The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 106

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Phantom Bride of the Forsaken Prince – Episode 106

As Lirlis bit her lip in frustration, Lia, who had been silent until now, stepped out from Lucian’s embrace.
“…Did you say you were humiliated without resistance?”
No one had expected Lia to come forward in such a situation, and all eyes turned toward her.
“But I myself have been under threat from the Duchess.”
“…What?”
Lucian bared his teeth in anger. At that, Lirlis opened her mouth in alarm.
“What are you talking about? Threat? When did I ever…!”
“You clearly said you could get me out of the Imperial Palace.”
“That’s not a threat!”
“Yes, you did so gently. But when I carelessly took the Duchess’s hand and left the Imperial Palace, how could I know if I would survive?”
Lia’s voice trembled, and her violet eyes began to shimmer with moisture. As tears gathered like pearls in her irises, a stir ran through the crowd.
Every time Lirlis performed, her beauty played no small part in capturing people’s attention.
For there was no one who wouldn’t be moved by a beautiful woman appealing through tears.
But that meant, conversely, that beauty could become a weapon for Lia as well.
“Besides, His Majesty worries greatly, so he always keeps many guards by my side. But how did the Duchess know I was here? Very few people know I’m in the library.”
“……….”
Had this been any other place, Lia’s appeal would not have worked.
But now that Lirlis had entered the Imperial Library, access to which had been strictly limited recently, and stood before Lia, there was no way to escape the suspicion hanging in the air.
“I was already aware that His Majesty had a Fiancée. I also knew my existence felt threatening to the Duchess. So I tried my best to avoid contact with others and remain quiet, but the Duchess came first to……”
Unable to continue her words, Lia covered her mouth with a trembling hand.
In that moment, she appeared exactly as a fragile lover overwhelmed by her Fiancée’s persecution.
Of course, given the unique position between them, there might be talk later, but for now she was innocent enough to play the naive lamb who knew nothing.
Lirlis sensed in that instant that she had fallen into her own trap. Just as she hurried to offer another excuse—
“I can’t overlook this any longer.”
Lucian stepped forward. His reason had snapped the moment Lia shed tears.
“James.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Send word to House of Sebans. Tell them I am breaking the engagement with the Duchess.”
At this unprecedented action, not only Lirlis but everyone around her, even Lia, started in shock and stared at Lucian.
‘Is he serious?’
‘L-Lucian! No matter what, breaking an engagement…!’
Both Lia and Harry looked at Lucian with bewildered eyes, but Lucian was in earnest.
“I’ve given you chances more than once. But not only have you wasted every opportunity, you dared to lay hands on my woman?”
“I… I…!”
“There is no more mercy. You there! Throw out this uninvited guest at once!”
As Lucian bellowed, the knights who had just arrived at the library and the servants observing from the corridor were all watching each other nervously.
“What are you standing around for? Will you not obey His Majesty’s command!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Dio stepped forward. As he took the lead in escorting Lirlis out, the knights scrambled to follow.
Lirlis was drawn along by Dio as if in a daze, biting her lip as her blue eyes burned with ominous heat.
Then she raised her head and glared at Lucian and Lia.
“You’ll come to regret that decision! Do you really think I’ll back down just like this?!”
“Whether I regret it or not is for me to judge. But from what I see of you now, I doubt I’ll regret anything.”
“…….Your Majesty!”
Lirlis called out to the Emperor, but Lucian paid her no mind whatsoever.
In the end, she was dragged from the library like a criminal. Harry and James, once they had calmed the situation, moved the servants back and instructed them to keep silent to prevent baseless rumors from spreading.
Only Lia, Lucian, and Kaiser remained in the library.
As the surroundings grew quiet, Lucian let out a deep breath and transformed from the stern Emperor into a man with a worried expression.
“Lia, are you all right?”
Lucian gently touched Lia’s tear-stained eyes with a trembling hand. At that, Lia looked up at him with a bewildered face.
“Of course I’m all right. Do I look like someone who’d be undone by some young aristocrat?”
“But just now……”
“I was acting because there were people watching. If things had gone on like this, it would’ve reflected badly on you too. That’s why I stepped in, but……what were you thinking? Breaking the engagement…!”
“……I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Until now I held back for your sake, but now I think I need to break this engagement for your sake too.”
“But if things go on like this, you won’t be able to escape blame! And the way it looks now, it seems like you’re so infatuated with a woman you’ve cast aside your Fiancée! Even if you’re angry, that’s not right!”
As Lia reproached Lucian, he furrowed his brow.
“Lia, this isn’t something I did thoughtlessly.”
At his low, measured voice, Lia trembled slightly.
“You know the parts I’m aware of—why wouldn’t I know them too? And precisely because it concerns you, I’ve been trying to be even more careful. But just now, the Duchess crossed a line. What if she had harbored ill intent from the start in approaching you? What if she’d threatened your safety somewhere I didn’t know? Should I have forgiven her then, too, just to appease the people around me?”
“That’s……”
“When I heard the Duchess had come to the library, my blood ran backward.”
“Lucian, I’m not an ordinary person. I’m a Witch. A mere noble lady can’t threaten me.”
“I know! I know she can’t realistically threaten you! But that’s not what I’m saying!”
Unable to hold back, Lucian raised his voice sharply. Since this was uncharacteristic of him, Lia froze.
Lucian grasped Lia’s shoulders, his expression sad and anguished.
“Whether you become a Witch, a monster, or a human—you’re someone I love. How could I stand idle knowing someone might pose a threat to the person I love!”
Lucian leaned his head against Lia’s shoulder as if collapsing. As his trembling was felt entirely, Lia realized that Lucian’s love for her was quite heavy indeed.
As Lia stood bewildered and flustered, Kaiser, who had been behind Lucian, let his jaw drop slightly.
‘Lucian got furious.’
Kaiser actually knew what had happened in the library. He’d been keeping watch from the moment Lirlis entered his perception range.
He’d been watching Lia handle the situation well, as expected, when the library attendant came and reported the situation to him.
Hearing that Lia and Lirlis were together, Lucian vented his fury without restraint.
‘I’ve never seen the kid that angry.’
Honestly, even Kaiser was stung enough that Lucian’s fury was immense.
Moreover, when Kaiser had just entered the library, Lirlis had been in a position as if she were about to strangle Lia’s neck.
Even Kaiser’s eyebrows had twitched then.
‘Regardless of the circumstances, Lucian did what he needed to do.’
After all, if you can’t do even that much for someone you love, you shouldn’t be spouting nonsense about love.
Lia seemed to understand Lucian’s heart to some degree, for she fell silent.
She looked at the white hair tickling her cheek and let out a long sigh. Then she gently touched his white hair and wrapped her arms around Lucian’s back.
At that, Lucian gave a small start before pulling Lia even closer into his embrace.
“Were you very frightened?”
“……Yes.”
“What’s there to be frightened of? When you know me better than anyone.”
“Even so, when it comes to someone you love, you can’t help but grow weak.”
Watching Lucian now speak of love so freely, Lia’s heart fluttered.
Since his confession last time, he had never once said he loved her or liked her. He had known full well it would burden her.
But now, receiving his love again—
‘……It’s not bad.’
No, hadn’t she felt this way since meeting Lirlis?
That she didn’t want to lose Lucian to anyone.
She had heard of his Fiancée many times in words. The woman was much cuter than she’d imagined, and there was something in her that suggested she wouldn’t be out of place standing beside Lucian.
Moreover, the Duchess wasn’t clumsily trying to drag her down directly, but rather coaxing her in a way that wouldn’t leave traces—that was no simple matter.
Above all, that woman had said she loved Lucian himself.
Lia knew well that a man as handsome as Lucian would be popular with other women, but Lirlis was the first rival she had ever faced.
Though she had thought about it rationally and judged coolly, there was a corner of her heart that felt anxious, unwilling to lose to the woman before her eyes.
The origin of that feeling didn’t need to be dug into—it was obvious.
‘I……lost.’
In the end, Lia had to admit it. Her heart had completely tilted toward one person.
“Lucian.”
“……….”
Perhaps because he’d been scolded, Lucian’s expression was somewhat downcast. Even that face looked endearing, and Lia couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Do you like me that much?”
“……Yes.”
“Why? How did you end up loving me?”
“It wasn’t a matter of how.”
Lucian gazed at Lia with grave eyes, unwavering.
“From the very beginning, there was only you.”
The man Lucian had become gazed at the person before him with such earnest feeling.
“When, where, how—the reason doesn’t matter. From the moment we were married, there was only you. That much is certain.”
Those were eyes brimming with a deep, yearning love. Yet in those eyes, she could see the many versions of Lucian across different moments in time, always watching her.
“Of course, it may have been a lighter feeling back then. But this much is sure: I have never once imagined a future without you. From the moment I first saw you, I fell in love.”
When you receive such a confession…you have no choice but to surrender.
Lia’s face flushed in an instant, and she could no longer meet Lucian’s eyes.
When she thought of his long love continuing since childhood, she realized that Lucian’s eyes, which had always watched her, had always carried love within them.
That he had watched her every day with overflowing love seemed almost unbelievable.
Lucian opened his eyes, which he had closed during his confession. It was a confession containing nothing but truth, not a shred of falsehood.
Thinking it might feel burdensome to her, he couldn’t quite bring himself to look at her face properly.
But when a reaction different from what he expected unfolded before him, Lucian’s mind became momentarily hazy.
‘Lia’s face….’
It had flushed so deeply it looked like a tomato—just as his own face would flush whenever he thought of Lia.
She too wore an expression of someone drowning in love, helpless and bewildered.
“……Lia.”
“……….”
Lia, who couldn’t meet Lucian’s eyes, managed to raise her head and look at him.
Seeing those violet irises alight with heat, Lucian’s hair seemed to turn white as snow. And without thinking, his mouth opened.
“I love you.”
“……….”
“What about you? Do you……”
Love me?
He hadn’t finished the words, but everyone could sense what was meant to follow.
Lia moved her small lips slightly, then covered her mouth with her hand and avoided Lucian’s gaze.
“……Yes.”
Small, but a clear assertion of feeling.
Lucian’s mind went blank for a moment, but soon his lips slowly curved upward, breaking into the most radiant smile.
“Lia!”
“Kyaa!”
Lucian swept Lia up in his arms and spun her around in a circle. At the sudden physical contact, Lia let out a brief cry, but soon she couldn’t help but laugh along with Lucian’s brilliant smile.
“You really feel the same way as me? This isn’t a dream, is it?”
“……How could I not fall for someone so wonderful making such earnest advances?”
As Lia, flushed with warmth, reached up to touch his face, a thrill ran through Lucian’s entire body.
Soon he set her down, his hands cradling her cheeks.
In an instant, Lucian’s face drew close, and his warm breath descended upon Lia’s lips. As that heat spilled into her mouth, Lia’s eyes flew wide open.
But soon she let her eyes close softly.
The sound of her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears, pleasure washed over her entire body, and the fulfillment she felt for the first time deepened her emotions toward Lucian even further.
It was, without question, an intense feeling Lia had never experienced once in her more than three hundred years of life.

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