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Chapter 5…
Lucretia’s lips trembled.
She could clearly feel that the Emperor was deliberately trying to hurt her.
So don’t be hurt, Lucretia. No matter who was sitting here, His Majesty would have said the same thing.
She repeated this to herself, but her body would not stop shaking. Her heart stung as if pricked by a thorn.
“Do you feel wronged, Empress? Then blame yourself for choosing the wrong side. Though…”
The Emperor paused and smiled faintly.
“I’m not sure a prostitute even has pride.”
Lucretia shut her eyes tightly and let out a trembling breath.
If she said even one wrong word here, the Emperor might use it as an excuse to remove her from the position of Empress. Even if the High Priest had forced this marriage, the Emperor was someone who could overturn everything if he wished.
There was only one thing she could say.
“I do not feel wronged, Your Majesty.”
She spoke as calmly as she could.
“Before I am Empress, I am Your Majesty’s subject. How could I dare to complain about the will of someone so high above me?”
“…Ha.”
It was a perfectly proper answer. If her etiquette instructor had heard it, they would have applauded.
The Emperor gave a short, dry laugh and stared down at her.
Under his open, intense gaze, Lucretia felt her heart pounding wildly.
Was that the correct answer?
Had she offended him too much?
The Emperor was impossible to predict. Perhaps he would decide that marrying her once was enough to keep his promise to the late Emperor—and then simply get rid of her.
As his silence grew longer, her heart beat faster. She could not guess what thoughts lay behind those red eyes as they looked her over.
Just as she tried to hide her trembling fingers—
“You bow your head surprisingly well.”
He muttered as if speaking to himself.
Lucretia looked at him blankly, unable to understand what he meant.
After watching her for a moment, the Emperor twisted his lips.
“Yes. I actually like this attitude.”
Her heart leapt.
He raised one corner of his mouth.
“I hate women who whine and make noise with their crying.”
His voice still held clear contempt for her, without even trying to hide it.
“Now then, shall we do what needs to be done?”
He leaned closer.
Startled, Lucretia instinctively leaned back. Realizing her rudeness, she bit her lip.
But instead of pointing it out, the Emperor smirked.
“With that attitude, it won’t look like we just spent the night together.”
“Ah…”
“We should at least pretend we spent our wedding night properly. The damned duty of being royalty is watching with wide-open eyes.”
Muttering irritably, he moved even closer. Their faces were far too near.
Lucretia’s shoulders stiffened like stone.
“Relax, Empress. At this rate, it will look like I mistreated you last night.”
“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”
She tried to relax her body.
A cool yet sharp scent reached her nose—the scent of a grown man, completely mature and experienced. There was no trace of innocence.
The unfamiliar fragrance made her body want to tense again.
But she had to endure it. If she kept flinching as if the man before her were a monster, she might suffer serious consequences.
Her effort collapsed in the next moment.
The Emperor’s fingers touched her hair.
She gasped softly as he lightly messed up her hair and let his hand slide down.
“Ah—”
His finger reached her lips, and she stopped breathing.
He rubbed her lips with his finger. When he pressed lightly, her soft pink lips were pushed and slightly parted. Between them, her red tongue briefly showed.
“Your Majesty…?”
She mumbled, her pronunciation slightly off.
What was happening?
When she finally looked up at him, he was staring at her lips. Then suddenly, he withdrew his hand.
“You bruise easily.”
He looked down at her lips, now slightly redder than before.
“They’ve already swollen.”
Why did he suddenly touch her lips…?
Ah.
He had said they needed to pretend they had spent their wedding night together.
And he had pressed her lips until they swelled.
Understanding his intention, Lucretia’s face turned bright red.
If she appeared with lips like this the morning after the wedding night, everyone would assume the newlyweds had shared passionate kisses since dawn.
“This won’t be enough.”
He walked to the bedside table and took out a paper knife.
Not understanding his intention, Lucretia simply watched—until her eyes widened.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The Emperor cut his own palm.
Red drops of blood began to flow.
Lucretia jumped to her feet, her mind in chaos at the sight of blood from his royal body.
I need to stop the bleeding—no, I can use my healing—
As she flustered, the Emperor calmly approached and held his palm over the bed sheets.
Drip. Drip.
Bright red blood fell onto the white sheets.
“Ah…”
Lucretia stared blankly at the scene. Once again, she understood his intention a moment too late.
In an instant, red blossoms bloomed across the sheets.
“This makes it look like it was a rather rough night.”
He tilted his head as he looked at the blood-stained fabric.
Then he smiled at her.
“The maids will pity you.”
At his blunt reference to their wedding night, Lucretia’s cheeks turned deep red.
News that the Emperor and Empress had successfully spent their wedding night spread throughout the entire palace.
The maids of the Empress’s palace stole glances at her swollen lips and flushed cheeks, blushing themselves.
As Clara draped a gown over Lucretia’s shoulders, she whispered:
“The Marquis must be very pleased.”
“…”
“You know, don’t you, my lady? Your father has high expectations for you.”
Expectations.
What exactly did her father expect from her?
Did he truly hope she would wrap that man around her finger and control him? Was he seriously dreaming of something so absurd?
If so, those expectations had already been completely shattered. Despite everyone’s assumptions, the Emperor and Empress had not truly shared their wedding night.
And in Lucretia’s opinion, an Emperor who left her alone on their first night would never come to her later.
Her prediction soon proved true.
After the wedding night, the Emperor never once visited the marital bedroom.
One day passed. Then two. Then a week.
Finally, after ten days, the Marquis Zepher could no longer endure it and personally came to the Empress’s palace—bringing his youngest daughter with him.
“What kind of scandal is this?”
As soon as the maids left, the Marquis shouted angrily.
“The Emperor hasn’t visited the Empress even once after the wedding night!”
“How badly did you disappoint him, Lucretia? In just one night?”
Her half-sister, Eleonora, clicked her tongue in scorn.
With her pink-tinted lips, she continued sharply:
“You neither attend to His Majesty nor manage the palace affairs. You’re simply living in comfort day after day. Do you think we sent you there to enjoy luxury?”
“It is not my intention to neglect the palace affairs, Marquis.”
Lucretia explained quietly, eyes lowered.
“The Department of the Interior has not transferred authority to me yet. They say I need more time to adjust to palace life.”
“Nonsense. It has already been a week since you entered the palace. What more time do you need? …Wait.”
The Marquis frowned.
“I hear the one truly in power in the Department of the Interior is Count Johannes. Hm… That young brat must be trying to restrain me by targeting you. Using such shallow tricks. Hah!”
“How ridiculous. They’re just salaried subordinates.”
Eleonora sneered.
The Marquis glared at Lucretia.
“Listen carefully. The management of the inner palace belongs to us. It is our rightful share, and those fools in the Department cannot take it away! You must never yield to them. Especially not to Count Johannes’s family—they’ve clashed with our house for years. You must not let them look down on you!”
“Yes, Marquis.”
Lucretia replied, still looking at the tea table.
“I’ll visit the head of the Department myself. But you must never neglect your role as Empress. Above all, you must capture the Emperor’s heart somehow. That is your first duty.”
“…Yes.”
“You haven’t forgotten the methods I taught you, have you? Men are simple creatures. Even if he wears a crown, a man is still a man. If you use the right tricks, he’ll fall for you.”
“Of course, if a person had real charm, such tricks wouldn’t even be necessary.”
Eleonora sipped her tea and looked Lucretia up and down.
“Well, it’s unfortunate for His Majesty. The bride he finally welcomed is nothing more than a block of wood.”
