I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 54
—————
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 54
Oreon broke out in a cold sweat down his back as he tried his best to steer the conversation in a different direction.
“Should we announce that we invited the Princess for the crystal business instead? I understand that the crystal mine you own, Princess, is quite large.”
“Wow- even that kind of thing becomes a rumor.”
Dahlia spoke as if she found it fascinating, when the Emperor interjected.
“First, assign a guard to the Princess.”
Cole’s broad shoulders, standing at the very back, flinched slightly.
“No, it’s fine. I have a guard knight with me.”
Cole’s dejected head slowly lifted.
“Princess…”
Dahlia looked at Cole with warm eyes.
“I trust my guard knight. So Cole, you’ll protect me, right?”
“Yes! I’ll stake my life on it!”
Cole knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
“Not your life.”
Dahlia whispered while glancing at Annie.
“Then make sure that guard knight never leaves your side from now on.”
“Yes. I understand.”
Dahlia nodded at the Emperor’s words.
“We’ll think of an excuse for the Princess later and announce it first.”
“Yes.”
When Oreon answered, the Emperor rose from his seat.
“Your Majesty, thank you.”
Dahlia also stood up and bowed in greeting.
The Emperor silently nodded and left the reception room with Oreon.
After the Emperor’s party left, Annie hurriedly touched Dahlia all over.
“Annie, that tickles.”
“Princess, you’re really not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“Yeah. I’m not hurt.”
“But why do you look like you rolled on the ground?”
Annie pulled out a green leaf that had been hiding in Dahlia’s pink hair.
Dahlia smiled awkwardly and avoided her gaze.
As the moment when she had been close to the Emperor flashed through her mind, heat rose hotly to her face.
She had told the Emperor she was heavy, but if she had stayed close like that any longer, her heart would have burst and she couldn’t bear it. The Emperor’s beauty was too dangerous to look at up close.
* * *
The next day.
It was announced that diplomat Rian Hudran, who had been part of the Foevern diplomatic mission, was actually Princess Dahlia Foevern.
Accordingly, stirrings spread among the various diplomatic missions within the Imperial Palace and the Empire’s nobles.
The Princess had entered the Empire while even concealing her identity? What was the reason? Why did the Ruusephon Empire announce this fact first, rather than Foevern?
Everyone busily racked their brains, calculating their interests based on this new information.
The first person to visit Crystal Palace upon hearing this news was Princess Viviana.
“Dahlia was a princess!”
“Bibi, I’m sorry for deceiving you.”
Dahlia bowed her head and apologized.
Viviana waved her hand as if it was fine.
“No. You honestly told me your name was Dahlia.”
“Then you forgive me?”
When Dahlia smiled gently, Viviana nodded vigorously with a buzzing sound.
“We’re friends! And I could sense royal dignity from Dahlia, you know? Right, Monet?”
Monet, who had been watching Dahlia from behind with sparkling eyes, quickly answered.
“Yes! Princess Dahlia is elegant, dignified, kind, and also, also…”
Monet pondered, trying to think of more words while racking her brain.
Dahlia, who found such Monet adorable, burst into clear laughter.
“Monet, did you forget the day we first met? We sat on the floor together and talked.”
“Hehe, how could I forget? You seemed like a real princess even then.”
When Dahlia smiled gently at Monet, Viviana gave Monet a meaningful look.
Monet, perhaps embarrassed, hung her head low.
Dahlia, who could read the exchange between the two, spoke first.
“Monet, is there something going on?”
“Actually, Monet has prepared something.”
Soon Monet lifted her head with a determined expression.
Then she pulled out a wooden sword she had hidden behind her waist and took a ready stance.
“Yah! Yah!”
Monet swung the wooden sword downward with cute battle cries. Sweat beaded on the forehead of Monet, who showed her downward strike stance with a serious face.
“Monet, you’re doing so well!”
Dahlia clapped loudly and cheered for Monet.
Having finished her downward strikes, Monet wiped the sweat from her forehead and bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
“But why are you suddenly learning swordsmanship?”
Monet’s orange eyes, having straightened her posture, held a serious light.
“I want to protect Your Highness from closer by. I heard that with my status, I can’t become a maid, but I can become a knight. I haven’t been learning for long, but I wanted to show you too, Princess.”
“Monet, that’s amazing. Then, of course you can!”
Dahlia’s gaze, looking at Monet as if she were proud, reached Cole standing to one side.
There was living proof before her eyes – someone who had entered the Royal Palace as a servant from the orphanage and became her guard knight.
Cole, meeting her eyes, smiled innocently.
“Monet is learning swordsmanship from Sir Chloe.”
Just how skilled was she – even though she was a guard knight, Sir Chloe was standing quite far away.
“I see. Monet, I hope you’ll keep working hard.”
“Thank you.”
Monet bowed her head as if embarrassed.
“Dahlia, but why did you hide being a princess?”
“Ah, well…”
“Do you perhaps like our broth… I mean, Emperor Gray?”
Viviana, who quickly changed her form of address as if she had made a slip of the tongue, asked with sparkling eyes.
Dahlia chuckled. To think she would receive such a question even from the Imperial Princess.
Although the Emperor was an outstanding man, it was quite interesting that everyone asked the same question.
“It’s not like that. I lived alone at the Star Palace for a long time, you know. But if I suddenly appeared like this, I thought people’s attention would be drawn to me, so I deliberately hid it. I don’t like being the center of attention.”
“But even before it was revealed that Dahlia was a princess, everyone was only talking about Dahlia.”
“That’s right. I wonder why that is?”
Dahlia tilted her head as if genuinely curious.
At that sight, Viviana giggled and laughed.
She seemed truly unaware of how beautiful she was, how she drew people’s gazes wherever she went.
It wasn’t just about her appearance. She always radiated a gentle and bright atmosphere, and like sunflowers following the sun, everyone couldn’t help but look at her.
“I wish Dahlia would marry Emperor Gray.”
Viviana confessed carefully.
A good woman like Dahlia would suit Elder Brother well. And she wanted to become family with her, more than just friends. If they became family, she wouldn’t leave the Empire.
“Me and Emperor Gray? No way, that would never happen. Absolutely not.”
Dahlia’s eyes widened as she recoiled in horror.
Oh, does she dislike him that much?
Viviana sighed inwardly with a disappointed heart. Our Elder Brother is handsome, caring, and wonderful.
“Why do you dislike Emperor Gray, Dahlia?”
“Well, it’s not that I dislike him…”
As Dahlia hesitated with a troubled expression, Annie, who had been quietly attending to them, spoke up.
“It’s not just Emperor Gray she dislikes, Princess. She dislikes all men.”
“That’s right! I dislike men.”
“Then do you like women?”
At the Child’s innocent question, Dahlia smiled brightly.
“I like women as friends.”
“So Dahlia has no thoughts of marriage.”
“Right. I break out in hives just from touching men.”
“Oh, Eld— I mean, our Emperor Gray is exactly the same.”
“Really… what?”
I think I just heard something incredible?
As Dahlia looked at her with surprised eyes, the Child glanced around and whispered.
“Actually, this is a secret, but I saw it. Emperor Gray accidentally touched hands with a Maid, and he broke out in hives.”
Dahlia looked at Annie in shock.
The lie she and Annie had put their heads together to create last night was actually true for the Emperor? Is that why he disliked women?
Dahlia fell deep in thought.
Yesterday, though it was an urgent situation, he had held her very tightly. The Emperor seemed perfectly fine then.
And when she suddenly fell asleep at the Tea Party Hall, Annie had told her later that he carried her to the Carriage.
Could it be that he’s fine when touching women who don’t like the Emperor?
“Your Majesty has no immunity to women…”
As Dahlia realized this new fact, she thought of a way for the Emperor to get closer to women.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————