Chapter 75
“Pleasure to see you, Princess Kowett.”
Raymond greeted stiffly and tore his eyes away from Aileen. Kyle glanced subtly between the two of them, a sly smile curling on his lips.
“Yes. You said you came because you had something to say.”
“That’s something that should be said only when it’s just the two of us.”
“No need to be so formal. Aileen and I will be married soon, so just speak to me comfortably, like you would.”
As he spoke, he grabbed Aileen’s shoulders and pulled her close. Raymond glanced at her shoulder and repeated Kyle’s words in disbelief.
“Married?”
“What’s there to be so surprised about? We’re engaged, so it’s natural. I’ve kept her waiting for so long, I feel almost guilty. By the way, isn’t our little bunny Aileen absolutely adorable?”
Kyle flicked her cheek with his finger. Aileen squinted one eye as the pinch made her flinch.
“Aileen is also ready in her heart to become Empress. Once the ceremony is over, I might as well enjoy the honeymoon, and we’ll prepare the heir immediately.”
Kyle said this deliberately, showing off.
He wanted to make it clear that he was the one by her side and that she could not refuse his presence.
A relentless gaze, intent on uncovering every detail, swept across Aileen sitting opposite.
Seeing her trembling under the Emperor’s shadow, unable even to move her arms, lit a fuse in Raymond’s mind. He felt as if the world had flipped upside down, and his eyes went wide.
A question fell, cold as icy stares:
“Is that true, Aileen?”
“Huh? Th-That… Raymond…”
Aileen hastily covered her mouth with both hands, but her voice had already carried her meaning. Flustered, she had slipped into her habit of calling him by name.
Of course, Raymond had intended this.
“Raymond? Why is Aileen calling you Raymond?”
Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed, and his face twisted with displeasure. Though his question was calm, his voice trembled and a vein throbbed in his neck.
“Why do you think?”
Raymond stood up and, taking advantage of Kyle’s hand slipping from Aileen’s shoulder, pulled her toward himself. She clung to him, drawn by his strength.
“You’ve been threatening Aileen. It’s obvious without saying it. Trying to deceive someone’s heart works against both His Majesty and others alike.”
“Wha—what?”
“You still humiliate your opponents, Your Majesty. How foolish I was to think you might have changed even a little. I came here today to negotiate stepping down from Pherment in exchange for receiving Aileen, but I’ve changed my mind. From this moment on, we are complete enemies.”
Raymond declared war.
While all of this was being said, Aileen’s mouth hung open, and Kyle could only tremble, clenching his fists.
In front of Raymond, always more mature and composed—qualities Kyle had envied—Kyle could not openly confront him. From behind, he could only scheme to strike. Hypocritical as always, he was the epitome of “strong against the weak, weak against the strong,” and that nature persisted even in this moment of humiliation.
Raymond, holding Aileen’s arm, began to move toward the terrace exit.
“Oh, and…”
It seemed he had something important to add. He stopped suddenly, turned back, and left one final remark:
“Aileen is not a rabbit. She’s a squirrel.”
Raymond then took Aileen’s hand and led her out of the terrace.
Bang.
The glass doors of the terrace shook as if they might shatter.
What is Raymond thinking? What on earth is he trying to do?
Ugh!!!!
I grabbed my hair and tore at it, screaming. If I didn’t, I felt like my brain would explode.
My plan to hold the Emperor back and let the Duke escape had been utterly destroyed. No—calling it “destroyed” was an understatement; it had become the spark of war.
“What does ‘from this moment, you and I are enemies, tee-hee!’ even mean? It obviously means he wants the throne!”
No schemes, no subtlety? To barge at the Emperor like that, bared fangs and all?
I was lucky I didn’t scream when I realized the entire operation had collapsed.
Beside me, Raymond was calmly sipping tea, unbothered. The sight made me even more furious, and I stomped toward the table.
“Raymond.”
“What is it, Aileen?”
“That…! That’s…”
But I couldn’t scold him outright, because my lie had already been exposed.
I took a deep breath to calm my rising agitation.
“So… what do you plan to do now?”
I asked, twisting my body slightly sideways to appear cautious. It was better to seek his opinion calmly. His previously calm eyes lifted and focused on me.
“We’ll manage somehow.”
“Excuse me? ‘Manage somehow’?”
“More importantly—”
Raymond interrupted, reaching out his long arm to wrap around my waist and pull me close. I ended up sitting on his lap. He embraced me from behind, pressing his face into the space between my neck and shoulder.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me?”
The sudden display of affection made my face burn crimson.
Hey, darling… isn’t this a little inappropriate right now?
I was panicking, yet Raymond’s casual request for a kiss was absurd. Though my mind clearly set boundaries, my body wasn’t quite cooperating.
“Uh… Raymond?”
“My heart needs healing. I thought I’d go insane seeing Aileen in Kyle’s arms.”
Ugh. He hit the nail on the head, leaving me powerless to refuse. I nodded, letting go of the urge to protest.
“Okay… understood.”
No sooner had I spoken than my chest was pressed against Raymond’s. He held my waist tightly, noses brushing, and then our lips met.
The softness of his lips enveloped my mouth like ice cream.
He kissed persistently, as if to claim me as his. My unsettled mind gradually quieted as I drew in his breath.
Later, Raymond stood by the window, gazing at the brightly shining moon in the dark night. Melas was called in and entered the room. Raymond, still fixed by the window, asked:
“Melas, what should I do…?”
His voice was heavy with despair. Melas, seeing only his back, immediately grasped the situation.
“When His Majesty acts like this, it’s usually after something has already gone terribly wrong…”
Melas asked cautiously, sensing the tension.
“What do you mean?”
“I declared war on Kyle.”
“Ah…”
Why do bad premonitions never fail? My lord returned having caused a huge incident.
Swallowing dryly, Melas began calmly assessing the situation.
“Why did you act so suddenly?”
“I went to the imperial palace to meet Kyle…”
“Yes.”
“And… Aileen was beside him.”
“I see.”
Raymond’s infatuation was deeper than expected. Usually steady and rational, his judgment was shaken. Falling for a woman, he thought, only happened to the reckless, but apparently not.
But it wasn’t entirely a bad situation.
From a subordinate’s perspective, they hoped he would act decisively.
Though the Duke had resisted the Emperor’s authority, deep down, Melas wanted him to achieve greatness.
The jealousy over a woman had triggered this chain of events, making Aileen’s presence feel fated.
“That’s not a problem, Your Majesty.”
“Is there a good plan?”
“If you like the princess, take her along with the throne. That will suffice.”
Raymond turned his head back. He seemed incredulous at his subordinate’s words, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Yet it was no long deliberation. At that moment, he had resolved to oust the Emperor and claim the throne.
“Melas, you’re right. There’s nothing we can’t do now, right?”
The next moment, his handsome face hardened with a sharp glare. Aileen might have called it a villainous look. His piercing blue eyes carried a cold, lethal intensity that contradicted his relaxed gestures.
“I’m entering preparations to become Emperor.”
“Understood.”
At attention, Melas answered clearly, more than ever.
Raymond’s confidence was well-founded.
After Kyle had commanded an assessment of his forces, reports had been received, and he had clenched his fists.
The palace servants trembled as they reported before the Emperor.
“So the Night Watch refused to cooperate, and that’s all because of Raymond?”
“Yes… yes, Your Majesty. Upon investigation, they’ve become loyal to the Duke…”
“Damn it!!”
Bang.
The armrest of the throne broke again—today’s third time.
The officials rushed to repair the shattered armrest, but Kyle waved them off.
He was deeply troubled. He needed to punish the insolent Raymond, who had declared he would take the throne and Aileen, but Raymond had grown powerful so fast that even full confrontation was uncertain.
In a short time, the Duke had strengthened his forces through recruitment in Neverrest, built economic power via the cosmetics industry, and reinforced military and intelligence with mercenaries and the Night Watch. He had won the people over, and now even had Aileen with her healing powers—his foundation was complete.
‘So it was Aileen who reformed Raymond back then.’
Everything finally fell into place. Kyle ground his teeth.
He now had to search for a last resort.
“Servant, request reinforcements at the Magic Tower immediately.”
“Y-Your… Your Majesty. The Magic Tower…?”
“I know. They are eyeing the Prarès Empire, but I must remain strong for the Empire to survive. Send word immediately.”
“Yes… understood.”
The servant was uneasy but could not disobey the Emperor. He bowed and withdrew.
