I Married the Terminally Ill Emperor - Chapter 89
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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 89
“From now on, when dealing with her, show the same respect you would show me.”
“We obey your command.”
All the nobles of the Empire bowed their heads in response.
The foreign delegations were busy calculating the benefits they could gain from this situation.
Meanwhile, Marchioness Mary Sondo bowed her head deeper to hide her bitter smile.
The Emperor had announced that the wedding ceremony uniting the Ruusephon Empire and the Kingdom of Foevern would be held in three months.
What was the Kingdom of Foevern? Wasn’t it the golden goose that none of the Three Empires could touch as they kept each other in check?
The crystals that came only from the Kingdom of Foevern were so rare that they commanded prices higher than diamonds.
An opportunity had arisen to naturally swallow such a Kingdom of Foevern through the blood alliance of marriage. They should delay the wedding as much as possible to somehow make the Kingdom of Foevern subordinate, using that as an excuse to fight over interests, yet he was holding the wedding ceremony so quickly?
For her, who knew the Imperial Family’s secrets, the Emperor’s early wedding announcement only added more certainty to what she had heard from her father long ago.
However, there was one thing that worried her: the Princess’s pregnancy.
If the Princess were to have a child, it would be a very big problem.
The two were young man and woman. Even before marriage, things could certainly happen.
Her cold gaze turned toward the beautiful Princess’s face as she raised her head.
“Tsk. In the end, the Emperor was just a man after all.”
She whispered bitterly while covering her mouth with her fan and glaring at the Princess.
She had spent so much time making the Emperor distance himself from women.
When Gray was Crown Prince, she had pushed women into his room every night. She had mobilized noble ladies coveting the Crown Princess position to appear wherever he passed.
Gray had grown so sick of women that he eventually distanced himself from them completely.
If only that Princess hadn’t appeared, the Emperor would still be avoiding women and facing ‘that day’ alone.
Mary watched the Emperor and Princess heading to the dance floor with displeasure in her eyes.
* * *
The Emperor and Dahlia stood on the dance floor for the first dance that would begin the ball.
The Emperor bowed his head with a charming smile that showed his dimples and extended his hand to her.
“Would you permit me your first dance?”
Dahlia looked at his hand with a tense expression.
This was her first time dancing, except for dancing with Father in their room when she was very young. She had practiced, but would she do well?
Dahlia smiled even more brightly, conscious of the nobles’ gazes.
“Yes, gladly.”
Dahlia gently placed her hand on his.
The Emperor softly took her hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist.
The moment the two drew closer to each other, the bright lights of the banquet hall suddenly went out. Only the diamond chandelier above their heads shone brightly.
Dahlia widened her eyes and looked up.
The Emperor chuckled and whispered so only she could hear.
“Oreon likes dramatic things.”
“Ah…”
Dahlia nodded slightly, thinking this was actually better.
She had been embarrassed about dancing at a ball for the first time anyway, so it seemed better that no one could see them at all.
As the orchestra’s gentle melody began, only the two of them shone in the space like a dark night sky.
“You dance well?”
Dahlia looked at him with surprised eyes. How did someone who couldn’t even hold a woman’s hand learn to dance?
“You dance well too. Did you learn from your guard knight again?”
The Emperor spun her around once and pulled her close.
“No. I learned from Annie.”
Dahlia was so focused on remembering the steps that she missed the satisfied smile forming on his lips.
“Didn’t you always learn physical activities from your guard knight?”
“Cole is good with swords, but surprisingly terrible at dancing. Annie taught both of us, and she said I was the honor student.”
Dahlia lifted her chin proudly.
At that cute sight, Gray had to exercise patience not to embrace her tightly.
But had his hidden feelings been revealed?
“Why?”
When Dahlia trembled and tried to move away from him, he gently supported her back.
“Running away again.”
“You look like you’re going to scold me.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Like you’re going to devour me. I don’t taste good.”
Gray pulled her a little closer so she couldn’t see his face.
To think he was staring at her enough to frighten her. He didn’t know why he was acting this way.
“Don’t worry. I won’t devour you.”
“Hey. You wouldn’t really eat me, would you? I was speaking metaphorically.”
Gray burst into laughter at her words.
At that moment, the lights of the banquet hall returned.
The nobles, who had been busy calculating profits from the union of Empire and Kingdom, widened their eyes at the Emperor’s laughter. The Emperor, who always wore only picture-perfect smiles, was laughing out loud.
The Emperor had definitely fallen in love with the Princess.
“I think we can yield the dance floor to others now.”
“Good!”
Dahlia followed him off the dance floor with a happy expression.
Annie approached Dahlia’s side with a drink as if she had been waiting.
“Princess, please drink this.”
“Thank you.”
“Can you eat something now?”
As Annie looked at Dahlia with concern, the Emperor reacted before Dahlia could.
“You didn’t eat?”
“Ah, I had no appetite.”
“Dahlia. Let’s go to the catering table. Once you see the food, your appetite will return.”
“Have you eaten anything, Your Majesty?”
The Emperor stared at her intently, then smiled mischievously.
“Excellent. You’re already showing the qualities of an Empress who worries about her husband.”
“That’s not it! Annie, let’s go!”
Dahlia quickly turned around to hide her reddened face.
The Emperor’s laughter could be heard, but Dahlia pretended not to hear and headed toward the table with finger foods.
“Do you have an appetite now?”
Annie, who was walking beside her, asked with laughter in her voice.
“Yes. His Majesty keeps teasing me, so I got hungry.”
“I should ask His Majesty to tease you often from now on.”
Dahlia glanced at Annie with mock annoyance.
“I don’t know why everyone wants to tease me when they see me.”
That’s because your reactions are cute, Princess.
Annie swallowed the words that had risen to her throat.
When they arrived near the table, Annie brought a plate with several finger foods.
“The finger foods are quite extraordinary.”
Annie presented the finger food in front of Dahlia.
Coq au Vin with chicken braised to a delicious red wine color, roast chicken generously coated with fragrant herbs and olive oil, and even diavola baked in the oven.
Dahlia looked down at the plate with bewildered eyes.
The finger food prepared at banquet halls was mostly small cakes, fruit, and chocolate.
But this?
Seeing a smile form on Dahlia’s lips, Annie held back her laughter inwardly and offered her a fork.
“Can you feel His Majesty taking care of you, Princess?”
“Doesn’t His Majesty seem like the secretly attentive type?”
When Dahlia’s eyes sparkled as she chimed in agreement, Annie couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.
She was so cute that Annie couldn’t help but tease her.
That was the moment.
“Oh my, what is this?”
“I came expecting dessert, but this kind of food?”
A group of noble ladies approached and grumbled while looking at the table.
Dahlia listened to their conversation while eating the food with her fork.
“Let’s go drink some wine. I heard precious wine from the Kingdom of Foevern came in this time.”
“Now we can drink Foevern Kingdom wine anytime. Hoho.”
“Exactly. Getting even one bottle of Foevern Kingdom wine used to be as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.”
Then, the noble ladies who had been moving away from the table spotted Dahlia and Annie and approached with smiles.
“Princess, congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you.”
Then one noble lady looked at her plate and couldn’t hide her sneer.
“There’s actually someone who eats that food.”
“Of course. It’s extremely delicious.”
When Dahlia defiantly ate the coq au vin with relish, a rumbling sound came from the stomach of the noble lady who had mocked Dahlia.
“It seems like you need food right now, shall I share some of mine with you?”
At her words without malice, the noble lady’s face turned bright red.
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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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