Chapter 6
As she walked through the corridors, Letitia absently twisted her tangled hair. The Emperor had announced his visit to the kingdom, but on that day, she couldn’t attend the banquet due to illness.
As a result, she was unaware that the man she knew as Karen was actually the Emperor of Lucellon.
Initially, it wasn’t explained how he had come to the kingdom. Could the Emperor really leave his empire for so long?
The distance from the empire to the kingdom was a journey of over a week by carriage. Even with magic, such back-and-forth seemed impossible.
“Magic, it must be.”
In the empire, there was Archbishop Arcerion, who wielded the power of the gods. Perhaps the Emperor had used Arcerion’s power for teleportation.
That would explain why Cardius had frequented the Duke’s estate.
“Why on earth would my father… Could His Majesty have sensed something?”
Unable to shake off her uneasy feeling, Letitia turned her steps toward the garden for a stroll. Going back to her chambers would only further muddle her mind.
“Why would he… deceive his identity?”
Suddenly, the Emperor’s red eyes came to mind. Letitia had coincidentally encountered him at the reception held to welcome the Emperor’s delegation. He had been infinitely affectionate, behaving as if he would give her everything.
But all of that kindness was shattered on the day Lucellon invaded Briavent.
The memory of the Emperor’s desolate red eyes overlapped with her present thoughts. Letitia struggled to maintain her balance as her head spun from the weight of her conflicting emotions.
Her chest tightened, and her mouth went dry.
She gasped for air, feeling as if she might collapse at any moment.
“It’s quite troublesome.”
Wasn’t he supposed to be in his study?
Letitia looked up to see Arden, whom she had been holding onto, gripping her arm.
“Pull yourself together and stand properly. How long do you intend to lean on me?”
“Ah…”
She hastily pulled away from him. She stared blankly, not knowing what to say, as if her mind had gone blank. He turned his head to meet her gaze as she continued to stare.
“If you’re not feeling well, you should go to your room. Why wander around aimlessly?”
“If I’m in my room, wouldn’t that be aimless wandering? Then just lock me up in my room.”
“What?”
Out of frustration, Letitia’s words spilled out uncontrollably. Even the sight of his face was clearly unwelcome.
“Who asked you to hold me? Don’t bother caring whether I stumble and fall in pain like usual.”
She was on the verge of tears.
“You don’t even know what I’m feeling right now.”
Letitia clenched her fists. Normally, she would have let it pass, but now, she didn’t want to stay quiet. She, too, had emotions and thoughts. She didn’t want to continue living without being treated as a human being.
“Your Majesty.”
Letitia released her grip on his hand and stared at him defiantly.
“I want a divorce.”
It was the first time Arden’s face showed any emotion.
“A divorce…?”
Arden’s face contorted in disbelief. Letitia maintained a stoic expression, squeezing his right arm tightly with her left hand.
“For divorce to come from your lips.”
He scoffed lightly, as if incredulous. His blue eyes, usually serene, now bore into her with a cold, detached gaze.
“If you have grievances, speak them. If you didn’t want to marry me, you should have refused from the beginning, shouldn’t you? If you had, we wouldn’t have wasted each other’s time.”
“It’s never too late.”
“Why? You must know how much was spent on our marriage. It cost 33 million pounds. And what about the money spent to find a wife for the Duke of Boarte? About 30,000 pennies each month, I believe.”
Letitia blinked slowly. If money was the issue, she could repay any amount. The Duke of Boarte’s income was around 60 million pounds a year; if she spoke to her father, he would handle it. He would do anything for his daughter. She hadn’t spent a penny of the money that had come her way. Buying dresses or trying to impress him with jewelry seemed futile to her.
Arden seemed displeased by her spending. He seemed to find the expenses incurred in searching for her mother and the budget set for her future unnecessary.
From the start, Letitia hadn’t been keen on such expenses. She had only made nominal purchases to maintain appearances for Arden’s honor and the eyes of others. She had chosen the jewels meticulously, fearing others’ judgment. She had spent quite a sum on jewelry carefully selected from the top salons to avoid any slight.
Even the dresses she had purchased were unique; there was only one made for her by the latest salon. Grateful for the gesture, Letitia had bought several more dresses and worn them to show Arden.
“…You won’t be wearing that to the reception, will you?”
“What’s so strange about it?”
“It’s barely tolerable to look at. Change into something else. If you don’t like that, then I’ll attend the reception alone.”
His disdainful words reddened Letitia’s face.
Is it that unbearable to look at?
That day, Letitia couldn’t even attend the reception and cried in her room for a long time. She cried so much that the pillow was soaked, and the maid had to change it right away. With the drying tears came a sense of desolation.
His words crushed even her small hopes. After that day, Letitia told the maid not to buy unnecessary luxury items and dresses.
“If I try harder, if I do better, maybe he’ll open his heart.”
Letitia believed that with time, things would improve between them. She tried not to love him, but it wasn’t easy.
There was no one beside Arden who understood his pain. That was regrettable. At first, Letitia felt pity.
She couldn’t forget his voice asking for help.
All she could do was watch over him. Was he able to sleep today? Did he have too much work?
Letitia worried about him every time. Even though he didn’t give her any attention, her gaze was always on him.
The determination never to love him had long since disappeared.
Arden still couldn’t sleep. Letitia’s guilt deepened little by little. His criticism seemed pitiful to her. If only he could sleep, if only he could rest for a day, wouldn’t he be a little kinder to her?
“Your Majesty, please try this. It’s a tea that’s good for sleep.”
“I heard this scent is soothing for the mind. I’ll leave it by the bedside.”
“If Your Majesty allows, may I run my fingers through your hair? They say gentle strokes can induce sleep.”
Even though there was no immediate response, Letitia didn’t give up. And thanks to Letitia’s efforts, Arden was able to sleep, even if only for a short while.
Realizing the effectiveness, Letitia spent her days researching ways to help Arden sleep better. Rare were the days she didn’t think about him, and with each passing day, she found herself unknowingly falling in love with him.
Letitia gently shook her head as memories of the past resurfaced.
When her sincerity was mercilessly trampled in the end, she realized that everything was futile. None of her sincerity reached him.
He abandoned her, and there was never any love until the end.
Letitia believed that if she didn’t love Arden, the constraints upon her would cease. So, in this lifetime, she decided not to love him.
She didn’t want to go through it all over again. She didn’t want to be rejected by the one she loved so miserably.
“I didn’t know you would remember all those expenses. Your Majesty, this was an unwanted marriage. That’s why I’m telling you I want to undo it now, before it’s too late. Please grant me a divorce.”
Letitia stared at him unwaveringly as she spoke. She didn’t want to face such an end again.
Mary, who was standing beside them, had a pale face. She stood still as if holding her breath, unable to do or say anything in the presence of the king and queen, watching every move they made.
“Do you really believe the Duke will handle everything for you?”
A sardonic smile crossed Arden’s lips. His behavior was nothing short of an insult to her father. Letitia’s face cracked with the treatment that treated her as if she knew nothing.
“…Yes, I trust my father.”
Do I really trust my father? Despite answering him, doubts lingered in her heart.
“Surprising. You, who don’t trust me at all, trust your father… ”
“Your Majesty may not love me, but my father loves me.”
“You hold love in such high regard.”
“It’s important. There hasn’t been a time when it wasn’t important to me.”
Letitia didn’t back down. Since she had spoken the words of divorce, she had to follow through.
“If love was important in marriage, you should have been more careful.”
Arden chuckled dryly as he spoke under his breath.
