Chapter 86 – Desires (2)
Translator: Lunarise
Editor: Larkspur
“Wine is sweeter when drunk at night. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes, of course.”
Anne sat very close to Ivan. He had his arm around her waist, but his gaze was turned towards Viola. Viola could tell that Anne liked Ivan. The reason she had sat alone at the last party was that Ivan hadn’t been there.
Grand Duke Ivan was the one who would become the Emperor of the Arpen Empire if the crown prince were to die somehow. At the center of people in power, there is always someone who wants to use that power. Just like Viola herself… and Anne was no different.
“Grand Duke Ivan, have you heard the news about Guinev?”
“Ah, about Princess Guinev. Yes. I heard that the Emperor hid her away. I wonder where she is.”
“Please say what you told me before.”
“Oh, is it okay to say it in front of so many people?”
“Certainly.”
Those present were in the same situation. They were all curious to hear any news about Guinev, who had been taken hostage and then disappeared. Ivan acted as if he knew something but didn’t reveal easily. At the moment he was just opening his mouth to speak, when suddenly came a loud noise from outside and an unexpected person entered.
Everyone was startled and stood up quickly. It was the empress.
The empress walked over to Viola, took a cup from someone’s hand, then poured little by little wine onto Viola’s face. It was shocking. One of the princesses gasped, then dropped their gaze to the floor, trembling.
“Your Imperial Majesty!”
“Be quiet.”
Before Ivan was able to intervene, the empress commanded one of her servants to wipe the makeup off of Viola’s face. It only took a moment for the makeup to be removed from the wine-stained face. Exclamations rose in the air. When Viola’s face was revealed, the Empress laughed dryly.
“Did you think no one would know, just because you hid your face? No matter how much Lustian wants you, you won’t become Crown Princess of this empire.”
Viola brushed the wet hair away from her face. She looked straight into the eyes of the empress.
“You can calm down. I have no intention of becoming Crown Princess.”
It was more important to reassure the empress than to calm the shocks of those present at this sudden revelation of her true identity.
The empress’s eyes were ablaze with fury. It seemed like she immediately wanted to have Viola captured and beaten to within an inch of her life. The crime of purposefully concealing her identity to try to escape the final test… She intended to cover that crime with the single act of pouring wine upon her face.
Inwardly, Viola laughed bitterly. The reason the empress didn’t push her any further was that she had Lustian on her side. She was using Lustian’s affection for her as a protective shield. Her heart hurt, and her insides writhed in disgust. To deceive him, to use him, to use his affection as a shield…
Every time her heart wavered because of him, Viola forced herself to recall Edward’s death. Now was no different.
“Fine, let’s see how long you can keep that mindset. And don’t bother disguising yourself anymore in the future.”
Spitting out the words full of poison, the empress turned around. There was a sense of breathtaking tension. As Ivan brought out a handkerchief and attempted to wipe Viola’s face, Anne’s stinging gaze was upon her.
“Well done. If you were to talk back to her, you would have only caused more problems for yourself.”
Her hair and face were covered with wine. As Rosha and the other startled maids started to wipe her hair, Ivan raised his hand for them to stop. Just as he was about to reach for her hair again, Lustian immediately appeared. With a quick glance around the messy banquet hall, he approached Viola and pulled her into an embrace. Her shoulders trembled as he hugged her tightly.
“I… apologize in her stead.”
“——”
She suddenly felt like she wanted to cry. He was apologizing to her on behalf of his own mother, but something else was hurting her more.
I should hate this man… This man is really… He’s a man I should hate… But how can I leave this place when my heart is so vulnerable to him?
“Viola—”
When he called her name so lovingly, her tears threatened to flow. Viola opened her eyes wide to hold them back. Suddenly, her eyes met Ivan’s who was standing in front of her. His eyes were cold. As Lustian hugged Viola more tightly, his expression turned darker.
Everyone cleared out of the room. Ivan left as well leaving just the two in the banquet hall. Only then did Lustian pull away from her. He caressed her wet hair, then her face, one after another. And as if his feelings were overwhelming him, he whispered quietly to Viola.
“I promise you. I will surely make you royalty. You’ll become nobler than anyone else so that no one can treat you badly… Just wait a little bit longer, Viola.”
Her heart twisted in her chest. She wanted to tell him, again and again, that she didn’t need such a thing.
I am the one that will leave, and you are the one that will remain here…
If I were to want you, then I would have to forsake Edward’s dream and stay here…
But… But… It felt so good.
At this moment, she missed his lips so much that she didn’t want to think about anything else.
“Then kiss me.”
Had she gone mad?
Viola had never thought there would come a day when she herself wanted him to kiss her. But in order to relieve this miserable feeling, his kiss was the only medicine. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and he looked at her as if he couldn’t believe it.
The splendid smile that spread across his lips was so beautiful that it could make her cry. Their lips met. And quickly, his tongue entered into her mouth. Viola made way and responded to his kiss. Gradually, their breathing became faster and their kiss deepened. All anxieties and worries seemed to disappear.
When they kissed and made love like this…
Let’s just put everything down for a while… and become honest with each other…