How to Get a Stolen Husband Back - Chapter 30
“Perhaps the same goes for Emperor Khalid.”
His voice, low and rough, somehow seemed sharp enough to cut.
* * *
As dusk was swallowed by darkness, night fell. The two sat by the river, looking at the flowing water, in a manner unbefitting their status.
The early autumn night breeze was colder than expected. Aristie silently accepted Ryuel’s jacket as he draped it over her shoulders.
Even if she refused, the result would have been the same anyway.
The scent of Ryuel that wafted inside the jacket was now familiar, and she knew him that much better.
“At what age were you chosen?”
“Around four years old.”
“That’s quite a young age.”
Ryuel was quite surprised to hear Aristie’s answer.
“Regardless of how honorable it is, your life was essentially predetermined from that point on, without regard for your own will. At four years old, your sense of self isn’t even fully formed yet…”
Ryuel’s words were accurate.
It was an age too young to understand the meaning of a partner, with memories that were faint at best.
She was educated to walk the path laid out for her without having the time to explore her own feelings. There was no room for questioning her life.
The glory bestowed by others. A life spent struggling to not lose it.
Fortunately, the ideal of being a benevolent Empress aligned with what she desired. However, since it wasn’t an honor she had achieved on her own, there was always an inherent doubt about the status and fiancé she enjoyed.
In the end, she wondered if it wouldn’t have mattered who was chosen, as long as it wasn’t her…
“In the case of arranged marriages.”
A voice suddenly caught Aristie’s attention.
“Happiness can only be achieved if both hearts are aligned or if each has someone else in their heart. It cannot be one-sided.”
Indeed, it was true.
She was realizing it more and more each day.
“If His Majesty’s heart is with another woman, then the lady must also place her heart with another man to endure. Therefore.”
Ryuel suddenly turned to look at Aristie.
His long-suppressed emotions flowed into her heart through his words.
“From the moment I first met you, my heart raced. For the first time, I realized what it meant to fall in love at first sight.”
“Ryuel…”
“After miraculously meeting again, I couldn’t help but want you. It was as if I had found a lost jewel, and I wanted to hold it in my hand so I would never lose it again.”
“Ryuel, even if you say that, I…”
“I know that after the Emperor takes a concubine, the Empress can also have a lover. But if it comes to that, I want to be not just a physical comfort but the one man who can completely capture your heart. …So, Alice.”
He came close enough that his jewel-like purple eyes shone vividly.
“Today, upon meeting you again, I ask… would you be willing to give me your heart?”
“……”
Aristie looked into Ryuel’s eyes as if entranced. They were glowing red beyond their natural color due to his intense emotions.
Being captivated by that color, her emotions were intensely shaken, almost swept away by the impulse to embrace him.
But she bit her lip to gather her feelings and spoke.
“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Does that mean you are offering to become my lover in the future?”
“Of course. I think that would be better than living with a woman I don’t love.”
“No, that’s not acceptable.”
Aristie firmly refused.
For his sake, more than hers.
Estelle and Ryuel were in different positions. Not only in status but also in human value.
Therefore, she couldn’t reduce Ryuel, a prince of a nation, to something like her lover. Making him her lover would undoubtedly ruin his future.
However, even with a clear refusal, Ryuel did not back down.
“I will consider that I haven’t received an answer yet.”
“No. I have clearly conveyed it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Ryuel feigned ignorance and turned his gaze back to the river.
“Please take your time to think about it. There’s no need to decide everything today.”
Aristie couldn’t bring herself to say more and bit her lip tightly.
* * *
“It’s late at night. I really should be going now.”
“Let me assist you.”
As Aristie showed signs of getting up, Ryuel quickly stood and extended his hand. Aristie, who was about to take his hand, realized something.
‘He’s doing this on purpose…’
The physical contact Ryuel was allowed, due to her pushing him away, was limited to holding hands. So Ryuel took every opportunity to escort her, asking for her hand.
Just to hold it occasionally.
His attempts were so natural that she only realized it when it was time to part ways.
“Thank you.”
Pretending not to know, Aristie took Ryuel’s hand and climbed up the bank to the street.
She hadn’t expected to stay out so late, so she hadn’t brought a shawl. Thus, Ryuel’s jacket was still draped over her shoulders.
Ryuel must be cold too.
Worried, Aristie hurried her steps to return the jacket to him.
At that moment, a large carriage clattered towards them from the opposite side.
“What is that…?”
As the carriage stopped beside them, Aristie’s steps halted involuntarily. She recognized what it was.
Although there was no emblem on its exterior, it was easy to recognize. It was the carriage the Emperor used whenever he traveled incognito.
“Lady Aristie.”
Sure enough, Zephyros alighted from inside, followed by Khalid. They had stopped the carriage upon spotting her while passing by.
Aristie was at a loss. What kind of day was this? To run into Khalid by chance after Ryuel…
“You’re working late.”
Aristie greeted Zephyros out of courtesy and then paid more formal respects to Khalid.
“I greet the sun of the Empire.”
Ryuel also followed suit with a proper greeting.
“Your Majesty.”
Khalid’s gaze was fixed on Aristie’s shoulder.
To be precise, on Ryuel’s jacket draped over her shoulder.
“……”
His golden eyes flared intensely for a moment, then cooled as they turned to Ryuel. Then, they slowly warmed again as they focused back on Aristie.
Khalid, trying to appear nonchalant, spoke.
“I hope I didn’t intrude on you unnecessarily. I was just passing by and became concerned about you, lady.”
“You were concerned about me?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s late at night.”
For some reason, Aristie felt a surge of anger and retorted.
“I am more concerned about Your Majesty. You must be exhausted from handling state affairs all day, and being out at this hour, aren’t you tired?”
‘What have you been up to all this time? Weren’t you on your way back after seeing Estelle off? You roam around freely late at night, and yet you’re worried about me?’
That was essentially the meaning behind her question.
“My lady, His Majesty…”
Zephyros, who had been listening, interjected with a complicated voice. However, Khalid interrupted Zephyros’ protest and answered.
“I had some things to buy. I couldn’t find any time during the day.”
“I see.”
She assumed he had bought gifts for that esteemed companion, and Aristie bowed her head.
“In any case, I’m fine. Prince Icaryuel was just escorting me.”
Khalid looked at Aristie with a melancholy expression before expressing gratitude to Ryuel.
“Thank you for escorting the prospective Empress.”
The intention behind mentioning her status as the prospective Empress was obvious. It was to assert that she was his woman.
Though he could have responded appropriately, Ryuel, who disliked the Emperor for the same reasons as Aristie, boldly countered.
“I didn’t do it to receive thanks from anyone. I simply escorted her because I wanted to.”
“What do you mean by wanting to?”
Khalid didn’t ask how they happened to meet, but he directly questioned the reason in another aspect. This was where the difference in position between him and Ryuel became evident.
Khalid had nothing to lose no matter what he said, but Ryuel was different.
If he even hinted at harboring feelings for the Emperor’s fiancée, both he and Aristie would find themselves in trouble.
“Her Highness Terosia.”
Ryuel calmly began to speak.
“Has often spoken about Lady Aristie. I happened to meet her by chance on the street, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to convey my sister-in-law’s regards, so I offered to escort her.”
Terosia, Khalid’s sister, was Ryuel’s sister-in-law. Ryuel’s answer, using this as a pretext, was perfect, leaving Khalid with nothing more to say.
“It’s gotten very late.”
As if mediating an invisible battle, Aristie interjected.
“We’ll be going now. I’ll seek an audience with Your Majesty soon…”
“The day after tomorrow.”
Khalid corrected her in a sudden tone.
“What?”
“Not soon, but the day after tomorrow. We agreed to meet in your rose garden that day.”
“Oh…”
The regular meeting… was that it? Come to think of it, she had been so busy lately that she forgot the date.
Khalid, who must have been even busier, had been counting such days…
She knew he had an upright character, but it was somewhat unexpected that he remembered even in these times.
