When Liliana turned around, she could feel his gaze on her back.
Estevan withdrew his gaze once Liliana had completely disappeared from sight.
‘Strange woman.’
Estevan rubbed the crease between his brows where Liliana had touched it.
At that moment, Leon approached with a stiff expression.
“Your Highness…”
“I know what you are about to say.”
“You were too hasty.”
“The choice would have been the same anyway. Whether I chose later or now, it would make no difference.”
“Even so, a magic contract…”
“Why? Did she look like someone who would violate the contract?”
“That…”
Estevan clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them.
“She’s sincere. She truly wants to make me Emperor.”
Leon let out a sigh.
“If she really helps you, then I am glad. And it was not bad.”
“Not bad?”
“Yes. I did not expect the Young Lady to be that kind of person. And besides…”
“And besides?”
“She touched Your Highness’s face so casually. I do not know if I should call it bold or something else, but I was impressed.”
“Impressed? What nonsense. Anyway, how do you plan to explain this?”
“Pardon?”
Leon looked at Estevan with a puzzled expression.
“She found something we couldn’t find for years. That means you are incompetent.”
“What? How did the conversation jump to that?”
“Go ahead and explain yourself.”
Cold sweat began to run down Leon’s forehead.
“Just because I laughed a little, you are going to be this petty?”
“I’m merely reprimanding your incompetence.”
Leon looked at Estevan with a genuinely wronged expression.
“That is unfair. You know how much trouble I went through trying to find that necklace. There was not a single place I did not search.”
“And in the end, even after all that trouble, you still couldn’t find it.”
“Ugh!”
“Since your incompetence has been proven, I will dock your pay for three months.”
“Your Highness! That is too harsh. My salary is already low, and now you are docking it?”
Leon grabbed Estevan’s arm as he stood up and pleaded.
“Your Highness, I am sorry for laughing earlier. Could you please let it go?”
“No.”
Estevan turned away coldly.
Leon followed behind him with a miserable expression.
***
Thanks to Paris, the Black Market Master, the meeting with Estevan ended smoothly.
It was fortunate. If he had refused, she would have had to think of another method.
After returning to the mansion, Liliana took a bath, changed into comfortable clothes, and went to her father’s office.
“Father, it is me.”
“Come in.”
When she opened the door and entered the office, the vassals were giving reports while holding documents.
Seeing her father again made her newly grateful that she had returned to the past.
How grateful she was to be able to see him alive.
Her father had believed in Liliana, who had been falsely accused of assassinating the Emperor, until the very end. And he had even thrown away his own life in order to save her.
It was a memory she would never forget.
But things were different now.
‘This time, I will protect you.’
Liliana approached her father with a smile.
“Father, are you not busy?”
“It’s alright.”
The Duke looked at the vassals.
“You may leave now.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
After sending the vassals away, Duke Dayan had tea with Liliana alone.
After chatting lightly with her father for a while, she finally brought up her real matter.
“Father, I do not want to become engaged to Prince Mikael.”
Duke Dayan looked slightly surprised.
“I thought you liked Prince Mikael. Was that not the case?”
“Not at all. In fact, I want to become engaged to Prince Estevan.”
The hand holding the teacup paused.
Duke Dayan thought he had misheard and asked again.
“Did you just say you want to become engaged to Prince Estevan?”
“Yes.”
He had thought Liliana would become engaged to Prince Mikael.
Prince Mikael had been courting her for a year, and she didn’t seem to dislike it either.
But suddenly she mentioned Prince Estevan.
Liliana continued speaking.
“Father, I have a greater liking for Prince Estevan. I want to become his strength. Please ask His Majesty the Emperor on my behalf.”
When she asked with a serious expression, Duke Dayan spoke.
“Is it truly because you like him?”
“It is also for the safety of our House.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If Prince Mikael ascends the throne, he will not leave our House alone.”
“You mean he will purge our House?”
“Yes.”
“Liliana, don’t run too far ahead. The future is not something that can be stated with certainty.”
“I know. That is why I am only telling you, Father.”
“…”
“In truth, I have experienced the future.”
Duke Daian was visibly startled.
“What do you mean…”
Liliana looked into Duke Dayan’s eyes with a serious expression.
“I am saying that I experienced the future and returned to the past.”
Duke Dayan was so shocked that he nearly dropped the teacup he was holding.
He carefully set the teacup down and covered his mouth with his hand.
“My goodness. I don’t know how I’m supposed to believe what you are saying.”
“I understand. But for the sake of our House, I thought you should know, Father.”
Duke Dayan didn’t think Liliana was lying. His daughter wasn’t someone who would lie about such a thing.
“If what you say is true, then it seems our House will be destroyed in the future.”
“Yes. That is the reason I chose Prince Estevan.”
Duke Dayan placed his hand on Liliana’s shoulder.
“Liliana, even so, I want you to be happy. I hope there will be happiness in the choice you make.”
Liliana smiled brightly and placed her hand over her father’s.
“At the very least, I will be happier than if I were beside Prince Mikael.”
Duke Dayan looked quietly at Liliana. In the end, he accepted his daughter’s choice.
“If that is what you believe, I will support you.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Although Liliana’s words were somewhat shocking, if they were true, he had to trust his daughter’s choice.
“Let this matter remain known only between you and me.”
“Of course. I am only telling you, Father.”
“Good.”
Now that he thought about it, Liliana had seemed more mature recently, and now there was a reason for it.
Duke Dayan warmly held Liliana’s hand.
He trusted his daughter.
***
The next day, Duke Dayan entered the palace and met the Emperor in the audience chamber to convey Liliana’s wishes.
The Emperor looked genuinely surprised.
“Duke, are you serious?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Above all, it is what my daughter wants.”
“Haha.”
The Emperor let out a hollow laugh.
“It seemed Mikael had been putting in quite a bit of effort all this time, yet the young lady’s heart lies with Estevan?”
“That is correct.”
“Do you say that knowing what Estevan’s situation is right now?”
“I know better than anyone. That is why the child says she wants to become his strength.”
“She said that?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Duke Dayan studied the Emperor’s expression.
Estevan was a painful matter to him. For unavoidable reasons, he had lost the Empress, and in order to protect Estevan he had confined him.
Having known the Emperor for a long time, Duke Dayan understood well how he must feel.
“Very well. If that is the young lady’s wish, I will accept it.”
When permission was granted without even a moment of hesitation, he looked at the Emperor with a puzzled expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was simply wondering if Your Majesty decided a little too easily.”
“Hah, is that so?”
“Yes.”
The emperor smiled self-deprecatingly.
“I cannot leave Estevan neglected forever. And I cannot continue giving support only to Mikael either.”
“You mean…”
“They should compete fairly. That would be fair, would it not?”
“I see.”
The reason the Emperor had confined Estevan was to protect him from Imperial Consort Isabella and her faction.
The Emperor had suspected that there had been some sort of conspiracy at the time.
However, the evidence had pointed too clearly toward the Empress, so he had no choice but to make a decision. Someone had to take responsibility.
And so the Emperor sacrificed the Empress and protected Estevan.
No matter what anyone said, Estevan was the legitimate heir of the Imperial Family, the only son born between him and the Empress.
He had failed to protect his wife, but as a father he had to protect his son.
“Since you have come to the Palace after such a long time, come take a walk with me for a while before you leave.”
“I would be glad to.”
While walking with the Emperor, Duke Dayan spoke about ordinary daily matters rather than politics.
It was only possible because he was the only person the Emperor could truly open his heart to.
When he was young, Duke Dayan had entered the Palace as the Emperor’s childhood companion and had become his friend.
As time passed, the two had become an Emperor and a Duke, yet in private they were still friends.
After Duke Dayan returned home, the Emperor quietly summoned Estevan to the Imperial Palace.
