How to Safely Divorce An Obsessive Emperor

“Your Majesty the Empress. His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”

 

“…at this time?”

 

Lasilia looked at the ornate table clock above the fireplace. It was an ambiguous time. It was late to eat and early to sleep.

 

Not long ago, she returned to the palace and Lasilia, who had changed out of her going out clothes, was waiting for Yvette. She probably didn’t know too much about the empire. She needed to know everything she could about his first companion and the contract he had made. She asked for a related book, and Yvette ran to the imperial library. She said it was something she could do best and was so excited that she couldn’t even stop her.

 

She was planning to take a shower after reading it when Yvette brought her a book, but the emperor came by during that time.

 

“Isn’t it too early?”

 

Lasilia shook her head as if embarrassed. It’s not that she wasn’t, she was really embarrassed. Time was passing, but her dealings with the Emperor were becoming more and more embarrassing.

 

“Your Majesty the Empress?”

 

As if she had been thinking for a long time alone, she once again heard a troubled voice outside the door. In any case, it was impossible to oust the emperor.

 

“Ah… Open the door.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

Lasilia raised her body and prepared to meet the emperor. In her mind, she had weighing reasons on how to send the Emperor back.

 

‘The blue moon is already over…’

 

So he had no reason to stay the night.

 

‘But I don’t think I can use the excuse of memory loss anymore.’

 

When she pretended to be the Empress, the lie that she was amnesiac didn’t bother him much. Because there was no more appropriate way to alleviate the situation than that. But now her relationship with the emperor had changed slightly. First of all, the emperor seemed to know that she was not the Empress of Cartagena, and that she might even be his real companion. The emperor was originally a person who was amazing at finding loopholes and digging in, so he may have already prepared a reason why Lasilia could no longer refuse.

 

‘Then what should I say? I guess I should say it’s still unfamiliar to me.’

 

Was that true? Was the emperor still a stranger? If you think about it, it was a very strange thing. The emperor did not know her own name, nor did he know who she was. Despite this, he was treating her as a real companion.

 

‘Is our mutual destiny really that great? It doesn’t even matter what my real name is.’

 

With her thoughts gnawing at her tail, Lasilia missed the Emperor approaching her.

 

“May I ask what you are thinking?”

 

“Ah… Are you here?”

 

She was so startled that she almost made a loud noise. Lasilia leaned back with her shoulders to avoid Lescal, who was approaching her nose as if he was examining her expression.

 

“I was waiting for Princess Shryden. I asked for a book to read.”

 

“And?”

 

“That’s it.”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

Lescal had an unnecessary sense of humor. Lasilia offered him a chair to change the subject.

 

“Please sit down. It looks like you finished work early today.”

 

“That’s not it.”

 

Lescal pretended not to notice the seat across from Lasilia that she was offering, and sat down next to her. It wasn’t the first time he had done this, she had experienced it many times, but this was the most embarrassing for Lasilia.

 

‘It’s because I thought it might be real.’

 

Because she was thinking that she was going to love this guy someday, somehow. Talking about companions, contacts, and other things used to be other people’s business, but now they have become her own. Then, even the slightest breath caught her attention.

 

“I will change my seat.”

 

Finally, Lasilia couldn’t stand it anymore and moved to her chair across from him. Lescal looked at Lasilia and opened his mouth. It was the kind of face where he had so much to say but couldn’t say it.

 

“Please… Should you?”

 

Lescal asked very quietly after a while.

 

“Yes.”

 

And Lasilia had a hard time answering. Previously, she would have been able to just ignore the emperor who tried to sit next to him with her obvious lies with a look of annoyance. But that was difficult for her now.

 

“Why…?”

 

“Because the relationship between Your Majesty and me has changed.”

 

“Why?”

 

Lasilia did not understand the question that could not be possible.

 

“Hasn’t it changed?”

 

Because people have changed, wouldn’t relationships also change?

 

‘Was Sir Horsed wrong? Has it never occurred to the Emperor that I might be someone else?’

 

In conclusion, it was Lasilia who was wrong. Lescal had been in the same state ever since the Empress lost her memories, that was, ever since his real companion became the Empress for unknown reasons.

 

“Is it because of the Little Duke?”

 

So Lescal looked for reasons in the wrong places. And Lasilia frowned without realizing it.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You don’t want to sit with me. You gave permission before.”

 

“I did not allow it, but Your Majesty… Or rather, what do you mean, it’s because of the Duke?”

 

“I said I would forget, but I haven’t done that yet.”

 

“…”

 

Her thoughts were tangled.

 

‘What? If you thought that I was a different person from the Empress, you would know that I would not like the Duke… Isn’t that what it was?’

 

But she didn’t think Decan lied. It was a lie with nothing to gain.

 

“Who do you think I am, Your Majesty?”

 

In the end, Lasilia chose to ask directly.

 

“My companion.”

 

The answer was quick. His attitude was that he had no doubt whatsoever.

 

“Then a contradiction arises. If I am your Majesty’s companion, you should not think about having someone else in my heart.”

 

“I’m thinking about it. But it was you who told the Duke that you had feelings for him. Everything you said weighs heavily on me.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“And we started off wrong.”

 

Lescal quietly frowned.

 

“I thought of someone else as my companion, and you don’t even know that you are my companion. In such a situation, it is possible to have someone else in your heart… I don’t even know if that’s possible.”

 

When there was a pause in the conversation, Lasillia somehow seemed to hear the sound of teeth grinding. Lescal furrowed his brows and looked at Lasilia. For a moment, Lasilia thought that those brilliant golden eyes might be the most desperate eyes she had ever seen.

 

“But you clearly promised to forget the Duke. And I said I wouldn’t divorce you if you were my real companion.”

 

“That… Yes, that’s right.”

 

“So I can be patient… For the time being.”

 

After speaking, Lescal leaned against the back of the sofa and covered his face with one hand. The palm of his hand erased the small sigh he let out.

 

“Don’t kick me out. I will tolerate you sitting next to me.”

 

“…”

 

Lasilia was in trouble at times like this. She was able to deal with the emperor who lied shamelessly and behaved recklessly. However, she felt her heart sink as the emperor slumped his shoulders and sighed. If he was doing that just because she didn’t let him sit next to her.

 

Lasilia fiddled with the lace of her sleeves in embarrassment and opened her mouth.

 

“…You can sit next to me. If you want.”

 

“…? …!”

 

Lescal stood up suddenly. Lasilia urgently raised her hand as if he was about to jump over the table in her middle.

 

“But before that, there’s something I need to check.”

 

“Anything.”

 

Lescal did not jump over the table. Instead, he jerked it aside. Lasilia glanced briefly at the table, which was quickly pushed aside until it caught on the armrest of the sofa, and then turned to face Rascal.

 

She felt nervous again. But it was something she couldn’t avoid.

 

As Lasilia looked at Lescal, she slowly asked the same question.

 

“Your Majesty, who do you think I am?”

 

 

* * *

 

“I don’t think you want the same answer.”

 

Fortunately, Lescal realized why Lasilia was asking the same question.

 

“For me, it is enough to say that you are my companion. Do you need any other confirmation?”

 

It was necessary. To Lasilia at least. Lasilia had lived without the slightest idea what the Emperor of the Empire and his companion were. If she suddenly became destined to become a companion with him, she needed a reason. She needed confidence. She had a reason to be herself.

 

“Is it really possible for Your Majesty, who doesn’t even know who I am, to consider me a companion?”

 

“…You want to say that you are not Cartagena.”

 

Lasilia looked at Lescal without answering. Leskal didn’t even blink, his eyes fixed on Lasilia’s as if he was trying to find out the answer she wanted.

 

“I have known Cartagena since I was born. Because Cartagena bore the mark of my companion. I never thought of another woman, nor did I need her. It was more natural for me than anything else for Cartagena to become empress.”

 

Lescal laughed bitterly.

 

“But I never thought of Cartagena either, I never needed her.”

 

“That…”

 

“It means that Cartagena was no different from any other woman. No matter if she had the mark or not.”

 

The bitter smile disappeared from Lescal’s face. Instead, he was left with an expression that was so serious that it looked scary.

 

“So I know that you are a completely different person from Cartagena. You are not Cartagena. You are my companion.”

 

“…”

 

Lasilia took in her breath. Lescal said what Lasilia needed to hear.

 

“Then can I sit next to you now?”

 

Lescal reached out his hand and squeezed Lasilia’s hand. Just as Lasilia could read his expressionless expression, Lescal also keenly sensed her subtle reactions.

 

Lescal said in a whisper, spreading Lasilia’s fingers and inserting them into his own.

 

“Let me sit down. By your side.”

 

“…”

 

Rejection was difficult. After hearing those words, it became several times more difficult.

 

Lasilia slightly closed her eyes and nodded her head. As she was about to miss it, Lescal’s body was close to her side. Lescal did not hide the emotions fluttering in his eyes. With one hand clasped together, he turned his body to face Lasilia, fixing his gaze and pressing his lips to the back of her hand. What caught his eye was her lips. The expression in his eyes was so blatant that even Lasilia, who had no experience getting close to men, couldn’t pretend not to notice.

 

“…Aren’t you curious about who I am?”

 

Lasilia tried to change her words.

 

“Is it okay for me to be curious?”

 

“I guess you would be curious. If one day the person around you suddenly changes.”

 

“Because there must be a reason why you don’t want to talk.”

 

His lips touched under her fingernails. She was curious as to why he kissed such a place. She wanted to know how that was different from saying that he would cherish every detail, even the smallest details like her fingernails.

 

“What if I say there is a reason why I must return to Del’Arta?”

 

“Ah…”

 

The kiss stopped at those words. Lescal’s expression changed in an instant and he held onto Lasilia’s hand tightly.

 

“Then… Was it someone from Del’Arta, not the little Duke?”

 

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Translator Note: