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Chapter : 17
By Any Chance, Do You Need a Paramour?
‘Why is that man here again?’ My face froze automatically the moment I saw him. He was the one person I was certain I wouldn’t run into in the banquet hall—or at least, anywhere within the Imperial Palace. “Oh my! Could that person be…?” “Goodness. To think he would attend a banquet. Was he perhaps listening to our conversation?” The noblewomen’s voices grew a notch higher. “Hmm? Who on earth is that? I had no idea there was someone so handsome.” “My goodness, Marchioness Étoile. You don’t know who he is?” “Is he someone famous?” “Of course. That is the famous Sir Leonard.” “Ah! The Commander of the Second Imperial Knights?” “Yes. That very man.” The individual who made his entrance under the spotlight was none other than Leonard. “Just as the rumors say… No, he is far more beautiful than the rumors suggest. I heard he rarely attends banquets like this…” “I know, right? What on earth came over him?” The banquet hall quickly heated up with chatter about Leonard. Yes. Just as the ladies said, he was showing off his dazzling appearance today as well. Instead of his usual knight’s uniform, his richly embellished black uniform exuded a different aura. However, even the extravagant gold trim couldn’t hold a candle to his looks. As they say, the ultimate completion of fashion is the face. Because his beauty was so radiant, no one even batted an eye at the outfit he was wearing. But I knew this man’s true identity. ‘Everyone. Don’t be fooled by that face.’ If you look into it, this man is the one who turns to the dark side later and shakes the entire Empire to its core! Yet, contrary to my inner thoughts, he soon became the center of the banquet hall. “Oh my!” Just then, a noblewoman standing near me covered her mouth with one hand and whispered softly into my ear. “Sir Leonard just stole a glance at Her Majesty the Empress.” “That can’t be. You must be mistaken.” Surely not. Why would a man surrounded by so many people bother looking over this way…? “…!” …Our eyes met? It wasn’t even a coincidence. The moment our eyes locked, the cold expression he had maintained the entire time turned into a meaningful gaze. He communicated using only the movement of his lips. ‘It is an honor to see you again today, Your Majesty the Empress.’ I pulled a face of utter disgust at his playful banter. Seeing my reaction, a subtle smile crept onto the corners of his lips. At his smile, the young ladies nearby let out screams as if they were about to faint. However, as the actual recipient of that smile, I waved my hand dismissively. ‘Why are you acting like that all of a sudden? It’s creeping me out!’ Seeing a man whose inner thoughts were unreadable flash a smile made me feel inexplicably anxious for some reason. “My, my. Now he’s just blatantly staring.” …Yes. I know. That man is doing this on purpose. It seems teasing me has become his hobby. Was I imagining it? Just as I thought Leonard’s footsteps seemed to be heading in my direction, a deep and resonant trumpet sound echoed throughout the hall. “His Imperial Majesty the Emperor enters!” With the servant’s booming shout, knights clad in golden armor lined up on both sides. The chaotic crowd fell silent under the solemn atmosphere. Soon after, Jerome—the Emperor and my husband—made his entrance. Tightly holding the hand of the Imperial Concubine, Faye. In an instant, I felt the gazes of everyone in the room turn toward me. The Emperor appearing not with the Empress, but with the Imperial Concubine. Everyone was observing my reaction. If it were Helena from the original novel, she would have scowled fiercely right about now, wouldn’t she? Muttering to herself about how insulting it was. But I am not the villainess Helena. Am I jealous, you ask? Not in the slightest. And how could I be? I have zero feelings for Jerome. In fact, this scene appeared in the original story as well. It was the first official event Faye attended after becoming the Imperial Concubine. The excitement and fluttering nerves were described so well that back when I was just a reader, I read it with quite a bit of focus. To witness that scene with my own eyes… It felt surreal all over again. At the Emperor’s entrance, everyone stood up and bowed their heads. I rose from my seat as well. And instead of bowing my head, I stepped forward to greet the Emperor. “Empress.” “You are late.” “…My work ran a bit late.” Jerome and I exchanged formal greetings. “……?” For some reason, Jerome seemed to be in a bad mood. If I recall correctly, the original work described him feeling a surge of overwhelming emotion as he escorted Faye. Yet for someone savoring an overwhelming emotion, his gaze was remarkably terrifying. Don’t tell me he’s trying to assert dominance in advance, fearing I might do something reckless to the Imperial Concubine? Who does he think is going to be intimidated? I beamed a bright smile right in front of him. If you hate it that much, why don’t you just give me a divorce? Did he somehow understand my unspoken words? Jerome’s brow furrowed. However, that was all. Without another word, he turned away, following the knights’ guidance. I, too, returned to my original spot, but… “Your Majesty the Empress.” An unexpected person followed me. ‘Why are you here?’ Faye, who I thought would stay by Jerome’s side, had followed behind me instead. She offered a bright smile and spoke to the noblewomen gathered around me. “I have something urgent to discuss with Her Majesty the Empress. I am terribly sorry, but could you please give us a moment?” I was quite flustered by her words. She has something to say to me? And to go as far as asking others to excuse themselves… What on earth could it be? This was an event that never happened in the original novel. Furthermore, her attitude was entirely different from the original as well. It was definitely described that she was terrified because it was her first official event… That was why she had clung tightly to the Emperor’s side, which flared up the Empress’s jealousy even more. “Imperial Concubine. What business do you have with me?” “I wanted to apologize for what happened last time.” “Last time?” “Because I lost my ring, Your Majesty was put through a difficult situation.” Fidgeting with her fingers, she spoke up. “I am truly sorry. I should have taken better care of it.” I couldn’t say a word. It wasn’t as if I could just say, ‘Yes, take better care of it in the future.’ “It’s all because of my shortcomings. I really had no idea that incident would lead to searching Your Majesty’s bedchamber…” The outer corners of Faye’s eyes drooped softly. It was such a tragic, sorrowful expression that it would make anyone watching feel pity for her. I looked at her with complex emotions. In a situation like this, if it were the villainess Helena, she would have spouted all kinds of harsh words and reacted sharply, right? If I were just a reader, I would have taken her hand and said things like, ‘It’s okay,’ ‘I’m rooting for you,’ or ‘Hang in there, female lead.’ However, I couldn’t choose either path. Just as I was not the villainess Helena, the Faye in front of me was somehow different from the ‘female lead’ I knew. The dress incident last time was one thing, and the ring incident was another. There was more than one suspicious detail. One thing for certain was that she was not simply the pure-hearted person she appeared to be in the original story. Faye continued with a bright, radiant smile. “I kept pondering how to apologize to you, and I thought it would be best to tell you in person face-to-face.” “…I see.” Was she thrown off by my calm reaction? After wearing an awkward expression for a moment, Faye hurriedly called a servant and ordered wine. “I-I asked the maids, and they said in times like this, having a drink together and talking open-heartedly helps resolve things.” After filling her own glass to the brim with wine and gulping it down, she soon poured wine into my empty glass as well.Slosh. The wine filled the glass to the very brim. The noblewomen nearby frowned at her ungraceful behavior. However, ignorant of imperial etiquette, she simply offered me the wine with a naive smile. “Please accept my drink, Your Majesty the Empress.” I shook my head. “I appreciate the thought, but I must decline. I have already had quite a lot to drink.” Faye, however, did not give up and pressed on with her offer. “I know very well that you do not like me, Your Majesty. I will do better from now on. So please, accept my drink.” “If it’s a misunderstanding, you don’t need to worry about it. More importantly, there are eyes watching, so please be a bit careful…” “Don’t be like that, just a little bit… Ah!” In the blink of an eye, trouble struck. Despite my firm refusal, Faye, who was trying to hand over the wine glass, ultimately spilled it. The spilled wine instantly began to dye my blue dress red. “Oh no! I didn’t mean for this to happen. I am so sorry.” I could feel the surrounding gazes focusing on us. People whispered to one another, covering their mouths with fans and hands. Faye did nothing but repeat her apologies over and over again. “It’s fine. It’s not like you did it on purpose…” I comforted the flustered Faye. At the same time, I pondered how to resolve this situation. Right at that moment. “My, what a mishap we have here.” A somewhat familiar mid-to-low voice drifted down from above my head. Lifting my gaze, a pair of blue eyes was looking down at me. Reflected in those mysterious deep blue eyes was my surprised face. ‘Sir Leonard?’ It was the very man who had made a grand entrance earlier, surrounded by a crowd of people. Why is he here? Before the startled me could utter a response. He unbuttoned his black coat. And like a picture—quite literally with grace fit for a painting—he knelt on one knee before me. A man as beautiful as a sculpture was looking up at me. Using his coat to cover my stained dress. He pressed a kiss onto the back of my hand. “…!” At the sudden surge of warmth, I flinched involuntarily. As if verifying my reaction, those deep blue eyes pursued me intently. Finally releasing my hand, he whispered in an alluring, languid voice. “You are exceptionally beautiful today as well, Your Majesty the Empress.” “Ah… Thank you.” “Not at all. But…” The smile resting on the corners of his lips deepened. And words I could never have imagined slipped through his red lips. “By any chance, do you need a paramour?”
