Chapter 28

28. Unreachable Sincerity

She had just returned Zeke to the Knights’ Hall and was about to enter her chambers when Callion came to Adelaide.

“Your Grace?”

Callion turned his head after seeing Zeke’s back disappear down the corridor. His heart raced anew when he saw her weary face.

“Can you spare a moment?”

“Of course. Please come in.”

Adelaide ushered him into the room. The normally tidy room was littered with papers and pens.

The two maids hurriedly cleared the table. Callion decided to wait until they were finished.

“Margaret, Zatia, you can clean up later.”

“Yes.”

Sensing that the maids weren’t supposed to be there, Adelaide shooed them out and locked the door. Callion stared at Adelaide as she returned to the couch.

She averted her eyes, as if she were uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze.

Just when it seemed they were getting closer, he found himself back at square one. He couldn’t keep circling like this forever.

Callion pulled a necklace from his pocket and held it out to her.

“……?”

She looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if she didn’t understand why he was giving it to her. Callion awkwardly spoke as he put the necklace down.

“Take it.”

“Why would you give this to me……?”

Her expression seemed to say that they weren’t on such terms to exchange such gifts. It stung to see it. He composed himself and spoke again.

“The jeweler came by earlier, and I thought this necklace would go well with your dress.”

“Oh.”

Adelaide smiled awkwardly, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

The ornately crafted necklace was more beautiful and valuable than any jewelry she owned. She couldn’t bring herself to reach for it.

“You don’t like it?”

“Oh, it’s not that…… I think it’s too much for me…….”

“It’s not too much. It’s my way of repaying you for the gloves you gave me.”

Although the necklace couldn’t compare to the gloves in terms of value, its significance was incomparable. Callion, still hesitating, spoke softly to her.

“Four days from now will mark the first year since we became a married couple.”

“Oh…….”

Adelaide’s gaze flickered, as if she hadn’t thought of that.

“I’m sorry, I forgot.”

“That’s okay, I remember.”

Knowing she didn’t share his feelings, he hid his disappointment and replied softly.

“So, speaking of which, after the tribute exchange, why don’t we go to the temple and have a wedding ceremony?”

“What?”

She blinked for a long moment as if she didn’t know what he was talking about, then spoke with difficulty.

“The wedding ceremony is…….”

“It’s a procedure where we declare to the gods in front of several witnesses that we’ve become a married couple.”

“…….”

That was an accurate description. Adelaide was about to ask if he knew what it meant, but she shut her mouth.

It was absurd.

In the Empire, where divorce was difficult, the wedding ceremony was the most sacred and weighty promise. Once the wedding ceremony was performed, the marriage became an irrevocable commitment.

The reason Adelaid firmly believed that she could return to Elkius in her past life was because she and Callion didn’t perform the wedding ceremony.

Once she does, Adelaide will be legally his wife. Her presence would then be a hindrance to Callion.

There was no need to think about it multiple times. Adelaide shook her head firmly.

“No. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“…Are you saying you don’t want to perform the wedding ceremony?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Disappointment was evident on the man’s face. Adelaide handed him back the necklace Callion had given her.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Is it because you don’t like me?”

“…….”

Her lips opened and closed. She couldn’t say no, but she couldn’t say yes either.

When she remained silent, clutching the hem of her skirt, Callion spoke up.

“Instead of saying sorry, explain to me why you don’t want to perform the wedding ceremony in a way that I can understand.”

Callion’s gaze became a knife, stabbing her in the chest. She answered in a wet voice.

“You know, I’m a commoner’s daughter and…….”

“Other than that, why?”

“Ours is a marriage forced by Elkius’s coercion…”

“Not that, either. I told you to give me a reason I could understand.”

Adelaide felt like crying.

She knew what answer would satisfy Callion.

If she told him she couldn’t perform the wedding ceremony because she didn’t love him or because she didn’t want to be his wife officially, he’d give in.

But the words wouldn’t come out.

“What other reason do you need?”

“If that’s the only reason, there’s no reason not to perform the wedding ceremony.”

“Your Grace.”

“We’re just going through a formal procedure. Even without a wedding ceremony like that, we’re already a married couple, so don’t overthink it.”

“It’s a ceremonial procedure; there’s no need to go through it.”

“Some people consider formal procedures like the wedding ceremony important, so there’s no reason to skip it.”

Callion pushed the necklace in front of her once more. Adelaide shook her head stubbornly.

“Don’t do this, Your Grace. You and I are merely allies with the same goal.”

“I don’t think so. Regardless of what anyone says, you are my only wife.”

“Don’t mistake compassion for pity. You may regret it for the rest of your life because of a momentary emotion.”

“I will not.”

“No. You’ll regret it. I can’t become an empress, and I don’t want to hear that I’m your obstacle.”

His eyes sank deep. Each word felt like a lump in his throat.

Adelaide struggled to speak, feeling as if she were walking on thin ice.

“When this is all over, I’m going to go somewhere where no one knows me and live quietly. I have no intention of staying by your side.”

“……Are you serious?”

“I mean it.”

Callion’s gaze bore into her, penetrating. Adelaide didn’t avert her gaze, but she met it straight on.

The disappointment in his eyes was palpable, as he held out hope until the very end.

“…..Alright.”

His voice, wounded, fractured into several strands. Without looking at her, Callion spoke.

“I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. I won’t bother you with this again.”

“…….”

The wounded voice cracked. Callion spoke without looking at her.

“If you don’t want to keep the necklace, throw it away.”

Thud. She didn’t move until the door closed behind her.

Adelaide stared blankly at the necklace he had left behind. It was the first time she felt like crying after receiving a gift.

‘How dare I… How could I?

Callion was supposed to be the Emperor. He cannot have an empress like her by his side.

Moreover, she was also a sinner who committed unforgivable crimes against him.

The sin of killing him is gone, but the sin of dishonoring him and usurping his throne is not.

That’s why she kept her distance. She intended to be nothing more than a target for atonement, nothing more than a subject.

Whenever emotions unauthorized by her surged up, she thought of Shaila Lephisto. Then, she could swiftly suppress the inappropriate emotions.

…Despite all her efforts.

Adelaide clutched the necklace and sobbed like a child.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The rain that had started at dawn had turned into a torrential downpour a few hours earlier.

Adelaide pressed hard against her throbbing temples. The rain had kept her awake all night, and the corners of her eyes were stiff.

As she rubbed at the stinging lids, she looked up and saw Callion’s banquet clothes on the wall. The tailor had brought it in two days ago.

Adelaide sighed as she stared at the clothes and turned to look out the window.

“It must be difficult to move around in this much rain.”

Four days ago, after the uncomfortable conversation, Callion left the castle abruptly that night. According to Jensen, he received a message from the border guards and left in a hurry.

Despite Jensen’s assurance that he would return within a day or two, there had been no news from him.

It was a serious matter if there was trouble at the border just before the tribute exchange, but she doubted it was worth leaving the castle for four days.

Considering he only took ten of his elite knights with him, it doesn’t seem like a serious problem. Could it be that he didn’t want to spend this special day in the castle?

No one would remember, but today marked the first anniversary of their marriage. Adelaid wouldn’t have known either if Callion hadn’t told her.

Perhaps he didn’t want to come back because he didn’t want to spend such a special day in such a dull manner.

“I wish Lucid was here.”

Lucid, who had left the castle with Callion, had also not returned.

Adelaide looked away, feeling depressed.

Perhaps she should have twisted her words a little more.

Although she couldn’t take back what she had said, if she had known that Callion would be so disappointed, she could have made up some other excuse.

“No. It’s better this way.”

Adelaide shook her head.

She had known for a long time that Callion harbored feelings for her.

She pretended not to know, but she didn’t hate it. Of course she didn’t. She felt the same way.

Which made it all the more impossible.

If by any chance she ended up truly falling in love with Callion, and if she revealed that fact to him, all her efforts to make him the emperor would be in vain and futile.

A person’s emotions can burn like a flame and then cool like a rock.

The person who was by his side now was merely someone he was drawn to because she happened to be there. With time, he could become indifferent, as if nothing had ever happened.

…So this is for the best.

Adelaide picked up her pen, trying to ignore the throbbing in her chest. She had a stack of invitations to write. She had just dipped the quill in ink and scribbled the first letter.

“Your Grace, Your Grace!”

A pensive Jensen burst into the room.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your Highness, something terrible has happened! His Grace, His. He had gone missing! “

“……!”