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Chapter 12
“Your Grace…!”
Startled by Killian’s sudden announcement, Litricia pulled at his arm.
Killian’s first request had only been to briefly pretend to be his fiancée. But now, things seemed to be spiraling out of control.
In truth, from the moment she asked Piril for time to think, Litricia had already started forming a vague plan for her future.
She knew all too well what kind of reaction people around her would have upon learning she was terminally ill.
The Count’s family would surely be annoyed, complaining that they were now expected to take care of a sickly burden. Litricia could already picture it vividly, even without experiencing it.
So, she had decided it would be better for everyone if she left the estate before her condition worsened.
But even for an adopted daughter, it was rare for an unmarried woman to be sent out of the territory unless it was for convalescence. And the Count of Esta would never allow such a luxurious lifestyle for her.
That’s why Litricia chose to break off her engagement with Patrick.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how one saw it—divorce or annulment was considered a disgrace for noble families in the Empire, and most women who were jilted were sent to monasteries.
Of course, if another marriage prospect came along, that fate could be avoided—but such cases were rare.
Litricia knew she would be no exception. So she had decided to quietly live out the rest of her days in a monastery after ending her engagement with Patrick.
It wouldn’t be a luxurious life, but at least she would have peace of mind. That seemed like a good enough ending.
However, from the moment she became entangled with Killian, her carefully laid plans were unraveling in real time before she could even catch her breath.
“You said it would just be for a short while. But now you’re talking about a wedding…!”
“Ah.”
Killian thoughtfully ran his fingertips along his lips at her small protest.
Then he stepped in closer.
“Then allow me to make my second request. Not just for a short while—please become my official wife.”
“But!”
“I’ll say it again. Refusal is not an option for you.”
He locked eyes with her for a moment, then murmured softly as he turned away, “I told you. Be careful with your promises.”
Everything had happened so quickly, Litricia hadn’t even had time to react.
“You mean to hold the ceremony right now?” someone asked, stunned.
“Yes. As long as a simplified ceremony is acceptable. And since His Majesty is present, we already have a reliable witness.”
The emperor, who looked strikingly similar to the empress dowager with his navy hair, gently widened his eyes in agreement.
“I don’t mind, but are you sure you want your one and only wedding to be handled so informally?”
“It can’t be helped. Her Majesty seems quite insistent.”
Killian, responding with dry indifference, pulled a cord from around his neck, revealing a pair of rings as though he had prepared for this moment all along.
Clink.
As he snapped the cord, the rings collided, creating a clear chime. Killian slipped one ring onto Litricia’s ring finger.
He hesitated briefly but then calmly pushed it all the way on and pressed his lips firmly over it.
Then he placed the second ring on his own finger and spoke a short vow.
It was a simple procedure, closer to a betrothal than a wedding, just as he’d said. After it was done, Killian turned his impassive gaze toward the Empress Dowager.
“Well? Is this enough to satisfy you, Your Majesty?”
“…”
“If not, shall I seal it with a kiss?”
He turned his head slightly, clearly aiming to provoke the empress dowager, whose eyes were already red with fury.
That slight movement brought Killian’s and Litricia’s lips dangerously close.
Just as the last sliver of distance was about to vanish—
“Killian Adel Heverus! I should never have let you return to the capital! If you hadn’t won the war…!”
The Empress Dowager sprang up, grinding her teeth in rage.
“Your Majesty. Forgive me, but I am unwell. I must retire at once! I cannot remain here a moment longer!”
With that, she stormed out of the reception room.
Even after her footsteps faded, Killian showed no intention of stepping away from Litricia.
“Your Grace, I think that’s enough,” Litricia said, unable to bear the awkward closeness any longer. She pushed against his shoulder.
But oddly, Killian didn’t budge.
His long eyelashes cast shadows over his unreadable expression as he stared at her lips.
“…Your Grace. Please move. It’s over now.”
“…”
“Your Grace?”
Still no response.
Litricia tried to take a step back, but Killian’s hand around her waist held her firmly in place.
Fortunately, not long after, the emperor gave a congratulatory message and permission for them to leave. Litricia finally managed to escape Killian’s embrace before suffocating from the tension.
Even then, she couldn’t understand why Killian had held onto her like that. Not even when she crossed the threshold, leaving him behind with the emperor.
*
“So this is why you asked for all the young lords and ladies to attend the banquet today.”
“Your Majesty, if you have no further pressing matters to discuss, may I take my leave? My bride is waiting.”
“Haha…”
The emperor awkwardly chuckled at Killian’s cold voice as he attempted to follow Litricia out of the reception room.
Behind that nervous laugh lingered old guilt and regret.
“It’s been over a decade since we last sat together, and yet my dear brother still refuses to call me ‘hyung’ even once.”
“I didn’t think we were the kind of brothers to have a heartfelt reunion, Your Majesty.”
“…Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Ah, wait!”
The emperor clumsily stood up as Killian turned to go, having barely met his eyes until now.
“I… I’m sorry.”
His head drooped in defeat.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“For everything my mother has done to you… and everything she tried to do.”
The emperor squeezed his eyes shut, feeling utterly ashamed of himself.
Unlike the Empress Dowager Astara, Emperor Antonio didn’t see Killian as someone to monitor or suppress.
He simply carried guilt for how Killian had been driven out of the palace because of his mother.
But no matter how much he resented her, Antonio had never had the courage to stand against Astara.
All he could do was warn Killian of danger in advance like this.
“I thought I’d gain some strength once I took the throne, but I still have no power at all.”
Ashamed to face his brother, Antonio covered one side of his face with his hand.
“Why did you choose Lady Esta, of all people? There were other noblewomen at the banquet. Surely you don’t expect me to believe it was love at first sight?”
He fiddled with the edge of his crooked crown, letting out a faint, crooked laugh.
“Is there some other reason?”
“Hm.”
Killian glanced at the door Litricia had exited through, his throat bobbing slightly.
“She’s a good card to play.”
“A good card… I see.”
It was clear he had no intention of elaborating.
And since the emperor had no right to pry further, he simply echoed Killian’s words bitterly.
“Regardless of your reasons, it doesn’t sit well with me. A marriage is meant to be a lifelong bond, and you handled this far too lightly.”
When the emperor suggested holding a proper ceremony later, Killian scoffed.
“A lifetime… I’ll handle the ceremony myself, Your Majesty. Please don’t concern yourself. I’ll be off now.”
“Kil—! No, never mind. Go… safely. If you have time later, perhaps we could—”
“There will be no further meetings between us, Your Majesty.”
“…Ah.”
Drawing a sharp boundary between them, Killian finally turned to leave.
Though only a short time had passed—barely two turns of the clock hand—he couldn’t help but think of Litricia, who had exited first.
Her pale face, seated there with such forced composure, replayed vividly in his mind. A frown creased his brow.
Sigh… I need to send her back before she really collapses. I should have some extra medicine…
As he stepped over the reception room threshold, searching through his coat—
A commotion near the far stairwell caught his attention.
“What? You broke off the engagement? Litricia, are you out of your mind?!”
*
Thud!
Litricia gritted her teeth as pain shot through her shoulder from where it had slammed into the stair railing.
“Ugh. That hurts, brother.”
Isis, having rushed from the west tower, had grabbed and shoved Litricia as she was walking away ahead of Killian.
“Tell me it’s not true. Patrick Godwin said he broke off the engagement, but that can’t be right. Is it true?”
So diligent. There hadn’t even been time to run into him, but somehow he’d already heard.
Litricia gave silent applause to Patrick’s quick action and tried to shake off Isis’s hand, which gripped her arm tightly.
“Yes, it’s true. Now let me go.”
He was holding her so tightly that her already pale skin turned nearly translucent.
But Isis kept pressing her.
“Damn it! Are you insane? Don’t you realize how tied up our business is with the Godwin family?”
“…So that’s all you care about, isn’t it, brother? You don’t even ask why I broke off the engagement. What you really care about is—”
“Why would I care about that? And is that even important right now? If the Duke of Godwin decides to switch to another spice transport method, do you realize how much we’ll lose?!”
Now gripping both her shoulders, Isis violently shook her.
The force caused Litricia’s feet to slip dangerously close to the edge of the stairs.
One misstep and she could tumble down in an instant.
“Enough! First we need to undo the engagement. Say it was a mistake. Just say—wait. What is this?”
Eyes narrowing into slits, Isis suddenly rubbed them in disbelief.
He had noticed the ring on Litricia’s finger.
“This isn’t the one you had with Patrick Godwin. Then whose ring is this?”
“Finally, something you’re curious about.”
“I’m not here to play games, Litricia. Just answer me. Whose ring is it?”
“His Grace.”
“What?”
Isis squinted at the ring like he couldn’t make sense of it.
Why would that name come up here, of all places?
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why would you have his ring?”
“Because I married him.”
“…?”
Who? You?
Isis stood frozen in disbelief, then muttered a single word.
“Crazy. That’s insane.”
