Chapter 37 – I’ll Use You Too
‘Are you studying the art of seduction now–’
Kaien’s words were so provocative that she couldn’t help but choke inwardly thinking so. Gloria’s mind went dizzy at his action as he kept his body closer to her with a relaxed smile.
‘Why do you sound like some playboy male lead in a romance novel? Are you learning from your sister?’ All sorts of speculation filled Gloria’s head. Those lines were often heard from Erun, but they sounded merely like words of courtesy to a Lady. That was why she thought she had no interest nor was she affected by those sorts of things but…
‘It’s just that I’ve never experienced anything like this before.’ Gloria cried inwardly as she met Kaien’s deep gaze as he kissed her ring finger.
‘This man. He’s hell for real. In a different sense- but he’s hell itself!’
And what Kaien and Gloria looked like…
“Unbelievable.”
Erun had completely disappeared for the two of them and muttered full of indignation.
* * *
After that day, Erun was ordered to stay in his manor for daring to touch the emperor’s royal body. Although Gloria wanted to punish him with a death sentence using that as an excuse.
“If I do that, I’ll be labeled a vicious tyrant. What good will it do?”
Gloria murmured as she skimmed through the papers in front of her. As Erun, who took care of state affairs as a regent, was ‘self-reflecting’ at home, Gloria was the only person who could take care of everything.
After removing Erun, Kaien held out some papers and said.
“I didn’t know you’d write a letter to the heads of each newspaper.”
“They have been wielding their pens recklessly for their own benefit, so I should benefit, too.”
Gloria smiled as she answered.
‘Until now, they have been ignoring me and writing articles as they please, so shouldn’t I get some of the profits too?’ Gloria raised the corners of her mouth, thinking of the heads of each newspaper, who by now would be sweating profusely. Even if the freedom of the press was guaranteed to some extent, Gloria was still the emperor of the empire. In short, if Gloria wanted to, it would not be a problem for her to capture and execute all newspapers that had mocked her honor and the imperial family. They must have never dreamed that the puppet emperor, who they thought was just like a flower in the garden, would turn out to be a lioness. The contents of the letter were precise and well written– [If you don’t listen to me carefully, I’ll sue you for contempt of the imperial family, insults, and defamation. If you have the confidence to win in court, try it.]
Kaien spoke in a worried tone as Gloria blinked to erase her tiredness.
“Please take a break. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“It’s okay.”
At Kaien’s urging, Gloria shook her head. A vigilant look began to form on her tired face. After Erun’s gruesome poisoning, Gloria’s personality changed considerably. She used to be like a flower in a glass, protected and incapable of expressing her opinion properly, and now had become fierce as if to bite to death anyone who invaded her territory. As she regretted her past and blamed herself for her foolishness, her round heart began to grow edges like a sharp blade. And as time went by… it only grew stronger. Gloria opened her mouth and spoke in a business-like tone.
“I’ll take care of my work, Duke. I don’t want to leave my work to others.”
“I apologize.”
At the clear line, Kaien took a step back as he apologized. He knew her well and couldn’t bear to say anything else.
‘I’m just a tool.’ Full of melancholy, Kaien looked at Gloria, who began to focus on her paperwork again. Her precious hair, which used to fall graciously as a token of her innocence, was pulled back to not be a disruption. In the empire, only wives would put their hair up, but she, who was still to be wed, did it regardless.
He recalled Erun, who just stared at her blankly as she tried to cut it off with scissors. Likewise, Baroness Bern and Diana, who weren’t aware of Gloria’s circumstances before the return, grabbed her and tried to stop her with all their might. Cutting her hair short meant she would remain unmarried, and no one in the country wanted Gloria to be single for the rest of her life.
As Diana said ‘If Your Majesty cuts it, I will cut mine, too.’ They eventually came to the agreement of putting her hair up. And then, people unaware of such circumstances began to babble about the emperor’s changed hairstyle.
“Why is Her Majesty the Emperor arranging her hair like other wives? Did she already secretly marry Duke Ludenberg?”
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“No way! The duke must be a fleeting thing. The marriage with the Marquis is just around the corner, so isn’t it that she’s preparing?”
“I can’t say. The Marquis was ordered to stay at home for self-reflection! That means no marriage, and they might break the engagement!”
“What do you mean break their engagement? Oh my gosh!”
Kaien heard the gossip through his aides and could not smile at all. Even though he felt good that Erun and Gloria’s engagement was almost dissolved, it was clear that other men would rush toward her trying to take his place. Of course, Kaien planned to do whatever it took to get rid of anyone who dared to try to hold Gloria, thus, he didn’t bother mentioning it to her. He didn’t want to burden her with useless problems as she was already struggling with state affairs.
Kaien looked down at the small head in front of him. His eyes caught her as Gloria struggled to get rid of her trashy fiancé. In his heart, he wanted to take half of the paperwork piled next to her and get rid of it, but Kaien decided to change the subject, knowing that it wouldn’t be of help at all.
“Your Majesty and I will be all over the newspapers tomorrow.”
“That’s right. I requested the front page be decorated with a provocative article if possible.”
“Are you alright?”
“Of course, Duke. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” Gloria answered with a deep smile. That smile was beautiful, but it didn’t have any affection. Seeing that smile, Kaien’s fingertips twitched involuntarily. He knew that Gloria thought of him as ‘a means to get rid of Erun.’ In the first place, he himself had joined hands with Gloria for Diana’s safety. But–
‘I didn’t want to hold hands like this.’ He looked at her bitterly. He was in a rush to protect the Duchy and had no time to spare. He did not dare reach out to Gloria. Because she was the noblest flower of all. Unlike Kaien, who could not approach her first even in this situation, Gloria had held out her hand first, soaked in poison and vengeance.
“Ah!” Gloria, unaware of Kaien’s deepened gaze, exclaimed, opened the desk drawer, and held in her hand a thin but important-looking envelope.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
When Kaien, who had inadvertently received what she was offering, asked, Gloria replied in a light voice, as if nothing had happened. It seemed as insignificant as delivering a daily letter, but for some reason, she didn’t look at him directly. She fixed her gaze on the paperwork, focusing on the rustling sound. Since the final documents had been organized, she would be finished soon but she didn’t take her eyes off the papers, as if reading something serious. She looked clearly nervous. Kaien instinctively sensed that such Gloria was unusual, and quickly opened the envelope.
A thread as red as Gloria’s hair seemed to show how important the papers in the envelope were. Eventually, he opened it and took out what was inside. One or two sheets of white paper with clear black letters.
“…”
Kaien was about to take out the papers and read them, then stiffened at the first sentence. Conscious of him rummaging through the official documents for no reason, Gloria spoke,
“If possible, wouldn’t it be better to be clear? It’s better not to complicate things. I don’t like it and neither do you.”
“…”
As Gloria spoke, Kaien’s face began to harden. The document was none other than Gloria and Kaien’s ‘Marriage Contract.’ The title ‘Marriage Contract,’ written in black at the top center of the document, made Kaien’s mood sink. Gloria’s heart pounded as she heard the sound of paper being crumpled. That clear sound made her speak again.
“We aren’t so naive to believe in a verbal contract, right? You use me for Diana, and I use you to get rid of Erun. As long as we have a clear goal, I want to make sure that there are no misunderstandings.”
“Then you wrote something like this?”
“I beg your pardon?”
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Gloria’s hasty explanation made Kaien ask coolly in return. His voice was so somber that she could tell how angry he was. Gloria, shaken by his harsh words and actions, frowned and looked fiercely at him.
She spoke sharply, facing his vicious stare as he crushed the documents.
“Something like this? It’s not like we can believe in a verbal contract, can we? You’re planning to go abroad with Diana after we get rid of Erun, aren’t you? How long do you think it can last? And considering the succession to the Duchy, you have to get a divorce.”
Gloria tightened the grip on the pen in her hand as she tried to clear her confused mind.
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