PPCTD 2

Leto stared at me without moving. His gaze felt like it could swallow everything—even this early dawn.

“You speak as if it’s obvious.”

He took a step closer. I took another step back. Thud—my back hit the wall.

His blue eyes looked down at me from up close. Now that I saw them clearly, they weren’t particularly sharp. If anything, they had a mysterious quality that seemed to draw people in.

…That’s what makes it scarier. If I let my guard down even a little, it feels like I’ll be completely defenseless.

I forced a calm smile. The moment I showed fear, I would lose this battle of nerves.

“You… what exactly are you scheming?”

“You may not believe me… but I don’t know why I woke up from the Empress’s coffin either.”

“You don’t know, huh.”

He lifted my chin with his fingertips. I flinched. He examined my face closely.

“Then what is this face?”

“……”

“I’ve never heard of magic like this. Is this the doing of Livia’s idiotic brothers?”

Magic? That was unfair. Sure, it was heavily beautified, but the original was me.

“I swear, this face is mine, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t press further—not because he believed me, but because he had no interest in wasting words.

He let go of my chin.

“Fine. The reason doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re guilty.”

“But there’s also a reason you must keep me alive.”

He scoffed, as if curious how far I would go.

“Empress Livia has passed away, hasn’t she?”

“……”

“Putting aside the grief of losing your wife…”

Let’s skip emotional arguments. They wouldn’t work on him anyway.

“Isn’t her death quite troublesome for you, Your Majesty? And my unexpected appearance must have complicated things even further.”

According to the original story, Leto would soon face a political crisis. The Matrion family and their followers would turn against the imperial family. Of course, he would overcome it—he’s the male lead.

But the current situation was even worse than in the original.

An empress neglected by the emperor is resurrected—and then executed by that same emperor?

Would it really end with just a few families turning their backs?

Leto is intelligent. In politics and calculation, he’s unmatched. For him, it’s better to acknowledge a ‘resurrected empress’—as long as he’s certain I’m not affiliated with the High Priest.

He smirked.

“You’re quite sharp. Looks like I was properly played by the High Priest.”

“I am not the High Priest’s person.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“You don’t have any proof, do you?”

“What?”

“Proof that I belong to him.”

At most, it was suspicion. The problem was that the suspicion was too strong.

I stepped closer and looked straight up at him.

“You can kill me after you find proof.”

“……”

“If I resemble the Empress that much, use me. You won’t lose anything.”

For a brief moment, I felt it—his icy gaze wavering ever so slightly.

There was no way Leto hadn’t considered what I was saying. He must be weighing countless possibilities.

Please… let the scale tip in my favor.

He asked,

“What’s your goal in going this far?”

It was a simple question. My answer was just as simple.

“Just let me live.”

What more could I ask for right now?

“‘Let you live,’ huh.”

He leaned forward, placing a hand on the window behind me, trapping me between him and it.

This is… too close.

His eyes shimmered in the early morning light, beautiful yet cold.

“Do you even know what ‘let you live’ means to me?”

His voice was low, almost like a whispering growl. The pressure was overwhelming—I could clearly feel that my life was in his hands.

Leto was a firm meritocrat. Not only was he highly capable himself, but he never kept the weak or incompetent by his side. That was how such a young man held such strong imperial power.

And I wasn’t that soft either.

“It means asking you to recognize that I have value worth keeping alive.”

He paused.

Did I answer correctly?

“You speak well.”

Leto stepped back.

“For now.”

For now?

“In ten days, at the Founding Festival—protect the Empress’s position. Can you do it?”

I nodded slowly. I didn’t have a choice to begin with.

“But you must never speak or move from your seat.”

“…Yes.”

“If you break this, you know what happens, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

Leto turned and left the lounge. Bang—the door slammed shut.

I collapsed onto the floor. My heart, frozen with tension, started pounding wildly.

I lived… literally, for now.

Just as I was finally catching my breath—

Bang!

The door burst open again. Leto reappeared and strode toward me.

Why… why did he come back? Did he change his mind?

I tried to stand, but my body wouldn’t move.

He suddenly grabbed both my shoulders.

“Ah!”

It didn’t even hurt, but I screamed in surprise. He lifted me up as easily as if I weighed nothing.

I barely managed to steady myself on trembling legs.

“W-why are you…?”

“You were supposed to follow.”

“…What?”

“We need to inform the people in the conference room.”

“Ah… right.”

Only then did I understand. Everyone was waiting for us. If we were to act like a married couple, it started now.

“Take it.”

Leto extended his arm. I hesitated, then took it.

We returned to the conference hall.

Leto spoke calmly,

“After confirming, this woman is indeed Empress Livia.”

“I knew it!”

“As expected! The Empress has returned—this is a blessing to the Empire, Your Majesty!”

The ministers offered their congratulations one after another. The priests grabbed my hands, blessing me.

“Her Majesty is the embodiment of the Goddess’s grace.”

“This is a glory for both the Imperial Family and the Grand Temple.”

Amid the chaos, one minister asked Leto,

“How did Your Majesty confirm it?”

Yeah, how will he answer that?

Just moments ago, he was desperate to kill me.

Without changing his expression, Leto replied,

“Aren’t we husband and wife? We share many secrets. Isn’t that right, Empress?”

He gently wrapped an arm around my shoulder and smiled at me.

I understood the meaning of that smile.

If you’re going to act, do it properly.

I smiled back.

“Of course.”

How cunning. He had avoided answering the question entirely.

And who would dare pry into the “secrets of the imperial couple”?

“Livia!”

“Livia, are you okay?!”

Louis and Shawn rushed over, pushing aside the priests.

“We thought you were really dead… We had no face to show our parents in heaven. This is truly… a miracle.”

Their parents had passed away. Louis inherited the title, leaving just the three siblings.

Shawn grabbed my other hand.

“You idiot! If you were that sick, you should’ve said something! …Though your husband probably wouldn’t have listened anyway.”

Fortunately, Leto didn’t seem to hear that last part.

“That’s it. We’re taking care of you now.”

Before I could respond, Shawn turned to Leto.

“Your Majesty.”

“What is it, Shawn?”

“My sister needs to recover, so we’ll escort her to her room.”

His tone was subtly disrespectful.

“That won’t be possible.”

The High Priest stepped forward.

“Since Her Majesty has received the Goddess’s blessing, she must remain in the temple for purification.”

“That won’t happen.”

Leto cut him off.

“The mistress of the Imperial Palace will not leave it.”

The High Priest didn’t back down.

“But Your Majesty, the customs—”

“You mean the custom that the Empress’s palace must remain empty for a month after her funeral?”

“Yes. Though she has revived in a new body, her former body remains in the temple.”

“Your concern for imperial customs is admirable. But I disagree with your interpretation.”

Their argument grew sharper.

This wouldn’t end anytime soon.

“I—”

I spoke up.

“I will go to the Empress’s palace.”

Leto looked more surprised than the High Priest.

“I see.”

At his words, the High Priest finally stepped back.

“Marquis Matrion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I believe the annex palace is empty. Escort the Empress there.”

“Yes. Let’s go, Livia.”

As I left, I glanced back.

Leto was staring at me, as if piercing through me.

By dawn, we arrived at the annex palace. The garden sparkled under the rising sun.

Unbelievable things kept happening.

I died from overwork in a pharmaceutical lab… nearly died again here… and now I’m alive, looking at this beautiful scenery.

“Are you okay, Livia?”

“Are you sick?”

“I’m fine… just a bit dazed.”

Shawn asked cautiously,

“That guy didn’t trouble you earlier, did he?”

“That guy?”

“The emperor. Be honest. We’ll… yes, we’ll even get you divorced!”

I blinked.

Wait… divorce is possible in this empire?