Fiancé?
My heart felt funny.
A fiancé. I remembered hearing about how Lucretius had many fiancés in the past. He even said he had a wife who he ended up killing. She tried to kill him, so he killed her instead.
I imagined different women standing next to Lucretius. I didn’t know why, but my heart felt heavy. Why?
I asked in an attempt to hide my feelings,
You said you had many fiancés. Which one was she?
She was my first. She was also the only one I thought was worthy. She would have made a great empress.
… really?
First fiancé. Perfect empress material.
I felt cold, but I continued to chat casually.
That’s too bad. If you married her, she would have been a great ally for you in this fight against the dowager empress.
That’s true.
He nodded in agreement.
…
Why did I feel this way? I felt… upset. The fact that I dolled up to come here made me feel angry.
I asked with a bright smile,
Then why don’t you make her your empress now?
He smiled smoothly and shook his head.
That’s not possible.
What he said next made me freeze.
She is dead. She was assassinated a month after our engagement announcement.
This didn’t make sense. He was talking about such a horrible event, yet his voice was so calm and even light.
He continued calmly,
We could never prove who ordered it, but we pretty much know who did it.
I murmured,
Dowager empress Katleyanira…
He nodded again.
Exactly.
He smiled beautifully.
But I am thankful to Katleyanira for that. Because of it, the dowager empress ended up with an incredibly powerful enemy, while I gained the greatest ally: Cornelius.
I got goosebumps.
The death of a girl, especially someone who would have been his wife, didn’t seem to affect him at all.
What a cold, heartless man.
I sometimes forgot what he really was. He was a murderer. He killed his wife and his father.
Now, I learned his fiancé’s death didn’t mean anything to him.
Lucretius continued,
Isabella, my first fiancé, was the daughter of Cornelius’ first son, who died. Isabella’s mother died, too, so Cornelius raised her by himself with love.
I remembered when Cornelius supported Lucretius in front of the dowager empress on that fateful day.
Lucretius continued,
I became engaged to her at the age of 18. She was a year younger than I. She was known for her beauty and intelligence, so I had no complaints.
I tried my best to stop my voice from trembling.
And she was murdered?
Yes. Cornelius was so heartbroken he left his chancellor position for three years.
But he came back.
Why?
His smile broadened.
I like how you are so quick when it comes to things like this. You are so slow in some things, but not this.
What was he talking about?
Lucretius continued,
By the time my third engagement ended in disaster, I visited Cornelius and convinced him.
I could guess how he did it. There was only one thing these two men had in common.
A need for revenge.
I felt cold as I looked up at him. Lucretius smiled at me, and I knew I got it right.
He added,
I ended up losing my first fiancé, the second most perfect woman for the position of an empress, but with that, I gained Cornelius’ dedicated support. I would like to think it was a good deal.
Second most perfect woman? Then there was a better woman than her?
This was a man who called his fiancé’s death a
good deal
, yet what I worried more about at this point was the fact that there was another woman he thought of with high regards.
What was wrong with me?
I forced myself to keep my voice light.
Congratulations.
For what?
For a good deal. I agree that having the chancellor as your ally is definitely worth your sacrifice, so I guess congratulations are in order.
I sounded awkward.
He looked at me strangely.
Sacrifice?
Yes. She was your fiancé and you said she was perfect for the empress position. If she had survived, she would have been a great shield for you against the dowager empress.
He looked oddly at me and replied,
It’s true if Isabella became my empress, I may have been able to bring down the dowager empress quickly, but I would have had to fight my own empress afterward for the ultimate power. For me, this current situation is better, I think.
I said to him calmly,
And that is why I congratulated you.
He frowned.
This is strange…
My mouth felt dry. I wanted a glass of water, but I couldn’t ask him for it. He continued,
You are acting very strange.
I glared at him and replied,
I’m acting perfectly normal.
No, normally, you would have criticized me or say something twisted. The Bina I know would have said something sarcastic.
He said my name, which made me shiver. It felt like he stabbed my heart. What was this feeling?
He patted my cheek slowly, then placed his finger on my lips.
His face came close to mine and I couldn’t move at all. I had no will to run or refuse him.
Thankfully, he didn’t kiss me again. He whispered to me in my ear.
Are you not feeling well?
…
Hmm?
My body burned.
I knew Lucretius was an obsessive man. Once he wanted something, he would pursue it to the end. Because of this, his behaviors often concerned me.
Now that I think about it, you seemed pale when you first entered this room.
His forehead touched mine. When I felt his cool skin, I realized I was indeed very warm.
What is going on here!?
He didn’t care that I seemed flustered.
He stated,
You definitely have a fever.
N, no, it’s not like that.
He now placed his hand on my forehead.
Nope, you have a fever.
He also touched my neck and nodded firmly.
Your whole body is burning up. You’ve been working very hard lately. Are you overworked?
At this point, I couldn’t even hear his words.
All I could do was stare at his chest.
This was the middle of the day. We were in his workplace. Lucretius was fully clothed, but I kept thinking about what he looked like underneath those silk and linen he wore.
His pale skin… What would it feel like to touch…
Oh, no!
My embarrassment took over my rationality. I tried to run away, but he hugged me tighter. His voice became very serious.
What’s wrong?
Umm…
My face burned.
What should I say? If I don’t give him a convincing answer, I knew he wouldn’t let me go.
I felt like my brain was melting. What should I tell him? I had to say something.
I couldn’t tell him the truth. I was imagining him naked! How could I tell him this?
I finally came up with something and stammered.
T, the thing is…! My corset is too tight…! And that’s why I feel uncomfortable!
…
He looked down at me quietly. He seemed to be considering my answer.
Fortunately, he accepted my explanation.
I suppose it makes sense. Your waist did look much narrower than I remembered, so I was surprised.
…
He always had to say something annoying.
I murmured,
Samantha and Agnes told me I needed to look my best since I will be seen by many. They tightened it much more than usual.
He grinned.
Then should I loosen it for you?
!!!
