Chapter 16 – Because I Like Her
“W-Well, you see… the count’s family says they’re unable to return the money…”
“I will. I’ll do it.”
The emperor’s irritation seemed to surge at the marquis, who kept asking the same thing as if he couldn’t understand. Not only the marquis—my own head was spinning too.
The emperor would return the money himself.
What in the world was happening?
“…Your Majesty? You mean you?”
“Yes. And if I return the money myself, then doesn’t that make it as though nothing ever happened? You’re claiming ownership over Isabella and treating her like a tool because you paid money for her, aren’t you? Then all that’s needed is to return that money.”
Everyone present froze, mouths hanging open.
What was he saying?
He was willing to repay such a huge sum just to help me?
I had no idea how much it was, but the fact that the marquis was acting so brazenly meant it was an amount far beyond anything I could imagine.
And yet, the emperor of an entire nation was prepared to spend that sum for the sake of a single noblewoman. It sounded absurd.
But the emperor remained unwavering, utterly confident.
“I’ll have it paid immediately. So stop harassing her.”
“H-Harassing her? I’ve only asserted my rightful claim!”
“A rightful claim?”
Realizing he couldn’t win with money, the marquis raised his voice. It was the roar of a man who had either lost his senses or forgotten that the one before him was the emperor.
“Yes! That woman must come with me!”
At this rate, the old man looked like he’d collapse mid-shout. He began coughing violently.
For a moment his body swayed.
They say men will still try to do such things as long as they can climb stairs—yet in that state, he still intended to take a young woman as his wife.
And after paying such a huge sum, no less.
Seeing the marquis now doing nothing but stubbornly insisting, the emperor curled one corner of his lips upward. For a moment, it felt as though his eyes gleamed red.
“If the money is returned, there’s no reason for her to go with you, is there?”
“Th-That…!”
“They say judgment dulls with age. It seems yours has declined considerably, Marquis.”
The marquis fumbled for words, as though desperately searching for any excuse. After a long silence, the emperor—who had waited as though indulging him—clicked his tongue.
“And besides, Marquis. You’re not married yet, are you?”
“Not married, well… that’s true, but…”
“Am I wrong?”
“You aren’t. But we were about to marry… I planned to bring her home immediately, without even a ceremony…”
“I see. If Isabella had already become your wife on paper—beyond mere engagement—then there might be an argument for her going with you. Though even then, I wouldn’t have allowed it. But that isn’t the case, is it? There was no long-standing betrothal between your families either.”
The marquis, who had been leering at me moments earlier, was now steadily being pushed back.
“That’s… true.”
“Then you know that formal documents must be submitted directly to the emperor. Even when families arrange a betrothal, imperial approval is still required.”
“……”
“You’ve been married more than once. There’s no way you don’t know this. Which means you also know that what you’re doing right now makes no sense. You have absolutely no grounds to restrain Isabella.”
Under imperial law, even adults had their parents involved in engagements—but for nobles, marriage ultimately required the emperor’s approval.
That was exactly the point the emperor was making.
If everything had already been finalized on paper, the marquis might have had some excuse. But that wasn’t the case.
Only then did the marquis seem to shrink back.
“Yes.”
“Then let me ask again. By whose approval did the two families supposedly become one under the sacred name of betrothal? Was it someone else’s approval—while I stand right here?”
As the marquis hesitated, the emperor lifted his chin, more domineering than ever.
“That’s not it, but…”
“If not, then is there some other way to marry without my permission?”
The marquis shook his head.
Under imperial law, there were only two ways for a noble marriage to be recognized.
One was to arrange a betrothal in advance and receive the emperor’s approval—making the marriage valid without further paperwork later. This usually applied to alliances arranged from childhood.
There was no chance Isabella and the marquis had such an arrangement.
The other was to marry first and receive approval afterward.
In the end, it was a matter of approval before or after—but neither applied to us.
After all, the man who’s supposed to be my husband is the emperor.
Either way, imperial approval was unavoidable.
“Then how exactly do you believe you have the right to restrain Isabella Bellocci? And even if you were married, every human being has individual rights—the right to choose where they stay. To ignore that and attempt to drag her away by force… You are barely human.”
The emperor clicked his tongue, looking at him with open contempt.
Yet despite that scorn, Marquis Liberto showed no intention of backing down.
“No matter what, this is unacceptable. This is an insult to me.”
“An insult? Have you considered that you are insulting me, the emperor?”
“That’s n-not my intention. But… I believe a man must be confident in front of the woman he loves.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. Love, my ass.
When have we ever even met properly?
It’s probably because every other woman rejected him.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to cling like this even after the emperor spoke so firmly.
“Love?”
Even as the emperor let out a short laugh, the marquis remained shameless.
“I find Isabella Bellocci quite to my liking.”
“To your liking.”
“She’s pretty, has a decent figure, young, and very… appetiz— No. Anyway. Surely, even for Your Majesty, it doesn’t have to be that woman.”
In other words: You’re young and handsome, so anyone will do for you.
Anyone could understand what he was implying.
The emperor stroked his chin briefly, then looked straight at him as if he’d realized something.
“So I can be anyone—but you must have Isabella?”
“That’s right.”
The emperor nodded, amused, arms folded.
“Is it because you beat and abused women so no one else would come to you? So she has to be her? Because you need somewhere to vent your filthy lust, but have nowhere else? Because no family is willing to send their daughter to you no matter how much money you offer? So that’s why—it has to be Isabella Bellocci?”
Though he was trying to restrain himself, the emperor was clearly consumed by rage. The marquis’s face stiffened further.
“How dare you say such things…!”
Grinding his teeth, deep wrinkles carved themselves into his face—greed practically oozing from every line.
I knew it. No other woman would agree, so that’s why he’s obsessed with me.
Cornered by the emperor’s words, the marquis shook his head—then suddenly his eyes lit up, as if something had occurred to him.
“Your Majesty, I don’t know where you heard such rumors, but they are lies spread by women trying to extort money from me.”
“Lies?”
“Yes! All lies and slander!”
Encouraged by what he thought was a response, the marquis grew animated.
“Women are like that by nature. They cling to men, and the moment something displeases them, they fabricate accusations. Then they demand compensation. I’ve been through this more than once. They’re just trying to squeeze more out of me, spouting ridiculous nonsense!”
The emperor’s shoulders trembled.
Is he insane?
If the emperor hadn’t been there, the words would have slipped out.
Whether he truly believed his own lies or was drowning in delusion, Marquis Liberto’s hands began to shake.
“You were wronged by women?”
“Yes.”
“That may be. But what does that have to do with Isabella? By your own words, she’s no different from the others, isn’t she?”
Caught off guard, the marquis stammered.
“That’s…! N-No. Isabella wouldn’t be like that.”
“You’re contradicting yourself. You claim all women are the same, yet say Isabella is different? The truth is simply that no one else wants to be your wife—so you’re trying to take her.”
With a low groan, he slammed his gold-tipped cane against the floor.
“No! That was true in the past, but not this time! Isabella will be different!”
His shout triggered another violent coughing fit.
“Cough—cough.”
The sound echoed in the silence. No one spoke, as though waiting for it to pass.
That brief stillness made everything around us painfully clear.
Behind the marquis stood the countess, who had retreated far back since the emperor’s arrival, and even farther away, the count, merely observing.
As if symbolizing their relationship, the countess stood forward, while the count remained far behind.
Ever since the countess’s temper had grown fierce, the perpetually cowed count had always been like that.
