Chapter 77

“This is my palace, so I guess I should be the one to leave. You two can spend some time together.”

“Your Majesty, where are you going?”

Liliana called out urgently, but the Empress Dowager shook her head.

“Where would a person like me, who’s being driven out, have to go? I should just stay in my room and mope.”

Hearing the Empress Dowager’s playful tone, Liliana sighed.

She really resembled Helio. It was hard to understand how people didn’t notice it.

With no way to stop the Empress Dowager, Liliana finally offered her farewell.

“Your Majesty, I’ll revisit you next week.”

The Empress Dowager smiled gently and then left. After completely disappearing from the path, Liliana bit her lower lip and glared at Helio.

“What?“

“Is there any other place in the world where an Empress Consort drives out the Empress Dowager from her own palace?“

“You’re looking at it.”

Helio pointed to Liliana with his chin. His overly confident attitude made Liliana let out a deep sigh. She realized she would never win against this man.

“What are you planning to do with Mother next week?“

“We’re going to watch a play. Would you like to join us?”

Helio frowned and shook his head as if the mere thought was dreadful.

“Do you not like plays?“

“Well, I haven’t watched enough to say whether I like them.”

It was precisely what Liliana had said to the Empress Dowager, almost as if it was a lie.

“Actually, me neither. Then maybe we could…”

She was about to suggest to Helio that they watch a play together the next day, but then she noticed even more vividly colored autumn leaves than before. As she trailed off, she turned her eyes wide with excitement.

As soon as Liliana saw the leaves, she fell into contemplation. It wasn’t difficult to suppress her impulsive actions when she was with the Empress Dowager. Although she was often disappointed, she brushed it off as if it had never happened.

But for some reason, being alone with Helio made her feel like she could do something outrageous.

As Liliana kept her mouth shut and stared at him intently, Helio asked,

“Why did you stop talking?“

“Your Majesty, could you turn around?“

“Turn around?“

“Yes, please turn around.”

Liliana nodded eagerly. She planned to quickly pick up the leaf when Helio turned around.

Helio looked at her with a questioning gaze before he slowly turned around. As soon as he did, Liliana bent down to pick up the leaf.

However, it seemed the wind had moved it because it was no longer in its original spot.

When Liliana bent down, Helio quickly turned his head to see what she was doing.

He was curious to see what great deed she was up to, so he asked the Emperor to turn around, and indeed, it turned out to be something completely trivial.

Nevertheless, when he saw Liliana’s bright smile as she picked up the crimson leaf, he realized it might not have been entirely pointless.

Liliana blew on the leaf and gestured for Sophia to come closer. Sophia could see Liliana and Helio, so she struggled to suppress her laughter.

Just as Liliana was about to hand the leaf to Sophia, Helio suddenly spoke.

“Isn’t that mine?“

“Oh, you startled me! I told you to stay turned around!“

“You told me to turn around for too long.”

Though it didn’t seem like he had turned around for very long, Liliana couldn’t argue further as she wondered if she had really taken that long.

Sophia stood with her hands politely outstretched, biting her lips tightly. She couldn’t dare laugh during a conversation between the Emperor and Empress Consort.

Helio knew that Sophia was trembling but didn’t want to punish Liliana’s favorite maid, so he deliberately pulled Liliana by the shoulder and walked ahead.

Liliana was keenly aware of Helio’s firm arm around her shoulder, but she pretended to focus straight ahead.

“I said it’s mine, didn’t I?”

“Yes.“

“Then you should give it to me. Why were you trying to give it to the maid?”

Helio spoke as if he genuinely didn’t understand, and Liliana carefully held onto the leaf to keep it from fluttering in the wind, then scolded him instead.

“I was planning to press it and make a bookmark for you. Why are you peeking early?”

Liliana called Sophia again. Fortunately, Sophia seemed to have entirely composed herself and looked calm. After handing the leaf to Sophia, Liliana turned to Helio.

“I’m surprised you like leaves so much. Should I press some flowers from the bouquet you gave me and make you a keepsake next time?”

Liliana was sorely mistaken. Helio didn’t care about trivial things like leaves. What he liked was the fact that Liliana sent him something every day.

But Helio had never said that out loud, nor did he ever think to.

“That sounds good.”

So Liliana could only conclude that Helio was unexpectedly sentimental.

“Oh, Your Majesty. I’m having tea with Agrina Gabriel tomorrow.”

As soon as Liliana opened her mouth, Helio’s lips tightened. Without stopping his stride, he spoke firmly.

“Don’t try to persuade me.”

It didn’t matter whether it was a direct descendant or a distant relative. Helio deeply despised the very existence of Gabriel. He had no intention of marrying a woman with even a drop of the Duke of Gabriel’s blood in her veins.

Unless the Empire found itself in dire straits and had to rely on the Duke of Gabriel’s help once more, Helio’s decision would never change.

Liliana was startled by the hatred that flashed across Helio’s face but calmed down when she realized it wasn’t directed at her.

“I’m going to tell Agrina I can’t help her ascend to Empress. If she wants to continue working with me, I’ll ask her to offer different terms.”

When Liliana spoke calmly, the darkness in Helio’s eyes gradually cleared. After almost entirely suppressing his anger, he asked briefly,

“Why?“

“First, because Your Majesty doesn’t want to marry into the House of Gabriel…“

‘I don’t want to hand you over to another woman myself.’

If she said that, Helio would undoubtedly ask why, and Liliana would only have one answer.

‘Because you’ve become special to me.’

However, saying that required a lot of courage.

Helio might want to keep her as just a favored Empress Consort and a close friend, and if she revealed her feelings, it might burden him.

That possibility was painful enough, so Liliana could only repeat herself like a fool.

“Because Your Majesty doesn’t want to marry into the House of Gabriel…”

There was no way Helio didn’t notice that she had said the same thing twice. He stared intently at Liliana.

His eyes were as sharp as a predator’s, making her feel he could see through her.

While Liliana struggled to calm her racing heart, Helio averted his gaze and walked ahead. His pace wasn’t fast, as if matching hers.

“When did you start listening to me so well?“

“I think I’ve always been obedient.“

“No, you’re the most disobedient person in the world.”

As Helio and Liliana walked along the quiet path, they exchanged playful banter, but both had smiles.

Liliana caught a falling petal in front of her. Its small, white shape was so familiar that when she looked up, she saw the tree Helio had gifted her.

“Oh, it’s that tree.”

The sight of white blossom trees lined up along the path was so beautiful. Unlike the maple trees they had passed earlier, these trees still had green leaves. Liliana smiled in delight.

“It’s so pretty. It looks like snow has fallen just on the trees, right?“

“It seems you like it.“

“Very much. It’s my favorite out of all the gifts Your Majesty has given me.”

After speaking confidently, Liliana hesitated for a moment before saying,

“It’s hard to choose between the bracelet and the tree, though.“

“Then it’s not your favorite.”

Helio’s tone made it unclear whether he was teasing or scolding her. He found it strange that she favored a tree and a cheap bracelet over the heaps of gold and jewels he had given her.

“How did Your Majesty know about this kind of tree?“

“Because the Empress Dowager likes them.”

Helio answered casually, but it was Liliana who hesitated.

‘So it was because of that…’

When her pace slowed, Helio reached his hand back. Liliana carefully took his large hand, and Helio smirked as he gripped hers firmly.

“I’m holding it because we’re going uphill, not because it’s pretty.“

“…Yes.”

There was no way an uphill path existed in the small forest within the Empress Dowager’s palace, but neither pointed that out.

Liliana didn’t know about Helio, but she liked the warmth of his hand. Even with a thick shawl draped over her, the cold wind slipped through the collar, but Helio’s hand wasn’t cold.

“The citizens of the Empire are weak to cold climates, so during wars, we often retreated to the Empire during winter. As a result, I would always visit my mother’s palace in late autumn to announce my return. Each time, I would see these flowers in full bloom. My mother’s hometown has long winters, so I thought perhaps she liked this flower for that reason.”

Liliana tried to imagine the young boy who had just returned from the battlefield immediately going to his mother’s palace.

Half with the hope that his mother would turn to him and half resigned to never receiving her love.

“I never asked, so I don’t know if it’s true. But after seeing them every autumn and winter, they became familiar, and to me, they seemed like the most beautiful flower.”

In the end, it was Helio’s favorite flower. As Liliana fidgeted with the hand holding hers, Helio turned his head back.

“But since that tree only blooms in the cold, you won’t enjoy it in spring. Plant another tree, then.“

“Are you saying I should plant a different tree each season?“

“Why not? Can’t you?”

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.