I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 74

—————
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 74

* * *

Anastasia stood in front of the Marchioness’s office, guided by the Marquis House Butler.

“Lady Anasta Yofron has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

“Please enter.”

As the butler opened the door, Anastasia quietly entered inside.

Marchioness Mary Sondo was a power player in high society. Until she ascended to the Empress’s position, it would be unwise to get on her bad side.

“Lady Yofron, please come in.”

The Marchioness rose from her seat and welcomed her with a bright smile.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Anastasia bowed her head politely in greeting.

“Please sit here.”

The Marchioness guided her to a table on one side of the office. Luxurious refreshments had been prepared there in advance.

As Anastasia sat down with a modest attitude, the Marchioness smiled with satisfaction and personally poured tea for her.

Anastasia looked at her with bewildered eyes.

Meeting her gaze, the Marchioness smiled warmly and quietly set down the teapot.

“I’m quite fond of tea. It’s bothersome to call the maids every time, so I brew and drink tea myself. The tea should taste quite good. Please try it.”

“Thank you.”

Anastasia picked up the teacup and carefully smelled the aroma. A sweet floral scent wafted up.

“The fragrance is nice, isn’t it?”

“Yes. What kind of tea is this?”

“It’s tea I made by blending various flowers myself. If you like it, I’ll give you some as a gift when you leave.”

“I like it very much. Thank you.”

Anastasia took a sip of tea. The warm energy of the tea gradually relaxed her chest that had been tight with tension.

Watching this scene with satisfaction, the Marchioness began to speak.

“Do you know why I invited Lady Yofron?”

Her relaxed chest tightened again.

Anastasia quietly set down her teacup and looked at the Marchioness.

“I’m not sure.”

“There are false rumors circulating about His Majesty.”

“Yes…”

Anastasia tried hard not to frown. She hadn’t expected the Marchioness to directly mention the rumors she’d heard at the tea party.

“Lady Yofron. I’ve thought for a long time that you’re the only one suitable for the position of Empress.”

Anastasia looked at the Marchioness with undisguised surprise.

Though she often encountered the Marchioness in high society, this was the first time she had mentioned the Empress position like this.

Her heart swelled with anticipation.

If the Marchioness, who was the Emperor’s aunt, became her backer, she would get a little closer to the Empress position.

Though the Emperor was momentarily enchanted by the Princess’s beauty, he would ultimately have no choice but to choose her.

Anastasia smiled lovingly.

“Thank you for saying that.”

However, the Marchioness slightly furrowed her brow as if worried and let out a deep sigh.

“But I’m concerned. Our Emperor doesn’t know much about women, so I wonder if he’s helplessly fallen for that fox-like Princess whose outside and inside are different.”

Anastasia’s smile hardened.

“…Would His Majesty do such a thing?”

Her voice trembled involuntarily with fear.

“Wouldn’t it be more dangerous since he doesn’t know much about women?”

The Marchioness’s black pearl-like eyes gleamed.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, Anastasia picked up her teacup with trembling hands.

After drinking the tea, her agitated heart seemed to calm down a little.

“May I ask for your advice, Marchioness?”

“Of course. First, become friends with that Princess.”

“Pardon?”

Anastasia asked back, trying not to contort her expression.

“You should always keep your enemies closer. You need to become friends with the Princess to know how deep her relationship with His Majesty is, don’t you think?”

As the Marchioness comforted her warmly as if she understood her feelings completely, Anastasia nodded silently.

The Marchioness was right. Father had also said to always keep enemies close.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have shown her dislike to the Princess at the hunting ground.

As Anastasia mulled over her late regret, the Marchioness pushed a box that had been on the table toward her.

“What is this?”

“I’d like to have frequent conversations with Lady Yofron, but you must be very busy. Using this communication device, we can contact each other anytime.”

Anastasia’s eyes widened.

‘A communication device?’

Communication devices could only be used by the Imperial Family or the Knight Order, and even high-ranking nobles couldn’t possess them carelessly.

To give her something that even her father, a Duke, didn’t have.

“May I really accept something like this?”

Anastasia looked down at the box with eyes full of possessiveness.

“Of course. Let’s become closer friends.”

“Yes.”

Anastasia smiled with satisfaction and reached for her teacup again, but it was empty.

As she quietly set down the teacup with a disappointed expression, the Marchioness asked affectionately.

“Would you like more?”

“Yes. The tea tastes wonderful.”

“Thank you.”

The two women calculated their gains and losses in their minds while exchanging friendly glances on the surface.

* * *

Dahlia and Annie were enjoying a leisurely morning tea time in the room.

“I haven’t seen Lemon much lately.”

“I never saw him much anyway.”

As Dahlia muttered while looking out the window, Annie replied nonchalantly.

“Who is Lemon?”

Cole, who was by the door, asked curiously.

That name had frequently come up in Dahlia and Annie’s recent conversations, and it was clearly not a fruit.

While Dahlia hesitated with a troubled smile about how to explain, Annie answered matter-of-factly.

“The Princess’s imaginary friend.”

“Ah, I see.”

Dahlia made an aggrieved expression at Cole’s understanding nod.

“Cole! Why do you accept that so readily? I admitted long ago that I don’t have imaginary friends anymore!”

“Friends can be made again. The Princess has such a rich imagination.”

As Cole spoke soothingly so as not to hurt the Princess’s feelings, Annie burst out laughing.

Dahlia glared at both Annie and Cole in turn.

“You two only get along well when you’re teasing me?”

“We get along well normally too.”

It was then that Annie’s ears turned red at Cole’s unhesitating answer.

“Wait, wait a moment, I’ll go in and announce—”

At the same time Hart’s urgent voice could be heard from outside, the door burst open with a bang.

Cole grabbed his sword hilt and looked at the opponent with a tense face, only to see Princess Tiara standing at the door with an expression so cold it sent chills down one’s spine.

“Princess Dahlia!”

“Your Highness?”

As she approached with vigor, Annie rose from her seat.

The Princess naturally took Annie’s seat.

The Princess’s upturned eyes glaring at her were fierce.

Though she had expected the Princess’s visit, she hadn’t expected her to come so early in the morning.

Dahlia smiled faintly and naturally asked the Princess.

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Do I look like I came here to leisurely drink tea? Make it cocoa.”

Tiara, who had firm preferences, lifted her chin with a haughty expression.

“Hart, please prepare some cocoa.”

“Yes!”

Hart, who had been fidgeting behind them feeling guilty for not stopping the Princess, hurried to leave when Annie whispered quietly in her ear.

The Princess, with her arms crossed, glared at Dahlia with disapproving eyes and parted her pink lips.

“You revealed that you’re a princess behind my back, and now you’re having a scandal with His Majesty the Emperor?”

Dahlia awkwardly averted her gaze and picked up her teacup.

“You’re not looking at me properly. Didn’t you say last time that you weren’t interested in His Majesty? So what’s with this attitude now?”

The Princess shot her a piercing look.

Dahlia lowered her head with an apologetic expression. Since she had strongly denied having any intention of marrying the Emperor before, she deserved the Princess’s interrogation.

“The situation has changed. The rumors Your Highness heard are probably true.”

“What? It’s true that you kissed His Majesty in front of people?”

The Princess raised her voice with an expression that said it was absurd.

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