Chapter 36:
Leticia couldn’t sleep, so she approached the window. She planned to talk to Arden when he came into the room.
His cold eyes came vividly to her mind. She had grown accustomed to that chilly gaze.
He’ll probably reject me the moment I mention there’s a child in my belly. Since he wouldn’t believe it’s his own, he’ll abandon me again this time.
Then I’ll just leave this place.
It seemed so easy in her mind, but when faced with it, everything felt difficult. Even uttering a word was not easy. If there was one thing that was bothering her the most right now…
It was Cadius Velorp, the Emperor of Rucellon.
“It bothers me that he’s here, but…”
The Emperor who came alone without his knights could hardly do anything.
Instinctively, she shivered with fear at the thought of the impending danger.
It’s okay. I can’t cower forever.
Now that I have allies, I won’t perish so futilely as before.
Self-comforting was familiar to her. While she couldn’t just let things slide as if they were nothing, she could passively overlook things that hadn’t happened yet.
But as always, her chest felt tight.
Approaching the window cautiously and opening it, a refreshing breeze brushed against her face. The night’s dense grassy scent, the breeze weaving through her hair, was comforting.
As the gentle wind swept over her body, she felt a sense of relief. Closing her eyes slowly, she calmed her mind amidst the scent of grass leaves brushing against her nose.
At some point, the silence became frightening for her. It felt like even this brief peace would be snatched away, so she was scared. Gripping the window frame tightly, she took a deep breath.
“Don’t worry.”
Looking back, meeting Cadius quickly had its advantages. There was good news, perhaps her mother was still alive. That was a glimmer of hope for her. If she could hear news about her mother from somewhere else, that would be okay.
Was that all? She also managed to thwart what her father intended to do.
Upon reflection, many things had changed. She slowly caressed her belly while gazing out the window. Upon Arden’s advice to seek stability, he dismissed all the maids. As a result, she found herself alone in this spacious room.
She didn’t mind it, but being alone in the empty space always felt lonely. A bitter smile spread across her face at the thought of having nothing left around her.
“But now, I have someone forever by my side.”
She didn’t need to depend on Arden. Her child would love her, and she intended to love the child, not Arden. Blinking, once again, the green light flickered from the garden. Leticia glanced towards the door and sighed.
“I can’t jump out from here, and even if I signal like that, how can I leave?”
With all the maids dismissed, she couldn’t just walk out for a stroll in the garden. Perhaps a knight was guarding outside.
Still, maybe it was worth a try?
After finishing her thought, Leticia walked towards the door and grabbed the handle. Carefully opening it, to her surprise, only two knights were guarding it.
“Is there something you need?” asked one of the knights.
Leticia shook her head, feeling a bit awkward, then spoke to them, “I feel stifled and want to go for a walk. Could you call for Luna?”
“Isn’t there a maid inside the bedroom?”
“I seem to lack strength in my hands, it’s hard to open the door. One of you can stay here while the other goes to call her.”
The knights exchanged glances at Leticia’s words. She feigned difficulty, wrapping one hand around the other with a strained expression.
One of the knights nudged the other with his elbow, giving a subtle signal. Eventually, the knight who seemed of lower rank tilted his head and left to call the maid. Leticia smiled slyly and quietly entered the bedroom.
She needed to distract the guards. If only Luna came, it wouldn’t be difficult to sneak out for a walk. She had moved quite well as she pleased before.
In the end, Leticia went for a walk with Luna. Since she was accompanied by a maid, the knights had no choice but to step aside. They must have thought she had someone to be her eyes for Arden.
“Your Majesty, it’s getting cold. You shouldn’t stay out for too long.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be long. I’ll just take a quick stroll and be back. Don’t wander too far.”
Lucena nodded. She turned her head around, surveying the surroundings cautiously before speaking.
“If someone else comes, I’ll give a signal.”
“Like what?”
“I’ll turn off and on the torch. That signal means someone else is coming.”
“If I see the light, I’ll come back here, so stall for time.”
Lucena nodded. She didn’t ask why she wanted to go for a walk alone. Wanting to walk alone meant there was something she wanted to hide.
Leticia pushed Lucena in the back and went inside following the green light. She could meet Roan Chugyeong in a place not as deep as she had thought. He was disguised as a spirit to avoid drawing attention.
– So, you finally saw the signal.
“How long have you been like this?”
– Well, I was curious when you would see.
The spirit examined her body and infused it with strength.
– You’ve become quite weak. Is it because of the child in your belly? Does the king know about this?
Leticia shook her head. She insisted that she wasn’t taking any medicine. Remembering his words made her heart ache. How much more suffering would she have to endure to become resigned to the pain?
“When will His Majesty arrive? If the Emperor unexpectedly comes earlier, you should hurry….”
– I’ve already sent a letter. So he’ll come earlier than planned. Is everything really okay?
The spirit looked around her body worriedly. Leticia nodded slowly, smiling on her face.
“I’m fine.”
– Hm, well, that’s a relief… But still, be careful. It’s best not to encounter Cardius. He’s already unraveled the plan. The situation was different when she concealed his identity from her and when she found out he was the Emperor. She planned not to leave the bedroom as much as possible to avoid meeting him.
After conversing with Arden, she was even considering leaving this place forever.
– Come out for a walk at this time every day. Since there are many variables, it’s best to set a schedule.
“I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
The spirit shrugged and flew up into the sky.
– I’ll go inside now, so you should too. It would be awkward if someone saw us like this.
At his words, Leticia glanced back. The torch was still the same, but just in case, she turned her body to return to where Lucena might be.
Having spent quite some time, thankfully, the light remained unchanged where she was. Eventually, when Lucena’s figure became visible, the torch went out.
As darkness descended in the forest, Leticia’s footsteps became more hurried than before, and her breath started to gasp.
Plucking flowers as she reached out hastily, she finally reached Lucena and, catching her breath, said, “Lucena, look at this. The color of the flowers is just…”
If the person sent by Arden had arrived, she would have had to provide a reason for being alone in the forest. Though she had picked up just anything, there was a pale yellow tulip in her hand.
“Your Majesty, Queen.”
Lucena’s voice trembled. Leticia slowly raised her head at the thought that something was wrong and took a deep breath. Soon, the face of the person smiling brightly towards her was illuminated by the flickering torch.
“Your eyes are like jewels. Aren’t they?”
Leticia shivered at the affectionate voice. Why was he here? No, he couldn’t have come to find her, could he?
Fear swept over her confusion. Leticia’s jaw trembled, and her teeth chattered. Despite the moonlight shining on his reddish eyes, his silvery hair fluttering in the wind, and his beautifully curved lips, she couldn’t smile.
– Hm, well, that’s a relief… But still, be careful. It’s best not to encounter Cardius. He’s already unraveled the plan. The situation was different when she concealed his identity from her and when she found out he was the Emperor. She planned not to leave the bedroom as much as possible to avoid meeting him.
After conversing with Arden, she was even considering leaving this place forever.
– Come out for a walk at this time every day. Since there are many variables, it’s best to set a schedule.
“I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
The spirit shrugged and flew up into the sky.
– I’ll go inside now, so you should too. It would be awkward if someone saw us like this.
At his words, Leticia glanced back. The torch was still the same, but just in case, she turned her body to return to where Lucena might be.
Having spent quite some time, thankfully, the light remained unchanged where she was. Eventually, when Lucena’s figure became visible, the torch went out.
As darkness descended in the forest, Leticia’s footsteps became more hurried than before, and her breath started to gasp.
Plucking flowers as she reached out hastily, she finally reached Lucena and, catching her breath, said, “Lucena, look at this. The color of the flowers is just…”
If the person sent by Arden had arrived, she would have had to provide a reason for being alone in the forest. Though she had picked up just anything, there was a pale yellow tulip in her hand.
“Your Majesty, Queen.”
Lucena’s voice trembled. Leticia slowly raised her head at the thought that something was wrong and took a deep breath. Soon, the face of the person smiling brightly towards her was illuminated by the flickering torch.
“Your eyes are like jewels. Aren’t they?”
Leticia shivered at the affectionate voice. Why was he here? No, he couldn’t have come to find her, could he?
Fear swept over her confusion. Leticia’s jaw trembled, and her teeth chattered. Despite the moonlight shining on his reddish eyes, his silvery hair fluttering in the wind, and his beautifully curved lips, she couldn’t smile.
She bit her lip hard, trying to conceal her fear. Lucena hurriedly approached Leticia as if to protect her, wary of Cardius.
The wind rustled through the leaves, making a faint sound as it passed by. As the torch swayed precariously in the wind, Cardius’s red eyes were obscured by the darkness, only to reveal the crimson glint once again.
