The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 85

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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 Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride — Episode 85

Lia let out a stifled laugh as she looked between Dio and the two others.
“You two think of me that way, so you assume Dio must be the same, don’t you?”
Lucian flinched, while Kaiser tilted his head in confusion.
“Well, people tend to see what they’re looking for.”
Lucian’s lips parted as if searching for words, apparently at a loss.
“L-Lia! I’m different! How could you compare me to that bastard!”
“That bastard?!”
Dio’s eyes flashed with offense as he glared, but Lucian’s entire attention was fixed on Lia.
“To me, you and Dio are no different. Don’t you know I’ve watched you both since you were children?”
“That may be true, but…! I’m your…!”
“My what?”
“Your… your bridegroom.”
Lucian mumbled the words quietly, acutely aware of the eyes around them. His flushed face, newly embarrassed, struck Lia as oddly charming.
‘How cute.’
Wait—what did I just think?
Before she could help but smile, Lia quickly snapped back to her senses, her eyes sharpening.
Lucian is cute? I mean, yes, he is, but shouldn’t I be thinking about something else right now?!
“Lia… my affection for you, my love for you—it’s more genuine than anyone’s. So please don’t put me in the same category as those scheming wolves.”
Lucian gripped both of Lia’s hands, his words earnest and pleading.
Lia’s mind momentarily clouded at his sudden earnestness, but Dio, watching it all unfold beside her, was anything but serene.
“So you’re saying I’m a scheming wolf, you bastard…?”
“You understand, don’t you? Kaiser and I are fine. But as for the rest—that won’t do. If any of them show you kindness and try to approach you, no matter what excuse they come up with—I’ll skin their shins raw.”
“Are you ignoring me right now?!”
As Dio protested indignantly, Lucian’s eyes turned glacial, sweeping over him from head to toe.
“You’re out of bounds the moment you started blushing at Lia.”
“Seriously?! And you call yourself my friend?! Look, honestly, even if someone else came instead of me, it’d be the same. Lia’s so beautiful! It’s an automatic reflex when you see a face like that!”
“Well… thank you?”
Bewildered by the compliment, Lia responded awkwardly, and Dio flushed again, fidgeting with his feet.
“Lia! Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s not that I like you—it’s just that my body reacts before my mind can help it!”
“Right, I won’t. I’ve known you long enough.”
Dio released a relieved sigh, but as he watched his friend stick to Lia’s side, shooting looks of suspicion, his fists clenched involuntarily.
“But Lucian, why is Kaiser alright when Dio isn’t?”
“Oh. Well, Kaiser is…”
“I have to say, I don’t quite understand it.”
Before Lucian could finish, Kaiser—who had been silent until now—spoke up. All eyes turned to him.
“Me? Looking at someone with scheming eyes? Lia, you think that?”
Kaiser spoke as though the very suggestion was absurd.
“Are your eyes broken? Who’s the most beautiful person here!”
Everyone’s faces filled with bewilderment, prompting Kaiser to thump his chest in exasperation.
“Obviously, I, Kaiser, am the most beautiful! Lia might barely come a tenth of the way to my toenails, but she’s nowhere near as beautiful as me! Do you think I’d gaze lecherous upon something less beautiful than myself!”
At his absurd words, everyone fell silent in shock. Yet Kaiser seemed utterly sincere, exhaling through his nostrils.
“See? Kaiser doesn’t see Lia as a romantic interest, so he’s safe. And he cares for you just as much as I do.”
Lucian’s voice, whispering into her ear, was tinged with unmistakable confidence.
Lia felt a throb in her head and pressed her fingers to her forehead.
This is bragging, that’s all it is.

* * *

Once the commotion died down, Harry rubbed his forehead.
“Sire, I’m quite serious—we have mountains of work piling up. I understand your joy at reuniting with Lia, but might you please focus on state affairs for the time being? With James and Kaiser, as well as capable people around you, there’s nothing to worry about regarding Lia’s daily needs.”
“Right, Lucian. If Harry’s saying all this, stop visiting me and get to work. Subordinates work harder when the boss is working hard.”
Lucian’s response came not in words but in a slightly pouty expression. Lia wondered if he didn’t want to work, but his next words surprised her.
“I want to be with you for your first moments…”
“First… moments?”
“Everything you do in a human body is new and unfamiliar. Just as you taught me so many things and let me experience so much, I wanted to do the same for you.”
“Ah…”
Lia recalled how Lucian had stayed glued to her side for the entire past week.
Every sensation—the touch of fingers, the taste of food, the sight of colors, the sound of voices—was so novel that she gasped in wonder countless times, and each time Lucian not only didn’t seem annoyed but actually delighted in letting her do everything she wished.
She’d wondered why, but to learn that such intention lay beneath it all…
Harry, recognizing that Lucian wasn’t simply shirking duties, stopped pressing the matter.
As a brief silence fell and they exchanged glances, Kaiser—who had been enthusiastically devouring dessert—spoke up.
“Then why doesn’t Lia simply stay with you while you work?”
Everyone’s eyes widened as they stared at Kaiser.
“What. Do you have a better way to convince that stubborn mule?”
“Hmm… you have a point.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Harry and Dio turned to look at Lia. At the intensity of their gazes, Lia tensed without thinking.
“Lia! Please, help us out!”
“I beg of you! Please help His Majesty with his work!”
“I-if there’s anything I can do, I’ll help.”
At her flustered assent, both men broke into radiant smiles as if they’d grasped a lifeline.
But the person in question, Lucian, wore a grave expression, clearly displeased about something.
“Are you sure that’s wise? If Lia is in my office, many people will come to know of her existence.”
Due to the nature of his work, many people came and went from the office, and nobles occasionally passed through. There was no way to silence them all.
Harry’s expression turned incredulous at Lucian’s words.
“Knowing that, you’ve been having meals here with Lia in a place where anyone could see?”
“But I can’t keep her locked away in a room out of sheer frustration, can I?”
“That’s exactly the point—Lia’s existence cannot remain secret indefinitely. Of course, there’s some reassurance that only your people are in this palace, but word about Lia has likely already begun to spread elsewhere.”
Lucian and Kaiser’s expressions twisted.
“It’s only a matter of time before this comes to light, one way or another. Since we’re already in this situation, why not reveal her openly? Wouldn’t it be better to let it be known that you favor her greatly?”
“But you said it was impossible before.”
“That was because I thought troublesome circumstances might arise. However, watching you with Lia now…”
Harry let out a hearty laugh.
“Anyone can see you’re utterly smitten with her. There’s no way to hide that no matter how you try.”
Lia looked at Lucian with curiosity.
Eyes that showed not a trace of emotion toward anyone else softened the moment they turned toward her, brimming with affection and barely restrained joy.
At Harry’s words, Lucian spoke with certainty.
“What can I do? Lia is beautiful.”
“Precisely. Since you can’t hide it and have no intention of doing so, let’s make it public. Then no one will dare lay a hand on Lia.”
“I suppose there’s no other way…”
Honestly, he didn’t want to show Lia to anyone else.
If word got out that she was someone he cherished, jealous rivals would surely emerge, and there was a hundred-percent chance some men would approach her with ill intent.
He’d spoken jokingly about Dio being a wolf earlier, but if other men actually tried to get close to Lia, he’d truly lose his mind.
Yet as Harry said, he couldn’t hide Lia away in his arms forever…
“Haa…”
Lucian sighed deeply and gazed at Lia. Her pale face held eyes of such amethyst beauty that they seemed to contain him entirely.
Unable to resist that moment, Lucian pulled Lia into his embrace. Her startled struggle was only natural.
“Harry, Dio, James.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“From now on, if anyone dares approach Lia in any way, I want a list of their names brought to me. Whoever touches Lia will learn firsthand what happens.”
At the bloodlust pouring from the emperor before any transgression had even occurred, all three men shook their heads in dismay.
They were deeply concerned about what life in the Imperial Palace would become.

* * *

Several days later, after recovering her strength somewhat and becoming able to move about without assistance, Lia lounged in Lucian’s office.
Scratch, scratch, scratch—
Rustle, rustle—
Swish, swish-swish, swish—
Busy work sounds surrounded her in stereo.
Lucian’s office had towering piles of documents scattered about, with Dio, Harry, James, and Lucian each stationed at their own workspaces.
Everyone was working intently, yet Lia wondered if it was really alright for her to sit idle and play.
“Sire, would you look at this, please.”
Just then, Harry brought forward the document he’d been reviewing to Lucian.
“Rejected. This is a project that was already carried out two years ago. They must think I’m easy prey because I haven’t been on the throne long. Tell them if they don’t bring a proper proposal next time, they won’t be treated so leniently.”
“What about this one?”
“This is passable. But cut the budget further. It’s work that doesn’t need much spending.”
Even though he was acting as a substitute, the five years he’d spent as Crown Prince and then Emperor showed no cracks in his handling of affairs.
‘That side of him is still unfamiliar to me.’
The longer Lia stayed here, the more she began to understand why she felt so awed by Lucian.
Partly, it was natural—they’d parted ways just as he came of age, and five years later they’d met again as mature adults.
‘I thought I’d raised him well enough…’
After his time in the Imperial Palace, having received all manner of etiquette and professional education, Lucian’s bearing and movements had changed markedly from before.
And watching him dutifully care for the Empire as its sovereign, commanding affairs with such charisma, she could plainly see how steadily he’d grown during the years she didn’t know.
As Lucian worked the stiffness from his shoulders and rotated his neck, his eyes met Lia’s.
When he flashed a sly smile and winked, Lia blocked her view with the cushion she was holding.
‘Why—why does he do that!’
The moment his dignified, charismatic emperor-like composure slipped away and he became the Lucian she knew, her cheeks flushed with heat.
“Someone’s coming.”
Just then, Kaiser’s voice cut through.
He’d escaped the suffocating office and taken refuge on the palace rooftop.
Harry trembled at the sight of Kaiser climbing through the window, while Lucian asked sharply.
“Coming? Who?”
“Not sure. But given that no one tried to stop them, they’re probably not just anyone.”
Kaiser closed his eyes, concentrating on the distant sounds only he could perceive.
“…Sire. Is that… the Former Emperor? If it’s the Former Emperor, isn’t that your father?”
Bang!
Before Kaiser could even finish speaking, chaos erupted around them.
Lucian’s eyes widened, Dio began sweating profusely in tension, and Harry tried to stay calm but couldn’t hide the trembling in his hands.
The only one maintaining composure was James.
“Now that I think of it, it’s about time His Majesty completed the kingdom-wide tour.”
“Haa… He probably just stopped by as a courtesy after a long journey.”
“Unless he heard rumors and came to verify them…”
“Whatever the reason, if he gets his hands on Lia, father or not—”
“Your Majesty! You mustn’t speak such impious words!”
“Please, I’m begging you—just don’t cause any trouble, alright?”
After Harry and Dio joined forces to stop Lucian, Lia and Kaiser exchanged confused glances.
“Is meeting your father really such a big deal?”
“Father? I don’t consider those people my parents.”
Taken aback by his fierce response, Lia’s spirits sank slightly.
“Are things… strained between you?”
Lucian suddenly seemed to realize, noticing Lia’s cautious gaze. He sighed and moved to her side.
“There’s nothing good about the relationship. They’re the ones who put me in this position in the first place.”
“Ah…”
Right, Lucian had said he never wanted to do this in the first place.
“They handed me the Imperial Throne and left on a kingdom-wide tour, saying they wanted to rest. They said not to expect them back for a year… so why are they returning so soon?”
“Your Majesty, this is not the time for this! We need to move Lia somewhere else immediately—”
Knock, knock.
The knocking cut through the chaotic atmosphere at once.

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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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