Chapter 13

Liliana was furious. If she was going to take sides in this, she was definitely on Helio’s side.

However, it wasn’t that she didn’t feel any pity for the Empress Dowager. After all, she, too, was another victim.

Liliana shook her head and said, “It seems like the same thing will keep happening for a while, so if His Majesty receives it, let me know then.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The head maid obediently withdrew. Liliana was glad at the thought that, for a while, she wouldn’t have to hear the annoying head maid’s reports or any stories that pricked her conscience.

But as always, things in the world don’t go smoothly.

While she was relaxing after dinner, a knock was heard. Soon, the head maid entered, politely greeted and spoke.

“Your Highness, the Emperor…”

“He ate it?”

Liliana asked in surprise. Reporting already meant there was some other matter, and it could only be that the Emperor had eaten the Empress Dowager’s food.

But the head maid said something else.

“His Majesty is coming to the Emerald Palace.”

Liliana’s mouth dropped open, but she quickly composed and touched her chin.

“You need to get dressed quickly.”

“Alright.”

Following the head maid’s instructions, the maids quickly dressed Liliana. The lovely yellow dress was a gift from Helio not long ago.

‘Wearing this… doesn’t it seem like I’m trying too hard to look good?’

Liliana thought to herself, but saying it out loud would have been strange. It was the duty of the Empress’s maids to make her look pleasing to the Emperor.

Dressed up, Liliana looked terrific. When the maids tried to put a heavy necklace on her again, she firmly refused, opting for a simpler one, which looked even more charming.

Not long after, when she went out to greet him at the entrance of the Emerald Palace, she saw Helio approaching from a distance. Liliana adorned her hair with a bright floral hairpin to greet him, though her expression wasn’t as colorful.

“Greetings to the sun of the empire, Your Majesty.”

Liliana lifted the hem of her yellow dress and bowed. Helio looked at her intently, not offering his hand.

Liliana, kneeling for a long time, felt her injured leg creak. Finally, she couldn’t endure it anymore and stood up straight.

“Forgive my rudeness, as I am still unwell.”

Liliana said, gasping for breath. Helio smiled at her and said, “You look like a chick.”

“Pardon?”

“I thought you would look like a chick in that dress, so I gave it to you. You really do. Come on in.”

Liliana felt an urge to slap the hand before her. But no matter how indulgent the Emperor might be, how could he forgive an Empress Consort who dared to hit him?

Although she was used to enduring, she didn’t know why her insides boiled whenever she saw this man.

Liliana tightly gripped Helio’s hand, expressing her anger, but he only maintained a sly smile, seemingly unaware.

Since the Emperor had arrived, she couldn’t leave him outside. Liliana led Helio to the reception room near the bedroom. Since Sophia was attending them, Liliana asked very straightforwardly.

“I thought you wouldn’t come for a while. Why are you here?”

“Ah.”

Helio strengthened his gaze as if to scold her but didn’t intend to frighten her. He slowly stirred his tea after adding three cubes of sugar.

“Let me sleep here.”

“Pardon?”

“The senile raccoon keeps bothering me at all hours, so I need a place to escape. Let me hide here.”

If she jumped down again, her body wouldn’t remain intact.

While Liliana was thinking seriously, Helio chuckled.

“Don’t even think about jumping down; I won’t lift a finger.”

Liliana flinched, her shoulders trembling as she feigned ignorance.

“Who said anything about jumping down?”

Helio silently drew a circle on his face with his finger at her words, implying that her face revealed everything, so she shouldn’t lie.

Liliana pouted and lightly lifted her teacup.

“Anyway, is there any other Emperor as considerate as me?”

Helio grumbled and playfully tapped Liliana’s toes with his foot. Liliana looked up in surprise.

Helio laughed deeply, dimples showing. His handsome forehead was framed by gently falling golden hair, and his blue eyes sparkled mischievously like a boy’s.

Facing such a Helio, Liliana felt as if her breath was taken away. She didn’t think welcoming a sacred work in a temple would feel this way.

How could a person be so beautiful? If she could touch him just once… Liliana was startled by her own thoughts and quickly lowered her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Liliana said, clutching her pounding heart.

“I’ll prepare a separate room for you.”

Helio rested his chin on his hand and shook his head.

“That’s nonsense. What kind of rumors are you trying to start?”

While Liliana was frozen, Helio added another word.

“We’re sleeping in the same bed, you and me.”

Liliana shouted in surprise, “But you said you wouldn’t touch me!”

Sophia had not yet been able to procure the contraceptive pills. Given her limited range within the palace, she clearly couldn’t get them quickly. In this situation, Helio’s sudden appearance was highly troubling.

Since Liliana’s refusal was firm, Helio laughed as if he found it absurd.

“I have no intention of doing anything with a woman who doesn’t want me.”

“Then… what do you mean?”

“Do you want to go down in history as the Empress Consort who refused the Emperor at the door?”

Honestly, she didn’t care about being recorded in history. Would Liliana be embarrassed? Of course, Helio would be the one embarrassed.

But it wasn’t about history; it was about the present and the possible rumors in the palace the next day. So, she had no choice but to comply quietly with his words.

Liliana let out a long sigh but had no other options. There was no way the master of this empire would break his word.

She couldn’t jump out the window now, so she had no choice but to trust Helio’s words.

A maid approached and reported that the bedroom was ready. Helio stood up first and extended his hand to Liliana.

Helio’s fingers were long and white, giving the impression of a handsome man just by looking at them. This man was perfect in terms of appearance… Liliana felt as if her future was bleak.

Helio intended to have heirs with Liliana, which she needed to prevent. But with such an excessively handsome opponent, it seemed like an unfair game for Liliana.

Helio seemed to understand why Liliana was hesitating and laughed confidently.

“Empress Consort, I don’t mind even if it’s tonight.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Liliana grabbed Helio’s hand as if she hadn’t heard anything. Helio chuckled and escorted her.

“You’ll understand eventually.”

Helio’s confident attitude was backed by such certainty that Liliana couldn’t help but let out a small groan.

* * *

Helio and Liliana met again in the bedroom after changing clothes. The maids quietly withdrew after arranging their bedding, leaving only the faint sound of flickering candles.

Liliana sat on the bed and rustled the sheets on purpose, making a crackling sound.

Helio watched her from a short distance before approaching the bed and sitting down comfortably. He looked magnificent, with a book resting on his thigh and his back against the bed’s headboard.

Liliana glanced at him repeatedly, unable to figure out how to sit on the bed.

Helio didn’t even glance at her, engrossed in his book, showing no signs of being disturbed.

As Liliana stood up again, feeling frustrated, Helio suddenly grabbed her blanket.

“Oh, my goodness.”

“I’m not undressing you, so don’t be startled.”

Helio said, wiggling his finger at her. Liliana hesitated before perching on the bed again. Helio frowned and gestured toward the pillow with his chin.

“Lie down.”

“Lie down…?”

“You’re distracting me, so either go to sleep or something.”

‘You really aren’t going to do anything tonight, right?’

Liliana gulped and lay down straight on the bed. Helio tossed the blanket over her as if annoyed.

Liliana pulled the blanket up to her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Helio’s words about not doing anything seemed true.

As she lay there, fiddling with her hands on her chest, she raised her pink eyes to look at Helio. He was already back to reading his book.

The book’s cover showed it was about war history. She wondered how he could read such a dull book.

Liliana rolled her eyes and spoke cautiously.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Helio asked, still looking at his book, “For what?”

“For accepting my strange stubbornness.”

At her words, Helio inhaled and then turned his head. There lay Liliana, already small and now even more shrunken, looking like a tiny creature.

An Empress Consort who seemed more like a girl than a woman and someone Helio needed an heir with.

For Helio, forcing himself on Liliana wasn’t tricky. He didn’t need to use force; he had hundreds of ways to make her kneel before him willingly.

‘But then she would resent me.’

That wouldn’t be a big deal. It shouldn’t be a big deal. But imagining Liliana looking at him resentfully or not speaking or looking at him like a dead person didn’t sit well with him.

He didn’t want her bright, pink eyes, which sparkled pleasingly, to turn dark like those of other ministers.

So, if he wanted an heir from this woman, he needed to find another way.

‘For instance, making her fall in love with me.’