Chapter 14

The Emperor had invited the young Duke and Duchess of Windmere to a banquet.

Officially, it was meant to promote harmony among the younger nobles.

In reality, it was a carefully calculated move.

The Duke of Windmere was currently in the western territories dealing with a mining rights dispute. Meanwhile, after Lucius’s accident and subsequent seclusion, the balance of power had weakened. Taking advantage of that gap, those aligned with Brickwell had quietly begun increasing their influence.

The Emperor needed to remind everyone of the symbolic alliance between Windmere and Brickwell in order to maintain the delicate balance.

That was why Celia and Lucius had been summoned like puppets.

***

“Why didn’t you refuse?” Celia asked.

“You could have easily used your health as an excuse.”

They stood at the entrance of the eastern corridor leading to Hadelion Castle, where the banquet was being held.

Stepping onto the red carpet, Celia looked toward Lucius, who wore a long dark-blue cape.

“If I stay hidden any longer, rumors about my health will spread,” Lucius replied.

“And moving around this much isn’t a problem. Thank you for worrying about me.”

“That’s not what I—!”

Celia swallowed her irritation and exhaled sharply.

Lucius simply smiled softly.

“I truly mean it. You don’t need to worry.”

“The preparations were a bit rushed, but I learned the basics of etiquette.”

“At the very least, I won’t embarrass you by stumbling around or making a fool of myself in front of everyone.”

As he said that, he slowly rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand resting on top of his.

The strangely intimate gesture made her shoulders stiffen.

He should have stayed home pretending to be sick!

Before she knew it, they had already passed through the archway.

The surroundings became noticeably busier.

Elegantly dressed nobles immediately stepped aside upon seeing the representatives of Windmere and Brickwell.

“Oh my, they’ve arrived.”

“Hasn’t it been quite some time since those two appeared together?”

“I heard the young Duke was in poor health. I suppose the rumors were exaggerated.”

The usual attention immediately focused on them.

Normally, Celia would have ignored such comments.

But today she felt as if she were carrying a live bomb.

Without realizing it, she bit the inside of her lip and carefully composed her expression.

Meanwhile, the man who was that “bomb” remained absurdly calm.

Lucius walked forward without the slightest hesitation, as though the nobles’ gazes were nothing more than distant raindrops.

Why is he so calm?

As she stared at him incredulously, Lucius suddenly leaned closer.

“What should I do?”

His voice sounded oddly playful.

“Now that we’re actually here… I think I’m finally getting nervous.”

Celia nearly stumbled.

“I can manage the etiquette.”

“But if someone starts talking to me, I’m not sure I can pretend everything is normal.”

Thanks only to their joined hands, she avoided falling over.

Looking up at him, she wondered yet again:

Why did he have to lose his memory?

And why wasn’t marrying him enough of a trial? Why did the gods have to add this tragedy too?

Seeing how close the two appeared, the surrounding nobles reacted dramatically.

Some gasped.

Others dropped their jaws.

A few stared with wide eyes while gripping their fans.

The only person completely unaware of their shock was Lucius.

“What if I make a mistake?” he asked calmly.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Celia’s fingers stiffened slightly.

The hand that wanted to push him away kept twitching.

“But what if people criticize us?”

If anyone gets criticized, it’ll be you, not me.

Fortunately, her status and dignity stopped those words from escaping.

Instead, she glanced at his reflection in a nearby window.

Lucius was always cautious when learning something unfamiliar.

But he learned quickly.

Perhaps because of long-ingrained habits, his elegance remained untouched.

Every step flowed naturally from ankle to knee to shoulder.

When he turned his head, it followed a perfect line, graceful and precise.

Even the air around him seemed to rearrange itself when his gaze shifted.

Looking at him, Celia found his concerns ridiculous.

“If they want to talk, let them.”

She kept her eyes forward.

“The opinions of people gossiping behind my back are worthless.”

“I’ve never given them any importance.”

Lucius turned slightly toward her.

His gaze quietly studied her profile.

“The opinions of others don’t determine my worth.”

His pace slowed for just a moment.

As though savoring every word she had spoken, he tightened his grip around her hand.

His long fingers completely enclosed hers.

“You’re right.”

His eyes darkened slightly beneath the light.

His gaze followed her expression, her eyes, nose, and finally her red lips.

Something unseen seemed to linger there.

He couldn’t look away.

“Still, I’ll do my best.”

“I don’t want people insulting my wife because of my mistakes.”

His voice brushed against her ears.

Embarrassed by the strange warmth in it, Celia stubbornly kept looking ahead.

At the same time, she subtly twisted her wrist, trying to free her hand.

Her goal tonight was simple:

Help Lucius appear as though he hadn’t lost his memory.

That was all.

Enduring people’s stares and this constant physical contact had never been part of the plan.

“Come to think of it…”

Lucius spoke again.

Celia didn’t even bother turning toward him.

She focused entirely on escaping his grip.

Seriously.

This disgusting, unbearable—

“You look beautiful today.”

Lucius Windmere.

Celia’s steps faltered.

A tiny breath escaped her lips.

“So beautiful that I don’t want other men looking at you.”

His eyes curved.

The upper half caught the light while the lower half hid in shadow.

The meaning of that shadow emerged in his next words.

“I want to keep you in my arms all day.”

His voice lowered instantly.

The sweet tone that had been spinning gentle compliments became darker.

The air itself seemed drawn toward him.

“How did I endure this before?”

His voice sank even further.

“Do you know how those men have been looking at you since earlier?”

“It makes me feel sick.”

“Those looks make me want to—”

“Stop! Wait!”

Celia immediately interrupted him in a hushed voice.

Without realizing it, she had grabbed his hand tightly.

She looked up at him in horror.

“You can’t say things like that!”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“‘Lucius Windmere’ doesn’t say things like that!”

Celia had spent days resenting the fact that she had to babysit a perfectly healthy adult man simply because he’d lost his memory.

At that moment, she completely took it back.

“This kind of thing…”

She swallowed hard.

“You absolutely cannot say things like that in front of people.”

The man before her was sick.

A pitiful fool who had lost all his memories and somehow convinced himself that he loved her.

“Do you hate it?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I hate it.”

“I really hate it.”

“So stop.”

She deliberately stepped on his foot.

Hard.

Lucius didn’t even flinch.

Instead, he casually wrapped an arm around her waist.

Damn it.

The burning gazes from behind definitely weren’t her imagination.

“If you don’t like it, I won’t do it.”

His low voice brushed against her ear like the deep notes of an organ.

His expression became obedient.

The roughness from moments ago vanished instantly.

Only a vast, calm gentleness remained.

And it was directed solely at her.

Just as Celia stiffened like a trapped insect—

The imperial chamberlain approached nervously.

A man who, according to rumor, had shed enough tears over the trouble these two had caused since childhood to fill an entire lake.

“It is time for you to enter.”

For perhaps the first time in her life, Celia welcomed the interruption as salvation.

*

Celia could never openly criticize the emperor.

But privately?

She disliked him.

No.

He was the worst.

“You two still seem to get along wonderfully!”

Although several newspapers were controlled by Windmere and Brickwell, some remained under the Imperial Family’s influence.

Which meant that many of the ridiculous rumors published about their relationship had likely come from the palace itself.

“It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace.”

Celia hid the venom in her eyes behind a flawless smile.

The Emperor burst into laughter.

“Ha ha! A harmonious marriage strengthens a family.”

“And that is even more important for families that serve the Empire!”

“Come now! Raise your glasses!”

At the center sat the emperor and empress.

Around them, nobles were seated according to rank, achievements, bloodline, and prestige.

Celia was one of the unfortunate participants.

She had to sit among people who wore flattery like decoration and draped every sentence in false politeness.

“Speaking of which, Count Otrang.”

“Where is your wife? Why have you come alone?”

“My wife is expecting a child and could not attend today.”

“She wished to personally receive Your Majesty’s blessing.”

“I hope you will forgive her absence.”

“A child!”

“What wonderful news!”

The Emperor laughed heartily.

“There is nothing more important than producing heirs.”

Something about that smile made Celia uneasy.

As expected, the Emperor’s gaze shifted toward her and Lucius.

The moment she saw it, she knew exactly what was coming.

“You’ve been married for over three years now.”

“Any good news from your side?”

It’s been two and a half years, you idiot.

I thought only your hair was gone. Apparently your sense of time disappeared too.

If locking two hostile beasts in a cage automatically produced children, that would be magic.

What would happen if I flipped this table over?

She vaguely remembered a council member doing something similar and losing generations of family prestige.

With great restraint, she answered:

“It’s simply not the right time yet, Your Majesty.”

“We haven’t really thought deeply about having children.”

“Your question is a bit embarrassing for me.”

Celia chose her words very carefully.

At this point, she was barely functioning.

The Emperor clicked his tongue.

“You should have children first.”

“Once you do, your heart will change.”

“You’re still young.”

Pretending it was advice rather than meddling, he smiled broadly again.

“Oh!”

“Young Duke.”

“What about you?”

Celia’s eyes sharpened beneath lowered lashes.

We were born the same year.

In fact, my birthday is three days earlier than his.

“Don’t you want an heir as soon as possible?”

The Emperor looked directly at Lucius.

The worst possible moment had arrived.

Celia nearly bit through the tip of her fork as she turned toward him.

Lucius calmly set down his utensils.

Then he looked at the Emperor.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern.”

The sound of glasses being set down.

The faint clink of silverware against plates.

Lucius’s voice filled the silence.

“But…”

A polite smile appeared.

“For now, I don’t want my wife to be stolen away by a child.”

The banquet hall fell silent.

Even spoken with perfect etiquette, those were words the old Lucius would never have said.