Chapter 90

As Agrina closed the door behind her and hurried away, Helio walked straight to the bed and set Liliana down.

“Oh, really…”

Liliana grumbled while she adjusted her rumpled clothes. She shook out the hem of her dress and raised her head, only to see Helio standing with his arms crossed and a cold expression on his face.

Anyone else might have thought he was furious. In fact, Sophia had been so terrified upon seeing him that she had run frantically to the office to warn Liliana.

However, Liliana remained perfectly calm despite Helio’s demeanor. To her, he didn’t look angry or seem like he was about to lose his temper.

If anything… she wondered if using such words to describe an emperor was okay.

“Why are you sulking?”

With no one else in the room, Liliana spoke her mind freely. Helio narrowed his eyes, tilted his right foot slightly, and tapped it on the ground.

“Sulking?”

“Anyone can see that you are.“

“Do I look like I am?”

Liliana chuckled and gave Helio a thorough look from head to toe before pointing things out individually.

“First, your usually neat hair is a little messy. You must have rushed here with something urgent to say to me. And there’s more tension in your brow than usual. Your gaze keeps shifting between me and somewhere else, like something absurd has happened, right? Your nose looks as handsome as ever, but your lower lip is slightly…”

Liliana hesitated again, wondering if it was appropriate to say this to the emperor of the most powerful empire on the continent. She rolled her eyes before settling on a compromise.

“…A bit cute.”

“Cute?”

“… You’re pouting slightly with your lower lip.“

“Are you out of your mind?“

“It seems that way. Since Your Majesty keeps comparing me to a rabbit, I’ve developed the ability to leave my mind behind.“

“Hah!”

Helio scoffed, seeming amused, but his mood had visibly lightened, and a broad smile spread across his lips.

Liliana thought that was enough, but Helio stood there in the same position, looking to hear more. So, she dropped her gaze to his chest.

“Your shoulders are tense, and you have your arms crossed. This is a classic sulking posture.“

“How do you know so much about sulking? Are you an expert?“

“I sulk quite often myself.”

Liliana mimicked his pose, folding her arms and pushing her lower lip in a playful pout. Helio burst into laughter, finally giving up on all his pretenses.

He uncrossed his arms and plopped down beside Liliana.

“I wanted to sulk longer to make you uncomfortable, but my plan failed.“

“What were you sulking about, anyway?”

Liliana, still entertained by the game, wore a broad smile. Helio gazed at her intently.

Her eyes, already round, softened even more when she smiled. Her small, slightly upturned nose, her full, lively lips—he carefully took in all of her features.

Liliana was a lovely beauty. Helio found it incredible that she could speak, move, laugh, and even get angry.

‘If only she did nothing, no one would covet her.’

Helio grabbed a handful of Liliana’s soft hair. She tilted her head, following his touch, and blinked slowly.

Earlier, while Helio was attending to his duties in his office, Minelli, the person he had planted in the Emerald Palace for surveillance, had visited him.

Lately, Minelli had been reluctant to share details about what was happening in the Emerald Palace. Still, as long as the imperial order remained intact, she could not lie.

“Lord Vail of the Gabriel Duchy has pledged an oath to Her Highness, the Empress Consort.”

“What oath? You mean the knight’s oath?”

“Yes.”

“And the Empress Consort?”

“She accepted it.”

Upon hearing this, Helio stopped scribbling with his pen and twirled it gently in his hand.

“So, you’re telling me that Vail Gabriel performed that foolish act of kissing the Empress Consort’s hand and swearing eternal loyalty to her?”

“Yes.”

Helio stood up so suddenly that Ternz, standing nearby, turned pale and tried to stop him.

“Your Majesty! You must finish what you were working on!”

Helio wasn’t in the mood for that.

But as an emperor, his role wasn’t one in which he could decide whether to work based on his feelings.

Furthermore, Liliana, despite seeming naive, valued decorum and discipline. She was sure to appreciate someone like that. Helio had never found his position as emperor so cumbersome.

“I’ll finish this quickly.”

Helio growled and sat down, completing his work at twice his usual speed. When he declared that he would go to the Emerald Palace, Ternz did not argue.

Arriving at the Emerald Palace, he saw Liliana sitting in her office, blissfully unaware of wrongdoing.

She didn’t seem particularly thrilled to see him. Instead, she looked bored, as if she had more pressing matters.

That’s probably why he had rushed over and picked her up. Seeing her serene face turn to surprise did not fully soothe his frustration.

And yet, watching Liliana playfully banter like a little prankster made him smile. Not even a fool would sulk in this situation.

Helio lifted Liliana’s hand and lowered his head over it. Startled, Liliana tried to pull her hand away.

Helio’s eyebrow arched, displeased with the feeble resistance.

“Why?“

“Well, because you did it so suddenly…“

“I’ve done much more than this.“

Liliana’s face turned red. The memories of the nights they had shared seemed to come vividly back to her mind.

Seeing her expression, Helio’s anger began to subside.

“It’s not that I’m shocked… It just feels irreverent for Your Majesty to kiss my hand right now. I just received a knight’s oath from Lord Vail.“

“And you tell me that so confidently?”

When Helio pressed her, Liliana asked back, “Why not?“

“I told you that you were mine.“

“That’s true, but I am the Empress Consort, and I have the right to receive a knight’s oath from others, don’t I? Sir Ferren also swore a knight’s oath to me in gratitude for looking after the Third Knights. He kissed my hand, too.“

“How can you compare Ferren to that Gabriel bastard?“

“What’s the difference?”

Liliana indeed seemed perplexed. She looked frustrated, unable to understand why Helio was upset over something like this.

Helio’s insides churned as he looked at her innocent face.

“That guy… he…”

Helio started to speak but abruptly shut his mouth. He didn’t want to make Liliana aware of Vail’s feelings.

If someone confessed to liking you, it naturally made you conscious of them.

Despite being unexpectedly stubborn, Liliana would never form an improper relationship while holding the position of Empress Consort.

However, the mere thought of her perceiving another man as a romantic interest was utterly unbearable.

But Liliana seemed to interpret his reaction differently.

“Are you upset because Lord Vail is from the Gabriel Duchy? Are you worried he might harm me? If that’s the case, it’s perfect timing—I have something to talk to you about.”

Liliana turned her body toward Helio as if she had much to say.

But Helio, not wanting to hear it, pulled her into his arms and laid down beside her.

Held tightly in Helio’s embrace, Liliana put on a stern face. Helio closed his eyes as if to avoid her expression.

“I don’t want to hear anything about Vail Gabriel. I have no interest in him. Especially now, if you start defending him, I might get even more upset.”

His tone was almost like a childish complaint. Liliana didn’t mind this tall, handsome man acting petulantly towards her.

Wasn’t it like he felt possessive of her? In fact, Helio often said she belonged to him.

Liliana cautiously touched Helio’s closed eyelids. Though his tight grip made it hard to move, she still wanted to feel his skin.

It was fascinating how the delicate skin of this usually strong man twitched under her fingertips. Liliana chuckled softly, speaking with delight.

“This is amusing.“

“What is?“

“Your Majesty pretending to sleep.“

“Should I buy a hamster wheel for the Empress Consort? You find such simple things entertaining.”

Though Helio chided her playfully, he did not open his eyes to take away her fun.

Being this close, playing with his long eyelashes, made things like war and court intrigue seem to drift far away.

But good dreams always end sooner than nightmares.

A knock came, and Sophia announced she had brought tea. Liliana felt like someone had poured cold water over her in that instant.

After seeing Helio carry Liliana into the bedroom, Sophia must have hurriedly prepared tea with a contraceptive.

Liliana quickly got up from Helio’s embrace, worried he might notice her trembling hand. Helio caught her arm with a playful smile.

“Why don’t you play with me a bit longer?“

“The maids will gossip.”

Liliana tried to smile as naturally as possible.

Soon, Sophia entered with a tea set on a tray. She avoided looking at the bed where Helio was lying comfortably and placed the teapot and cups on the table.

Pretending to adjust the position of one of the teacups, Sophia sent a signal, and Liliana slowly walked over to the table and picked up the cup.

“Oh, this is the tea Your Majesty gifted me. The aroma is delightful.”

Liliana spoke quite naturally, and Helio’s gaze turned to the cup she was holding.

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