to me in my ear, ¡°All the pain and difficulty I feel, I only need one person in this world to know about it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt like my body was burning. I knew my face must be red.


    I couldn¡¯t look at his face at all until we reached my room.

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116: <Chapter 116></h4>


    The clean up of the rebellion was now the chancellor¡¯s responsibility because as soon as Lucretius walked into my bedroom, he fainted.


    Lowson and my maids were already waiting there per my order, so we took off Lucretius¡¯ armour and started the treatment right away. When I saw the injury underneath his clothes, I gasped in shock and anger.


    ¡°Oh my...!¡±


    He was bandaged from his right shoulder to his stomach and blood was seeping through. Lowson carefully removed the covering and started to redress the wound. He brought sterile bandages, needles, threads, and medicinal herbs.


    Officially, people were told Lucretius¡¯ injury was minor and we needed to keep it this way. No one could know about the true extent of how serious this was. Cransia was suffering from both internal and external threats. Any perceived weakness from the emperor could put us in a great danger.


    After the treatment, Lowson stepped back and said to me, ¡°The wound is deep, but not enough that for his life to be at risk so please try not to worry too much, your highness. If there are any changes to his highness¡¯ condition, please call for me. I will wait nearby.¡±


    I nodded and dismissed him.


    Lucretius, who was in a deep sleep, was red with fever. Just like when he had a cold, I cooled him down with wet cold cloth.


    Samantha asked me worriedly, ¡°Your highness, you also had a difficult three days. You haven¡¯t slept well and eaten much. May I suggest you rest...¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I will take care of him until he wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    It was true I was tired, and I haven¡¯t had anything to eat for a while. If I continued like this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take good care of the emperor. To reassure Samantha, I asked her to bring me some food.


    I ate a bowl of soup and milk Yulia brought and sat down beside Lucretius. I waited by his side until he opened his eyes, which happened the next day evening.


    ***


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± When I asked him, Lucretius asked in a scratchy voice.


    ¡°How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°A little over a day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    I smiled gently and asked, ¡°And as soon as you woke up, you came to me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He reached his hand out to my face. I let him touch my cheek. His finger traced my lips seductively.


    I realized how I got used to this man. It had only been half a year with him, and he was now such a huge part of my life. Thest few days without him felt painful.


    The feeling I had when I didn¡¯t know what had happened to him during the rebellion...


    I didn¡¯t feel alive. I forced myself to believe he couldn¡¯t be dead so I could breath.


    I finally learned that I couldn¡¯t live without Lucretius.


    Without knowing, I had be addicted to this man.


    The pungent smell of the herb tickled my nose as I leaned my face on his shoulder. Lucretius chuckled, which sounded like a deep growl.


    ¡°My wife is acting soft-hearted all of a sudden!¡±


    Iined quietly, ¡°I think I have a good excuse for it, right? So be nice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, dear.¡±


    He hugged my shoulders, and Iid gently on top of him. His chest was covered with thick bandage and I could hear his heartbeat through it. His scent and warmth covered me.


    My heartbeat became louder and faster.


    The room was quiet with dim light. Pretty shadows danced on the walls all around us.


    I raised my face and lightly kissed his forehead and both his cheeks. I then gently bit his nose and giggled.


    Luc, who had been smiling indulgently at me, suddenly became rigid. He pulled back his face away from me.


    I swept my hair away from my face and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    He frowned and studied me before replying, ¡°We should stop now or else it will get dangerous for you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked even though I knew what he meant.


    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I do, but I want to hear it from your lips.¡±


    His calm green eyes looked at me. I knew that behind those quiet eyesy a wild unsatisfied beast.


    I knew it... I knew very well.


    His strong hands held my shoulders tight. I could feel his fingers trembling slightly. It was cute.


    ¡°If you must hear me, then I will tell you. You are in danger from me.¡±


    I smiled. I needed to make sure this man existed and that he was right here with me.


    The shock of almost losing him was unbearable.


    I shook my head and answered, ¡°No.¡± I grinned and whispered to his ear, ¡°You are in an even bigger danger from me.¡±


    Swallow.


    The room became even quieter if that was possible. I could hear his every breath and movement. He kept swallowing as if he was thirsty.


    He asked me, ¡°Can you... say that again?¡±


    ¡°But you know what I¡¯m talking about too.¡±


    I kissed him. My tongue invaded his mouth and explored it passionately. He flinched at first but immediately kissed me back ardently. His hands moved down until they reached my waist. He grabbed it and pulled me closer to him.


    After the breathless kiss, he asked me, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    I answered without hesitation, ¡°You.¡± And I added desperately, ¡°Your existence, your everything, you, you, you... I... I am a greedy woman.¡±


    He pulled me roughly onto the bed as he groaned a little.


    His breath was rough. The room was so dark the only thing I could see was his faint silhouette. I felt a little disappointed that I didn¡¯t get to see him clearly. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel embarrassed or shy.


    His breath mingled with mine over and over again. We didn¡¯t want to be apart from each other even for a second. We felt the desperate need to feel each other.


    I reached out to touch him. His wet skin stuck to mine.


    The scent of this raw man was intoxicating. I could feel how much he wanted me and how he coveted me.


    I felt the same way about him, and I showed him with my eyes and my hands.


    His lips were everywhere. On my lips, my cheeks, my neck, and lower...


    I always thought this man was cold like a snake. I assumed cold blood ran through his veins, but I was wrong. There was a fire inside him.


    A fire big and hot enough to burn the entire world.


    However, this fire was mine alone. It existed only for me.


    I let myself be naked in front of it. I showed my true self to him, and his fire surrounded my body. I let him inside me. I was his, body and soul.


    Just like that, we became one for the first time.

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117: <Chapter 117></h4>


    That night was the night that light and darkness got mixed up. It was also the night when everything died for a moment and then was reborn.


    It was the first as well as thest night, and it was the time when I gained everything but lost all I had at the same time.


    I felt the greatest happiness and the worst grief at the same time. I cried andughed again and again.


    His body was wet with sweat, and I was in his arms. It was early in the morning when I saw the sunlighting through the window.


    I realized what I meant to do.


    My decision was made. It was over.


    It must have been too much for an injured man. Lucretius was deep in his sleep.


    I tucked him underneath a nket and got out of the bed. I put on my gown to cover my naked body when I realized I had to borrow something.


    I walked up to him again and watched the golden royal seal on his finger.


    ¡°I will borrow it just for a little while.¡±


    He was sleeping so soundly he didn¡¯t even hear me. I kissed his cheek and took the ring from him to put on my own finger. It was still heavy and loose, but there was one thing different.


    I was ready and willing to take on this weight of responsibility.


    ¡°Your highness?¡±


    In three days, the chancellor¡¯s eyes were covered with dark circles. He looked at me in confusion when I entered the room.


    I came to Lucretius¡¯s personal office. The emperor might have been down, but someone needed to continue to do the cleanup. This elderly man was taking on everything by himself.


    I smiled gently and replied, ¡°I came by to check how things are going.¡±


    He asked in confusion, ¡°Your highness came to check? Not his highness?¡±


    I nodded and raised my hand to show him. The gold ring shined radiantly.


    ¡°Yes. I came on his highness¡¯ behalf.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He woke up from a vicious nightmare.


    He couldn¡¯t recall the exact details, but he remembered something being stolen from him. In his dream, he tried his best to get it back, but...


    He couldn¡¯t remember if he seeded.


    He also couldn¡¯t remember what was stolen from him.


    ***


    In confusion and darkness, he looked up at the ceiling and realized he was in an unfamiliar tent. He blinked a few times to clear his vision.


    An annoying noise that sounded like a fly bothered his ears. Then, he realized it was a voice. Someone was shouting happily beside him.


    It took a while for him to understand the situation. He was definitely not well.


    Lucretius turned to the man shouting at him. It took a lot of effort to do so as he was feeling very weak.


    Who was this man? He looked familiar.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    When he could finally hear clearly, Lucretius realized who it was.


    He remembered what had happened before he lost his consciousness.


    Lucretius sat up quickly.


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    He felt dizzy and his eyes were blurry again, but he was helped by the man who was his knight. Lucretius said his name faintly.


    ¡°Sir... rk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Naemon des rk. He was the most loyal knight to Lucretius who served him since he was only an heir. Currently, he was the head of the royal guards and responsible for Lucretius¡¯ safety.


    Naemon helped Lucretius to the bed and proimed intensely.


    ¡°I have failed you. I didn¡¯t prevent you from getting injured by the rebels. I don¡¯t deserve to live!¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t care about his injury right now. They needed to discuss more important matters.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. How long has it been since I was out?¡±


    The knight couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius insisted nervously.


    ¡°I asked how much time has passed.¡±


    ¡°About two days.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Lucretius stood up in shock and anger, forgetting he was injured and in pain. He frowned at the sharp ache but ignored it.


    ¡°Did you say two days?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It has been two days since the rebels attacked us.¡±


    ¡°And the rebels?¡±


    ¡°They have been defeated, and we have contained the situation.¡±


    ¡°And Bina? What has happened at the castle? Why haven¡¯t we returned to the castle? If the rebels have been defeated and I am not dead, we should have returned right away, right?¡±


    Naemon replied sadly, ¡°I am not sure if you remember, but your highness was attacked from behind. The southern army led by Sir Goulden pretended to join our force to trick us. He led a surprise attack from the inside.¡±


    ¡°I... see.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He started to remember bits and pieces. He was stabbed by a dagger from behind and when he turned around to fight, he was cut by a sword. He lost consciousness from it.


    ¡°We were able to take care of the rebels quickly, but since your highness¡¯ injury was so severe, we couldn¡¯t move you, so we decided to set up a temporary camp here.¡±


    ¡°So it was the southern army? Was it Marquis Galisia?¡±


    ¡°That... would be my guess.¡±


    ¡°I moved him away from the southern province for this reason, but I guess it was no use.¡±


    ¡°He has led the southern army for twenty years, so it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. If they attacked me... Does that mean they got into the castle as well?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Again, Naemon couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Tell me right now. What happened to Bina?¡±


    After a long hesitation, Naemon finally answered, ¡°The castle is currently taken over by the dowager empress. Her highness, the chancellor, and all of your loyal Senate members are being held as hostages. The royal guards inside the castle and the defense team are unable to do anything at this point.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    After another short hesitation, Naemon said the very thing Lucretius feared the most.


    ¡°And the dowager empress has announced that her highness Sa Bina le Cransia will be executed at sunrise.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s eyes sparked in fury.


    ¡°How dare...!¡±


    Naemon became anxious that Lucretius may hurt himself further.


    ¡°Your highness! If you move, your wound will reopen.¡±


    ¡°How long do we have till the sunrise?¡±


    ¡°... Approximately three to four hours.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Lucretius clenched his teeth and stood up. His injury was severe enough to keep him unconscious for two days, but he needed to go.


    Thinking about Bina was painful. Imagining what she must have gone through was killing him.


    ¡°Get the men ready. We are returning to the castle.¡±


    ¡°Your highness!¡±


    Lucretius smiled and reassured his loyal knight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t die as long as my heart is alive and safe.¡±


    Naemon didn¡¯t have to ask who Lucretius was calling his heart.


    Lucretius picked up his sword and chewed on an herb known to dull pain. He could feel his tongue bing numb and his pain was improving slightly.


    He wore a knight¡¯s armor and helmet to disguise himself. The first thing he had to do was to sneak into the castle. He grew up exploring the secret paths that spread inside the castle like a spiderweb. He knew how to get to the hall where Bina was supposed to be executed.


    As he rode his horse at its full speed, he whispered to himself.


    ¡°Wait for me, Bina. I will keep my promise.¡±


    ***


    Beautiful ck hair.


    ¡°Luc!¡±


    He took off his helmet while panting hard. He ran all the way here and barely arrived in time. He was breathless and in pain, but as soon as he saw her face, he forgot all about it.


    He smiled and opened his arms.


    She ran towards him with tears streaming down her face. She always tried so hard not to say his pet name, but this time, she was calling for him with all she had and running to him.


    ¡°Luc!¡±


    She ran into his arms. This was where she belonged.


    ¡°Luuc!¡±


    Hearing her voice calling out his name, he smiled in true happiness.


    His woman. His heart. His soul.


    She was his everything.


    Lucretius thought secretly.


    ¡®I got her back and I will never let anyone take her from me. Even death itself won¡¯t be able to keep us apart. I will not allow it.¡¯

 Chapter 118 - After the storm

    <h4>Chapter 118: <Chapter 118: After the storm></h4>


    Lowson ordered Lucretius to rest for a month. It wasn¡¯t a rmendation but a demand. Lowson was speaking to him with an authority of a doctor.


    Lucretius, of course, tried to argue, but everyone around him insisted with determination. He had no choice.


    If he dared to resist more, I would threaten him that I will have him tied down to the bed. With me on Lowson¡¯s side, Lucretius was forced to listen.


    Laying on the bed, covered in bandages, Lucretius argued, ¡°I will be fine in a week or two.¡±


    However, it was all for nothing.


    Lowson harrumphed and shook his head.¡±Even when I first treated you yesterday, your injury wasn¡¯t something that would heal in a few weeks... Now, your wounds have reopened and worsened. It has only been a day since I put a new dressing, so I¡¯m not sure what you didst night...¡±


    Lucretius grinned and I remained quiet.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Thankfully, Lucretius didn¡¯t say anything. I wasn¡¯t sure if Lowson knew about us when he continued.


    ¡°I have closed the wound again, so until it heals, you need to rest. Any strenuous activities are to be avoided.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When Lucretius looked away and didn¡¯t answer, Lowson turned to me.


    ¡°Your highness.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes?¡±


    ¡°Please make sure his highness doesn¡¯t move too much. You need to watch him and stop him if he tries.¡±


    ¡°... Of course.¡±


    He made me promise.


    ¡°No strenuous activities! Please remember!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Did he know?


    I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask him, so I remained quiet and just nodded.


    ***


    Everyone, including the chancellor, agreed that the emperor needed to rest and recover before returning to work. The only problem was if Lucretius took a break, a substitute was needed to take his ce.


    This was especially a crucial time for the empire. A major rebellion had just ended and there was an incredible amount of work needed to be done immediately. The chancellor was excellent, but he couldn¡¯t take on everything. There were also matters that involved the fate of the noblemen¡¯s titles and properties, and, therefore, required the royal seal.


    Therefore, this was why I volunteered.


    Lucretius knew I took the golden ring when he was asleep and went to represent him. He knew I discussed national matters with the chancellor without telling him. However, despite knowing all this, he didn¡¯t say anything to me.


    I felt grateful because I didn¡¯t want to talk about it. No matter what he might have said, either something positive or negative, I thought it would have made me feel gloomy.


    The fact that I took on this responsibility meant I epted the position of an empress. Lucretius again didn¡¯t mention anything about it, which I thought was a very thoughtful gesture.


    Being an empress implied I had made the decision to stay in this world. This meant I would never return home.


    I still hadn¡¯t heard from the priestess, so I didn¡¯t know if it was possible anyway.


    However, even then, I felt like I abandoned my home and my family.


    I had been having moments of deep sadness often. Luckily, I had a lot of work to do which kept my mind busy. There were many who were involved in the rebellion, and I needed to decide their fates. I also had to decide appropriate rewards for those who helped Lucretius.


    While I poured over the papers, Lucretius enjoyed his vacation. ording to him, he had never had time off like this where he wasn¡¯t required to keep busy. He whined how lonely he was being alone on the bed, so I ended up taking all the documents to my bedroom to work beside him.


    A lot of the work involved reading over the paper and stamping it with the royal seal. One good thing about having him near was I could ask him questions and get his bits of advice about certain actions needed to be done to certain people.


    After giving me a few suggestions, he grinned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like you need my help at all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s surprising. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m gonna do whatever I want from now on.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know exactly when, but I started to talk informally to him whenever we were alone. Lucretius didn¡¯t say anything, which was very smart of him.


    I was d he knew when to keep quiet in order to keep his wife happy.


    I felt relieved that I was doing a good job. Soon, I stopped asking for his opinion.


    I read through the documents quickly, and if I found anything odd, I made a note of it to discuss with the chancellor the next day. If I was satisfied with the reports, I marked them with the royal seal to be handed to the scribeter.


    Because of the recent rebellion, I had to make many decisions about punishments for the traitors. It wasmon to take away their titles and properties, and I had to order executions quite frequently too.


    At first, I felt ufortable about it, but after a few times, I felt nothing as I approved them with the golden ring. Perhaps it was because it felt surreal that a piece of paper decided an actual person¡¯s fate.


    I was done with the thirtieth document when I noticed his inappropriate movement.


    Lucretius had his eyes closed as if asleep, but his naughty fingers slowly moved across the nket and started to stroke my thigh. His intention was clear.


    I continued to read my document as I reached out and stabbed his hand with a pen.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Lucretius screamed exaggeratingly. Ever since he got injured, he had been acting like a baby around me.


    ¡°Are you being cruel to a patient?¡±


    I knew I didn¡¯t hurt him, so Iughed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what Lowson said?¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    I looked up from my paper and turned to him. I reached out to touch his bare neck with the back of my hand. He seemed to get tense; I could feel the goosebumps on his skin.


    ¡°I knew it. You still have a fever.¡±


    Lucretius took my wrist and whined. ¡°If you are here with me, you should actually spend time with me rather than work. I¡¯m a patient, so you should be more sympathetic.¡±


    I gave him a bright smile. This man probably knew very well that when I smiled like this, it meant I was angry.


    ¡°And whose fault is it that I have so much work to do?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He pretended to be sad, but he moved behind me slowly and put his arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder, and I could feel his breath on my skin. It felt familiar.


    There was an old saying in Korea.


    ¡®If a man has enough strength to hold a spoon, he will try...¡¯


    Our ancestors were very wise.


    This situation was bing too dangerous.


    He was injured, and I needed to stop thinking about...


    Too dangerous.


    ¡®Calm down, Bina. You need to cool down.¡¯


    If I gave in, I could hurt him even more.


    I finally managed to control myself, but Lucretius clearly had another idea.


    He was now groping me openly, making the document I was holding crinkle.


    Now that I think about it... This man had be very physical with me over time. The truth was, it felt normal to me.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the right ce and the right time.


    I pinched his arm and announced, ¡°Not for a month.¡±


    Lucretius looked genuinely stunned. ¡°Why!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be responsible for reopening you wound again. Do you know how embarrassed I was when Lowson said those things?¡±


    ¡°But if we are careful...¡±


    I had to be firm. ¡°Denied.¡±


    Luc groaned.


    He continued to beg me desperately, but I ignored him. I never wanted to go through such an awkward lecture from Lowson again!


    I decided that perhaps I could distract him with another important matter.


    ¡°By the way... What are we going to do about the Genoa situation?¡±


    My n worked perfectly.


    His naughty grin disappeared, and he answered seriously, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    I was confused. What did he mean?


    Before the dowager empress¡¯ rebellion, Ksania¡¯s suicide was the biggest problem we had. In fact, the tension with Genoa was the chance Katleyanira took to attack.


    ¡°What do you mean I don¡¯t have to worry? Ksania¡¯s death is a huge issue.¡±


    Lucretius shook his head and said to me, ¡°She didn¡¯t kill herself.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    He smiled mischievously at me. ¡°This is all the free information you¡¯ll get. If you want to know more, you will have to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let me see... I will only charge... one deep kiss.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119: <Chapter 119></h4>


    As I gaped at his nonsense, he took his chance and kissed me. Just as he wanted, he made me ¡®pay¡¯ for the information.


    A long, deep kiss followed. Whenever we locked lips, I was always surprised at how good he was at kissing. My body melted like a marshmallow in hot cocoa. By the time it was over, I was panting breathlessly.


    He licked my lips again making my toes curl.


    Lucretius¡¯ fingers stroked my back gently.


    I looked up at him all hot and bothered and whispered quietly, ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He looked hopeful. I could see that he thought he won.


    I touched his neck and slowly moved down.


    His shoulder, his chest...


    When I reached the bandages, I pushed and poked as Iughed.


    He groaned in pain. ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    ¡°This is what you get when you don¡¯t listen to me!¡±


    He fell back onto the bed, and I left him there to return to where I was originally sitting.


    ¡°So you were saying Ksania didn¡¯t kill herself?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... Are you really trying to kill me?¡±


    I tapped the table and ordered, ¡°I asked you a question! Answer me now!¡±


    He seemed disappointed, but he replied, ¡°As I said, she didn¡¯tmit suicide. She was murdered.¡±


    ¡°Murdered?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, by her nephew, Coronel.¡±


    I was so shocked that I shrieked.


    ¡°What? Prince Coronel killed her highness Ksania?¡±


    Lucretius nodded with a cold smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. How bold. Well, more like reckless, I guess.¡±


    He was very calm, considering we were talking about the tragedy of a family member killing his own blood. However, then, I felt the same way. I found it to be unexpected, but nothing more.


    The man in front of me killed his own father, and I was his aplice. Just as I suspected after the dowager empress¡¯ execution, I realized how cold I had be.


    When did I start to see death as nothing?


    When Lisbeth and her family were killed, I felt a bit of shock. When Marquis Galisia was executed, I couldn¡¯t look, so I turned away.


    However, when it was the dowager empress¡¯ turn, I watched the entire event without blinking.


    The woman died an agonizing death after four swings by a dull ax, and I felt fine. No sympathy or distress.


    All I thought was that I needed to witness the entire event or else she mighte back alive and threaten us again. Therefore, when I saw her head severedpletely, I was relieved and satisfied.


    This was not a normal reaction from a twenty-year-old Korean girl.


    My heart felt cold as I realized how much I had changed. Did Ie too far?


    When I remained quiet and deep in thought, Lucretius asked, ¡°Bina?¡±


    I turned around to look at him.


    The man who dragged me into this.


    My aplice.


    And... the man I love.


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m listening, so go on.¡±


    Lucretius seemed confused, but he continued, ¡°First of all, it was too staged when he came running to our wing with a dead body in his arms. You weren¡¯t there, but during our private meeting, I saw the ambition and craving in his eyes... I knew without a doubt that it was him who killed her.¡±


    ¡°But do we have a proof...¡±


    ¡°We do. While I talked with Coronel, I ordered Lowson to look at Ksania¡¯s body secretly.¡±


    I anxiously waited for him to continue, but he grinned at me and caressed my hand.


    ¡°If you want me to exin further, you will have to pay extra.¡±


    I held his naughty hand and smiled at him. ¡°You already took the payment from me. If you continue to be like this, you will find yourself sleeping alone even when you are fully recovered.¡±


    He nodded meekly.


    ¡°... ording to Lowson, Ksania¡¯s wound couldn¡¯t have been caused by a woman who doesn¡¯t have extensive training in sword fighting. The dagger was ced exactly where it would kill a person, and it was also twisted after it entered the body between the ribs. The force it would take to twist something like that... It¡¯s not something a woman would be able to aplish. Two of her ribs were broken.¡±


    ¡°How...¡±


    Even I knew breaking a bone would take an incredible force.


    Lucretius smiled evilly and continued, ¡°Only Ksania, Coronel and Ludia were in that room when this happened, so it had to be Coronel. On top of that, the dagger used was not part of Ksania¡¯s belongings. As you know, you cannot carry a weapon in the castle. I realize in Genoa, womenmonly carry a dagger, but when she came here to marry the emperor, she gave hers away to her brother for safekeeping.¡±


    ¡°For... safekeeping?¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand exactly, but it sounded like this meant something significant.


    I was right.


    Lucretius exined, ¡°In Genoa, a knife signifies a lot of things. Life, loyalty, and love. When a child is born, the parents immediately start making a dagger for the child. For a son, a scimitar will be made while for a girl, a small dagger for protection. As far as I know, Ksania decided toe to Cransia even though she knew she would be marrying the former emperor instead of me. When she left Genoa, she gave her dagger to her brother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice story, but... How do you know so much about this?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t be sure, but I assumed only those close to Ksania or the Genoan prince and princess would know such an intimate story.


    ¡°I heard it from the king of Genoa himself.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Two years ago, before he became the king, he came to Cransia as part of the Genoan diplomatic party. Of course, he volunteered toe here partly to visit his sister.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I heard about the dagger then. The current king of Genoa genuinely was thankful and apologetic to his sister. He said once her husband died, he would bring her back home. During his stay here, he even showed me Ksania¡¯s dagger. It was the same dagger that killed her. I remember because it had those unique Genoan symbols on the handle. I think the king of Genoa must have sent it back to her through Coronel.¡±


    It was a devastating story.


    When he gave the dagger to his son Coronel, I¡¯m sure the king didn¡¯t mean for Coronel to stab his only sister.


    My lips felt dry.


    ¡°And does the Genoan king know about this?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯s grin looked harsh.


    ¡°I sent a letter to the king before Coronel left, so he must know by now and Coronel will be arriving very soon. What happens now... will depend on the king.¡±


    ¡°But this would be a good chance for the Genoan king to use something against us. Even if he loved his sister, don¡¯t you think the king will still use it as a justification to attack us?¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°You are right. That is why in the letter I sent, I said if Genoa tries to make a big deal out of this, Cransia is ready to go war. We will not give in, and if we do go to war, I will make sure the public knows about what Coronel did to his own aunt.¡±


    ¡°But this threat would only work if the king doesn¡¯t want a war.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I know he doesn¡¯t want a war. A small war with a weak nation can be beneficial, especially at the beginning of a king¡¯s reign, but a war between Cransia and Genoa will never be small.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A lion or a jaguar can benefit from hunting a deer or a wild cow, but can you imagine if the two predators tried to hunt each other? There would be more to lose than win. Even the winner will be injured severely, and the fight will have to be to the death. With the possibility of losing everything, it would be smarter to avoid it.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Then Prince Coronel...¡±


    ¡°He will be dismissed by his father the king, so there is nothing we need to worry about.¡±


    I finally felt relieved.


    I might have be used to death, but war was quite a different story.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120: <Chapter 120></h4>


    Lucretius and I teased each other for a while longer until he fell asleep.


    He imed he would heal in a week or two, but I knew his injury was extensive. I was working when I suddenly noticed how quiet he was. When I looked up from my paper, he was in deep sleep.


    He looked like an angel. When he was asleep, he looked much younger.


    When he was healthy, he went to bed veryte and woke up before me. However, during thesest few days, I had noticed he slept deeply and longer than usual. His body was probably trying to heal itself.


    I felt a little jealous that he was taking a break while I had to ve away.


    Oh well.


    I kissed his forehead lightly and whispered, ¡°Sleep tight.¡±


    He looked so peaceful and I was d.


    He deserved it.


    ***


    A few dayster, Agnes asked for a vacation.


    ¡°You want some time off?¡±


    Agnes nodded with determination.


    ¡°Yes, your highness. My mother... I want to go to her and exin what had happened recently.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    I knew what she was trying to say. I was told that Agnes was there at the execution. She was freed when Lucretius¡¯ men arrived, and she was allowed to be present at the hall for the dowager empress¡¯ death.


    She made sure to watch every bit of the dowager empress¡¯ gruesome death. When her head was spiked in public, she went there every day to throw stones at the head and spit on it.


    Now that she had aplished her revenge, she probably wanted to tell her stepmother. The birth mother of Empress Beatrice.


    She lost her mind after her daughter¡¯s death, so I wasn¡¯t sure if she would understand any of this. However, I supposed it didn¡¯t matter. To Agnes and Lucretius, just telling her about the event meant everything.


    There was no reason for me to say no.


    I nodded easily. ¡°Sure. Go spend some time with her.¡±


    Agnes kneeled and bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    I knew when she thanked me, it wasn¡¯t just for letting her go. It was for helping in defeating the dowager empress.


    About ten dayster, I got a message from Agnes that Empress Beatrice¡¯s mother Aria passed away at Lonez. I was told it was a very peaceful death.


    ***


    We received an official message from Genoa much earlier than expected. It was three weeks after Ksania¡¯s death, which meant the Genoan king made a decision as soon as he received Lucretius¡¯ letter.


    Lucretius was still resting in my bed, so I was the one who greeted the Genoan diplomat team. It was frowned upon for the wife of an emperor to meet alone with another man in private, so the chancellor stayed by my side. However, I was still the one in charge.


    I was sincerely surprised at how beautiful the head of Genoan group was. This was the first time I met a man who couldpare to Lucretius in terms of looks.


    He smiled at me gently. Lucretius was a cold beauty, while this man had a warmth to him.


    ¡°So you are the infamousdy. Greetings to your highness. I am Izid, the firstborn prince of Genoa.¡±


    I nodded lightly. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am the first wife of his highness, Sa Bina. The emperor is feeling unwell today, so please excuse his absence.¡±


    In truth, Lucretius had recovered significantly. When I said to him that he should greet the diplomats even just briefly, he shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna.¡±


    It was the dumbest excuse, but I knew why he was not attending this meeting. As hezed around in my bed like a fat cat, I let him be.


    Lucretius was showing Genoa who was the boss. Refusing to spare some time with a poor excuse was on purpose. He was also trying to establish my presence in this world.


    Representing Lucretius to a foreign diplomat was a big deal. Although I had been working on his behalf for a while now, it was being done unofficially. However, today, meeting the first prince of Genoa was an official event, and, therefore, by having me represent him, Lucretius was announcing indirectly that I was his empress.


    After our formal greetings, Izid chatted with the chancellor briefly. I knew this was not a good situation for Izid since he was here due to the tension between the two nations. On top of that, the emperor didn¡¯t even wee him in person.


    I smiled smoothly in hopes to appease him. He might have looked warm and easygoing, but who knew what he was like in the inside?


    ¡°His highness nned on greeting you in person, but he is feeling very poorly today. In a day or two, when he feels better, he will call for you for a private audience.¡±


    Izid replied respectfully, ¡°Thank you, your highness. My king has sent a gift for his highness, but I guess I should show it to your highness first. I hope you convey our sincere message to the emperor.¡±


    Gift?


    When I looked curious, one of the prince¡¯s servants brought and ced arge box on the table. It reeked of unpleasant myrrh.


    The box looked so ominous I didn¡¯t want to touch it.


    Izid saw this and said to me kindly, ¡°I heard your highness is with child, so I wouldn¡¯t want you to feel a shock and, therefore, possibly harm the baby. Why don¡¯t you leave it closed then and just give it to his highness?¡±


    I lied that I was pregnant when I tried to escape from the dowager empress during the rebellion, and I had no idea how this news got out. It seemed like this was confirmed as a fact.


    Should I announce officially that I am not pregnant?


    Perhapster, but I got the feeling I shouldn¡¯t say anything to Izid. Carrying the emperor¡¯s child only gave me more influence in front of Izid.


    Then what was in the box that could be so shocking?


    I looked up at him, who looked back at me with a nk face.


    I knew one thing for sure. He was studying me. Not exactly a test, but I realized that depending on how I reacted right now, he would form his opinion on me. This meant I couldn¡¯t show any weakness.


    I put my hand on the box casually and asked, ¡°Will it be alright if I check what is inside before giving it to his highness?¡±


    Izid smiled and answered, ¡°Of course. I just don¡¯t want to harm you or your baby.¡±


    I smiled confidently and opened the box.


    In truth, I could guess what was inside, so I was ready to see the gruesome content.


    The strong smell of myrrh and other herbs spread quickly.


    ¡°...¡±


    In therge ck box was the head of a man.


    It was someone I knew.


    ¡®Prince Coronel.¡¯


    It was embalmed with preservatives. That was where the smell wasing from.


    When I confirmed my suspicion, I closed it and smiled.


    ¡°I am impressed with Genoa¡¯s show of sincerity. I am sure his highness will be impressed as well. I will let him know tonight, and you will be invited to see him by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful.¡±


    Izid smiled brightly.

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121: <Chapter 121></h4>


    Izid Al Bin Genoeum.


    When I heard of his arrival, I was able to receive basic information about him from the chancellor. He was the oldest son of the current Genoan king and was Prince Coronel¡¯s biggest rival for the throne. Unfortunately, he was born from a mother who was a low born concubine. Therefore, he was fighting a losing battle against Coronel, whose mother was the first wife of the king.


    Izid was the most intelligent and politically savvy brother out of the nine princes, but his background was mostcking. In addition, Genoa was known for valuing physical strength and sword skill, and Izid was not fond of fighting. He valued intelligence and cunning more.


    Compared to Coronel and Ludia, Izid definitely spoke better Cransian. We had only spoken a few words, but I could see that he was extraordinary. He also clearly did not want a war with Cransia.


    The fact that Genoan King sent Izid to represent his country said it all. Especially with the head of Prince Coronel, who was a highborn legitimate prince.


    This meant... I should build a positive rtionship with this man.


    I smiled smoothly and asked Samantha who was standing nearby, ¡°Please get us the tea from Ilong the emperor gave me as a present.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    I hoped I sounded friendly as I started the conversation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the unfortunate event that urred recently should affect our rtionship negatively. His highness feels the same way, of course. What do you think, prince?¡±


    Izid replied with a perfect answer, ¡°Great minds think alike! I and my king feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d. I hope you have afortable time here during your stay.¡±


    I sounded like I owned this ce. Like I was the empress of this kingdom. It was strange that I was talking like this, but for some reason, it felt right.


    ***


    After a long day of hard work, I finally returned to my bedroom. By the time I entered, I was exhausted.


    As I walked like a ghost, I saw the manying on my bed sleeping. I approached him quietly feeling annoyed. I felt like I deserved to y a prank on him after such a hard day.


    What should I do?


    Should I pinch his nose? Should I poke his almost-healed chest? Maybe I could tickle him?


    I decided poking his chest might make his wound worse. If that happened, I would have to work even more. I decided pinching his nose was the best thing. I took my shoes off and walked towards him quietly.


    His breathing was regr. He must have been very deep in his sleep. I checked to make sure and slowly reached out. I nned to pinch his nose and when he woke up in shock, I meant to giggle and run away from him.


    Just then!


    ¡°...¡±


    His eyes opened and the beautiful grin eyes sparked at me.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    When I stared in shock, he quickly grabbed me and pulled me on top of him.


    ¡°AHH!¡±


    He chuckled, making me feel annoyed.


    ¡°You! You were awake the whole time!¡±


    He nodded and kissed my cheek lightly. ¡°How can I not wake up when I hear my wifeing towards me?¡±


    ¡°If you were awake, why didn¡¯t you open your eyes and let me know...!?¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t YOU let ME know when you returned? You were going to y a prank on me, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    When I tried to get away, he hugged me tight and kissed me.


    ¡°...!¡±


    He was... too good at kissing. It wasn¡¯t fair.


    It seemed like he was getting better every day. Was it because we were kissing so often? I wouldn¡¯t let him go any further for a month, so all he was allowed to do was just kissing.


    What a stupid thought...


    The point was, he was an amazing kisser. I melted against him helplessly.


    After a long kiss, I took a deep breath. He seemed disappointed as he kissed my neck lightly.


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    I felt an electric shock down my body and almost moaned out loud. I tried to roll away from him, but he wouldn¡¯t let me go. His arms were around my waist, holding me tight.


    I was getting annoyed. ¡°Stop...!¡±


    He grinned at me yfully, making my heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop, so don¡¯t get mad, Bina.¡± He kissed my forehead soundly and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me. I want you so badly, but I am being patient so give me a break.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    When I pouted at him, he looked at me lovingly and whispered, ¡°You have no idea how much effort I am putting in controlling myself. You should look forward to the day when I am fully recovered. I won¡¯t let you leave the bed.¡±


    I felt a sudden heat all over my body. I felt so embarrassed I started hitting him with the pillow.


    ¡°You are too much!¡±


    He smiled at me happily. He looked so young and handsome. I couldn¡¯t help but turn red.


    ***


    In my bed, weid down and talked about the day. This had be our nightly routine. I would tell him a summary of the day¡¯s events, and he would make a fewments. I wasn¡¯t reporting to him to get an approval or an order. He would be back to work in a week or two, so I was letting him know how things were going for a smooth transition.


    I also wanted to make sure the decisions I made didn¡¯t stray too much from his policies. So far, everything had been going well.


    When Lucretius heard about the gift from Genoa, heughed.


    I didn¡¯t bring the box with me. Instead, I asked the chancellor to keep it safe. It was a person¡¯s head, and I didn¡¯t want to carry it with my own hands. If I brought it to my room, I knew I would get a nightmare.


    ¡°The Genoan King must have been incredibly angry at his son. I guess he truly loved his sister.¡±


    I suddenly remembered the meeting. I smiled evilly and put my arms around his neck.


    ¡°By the way... Prince Izid was very different from Prince Coronel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard.¡±


    ¡°Such as gentleman and... He was VERY HANDSOME.¡±


    I was being mean. When I grinned at him, he started to frown.


    Sounding very cross, he asked me, ¡°Really?¡±


    I smiled even wider. ¡°Yes. I invited him for tea tomorrow, so if you want, you cane by to meet him.¡±


    He murmured in a low voice, ¡°Tomorrow... I see. Yes, I will definitely have to go.¡±


    He sounded truly malicious, which made meugh. I patted his shoulder.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m just kidding, right?¡±


    He looked at me with a nk face. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be mean to him just because you got jealous...!¡±


    He suddenly bit my nose lightly. ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    ¡°If you know what I¡¯m like, doesn¡¯t that mean youplimented him in front of me because you wanted me to be jealous?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t answer him, because... It was the truth. When he got jealous, I liked it.


    I felt satisfied for some reason.


    I traced his nose to his forehead with my finger gently like I was patting a cat and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are more handsome.¡±


    ¡°And more gentlemanly?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be honest. ¡°Well, I would be lying if I said you are just as gentlemanly...¡±


    He exploded. He hugged me and started to gently bite my nose, neck, and shoulders.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    I squealed, but he didn¡¯t stop. It didn¡¯t hurt. He was being very gentle.


    The problem was that his bites... made me want more.


    I finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and raised my hands.


    ¡°I, I surrender!¡±


    Thankfully, Lucretius didn¡¯t seem truly angry. I guessed even the smallest-minded man wouldn¡¯t take my joke seriously.


    He was on top of me looking down. Such a beautiful face.


    I reached out and lifted my head, so we could kiss again.

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122: <Chapter 122></h4>


    The next day, a tea party was arranged in my garden.


    As the wife of the emperor, it was unwise to meet with Prince Izid alone, so I invited others as well. Unofficially, Lucretius would drop by.


    As the hostess, I had to decide appropriate guests. They had to be people who were avable and also fairly highborn as we were entertaining a foreign royalty.


    I invited Liliana and Roselia. It was such a short notice invitation, but Liliana sent a message that she would be happy to attend.


    Dressed in finery, Liliana was escorted by a familiar figure. It was the new Marquis Toruka, Clodys, who was recently re-engaged to Princess Liliana.


    When the dowager empress led the rebellion, Liliana couldn¡¯t take the pressure and tried to kill herself. Thankfully, her life was saved, and she was physically back to health. Whatever emotional scars she might have, I was sure Clodys was helping her with them.


    They looked young, in love, and happy.


    I didn¡¯t invite Clodys, but I was d to have him.


    ¡°Wee, Princess and Marquis.¡±


    Following the royal customs, Liliana, who had the highest rank among the guests, greeted me first.


    ¡°Thank you for the invitation, your highness.¡±


    Liliana smiled gracefully, looking beautiful like a budding lily. She had blossomed without the fearful presence of her mother.


    Next was Roselia. She must have been warned by her sister to mind her manners. For a tomboy I knew she was to be, her bow was surprisingly well done.


    ¡°Hello, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Princess Roselia, you are growing so fast into a youngdy.¡±


    It was a textbookment, but she seemed to take it as a genuinepliment. She seemed very excited. I supposed every child liked to think they were close to bing an adult.


    When I first met her, I thought she was a rude little brat, but after the rebellion and Liliana¡¯s recovery, Roselia visited me to apologize. She even brought back my teacup. I quickly realized she was a lovely and and innocent little girl.


    Next was the new Marquis Toruka, Clodys.


    ¡°Long time no see, Marquis.¡±


    Clodys kissed the back of my hand. ¡°I would like to thank you for all your help, your highness. I wanted toe in person to show my and my little brother¡¯s respect and appreciation.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be able to make it to this gathering since you must be very busy with your new title.¡±


    Clodys casually took Liliana¡¯s hand. She smiled shyly at his affectionate gesture.


    They looked annoyingly happy.


    ¡°It is my duty and pleasure to escort Princess Liliana as her fianc¨¦.¡±


    One person was looking at this loving couple with displeasure. It was Roselia, who was holding onto her sister¡¯s dress and ring at Clodys. It seemed, however, that Liliana didn¡¯t notice her sister¡¯s glower.


    Roselia must have seen Clodys as a man who stole her sister away from her. Lucretius would find this hrious.


    I guided the three guests to the greenhouse. It was getting warmer, but it wasn¡¯t quite spring yet and, therefore, still very chilly outside. An outdoor tea party was out of the question.


    I nned on having the firece going and enjoy the flowers and tea inside the conservatory.


    What¡¯s inside the ss greenhouse looked like full summer. It was filled with blooming flowers such as roses and lilies. The fragrance was heavenly.


    I was told Prince Izid would be arriving shortly. He was very tired from his journey and being from a desert nation, he was used to starting out the dayter when it cooled down a little.


    I asked Liliana kindly, ¡°Now, is Princess Margaret doing well?¡±


    Liliana smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Yes. She is so strong and active that her two nannies are having a hard time keeping up with her. She also loves Clodys. She smiles whenever she sees him.¡±


    I nodded and smiled. ¡°I will have to visit her again in a few days. I wonder how heavy she became!¡±


    Liliana smiled happily and seemed appreciative.


    She might have helped Lucretius and me, but she was still the daughter of a traitor dowager empress. Lucretius officially had the three princesses adopted to his birth mother, Empress Beatrice, so they could keep their royal statuses. However, despite it, many didn¡¯t look kindly at them.


    Therefore, if I stayed close to them, it would be very beneficial for them. It would look like I had epted them as family. To be honest, I actually really liked the girls. They were a cute little bunch with kind hearts.


    Liliana and Roselia looked more rxed after the dowager empress¡¯ death. They looked happier.


    Margaret wouldn¡¯t remember her mother at all. She would be raised by her sister Liliana and Clodys, so I knew she would have a normal and happy life.


    I looked at the young couple and asked mischievously, ¡°By the way, have you decide on a wedding date?¡±


    Liliana blushed but Clodys grinned and replied casually, ¡°As your highness knows, it is still a bit hectic in the castle, so we will discuss with his highness about it when things stabilize.¡± Clodys then looked at me knowingly and added, ¡°Of course, if there is another big royal event this year, we will be happy to get married next year.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was awkward, at least for me. Princess Liliana, however, looked excited as she stared at me eagerly.


    ¡°Yes, it would make sense for your highness to go first...¡±


    Thankfully, the servant announced the Prince¡¯s arrival before Liliana could continue.


    ¡°Genoa¡¯s Prince Izid has arrived.¡±


    Roselia was about to take a bite out of arge cake topped with custard and strawberry when Liliana stopped her.


    ¡°The prince is here. We need to show our respect.¡±


    ¡°Grr...¡±


    Roselia looked devastated and annoyed, but she stood up to greet the prince.


    When Izid finally walked in, everyone seemed to be surprised at his good looks.


    I had already met him yesterday, and I was now immune to handsome men as I lived with one, so I was able to speak nonchntly.


    ¡°Wee, Prince Izid.¡±


    He smiled easily and walked towards our table. ¡°Thank you for the invitation. I am honored, your highness.¡±


    He nced around and asked, ¡°And these are...?¡±


    I stood up smoothly and introduced them. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea for Liliana and Roselia to make an acquaintance with a Genoan royalty. This was partly why I invited them


    ¡°This lovelydy is the first-born princess Liliana. This adorabledy here is the second-born princess Roselia. Now, this handsome gentleman is Princess Liliana¡¯s fianc¨¦, Marquis Toruka.¡±


    Izid smiled and greeted respectfully, ¡°Nice to meet you. I am the first-born prince of Genoa, Izid.¡±


    Liliana chatted with him innocently andplimented him, but I could feel Clodys acting aloof towards the prince. I supposed a handsome prince would be considered an enemy to all men when their women were involved. I expected Clodys to react this way, but I didn¡¯t expect what happened next.


    When Izid turned to greet Roselia, she gaped at him.


    ¡°Hello, Princess Roselia. I am Izid.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    After a brief silence, Roselia finally regained her senses.


    ¡°Y, yes!¡±


    When Izid kissed the back of her hand per royal etiquette, I could see the child¡¯s hand trembling and her face reddening explosively.


    I smiled in amusement.

 Chapter 123

    <h4>Chapter 123: <Chapter 123></h4>


    The tea party progressed pleasantly. The castle chefs outdid themselves with the desserts. Everything tasted heavenly. The snacks Izid bought from his homnd also were unique and delicious.


    The best way to get acquainted with someone was to eat good food together and it worked.


    I was very curious about Genoa and its policies. When I asked Izid about them, he answered me easily to my surprise.


    ¡°The king questioned Ludia and he was able to confirm the truth about what happened. The result was... Coronel got what he deserved. Only the king could have made such a drastic decision, and he did.¡±


    I asked him, ¡°I heard that Prince Coronel¡¯s mother was the king¡¯s first wife. I thought perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have let it happen.¡±


    He smiled bitterly. ¡°True. The first wife and all of her children stood in front of the king¡¯s chambers and protested in tears, but... the king wouldn¡¯t change his mind. As for Ludia, this whole thing must have been too traumatic for her. She voluntarily gave herself to the temple of Rusae.¡±


    Rusae was the goddess of the desert and widely worshiped by the Genoan people. A princess would enter the temple only if she lost her value as a royal member or she wanted to escape her life.


    I could understand how shocking it must have been to see her own brother murder their aunt. Not to mention, at the king¡¯s insistence, she confessed the truth and caused the death of her brother.


    Since the king¡¯s first wife protested so strongly against it, the king couldn¡¯t order anyone to carry out the execution. In the end, the king himself brought out his royal sword and killed his son.


    It was a tragic story, but I didn¡¯t feel emotional about it.


    Liliana paled at the story while I didn¡¯t. It was strange how more ustomed she was of the ways in this cruel world, yet she reacted more than I did.


    I had changed too much. I had be an unemotional robot.


    I knew this was necessary, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter about it.


    Just then, he walked in. Among all the pretty flowers, he was the most beautiful of them all.


    He smiled when he saw me. ¡°Bina.¡±


    ***


    Fortunately, the tea party was a huge sess.


    Every guest behaved respectfully, and we were able to carry pleasant conversations during the entire time. In fact, we were all disappointed when it was time to leave. This was the first time I arrived in this world where I had such a satisfying andfortable public event.


    The main purpose of this small party was to create an environment where Prince Izid and Lucretius could meet informally and safely. During the meeting, Lucretius casually offered the Prince to meet in private, and Izid bowed happily.


    I knew Genoa and Cransia will keep their peace for now. The political tension we briefly had was med on the dowager empress and Prince Coronel.


    Now that both of them were dead, everything would be okay.


    After the tea party, Lucretius and I walked back to my bedroom through the garden. We talked about the party and discussed politics.


    We walked together as usual, but there was one thing different than before.


    We were walking with our arms linked together. We looked like a loving couple.


    It took me a while to realize that we were holding each other as we walked. The feel of him near me felt so natural that it stunned me.


    I blushed and started to slowly pull my arm away. I knew this was ridiculous. We had already slept together, yet why was I being shy all of a sudden?


    I couldn¡¯t help it though. When I almost had my hand freed, Lucretius quickly grabbed it again.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    He grinned yfully and whispered, ¡°Why are you so shy suddenly, my wife?¡±


    When his face got close to mine, I suddenly remembered that night. He was still sick at the time and, therefore, was very warm with fever.


    I remembered the heat and blushed. He grinned even wider and quickly lifted me.


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    Heughed naughtily as I hugged his neck for bnce.


    I shouted at him, ¡°Y, you scared me! Let me down! Your wound will reopen!¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No, I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°You... I mean, your highness!¡±


    I noticed my maids and servants following from behind, so I made sure to address him properly.


    He whispered to me firmly yet sweetly, ¡°If you don¡¯t let me carry you like this to your bedroom, I won¡¯t let you sleep at all tonight. I don¡¯t care what Lowson says!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I had no choice, but to stay still. I didn¡¯t want him to hurt himself again.


    In the end, he got what he wanted. He did carry me in his arms all the way.


    ***


    ¡°If I knew this would be such a problem, I wouldn¡¯t have lied that I was pregnant.¡±


    I sighed as I looked at the mountain of gifts on my bedroom table. They were congrattory presents from all over the nation.


    The news of my fake pregnancy spread like a wildfire, and for many days now, people had sent me gifts. They were, in fact, mostly bribes disguised as gifts.


    I was told there were many more presents other than the ones piled in my room. My maids had to go through them and give me only those from important figures.


    Lucretius chuckled quietly and picked up one of the boxes.


    ¡°This... is from Countess n.¡±


    It was a silver rattle.


    Lucretius rang it a few times just to tease me. The clear sound echoed as if it wasughing at me.


    I sighed deeply as Lucretius asked, ¡°May I suggest a solution?¡±


    ¡°A solution?¡±


    I took the rattle from him and put it back into the box. Did hee up with a good idea to fix this? The only thing I could think of was to announce that I miscarried again.


    Lucretius gave me his hand.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    When I looked confused, he grabbed my hands and pulled me towards him.


    He brought my hand to his lips and licked my palm.


    ¡°...!¡±


    He then roughly squeezed my wrist and whispered, ¡°We can make a baby right now. A month or two of time difference won¡¯t be an issue. This is the best solution.¡±


    He then winked at me confidently.


    I became speechless at first but quickly recovered. I smiled brightly and reached out. His wound has healed a lot, but when I saw him this morning, it still looked raw.


    I poked his chest hard.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    Lucretius fell back onto my bed and tried to hide his pained groan.


    ¡°...! It¡¯s all healed now!¡±


    Iughed at his lie. The sutures were still in ce, and he still had more recovery to go through.


    He was talking nonsense!


    I was getting ready to go to bed when Lucretius asked me seductively, ¡°Are you really going to go to sleep?¡±


    This man was so persistent.


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s night, so we need to sleep, of course. What else is there to do?¡±


    Lucretius came to where I was sitting and took my brush from me.


    He started to slowly brush my hair and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too early to go to bed?¡±


    It was true, so I agreed. We just had dinner and it was early in the evening still.


    I knew what he was implying, and I decided to go along for a while. I would keep him hopeful until thest minute, then... BAM! Cut him right off!


    To be honest, I liked ying games with him. I liked teasing him.


    He continued knowingly, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you have a good time with me?¡± He was so obvious.


    I narrowed my eyes and smiled. ¡°Good time? What kind of good time?¡±


    He traced my shoulder slowly and seductively. His voice was so sensual I could feel it sticking to my skin like a caress.


    ¡°A memorable time... with me.¡±


    I knew very well what he meant, but I went along with it.


    ¡°Just the two of us?¡±


    He nodded emphatically. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    I finally gave him an evil smile and pped his hand away from my shoulder.


    I then loudly reprimanded him, ¡°No way! Why are you so horny!?¡±


    Lucretius feigned ignorance and asked innocently, ¡°Horny? What do you mean? I meant we should sneak around the castle just by ourselves without our servants. I thought you might like it.¡±


    ¡°S, sneak around...?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about a secret date, but horny? What were you imagining?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He said to me disappointedly, ¡°I think YOU are the one who is horny.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I wanted to disappear.


    This... this man was too devious. I was no match for him.


    He did this on purpose! I am not horny at all!


    ... Or was I...

 Chapter 124

    <h4>Chapter 124: <Chapter 124></h4>


    Lucretius had shown me a few of the secret paths already in the past. With them, he managed to sneak in during the recent rebellion, and he also used the path to assassinate his father, the former emperor.


    I became excited at the prospect of an adventure.


    ¡°So can we really leave the castle through the secret paths?¡¯


    He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As Lucretius put on a worn-looking cloak, Samantha looked worried.


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    When I agreed to his idea, Lucretius called for Samantha so she could help me get ready. The way he talked to her, it sounded like he had done this many times before.


    Samantha tried to dissuade Lucretius and me desperately, but it was no use. Lucretius replied, ¡°There is no threat to Bina and I anymore. Besides, I can take care of us.¡±


    ¡°But your highness¡¯ injury hasn¡¯t healed yet!¡±


    I knew he wouldn¡¯t listen to her. I wasn¡¯t either.


    I grabbed the clothes Samantha was holding and put them on. Lucretius and Iughed together as we became excited about our escapade.


    Samantha begged again, ¡°If you must go out... Then please take a guard with you for protection.¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Suddenly, the door opened, and a guard walked in. I knew this man. He was one of the royal guards and was the chief of Lucretius¡¯ personal protection team.


    I also saw him fight during the recent rebellion. Lucretius told meter that he was the one who saved him after he was injured by the rebels.


    The knight wasn¡¯t wearing his normal silver armor. Instead, he was wearing normal clothes amoner would wear like Lucretius and me.


    Lucretius shouted, ¡°Samantha! Did you call Sir rk here?¡±


    Samantha nodded coolly. ¡°Yes. Your highness is still wounded, and you are taking yourdy with you. I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch. You can¡¯t leave unless you let Sir rk apany you.¡±


    Samantha seemed determined. I had seen that face before. She looked just like how my mom looked when I asked to go on an overnight trip with my friends.


    In the end, Samantha won.


    It wasn¡¯t our n, but it didn¡¯t matter. This was our first date outside of the castle.


    I felt my heart beating fast.


    ***


    ¡°You will stay far away from us.¡±


    As we passed the secret path, Lucretius ordered his knight.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    As soon as we left the castle, Sir rk disappeared. I knew he must be somewhere near enough just in case, but no matter how much I looked around, I couldn¡¯t find him.


    Lucretius chuckled and asked, ¡°Does his presence bother you?¡±


    I nodded and kept looking.


    Where was he?


    ¡°I don¡¯t see him anywhere.¡±


    He smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He is following us from nearby, but not so near that he can hear our conversations.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When I asked excitedly, he nodded. ¡°So it is basically just the two of us, and... you won¡¯t be able to find him, or else he needs to find another job.¡±


    However, I couldn¡¯t help but keep looking. I turned towards an alleyway and studied the area.


    ¡°Still...¡±


    Suddenly, Lucretius held my shoulder gently and whispered to my ear.


    ¡°By the way, you need to stop making be jealous.¡±


    ¡°J, jealous?¡±


    ¡°You keep looking for another man... How could I not get jealous?¡±


    My face became hot.


    Why was he always trying to embarrass me?


    He added in a low voice.


    ¡°A man¡¯s jealousy can be... very aggressive and ugly. If you want to see what happens, go for it.¡±


    ¡°I, it¡¯s fine! I don¡¯t want to see it!¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction. I found him so annoying that I consideredplimenting Sir rk, but I decided against it. It was a bad idea.


    Who knew what he would do?


    What if Lucretius gave the poor man a hard time?


    Instead, I took his arm and started to walk with him.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go!¡±


    This was our first date. A real date. I wanted to have fun.


    We headed towards the city center.


    ***


    Except for the year I spent in Aeal, the rest of my time was spent in Cransia¡¯s capital Rombrook. However, despite it, I had never seen how regr people of thisnd lived.


    Today, I did. I gaped when I saw the city.


    Rombrook was a huge town. Evenpared to modern day Korea, it was big.


    There were so many people and tall buildings. Not as tall as the contemporary buildings in Korea, but still quiterge. The city was filled with people even though it waste in the evening. With all the lights, it didn¡¯t even feel like it was night.


    I eximed in pleasure, ¡°Wow!¡±


    Lucretius said to me proudly, ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s great, right?¡± He then whispered to me, ¡°This is the country I rule.¡±


    He sounded so smug I couldn¡¯t help replying haughtily, ¡°This is nothing. My homnd¡¯s capital is ten times bigger and fancier than this ce.¡±


    I knew I was being petty, but I didn¡¯t like losing. Besides, it was true. Seoul was a big city. I wondered how Lucretius would react if he saw it.


    ... I guess it didn¡¯t matter since it would never happen.


    He shook his head. ¡°No way. You¡¯re exaggerating.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    He ced his finger on my lips and shook his head. ¡°I know how you like to exaggerate.¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    When I was about to yell, Lucretius¡¯ expression changed suddenly, and he pulled me close.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    When I turned around, I saw a drunking nearby. He fell and broke a ss bottle, making sharp pieces fly everywhere.


    Lucretius pulled me close to protect me.


    He asked gently, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    My cheeks felt warm. I turned away from him and nodded. ¡°Y, yes.¡±


    He guided me to safety, and it made me feel like a princess being protected by a knight.


    I, I liked it. A lot.


    I used to be big on being an independent woman.


    Who needs a man?


    Who needs romance?


    That used to be me. In the past, I also made sure not to lead anyone on falsely. Lucretius, especially, used to not be on my radar as a candidate for romance.


    However... Now that I admitted my feelings for him, I began to notice how well he treated me. They were little things, but they made me feel... special. I was happy.


    Our past didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t care what he did or what he was like before.


    I wasn¡¯t so na?ve that I believed we would feel this strongly about each other forever. There was a saying that love usually expires in three years. Afterward, many couples remain with each other out of loyalty and affection.


    Lucretius and I had known each other only for half a year. We officially started our romantic rtionship very recently.


    However, I knew to worry about how we may feel in a few years or decades was pointless. I needed to learn to enjoy the moment.


    Therefore, I decided to revel in this feeling. I decided to be honest about my love for him and ept him with an open heart.


    We held each other¡¯s hands and roam the city. Many walked past us, but no one paid any attention to us. At least for this night, we were one of them.


    While we walked, I noticed a caf¨¦ with a beautiful second-floor terrace. I insisted on stopping by because, after an hour of walking, my legs were getting tired.


    I wasn¡¯t sure, but I assumed we were on the busiest part of the town. The seat on the second-floor terrace would have been very expensive. When I looked up, it was already upied.


    However, somehow, Lucretius was able to get us the exact spot I wanted. I didn¡¯t know how he did it. He just talked with the owner of the caf¨¦ for a few minutes before taking me upstairs arrogantly.


    ¡°Now, let me escort you, mydy.¡±


    I took his hand and climbed the stairs expectantly. When we arrived, the table was cleaned up for us. I was sure there were customers already upying this spot, so how did Lucretius aplish this?


    In fact, the entire second floor was empty and this all happened in ten minutes.


    How was this possible?


    If we were still in the castle, it would have made sense, but we were in the city pretending to be nobodies.


    Well, perhaps he paid a lot of money. I decided not to ask about it since I didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood.


    I wanted to just enjoy the night.


    Of course, I ended up finding out about it soon enough.

 Chapter 125

    <h4>Chapter 125: <Chapter 125></h4>


    He acted like a perfect gentleman. He took out the chair for me to sit and pushed it in when I did.


    Lucretius sat down across from me as the caf¨¦ owner himself brought us the menu. The middle-aged man was definitely not a server. I was sure he was the owner, but perhaps I was mistaken.


    The man handed us the menus and eximed, ¡°It has been so long since you came here, Sir Lucen.¡±


    Sir Lucen?


    Who was that? Why did the man seem to know Lucretius so well?


    Lucen must have been Lucretius¡¯ alias. I spied on them as the man treated Luc like a VVIP customer.


    When I was asked what I wanted to eat, I got Lucretius to choose. I had a big dinner beforeing here, so I wasn¡¯t hungry. We would probably get some snacks, and I knew Lucretius had an expensive taste, so he would make a good decision.


    Lucretius ordered, ¡°My usual then.¡±


    The man smiled brightly and bowed. ¡°Of course. You will not regret it.¡±


    He backed away respectfully. When he was gone, I asked, ¡°Do you own this caf¨¦?¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°No. I have so much work already, I don¡¯t need more.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    However, the caf¨¦ owner and Lucretius seemed very familiar with each other, which meant Lucretius frequented this ce.


    ¡°But then why would he treat you so respectfully...?¡±


    Based on Samantha¡¯s reaction and how familiar Sir rk was in shadowing us, it was clear Lucretius snuck out of the castle often.


    Lucretius grinned. ¡°Try and guess.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have told him you are the emperor, right?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Of course not. The owner thinks I¡¯m a rich nobleman named Lucen des Morelin.¡±


    ¡°Then it still doesn¡¯t make sense how he treats you like he does. There are plenty of rich noblemen out there.¡±


    Lucretius gave me his signature annoying smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Lucen des Morelin is the owner of this plot and the building.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    So his alias was a real-estate tycoon.


    ***


    Lucretius ordered a giant ice cream. He loved sweets just as much as I did. The only thing he didn¡¯t like was raisins, which I liked.


    Lucretius looked at the ice cream proudly and bragged, ¡°This isn¡¯t even on the menu. They make it especially for me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t understand. Even if Luc owned the building, wouldn¡¯t the owner of the caf¨¦ protest if asked to empty the entire second floor on such a short notice? Why would the caf¨¦ owner act so spinelessly?


    I decided to ask. ¡°What did you do to that man that he seems to almost fear you? Ordering things that are not even on the menu... Even if you own the building and thend, it still doesn¡¯t make sense. There must be more to this story.¡±


    Lucretius smiled evilly. ¡°Originally, this caf¨¦ was owned by a different man.¡±


    ¡°Did you... get rid of the old owner and put that man in his ce?¡±


    ¡°Bingo!¡± He pped as I gasped.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    I knew he could be too much, but this was...


    What he said next was even more shocking.


    ¡°This cafe always had great deserts, but the previous owner was annoying. He wouldn¡¯t do what I wanted, so I got angry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know who this original owner was, but I felt sorry for him. Who would have thought the emperor of the greatest kingdom would sneak around the city coveting sweet deserts?


    ¡°So I came up with an alias, purchased thisnd and the building, and demanded unreasonable lease to drive him out.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was sad. There were simr stories in Korea where the building owners were unreasonable pricks.


    ¡°The current owner used to be just a server here and I liked him, so I gave him this caf¨¦ with a condition that he keeps the same chef and the patissier.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was petty or decisive. Maybe he was both.


    Lucretius scoped up a spoonful of ice cream with a flower-shaped silver spoon and tried to feed me.


    ¡°...¡±


    I felt my face bing red.


    However, the great emperor himself was offering to feed me, so who was I to refuse him?


    I kept telling myself it wasn¡¯t because I liked being treated like this. I opened my mouth, but when I was about to taste the sweet cream...


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The spoonful of ice cream suddenly disappeared into his mouth! He grinned at me infuriatingly as Iined.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡±


    Just then, he stood up and walked towards me and all of a sudden, I tasted the heavenly dessert in my own mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t on a metal, wooden, or porcin spoon. He used something even better.


    His lips were unbelievably sweet, and the kiss ended too quickly. I licked my lips wanting more.


    I murmured quietly, ¡°It... melted too fast.¡±


    He chuckled and pointed at the bowl of ice cream on the table.


    ¡°We still have a lot left, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I became breathless.


    ***


    I felt a little self-conscious when we left the caf¨¦. We had a great time, but because of it, my lips were slightly swollen. I felt like people could tell what we had been doing.


    I knew there was nothing to be embarrassed about, but I couldn¡¯t help it. My face felt warm as I remembered the melting sweetness in my mouth. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t even realize he was talking to me.


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    I turned towards him with a blush, but thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    Instead, he asked me, ¡°Are you okay if we go somewhere?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He seemed serious as he led me to the outer edge of the city.


    About an hourter, we were at a royal cemetery outside of Rombrook. It was a huge ce guarded by royal guards. I was told when a royal member died, some of his or her personal royal guards continued to serve them by protecting the grave.


    In front of this particr grave was an elderly man wearing armor.


    When Lucretius took off his hat, the guard rxed.


    He smiled beautifully and said to Lucretius, ¡°Your highness!¡±


    Lucretius also looked unusuallyfortable as he replied, ¡°Long time no see, Dian.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The guard greeted Lucretius like a grandson. Luc introduced the elderly man to me.


    ¡°Bina, this is the retired royal guard Dian. He used to be my mother¡¯s personal guard.¡±


    I took off my hood as well and greeted him, ¡°Hello.¡±


    The guard smiled widely and bowed to me.


    ¡°So you are the infamousdy.¡± He turned towards Lucretius and added. ¡°Her highness Dowager empress Beatrice would be very happy.¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t reply, but I could feel his hand squeezing mine.


    ***


    The cemetery building looked small from the outside, especially considering this was for the royal family. However, this was just the entrance. Behind it was arge mountain cave functioning as the tomb for the former emperors, empresses, and the wives¡¯ bodies.


    It took us a while to get to the main room, which meant this was a huge tomb. Lucretius held the oilmp as we walked so we could see.


    He exined, ¡°Dian was the only royal guard who didn¡¯t betray my mother. I offered him afortable life with a title and property, but he refused and insisted on guarding this ce till the end.¡±


    ¡°A very loyal knight.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but even a loyal knight couldn¡¯t save my mother.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, we finally stopped at a stone coffin. It was a pure white marble coffin. The lid was sculpted with the likeness of whoever was resting inside. The figure on this coffin was a beautiful woman with a pregnant belly. This must have been how Empress Beatrice looked before she was executed.


    Lucretius added quietly, ¡°And I... couldn¡¯t save my mother either.¡±

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126: <Chapter 126></h4>


    One constion was that Dowager empress Katleyanira¡¯s body could never enter this tomb. Her head was still disyed in the city and her body was given to the wild dogs to be eaten.


    And...


    I looked for a familiar figure on the coffin lid.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought the former emperor¡¯s coffin must be around here somewhere.¡±


    Lucretius pointed at the one right next to that of Empress Beatrice.


    ¡°It¡¯s this one.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was the former emperor¡¯s coffin?


    I asked to make sure, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butment. ¡°... I see that the sculptor was very generous.¡±


    Lucretius smirked. ¡°The former emperor had it made in advance and ordered it to look like that. He imed that he looked that good when he was younger.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I had no words.


    The position of his coffin made sense. As the husband, he was resting next to his wife Empress Beatrice. The figure on his coffin lid was that of a gorgeous young man, which was ridiculous.


    I felt ufortable. Would Empress Beatrice want to rest next to her husband even in death? This was the man who executed her.


    I patted her marble face gently. ¡°For some reason, she looks sad.¡±


    Lucretius came behind me. ¡°No, I think she looks happy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    He answered with a coy smile, ¡°Yes. Even a kind and soft-hearted woman like my mother wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be near the former emperor or Katleyanira even in death.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise.


    I thought Lucretius said the coffin next to Beatrice¡¯s was that of the former emperor, yet he said she would be happy because she wasn¡¯t with him?


    After a brief silence, I asked quietly as I pointed at the former emperor¡¯s coffin, ¡°Is... this an empty coffin?¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°No, but... his body inside is definitely not that of the former emperor.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°After the funeral, his body was removed and burned so his face wouldn¡¯t be recognizable. I then ordered it to be disposed of somewhere far away. I assumed his body was eaten by the wild animals. If he got lucky, perhaps his remains met with those of Katleyanira in a wild dog¡¯s belly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius sounded pleasant, but his face didn¡¯t show any joy. He continued in a low voice.


    ¡°I will end up here as well someday, so I didn¡¯t want him here.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    He added teasingly. ¡°You too, right?¡±


    ¡°... what?¡± It took me a while to understand what he meant.


    When I looked up at him, Lucretius turned towards me and exined, ¡°This is where you and I will rest together after our deaths.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So I didn¡¯t want this ce to be contaminated by that man.¡±


    He was so direct that there was no room for me to misunderstand. I stared at him, which made him smile like a boy.


    ¡°I understand if you are angry that I chose this ce to do this, but... I picked it because I thought this is a very meaningful spot.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius took both of my hands and said to me in a serious but sweet whisper, ¡°I don¡¯t know the world you were born in. I don¡¯t even think I will be able to return you there, but what I can do is to give you a ce to live out your life here and also after death.¡±


    Behind him was a raised area that remained empty. It must have been a ce for the next emperor and his wives.


    The spot on the left was for Lucretius and I could see he was asking me to be with him even in death.


    I felt my eyes tearing up.


    My voice trembled as I replied, ¡°This ce and your words... aren¡¯t romantic at all.¡±


    Lucretius smiled bitterly. ¡°I know. Sorry.¡±


    He then took out something from his inner pocket. It was a small ck box and inside was a seal ring. It wasn¡¯t as big or borate as Lucretius¡¯. It was made of silver and the seal itself consisted of a bird returning to its nest. I read the engraved word on it quietly.


    ¡°Bi... lenae?¡±


    Lucretius nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Bilenae. It is a word from an oldnguage, and it means bird. Tomorrow, I will rename Aeal colony as Bilenae and it will be yours.¡±


    ¡°Mine?¡±


    I stared at him in confusion. ¡°It is a marriage proposal gift from me. Thend where you arrived first... I want to give it to you. It is a smallnd, but I think it is meaningful.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When I continued to stare, Lucretius kneeled in front of me and asked, ¡°Will you be my wife?¡±


    ***


    Under the candlelight, I looked at the seal ring he gave me. I guess proposals were done the same way as on earth, but the ring had bigger significance here.


    He renamed an entirend and gave it to me as a gift. Along with it, I was given the title of Duchess Bilenae.


    The ce where I arrived in my own world.


    I told him once I would take everything away from the Aeal family, and he must have taken it seriously. With this ring, he made it a reality. I now had everything the Duke of Aeal once owned.


    I wondered why of all things, he gave me this.


    And why today?


    I put down the ring box as I looked at another box nearby. It was a white weaved box Yulia handed to me when I returned to the castle with Lucretius.


    Yulia said simply, ¡°This is from the priestess.¡±


    Lucretius proposed to me today, and I asked him to give me a little bit of time. He epted my answer calmly.


    As soon as we returned, a letter from the priestess was waiting for me.


    Of all days...


    I had already read the letter, but I opened the box again to re-read it. It was a short letter.


    After she returned to her temple, Priestess Izvita kept her promise and searched through the records of thisnd.


    She found it.


    Records of people from another world.


    There had been five times in the past where a person with a strange appearance appeared out of the blue. I was the sixth.


    Of the five, four of them were found dead, which meant including me, there were only two who arrived alive.


    The other girl that lived was called Yoonyoung.


    Every one of us was found in the Aeal forest. For some, only parts of their bodies were found.


    When Yoonyoung arrived, she became the concubine of the Duke of Aeal at the time. After a year, she gave birth to a son. The Duke and the Duchess at the time didn¡¯t have any children, so the duchess adopted Yoonyoung¡¯s son as her own and the young boy became the next heir.


    This was why after this generation, the Bonafits started to have unusual ck hair. One of their ancestors was from Korea.


    After losing her child to the duchess, Yoonyoung suffered from severe depression. The duke genuinely loved her, so one night, he took her out to the Aeal forest for a walk. The full moon was up, and it was about a year and a half after Yoonyoung arrived.


    There, they saw it.


    A ¡°gate¡± that opened with the force of the full moon.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure, but I thought when I first arrived, it was a full moon as well. I woke up during the day, but at night as I walked through the forest, I remember seeing a giant full moon through the trees.


    Yoonyoung apparently pushed the duke away and walked through the gate. She disappeared and was never seen again.


    The duke pined for her, so every full moon, he went into the forest and waited for the gate to open. It did open on rare asions, but no one ever walked through it again. In the end, the duke watched for the gate and recorded what he saw. He couldn¡¯t stand the fact that there would be no proof or record of the woman he loved. Therefore, one day, he left a letter asking to donate all the records he kept to the Aos temple.


    Then, he himself disappeared into the forest.

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127: <Chapter 127></h4>


    The priestess sent a summary of the records kept by the duke. I didn¡¯t care about the love story between the Duke of Aeal and Yoonyoung a few generations ago. What I wanted to know was about the ¡®gate¡¯ that could lead to my own world.


    It seemed that this gate did appear multiple times in the past on the nights of the full moon. Yoonyoung jumped into the gate and disappeared, but the problem was that it was impossible to know for sure if it led back to modern-day Korea. It was also uncertain whether it was safe to go through it. The letter did state that four out of six people were found dead in the forest, which meant there was a little over 30% chance of safety.


    However... I couldn¡¯t stop my hope reforming.


    I might be able to go back home.


    Home to my family.


    It might be possible.


    The night was getting dark, but I couldn¡¯t sleep.


    It was the longest night of my life.


    ***


    The next morning, Lucretius came to my room for breakfast.


    I said to him, who was sitting across the table, ¡°I want to visit the colony Bilenae for a while.¡±


    Lucretius was spreading marmde on a piece of white bread when he looked confused.


    ¡°Bilenae? Why?¡±


    I answered casually, ¡°Even if it¡¯s only in name, if I be the Duchess of Bilenae, it will be mynd. I want to at least have a look for myself.¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°But you spent a year there.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I was so busy learning the newnguage and the culture that I had no time to really see thend. And... I want to go there to get closure.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius studied me quietly. My face was nk so there was no way he could have read my dilemma fromst night.


    When I continued to look at him innocently, Lucretius nodded in surrender.


    ¡°Alright. I suppose the recent changes in its name and owner warrant a visit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    However, before I could say anything else, Lucretius added quickly.


    ¡°And I will go with you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When I remained quiet, he smiled innocently and asked, ¡°Why? Is there a reason why I can¡¯t go with you?¡±


    I smiled and shook my head. ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    So our very first outing was decided.


    We were to visit my newly namednd Bilenae.


    ***


    The chancellor was upset about our travel. He was getting a significant amount of help from me with work, so without me, he would have to take on everything again. However, once we returned, Lucretius would be back to work, so I knew the chancellor would be fine.


    The trip was surprisingly smooth. The road was clear and the servants were skilled. Everywhere we stopped by, we were greeted with an amazing respect.


    It was so different from when I was dragged to Cransia with Orlean. The carriage was even different. The one we were riding presently was much bigger and morefortable.


    I remembered vomiting on Orlean¡¯s dress on purpose. Orlean, Lisbeth, and her family were all dead now.


    I smiled.


    Lucretius seemed to have noticed something different about me when we first started out.


    He kept studying me, and when I smiled, he asked, ¡°Is there something funny?¡±


    I smiled again and replied, ¡°I just remembered the time when I left Aeal toe to Cransia. At the time, I was sent as a sacrifice, but now, I am returning as the new owner of thend.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a short silence, Lucretius asked, ¡°It would have been this same road. Did you ever try to escape? I can¡¯t imagine you epting your fate helplessly.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I did try a few times, but I failed every time. Besides, when I first left, I didn¡¯t know where I was going. I was told by the Duke that I was going to a nearby town to greet a guest.¡±


    The Duke of Aeal and Lisbeth were descendants of a woman named Yoonyoung, who came from another world just like me. Duke Aeal¡¯s hair color was very close to being ck just like mine. At the time, I thought it was a coincidence, but I now knew the reason.


    This didn¡¯t mean I felt any different about the Bonafit family. I just found it very interesting.


    I wondered how Yoonyoung felt when she arrived here. What did she think of this world? Did she really love Duke Aeal?


    What was she thinking when she went through the gate? She couldn¡¯t have been sure where it would lead.


    These were all the questions for me as well.


    What did I really want?


    For now, I didn¡¯t know for sure.


    I knew Lucretius could feel a strange tension between us, but we both pretended it wasn¡¯t there. We just continued to chat about mundane things.


    It took a week to get to our destination.


    I was enjoying the scenery in the carriage when suddenly, I noticed the familiar ce.


    ¡®Aeal forest.¡¯


    The ce where I arrived.


    Thend Lucretius gave me as a proposal gift.


    The sun was still high up but...


    Tonight was the full moon.


    ***


    When I entered the castle, I was surprised.


    ¡°There are... different people working here.¡±


    None of the people, who were standing in line to greet us, looked familiar.


    ¡°I ordered to have them reced. We can¡¯t trust those that worked for the Bonafits, so new people were chosen temporarily. You are the Duchess of Bilenae, so if you want to get other people, you are wee to do so.¡±


    When Lucretius gestured, a newly appointed butler hurriedly came by and offered to show us the castle.


    I refused.


    ¡°I have lived here for a year, so I know the way. His highness and I came here to rest, so there is no need for formalities.¡±


    I ordered only a minimum number of servants to remain in the castle and not to disturb us until called.


    I didn¡¯t want dinner. We had a huge feast of lunch when we stopped by at a nearby castle.


    I headed to the room where I spent a year in this castle. Just as he had done, Lucretius followed me quietly like a shadow. He didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of questioning me or stopping me. However, it was clear that he would stay close to me at all times.


    In my memory, I remembered my room being big and luxurious, but when I saw it again, I realized how faulty my memory was. It was shabbier than the smallest room in my wing at the Cransian castle.


    I looked underneath the bed to find a box filled with my things.


    My clothes and coat from my old world were still there.


    ¡°...¡±


    I touched them without a word.


    Lucretius, who had been quiet for a while, asked, ¡°Are those your clothes?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°They look strange.¡±


    I put the coat on the bed. It smelled like old dust.


    I knew this coat would look ridiculous if I wore it now on top of my dress. Lucretius studied it with confusion.


    ¡°In your homnd, does everyone wear so little clothes?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? This is a winter coat so it¡¯s quite thick.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s so narrow and short.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I supposedpared to the clothes we wear here, the modern-day clothes looked minimal.


    I grinned and hung the coat on a chair nearby.


    I said to him, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I will sleep here, so you...¡±


    Lucretius finished my sentence.


    ¡°I will stay here as well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was no reason for me to say no. He was legally my husband, and we had been sleeping on the same bed for most of the nights since we got married.


    He hugged me tightly. It had been over a month since he was injured.


    When he gentlyid me on the bed, I didn¡¯t refuse him. I gave myself to him desperately as if this could be ourst night.

 Chapter 128

    <h4>Chapter 128: <Chapter 128></h4>


    It waste in the night when the silence filled everywhere.


    Lucretius was holding me in his arms. When his breathing grew deep and even, I snuck out carefully and got dressed.


    I looked down at him for a while. This was the man who had been by my side for the past six months.


    A man who surprised me, angered me, scared me, and made me feel betrayed.


    A man who also made me happy, shy, and special.


    And... he was the man I loved.


    I left an envelope on the bed near him and grabbed my clothes from Earth.


    These were the only things left from my home. They were precious to me, and I always thought that if I ever returned home, I would take them with me.


    I didn¡¯t mean to leave them here when I left for Cransia. I didn¡¯t know I was leaving Aeal for good. If I did, I would have taken them.


    I was worried that the Aeal family got rid of them. Thus, when I saw them safe today, I felt relieved.


    I took them in my arms and left the room quietly.


    ***


    Of course, he was uneasy.


    Even though she gave him her body, he knew Bina was not hispletely. She was not like any woman from this world. He couldn¡¯t own her soul just by holding her.


    That was why she was so precious and lovely to him.


    However, it also made things so much more devastating for him, like a curse.


    The recent injury must have been harder on his body than he expected. After the long journey, he tried his best not to fall asleep but failed.


    When he suddenly woke up, he realized he was alone on the bed. He sat up quickly and shouted.


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    He noticed the envelope on the bed next to him. He grabbed it and took out its content.


    It wasn¡¯t a goodbye letter from Bina like he feared or expected.


    It was a letter from the priestess Izvita to Bina.


    Information on others like Bina who came from another world.


    The gate that opens on the nights of the full moon.


    A woman who disappeared into the gate a long time ago.


    Lucretius imagined the woman with ck hair leaving this world.


    Just like Bina with her ck hair.


    He couldn¡¯t help but scream.


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Bina...¡±


    He called out her name.


    ¡°Bina!¡±


    He cried out her name over and over again.


    How long ago did Bina leave the room? How long will the ¡®gate¡¯ remain open?


    Different thoughts haunted him as he roamed the rough forest.


    He looked up at the sky and red at the cursed full moon. He couldn¡¯t tell how many hours he had been searching for her.


    Suddenly, Lucretius remembered the story in the priestess¡¯ letter.


    A ck-haired woman disappearing into the gate and a man who yearned for her for his entire life until he disappeared into the same forest.


    Just like Bina and himself.


    What happened to that duke? Did he die in the forest looking for his love? Was his skeleton in these woods somewhere?


    Perhaps, he jumped into the gate to follow her?


    Ominous thoughts filled his head, so he shook his head.


    ¡°No, no. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    He would make sure to find her.


    When he did then... what would he do?


    He made her a promise that he would help her return to her home. After he fell in love with her, he promised he would let her make her own choice, and if she chose to leave him, he wouldn¡¯t stop her.


    He was confident at the time she would choose him, but now... he realized what an idiot he was.


    He knew what kind of obsessive monster he was.


    He should have been more cautious, but to his defense, he thought there was no chance for her to find her way back home. Since he believed this, he thought he could be patient with her and wait.


    The sword in his hand whispered to him.


    ¡®Find her. Find her and make her yours forever.¡¯


    His head filled itself with crazy thoughts.


    ¡®I need to make sure she can never run away from me again, but if I kill her... she won¡¯t be able to run from me. However, she also won¡¯t be able to love me too. Then should I cut her foot off?¡¯


    ¡®No, I can¡¯t cut her pretty ankle.¡¯


    ¡®Then why not just cut her Achilles tendons?¡¯


    The monster inside him continued to whisper horrendous suggestions, but Lucretius ignored them.


    Bina probably didn¡¯t know that he was an unforgivable beast.


    That was probably why she dared to run away from him.


    Like a bird.


    She flew away with her wings.


    He purposely ordered her seal design to be a bird returning to its nest in desperate hopes. He wanted to be her nest, and he prayed she would always return to him even when she learned to fly.


    He truly believed this was possible, but...


    She flew away.


    Would he be able to get her back?


    If he did find her, what would he do?


    Even if he was lucky enough to find her before she left through the gate, what could he do?


    Should he drag her back by force? Against her will?


    Should he break his promise to her and make her give up her desire to return to her world?


    Could he live with her resentment and devastation for life?


    His sword whispered again, ¡®Then make her choose you.¡¯


    ¡®She loves you. At least, that much is true.¡¯


    ¡®So threaten to kill yourself.¡¯


    ¡®Before she can go through the gate, give her your life.¡¯


    He knew he could never hurt her. Even if it would help to keep her here, he could never harm her.


    Then there was only one way.


    If he found her, he would stab himself in front of her. He would stab himself in a delicate spot, so he would need immediate attention from a doctor. This would force her to run and get someone from the castle.


    He didn¡¯t want to die, but he wasn¡¯t afraid of death either. He had lived for 27 years with constant threats. His biggest fear was losing Bina, not death.


    The feeling when he woke up and found her missing... He couldn¡¯t even describe it. It was despair, fear, and more.


    If he had to live without her, his life would be hell, and it would be better to just end it now. If she chose to return even when he offered her his life, then so be it.


    He was willing to make this bet. What he could gain from it was so much bigger than what he may lose.


    He made his decision.


    Lucretius continued to walk fast despite the ache he felt in his legs.


    Just then, he saw it.


    There was a hole in the sky. This gap... was drawing in the moonlight.


    At the same time, he also smelled something burning.


    His instinct told him that he needed to follow the smell and the light. Something strange was happening there.


    He started to run. He was already breathless. His body was still not fully recovered from his injury, but he felt nothing, no pain at all.


    Finally, he found it.


    A huge gap in the middle of the forest.


    And a woman standing in front of it.


    The moonlight shined brightly from the sky, and it was being absorbed by the dark gap like a waterfall. Her ck hair danced around her, and the scene reminded Lucretius of what was described in the priestess¡¯ letter.


    The woman who stood in front of the gate that brought her to a strange world.


    The man who ran after her in an attempt to stop her.


    However, the woman jumped into the gate without hesitation.


    The woman disappeared into the darkness, leaving the man in despair.


    The gate closed afterward.


    The exact same thing was happening many generationster.


    Lucretius cried out with everything he had.


    ¡°Bina!¡±

 Chapter 129

    <h4>Chapter 129: <Chapter 129></h4>


    He ran towards her. He dropped his sword and opened his arms towards her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± His voice reeked of desperation. ¡°Don¡¯t abandon me!¡±


    He reached her and grabbed her with both of his arms. When he finally had her locked in his embrace, the feel of her familiar warmth gave him such a relief that it almost made him copse to the ground.


    He whispered the name that was his life, ¡°Bina.¡±


    The woman turned around slowly to him and Lucretius saw it.


    A single stream of tear from her eye.


    ¡°Bina?¡±


    He then saw something unexpected on the ground nearby.


    The unpleasant burning smell continued to haunt him. It was a small fire and in it were the clothes she brought from her world.


    They were burning slowly into ashes.


    After a long hesitation, Lucretius finally asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina didn¡¯t answer. She instead turned her head to stare at therge gap, the gate, that continued to swallow the moonlight.


    When her gaze reached it, Lucretius held her even tighter. He became fearful that she might escape his arms and run into the gate.


    Just like the other ck-haired woman a long time ago.


    They stood like statues for a long time until the darkness of the night slowly disappeared. The blue light started to fill the forest. The moon was bing faint as the morning approached.


    With that, the gate was also slowly getting smaller and fainter. By this time, only the ck ashes of Bina¡¯s old clothes remained.


    The moon was gonepletely, but the sun hadn¡¯te up yet. It wasn¡¯t night anymore, but not quite morning either.


    Bina finally opened her mouth.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to respond to her, but it didn¡¯t seem like she wanted an answer from him as she continued.


    ¡°I understand if you get angry, but to be honest, I never intended to go through the gate from the beginning anyway. The reason why I left that letter for you is... I admit I just wanted to see if you woulde after me.¡±


    Her voice started to tremble, and Lucretius couldn¡¯t help but hold her even tighter.


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    ¡°I am a selfish and annoyingly rational person, and that is why when I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn¡¯t jump through it.¡±


    A faint and small remnant of the gate remained in front of them.


    Bina continued, ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be able to go home safely through that gate... Only two out of six people arrived here alive...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So obviously I couldn¡¯t go through with it. I am a coward and there is no guarantee that the other side of this gate is my own world! I don¡¯t want to die! Yet...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I know logically it makes sense to live here forever rather than return home as a corpse, yet...¡±


    She finally started to sob as the small dark gap finally disappearedpletely.


    ¡°If I saw something through it, I might have done it.¡±


    Until the gate disappeared, the inside remained dark and unknown. Bina couldn¡¯t see her home inside the darkness.


    ¡°If I saw my home and my family inside the gap, I would have jumped into it without hesitation. Maybe... I still wouldn¡¯t do it because I knew I might die... Perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to do it...¡± Bina continued to cry as she added, ¡°I am a useless coward.¡±


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    She roughly pulled away from him to face him.


    She screamed through her tears, ¡°I never had the courage to bet my life and jump into the gate, yet I still wanted you to go through the fear of losing me ande after me! I wouldn¡¯t leave, but I came here because I felt worried that you might note after me. I wanted to make sure...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina added, ¡°As you can see, I am a coward... I am weak and selfish, and now you know... Even then... Can you still tell me that you love me?¡±


    She screamed silently.


    ¡®Please tell me you do!¡¯


    ¡®Make me believe you!¡¯


    Lucretius smiled and kissed her. He kissed her forehead, nose, and her lips tenderly.


    ¡°I am happy, Bina.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you chose me, right? How could I not be happy?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I just didn¡¯t have the courage. I was being a coward.¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember her name, but the other woman from your world did jump into the gate. Yet you are still here. You didn¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°She had the courage, and I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Lucretius denied her logic with all his heart. If he didn¡¯t, then he would never have Binapletely. He needed to convince her.


    ¡°No, that woman couldn¡¯t find any reason to stay here. Even her husband and her child weren¡¯t enough to keep her here. That was why she jumped without hesitation and the man couldn¡¯t stop her.¡±


    Lucretius was guessing at this point. If those people heard what he was saying right now, they might get angry at how he misjudged them. However, Lucretius was sure of his judgment.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t jump. That is because you have something to live for in this world. You chose a life here and... there is nothing that would give me greater joy.¡±


    Lucretius hugged Bina again and whispered, ¡°You have no idea how happy you made me and how thankful I am for you. You... you just gave me my life. You gave the world to me.¡±


    Fresh tears filled Bina¡¯s eyes when Lucretius emphasized his words as if to engrave them into her heart.


    ¡°So from now on, I will be your world.¡±


    She sobbed, but thankfully there was no one else in the forest to see them.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Bina said to him for the first time.


    It took a long time, but finally, she was home.


    ***


    ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    Lucretius asked me with clear adoration in his eyes. I supposed that even if he was angry at me, he wouldn¡¯t have shown it.


    I nodded slowly.


    This morning, I cried in his arms like I had never cried in my life. I cried more than that night of the ball when I first realized I could trust him.


    Even though the rational side of me understood the logic of my decision to stay, I couldn¡¯t help having mixed feelings. At least until now, I always had a hope that I might be able to return home, but not anymore.


    That was why I burnt the only things I had left from my home. It was my goodbye to my world. Goodbye to my sadness and love for my family. Goodbye to the life I might have had on earth.


    A closure.


    I pulled myself away from Lucretius. When the gate was still open, he was unwilling to let go of his arms, but now, he seemed more rxed.


    I got down to the ground and started to dig a hole with my hands beside the ashes of my clothes. After a brief hesitation, Lucretius did the same to help me.


    Thankfully, the ground was soft. When a good-sized hole was made, I filled it with the ashes of my clothes and covered it.


    It was like a funeral, just like they would have had for me on earth.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°Now that I think about it, if you started burning your clothes right away when you arrived here... They would have already turned into ashes by the time I found you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I looked away.


    ¡°Did you by chance wait for me toe before you start burning them?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t admit it since I was too embarrassed.


    However, it was true. I threw the clothes into the fire only when I started hearing Lucretius crying out my name.


    I knew my face was bing red, so I stayed on the ground and continued to pat the small grave of my clothes.


    Suddenly, Lucretius¡¯ hands covered my own. When I looked up, he was smiling widely at me. He pulled me up and kissed my dirt-covered hand without hesitation.


    He then whispered, ¡°I want to hear your answer now.¡±


    ¡°What answer?¡±


    Lucretius kneeled in front of me, just like he did at the royal tomb.


    His voice sounded excited.


    ¡°I will propose to you again. Not as the emperor of Cransia, but as a man named Lucretius, to a woman named Bina.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His lips opened and the beautiful emotional words spilled out.


    ¡°Will you be my wife?¡±

 Chapter 130

    <h4>Chapter 130: <Chapter 130></h4>


    I burst intoughter. My face probably looked dirty and ridiculous.


    I asked him teasingly, ¡°Could there be another man who is as unromantic as you? Last time, you proposed at a tomb. This time, you are proposing without a ring or even a flower?¡±


    Lucretius answered shamelessly as usual, ¡°I myself represents my oath to you like a ring does and you are the flower, so why would we need anything else? We have everything, so would you give me your answer now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Will you be my wife? Will you live with me for the rest of our lives in this world?¡±


    I nodded and jumped into his arms. My voice shook as I tried to sound sassy.


    ¡°Fine. Who else would take someone like you? I guess, I better do it.¡±


    Our lips met again, and the sun rose above our head as if to congratte us. We stayed together in the forest for a very long time.


    ***


    After that night, everything returned to normal. We enjoyed the calm rxing vacation at the Bilenae castle before returning to our home,


    The week we spent away felt like our honeymoon. In this world, honeymoons didn¡¯t exist, so when I exined the concept, Lucretius seemed very interested.


    ¡°What a fantastic policy.¡±


    I dipped my feet in cold spring, which were everywhere in this castle, and replied, ¡°I know, but it wouldn¡¯t work for us.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    I smiled lightly. ¡°If we said we wanted to go on a honeymoon, the chancellor will lead his own rebellion. There is too much work for him alone.¡±


    Lucretius wanted to deny it, but it was the truth.


    ¡°Hmm, I guess... And Cornelius would make an even more dangerous enemy than Katleyanira.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s just enjoy whatever time we have left here and return home.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not enough...¡±


    We were getting used to our peaceful time together. Just the two of us.


    Lucretius seemed genuinely disappointed. While he contemted, I giggled and sprayed him with the spring water.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    Iughed as he seemed surprised. He grabbed me quickly before I could escape and carried me to the castle.


    He was heading towards... our bedroom.


    I became red as I protested, ¡°I, it¡¯s broad daylight!¡±


    He replied brazenly and firmly, ¡°This is an important national matter.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°We need to make an heir before we leave.¡±


    ¡°You animal!¡±


    ***


    After a sweet but short vacation, we returned to Cransia. As I greeted those who came out to celebrate our return, I realized that these were the people I was to live with for the rest of my life.


    Lucretius hugged me from behind, reminding me that I was to live my life with him.


    Everyone greeted us in unison, ¡°Congrattions on your return, your highness.¡±


    Before we left to Bilenae, Lucretius left an order for the empire to carry out in our absence. It was to make an important announcement. While we were gone, the chancellor and the Senate approved it unanimously.


    I was told that it was all thanks to my help during the dowager empress¡¯ rebellion, and how I took over Lucretius¡¯ duties during his recovery.


    The result of it all was seeing the noblemening out to greet me.


    ¡°Congrattions, your highness the empress!¡±


    ***


    Our official wedding and my coronation were to take ce in two months at the same time.


    I moved to the empress¡¯s quarters. All my things were already moved and arranged in the new rooms while I was gone with Lucretius. It hadn¡¯t been a year since Katleyanira was gone. When I first arrived at Cransia, this wing was hers. At the time, I never imagined that I would be its upant someday.


    The empress¡¯ wing was next to the emperor¡¯ chambers and it was the most extravagant area of all the ces one could find in the castle. It was even bigger than the emperor¡¯s wing since the empress was considered to be the head of the castle¡¯s internal affairs.


    It recently went through reconstruction after the fire, but it was changed again during my absence.


    When I stared at the new blue outer wall, Lucretius asked me like a puppy wanting praise.


    ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t... get them to renovate the whole ce in two weeks, did you?¡±


    Even my maids were smiling proudly.


    I continued worriedly, ¡°It would have cost so much...¡±


    From the look of it, it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary blue paint. Throughout the deep blue color were golden powders sparking stunningly.


    Lucretius proudly answered, ¡°I had them use paint made ofpiszuli. I thought this color would suit you the best.¡±


    My eyes widened.


    ¡°Lapiszuli... Are you sure this is okay with our royal budget? I know there wasn¡¯t any money left from my personal fund since I gave everything away to the shelter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my empress. We confiscated everything from the traitors, so we¡¯re doing fine. I only used a small portion of it.¡±


    I nodded with a bright smile and patted his head.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    When I was about to enter, Lucretius suddenly lifted me.


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    He kissed my forehead and carried me into my new room.


    My bed was... covered with rose petals, making me feel embarrassed.


    ***


    The Cransian empress¡¯ coronation was an event for all the high ranking figures of this kingdom to attend to and a ceremony for all the other nations to send their envoys.


    There were only fifteen days left and Genoa was the first to send a team of envoys headed by the first prince Izid again.


    As soon as he arrived, he visited the emperor with a congrattory gift.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Prince Izid.¡±


    After the formalities, Izid presented a box.


    ¡°This is the item I promised youst time. It is a gift from the King of Genoa to celebrate her highness¡¯ coronation.¡±


    Lucretius smiled in satisfaction and opened the box.


    Inside was a deep blue diamond that looked like a piece of sky.


    Lucretius picked it up with a gloved hand. It was hundreds of years old and cut to perfection. It sparkled brightly as Lucretius whispered.


    ¡°Blue tear of the goddess.¡±


    It was one of the national treasures of Genoa and was one of the precious stones on Genoan King¡¯s official crown.


    Now, it was in Lucretius¡¯ hands. He smiled in approval.


    ¡°You must have worked very hard to get me this. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It was the King who made the decision.¡±


    ¡°But without your persuasion, the king wouldn¡¯t have let it go. I appreciate your effort, and I will not forget it.¡±


    Izid smiled meaningfully. ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    Lucretius added nonchntly, ¡°With this, Cransia will continue its amicable rtionship with Genoa during your current king¡¯s reign and your own after.¡±


    ¡°The king will be very happy to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Now I can¡¯t remember, do you have a wife, Prince Izid?¡± Lucretius asked as if he suddenly remembered something.


    They both knew where this was going, but Prince Izid feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I lost my wife two years ago during childbirth.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, and the child?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t survive either.¡±


    Lucretius frowned and apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bring up a sad memory.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Again, Lucretius said to him casually, ¡°Oh, if you get a chance, please visit the princesses. Clodys is visiting his fianc¨¦ Princess Liliana currently, and I¡¯m sure they will be happy to see you again. Roselia too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Prince Izid was over ten years older than Princess Roselia, but it wasn¡¯t umon for people ofrge age gaps to marry especially among royal families. More importantly, Roselia apparently became lovesick after seeing Izid once.


    Allowing Izid to marry a legitimate Cransia princess would be a fine repayment enough for the diamond. It would even help Izid win the throne.


    Lucretius smiled and looked down at the shiny jewelry.


    It reminded him of her.

 Chapter 131

    <h4>Chapter 131: <Chapter 131></h4>


    ¡°Bina?¡±


    When he entered her bedroom, Bina was sleeping soundly. She looked like a snail, hugging a pillow and hiding underneath a mountain of nket.


    She continued to sleep, not hearing him calling her name.


    Immediately after their trip, she had a lot of work waiting for her. On top of that, she was also busy with the preparation for the uing coronation. She must have been very tired.


    Lucretius ced the box he¡¯s carrying down on the bed and looked down at her quietly. Her pink cheeks looked so adorable that he couldn¡¯t help but put his lips on them. The sugary smooth skin felt heavenly, but she felt a little warmer than usual.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Was she getting sick?


    When he was about to get worried, Bina¡¯s eyes opened. Her beautiful ck eyes looked sleepy, but when she spotted him, she smiled. She looked so delightful that Lucretius again couldn¡¯t stop himself from kissing her forehead.


    She was his forever. She stayed in this world. She remained in his arms, and he loved her for it.


    ¡°Luc?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She seemed tired, but he wanted her attention. The gift he had been nning to give her for a very long time had finally arrived.


    The frame had been prepared in advance. When the stone arrived today, Lucretius ran to the royal workshop in the castle. The blue tear of the goddess was ced onto the crown carefully.


    When Bina sat up against the headboard, Lucretius handed her the box.


    Bina asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Lucretius gestured for her to open without a word. It was a big box, and when she opened it, she became speechless.


    ¡°T, this is...¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes wavered. In front of her was a blindingly beautiful royal crown.


    A crown for an empress.


    She had seen it before already. She carried it herself during Lucretius¡¯ coronation in ce of the empress. However, it looked different now, and she realized that it was because of the new stone.


    Bina murmured, ¡°The blue tear of the goddess...¡±


    She had never seen it in person, but there could be no other diamond that looked so stunning as the blue tear.


    Bina looked overwhelmed. ¡°How did you...?¡±


    Lucretius shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It took a bit of an effort, but don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t have to go to war for it. As you know, we don¡¯t have the time for war anyway.¡±


    ¡°I... guess, but... how...¡± Bina¡¯s dazed eyes sparkled as her voice trembled.


    Lucretius exined nonchntly, ¡°It is more like a gift to us from Genoa for not going to war with them. Besides... Good news will be announced very soon.¡±


    ¡°Good news?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Remember what you told me? Roselia fell in love with Prince Izid at first sight, and she has been lovesick ever since.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°After your coronation, we will officially announce the engagement. Roselia is still too young, so her marriage will have to take ce in a few years.¡±


    ¡°And for that... Genoa gave up this jewel?¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°There has been never a case where a legitimate Cransian princess was married to a Genoan royalty. This will be the first time. Plus, Roselia still is, technically, in line for the throne, which would be a huge bonus for Genoa.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina blushed for reasons she herself is unaware of.


    Lucretius kissed her cheek and said to her, ¡°I think you really do have a fever. You better rest. I wanted to show you my gift, so I woke you up, but that was a mistake. You need to go back to sleep.¡±


    Lucretius gently helped Bina into the bed. He treated her as if she was the lightest feather in all of Cransia. Bina looked at him lovingly.


    ¡°I... have a gift for you too.¡±


    Lucretius looked curious.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Bina pulled his hand towards her and ced it on her lower belly.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Bina burst intoughter at Lucretius¡¯ confused expression. He looked genuinely baffled. He was adorable.


    Bina hugged him tightly andughed. ¡°Or is it more like a gift for me from you?¡±


    ¡°... huh?¡±


    He finally looked stunned, which was very unusual for him.


    Bina whispered to him again, ¡°Thank you, and I love you.¡±


    Bina epted and understood now that this was her world.


    She would live out her life with him.


    In his world.


    Now, it was hers as well.


    ***


    ¡°Waaaaa!¡±


    ¡°His highness! Her highness!¡±


    ¡°Long live the emperor and the empress!¡±


    People roared excitedly all around us. I was wearing the purest and the most beautiful white dress as I stood in front of the crowd. The man escorting me, the young handsome emperor, looked at me with a joyful smile. He looked like he had the world in his hands.


    It was because he had me. No one could deny the love in his eyes as he looked at me.


    Incredible happiness filled my heart.


    We rode a specially made white carriage all around the city. Everywhere we went, people congratted us loudly.


    For this day, all of the stores in the city were closed. Instead, the owners gave out food and drinks for free. The emperor promised he would pay for everything after the event.


    Men drank heavily and eximed that it was all thanks to the generous new empress. I felt embarrassed, but still very happy.


    Young girls ran around with baskets filled with white flower petals and threw them everywhere like confetti.


    It was such a happy day. I saw joy and bliss everywhere.


    Finally, we arrived at the city center where a stage and the thrones were prepared. For today, Katleyanira¡¯s and other traitors¡¯ heads were removed for obvious reasons.


    I saw two regal thrones.


    One for the emperor and one for the empress.


    The stage was quite high. Lucretius and I walked up to the stairs together slowly but steadily. He leaned on me, and I on him.


    An archbishop sent personally by the Priestess was waiting for us at the top with my crown on a silver tray. Lucretius picked up the crown with the dazzling blue diamond. I was about to kneel to receive the crown from the emperor to abide Cransian tradition. However, when I was about to do it, Lucretius stopped me.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    When I looked up at him in confusion, Lucretius smiled at me gently.


    ¡°You are now my wife, so you never need to bow down to anyone. Not even to me.¡±


    Lucretius ordered me to stand, and he ced the crown on my head.


    The crown with the priceless blue jewel.


    The crown for the empress.


    The crown created just for me.


    The people apuded and roared, ¡°Waaaa!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Your highness the emperor!¡±


    ¡°Your highness the empress!¡±


    Slowly, people started to kneel as a show of respect. It was quite a spectacr view as so many people kneeled like an ocean wave.


    They congratted us with genuine happiness.


    ¡°Long live the emperor and the empress!¡±


    Lucretius whispered to me secretly, ¡°I will love only you, and I will be your world. Will you do the same for me?¡±


    This was our wedding day. I couldn¡¯t help my eyes from tearing up, but I said with absolute certainty.


    ¡°Yes. I will love only you and live in your world.¡±


    I meant what I said.


    I chose his world.


    This was my world now.


    I made the choice by myself.


    There was one thing constantly bothering me ever since I arrived here.


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    Why did it have to be me who fell into this world?


    Was there a meaningful reason behind it?


    If I couldn¡¯t get back to my own world and if I died here, was there a point in my life in my previous life?


    I was fearful and desperate.


    However, now, at this moment, I finally figured out the answer.


    There was no meaning or reason behind why I got here.


    I realized no one was born with a clear purpose. Instead, people made their lives meaningful by themselves and chose their own purposes.


    Everyone suffered from unknowns and uncertainties of life. It didn¡¯t matter where one lived; it was just a part of life.


    Thus, I now believed that there was no deep meaning behind why I fell into this world. If I wanted one, then all I had to do was to make it myself.


    I would choose, live, and be happy in this world. This would be my way of creating a purpose for myself and leave proof of my existence.


    I felt certain as I smiled. Lucretius looked at me and smiled as well.


    I, no¡ªwe were certain that our oaths woulde true.


    Our future would be what we make of it, and everything we promised will be kept.


    -end.

 Chapter 132 -

    <h4>Chapter 132: <Epilogue 1.1: So they lived happily ever after. And......?></h4>


    Fairy tales often ended with a clich¨¦ sentence.


    ¡°And they lived happily ever after.¡±


    Everyone wanted a happy ending, but just because thest page of the book was done, it didn¡¯t mean the characters¡¯ lives were over. In fact, in this case, only a very small portion of the characters¡¯ lives was included in the story.


    Their lives actually really began after the end of this novel.


    Lucretius knew this very well.


    Marriage was not an ending. It was only the beginning.


    It was the same for pregnancy. He realized after Bina¡¯s coronation, their lives were just about to begin.


    Therefore, the main story starts now.


    ***


    ¡°How long will the empress be in such difort?¡± Lucretius used Lowson angrily.


    He wanted to scream at him, but his pregnant wife was nearby. He had heard of a pregnant woman losing a baby from shock. Although he knew this was only a myth, he couldn¡¯t help but be careful whenever possible.


    the emperor asked Lowson this same question over and over again for the past few weeks. As the doctor of the royal family, Lowson was the most skilled medical practitioner in the empire as well as in diplomacy and politics. He was tactful and logical with his answers to the emperor¡¯s redundant question.


    ¡°Usually, the second trimester gets morefortable, so that would be after four months.¡±


    Lucretius again asked the questions he asked several times before, ¡°But usually means not always, right? Samantha and Agnes told me there are times whendies suffer for the entire period of their pregnancies.¡±


    ¡°That... is possible.¡±


    ¡°I also heard that my own birthmother suffered for eight months.¡±


    Lowson wisely tried to console the expectant father who seemed overly anxious.


    ¡°My wife stopped feeling ufortable at the four-month mark. Your highness, everyone is very different, so please, don¡¯t be too worried.¡±


    Lucretius frowned unhappily and murmured, ¡°But... the empress has been suffering like that for a long time now.¡±


    He pointed at the luxurious bed nearby. They were standing in the empress¡¯ bedroom. The bed was covered with sheer white curtain and inside was the empress, resting wearily after another bout of vomiting.


    All the maids surrounded the bed to take care of the pregnant empress. They brought everything they could think of that may help her. Fresh fruit juice, carbonated water avable only in a faraway Mount Lutena, and small biscuits made of only flour, salt, and water.


    Yulia also brought a specially made ginger ale her aunt had sent her. She imed that it helped her a great deal during her own pregnancy.


    Bina was talking to Samantha weakly. Her voice was so faint, it was hard to hear.


    Lucretius looked at the scene desperately and harassed Lowson.


    ¡°I was so relieved to see her eat something this morning, but she threw everything up afterward! It has already been over four months, yet she is still like this! How will she survive the other several months?! You are the royal doctor, so you need to do something!¡±


    When Lucretius started to shout at Lowson, Bina murmured to Samantha.


    Samantha came to the emperor and ryed the message.


    ¡°Umm... Your highness, her highness requested that youe to her.¡±


    Lucretius ran towards the bed without hesitation. When he opened the curtain, Bina was sitting against arge pillow, looking very pale.


    Lucretius sat down and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Did you want to tell me something?¡±


    When Bina gestured, the maids left the bedside quietly. When they were far away, Bina pinched Lucretius¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so overdramatic. You sound like I¡¯m dying or something.¡±


    Lucretius smiled at first but quickly frowned. He sounded unhappy.


    ¡°Your pinch is so weak now that it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina wanted to p his back as hard as she could. He was being ridiculous!


    She would have done it despite the fact that they had an audience, but she really did feel weak. All she could do was to nag her out of his paranoia.


    ¡°Stop ming innocent Lowson again.¡±


    Lucretius answered seriously, ¡°How could he be innocent!? He is responsible for the royal family¡¯s health, and, therefore, any difort you feel means he is guilty!¡±


    Bina smiled feebly. ¡°He is innocent. I am unwell but it¡¯s not because he did anything wrong. He didn¡¯t misdiagnose me or anything. Besides...¡± Bina lowered her voice even more and whispered, ¡°Whose fault is it really? Do you think you have the right to get angry at Lowson?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius had no excuse because it was true. Bina smiled at him.


    ¡°So please stop bullying Lowson and just stay by my side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to, my empress.¡±


    Lucretius had Bina rest her head on his legs and tried to cool her down with a fan the maids brought for her.


    It waste spring; it was unusually hot during the day. The summer was expected to be scorching, and Lucretius was worried about how hard it would be for Bina.


    He would have dly suffered for her, but there was no way for him to take her pain away from her. He wanted to get her anything she wanted; if she asked, he would search the whole world for it.


    That was why he asked the question that would make his life miserable.


    ¡°Is there anything you would like to eat? Anything you think you might be able to keep down?¡±


    Bina hesitated. It was unusual for her to look so uncertain and weak. Lucretius felt heartbroken and insisted gently.


    ¡°Tell me. I just want to do something for you.¡±


    Bina continued to hesitate, but at Lucretius¡¯ persistence, she finally answered.


    It was an answer that would Lucretius for a very long time.


    ¡°The thing is... I want to eat my mom¡¯s [kimchi stew].¡±


    This was the most difficult job he had ever had to face in this entire life.


    ***


    This was the first time since the dowager empress Katleyanira¡¯s rebellion Lucretius was stumped this badly. He thought he was getting a headache.


    Lucretius sat in his office alone and looked down on the paper that held the description of this dish. From the words alone, he couldn¡¯t even imagine what it would look like.


    Kimchi stew. It was made of something called kimchi and meat or fish. It tasted spicy, sour, and savory.


    This was all he heard of the dish from Bina. Since he had never seen it before, he had no idea what it could be.


    Bina seemed so weak and tired until she started to talk about this dish. She perked up visibly and swallowed a few times just thinking about it. If talking about it made her this alive, then what would the actual dish do to her?!


    He was a man who was capable and willing to do anything. This was the woman who chose him and gave up her own world. She was carrying his child and suffering dreadfully. The only thing she asked for from him was this dish.


    He was willing to search his entire kingdom for it if it existed here. He was also willing to go to war if it only existed in other nations.


    However, the problem was that it didn¡¯t exist in this world.


    To get it, he would have to send someone to Aeal, now Bilenae, forest. On the night of the full moon, that person would have to go through the magical gate. However, there was no guarantee if that person would arrive at the right ce or even survive the journey.


    This was an impossible task.


    He felt hopeless.


    Until this request, everything was going great. Politically and financially, Lucretius¡¯ reign was solid. He was able to get rid of all the dowager empress¡¯ forces and confiscates all of their wealth.


    He also now had an official empress about to give him a legitimate offspring. There were absolutely no problems for him.


    ... until now.


    Lucretius looked down on the piece of paper again. It was such a mystery, but at least he had a description of its appearance and taste. He could gather the best of the chefs in Cransia and perhaps they could recreate the dish.


    This was a matter of incredible importance. This was for the empress and their child. This was a national matter!


    Lucretius was determined.

 Chapter 133

    <h4>Chapter 133: <Epilogue 1.2></h4>


    That night.


    Lucretius entered the empress¡¯ bedroom quietly. None of the maids were aware of his visit because he didn¡¯t use the door. Instead, he walked in through a secret passage.


    His wife¡¯s room was dead quiet. Bina was on the bed, and she seemed to be asleep. He knew she had a particrly bad day today.


    Lucretius sat down a tray on a nearby table and walked towards the bed. He was being so quiet and careful that he looked like a thief rather than a husband visiting his wife.


    When he lifted the beautifulcy curtain, he saw his precious wife inside, lying on the bed. He made a great effort not to make any noise as he got into the bed next to her. She looked even thinner than this morning. Perhaps she was having a nightmare since drops of sweat covered her forehead.


    Lucretius felt anxious as he wiped her forehead gently. She felt warmer, which he was told was something normal for a pregnant woman. Whenever he hugged her now, he felt like he was hugging a nice toasty firece. He wondered if he would melt someday due to her warmth.


    He thought she was deep in her sleep, but Bina flinched when she felt his hand. He stilled nervously. Thankfully, she continued to sleep. In fact, she must have liked the coolness of his hand as she stopped frowning. She seemed to crave his touch, and he fell in love with her all over again.


    Lucretius felt a sudden desire to hold her tight, but that meant he would end up waking her up, so he stopped himself.


    Heid down beside her with the greatest caution he could possibly muster and ced his arm underneath her head. Luckily, he seeded in not waking her up. He sighed in relief and smiled as she got closer to him by habit. Even in her sleep, she wanted to be closer to him, making him feel ecstatic.


    He had nagged and threatened the royal chefs all day to make the dish. Unfortunately, the food was getting cold right now, but it didn¡¯t matter. Bina¡¯s sleep was much more important, and he could get the chefs to make it again tomorrow morning when she woke up.


    It was good to be an emperor.


    Lucretius fell asleep happy that night with his love in his arms.


    ***


    Next morning.


    Bina woke up feeling much better. It had been long since she slept so well. It was already in the middle of the morning, which meant she slept in.


    She already knew nausea was part of being pregnant even before she came to this world. She saw enough of it on TV shows and movies when she was on Earth. At the time, she didn¡¯t think much of it. In fact, she thought the actresses were acting in an exaggerated manner. Now, she finally realized how ignorant she was.


    Morning sickness was no joke.


    Even her favorite dishes made her feel sick. She couldn¡¯t even tolerate its smell and because of it, she was on an unexpected and unwanted diet. Even the smell and taste of vegetables bothered her. She was losing weight while her belly grew.


    Bina was almost going crazy. On top of the morning sickness, she was also suffering from insomnia. It was difficult to fall asleep and staying asleep was an even harder dilemma. She expected morning sickness, but she hadn¡¯t realized insomnia was part of being pregnant.


    For the first three months, she actually slept too much. She often took naps and felt sleepy all the time. However, into her second trimester, insomnia followed. There were nights when she couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    She was about to lose her mind, but finally,st night, she slept well. She felt rewarded after such a long period of suffering.


    What a nice sleep she had!


    She even felt a little bit of hunger. It had been so long since she felt any desire for food. She stretched her hands, readying herself for another day. She was about to get out of the bed and call for the maids when she saw a figure outside the curtain. He looked familiar and she gasped.


    He must have snuck into her bedroom again through the secret passage. This meant she slept through the noise of him entering the room and sleeping beside her. It was shocking that she slept so deeply. Of course, Bina didn¡¯t know how careful Lucretius acted so he wouldn¡¯t wake her up.


    Bina called out quietly.


    ¡°Luc...?¡±


    The figure stopped suddenly and picked up something from the table. Lucretius opened the curtain and asked, ¡°Are you awake? Did you sleep well?¡±


    Bina nodded and looked at the object he was holding.


    ¡°Yes, I had a nice sleep. By the way, what is that?¡±


    Lucretius was holding an extravagant silver bed tray with a matching cover. He mimicked the servants as he ced it theatrically on Bina¡¯sp.


    Bina reached out for it expectantly. It has been so long since she felt hungry.


    ¡°What could this be?¡±


    When she was about to open the tray, Lucretius stopped her gently. When Bina looked up at him in confusion, he shook his head.


    ¡°No, I will do it for you.¡±


    Bina was surprised for a second but smiled widely. If her husband wanted to do all the work, then he was certainly wee to do it! She would make him work! An emperor of the biggest kingdom volunteering to be her help! Sa Bina would never refuse.


    Bina nodded and leaned backfortably. Lucretius got a cushion for her so she could be even morefortable.


    Bina asked teasingly, ¡°What could this be that you are making such a big deal?¡±


    Bina sounded excited. Lucretius confidently opened the tray.


    Inside was a white bowl filled with red colored stew-like food. It must have arrived recently because it was steaming visibly.


    Bina didn¡¯t know, but since Lucretius didn¡¯t know when she would wake up, he ordered the chefs to make this dish fresh every hour since early this morning. Lucretius wanted to give her a warm freshly cooked dish as soon as she woke up, so the chefs had to make this dish over and over again all morning.


    Bina eximed, ¡°T, this... Could it be!¡±


    At Bina¡¯s thrilled expression, Lucretius became even more confident.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I made the [kimchi stew].¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have made it yourself... So how?¡±


    Lucretius pouted. ¡°I got the chefs and told them how it should look and taste like. We discussed the recipe together, so I practically made it myself with the chefs.¡±


    Bina smiled at Lucretius indulgently and picked up the silver fork.


    ¡°Then should I taste the very first dish my husband ever made for me? It smells pretty authentic.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but it was simr. It smelled spicy and sour, making her salivate. Bina hurriedly moved her fork. It looked like there was meat in it, but the smell didn¡¯t bother her. Perhaps her morning sickness was over.


    Bina took a big bite out of the dish.


    Swallow.


    Lucretius stared at her nervously. If the chefs were allowed to be present here, they would have stared at the empress with the same expression. This was finally the moment of truth.


    Lucretius continued to stare at Bina¡¯s face.


    ¡®Please...!¡¯ Just then, Bina frowned.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    And a familiar sound, which he had been hearing for the past three to four months every day, followed.


    ¡°rrrg!¡±


    ¡°B, Bina!!¡±


    At Bina¡¯s vomiting and Lucretius¡¯ shocked scream, the maids ran in and saw the red vomit on the bed. They initially panicked, thinking Bina vomited blood or was bleeding until they found out that it was the red stew.

 Chapter 134 - Epilogue 1.3

    <h4>Chapter 134: <Epilogue 1.3></h4>


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry....¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Bina wasying down on her bed with cool clothes on her forehead. She told him she was fine and that he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. However, she looked disappointed, and this made Lucretius feel apologetic. He worked so hard for this dish, yet she didn¡¯t even get to eat a single bite.


    ¡°I will eat it when my morning sickness improves. It really was delicious.¡±


    The dish barely resembled kimchi stew, but she still felt thankful to Lucretius for trying his best. She also felt sorry that she couldn¡¯t eat it.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Lucretius offered Bina a cup of ginger ale Samantha brought. After looking at him for a few seconds, Bina made a decision.


    She asked him, ¡°There... is something else I want to eat.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lucretius looked both hopeful and fearful. It was great to hear that his pregnant wife craved something, but he feared it might be another dish from her world. Another dish he couldn¡¯t recreate for his wife.


    Bina gestured him toe closer. When Lucretius approached her with a slightly apprehensive expression, Bina whispered to him.


    ¡°That ice cream we ate when we went on a secret date. I want that.¡±


    ***


    Sir rk followed the emperor worriedly. Lucretius was running hastily, and Sir rk was concerned the emperor might fall and get hurt.


    He was the ruler of an entire kingdom, yet he was roaming the city unprotected except for a single knight. rk and the principle maid in waiting both begged him not to go. rk kneeled in front of the emperor and pleaded to let him go instead, but it was useless. Even the empress herself became shocked and tried to stop the emperor, but he was determined. If the empress wouldn¡¯t convince the emperor, no one could.


    That was why Sir rk was following the emperor in the middle of the city for an ice cream delivery.


    ¡°Sir Lucen! Long time no see!¡±


    ¡°Haha, hello there.¡± The caf¨¦ owner smiled broadly and greeted Lucretius.


    ¡°I see that you didn¡¯t bring yourdy today.¡±


    Lucretius answered happily, ¡°Oh, my wife is pregnant, so she couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, really? Congrattions!¡±


    The ownerplimented and congratted him profusely. Normally, Lucretius hated this kind of conversation, but today, he seemed pleased. rk had never seen his emperor looking so excited.


    After a few more minutes of chat, Lucretius finally brought up the main subject.


    ¡°The purpose of my visit today is for my wife. She is having difficulty with her nausea andck of appetite. She told me that she is craving the ice cream we ate together that night.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness! No need to worry. We will make it exactly the same right away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The owner packed it and tried to give it to Lucretius for free as a gift, but Lucretius threatened him to raise the lease if he didn¡¯t ept the payment. In fact, Lucretius paid three times the normal cost and hurriedly returned to the castle with the ice cream.


    ***


    Luckily, ice cream was not melted by the time it reached Bina. Perhaps it was because Lucretius ran all the way, or because the caf¨¦ owner took great care with the packaging.


    Either way, the ice cream reached Bina¡¯s bedroom safely.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°Try it! Have a bite, Bina, or it¡¯s will melt.¡±


    The weather was indeed very warm as they were approaching summer. The edges of the ice cream were starting to melt slowly.


    Bina took a small spoonful and ate it. Lucretius watched her nervously and expectantly.


    He¡¯s worried that he might have failed her again.


    She swallowed it and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Lucretius wanted to jump and scream with joy, but they were surrounded by their maids and servants. He controlled his emotions.


    Bina ate the ice cream quickly. The truth was, she didn¡¯t really want the ice cream. She only asked Lucretius for it because she felt sorry to see him disappointed with the stew. That was why she asked him to bring her something easy.


    However, when she actually tasted the ice cream, it was surprisingly tasty. She couldn¡¯t stop eating it.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡±


    Bina smiled happily while hugging the ice cream bowl. Watching her, Lucretius began to rx and smile as well. It had been many months since he had seen Bina eat this well. He felt full just looking at her.


    Then suddenly, Bina stopped eating. Lucretius asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bina looked confused. She contemted for a few seconds before hesitantly told him.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, but... it tastes slightly different than thest time.¡±


    ¡°... what?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ heart fell. He wanted to run back to the caf¨¦ and grab the owner by the neck.


    While he looked upset, Bina took another bite and exined, ¡°Oh, I see why. I think I know why it tastes different.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    When Lucretius looked at her in confusion, Bina took another bite of the ice cream and quickly sat up to kiss her husband.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius seemed surprised at first but immediately started to kiss her back. After the long, cold, yet sweet kiss, Bina whispered.


    ¡°Now... it tastes exactly the same as thest time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius looked at Bina silently for a few seconds before reaching for her. Bina screamed in delight.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Lucretius hugged her tight and whispered to her. His voice sounded heated, making her blush.


    ¡°Lowson said that... you are in your second trimester and therefore entered the safe period, right?¡±


    Bina protested weakly, ¡°Y, you animal!¡±


    However, she didn¡¯t stop him, and instead, she put her arms around his neck.

 Chapter 135 - Epilogue 2.1: Traces of life

    <h4>Chapter 135: <Epilogue 2.1: Traces of life></h4>


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Bina put down the piece of the document she was reading and massaged her back.


    Yulia, who was pouring the empress a cup of herb tea, said to her, ¡°Please, you need to take a break, your highness. You are working too much, especially in your condition.¡±


    ¡°Really...?¡±


    Bina wondered if it was true. She actually had much less work to do now than when she was the first wife. Of course, at that time, many things were happening.


    She was, indeed, feeling tired, so Bina decided to follow her maid¡¯s suggestion and took a break. She asked Yulia to organize the scattered pieces of documents and went to her bed to sit against a cushion.


    ¡°Ahhh. That¡¯s much better.¡±


    Her belly was big now. Soon, she would enter her eighth month. The baby was active, and Bina had been feeling much better. Her morning sickness and nausea improved greatly by the fifth month.


    However, despite the huge improvement, she still exhausted herself easily. Her body felt heavy and even a light activity or work caused her back great difort. Her pregnancy was announced immediately after her coronation, so her duties as the empress were temporarily removed. The only work she did was a little paperwork.


    The amount of work the emperor had to aplish as the ruler of the biggest kingdom was incredible. Now, he was also taking on her work. The n was for Bina to take over the empress¡¯ duties right after her coronation. However, because of her pregnancy, she now worked even less than when she was the first wife.


    For the first few months, she did suffer from severe nausea. Officially, she recently had a miscarriage due to the poisoning they nned earlier. It wasn¡¯t true, but other than Lucretius, Lowson, and Samantha, everyone else thought this was true. Because of this, they were wary of Bina¡¯s ¡®second¡¯ pregnancy.


    Bina was getting frustrated as everyone treated her like a fragile ss ornament.


    She chose to be Lucretius¡¯ empress because she was ready and willing to take on everything that came with it. However, when the time came, her empress duties were taken away.


    She was especially frustrated with Lucretius. When she was his first wife, he often studied and tested her, but now, he treated her like she would break with the slightest touch.


    ... Of course, she knew it was because he cared for her greatly. She was happy to be the recipient of his love and attention.


    She could understand why Lucretius acted this way. Just as this was her first pregnancy, this was also the first time Lucretius had a pregnant wife.


    As well... Bina was very unwell during her first trimester. She was having horrible nausea during the first few months. She had to stay in bed most of the day like a corpse. At the time, she couldn¡¯t do any work at all. Lucretius ended up taking on all of her work on top of his.


    Bina felt grateful and apologetic at that time. Now that she was doing much better, she felt like he should let her do her duties!


    When she asked for them, Lucretius insisted she should not work at all until she gave birth. After a month of fighting, they came to apromise and Bina was able to retain a small part of her responsibilities.


    ¡°But now... if I show any tiredness, he would take my work away again.¡±


    She sighed.


    She realized she would only get her full duties back after the baby was born.


    Within a few minutes, Bina fell asleep. It was true that she got tired very easily.


    When Yulia came back, she saw herdy sleeping soundly. Yulia smiled.


    It was such a peaceful afternoon.


    ***


    After the nap, which was now part of her daily routine, Bina took a bath with help from her maids and ate a small snack. She then went for a light walk.


    Bina was a young mother-to-be. She was much younger than the average age of first-time mothers in Korea. Therefore, she knew very little about pregnancy and childbirth. She regretted this fact. It would have been better if she read a book or two about it when she was still on earth.


    Of course, it was toote for that now.


    When she first learned that she would have a baby, her immediate reaction was that of joy. However, much worry followed quickly.


    It made sense. This world was very different than in 21st century Korea. The state of medical technology especially was of much lower in quality.


    Even within the royal family, who received the best medical care in the kingdom, the child mortality rate was very high. Women also died frequently during or after childbirth.


    This was why Lucretius didn¡¯t have any male siblings. In fact, there hadn¡¯t been excess of male heirs in this royal family for many generations.


    Many female heirs died as well. There were three empresses before Empress Beatrice. Among them were four princesses who all died at young ages.


    It was no wonder Bina was anxious for herself and her baby.


    ¡®I should have read at least one book on pregnancy when I was on earth, or ask my mom about it.¡¯


    Again, it was no use regretting the past.


    Lucretius saw Bina sigh a lottely. When she thought he wasn¡¯t looking, she would hold her belly and sigh worriedly. One night around dinner time, Lucretius found a time to visit Bina¡¯s chamber. He sounded concerned.


    ¡°Are you worried about something?¡±


    Bina turned her face away from him. This was her habit when she didn¡¯t want to talk about something, and Lucretius knew. However, he wouldn¡¯t let her off that easy. He had seen her sigh several times now when she thought she was alone. This had gone long enough. He had to know what was wrong, and he needed to fix her problem.


    Lucretius gently nudged her face towards him. She resisted slightly but gave in without much fight. It seemed like she wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her.


    ¡°...¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but she also didn¡¯t look away. In thest eight months, Lucretius learned how to deal with Bina when she was like this.


    He stopped pestering her with questions. Instead, he lifted her to have her sit on his knees.


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    ¡°The baby must have grown much since yesterday.¡±


    Bina pouted. ¡°Are you telling me I got fatter than yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Bina narrowed her eyes. ¡°Liar.¡±


    Lucretius smiled softly and patted her cheek.


    ¡°You weighed like a feather yesterday, and now, it feels like I¡¯m holding a feather and a half.¡±


    ¡°You are such a diplomat.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled, but he replied seriously, ¡°I¡¯m just relieved. Do you know how worried I was when you were actually losing weight during the first five months? Around that time, you seemed to get lighter every day. It used to scare me.¡±


    ¡°I... I guess...¡±


    It was an awful first trimester. Bina threw up more than she ate. It was strange to see her belly was growing when she barely ate anything, although, at the time, Lowson was worried it wasn¡¯t growing fast enough.


    Compared to then, Bina was doing much better now, and she was growing within the normal range. She was still on the smaller side, but Bina couldn¡¯t help but want to look her best.


    A husband having an affair with another woman while his wife was pregnant was such amon story in this and her old world. Her husband especially was the emperor of this kingdom. In fact, it was legal and rmended for the emperor to have many wives. Bina was sure there must be many women trying to seduce him.


    Of course, Lucretius had so much work, and when he wasn¡¯t working, he spent all his time with her. Therefore, it was unlikely he had the time to have an affair.


    Lucretius hugged her tighter lovingly and kissed the back of her hand soundly. He then whispered, ¡°Are you by chance worried that I might be interested in other women because you are rounder...? Is that why you have been sighing so much? Oh, my dear empress...¡±

 Chapter 136

    <h4>Chapter 136: <Epilogue 2.2></h4>


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not worried at all. If you do something like that, I will make you regret it.¡±


    ¡°Then what is bothering you? Just tell me.¡±


    After a short silence, Bina murmured, ¡°You were joking because you really want to know?¡±


    ¡°Yup! I guess I can never fool you.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled and after a brief hesitation, Bina finally said to him, ¡°Well, of course, I can¡¯t help but be worried... This is my first baby and my family aren¡¯t here...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina was about to continue when she suddenly noticed Lucretius stopped moving as if he was petrified.


    She turned to Lucretius and warned him, ¡°If you say you¡¯re sorry about my family not being here, I will get angry again!¡±


    ¡°... I know.¡±


    Bina remembered getting very angry at him after returning from Bilenae. They were talking about families, and at the time, Lucretius apologized to her for keeping her in this world. Bina became genuinely angry at him.


    Her reasoning was simple. Bina didn¡¯t feel the need to have his sympathy. It didn¡¯t make sense for Lucretius to feel sorry or guilty. It was her choice. Lucretius, after hearing her reasons, respected her wishes.


    He asked, ¡°So, what is it that is worrying you so much?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    When Bina continued to hesitate, Lucretius whispered softly, ¡°You need to share your worries with me. Your only family in this world is me, right? Of course, we will have another member very soon.¡±


    Bina smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. It¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°Just?¡±


    Bina patted her grown belly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried if I will be able to have this baby safely.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even if the childbirth goes smoothly, will I be able to raise the baby well?¡±


    When Lucretius remained quiet, Bina smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a silly worry, right? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to tell you.¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°What do you mean silly? Of course not! Anything involving you and our baby can never be silly.¡±


    Bina smiled silently. It was a textbook answer, but it still made her happy to hear it. Lucretius always listened to her and respected her feelings. Talking to him always made her feel better.


    She continued, ¡°In my homnd, you can find out a lot about the baby before childbirth with tests.¡±


    Lucretius looked confused. ¡°How can you test a baby before it¡¯s born?¡±


    ¡°Umm... It¡¯s hard to exin, but there are ways. You can draw blood to test the baby¡¯s health. There is also a thing called [ultrasound] that uses a special light to see the silhouette of the baby inside the womb.¡±


    ¡°A special light that can show you the unborn baby? Sounds like magic from old stories.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly magic, but it probably sounded like it to people in this world. Bina didn¡¯t bother to contradict him and instead continued, ¡°It¡¯s also frustrating to not know if it¡¯s a boy or a girl.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°You can find out about the baby¡¯s gender?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard doctors can tell you when you reach the fifth or sixth month.¡±


    ¡°How remarkable.¡±


    Lucretius nodded and gently stroked Bina¡¯s belly. She suddenly became curious.


    ¡°Would you want it to be a son or a daughter?¡±


    He answered indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just hope the baby resembles you.¡±


    Bina smiled but asked seriously again.


    ¡°But what about the matter of next heir? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for it to be a son?¡±


    Lucretius answered uninterestedly again, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any difference. As soon as you have our baby, whether it be a girl or a boy, the princesses will automatically lose their ces to the throne. We have nothing to worry about.¡±


    There was another matter Bina had been worried about.


    She finally asked, ¡°But if it¡¯s a daughter, there has never been a female ruler before in this kingdom. People will resist the idea.¡±


    Unlike Bina¡¯s worried voice, Lucretius¡¯ voice was rxed. ¡°Well, there could be some issues, but I can make it work. It won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Even if we have a son, there will be other problems along with it. Different problems, but problems nheless. You¡¯ve seen how I got to where I am right now, right?¡±


    ¡°I... I guess.¡±


    Bina¡¯s heart felt a little lighter. It was true that no matter what, there will always beplications. It was illogical to worry about things that hadn¡¯t happened yet. She couldn¡¯t help but continue to worry, but she at least felt better.


    Bina stood up and faced the man who was her husband and the father of her baby. She said to him determinedly, ¡°Promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If something happens to me during the childbirth...¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t finish her sentence as Lucretius sharply interrupted her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that.¡±


    Bina shook her head. ¡°No, I need to say it. I want to. Please listen. I¡¯m not too worried about it, but I want you to know this.¡±


    ¡°Bina...¡±


    Watching Lucretius¡¯ face bing pale, she felt guilty, but this was a necessary conversation.


    Of course, there was a good chance that nothing bad would happen. However, unexpected things happened even in Korea. One just never know.


    She needed to be prepared. She needed her husband to be prepared as well.


    She continued, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t n on anything happening.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Lucretius obviously didn¡¯t want to have this conversation. He looked at his wife and her belly anxiously. Bina gave him a confident smile.


    ¡°I can never let another woman have my man. You know I would never let that happen, right? I am a selfish woman.¡±


    Lucretius finally smiled a little. ¡°I know. You would never let anyone have what is yours.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So... This is just in case. A very unlikely case, so please don¡¯t think too much about it, but just listen.¡±


    ¡°... Tell me.¡±


    After a brief hesitation, Bina ced her hand on top of his. His skin felt colder than usual. She could feel his anxiety.


    Was this a bad idea? Shouldn¡¯t she have brought up this subject? However, this was necessary. Preparation for the worst situation was the key to sess.


    Bina said to him, ¡°If something happens to me during the childbirth, or before the baby grows up...¡±


    Lucretius looked nk, making Bina feel heartbroken. She knew she was hurting him, but she couldn¡¯t stop now.


    ¡°If that happens, I hope you tell him or her about me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°How I arrived here... Why I stayed here... And... how much I loved you and our baby.¡±


    Just then, the baby started to move actively and kick hard.


    As if it knew.


    Lucretius pulled Bina towards him and hugged her.


    She could hear his heartbeat. His warmth made her feel calmer.


    Lucretius whispered gently but firmly, ¡°I... I can¡¯t make that promise.¡±


    Bina quietly buried her face deeper into his embrace.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°... You tell our baby yourself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I know how anxious you are right now, and that is the only reason why I am not yelling at you. I am doing my best to control my anger. Later... After the baby is born and grown, you can tell him or her about it. Where you came from and how you met me.¡±


    Bina nodded. ¡°Yes, I will. I know I will. I was just telling you this as an insurance.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ sigh filled the room sadly.

 Chapter 137 - Epilogue 2.3

    <h4>Chapter 137: <Epilogue 2.3></h4>


    The next night.


    When Bina returned to her bedroom after an evening walk with the help from her maids, she noticed that there was someone in her room.


    ¡°Luc...?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know when he came in and wondered why he snuck into her room. Then suddenly, she noticed something in his hand.


    ¡°T, that is...!¡±


    Bina ran towards Lucretius, who was reading a notebook.


    ¡°G, give it back!¡±


    Bina was desperate. Due to her condition, she was very slow, but she still went after him and tried to take the notebook away from his hand. Lucretius gave it to her easily and held her quickly, so she doesn¡¯t fall down.


    He said to her, ¡°Hey, be careful. My empress needs to slow down a bit.¡±


    Bina hid the notebook with both of her hands and screamed, ¡°D, did you see it? Did you?!¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°NO!!¡± Bina yelled in frustration. ¡°Why would you read someone else¡¯s diary?!¡±


    Bina was red as a strawberry. Lucretius couldn¡¯t help butugh at his adorable wife.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Why are youughing!? How could you invade someone¡¯s [privacy] like that! Even if we are husband and wife, there are boundaries we need to respect!¡±


    Privacy was a word from earth, but I used it often enough here that Lucretius understood what it meant. Another word Bina often used was stress.


    When Lucretius answered her, Bina was shocked.


    ¡°Hmm... Are you getting [stressed] because I invaded your [privacy]?¡±


    ¡°... Umm... yes.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at Lucretius while still holding on to her diary tightly.


    It felt strange for her to hear Lucretius use hernguage correctly and with excellent pronunciation. Cransian was very different than Korean after all.


    Lucretius shrugged his shoulders and added, ¡°I hear you use those words all the time, so I tried them out myself. How did I do?¡±


    ¡°Um... you did well.¡±


    Lucretius smiled proudly. Annoyed at his confidence, Bina pinched his hand.


    ¡°Argg!¡±


    When he groaned in pain, Bina felt better.


    ¡°So why would you read my diary?¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t read it.¡±


    ¡°But you were looking at it.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, I saw it, but I couldn¡¯t read it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Bina opened the notebook but quickly realized why.


    Everything she wrote was in Korean.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Obviously, Lucretius couldn¡¯t understand a word. Bina sighed in relief.


    ¡°Good. So you failed at attempting to read my diary.¡±


    Lucretius grinned. ¡°I guess.¡±


    Bina put down the diary on her side table confidently. This must have been why spies used codes.


    Still smiling, Lucretius asked, ¡°Will you teach me yournguage?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡¯


    At an unexpected question, Bina looked up at him. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Is it... because you want to read my diary?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess that would be a bonus... I¡¯m kidding! I¡¯m just joking, so don¡¯t look at me like that!¡±


    Bina had her nails ready to pinch him again. She was wondering if she should pinch his waist or his leg this time.


    Lucretius realized he had to exin himself quickly or else, he would be attacked again.


    ¡°When our baby is born, I want you to teach our child and me yournguage.¡±


    ¡°You and the baby?¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s your homnd, which means it is important to me and our baby too. I want our child and myself to know thenguage too.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And we will have our child¡¯s children and their children to learn it too...¡±


    Slowly, Bina¡¯s eyes filled with tears.


    With a happy smile, Lucretius continued, ¡°Even after we are gone, our children will continue to live and speak yournguage. It will be your legacy. It will be the biggest mark you leave in this world of your existence.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    Bina felt overwhelmed. She knew her face must have looked ridiculous, but she couldn¡¯t help crying and smiling at the same time. She couldn¡¯t say anything. She could only nod.


    Bina realized how lucky she was that her life was with this man. She was happy that it was him she met in this world and it was this man she fell in love with.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about a thing. You will have our baby safely and you will teach us yournguage. You will tell the baby how you got here, where you are from, and why you stayed.¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°And that is how you and I will live forever in this world.¡±


    She knew this was the truth. She knew everything would be alright.


    ***


    Time went by fast.


    A monthter, Lucretius had to stand outside the birthing room and wait nervously.


    To gain happiness, you needed to first go through pain and patience. Lucretius knew this very well, but he didn¡¯t realize it would be this painful.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhhh!¡±


    Sharp screams came from inside the birthing room. The emperor of the greatest kingdom flinched and trembled as if he was being whipped. His eyes wavered as they had never done before.


    He grabbed Lowson.


    ¡°It has already been over ten hours! What is happening?!¡±


    Lowson wiped his wet forehead and bowed.


    ¡°This is her highness¡¯s first childbirth. It isn¡¯t unusual for the firstbor tost over ten hours.¡±


    ¡°So we do nothing?!¡±


    It startedst night when they were in bed together. Ever since then, Lucretius had been living through the most hellish time of his life.


    He had to believe everything was going okay. Bina kept telling him calmly that everything was normal. She then had him leave.


    Waiting outside, Lucretius remembered her words.


    ¡°If something happens to me...¡±


    His heart fell to the ground. He acted so proudly and confidently when he first learned of Bina¡¯s pregnancy. However, when it was finally happening, he was acting like a panicked idiot. Unlike Bina, who was behaving calmly, he was being useless.


    ... One was enough. Whether it was a prince or a princess, he decided that there would be no second child for them.


    He couldn¡¯t go through this again!


    Many different sounds were heard from inside the room. There were maids, midwives, and a female doctor specially educated by Lowson. Byw, no male could enter the birthing chamber. This was why Lucretius had Lowson train a female doctor, which was the first in this kingdom.


    Lucretius did everything he could to get ready for this moment, yet he still felt unprepared.


    If only he could be inside with her. He could hold her hand and do SOMETHING. However, the stupid royal rules wouldn¡¯t allow him. In fact, he was asked to wait in his own wing or in his office, but he just couldn¡¯t. He had to be as near her as possible.


    Another agonizing scream came from the room.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaa!¡±


    Lucretius flinched again as if in pain. He couldn¡¯t understand the rules. Why couldn¡¯t he go in and be with her?


    His principle assistant asked cautiously, ¡°Your highness, perhaps you can wait in your own chamber...¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Lucretius red at him, making everyone around him cringe. This was not the time to anger the emperor.


    ¡°Aaak! Aaaaaaak!¡±


    ¡°Your highness, just a little bit more! Please push! We can see the baby¡¯s head!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t faint!¡±


    The voices of the midwives sounded desperate but hopeful.


    Lucretius felt like he was dying. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    When he was about to burst into the room, a loud cry came.


    It was the baby¡¯s first cry.


    Lucretius became so shocked that he froze. The baby¡¯s cry was followed by happy exims from the room.


    Everyone outside stared at the door, waiting for it to open.


    When Samantha finally walked out with a smile, Lucretius asked hoarsely, ¡°How¡¯s Bina? How is the empress?¡±


    Samantha smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your highness. Her highness is very tired, but she is doing well.¡±


    His legs felt so weak that he thought he might copse. Just then, Samantha bowed to him deeply.


    ¡°A healthy princess has arrived. Congrattions!¡±


    Everyone around him bowed deeply as well.


    ¡°Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Your highness, congrattions!¡±


    Ignoring everyone, Lucretius ran into the room.


    People looked at him in shock and tried to stop him.


    ¡°Your highness?¡±


    ¡°Your highness! You can¡¯te in!¡±


    The midwives, who were still in the process of cleaning up, screamed in shock at the sudden and unexpected appearance of the emperor.

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138: <Epilogue 3.1: Small yet big changes></h4>


    A few months before the empress gave birth to Princess Beatrice, Princess Liliana¡¯s wedding took ce.


    Bina wanted to attend the event, but it was impossible. She was heavily pregnant at the time and the emperor and the empress were only allowed to attend their own children¡¯s weddings and no other.


    Bina instead visited Liliana¡¯s quarters before the wedding to give her a wedding present in person.


    Bina felt sad at Liliana¡¯s departure. On top of that, Liliana was also taking her two younger sisters with her. Liliana and Clodys were both raising Roselia and Margaret and they were only too happy to take them into his home.


    One of the reasons Liliana wanted to keep her sisters near her was because of the impending birth of Bina¡¯s child. Although they were pardoned for their mother Katleyanira¡¯s treason, the castle was still a dangerous ce for the princesses who were still in line for the throne. They could be considered a threat to the newborn heir.


    In addition, Roselia was engaged to the prince of Genoa. In a few years, she would leave Cransia and Liliana wanted to keep her near as long as possible.


    After the wedding, Liliana became the new Marchioness Toruka.


    The next time she visited the castle was two months after Bina gave birth.


    ***


    ¡°Wee, Princess.¡±


    Bina smiled brightly and greeted Liliana. She bowed respectfully and replied, ¡°Please call me Marchioness.¡±


    ¡°... Of course. Thank you foring, Marchioness.¡±


    Bina understood why Liliana emphasized her changed title. She smiled gently and took her hand to lead her into the baby¡¯s room.


    The new princess¡¯ room was inside Bina¡¯s personal bedroom. Inside Bina¡¯s room were messy with numerous baby toys and a crib.


    Liliana¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You created the princess¡¯ room within your own chamber?¡±


    Bina smiled awkwardly. ¡°Yes. Everyone told me this was not the royal way, but... I decided to do it my way. This is how things are done in my homnd.¡±


    ¡°I... see.¡±


    Liliana looked around the familiar empress¡¯ room, which used to belong to her mother Katleyanira. It looked so different now. Katleyanira had three children, and she has never allowed them to stay in her room. Not even her precious twin brother who died at a young age.


    High borndies always had nannies to take care of their children. They also never breastfed them. The goal for thedies was to recover quickly from childbirth and prepare for the next pregnancy as soon as possible.


    Bina was doing the opposite.


    Bina took the crying baby from the crib.


    ¡°My baby. My Trice. What¡¯s wrong, honey?¡±


    The baby princess whined for a short while, but Bina could calm her down quickly. Bina smiled and showed the baby to Liliana, who eximed, ¡°Princess has your highness¡¯ ck hair.¡±


    Bina looked at her baby lovingly and replied, ¡°Her eyes look just like his highness¡¯.¡±


    The ck-haired and green-eyed princess was so young yet already showed unusual intelligence. Knowing the emperor and the empress, Liliana knew that this princess would be very smart.


    Sheplimented her. ¡°She will grow to be a beauty just like you, your highness.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened and shook her head empathically.


    ¡°No way. It would obviously be better if she resembles his highness.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Bina exined to the bewildered Liliana, ¡°Objectively speaking, the emperor definitely is more beautiful than I am, right? If it was a son, I guess it would have been okay to resemble me more, but for a girl, it would be better to look like the emperor, so she would have a better chance of bing a beauty. Well, I guess it never hurts to be pretty, so even a son would benefit from resembling the emperor.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina sounded sincere, but Liliana couldn¡¯t agree with her as it would sound like an insult. She just smiled awkwardly.


    After chatting for a little while longer, Bina suddenly handed the baby to Liliana.


    ¡°Now, try holding her.¡±


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    Liliana was surprised but took the baby into her arm. The small warm body felt wonderful. The smell of the new baby was lovely. Looking at the adorable baby sucking her thumb innocently, Liliana felt all her worries disappear.


    Bina was impressed as she watched Liliana.


    ¡°You are a pro! I am still very awkward at holding my own baby.¡±


    ¡°Oh... I took care of my sisters, so I have some experience.¡±


    The baby seemed like she was falling asleep when suddenly, she started to look ufortable.


    Liliana quickly realized it and asked Bina, ¡°I don¡¯t think she is hungry... Does her highness have a favorite toy?¡±


    Bina was impressed at Liliana¡¯s intuition. She brought a silver rattle from her side table and shook it in front of the baby.


    Beatrice quickly started tough. Liliana smiled at first but soon started to cry. Bina became shocked at Liliana¡¯s tears. She put the rattle down and handed the baby to the nanny, who took her to the next room.


    Bina sat down with Liliana at the tea table and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Liliana shook her head quietly, but she couldn¡¯t stop crying. Bina felt awkward and all she could do was to hold Liliana¡¯s hand and wait for her to exin.


    It was the right decision. After crying silently for a long time, Liliana finally stopped and calmed down.


    Bina asked again thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what is wrong, but... If you want, won¡¯t you tell me? There is a saying in my homnd: if you share sadness, it shrinks, while when you share happiness, it doubles.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a long hesitation, Liliana finally answered, ¡°Two days ago... I called for a doctor because I wasn¡¯t feeling well. And... I was told that I am with child.¡± Her voice was trembling nervously.


    Bina was surprised. ¡°How wonderful...! Congrattions.¡±


    Liliana shook her head sadly. She wasn¡¯t crying anymore, but she still looked very distressed.


    ¡°... No. I realize it is a good thing, but... I felt fearful rather than happy.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t understand. She knew women could get emotional during pregnancy. In fact, she was as well, but Liliana¡¯s reaction was unusual.


    ¡°I... am scared. I know with the birth of the princess, my sisters and I automatically lost our positions in line for the throne. So... I know there won¡¯t be any more tragedies, but... I hope bad things don¡¯t happen again, but...¡±


    ¡°Princess Liliana... I mean Marchioness.¡±


    Bina finally understood what Liliana feared. She tried her best to make Liliana feel better. Liliana looked just like the way she was when Katleyanira was still alive. Liliana used to be always anxious and timid, but after her mother¡¯s death and the marriage to her love, she seemed to have recovered from her traumatic childhood. However, now... She was back to her nervous self before the rebellion.


    ¡°Liliana...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina felt sad at how Liliana couldn¡¯t even feel happy for her baby out of fear. She held Liliana¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Liliana.¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t Katleyanira, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Look at Princess Roselia. She is growing up to be a happy, innocent, young woman, and it is all thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you... think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You will never be a mother like Katleyanira, so please don¡¯t be so worried.¡±


    Liliana patted her still-t belly and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m still... afraid. This baby has my mother¡¯s blood. It doesn¡¯t matter what the baby¡¯s legal name is on a piece of paper... You can¡¯t erase blood.¡± Liliana¡¯s red hair shined sadly. ¡°That is why... I¡¯m afraid. If this baby resembles my mother even a little bit...¡±


    Even Bina flinched at the thought.


    The kingdom was enjoying a long-awaited stability and with Princess Beatrice¡¯s birth, the royal family now had a legitimate heir.


    However, unfortunately, she gave birth to a princess and not a prince. Because there had never been a female ruler, things were still very uncertain.


    On top of that, the mortality rate of newborns was very high in this world. Normally, any empress would have tried to have as many children as possible, but Lucretius was firm on not having any more children after seeing Bina¡¯s difficulty in giving birth to their princess.


    Bina felt uncertain, and she understood why Liliana felt anxious. However, despite it all, Bina wasn¡¯t overly worried. Bina smiled gently but confidently as she said to Liliana.


    ¡°There is no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°... Your highness.¡±


    ¡°I am not worried at all. Think about it. A baby raised by you can never be anything like Katleyanira. You, a kind and gentle woman, will never let that happen.¡± Bina wiped Liliana¡¯s tears and continued, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about a thing and get ready to have your beautiful baby. Whenever you feel anxious, just go and nag your husband.¡±


    ¡°... alright.¡±


    Liliana finally smiled. She looked so lovely and sad that Bina started to get angry at Clodys.


    What was he doing, making his wife feel this upset?


    ¡°Did you tell your husband yet?¡±


    Liliana shook her head. ¡°... As soon as I heard the news, I became so anxious that I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell Clodys.¡±


    Bina said to her firmly, ¡°When you return, that is the first thing you need to do. Also, tell him how anxious you feel. Talking about it make you feel better, right?¡± Liliana nodded as Bina continued, ¡°When you tell your husband, you will feel even better, so don¡¯t suffer alone. Now, look at you. Your makeup is ruined.¡±


    ¡°... T, thank you, your highness for listening to me.¡±

 Chapter 139

    <h4>Chapter 139: <Epilogue 3.2></h4>


    Bina ordered her maids to help Liliana clean up. With new makeup and Bina¡¯s own jewelry, Liliana looked gorgeous. Bina told her to keep her jewelry as a pregnancy gift and make sure to tell her husband about this great news when she returned home. Liliana blushed and thanked her shyly.


    Liliana decided to have dinner with Bina before leaving. Before the meal, when Bina started to bath the baby princess, Liliana gaped in shock.


    ¡°Y, you wash her yourself?¡±


    The maids standing nearby flinched. Bathing a baby was a job for servants, not even for maids and certainly not for an empress.


    Bina smiled and exined quickly before Liliana misunderstood the situation.


    ¡°Oh, the maids insisted on doing it themselves, but I love bathing her. When Luc is with me, he helps too.¡±


    ¡°T, the emperor helps?!¡±


    Liliana couldn¡¯t believe it. The emperor of this kingdom bathing a child was shocking.


    Bina answered casually, ¡°In my homnd, even the highest born parents usually have a very hands-on approach to their child rearing.¡±


    ¡°R, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You bath your baby a few times a day, breastfeed her, and make sure to spend a lot of time with your baby. That¡¯s the best way to create a strong bond. This is verymon in mynd.¡±


    Liliana was surprised again. ¡°You wash your baby a few times a day?¡±


    Bina nodded. Liliana would be a mother soon, so Bina decided it was best to tell her as much as possible.


    ¡°Yes. Frequent bath is the key. Drying thoroughly after is also very important. There was a queen in my neighboring country where the queen had sixteen children and ten of them grew up to be adults.¡±


    Bina remembered reading about the 18th-century Austrian female ruler Maria Theresa who managed to sessfully raise an unusual number of children despite the high newborn mortality rate at the time.


    One of the main reasons for this sess was the strict hygiene protocol. At the time, it was considered radical, but Maria strongly believed in keeping herself and her children clean.


    When her aplishment became widely known, this practice started to spread throughout Europe.


    Liliana¡¯s eyes shined with interest.


    ¡°Ten children?¡±


    She looked surprised and Bina nodded. ¡°Yes. It was a long time ago, but it apparently worked very well.¡±


    ¡°Just frequent bath is enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard that washing with water can prevent sicknesses.¡±


    Bina didn¡¯t think exining about germs and infection would be helpful. It was best to simplify so people here could understand. As long as the result was good, it wouldn¡¯t matter the understanding of the reason behind it.


    She continued, ¡°Of course, you also need to make sure the people around the children keep clean as well. Their hands need to be clean when dealing with the baby. Baby¡¯s tes and bowls also need to be cleaned with hot water. We follow these rules in mynd and many more newborns survive there.¡±


    Liliana listened carefully. She seemed to have forgotten her anxiety and instead, she was acting like a mother already. Bina continued to giver her helpful basic bits of advice.


    She also started to breastfeed Beatrice in front of Liliana and added, ¡°And you don¡¯t have to feed directly, but breast milk can be very good for the babies.¡±


    Soon, Bina¡¯s unique caring method spread quickly throughout Rombrook. Liliana was the first to follow and the other highborndies followed suit. Ladies liked to follow the newest trends. Originally, only the poor families raised their children this way and the highborn families always looked down on this method. However, as soon as they learned that the empress and the princess followed this way, everyone started doing it as well.


    This new fashion became a norm after time, and it was the biggest reason for improving the newborn mortality rate in this world.


    One morning on the breakfast table.


    Emperor Lucretius dropped his bread at his wife¡¯s news.


    ¡°A... baby?¡±


    Five-year-old Princess Beatrice, who was sitting between the two parents, smartly pointed out her father the emperor¡¯s mistake.


    ¡°Your highness, you have dropped your bread.¡±


    Usually, Lucretius would correct her daughter to call him dad, but he was so surprised at the unexpected news that he forgot.


    ¡°You... are pregnant?¡±


    The respected empress Sa Bina of Cransia nodded elegantly. ¡°Yes. I wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I called for Regia. She assessed me and told me the news.¡±


    Regia was Lowson¡¯s only female student who became the empress¡¯ and the princess¡¯ physician. With excellent skills, she was now a respected royal doctor.


    Lucretius looked confused as he gazed at his wife¡¯s belly, which was still very t.


    ¡°How many months?¡±


    ¡°She said about three months.¡±


    Lucretius continued to stare at his wife with both happiness and fear. His beloved wife would have his baby again, so of course, he was ecstatic. However, he couldn¡¯t help but remember the difficult time they had with the first pregnancy five years ago.


    While Lucretius shuddered at the thought of her firstbor, Bina helped her daughter with her dish and exined, ¡°Next year, you will have a younger sibling.¡±


    Beatrice thought for a second before asking her mother. ¡°Is it like Aunt Liliana¡¯s Cullen getting a younger sister Rose?¡±


    Looking at her intelligent daughter proudly, Bina nodded. ¡°Yes, you got it correctly. Would you like a younger sister or brother?¡±


    The answer the little girl gave was a shock to both Bina and Lucretius.


    ¡°I would like it to be a younger sister because if it¡¯s a brother, he will be the emperor.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence fell in the room. Bina looked at her daughter in surprise while Lucretius asked as if he found it funny, ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    Beatrice looked up at her father with the same green eyes and answered, ¡°If it¡¯s a younger brother, I wouldn¡¯t even get a chance, but if it¡¯s a sister. I might.¡±


    This was not an answer Bina expected from a five-year-old, but Lucretiusughed loudly. ¡°Yes. You are right.¡±


    ¡°You... I mean, your highness!¡±


    Lucretius smiled at Bina¡¯s frustrated exim.


    ¡°...¡±


    They were surrounded by maids and servants, and their daughter was also present, so Bina decided to keep quiet for now.


    Later when they were finally alone, Bina asked sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that was unnecessary?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Bina got frustrated at Lucretius who feigned ignorance. She knew Lucretius was very well aware of what she was talking about. He was trying to avoid the conversation, but this was important. When she heard Beatrice¡¯s answer, her heart fell.


    Bina understood this was normal in any royal families. Competing to be the heir was part of everyday life. What Beatrice said was also true, and that was why it made Bina feel fearful. The new baby would be Beatrice¡¯s biggestpetitor, especially if it was a boy. The male child would have the best chance at the crown.


    Bina knew what kind of responsibilities and dangers came with the crown. She chose Lucretius despite knowing this because she was ready and willing to ept it all. However, to have her own children fight for it was not something she considered.


    It wasn¡¯t that the thought didn¡¯t cross her mind, but she thought things would be different in her case. This was why Bina took such care while raising Beatrice. She breastfed her and made sure she and Lucretius were hands-on parents. She wanted to create a happy family she always dreamed of and Lucretius was only happy to make her wishe true.


    Her children fighting over the crown was the worst possible oue for her family, yet Lucretius seemed unconcerned.


    Bina finally exploded.


    ¡°Luc!¡±

 Chapter 140

    <h4>Chapter 140: <Epilogue 3.3></h4>


    Finally, Lucretius looked at her and replied seriously, ¡°You are overreacting. Our second baby isn¡¯t even born yet.¡±


    ¡°But what about what Beatrice said...!¡±


    When Bina was about to yell at him, Lucretius held her hands and gently had her sit on the bed.


    ¡°This is too early to worry about things like that.¡±


    Bina became speechless. Lucretius was right. Beatrice was only five years old. She was very mature for her age, but she was still only a child. Her second baby wasn¡¯t even born yet. Her belly was still t.


    Bina knew it was unreasonable to worry about what may or may not happen decades from now, but just thinking about the possibility was enough to make her tremble.


    Bina replied, ¡°But I... I can¡¯t breathe just thinking about it.¡±


    Lucretius hugged her. ¡°It won¡¯t happen. You and I both will make sure nothing like that will happen, right? We will raise them right.¡±


    Bina smiled weakly and nodded.


    She replied jokingly, ¡°I guess. They are my children after all, so I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be all bad.¡±


    Lucretius grinned. ¡°True. I suppose we better hope they don¡¯t resemble me in this department. I don¡¯t want my own children to fight each other either. That is why I am trying my best to stabilize this sovereignty.¡±


    Bina nodded as she caressed Lucretius¡¯ cheeks. He tried to calm her down.


    ¡°How¡¯s your nausea? Any morning sickness? Remember how bad it was with Beatrice? I have been worried about you because you have been looking thin. I hadn¡¯t realized you were with child.¡±


    Bina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not bad even though I¡¯m already three months pregnant. I think it will be very different than with Beatrice.¡±


    Lucretius murmured quietly, ¡°Hmm. I wonder if Beatrice gave you such a hard time in your womb because she resembles me so much.¡±


    Bina grinned. ¡°You¡¯re being silly.¡±


    However, Lucretius was serious.


    ¡°No, really. I was surprised when she said what she said. Beatrice is more like me that I expected.¡±


    ¡°... What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When I was little, I said the same thing to my own mother. I told her I wanted a little sister, not a brother.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In the end, no one ever found out if it was a boy or a girl. After looking at Bina¡¯s face, Lucretius smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have said that. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...¡± After a short silence, Bina added, ¡°After our baby is born... Let¡¯s go visit her again.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We should show her that her first granddaughter was named after her. We will also show her our second baby.¡±


    ¡°... Alright. Thank you.¡±


    Lucretius hugged her gently. It has been already over five years since they got married and his love for her hadn¡¯t changed. In fact, they were in love with each other even more as time passed.


    Just being close together made them feel confident that everything would be alright.


    Lucretius had her rest her head on hisp, and he started to massage her arms and legs. He remembered well how her limbs became painfully swollen during her first pregnancy.


    Bina said to him, ¡°By the way, I agree that Beatrice is just like you.¡±


    ¡°I know. Sometimes, I wish she wasn¡¯t. I want her to call me daddy, but she started addressing me as your highness since she was three.¡±


    Lucretius looked truly disappointed and Bina agreed. ¡°She even tried to call me your highness too. She has such a cute face, yet she doesn¡¯t act like a kid. I wish she would.¡±


    Bina sighed, but Lucretius replied proudly, ¡°I agree, but in a way, it makes me feel relieved.¡±


    ¡°Relieved?¡±


    Lucretius caressed her belly and whispered, ¡°You never know what kind of personality our next baby will have. A ruler requires the kind of confidence and authority Beatrice has.¡±


    ¡°I... suppose.¡±


    Bina had to nod in agreement. No matter how stable their reign was, whoever would be the next ruler needed to be strong.


    They didn¡¯t know if the second child would have a suitable character to be a good leader, so knowing at least that their first child Beatrice had it could be considered a blessing.


    One thing was for sure. Either Beatrice or the new baby would be the next ruler after Lucretius.


    Bina murmured, ¡°Even then, I wish she would act childish for now.¡±


    Both parents felt the same way. As her mother and father, they wanted their daughter to have a happy and normal childhood. Lucretius especially felt strong about this as he never had a childhood at all.


    ¡°I agree. I wish she would stay being a kid for a while longer.¡±


    Bina knew how Lucretius felt. As he looked pensive, Bina lightened her voice on purpose and changed the subject.


    ¡°At first, I liked that Beatrice resembled you, but maybe she is too much like you! Of course, I am relieved that she has your face.¡±


    During her pregnancy, Bina made it well-known that she wished her child would look after Lucretius. Perhaps her prayer was answered because other than the ck hair and the slightly darker skin, Beatrice did greatly resemble her father in appearance.


    Lucretius wanted the opposite as he wanted their daughter to look just like Bina, but overall, he was very happy especially with her ck hair.


    Since Bina wanted to do everything to make sure this happened, she took the time to stare at Lucretius every day while she was pregnant. There was a myth in Korea that if a pregnant mother stared at pretty things a lot, her baby would look pretty as well. She knew it was just an old wives¡¯ tale, but it worked out in the end, so she felt satisfied.


    ¡°I hope our second baby resembles you again, whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl...¡±


    Bina reached out to make sure Lucretius¡¯ face was facing her. It was a firm movement, and Lucretius continued to smile gently as he let her have her way.


    He replied, ¡°But I hope the next one resembles you.¡±


    Bina shook her head. ¡°You are prettier, so it has to be you. It never hurts to be beautiful.¡±


    When she happily studied his gorgeous face, Lucretius sighed. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you like me, or you just like my face.¡±


    Bina smiled widely and replied, ¡°[Noment.]¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    Lucretius started to tickle her, and their happyughter quickly filled the bedroom.


    ***


    About six monthster, Empress Sa Bina gave birth to a healthy daughter.


    The second princess Liselotte.


    Bina¡¯s wish came true again as Liselotte looked just like the emperor.


    That same month, six-year-old Princess Beatrice was officially assigned to her own wing. It was where Lucretius stayed when he was the heir. Everyone knew what this move signified.

 Chapter 141 - Epilogue 4.1: Ever after>

    <h4>Chapter 141: <Epilogue 4.1: Ever after></h4>


    A woman entered the hall decorated with blue marbles. Behind her were numerous maids and servants following respectfully.


    In a deep blue dress, the woman stood out. On her long finger shined a silver seal ring with a symbol of a bird.


    Everyone bowed deeply as they saw this entourage passed by. Her golden hair looked beautiful against the sunlight. Her mother used to brush it and braid it lovingly. It was the exact same color as her father¡¯s.


    When she finally arrived at the emperor¡¯s personal office, she was met with a familiar face. When the middle-aged woman saw her, she bowed deeply and greeted.


    ¡°Your highness, Liselotte.¡±


    Liselotte le Cransia.


    Lucretius and Sa Bina¡¯s second daughter and one of two legitimate royal children.


    Liselotte smiled broadly. ¡°Yulia.¡±


    Yulia smiled gently and looked at Princess Liselotte with love just like a mother would.


    Yulia had never married and had stayed by the empress¡¯ side ever since her youth. When the first princess Beatrice became old enough, Sa Bina ordered Yulia to be her teacher and her principle secretary. When Liselotte became older, she also became Yulia¡¯s student. Beatrice and Liselotte treated Yulia like she was their aunt.


    Yulia looked at Liselotte lovingly but also gave her a stern look, making Liselotte quickly realize her mistake.


    In private settings, Liselotte always called Yulia by her given mane, but in a public and official setting such as this one, this was considered inappropriate.


    Liselotte corrected herself immediately, ¡°Oh, excuse me. Let¡¯s try again, Duchess Holden.¡±


    They were standing in front of the emperor¡¯s office, so they had to address each other with their official titles. Yulia was Duchess Holden and she was the principle secretary.


    Yulia smiled approvingly. ¡°Excellent, your highness the Grand Duchess Bilenae. Her highness is waiting for you.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Her highness, the Grand Duchess Bilenae has arrived.¡±


    The servant at the door announced Liselotte¡¯s arrival. The woman who was sitting on the desk working hard raised her head. Her long ck hair was striking as it flew down her shoulders.


    Liselotte entered and smiled like a beautiful white rose.


    She bowed respectfully and greeted properly, ¡°Greetings to her highness from Grand Duchess Bilenae Liselotte le Cransia.¡±


    The woman joked sadly, ¡°Are you already acting distant because you are getting close to leaving this ce?¡±


    The woman walked towards Liselotte, who smiled naughtily and replied, ¡°I apologize, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Lottie...¡±


    When she was called with her pet name, Liselotte finally rxed and surrendered.


    ¡°Hello, sis.¡±


    Beatrice finally smiled brightly.


    ***


    Beatrice the First.


    She was the first female ruler in Cransian history. The former emperor Lucretius the First never took in another wife other than the empress, and so he only had two children with Empress Sa Bina.


    The first-born Beatrice and the younger sister Liselotte.


    At the age of 23, the oldest princess married a nobleman of no significance. As soon as she got married, Lucretius and Sa Bina gave up their titles immediately to enjoy their retirement.


    Initially, Lucretius inherited the ruler position to Beatrice¡¯s husband Komodus. At the time, people were still ufortable with the idea of a female ruler. Since Beatrice knew this, she epted her husband as the emperor and decided to step back and be his empress.


    A year after the wedding and the coronation, Komodus was deemed an unfit ruler and dethroned. He had made many mistakes, both political and ethical, and it was Beatrice who led the coup d¡¯¨¦tat against him.


    Komodus was such an inept emperor that the uncertainty towards the idea of a female ruler quickly became a non-issue.


    Even from the beginning, Komodus showed signs of bing a cruel and unintelligent dictator. Then one day, his pregnant mistress appeared and proimed herself to be the First Wife of the emperor.


    Former emperor and empress Lucretius and Sa Bina were greatly respected still and remained at the nearby wing Lonez. The appearance of this mistress was a piece of unweing and embarrassing news for everyone.


    A simple calction revealed that the woman became pregnant with Komodus¡¯ child right before his marriage to Beatrice, making him appear even more of an ungrateful monster.


    Komodus might have been the official emperor, but his title came only because of the legitimate royal heir Beatrice. Komodus¡¯ first child needed to be with Beatrice.


    The woman, of course, wasn¡¯t given the title, but Komodus also didn¡¯t banish her. This was his biggest mistake.


    The ufortable days followed until one day, it was revealed that Empress Beatrice¡¯s tea was poisoned. Beatrice had been silent throughout this whole deal, but this was thest straw.


    The pregnant woman, who had been residing in the first wife¡¯s wing, was dragged out and her bedroom was searched. The same kind of poison was found, and the woman imed the emperor knew of this but still let it happen.


    Komodus desperately denied this allegation, but no one helped him or believed him. He should have been grateful to his royal wife for everything he gained from their marriage, yet he dishonored the royal family. He was sent to the tower for treason and the pregnant woman who tried to poison the empress was executed.


    ... Or so that was what was announced to the public two years ago.


    What really happened was a bit different. Beatrice orchestrated everything from the beginning. She purposely chose to marry a man who was unreasonably greedy, stupid, and useless. Before Beatrice, Komodus had an unofficial fianc¨¦, but when he saw his chance to be the emperor, he took it. He told his fianc¨¦ that once he became the emperor, he would take her as his first wife. Of course, he was lying.


    Even the stupidest man knew the precariousness of his position, and when his abandoned ex-fianc¨¦ showed up pregnant with his child, he didn¡¯t n on keeping her around. Komodus tried to assassinate her and it was Beatrice who stopped it.


    Beatrice told her husband that killing a pregnant woman and an unborn baby was unreasonable. As she had never interfered in his affairs, he couldn¡¯t ignore her opinion on this matter.


    Meanwhile, the woman took up residence at the castle. Beatrice stopped her husband¡¯s murder attempt, but she also ignored the pregnant woman¡¯s existence. She remained silent on this matter and continued to remain as a generous empress.


    Komodus made many attempts to get rid of his ex-fianc¨¦, but it didn¡¯t work. Meanwhile, the woman became anxious at not being recognized as the emperor¡¯s wife. She felt it was Beatrice¡¯s fault, and finally one day, she made an ill-advised attempt to poison the empress.


    This was what Beatrice had been waiting for. She used this to frame Komodus as well as the woman, and she managed to get rid of both of them.


    Those close to her guessed that this was Beatrice¡¯s n all along, but they had no objections. The alternative was to keep Komodus on the throne and that was not eptable. Most actually believed that although Beatrice was the one who schemed against him, it was Komodus who was too foolish to keep his position. Of course, Beatrice also made sure not to help him in any way regarding running the kingdom during his reign.


    Things worked out in the end for the best.


    Six months ago, Komodus died of illness still imprisoned in the tower, and it had been over two years since Beatrice dered herself the ruler of Cransia.


    Empress Beatrice was a perfect leader. Educated by Lucretius, who was an excellent emperor, and Sabina, who was a wise empress. Beatrice was born and raised to y this role. Unlike her husband, she ruled with an iron fist with fairness and generosity.


    She was her father¡¯s daughter. She coldly used her own marriage to gain what was rightfully hers.

 Chapter 142 - Epilogue 4.2

    <h4>Chapter 142: <Epilogue 4.2></h4>


    Beatrice smiled the way she only did when she was with close friends and families. Liselotte knew that not many people could witness Beatrice¡¯s smile. Only their parents, herself, and very close friends could see the real Beatrice.


    Beatrice firmly believed in not showing any weaknesses, and Liselotte sometimes got worried about her. Liselotte realized that showing strength was necessary to some extent as the ruler of a kingdom, but she worried that Beatrice gave up on her own personal happiness.


    Beatrice looked peaceful as she asked Liselotte, ¡°You look great. Do you have good news for me or something? Well, I guess you are about to be a new bride, so it makes sense.¡±


    Liselotte smiled shyly like a beautiful flower and touched her engagement ring.


    ¡°No, nothing special. Oh, and... I got a message about his and her highness.¡±


    Beatrice looked relieved at the news. After Beatrice became the official ruler and was able to stabilize the kingdom, Lucretius and Bina left to live in Bilenae permanently.


    They left suddenly about six months ago and Beatrice and Liselotte had been getting regr messages from them. However, two months ago, their parents decided to go on their long overdue honeymoon and left the colony without telling anyone where their destination is.


    From then on, the daughters had been getting random and rare messages from them, and this was why Beatrice was worried.


    She asked, ¡°So where are they now?¡±


    Liselotte picked up her teacup and took a sip.


    ¡°I got a message from Aunt Roselia from Genoa.¡±


    Beatrice frowned in annoyance. ¡°Genoa? They went that far?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Liselotte sighed and handed Beatrice a letter marked with Genoan royal seal.


    It was a short letter. Apparently, Lucretius and Bina appeared out of blue at the Genoan castle, creating an uproar. Roselia stated that she was writing this letter to let Beatrice and Liselotte know of their parents¡¯ whereabouts in case they were worried about them.


    Beatrice folded the letter and returned it to Liselotte with a sigh.


    ¡°At least they are healthy and active enough to travel all over the world.¡±


    ¡°As usual.¡±


    Beatrice put down her half-empty teacup and asked, ¡°They will be attending your wedding, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The wedding date was set before they left so they are aware.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we will get to see our parents in a very long time. It¡¯s tiring to have such energetic parents.¡±


    The sisters sighed together. Liselotte held her warm teacup with both hands and murmured jokingly.


    ¡°I wonder if we will end up getting a surprise younger brother or sister.¡±


    ¡°... it¡¯s a possibility.¡±


    ¡°... This is scary.¡±


    They bothughed together. The sisters couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about their parents¡¯ safety, but they believed in their parents¡¯ wisdom andmon sense.


    They might have been traveling all over the world, but the sisters knew that their parents had plenty of guards following them for protection. Both Bina and Lucretius were careful and cautious. Besides, no one in this world would ever dare harm them.


    Liselotte¡¯s big wedding wasing up soon. Her parents would, of course, be attending but the sisters needed toplete all the preparation first. Their conversation naturally turned to the subject of the uing event.


    Liselotte asked, ¡°Now that I think about it... you wore that crown at the wedding, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh... Yeah. Mother¡¯s royal crown.¡±


    It was the crown decorated with the blue tear of the goddess.


    The one Sa Bina wore at her own coronation.


    Liselotte murmured in frustration, ¡°And during your coronation, you wore father¡¯s royal crown.¡±


    Beatrice grinned. After she dethroned her husband, she had a small coronation for herself and wore her father¡¯s crown. Beatrice was the only person in history who had the chance to wear both the empress¡¯ and the emperor¡¯s crowns.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious... That crown with the blue tear of the goddess is so beautiful. I always wanted to try it on...¡±


    Liselotte knew it was not possible to wear the crown at her wedding. Even Beatrice couldn¡¯t make it happen since only the empress could wear the crown.


    However, there could be another possibility. Beatrice offered to her little sister.


    ¡°How about our grandmother¡¯s blue diamond crown?¡±


    Liselotte¡¯s brown eyes widened. She looked genuinely surprised.


    Beatrice was referring to one of the inheritances she received after she became the official empress of the kingdom. It was a very precious item.


    ¡°Really? I can wear it?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I will give it to you as a wedding gift. It is the first crown our mother wore, and it was our grandmother¡¯s favorite thing. I will be happy for you to have it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Liselotte smiled warmly and Beatrice held her hand.


    Beatrice said to her firmly, ¡°Please live a happy life.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    The sisters smiled.


    ***


    Their meeting went long. It wasn¡¯t an empress¡¯ wedding, but still a very important national event. Beatrice wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her sister.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to spend as much as needed. You are the princess of this kingdom and the first in line to the throne. Your wedding needs to be perfect.¡±


    Beatrice was being a good sister, but Liselotte pouted.


    ¡°Do you really mean it, sis?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Liselotte replied seriously, ¡°If you really want my wedding to go well and have a happy marriage... Then you should also find a good man to date and marry soon.¡±


    Beatrice became rigid suddenly.


    ¡°Dating and marriage...I¡¯m sick of it. I think you are asking too much of me. Besides, what has that got to do with your wedding?¡±


    Liselotte said to her firmly, ¡°Whatever. After the wedding, I will get a small house and live outside the castle. I am going to live independently.¡±


    Beatrice scolded her gently. ¡°Lottie.¡±


    ¡°No, this is the best way. As soon as I am married, I will leave this castle.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want our rtionship to be strained either, right? If I remain here even after my marriage, people will whisper about how I could be the next heir to the throne.¡±


    Beatrice sighed. ¡°I know, but...¡±


    Objectively speaking, what Liselotte said waspletely true, but Beatrice couldn¡¯t ignore her personal feelings. She wasn¡¯t thinking as an emperor; she was thinking as her sister.


    After a short hesitation, Beatrice begged Liselotte with a sad face.


    ¡°But... If you abandon me, who will help me with the empress¡¯ duties?¡±


    Liselotte¡¯s eyes narrowed, looking just like their father.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t let me leave because you want me to continue to work for you?¡±


    ¡°... If you don¡¯t help me anymore, I might really die from overwork.¡±


    Beatrice sounded serious, but Liselotte was firm on her decision.


    ¡°No. If you really need help, ask our mother.¡±


    ¡°How could I? She is traveling all over the world enjoying her third life.¡±


    The reason why Bina called it her third life was because she considered her new life with their father in this world her second life. The sisters remembered her mother¡¯s happy smile as she became excited about her travel.


    At the time, they thought it was a wonderful idea, but now, they realized that perhaps their mother became tired of working so hard for the past twenty years and finally ran away from it all.


    Liselotte offered a suggestion.


    ¡°Then how about you solve the issue of the next heir? You just have to marry again.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°If you think you can¡¯t handle both the emperor¡¯s and the empress¡¯s duties, then you need to marry someone, so you can share the responsibilities. You can¡¯t just dump it on your sister.¡±


    ¡°Lottie...¡±


    Beatrice massaged her head with a frown. She was getting a headache from this conversation. The sisters had been fighting over this topic ever since Liselotte¡¯s wedding has been decided.


    Liselotte continued, ¡°So get married. Dating first would be even better.¡±


    After a short silence, Beatrice answered in a low voice.


    ¡°But you know my situation. A husband is a bad idea for me.¡±

 Chapter 143 - Epilogue 4.3

    <h4>Chapter 143: <Epilogue 4.3></h4>


    ¡°Just like Komodus, any man who bes my husband will act like they own this kingdom. I don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡±


    Liselotte had been trying her best for months to convince Beatrice otherwise. Once she left the castle, there would be no one who could care for Beatrice with love. It bothered Liselotte deeply that Beatrice would be left alone in this lonely castle.


    ¡°Not everyone is like that. Look at how our father met our mother.¡±


    The sisters grew up under the most loving couple. Lucretius and Bina were best friends, best political partners, andpletely in love with each other.


    This meant that the sisters had a very high expectation for their own partners and marriages. Growing up under such a perfect couple was actually making the sisters¡¯ lives harder.


    Beatrice knew from the beginning that finding the perfect partner was not an everyday urrence. She knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy. This was why Beatrice gave up early.


    In addition, her situation was different than her father¡¯s.


    ¡°An emperor getting an empress and a female ruler getting a husband are two very different things. Besides... Finding a partner like our mother is not an easy task.¡±


    ¡°I know, but...¡±


    Liselotte sighed unhappily. Unlike her older sister, Liselotte decided to actively search for true love early on.


    Liselotte continued, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, yet you aren¡¯t even trying. In fact, you are doing your best to avoid any kind of possibility. If you continue to be like this, you might end up missing out on your one true love.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It is still possible to find the one who you can have feelings for and also have a simr political view. Our parents found each other and... I did as well, right?¡±


    Beatrice watched Liselotte ying with her engagement ring.


    ¡°I... guess.¡±


    Liselotte used a gentler tone.


    ¡°Remember what mother always told us?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It is important to do our royal duties and protect our rights, but what is more important is to live a happy life as a person, not as royalty.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°If you are sure that you are happy with your current life, then I won¡¯t bring this subject up again. But if you are giving up on your happiness because of political reasons... Then I think you are making a mistake.¡±


    Beatrice couldn¡¯t answer immediately, which was strange. Normally, she could say confidently that this was her choice and she was happy with her life. However, today, she couldn¡¯t say it.


    Liselotte caught this and added quietly, ¡°All I want is for you to be open to possibilities.¡±


    ***


    After her younger sister left, Beatrice contemted about their conversation.


    After she got rid of Komodus, she decided she would never marry anyone again.


    No, she decided this even as she chose a man like Komodus. She chose to be apetent female ruler rather than a happily married woman.


    Beatrice always believed living as the absolute ruler of this kingdom was her biggest happiness, but now, she felt unsure.


    Why?


    Her sister used to be so much like her, but she ended up going through a whirlwind romance with a man of minor nobility. Despite everyone¡¯s objections, she decided to marry this man. Perhaps this was why Beatrice started to doubt her life choices.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking of her political situation. She was born into this, and she was raised to always scheme and doubt. She learned it from her own father the emperor and her mother the empress.


    It was very unlikely to happen, but if she was lucky enough to meet a man who was perfect for her and her situation, then perhaps it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to get married again.


    Despite the odds, her father did meet the perfect woman from another world.


    ... This was the first time in her twenty-six years of life that she considered the possibility of finding a true partner.


    Actually, she was going to be turning twenty-seven soon. Her father met her mother at this exact age.


    Perhaps... She could meet a man who can melt her cold iron heart.


    ***


    ¡°Where... am I?¡±


    Shiyeon looked up at the sky desperately and murmured.


    In the unfamiliar forest, a full moon shone in the sky through the thick tree branches.


    She couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. She had a severe headache and her whole body felt like she was beaten badly.


    Shiyeon ran as if she was running away from a giant monster.


    Why was she here? What was she doing? Why did she feel like she was hurt badly?


    Suddenly, she remembered what had happened before finding herself here.


    Dark street. Stranger¡¯s footsteps following from behind.


    At first, she thought she was overreacting, but soon, she realized she was wrong.


    It waste in the night and the way home didn¡¯t have a single street light despite the neighbors¡¯ints.


    Then suddenly, a dark hand grabbed her hair from behind and covered her mouth before she could scream.


    He dragged her away. She at first froze, but she quickly started to fight as hard as she could. Yet, she was helpless to stop him.


    One thing she could achieve was to step on his foot with her high heel.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    The man screamed in pain and loosened his hands. Instinctively, she freed herself from him and started to run.


    She was by no means athletic. In high school, she used to run 100 meters in 20 seconds. However, danger made her body move. She ran faster than she ever had in her life.


    The man yelled angrily from behind, ¡°You! I will kill you!¡±


    She believed him. She could feel her own fear crawling on her skin. Shiyeon ran with everything she had towards the main street where other people would be.


    His footsteps quickly caught up to her. She was getting tired fast. She was panting and her legs felt painful.


    However, she was so close to the main street. Just another 10 to 20 meters... She could see the streetlights.


    Shiyeon prayed as she continued to run.


    Please.


    Please!


    She couldn¡¯t breathe, but her legs thankfully didn¡¯t give up. Just a little while longer...


    Almost. Just a little bit more!


    Just then.


    She felt him grab her hair again from behind. As she fell, she saw the man who was wearing a hat and was frowning angrily.


    ¡°Man... You¡¯re making this unnecessarily hard.¡±


    ¡°N, no...!¡±


    She could barely scream because he covered her mouth again and dragged her into the darkness.


    Her hope quickly died when suddenly, the ground under them disappeared.


    The man screamed in confusion.


    ¡°W, what the?!¡±


    As they fell, Shiyeon finally saw what was causing it.


    It was a giant hole that swallowed the entire alleyway.


    Shiyeon looked around in fear. Where was the man? Where did he go? Was he still around? Would hee after her again?


    Suddenly, she felt something odd on her legs and arms.


    ¡°... Blood?¡±


    Her entire body was covered in blood. She screamed uncontrobly.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    Except for her scream, the unknown forest remained silent. It seemed like she was the only living creature in it. Her scream echoed throughout the woods.


    ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s happening!¡±


    Shiyeon panicked as she tried to use leaves to clean herself, but the blood was too sticky.


    ¡°I hate this!¡±


    She cried loudly. When she tried to clean her legs, she felt something squishy.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was not sticky like blood. Shiyeon¡¯s hand trembled as she grabbed it. When she saw what it was, she fainted.


    Beside Shiyeon on the forest floor were pieces of human fleshes.

 Chapter 144 - Epilogue 5.1>

    <h4>Chapter 144: <Epilogue 5.1></h4>


    ¡°...!¡±


    When Shiyeon woke up, she initially thought she woke from a horrible nightmare because she was cleaned up andying down on afortable bed.


    Just when she was about to feel relieved, she heard a voice that made reality hit her.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C.¡±


    She heard someone speaking in anguage she couldn¡¯t understand. She had never heard it before. Suddenly, she looked around and realized that she wasn¡¯t in her own bedroom. When she realized that she was in a stranger¡¯s room, she recoiled in shock and quickly got out of the bed.


    She was in a luxurious room decorated in olden European style only seen in Hollywood movies and TV shows. A beautiful foreign woman in an elegant dress was standing nearby the bed and speaking to her.


    ¡°¡ª¨C?¡±


    ¡°W, what are you saying?! I don¡¯t understand!¡±


    The woman became visibly ufortable at Shiyeon¡¯s words. She tried a few words in differentnguages. She only knew very few words, but the woman still couldn¡¯t seem to understand.


    Finally, the woman seemed to give up and helped Shiyeon and guided her out of the bedroom.


    One thing was certain. The woman was telling her that she wanted Shiyeon to go somewhere with her.


    As they walked the hallway, Shiyeon gasped at its grandness. It felt like a dream.


    They entered the inner part of the castle, which meant that the bedroom where Shiyeon slept must have been located at the outer area of this ce.


    As they walked past another giant hall, Shiyeon suddenly noticed something familiar among all the foreign objects.


    It was a huge portrait of a woman, who was wearing a deep purple dress in her 20¡¯s. The portrait must have been painted a very long time ago since the edges of it were starting to worn down.


    However, the painting still looked every bit regal. The woman in it was wearing a crown with a deep blue jewel. It looked so magnificent and great that Shiyeon wondered if thedy¡¯s neck hurt while carrying it on her head.


    What drew Shiyeon¡¯s attention was the woman¡¯s facial features. She had ck hair and ck eyes. Her skin color was the same shade as hers and she was clearly an Asian woman.


    This painting looked so out of ce among all the other portraits of imposing foreign figures.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Shiyeon stopped to stare at the painting for a long time.


    ¡°¡ª.¡±


    The woman who was escorting her said something to her to get Shiyeon¡¯s attention. Shiyeon bowed and looked at her apologetically and followed thedy again.


    Their destination was arge door to an unknown room. Thedy announced something at the door and after a reply from the person inside, the door finally opened.


    Shiyeon was ushered in. When she entered, Shiyeon realized that it was arge library. The bookcases reached the ceilings and filled every wall of the giant luxurious room.


    In the middle was an old and majestic wooden table. In front of it was a woman standing with her back to Shiyeon. It was clear that this woman was the owner of this ce.


    Slowly, the woman turned around. Shiyeon realized that her hair was ck. She did have some whites showing here and there, but Shiyeon could see that in her younger days, thisdy must have had jet ck hair.


    The woman smiled gently and as she spoke, Shiyeon gaped in shock.


    ¡°Wee, traveler from another world.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Shiyeon didn¡¯t expect Korean from a clearly nobledy of this strange ce. Her ent was slightly off, but it was unmistakable.


    Shiyeon gasped.


    ¡°... Are you Korean?!¡±


    The woman shook her head.


    ¡°No, but... I guess you can say I partly could be.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Thedy seemed overwhelmed as her eyes became wet. She looked kindly at Shiyeon.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself to you first. I am the third generation Grand Duchess of Bilenae. My name is Aria des Bilenae.¡±


    It suited her very well, but it was definitely not a Korean name.


    Shiyeon answered in confusion, ¡°I¡¯m... Shiyeon. Park Shiyeon.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Shiyeon.¡±


    ¡°... I was sure I fell into a forest, so how did I get here?¡±


    Grand Duchess Aria started to exin slowly. ¡°During the full moon, we make sure to have the guards protect and scout the forest. During the full moon, the gate opens.¡±


    ¡°The gate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You and... a few others before you have crossed through that gate.¡±


    Shiyeon suddenly remembered her assant that fell with her as the ground disappeared.


    Shiyeon looked around nervously and asked, ¡°Umm, was... was there someone else other than me who was found in the forest? He would have been wearing dark clothes and a hat...¡±


    Aria shook her head. ¡°You are the only one found alive. The guards heard your screams in the forest. When they arrived, you were the only one, and...¡± After a brief hesitation, thedy continued, ¡°Based on the amount of blood and other pieces found on your body, it is very likely that the person who came through the gate with you didn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Aria sighed awkwardly and replied, ¡°When someone enters through the gate, many don¡¯t survive in the process and only parts of them are found in our world. It is actually a verymon urrence as we have witnessed it often. You are the first one to safely arrive since thedy. You are very lucky.¡±


    ¡°Thedy?¡±


    The way Aria referred to this woman sounded loving and respectful.


    Aria smiled wistfully and replied, ¡°Yes. She was my great grandmother and the sessful traveler of another world before you. She was Empress Sa Bina le Cransia.¡±


    Shiyeon remembered the portrait she saw on her way here. Aria must have been referring to thatdy. There was no mistake that the woman in the painting was definitely Korean.

 Chapter 145 - Epilogue 5.2

    <h4>Chapter 145: <Epilogue 5.2></h4>


    ¡°So... This is a different world from earth, and you are a descendant of another traveler from Korea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that is why I canmunicate with you. Thisnguage, Korean, is only taught to her direct descendants.¡±


    This was such a shocking situation that Shiyeon couldn¡¯t think straight.


    ¡°Descendants... So there are others?¡±


    Aria nodded. ¡°Yes. Empress Sa Bina had two children. The first daughter Beatrice was the very first female ruler of Cransia and was respected as one of the best leaders in our history. The current emperor is Kentius the Fifth, who is the son of Empress Beatrice the First. That makes him... Empress Sa Bina¡¯s grandson.¡±


    Shiyeon became speechless.


    What Aria told her was simple. An assant was chasing Shiyeon when the ground copsed into a gate that led to another world. She was lucky she survived the travel. When she arrived, one of the descendants of the past Korean traveler was waiting for her to exin the situation.


    Shiyeon yelled in disbelief, ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense at all!¡±


    ¡°... What doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°This is a prank of some kind like on TV, right? Another world? Descendant of another Korean traveler? This is ridiculous!¡±


    Aria asked in confusion, ¡°Tee... vee? What is that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Aria truly seemed confused. Shiyeon¡¯s legs gave in from shock, and as she was about to fall, Aria quickly grabbed her.


    ¡°T... thank you.¡±


    Aria looked at her with understanding and sympathy.


    ¡°I realize that this is shocking news. It¡¯s understandable that you are confused. Empress Sa Bina also mentioned that she had a difficult time epting this situation.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Aria helped Shiyeon onto a chair and offered her a warm cup of green tea.


    ¡°But she ended up bing one of the greatest empresses in Cransian history, so please don¡¯t worry. Things will work out for you if you make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Thatdy... She didn¡¯t get to return to her home.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Aria continued calmly with kindness, ¡°And... she made sure to leave traces of herself in history so everyone will always remember her story.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a short hesitation, Shiyeon asked quietly, ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡±


    Aria¡¯s answer was unexpected.


    ¡°This is one of the duties of all Bilenae descendants. I guess, duty may be too grand of a word for this, but Empress Sa Bina made sure that her descendants will take care of the Bilenae forest and wait for future travelers, whenever it may be.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We have been waiting for you. I have never expected I would be the one who gets to greet you.¡± Aria looked overwhelmed with pride and joy.


    Shiyeon asked again, ¡°But you said the current emperor is also her descendant. So why is it just your family who needs to carry out this duty?¡±


    Aria smiled smoothly and replied, ¡°It is true that her blood runs through the current royal family, but the royal family belongs to the kingdom. Its duty is to this country and this country only. This is why Empress Sa Bina inherited Bilenae to her second daughter Liselotte and asked her toplete this mission. My grandmother, Liselotte, left the Cransian castle after her marriage and lived her life here. She also changed herst name to Bilenae.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°Yes. Bilenae family is a direct royal descendant as well, but we have given up our close position to the throne. More specifically, my grandmother, Grand Duchess Liselotte did. Instead of remaining in line for the throne, she inherited thisnd and became the keeper of her mother Sa Bina¡¯s records. Therefore, our family is still a direct descendant of Empress Sa Bina.¡±


    Aria reached out to hold Shiyeon¡¯s hand. Only then did Shiyeon realize that her hands were ice cold and shaking.


    Aria squeezed her hand warmly. She was acting on behalf of the woman who would have loved to be here to help this girl.


    Aria continued, ¡°She asked us that if and when another person passes through the gate, we needed to make sure to help in any way possible. She wanted the next traveler to not feel like he or she was abandoned alone in this new world.¡±


    Shiyeon felt tears rolling down from her eyes. She still couldn¡¯t understand her situation clearly. She still expected to wake up at any moment to find herself in her own bedroom.


    However, Aria was telling her that a long time ago, someone expected this to happen and made preparations. This idea was so far fetched that it had to be real.


    Shiyeon felt grateful for this woman she had never met before, but the realization that this was real felt too painful.


    ¡°Mom...¡±


    Aria hugged her tight, just as Bina would have if she was here. Aria didn¡¯t say anything and just held her for a very long time.


    ***


    It had been a week since Shiyeon arrived in this world. During this time, she could finally ept her situation.


    Shiyeon headed towards Aria¡¯s office. She needed to make a request. As she walked by the portrait of Bina, she thought carefully. This woman became part of this world¡¯s history. She lived a full life here.


    Shiyeon heard many things from Aria during the week, and one thing was certain. The reason why Aria was so kind and respectful to Shiyeon was because Empress Sa Bina was a truly revered figure.


    It was clear that Aria felt proud to be a descendant of Sa Bina.


    Aria told her that Empress Sa Bina left a message for the future traveler and Shiyeon was finally ready to read it.


    As she looked at the portrait of the Korean woman, Shiyeon whispered, ¡°... Thank you.¡±


    Aria was happy to hand her the message. She took out a book and numerous pieces of documents from a safe. Both looked very old.


    ¡°All these... are from her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. These are all the records she saved of past travelers. Some of them are not about Empress Sa Bina herself. They are actually information on another woman before her. Empress Sa Bina was acquainted with the Aos Priestess and after her coronation, she asked for these records.¡±


    The documents were in Cransian, which meant that Shiyeon would have to learn thenguage first, or ask Aria to trante it for her.


    However, Shiyeon felt like she needed to learn thenguage and read it herself.


    Aria pointed at the book and exined, ¡°And this is the record directly from Empress Sabina. She wrote it for you.¡±


    This time, Shiyeon could read it clearly. When she opened to the first page, it was filled with familiar letters.


    Korean.


    -To you in the very distant future.


    The woman who came to this world by ident just like her.


    The woman who lived her life to the fullest and left her mark in this world.


    Shiyeon¡¯s hand trembled as she turned to the next page.

 Chapter 146 - The most romantic weekend>

    <h4>Chapter 146: <Short stories 1.1: The most romantic weekend></h4>


    The sky couldn¡¯t be bluer. It was an impossibly beautiful day.


    The long entourage arrived at the hot spring. The front of this train was a white carriage with a three-eagle royal symbol.


    The ce was ready for the Cransian royalty. The owners, Viscount Nn, and his wife had been getting the ce ready for days to great the royal family.


    The hot spring was thoroughly cleaned. The tiles were scrubbed until they looked new. The garden was decorated with the rarest nts borrowed from neighboringnds. This morning, all of the silverware was cleaned till they shined like mirrors.


    They were ready.


    Today was a special day. Even the lowliest servants were given new clothes. Everyone was excited and nervous at the same time.


    Finally, the carriage arrived.


    Per Viscount¡¯s order, everyone kneeled.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness the emperor and your highness the empress.¡±


    ¡°Greetings to your highness the princess.¡±


    Everyone said in a respectful voice as the carriage door opened. A woman in a luxurious dress got out and announced clearly.


    ¡°Please raise your heads.¡±


    Viscountess Nn looked up slowly. The woman who got off the carriage was in her early to mid-twenties and had exotic features.


    Jet ck hair and beautiful skin color. It was rumored that the empress was a highest borndy from a faraway kingdom and the viscountess now believed it. Viscountess Nn quickly recovered from her nervousness and introduced herself.


    ¡°Greetings to the most honored Empress. I am Viscountess Nn, the caretaker of this ce Maram. My name is Belinda.¡±


    The Viscount was next.


    ¡°Greetings to the most honored Empress. I am Belinda¡¯s husband Viscount Nn. My name is Talin.¡±


    The empress smiled gently. ¡°Nice to meet you, Belinda and Talin.¡±


    Just then, a child¡¯s whining was heard from the carriage.


    ¡°Oh my, Beatrice must be waking up.¡±


    A brown-haireddy got into the carriage and appeared with a ck-haired girl in her arms.


    The empress said to her, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure. Her highness just woke up.¡±


    Yulia handed the first princess Beatrice to her mother.


    ¡°Momm... mmmy...¡±


    ¡°There, there, Beatrice.¡±


    The Princess was going to turn three soon and this journey must have been very difficult for such a young girl. The empress smiled at her daughter.


    The little girl resembled her mother with her ck hair and unique skin color. Her hair was braided with pearls and flowers, and her green eyes looked like emeralds. In her whitecy dress, she looked like a beautiful doll.


    However, someone was missing. Viscountess Nn asked respectfully.


    ¡°Umm, his highness is...¡±


    Yulia answered quickly and firmly, ¡°His highness had an emergency, so he will be arriving tomorrow. He nned this trip as he was worried about her highness¡¯ health, so he didn¡¯t want her trip to be dyed as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I apologize for an unnecessary question.¡±


    Belinda nervously nced at the empress, who, for some reason, looked upset. Belinda secretly ordered her maids and servants to remove any items or food for his highness and escorted the empress and the princess into the building.


    ***


    After all the maids left, Bina put on a nightgown and opened the door to the garden connected to her room.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The garden was bright with many lights. Despite the fact that it was night, the lights bounced off the white marbles of the hot spring tub, making the ce look lively.


    Bina walked slowly to the tub. The marble path was covered in thickyers of red rose petals and a sheerce on top. It was over-the-top.


    ¡°This is definitely too much and unnecessary...¡±


    It has been a while since the emperor and the empress visited this area, so the caretakers must have gotten too excited.


    ¡°Well, I guess I might as well enjoy it.¡±


    It would be rude to order them to get rid of everything. She will make sure to tell them not to go this far in the future, but for now, she would respect their effort.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    After a brief hesitation, Bina took off her slippers and started to walk on the rosy path. The feeling ofce and flowers felt heavenly on her skin. The fragrance of the rose petals was amazing.


    ¡°How romantic.¡±


    It really was, but...


    ¡°What is the point of this if I¡¯m all alone...¡±


    Bina sighed deeply. She remembered Lucretius¡¯ words before she and her daughter left.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Cornelius copsed... I need to see him first and I will follow you right after.¡±


    Cornelius had recently retired due to old age, and a few days ago, Lucretius got the news that he copsed suddenly. Lucretius was supposed to travel with Bina, but he couldn¡¯t. Bina offered to stay with him, but Lucretius wanted her to go ahead first.


    This summer was unusually hot, and Bina was having a hard time coping with it. It was very difficult, but they managed to find the time for this trip and Lucretius wanted Bina to enjoy it as long as possible.


    Bina felt disappointed as she sat alone in the tub.


    ***


    Steam from the hot spring filled the night air.


    Maram was famous for its numerous hot springs, which were created by nearby volcanoes. Many noble families owned vacation castles in the area and, of course, the Cransian royal family owned the best and the biggest hot spring here.


    The royal ce in Maram hot spring was built by Emperor Celetus who was very sickly. During his reign, he often spent months at a time here. Because of this, the ce was built especiallyrge and luxuriously.


    After Emperor Celetus passed away, the royal ce was reduced in size as other royal families barely visited anymore. Instead, the spring water was sent to the city castle for the royal members. This was the first time in 50 years where the emperor and the empress visited in person.


    ¡°That must be why they overdid it...¡±


    Bina murmured as she enjoyed the warm water. It had a nice temperature and Bina felt her fatigue disappear.


    ¡°The water looks like Milkis...¡±


    Milkis was a milky carbonated drink she used to enjoy in Korea. Bina giggled as she leaned backfortably.


    Therger tub was filled with the hot spring water. Beside it was a smaller tub with cold water to cool down. The smaller tub had various flower petals floating on top. Beside the tubs were marble table and chairs with a bottle of wine and a single crystal ss.


    That¡¯s right. Just one.


    ¡°...¡±


    The maids must have removed the emperor¡¯s ss on purpose. Looking at the lonely ss on the table, Bina felt sad.


    She stood up to get to the table. She was naked under the moonlight, but she feltfortable since no one was allowed inside. She walked casually to the table and stared at the wine bottle. It was already opened and all she had to do was pour it.


    This was annoyingly romantic.


    ¡°...¡±


    She was so annoyed that she was about to drink the whole thing.


    Just then, she heard a noise.


    It sounded like someone stepping on a twig.


    ¡®What is that?!¡¯


    She waspletely naked. Bina panicked and quickly jumped into the cold tub with the ss still in her hand.


    Ssh!


    ¡®It¡¯s too cold!¡¯


    It was freezing. Bina tried to cover herself with her hands and red at the ce where the noise came from.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?! How dare you sneak into a private royal ce...!¡±


    Suddenly, Bina¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°...?!¡±

 Chapter 147 - Short stories 1.2

    <h4>Chapter 147: <Short stories 1.2></h4>


    Bina¡¯s shock turned into pure pleasure.


    ¡°Luc...!¡±


    As her lovely face blushed, Lucretius hurriedly walked towards her. He looked ridiculous. He was still wearing the same clothes he was wearing before they said their goodbyes. That was three days ago. His shoulders were covered with specks of dust and his cloak had leaves sticking out.


    Binamented on his absurd appearance.


    ¡°What happened to you? I can understand the leaves may be from sneaking into this garden, but what¡¯s with the dust and dirt all over you?¡±


    She was used to Lucretius appearing out of blue in the castle through the secret passages, but she never expected him to do the same in this ce.


    Severalyers of royal guards protected the building. This garden was guarded especially because the empress herself was taking a bath. Not even an ant would manage to infiltrate their line of defenses, yet here was a big handsome (?) ant who got in unnoticed.


    There was no noise from the outside, which must have meant he did sneak in without anyone noticing. He was good.


    ¡®Should I be worried about the ipetence of my royal guards?¡¯


    She became concerned, but she decided to think about itter.


    She reprimanded him firmly.


    ¡°I told you not to sneak around. You know the guards and the maids freak out when you do this. Don¡¯t you feel bad for them?¡±


    At Bina¡¯s scolding, Lucretius cringed jokingly. He even pretended to look sad.


    Bina knew this look. Her husband was in his thirties and he was a father, yet he often acted like a sad puppy to get her sympathy.


    He replied, ¡°I¡¯m sad.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I rode my horse all day and night to get to my wife, yet you have no sympathy for your husband?¡±


    Bina grinned. ¡°My husband had me alone in this romantic night, so don¡¯t you think I have the right to be mad?¡±


    Lucretius cringed dramatically. ¡°Then do you want me to say, ¡®I deserve your punishment?¡¯¡±


    Bina chuckled and reached out to him. ¡°If youmitted a crime, then, of course, you should get punished.¡±


    Lucretius waited for her to put her arms around him.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    However, she didn¡¯t hug him right away. Under the seductive moonlight, her fingers slowly removed the broach that was holding his cloak in ce.


    As the heavy cloak dropped to the floor, the dust flew everywhere.


    ¡°E, look at all this dust!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the proof of my love, so please ept it.¡±


    ¡°You are ridiculous.¡±


    Bina¡¯sughter rang joyously. Her hands moved quickly to undo Lucretius¡¯ shirt buttons.


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying how many buttons I have to undo to get you naked every time.¡±


    ¡°You are the one who helped me put on this shirt, and I haven¡¯t taken it off since. I made sure no one touched me.¡±


    He said it proudly and she tapped one of the golden buttons teasingly.


    ¡°Hmm. Really?¡±


    ¡°I swear.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Bina smiled with eyes filled with ill-intentions as she continued to undo another button. ¡°I see that you really have been a good boy.¡±


    ¡°I was!¡±


    Bina put her finger on Lucretius¡¯ neck where she left her mark a few days ago. She tiptoed to kiss it gently. The smell of dust and sweat permeated on his skin, and she loved it.


    He smelled manlier than usual and realizing that this was HER man made her heart do a quick somersault. She felt dizzy with excitement.


    At her seductive touch, her man growled from deep inside.


    ¡°Bina...¡±


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He reached out for her aggressively. He was desperate for her, but when his rough hands touched her skin, they gentled immediately. He tipped her head up towards him and took her lips.


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    They haven¡¯t been apart this long in a very long time. Every day, they went to bed together, ate together, and took walks together in the garden.


    They had been married for four years now, and they had a daughter. They had been with each other countless times, yet every time they were alone, they felt frantic for each other.


    Under the moon and the stars in the magical garden, they were alone. No one would disturb them tonight.


    A sweet yet passionate kiss continued. Bina felt Lucretius¡¯ lips and tongue coveting her.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, it was not enough. She wanted him to want her more, and Lucretius was only happy to oblige her.


    He tasted her like he was starved and she was the rarest and sweetest fruit in thend. He showed her how much he desired her.


    His tongue swept the inside of her mouth possessively. Gently but persistently, his mouth assaulted her.


    ¡°...!¡±


    She felt an excited shock run through her body. Bina was in the tub while Lucretius was still outside of it. She hung on to him tightly. The water sshed gently around them, and they continued to kiss until they became breathless.


    ¡°Haaa...!¡±


    Bina panted as her eyes blurred. Lucretius licked his lips and then Bina¡¯s as well. When he smiled in satisfaction, Bina reddened andined, ¡°Every time... you kiss me like you want to suffocate me.¡±


    ¡°I am jealous of even the air you breath.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina never could get used to Lucretius¡¯ cornyments.


    He continued, ¡°Everyday, every time I see you breathe, I get jealous at how the air gets to taste your lips constantly. It makes me angry, and I want to destroy all the air in the world so only I get to kiss your lips.¡±


    Bina cringed at hisment. ¡°When will you stop saying ridiculous things like that?¡±


    Bina showed him the goosebumps on her arms, but to Lucretius, even her goosebumps looked adorable. He thought smugly.


    ¡®She loves it when I say things like this. She is addicted to me.¡¯


    He smiled in satisfaction. He couldn¡¯t tell her enough how he felt about her. His n was to drown her in his love so she wouldn¡¯t even have the time or the mind to miss her homnd and her family. He would fill her with irresistible happiness so her previous life would be erased from her memory.


    Lucretius didn¡¯t care even if her family back home would find out what he was doing. He believed that if they truly loved her, they would understand. If they cared about her, they would ept the fact that Bina¡¯s life would be happy only if she was with him. He would make sure thises true.


    They were living the ¡°after¡± part of the happily ever after. Lucretius regretted nothing.


    He said to Bina, ¡°I am only telling you the truth.¡±


    Bina smiled and hugged Lucretius¡¯ neck as she stood up. Her body appeared from the flower-covered water.


    ¡°Oh?!¡±


    Lucretius couldn¡¯t stop staring at the naked body of the woman he loved. Bina took this as her chance and with her hands still around his neck, she kissed his lips lightly and fell back, taking him with her into the water.


    Ssh!


    Water sshed everywhere and theyughed together.


    Their romantic night was finally about to begin.

 Chapter 148 -

    <h4>Chapter 148: <Short stories 1.3></h4>


    On the white marble floor, Lucretius¡¯ clothes scattered everywhere. Bina felt a bit embarrassed thinking what the maids and the servants would think when they cleaned this ce tomorrow morning. However, it was only Bina who thought this way.


    Lucretius thought it was normal for their private lives to be exposed to so many people. He grew up with everyone watching his every move, so he didn¡¯t realize how strange it was to have the line between one¡¯s public and personal lives blurred.


    For Bina, who grew up in the 21st century Korea, it was hard to understand and ept this reality. She still often felt embarrassed. For example, whenever the maids came into her bedroom to find Lucretius and Bina in bed together... Just like this situation, Bina felt mortified at what they might imagine.


    Bina lowered herself into the warm water so only her head was visible from outside. She could hear water sshing nearby, indicating he was entering the tub. When she turned around, she could see his magnificent naked self with his golden hair shining beautifully. His hair was already wet after exposing himself from the cold-water tub.


    He had been in the water for only a few seconds, but he already looked amazing.


    It was believed that Maram¡¯s water had beautifying power.


    ¡®I guess it works even better on already good-looking people.¡¯


    She felt a little bit annoyed.


    Bina had been using the hot spring water from Maram for the past four years, as they delivered it to the castle for her personal use. It had improved her skin greatly with long-term use, but Lucretius had to dunk himself only once and it made him look so much better than her already!


    It wasn¡¯t fair. Although she felt angry, she also openly enjoyed the beautiful man¡¯s body. His scars didn¡¯t surprise or sadden her anymore. They only made his gorgeous body look more masculine.


    Besides, there hadn¡¯t been an assassination attempt on Lucretius in a very long time. They were safe. However, even then, Lucretius was neverzy about his training. This was why his body remained toned and chiseled like that of a statue.


    Even his bones were the image of perfection and his muscles were mouth-watering.


    Bina decided that she had to make sure her daughter Beatrice use the hot spring water from early on. Beatrice was already a beautiful child, thanks to her father, and with diligent care, she would grow up to be the most gorgeous princess in Cransian history!


    Lucretius approached his wife with a smile. In his hand was the crystal ss Bina dropped in the water. He handed it back to her as Binamented, ¡°If I knew you would be here tonight, I would have told them to prepare two sses.¡±


    Lucretius grinned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would be able to get here this fast. Tomorrow morning was the earliest I expected.¡±


    ¡°So you really rode here through the night too?¡±


    ¡°Umm... Sort of?¡±


    Lucretius looked casual but his ears flinched subtly.


    Bina knew him well enough to know that this meant he was lying.


    A very small lie.


    Spending four years with him has taught her little things about him. If he knew, he would have fixed this habit, but she didn¡¯t tell him. Knowing these things about him made her feel secretly happy.


    Lucretius continued to lie smoothly.


    ¡°I did sleep at night. We dropped by at different inns every night and made sure I rested. I¡¯m not so stupid that I would ride a horse when I am tired or sleepy. I wouldn¡¯t want to fall off the horse, right?¡±


    Bina knew then.


    ¡®He probably almost fell off the horse because heck sleep.¡¯


    She could see through him like an open book, but she understood that he took such a silly risk because he wanted to get to her as quickly as possible. She decided to feign ignorance.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t take unnecessary risks.¡±


    Lucretius looked secretly relieved and Bina smiled. She drank a sip of smooth red wine and handed him back the ss. Having one ss wasn¡¯t so bad. They could drink from it together.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Lucretius took a sip and without swallowing, he grabbed her head and kissed her.


    ¡°...!¡±


    She moaned in shock and pleasure. She tasted the wine from his lips and tongue. It tasted even better this way. This time, the kiss was shorter than thest time, but it still made her breathless. Bina took the ss with a sigh and emptied it.


    With a grin, Lucretius kissed her again immediately as if to steal the wine from her mouth. Bina¡¯s face reddening even more. It was partly due to the wine and being in the hot spring, but they both knew that those weren¡¯t the only reasons.


    Lucretius ced the ss down on the marble floor.


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t need two sses after all. I prefer this way.¡±


    He was back to his corny self again. Bina sshed the warm water at him, and the garden filled with the sound of water andughter.


    ***


    The milky water continued to give off hot steam. Bina sighed sleepily and leaned her head against his shoulder.


    She felt like her whole body was melting. Her eyes were half-closed, and she was about to fall asleep.


    Lucretius kissed her forehead lovingly.


    When she sighed again happily, Lucretius continued to leave trails of his kisses on her body.


    Her forehead, cheeks, neck, and shoulders.


    Her skin felt so smooth and warm that Lucretius couldn¡¯t stop kissing her everywhere.


    The garden was quiet, and the only sound resonating all around was Lucretius¡¯ kisses. Bina felt embarrassed.


    ¡°Stop. I¡¯m sleepy...¡±


    She really was feeling tired. She thought Lucretius should be even more exhausted since he rode day and night to get here, but he looked rejuvenated.


    Lucretius chuckled and kissed her ear. His warm breath tickled her, making her feel hot all over again. She thought she was done for the night but was surprised at her own renewed desire.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Lucretius whispered teasingly, ¡°We still have the rest of the night. You aren¡¯t nning on leaving me all lonely like this, right? That¡¯s too cruel.¡±


    He sounded like a whiny child, making Bina giggle.


    She poked his nose. ¡°But I¡¯m really sleepy. The carriage ride was longer and harder than expected. My legs feel weak.¡±


    Lucretius immediately grew concerned. ¡°Is it because you still haven¡¯t fully recovered from thebor?¡±


    Bina was surprised at his thinking just because she said she was sleepy. Beatrice was born almost three years ago, and Lucretius was still concerned about her recovery from it. It was, indeed, a difficult birth, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as he was believing it to be.


    Plus, the aftercare she received was top of the notch and over the top. She recovered quickly, and she didn¡¯t feel much different than she did before giving birth.


    Bina smiled confidently to reassure him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. I¡¯ve been in the hot water for too long, and I feel a little drunk. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so... Hmm?¡±


    Bina became shocked at his sudden movement. She squealed as Lucretius carried her out of the tub.


    ¡°T, tell me first before doing things like this.¡±


    Her face got even redder and Lucretius watched her with a devoted smile. He kissed her forehead again and carried her to the bedroom. He was definitely in his prime; he carried Bina like she weighed nothing.


    The marble path was wet and, therefore, slippery.


    When Lucretius almost fell, Bina said to him nervously, ¡°B, be careful!¡±


    ¡°... I am being careful.¡±


    They both thought how embarrassing it would be to die naked by slipping on a marble floor.


    Suddenly, the hard ground turned cushiony. Lucretius was now walking on the thickyers of rose petals.


    ¡°Wow. They followed my order very well.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You... you ordered them to do this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I had them do everything they can for my empress.¡±


    Bina was speechless.


    Beautiful moon, heady fragrance of roses, and the man she loved.


    It was indeed the most romantic night.

 Chapter 149 -

    <h4>Chapter 149: <Short stories 1.4></h4>


    It had been a long time since this royal castle in Maram had guests. It was usually very quiet but now it was lively.


    The empress¡¯s bedroom door opened slowly and a child peaked in.


    ¡°Mommy...your highness?¡±


    It was the beloved first princess Beatrice, who was the jewel of the entire kingdom. Behind her, maids followed and tried to stop her quietly.


    ¡°Your highness! Her highness is still sleeping! Please don¡¯t disturb her!¡±


    ¡°You can see her highness when she wakes up...!¡±


    Preventing any disturbance to the empress¡¯ sleep was the maids¡¯ job, and they were failing.


    ¡®I want to see mommy!¡¯


    The princess went to bed earlyst night because she was tired from the trip. She was now well-rested, and Beatrice was determined to see her mother. She made her maids dress her, and as soon as she was ready, the princess ran to the empress¡¯ room.


    When she saw who was inside, her green eyes widened.


    It was the emperor standing in a shower gown.


    The maids bowed in shock and fear.


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    ¡°Gr... greetings to your highness the emperor!¡±


    The maids realized that the bed curtain was still down, indicating that the empress was asleep. They lowered their voice and trembled nervously.


    They hadn¡¯t expected the emperor to be here. By not preventing the princess from barging into the room, the maids inadvertently ended up disturbing both the emperor and the empress.


    Thankfully, the emperor and the princess didn¡¯t even notice the maids at all.


    ¡°Daddy... Your highness!¡±


    Beatrice smiled widely as she saw her father. She ran to him, who greeted her happily.


    ¡°Oh, my princess!¡±


    Lucretius lifted his daughter and hugged her.


    ¡°Daddy your highness!¡±


    ¡°Hello dear. You are heavier than thest time I saw you only a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°I missed daddy your highness!¡±


    As the child hugged him with all her strength, the emperor looked down at her with the happiest smile. Beatrice suddenly realized why she came into this room.


    ¡°Mommy her highness! Where is mommy?!¡±


    ¡°She is still asleep.¡±


    ¡°I want to say hello to mommy her highness too!¡±


    Lucretius looked out the window and noted that the sun was high up. It looked like it was about 11 am.


    However, Bina looked very tiredst night. He wondered if he should let her rest a while longer.


    Their daughter begged him even more though.


    ¡°Mommy¡ª!¡±


    Just then, there was a noise from the bed. It appeared that Bina was awake. He smiled at the princess.


    ¡°Alright. Shall we?¡±


    By the time they reached the bed, Bina was awake. When she saw her husband and their daughter, she smiled.


    ¡°Mommy.... Your... Highness!¡±


    The child still had difficulty addressing people properly. Bina and Lucretius taught her to address them as mommy and daddy only when they were alone.


    Beatrice was still very young but unusually intelligent. She quickly learned that she had to address her parents differently when there were others in the room. Since Beatrice addressed her properly, Bina knew that there must be others, most likely the maids, in the room with them.


    Beatrice kissed her mother¡¯s cheek soundly.


    Bina couldn¡¯t help but reach out for her and hug her tightly. When she was still in Korea, she could never understand why many parents baby-talked to their children. Now she understood. She herself couldn¡¯t help but doing the same to her own baby.


    ¡°My Beetweece! Did you sweeeep well?¡±


    Bina was a highly respected empress, yet in front of her baby, she was just like any other mother. Beatriceughed blissfully.


    ¡°Yesss!¡±


    Beatrice smelled of sweet milk. It was the most pleasant morning call.


    ***


    The royal family got dressed and walked the garden together. Lucretius held their daughter in his arms, and with Bina, they took a nice walk while the maids prepared their breakfast in the garden.


    Under a pretty tree, the maids set up a table and three chairs. When everyone realized the emperor arrivedst night, the chef anxiously prepared the best breakfast he had ever made.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Bina was surprised.


    ¡°Fondue... What a great idea!¡±


    They were a bitte to the table, but the cheese pot was still steaming. The molten cheese smelled amazing and the light snacks apanying is as a dip looked tasty. It was a bit chilly in the morning, so the chef made a very fine choice with this.


    Bina and Lucretius sat down with Beatrice. One of the chairs had arge cushion on it, which was a thoughtful gesture by the maids for the young princess. The snacks included freshly baked bread pieces, smoked ham, and various fruits.


    ¡°Are you hungry, Beatrice?¡±


    Bina dipped a piece of bread in the cheese using a silver fork. The melted cheese smelled faintly of wine. Bina felt the temperature of the cheese with her lips.


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s still a bit too hot.¡±


    ¡°Mommy your highness...!¡±


    ¡°Just a little while longer, honey.¡±


    Bina smiled at her daughter gently and blew on the piece of the cheese-covered bread to cool it. When it looked right at the right temperature, Bina gave it to Beatrice.


    ¡°Say ah~.¡±


    Beatrice opened her mouth like a little bird.


    ¡°Aaahhh!¡±


    Beatrice chewed adorably, making Bina¡¯s heart melt.


    After giving her a few more bites, Bina suddenly realized something.


    She turned around to ask her husband, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    Lucretius smiled gently. ¡°Just looking at you two makes me feel full.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    More cornyments. When will he ever stop?!


    Besides, she knew better. By the tone of his voice, Bina could tell that he was unhappy about something.


    She lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°Are you by chance irritated because I am paying attention only to Beatrice?¡±


    ¡°... Of course not.¡±


    He answered with the briefest hesitation, which meant that she was right.


    ¡°Gosh... You are over thirty and the emperor for god¡¯s sake, yet you are still acting so childishly.¡±


    ¡°... I, I said I¡¯m not!¡± He must have realized how silly he was acting because he hurriedly exined himself. ¡°I was just enjoying this beautiful moment with my lovely wife and our adorable daughter.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Whatever.¡±


    Bina picked up a piece of ham, dunked it in the melted cheese, and got it to Lucretius¡¯ lips.


    ¡°Here you are.¡±


    Lucretius opened his mouth without hesitation and ate it happily. Beatrice watched them with a pleased smile.


    Lucretius smiled in satisfaction, and Bina couldn¡¯t help butugh. He pretended otherwise, but he wanted her attention so bad. Once he got it, he seemed delighted.


    Bina teased him. ¡°You act so childishly sometimes.¡±


    Lucretius pretended not to hear her and finally started to feed himself. He ate a piece of sweet fruit dipped in cheese.


    Bina turned her attention back to their daughter. Normally, an empress never fed her children, but Bina wanted to do this at least until Beatrice became old enough to get her own wing. She wanted to spend as much family time with her and Lucretius as possible.


    Just then, a piece of fruit in cheese appeared in front of her lips. It was Lucretius who was offering it to her.


    ¡°Say ahhh~.¡±


    Bina blushed in embarrassment. ¡°The maids are watching...!¡±


    Lucretius wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time they saw me act like this. I¡¯m sure they are used to it by now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was true. Bina was the only one who was conscious of others¡¯ eyes when showing affection. Lucretius didn¡¯t care who saw them together, and even Bina was starting to forget the maids and servants¡¯ presence.


    Bina protested, ¡°B, but...¡±


    When Bina hesitated, Lucretius asked casually, ¡°If you don¡¯t like this fork, I can feed you with my mouth.¡±


    ¡°I, it¡¯s ok! It¡¯s fine!¡±


    Bina surrendered. As she ate the food and the fork left her mouth, it lightly rubbed on her lips on purpose. It was such an obviously seductive move and Bina narrowed her eyes.


    ¡®We are in broad daylight!¡¯


    Her husband smiled and ignored her re. This time, he got a piece of biscuit and had her open her mouth. Bina had no choice but to take the food again.


    When the fork was still in her mouth, he lightly pushed her tongue with the utensil and touched the roof of her mouth with it.


    Her cheeks reddened.


    ¡®This... is what he does when he kisses!¡¯


    However, she couldn¡¯t say anything. From the outside, it just looked like he was being considerate and feeding his wife.


    Bina picked up her silver fork.


    Now it was her turn.

 Chapter 150 -

    <h4>Chapter 150: <Short stories 1.5></h4>


    ¡°Now, I want to feed you too. Say aaahh~.¡±


    Bina got a piece of cheesed food into his mouth and moved her fork as if it was her tongue and she was kissing him.


    She touched his sensitive spot with her fork. It was very subtle, but she saw his shoulders flinch slightly.


    Bina smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Does it taste good?¡±


    The game of seduction.


    Lucretius smiled in defiance. He wouldn¡¯t lose in this game.


    ¡°It tastes heavenly when you feed me yourself, my empress.¡±


    He then quickly offered her a piece of food. ¡°I am curious how it would taste to you if I feed you myself.¡±


    They were both full, but they couldn¡¯t stop now. Whoever gave up would be considered the loser of this game. They both knew they were being silly, but theirpetitive nature wouldn¡¯t let them stop.


    ¡°Say aaahhh, your highness...¡±


    ¡°How does it taste, my empress...¡±


    From outside, they looked like a loving couple feeding each other, but in reality, they were fighting a secret battle against each other.


    It seemed the game wouldn¡¯t end when suddenly, Beatrice started to cry.


    ¡°Waaaa!¡±


    ¡°B, Beatrice?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Beatrice?!¡±


    The princess wept sadly and replied, ¡°I want it too!¡±


    In the end, Beatrice was the winner of this game.


    ***


    It was a happy butpetitive brunch. All the tes were emptied, making the chef feel overjoyed.


    Both Lucretius and Bina were so full that they decided to go for a quick walk. The maids and the servants followed them from afar so the couple could have a private conversation.


    Beatrice held onto both of their hands and walked between them. Because she walked very slow, Bina and Lucretius followed suit.


    They were distractedst night, so they didn¡¯t get to have a proper conversation.


    Bina finally spoke of the question she meant to ask before, ¡°How is Cornelius doing?¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t start the journey with Bina and Beatrice because Cornelius suddenly fell ill. The Duke of Lonensia, Cornelius, retired from the chancellor position about a year ago and recently, his health started to fail.


    The kingdom was stable. After the execution of the dowager empress Katleyanira, every force that opposed Lucretius were eliminated. Those who supported Lucretius managed to gain absolute power.


    However, this also eventually led to a problem.


    There were signs of splitting among the supporters of Lucretius, and the one who was preventing this from happening was Cornelius. He was holding everyone together for Lucretius.


    This man, who was necessary for the continued political peace, had copsed. He was an elderly man, so it was unlikely that he would recover in perfect condition. This was why Lucretius went to see him. By the time they returned to the castle, it was possible that Cornelius would be dead.


    Lucretius exined, ¡°After I saw him, he fell into aa. The doctor told me that he probably won¡¯t regain consciousness.¡±


    A chilly wind blew against them in the garden.


    Lucretius sounded genuinely sad, which was surprising considering he murdered his own father. The former emperor was not a good man or a good father, and Chancellor Cornelius was the one who acted as a substitute father figure for him.


    Lucretius didn¡¯t mourn the former emperor¡¯s death, but Bina knew he would mourn Cornelius¡¯ death.


    She asked worriedly, ¡°... Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I... am just a little bit sad.¡±


    Bina squeezed his hand and Lucretius returned it firmly.


    He continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t unexpected. Cornelius is old and after Katleyanira¡¯s execution, he seemed exhausted. Probably because he finally aplished his long-awaited revenge.¡±


    This was true. Cornelius looked invincible despite his age, but after Katleyanira¡¯s death, Bina saw how he turned into an ordinary elderly man.


    Bina replied, ¡°I know. I could see it too. It looked like a big balloon suddenly lost all its air and inted into a small and wrinkled piece.¡±


    Lucretius nodded sadly. ¡°His anger kept him going so he could see Katleyanira lose her head. When it finally happened, he could finally rx. It makes sense.¡±


    Time could be cruel. The old died and the newborns were born to rece them. After Katleyanira died, Beatrice was born.


    Now, Cornelius was dying.


    Bina felt strangely overwhelmed and Lucretius noticed this expression of hers.


    He asked curiously, ¡°You look strange. Did you rely that much on Cornelius?¡±


    Bina shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s just that... it feels too real now.¡±


    ¡°Real?¡±


    ¡°It feels real that I am truly living in this world and the time is passing by in real-time. This is actually happening.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I chose you and we had Beatrice together. It felt real then too, but this feels a bit different. Unlike Katleyanira¡¯s death, Cornelius¡¯ passing will be from a natural cause. From old age. From time. It made me realize that my time in this world is passing by for real.¡± Bina smiled gently and continued, ¡°And slowly but surely, I will be part of the flow.¡±


    ¡°... Bina.¡±


    Lucretius still had nightmares sometimes.


    A dream about the giant full moon making his ck-haired empress disappear.


    Every time he had this nightmare, he woke up in a sweat and desperately reached out to make sure she was still asleep beside him. Only then could he start breathing again.


    On those nights, he would hold Bina tightly, never letting her go until the morning. Bina would stroke his back gently and quietly as if she knew why he held onto her so urgently.


    She whispered, ¡°It made me realize that I will continue to live in this world and die here beside you.¡±


    Her smile was firm and heavy, making Lucretius feel relieved and guilty at the same time.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lucretius smiled. In the past, he would have thanked her or apologized to her only to have his wife pinch him in return. Now, he knew the right answer to give her.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Bina chose to remain here for herself. Thanking her or apologizing to her would make her decision all about him seem like either a blessing or a curse and that wasn¡¯t right.


    Bina smiled brightly. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    They kissed each other. It wasn¡¯t a passionate kiss, but a gentle one to confirm each other¡¯s existence.


    ***


    It was a dreamlike week of vacation. It was amazing and too short.


    The enormous royal carriage rocked rhythmically as it headed back to the city. Inside was the size of arge room so there was plenty of room for the three royal family members: Lucretius, Bina, and Beatrice, who fell asleep in Lucretius¡¯ arms.


    In this private setting, the emperor and the empress spoke frankly.


    ¡°So... Count n will now be the new Duke of Lonensia.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Count n was the second son of Cornelius. The first son and his wife died, and their only daughter, who was Lucretius¡¯ first fianc¨¦, was assassinated by Katleyanira.


    The position of Duke of Lonensia wielded great power, which meant Bina needed to know about Count n well. The problem was, Count n was known to rarely leave his home. Two years ago, he moved to the countryside, and he only came to the city recently when he heard his father was very ill.


    Lucretius exined, ¡°Count n, Fabio, is not a man who canpare to his father or his dead older brother.¡±


    ¡°What kind of man is he? Greedy?¡±


    Bina thought of the typical useless nobleman, like the former emperor.


    Lucretius¡¯ answer was the opposite, however.


    ¡°No, he is weak and indecisive. He is too easily swayed, which is amon personality among the sons of great fathers. Cornelius¡¯ first son had great potentials, so it is very unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Then... He may have a fatherplex.¡±


    ¡°Yes. There is also a rumor that he is suffering from depression, and I think it is very likely.¡±


    Bina picked up her fifth cookie from the basket and replied, ¡°Then I guess we don¡¯t have to worry too much about him.¡±


    ¡°To an extent, I guess, but our enemies could easily convince him as well. We need to be always watchful.¡±


    Bina chewed on the chocte chip cookie. The chef from Maram baked a batch of cookies made especially for the family. Bina fell in love with this chef¡¯s desserts while staying in Maram, making her seriously wonder if she should ask him to move into her castle as the new royal patissier.


    After silently enjoying the cookie for a while, Binamented, ¡°But Countess n is very different.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Countess n, soon to be the Duchess of Lonensia, had apletely different personality.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°Countess n¡¯s mother-inw died a long time ago, so she has been controlling the household ever since.¡±


    ¡°Once she bes the official Duchess, she will be even more influential.¡±


    Bina knew the woman personally, so she was sure of her assessment. Bina added quietly, ¡°She is a very ambitious person.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you think so, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s an urate evaluation. I heard the same things about her from my own sources as well.¡±


    Lucretius brushed off the cookie crumbs from her lips with his fingers and smiled.


    ¡°If Countess n¡¯s daughter was still alive, she would have tried her best to push her into my arms.¡±


    Bina remembered the incident that happened many years ago. At the night of the ball, she tried to get Yulia into Lucretius¡¯ arms. At the time, she still had hoped to return to her world, and she wasn¡¯t sure of her feelings for Lucretius.


    However, making such a silly attempt, without consideration of the involved people¡¯s feelings, was unreasonable. Bina felt ashamed of her past action.


    The important thing now was how Norma des Lonensia, Countess n, reacted at the time.


    She was Yulia¡¯s aunt and soon to be the most powerful noblewoman in Cransia.


    When Bina lied that Lucretius wanted to dance with Yulia, Countess n looked eager.


    Bina murmured, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a daughter... But she still has an unmarried niece.¡±


    Yulia, who was already part of the royal entourage.


    Lucretius looked out the window and murmured, ¡°A storm may being our way.¡±

 Chapter 151 -

    <h4>Chapter 151: <Short stories 2.1: Before the storm></h4>


    Unpleasant, but expected, news greeted the couple when they arrived at the castle. A ck g was hung to announce the death of the Duke of Lonensia.


    Lucretius said publicly, ¡°Cornelius was one of the most important members of this kingdom, and I am deeply saddened by his passing.¡±


    The emperor ordered the royal colonel to attend the funeral in his ce. Cransian rules dictated that the royal members could not attend weddings and funerals other than those from direct family members. Therefore, personally sending the royal colonel to the funeral was the most respect an emperor could show to the ex-chancellor.


    The new Duke of Lonensia looked pale and thin as he greeted the royal colonel. Standing beside her husband was the new Duchess Lonensia, Norma des Lonensia, who was wearing a ck veil of mourning.


    This kingdom was named Cransia and the royal family name was also Cransia. This was possible only because the current royal family was the direct descendant of the original Cransians. In the kingdom, it was rare for the noble families to have their titles and their family names match. One rare example was the Lonensian family, and it was because they were once a royal family of Lonensia before the birth of Cransia.


    A long time ago, the Lonensia family ruled the kingdom of Lonensia. Over time, after Cransia was born and ruled the area, only five families were allowed to keep their original names. Now, there were only three left and one of them was the Lonensians.


    This was why the Duke of Lonensia was one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. Everyone knew that the real mastermind behind this family was now his wife, the Duchess of Lonensia.


    ***


    ¡°I would like to show you my gratitude for your and his highness¡¯ generosity.¡±


    Duchess Lonensia was still in her mourning clothes, but she returned to her social life only a week after the funeral. The first person she visited was the empress.


    Bina smiled smoothly and replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee. It was only right to show our respect for such a great man who has done so much for his highness.¡±


    ¡°My husband and I are both grateful.¡±


    Bina smiled and offered the duchess tea and snacks.


    The empress and the duchess were the two most powerful women in the kingdom. Duchess Lonensia helped Bina greatly when she was still only the first wife, so officially, the two women were in a very friendly rtionship.


    After a long mundane chat, Norma asked, ¡°I heard that the princess is suffering from a cold after the recent trip?¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t help but look a bit upset. It was only amon cold, but as a mother, she felt worried for her child.


    ¡°She is still very young, and the carriage ride must have been too much. She is recovering nicely now. Lowson told me that she will be up and about in a few days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it. If her highness resembles your highness and the emperor, I¡¯m sure she is strong and healthy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Duchess.¡±


    After a brief silence, Duchess Lonensia asked, ¡°So the princess is turning three soon, am I correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Time flies.¡±


    ¡°Is there... any good news with you, your highness? I think her highness would love to have a little brother or sister.¡±


    Bina¡¯s smile cracked just a little. ¡°... Unfortunately, it¡¯s not something that can be forced, so we are waiting patiently.¡±


    In truth, Lucretius was afraid to have another child. Seeing how hard it was for Bina to go through the pregnancy and thebor was such a traumatic event for him.


    At this point, it was Bina who wanted to have another child since she was worried Beatrice might get lonely. Bina also knew that having another child would make them appear stronger as the royal family.


    The duchess continued, ¡°Princess Liliana had her son two years ago.¡±


    ¡°Cullen is such a cute boy.¡±


    Bina tried to change the subject, but the duchess wouldn¡¯t budge.


    She added firmly, ¡°I understand that after the birth of Princess Beatrice, Princess Liliana lost her position to the throne, but Princess Beatrice is still so young and having only one heir creates too much uncertainty. Even when Princess Beatrice bes an adult, there will always be dangers around concerning Princess Liliana¡¯s son.¡±


    It was true; Lucretius and Bina were well aware of this.


    A female ruler had never existed in Cransian history.


    The legitimacy of the direct female heir versus the male child of the legitimate royal princess. This could be tricky.


    Both Clodys and Liliana were worried. Liliana, especially, was so fearful that after she had her son, she barely left her home.


    Bina remembered Liliana¡¯s tears after she gave birth to her son.


    ¡°If it was a girl, then I would have felt safer...¡±


    Bina had to spend a lot of time to try to console Liliana.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether Bina and Lucretius had another child or not. No matter what, they would make sure that they would never include Cullen in royal affairs. It would be a lie if they said this was because they cared about Liliana; it was because Bina and Lucretius would never give away what was rightfully their child¡¯s birthright.


    Bina smiled awkwardly and said to the duchess, ¡°Thank you for your thoughtful advice.¡±


    Bina wondered what the duchess¡¯ true intention was. Either she was genuinely worried about the future of this kingdom, or she was after something else. Bina needed to know what she wanted, so she could decide what to do about it.


    ¡®I suppose the result won¡¯t change no matter what anyway...¡¯


    Bina smiled secretly as she took a sip of her tea.


    The duchess continued with a genuine expression, ¡°The best thing would be for your highness to bear a male heir. I would love to believe it will happen, but...¡±


    So her true intention wasing out.


    Bina listened carefully as Norma added, ¡°The likelihood of your highness alone bearing enough children to strengthen this royal line is very slim.¡±


    ¡®I knew it...¡¯


    This was exactly what Bina suspected.


    Norma said to her, ¡°And there is an issue of various colonies and kingdoms sending women to be the emperor¡¯s concubines, which will happen soon. In three to four years, the royal harem will be full.¡±


    Bina was a bit disappointed at how obvious the duchess was behaving.


    However, she was telling the truth. Once the empress and the emperor had an established marriage, it was amon practice for many women to be selected for the wife and concubine positions.


    Everyone, including the duchess, expected this to happen soon, but there was one thing people didn¡¯t know.


    Their current empress was different than any other empresses in the history of Cransia!


    Bina yed a ssy and obedient wife as she replied, ¡°I have said this exact same thing to his highness.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, I¡¯m d...¡±


    ¡°But his highness didn¡¯t want to hear about it.¡±


    ¡°This has to happen, and this WILL happen. It is an old and honored tradition to ept nobledies from different colonies. It is necessary for political reasons as well. You, as the empress, will have to rule the entire harem with an iron fist. It won¡¯t be easy as there will be many of them and they will be from powerful families. Unfortunately, your highness... doesn¡¯t have your own family to help you.¡±


    Finally, the duchess was about to make her point.


    ¡°So you need to make sure to get a first wife from a strong family as soon as possible. Someone who is on your side who can help you.¡±


    Bina smiled broadly. ¡°... Well, it isn¡¯t something I can decide on my own. I will have to get approval from his highness.¡±


    The duchess smiled firmly and replied, ¡°Of course, but your highness... The affairs of wives and concubines are entirely your rights and responsibilities. Even if his highness¡¯ love for you is so great and wants no other woman, your highness needs to insist on continuing this tradition. This is for the greater good of the kingdom.¡±


    Bina¡¯s face crumpled. This woman had the audacity to try to bully the empress. Bina loudly snapped her fan to close it.


    ¡°Duchess.¡±


    At her sharp tone, Duchess Lonensia bowed respectfully and replied, ¡°... Yes, your highness.¡±


    ¡°As you just said, it is my right as the empress of this kingdom. You may have a good intention, but don¡¯t you think you have gone too far just now?¡±


    The duchess bowed deeply. ¡°I misspoke, your highness. Please forgive me.¡±


    It was toote. The duchess made it clearly known what she wanted, and they both knew she wouldn¡¯t give up easily.


    Bina answered at the end, ¡°... Alright.¡±


    Bina opened her fan again and hid her snarl.

 Chapter 152 -

    <h4>Chapter 152: <Short stories 2.2></h4>


    The teatime ended smoothly, but both Bina and the duchess knew that this was only the beginning of something big.


    Before the duchess left, Bina said to her, ¡°You probably have been very busy with taking care of your father-inw that you haven¡¯t seen Yulia in a while. She is off today and resting in her quarters. Please feel free to visit her and spend some time with her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your thoughtfulness.¡±


    The duchess bowed deeply, and she seemed genuinely thankful.


    Bina grinned and stood up. It was time to visit her daughter.


    ***


    Royal family maids didn¡¯t get many days off. This was especially worse for Bina¡¯s maids because they were shorthanded.


    Within this year, both Loventis sisters, who came before Yulia, left after getting married.


    The maids became good friends, and, therefore, Yulia was truly happy for them, but the sudden increase in workload for Yulia was significant and unwee.


    Additional youngdies were hired to fill the spots, but they were inexperienced. Since Samantha and Agnes were too busy, Yulia ended up being the one who needed to train the new maids.


    Yulia had been overworked because of these reasons. Bina felt bad for her and that was why she gave Yulia a day off today.


    Yulia was having azy day with a nice book when her aunt came in for a visit.


    ¡°Oh, Aunty!¡±


    Duchess Lonensia smiled broadly. ¡°Are you well, Yulia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you. I heard you came here for a meeting with the empress. How did it go?¡±


    As one of the maids of the empress, Yulia knew her schedule very well.


    ¡°Yes, I met with her highness, and... I also gave her a piece of honest advice.¡±


    ¡°... Advice?¡±


    The duchess smiled gently and changed the subject.


    ¡°By the way, won¡¯t you offer your aunt a seat?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry, Aunty! I got distracted; I was just so happy to see you...!¡±


    Yulia blushed in embarrassment. It had been so long since she saw the duchess that she forgot her manners.


    Yulia guided her aunt to the best seat in the room and ordered her servant to bring in snacks.


    The duchess picked up her teacup.


    ¡°So... I heard the younger Loventis sister also got married recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Luckily, the sisters are living nearby, so they are very happy about that.¡±


    ¡°How nice. It would have been very nice if you also got to marry a nobleman who lives near your sister¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°... Sure.¡±


    Yulia smiled awkwardly. She had gone through this situation before. If she told her aunt how she truly felt, which was that she didn¡¯t want to ever get married, it would only make the situation worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of your awful father and your bitch of a stepmother.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s dowry should have been given to you, and your sister for your marriages...!¡±


    Duchess Lonensia was still furious about Yulia¡¯s father and her stepmother.


    She continued, ¡°Are they still trying to im their ties to you now that you work for the empress?¡±


    ¡°... I sent back all the gifts and the letters they sent me.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. You did the right thing.¡± The duchess nodded in satisfaction and continued, ¡°How dare they...!¡±


    Yulia¡¯s father and stepmother used to treat her and her sister poorly, but when Yulia became the empress¡¯ maid, they changed their attitudes towards her. They started sending her friendly letters and gifts. They also often asked to meet her in person.


    Yulia sighed because she knew exactly what they wanted from her. They probably wanted Yulia to use her connection to find a good marriage prospect for her half-brother.


    Duchess Lonensia added, ¡°They are a shameful bunch. Yulia, have you ever considered disowning them?¡±


    ¡°... pardon? I would love to, but there is nothing I can legally do.¡±


    Empress Sa Bina legally distanced herself from her Bonafit family, but it was possible only because she was their adopted daughter.


    She exined, ¡°I think I just need to continue ignoring them...¡±


    Suddenly, the duchess suggested an unexpected offer.


    ¡°How about you be my adopted daughter? You can be Yulia des Lonensia.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yulia became silent. She couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of this offer.


    Duchess Lonensia treated Yulia and her sister kindly because they reminded the duchess of her dead daughter. However, this didn¡¯t mean the duchess treated the sisters like her own daughters. She never offered this to Yulia¡¯s sister, who was now married. There was a clear understanding that their rtionship was that of just nieces and aunt, so Yulia couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of this.


    She asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you telling me this, Aunty?¡±


    What the duchess said next was shocking.


    ¡°So think carefully, Yulia.¡±


    Duchess Lonensia smiled confidently and stood up. Yulia was nervously sweating as she bowed.


    ¡°... Yes. Take care, Aunty.¡±


    After the duchess left, Yulia fearfully considered what her aunt told her.


    ¡°You can be the first wife of the emperor as Yulia des Lonensia. I can make it happen.¡±


    Yulia remembered her aunt mentioning how her dead daughter could have been married to the emperor, but at the time, she didn¡¯t think much of it.


    Now, it was clear what the duchess nned for her. Yulia trembled as she stood up. She had to do something.


    She headed towards the empress¡¯ quarters.


    ***


    Unfortunately, Yulia couldn¡¯t meet with the empress. She had to return to her own room because Bina and Lucretius were together for a private meeting.


    Lucretius said to Bina, ¡°Her fever is finally down. I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    He hugged Bina, who still looked at Beatrice with a concerned expression. He put the back of his hand on his daughter¡¯s forehead to check her temperature.


    ¡°She still had a small fever this morning, but it¡¯s much better now. I think she will be back to normal by tomorrow morning.¡±


    Lucretius squeezed Bina¡¯s hand and kissed her cheek.


    ¡°I have been worried that you are getting thin from taking care of Beatrice.¡± He asked gently, ¡°Did you eat dinner?¡±


    ¡°... I had a bite to eat. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lucretius smiled knowingly. ¡°So you mean you literally ate one bite, right?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    Just then, there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We are ready to set up, your highness.¡±


    Bina looked curiously at Lucretius. What did he order?


    ¡°Bring it in.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ servants came in with arge trolley that had its covers on.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    However, Bina¡¯s curiosity was quickly satisfied as the servants started to set up the table. Steaming stew, freshly baked white bread, and Bina¡¯s favorite fish dish.


    The table was set for two.


    ¡°You...¡±


    Before Bina could say something, Lucretius quickly kissed her to interrupt her.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Bina was about to get annoyed but slowly started to kiss him back with her arms around his neck. She was frustrated at how he treated her like a child, but his intention was good. Bina understood that Lucretius deeply cared about her, and she felt thankful.


    After the passionate kiss, Lucretius guided her to the table by her hand.


    ¡°... now let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did you... not have dinner yet either?¡±


    Bina skipped her dinner since she was busy taking care of her daughter, and she forgot about it. Lucretius had been working all day, which meant his servant would have prepared a dinner for him at his office. However, he obviously hadn¡¯t eaten yet, which meant he didn¡¯t eat on purpose.


    ¡°Yes. I heard you didn¡¯t have a proper meal yet, so I didn¡¯t eat either. I wanted to eat with you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina¡¯s heart warmed at her husband¡¯s thoughtfulness. They had been married for three years, and his feeling for her hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Bina reached out to kiss his cheek lightly and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    The couple began theirte dinner.

 Chapter 153 -

    <h4>Chapter 153: <Short stories 2.3></h4>


    ¡°Huh? This is [kimchi stew]!¡±


    Bina was surprised.


    It wasn¡¯t really an authentic kimchi stew. It was the dish Lucretius nagged the chef to make for Bina when she was pregnant with Beatrice. It was basically a stew with a spicy and sour vor.


    ¡°I had them make it because you like it.¡±


    She checked the smaller bowl beside the stew dish. As she suspected, it was a bowl of grain that strongly resembled cooked white rice.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    In this world, rice didn¡¯t exist. However, Lucretius managed to find a type of grain simr to Korean rice from a faraway kingdom.


    It was called nort, and it was much drier than rice. However, it still tasted simr and with the sour stew and a bowl of nort, it was enough to remind Bina of her old home.


    Lucretius looked at Bina happily as she mixed the stew and the nort together. Beatrice and Lucretius were learning Korean from Bina, and there was a saying that resonated with him.


    ¡®I absolutely understand what it means when just watching your loved one eat makes you feel full yourself.¡¯


    His Korean was improving quickly.


    ***


    Bina ate everything in front of her. She insisted she ate so much to reassure Lucretius, but it was obvious that she was starving. Lucretius knew this, but he pretended to believe her.


    ¡®What an understanding husband I am.¡¯


    Lucretius cut up the fish for Bina and asked, ¡°So I heard Duchess Lonensia was here to see you?¡±


    Bina took a bite of her bread and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Bina grinned slowly. Lucretius knew exactly what her smile meant so he grinned as well.


    If you lived with someone, you grow to resemble each other. Bina and Lucretius thought alike, and they didn¡¯t even have to say the words.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°So it was as we expected.¡±


    Bina nodded. ¡°It was exactly like one of the scenarios we came up with.¡±


    ¡°Which one was it?¡±


    ¡°Scenario B. After our meeting, she went to see Yulia.¡±


    Lucretius smiled faintly. ¡°Cornelius was always so fond of his first son and his granddaughter Isabe. It was partly because he didn¡¯t believe in his second son and his wife Norma.¡±


    ¡°And I now understand why Cornelius couldn¡¯t trust them.¡±


    ¡°I agreepletely.¡±


    Lucretius pushed the fish te towards his wife, who ate a piece of it happily with her silver fork.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°So what is your opinion?¡±


    ¡°She definitely failed my test. As to what I should do... I will decide after I have a talk with Yulia tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I hope Yulia at least passes your test. It would be a shame if she doesn¡¯t, especially when you are so short on maids.¡±


    Bina smiled confidently. ¡°She will do fine.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Bina picked up a piece of bread and stuffed his mouth with it. Being a good husband, he ate it without a fight.


    ***


    As Bina predicted, Yulia indeed passed with flying colors.


    Yulia kneeled in front of the empress. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what to say, your highness.¡±


    Bina shook her head. ¡°Yulia, there is no reason you should apologize. You didn¡¯t do anything, right?¡±


    Bina smiled gently, making Yulia nervous. Did Bina not realize how serious this situation was?


    However, what Bina said next made Yulia felt relieved. ¡°Duchess Lonensia did look very confident. For a while now, I have been wondering if she nned to use you, Yulia. I was right.¡±


    ¡°So... you have expected this?¡±


    Bina nodded. ¡°Remember how I embarrassed myself by trying to get the emperor interested in you? I think perhaps I gave the duchess the idea. Perhaps this is all my fault...¡±


    Yulia looked down apologetically. ¡°No, your highness... I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Yulia. Don¡¯t feel bad about it. Besides... The duchess¡¯ reasoning is actually sound. The emperor will be getting many wives and concubines soon. To control them, I will need help. Having Lonensia as my ally would be beneficial, and I can trust you, so it makes sense that you are the perfect candidate for the first wife¡¯s position.¡±


    Bina said it gently, but her words were filled with thorns.


    Yulia quickly shook her head. ¡°No, your highness. I¡¯m not sure if I am worthy to even say this, but... If a woman with a powerful family bes the first wife, it will be harmful to your highness¡¯ position.¡±


    Bina looked down at her maid nkly for a few seconds beforeughing.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Yulia looked confused. ¡°Y, your highness?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but like you, Yulia, because you are such a straight shooter, but you should learn to not always say the truth.¡± Yulia gaped as Bina continued. ¡°What are you going to do if I say, ¡®You¡¯re right, Yulia. Both you and your aunt are too dangerous for me, so I will have to get rid of both of you?¡¯ Hmm?¡±


    At Bina¡¯s teasing tone, Yulia blushed as she realized how na?ve she was. It was clear that Bina had already guessed what the duchess nned.


    Yulia replied, ¡°I can be always honest with you, your highness, because I know you are a fair empress.¡±


    Bina smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I tested you, but I had to be sure. Now I know.¡±


    However, unexpected things were about to happen. Things that not even Lucretius or Duchess Lonensia could have predicted.


    ***


    This year was the best year for Duchess Lonensia in thest five years. Three years ago, dowager empress Katleyanira and her brother Marquis Toruka were executed.


    It wasn¡¯t that her entire family was eliminated. Clodys took over the title and he changed the family name as the name Cornell was now associated with the traitor Katleyanira.


    Because of the rebellion, the Toruka family now had no political power. If Duchess Lonensia wanted, she could demolish the family in a heartbeat. Now that her father-inw Cornelius died, she was the duchess, and she controlled one of the most powerful families in the kingdom. The current empress was from nowhere without a family here who could aid her. The only heir to the throne was still a very young girl.


    Duchess Lonensia was in power and today, she was gifted with an amazing visit.


    When she saw the young man get out of the carriage, she eximed, ¡°Oh my! How many years has it been? You didn¡¯te to your grandfather¡¯s funeral...!¡±


    The young man with light brown hair was Roberto des Lonensia.


    He was the second son of the current Duke and Duchess Lonensia.


    ¡°Long time no see, mother. You look beautiful. I tried to get here sooner when I heard about grandfather¡¯s death, but... it took longer than expected.¡±


    Roberto usually dressed expensively, but today, he was wearing all-ck to show his respect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see your grandfather soon.¡±


    ¡°... I hate the family tomb. It¡¯s so dark and gruesome, but I guess I should. I didn¡¯t attend the funeral, so I better at least visit his grave.¡±


    Norma went back into the house escorted by her son. The servants bowed deeply as they passed.


    Unlike his father, Roberto was social and good looking. He resembled Norma the most; therefore, he was her favorite among all her children.


    However, Roberto was too free-spirited and irresponsible. Norma rarely saw him as he traveled all over the world.


    The duchess¡¯ first son Daniel was a dutiful heir who followed orders well. He married early and although he still didn¡¯t have an heir, he and his wife were still very young.


    Unlike his older brother, Roberto was a troublemaker. He caused problems and idents as he traveled.


    Normained, ¡°Do you know how shocked I was when I received aint about you from North Santos?¡±


    At his mother¡¯s scolding tone, Roberto replied apologetically, ¡°Sorry I made you worry, mother.¡±


    The duchess sighed. ¡°I took care of it, so don¡¯t worry about it. That girl¡¯s family was a nobody, so I got her an eptable husband as retribution.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thank you, mother. I can always rely on you.¡±


    The duchess sighed again. He was only twenty-five and still very young. She understood that he wanted to enjoy his freedom a while longer, but he was now old enough to have his own family.


    Because of his bad reputation, Roberto¡¯s previous engagement was canceled, and Norma was having difficulty finding him a wife as he barely stayed home.


    She wished he would marry first, then he could do whatever he wanted, and no one would care.


    Roberto said to his mother, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m excited about eating Mrs. Bilsen¡¯s cooking again.¡±


    At the mention of the longstanding chef for the Lonensian family, Norma grew rigid.


    ¡°I got rid of that woman after your grandfather¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°It is unwise to keep azy servant. Your grandfather was too easy on the helps.¡±


    Roberto remembered how his mother didn¡¯t get along with Mrs. Bilsen, who was Cornelius¡¯ trusted chef.


    Roberto thought secretly.


    ¡®So this must mean that the butler and the main maid must have also been reced.¡¯


    He was right. All the familiar faces were gone.


    Even though his father knew his second son was home, he never came out from his room to greet Roberto. Fabio remained in his room, apparently busy with a maid.

 Chapter 154 - Short stories 3.1: Unexpected things happen>

    <h4>Chapter 154: <Short stories 3.1: Unexpected things happen></h4>


    Three monthster.


    An operetta performance took ce at the castle. The operetta was an opera with a lighter music and subject matter, and it was all the rage in the kingdom. This was the first time it took ce at the royal castle.


    The official reason was that it was the princess¡¯ third birthday, but many knew that it was because the empress enjoyed the shows and the emperor wanted to make her happy.


    The performance took ce at therge hall where the ball took ce many years ago. The emperor, empress, and the princess took seats at the front and center. The stage was decorated with beautiful gold and purple curtains. The performers waited nearby nervously; this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform at the royal castle of the biggest kingdom on thisnd.


    The lights were still off when a woman walked to the center of the stage. She took a deep breath. Her name was Amarince and she was the most popr female singer in the continent. The rumor had it that she has been bathing in milk and drinking egg yolks to prepare for this performance.


    These rumors were mostly true. Amarince bet everything on this performance. She was determined.


    ¡®I can do this! If I do this right, I can finally be the best female singer in the world!¡¯


    Her rival, Yurain, will no longer be her rival after this!


    Amarince took a step and started singing. ¡°Oh, my love Amalio-!¡±


    Her voice was perfection.


    Bright lights shone on the stage and the rhythm of the beautiful music resonated throughout the hall.


    Bina looked at the pamphlet again. Today, the poprposer Christian Boceti¡¯s new music would be introduced for the first time. Everyone listened with excitement.


    Lucretius looked at his daughter, who was sleeping soundly on hisp. He smiled. Beatrice was only three, so obviously, a long show such as this would be too much for her. He was just d that she fell asleep rather than whine.


    He turned to see his wife, who was sitting next to him. Bina was staring at the stage intensely with excitement and pleasure.


    ¡®I wish she would look at me like that.¡¯


    This expensive show that gathered all the best actors, musicians, and producers from all over the world was all for his wife. The rumor waspletely true.


    For the past 50 years, no artistic shows had been performed in the castle. Lucretius¡¯ grandfather Emperor Kentius loved art and ordered several performances to ur every year during his reign, but the former emperor, Lucretius¡¯ father, hated things like that.


    Lucretius was very different from his father, but in this, they were simr. Lucretius had no interest in art; he nned this show only for Bina.


    ¡®How ironic.¡¯


    He grinned. When he announced his n, people praised him for resembling the great Emperor Kentius. He supposed that was a good thing. With this show, he managed to make his wife happy, and also appear to be a sophisticated emperor.


    ¡®I guess it¡¯s worth sitting through such a boring show.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Oh-oh! My love-!¡±


    The singer was reaching her highest note. The show was entering its climax.


    Amarince had an amazing vocal volume; her voice easily filled the entire hall.


    Bina eximed.


    ¡°[What a singer! She isn¡¯t even using a microphone...]¡±


    Lucretius heard Bina murmur quietly in Korean. He had heard of this magical item called microphone before. Bina exined that it was something that made one¡¯s voice louder.


    Lucretius was paying attention only to his wife. He was bored with the show and his wife was definitely more interesting. Looking at Bina enjoying herself made him smile as well.


    ¡®I¡¯m d we went on that secret date.¡¯


    To Samantha and Sir rk¡¯s shock, the emperor and the empress sometimes went on a date outside of the castle. It was on one of these secret dates where Bina found out about operetta. They happened to watch a show, and Bina fell in love with it.


    She said to Lucretius afterward, ¡°This is like a [musical]! I always wanted to watch one when I went to university... I can¡¯t believe I get to see one like this!¡±


    Lucretius couldn¡¯t understand exactly what she meant by this, but it sounded like watching shows like this cost a lot of money in her old world and she couldn¡¯t afford it.


    Lucretius asked curiously at the time, ¡°Huh? But didn¡¯t you say your family was powerful? Your family served many generations of kings and your mother was a direct descendant of a royal family? Then howe you didn¡¯t have the money to watch a show?¡±


    Bina answered awkwardly, ¡°Oh, my grandfather lost a lot of his wealth because of a big war. He lost a lot of his [real estate]... I meannds. He, in fact, had to move to a different city. Haha.¡±


    Lucretius nodded as he thought he asked an unnecessarily sensitive question, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked. It must bring you back a painful memory.¡±


    Bina tried to convince Lucretius this was no big deal; she regretted lying to him, but at this point, she had no choice but to continue to make up even more lies. All Lucretius felt was sadness for her supposed hardships from her old life though.


    Just then.


    ¡°I am here, my love Duline-!¡±


    The main male character, who was ying Amalio, sang beautifully in his baritone voice. Bina turned to the singer with an impressed look. Lucretius saw this and thought in determination and jealousy.


    ¡®I better make sure the next shows only have female singers.¡¯


    ***


    The female character Duline refused the greedy Duke¡¯s proposal and she ended up with the male character Amalio, who came back from the war as a hero. They sang together at the end, and the curtain closed.


    ¡°...¡±


    The hall became silent and everyone waited to see what the royal family does.


    Then suddenly, an apuse from the royal seat came!


    p p p!


    Thedies all turned to see Bina pping.


    ¡°Oh my, the empress herself...!¡±


    ¡°Her highness is giving a standing ovation!¡±


    No royal family in history had ever given a standing ovation, as they always had to appear grave and regal. Yet here she was, the current empress smiling brightly and pping. Suddenly, the emperor also stood up and follow suit. He started to p alongside his wife, and soon a deafening apuse filled the entire hall.


    The performers and all of the stage personnel bowed deeply in tears. They were truly honored.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Beatrice woke up and when she saw her parents pping, she started to do the same. She was so adorable, making people smile.


    Among the crowd was one man who was staring at the royal family intensely.


    It was Roberto des Lonensia.

 Chapter 155 - Short stories 3.2>

    <h4>Chapter 155: <Short stories 3.2></h4>


    It was a wonderful night. It was her best performance at the best stage possible. It couldn¡¯t have been better.


    Amarince was back in her waiting room, removing her makeup. She enjoyed this glorious moment as she remembered the standing ovation from the royal family.


    Knock knock!


    Someone knocked on her door. Amarince opened the door in annoyance and was shocked at the familiar face.


    ¡°Oh, my...!¡±


    She looked around quickly to make sure no one else was around before letting him in.


    Amarince poured a ss of cheap wine for him and smiled.


    ¡°When I spotted you during the performance, I thought I was mistaken. When did you get back to the city? And why were you sitting there? You were... sitting beside the royal family...¡±


    The man epted the wine ss and replied, ¡°It kind of just happened.¡±


    ¡°Are you notposing anymore? There are many who are waiting for Jusepe Loano toe up with new music.¡±


    The man, who was called Jusepe, smiled. ¡°I already released a new piece.¡±


    ¡°What? But if you released something, I would¡¯ve heard about it...¡±


    She was one of the top sopranos in the continent. It was also a well-known fact that she used to beposer Jusepe¡¯s lover.


    The man shrugged. ¡°The piece you performed just now was mine.¡±


    Amarince dropped her ss on the floor. The red wine sttered everywhere and stained her dress.


    ¡°But that was a piece by Christian Boceti! The new up-andingposer who appeared out of nowhere 6 months ago!¡±


    ¡°Yup. That¡¯s my new name.¡±


    ¡°... I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Amarince eximed in shock. She always found Jusepe mysterious, and now, he looked even more enigmatic.


    If people found out Boceti and Jusepe were the same person, the entire continent would go in shock. When she thought back, the new piece did have the same kind of re Jusepe showed in his old music, but there was no way anyone would be able to guess this secret.


    He stood up to put on his coat.


    Amarince asked disappointedly, ¡°Are you leaving already? It has been so long since we got together, yet all you give me is this shocking news?¡±


    He smiled and kissed her forehead gently. ¡°I just wanted to congratte my old lover. You have achieved what you always wanted. You are now the biggest star.¡±


    ¡°Jusepe...! I mean, Christian? Just what is your real name?¡±


    The man smiled vaguely. When she was a young girl, Amarince believed she could give up her soul for this man. However, she realized how dangerous and poisonous he was after he abandoned her.


    She managed to grow up and learn that he was not the man she should or could love. It was better to keep him as a colleague and friend.


    Yet... Now she saw him again, she felt uncertain.


    He shook his head. ¡°You can call me whatever name you want.¡±


    When he was about to leave, Amarince asked, ¡°Where are you going? Will you continue topose?¡±


    ¡°No, I found something much more interesting to do.¡±


    His face turned dangerous as he smiled.


    ***


    ¡°Oh, it was amazing!¡±


    Bina looked very excited as she sat down on her bed in her nightgown. Lucretius started to contemte seriously.


    ¡®Should I learn to sing?¡¯


    It was clear Bina loved the show, which meant he needed to continue to hold more shows in the castle. He also nned to take her to shows outside the castle whenever they went on a secret date.


    He never expected this. When Bina watched the male opera singer admiringly tonight, Lucretius couldn¡¯t help his jealousy. When they watched a few shows outside the castle in the past, Bina didn¡¯t react this way because the singers weren¡¯t as talented.


    ¡®But I can¡¯t just take her to mediocre shows because of this...¡¯ He considered seriously. ¡®Should I really take singing lessons...?¡¯


    In truth, Lucretius had no talent in music. He took a few lessons as a child in vocal training and instruments, but he was no good. His birth mother, Empress Beatrice, had a beautiful singing voice, and, unfortunately, Lucretius didn¡¯t get any of her musical talents.


    However, it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®Even if I¡¯m horrible, everyone will p anyway. Besides, I¡¯m a good actor.¡¯


    It really wasn¡¯t a matter of if he was a good singer. It was the fact that the emperor himself sang. Everyone would apud as hard as they could.


    ¡®So... I really should sing...¡¯


    Bina noticed how silent Lucretius became.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    He didn¡¯t think it was necessary to hide his n.


    ¡°I¡¯m considering taking singing lessons.¡±


    ¡°Why all of a sudden? I guess I have never heard you sing.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I am not good. When I was seven, my vocal trainer and my mother gave up on me, but I want to try again because I saw you admiring that male singer tonight...¡±


    His voice was filled with obvious jealousy and frustration. At first, Bina became speechless at this unexpected reaction, but soon, she started tough loudly.


    ¡°What? Ha, hahahaha!¡±


    Sheughed so hard she started to roll around the bed.


    ¡°Oh my god! You will learn to sing and stand on the stage...? I can¡¯t even imagine what that would look like!¡±


    Lucretius watched his wife in annoyance.


    ¡°Hey, your highness. I am serious.¡±


    Bina continued tough until she almost fell off the bed. She crawled towards her husband. She knew very well why Lucretius was acting this way. He was begging her to pay attention to him. She wondered about her juvenile husband.


    ¡®He is seven years older than me and in his 30¡¯s, so why is he acting so childishly?¡¯


    He was also the father of her child.


    Bina remembered her pet dog in Korea. When she was little, her mother brought home a stray dog because she felt bad about him. He lived a long happy life at her house. When he first arrived at her home, he was a mature and well-behaved dog, but as time passed, he became whinier and baby-like.


    Lucretius reminded her of that dog. When she first met him, he was a cold, emotionless prince, but now, he acted like a baby.


    ¡®I guess it¡¯s not nice of me topare Luc to my dead dog.¡¯


    Bina hid her thoughts and hugged Lucretius¡¯ neck.


    ¡°Hmm. Are you jealous of the male singers, your highness?¡±


    Lucretius lightly bit her nose and smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Binaughed adorably. ¡°Oh, my emperor is so cute.¡±


    Lucretius lifted her and ced her on her back on the bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I am always edgy.¡±


    This was an unexpected answer.


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Edgy? What do you mean?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ eyes smiled softly, making them look darker and sweeter.


    ¡°It just means that I am always thinking of you.¡±


    She persisted. ¡°You are not making sense. Exin yourself.¡±


    ¡°I am just worried that my empress will someday get tired of her handsome husband.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He thought Bina might get sick of him, and Bina couldn¡¯t understand.


    They say men age like wine and women age like milk. Before meeting Lucretius, Bina thought this wasplete nonsense. She thought both men and women always looked better when they were younger.


    However, she wondered.


    ¡®Why does Luc get better looking as he gets older?¡¯


    Lucretius didn¡¯t seem to know what Bina was thinking.


    He exined to her, ¡°That is why I always try to improve myself, so I don¡¯t lose your interest and love.¡±


    Bina grinned. ¡°I... feel the same pressure sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 156 -

    <h4>Chapter 156: <Short stories 3.3></h4>


    Lucretius¡¯ green eyes looked shocked. He was half-joking. He just wanted Bina to realize how hard he was trying for her, but her answer was unexpected.


    She continued, ¡°The truth is... I feel unsure of myself. After Beatrice was born, my body changed... And I know you were joking about me admiring the male singer, but I seriously felt worried when you were watching that female singer. On top of that...¡±


    Lucretius could guess what Bina was thinking. The issue of emperor requiring more wives and concubines was a sensitive subject. He reassured her that he didn¡¯t want any other woman, and he didn¡¯t n on taking more wives, but the situation could change at any time if he changed his mind.


    If he did, Bina would have no one in this world. No family other than Beatrice.


    It was no wonder why Bina was worried.


    Lucretius smiled broadly to reassure his wife.


    ¡°You obviously have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Bina didn¡¯t seem to believe him.


    However, the husband and the wife thought alike. Lucretius thought seriously.


    ¡®How is it that she gets even prettier as she gets older and after having a baby? How is that possible?¡¯


    He kissed her lips soundly and whispered, ¡°Because you are so adorable, and I just fell in love with you now all over again. It¡¯s scary how I keep falling in love with you every day.¡±


    Bina giggled and hugged her husband. ¡°Oh, but I am curious.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Your singing. You have a nice voice, so you must sing well too, right? Didn¡¯t you say you learn things fast?¡±


    He did tell her that before, and it was true. However, singing was one exception. Lucretius wasn¡¯t really serious about singing on the stage.


    ¡®And if I would really do it, I would have kept it a secret until I was ready.¡¯


    It did sound cool to sing for her as a surprise gift, but only if he could sing.


    ¡°Hmm... To be honest, singing isn¡¯t one of the things I am good at. I must admit... My singing is pretty bad.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Bina said, genuinely shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say it, but it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, I never thought I would see the day when you admit you are not good at something.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Obviously, his wife thought he was a conceited and overconfident ass.


    Lucretius replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s the truth. I got a few lessons from the greatest singer at the time and he told me never to sing in public. My mother agreed with him after hearing me sing.¡±


    ¡°... Wow.¡±


    Bina looked at Lucretius curiously. Her eyes looked intent and Lucretius sighed. He knew what she would ask of him.


    ¡°Bina...¡±


    ¡°Please... Can¡¯t you sing for me now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He looked up at the ceiling trying to look away, but Bina wouldn¡¯t let him. She grabbed his cheeks to face her andid her head on hisp.


    She then looked up at him adorably.


    ¡°...¡±


    He could never refuse her anything when she was like this. Lucretius finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡ª¡±


    He started to sing the serenade that was showcased earlier during the show. It was a love song, but...


    Bina paled as she listened.


    ¡®Oh my god...¡¯


    She covered her mouth in shock.


    ¡®His singing teacher was right...¡¯


    She was the one who asked him to sing, so she couldn¡¯tugh at him. Bina tried her best not tough and she was almost sessful.


    Almost.


    As soon as he finished, she burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hahahaha! It, it¡¯s true! Hahaha!¡±


    Lucretius looked down at Bina in annoyance. She needed to be punished and he knew exactly what to do.


    He started to tickle her sensitive back.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Bina started to scream and giggle at the same time.


    ¡°Gyaa! S, sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Gyaa! For...forgive me...!¡±


    Lucretius wasn¡¯t quite done yet though.


    ***


    In the middle of the night, a man entered the back gate to the Lonensian castle. The ce was guarded, but the man seemed to know theyout very well. He could avoid the guards from detecting him and was about to reach out for the backdoor when it opened suddenly.


    It was the owner of the ce, Duchess Lonensia.


    She sighed deeply. ¡°Where have you been, Rob?¡±


    The man, who had been sneaking around like amon thief, took off his hood.


    The ce was dark except for thentern the duchess was holding, and when she saw the familiar face, she sighed again.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer your mother?¡±


    Roberto smiled smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m leaving the kingdom again. I just went out for a while, mother, so please just rx.¡±


    It was true that he was staying home much longer than expected.


    ¡®He usually doesn¡¯t stay longer than three months. He used to disappear all the time.¡¯


    This was why Norma was anxious. Roberto often left home for days or even almost a year. He had been like this since he was fifteen years old.


    She asked with a smile, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I am just worried because it is time for you to get married soon.¡±


    The duchess wanted to know how her son felt about marriage. Roberto had a fianc¨¦ at one point in the past, but things didn¡¯t work out. Ever since then, Norma hasn¡¯t been able to find him a bride.


    She continued, ¡°Your age is ripe for marriage. As long as you stop disappearing, you will be the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom.¡±


    Robertoughed. ¡°Mother, you are the only one who thinks I¡¯m good. What family would allow their daughter to marry someone like me?¡±


    ¡°Rob...!¡±


    ¡°It would be faster to just make that woman from North Santos my wife...¡±


    The duchess¡¯s face became rigid angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t even say that!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A lowly nobleman¡¯s daughter... I will never allow it!¡±


    Roberto grinned. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, mother. I wouldn¡¯t marry someone like her even if you force me to. She was just a one-night stand. Don¡¯t get so angry.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    When Norma visibly rxed, Roberto added, ¡°I¡¯m just telling you that I don¡¯t want to marry anyone.¡±


    ¡°Rob!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very tired, mother. I¡¯ll get going to my bedroom.¡±


    Roberto kissed his mother¡¯s cheek. ¡°Goodnight, mother.¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    ¡°I will hear your nagging tomorrow, so please forgive me for now. I am so sleepy I feel like I¡¯m going to faint.¡±


    She had no choice. Norma kissed her son¡¯s cheek lightly and let him go.


    She sighed in frustration. Why couldn¡¯t things work out the way she wanted? Why couldn¡¯t her niece and her son just do as she bid?


    Unfortunately for Norma, things were about to get much worse the next day.


    ***


    The next morning, Duchess Lonensia got an invitation from the empress.


    When she arrived at the reception room, she didn¡¯t get to see her niece. Instead, other maids greeted her and offered her tea. Norma assumed this was because it was Yulia¡¯s day off.


    Norma yed with her fan and didn¡¯t touch the snacks offered to her.


    After a little while, an announcement was made outside the door.


    ¡°The empress has arrived.¡±


    The duchess stood up and bowed. ¡°Greetings to your highness the empress. I am honored to receive your invitation.¡±


    It was a textbook greeting, but her tone was arrogant. It was obvious that the duchess considered herself above the empress.


    Bina thought secretly.


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure if she is doing this on purpose or subconsciously, but... I will make her regret underestimating me.¡¯


    Bina smiled brightly.


    ¡°Wee, Duchess.¡±


    The meeting finally began.

 Chapter 157 -

    <h4>Chapter 157: <Short stories 4.1: Bad man></h4>


    Their conversation was pleasant as they smiled and chatted smoothly.


    However, they both knew things were not right.


    The duchess brought up a sensitive subject again.


    ¡°By the way, your highness, did you have time to consider my... heartfelt advice?¡±


    Bina didn¡¯t hesitate one bit. She smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Actually, that is the reason why I asked you toe, Duchess. I¡¯m d you brought up the subject.¡±


    Bina sounded perfectly kind, making the duchess hopeful.


    She asked expectantly, ¡°Then... What are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°His highness told me he has no interest in taking any more wives or concubines.¡±


    ¡°... Your highness, as I said before, this is YOUR responsibility as the empress, not his highness¡¯.¡±


    Bina was firm though.


    ¡°I may be the empress, but I am also the emperor¡¯s wife. I have no choice but to respect his wishes.¡±


    Bina looked like a proper obedient wife, but her true intention was very different.


    ¡®I¡¯m a greedy woman, so I will never share what is mine with another woman.¡¯


    Lucretius swore that he would never have anyone else, and Bina agreed to marry him because she believed him. Only Lucretius and Bina knew the truth, and their rtionship was built on total trust. They didn¡¯t n on including anyone, not even Yulia.


    Besides, Yulia herself didn¡¯t want to be included.


    ¡®I wonder if the duchess really got the idea from me when I tried to make Luc dance with Yulia at the ball.¡¯


    Yulia came to Bina the very next day after the duchess told her of her n.


    When Bina med herself, Yulia shook her head and answered, ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault, your highness. Even if you didn¡¯t try to have me dance with the emperor, my aunt would have tried the same.¡±


    Yulia looked bitter and disappointed, which made sense. Yulia looked up to Duchess Lonensia like her own mother, and now the duchess was trying to use her.


    Bina said to Norma, ¡°And most of all, Yulia doesn¡¯t want it.¡±


    The duchess frowned awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s... because she is still so young and na?ve. She doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Marriage and creating one¡¯s own family are the biggest happiness a woman can achieve. On top of that, it is her duty to stay close to your highness and his highness so she can serve both of you.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Bina was about to get angry at the duchess¡¯ nonsense, but Norma continued strong.


    ¡°That child is too young to know what is good for her. Your highness should have reprimanded her and led her in the right direction.¡±


    Norma was good. She used the sound logic of needing Yulia so Bina could control the future harem. She made it sound like she was being selfless and helpful and made Bina looked like a selfish immature girl.


    Bina already expected Norma to say something like this, but she didn¡¯t expect her to make Yulia sound so unreasonable.


    Bina took a deep breath and smiled again.


    ¡°I, of course, know you are giving me this advice out of kindness and loyalty.¡±


    The duchess looked satisfied. ¡°Your highness is indeed a very smart youngdy.¡±


    It was apliment, but it still sounded condescending. Duchess Lonensia smiled, thinking she finally got what she wanted.


    Bina then replied, ¡°However...¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°It is true that controlling and ruling the entire harem by myself would be problematic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so...¡±


    The duchess looked confused as Bina continued, ¡°But the emperor is nning to change the rules.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Bina smiled smoothly. Her heart beat fast as she grew excited at the prospect of telling this horrid woman their sneaky n!


    An act of sweet revenge!


    Bina loved it, but she continued to put on a calm regal face.


    ¡°As you know, many kingdoms and colonies have been going through the sadness of sending their daughters to the emperor. Having too many wives and concubines have caused huge problems in this kingdom. The emperor¡¯s women have been fighting among themselves every generation to put their own children on the throne.¡±


    ¡°... but it was because of theck of male heirs for the past few generations...¡±


    Bina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of the number of heirs. In fact, the more potentials heirs there are, the more risks of internal conflicts within the royal family. The biggest source of the problem has always been the number of wives and concubines.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Look what Katleyanira did. She didn¡¯t even have a son, yet she managed to cause the emperor so many problems, and she almost seeded in taking the throne.¡±


    The duchess couldn¡¯t deny it. Feud among the royal children for the throne happened every generation, and the worst example happened recently.


    Katleyanira.


    She was executed and her head, now a skull, still hung in the city center. The emperor ordered it to be disyed until it naturally degraded into nothing. Cornelius was the biggest help to the emperor, and that was why the Lonensian family became so powerful. This was why Norma thought she could do anything she wanted.


    Bina said to her kindly, ¡°His highness doesn¡¯t want a simr thing to happen again in our generation.¡±


    ¡°It... it¡¯s true that we should never let another Katleyanira incident to happen.¡±


    Bina smiled as the duchess frowned.


    ¡®Yes! You lose!¡¯


    Bina continued happily, ¡°I knew Duchess would understand me. You are the daughter-inw of the greatly respected chancellor. The emperor still feels very thankful to your family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... honored.¡±


    Suddenly, Bina changed her expression from smile to sad stare.


    ¡°Y, your highness?¡±


    Bina wiped away her tears as her maids and servants gathered around her anxiously.


    Bina pretended to hesitate before continuing, ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry I am acting this way. I just remember what his highness told me.¡±


    ¡®Ask me about what he said!¡¯


    Duchess Lonensia had no choice but to ask, ¡°W, why are you crying, your highness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that... I remembered Empress Beatrice, who was the emperor¡¯s birthmother.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The duchess immediately knew what Bina would say.


    Bina exined, ¡°She was sent to be married to the former emperor, just like me. Just thinking of her makes me feel sad.¡±


    Empress Beatrice was a good example of the tragedy that could happen when women were forced to be sent to the emperor. Bina was also sent in ce of Lisbeth by the Aeal family.


    The duchess replied, ¡°It.... was a tragedy indeed.¡±


    Bina smiled brightly. ¡°I am so lucky to have someone like you, Duchess. You are so worried about me that you have gained so many wrinkles...¡±


    Norma flinched and touched her face.


    ¡®W, wrinkles?¡¯


    No woman liked hearing she had wrinkles. Norma realized she had been yed. She red at Bina, who ignored her and smiled.


    ¡°I am d you agree with me and support my and his highness¡¯ decision.¡±


    Norma knew she lost and there wasn¡¯t much she could do, but she tried to make herst attempt.


    ¡°... I suppose we shouldn¡¯t ask the noble families to send their daughters, but we should at least still have women sent from other kingdoms and colonies. They can be useful as political hostages...¡±


    Bina had an answer for this argument as well.


    ¡°His highness will be changing thew so that the other nations send one of their princes instead of their princesses.¡±


    ¡°P... princes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The problem has been that those nobledies and the princesses have always tried to be the empress for their ambitions. In fact, we had a tragedy of Prince Coronel attempting to make his sister a Cransian empress and ended up murdering her aunt Ksania. Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Y, you¡¯re right, your highness.¡±


    It was a clean win on Bina¡¯s part. Norma hid her anger at losing to a mere girl half her age.

 Chapter 158 -

    <h4>Chapter 158: <Short stories 4.2></h4>


    Before the duchess left the meeting, the empress whispered to her quietly so that only Norma could hear it.


    ¡°Duchess, I will never be your puppet.¡±


    Crash!


    A ss vase hit the wall and shattered. Sharp ss pieces, flowers, and water sttered everywhere including the expensive carpet on the floor.


    Crash!


    This time, a silver candle holder was thrown onto the wall. It became bent and fell onto the floor loudly.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Norma panted roughly in anger. She just returned from the castle. After leaving the empress¡¯ room, she checked with others to confirm that what Bina imed was true.


    It was. The emperor indeed nned on changing thew just as Bina said.


    Apparently, in thest three months, the emperor had been secretly dealing with other kingdoms and colonies. They agreed on sending princes or noblemen¡¯s sons instead of princesses and noblewomen. These men were to be married to the emperor¡¯s stepsisters and be free to leave as they wished after they had children.


    One of the many reasons for this was to reduce the unreasonable number of wives for the emperor. This change could save a lot of money for the royal family and the kingdom. The previous emperor drained the treasury by having so many wives and concubines. Each woman received at least ten servants and maids, and the expense of it was too much. It was a well-known fact that Empress Sa Bina was a frugal woman who tried her best to improve Cransia¡¯s financial state. When the chief of finances heard of this new idea that could save the kingdom a lot of money, he was all for it.


    There was a political aspect to this as well, and so the minister of foreign affairs was against the idea, but he was only one person against the rest of the kingdom who loved the idea. Besides, the emperor was determined to make this happen, and that was what really mattered.


    What frustrated Norma the most was the fact that she wasn¡¯t informed of this progress earlier. She only heard about it by chance from the empress, and it was after the fact where she started hearing everything more about it.


    The duchess was angry at her powerlessness. She had no control over the empress, and she could not involve herself in the political world like her father-inw did. Her own husband and her heir were both useless and spineless.


    If things continued like this, all Norma would have was the name Lonensia. No power, no influence, just a name.


    She needed something... Something that would give her power.


    ¡°Yulia... Even she didn¡¯t let me know of this change!¡±


    Yulia was close to the empress, which meant she must have known about the change in the emperor¡¯s maritalw. However, even she didn¡¯t tell her own aunt about it.


    ¡°How dare she...!¡±


    Norma trembled in anger. What¡¯s more, she felt like her previous treatment of Yulia justified her anger.


    ¡°I treated her like my own daughter...! This is how she repays me?!¡±


    Just then, the door opened without a knock and a handsome man walked in. Norma¡¯s face softened as she saw who it was.


    ¡°Rob.¡±


    ¡°My, my. One of the servants came to me in fear and told me I needed toe and see you right away. Now I see why.¡±


    Norma sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see me like this. I feel better now, so you can go.¡±


    Her son shook his head and took his mother¡¯s hand gently.


    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t fine, mother. Tell me what happened.¡±


    She sighed and followed her son to the bed. She sat on it, and her son faced her, making her smile.


    ¡°You are the only one who cares about me. The only one who concerned of me.¡±


    ¡°Everyone in this house is worried about you. They are also afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t really mean it. Your father would love it if I died. Maybe he will finallye out of his bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Mother...¡±


    Norma replied firmly, ¡°Even Yulia, who I trusted, turned against me. I only have you left.¡±


    Roberto¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yulia? No way!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. She rejected all I have nned for her and she stopped talking to me.¡±


    Norma started to exin what had happened so far.


    ***


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and now I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Norma massaged her temples. She was getting a headache. Everything she worked for was falling apart.


    ¡°But you won¡¯t give up that easy, right?¡±


    Norma smiled. ¡°Of course I will never give up. I won¡¯t let these young girls ruin my life.¡±


    ¡°Of course, mother.¡±


    Norma tapped herp a few times. Roberto knew what she wanted. He was no longer a child, but he decided to appease her. He ced her head on herp and she started to pat his hair.


    Norma murmured, ¡°I can¡¯t forgive Yulia, but I don¡¯t have an appropriate recement, so I will have to find a way to make this work. If Evelin was alive, I wouldn¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Roberto¡¯s sister, Evelin, died at a very young age. When she was alive, she never once disobeyed her mother. Her mother forever remembered her as the perfect daughter.


    Norma continued, ¡°Wait a minute. Yulia loves her sister and nieces.¡±


    Yulia¡¯s older sister, Sastia, was married to a family loyal to the Lonensian family. In fact, it was Norma who arranged the marriage. She hadplete control over that family.


    Roberto nodded and asked a question as if he suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°By the way, mother, that empress. Is she really from a farawaynd?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. The emperor said she was, so everyone pretended to believe it but... No one really knows where she is from.¡±


    When Norma was about to get angry again, Roberto squeezed her hand and asked smoothly, ¡°Mother, if the emperor and the empress drift apart, do you think it will help your n?¡±


    Norma seemed confused.


    ¡°... I suppose it would.¡±


    Roberto smiled widely and told his mother of his n.


    Soon, Norma¡¯s face turned into aplete shock.

 Chapter 159 -

    <h4>Chapter 159: <Short stories 4.3></h4>


    The empress¡¯ day started with a meeting and ended with a meeting. She also had to take care of many internal affairs involving the castle and Rombrook. If her daughter got sick, the empress also had to find the time to take care of her child.


    Luckily, some meetings provided much-needed rest.


    As Bina entered the ss greenhouse, she eximed, ¡°Liliana!¡±


    Beautiful Liliana, now a beloved wife and a mother, turned around and smiled. Thankfully, she seemed to have fully recovered from the trauma of her mother Katleyanira.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness the empress.¡±


    Liliana bowed prettily. She lost a lot of weight after her first child Cullen, which worried many people, but now she looked much better. Bina took her hand.


    ¡°How are you feeling? Is Cullen doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thanks to your and his highness, we have been faring well.¡±


    The man standing beside Liliana interrupted in irritation.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness the empress. Howe you only greet my wife and ignore me?¡±


    Bina smiled. This was what happened when a husband apanied his wife to her outing. Even Lucretius was treated this way when Bina and Liliana gathered together.


    Binaughed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry Clodys. I¡¯m not ignoring you; I¡¯m just ill-treating you.¡±


    Two womenughed.


    Just then, Clodys asked Bina awkwardly, ¡°Um, your highness, we met an acquaintance on our way here, and he begged us to apany us to meet you.¡±


    No one could enter the meeting with an empress without her permission, so the unknown man was waiting outside the room in the reception area. If Bina refused, he would have to leave immediately.


    ¡°... Really? Who?¡±


    Bina was curious. Everyone knew to insist on meeting her like this was considered incredibly rude. Who could it be?


    ¡°It is the second son of Duke Lonensia. His name is Roberto des Lonensia.¡±


    She had never heard this name before, but obviously, she knew the family well. Lonensian family was not someone even she could ignore.


    In addition, Bina humiliated the duchess recently; therefore, she felt refusing to meet her son would be like dering war against Lonensia.


    She didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. You can let him in...¡±


    Suddenly, Clodys gave Bina a subtle look.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Clodys looked very concerned. His wife Liliana also looked troubled, making Bina concerned. She ordered her maids and servants to leave and only the three of them were left in the room.


    Clodys exined, ¡°Roberto... He isn¡¯t exactly my acquaintance. I guess we somewhat knew each other when we were young, but that was over ten years ago. I haven¡¯t talked to him in years, yet when we were on our way here, he stopped us to ask for this favor... This is too good to be a coincidence. Not to mention, it was unreasonably insolent. It is very strange, and I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Liliana paled.¡±Does this mean... Lonensian family is plotting something?¡±


    It had only been three years since the dowager empress Katleyanira¡¯s rebellion. If the Duke of Lonensia was nning something... This could be very dangerous.


    Clodys took his wife¡¯s hand to reassure her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to worry about Lonensia rebelling against the royal family.¡±


    Clodys turned to Bina and continued, ¡°But your highness, it would be best to beware of Roberto as a person.¡±


    Clodys looked unusually disturbed, making Bina wonder.


    ¡°... Marquis, it sounds like you know something.¡±


    Clodys nodded as he lowered his voice.


    ¡°Yes... This is very awkward, but I think I need to tell you this.¡± After a short hesitation, Clodys continued, ¡°He hasn¡¯t lived in Cransia since he was fifteen, and everywhere he traveled, he left bastard children in many ces. Apparently, Duchess Lonensia has been cleaning up after him secretly.¡±


    Liliana became even paler.


    ¡°T, that... how...¡±


    Clodys tried to lighten the mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t dare to try anything to your highness the empress, but there is a rumor that he did try to seduce many princesses and wives of other nation¡¯s kings.¡±


    Bina smirked. ¡°So he has a bad yboy reputation. Well, his highness is alive and well, so I¡¯m sure he would never try something stupid. Thank you for letting me know though. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t t out reject a member of Lonensian family. After all, he is the grandson of the former chancellor.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    At the empress¡¯ order, the maids headed out to get Roberto while the servants started to prepare another set of tea.


    Clodys sighed worriedly.


    ***


    ¡°Roberto des Lonensia from the Lonensian family greets the most honorable empress.¡±


    He was definitely handsome, but Bina had the most gorgeous looking husband and was acquainted with the equally good-looking Izid, Prince of Genoa. To Bina, Roberto was just another ordinary man.


    Bina greeted politely, ¡°Nice to meet you, Roberto. Youe from a good family that has helped this royal family in the past.¡±


    When Bina gave him her hand, Roberto elegantly kissed the back of it.


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, Bina flinched in shock. He kept his lips on her hand a moment too long, and the way he looked at her was too seductive. When Bina tried to take her hand back, he let her go easily. He grinned when he noticed how ufortable she became.


    ¡°I have heard rumors of how exotic and beautiful you are, but the rumors don¡¯t do you justice, your highness.¡±


    It was very subtle, but the way he spoke and behaved was very unpleasant and forward. Bina became angry, but she couldn¡¯t show her feelings at this point.


    She calmly replied, ¡°You tter me. Everyone knows rumors are always exaggerated. Now, let¡¯s be done with formalities and go to our table. The servants have prepared us tea.¡±


    It was a beautiful warm day with tea and cookies. Only if she was with the people she liked... But that man was here, and it made her frustrated.


    The way this man looked at her made her skin crawl.


    Bina hadpared Lucretius to a snake before because his stare was cool and sharp. She actually liked it because it was dry and calm.


    However, this man was different. He was cold and wet. It felt like he was dragging her down to a very unpleasant ce.


    Bina nced at Roberto, who was sitting beside Clodys. Before he turned towards her, she quickly looked away.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like him.¡¯


    ***


    Bina patted her personal horse Lori with her gloved hands. She was a healthy brown horse with a beautiful white mane.


    ¡°Hello, Lori, would you like some sugar cubes?¡±


    The horse couldn¡¯t understand actual words, but she was smart enough to realize what her owner was offering. Lori affectionately licked Bina¡¯s hand.


    Agnes opened a silver bottle and handed Bina a few of the cubes. When she showed them to the horse, Lori licked her hands clean.


    ¡°Oh, my hand is all wet now.¡±


    When Yulia was about to grab another pair of gloves, Bina shook her head and took her gloves off. She then started to feed the horse with her bare hand.


    ¡®It¡¯s strange. This feels okay.¡¯


    All Roberto did yesterday was kiss the back of her hand, yet it felt so horrible, especiallypared to the feel of horse¡¯s lips on her hand.


    ¡®He... is dangerous. I better be careful around him.¡¯


    Clodys was a very smart and cautious man. If he told her to be wary of Roberto, it was very likely a sound piece of advice.

 Chapter 160 -

    <h4>Chapter 160: <Short stories 4.4></h4>


    Just then.


    ¡°His highness has arrived.¡±


    A loud announcement resonated from all over the ce. Everyone around her moved quickly to make preparation. Bina was used to this; except when he had to work, he spent the rest of his time with Bina at her wing.


    The golden-haired emperor Lucretius approached them. Excluding Bina, everyone kneeled to show their respect.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness the emperor.¡±


    Lucretius walked quickly towards his wife. ¡°Bina.¡±


    The empress smiled gently and took a step towards her husband. ¡°Your highness.¡±


    Lucretius smiled like the sun and started to make cornyments again. ¡°How is it that you became even more beautiful since I saw you only this morning?¡±


    Bina grinned. ¡°It isn¡¯t even lunch time yet.¡±


    ¡°I know! It¡¯s the darnedest thing.¡±


    When Bina first became his wife, thesements used to make her feel ufortable. Now, she could justugh at him. As a matter of fact, Bina felt like if he stopped saying these things, she might feel disappointed.


    When she realized this, she started tough out loud.


    Lucretius¡¯ green eyes widened. ¡°What? Did I say something stupid?¡±


    Bina shook her head and whispered, ¡°I just realized that I am now used to your cornyments.¡±


    Lucretius grinned, too, as he took her hand gently. He took the clean wet towel from the servant and started to wipe Bina¡¯s hand clean. When he was done, he looked satisfied as he kissed the back of her hand soundly.


    This was Lucretius¡¯ habit. It was like marking his territory; he was even jealous of the horse for licking his wife¡¯s hand.


    When Lucretius looked pleased with himself, Bina said to him, ¡°You are the one who gave me Lori as a gift, yet you get jealous of her just because I pat her a few times?¡±


    Lucretius continued to grin naughtily. ¡°Are you telling me you don¡¯t like it when I act jealous?¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t lie to him.


    ¡°... No.¡±


    Lucretius confidently held her hand and kissed it again.


    He lightly caressed the inside of her hand with his finger. Bina felt a jolt of pleasure as he kissed her hand again.


    She realized it then.


    He was openly and tantly showing his affection, but she liked it. It made sense because he was the man she chose. It couldn¡¯tpare to the brief contact she had with that man, which was incredibly atrocious.


    ***


    Roberto drank the cheap watered-down red wine he prepared for himself and remembered the woman.


    ¡®I have never seen hair like hers. It looked like a beautiful night sky.¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t as beautiful as the rumor imed, but she was definitely lively and attractive.


    Roberto loved all the women in the world. In his own way at least.


    What interested him was her attitude. He could understand if she was just proud and conceited. She was an empress after all, so she deserved to behave arrogantly. Katleyanira was like that, so was his own mother Duchess Lonensia.


    However, there was something different about Empress Sa Bina. He had never seen a woman exactly like her. It was very hard to describe it, but she was definitely unique.


    ¡®How interesting.¡¯


    High-ranking hard-to-get women interested Roberto the most. An easy prey was no fun.


    Hunting easy girls weren¡¯t enough anymore. He wanted a woman he couldn¡¯t get, and he finally found one.


    Just then, he remembered his mother¡¯s words.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too dangerous, Rob?¡±


    When he told her he could create a small scandal between himself and the empress, his mother seemed interested and concerned at the same time.


    He replied, ¡°I should be able to create enough tension and distrust between the emperor and the empress so you can ce Yulia in the first wife¡¯s position.¡±


    Two birds with one stone. This gave him the chance to hunt a worthy prey and also help his mother.


    ¡®So how should I do this?¡¯


    The first thing he needed to do was to find out her weakness. While he was thinking deeply, a beautiful voice called him.


    ¡°Um, Jusepe?¡±


    It was the red-haired Amarince, who called him by one of his many aliases.


    The interruption annoyed him. Amarince noticed his anger and apologized nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jusepe. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb your thoughts.¡±


    Then suddenly, Roberto smiled. Looking at Amarince gave him an idea. When he first saw the empress, she was mesmerized by Amarince during the operetta.


    He said to the anxious woman kindly, ¡°Now, Amari my dear.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes?¡±


    Amarince still seemed fearful, but she ced herself in his arms.


    He whispered sweetly, ¡°There is someone very important who would love to see you.¡±


    Amarince seemed confused. ¡°Someone important? Is it a man?¡±


    ¡°No, a woman.¡± He hugged the slim woman and murmured, ¡°Now that I think about it, you are about the same size and height as her too.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Roberto shook his head. ¡°You need to get ready for the castle masquerade that will take ce soon. You are performing that night, right?¡±


    Amarince nodded. ¡°Y, yes. How did you know... Oh, that¡¯s right. Your music will be performed.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Would you like to attend the ball as my date?¡±


    ¡°Me...?¡±


    Amarince was shocked. She remembered their past rtionship very well. When they were lovers about five years ago, he abandoned her suddenly without a word.


    Roberto said to her sweetly, ¡°Who else would I take to a ball?¡±


    ¡°But Jusepe...¡±


    Roberto shook his head. ¡°No, call me Christian from now on.¡±


    Amarince¡¯s eyes widened. She knew he was nowposing under the name of Christian Boceti. If people knew, this would be sensational news, but he didn¡¯t want this fact to be known to the public.


    He didn¡¯t seem to mind her calling him Jusepe until now, so why was he changing his mind all of a sudden?


    Before she could ask any questions, Jusepe, or Christian, kissed her passionately. Amarince was shocked and nervous, but she still couldn¡¯t push him away. He knew this very well. He knew Amarince could never refuse Jusepe or Christian.


    Soon, the room filled with the lovers¡¯ heat.


    Agnes murmured in frustration, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the harvest celebration to start with a masquerade.¡±


    Samantha nodded. ¡°We didn¡¯t get enough notice for this, and... Masquerade? How inappropriate!¡±


    The middle-aged women nodded in agreement, but the young maids looked excited.


    One of the new maids, Sylia, who was hired after Elza and Luis left, whispered with a blush, ¡°But the masquerade would be so romantic! The emperor came up with such a wonderful idea.¡±


    Hannah, who was another new maid younger than Sylia, agreed.


    ¡°I agree. I heard the emperor Kentius also held masquerades during his reign!¡±


    Different age groups reacted differently to the idea of a masquerade ball. The younger generation loved it as it would be less formal than a regr ball.


    In addition, a brand-new operetta was supposed to be showcased during the ball. It was a piece made by the poprposer Christian Boceti, and its title would be ¡°The Masquerade.¡±


    On the other hand, the older generation such as Samantha and Agnes narrowed their eyes at the idea. To hide one¡¯s identity and dance with masked figures were not their idea of a good time.


    Except for the two people in the castle, no one knew the real reason behind why the traditional ball was changed to a masquerade.

 Chapter 161 - Short stories 5.1: The man behind the mask>

    <h4>Chapter 161: <Short stories 5.1: The man behind the mask></h4>


    Two weeks before the announcement of the masquerade ball, Bina received an unexpected gift from Lucretius.


    It was a carefully wrapped ck box. When she opened it, Bina was surprised.


    ¡°A mask?¡±


    Inside it was an extravagant mask decorated with feathers, precious stones, and pearls. It had an asymmetrical and unique design.


    Underneath the mask was a thick script. Bina read the title slowly.


    ¡°A masquerade?¡±


    Bina suddenly realized after reading for a few more minutes.


    ¡°This is a script?!¡±


    Underneath the title was the list of people involved.


    ¡°Oh my god! Composer Christian Boceti and the writer Dilma Parent together!¡±


    Bina¡¯s shoulders trembled in excitement. It made sense; Boceti and Parent were Bina¡¯s favorite artists. She had watched a few of their shows when she went on dates with Lucretius outside the castle.


    Dilma Parent was a famous writer for theaters and rarely participated in operetta. This was actually the first time ever for Bina¡¯s favoriteposer and writer to work together.


    Bina became excited. ¡°H, how did you get this?! Hmm? This must be the newest piece that will be released this fall season, right? Which theater will it be performed? I HAVE to go see it!¡±


    Lucretius replied calmly, ¡°Our house.¡±


    Bina gaped. ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°I said it will be performed at our house.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±


    Lucretius pointed at the small print at the bottom of the cover page.


    ¡°To be showcased at the first day of the royal ball.¡±


    Bina gasped in shock as Lucretius continued, ¡°Everything has been set. The female lead will be that singer you like. Her name was... Ama... something, right? That woman who performed at the castle recently.¡±


    ¡°Amarince? Amarince Toul?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Her.¡±


    Bina almost dropped the script after getting awestruck when she heard of this new development.


    ¡°W, what is all this?!¡±


    Lucretius smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s my gift to you for our wedding anniversary this year.¡±


    After thest operetta performed at the castle, Lucretius had been thinking hard for the perfect gift for Bina as their anniversary wasing up soon. He wanted something different and special. He personally wanted to go on a date with Bina inside the castle without everyone noticing. He thought that wearing masks among all the masked people was a perfect n.


    Lucretius wanted to give a present Bina could never forget, and it seemed to be working. She already looked beyond excited.


    This n had cost them a fortune and the treasury had beenining openly about it. Lucretius managed to calm them down only by assuring them that he would use the fund from his own personal budget.


    This event wasn¡¯t big enough to drain the entire treasury of the castle, but it definitely was an expensive affair.


    Lucretius felt proud as he continued to brag about the ball.


    ¡°I n to have a unique event for the first day of the harvest celebration.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the new operetta?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The operetta will begin in the middle of the masquerade as a part of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh my...¡±


    Bina¡¯s voice trembled in eagerness and Lucretius asked sweetly, ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Of course!¡±


    Could her husband be any more thoughtful? Bina was truly impressed. She carefully returned the script back to the box and hugged Lucretius tightly. As she kissed his lips and cheeks, Lucretius hugged her back in satisfaction.


    ¡®This was so worth it.¡¯


    They were about to begin a passionate night when Bina suddenly asked with a sharp re, ¡°Wait a minute! This would have cost a fortune. Where did you get the money?¡±


    If he told her he used the money from the castle treasury, Lucretius knew Bina would be mad. He smiled bitterly as he realized that Bina would never let him be a tyrant. She would stop him in a heartbeat.


    He exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I used the money from my own personal budget.¡±


    However, instead of reassuring her, Lucretius was digging his own grave.


    ¡°Your personal budget...? You shouldn¡¯t have enough personal money to fund an event of this scale... Do you have a secret fund I don¡¯t know about?¡± Bina¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius started to sweat as he realized he was in dangerous territory. Now that he thought about it, Bina and Lucretius knew each other¡¯s budget and its use. He had to tread carefully or else he would get in trouble.


    Lucretius¡¯ exnation, or perhaps a better term to use is ¡®excuse¡¯, was weak.


    ¡°... I have been saving for a while so I can get you something special.¡±


    He sounded like a husband with a secret fund rather than an emperor of the greatest kingdom.


    Bina asked, ¡°Are you telling me the truth?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I also only used half of the saved money in case we need it for an emergency. I didn¡¯t touch the state budget at all.¡±


    He was now speaking in a desperate tone. After ring at him for a while longer, Bina decided to let it go. At the end of the day, her husband was doing all of these for her sake.


    Bina sighed and hugged Lucretius again. ¡°Alright, but from now on, tell me everything even if it¡¯s something small.¡±


    Lucretius nodded in relief. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry. I will tell you everything including what I ate and what I dreamt.¡±


    Binaughed. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary... Actually, yes, you should.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything. What you eat, what you dream, and how much you think of me. I want to know, and I will tell you everything about my day as well from now on.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Lucretius kissed her lips and lifted her up. As he carried her to the bed, Bina whispered to him, ¡°And... thank you. I appreciate everything you do for me.¡±


    Lucretius smiled in satisfaction. ¡°No problem.¡±


    ***


    The preparation for the masquerade was going ording to n. When it was just aboutpleted, the long-awaited news came. The harvest result from the southern provinces arrived, followed by the eastern, western, and northern realms.


    When all arrived, the emperorbined everything and hung the harvest samples on the ceiling of his office; this had been a Cransian tradition since the ancient days of yore.


    Finally, it was the first day of harvest celebration.


    The day of the masquerade.


    Normally, a regr ball involved everyone gathering in the hall while the royal family entered the cest. The first ball was the time where all the political figures from different kingdoms officially met with the emperor. However, this time, there was a different n. The emperor announced that he would enter the event secretly in a mask. Any diplomatic talks wouldmence on the second day of the celebration.


    The rule of the masquerade was to forget one¡¯s station or rank. There had been smaller masquerades in the kingdom within thest few years, but it had been decades since a masquerade of this scale took ce.


    At first, the older noblemen and womenined of the idea as they med the youthfulness of the emperor. However, as the time came nearer, even those who hated the idea started to feel excited. It reminded them of the time when they were younger, and they eagerly prepared their costumes.


    Everyone expected an exciting and wonderful night.

 Chapter 162

    <h4>Chapter 162: <Short stories 5.2></h4>


    The night finally came, and the nobles of the empire entered the castle in their masks and wigs to hide their identities.


    The hall was filled with men and women in masks. Bright lights from the chandelier scattered everywhere, making everything look shiny.


    Every guest¡¯s main curiosity was whether the emperor was here in this hall in a mask. People looked around trying to figure out who the emperor and the empress were. An announcement was made this morning that the emperor and the empress might or might not attend the masquerade.


    Those who wanted to attain the favor of the royal family whispered among themselves trying to guess who the emperor and the empress were. Some tried to find the empress first as they knew the emperor would be beside her. For the four years of their marriage, the emperor had shown an unchanging love for his wife; therefore, it was logical to have this guess.


    However, there was no one with the unique ck hair in the hall. Many were wearing wigs, and if the empress wanted to keep her identity a secret, she would have done the same.


    Some gave up quickly, but many of the unmarried girls in their teens and early 20s didn¡¯t. They were determined to find the emperor. Their hope was to dance with him and perhaps have him notice their beauty. He might have been married, but he was still the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom.


    There was a rumor that thew was about to change, but nothing was certain. Besides, the rumor involved only eliminating the need for other nations to send women for the emperor, not the actual right for the emperor to have multiple wives and concubines.


    Currently, Emperor Lucretius had only one wife, Empress Sa Bina, and they had one princess. There were still four spots for the wife positions. If one could have the emperor¡¯s son, that son would immediately be the next heir to the throne.


    The heir to the throne!


    The woman who would give the emperor a son would be the mother to the next emperor!


    Those ambitious girls and the mothers of these girls diligently looked for the emperor.


    ***


    Not everyone saw this event as a chance to get close to the royal family. Many came to simply enjoy themselves. Young people danced with each other, constantly trying to figure out who they were dancing with.


    Among them, one man asked a woman to dance, ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡±


    The man was wearing a mask decorated with dark green emeralds. His wig had long white curly hair tied with a ribbon in the back.


    ¡°... Of course.¡±


    The woman, who took the man¡¯s arm, was slim and beautiful. She was wearing an asymmetrical ck mask decorated with onyx and ck pearls. They danced together very well as if they had danced together many times before.


    After the music ended, the man and the woman panted.


    As they walked away from the dance floor, the woman fanned herself and murmured, ¡°Perhaps the dance was a bit too wild? I¡¯m getting really hot.¡±


    ¡°... Then would you like to go out to the garden, mydy?¡±


    The man offered his hand and the woman nodded and put her hand on top of his.


    ¡°Alright. The garden sounds lovely.¡±


    The two left the hall towards the garden. They obviously looked like a couple or two spouses enjoying the evening.


    When they got close to the garden, the woman almost fell as something tripped her.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    ¡°A, are you ok?¡±


    The man helped the woman from falling. When they stood together, what they saw shocked them. The woman tripped over what appeared to be four legs tangled together on the garden ground.


    Breathless moans were heard from the bushes.


    ¡°H, hmm? I, I think someone¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°This is a masquerade, so no one cares. Don¡¯t worry about it! Huh?!¡±


    Suddenly, the man and the woman on the ground realized they weren¡¯t alone. After all, masquerades often made people bolder.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    While the two couples stared at each other in shock, various other noises came from nearby. It appeared that there was another couple nearby having a good time. Their passionate moans grew louder and louder. The bushes around the couple vibrated vigorously.


    The man in the emerald mask and the woman in the ck pearl mask awkwardly walked away.


    ***


    They had to look a few ces in the garden before finding a quiet spot. Everywhere they went, simr things were happening. Different men and women were getting together under the moon for a secret rendezvous.


    After a while, they finally found a quiet corner under arge tree.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    The woman took off her mask and sighed. Her shiny ck eyes looked beautiful under the night sky.


    It was the empress of this kingdom, Sa Bina.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it would be like this.¡±


    The man also took off his mask, revealing a gorgeous face.


    His green eyes grinned. ¡°I have to admit... I was shocked to see that too.¡±


    It was Lucretius. If the young women saw him take his mask off, they would have screamed and swarmed him.


    Lucretius said to his wife, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be this much of a gong show.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°You mean you have never attended a masquerade before this?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not interested in balls and the only events I ever attended were traditional ones. I had never experienced something like this.¡±


    Bina wasn¡¯t prepared for what she just heard. ¡°Really...? That¡¯s hard to believe.¡±


    The man looked upset at his wife¡¯s harsh judgment.


    ¡°What do you mean? It sounds like you think I was that kind of a man who liked to party.¡±


    Bina said weakly, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that... You are so gorgeous that you would fit in well with any parties.¡±


    Lucretius pointed at his own face and asked, ¡°Are you judging me by my face? That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You are telling me that you think I would have had a wild yboy life just because I have a good-looking face.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s sort of true though, isn¡¯t it? You already had a wife before me, and you had many fianc¨¦s... Even now, there are countless women who would love to jump into your bed only if you let them.¡± When Bina whispered with a pout, Lucretius looked pleased. ¡°So I¡¯m not being unfair. I¡¯m only telling the truth.¡±


    Bina knew Lucretius very well. He was the type that liked to chase.


    ¡®He is so weird.¡¯


    Just then, Lucretius reached out for her and held her face with both of his hands gently.


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I told you before, remember? No matter how many women want me, you are the only one for me.¡±


    ¡®Cornyment attack again! Gyaa!¡¯


    Bina thought she waspletely used to this, but obviously, she wasn¡¯t. Perhaps it was because he was getting cornier as he got older... if that was possible.


    As Bina trembled, Lucretius continued with a kiss on the back of her hand.


    ¡°My lovely little bird...¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°S, stop!¡±


    But he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°My fragile little bird...¡±


    Bina finally had it. She reached out to grab his face and kissed him.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Soon, they were kissing passionately.

 Chapter 163

    <h4>Chapter 163: <Short stories 5.3></h4>


    The moon was still bright, but it was slowly disappearing as morning approached.


    A man and a woman slowly walked out of the garden.


    Lucretius picked out a leaf stuck in Bina¡¯s hair and asked worriedly, ¡°Is your dress okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I took care not to get it dirty, but just in case, check it for me.¡±


    Bina turned around so Lucretius could confirm. Afterward, he nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good.¡±


    Bina fixed her wig and murmured, ¡°Good. If I returned with dirt on my dress, I would feel so embarrassed in front of Samantha and Agnes.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled. ¡°Why would you be embarrassed? They all know you came to the ball with me.¡±


    Bina lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s why I would be embarrassed!¡±


    Bina fanned herself. The weather was still very warm and in her big ballgown dress, Bina was sweating hard. Lucretius took her fan and started to fan her.


    ¡°Is that better?¡±


    ¡°... Not really. It¡¯s too hot.¡±


    Lucretius thought for a second before offering.


    ¡°Umm, then should I go in and get a cool drink for you?¡±


    Bina seemed interested but shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should be alone in the garden, with the way people are behaving here tonight.¡±


    ¡°... I agree.¡±


    Everyone was acting like a cat in heat and they could still hear moaning from different ces. It didn¡¯t seem right to leave a woman alone here.


    Lucretius looked at Bina worriedly. She did look like she would be very hot. Her already long hair was put up, and she was wearing a wig with even longer hair. She was also wearing much more foundation than usual to hide her unique skin color.


    They also danced vigorously, making it even worse for her. When Lucretius tried to wipe off her sweat from her forehead, Bina stopped him.


    ¡°If you do that, your clothes will be smudged with foundation and my makeup will be ruined.¡±


    There was a reason why Lucretius felt nervous whenever he saw Bina feeling hot. When she was pregnant with Beatrice, it was an unusually hot summer, and she had a difficult time coping with it. Seeing Bina sweating reminded him of that time.


    ¡°Should we just go back to your room? We don¡¯t have to stay. People won¡¯t even know we came or left.¡±


    However, Bina shook her head in determination. She had a good reason for wanting to stay.


    ¡°No. The performance hasn¡¯t started yet.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She looked very serious.


    ¡°I have to see this show with my own eyes. I¡¯m going to see it to the end.¡± Lucretius continued to fan her as she added, ¡°You spent so much money on it. I better watch it. I have to!¡±


    Lucretius learned a valuable lesson today. From now, he decided not to do anythingplicated like this. It was better to order a straightforward show or go out on a secret date to a theater.


    ***


    Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong.


    The bell rang twelve times, announcing that the highlight of the night was about to start. People who were strolling in the garden or around the nearby buildings returned to the hall.


    ¡°Who is the male lead for this show?¡±


    ¡°A different guy from thest performance. The female lead is still the same.¡±


    ¡°You mean Amarince Toul? She is an amazing soprano. I am so excited.¡±


    ¡°Christian Boceti is the most poprposer now.¡±


    ¡°I personally prefer Jusepe Loano¡¯s style...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I remember him. Where is he now? I haven¡¯t heard of him for a long time now.¡±


    Before the show began, people started to talk about the popr performers andposers.


    Bina and Lucretius were hidden among everyone in their masks. Standing in his arms, Bina¡¯s heart beat fast.


    ¡®Oh my gosh, I can¡¯t believe I get to see Christian Boceti and Dilma Parent¡¯s newest piece by!¡¯


    When Bina was still in Korea, she couldn¡¯t understand her friends raving over the K-pop idols. She used to scold her best friend Somi who often skipped school to go see a concert.


    However, now, in this strange world, Bina finally understood how Somi must have felt.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry I was not an understanding friend back then, Somi!¡¯


    She was finally a fan of someone, and she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement.


    Finally, the show was about to begin.


    All the lights dimmed and the darkness fell onto the hall like a nket. Everyone quieted and they could only hear the sounds of people breathing.


    Just then, a beam of light suddenly appeared, and a beautiful voice started to sing.


    ¡°Ohhh~ who will help me with my loneliness tonight~¡±


    Everyone knew whose voice this was.


    ¡®Amarince Toul!¡¯


    It was the female lead of the performance. Someone eximed.


    ¡°Oh my, so it is true that the show is to be performed in the middle of the masquerade...¡±


    People were getting excited. They had never seen this kind of show where the performance took ce among the audience.


    The female lead continued to sing as she walked slowly towards the center of the stage. People moved aside as she walked to create a path for her.


    Suddenly, another beam of light appeared to an area in the audience as a beautiful baritone voice started to sing. He sounded desperately in love as he sang to the female character, who was about to enter a loveless marriage.


    ¡°My cruel Kalita.~ Does she know how I feel about her!?~¡±


    The male and female characters sang to each other. The storyline was about two people falling in love during a masquerade and ended up marrying each other in the end.


    That was the beginning of the piece ¡°Masquerade,¡± whichter became one of the most legendary operettas in Rombrook¡¯s history.


    ***


    Bina couldn¡¯t help her tears. It was an incredible show.


    ¡®I¡¯m so d I didn¡¯t read the script ahead!¡¯


    She was very patient and she somehow managed to control herself until tonight. She put away the script Lucretius gave her as a gift and didn¡¯t read it. It was very hard to resist, but it was worth it. Now, she nned on reading and studying the script thoroughly when she returned to her room.


    She turned around and looked at her husband.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Luc. It was the best show ever! I am so happy.¡±


    Lucretius smiled in return. ¡°I¡¯m d you liked it. It was worth using my [slush fund].¡±


    Bina giggled and hugged him tightly. ¡°From now on, I will pretend not to know about your [slush fund], so you can do whatever you want with it.¡±


    ¡°I feel... pressured. It sounds like you want me to n another event like this.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re very smart.¡±


    Theyughed together.


    Just then, they heard someone¡¯s footsteps. Bina and Lucretius were hiding in a secluded hallway, so they tensed. They were still wearing their masks, but they didn¡¯t want anyone to find them. They quickly hid behind a nearby spot just as a couple entered the empty hallway.


    When she saw the woman, Bina had to hide her shock. She could immediately guess who it was by her dress and her mask. It was the singer who was singing stunningly just a moment ago.


    ¡®Amarince Toul!¡¯


    The best female singer on the continent.


    Amarince said to the man who stood nearby, ¡°Christian, how did you get here?¡±


    Bina thought in surprise.


    ¡®Christian? Christian Boceti? No way!¡¯


    He was theposer of the show tonight and also the most popr creator in the kingdom. His music was also Bina¡¯s favorite.


    Bina lowered her voice and asked Lucretius, ¡°That man, is he really Christian Boceti?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°But you are the one who ordered this performance. You hired Christian.¡±


    Lucretius shrugged his shoulders. ¡°This show was prepared by the owner of Banau theater. When I heard it was in production, I got my assistant to contact the theater owner and they arranged everything.¡±


    This was why Lucretius¡¯ n to use only female casts didn¡¯t happen. Even though he was the one who ordered the show, it was unnecessary for him to meet with the producer or theposer in person. Bina decided that she should thank Lucretius¡¯ assistantter in person for arranging such a wonderful night.


    It seemed that her favorite soprano singer andposer were in a rtionship. It was a well-known fact that no one truly knew who Christian Boceti was. No one had ever seen him in person.


    Bina felt excited as she continued to eavesdrop. Lucretius did the same.


    ¡°You were amazing, Amarince. You are definitely the best soprano in the world.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened like a rabbit.


    ¡®Huh? This voice?!¡¯

 Chapter 164 -

    <h4>Chapter 164: <Short stories 5.4></h4>


    Christian¡¯s voice sounded familiar to Bina.


    Amarince asked him, ¡°Christian! Tell me the truth. Do you know how shocked I was when I saw you during the performance?¡±


    Amarince¡¯s speaking voice was just as lovely as her singing voice.


    ¡®W, wow! Such a great voice.¡¯


    Bina thought secretly.


    Bina was her biggest fan and she felt excited at seeing her favorite star outside of the show.


    Christian smiled and finally took his mask off. When Bina saw his face, she gaped in shock.


    ¡®Roberto des Lonensia?!¡¯


    Lucretius also seemed surprised as if he recognized the man.


    The most poprposer in the kingdom was the second son of the Duke of Lonensia?


    This was sensational news. Artists were popr among the public, but it was considered a lowly work; therefore, the noble families rarely allowed their children to pursue this field. It was no wonder Roberto wanted to keep this a secret, but...


    At this surprising turn of event, Lucretius and Bina didn¡¯t know how to react. They stopped paying attention to their surroundings, and this was when Roberto looked around and spotted them.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Three people locked eyes and an awkward silence fell. Amarince noticed something odd with Roberto and looked where he was staring at to find Bina and Lucretius hiding.


    ¡°...!¡±


    She seemed truly shocked and disturbed.


    Bina started to sweat again ufortably. She felt thankful that she was still wearing her mask.


    ¡®It would have been so embarrassing if people found out the emperor and the empress like to eavesdrop on people!¡¯


    However, her relief was short-lived as Roberto approached them and kneeled in front of them.


    ¡°Greetings from Roberto des Lonensia to the ruler of Krugadia, Orlean, and North Santus the great emperor of Cransia. Greetings to the most respected empress.¡±


    Bina thought with a shudder.


    ¡®Dammit!¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t understand how he figured it out; when they were still at the masquerade, people didn¡¯t recognize her or Lucretius. How did he know then?


    Thankfully, Lucretius reacted fast and smoothly.


    Luc took off his mask to reveal his beautiful face. He nodded stiffly at Roberto and replied, ¡°We¡¯ve never met, Roberto des Lonensia.¡±


    ¡°It is my honor to meet you, your highness.¡±


    Lucretius replied regally, ¡°I remember you because Cornelius used to worry about you when he was still alive.¡±


    Lucretius and Roberto acted as if nothing was amiss. Luc, especially, acted like nothing happened, as if he wasn¡¯t just caught eavesdropping.


    Bina realized what his n was.


    ¡®Oh, he¡¯s going to act brazenly!¡¯


    Well, it made sense. Social status meant everything in this world, and Lucretius was at the top of the food chain. He firmly believed in using everything he had to his advantage.


    Bina quickly changed her attitude as well to match that of her husband. She took her mask off and smiled like a true empress.


    ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Roberto.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great honor, your highness.¡±


    Just then, the singer who was standing behind shivered in shock and fear. She kneeled to the ground quickly and yelled, ¡°T, this unworthy Amarince greets your highnesses! Please forgive my rudeness!¡±


    ***


    Lucretius smoothly changed the subject.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the second son of Lonensia was such a famousposer.¡±


    Roberto bowed with a smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a silly habit.¡±


    Suddenly, Bina eximed enthusiastically, ¡°How can you say it¡¯s silly! You are too modest. Everyone knows the impact the greatestposer Christian Boceti had in the music world.¡±


    Roberto bowed gratefully to Bina. ¡°I, I am truly honored you think so, your highness.¡±


    ¡°I really mean what I said. It¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Bina was genuine. Roberto, or Christian Boceti, was the reason why she fell in love with operetta. Bina¡¯s heart beat fast as she looked at her idol.


    ¡®Oh my god! I¡¯m standing in front of my favoriteposer!¡¯


    She seemed to have forgotten her initial negative reaction and impression of this man.


    As he watched his wife¡¯s excited face, Lucretius frowned andmented, ¡°I suppose Duke and Duchess would be disappointed to hear this news.¡±


    Roberto visibly flinched.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. If my mother found out, she would burn all of my secret works hidden in the library. I wouldn¡¯t be able topose ever again. Even during my school years at the academy, she used to hate it when I took extra music sses.¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ eyes shined dangerously. Bina noticed this and poked him to get his attention. She said to him silently with her eyes.


    ¡®Don¡¯t!¡¯


    With this one look,poser Christian Boceti¡¯s secret was safe. For now. Lucretius didn¡¯t like the idea of keeping this useful information, but he had no choice. He remembered how happy Bina was during and after the show. He knew he had to be patient.


    If he acted the way he wanted now, Bina would hate him. To harm her favoriteposer... Lucretius didn¡¯t even want to think of the consequences.


    Lucretius decided to be the bigger man.


    He said to Roberto grandly, ¡°I never got to thank you for the wonderful show tonight. The empress enjoyed it immensely, which is rare.¡±


    Roberto bowed deeply. He was acting properly, but somehow, Lucretius felt that he was being insolent. Perhaps it was just in Lucretius¡¯ imagination.


    ¡°You tter me, your highness.¡±


    Suddenly, Lucretius looked at the woman who was still standing behind Roberto.


    ¡°And there is tonight¡¯s prima donna. You sang beautifully and your acting was impable.¡±


    It was rare for the emperor topliment someone. Amarince blushed with pleasure.


    ¡°T, t, thank you. I, I¡¯m honored!¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to know the proper royal etiquette. It made sense. She was born into amoner family, and this was only her second time being in the castle.


    As Lucretius wanted, Bina¡¯s attention turned to the singer. She agreed with her husband.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Every time I hear you sing, I am amazed at the beauty and the strength of your voice. Even today, your voice filled therge hall very easily.¡±


    Seeing Bina¡¯s shining eyes, Amarince remembered. That day when she first performed at the castle, there was a silence after herst note. She remembered feeling a sudden fear. Did she make a mistake? Did she do a horrible job and that was why no one was pping?


    This was her one chance at sess. Amarince¡¯s father was originally a knight. He was a proud man, but he was very poor. Amarince¡¯s mother was from a merchant family; she gave up her dream of bing a singer when she married her husband.


    Thankfully, Amarince inherited her mother¡¯s talent. She remembered seeing her mother sing sometimes.


    As her father raked up more and more debt, her mother worked every lowly job possible to make ends meet. Her father was useless and often abusive. Amarince¡¯s mother died at a young age, and when there was no one to provide him with an extra ie, Amarince¡¯s father sold her to an old baron to be his concubine. She was only fifteen.


    On the night of her wedding, Amarince ran away with her mother¡¯s things. She came to the city and started out as a servant while learning to sing wherever she could.


    This was how she began.


    She sang like her life depended on it. She couldn¡¯t afford proper lessons, so she just sang whatever she heard on the street. She was truly talented, thankfully, so she became well-known very fast.

 Chapter 165 -

    <h4>Chapter 165: <Short stories 5.5></h4>


    Amarince always thought of her mother when she sang. She couldn¡¯t ept failure; after all, if she failed, it meant that her mother¡¯s life was a failure as well. Amarince couldn¡¯t let that happen, so she worked incredibly hard.


    Finally, she stood on the biggest and the best stage in the world.


    Yet when she sang herst note, a silence fell.


    Was... this the end of her career? Her life?


    Sudden fear and desperation were about to overwhelm her.


    Just then!


    Amarince was saved, and it was by the woman sitting up front and center. Thedy smiled beautifully and stood up to give her a standing ovation.


    She was sitting in the royal seat, which meant that it had to be Empress Sa Bina.


    When she stood to apud, everyone followed her. Even the emperor himself stood and pped. It was the greatest honor anyone could receive from the royal family.


    Amarince remembered that night very well. It was the best moment of her life.


    ¡°Y, your highness...!¡±


    The empress saved her life. She was the one who made everything happen for Amarince.


    She bowed deeply. ¡°I... Thank you, your highness.¡±


    The two women started to chat familiarly, and Lucretius looked at them in approval. He much preferred Bina looking at a woman than a man.


    ***


    After the unexpected meeting, Amarince and Roberto walked away from the hallway. She looked pale and she was trembling in shock. Roberto needed to help her so she wouldn¡¯t fall.


    As she clung to him, Amarince mumbled, ¡°Jusep... I mean Christian...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    His voice was sweet. ¡°No, I mean... Roberto, right? Is that your real name?¡±


    She finally learned this man¡¯s real name.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So I finally got to know your name, and it only took five years.¡±


    She met him when she was only sixteen and na?ve. He acted maturely considering his young age at the time, and Amarince was helpless from falling for him.


    And now...?


    How did she feel? She didn¡¯t know.


    She did everything he asked tonight. She went to where he ordered her to and acted as he instructed. She was shocked to see the emperor and the empress; her voice trembled.


    ¡°Roberto... Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are nning to do...¡±


    Roberto caressed her cheek gently. ¡°It¡¯s better for you not to know. It will be safer for you.¡±


    This... was a warning. He was telling her not to ask him any questions.


    However, Amarince couldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that... you were plotting against the empress!¡±


    Roberto smiled glowingly. ¡°The bigger the prey, the more fun I could have.¡±


    ¡°Rober...!¡±


    He ced his hands on Amarince¡¯s neck. He was so strong that he could bend her neck easily. He squeezed slowly, making her suffocate.


    ¡°Ro... Rober...!¡±


    Amarince felt true fear. It wasn¡¯t a fear for her life, but for her vocal cord.


    After a few seconds, he let her go, and she coughed loudly.


    He whispered to her ear in a sickeningly sweet voice, ¡°Now, let¡¯s go, my prima donna. You still have to do something for me.¡±


    Amarince trembled as he dragged her away with him.


    ***


    It was very early in the morning when thedies gathered around in a restroom to gossip. This was one of the biggest celebrations of the year, and often, most people enjoyed the party all night. There were rooms avable for the guests, so they could rest and have a private time if they wished.


    The rooms in the inner castle were designated to the most important guests, and tonight, they were the foreign ambassadors and diplomats. The local nobledies of Cransia were unfortunately assigned to the rooms in the outer area of the castle.


    ¡°I have never been in these remote rooms of the castle before.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, during such a big event, the foreign diplomats get the best rooms so I guess we can¡¯t help that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired to go home ande back, so I guess I¡¯m staying here...¡±


    Suddenly, the door burst opened.


    ¡°Who...¡±


    The couple must have thought it was an empty room. When they realized it was upied, they left in a hurry.


    ¡°...!¡±


    The man and the woman, who clearly was a couple, ran away. The nobledies looked shocked.


    ¡°W, what just happened?¡±


    One of the threedies eximed, ¡°D, did you... see her...?That woman....¡±


    ¡°... So it wasn¡¯t just me?¡±


    As two of the women hesitated, the third woman said loudly, ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see her face clearly because they left so fast, but... that woman... She had ck hair, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They became silent, but they looked at each other knowingly. All three of them knew the approximate height and body type of the emperor and the empress.


    The woman who walked in had obvious ck hair and was about the empress¡¯ height. The problem was the man who was with her. They didn¡¯t get to see his face, but he clearly was much shorter than the emperor and had brown hair.


    ***


    On the third night of the celebration.


    A strange and disturbing rumor started to spread among the guests. It was about the Cransian empress having an affair with a brown-haired man.


    ¡°Oh my... Everyone thought the emperor and the empress had such a wonderful marriage.¡±


    ¡°You never know with people.¡±


    ¡°So her highness really is having an affair with another man? I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°My friend was one of the witnesses and she told me that the woman had ck hair. In our entire kingdom, her highness is the only one with ck hair, right?¡±


    The rumor spread very fast.


    ***


    Duchess Lonensia gasped in shock as she used her son.


    ¡°Rob! Was this you?!¡±


    Roberto smiled awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about, mother.¡±


    Norma was normally very lenient on her son, but today, she continued sharply, ¡°The rumor has spread everywhere. It¡¯s about a ck-haired woman having an extra-marital affair with a man.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a surprise. What a rumor!¡±


    ¡°Rob!¡±


    There was a reason why Norma was acting nervously. It was because she remembered what he said a few months ago.


    When Duchess Lonensia failed in making Yulia the first wife, Roberto told his mother.


    ¡°If the emperor and the empress drifted apart, won¡¯t your n have a better chance, mother? For example... If the empressmitted adultery...¡±


    Norma became angry at him. ¡°Don¡¯t even say such nonsense! If you knew how the emperor and the empress felt about each other, you would never dare say something like that. The empress would never betray his highness.¡±


    ¡°What matters isn¡¯t whether she really has an affair. It is all about the emperor bing suspicious of it. Do you get it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I have done this sessfully before, mother. I managed to spread a rumor about Grand Duke Kualin¡¯s wife. He quickly became suspicious of her even though she was perfectly innocent.¡±


    When the Grand Duchess was vulnerable, Roberto managed to get her heart.


    ¡°Once the jealous suspicion begins, it is so very easy, mother. A woman scorned by her own husband is the easiest prey.¡±


    Norma became pale. ¡°You... you can¡¯t...!¡±


    She quickly tried to stop him. ¡°Even if you were sessful once, don¡¯t even think about trying the same thing here. It¡¯s too dangerous! Besides, I... have no intention ofmitting treason against the royal family.¡±


    Her son smiled. ¡°Sure, mother. Don¡¯t worry... I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    However, Norma still couldn¡¯t stop worrying. She didn¡¯t trust her son.


    ¡°Roberto des Lonensia! Can you swear to me that this isn¡¯t your doing?!¡±

 Chapter 166

    <h4>Chapter 166: <Short stories 6.1: Trap></h4>


    Roberto smiled mysteriously. ¡°Does it matter if it was me or not? Either way, you will benefit from this, mother.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The important thing is that the rumor has started, and the emperor will soon hear of it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was right. There was no way the emperor wouldn¡¯t hear about it, especially when it concerned him and his wife.


    ¡°Even if the emperor is the kindest and the most patient man in the world, he wouldn¡¯t be able to think objectively if he hears about a rumor concerning his wife having an affair. They will drift apart, and this will be your chance, mother. You can make this work.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Again, Roberto was right. This was the best chance Norma would ever get for her n to work, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy about it.


    Roberto whispered firmly, ¡°How it happened or who caused it doesn¡¯t matter, mother. This is your only chance and you better take it.¡±


    His whisper sounded like that of the devil.


    ***


    It was time for the empress to get dressed.


    The maids and a few nobledies were gathered together discussing which outfit and jewelry would suit the empress the best. They smiled politely and pretended not to be aware of the ongoing rumor. It was best to act ignorant.


    Just then, the door to the dressing room burst open.


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    Everyone gasped in shock but quieted when they saw who it was.


    It was Emperor Lucretius. It wasmon for the emperor to visit this room when the empress was getting ready, so everyone was used to this.


    ¡°...?¡±


    However, something wasn¡¯t right. The maids and thedies realized something was different. The emperor usually looked at his empress with love and sweetness in his eyes, but today, he looked tense. As he walked towards his wife, everyone bowed deeply.


    The empress saw him as well and smiled. ¡°Oh, hello, your highness.¡±


    She seemed ignorant of what was going on.


    Emperor Lucretius quietly walked towards Sa Bina. She seemed confused.


    ¡°Is something the matter, your highness?¡±


    Lucretius, who looked angry, replied, ¡°... How long were you going to lie to me?¡±


    His voice had never been this cold towards his wife. The empress¡¯ face turned pale.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The emperor sounded frustrated as he yelled, ¡°Ha! I can¡¯t believe how unashamed you are!¡±


    The empress raised her voice as well. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about. Just tell me!¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows now. The rumor! Are you denying it?¡±


    ¡°What rumor?¡±


    ¡°That you were meeting with another manst night early in the morning!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    The empress¡¯s face became even paler.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about...!¡±


    The emperor couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He shouted, ¡°My internal affair chief came to me this morning with this disturbing rumor. Apparently, a few of thedies saw a woman and a man together.¡±


    The empress replied in frustration, ¡°And are you telling me that that woman was me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous. Did these people really im that they saw me? Who are thesedies? Bring them to me immediately! I will not forgive them for lying!¡±


    The emperor flicked his finger. The door opened immediately, and the servants brought the three pale noblewomen into the room.


    Thedies looked awkward as they bowed deeply to the emperor and the empress. Without a proper greeting, the empress yelled sharply, ¡°Are youdies the witnesses who im to have saw me with another man?¡±


    The women kneeled.


    ¡°N, no, your highness! We didn¡¯t see the faces of the woman or the man!¡±


    The empress turned to the emperor and red at him. ¡°So the witnesses¡¯ ounts don¡¯t suggest it was me, yet why is it that your highness uses me of such a vile crime?¡±


    The emperor quietly ordered the women, ¡°Tell me again the details of what you saw that night. About the woman you saw.¡±


    When a fearful silence continued, the emperor shouted his order again.


    The women flinched and replied, ¡°... T, that woman had... ck... hair.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    The emperor turned to the empress again.


    ¡°Who else has ck hair in this world other than you and Beatrice? No one. They couldn¡¯t have confused a three-year-old child for a woman, which means it had to be you.¡±


    Empress Sa Binaughed bitterly. ¡°So your highness already decided that I am guilty of this, which means there is no point for me to say anything anymore. Even if I exin myself to you, you will think I¡¯m lying. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± She continued sharply, ¡°ck hair? It was the night, which means dark brown can look ck in dim light. Besides, my old stepfather, Duke Aeal, had ck hair, which means there could be others with the same colored hair as well. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    All the empress¡¯ maids gathered around the emperor and kneeled to beg.


    ¡°Your highness, her highness is innocent!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Her highness went to bed earlyst night!¡±


    However, the emperor couldn¡¯t be convinced.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spend the night with my wifest night, and as her maids, I know you are loyal to your empress; therefore, will lie for her without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This didn¡¯t make sense. The emperor and the empress were in love, so why were they acting this way all of a sudden?


    Just then, the emperor said to the empress, ¡°Didn¡¯t something simr to this happens in my father¡¯s generation?¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    People gasped in shock.


    Lucretius was referring to the tragedy of his birthmother Empress Beatrice. It was such a traumatic event for him. Perhaps it changed him forever.


    The empress stared at her husband silently. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, tears rolled down from her eyes quietly.


    The emperor seemed determined to believe what he believed. He acted very differently than usual. Instead of looking at his wife with love and trust, he looked at her as if she was aplete stranger.


    After a short silence, the empress announced quietly, ¡°If your highness can¡¯t trust me, then how could I stay in this castle with the shame you bestowed upon me?¡±


    The maids and the nobledies gasped in shock. Even the emperor seemed surprised.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am unable to go back to my homnd, as you are aware, but I also can¡¯t stay here with a man who cannot trust me.¡±


    The emperor shouted in anger, ¡°Empress, shouldn¡¯t you be begging for my forgiveness first? If you apologize, then perhaps I...¡±


    The empress shook her head. ¡°I have done nothing wrong, so there is no reason why I should beg your forgiveness, your highness. In fact, it is you who should be apologizing to me, but you keep insisting you know everything. I have nothing more to say to you.¡±


    The empress¡¯ voice was firm and unwavering, but her eyes filled with tears again.


    Without hesitation, she announced coldly, ¡°Since your highness cannot trust me, I will leave to stay at Maram with the princess.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Things were happening unexpectedly and too fast.

 Chapter 167 - Short stories 6.2

    <h4>Chapter 167: <Short stories 6.2></h4>


    When Norma heard what had happened at the castle, she gaped with a shudder.


    ¡°The empress... She really left the castle?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her maids tried to stop her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. She took a few guards with her and left to Maram with the princess.¡±


    Norma pressed her temples with her fingers with a frown.


    ¡°And the emperor didn¡¯t stop her?¡±


    ¡°No. Everyone who saw this happen said that his highness acted rather rashly... And the empress acted too aggressively as well...¡±


    They were in the middle of the harvest celebration week, and for the hostess to leave like this was unbelievable.


    Norma thought the empress was acting unreasonably. To some extent, Duchess Lonensia always had faith in the empress, but for her to act this irrationally was a disappointment. She left just because her husband wouldn¡¯t believe her? How could an empress act so immaturely?


    Suddenly, Norma became suspicious. Was the empress always this juvenile? Norma didn¡¯t think so, and she prided in herself for having a good judgment of characters.


    Norma ordered her maid, ¡°Get someone to follow her highness¡¯ carriage and find out if the empress really is going to Maram and staying there.¡±


    She also added, ¡°... And I heard she left all the maids in the castle, right? Bring me Yulia.¡±


    ***


    Yulia, who was ashen-faced, arrived. She was obviously upset.


    Norma asked worriedly, ¡°I can see that you are distressed.¡±


    Yulia raised her voice at her aunt, ¡°Just what... did you do?!¡±


    Norma frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, Roberto came to visit me.¡±


    Norma looked surprised. ¡°Rob did? I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°He used my sister and my nieces and nephews against me to get information on the emperor¡¯s and the empress¡¯ costumes for the masquerade. He wanted to know exactly what they were wearing.¡±


    The masquerade wasst night.


    The night when a ck-haired woman supposedly had an affair with an unknown man.


    Norma knew then. She suspected it, and this confirmed it.


    Her mouth felt dry, but she didn¡¯t show her anxiety.


    She asked Yulia, ¡°So did you tell him?¡±


    Yulia shook her head. ¡°No, I would never disclose private royal information to an outsider.¡±


    Then how did Roberto find out the information?


    Norma sighed deeply. ¡°I see. Of course, you wouldn¡¯t do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Aunty! Have you not given up on your n yet?¡±


    It was true that Norma didn¡¯t, but she also didn¡¯t n on creating such an uproar in the royal family. It wasn¡¯t her intention, but she knew that no one would believe her at this point.


    And... she had to protect him.


    Her beloved son was in danger. She hadn¡¯t realized how twisted Roberto was, but one thing was for sure now. She couldn¡¯t back down now.


    At first, Norma created her n, so she could be the most powerful woman in the kingdom. For this, she needed an insider in the royal family.


    Now, everything had changed. She was more desperate, and things had gotten much more dangerous. Her own son was in the middle of it all. He had gotten deeper into it than her.


    If things didn¡¯t work out, Roberto would be in trouble. To protect him, she had to act strong and push on.


    Norma stood up and walked towards her. ¡°Yulia, won¡¯t you reconsider my offer? It¡¯s a good thing for you too. You will be the second most important woman in the kingdom. If you bear his highness¡¯ son, he will be the heir to the throne. Can you think of a greater honor than that?¡±


    Yulia shook her head with a rigid frown. ¡°I don¡¯t want that. And... there is no way his highness would ever ept another woman other than her highness.¡±


    ¡°Can you still say that after what happened today? The empress left the castle and the emperor didn¡¯t stop her. We still have many days of celebration left, yet his highness¡¯ side is empty now. It is especially problematic as the diplomatic deals are to be made on thest day of the celebration, and the emperor needs his empress by his side.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yulia became speechless and Norma tried to persuade her again.


    ¡°So why don¡¯t you be the bridge between his highness and her highness? This would be one of the responsibilities of the first wife.¡±


    Yulia was firm on her decision. ¡°I don¡¯t want that. Besides... I truly believe they will make up all on their own.¡±


    Norma sighed again. ¡°Gosh, how is it that none of my children do as I ask? They all get in trouble and I am the one who ends up having to clean up after everyone.¡±


    Yulia red at her aunt.


    ¡°I came here to tell you to back off, so you better tell Roberto and stop him.¡± Yulia bowed. ¡°Then I will get going.¡±


    However, Norma¡¯s answer was very unexpected.


    ¡°Who said you can leave?¡±


    ¡°... Pardon?¡±


    Yulia seemed confused as Norma red at her.


    ¡°Yuli, I am doing this for your own good.¡±


    Yuli. This was a pet name Yulia¡¯s mother and Norma used to call her as a child. Yulia flinched when Norma¡¯s maids walked into the room.


    Norma ordered, ¡°Take her. She cannot leave this ce to return to the castle.¡±


    Yulia screamed, ¡°Aunty!¡±


    ***


    Norma walked fast. Thankfully, the emperor epted her request to meet privately.


    Lucretius looked very upset.


    Norma bowed deeply. ¡°I am sorry for the recent event. I can¡¯t imagine how worried you must be.¡±


    Lucretius smiled bitterly. ¡°Well, there is nothing that can be done. It all happened because of me. Anyway, why have youe to see me?¡±


    This was the very first time Norma asked to see the emperor privately. She had no political rank, and as a nobledy, she usually dealt with the empress, not the emperor.


    A Duchess meeting with the emperor didn¡¯t make sense.


    Until now.


    Lucretius looked at her with obvious suspicion. Norma gave him a motherly smile in an attempt to look trustworthy.


    ¡°I came here to offer a piece of advice to your highness. Ites from my loyal heart, just as my father-inw did.¡±


    Cornelius was one of the very few people Emperor Lucretius respected. The emperor came in person to see the previous chancellor when he fell sick.


    Norma used her dead father-inw¡¯s name hoping that the emperor would listen to her with an open heart. She really was loyal to him and had his best interest.


    ¡°Her highness the empress has moved to a separate wing and left the castle.¡±


    Lucretius frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Even with the mention of Cornelius¡¯ name, you still don¡¯t have the right to get involved in this matter.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s voice was ice cold, making Norma sweat.


    However, she wasn¡¯t about to give up.


    She didn¡¯t mean things to happen this way, but her son¡¯s unexpected move made things go strangely. If she failed to convince the emperor, her son may end up in huge trouble.


    She had to make the emperor believe her.


    ¡°But your highness... You need an official female figure by your side on yourst day when you publicly meet with the foreign diplomats.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone. I can take care of it by myself.¡±


    Norma knew better. The emperor imed he would be fine, but it would look very odd, even disrespectful to the diplomats, if he didn¡¯t have his empress by his side.


    ¡°If you appear by yourself, it would look poorly on you as well as our kingdom. As a married man, your side cannot be empty at such a public event.¡±


    Lucretius replied with a clear irritation, ¡°I can have one of my unmarried stepsisters beside me if necessary. Princess Roselia can do it, and if she is considered too young, I can have another older princess stand in.¡±


    Norma was not about to back down.


    ¡°Your highness, if her highness the empress is unable to do her duties, it is the responsibility of the first wife to step in.¡±

 Chapter 168 - Short stories 6.3

    <h4>Chapter 168: <Short stories 6.3></h4>


    ¡°... You are aware that I do not have a first wife, right?¡± Lucretius became even angrier as he continued, ¡°Did youe here thinking you can get your niece to be my first wife? Using the dead chancellor¡¯s name?¡±


    Norma swallowed hard. There was no going back now. She had to push on.


    ¡°Yes, that is why I came here today.¡±


    Lucretius pped the table in anger. ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Norma raised her voice as well. ¡°Your highness! You will be meeting with the most important foreign figures, and if there is no one by your side, this will be a clear message for every nation to send their princesses for you to marry. Many kingdoms will be unhappy at your change in not epting foreign women to be your wives and concubines.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    One of the reasons for not epting foreign princesses and nobledies for marriages was to save money, but the biggest reason for Lucretius to want this was to eliminate other kingdom¡¯s attempt at interfering with royal session.


    They already had an unfortunate incident with Genoa recently, and Lucretius wanted to prevent simr happenings in the future.


    Many other nations, however, did not like his n. Sending their women could be a painful event and those women basically became a hostage. However, if thesedies bear the emperor¡¯s child, it became possible for their respective homnds to gain power as the child could be the next ruler of Cransia.


    When Lucretius officially announced his intention to eliminate this tradition, there were some protests from different nations.


    Lucretius smiled sharply. If Bina saw it, she would have be nervous because this smile only appeared when Lucretius was truly angry.


    Norma continued, ¡°So your highness, to prevent the other nations from getting the wrong idea, you have to appear with a wife by your side.¡±


    ¡°... So I need to take in a Cransian woman as my first wife?¡±


    Norma nodded. ¡°Yes, and... once the empress learns of this, she will calm down and return home.¡±


    ¡°If I get another wife, it will help convince my empress to return to me?¡±


    Norma¡¯s mouth felt dry. The air felt sharp and painful against her skin. The tension in the room was palpable.


    Norma decided that she needed to bring out her best argument.


    ¡°Your highness, do you still not know why her highness, who is a thoughtfuldy, left like this?¡±


    Lucretius frowned again in annoyance. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about, Duchess?¡±


    Norma knew this was a dangerous territory.


    She had to tread carefully. ¡°Yes, I do know. Recently, I met with her highness in private and discussed this matter.¡±


    ¡°I do know that you had a meeting with her, but I didn¡¯t realize you talk about this. What exactly did you talk about?¡±


    Norma smiled bitterly. She knew it. The empress didn¡¯t even tell his highness about the necessity of getting more wives. It made sense as a woman¡¯s jealousy was a powerful emotion.


    This was good. It would make this conversation much easier.


    Norma felt relieved as she continued, ¡°I suggested to her highness that your highness needs to get a first wife to stabilize the kingdom and get more children.¡±


    The emperor finally lost it. ¡°A mere duchess making such a suggestion to the empress! How dare you!¡±


    ¡°I did it because my loyalty wouldn¡¯t let me be silent.¡± Norma continued strong. ¡°And at the time, her highness refused my advice.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Norma pretended to be emotional as she added, ¡°But now I understand her highness¡¯ true intention, and I am forever grateful and impressed at her great wisdom and sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The reason why her highness left so suddenly was most likely because of my advice. Her highness is giving you a chance to marry your first wife and have her stand by your side during this celebration. This is what the empress wants for you!¡±


    ***


    Norma left the emperor¡¯s office. Her legs trembled and her head felt foggy.


    At least, she said everything she nned to say. After she was done, all the emperor did was just stare at her silently.


    ¡®At least... He didn¡¯t immediately get angry and reject my idea.¡¯


    This couldn¡¯t have gone better. The emperor listened to her, and that was all she could hope for.


    Even if the empress came back and imed this wasn¡¯t her intention, it would be toote. Norma would just insist that no good empress would ever leave like this in the middle of an important national celebration. Norma would im that she guessed the empress¡¯ intention because she believed in her highness¡¯ wisdom.


    If the emperor danced the first dance with Yulia on thest day of celebration, everyone would assume he meant to have her as his first wife. There would be diplomats from every major kingdom, and they would believe this as well.


    This was really happening. Norma would make sure that this happens.


    Norma walked fast with a hopeful heart. She had to return home and start preparing Yulia.


    The next day, she received a message from his highness¡¯s assistant.


    Her n was a sess.


    ***


    Amarince looked outside the window. She felt cold. It wasn¡¯t winter, but her body shook and she knew why.


    She closed the curtain as if to run away from the blue sky and the sun.


    Darkness covered the room and Amarince stumbled to her bed. She pulled a suitcase from underneath and opened it.


    She exhaled as she looked at the content. It was an expensive and luxurious dress. It was something she could never afford. On stage, she often wore extravagant dresses, but they only looked expensive. They were always made of poor and low-quality material.


    However, this dress was different.


    Amarince patted the dress with her trembling hand. It was the highest-quality silk only worn by high-ranking noblewomen. A mere singer like her could never dream to wear such a dress.


    However, yesterday, she did.


    Amarince picked up the mask that was sitting next to the dress.


    ck decorated with real onyx and ck pearls...


    Beside it was a wig.


    Long ck hair.


    Amarince whimpered in fear.


    ¡°W, what have... I done... What should I do...?¡±


    These were given to her by that man. Jusepe, or Christian... No, Roberto!


    She didn¡¯t know how, but he managed to somehow get an outfit that looked very simr to that of Empress Sa Bina. With the mask and the ck wig, Amarince looked very much like her highnessst night.


    When she put on the outfit, Amarince knew immediately who she was supposed to be imitating. As Roberto dragged her, she cried out to him.


    ¡°W, what are you trying to do?¡±


    Roberto smiled kindly and replied, ¡°I am setting up a snare. A very simple one.¡±


    Amarince suddenly realized that she was to be the bait.


    Therefore, she followed Roberto¡¯s instructionst night. She walked into a room full of nobledies and pretended to be surprised. She then ran away.


    Amarince could easily guess what it would look like.


    The rumor about the empress having an affair with another man would spread fast. Tears rolled down her eyes.


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    When they were done, Amarince insisted she wanted to keep the outfit. Roberto looked suspicious as if he didn¡¯t trust her.


    At first, Roberto told her he was doing this to let some important people know his true identity as theposer. He, of course, didn¡¯t let her know these important people were the emperor and the empress. He also didn¡¯t tell her about how he would start a vicious rumor against the empress.


    ¡®If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have helped him!¡¯


    However, Amarince suspected that if she refused, he might have killed her. She remembered the feeling of his hands squeezing her neck.


    Amarince also remembered their conversation after the incident.


    ¡°What... are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°I will approach her now.¡±


    ¡°Approach who?¡±


    ¡°The woman who will soon be devastated because her husband will scorn her unfairly. The rumor will start, and he won¡¯t be able to stop himself from getting angry at her.¡±


    Amarince couldn¡¯t believe how evil this man was.


    ¡®How could he...!?¡¯

 Chapter 169

    <h4>Chapter 169: <Short stories 7.1: Snare and bait></h4>


    Roberto said to Amarince with his sweetest voice, ¡°You get it, right? You are my aplice. If this gets discovered, you will be punished alongside me, so you better keep your mouth shut.¡±


    Amarince couldn¡¯t deny the logic. All she could do at the time was to return home in the intricate outfit.


    Roberto became suspicious.


    ¡°You want to keep the costume?¡±


    Amarince replied calmly, ¡°If you take this... Then how can I trust you not to use this against me? I can¡¯t trust you, so please let me at least be the one who destroys it. I will burn everything right away. I don¡¯t want to be executed for treason. My alibi will be that I returned home immediately after my performance. I didn¡¯t see or hear anything.¡±


    Roberto smiled in satisfaction. He kissed her forehead and dropped her off at her home.


    ¡°What should... What should I do... What can I do to make this right...?¡±


    Amarince remembered the first time she saw the empress.


    The first time Amarince performed at the castle, the empress looked like a little girl because she was so excited. Empress Sa Bina looked at her like she was her hero. The empress apuded for her.


    However, she didn¡¯t deserve it. Amarince was useless and weak, and she was the culprit who was causing the empress so much grief.


    Those pure and kind ck eyes.


    How could she call herself an operetta prima donna if she treated her biggest fan in this horrible way?


    ¡°...¡±


    She started to calm down after long contemtion. Her body finally stopped trembling as the sun started to set.


    Amarince took the ck wig and stood up. Her eyes looked determined.


    ***


    Roberto was satisfied with how everything was going. On thest day of the celebration, his cousin Yulia will be dancing the first dance with the emperor.


    If an unmarried woman appeared by the emperor¡¯s side at an official event, the emperor had no choice but to marry her. Yulia would be, at the very least, his concubine.


    ¡°As you hoped, you will finally get your own puppet in the royal family, mother.¡±


    Yulia was still resisting the idea, but once she was ced in the ballroom, she would have no choice but to do whatever was asked of her. His mother had already told her that this was what the emperor and the empress wanted.


    Yulia had to do it if the emperor asked, unless she wanted to ruin the whole event.


    Now, the only problem left for Norma and Roberto was one person.


    ¡°Empress Sa Bina.¡±


    Duchess Lonensia¡¯s spies had given her the news about the empress. Apparently, her carriage arrived at Maram. The spies saw a ck-haired woman and a ck-haired child walk into the Maram castle.


    Roberto sighed in relief. If the empress came back before thest day, this entire n would be ruined.


    Not even he predicted that the empress would leave the castle like this. He hadn¡¯t realized this would work so well.


    He thought the empress would feel hurt from the emperor¡¯s misunderstanding, but nothing more. From what Roberto saw, he expected Empress Sa Bina to be the type of woman who became angry and tried to fight for her innocence rather than be upset and run away.


    He guessed that it didn¡¯t really matter. Perhaps he misjudged her. It was actually better that she felt hurt. It would benefit him with his n.


    He poured himself a ss of wine to celebrate. The white wine smelled sweet.


    ¡°Hmm. Not bad.¡±


    Roberto loved women who had emotional scars. Those women in pain were desperate. They were like fragile flowers with the deepest fragrance. He loved the feeling of them in his hand as he crushed them slowly.


    This time, he was aiming for the most precious flower in the kingdom.


    He remembered Empress Sa Bina. Her rare ck hair looked like a piece of the night sky. Her smart ck eyes reminded him of ripe grapes. Her unique skin looked smooth and soft.


    He had only seen her a few times, but he found her very interesting. He had never seen a woman who was so lively and confident. He felt attracted to her.


    Most women he met were obedient and dutiful. They grew up to be a good daughter, a submissive wife, and a selfless mother. Their lives were centered around their fathers, husbands, then their children. When these figures were taken away from them, they felt deep sadness and looked for another person they could depend on.


    Roberto was curious because Empress Sa Bina seemed different. Even if she lost her husband and her child, she seemed like she would survive the loss and continue to live her own life.


    He had never met such an independent woman, and he wondered how she would react when she lost her loved ones.


    Soon, he would find out.


    After Emperor Lucretius dances the first dance with Yulia and take her as his wife, it would be toote for the empress to do anything. How would she react when she finds out another woman took her husband in her absence? How would she feel?


    He felt so curious that he wanted to run to Maram and ask her. When she returned to the castle, he would do whatever it took to meet her in person.


    He knew what he would do. He had sessfully seduced many women who were in emotional distress. When he failed to seduce them, he managed to take them by force. The nobledies couldn¡¯t afford to be tainted by scandals, so they always didn¡¯t do anything about it no matter what he did to them.


    Only those women who didn¡¯t have anything to lose made a big deal. Whenever he seduced low-born women, they would be angry the next day at his casual attitude. Thankfully, his mother took care of them. He was the son of Duke Lonensia after all.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of face her highness has when she is in bed.¡±


    He smirked and emptied his ss. He imagined she would look lovely with her long ck hair spread on the bed.


    ***


    The castle was filled with ufortable tension.


    The empress who suddenly left and the emperor who didn¡¯t follow after her.


    The celebration continued ording to n, but everyone could feel the emperor¡¯s anger. They stayed low to avoid his wrath.


    People realized what kind of influence the empress had been having on the emperor and the castle. Those who have known Lucretius since he was young knew how cruel and cold he could be.


    After Bina became his wife, Lucretius, the ice cold emperor, started to melt. By the time the princess was born, the emperor was still cold but with a very warm side to him.


    Now, with the empress gone, the winter was back.


    Finally, today was thest day of the celebration.


    Many things would be decided tonight.

 Chapter 170

    <h4>Chapter 170: <Short stories 7.2></h4>


    Yulia, who looked deathly pale, was forced into the carriage. She was dolled up by the Lonensian maids for hours. She looked perfect in her luxurious green dress. It was made of expensive silk that even the Duchess wouldn¡¯t normally wear. Yulia looked like a member of the royal family in such an extravagant dress.


    ¡®It¡¯s fitting since starting today, Yulia will be a royalty.¡¯


    Norma didn¡¯t like how pale her niece looked. Yulia hadn¡¯t been eating much for the past few days and she had lost weight. Norma thought Yulia looked more fragile and beautiful this way, but she was also starting to look like a patient on a death bed.


    ¡®I will have to get the maids put some blush on that girl¡¯s face when she arrives at the castle.¡¯


    Norma got onto the same carriage to make sure Yulia didn¡¯t try anything stupid. She said to Yulia, ¡°You look so pale that you look like you will faint. Manydies skip a meal before an important event, but not like you, who skipped eating for the past four days.¡±


    Yulia replied sharply. ¡°It¡¯s not toote, Aunty. You can stop this n right now.¡±


    Her voice was calm and serious. She has been saying the same thing to her aunt for the past few days.


    ¡°Please stop.¡±


    ¡°Please give up your unreasonable greed.¡±


    However, Norma wouldn¡¯t hear of it.


    ¡°Things are already in motion and even you can¡¯t stop this now. By the time the empress returns, it will be all over.¡±


    By that time, Yulia would be the first wife. Once the dance happened, the marriage had to take ce soon after. Even the emperor or the empress couldn¡¯t disrespect and shame the daughter of Lonensian family.


    Norma continued, ¡°... Stop looking at me like that, Yuli. I am doing this for you. As the first wife of the emperor, you will be the second most important woman in the kingdom. I am doing everything so I can give you the greatest honor. As a woman, you need to marry someone anyway, so why not marry the man who can give you power? If you bear the emperor a son, you will most likely be the most importantdy of this continent.¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t want that! That won¡¯t make me happy! You are doing this because you want this for yourself, aunt!¡±


    Norma shook her head. ¡°You are still so young. I can¡¯t believe how immature you are. In a few years, you will realize your aunty was right. You will thank meter.¡±


    ***


    The moon looked huge in the night sky. It was finally thest day of the celebration and the most important ball of the week.


    The royal family hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and so the center of attention was the Lonensian family. They were the most powerful family in Cransia, and everyone knew what was nned for tonight.


    One of the noblediesplimented Norma. ¡°Haha, hello Duchess. You look beautiful as usual.¡±


    ¡°You tter me, mydy, but the actual beauty of tonight is my niece here, Yulia. She is gorgeous just like my sister.¡±


    The noblewomen quickly turned to Yulia and started topliment her. She talked about her dress and her beauty. Yulia stood rigid while Norma looked satisfied.


    The rumor about Yulia being the emperor¡¯s first dance partner had spread everywhere. It was Norma who started it. With the first dance, Yulia would be the first wife.


    Norma waited for the emperor with a wildly beating heart. For some reason, the emperor waste.


    ¡°Where is Emperor Lucretius?¡±


    ¡°Did the royal assistant announce that he will bete for tonight¡¯s ball?¡±


    ¡°Was there some sort of an ident?¡±


    Just then, the trumpet sounded loudly, announcing the entrance of a royalty.


    As soon as it ended, the servant announced from outside the main entrance.


    ¡°His highness the emperor has arrived!¡±


    Everyone stared at the door as it opened. Lucretius¡¯ golden hair shined against the chandelier light. He slowly walked past the guests who bowed deeply.


    The emperor.


    The ruler of this kingdom.


    After he walked by, people looked at each other knowingly.


    ¡®So he really came alone by himself.¡¯


    ¡®Do you think he will really dance the first dance with the Lonensian girl?¡¯


    ¡®We better get on her good side then.¡¯


    Duchess Lonensia was, of course, the happiest person in the room. Roberto, who was standing behind his mother, smiled in satisfaction as well. As expected, the emperor arrived alone and didn¡¯t even bring any of his stepsisters with him as a temporary measure.


    This meant he had no choice but to pick someone as his partner for the night from this room.


    ¡®Then it has to be Yulia.¡¯


    Norma felt confident. Lucretius had indirectly indicated that he would go along with her n. Norma¡¯s worry was that the emperor might have changed his mind and bring another woman with him to this ball, but he didn¡¯t.


    All that was left was for him to dance with Yulia.


    Norma grabbed Yulia¡¯s wrist and walked towards him. As she walked, people moved aside to create a clear path for her.


    Norma felt excited. Finally, this would happen. It hadn¡¯t been easy, but it was all worth it.


    After the dance, Norma would officially adopt Yulia as her daughter. Then, Yulia des Lonensia would be the first wife of the emperor.


    ¡®That would make me Duchess Lonensia, the mother of the first wife, and possibly the grandmother to the heir to the throne and the future king...¡¯


    The life she was meant to live!


    She was so close! She felt impatient as she pulled her niece and ced her in front of the emperor.


    ¡°Greetings to your highness the emperor from Duchess Lonensia.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    She smiled gently. When Lucretius looked at Yulia, Norma¡¯s smile widened.


    Lucretius said to Yulia as if disappointed, ¡°You don¡¯t look well.¡±


    The maids tried their best with makeup, but even the best foundation and blush couldn¡¯t make Yulia look healthy. She hadn¡¯t been sleeping or eating well for the past few days.


    Norma was annoyed. She couldn¡¯t believe how stupid Yulia had been behaving. Perhaps Yulia¡¯s older sister would¡¯ve been more obedient, except that Yulia¡¯s sister was weak. She wouldn¡¯t have survived the castle life.


    Norma¡¯s only hope was Yulia. She exined to the emperor, ¡°She must have been very nervous for tonight.¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°It makes sense. The empress also wants you to take this huge responsibility.¡±


    Norma¡¯s smile became wider while Yulia became paler.


    ¡°Y, your highness...¡±


    Yulia¡¯s voice trembled in distress, but Norma didn¡¯t care. She wanted this to happen right away.


    ¡°Your highness, the first dance...¡±


    When Norma gently insisted, the emperor interrupted her.


    ¡°Yes, Yulia. I do have something to tell you. Actually, I have a job for you.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, your highness.¡±


    Yulia lowered her face. She seemed like she had given up. Norma was having difficult time controlling her smile.


    This was it! The emperor would ask Yulia to dance...

 Chapter 171

    <h4>Chapter 171: <Short stories 7.3></h4>


    ¡°Yulia, I give you an official rank and order you to be responsible for the first princess Beatrice¡¯s education.¡±


    Norma¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    What did the emperor just say?


    She was so surprised and confused that Norma asked even though she wasn¡¯t spoken to, ¡°... Pardon?¡±


    It was incredibly rude of her to interrupt the emperor, but she wasn¡¯t thinking straight at this point.


    Lucretius frowned in displeasure. ¡°I was talking to Yulia, not you Duchess.¡±


    Norma didn¡¯t even have the sense to apologize.


    She shouted anxiously, ¡°Y, your highness! You promised to dance the first dance with...!¡±


    Just then, another sound of trumpet rang throughout the room.


    Everyone froze as this could only mean another royal member was about to enter.


    The emperor was already in the room and the princess was too young to attend this ball. This meant that there was only one person who could being in.


    ¡°Her highness the empress has arrived!¡±


    ***( B oxnovel.c om )


    All the guests turned to the door in shock.


    The door opened wide and a graceful woman walked in confidently. In a rose-red dress, her jet-ck hair was adorned with her favorite blue diamond tiara. The woman¡¯s eyes smiled seductively.


    She was Lucretius¡¯s only wife, the empress of Cransia, and the only woman who was allowed to use the name le Cransia.


    The only woman the emperor will ever love.


    Sa Bina le Cransia.


    The crowd whispered among themselves in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s really the empress?!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she move to Maram?¡±


    ¡°How is that she is here?¡±


    ¡°What about the rumor that Duchess Lonensia¡¯s niece will be the emperor¡¯s first wife?¡±


    The empress¡¯ carriage left a few days ago and no one had seen her until now. The castle was filled with many servants and maids and everyone knew what the empress looked like. If someone had spotted her, the news would have spread fast. No one had seen the ck-haireddy until now.


    The empress walked slowly and the guests moved apart with deep bows. She walked towards her husband smoothly. Lucretius took a few steps towards her as well and offered his hand. Bina¡¯s hand touched his gently.


    The empress smiled and sweetly said to her husband, ¡°Haha, I¡¯m a bitte. I¡¯m sorry I made you wait, your highness. It took me longer than expected to get ready.¡±


    The emperor looked his wife lovingly. ¡°No need to worry, my love. Waiting for my empress is my pleasure.¡±


    The loving couple acted as if their recent fight had never happened. They looked like they were more in love with each other than ever. They stared at each other as if there were no one else in the room.


    Lucretius turned to Norma as if he suddenly remembered she was there.


    He pretended ignorance as he said to her, ¡°So Duchess, you were saying something about my first dance? Were you about to say I am to dance with someone other than my own empress?¡±


    He was an excellent actor.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°If I dance the first dance with someone other than Empress Sa Bina, it would mean I n to take another woman as my wife. I have absolutely no intention of doing that, so it would mean I have to dance only with my empress. Did you really think I should dance with another woman?¡±


    Lucretius stared at Norma. He had never directly and clearly indicated to her that he would dance the first dance with Yulia, or that he would take Yulia as his first wife. They had been dancing around the subject, and it was Norma who lost the game.


    Lucretius continued dangerously, ¡°Now, tell me. Who should I dance with?¡±


    ¡°T, that is...¡±


    Norma became speechless. She couldn¡¯t breathe and everyone in the room looked at her with pity and amusement.


    When Norma¡¯s husband, Duke Lonensia, stepped forward in an attempt to intervene, the empress took this as her chance.


    ¡®I need to make sure she can never get back up!¡¯


    Bina and Lucretius were such a good team. They didn¡¯t have to talk to each other to know what needed to be done.


    Bina pulled Yulia¡¯s arm towards her.


    ¡°Oh my, you look awful, Yulia. It has only been a few days since I saw you, yet you look like you lost a lot of weight. What happened?¡±


    Yulia, who was very pale, looked at her aunt quietly. If Yulia told the empress the truth, that she was imprisoned by her aunt for her n, things would worsen.


    Yulia had been telling Norma for the past several days that she needed to stop. When Yulia looked at her with unsurprised calm eyes, Norma suddenly realized. Yulia wasn¡¯t shocked at all at the appearance of the empress.


    ¡®Did she...!¡¯


    Yulia approached Norma and whispered, ¡°I told you many times aunty. I told you to stop. I told you that you won¡¯t win.¡±


    Yulia was telling the truth because Yulia already knew everything.


    Was she acting the whole time?! Norma felt an overwhelming shock and anger at her niece. She had been betrayed by her own family. Her lips trembled.


    ¡°Y, Yulia...!¡±


    Yulia shook her head at her aunt slowly and walked towards herdy.


    Thedy she chose to serve.


    The empress.


    Yulia said to Bina, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I caused you to worry, your highness.¡±


    The empress smiled at Norma as she took Yulia¡¯s arm and walked towards Lucretius. Bina¡¯s voice sounded excited. Everyone could hear that she was very pleased with this situation.


    Bina said to Yulia, ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, Yulia. Everyone in the kingdom knows how much I trust you. This is why I want you to be responsible for our only heir Princess Beatrice. Please ept this duty; you are the only one I can trust to do a good job.¡±


    Bina¡¯s voice was sickeningly sweet, and it was intended to anger one person.


    Duchess Lonensia.


    Yulia happily epted the offer. ¡°It would be my honor.¡±


    Lucretius smiled and announced officially. ¡°I give Yulia des Maximillian the name of Dorten and the rank of baroness. From now on, you will be responsible for the princess¡¯ education.¡±


    Yulia des Maximillian, now Yulia des Dorten, bowed deeply.


    ¡°Yulia des Dorten is grateful to receive such an honor.¡±


    With this, Yulia now became the head of a brand-new noble family and was legally free from her aunt and her own greedy family.


    Lucretius added, ¡°We will arrange an official ceremony for your new rankter.¡±


    Bina finally said to her husband, ¡°Oh your highness, we need to start the ball! The guests have been waiting for too long because I waste.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will begin right now.¡± He then bowed and offered her his hand. ¡°Now, will you dance with me this first dance, my love?¡±


    ¡°Of course, your highness.¡±


    Bina took his hand. The music started immediately, and the royal couple walked towards the center of the ballroom and started to dance.


    The emperor and the empress performed three dances in a row. They didn¡¯t leave each other¡¯s side to show to everyone that they were united.


    Many guests stared at one woman, and it was Duchess Lonensia. Her hands trembled in anger as she red at those who embarrassed her.


    The emperor and the empress who were dancing together.


    Her niece Yulia who was watching them quietly. ( B oxnovel.c om )


    ¡®It was all a trap from the beginning... They have nned this to get me! Katleyanira is gone and my father-inw is dead... So they don¡¯t need the Lonensia family anymore.¡¯


    Lucretius knew that having a powerful family like Lonensian close to him was dangerous. He kept Cornelius around because the emperor knew for certain the former chancellor was loyal. He also counted on old Cornelius to pass away within a few years, and he was right.


    However, the new Duke of Lonensia Fabio, Norma¡¯s husband, would live for many decades toe. Lucretius didn¡¯t like this, and this whole event was an attempt to get rid of the Lonensian family. Norma was sure of it.


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    A warm hand gently covered her shaking hand. When she looked up, Norma found her son smiling.


    ¡°Rob.¡±

 Chapter 172

    <h4>Chapter 172: <Short stories 7.4></h4>


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so upset. Frowning like that will ruin your beautiful face, mother.¡±


    Norma¡¯s only ally.


    Her son.


    The guests were clearly avoiding the Duchess after the appearance of the empress. They treated her like she was the gue. The same people who wereplimenting her earlier to get on her good side.


    At least, this gave Norma a chance to talk to her son in private.


    ¡°Rob, we got tricked. Our name Lonensia no longer holds any power in this kingdom!¡±


    Roberto continued to smile. ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s too bad but there still is something we can enjoy.¡±


    Norma¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Something for us to enjoy? What are you talking about?¡±


    Norma couldn¡¯t understand her son at all. Their current situation was dire. It was possible that Norma might never get her social status back.


    She had worked so hard all her life. Her father-inw was never fond of her, but she did her best to honor the Lonensia name. After tonight, she wondered if she would ever recover.


    Yet here was her son talking as if nothing had happened.


    ¡®Could it be...¡¯


    Her favorite child seemed to be belittling all her hard nning. When she looked up at him, he seemed to be in his own world.


    ¡°It would have been better if your n worked, but that¡¯s how it is, I guess.¡±


    He acted like a little boy who lost a toy but was about to get another toy he was more interested in.


    Norma looked at her son nervously while Roberto continued with excitement.


    ¡°Whatever. You won¡¯t be able to get Yulia the first wife position anymore, but we still have the rumor on the empress going, right? Let¡¯s use that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He ignored his mother¡¯s shocked face.


    ¡°You have some friends in the castle, right? Let¡¯s use them to spread the rumor further...¡±


    Norma couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that we should continue publicizing the rumor? The rumor that you created falsely?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother. Why are you so surprised?¡±


    She always looked at her son with a gentle smile, but at this moment, she looked angry. Roberto was shocked to see his mother furious with him.


    ¡°Mother?!¡±


    Norma exploded. ¡°Roberto des Lonensia...!¡±


    She still had the sense to keep her voice down. This was, after all, a royal ball. She looked around to make sure no one was listening to them.


    ¡°You have finally lost your mind!¡±


    ¡°M, mother?¡±


    She made an effort to keep her voice low. The night was already bad enough, she didn¡¯t want to make it worse. Besides, if someone heard their conversation and realize it was her son who orchestrated the rumor...


    She continued, ¡°What will spreading the rumor further do? Will you then im that the empress needs to be dethroned?! Do you not know that adultery is considered treason against the emperor! Did you forget the Empress Beatrice¡¯s tragedy?¡±


    Norma remembered it very well. She wasn¡¯t present at the execution, but she remembered what happened. At the time, she was sympathetic to Empress Beatrice.


    Of course, her current anger was a separate issue. She was smart enough to separate personal feelings from political games.


    Norma continued, ¡°The emperor had to watch his own mother wrongfully executed! The emperor and the empress named their daughter after Empress Beatrice. Clearly, the emperor hasn¡¯t forgotten about what had happened to his mother, yet you are thinking of publicizing this false rumor against Empress Sa Bina even more?!¡± She couldn¡¯t help her anger. ¡°You have finally gone crazy! Are you trying to ruin the family?¡±


    ¡°Mother...!¡±


    When Roberto frowned and tried to protest, Norma grew even angrier.


    ¡°The empress¡¯ adultery isn¡¯t something you should lightly publicize even if it was true! Even from the beginning, I was against you creating this false scandal! It¡¯s too dangerous! If this goes any further, it will be either us or the empress who ends up being executed! That would be the only way it will end. If the empress proves it wasn¡¯t her that night, this game will be over, and we will be doomed. Even if she doesn¡¯t have proof, don¡¯t you think she will be able to make one? Just like you were able to orchestrate this scandal, don¡¯t you think she can easily make something up? Thankfully, the scandal hasn¡¯t been officially acknowledged yet, but if it does, then the first thing the emperor will do is to find the source of it!¡±


    Roberto tried to protest. ¡°No one will be able to find out anyway.¡±


    The noblewomen who stood as witnesses were not part of his plot, so there was no way they could know the truth and betray him. His only aplice was Amarince, and she waspletely under his control. At least, that was what Roberto believed.


    Norma argued, ¡°How would you know?! You, my own son, have acted against my order and my own niece Yulia has betrayed me to side with the empress. Do you really think you can trust a woman who is a stranger when your own family can easily betray you?¡±


    Norma had never been so disappointed in her son. Roberto had been causing countless scandals and troubles in the past, including getting involved in the lowly work ofposing, but she had never felt this angry at him.


    ¡°The emperor is very sensitive about this kind of issue because of what happened to his mother. If there continues to be this unsavory rumor against the empress without clear proof, it would mean that you are waging war directly against the emperor! If your crime is found out, do you think you will be the only one who gets punished? Your father, your brother and his wife, and I will all be doomed as well!¡±


    When Roberto tried to argue, Norma interrupted him.


    ¡°The reason why I didn¡¯t bring up the rumor to the emperor, even when it seemed that they have drifted apart, was because it would be too much of a gamble. If we won, we would gain everything, but if we lose, we will lose everything. Why would we risk everything? Especially now when it is clear that the emperor and the empress are in a good rtionship!¡±


    When Roberto didn¡¯t say anything, Norma added.


    ¡°After this ball, tell me who your aplice is. If this scandal gets investigated, she will be our weakest link. We better shut her up for good.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Norma was telling Roberto that Amarince needed to die. Roberto didn¡¯t care if she was dead. She had no use for him anymore.


    However, Roberto suddenly got a bad feeling about everything. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    It was partly his mother. She was treating him like a stupid disobedient child.


    This wouldn¡¯t do. There was no reason why he should be treated this way. Even his mother couldn¡¯t embarrass him like this. He started to be furious.


    How dare she!?

 Chapter 173

    <h4>Chapter 173: <Short stories 7.5></h4>


    The third song ended. The emperor and the empress bowed to each other gracefully. It was clear that they were still very much in love.


    They smiled at each other and walked towards Norma and Roberto.


    Empress Sa Bina smiled brightly and asked, ¡°Oh, Duchess Lonensia. I thought you would dance with your son, but I see that you haven¡¯t.¡±


    Norma controlled her facial expression and replied respectfully. The game was over and she knew she would gain nothing by fighting back.


    ¡°My knees have been bothering metely. Thank you for thinking of me, your highness.¡±


    Bina smiled again. ¡°Oh no. I will pray that you recover soon. Now that I think about it... I heard the Maram hot springs are great for arthritis. The Lonensian family owns a castle there, right?¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    Norma¡¯s fingers trembled. The empress was forgiving. It was clear that her highness wanted Norma to go spend some time in Maram to think about what she had done.


    To other noble families, Norma spending time away from the city would be proof that the royal family won the game. Norma¡¯s life of power was over.


    The Duchess remembered what Bina whispered to her.


    ¡°Duchess, I don¡¯t n on being your puppet.¡±


    Checkmate.


    Norma tried her best to control her trembling voice.


    ¡°You are right, your highness. I think it would be best for me to take a trip.¡±


    The emperor asked Roberto, ¡°Now that I think about it, Roberto hasn¡¯t danced with anyone at a royal ball, right?¡±


    When Roberto hesitantly nodded, the duchess stepped in as if to protect her son.


    ¡°This boy has no experience in big social events, so he feels awkward when he attends one.¡±


    The emperor replied as if he was genuinely worried, ¡°I see. How sad it is that such a handsome young man is still unmarried. That is why I have decided to find a good match for you.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, your highness?!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?!¡±


    The mother and the son gasped in shock. When Lucretius flicked his fingers, the door opened, and a woman walked in.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to her. This is my empress¡¯ favorite prima donna.¡±


    When everyone saw who she was, all the guests gasped. The woman who walked in had long ck hair.


    ¡°ck hair? Oh my... There was another woman other than her highness who had ck hair?¡±


    ¡°Then that rumor must have been about...¡±


    ¡°But her face... Isn¡¯t she Amarince Toul? The famous soprano singer?¡±


    ¡°But I thought Amarince didn¡¯t have ck hair?¡±


    People whispered curiously. As the ck-haired woman walked towards Lucretius, he introduced her to Norma and Roberto.


    ¡°Now, this is the prima donna who sang beautifully at the recent performance.¡±


    Amarince looked pale as she bowed to the emperor, the empress, and finally the duchess and Roberto.


    Both Roberto and Norma kept their jaws dropped. People who knew Amarince could tell that she was wearing a wig. On top of that, she was wearing a dress a mere singer could never afford. Under the bright chandelier light, it looked expensive, but still of lesser quality than the dress the empress was wearing. It was obvious that someone made this dress with lesser quality material to make it resemble another dress.


    The dress the empress was wearing at the masquerade.


    Everyone knew what it looked like because the three nobledies who were witnesses to the scandal gossiped about it excessively.


    Norma realized immediately.


    ¡®This must be that woman!¡¯


    This had to be the girl who helped Roberto by pretending to be the empress. Norma began to sweat in fear. She stared at the emperor and the empress who looked rxed and confident.


    ¡®So they knew everything?! And they also had a clear proof against me?¡¯


    Norma felt faint.


    Lucretius asked innocently as if he knew nothing, ¡°But this is very strange. I thought you didn¡¯t have ck hair. And that dress... It looks very simr to the one the empress wore for the masquerade. Up close, it is slightly different, but it¡¯s very close.¡±


    Amarince kneeled and with her trembling hand, she took off her wig.


    Her red hair spilled out as she exined, ¡°I would like to apologize to your highnesses.¡±


    Bina asked, ¡°Oh, apologize? For what?¡±


    ¡°The strange rumor about her highness is all because of my mistake.¡±


    People gasped audibly.


    Amarince continued clearly.


    ¡°... After my performance at the castle... I havee to love you, your highness, as you are the one who gave me the greatest honor. That¡¯s why when I got another chance to perform at the castle, I was excited to participate in the masquerade. So... I wanted to dress like your highness, but when I did, sir Roberto...¡±


    Everyone listened intensely when suddenly, Norma interrupted her.


    ¡°How dare a lowly singer to use my son?! What are you saying, girl! Your highness! This woman is lying...!¡±


    However, no one listened to Norma.


    The emperor announced, ¡°No, let¡¯s listen to Amarince. It is true that the recent rumor has caused an issue between my empress and myself. Thankfully, the singer sent a letter that exined everything, and the empress was able to forgive me and return to me.¡±


    When Lucretius gestured her to continue, Amarince added, ¡°Sir Roberto initially thought I... was her highness, but when he realized it was me, we became drunk with the night¡¯s excitement and... we were together when we were seen by a few people.¡±


    ¡°T, that¡¯s a lie...!¡±


    Norma couldn¡¯t hide her anger while Roberto just stared at Amarince.


    He couldn¡¯t believe this situation. He thought he knew Amarince very well. He was sure she was in love with him. She was the type of woman who would die if he asked.


    Yet here she was, betraying him. Oddly, he didn¡¯t feel angry. He only felt confused.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    How could this woman do this to him? He thought she couldn¡¯t live without him.


    Amarince continued, ¡°When I heard the trouble I have caused her highness, I couldn¡¯t just stand by. I had toe here and officially exin myself. I know I have done an unforgivable thing, so I am ready to ept any punishment you deem fit.¡±


    Roberto still couldn¡¯t believe it as he continued to stare at her. When she was done, Amarince looked up and stared directly at Roberto¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Amarince didn¡¯t look away. She looked at him without fear. She had never done this before.


    Suddenly, Roberto realized she wasn¡¯t under his spell. He had no control over her. It was, in fact, him who was being controlled and finally fooled by his own arrogance.


    The only thing left for him was to admit that these people had trampled over him with this humiliating defeat

 Chapter 174

    <h4>Chapter 174: <Short stories 7.6></h4>


    Thest day¡¯s ball was a sess, but things were still not settled. Everyone involved in this scandal gathered after the ball in the empress¡¯ reception area.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An awkward silence fell. Except for the emperor and the empress, everyone else sat and waited nervously.


    Norma red at the two women was were sitting next to the empress. One was Amarince, who was trembling in fear. Roberto and his mother both red at the singer.


    It was Bina who said the first word. ¡°It was a fun night, right, everyone?¡±


    Everyone turned towards the empress, who yed with her long hair and smiled. Normaughed finally. ¡°Ha, you are amazing, your highness. You won. I hadn¡¯t realized how prepared you would be. Yulia and that girl too.¡±


    Norma was genuinely impressed. Bina smiled kindly. ¡°Oh, not at all, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°... I see, but even the fight your highness had with his highness... and making a show of leaving the castle and going to Maram must have been all an act.¡±


    Norma never had a chance. She had been yed by Lucretius and Bina. These two young people tricked the duchess. Norma felt mortified at how they must haveughed at her behind her back.


    Bina replied nonchntly, ¡°Yes. It was very fun.¡±


    ¡°No one has seen your highness and the princess in the castle for days... That¡¯s amazing.¡± Norma red at her niece. ¡°And Yuli, you knew all along.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yulia didn¡¯t answer. She didn¡¯t even look at her aunt.


    Norma showed her anger at Yulia and Amarince, even though she was, in truth, furious at the emperor and the empress. However, of course, she couldn¡¯t show her displeasure at the royal family openly.


    Norma also couldn¡¯t help but feel betrayed. After all, Yulia was her family.


    Binamented to the duchess, ¡°Duchess, this isn¡¯t Amarince¡¯s fault, so please stop ring at her like you want to kill her.¡±


    ¡°... Your highness.¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t so greedy, his highness and I would have never gone after you like this. Once thew changed about the women being sent from other kingdoms, there would have been nothing to fight about.¡±


    Lucretius continued coldly, ¡°But then, you started to spread that ugly rumor about Bina. You started to move against us.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This wasn¡¯t an official trial, so Lucretius didn¡¯t bother to hide his fury. He was especially angry at Roberto.


    Lucretius added, ¡°I am very displeased.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°To target my Bina, and by using such a cowardly method... Even Katleyanira would be proud of the two of you for your immorality.¡±


    Norma instinctively knew the emperor was thinking about his birth mother. Roberto¡¯s crime must have reminded him of Empress Beatrice¡¯s execution. Norma could see Lucretius¡¯ anger towards Katleyanira renewing and now being directed towards her son.


    She had to save Roberto. ¡°Your highness, please don¡¯t get angry. It is all my fault for not raising my son right.¡±


    ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±


    Norma had no pride left. She kneeled in front of Lucretius. Her son might have not realized what kind of danger he was in, but she was very aware of it.


    The emperor and the empress had both a witness and proofs. Amarince gave a slightly changed version of the event at the ball, but if an investigation took ce, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to prove that Roberto was behind everything.


    Some of the guests at the ball probably already figured out what had really happened. If those who were rivals of the Lonensian family knew this, it would be the end of her family.


    ¡°Your highnesses, please... Please... Be merciful. Please let my son live, and I will do anything you ask of me. Think of Cornelius, my father-inw.¡±


    Lucretius said sarcastically, ¡°The reason I arranged this private meeting was because I still owe a debt to Cornelius. I remembered thest request he asked of me before he died.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    When Norma looked up in confusion, Lucretius exined quietly, ¡°I think Cornelius must have known something like this might happen. He asked me that if his children or grandchildren be involved in something bad, give them one more chance. That is what I am doing right now. Giving you a chance. Cornelius is the reason why I didn¡¯t immediately have your son arrested.¡±


    Norma trembled in fear.


    After looking at Lucretius silently for a few seconds, she finally replied, ¡°...What a bad mother and a daughter-inw I am. It is very kind of you to let me know, your highness.¡±


    At her sarcastic tone, Lucretius smiled.


    Norma continued in a low tired voice, ¡°I will take my son and leave the city. I promise to never return here, so, please... Please... Forgive my son.¡±


    ¡°Mother...!¡±


    Roberto finally regained his senses. He was behind his mother when he protested, but Norma stopped him immediately.


    ¡°Just keep your mouth shut!¡±


    ¡°No, mother!¡±


    Norma was about to get angry at her son when the emperor himself stood up and kicked Roberto¡¯s knee.


    Bam!


    ¡°Gya!¡±


    Roberto screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Lucretius said to him with a smile.


    ¡°Your own mother has kneeled to beg for your forgiveness, so how could you, her son, remain standing?!¡±


    ¡°Y, your highness...! Please forgive us!¡±


    Norma was desperate. She bowed even deeper, forgetting her pride.


    Lucretius murmured mockingly, ¡°You came to me so proudly only a few days ago, yet here you are, kneeling in front of me. How ironic.¡±


    Bina took Lucretius¡¯ hand.


    ¡°Your highness, it is unhealthy for you to get so angry. Please calm down.¡± She then looked down at Norma. ¡°I respect how the duchess is doing everything, even giving up her own pride, to protect her son. I am genuinely impressed by her sacrifice for her family.¡±


    Norma quickly nced at Bina to figure out if she was being truthful or being sarcastic.


    Unfortunately, Norma couldn¡¯t tell at all. She had no choice but to reply, ¡°T... thank you.¡±


    Bina was smiling, making Norma frustrated and angry.


    Bina continued, ¡°By the way...¡±


    Norma felt cold. What was the empress going to say now?


    ¡°I am disappointed that you always try to find an easy way out. How do you expect to be forgiven when you don¡¯t offer anything worthy?¡±


    ¡°W, what do you mean?¡±


    Bina smiled even wider and got closer to Norma. ¡°In my homnd, I have seen a few times when a chancellor or high-ranking officials made mistakes and then voluntarily gave up their titles. My father... would be angry when he sees this. He would say that those whomitted crime needs to pay for it rather than run away from it and try to avoid being responsible.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina smiled and continued, ¡°No matter what, you are the most powerful noblewoman in the kingdom, Duchess. Other than myself and the princess, you have the most influence, and such poweres with a big responsibility. Yet here you are, talking about running away from it all. I will pretend I didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    Norma silently stared at the young empress.


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Bina whispered kindly, ¡°So from now on, I will trust that you will help me with a loyal heart, Duchess.¡±


    There was only one answer Norma could give.

 Chapter 175

    <h4>Chapter 175: <Short stories 7.7></h4>


    It was a long yet short week. It was a very productive week for the emperor and the empress.


    For the past week, the secret passages have allowed Bina and Princess Beatrice to remain hidden. Lucretius and Bina held each other¡¯s hand lovingly as they strolled down the passage.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°By the way, are you sure this is okay? Do you really think it¡¯s safe to leave Duchess Lonensia as is?¡±


    Bina giggled. ¡°I didn¡¯t just let her off! She was such a strong arrogant woman, and I made her kneel in front of me and used her own son against her. I can guarantee you that the duchess has never been humiliated like that in her life.¡±


    Lucretius nodded. ¡°I guess. Even when she was thanking you, she looked like she would rather die.¡±


    Bina whispered sweetly, ¡°So that is why you can¡¯t kill him, Luc.¡±


    Lucretius frowned. He knew who Bina was referring to.


    She continued, ¡°I am serious. Don¡¯t kill him. That man is Duchess Lonensia¡¯s weakness. He needs to remain alive, so we can use him against her. Roberto will be our dog leash for Norma. If she loses her son, who knows what she will do?¡±


    From the beginning, Lucretius agreed it would be best to keep the duchess around, so they can use her as they wished. Bina was the empress; therefore, she had full control over the castle. However, she was only one woman and couldn¡¯t rule the entire social world of Cransia. If she got rid of the Duchess Lonensia, the head of the nobledies, things could get confusing and messy.


    Bina needed to keep Norma around. As long as she had control over the duchess, she had control over the noble families.


    This whole scandal worked out very well in the end. Roberto¡¯s stupidity and arrogance gave them Duchess Lonensia, yet Lucretius was still unhappy about one thing.


    ¡°But to keep that bastard alive? Could it be that you... fell for him...?¡±


    Bina pouted and pinched his nose. ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about something like that! How could you even think that?! Don¡¯t you remember what I said to you? I hated his gaze. It made my skin crawl.¡±


    Lucretius looked unconvinced. ¡°I guess, but...¡±


    ¡°I thought you were just acting like you didn¡¯t trust me... Or were you really thinking I had an affair?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but...¡±


    When Lucretius didn¡¯t finish his sentence, Bina narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°But what?¡±


    Lucretius hugged her tight. ¡°But the fact is that he targeted you. Do you know how hard I tried not to hurt him? Every time he looked at you, I wanted to pull his eyes out. Every time he kissed your hand, I wanted to sew his lips up. I wanted to chop his hands off just for holding your hand.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina sighed. She was so used to Lucretius now that most of the odd things Lucretius did and said looked adorable to her. She could understand him being jealous of others from time to time, but when his scary side came out like this, she felt concerned. She thought this side of him was gone after their marriage.


    Bina said to him, ¡°Stop overreacting.¡±


    ¡°Why would you think this is overreacting?¡±


    ¡°Because it is. If he seeded, then I would have wanted to kill him too, but he didn¡¯t. He failed miserably, right?¡±


    Lucretiusined like a child. ¡°You are too soft-hearted.¡±


    ¡°We can afford to have hearts now. Katleyanira is gone, and we don¡¯t have any enemies like Prince Coronel anymore. You promised you will do your best to inherit a peaceful kingdom to our child.¡±


    This was the promise Lucretius made on the night of Bina¡¯s coronation. She was pregnant at the time with Beatrice, and they were determined to create a safe world for their baby.


    Lucretius remembered the beautiful night and finally regained his calmness.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember.¡±


    Bina caressed Lucretius¡¯ cheek gently. She looked like a lion trainer teaching the beast to behave.


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled and rubbed his head against Bina¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You always treat me like I¡¯m a baby, but the funny thing is... whenever you do that, I really do feel like a young boy again.¡±


    ¡°But you like it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. The only time I can rx is when I¡¯m with you.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t met Bina, Lucretius would¡¯ve never been able to feel this. When he was with her, he felt like he could let go and rely on her. He knew Bina was strong enough.


    The only other person who tried to protect him was his mother when he was young, but Empress Beatrice was too weak. When she died, he was only ten, and he had to grow up fast to survive.


    Now, Lucretius didn¡¯t have to be the strongest of them all. As Bina said, he could rx in her presence. He could act childishly.


    ¡°I know, Bina.¡±


    Lucretius hugged her tightly. His lovely wife, his protector, his everything.


    ¡®Well... I guess I can do a lot of things to him without killing him.¡¯


    Lucretius was not a good man. He was honest enough to admit it. He knew Bina would hate it, but he would make sure she never finds out.


    ***


    The guards, sent by the royal family to protect Amarince, surrounded her house. When a man came to see her, the guards stopped him, but the man wouldn¡¯t leave. After half an hour of struggle, Amarince finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She opened the door slightly just enough so only half of her face could be seen. She was nervous, and it was no wonder. The man who came to visit her was the man who choked her. It was the man who plotted against the empress. Amarince had no doubt he would kill her in a heartbeat.


    Roberto called out her name desperately.


    ¡°Amari...¡±


    Amarince replied coldly, ¡°Go back home.¡±


    ¡°Amari! How could you do this to me?¡±


    Amarince smirked. ¡°What a stupid thing to say.¡±


    ¡°You...! How dare you!¡±


    Amarince finally could see this man for what he really was.


    ¡®How blind I have been! What a loser he is.¡¯


    He was weak and cowardly. He plotted against the empress and when it failed, he med everything on Amarince.


    Even today, he came here and banged on her door as if he wanted to get to her to hurt her.


    Roberto frowned angrily.


    He growled, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. You love me.¡±


    Amarince red at him. ¡°I did once love you, and that was the biggest mistake of my life.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When Roberto looked shocked, Amarince felt better. She was happy that she now was strong enough to be able to say this to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Even now, I may have feelings for you, but it¡¯s not big enough to put her highness in danger.¡±


    ¡°You care more about that woman you barely know than me? That¡¯s why you betrayed me? Why!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amarince still remembered that night when the apuse surrounded her on the royal stage. It was the best night of her life.


    She said to Roberto, ¡°Because she is my audience.¡±


    ¡°A... udience?¡±


    Roberto stared at Amarince in shock as she continued confidently, ¡°As a woman, it¡¯s true that I still have feelings for you. But as a singer, I cannot betray her. Her highness is the most important audience of them all.¡±


    Amarince was now the best female singer in the kingdom. If she had to choose between living as a woman or as a singer, her choice was clear. Her career was the most important thing for her; therefore, she chose Empress Sa Bina without hesitation over Roberto.


    ¡°So leave, Roberto. I¡¯m sure your mother will protect you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I will look out for your next song. I don¡¯t know what name you will use next, but I¡¯m sure it will be the best.¡±


    She meant it. As a singer, she respected Roberto as aposer.


    Roberto frowned angrily. He finally exploded.


    He moved so fast that it happened before anyone could react. Roberto stabbed the two guards. Blood spilled everywhere and it sshed onto Amarince as well.


    ¡°How dare you...!¡±


    Roberto then grabbed Amarince¡¯s neck through the opened door.

 Chapter 176

    <h4>Chapter 176: <Short stories 7.8></h4>


    Roberto des Lonensia never could stick to one thing. He had never worked on or studied anything long enough to be aplished.


    Except for music.


    Of all the things he learned at the Academy, music was the only subject he was ever interested in.


    Every nobleman learned basic music and art as children. At the academy where all the highest-ranking noblemen¡¯s sons attended, a famous musician was working as the music teacher.


    When he was teaching Roberto, the teacher often eximed, ¡°You are a genius.¡±


    He taught Roberto with passion and Roberto, who showed no interest in any other subject, took music very seriously.


    Roberto was especially talented atposing. When he released his music under the name of Jusepe, it immediately received a lot of attention. This was when he met Amarince, and they became lovers.


    He was the happiest man then. However, his contentment was quickly ruined when his mother found out about his life as aposer.


    Norma became angry that her son got involved in such amon work and made him give it up. Roberto became livid. He hated himself for loving such lowly work. He was angry at himself for being helpless against his mother.


    He felt furious that he couldn¡¯t live his own life the way he wanted.


    It was during this time when Roberto became addicted to womanizing. He could forget about his unhappy life when he was with women. He was especially satisfied when he sessfully ruined a noblewoman.


    Perhaps he was just angry at the world and needed to hurt someone to make him feel better.


    However, no matter how far he traveled from Cransia, he was still in his mother¡¯s control. Whatever trouble he caused, Norma took care of it.


    No woman he destroyed had a higher rank than his own mother. This was why Norma could always fix the situation.


    One day, Roberto wondered. If he ruined a woman more powerful than his mother, what will happen?


    Perhaps this was why he started this royal scandal. At the time, he secretly hoped it would fail. He wanted the situation to get so bad that his mother couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    But... what ruined the plot was this nobody. A mere singer.


    She said to him confidently, ¡°I can¡¯t betray my audience, but I will always look out for your music.¡±


    She wasughing at him. She was living her own life in a way she wanted, and she was mocking him.


    Then that ck-haired woman.... She was alsoughing at him as she stood next to the emperor.


    Any wife of the emperor became a royal essory. This was how it always worked. However, Empress Sa Bina was different. She was in the emperor¡¯s embrace, but she wasn¡¯t his possession.


    Both Amarince and the empress angered him. Everything was their fault.


    ***


    Amarince was afraid. The man¡¯s hands were chocking her neck and pulling her hair.


    ¡®I could really die here!¡¯


    She shouldn¡¯t have opened the door at all. She only opened it slightly, thinking it would be safe. She was wrong.


    Amarince closed her eyes regretfully.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, nothing happened. She didn¡¯t die.


    When she opened her eyes, an unexpected scene greeted her. Roberto¡¯s handsome face was turning ugly red.


    ¡°K... k...!¡±


    A hand was squeezing Roberto¡¯s neck. Another person was suffocating him from behind. Roberto¡¯s hands quickly loosened, releasing Amarince.


    The man behind Roberto threw him onto the ground like garbage. Roberto screamed in pain.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    The man was wearing arge hood as he murmured sarcastically.


    ¡°Even his scream is annoying.¡±


    Amarince shuddered as she watched the scene.


    ¡°W, who...?¡±


    The man in the hood grinned and waved at her to reassure her.


    When he took off his hood, his golden hair was revealed. When Amarince met his sharp green eyes, she realized who it was.


    A man no one could ever forget.


    Amarince quickly kneeled in front of him.


    ¡°Y, your highness!¡±


    Lucretius shushed her. ¡°Shhh, keep quiet. I don¡¯t want people to find out about me being here. No one knows about it.¡±


    Amarince continued to kneel as she nodded.


    Lucretius added, ¡°This was why I got you the guards, but this idiot is a better swordsman than I expected. Of course, he can¡¯t win against me.¡±


    Lucretius kicked Roberto again. The thud of his feet reaching his body resonated all over the ce.


    He then said casually, ¡°My empress¡¯ favorite singer can¡¯t die like this. Soon, the owner of the theater will be making a formal request for you. You will receive the title of being the very first royal singer. You better be alive to receive this honor.¡±


    Lucretius was considering giving Amarince a low but still a noble rank. Not now, but perhaps in the future. Amarince looked up in awe.


    ¡°Y, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so thankful. I am doing this for me. It will make my empress happy, and... Your singing is one of the few kinds of music I can bear to hear without falling asleep.¡±


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Amarince was ecstatic. She mimicked the bow she saw other noblewomen do at the castle.


    ¡°T... thank you.¡±


    Lucretius grinned and kicked Roberto again.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡±


    The emperor continued, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about anything. Just close the door. I have a few things I need to discuss with this man.¡±


    Amarince looked down at the man who was bleeding with his eyes swelling up.


    This man threatened her, but Amarince still felt worried for him.


    ¡°Y, your highness. He is aposer working under the name of Jusepe and Christian.¡±


    She didn¡¯t care about the man Roberto des Lonensia, but she was concerned for theposer Jusepe and Christian. She wanted this talentedposer to continue to make beautiful music.


    Lucretius said disappointedly, ¡°I know. Unfortunately, both are the empress¡¯ favoriteposers. I guess the amount of talent isn¡¯t proportional to one¡¯s personality.¡±


    Amarince nodded wholeheartedly. She agreed with the emperor that Roberto was a bastard.


    How dare he chock her neck!? She was a singer and her neck was her instrument!


    Lucretius continued, ¡°I won¡¯t kill him. The empress won¡¯t let me. I also won¡¯t prevent him fromposing, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Amarince looked visibly relieved. She bowed and locked the door quickly.


    Later, Amarince would be the first opera singer to receive a damehood. She would be the royal singer. Until she retires, she would perform hundreds of legendary shows.


    Amarince Toul.


    She was a very smart and practical woman.

 Chapter 177

    <h4>Chapter 177: <Short stories 7.9></h4>


    Lucretius dragged the man and threw him onto the water channel.


    Ssh!


    Bina was in the middle of creating a proper sewage system in the kingdom. It wasn¡¯tpleted and took longer than expected because their kingdom was veryrge. Luckily, Lucretius managed to find a finished channel nearby with clean water.


    Truthfully, Lucretius wanted to throw him onto a dirty sewage canal, but that could cause Roberto to contract a deadly disease and die. He had promised both Bina and Amarince that he wouldn¡¯t kill him, so Lucretius had to let Roberto live.


    In the cold water, Roberto finally regained his consciousness.


    ¡°...!¡±


    After iling around for a few seconds, he managed to swim to the edges. Lucretius, however, kicked him every time he almost got out. This urred a few times before Roberto was finally allowed toe out of the water.


    ¡°Hmm. You are weaker than I expected. I would kick you a few more times, but if I did, I think you might have drowned.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Roberto was panting heavily at this point.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°You better thank the empress. If she hasn¡¯t created these channels, you would have been eating shit today.¡±


    Roberto threw up some water and smirked. ¡°Ha! The empress must have asked you to not kill me. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Roberto wanted to anger Lucretius. ¡°So that¡¯s why you assaulted me. You can¡¯t kill me, so this is how you relieve your anger? Wow, what a petty emperor you are!¡±


    Lucretius grinned and kicked the man again.


    ¡°Gyaa!¡± Roberto screamed again as he spat out two of his teeth.


    ¡°My, my... I guess I broke your teeth. Too bad. Why won¡¯t you be careful with your words next time? If you call a petty man petty, don¡¯t you know he will get angry? Don¡¯t you think a petty man will act petty and hit you?¡±


    The ground became wet with Roberto¡¯s blood as he continued to cough out every time the king assaulted his body.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°You should know that a petty man like me will never let someone like you off easy, a man who targeted my wife.¡±


    Lucretius then took out his sword. The sound of the metal rang clearly, making Roberto took a step back instinctively. He could feel Lucretius¡¯ silent rage.


    ¡°...¡±


    Roberto felt a wave of gigantic aura of pure anger surging within himself for being such a coward. He was the one who orchestrated this mess because he wanted everything to be in ruins, including himself and his mother. Yet here he was, running away because he was afraid of death.


    ¡®I hate myself.¡¯


    Lucretius was about to kick Roberto¡¯s hand when Roberto instinctively rolled into a ball, and the emperor ended up kicking Roberto¡¯s back instead.


    Kick!


    Roberto felt a surge of incredible pain. He spewed out more blood before fainting. Lucretius became annoyed. He scooped up some water from the channel and sshed it onto Roberto¡¯s face.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Roberto shivered in cold and pain. It wasn¡¯t a cold day, but he was hurt and wet with freezing water. He was quickly bing hypothermic.


    Lucretius looked down at him with contempt and ced his sword onto Roberto¡¯s neck. As Roberto gasped in shock, the sharp edge cut his neck, making it bleed a few drops. Roberto shuddered in pain and fear of his life.


    The emperor¡¯s voice was cold. Much colder than the icy water in the channel.


    ¡°When you squeezed Amarince¡¯s neck, she became fearful of her voice. To a singer, I suppose her neck is the most important part of her body. When I was about to kick your hand, you protected it with your body. I guess your hand is important to you.


    ¡°...¡±


    Roberto looked down at his hands. They were bloody with cuts and bruises, but nothing was broken. Not yet.


    If Lucretius had kicked his hand, his hand could have been ruined forever.


    Instinctively, Roberto tried to protect his hand. To aposer, his hand was everything.


    Lucretius ordered quietly, ¡°You better not show your filthy face in front of me or Bina ever again. I will let you live because you will be useful for us in order to control your mother. If you be troublesome, then we will kill you. I will always have people watching you, and if you step out of line in any way, you will die by my sword.¡±


    Roberto looked up in confusion.


    ¡®Is he really going to let me live? This easily?¡¯


    In the past, many of the angry husbands came after him to kill him, but Lucretius was the only one who seeded in getting this close.


    However, the emperor was saying he would let him go. Why?


    Emperor Lucretius knew everything Roberto has done. Amarince would have told him all the details, but even knowing all of it, he would let Roberto live?


    Just then, Lucretius smiled as if he knew what Roberto was thinking. The emperor then brought his sword down onto Roberto¡¯s hand fast.


    ¡°...!¡±


    The swordnded exactly on the crevices between the middle finger and ring finger of Roberto¡¯s right hand. His skin wasn¡¯t cut, but he could feel the edge of the sword.


    Roberto shivered in horror as Lucretius exined, ¡°... To be honest, I was going to take at least one part of you, like an arm or something.¡±


    Roberto clenched his teeth to stop himself from trembling.


    ¡°P, please take only... One arm... Please let me have at least one hand...¡±


    Roberto finally started begging. If he lost both of his arms, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a pen, which meant he couldn¡¯tpose anymore.


    Lucretius smiled viciously. ¡°How weak you are. You should be able to hold a pen with your mouth if you lose both of your arms.¡±


    Roberto grabbed onto the emperor¡¯s leg and continued to beg. ¡°P, please...! Please, your highness! I will leave this kingdom, I mean this continent! I will never return!¡±


    Lucretius shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±


    Roberto was afraid. Was the emperor going to kill him? Did he change his mind?


    ¡°If I let you leave, your music will be performed in another kingdom or continent, and Bina will be sad. Roberto des Lonensia... You annoy me and I want to kill you, but... there are too many people who want Christian Boceti to live.¡± Lucretius announced, ¡°I will let you live and let you keep both of your arms.¡±


    Roberto brightened up after hearing what the king had spoken.


    However, Lucretius pointed his sword at him again and continued, ¡°But I will have to take an eye from you. I am being very generous here, as I¡¯m sure you agree.¡±


    Roberto gritted his teeth. The sword was hovering over his face now. If he tried to run, the sword may cut his face or his neck.


    Lucretius moved the sword from one eye to the other. Roberto was now drenched in sweat as well as the channel water.


    Lucretius asked calmly, ¡°Which eye do you use the most?¡±


    Roberto had no choice. ¡°R, right side.¡±


    As soon as he said the word, the sword moved quickly.


    ¡°GYAAAAA!!¡±


    Lucretius made sure not to stab his head too hard or too deep. Roberto needed to remain alive for Bina. He needed to continueposing to keep Bina happy. If Roberto died here, it would be hard for Lucretius to find a recement for such a music genius.


    Lucretius carefully and emotionlessly moved his sword.


    The night filled with Roberto des Lonensia¡¯s agonizing scream.

 Chapter 178

    <h4>Chapter 178: <Short stories 7.10></h4>


    If Roberto was left alone at his current disastrous state, Lucretius knew he would die. Therefore, he ordered one of his guards to take him home and drop him off there.


    Lucretius looked up at the sky and walked. His steps felt light. The sun was about to rise, and his lovely wife would wake up soon. He had to make sure she never knew what happened today, so he had to return to the castle and wash up quickly. He would then sneak into her bedroom like nothing happened.


    He had to hurry.


    ***


    Chirp, chirp, chirp.


    The empress¡¯ bedroom was filled with the sound of beautiful birds singing. Lucretius had made special order to the gardeners to release birds that made pretty noises. He did it because Bina once mentioned that she loved waking up to the sounds of birds singing.


    Rare and exotic birds were brought from farawaynds and their wings were clipped so they couldn¡¯t fly away. The birds remained in the empress¡¯ garden and sang every morning for her.


    Sometimes, Bina took Beatrice to the garden and fed the birds. Whenever he saw this from his personal office, Lucretius felt proud and pleased at the same time.


    He was looking down at the empress¡¯ garden right now. It was currently empty, but he smiled anyway because he remembered seeing his family there only a few days ago. The two most important people in the world for him were smiling and having good times.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to order all the colonies to include exotic birds as part of their mandatory yearly gifts.¡¯


    He knew they would be shocked to hear this, but he didn¡¯t care.


    Lucretius stood up and turned to the bed with a whitecy curtain.


    Bina¡¯s bed.


    She was still sleeping when he returned early this morning.


    He picked up the silver tray and quietly walked towards the bed. Bina opened her eyes when he was about to sit down.


    He regretted having to wake her up. She still seemed tired, but her breakfast was getting cold. His movement must have awakened her from her sleep. Bina frowned sleepily.


    Was she dreaming?


    Lucretius got close to her and whispered to her ear teasingly, ¡°Bina...¡±


    However, it wasn¡¯t Bina who got surprised.


    Suddenly, two hands grabbed both of Lucretius¡¯ ears.


    ¡°Got ya!¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    When Lucretius¡¯ eyes widened, Bina giggled.


    ¡°Did I scare you?¡±


    ¡°...of course. Why didn¡¯t you let me know if you were awake?¡±


    It was a bright sunny day, but even the shining sunlight paledpared to Bina¡¯s smile.


    She continued to tease him, ¡°Are you sure you were surprise?¡±


    ¡°I was!¡±


    ¡°Then howe you didn¡¯t even scream?!¡±


    Lucretius smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I grew up not showing my emotions.¡±


    It was true. Growing up, he was taught to remain quiet, even when he was deathly sick or severely injured.


    He was the king of this jungle that was Cransia. If he showed any weakness, all the other predators would think it¡¯s their chance at the power.


    Emotions could be the death of a person. He learned this at a young age, especially after seeing his mother¡¯s execution for her powerlessness.


    Binained, ¡°I told you to be more yourself and rx when you are with me.¡±


    Bina had, indeed, said this to him many times before. Lucretius tried to make an excuse.


    ¡°I AM being myself in front of you. Don¡¯t you know how shocked my servants and assistants get whenever they see me with you?¡±


    This was the truth. He acted very differently around Bina, especially as time passed.


    Bina had to agree, ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    She was his world. She was his everything.


    They kissed each other.


    ***


    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s all this?¡±


    Bina was surprised to see the contents of the silver bed tray Lucretius ced on herp.


    It was a simple breakfast with still-warm bread and hot ck tea.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that you made this yourself...¡±


    The chefs would never just sit around and watch the emperor cook. Lucretius actually tried to cook something for Bina, but it was aplete failure. He had to give up eventually.


    ¡°But I brewed the ck tea myself.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really?¡±


    Bina was genuinely surprised. It was shocking to find out that the emperor himself brewed the tea. He must have done it secretly or else the maids wouldn¡¯t have let him. Imagining Lucretius hiding and making a cup of tea for her made her smile.


    She picked up the cup. ¡°Thank you. I appreciate it.¡±


    Lucretius smiled naughtily. ¡°You are thanking me just with words?¡±


    ¡®But we kissed just a minute ago.¡¯


    Bina narrowed her eyes, but still gave him a peck on the cheek.


    They sat on the bed together and had a peaceful breakfast.


    Lucretius whispered quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t know who it will be, but when we inherit the throne to the next heir, let¡¯s travel together, just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Travel?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I guess travelling the entire world... would be impossible, but we should be able to see most of our continent. I was born here and grew up in this castle, so I haven¡¯t seen a lot of the world. I have studied about other kingdoms, but I still don¡¯t know what they actually look like. I always imagined what it would be like to travel.¡±


    ¡°I sometimes think the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. This is why we are good together.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s travel the world when we get a chance.¡±


    ¡°And... when we are travelling, I will make breakfast for you with my own hands every morning.¡±


    Bina nodded.


    They both hoped that their every morning was this perfect and happy.

 Chapter 179

    <h4>Chapter 179: <Short stories 8.1: Fraudulent Cransian couple></h4>


    After Empress Sa Bina officially ¡®left¡¯ the castle to Maram after the ¡®argument¡¯ with Emperor Lucretius...


    Norma, the Duchess Lonensia, remained bowing as she said to the emperor. Her face was rigid.


    ¡°Please, your highness. Please don¡¯t disappoint her highness, the empress, who left the castle in hopes that you will marry your first wife. Please don¡¯t ignore her selfless sacrifice.¡±


    Norma took another deep bow politely and left the room.


    The door finally closed behind her.


    ¡°...¡±


    The emperor stared at the door silently for a few minutes. His face remained nk until finally, his lips started to tremble as if he was trying not tough.


    Suddenly, a loud p started from behind the nearby curtain.


    p, p, p!


    Lucretius covered his lips so hisugh wouldn¡¯t be heard, and he walked towards the floor-length curtain. When he opened it, his lovely wife was sitting behind it and pping quietly.


    Everyone thought the empress left the castle with her daughter after her fight with her husband, but here she was, hiding in the emperor¡¯s personal office!


    They stared at each other for a moment.


    ¡°...¡±


    After a few seconds, Bina couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She was the first one to startughing loudly.


    ¡°Hahahahaha! Me!? She said I left the castle so you can take a wife! Hahaaaa! I sacrificed myself... for the royal family...! She said I did that!? Hahaha!¡±


    She was rolling on the floor fromughing so hard. Lucretius tried to control himself, but he finally gave in as well. He started tough hriously.


    ¡°Hahahahaha! I know! It was so ridiculous! She... She said she was only being... loyal! Hahaha...!¡±


    Lucretius wasughing so hard that he started to cough. Bina stroked his back to help him while she continued tough.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    They were both crying by the end. Bina wiped her eyes and murmured, ¡°Oh gosh... That was so hrious. I haven¡¯tughed like that in a really long time. I could feel the [endorphin] coursing through me.¡±


    Lucretius also calmed down and replied, ¡°[Endorphin]? That¡¯s a word from your homnd? What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like... a good force or substance within your body. It¡¯s something that forms when you are happy or when youugh.¡±


    ¡°I see. So we basically got an [endorphin] shower from the duchess.¡±


    Lucretius was so great at learning hernguage.


    They looked at each other proudly.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    Bina nodded. ¡°Yes! It was the best! So cool! It was really exciting!¡±


    Lucretius looked at his wife happily. The empress, whom he loved the most in the world, could be very cruel. She loved it when she managed to get back at her enemies. She seemed so lively whenever her revenge n worked.


    Lucretius loved her more for it.


    ¡°Her family started it, so we don¡¯t have to feel guilty or sorry at all. I feel great! They are the best kind of enemy to have!¡±


    It had been a long time since he saw Bina having this much fun. After the death of Katleyanira, their nemesis, they hadn¡¯t had this kind of fun(?). Bina enjoyed the operetta, but this was even better for her.


    Lucretius smiled with pleasure.


    Bina asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you having fun too?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am. Or should I say in yournguage, [totally]!¡±


    Binaughed again, while this time, Lucretius couldn¡¯t understand why Bina found it funny.


    ***


    In the beginning, Bina and Lucretius didn¡¯t n on carrying out this charade. At first, they both thought that all they had to do was to stop the duchess from moving forward with her n of cing Yulia as the first wife. Without the duchess¡¯ knowledge, they were very close to banishing the tradition regarding women being sent from different kingdoms and colonies. They knew they could slowly but surely diminish Duchess Lonensia¡¯s power.


    However, things happened unexpectedly. Even the duchess couldn¡¯t have predicted the turn of event. Her son Roberto started to cause troubles all on his own.


    Things, however, worked out better for them in the end. During the empress¡¯ supposed ¡®absence,¡¯ Lucretius and Bina managed to have private dates through the secret passages.


    They purposely had a fake fight in public to bait the duchess and Roberto. It was hard to fight even though it was not real. While they were ¡®arguing,¡¯ Bina had to try hard not to startughing. She ended up biting her tongue, which made it easier for her to cry.


    Afterward, she pretended to leave the castle. Of course, it was another woman wearing a ck wig that got into the carriage and left.


    Bina remained in her bedroom for the rest of the week. She had to remainpletely hidden. Beatrice also stayed with her, and only Samantha and Agnes knew of this secret.


    Samantha and Agnes gave all the maids a vacation and both of them took care of the empress and the princess. Agnes managed to make their meals secretly at Lonez and deliver them to the mother and the daughter.


    Thanks to this act, Bina was able to have easy rxing days.


    She missed taking walks in the gardens, but thanks to the secret passages, she managed to roam around the castle freely.


    Yulia also knew of Bina¡¯s n. She volunteered to spy on her aunt, and she asked for one thing.


    ¡°Your highness, I know I don¡¯t have the right to ask for anything, but I would still like to ask something of you. Please... Let my aunt and the Lonensian name live. I know she has acted greedily, but my aunt still took care of myself and my older sister. Please, I beg you.¡±


    Bina agreed. From the beginning, Bina had no intention of destroying the duchess or the Lonensian family.


    As they expected, the desperate duchess imprisoned Yulia against her will.


    Lucretius was annoyed. ¡°So Yulia is refusing to eat? It must be very tough for her.¡±


    Bina sighed deeply. ¡°She wants to make sure the duchess won¡¯t suspect anything. I told her she doesn¡¯t have to go that far, but Yulia insisted.¡±


    ¡°I guess this situation puts Yulia in a very awkward position. She is working very hard for us, so we will make sure she gets rewarded.¡±


    Bina nodded. Lucretius then changed the subject.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard something funny from my assistant. I heard that this news came from that theater owner.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The masquerade¡¯s prima donna wants to meet us. She has requested an audience.¡±


    Bina looked very interested. ¡°That...¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think she might be able to tell us something very interesting. Amarince Toul knew Roberto personally, so she probably knows something.¡±


    Bina murmured, ¡°I hope it¡¯s good news. I am already disappointed by my favoriteposer; I don¡¯t want my favorite singer to disappoint me too.¡±


    Lucretius did his best to console his unhappy wife.

 Chapter 180

    <h4>Chapter 180: <Short stories 8.2></h4>


    Bina sat on Lucretius¡¯ desk as he concentrated on his work. Even during the harvest celebration week, the emperor was still busy with work.


    Bina ced her hand on the desk slowly, crumpling one of the many documents that were covering the desk. Lucretius looked up at her.


    ¡°Bina.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She smiled innocently, making Lucretius¡¯ heart ache. She looked so adorable that she was such a distraction.


    Lucretius couldn¡¯t help but to grab her waist and lifted her, so she sat on hisp. Bina didn¡¯t resist as she pouted. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be working now?¡±


    Bina had absolutely nothing to do. She was getting bored, so she giggled as she touched his shirt cor. Slowly and teasingly, she started to undo his buttons and continued, ¡°This is why I like being around you when you are working. I have nothing else to do, and distracting you is so much fun.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled in response. ¡°You¡¯re not being fair. If I don¡¯t finish this work now, I won¡¯t be able to spend the night with you and Beatrice.¡±


    Officially, Bina was out of the castle, so every night, Lucretius went through the secret passage to get to Bina¡¯s bedroom. He spent as much time as possible with his seductive wife and his adorable daughter.


    He loved the evenings he spent with his family, and if he didn¡¯t finish his work now, he would have toplete it in the evening and miss the happiest time of the day.


    Bina smirked. ¡°That¡¯s your problem, not mine.¡±


    Bina wound her slim legs around Lucretius¡¯s body. When he caressed her back lightly with the tip of his fingers, she purred.


    Bina smiled and whispered, ¡°We haven¡¯t spent much private time togethertely... Haven¡¯t you been wanting me? Like the way I want you right now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina was right. In the past few days, Lucretius and Bina hadn¡¯t had time alone together. The royal tradition dictated that after the baby was done breastfeeding, she or he was given a separate wing and left the mother¡¯s side. However, Bina wanted to keep Beatrice with her until she turned five at least, so a separate room for the princess was created within the empress¡¯ wing.


    Usually, Lucretius and Bina spent the night together alone while the nannies and the maids cared for Beatrice, but since the princess and the empress were officially absent from the castle, Beatrice had to remain with Bina and Lucretius at night.


    The princess loved spending so much of her time with her mother and Lucretius was happy that Beatrice and Bina were happy, except for one thing.


    Bina was trying to seduce him now.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius sighed with pleasure. He could never refuse her.


    ¡°If you are like this... I won¡¯t be able to control myself.¡±


    He kissed her.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Their kiss was more passionate than usual. Was it because they were in the office rather than their usual bedroom?


    ***


    ¡°Oh, that hurts! Stop!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Really? It hurts?¡±


    Lucretius looked at his wife in surprise. He was holding her corset string and helping her put it back on.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not tightening it as much as I can reasonably do so.¡±


    Binained quietly. ¡°No one¡¯s gonna see me anyway, so keep it loose. I can never get used of the corsets no matter how long I have been wearing them. They are so ufortable.¡±


    Lucretius nodded and made a loose knot. He then helped her wear her crumpled dress. Usually, her maids and her servants helped her dress, but right now, there was only one person who could help her, and it was the emperor of this great kingdom.


    Bina sighed. ¡°Gosh... I know I am the one who seduced you, but this was unnecessary.¡±


    Lucretius hugged her and kissed her forehead while chuckling.¡±As you said, you are the one who seduced me, right? All I did was to let you do so. Besides...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You liked it too.¡±


    Bina grinned and poked his cheek.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°Are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have done my job of distracting you, so I will now leave you to your work. Beatrice is probably awake by now from her nap.¡±


    Bina came here after putting their daughter down for a nap after all. Lucretius thought of keeping Bina here for a while longer but stopped himself. He knew she would get really mad at him and the one thing he feared the most in this world was Bina getting angry at him.


    Bina walked towards the firece and pushed the poker into a small spot back and forth. A strange noise then resonated throughout the room. Afterward, the entire wall connected to the firece turned around to reveal a dark path. It was the secret passage that connected the emperor¡¯s office directly to the empress¡¯ bedroom.


    Bina yawned and whispered, ¡°See youter.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t work toote, Luc.¡±


    ¡°... I can¡¯t promise you that, thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, well I guess it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s toote. Just make sure to rest when you need it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lucretius smiled and helped her into the passage. He then returned to his desk.


    ¡°...¡±


    Crumpled papers were scattered everywhere around the desk on the floor. He looked up with a sigh and started to pick up the documents one after another.


    By the time he was done with all of his daily work, it was veryte. When he entered the empress¡¯ bedroom, Bina and Beatrice were asleep soundly. Lucretius looked down at the girls and kissed their foreheads. Making sure not to wake them up, he got into the bed very carefully. He no longer looked like the fierce ruler of the biggest kingdom; in this room, he was only a lovesick father and husband.


    This was four days before thest day of the harvest celebration.

 Chapter 181

    <h4>Chapter 181: <Short stories 9.1: Family n></h4>


    They were expecting special guests today, so Bina made it a priority to dress well. When she was almost done, Samantha came in to let her and Lucretius know.


    ¡°Your highnesses, the Toruka family has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. We are ready to leave. Now, your highness...¡±


    When Bina tried to stand up, Lucretiusined quietly.


    ¡°But I want to stay here a little longer with you.¡±


    He was enjoying brushing her hair when Samantha came in. He ced the brush down on the table.


    They were in Bina¡¯s dressing room and the emperor was the one helping her preparation. The maids were used to this now. Brushing Bina¡¯s hair was one of Lucretius¡¯ favorite hobbies. He had been doing this since Bina was his first wife.


    Even though the empress had told him it was not necessary, he refused to give up. Nowadays, Bina was more used to getting ready with her husband¡¯s help than being with her maids.


    Lucretius kissed Bina¡¯s shiny hair. A beautiful scent tickled his nose.


    ¡°Hmm. My empress is so perfect that even her hair is wless.¡±


    The younger maids looked envious of Bina, but the experienced maids like Yulia didn¡¯t even seem to notice Lucretius¡¯ ridiculousments anymore.


    Bina grinned. ¡°We are going to bete. We shouldn¡¯t make them wait.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lucretius gestured at Yulia, who moved quickly. Bina was already dressed, and the only thing left was to choose her jewelry. When the maids brought an array of her royal collection, Lucretius looked at them.


    ¡°Hmm. None of them are perfect for my empress, but... I guess it can¡¯t be helped. What should we pick?¡±


    Just then, a youthful voice said, ¡°Excuse me, your highness.¡±


    Bina and Lucretius looked at the young girl sitting nearby.


    In hercy green dress, they saw the first princess Beatrice, who just turned five. She had recently perfected the royal etiquette.


    Elegantly and confidently, Beatrice continued, ¡°May I choose her highness¡¯ jewelry? If it will please you, sir.¡±


    Her voice still sounded childish, but the way she spoke was simr to that of a stuffy old nobleman.


    Bina and Lucretius had been disappointed at how fast Beatrice was growing. They had been hoping that she would remain a kid for a while longer, but Beatrice was insistent on keeping rigid manners even in front of her parents.


    They would have preferred her to have a tantrum rather than to ask so properly.


    Lucretius replied, ¡°Of course. You can pick one, Beatrice.¡±


    The child bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡±


    When she tried standing up from the sofa, she failed.


    ¡°...¡±


    She was too small, and her feet were dangling in the air. She tried to stretch her legs so she could descend properly, but it was impossible with her short legs. Beatrice puffed her cheeks in frustration but quickly realized that she was acting childishly. She always wanted to appear like a proper princess, but at the end of the day, she was still only five years old.


    Bina and Lucretius noticed this and grinned secretly.


    Thankfully, Yulia noticed Beatrice¡¯s situation and helped her down. Beatrice walked towards the maid who was holding the tray of the jewelry. The maid was about to lower the tray so Beatrice could look when the emperor quickly walked towards his daughter and lifted her up.


    Beatrice¡¯s green eyes widened. ¡°Your highness!¡±


    She sounded sullen, but Lucretius ignored it. Beatrice wanted to be seen as an adult, but her father was ruining it by treating her like a child.


    Her cheeks started to puff up again in annoyance when she saw the shiny pieces on the tray.


    Lucretius asked, ¡°Now, would you like to pick one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    Beatrice nodded and continued to stare at the pieces in awe. Bina smiled and asked, ¡°Which piece do you think would suit mommy?¡±


    The little girl frowned in contemtion. Lucretius lifted her up higher, so she could have a better look.


    Hemented, ¡°I¡¯m sure you will choose the best piece that will make your mother look more beautiful.¡±


    Beatrice smiled gently and replied, ¡°But her highness is already the most beautiful woman in the world even without any jewelry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You are so smart, Beatrice. You are just like your mother, smart and beautiful.¡±


    The maidsughed gently, and Lucretius nodded in satisfaction. Bina blushed.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Beatrice¡¯s mother is the most beautiful woman in the world. It¡¯s true.¡±


    Bina wanted to disappear in embarrassment.


    ¡®S, stop!¡¯


    However, she couldn¡¯t say anything at this point. The maids and the servants were watching, so she couldn¡¯t scold her husband, the emperor. She also didn¡¯t want to make her daughter feel bad.


    After studying each piece carefully, Beatrice finally pointed at one.


    ¡°I think that will suit her highness the best.¡±


    It was an ear cuff that was the shape of a wing.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Both Bina and Lucretius became speechless.


    After a few seconds, Lucretius smiled widely and kissed Beatrice¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°My princess indeed has a very good taste.¡±


    Beatrice smiled proudly. Lucretius handed his daughter to Yulia and gestured for the maid. She then brought him the ear cuff. He put it on Bina himself.


    It was a gift Lucretius gave before their first ball. It shined beautifully on her ear.


    The emperor smiled in satisfaction and helped Bina to stand up.


    The empress mentioned with a smallugh, ¡°It¡¯s amazing that Beatrice chose this particr piece.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised too. It just proves that this piece suits you very well.¡±


    Lucretius carried Beatrice again. The child looked at her mother and eximed, ¡°You are so beautiful!¡±


    Lucretius added, ¡°Beatrice has such good eyes!¡±


    Like father like daughter.


    Finally, the family arrived in the garden. It was muchter than expected so Bina became worried.


    ¡°Oh no, we made our guests wait too long.¡±


    ***


    It was a nice warm spring morning, so the royal family decided to greet the guests in the garden. The bright red-haired woman first noticed their arrival and stood up to bow.


    ¡°Greetings to your highnesses the emperor, the empress, and the princess.¡±


    Bina smiled brightly. ¡°Please stand up, Liliana. You need to rest...¡±


    Liliana smiled prettily and stood up with help from her husband. As Bina suspected, Liliana¡¯s belly had berge. Bina took Liliana¡¯s hand and escorted her to the table.


    ¡°So your due date is in about two months? How¡¯s your appetite?¡±


    Instead of Liliana, another girl answered from behind. It was Roselia, now a fourteen-year-old girl.


    ¡°Hello, your highness. Her nausea has been worse than when she was pregnant with Cullen. Thankfully, she could eat a little better since about a month ago.¡±


    Bina nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear, Roselia. I can see that Liliana gained a bit of weight since Ist saw her two months ago. I was so worried at the time since she was getting thinner while her belly was getting so big.¡±


    The three women continued to chat cheerfully while they sat down on the chair. Bina looked down at the small child, now four years old, who was grabbing onto Liliana¡¯s dress. Cullen bowed awkwardly.


    ¡°Your highness, hello.¡±


    He was an adorable boy with his mother¡¯s red hair. Also, like Liliana, he was very shy.


    ¡°Hello, Cullen. You have grown so much since I¡¯vest seen you.¡±


    Another youthful voice greeted from nearby.


    ¡°Long time no see, your highness!¡±


    Bina¡¯s smile got even wider as she saw another red-haired young girl.


    ¡°Hello there, Margaret.¡±


    Bina reached out to pat her head gently. Kids grew up so fast. Bina remembered Katleyanira being pregnant with Margaret. It seemed like it was only yesterday, but Margaret was already so big.


    The third princess of the former emperor.


    Margaret was the youngest of all the former emperor¡¯s children. The three daughters of Katleyanira had higher ranks than any of their stepsisters because when Katleyanira was executed, Lucretius adopted them to keep them safe.


    Another reason he did this was that they were useful spares for him. If he and Bina couldn¡¯t have a child of their own, they had to think of who their next heir could be.


    Lucretius felt that Liliana could be a safe choice. She was emotionally weak and very soft-hearted, and she always felt like she owed the emperor and the empress for what her mother had done. On top of that, her husband¡¯s family, Toruka, was significantly weakened after Katleyanira¡¯s execution.


    If Lucretius didn¡¯t adopt Liliana, then any of his other stepsisters would have had a im to the throne if and while he was childless. For this reason, he felt that it was best to have Liliana as the first princess in line to the throne after him.


    Not to mention, Roselia was engaged to the prince of Genoa, Izid, and it was important for her to keep her royal status.


    Bina knew this; Liliana and Clodys understood this situation very well. This was why they maintained a very low profile.


    The public often referred to Marquis Toruka as the ¡®royal dog,¡¯ but Clodys didn¡¯t mind it at all. In fact, when he heard some people whispering about him, Clodys approached them so he could announce loudly.


    ¡°A royal dog? What an amazingpliment! I am ttered that you think my loyalty to the royal family runs deep.¡±


    Those people would be pale and run away. Clodys, of course, didn¡¯t tell the emperor or the empress about this, but it was only a matter of time before the royal spies let the emperor knew.


    When Lucretius heard about this, heughed. ¡°Hahaha. I guess I got a pretty good dog, then.¡±


    If Clodys heard this, he would haveughed too.


    Bina couldn¡¯t help but found this dynamic between them as bizarre sight.

 Chapter 182

    <h4>Chapter 182: <Short stories 9.2></h4>


    It was a pleasant royal family gathering.


    The children filled their tummies with sweet treats and ran around the gardenughing. The maids were close by to keep them safe. After all, these children were of precious royal blood.


    The adults were watching with a proud smile. The cut-off line for the adult table was Roselia.


    Even the first princess Beatrice, who always tried to act like a grown-up, couldn¡¯t help but y in delight with her cousins. She looked lovely with her cheeks flushed in excitement.


    Liliana suddenly eximed with wide eyes. ¡°Oh...!¡±


    She patted her big belly as Bina asked, ¡°Oh, the baby¡¯s kicking?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very active. When I was pregnant with Cullen, he barely moved so I was worried, but it is very different this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. I guess Cullen was shy even when he was in your womb.¡±


    Clodys shook his head. ¡°I hope our second child resembles Liliana and Cullen. If this one is anything like its aunts... I tell you It will be the death of me.¡±


    Everyoneughed at Clodys¡¯ joke. He outwardlyined about his sisters-inw, but everyone knew how much he cared for Roselia and Margaret, who were also his cousins.


    Margaret, especially, was about the same age as Cullen so Clodys treated her like his own daughter. Lucretius and Bina knew that when it was time for Margaret to marry someone, Clodys would be a scary substitute for a father-inw. Even with Roselia, Clodys looked annoyed at any bridal gifts Genoa would send. No one could be good enough for his girls.


    Roselia¡¯s wedding wasing up soon.


    ¡°So is the wedding n going well, Roselia?¡±


    Roselia blushed prettily, making her face flush like the redness of her hair.


    ¡°Yes, your highness. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    Liliana looked gloomy at the mention of Roselia¡¯s marriage. Liliana raised Roselia like her own daughter, and soon, Roselia would leave to a faraway country. One good thing was that Prince Izid had announced he would forgo the Genoan tradition of having two wives and just marry Roselia. He was being considerate for his future wife as well as attempting to maintain a good rtionship with Cransia.


    Roselia was still very much in love with Prince Izid, so this was a good match for her. Liliana was thankful for this, but being unable to see her little sister every day was still a difficult concept to grasp.


    Roselia noticed Liliana¡¯s expression.


    She held her older sister¡¯s hand sadly and murmured, ¡°Sis...¡±


    Liliana quickly forced a smile on her face. ¡°... Please be happy, Rose. Don¡¯t forget to write me lots of letters, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry, Sis.¡±


    Roselia smiled brightly and continued, ¡°Besides, we still have a whole year together. I will not leave your side while I am still here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Liliana finally smiled for real.


    While the sisters chatted, Lucretius made some calctions in his head.


    ¡®How much dowry should I send to Genoa for Roselia...¡¯


    If Bina knew Lucretius was worried about it, she would have be angry, but this was a normal concern for Lucretius.


    Genoa was a very important political ally and the current Genoan king beheaded his own son, Coronel, to show its desire to maintain an undying friendship. On top of that, they even sent the blue tear of the goddess, their national treasure, for the empress.


    Cransia needed to show its appreciation, and this was why Lucretius was thinking to prepare the biggest and the most extravagant dowry in history. The treasury would be very unhappy, but with the money they saved by the emperor not having multiple wives, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to afford it.


    Bina looked at the two sisters proudly. Liliana and Roselia had such hard childhoods, but they survived it. She was d to see them happy now. Bina liked to think that she helped a little in achieving this, and she felt pleased.


    Bina remembered her own sister.


    Sis...


    There was a big age gap between Bina and her older sister, but they were very close. They used to fight a lot, but they were also amazing friends.


    Bina watched Beatrice, who was ying with her cousins. Her ck hair danced around her as the warm wind blew.


    ¡®Now that I think about it... she looks like her.¡¯


    Lucretius was always pleased because he thought Beatrice resembled Bina, but now that she thought about it, Beatrice reminded Bina of her older sister.


    Bina wondered, ¡®I wonder what my sister would say if she saw Beatrice.¡¯


    She would have been shocked to see a five-year-old niece suddenly.


    ¡®And she would have loved her. She would have been an amazing aunt.¡¯


    Bina was sure of it.


    ***


    The gathering ended after dinner. They had a wonderful feast out in the garden.


    Liliana and Roselia were taking care of Margaret, who fell asleep after a tiring day. Clodys carried Cullen, who was just about to fall asleep in his arms. He whispered to Lucretius and Bina.


    ¡°Is there good news yet?¡±


    Lucretius frowned. ¡°Beatrice is enough for us.¡±


    Clodys had heard this many times before.


    He replied with a frown as well, ¡°It¡¯s just that there are some people who have been pestering us recently.¡±


    When Lucretius¡¯ eyebrows raised, Clodys continued, ¡°Since Princess Beatrice is the only heir to the throne, there are families who have been trying to arrange a marriage with our Cullen.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that.¡±


    Lucretius sounded displeased, which made sense. Lucretius had many spies, including the areas around the Toruka family, so the emperor was well aware of the situation.


    As long as Lucretius had only one daughter as his child, Cullen remained the strongest candidate for the throne after Beatrice. This meant Cullen was Beatrice¡¯s biggest rival.


    For this reason, and also for the fact that Cullen was of solid royal blood, Lucretius had considered having Cullen as Beatrice¡¯s husband. This was one of the few options the emperor was considering. Lucretius was having a hard time with this problem on his hand. When Clodys came to him with a pressure of having a second child, he became angry.


    Clodys recognized that he shouldn¡¯t push any further. He stepped back.


    ¡°I was just concerned, that¡¯s all your highness. But you can¡¯t deny the fact that having many children will solidify the royal family.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Clodys sighed. ¡°If you and her highness weren¡¯t so scary... And if Cullen was a stronger child, I may have be ambitious for my son, but... I know Cullen. He is a boy who needs to lead a quiet life.¡±


    Lucretiusughed quietly. ¡°What a good son you have. He was born introverted for his father.¡±


    Clodys bowed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡±


    With this, the conversation ended. Bina was listening to the conversation quietly. There was a lot she needed to think about.

 Chapter 183

    <h4>Chapter 183: <Short stories 9.3></h4>


    After the Toruka family left, Bina couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the conversation between Lucretius and Clodys.


    ¡®Another... child...¡¯


    She remembered Beatrice happily running around with her cousins.


    She also remembered her big sister¡¯s face and what Clodys said.


    Bina was undecided about having another baby. It wasn¡¯t that she was against it. She just didn¡¯t really think about it seriously until now.


    However, Bina knew Lucretius had strong feelings about it.


    He was genuinely fearful of it. When Beatrice was born, he was the happiest man in the world, of course, but at the same time, he was incredibly relieved. Bina had a difficult pregnancy andbor; Lucretius realized that this was a dangerous deed. With the possibility of losing Bina, Lucretius decided that there would be no second baby for them.


    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Bina didn¡¯t get pregnant for the past five years after Beatrice was born. Lucretius had been meticulous with birth control.


    Bina didn¡¯t think too much of it. She felt thankful because it just meant that Lucretius deeply cared about her.


    However, now...


    Bina became annoyed.


    She wanted one now.


    ¡®I want to have another baby!¡¯


    Sa Bina was a woman who always got what she wanted.


    ***


    First things first.


    Bina decided to determine how Lucretius really felt about having another baby. This had to be a family decision, not just her own.


    They were riding a horse together when the chance came. Both of them were on top of Lucretius¡¯ favorite horse, Canon, together. Lucretius steered while Bina sat in his embrace. It was a nicezy day, and they were having a private time.


    Bina started the conversation vaguely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think... Beatrice looks lonely nowadays?¡±


    One of the mostmon reasons for having another child was so that the existing child won¡¯t get lonely.


    ¡°Really? Then...¡± Bina waited for him to continue. ¡°Then I will find a friend for her. I will have to see if any of the noble families have children of Beatrice¡¯s age.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina was shocked. This was unexpected.


    This didn¡¯t make sense. They were such a good team. They could read each other¡¯s thoughts without saying a word, yet here they were! They were having apletely separate conversation!


    Bina stared at her husband, who looked at her in confusion. His expression looked too innocent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bina?¡±


    ¡°....¡±


    Bina continued to stare at his handsome face.


    ¡®Does he really not know what I¡¯m talking about, or is he just pretending?!¡¯


    She didn¡¯t have to think for long.


    They had been with each other for many years now, and there was no way he didn¡¯t understand her intention.


    Bina was certain of it.


    ¡®Bastard...!¡¯


    Bina called his name decisively.


    ¡°Luc.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it, Bina?¡±


    He looked at her with an innocent smile as if he wasn¡¯t hiding anything. However, Bina knew better.


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    However, Lucretius tried to avoid the conversation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know why I¡¯m ring at you like this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t it because you want to enjoy my beautiful face? You love my face, right?¡±


    When he smiled brightly, Bina couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    She pinched his waist a few times.


    Hard.


    ¡°...!¡±


    A silent scream came from Lucretius. He iled around so he could avoid her pinching, but it was useless.


    Finally, Lucretius surrendered and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what Clodys said.¡±


    ¡°But...!¡±


    ¡°I see that Clodys has made you worry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I...¡±


    Before Bina could say anymore, Lucretius kissed her.


    ¡°...!¡±


    He then whispered sweetly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing. Clodys and Liliana aren¡¯t strong or ambitious enough toe after us. Even if they are, I already have things in ce so they can never seed. They can never win against us and Beatrice.¡±


    Bina knew this very well, and she wasn¡¯t worried at all. This wasn¡¯t why she wanted another baby, but Lucretius continued without listening to her.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about me or Beatrice. What is most important to us is your health and safety.¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t say anything when her husband was so sweet to her. He cared only for her, and to such a dedicated man, she couldn¡¯t just say the truth. The truth that she didn¡¯t care about all the things he mentioned, and that she just wanted a baby. If she did, she would sound like a child having an unreasonable tantrum.


    Especially to a man who gave her logical reasons why they shouldn¡¯t have another child.


    Lucretius continued, ¡°We are so blessed that we have such a smart and strong daughter.¡±


    This was getting very frustrating for Bina.


    ***


    Bina regretted what she said to him when she was pregnant with Beatrice.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have said that to him...!¡¯


    When she was with child, Bina was anxious. She was in a strange world without her family, and she was about to have her first baby. She was hormonal, and her nausea was so horrible that she was very emotional. This was why she told him that if she didn¡¯t survive thebor, he should tell their child about her.


    She was serious at the time. She was very afraid and like any women, there was always a chance that something might go wrong.


    However, Bina felt differently now. She had gone through it once, so she felt like she could do it better(?) the second time. It seemed that her husband was not cooperating though.


    ¡®This won¡¯t do.¡¯


    Bina decided.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just do it!¡¯


    ***


    Samantha¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at a drawing her empress gave to her. It seemed like her highness drew it herself and it looked... embarrassing.


    It was something Samantha had never seen. The material and the shape of it was... strangely erotic.


    ¡°P, pardon? S, so... This... you want this... made for you?¡±


    As a proper nobledy, Samantha was mortified. She looked very ufortable. Samantha had two children, so she wasn¡¯t new to marital rtionship, but what Bina asked to have made was unexpected and unfamiliar.


    Things like this didn¡¯t exist in this world, or at least, Bina had never seen it before. She wasn¡¯t interested in it even when she was on earth... Bina felt embarrassed, but she decided to ignore it. She needed to be blunt and shameless.


    ¡°Yes. This is... something a wife wears in my homnd so the wife and the husband could be closer. They said that when it works, it can make the marriagest a hundred years.¡±


    Bina was so good at using her homnd as an excuse now. Making up false stories to suit her need was now part of her routine. No one could question her about it.


    Bina continued to make it more believable, ¡°It is said that there were some kings and queens in history that used this and had great marriages.¡±


    ¡°I, is that so?¡±


    Samantha blushed but seemed very interested in Bina¡¯s story. Besides, this was indeed a very important deal. Good rtionship between the emperor and the empress was of national interest, and it was Samantha¡¯s duty to help the empress in any way possible. His and her highnesses were already very much in love, but any rtionship could be improved. It was also very concerning to everyone that the couple only had one child.


    Samantha, a very loyal maid, quickly asked for a seamstress for a private measuring. In about a week, she secretly delivered the finished product. When Bina opened the box, she nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Perfect. It is exactly as I wanted.¡±


    Now, Bina was ready. Her timing was perfect as well.


    Tonight! It would be tonight!

 Chapter 184

    <h4>Chapter 184: <Short stories 9.4></h4>


    It was veryte when Lucretius arrived at Bina¡¯s bedroom. Work has been busytely. His kingdom was huge, and as the emperor, having absolute power meant having an absolutely crazy amount of work.


    However, Lucretius didn¡¯t mind as much now because he had a dream. He would stabilize the kingdom into a perfect and peaceful country, then inherit it to Beatrice. Afterward, he would travel the continent with his wife.


    That was his ultimate goal and dream for his future.


    To be able to travel, he had to have good stamina. He couldn¡¯t do this when he was too old, and this meant that he had to retire when he was still young. To achieve this, he had to quickly create an easy-to-rule government as soon as possible.


    Lucretius had already nned out the details of his dream. He would travel by the time he¡¯s a middle-aged man, and then he would return to the kingdom when he was old so he could spend his aged years with his wife, children, and grandchildren in peace at home.


    This was why he was working so hard. If he could establish a steady nation, he should be able to inherit it to his daughter even when she was still young.


    The emperor and the empress had separate bedrooms, but it had been a very long time since Lucretius spent the night in his own room. After their wedding, Lucretius slept in his wife¡¯s room almost every night.


    When he entered Bina¡¯s bedchamber, he was shocked. ¡°... What¡¯s this?¡±


    He saw this bedroom every day, but it looked unfamiliar tonight.


    Firstly, the lighting was different. The entire room looked rose-red. On the bed were red rose petals and the whitece curtain that covered the bed was now changed to red as well.


    On the bedside table were a bottle of wine and two crystal sses. The empress¡¯ bedroom no longer looked prim and proper.


    On the bed was Bina, who rose slowly from the bed. Lucretius was slightly disappointed as Bina was wearing her regr simple sleep gown.


    Truthfully, Lucretius expected Bina to be wearing something different. If she would go through the trouble of changing her room this much...


    However, he quickly smiled and approached her.


    ¡°Now, what is my empress up to?¡±


    Just then, Lucretius stopped in his track as Bina took off her gown. Underneath her prudish gown was...


    Lucretius swallowed hard. What he saw in front of him was too shockingly erotic.


    Bina was wearing a sheer one-piece slip. On the inside, she was wearing a sexy red underwear. Lucretius couldn¡¯t stop staring at them.


    He had a sip of water before he left his office, but in just a snap, his throat dried up like the deserts of Genoa. He swallowed again loudly and called her.


    ¡°B, Bina?¡±


    Bina was always confident, including in the bedroom, but she had never been this provocatively seductive. Suddenly, Lucretius was unsure. He even felt slightly afraid.


    ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯


    Bina smiled assuredly. She felt confident. She would seed in this mission!


    She walked slowly towards him and hugged his neck. Her sweet fragrance enveloped him.


    ¡°Um... Bina?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius was serious.


    Bina wanted to smack his head for being so slow, but she patiently replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Lucretius started to pant.


    ¡°Is this because you are angry at me for something... And you are trying to punish me by getting me aroused like this and... then not let me even touch you?¡±


    ¡°... N, no, of course not.¡±


    Bina suddenly felt sorry. Had she been teasing him so badly that he thought she would be that cruel?


    Bina exined hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s just... We have been married for over five years now, right? So I thought... It would be nice to try something different.¡±


    Lucretius now was bing breathless. He was panting like a starving animal. He roughly grabbed Bina and started to kiss her passionately.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Bina felt overwhelmed by her husband¡¯s desire. She couldn¡¯t think anymore as her body raged to fulfill her worldly desires. She didn¡¯t even have the sense anymore to enjoy the sess of her n anymore. She forgot why she did this. All she could think of was her man.


    Lucretius was even sexier than usual tonight. For a second, Bina felt disappointed that she couldn¡¯t brag this side of him to others, but she quickly decided that it was better this way. She should be the only one who knew the passionate side of the emperor.


    ¡®He is only for me.¡¯


    Hers and hers only. No other woman would ever know who Lucretius really was, just as Lucretius would be the only man who ever knew her in this way.


    Lucretius asked hesitantly. ¡°Um, Bina...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He seemed worried about something. Bina suddenly thought nervously.


    ¡®Did he figure out my n?¡¯


    She felt like her ego was hurt. She was confident that she could turn him into a senseless maniac for the night.


    However, what he asked waspletely unexpected.


    He touched her sheer and fragile slip with his finger lightly and whispered, ¡°Can... I tear this?¡±


    Bina was so surprised that sheughed out loud.


    She hung onto her loving husband and whispered back, ¡°As much as you want.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes sparkled with fire.


    ***


    They had such a passionate night that Bina felt tired for the next two days.


    She decided that she should try things like this from time to time, not for the purpose of getting pregnant, but for Lucretius. Often, the emperor did his best to create romantic moods and give her extravagant gifts. Bina had always been very responsive to his efforts, but of all the things they had tried, her idea worked the best. It was a very satisfying night.


    Now, Bina waited for the result with a hopeful heart.


    ***


    In three weeks, her body told her the result. When she woke up one morning, she noted a red stain on her bed sheet.


    ¡®Fail...¡¯


    When she looked at it disappointedly, Lucretius said to her, ¡°Oh, it came early this month.¡±


    He knew Bina¡¯s menstrual schedule very well. It was usually monitored by the royal doctor and the maids, but because Lucretius spent the night with her every night, he was very sensitive to the condition of her body.


    While Bina was bing upset, Lucretius rang the bell to call the maids.


    ¡°Did you call for us, your highness?¡±


    This morning, Agnes was in charge. Agnes, two newer maids, and ten servants entered the empress¡¯ bedroom. They were here to serve both the emperor and the empress.


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Agnes was about to carry out the usual morning routine when she noticed Lucretius¡¯ subtle look. It was then when she noticed the red stain.


    Agnes nodded and sent half of the servants out. She had served Bina for many years now, and she knew exactly what to do.


    Bina suffered from severe cramps during her period. She usually had to spend the first one to two days in bed and keep herself warm. She also didn¡¯t like being surrounded by too many people, so during her period, only a minimal number of maids and servants served the empress.


    The servants quickly changed the sheet and called for Regia, the empress¡¯ personal doctor. Regia examined Bina.


    ¡°Other than your perioding earlier, everything else is good. Your highness is very healthy, but it seems that your highness¡¯ menstrual pain is worse than usual. So please spend two days in bed and keep yourself warm.¡±


    Regia created a herbal painkiller for her, while the maids made a hotpress cloth bag filled with soothing herbs and warm stones.


    Lucretius took it from the maid.


    ¡°Oh, your highness...¡±


    ¡°I will do it for her myself.¡±


    He took the bag from Agnes and walked to Bina, who was in bed.


    ¡°Now, here it is, Bina...¡±


    Bina moaned painfully.


    Lucretius lifted the nket gently. It wasn¡¯t a cold day, yet Bina shuddered when the cool air reached her body. Lucretius quickly ced the hotpress on her belly and wiped her sweating forehead gently.


    ¡°Is it really bad?¡±


    ¡°... A little.¡±


    The amount of difort was actually about the same as any other month. She was upset more because of her disappointment. She was so hopeful and expectant, yet her period came early. She felt frustrated and annoyed at the same time.


    She also felt embarrassed.


    ¡®I can never tell him the truth... It¡¯s too mortifying!¡¯

 Chapter 185

    <h4>Chapter 185: <Short stories 9.5></h4>


    Bina opened her eyes slowly and the man she loved filled her view. Shiny golden hair and beautiful green eyes...


    He looked concerned.


    Lucretius was too handsome. He was also so sweet and gentle.


    Only to her. Only for her.


    Lucretius was the perfect husband.


    After taking Regia¡¯s medication and with the hotpress on her, Bina started to feel much better. Now that her pain was lessening, her mood was back to almost normal.


    Lucretius had pushed back his work and meetings till noon so he could spend the morning with Bina. He even fed her the soup the maids had brought. Bina felt embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sick or anything, so this isn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    Lucretius wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°No, you ARE sick. Stay put and let your husband take care of you, your highness. All you have to do is rest. It is my pleasure to see youfortable.¡±


    Bina couldn¡¯t refuse anymore. She opened her mouth as Lucretius fed her another spoonful of the warm soup.


    As the food and Lucretius¡¯ devotion warmed her heart, Bina felt even more determined.


    ¡®I... I want to have this man¡¯s baby.¡¯


    ***


    A monthter.


    Bina had learned her lesson from her first failed attempt. For the next try, she was going to be better prepared.


    ¡®This time, I will make it happen for sure...!¡¯


    After dinner, she yed with her daughter for a while before she returned to her room after sheined of feeling dizzy.


    When Lucretius heard this, he came to her in a hurry. ¡°Bina!¡±


    He looked very worried. Samantha and Agnes greeted him politely.


    The emperor asked, ¡°I heard the empress is unwell?¡±


    When he asked usingly, the maids bowed apologetically.


    ¡°She suddenly felt dizzy, so her highness is resting in her bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Did you get the doctor?¡±


    ¡°The empress said she didn¡¯t need her, but we called for her and Lady Regia will be here very soon.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Lucretius quickly walked to the bed and opened the curtain quietly. When he saw her face, he felt a bit relieved because she didn¡¯t look pale.


    He sat down beside her and whispered, ¡°Bina.¡±


    Suddenly, her eyes opened. Then she smiled.


    Lucretius¡¯ eyes widened. Smiling widely, Bina didn¡¯t look sick at all. She looked like a picture of health as her eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Bina?¡±


    She sat up and grabbed Lucretius. By the way she acted, Bina was definitely not sick.


    Suddenly, Lucretius realized the truth. When he looked around, all the maids were gone! They said Regia was arriving soon, but there was no sign of her.


    When the empress was ill, the maids and the servants stayed close around her to take care of her every need. The entire wing became tense if the empress wasn¡¯t feeling well, but currently, there was no one in the room other than the emperor and the empress.


    Lucretius turned back to Bina, who looked perfectly healthy. She stuck her tongue out.


    Lucretius murmured, ¡°You...!¡±


    He was surprised. It seemed that her maids were in this plot as well. He was d she wasn¡¯t sick, but he couldn¡¯t understand why she nned this.


    Before he could protest, Bina kissed his forehead lightly, making Lucretius forget what he was about to say.


    ¡°...¡±


    She then kissed his right and left cheeks. Lucretius stayed still, but nothing else happened.


    He asked, ¡°What about my lips?¡±


    Bina smiled and whispered, ¡°You have to close your eyes first.¡±


    Lucretiusughed and followed her order.


    When he closed his eyes, Bina kissed his lips ever so lightly. She teased him for a few seconds before Lucretius couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    He took her lips roughly. The kiss went on for a long time until Bina gasped for air.


    She sighed quietly as she panted. Lucretiusid her down on the bed and asked, ¡°By the way, why did you lie about being sick? The entire castle is buzzing with the news that you fainted with dizziness.¡±


    Bina smiled confidently. ¡°I was only doing it for my husband because I¡¯m a considerate wife.¡±


    ¡°Considerate?¡±


    How could one deem lying as considerate?


    When Lucretius looked confused, Bina smiled widely. She knew how effective her smile was, especially against her husband. Lucretius could never refuse to give her anything she wanted when she smiled like his.


    Bina continued, ¡°You have been working too hardtely and have been going to bed sote. There were nights when you came in the morning to see my face, then go right back to work.¡±


    ¡°I... guess.¡± Lucretius was starting to be convinced by what his wife was telling him.


    Bina continued, ¡°You may be healthy, but if you continued to work like this, you will copse.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Bina could feel Lucretius bing persuaded. Just a little bit more, and he was all hers.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go for a short vacation? There is already a rumor stating that I am not feeling well, so we can go to Lonez for a few days. You will be going to ¡®take care of me.¡¯¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius didn¡¯t answer, but he seemed very interested. Bina continued to persuade him logically.


    ¡°Lonez isn¡¯t that far, so if there is an emergency job, they can bring it to you.¡±


    ¡°I suppose... But...¡±


    Almost. She almost had him.


    ¡°Besides, we haven¡¯t had time together just the two of us since we visited Maram. I miss you... Don¡¯t you... miss me too?¡±


    There was only one right answer. All Lucretius had to do was give it to her.


    ***


    Bina¡¯s n worked. The entire royal family decided to spend four days at Lonez with the excuse of the empress¡¯ poor health.


    It was a busy time of the year with the uing harvest celebration, so when the treasury and the foreign affairs departments heard this news, they were very unhappy. However, it was true that the emperor had been overworkedtely and since the empress was ill, they couldn¡¯t stop the emperor.


    The first morning he woke up at Lonez, Lucretius sleptte for once. He had been getting out of the bed carefully without waking his wife every morning to work, so this was a nice change.


    He felt wonderful sleeping in. He hadn¡¯t realized how tired he had been. Lucretius hugged Bina tightly and closed his eyes.


    By the time he woke up again, it was around lunchtime.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    He reached out for his wife, as was his habit.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, she wasn¡¯t there. He was alone in the bed. Where she slept also felt cold, making Lucretius¡¯ eyes widen.


    ¡°Bina...?¡±


    He sat up quickly. He had a ridiculous bedhead. Bina oftenined that Lucretius always had perfect hair, so if she saw him right now, she wouldugh.


    However, she wasn¡¯t here, and Lucretius suddenly felt a pang of fear.


    It had gotten better for him since they had been together for many years, but Lucretius still went to bedter than Bina and woke up earlier than her. This was partly because of the traumatic event that happened many years ago at Bilenae. That night when he woke up and found Bina missing... She left a letter and went to the forest. When he finally found her, she was standing in front of the ck gate.


    He had never been so afraid in his life.


    Nowadays, he felt a bit more rxed and that was why he slept through the morning. However, when he woke up, Bina wasn¡¯t beside him.


    Lucretius pushed the curtain aside and yelled.


    ¡°Bina!¡±

 Chapter 186

    <h4>Chapter 186: <Short stories 9.6></h4>


    She answered from the corner of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lucretius turned towards her voice desperately. When he saw her, however, his anxiety quickly faded.


    ¡°B, Bina...?¡± Lucretius murmured in surprise.


    Bina replied, ¡°Why do you keep calling my name? Are you awake now? You seemed to need some more sleep, so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡±


    Bina looked very different than usual. Lucretius gaped in shock.


    She was wearing only a singleyer, but this wasn¡¯t the surprising thing. They were husband and wife, after all, so he had seen her in many different types of clothing. However, what she was wearing right now was something he had never seen before.


    It was his own shirt he wore yesterday. Bina was wearing his shirt, and his shirt only!


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucretius swallowed hard and loudly. Bina looked confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    It was short and it barely covered her legs. Staring at her shapely legs, he could hardly breathe.


    Bina asked again, ¡°What? Luc?¡±


    Lucretius felt confused. Did she really not know what she was doing to him?


    However, he didn¡¯t have to think for long.


    ¡®That can¡¯t be...¡¯


    The woman he loved wasn¡¯t na?ve or stupid, and that was why he loved her even more. Lucretius grinned and decided to y along.


    ¡°Why are you wearing that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Bina narrowed her eyes and didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, she moved her arms around. The sleeves were too long for her, covering her hands. She looked adorable.


    Bina knew exactly what she was doing to him. She knew how she looked in his shirt. She was smiling knowingly at him, reminding him of a beautiful yet dangerous cat.


    He walked towards her.


    ¡°That¡¯s the shirt I wore yesterday, so it probably smells.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I... like your scent.¡±


    Bina smiled prettily for him.


    ¡°...¡±


    There was no way he could resist her. Lucretius carried her to the bed, making Bina giggle.


    ¡°Fine, fine! I surrender!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you keep doing this to me. I¡¯m going to have a heart attack because of you someday.¡±


    Bina pouted, ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t like it?¡±


    They both knew the answer.


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ***


    It was four days filled with sweetness and passion. Most days, they didn¡¯t even leave the bedroom.


    Finally, it was thest night of their short vacation. They had to go back to their normal life tomorrow morning.


    That night, Bina had a dream. It was a very vivid dream of a dark night sky. Suddenly a pretty golden bird danced down from it and entered Bina¡¯s embrace.


    Bina woke from it with a smile.


    ¡°... oh!¡±


    Her husband was sleeping soundly beside her. He was holding her tight as if he was afraid she would run away. Bina smiled again.


    It was going to be a while till she knew for sure, but Bina felt certain. She wondered when she should tell him.


    Bina knew it didn¡¯t matter when. No matter how or when she told him, Lucretius would be surprised and happy for both of them.


    She quickly went back to sleep.


    ***


    Two monthster, Regia confirmed that Bina was indeed pregnant. When Bina informed Beatrice and Lucretius about it at the breakfast table, it was Bina who ended up surprised. It was because of how her daughter reacted to the news.


    ¡°I would like it to be a girl. If it is a boy, he will be the emperor.¡±


    Bina was genuinely surprised at Beatrice. She contemted for a while, and finally, she made her decision.


    She told her husband, ¡°Yes. We should be thankful that Beatrice is such a strong and confident child.¡±


    Bina wasn¡¯t Katleyanira and Lucretius wasn¡¯t his father. How their own children would turn out to be will depend on them, and they would do their best to raise them right.


    Just then, the emperor caressed her cheek as if he was patting a cat. It was a loving and careful gesture, making Bina giggle.


    ¡°That tickles.¡±


    Lucretius hugged her even tighter from behind. He gently ced his hand on her belly and asked, ¡°What did you call it? The dream you have when you get pregnant. Did you have one for this baby too?¡±


    Bina nodded. ¡°[Conception dream]? Yeah, I had one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, [conception dream]. What was it this time? Last time, you said it was a handsome ck horse wearing a crown charging at you, right?¡±


    Lucretius found it very interesting. In this world, there was no such thing as conception dreams. Bina wasn¡¯t sure if women didn¡¯t dream them, or they just didn¡¯t realize what they were even though they had them.


    In Korea, some believed that conception dreams could sometimes tell the mother if something was wrong with her baby. Both of Bina¡¯s dreams were good, so she felt relieved.


    Bina exined the dream she had two months ago.


    ¡°It was of a golden bird. Now that I think about it, its color was the same as your hair. The pretty bird flew into my arms.¡±


    Lucretius chuckled.


    ¡°With Beatrice, you said the horse came right at you, but this time, it sounds like the bird was gentler... I wonder if this baby will be a quieter child. You said your nausea was better than your first pregnancy, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Thank god.¡± What Lucretius said next surprised Bina. ¡°You really wanted this child, so let¡¯s do our best to raise it right.¡±


    Bina turned around in shock. She looked straight into his eyes.


    Lucretius looked peaceful. He looked very happy, just like that night she promised him to stay by his side forever.


    ¡°You...?!¡±


    Lucretius now looked naughtily at her. Bina gaped in shock.


    ¡°How long have you known about my n?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know at first, but I realized that whenever you suddenly became very seductive, it was the time of the month when you could most likely get pregnant.¡±


    It made sense. Lucretius was very well aware of Bina¡¯s schedule because, after the birth of Beatrice, he had been avoiding certain times to minimize the risk of pregnancy.


    Bina pouted, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me!?¡±


    Lucretiusughed. ¡°Because you looked cute when you try so hard.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina felt embarrassed. She hid her face while Lucretius continued tough.


    Bina murmured, ¡°Then why did you pretend to be so surprised when I told you I was pregnant?¡±


    Lucretius dropped his bread when he heard the news. Was he acting?


    Lucretius exined, ¡°Oh, I really was surprised.¡±


    ¡°But you said you knew!¡±


    ¡°I knew you wanted to have a second child, and you were trying, but... I didn¡¯t realize it would happen so quickly...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess...¡±


    They had been very careful with their birth control method, but there were a few times when they made mistakes. However, none of those times led to pregnancy, so it was a surprise that after trying only twice, Bina became pregnant.


    Bina asked quietly, ¡°Do you want a son or a daughter?¡±


    ¡°How about you? I want whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was a perfect answer. She would tease him with whichever answer he gave, but she couldn¡¯t fault him with such a considerate answer.


    Lucretius smiled confidently, ¡°I must have answered right.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I hate to admit it, but it¡¯s true.¡±


    Lucretius hugged Bina and whispered, ¡°As I¡¯ve said, there is nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°... Yes. I know.¡±


    She was certain of it.

 Chapter 187

    <h4>Chapter 187: <Short stories 9.7></h4>


    Beatrice seemed to get nervous as her mother¡¯s belly became bigger. She still pretended to be mature and nonchnt, but it was clear that she was still only a young child. Bina smiled at her daughter and tried to make her feel better.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Beatrice. No matter how big my belly gets, it will not burst. Even if I have a triplet in my womb, my belly will be fine.¡±


    Beatrice¡¯s green eyes widened. ¡°I, I wasn¡¯t worried about that. I¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s cheeks reddened. Beatrice was pretending not to be interested, but she kept ncing at her mother whenever she thought Bina wasn¡¯t watching.


    When Bina gasped and patted her stomach, Beatrice panicked and stood up. She seemed like she was about to call for the royal doctor, so Bina quickly exined.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just the baby moving.¡±


    The five-year-old¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°It m, moves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. It¡¯s alive in mommy¡¯s tummy. You were the same, Beatrice. You were very active where you were inside my womb.¡±


    Beatrice looked down at her mother¡¯s belly in amazement.


    ¡°Would you like to touch it?¡±


    The child seemed contemtive.


    ¡°... Can I really do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Beatrice. You are going to be it¡¯s big sister after all.¡±


    Beatrice carefully approached her mother and ced her hand gently on Bina¡¯s giant belly. As if it knew, the baby kicked hard.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°I think the baby is saying hello to you, Beatrice.¡±


    The little girl pretended to be unimpressed, but Bina could tell she was very excited. The empress smiled secretly. For a while, she was worried Beatrice might not wee a new sibling, but Bina now felt certain that things would work out.


    She was sure that Beatrice would love the new baby.


    ***


    The second pregnancy was more peaceful. Her nausea wasn¡¯t as bad, and she felt better overall. Beatrice was born earlier than expected, but the second baby was a bitte. Lucretius smiled thinking that perhaps this child will have a more rxed personality.


    Thebor was also much shorter than the first time. In less than three hours, the baby was born.


    The midwife smiled and announced, ¡°Her highness the second princess has arrived!¡±


    It was a happy asion for everyone. Of course, some felt disappointed at the gender, but no one dared to talk about it out loud.


    Bina and Lucretius would never allow anyone to talk negatively about their two princesses.


    Lucretius kissed his wife¡¯s sweat-covered face.


    ¡°You did well.¡±


    This time, Lucretius was happier because he was able to stay by Bina¡¯s side the whole time. The midwife bathed the newborn and brought her to Lucretius. The emperor¡¯s hands trembled slightly as he held his new daughter in his arms.


    Bina thought secretly.


    ¡®He is much better now. He trembled so much when he was holding baby Beatrice that I used to be worried he might drop her.¡¯


    This time, he was a pro. Lucretius¡¯ eyes were filled with tears as he looked down at the baby. After a few minutes, he handed her to his lovely wife.


    ¡°Here she is...¡±


    Bina looked down at her baby¡¯s face. The first thing she noticed was her golden curls.


    Bina smiled gently and whispered to her husband, ¡°She looks just like you.¡±


    Lucretius whispered back with slight disappointment, ¡°I had hoped she would resemble you. Oh well, let¡¯s hope as she grows, she would look more like you.¡±


    Bina shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s better to have your beautiful face. We seeded with Beatrice, so I¡¯m sure our second baby will be a sess too.¡±


    Bina seemed confident while Lucretius looked unconvinced. Just then, Bina noticed Beatrice who was standing in the corner of the room like a statue. This must have been shocking for such a young girl.


    Bina smiled and gestured her daughter toe closer. Beatrice hesitantly walked towards her parents and finally saw her little sister for the first time.


    Lucretius lowered the baby down to Beatrice¡¯s height. Beatrice looked expectant and nervous at the same time.


    Her green eyes widened as she whimpered loudly. ¡°She looks red and wrinkly! I, is she sick?!¡±


    The room filled withughter.


    ***


    Time passed so fast. Beatrice was already seven years old.


    Bina thought, ¡®Where did the time go...?¡¯


    It seemed like yesterday when she held Beatrice for the first time, but now, she was a youngdy and taking different lessons including art.


    Yulia chose the art teacher herself for Beatrice. It was Lady Lindel, who was a famous female artist. Women painted as a hobby, and it was rare for a woman to be a professional artist. Bina was aware of Lady Lindel as well, and she was happy for Beatrice to have her as her art teacher. Bina also nned on getting her portrait done by Lady Lindel.


    Like the empress, Lucretius already had a few portraits painted of Bina. One of them was done after her coronation and another one was after Beatrice was born. Both portraits were of very high quality.


    ¡®But they are not my taste.¡¯


    Bina had nevermissioned her own portrait herself.


    Portrait.


    Beforeing to this world, it was not a familiar concept. She always thought of portraits as old fashioned since she had only seen them in history textbooks.


    She wasn¡¯t interested in portraits until recently. She began to think about photo albums she had in Korea. Her family used to look at them together and remember the fun moments of their lives.


    Bina realized she should leave something for her children. She began to feel this way after Liselotte was born. Maybe in ten or twenty years, Bina and Lucretius could also look at the likeness of themselves and reminisce of their younger days.


    ¡®We should also get lots of family paintings as well.¡¯


    She thought it would be a great idea. She could pass the paintings down to her children and perhaps they wouldst many generations.


    ¡®And maybe my descendants will look at my portrait and wonder...¡¯


    Just then, a slight noise came from the nearby crib.


    Bina turned around to see Liselotte who was just waking up from her nap.


    ¡°Hello, Lottie.¡±


    Thankfully, her second child was a calm baby. Beatrice was also a good baby, but because she was her first child, Bina always felt anxious.


    Now that Bina knew better and had some experience, she felt more rxed.


    Beatrice nced at her mother and her sister briefly before returning to her easel. Lady Lindel, who looked nervous, was helping Beatrice learn how to sketch and use paint. It was no wonder she was nervous. It hadn¡¯t been long since Lady Lindel started teaching the royal princess, and this was the first time the empress herself attended the lesson.


    After listening to her teacher attentively, Beatrice asked Lady Lindel, ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I try drawing by myself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Lady Lindel prepared simple objects for the novice painter to draw. She got things like ss bottles and fruits.


    ¡°Now, what would like you to draw, your highness?¡±


    What Beatrice said next was unexpected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to draw those objects.¡±


    ¡°P, pardon?! Then what would like you to draw?¡±


    Princess Beatrice smiled beautifully. ¡°I want to try drawing her highness and my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±

 Chapter 188

    <h4>Chapter 188: <Short stories 9.8></h4>


    Beatrice asked politely, ¡°Your highness, may I draw you holding Lottie right now?¡±


    Bina smiled happily. ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t wait to see the finished product.¡±


    What a smart princess. Lady Lindel and all the maids in the room became expectant.


    After the second princess was born, Lucretius gave Beatrice a separate wing he used to upy as the heir when he was young. This showed that the emperor and the empress had decided that the first princess will be the next ruler of this kingdom.


    There were many concerning rumors. The emperor and the empress were still very young, so it seemed irrational to designate the first princess as the next heir at this point. People were concerned whether a female ruler would be able to sessfully run a kingdom.


    However, those who knew the first princess weren¡¯t worried at all. Princess Beatrice was extremely too mature for her age, and she was incredibly intelligent.


    This was why the maids were excited to see how artistically talented the princess might be.


    Beatrice studied her mother and her sister intensely and started to sketch.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina held her second daughter and stayed still for quite a long time for her first princess. Liselotte was very small, but it was still difficult to hold her for a long time. Bina¡¯s arms and back started to be very ufortable.


    ¡°Beatrice, may I move now?¡±


    A portrait usually took days to finish, so they could begin againter. Beatrice nodded confidently.


    ¡°Yes, your highness. I am almost done with the sketching part.¡±


    ¡°Really? You are very fast.¡±


    Bina handed Liselotte, who was asleep, to the nanny and walked towards Beatrice and Lady Lindel to take a look at Beatrice¡¯s work.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Both Bina and Lady Lindel became speechless. Bina could understand why Lady Lindel couldn¡¯t say anything because they were probably thinking the same thing. Bina realized that her daughter was born at the wrong time in the wrong world. Beatrice should have been born in the 21st century on earth. If she did, perhaps she could have be famous as an abstract artist.


    On the canvas was countless rough lines arranged erratically. Bina smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Y, you¡¯re very good, Beatrice... Is, is this part me?¡±


    Beatrice pouted. ¡°No, that¡¯s the curtain behind you.¡±


    No matter how hard she looked, Bina couldn¡¯t tell between the curtains and herself.


    ¡°Umm, I see...¡±


    Bina smiled awkwardly again. This form of painting was familiar to her. She vaguely remembered the drawings she did when she was younger. Bina herself had no artistic talent and she always got horrible grades in art sses at school.


    Bina felt sad. ¡®... Beatrice sings like her father and draws like me... It¡¯s the worstbination.¡¯


    She remembered when Beatrice took a singing lesson recently. The vocal teacher became pale as she listened to the princess sing.


    ¡°Hmm...!¡±


    Beatrice continued to sketch with her charcoal angrily. She seemed frustrated, most likely because it wasn¡¯t going as she expected. Lady Lindel, who was standing behind the princess, seemed concerned.


    Bina smiled and whispered to her very quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The princess needs to learn the basics of art no matter what, so please continue with the lessons.¡±


    Lady Lindel sighed in relief. She was thankful for this job and was relieved that she would be able to keep it.


    Luckily, music and art lessons were not the most important pieces of training a royal member needed. Studying subjects likenguage, mathematics, and history was the true priority, and thankfully, Beatrice excelled in all of them.


    ¡®I suppose no one can be perfect.¡¯


    Bina patted Beatrice¡¯s head gently. The princess was ring at her work intensely when her mother said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Beatrice.¡±


    ¡°Your highness...¡±


    Beatrice was a smart child and rarely failed at anything. She was also a royal princess, which meant she was surrounded by those whoplimented and praised her constantly.


    Therefore, it seemed normal that Beatrice was very disappointed at her failure. After the recent singing lesson, this was the second time.


    Bina thought this was actually a good thing. Nothing was ever certain, but whether Beatrice became the female ruler or another high ranking female figure, the princess would have to live for the kingdom and its people. To do this well, she had to know what failure felt like.


    Bina consoled her in a light voice.


    ¡°There is no need for you to be perfect at everything. You can order famous artists to paint the portraits and have the professional musicians to perform for you.¡±


    Beatrice was royalty; therefore, she could afford to do all these things. The princess smiled at her mother.


    ¡°Yes, your highness!¡±


    For a moment, Beatrice was angry at her failure, but she seemed to feel better after her mother exined things.


    ***


    After the art lesson, Bina took her two daughters and headed to Lucretius¡¯ office. It was time to have a little family time. Afterward, Beatrice would go back to her own wing, Liselotte to the nanny, and Bina to her own office to work.


    Bina and Lucretius were the busiest couple in the kingdom, but they tried their best to have as much quality family time as possible.


    Liselotte reached out from Bina¡¯s arms as she made various baby sounds.


    Bina ced her down next to Beatrice. Liselotte iled her arms and reached for her older sister as she tried to call her.


    ¡°S, siiisss!¡±


    The baby¡¯s left hand grabbed Beatrice¡¯s long ck hair. Beatrice frowned a little but didn¡¯t move away from her baby sister¡¯s spit-covered hand.


    Liselotte tightly grabbed Beatrice¡¯s hair and wouldn¡¯t let go. Whenever Liselotte found something she liked, she held it for a very long time. For a while, she was obsessed with flowers, so she used to hold it until it withered. The nannies often carefully took the dead flower out from her left hand when she fell asleep.


    Recently, Liselotte became obsessed with her sister¡¯s hair. She grabbed it andughed in satisfaction.


    ¡°Hehehehe...!¡±


    ¡°Phew....¡±


    Beatrice sighed but offered to her mother, ¡°Your highness, I want to hold her.¡±


    ¡°Would you?¡±


    Bina handed her younger daughter to her older child. Beatrice was only a young girl herself, but she was used to holding her baby sister. When she hugged Liselotte, the baby screamed excitedly.


    ¡°Yaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Please be quiet, Lottie.¡±


    Beatrice acted mature as she gently scolded her sister, but Beatrice patted Liselotte¡¯s back lovingly.


    As they approached the emperor¡¯s office, they heard amotion before a familiar figure appeared. Beatrice and Liselotte smiled excitedly.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Faaath...!¡±


    Beatrice walked fast towards him with her sister still in her arms. Lucretius smiled widely.


    ¡°My princesses!¡±


    He lifted both of them.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ***


    It was Lucretius who first noticed it.


    ¡°Lottie is left-handed, right?¡±


    Beatrice was helping her little sister learn how to walk. Now that Bina thought about it, Liselotte always grabbed things with her left hand first.


    Bina replied, ¡°... I think you¡¯re right.¡± Bina became curious. ¡°Do people here also correct left-handed people to learn to use their right hands?¡±


    Lucretius¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°... Oh! You¡¯re left handed too.¡±


    Bina¡¯s eyes widened as well. ¡°What? How do you know that?¡±


    Bina was indeed a lefty, but in Korea, many children were taught to use their right hands as their dominant hands. It was the same for Bina, so eventually, she became ambidextrous. Of course, there were times when she subconsciously reached for things with her left hand, but most people couldn¡¯t tell that she was originally left-handed. Even those who served her for a long time, such as Agnes and Samantha, thought Bina was ambidextrous.


    Bina asked, ¡°Everyone thinks I¡¯m ambidextrous.¡±


    Lucretius nodded and exined, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought at first, but as I continued to study you... I could see the subtle differences.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Lucretius reached out with his right hand while Bina did with her left. They held their hands together as Lucretius continued, ¡°And I can also tell when I hold your hands. You left hand is slightly stronger, so that is how I knew.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Lucretius said proudly, ¡°I know everything about you, and I want to know even more about you. Even if it¡¯s something very small and insignificant.¡±


    Bina smiled gently and hugged him. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you survived before I got here.¡±


    ¡°I have been waiting for you my whole life.¡±


    He hugged her back and kissed her.


    They were surrounded by several maids and their children, but neither of them cared. Old Bina would have been shocked to see herself now, but she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed anymore.


    Beatrice nced at her parents¡¯ public disy of affection before returning to focusing on her little sister. She was used to seeing them like this.


    After a long kiss, they went back to their conversation.


    ¡°So do people here correct left-handiness as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s simr here too.¡±


    Bina started to think hard while looking at Liselotte, who was walking with help from her big sister.


    Bina asked, ¡°What... do you think we should do with Lottie?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    After a short silence, she answered, ¡°I want her to grow up naturally the way she is.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°In my homnd, the new trend is not to force this change to left handed children, and...¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Bina looked down at her two hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s just... I don¡¯t think there is anything wrong with being left handed.¡±


    Lucretius smiled and nodded. ¡°If you think so, I am happy with that.¡±

 Chapter 189 (END)

    <h4>Chapter 189: <Final epilogue: This world¡¯s traveler></h4>


    The history shows that Cransia¡¯s golden period started after Emperor Lucretius the First executed the dowager empress Katleyanira.


    Since his reign, the kingdom became prosperous. The following rulers, starting with Beatrice the First, managed to continue this golden period for the next five generations.


    Beatrice the First.


    It was a peaceful time. The most peaceful ce in the castle was Lonez. The new female ruler Beatrice, who was twenty-three years old, loved her parents dearly and were devoted to them. It had been a year since her parents retired.


    Recently, Beatrice tried to build a small theater in Lonez for her mother who loved operetta. However, former empress Bina refused as the theater would have been only for two people. Bina thought it unnecessary and too wasteful.


    Bina knew how much her daughter loved her, and that was why she didn¡¯t want Beatrice to be bothered with things like this. As the very first female ruler, Beatrice was going through hard times. Beatrice also recently went through the disaster of having to rebel against her useless husband.


    Her now ex-husband Komodus was well known for his ineptness and immoral behaviors, so the public was slowly but surely epting Beatrice as their new ruler. She was, without a doubt, a better choice. However, she still had a long way to go and any mistakes she made would be judged harshly. This was why Bina didn¡¯t want Beatrice to spend any money from the treasury for unnecessary things.


    Besides, Bina was perfectly happy with the way things were. The kingdom was peaceful and both of her children grew up to be fine young women. Bina felt like shecked nothing.


    Bina¡¯s oldest daughter, Beatrice, managed to sessfully be the new ruler of Cransia and she couldn¡¯t be prouder.


    Bina murmured excitedly, ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s time.¡±


    Bina smiled and looked out the window. It was a beautiful sunny day.


    Bina felt a little apologetic to her daughters.


    ¡®Sorry Beatrice and Lottie, but I worked for over 20 years, and I think I deserve to take a break now.¡¯


    Bina and Lucretius had been telling their daughters of their future n since they were in their teens. They might have forgotten about it by now, but Bina felt sure that they would understand.


    Bina returned to her writing the letter she was working on. The cleanly written letter wasn¡¯t in Cransian, but in Korean.


    Even if someone other than her daughters broke the seal, no one would be able to read the letter. In this world, only Bina, her husband, and her two daughters could read thisnguage.


    When Bina first started to teach Korean to her family, she did it because she wanted her family here to learn about her old family back in Korea. However, soon, it was clear that this could be a very useful secret code.


    Bina smiled and wrote thest sentence.


    [... We n on spending our days in Bilenae, so please don¡¯t worry about us. Also, please don¡¯t get angry at your mom and dad for leaving you with all the work of running this kingdom. We worked very hard for the past twenty years, so we think we have done enough.


    ¨C Love, Mom.]


    Bina could imagine what her daughters would look like when they read her letter. She tried not tough out loud.


    Bina felt excited. Today was finally the day they had been waiting for; they had anticipated this day for twenty years! Bina and Lucretius had been working very hard for this day!


    Bina sealed the letter with her seal ring. Then, she took off the ring and left it beside the letter.


    In the letter was also an order to inherit the title of Duchess Bilenae to her second daughter Liselotte. Bina could imagine Lottieining of all the work she now had to do as the Duchess.


    Just then, a man walked in. ¡°Luc!¡±


    Lucretius looked as handsome as ever. Time had dulled nothing in his appearance.


    He was still very much in love. Whenever his green eyes saw his wife, they would fill with love and devotion.


    The time they spent had strengthened their love. No one could evere between them. Their trust in each other was unbreakable.


    Lucretius walked towards Bina. ¡°I¡¯m done packing, Bina.¡±


    Bina nodded and stood up. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m done with my letter as well.¡±


    Lucretius smiled at Bina¡¯s seal ring that was left on the table. The ring was what he used to propose to Bina.


    The ring and the colony renamed Bilenae. These were gifts from Lucretius with hopes that Bina would know how he felt about her.


    His dream came true. Now, the ring was no longer on Bina¡¯s hand, but Lucretius didn¡¯t feel anxious at all. He also no longer reached out for Bina desperately whenever he woke up from his sleep. He felt rxed and reassured that Bina would never leave him.


    They walked towards each other like mas. Both remembered the day they first met. In that cruel and unfortunate situation, Lucretius offered his hand and Bina took it. He wasn¡¯t perfect then. He was young, cold, and had many scars.


    However, she took his hand time after time. In the end, she chose him.


    Lucretius smiled gently and asked, ¡°Should we go now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    They were dressed very simply. No one would think they were the former emperor and the empress. They wore hoods and cloaks to blend in with the average Cransians.


    Lucretius looked excited. ¡°I know we¡¯ll go to Bilenae, but where should we go after?¡±


    Bina also looked eager. She felt like she was a teenager again.


    ¡°There are so many ces I want to see. First... I want to see the ocean! I have never seen one in this world. I wonder if it looks the same as the ones in my world.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Desert. I have never seen one even in my homnd. I want to see it with my own eyes.¡±


    Bina leaned against her husband and they walked slowly together.


    She asked, ¡°What do you want to see, Luc?¡±


    He whispered, ¡°I want to see you seeing this world¡¯s ocean for the first time. I also want to see you be surprised to see the desert for the first time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bina became teary. Lucretius kissed her lightly and opened the door. No one followed them as they left. It was finally just the two of them and no one else.


    Behind them were the sealed letter and the seal ring. The sunlight shined brightly on them.


    The End


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!