The Slave Is Too Handsome!
007.
The two of them headed toward the manor’s garden. Eloise walked confidently in front, while Lucian followed behind her.
Lucian pretended not to care as he glanced around, taking in the scenery with his wide eyes.
As expected of a ducal house, the estate was vast. The garden was beautifully maintained with all kinds of rare trees, plants, and flowers, and it was obvious that expert hands had carefully tended every corner.
It had been a long time since Eloise had come here as well. This garden had once been lovingly cultivated by her mother—the former duchess.
After her mother’s death, Eloise had taken responsibility for its upkeep, though she had mostly entrusted it to skilled gardeners and only checked on it occasionally.
“Sit.”
Eloise gestured toward a table placed in the center of the garden. Lucian sat across from her.
His gaze wandered as if he were interested in the plants. After a moment, he stood up and crouched down to examine a shrub.
Eloise watched him quietly.
After carefully inspecting it for a while, Lucian stood and walked back toward her.
“?”
“Put this on your wound. It’ll help.”
Lucian held out a handful of unknown herbs. His eyes were fixed on the scratches on Eloise’s body.
“You even know about this kind of thing?”
Eloise let out a small exclamation as she accepted the herbs. The idea that this arrogant boy was worrying about her strangely pleased her. She found herself wanting to know more about Lucian.
Lucian sat down carelessly and replied indifferently.
“It’s nothing much.”
“Thank you. I’ll apply it properly when I get back to my room.”
“Talk about what we didn’t finish yesterday.”
Lucian crossed his arms as he asked.
“Lucian. Do you know the meaning of your name?”
“That’s not what I’m curious about.”
“It means ‘brilliant one.’”
The two of them were speaking past each other. It was a second round of mental sparring following the early morning encounter.
“Do you know why I named you that? Because you are meant to become the second most brilliant, noble existence in the Empire.”
“Hah.”
Lucian let out a scoff at the absurd remark.
“Of course, the first is me.”
“Did you hit your head so hard yesterday that you lost your mind?”
Lucian tilted the corner of his mouth in mockery. Eloise ignored his sarcastic tone entirely.
“I will make you the Emperor.”
At her words, Lucian blinked at her blankly.
Make me… what?
Taking a deep breath, Lucian studied Eloise’s eyes, trying to read her intentions.
“I, Eloise, will make you, Lucian, the Emperor.”
“……”
“By any means necessary.”
With that firm declaration, Eloise sealed her intent. Lucian’s expression stiffened.
Just moments ago, he had asked if she had gone mad, clearly as mockery. Now, his thoughts shifted.
This woman is truly insane.
In Eloise’s green eyes that were fixed on him was an unwavering, inexplicable confidence.
“Ha. Hahahahaha.”
Lucian burst into laughter, looking utterly dumbfounded.
“How about it? Isn’t my story appealing?”
“You’re insane.”
“If you want to become Emperor, you’ll need to fix that way of speaking first, Lucian.”
Lucian. That name, which had always irritated him, now sounded unbearably unpleasant. He still could not understand the intentions of this noble lady acting so recklessly.
“Do you think that’s even possible? Are you planning a rebellion or something?”
“No, why make it so complicated?”
“……”
“I will make you Crown Prince—and then Emperor—through perfectly legitimate procedures.”
Lucian came to a conclusion. He needed to leave this dukedom, and this deranged woman’s side, as soon as possible.
“……”
The two of them stared at each other in silence for a while.
It was Lucian who broke the silence first. For the first time, he put on a submissive smile—a deceptively pleasant one.
“Yes, Lady Eloise. I’ve heard your grand ambition very well, and I sincerely hope it comes true. However, unfortunately, someone as lowly as I am cannot walk that path with you. Now then, if you’ll excuse me.”
Lucian rose politely after bowing his head. Eloise’s gaze remained fixed on him.
“You are the only one who can do it.”
“No. I’m sure there are plenty of suitable candidates. The ones I brought with me, for example…”
“If you don’t do it, I’ll kill you.”
“……”
Lucian felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at her smile. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were cold.
He remembered last night—how she had drawn a dagger with practiced ease, how she had aimed a bow at him.
If things went wrong, he might truly end up becoming the first specimen in her collection, preserved while still alive. Death would be preferable; the thought of being “preserved” was far more horrifying.
And what about the younger duke, her sibling? That man had casually threatened a lady with a weapon late at night as if it were nothing.
In just one day, it had become clear: the La Croix family was completely unhinged.
Especially this woman—once she set her mind on something, she would achieve it by any means necessary.
Let’s survive first.
Lucian sat back down as politely as possible, placing his hands neatly on his knees. Avoiding Eloise’s displeasure was his top priority.
“Fine. I’ll hear you out. Why do you want to make me Emperor?”
He had once been a slave dragged through slave markets, but he at least knew that the position of Crown Prince was currently vacant.
In any case, the eldest Second Prince would eventually take the throne.
“I need to take control of this house.”
“What?”
Lucian frowned. Everything Eloise said came out so abruptly.
“There are two ways for noble houses to determine an heir. First, the current titleholder designates a successor. That is, the Duke of La Croix has the authority to choose the next head.”
“……”
“Second, the Emperor designates the successor.”
Only then did Lucian begin to understand her seemingly absurd goal.
She wanted to become the next head of the house, but the first method was apparently impossible. So she intended to make him Emperor in order to become the Duke. That was her plan.
“Isn’t that a bit roundabout? It seems faster to earn the Duke’s recognition directly.”
Even though Lucian did not fully understand the family situation, even he could see that Eloise suited the position of heir far more than that incompetent younger duke from yesterday. Any sane person would think the same.
Then is the Duke also insane?
Eloise, who had been speaking confidently until now, twitched her lips.
“The Second Prince wants to marry me. My father supports it as well.”
“…You mean you would become Crown Princess?”
Eloise nodded, her face darkening. As if imagining something unpleasant, she frowned to herself.
Lucian leaned back, thinking she was being unreasonably spoiled.
“Isn’t that better? Compared to being Duchess, the Crown Princess position…”
“I refuse.”
Eloise shot him a sharp glare.
“You’re talking like my father now.”
To Lucian, who came from the streets, her words sounded like meaningless complaints from a noble lady.
“You think a smart, beautiful, and capable woman like me should marry that incompetent man? And live like a puppet trapped in the suffocating Imperial Palace?”
Eloise’s emotions surged as her hands trembled.
Lucian let out a stifled laugh, pretending it was a cough at her self-praise. Even so, it wasn’t entirely wrong—she was intelligent, bold, and yes, beautiful…
But she doesn’t seem like she has a good personality.
Her eyes were burning with intensity. Watching her was… entertaining, at least.
Now clenching both fists, Eloise continued.
“To me, that is an insult to my life lived as a proud noble lady!”
Lucian, who had never even seen the Second Prince, now imagined him to be either hideous or unbearably unpleasant in personality. He also subtly leaned back, just in case those small fists came flying at him.
“……That statement alone sounds like something punishable as treason against the Imperial Family.”
“Do you know about the missing First Prince?”
Eloise, calming her anger with effort, regained her composure. Lucian nodded.
The kidnapped prince from childhood—everyone knew the story. Given the time that had passed, he was likely dead.
“Even so, the Emperor has never given up hope. The only recognized Crown Prince is still the First Prince.”
“But that doesn’t bring a missing prince back…”
Lucian trailed off.
Then everything clicked into place.
“So you’re saying… you want me to act as a substitute for the First Prince.”
“Correct!”
Eloise smiled in satisfaction and clapped lightly.
“The deadline is until the Second Prince’s next birthday. By then, the Emperor will have no choice but to appoint a Crown Prince. Naturally, that would be the Second Prince.”
“……”
“Even I admit he’s the best among the current imperial children.”
Eloise muttered through clenched lips, as if disgusted to admit it.
This is bad.
Now that he understood the full scope of her plan, Lucian wanted to back away even more. This was the kind of scheme that could easily end in charges of treason.
“How about it? Tempting, isn’t it? The man who goes from slave to Emperor—Lucian.”
“No matter how I think about it, I am far too unworthy to take part in such a grand plan…”
Lucian avoided her gaze.
“You’re still misunderstanding something. You only have two choices: obey me…”
“……”
“Or die by my hand.”
