I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Married a Terminally Ill Emperor

Chapter 1

Prologue

The Emperor’s Office.

Behind an antique desk that looked like a work of art, the Emperor of the Ruusephon Empire leaned back leisurely in his chair and stared straight at her.

Dahlia clenched both hands tightly and glanced at the hourglass placed on the desk.

The time given to her was only five minutes at most. Her heart was racing with urgency, but her lips refused to part.

Rustle. The sound of falling sand seemed as loud as thunder.

The Emperor, who had followed her gaze to the hourglass, smiled brilliantly.

Ugh. So dazzling.

She could never develop immunity to that Emperor’s appearance.

Dahlia subtly lowered her gaze and forced her lips to part.

“Your, Your Majesty.”

“I don’t want to.”

Dahlia raised her lowered gaze and opened her eyes wide.

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“That’s true.”

The Emperor nodded as if telling her to go ahead and speak.

“Please marry me.”

“Excellent. What a powerful proposal.”

“A proposal? No, not me! Anyone is fine, so please just get married!”

Dahlia declined with a surprised face.

When the Emperor smiled with the corners of his eyes crinkling, the mole under his eye became prominent.

“I like that even less.”

The Emperor’s gaze turned toward the hourglass as if to check the remaining audience time.

Dahlia’s gaze also followed to the hourglass.

Why does that thing fall so fast!

“Why do you dislike marriage so much?”

“Why does the Princess urge my marriage so persistently?”

“That’s…”

“Princess, don’t you have no time?”

Dahlia stopped hesitating and took a deep breath. Her heart trembled thinking about the impact of the words she was about to say.

Soon she shook off her hesitation and met the Emperor’s eyes.

Looking straight into his clear black pupils, she slowly parted her lips.

“For world peace.”

For a moment, the Emperor’s pupils seemed to waver, then a deep sigh escaped.

“Princess.”

The voice calling her languidly was as sweet as chocolate.

“Yes.”

“Isn’t it past time for your medicine?”

Dahlia looked at the Emperor with a startled face.

“How did you know that?”

The Emperor’s smile momentarily stiffened then relaxed.

“Princess, isn’t it time you learned to understand the meaning of my words?”

“Ah! You were speaking metaphorically.”

When Dahlia smiled brightly and spoke, a vein bulged on his forehead then subsided.

The Emperor picked up the hourglass as if he didn’t want to deal with her anymore.

“Time’s up.”

At that, Dahlia spread her hands with an earnest face.

“Could you give me just 5 more minutes?”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

The Emperor smiled with crinkled eyes and asked back gently.

Dahlia bit her lips tightly and bowed her head as if she understood.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You’re coming tomorrow too?”

“Yes. I won’t give up.”

When Dahlia spoke firmly, the Emperor’s brow furrowed slightly then smoothed.

“Princess, don’t you often hear that you waste energy on useless things?”

“How did you know that—”

Dahlia opened her eyes wide and asked, then seeing one of his eyebrows twitch, she smiled sheepishly.

“Ah, you were speaking metaphorically again.”

The Emperor’s pupils looking at her wavered slightly.

Secretary Oreon, who had been watching their conversation with interest, had to firmly press his lips to keep from laughing.

A very powerful presence had appeared before the Emperor.

Swoosh. The sound of curtains being drawn in the room was loud. Sunlight streaming through the window shattered into rainbow colors.

Dahlia, who had been lying as one with her bed, covered the bright sunlight pouring on her face with one hand and opened her eyes narrowly.

In her blurry vision, she saw an expressionless beauty.

It was Annie, her childhood friend and currently her personal maid.

“Annie, did I do something wrong?”

“No.”

“The sunlight seems too bright. I prefer darkness.”

Dahlia closed her eyes again and tried to burrow into the blanket, but firm hands grabbed her shoulders.

“Princess. You haven’t left your room for 2 weeks already. Your body will grow mold.”

“It won’t.”

“It will!”

Annie, who had firmly prophesied that mold would grow on the Princess’s body, pulled back the blanket.

Dahlia defended one corner of the blanket while looking up at Annie with resentful eyes.

“Do you have to take away my blanket?”

“Go out and get some sunlight, feel the wind.”

“Is there really a need for that? Anyway, everything will…”

Dahlia trailed off with a listless face.

Worry crossed Annie’s face at that lonely appearance, but she soon pretended it was nothing serious.

“Did you have another bad dream?”

A dark shadow fell across Dahlia’s face.

A bad dream…

How wonderful it would be if ‘world destruction’ were just a simple dream.

“Princess, listen carefully. Even if this world ends tomorrow, I would plant a strawberry tree.”

Annie clenched both fists and her eyes shone with determination.

Dahlia looked at Annie with surprised rabbit eyes. She hadn’t told Annie anything about world destruction. Did she perhaps say it in her sleep?

Dahlia carefully asked while observing Annie’s expression.

“…But why strawberries?”

“Because you like them, Princess.”

Annie replied as if asking something obvious.

“Thank you, Annie. But strawberries don’t grow on trees.”

Dahlia kindly corrected her grateful friend who always thought of her first.

A flicker of confusion crossed Annie’s face before quickly disappearing.

“Anyway, I won’t postpone planting the tree today! So Princess, please don’t postpone today’s walk either.”

“Annie is a maid, not a farmer, right?”

When Dahlia corrected her again, Annie placed her hands firmly on her hips and spoke in a cold, low voice.

“Prin. cess.”

“…Fine. I’ll go out.”

Dahlia glanced at Annie’s expression as she got up from the bed.

As she trudged listlessly across the room, Annie’s voice followed from behind.

“You’re going out like that?”

Only then did Dahlia look down at her pajamas, and her purple eyes lit up as if she’d found a good excuse.

“Right. A princess has her dignity. Going out like this would be inappropriate, wouldn’t it? By the time I wash up and get ready, it’ll be night, so—”

“In the first place, no one can enter or leave Princess’s Star Palace without His Majesty the King’s permission. So please walk in the back garden for at least one hour. While Princess is out, I’ll thoroughly clean the room to prevent any mold from growing.”

Annie firmly cut off the princess’s words mid-sentence.

“I told you there’s no mold.”

Dahlia pouted her pink lips defiantly as she went outside.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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