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CHAPTER 13:
How About Becoming My Dog
“‘A special existence,’ huh.”
Dietrich didn’t respond to the Empress’s words.
No immediate answer came to mind.
Talking with that woman, Celia, always sparked irritation, and just watching her made him feel suffocated, like something was blocking his chest.
She didn’t care about appearances, getting crumbs on her lips as she ate. She could’ve escaped easily but didn’t, waiting for him covered in blood.
She had been in such pain that he’d gone out of his way to pass his healing powers to her—yet she had greedily licked his saliva as if she’d tear out the root of her tongue, then fell sound asleep.
No one had ever gotten under his skin like that.
In that sense, Celia was definitely a special existence to him—even if in a negative way.
The Empress glared at Dietrich with her violet eyes when he said nothing.
“You’re no different from other men. I thought you, at least, would be somewhat different.”
“……”
Dietrich looked down at her with a blank face.
Though he was young, the Empress before him was a woman in her middle age.
She was beautiful, but the Emperor hadn’t liked her. He hadn’t visited her since their wedding night.
After all, the Empress was the illegitimate child of the late Duke Gredrick.
Even if the Emperor had been incompetent, he couldn’t have been unaware that she was planted as a puppet to keep him in check by the three Dukes.
The Empress had to endure hearing the moans of women in the Emperor’s adjacent chamber every night.
She found it revolting how he embraced other women so shamelessly in front of her.
But as the Empress, she had to produce an heir.
She had been discarded by her own family, and bearing the imperial heir was the only way to hold power.
So, she drugged the Emperor’s food, climbed atop him while he slept, and covered his face with a pillow so she wouldn’t have to see it.
The ugly Emperor was nothing but a tool to maintain her power and produce an heir.
She gave birth to Jeremy and then turned her attention to other men.
Unlike the late Emperor, who was obsessed with women, the Empress had very strict standards for men.
Though she had married the Emperor, twenty years her senior, for political gain, she was in truth very picky.
Her standards:
- The man had to have never been with another woman.
- He had to be under thirty.
- He had to be handsome enough to turn heads.
- He needed some social standing.
- He had to be muscular and have beautiful eyes.
Few met all these criteria. Those who did were either married or engaged.
She refused to touch any man who had belonged to another.
Only Dietrich met every requirement.
Noblewomen filled the capital vying for his attention, but he was indifferent to them all.
He was, in her eyes, the perfect candidate for a lover.
Of course, Dietrich had rejected her advances multiple times.
But the Empress wasn’t willing to give him up.
Not when the Emperor was alive.
And not now, barely a day after his funeral.
In fact, with the Emperor dead, things were even easier.
The Emperor had always kept Dietrich close. Had he still been alive, she never would’ve dared to barge into his home like this in the middle of the night.
“Sir Dietrich. My previous offer still stands. If you say now that you’ll be mine, I’ll turn a blind eye to everything.”
“What exactly would you be turning a blind eye to?”
The Empress pressed her index finger into his chest—hard as a rock—then licked her dry lips and said:
“For example, you taking that woman from the prison without reporting to me. Or killing the knight who served you for four years.”
“I knew long ago that His Majesty had placed someone to watch me.”
Dietrich grabbed the Empress’s finger off his chest.
His cool gaze swept across her face.
“If His Highness the Crown Prince finds out, he’ll be very disappointed in Your Majesty.”
Dietrich abruptly released her finger from his grasp.
“Jeremy would never find out. You wouldn’t tell him.”
The Empress knew well that her son Jeremy disliked Dietrich.
Even if he learned she tried to take Dietrich as a lover, Jeremy would blame Dietrich, not her.
He’d accuse Dietrich of seducing his wise mother and kick him out of the palace.
“Sir Dietrich. Tomorrow at noon, bring that woman to my palace.”
“……”
For the first time, emotion flickered across Dietrich’s otherwise impassive face.
His cold gaze sent chills down her spine, but it only aroused her further.
“This is a command from the Empress.”
“……”
“If you don’t want your military authority stripped, you’d better behave. You no longer have anyone to shield you.”
The Empress lifted the corners of her lips.
“When Jeremy becomes Emperor, I’ll be the Grand Empress Dowager and the most powerful person in the land. So, obey me.”
She looked him up and down, letting her eyes linger over the front of his trousers.
It was visibly full.
She swallowed hard and said:
“How about becoming my dog?”
She had said it just to see his furious expression—but his face had already returned to its usual unreadable calm.
He replied flatly:
“Please leave now.”
“……”
“When the Crown Prince becomes Emperor, it wouldn’t be good for His Majesty’s reputation to be associated with scandal.”
It wasn’t the answer she wanted.
But she had already ordered him to bring the woman by noon tomorrow.
Not even Dietrich could disobey a direct command.
“Don’t forget—tomorrow at noon.”
With those final words, the Empress turned and left.
Dietrich waited until she disappeared into her palace before returning to his own estate.
There, he immediately summoned his aide, Anderson.
He had given strict orders that no one was to enter, and yet the Empress had barged in.
“I’m terribly sorry, sir. She threatened to cause a scene if we didn’t let her in…”
Anderson looked as if he was ready to kneel in apology.
But Dietrich didn’t blame him. In the current situation, no one could stop the Empress.
Now that the Emperor was dead and the Empress had a son next in line for the throne, she held absolute power.
“Did you look into what I asked?”
“…Yes.”
Anderson’s face darkened. He didn’t hide his grim tone as he reported:
“Already, hundreds of palace knights have defected to the Crown Prince’s side.”
“……”
“I believe His Highness has bribed them. Otherwise, how could men loyal to you betray you so easily?”
Dietrich had expected this.
“No. They weren’t bribed.
The Emperor they trusted is dead. They simply don’t want to stay on a sinking ship.”
“…!”
Anderson’s eyes widened in shock.
“How could they betray you? You treated them with such care and respect!”
“They’re not in the wrong.”
Dietrich’s calm voice left Anderson speechless.
“This was inevitable the moment the Emperor died.”
Dietrich muttered lazily and fell silent.
Anderson remained quietly by his side.
Celia had slept deeply.
She awoke in the morning, feeling refreshed.
Birdsong drifted in through the open window.
She pulled the bell cord by her bed to request bathwater.
Soon, knock knock—a knock at the door.
“I’m coming in,” said a gentle female voice.
A maid entered, with short red-tinged hair and freckles.
Celia was surprised that Dietrich had even assigned her a maid.
But there was something odd—the maid kept her eyes closed the entire time.
“Is there anything you need, my lady?”
“I was hoping you could draw me a bath…”
At the sound of her voice, the maid flinched slightly. But she quickly bowed and backed away.
“I’ll bring the water immediately.”
She returned with a tub full of warm water and filled the bath, eyes closed the entire time.
Despite that, she worked with surprising skill.
Celia watched her in silence before asking:
“Are you… blind?”
The maid nodded.
“Yes.”
She didn’t explain how she lost her sight. She quickly tried to leave.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait.”
Celia stopped her.
“What’s your name?”
“Ellie.”
“…Okay, Ellie. You can go.”
Ellie was about to leave, then suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“If it’s not too forward, may I ask you something?”
She didn’t even wait for Celia’s permission.
“What is your relationship with my master? Are you… his lover?”
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