I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 30

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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 30

As he stared down at her intently, her long eyelashes fluttered and slowly lifted.

Her eyes, which usually appeared only light purple, took on a mysterious hue as the sunlight revealed hints of sky blue.

Her drowsy, vacant gaze, still heavy with sleep, looked up at him blankly.

Their eyes met and intertwined in the air.

“Dahlia, my hand isn’t a pillow, you know.”

“Ah!”

The princess’s eyes widened as she bolted upright. Then she pulled out her handkerchief, grabbed his hand, and began wiping it earnestly.

When he looked at her with confusion, her face turned as pink as her hair, apparently from embarrassment.

“I was worried I might have drooled.”

Emperor Gray couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Fortunately, you didn’t.”

“Phew.”

She let out a deep sigh of relief while still gripping his hand tightly.

His hand, held in hers, seemed particularly large today. No, it was probably that her hand was small.

Emperor Gray’s expression hardened as he noticed himself gauging the size of her hand—such an unfamiliar behavior.

Even if touching this woman caused him no symptoms, wasn’t he accepting it too easily? He was particularly displeased with himself today.

“Does Dahlia just grab any man’s hand like this?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Startled, she threw his hand away. Though there was no need to discard it quite so dramatically, was there?

One of his eyebrows rose involuntarily in displeasure.

“What exactly does Dahlia do at night instead of sleeping that makes you doze off everywhere at all hours?”

The princess’s eyes darted around. He could see her trying hard to think.

“I have insomnia.”

Though she actually slept quite well, Dahlia made up an excuse with an awkward smile.

It was better to blame insomnia than to say she had a condition that made her fall asleep at random times.

“I see. Didn’t you bring your notebook today?”

When he looked around her searchingly, Dahlia spread both hands wide as if to show she had nothing.

“No. Since our promised three meetings are over, today might be the last time I have a private audience with Your Majesty.”

“…I see.”

“But why did you call for me?”

“First, tell me what you wanted to discuss during your third meeting.”

“Really? Then I hope there’s no five-minute limit today.”

“There won’t be.”

She could see the Emperor leaning back leisurely in his chair.

Dahlia eagerly recalled the questions she had been thinking about.

“Last time you said your favorite color was the color of dawn. Could you tell me exactly what color dawn is?”

Her eyes met directly with the Emperor’s black pupils.

Why? What? You’re going to bore a hole through my face.

“Pass.”

That was what came from the Emperor’s mouth after a long, silent staring contest.

When Dahlia pouted her lips in dissatisfaction, his gaze lingered on her lips for a long time.

What! Say it with words! Oh! Did I drool while sleeping?

Dahlia discreetly wiped around her lips with her handkerchief.

At times like this, you need to redirect attention!

“What do you think of a woman who likes gardening?”

“Your lips are saying…”

Suddenly she saw the Emperor hastily cover his own mouth.

Dahlia looked at him with an incredulous expression.

“Of course I speak with my lips—what else would I speak with?”

I’ve lost my mind.

Without realizing it, his gaze had been drawn to her lips. When he gave her artificial respiration, they had been cold as ice, but now they had regained their color and were a pretty pink.

Recalling that day when he had touched her, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her lips. Heat rushed to his eyelids until they felt burning.

I’ve gone insane.

Emperor Gray covered his eyes completely with the hand that had been covering his mouth.

“Your Majesty?”

At her call, Emperor Gray answered while still covering his eyes.

“Keep talking. I have a headache.”

A shadow fell across Dahlia’s face.

She knew he disliked women, but did even questions about women give him headaches? Could this person even get married? He had to be able to marry.

Dahlia looked at him with anxious eyes as she recalled a question she had kept buried in her heart.

Actually, she had been curious from the moment they first met. Since today might be their last meeting, she absolutely had to ask this question.

“Your Majesty, what do you think about the end of the world?”

The Emperor slowly lowered his hand and observed her carefully, as if trying to read her inner thoughts.

“Are you asking seriously?”

Dahlia took a deep breath and nodded with a grave expression.

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell me you know something about demons?”

Emperor Gray asked sharply while looking into her purple eyes.

“What are demons?”

The princess tilting her head looked innocently clear.

“You don’t know about demons? Truly?”

“No. What are they?”

‘Truth.’

Just recently, he had seen through a vision orb monsters called demons that he had never heard of or seen before in his life.

Yet her question was about the end of the world.

Were these two things completely unrelated?

But Truth Detection said her answer was true.

“What was your question again?”

“The end of the world. Do you happen to know anything about it?”

Though Dahlia asked cautiously while watching his reaction, Emperor Gray didn’t know the answer either.

Could those new creatures called demons be beings that would bring about the end of the world?

Currently, the appearance of demons was a secret.

What exactly they were, how many there were. How much the Hallen Sacred Empire knew. What their reason was for trying to capture those demons alive.

There were countless things to figure out.

“Who knows.”

Emperor Gray gave an ambiguous answer while observing her reaction.

“I thought so.”

The princess nodded with a disappointed expression.

“I’d like to ask you. Why are you suddenly asking about the end of the world?”

“Just hypothetically. If the world ended, all the people I love would die, so it scares me.”

The princess’s purple eyes trembled with anxiety.

Just worrying that much from imagination alone? His suspicion toward her only grew stronger.

“You have quite a vivid imagination, my lady.”

“Aren’t you afraid, Your Majesty?”

She looked at him with an expression that asked how he could be like that.

“I’m not afraid of dying.”

Ever since the death mark appeared on his back, he thought each year: Will I die this year? How will I die? He had been gradually approaching death like that. His mental preparation had been completed long ago.

“Then what about someone you love dying?”

Someone I love… There wasn’t anyone who immediately came to mind. Perhaps Viviana, who was at least family.

“That might be unpleasant.”

“Right? Then what if, hypothetically. What if Your Majesty could prevent the world’s destruction, would you do it?”

The Princess asked passionately with sparkling eyes.

“Not the Empire, but I have the power to prevent the world’s destruction?”

When he questioned her absurd inquiry, the Princess nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Hypothetically!”

“I’ll think about it when the time comes.”

At that answer, Dahlia drooped her head dejectedly. He really was a difficult man.

“Is it my turn now? How did you know the Imperial Princess had fallen into the lake?”

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

Dahlia swallowed nervously while watching the Emperor’s expression. So he had called her here because of that incident after all.

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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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