Chapter 11

Listening to Liliana’s story, Helio murmured briefly to himself.

“Did my mother feel the same?”

“Pardon?“

“It’s nothing. Anyway, it seems you don’t want to have children.”

“Well, yes. To put it bluntly, I think I would lose more because of the child than gain power because of the child. I just want to live quietly. Like I’m dead.”

Liliana emphasized “like I’m dead“ with all her heart. At this, Helio, looking very annoyed, flicked her forehead lightly.

“Ouch!“

“You say the darnedest things in front of the Emperor.“

“…You said you liked it when I talked back.”

Liliana grumbled but soon started to look around nervously. It was hard to tell whether she was terrified of the Emperor.

Where does that boundless boldness come from, and at the same time, why does she suddenly become cautious?

Helio crossed his arms and watched as Liliana pondered over what to say. After a while, Liliana cautiously asked,

“Why aren’t you angry?“

“Which part do you mean? Did you fake an accident to avoid sleeping with the Emperor? Or the rude remark about not wanting an heir before the Emperor? I don’t know which to be more upset about.“

“Me neither.”

Helio burst out laughing at Liliana’s bold reply. She looked slightly deflated but still spoke her mind.

“I heard you were angry. But you’re tolerating my insolence like this. It’s insulting.”

She seemed very aware of her rudeness. Helio felt conflicted. Why did he find this brazen girl not irritating but rather endearing?

Helio sighed, brushing a stray strand of blonde hair off his forehead.

“First of all.”

As Helio began to speak, Liliana clenched her jaw as if concentrating. Finding this cute, Helio hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“…I was angry at the head attendant who didn’t properly maintain the Emerald Palace.”

“But that’s!”

“Yes. It wasn’t the attendant’s fault but your wicked scheme. Realizing this in time, I let him go, considering it a mistake.“

“…Thank you.“

“Why are you thanking me?“

“If he had died, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night.”

Helio looked utterly perplexed.

“Anyway, I wasn’t angry at you. If I hated troublemakers, I wouldn’t have brought you here in the first place. I saw you trying to escape with my own eyes.”

Saying that, Helio stood up. Liliana tried to awkwardly rise with her elbow, but Helio pressed his index finger on her shoulder, causing her to fall back.

“Don’t try to bow when you’re in no condition to. See me when you’re fully recovered.“

“…Yes.”

Helio stared at Liliana intently, then slowly backed away. His gaze was sharp, like a predator eyeing its prey.

Then, in an instant, he turned around and elegantly exited through the door opened by a maid, moving with the grace of a top predator.

After Helio ultimately left, Sophia rushed in and exclaimed,

“Your Highness, are you insane?! My heart nearly stopped! What were you thinking, talking like that in front of His Majesty! Was the accident really deliberate?“

“I’m sorry, Sophia.”

When Liliana quietly apologized, Sophia sank to the floor distressedly. She looked up at Liliana with eyes full of reproach.

Liliana expected a scolding, but Sophia let out a deep sigh and said one thing,

“I’ll get it for you.“

“Huh? What?”

Looking bewildered, Liliana watched as Sophia closed her eyes tightly.

“Contraceptives. I’ll get them for you.”

Her resolute voice filled the room quietly.

* * *

Helio didn’t visit until Liliana’s body had healed enough to stroll.

She wondered if his interest in the audacious Empress Consort had waned, but the occasional gifts he sent suggested otherwise.

Among the gifts were accessories, dresses, and even a sword. That time, it came with a small card that read,

“What kind of gift would a woman like you enjoy?”

Seeing the odd combination of gifts, Liliana couldn’t help but smile, sensing his unique dilemma. After much consideration, she sent a short reply.

“Delicious food. By the way, I’m still not fully recovered.”

That day, a new chef arrived at the Emerald Palace. A simple salad tasted distinctly different, indicating the chef’s exceptional skill. Helio’s lavishness in sending a chef just because she asked for something tasty was impressive and very much like him.

“I want to go for a walk today.“

Liliana’s maids tried to dissuade her, but she felt she needed to pick up that poor wind spirit crying hoarsely outside the window.

“I won’t overdo it. Just to the front of the palace.”

Only after Liliana pleaded for a long time did Sophia and the others begin to give their permission one by one. Liliana, supported by Sophia, came out to the front of the palace.

When Chuchu spotted Liliana, her small face, wet with tears, looked up, her eyes wide, before she started crying again.

“Lily!“

“Oh dear, oh dear…”

Liliana sighed as if in pain as she sat down near Chuchu. Extending her hand naturally as if to steady herself, Chuchu grabbed her fingers tightly.

“Lily! I missed you! Are you okay? Are you feeling better?”

Lifting Chuchu along with a small iron ball, Liliana slowly stood up.

Instead of responding to Chuchu’s desperate cries, she nodded slightly and smiled. She didn’t want to draw attention by conversing with Chuchu in front of all the maids, which could reveal her talents as a spirit summoner.

Fortunately, Chuchu understood Liliana’s signal and clung to her fingers.

“Thank goodness! I thought you were going to die because of me! I’m so sorry! Really sorry!”

Liliana gently patted Chuchu’s head with her thumb to soothe her. Holding Chuchu lightly, Liliana strolled slowly around the Emerald Palace.

Perhaps because Helio attended Liliana’s appointment ceremony as the Empress Consort and visited the Emerald Palace on the same day, the attendants outside were much more respectful.

“The palace is such a place.”

Liliana thought to herself as she sat on a bench by a small lake in the palace. Despite being outdoors, the bench was impeccably clean.

Liliana lowered Chuchu onto her lap and tapped her fingers playfully. Chuchu, feeling somewhat cheered up, giggled and began to playfully punch Liliana’s fingers with her little fists.

Smiling at Chuchu’s cuteness, Liliana gazed across the lake. The lake was so clear that the fish swimming inside were visible, and the carefully selected stones around it were pristine and beautiful.

“It feels good.”

Liliana looked satisfied as she breathed in the fresh outdoor air. Glancing around, she noticed a group of people approaching in the distance.

At first, she wondered who they were, but she almost jumped up when she saw a tall man with blond hair in front. She would have if she were in better health.

Instead of getting up, Liliana looked straight ahead. However, her pink hair was hard to hide, and Helio naturally spotted her near the lake.

When Liliana glanced back again, Helio was already walking towards her.

“I told him I’m not fully recovered!”

He might flick her forehead again if he saw her out for a walk. Just the thought made her forehead tingle.

Liliana debated whether to run or stay, pondering how to handle the situation quietly. Meanwhile, Helio was steadily approaching.

“Oh, what do I do?”

Just as Liliana stomped her feet and looked back again, Helio oddly stopped in his tracks. He seemed to be looking at something beside her, not directly at her.

Then he turned and started walking back where he had initially been heading. The servants seemed flustered by the sudden change of direction.

“What’s going on…?”

Liliana muttered to herself in confusion.

“He runs away when he sees me.”

Oh my gosh! Startled by the elegant voice, Liliana looked up.

Standing there was the Empress Dowager, who bore a striking resemblance to Helio.

Liliana tried to stand up immediately, but the Empress Dowager gently pressed her shoulder down. Liliana awkwardly sat back on the bench and bowed her head. The Empress Dowager watched her with a smile.

“Stay seated. I heard there was an accident. You seem to be recovering.“

“Thank you, Your Majesty.“

“No need to thank me. I should be grateful.”

The Empress Dowager sat beside Liliana. Even at a glance, her posture was elegant and graceful.

It was both beautiful and poignant, a testament to the effort she had put into surviving in the imperial palace.

“I haven’t done anything.”

“You get along well with my son.“

“…His Majesty has been kind to someone as unworthy as me.”

At Liliana’s humble words, the Empress Dowager smiled distinctly. She never laughed out loud.

“He doesn’t pity anyone. He knows such emotions are futile.”

Liliana wanted to ask what she meant but knew she couldn’t speak her mind. The Empress Dowager wouldn’t find her backtalk amusing. Liliana clenched her fists lightly and just kept smiling.

“Do you know why the Emperor thinks that way?“

“I’m not wise enough to know.“

“It’s because of me.”

The Empress Dowager’s words were filled with self-reproach. Liliana couldn’t easily find words to respond.

“He pitied me. But he gained nothing in return.”