Chapter 16
Although she had deliberately avoided mentioning it, it seemed the Emperor had decided to draw attention no matter what. As if that weren’t enough, he even smiled kindly while staring directly at the Empress, as though seeking her agreement.
“That may be so. But wouldn’t it be better to finish greeting everyone first?”
“The nobles are all waiting for Your Majesty,” the Empress whispered softly.
Only then did the Emperor realize that all the nobles’ eyes were on him. Many of those already gathered in the hall had heard the name Ilianna. Avoiding the Empress’s cold, reproachful gaze, he cleared his throat a couple of times.
It was a pitiful attempt to divert attention, but it didn’t help much.
Suppressing her disdain, the Empress looked around. She knew perfectly well who stood behind Cedric, yet she deliberately pretended not to notice.
Then, at last, her gaze settled in one place.
At that moment, Ilianna met a cold stare fixed directly on her.
One step, then another.
Finally, the Emperor and Empress stood side by side before her.
“I greet Your Majesties. May the glory of the Empire be with you.”
The pain from her tightly clenched hands helped Ilianna not miss the timing of her greeting. At her neat and proper bow, Melissa gave a slight nod.
An awkward silence followed.
Behind them, Bella lifted her chin and sneered. Her crimson lips made the crooked curl of her smile look even more vicious.
“How unexpected. This is really that young lady?”
It was the Emperor who broke the silence.
“Yes, it is.”
Lowering his head politely, Rian answered briefly. Gothri nodded slightly, observing Ilianna with curious eyes—as if seeing her for the first time, even though that couldn’t be true.
The Empress, Melissa, was no different.
She slowly looked Ilianna up and down. Her gaze began at her feet and moved upward at an unhurried pace. Carefully inspecting her, Melissa’s eyes eventually stopped at one point.
Lovers who had just begun their romance often enjoyed secret meetings. Even here, there were quite a few people imagining hidden gardens and private drawing rooms near the imperial palace.
So holding hands wouldn’t be a big deal.
Melissa was long past the age of not knowing such things, even if her own marriage hadn’t been born of love.
And yet, what she saw before her now was unbelievable.
The meaning of the invitation she had sent was clear. No matter how foolish someone might be, they should have at least guessed the reason.
And yet, here they were—boldly holding hands right in front of her.
When she had first heard they were together in the plaza, she had dismissed it as mere gossip. She had planned to scold them lightly and end it there. After all, tying them together now, with rumors already spread, would be pointless. It would be far more beneficial to assert imperial authority and force submission.
How dare they treat the imperial palace like some back-alley slum…
Ilianna was even more foolish than she had thought.
Reaching that clear conclusion, Melissa finally realized how long she had remained silent. She couldn’t let such a trivial girl ruin the banquet. Just as she was about to speak—
“You’re saying the reason you refuse to marry is really because of this young lady?”
“Not to that extent yet, Your Majesty.”
“That’s basically the same thing. Whether you’ve proposed or not hardly matters.”
“The young lady is here only as my partner, at my request.”
“This is a social gathering, is it not? I wonder if the Count is even aware of this.”
Once again, the Emperor rambled on pointlessly. Perhaps he was the most foolish person present.
Before he could continue forgetting his place, Melissa stepped in.
“Count Critia has served the imperial family with loyalty for generations. The imperial house has always been grateful for that.”
She spoke while looking at Ilianna, who still had her head slightly bowed.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“But whether that will continue is uncertain. May I expect you to act more wisely in the future?”
Ilianna lifted her gaze. Her blue eyes were calm.
She withdrew her hand and folded both hands neatly in front of her. She could feel the sharp sting of someone’s gaze at her side, but it was nothing compared to the Empress’s.
“I will do my best.”
A satisfied smile spread gently across Melissa’s face. With crescent-shaped eyes, she gave a small nod.
The suffocating tension made even the music in the hall seem to stop.
The Emperor’s power was as strong as it was now because of the Empress. To fall out of her favor was to risk one’s life.
From afar, the world looked like a comedy. Up close, it was a tragedy.
Those watching felt relief that the Empress’s arrow was not aimed at them.
At the same time, they were curious how this entertaining situation would end.
But neither Rian nor Ilianna spoke further. It was a silent declaration of obedience to the Empress.
In the end, today’s encounter was clearly the Empress’s victory.
Seemingly pleased, she continued generously:
“I plan to host a tea party soon.”
This tea party had been Bella’s suggestion while she struggled over Ilianna’s issue. It was bothersome, so she hadn’t given an answer yet.
Her gaze slowly shifted to Rian. Standing upright, his expression looked slightly stiff.
Given the setting, it was understandable—but for him to be this visibly tense was unlike him.
“I will invite you then.”
Because of that, her interest in Ilianna—whom she hadn’t cared about—was piqued.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Are they truly lovers or not?
Melissa soon dismissed the thought.
Her ties with Cedric were already over. Though the engagement hadn’t been formally broken, the Critia family had grown too powerful. She had already been uneasy about connecting him with Cedric.
If she removes herself on her own, that wouldn’t be so bad.
Still, the idea of her being matched with Rian didn’t please her either.
Rian’s usual lack of interest in women made his actions suspicious—but that could be investigated later.
She quickly organized her thoughts.
Behind her, she could feel Cedric’s furious gaze fixed on Ilianna.
All this over a single woman—how pathetic.
Just attending this event would keep Ilianna at the center of gossip for some time. If she became paralyzed by rumors, Cedric’s anger would soon fade.
Besides, Cedric’s lover Bella and his father, Baron Louise, were also rising in prominence.
It was unfortunate not to gain control of Critia, but Louise could still be useful.
And…
Perhaps it’s also a good time to send Critia a warning.
Either way, there was nothing to lose.
“Let us end the greetings here. Others are waiting.”
Sensing the cold atmosphere, the Emperor finally said something appropriate. Melissa’s narrowed gaze slowly drifted away as she turned. The Emperor awkwardly followed behind her.
Even as they turned away, Cedric did not hide his anger toward Ilianna. His fists clenched as if he might strike Rian at any moment. Only when Bella grabbed his arm did he restrain himself and turn away.
Everything was over.
Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, Ilianna suddenly recalled Bessie’s words:
“At least today, miss, you’ll be the happiest person in the world.”
Whether that was true or not, one thing was certain—
Ilianna was the undeniable topic of today’s social gathering.
Her fingers throbbed again as she clasped her hands. Her bowed posture refused to straighten.
Massaging her hands discreetly, she tried to relax her tightening brow. More than anything, she wanted to get into a carriage and go home.
Instead of storming out, she turned toward Rian.
Are you satisfied now, Duke?
The words rose to her throat, but she forced them down.
A proper deal required give and take.
Stopping herself from glaring at him, she said instead:
“Do you have anything more to say to me?”
“I do. Quite a lot.”
“Then now—”
“Can you run?”
“…What?”
“I think we might need to make a quick escape. That’s alright, isn’t it?”
“Where exactly are we running to? And why?”
“I’ll explain later. I’ll take that as permission—for now, let’s get out of here.”
“What do you— ah!”
Suddenly, Rian grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
Did this man have no sense of noble etiquette at all? He kept grabbing her hand and linking arms without warning—and now he was dragging her away like this.
“Haah… haah… please, let go now.”
When they finally stopped, Ilianna gasped for breath. Only then did Rian release her hand and flash a bright smile.
If that sly grin were even slightly more irritating, she might have hit him.
Her hand actually lifted toward his head—but she soon shook it off.
As if I could ever dare hit a duke…
“…This place has the best view of the imperial garden.”
“…What?”
They had stopped in front of a large door adorned with silver engravings.
Usually, the banquet hall was surrounded by many doors. Behind them were secret meetings, idle chatter, or trivial amusements.
But those doors all bore the golden lion—the symbol of the imperial family.
This one was different.
“There’s only one room in the palace dedicated to Duke Carlson Gothri, the Emperor’s younger brother. You’ll recognize it right away by its radiant silver door. It’s a place full of beauty and wonder.”
It was something her grandfather had once told her.
And just as he said, she knew at a glance.
This was the one room in the palace reserved for Rian.
Beyond the open door was a spacious sitting room. A long sofa, an elegant gold-trimmed table, a steaming teapot, cakes, cookies, and sandwiches neatly arranged—as if someone had just prepared them.
The moment she stepped inside, Rian locked the door.
With one hand in his pocket, he walked leisurely to the center of the room and tilted his head.
“A deal’s a deal. So let’s skip the hitting part.”
Your Grace really does hear everything, doesn’t he… I really want to hit him just once.
Suppressing that rising urge once again, Ilianna forced herself to stay calm.
