The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 93

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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 — Chapter 93

Lilith Sevans, the Emperor’s long-promised Fiancée, had arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Her mood had been low since the moment she stepped into the carriage.
For days now, rumors had been circulating quietly that the Emperor had taken a Mistress, and yesterday she’d heard whispers that he might cast her aside and make this new woman his Fiancée instead.
Of course, the one spreading such talk was a young noblewoman who was always desperate to tear her down, but the rumor itself was undeniably galling.
‘How dare some minor noble presume to displace me — the future Empress.’
For eight years now, since her debut in High Society, Lilith’s position had remained solid.
Everyone coveted her, yet she was the Fiancée of the greatest man in the Empire—a flower blooming on a lofty cliff, untouchable.
With a single glance, a gesture, a movement, countless men still dissolved and could not tear their eyes from her.
Even yesterday, every nobleman in the Café—and even married men—had been unable to look away.
So why—
‘Not him. Anyone but him!’
Lilith bit her lip and thought of her betrothed, who was endlessly cold to her.
In public, she played the role of a devoted Fiancée to prevent gossip, but behind closed doors, she was treated worse than a stranger.
‘With no one around, he could at least drop the act. That perfume—it stings my nose.’
Others praised the lovely fragrance that suited her image and presence, but not to him.
At first, he’d even treated her with appropriate kindness as one person to another. But the moment she mentioned marriage, he’d flared up in anger, postponed the wedding indefinitely, and turned cold as ice.
Now he was all she had, and his refusal to acknowledge her pure love—that dismissive gaze, as though she were beneath notice—cut her deeply.
‘I can accept that he doesn’t love me. I understand it, even. But how can he bring another woman in when I am his lawful Fiancée?’
The moment she’d heard the rumor, she’d gone straight to her father, and he’d confirmed it was no mere gossip.
That day, when the truth was confirmed—she had no idea how long she’d wept in her room.
Even if their betrothal was merely a hollow arrangement, this was unacceptable. She’d begged her father to say something to the Emperor, but what came back was…….
‘Lilith, His Majesty will never take that woman as a Mistress, and he will not cast you aside either. In the end, you will become Empress. So don’t torment yourself. What you fear will never come to pass.’
He’d patted her like one soothing a whining child, but Lilith couldn’t accept his words at face value.
“That’s not what I wanted…….”
Since childhood—a time she could barely remember—it had been settled that she would become the future Empress. It was the natural order of things.
But what she wanted now, more than any foregone conclusion, was the Emperor’s love!
Click, click, click—
Her steps grew firmer. Lilith composed her expression and clenched her fists.
As she approached the Emperor’s Palace, the servants’ gazes fixed upon her. Their whispers stirred an illusion that she had come somewhere she shouldn’t.
Lilith reflexively gritted her teeth.
In the distance, she spotted James, the Emperor’s personal attendant.
He widened his eyes upon seeing her. That annoyed her considerably.
“It has been some time, my lady.”
“Where is His Majesty right now?”
“He is attending to his duties.”
“Tell him I’ve arrived.”
“……I believe no appointment was made, if I recall correctly.”
At James’s words, Lilith’s remaining composure snapped.
“Are you saying I—his Fiancée—need to arrange an appointment just to see my betrothed’s face?”
“That was not my intention. If I have offended you, please forgive me.”
“Hm…… I must see His Majesty no matter what today.”
“…….”
James looked at Lilith, her mask finally stripped away, and thought: it’s here. It’s finally come.
But a mere attendant could not show emotion before a noble. He simply bowed his head.
“I shall show you to the Reception Room. Please follow me.”
Lilith arrived at the Reception Room under James’s guidance.
“Please wait here a moment.”
Left alone in the Reception Room, Lilith frowned slightly and swept back her hair.
Her pink locks swayed softly—the color that all men adored.
“……In the past, he would have shown me straight to where he was, not to a place like this.”
Every small gesture from James reflected the growing distance between her and the Emperor.
Of course, she couldn’t fault such things. He was not the man she’d once known.
“If only he were a little bit like the old him…….”
The murmur slipped out unbidden. She caught herself, snapping to attention and slapping both cheeks.
“Get yourself together. Never let it show.”
Only then could she proceed with marrying him smoothly as things were.
Who knows? Perhaps she could use this incident to suppress public opinion and force the marriage through.
“Besides, he always takes his time coming out. I’ll wait patiently.”
When she showed up unannounced, he typically left her waiting for at least an hour.
He excused it by saying he was busy, but she knew full well it was an excuse because he didn’t want to see her.
It stung, but what could she do? Those who love more will always find themselves wanting.
She leaned back against the sofa, contentedly wondering how much longer it would be before he appeared.
Thud, thud, thud—
A commotion sounded from beyond the closed door.
“Surely not…….”
Creak—
“It’s been a while, my lady.”
Lilith’s eyes widened as large as lanterns.
It had barely been ten minutes since James went to fetch the Emperor. Yet he was already here?
It was almost as if she didn’t have to wait a year this time. So shocked she could barely react, she stared blankly as the Emperor sat across from her, one eyebrow twitching.
“You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Ah……! Forgive me, Your Majesty. It’s just that you came so quickly…….”
“Didn’t you come to see me?”
“Yes, I came to ascertain the truth of the rumors circulating in society.”
The Emperor’s golden eyes had gone cold. He regarded her as one might regard an inanimate object.
When James excused himself to bring refreshments, only the two of them remained in the Reception Room.
“I’m certain I already had the Duke relay that information to you.”
“Father did explain it to me, but I still cannot accept it from my position.”
“What is it you cannot accept?”
“I understand you have no intention of taking her as a Mistress or of threatening my position. But that amounts to saying that there is indeed another woman by your side, does it not?”
“…….”
Silent affirmation. It sent her heart plummeting.
“……So it’s really true.”
“This is no concern of yours. I have no intention of displacing you for her or of putting you both in a rivals’ struggle, so there is no reason for you to be troubled.”
“Even if our betrothal was never founded on love, isn’t this too much?”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly as Lilith’s voice trembled.
“I have long known that you do not care for me. You kept your distance from the moment the subject of marriage came up. Is it that you… do not wish to marry me?”
“……Not now. But one day, you will become Empress.”
“That is not what I am asking!”
“…….”
Even as Lilith’s eyes glistened with tears, the Emperor’s gaze remained cold and unmoved.
Her lips trembled.
“How can you trample a woman’s heart so? I love you! Even if you cannot love me in return, as your Fiancée, as your future wife, I thought you would respect me! What is this? What is this!”
“Now, my lady. Compose yourself, please…….”
“No. I have not finished. Your Majesty! This woman you say you have at your side—do you keep her there because you love her?”
“I fail to see why I must answer such a question. Would anything change in our current situation if I did?”
The moment she invoked the other woman, the Emperor’s demeanor sharpened.
He was a man who wouldn’t so much as blink at any number of noble ladies approaching him.
At least, she’d found solace in knowing he remained unmoved, never wavering, never showing interest in anyone else. But this reaction now——.
“Ha, haha…… So you truly do love her. I am curious—what manner of woman is she, to move Your Majesty’s heart so? I would like to see her face.”
“Lilith Sevans.”
The Emperor’s voice dropped low, cold as a blade, and Lilith’s body went rigid.
His golden eyes blazed with a vicious killing intent. This was the first time she had felt such directed malice with her entire being.
Lilith trembled and went limp, sinking back into the sofa.
“Should you ever approach that woman, know that I will not forgive you, no matter your station.”
“…….”
“Do you understand?”
Lilith’s eyes reddened as if she might cry, her mouth clamped shut.
The Emperor rose, sensing that further conversation would be pointless. As he moved toward the door—
“What is she to me that she is not!”
Lilith’s words clawed at him once more.
This time, what little patience the Emperor had left shattered entirely. When he turned, Lilith wore the face of a woman scorned—a face of true anguish.
The sight of it inflamed him.
The Emperor released the door handle and strode back toward her.
Even though Lilith had called him over, her body trembled as he approached.
The Emperor uttered words with a growl like a predator’s low snarl.
“What is she that you are not? Everything. From beginning to end, everything. You and she are incomparable. She is the one who made me what I am now, the only person who has ever taught me what love truly is.”
His words pierced her heart. Lilith’s eyes glistened with tears.
Seeing her like that, what little affection the Emperor had harbored drained away entirely. He ran his hand through his hair roughly.
“Shall we end this little game of ours? I had meant to overlook it and let it pass, but I can hold back no longer.”
Slam—
The Emperor planted both arms on either side of the sofa’s back, caging her within his embrace.
Lilith trembled slightly, color rising to her cheeks. Seeing this, the Emperor whispered softly to her.
“You know who I am, don’t you?”
At that moment, the flush drained from Lilith’s face, leaving it deathly pale.
“What do you…….”
“You’ve known all along that I’m not Leopold. Haven’t you?”
Lilith’s blue eyes wavered helplessly. Upon seeing this, the Emperor—Lucian—could not suppress a bitter laugh.
“From some point on, the way you treated me—or rather, the way you treated your betrothed—changed. That’s when I realized it. Ah, she knows I’m not Leopold.”
Lilith’s lips quivered. Faced with those golden eyes boring into her, she felt such terror that she simply bowed her head.
“The Duke could not have told you. You must have figured it out on your own. Well, whether you did or not hardly mattered—until you started spouting about loving me.”
“Your Majesty…… What are you saying…….”
“Your betrothed was switched out, yet instead of searching for the real one, you love the impostor? And you call yourself human?”
The Emperor’s gaze was as cold and unfamiliar as ever. Only then did Lilith understand: he wore that contemptuous look precisely because he knew everything.
“Even if I had no other woman, I would never love you. A woman who betrays her betrothed and whispers love to his brother—that sickens me.”
“Ah, ah…….”
“Your duty as a Fiancée? Ha! Are you keeping that duty now?”
Lilith could not lift her head. If she did, she would surely meet those piercing golden eyes.
‘I’m exposed. How? Father doesn’t even know…….’
Everything Lucian had said was true.
At first, she hadn’t known. But six months after the Crown Prince underwent his Coming of Age Ceremony, she’d realized: the person before her was not Leopold.
The initial shock had given way to something else—an understanding of why she found herself growing more attracted to him.
He was unlike any man she had ever met.
He didn’t scramble to curry her favor, didn’t provoke petty jealousy, didn’t flaunt himself.
To Lilith, who had always been adored by every man and took their affection for granted, Lucian was a new species entirely.
Moreover, he was comparable to Leopold in every way—or perhaps surpassed him in some respects.
He lacked the annoying playfulness she’d disliked in Leopold; his Swordplay rivaled that of seasoned knights; and his commanding Charisma ensnared the nobility.
Falling for him had been inevitable.
Though she’d been shocked at first that he wasn’t the Leopold she’d known, she soon found herself relieved—relieved that he wasn’t Leopold at all.
While wandering her father’s office, she’d overheard that something had befallen Leopold and that this man was serving as his Substitute for the time being.
It seemed only a handful of people knew of the Substitute’s existence. If things continued as they were, she would gain power and marry the man she had come to love.
Should Leopold ever return, she’d planned to use her father and family to support the Substitute and secure his position.
She had never imagined that the Substitute and Leopold were so close to each other.
The realization that he had been watching her all along, knowing her heart and her schemes—it felt as though all the blood in her body had drained away.

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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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