I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 130
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
I Married a Terminally Ill Emperor
Chapter 130
“You love Princess Dahlia, don’t you?”
What? Dahlia was startled and stared blankly at Heidi.
The woman the Emperor loved wasn’t Heidi, but herself?
“Why are you asking such a question?”
The Emperor’s voice suddenly became sharp.
“If you don’t want to lose Princess Dahlia to anyone, you should move up the wedding instead.”
“….”
When the Emperor remained silent, Heidi raised her voice.
“I’ll do my best to protect what’s mine. If Your Majesty does the same, it would help me protect what’s mine.”
The Emperor loves me. And the Emperor is terminally ill.
The moment she recalled this, she felt as if her heart was being torn to shreds.
As her mind, which had been blank from shock, calmed down, his birthday came to mind. The remaining time was 4 months.
He would die within 4 months. What kind of cruel joke of fate was this? How could she learn of his love and their parting at the same time?
Dahlia slowly lifted her eyelids.
Her vision, which had been hazy as if covered in fog, gradually became clear, and she could see the Emperor’s worried expression as he looked down at her.
Dahlia found herself lying lengthwise on the sofa. When she tried to prop herself up using the sofa, he quickly approached and helped her.
Dahlia obediently accepted his touch and sat up on the sofa.
She could feel the Emperor’s anxious gaze carefully examining her complexion.
“Dahlia, shall I call the Royal Physician?”
“No. I’m fine. You know I sometimes fall asleep like this.”
“Didn’t you say that hasn’t been happening lately?”
Dahlia nodded silently and then stared intently at the Emperor’s black eyes.
Now she knew why he had suggested they marry for only a few months. And why he couldn’t say anything despite loving her.
So Dahlia decided to be brave first. After taking a deep breath, she spoke in a calm tone.
“Your Majesty. I like you.”
She could see the Emperor’s black eyes gradually widening as they met hers. He barely managed to squeeze out his voice as if his throat was constricted.
“…What?”
“That’s strange, was my voice too quiet? Listen carefully this time. Ah- mm.”
Dahlia faced the Emperor with sparkling eyes and cleared her voice.
“Dahlia, wait a moment-”
“I said I love you!”
Before he could stop her words with his face frozen like stone, Dahlia confessed once more.
Then his black eyes shook restlessly like a ship caught in a storm.
“…We can’t. I….”
He frowned and looked at her with pained eyes like a wounded beast.
Dahlia calmly met his gaze and grasped his large hand. She could feel his hand trembling.
He was always dignified, composed, and stronger than anyone else as an Emperor. From such a man, an anxious vulnerability she never thought she’d see was revealed.
Dahlia gently patted his trembling hand as if to steady him and carefully spoke.
“Your Majesty, do you love me too?”
With her heart beating so wildly it felt like it might burst at any moment, she met his gaze that was fixed on her.
Gray, who had been staring blankly at Dahlia’s purple eyes waiting for an answer, slowly closed his eyelids.
When he first heard her confession, he couldn’t believe it, and the second time, it was painfully bittersweet joy.
This lovely woman loved him? At the unbelievable confession, a sharp pain shot through his chest.
As someone terminally ill, he couldn’t accept her love. He shouldn’t accept it, yet that sweet confession took his breath away.
He had never resented being terminally ill as much as he did now.
Yes. He was terminally ill. Someone terminally ill who shouldn’t covet her. Someone terminally ill who should be satisfied with just a few months of married life.
A tearing pain began in his back. Punishment to remind himself not to forget that he was terminally ill.
Gray took a deep breath to regain his composure and opened his eyes. She was still there, waiting for his answer.
“No. I don’t love you. Our marriage is nothing more or less than a simple contract.”
Knowing his lie would hurt her, yet having to say it anyway, he smiled bitterly to himself. The moment he uttered the lie, the pain he’d felt in his back also subsided.
Please, let her not be too hurt.
Dahlia’s eyes gradually widened, and as expected, resentment toward him reflected in those clear eyes.
Yes. It was better for her to hate him. Better than watching his death by her side, getting hurt, and suffering. Even if his chest tore open and the red flesh inside was exposed, that was certainly the better choice.
Dahlia let go of his hand with an angry face. As soon as her hand fell away, a cold chill rushed to his fingers.
He clenched his cold hand tightly so that even the faint warmth remaining from her wouldn’t escape, when Dahlia suddenly stood up. Not having the courage to watch her turn away coldly, he squeezed his eyes shut again.
But then, something soft like a cotton ball approached his frozen lips and bumped into them with a thud.
Startled, Gray opened his eyes and discovered her face with eyes tightly shut, kissing him.
Perhaps sensing his confused gaze, she quickly pulled her lips away and glared with a face red as an apple.
“Why, why? That wicked lying mouth of yours, I gave it a piece of my mind!”
Though embarrassed, her attitude was confident.
Ha, really. How could he not love this woman?
Gray’s feelings for her boiled over and overflowed so much that he couldn’t think rationally. Only her lovely face dominated his mind.
“…Who gives someone a piece of their mind like that?”
“I-”
“If you’re going to give someone a piece of your mind, you should do it properly.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Gray grabbed her wrist and seated her on his lap.
Surprised by his forcefulness, she looked up at him with rabbit-like eyes.
Gray’s head moved down toward her. As if giving her a chance to stop him since he felt he wouldn’t be able to stop forever, very slowly and deliberately. While persistently staring into her purple eyes as if gauging her reaction.
Finally, his lips stopped right in front of her pink lips.
He could see her purple eyes looking up at him, full of tension and trembling restlessly.
“I gave you a chance to run away.”
“Who’s running away?”
At his voice, lowered even more by his deep thirst for her, her eyes changed to a challenging look. Soon she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips firmly against his first.
Gray embraced her while deeply devouring her soft lips. He poured all his passion into this moment to remember it for a lifetime.
He swallowed her sweetness, swallowing and swallowing, praying this time would never end.
It was a deep and ecstatic kiss. As if he had been waiting only for this moment, he held her so tightly she couldn’t move and wouldn’t let her go.
Was kissing supposed to be this breathtaking? Still, she didn’t want to pull away. Dahlia clung to him passionately, coveting even his every breath.
The second kiss was different from the first.
It wasn’t just lips touching lips, but breath and breath hotly intertwining. When she moaned from lack of breath, he would slightly part his lips before coming close again immediately.
How much time had passed like that?
As she leaned against his chest, panting heavily to catch her missing breath, the Emperor looked down at her after gently kissing her forehead.
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
He smiled sadly.
Dahlia was startled and looked up at him. It was definitely something she had heard in her dream. She called out to him without realizing it.
“Your Majesty….”
“I shouldn’t have loved you. But how could I not love you?”
Each word he uttered while gritting his teeth as if enduring pain was heartbreaking.
The dream had changed.
Not only the location in the dream, but also the conversation partner had changed from Ethan to herself, and his words had changed too.
The future had changed again.
Then couldn’t his death be changed too?
“Your Majesty. I’ll find a way to keep you from dying. And even if you really do die from that curse, I won’t regret having loved you.”
She was reflected entirely in the Emperor’s black eyes.
He gazed at Dahlia’s face for a long while, then parted his heavy lips.
“I love you. Dahlia.”
Finally!
Dahlia met his confession with loving eyes and responded with a bright smile.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————