IPBPBD 82🔐

chapter 82

In fact, by now, it would have been normal to have heard at least some news of the heroine, so it was strange that nothing had come.

Even from the moment the original story went off track, she had noticed, but the deviation was far beyond what anyone could have anticipated.

“Then… does that mean the incident where Kirzen and Chloe were supposed to meet has completely disappeared?”

According to the lady who had conveyed news about Lady Trobina, it seemed that the heroine, Chloe, had left entirely for the Eastern Continent. She hadn’t returned to her homeland of Lioneph, and rumors even suggested that she was planning to settle there while courting a prince from a great nation.

The envoy had come partly to deliver this news to the Trobina family. Whether it was true or not would need to be confirmed with the head of the delegation, but Emilina felt dizzy from the string of shocking information.

It was truly a shock.

The developments were so unexpected that she had no idea how to process them. She was completely flustered.

As she spent the remaining time merely nodding along and letting things pass, the main event of the garden party soon arrived.

Even before attending, Emilina had been put in a very awkward position with the embroidery activity.

Yet, surprisingly, the event proceeded peacefully. At least on the surface.

Emilina hadn’t even had the chance to worry about it, as her mind was elsewhere. For instance, constantly thinking about the heroine’s whereabouts—the sudden departure of Chloe Trobina to the Eastern Continent prevented her from concentrating on the party.

Still, the effort she had put into practice had paid off; the results were not bad at all. There had been no embarrassing moments. The activities proceeded smoothly, followed by evaluations from other ladies.

Eventually, the main event of the garden party concluded, and after some casual conversations among acquaintances, the party dispersed. Emilina left the marquis’ residence immediately and returned to her own residence at the duke’s mansion in the capital, ending a long and tiring day.

After attending the garden party, Emilina’s daily life became incredibly busy.

Between invitations from noblewomen and the upcoming arrival of the Eastern Continent delegation, there were so many new business plans to make that a single day was never enough.

Though, in truth, these “new business plans” mostly revolved around seizing trading rights from the Header Guild.

Due to all these circumstances, it was difficult for her to even meet Kirzen.

As a result, Kirzen’s frustration had been building. He had expected to spend more time with Emilina after moving to the capital, but in reality, the opposite had occurred.

Even when they were in the same room, seeing her became difficult because she would only arrive late at night.

She spent so much time in her study that he had to personally fetch her to see her.

At times like this, Kirzen found himself reflecting on his past. He realized that using being “busy” as an excuse to stay in the study was cruel to the other person.

Of course, this was from Kirzen’s perspective.

Nonetheless, regretting and reflecting on himself, he went to fetch Emilina from the study once again today.

With the hunting festival only two days away, he couldn’t leave her overworked any longer.

“Madam, are you very busy?”

As soon as he got permission to enter, Kirzen spoke.

Emilina lifted her gaze from the documents and replied briefly:

“Ah, um… a little busy. I’ll come in soon.”

“You’ve been overworking lately. I hear you haven’t been eating properly either.”

“…Have I?”

“Yes.”

Kirzen said firmly and placed the prepared late-night snack on the desk, which the maids had readied.

It was for Emilina, who must have been hungry.

Emilina suddenly realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast and felt the pangs of hunger. She had indeed neglected her meals recently.

Eating was necessary for survival, yet she had been so absorbed in work that she felt a little foolish.

After having the snack Kirzen prepared, Emilina sat across from him on the sofa and engaged in light conversation.

“Rockbell and the maids are worried. I also don’t want you to harm yourself by overworking. Perhaps it would be better to hire someone to help?”

Emilina hesitated before responding:

“But this is my work… I don’t feel comfortable entrusting it to someone else.”

“Is it a matter of trust?”

“Something like that.”

“Then…”

Kirzen was about to suggest a solution, but Emilina interrupted.

“It’s fine. I can handle it alone.”

“You couldn’t do it alone. If you truly could, you wouldn’t be staying up in the study this late.”

And there’s no reason to skip meals either. Emilina remained silent at Kirzen’s words.

He was right.

Emilina currently felt as if she needed two bodies.

She had recently signed a new contract with Merlin, expanding into the dessert business. The more responsibilities she had, the more problems piled up, leaving her with barely any time to sleep.

Thus, she understood that she truly couldn’t handle everything alone.

She had already realized it was time to hire help, but the problem was her mindset.

Although she could simply employ someone, she delayed it due to unnecessary worries, hesitating over choices concerning an uncertain future.

By handling everything herself, she ended up overwhelmed.

It was her own mistake.

Emilina finally admitted:

“You’re right. But… I’ll take it slow with hiring someone.”

“May I ask why?”

“It takes me a long time to trust others. Even if it’s just a simple employment relationship.”

“That’s a good attitude. One should not trust others too easily. Even if you trust them, leave a hint of doubt.”

“I didn’t expect you to say that…”

Emilina looked at Kirzen, finding it unusual for him to advocate doubt. His face was solemn.

“Madam, I am not speaking lightly. One can never share complete trust with anyone but oneself.”

Emilina suddenly asked him:

“Then you mean I should doubt you too?”

“Yes.”

Kirzen answered without hesitation. Emilina stared at him, puzzled.

That meant… he doubted her too.

But his answer was not what she expected:

“No, I do not doubt you. I cannot doubt you.”

It was paradoxical.

He told her to doubt others, but he himself could not doubt her? It seemed almost teasing.

Emilina was at a loss for words.

“Then… you can’t distrust me either.”

He confirmed that he didn’t doubt her, despite telling her to be wary of others.

Kirzen continued, completely unexpected:

“Because you are my partner, engraved on my heart.”

“Wh…?”

“My partner,” he repeated.

Emilina froze. Engraved? Partner?

It didn’t simply mean they were married.

Her voice trembled without realizing it:

“What… does that mean? Engraved on your heart?”

The phrase sounded ominous, not entirely pleasant.

But Kirzen calmly explained:

“It means exactly that. I have imprinted you as my partner, and I have become someone who cannot live without you.”

Emilina was stunned beyond disbelief.

Her thoughts raced. If his words were true, Kirzen’s life depended on her.

Following that, he reassured her:

“Do not worry. One imprinted cannot harm their partner.”

Emilina felt a sense of vertigo. She couldn’t pinpoint where things had gone wrong.

No, it had all been wrong from the start.

The imprint, and the fact that he could not harm her, sent chills down her spine. It was a contract forcing him into subservience, with no will of his own.

In novels, it’s a cliché—but experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different story.

Even if there were no tangible harm, the responsibility weighed heavily.

Kirzen said it was fine, but Emilina couldn’t feel at ease. One wrong move could endanger his life.

Kirzen merely comforted her, saying not to worry.

Emilina, after washing her face, asked:

“…Since when?”

“Pardon?”

“Since when… has this been the case?”

“The time of imprinting, you mean?”

“Yes.”

Kirzen scratched his cheek:

“It seems it was when I returned from the northern forest and suffered a fever. At first, I thought it was growing pains from awakening…”

“…You thought?”

“Yes. I went through extreme emotional turmoil due to an unfortunate incident. That was the trigger. That’s when I realized I had imprinted you.”

He did not share the details of how he realized the imprint—it was unnecessary.

On the first anniversary of their separation, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. Later, he realized that this recurring pain was due to the imprint.

After a fight with his uncle, exhausted, he instinctively sought her out, realizing this was the imprint. Mere longing wasn’t enough; just seeing her revitalized his heart.

Since then, whenever he thought of her, he would watch her from afar. During the war, he endured the pain through updates via Rosie.

And now, here they were.

Emilina nodded slowly. The “unfortunate incident” referred to the day she was kidnapped.

Kirzen had a high fever back then, so if it was due to the imprint, it made sense.

Emilina pressed her brow and asked:

“Don’t you feel it’s unfair?”

“Unfair in what sense?”

“The imprint. It happened without your will.”

“That is true, but the other person is you.”

“But… you could still regret it, right?”

Emilina thought. Kirzen, too, was human; to fixate solely on the imprinted partner was cruel. To blindly devote oneself just because of an imprint was wrong.

If it were her, she would be unable to sleep from frustration.

It was like being controlled by another’s will, trapped by invisible chains for life.

Kirzen seemed unfazed, but Emilina couldn’t ignore it.

…Hah… somehow I feel myself getting swept in.

Emilina realized she had begun to care for him, and she could no longer push him away. That was perhaps why her heart began to open.

She began to think of him as hers. She also started seeing him as a man.

His sturdy frame, once seen as childish, now seemed like a reliable support. His sharp jawline and masculine features stirred her heart.

Living together, sharing a bed despite busy schedules, gradually brought comfort.

Kirzen became bolder in approaching her, and Emilina, shy, retreated to the study.

Every time she saw him, thoughts of Chloe would haunt her, but with news of Chloe studying abroad, she felt freer to accept Kirzen.

No longer needing to think of the original story or its heroine, she could now express her feelings fully to him.

Before she spoke, Kirzen said:

“I do not regret it. Choosing you was my decision. Even without the imprint, I could not have accepted anyone but you.”

He confessed calmly.

Indeed, Kirzen remained steadfastly devoted.

Emilina smiled faintly, thinking he was the first person outside her parents to give so completely to her.

She had endured hardships, but because Kirzen cared for her more than anyone, she forgave him.

“You really haven’t changed.”

“Have I not?”

“No.”

Now it was time to reciprocate.

Taking a deep breath, Emilina softly called his name:

“Kirzen.”

Kirzen’s expression stiffened slightly at her sudden change in demeanor. He looked tense.

Emilina spoke gently:

“I imagine it must have been frustrating for you to hold back your feelings all this time.”

“…It was not frustrating.”

Kirzen watched her carefully, as if gauging her thoughts.

Emilina continued calmly:

“Yes. If that’s how you feel, then it’s fine. But I needed time to think.”

“Time to think about what…?”

Kirzen immediately asked, but Emilina shook her head. It was now irrelevant.

“Just… various things. But it’s resolved now, so don’t worry.”

Kirzen looked at her with a hint of disappointment, a trace of frustration. Perhaps he felt he hadn’t fully earned her trust yet.

Seeing this, Emilina let out a soft laugh.

“And that’s why I’ve held back until now…”

She paused, feeling shy about speaking aloud.

Kirzen looked puzzled, waiting for her next words, revealing some nervousness.

Emilina, seeing him like that, resolved firmly to correct her ambiguous attitude. She didn’t want to make him anxious anymore.

She wanted to be honest and convey her true feelings.

So she gathered courage and spoke:

“I like you too.”

“…Pardon?”

“I like you.”

At that moment, Kirzen gently grabbed her shoulder.

Startled at first, Emilina quickly relaxed. His grip was gentle, careful, like handling glass, and she laughed softly.

Kirzen then spoke, almost shyly:

“If this is not a dream, may I be allowed to kiss you?”

He stepped closer, brushing her stray hair behind her ear, his touch tingling lightly.

Though Emilina was initially flustered, she accepted it, knowing he had waited so long and because she wanted it too.

She nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, and Kirzen’s golden eyes disappeared into the darkness.

Several months later, a grand wedding was held in the Duchy of Ditrio.

The ceremony had been skipped initially due to the sudden marriage, leaving everyone confused, but Kirzen’s strong insistence ensured it went smoothly.

It all began the day Emilina confessed her feelings.

Kirzen persuaded her daily, insisting on holding the ceremony, and once there were no obstacles, she had no choice but to agree.

Oddly enough, after fully accepting Kirzen, things began to go unusually well.

For example, the matter of Kirzen’s uncle, Count Royden Monteiro. Emilina had first met the count at the hunting festival, not expecting it would be their last encounter.

During the festival, the count slandered Kirzen all day, eventually inciting rebellion by stirring anti-Lioneph sentiment in Genovamine.

It was a chaotic day, to say the least. The hunting festival ended immediately due to the rebellion, and under Kirzen’s protection, Emilina returned home safely.

The whereabouts of Count Monteiro were unknown, but later, the Countess of Razella mentioned:

“I heard a rumor that His Excellency was so furious that he locked him up in the northern forest.”

Though it sounded absurd, it wasn’t. Emilina actually knew—somewhere in the northern forest, the count remained, tied to Kirzen, and she had overheard it by chance during a private conversation with Jerome.

She had to feign ignorance.

After all these incidents, now, Emilina once again confessed to the man she had promised her life to:

“I love you, Kirzen.”

Kirzen responded with a bright smile:

“I love you too, Madam.”

Having confirmed their feelings, they believed that only happiness awaited them in the future.

—The End—