Chapter 16 – A Peculiar Rumor About Them
“…!”
At Kaien’s declaration, Gloria widened her eyes, and her jaw dropped. It was the answer she wanted so much, but she never thought he would give her that desired response. Looking at her surprised expression, Kaien spoke again with a mischievous smile on his lips.
“Now that I have given you the answer you were looking for, this makes it perfect for each of us.”
“What?”
Kaien slowly rose, his image reflected in the trembling blue eyes staring at him. Yet, he didn’t release the hand he was holding but half-closed his eyes and spoke with an odd satisfaction in his voice.
“You said you’d give me anything I want, didn’t you? Then, Her Majesty is mine now.”
“Ho- however you… you hate me, right?”
Anxious, Gloria looked at him and asked.
‘Why is this man, who looked at me as if he hated me until yesterday, talking in such a manner?’ His eyes seemed to say he couldn’t understand the meaning of her question, so Gloria repeated again,
“It wasn’t like that when we were young, but after I was engaged to Erun you avoided me and frowned every time we met.”
“That–”
“Of course, I’m happy the Duke is willing to cooperate, but this answer is too unexpected. Until yesterday you were talking about leaving this country and abandoning your household and honor just for Diana, right?”
Hearing her confused questions Kaien remained silent. He was the man who said he would leave the country even if he had to run away with his younger sister. He was the man who shouted his resentment toward the Emperor. ‘Then why?’ Gloria wanted to hear an answer and yet, she felt anxious. Doubts crept into her heart that even this person might stab her in the back later.
“Your Majesty.”
Gazing silently at the anxious and distrustful Emperor’s eyes, Kaien spoke again. But instead of answering, Gloria just looked at him while trembling. Did he feel sorry for her? Kaien raised his hand and tucked a strand of her disheveled red hair behind Gloria’s ear. Her eyes widened feeling the soft touch, unlike his hard fingertips. Facing her, Kaien slowly opened his mouth in a dark, subdued voice.
“I hated you.”
“…”
Hearing such honest words, Gloria shivered. Wrapping his hands around her shoulders, he continued speaking.
“If you chose Erun, you’d rather be happy. Why do you always appear before my eyes making me go crazy?”
“What do you…”
Hearing him full of contempt and pain from the past, Gloria couldn’t finish speaking. Because Kaien’s face before her was full of regret.
“…”
She couldn’t say anything. Seeing her bite her lip, Kaien kept talking with a self-mocking smile.
“The price of shutting my mouth knowingly was exorbitant, and I cowardly blamed you, lamenting my misfortune and despair…”
“…”
“It’s all my fault.”
Gloria’s face distorted witnessing Kaien slowly bowing his head.
He still remembered it. He had tried to run to his younger sister as she fell powerlessly like a withered petal. His face showed anguish that penetrated the soul, as if the world was collapsing. But that lasted for just a moment. When the air pierced his lungs and he opened his eyes again, he was back in the past. Diana was alive and his enemy was like a black beast. And… He returned to the time before such a man had ensnared her. As he encountered Gloria in Erun’s grasp, Kaien felt his heart burn darkly. At the same time, he resented Emperor Gloria.
He knew. Kaien was well aware of how cowardly he was when he came to tell her now. He should have defended the Emperor by pushing out Erun, who had contrived to become regent using all kinds of schemes. He should have been by Gloria’s side as she was driven by beasts and suffered from the crown of thorns on her head. Gloria was the only descendant of the Royal Family, yet couldn’t act her part as the Imperial Princess for reasons unknown at the time, and he should have aided her to become a monarch who would have gone down in history. However,
‘I didn’t do it.’ Kaien clenched his fists and his expression twisted. It was he who left Gloria alone on the battlefield, but a murderous rage from the past surged when he remembered himself shouting and hating Gloria. Like an idiotic jerk, his face was filled with pain and regret. Seeing him like that, Gloria stretched out her hand involuntarily.
“Your Majesty?”
Perhaps surprised to feel that white hand on his fist clenched strongly enough to make his knuckles white, Kaien’s eyes widened. Gloria smiled when she saw that a bit of light had entered his purple eyes, which had been filled with deep despair. There was no need for an apology now. Things had already happened, and the chance to change the future has come to those who once endured a tragic death. An opportunity that came after offering — Gloria raised one corner of her mouth and whispered as if telling a secret.
“Then… we’re in the same boat, Duke.”
Even at this time, that damn fiancé must be moving his ‘Desire’ on the chessboard. Gloria had decided it would be more beneficial to remove the main culprit instead of issuing an apology, stared at Kaien and said.
“Now, I won’t tolerate it if you desert me, Duke.”
Afraid that Kaien would change his mind and run away, Gloria clasped his hands tightly. Hands small enough to cover with one hand of his, he could even hold them with his fingers.
“Pfthahaha.”
Kaien started to laugh. Startled by the bright laugh that she had never heard even as a child, Gloria’s eyes widened. Laughing at her action of holding his hands just in case she could detain him, Kaien opened his mouth to correct her fear.
“I’m sure you know, but once again, it’s Gukseo, not Empress, Your Majesty!”
“I’ll say Empress, who will refuse? Just accept it.”
“It’s Gukseo, Your Majesty.”
“If the Emperor says it’s Empress, then it’s Empress! If I say it’s a dog, it’s a dog! No counter is allowed, Duke!”
Gloria released his hand and calmly said in a solemn voice. Seeing her exhibit the dignity of a monarch in each word and action, Kaien frowned and asked,
“Are you thinking of becoming a tyrant after the return?”
“That’s not bad either.”
Holding her chin in her hand, Gloria briefly pondered before answering his question. Imagining her not as a good monarch but as a tyrant laughing like a madman made Kaien shake his head. It was something he never wanted to imagine.
“Anyway, Empress is a no, Your Majesty,” Kaien said, speaking with a sigh. But Gloria pretended not to hear him.
“Empress!”
“Gukseo.”
“Are you defying your Emperor, Duke?”
“Don’t speak with dignity only at times like this.”
Far from succumbing to Gloria’s stern voice, Kaien coldly refused. The two of them arguing over such an absurd title suddenly had warm smiles on their faces.
The past when Gloria Blake Vierant celebrated her 18th birthday. At that time, nobles and bureaucrats paid attention as to who would marry the Imperial Princess; Marquis Erun Lebossi, or Duke Kaien Ludenberg.
“…”
In fact, no one was curious about the thoughts of Princess Gloria.
“…”
She gripped the bouquet she received as a birthday present.
A few days after the two met, strange rumors began to circulate through the Imperial Palace. Kaien and Gloria had a secret meeting. Those who heard the rumors laughed or shook their heads and turned away as if it was not worth hearing anymore, but as time went on, the nobles began to notice the visible relationship between the two. Kaien Ludenberg had never met the Emperor except for official duties. For that reason, he had never asked for a solo meeting and had kept his distance from Gloria to the point of it being disconcerting to see him suddenly getting close to her. Everyone started to run their mouths, following with sparkling eyes the movements of the two.
“They both visited Her Majesty, has that ever happened before?”
“Didn’t the late Emperor pair her with the Marquis? There’s no way Her Majesty would act against his will.”
A noble waved his hand and answered as if it were ridiculous. But the other party refuted him with a serious tone.
“You don’t know that! Didn’t you hear that Her Majesty hit the Marquis recently?”
“It must have been spread by those who intended to cause harm. Do you think it makes sense? Her Majesty. She’s a foolish Princess who couldn’t even be recognized as Crown Princess by the late Emperor.”
The other person hurriedly spoke out as if he believed such rumors.
“It’s not that. Someone saw the Marquis’ face that day. His swollen cheeks…”
“Hooo…”
It was not specific, but the mere fact that someone said they saw that only reinforced the rumor of discord between the Marquis and the Emperor. When the power structure they thought would never change suddenly shook, they swallowed and began to roil their brain cells. Since she had never shown any signs of disliking or rejecting Erun, they believed the Imperial marriage would go smoothly!
The news, of course, reached Erun’s ears.
Clang!
“Kaien, you damn bastard!”
“Ma- Marquis, please calm down!”
“Do I look like I’m going to calm down?”
Erun’s normally friendly and smiling face was filled with anger and humiliation.
‘He’s a person who never gets mad but I guess he couldn’t stand the news.’ The nobleman who had regularly visited Erun and reported every move was startled, but inside he clicked his tongue.
Erun threw the teacup he was holding and slammed the table with his fists while inevitably grinding his teeth.
‘Kaien Ludenberg!!!’
His green eyes were filled with hatred.