Chapter 12 – Ex-husband’s Visit
‘My power is limited right now.’
Sitting in the room next to her bedroom, Gloria folded the newspaper and recalled the names of noble officials from her memory. Some people supported her because of the late Emperor, but she was blocked by Erun and could not approach them properly. It was a sign of how messed up the country was.
‘How dare they be loyal to the Gukseo instead of the Emperor!’
Besides, Kaien was too busy contemplating sending his little sister abroad and far from helping, so it was clear that she wouldn’t care about state affairs.
‘There is no answer.’
Gloria glanced at Diana, who had begun talking to Baroness Berne about sheep’s heads. She thought Kaien would send a reply whether he would cooperate or not through Diana since she conveyed her intentions quite clearly.
‘For someone who declared he wanted me, you’re pretty quiet.’
Annoyed for no reason, Gloria threw the tabloid on the table. She gave up her pride and everything. She desperately proposed to him to get rid of Erun, but she was frustrated when she didn’t get an answer.
Berne and Diana were puzzled by Gloria’s sudden upset appearance, but she crossed her legs and closed her eyes.
‘You’re a bad person too, Kaien Ludenberg.’
Gloria blamed Kaien for not giving her an answer quickly, and as soon as she closed her eyes the events of the previous night flashed in her mind.
His black hair scattered and her hand touched his cheek softly. She also remembered clearly the words she spoke when she locked him with her arms.
“Marry me, Kaien. I’ll give you anything you want.”
“Anything?”
The deep smile drawn on the lips of the alluring man flickered in her eyes. The narrowed amethyst eyes that scanned her face gave off a dangerous aura, but she did not back down and persevered.
“Then, will you give me your body and heart?”
His strangely hot breath and his deep, low-pitched voice that had made her heart pound still lingered in her mind, tickling her.
The careful touch when he gently tucked her red hair behind her ear…
Kaien’s touch and hot breath tickled her heart.
Slowly, the amethyst eyes, which seemed to bind her and draw her, made her mind hazy like the night sky with numerous stars floating.
“If that’s what you wish.”
Gloria unconsciously responded to Kaien’s words that made her heart pound. Having already been married once, she knew what Kaien meant. But that was good enough if she could… with Kaien…
“Your Majesty?”
“O-oh?”
Lost in intense thoughts about Kaien, Gloria was startled by Berne’s voice. When she turned her attention, Gloria’s spirit sank at the sight of the two women looking at her with serious expressions.
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
“Are you okay?”
“Ah?”
As she smiled awkwardly and asked the reason for their expression, Diana hurried over and put her hand on her forehead, asking.
‘If I’m okay? What-‘
Gloria looked up at Berne, puzzled by Diana’s sudden temperature check. After telling the nearby court lady to call a physician and bring a cold towel, Berne said to Gloria.
“Your Majesty’s face is so red! Oh goodness!! Even the back of your hands!”
“Your Majesty, you seem to have a fever. I’ll send the Marquis back, so lie down and rest.”
“Is…my face…red?”
Gloria was even more dumbfounded by Berne’s fuss and Diana’s serious remarks. Confused as to why her skin had turned red, she immediately realized the cause.
“…!”
Gloria’s face, neck, and ears had turned red and began to turn even redder, and suddenly, she jumped up from her seat and ran into the bedroom as if running away.
“Your Majesty?”
“Your Majesty!”
Diana and Berne, startled by her actions, called her, but Gloria slammed the bedroom door. With the door closed, she collapsed on the ground holding her head.
‘You stupid idiot. What are you thinking right now!!!’
Gloria let out a silent scream, ripped her hair out, and slammed her fist on the floor.
‘Why do I think of Kaien’s smile in this situation?’
“Then, will you give me your body and heart?”
“If that’s what you wish.”
“Ahhh–!!!”
Above all, Gloria was madly ashamed of herself for accepting even though she knew it was Kaien’s blatant harassment and lay down on the carpet.
Knock, knock.
“Your Majesty? Are you okay?”
“I’ll call the physician right now, Your Majesty.”
They were making a fuss outside without knowing Her Majesty was rolling around the floor in shame and punching her head.
Nevertheless, Gloria was relieved by their respectful behavior by not opening her bedroom door recklessly.
The only thing she could see was the beautiful appearance of the archangel Gabriel painted in the ceiling.
“That face is the problem.”
Yeah…
Gloria pressed her palms into her eyes and began to struggle to dismiss Kaien’s face from her mind.
Erun had recklessly requested an audience with Gloria’s favorite Madeleine and white lilies as gifts and now frowned as if worried.
“She must not be feeling very well.”
“Yes.”
Erun thought it might be an excuse after her suspicious behavior the day before but bit his tongue at Diana’s sober answer. Seeing Baroness Berne by her side, her face looking more haunted than Diana’s, Erun was even more upset.
‘Looks like the woman needs a lot of care.’
He glanced at the ribboned box and the bouquet with a fierce smile. Diana took a deep breath and said in a voice full of concern.
“She wasn’t feeling well in the morning, but her face turned red suddenly and feverish… it’ll be better if you go back for today, Marquis.”
“I’m really worried. Can’t I really see her?”
‘Screw her!’ Cursing inside, Erun asked Diana and Baroness Berne alternately with an earnest face. How could they send him home, when he visited Gloria with her favorite snacks and flowers? How could they reject his heart just because she was sick?
Diana and Berne felt weak at such pitiful sight of Erun but recalled Gloria’s appearance in the bedroom.
With a thermometer in her mouth and an ice pack on her forehead, Gloria’s face suddenly began to radiate heat. The physician did not know what to do and wiped the sweat from his forehead. It repeated it so many times that Gloria couldn’t help but desperately cover her face with both hands.
“Today, don’t come into my room until I call you.”
Finally, Gloria covered her face with the ice pack placed on her forehead and gave orders to everyone.
Diana, a long-time companion, could not ignore the Emperor’s strict order not to enter the bedroom no matter who visited.
Diana and Berne’s flustered appearance filled Erun with frustration.
‘Gloria–!’ Erun’s green eyes glared in the direction of the Emperor’s bedroom and shouted her name inwardly.
His face distorted with anger and frustration that his plan had gone wrong.
Gloria’s body was hurt.
Receiving a letter from Diana’s servant, Kaien still had a calm expression on his face, but it seemed that he was not in a good mood as his eyes twitched slightly.
The content of the letter was simple.
[Her Majesty’s fever rises and falls repeatedly, so if you have any good medicines, please send them.]
It was a short message, but Kaien’s mood gradually began to subside.
Tap, tap, tap.
His index finger slowly knocked on the desk.
‘Should I scold my sister for her thoughtless behavior of writing down the Emperor’s condition in a regular letter? Or…
Should I be angry that you’re sick?’
Tap. Kaien’s hand stopped.
With their master’s unusual behavior, the butler and the servant who brought the letter were a little nervous.
Oblivious to their concern, Kaien folded the letter, but his expression was not good.
‘It’s a natural result since you were caught in the rain like that and then sneaked out of the Palace late at night.’
Foolish woman. Kaien was frustrated by why she moved like that when she had such a weak body.
Imagining her lying in bed with a pained expression on her beautiful face, anger rose for no reason.
“Master?”
The butler cautiously called Kaien, who was showing discomfort after reading the letter.
Instead of answering, Kaien got up from his chair and burned the letter with a candle. He looked at the charred note for a moment and then poked it into a glass bottle nearby and said,
“I should enter the palace right away.”
“Yes, I’ll get everything ready right away.”
At his words, the servant bowed and quickly left the room. Seeing his master troubled, the butler asked,
“Do you need anything else?”
“…No.”
After a short silence, Kaien answered. Seeing him grimacing and contemplating, the middle-aged butler began to weigh possibilities as the incongruous appearance of his master who claimed to need nothing made him uneasy.
Eventually, Kaien shook his hand and sent the butler out of the room.
“Damn. What am I doing?”
Rough words flowed from the handsome man’s thin lips. Sweeping his black hair back in frustration, Kaien looked up at the sky outside the window.
After a cloudless winter, spring awakened the sleeping earth.
‘Why did I come back in time for this spring rather than any other time?’
And…
“What did you pay for your return?”
Kaien sighed deeply and muttered. They both had been betrayed by Erun, but it was Gloria who showed a big change after returning.
The lady who used to hold teacups and flowers was now holding pens and swords…
“You’ve changed a lot.”
Kaien muttered in a low, subdued voice.