The tour report can be delivered in writing. Today, I have summoned both of you to ask something.”
The Emperor gestured for them to sit and stroked his chin.
Once they were seated opposite the throne, the Emperor got straight to the point.
“What do you think about moving the engagement date forward?”
Caius, who had been looking at the Emperor with a blank expression, asked respectfully.
“May I ask the reason?”
“Is there any need to delay something already decided? Now that the tour is over, formalizing the engagement sooner will also strengthen your position.”
Caius’s expression momentarily shifted, but he quickly nodded without much hesitation.
“If the Brisha family agrees, we will proceed as you wish, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor nodded leisurely. Soon, a servant brought in a tea set and poured tea for them.
The Emperor lifted his teacup and turned to Isabella with the same question.
“Isabella, what do you think?”
Isabella, who had been listening quietly, answered with a graceful smile.
“I would like to follow Your Majesty’s wishes. My father will surely be pleased as well.”
“Yes, he would.”
The Emperor couldn’t hide his satisfied smile as he looked at the two of them sitting together.
He had thought he would have to marry Caius off to a hostage, but now he couldn’t be more pleased with how things had turned out.
His son had once defied him by proposing marriage to a hostage and even went off to war, but now things had changed.
The Emperor was even considering hastening the marriage after the engagement.
“Moving the date doesn’t mean the ceremony will be any less grand. Don’t worry about that.”
“Oh, Your Majesty, I could never feel slighted. I’m just happy you’re considering my feelings.”
The Emperor seemed pleased with Isabella’s response and laughed heartily.
Caius, detached from their pleasant conversation, focused on his tea.
As he tried to push away the sinking feeling, the image of a woman lying on a bed flashed through his mind.
The memory of her lavender-like scent, almost intoxicating, softened his stern expression. His eyes momentarily darkened.
It wasn’t appropriate to think about another woman with his fiancée beside him, but Caius didn’t care.
All he wanted was to end this long, tedious time and see her again.
“Your Highness, may I ask you something?”
As they left the Emperor’s presence, Isabella, formally escorted by Caius, looked up at him.
Standing in front of the carriage, Isabella met his expressionless gaze and asked casually.
“Do you plan to keep Princess Ainel by your side?”
Caius slowly blinked before answering without hesitation.
“Yes.”
His firm answer made Isabella’s composed expression falter slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Do you still love her?”
Isabella scrutinized him with a clear, probing gaze. Once again, he showed no sign of hesitation. He merely looked down at her with an unchanged expression.
But for some reason, he remained silent for a long time. Isabella, aware that silence could sometimes be an affirmation, gave a crooked smile.
“Love or not, you must have a reason to keep her by your side, right?”
“What is it you want to say?”
Caius asked indifferently, sensing she had something else she wanted to express.
Isabella masked her true feelings with a bright smile.
“I was just curious. She was your fiancée for three years, after all. It’s only natural to wonder about her future.”
From the beginning, Isabella had a sense that this man would not simply keep the hostage at arm’s length.
She had never forgotten the faint madness in his eyes when he looked at the hostage.
She remained convinced that someday, this could bring trouble, jeopardizing her position.
“I have no intention of interfering with your decisions. If she can fulfill what I can’t, that’s actually a good thing.”
Isabella answered with a calm demeanor, hiding her complex feelings.
“So, if you plan to keep her as your mistress, could you perhaps share some authority over her with me?”
“Authority?”
His voice had a chilling edge, but Isabella continued undeterred.
“Authority is just a word. I mean, let’s maintain a close relationship. Just because she’s a mistress doesn’t mean we have to hate each other, right?”
Even if there was no need for hatred, keeping her close would allow her to undermine the woman’s confidence. She couldn’t tolerate her former fiancée rising above her.
Moreover, if the woman was out of sight, problems couldn’t be prevented before they arose.
Since it seemed impossible to persuade or negotiate with him, Isabella decided it was better to take action concerning the hostage herself.
“I promise to respect her. So…”
“Lady Isabella.”
Caius interrupted her with a chilling voice. Startled by his change in demeanor, Isabella looked up.
With an expression that seemed to understand her true intentions, he warned her coldly.
“Whatever you do, it would be wise not to touch her.”
“…What?”
“She is under my care, so it would be best if you didn’t concern yourself with her at all.”
Isabella had to look up at him with a stunned expression.
As she slowly processed his words, her lips began to twitch with mild humiliation.
She hadn’t said she hated the woman. She hadn’t asked for her to be removed. She had even suggested maintaining a friendly relationship.
But this stern response?
Isabella clenched her fist, struggling to suppress a sneer.
At that moment, Caius’s gaze was not just firm but cold. It was hard to believe this was the face he showed to his soon-to-be fiancée.
She had a feeling that if she mentioned the hostage again, those cold eyes would turn dangerously fierce.
“…It seems I overstepped. I will refrain from speaking about her in the future.”
Isabella suppressed her rising anger and forced a smile.
But it was not enough to calm the turmoil within her.
She knew from the beginning that their relationship was strictly strategic and that there was a clear line between them.
But now it seemed less like a line and more like a solid wall.
As Isabella climbed into the carriage, he turned away coldly, as if his duty was done.
Her eyes glinted sharply as she watched his decisive retreating figure.
* * *
In the depth of night, Leah stood on the balcony, wrapped in the biting night wind.
It was so cold her fingertips turned white, but the temperature was good for clearing her troubled mind.
A small sigh escaped her lips, her breath visible in the air. Gazing somewhere beyond, Leah gripped the railing.
She closed her eyes, trying to think of nothing, and soon her mind began to empty.
“Are you planning to freeze to death?”
The familiar voice shattered Leah’s calm. She slowly turned her head to see Caius leaning against the balcony door.
“…Caius.”
She knew he had gone on a tour of the territories, but she didn’t know when he would return.
Just like a week before he left, when he had suddenly visited her at unpredictable times, Caius appeared without warning and scattered her thoughts once more.
He approached her in long strides and leaned against the railing, looking at her askew.
“What have you been doing?”
The nonchalant question was a bit absurd, but Leah turned her head in resignation.
“You know. I haven’t been able to do anything.”
He was the one who didn’t allow her to go out to the garden, so she couldn’t understand why he asked such things.
With Sofia gone, thanks to his orders, Leah was completely alone and even more restricted.
“So, are you angry?”
His voice softened slightly, which made Leah’s heart ache more.
When Leah answered with silence, Caius wasted no time pulling her by the waist.
“That’s unfortunate.”
In a voice that didn’t sound unfortunate at all, Caius lifted Leah’s body. Carrying her from the balcony, he laid her on the bed.
Startled by the suddenness of it all, Leah tried to sit up, but Caius quickly pinned her delicate shoulders and took the space above her.
Her shawl was quickly discarded under his touch. Leah’s body tensed as she anticipated what was coming next.
Caius pulled down the dress from her shoulders and kissed her softly. Leah clenched her hands at the sensation of his lips and turned her head away to avoid his kiss.
The tour report can be delivered in writing. Today, I have summoned both of you to ask something.”
The Emperor gestured for them to sit and stroked his chin.
Once they were seated opposite the throne, the Emperor got straight to the point.
“What do you think about moving the engagement date forward?”
Caius, who had been looking at the Emperor with a blank expression, asked respectfully.
“May I ask the reason?”
“Is there any need to delay something already decided? Now that the tour is over, formalizing the engagement sooner will also strengthen your position.”
Caius’s expression momentarily shifted, but he quickly nodded without much hesitation.
“If the Brisha family agrees, we will proceed as you wish, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor nodded leisurely. Soon, a servant brought in a tea set and poured tea for them.
The Emperor lifted his teacup and turned to Isabella with the same question.
“Isabella, what do you think?”
Isabella, who had been listening quietly, answered with a graceful smile.
“I would like to follow Your Majesty’s wishes. My father will surely be pleased as well.”
“Yes, he would.”
The Emperor couldn’t hide his satisfied smile as he looked at the two of them sitting together.
He had thought he would have to marry Caius off to a hostage, but now he couldn’t be more pleased with how things had turned out.
His son had once defied him by proposing marriage to a hostage and even went off to war, but now things had changed.
The Emperor was even considering hastening the marriage after the engagement.
“Moving the date doesn’t mean the ceremony will be any less grand. Don’t worry about that.”
“Oh, Your Majesty, I could never feel slighted. I’m just happy you’re considering my feelings.”
The Emperor seemed pleased with Isabella’s response and laughed heartily.
Caius, detached from their pleasant conversation, focused on his tea.
As he tried to push away the sinking feeling, the image of a woman lying on a bed flashed through his mind.
The memory of her lavender-like scent, almost intoxicating, softened his stern expression. His eyes momentarily darkened.
It wasn’t appropriate to think about another woman with his fiancée beside him, but Caius didn’t care.
All he wanted was to end this long, tedious time and see her again.
“Your Highness, may I ask you something?”
As they left the Emperor’s presence, Isabella, formally escorted by Caius, looked up at him.
Standing in front of the carriage, Isabella met his expressionless gaze and asked casually.
“Do you plan to keep Princess Ainel by your side?”
Caius slowly blinked before answering without hesitation.
“Yes.”
His firm answer made Isabella’s composed expression falter slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Do you still love her?”
Isabella scrutinized him with a clear, probing gaze. Once again, he showed no sign of hesitation. He merely looked down at her with an unchanged expression.
But for some reason, he remained silent for a long time. Isabella, aware that silence could sometimes be an affirmation, gave a crooked smile.
“Love or not, you must have a reason to keep her by your side, right?”
“What is it you want to say?”
Caius asked indifferently, sensing she had something else she wanted to express.
Isabella masked her true feelings with a bright smile.
“I was just curious. She was your fiancée for three years, after all. It’s only natural to wonder about her future.”
From the beginning, Isabella had a sense that this man would not simply keep the hostage at arm’s length.
She had never forgotten the faint madness in his eyes when he looked at the hostage.
She remained convinced that someday, this could bring trouble, jeopardizing her position.
“I have no intention of interfering with your decisions. If she can fulfill what I can’t, that’s actually a good thing.”
Isabella answered with a calm demeanor, hiding her complex feelings.
“So, if you plan to keep her as your mistress, could you perhaps share some authority over her with me?”
“Authority?”
His voice had a chilling edge, but Isabella continued undeterred.
“Authority is just a word. I mean, let’s maintain a close relationship. Just because she’s a mistress doesn’t mean we have to hate each other, right?”
Even if there was no need for hatred, keeping her close would allow her to undermine the woman’s confidence. She couldn’t tolerate her former fiancée rising above her.
Moreover, if the woman was out of sight, problems couldn’t be prevented before they arose.
Since it seemed impossible to persuade or negotiate with him, Isabella decided it was better to take action concerning the hostage herself.
“I promise to respect her. So…”
“Lady Isabella.”
Caius interrupted her with a chilling voice. Startled by his change in demeanor, Isabella looked up.
With an expression that seemed to understand her true intentions, he warned her coldly.
“Whatever you do, it would be wise not to touch her.”
“…What?”
“She is under my care, so it would be best if you didn’t concern yourself with her at all.”
Isabella had to look up at him with a stunned expression.
As she slowly processed his words, her lips began to twitch with mild humiliation.
She hadn’t said she hated the woman. She hadn’t asked for her to be removed. She had even suggested maintaining a friendly relationship.
But this stern response?
Isabella clenched her fist, struggling to suppress a sneer.
At that moment, Caius’s gaze was not just firm but cold. It was hard to believe this was the face he showed to his soon-to-be fiancée.
She had a feeling that if she mentioned the hostage again, those cold eyes would turn dangerously fierce.
“…It seems I overstepped. I will refrain from speaking about her in the future.”
Isabella suppressed her rising anger and forced a smile.
But it was not enough to calm the turmoil within her.
She knew from the beginning that their relationship was strictly strategic and that there was a clear line between them.
But now it seemed less like a line and more like a solid wall.
As Isabella climbed into the carriage, he turned away coldly, as if his duty was done.
Her eyes glinted sharply as she watched his decisive retreating figure.
* * *
In the depth of night, Leah stood on the balcony, wrapped in the biting night wind.
It was so cold her fingertips turned white, but the temperature was good for clearing her troubled mind.
A small sigh escaped her lips, her breath visible in the air. Gazing somewhere beyond, Leah gripped the railing.
She closed her eyes, trying to think of nothing, and soon her mind began to empty.
“Are you planning to freeze to death?”
The familiar voice shattered Leah’s calm. She slowly turned her head to see Caius leaning against the balcony door.
“…Caius.”
She knew he had gone on a tour of the territories, but she didn’t know when he would return.
Just like a week before he left, when he had suddenly visited her at unpredictable times, Caius appeared without warning and scattered her thoughts once more.
He approached her in long strides and leaned against the railing, looking at her askew.
“What have you been doing?”
The nonchalant question was a bit absurd, but Leah turned her head in resignation.
“You know. I haven’t been able to do anything.”
He was the one who didn’t allow her to go out to the garden, so she couldn’t understand why he asked such things.
With Sofia gone, thanks to his orders, Leah was completely alone and even more restricted.
“So, are you angry?”
His voice softened slightly, which made Leah’s heart ache more.
When Leah answered with silence, Caius wasted no time pulling her by the waist.
“That’s unfortunate.”
In a voice that didn’t sound unfortunate at all, Caius lifted Leah’s body. Carrying her from the balcony, he laid her on the bed.
Startled by the suddenness of it all, Leah tried to sit up, but Caius quickly pinned her delicate shoulders and took the space above her.
Her shawl was quickly discarded under his touch. Leah’s body tensed as she anticipated what was coming next.
Caius pulled down the dress from her shoulders and kissed her softly. Leah clenched her hands at the sensation of his lips and turned her head away to avoid his kiss.
