I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

Once the others had left, the Emperor dismissed even the attendants and led me out to the terrace.

The terrace of the dining hall was furnished with a small table for tea and refreshments, offering a breathtaking view of the Sun Palace’s gardens. The Emperor gestured for me to take a seat opposite him.

“If you were taken aback, I apologize.”

What exactly was he apologizing for? For using me as an excuse to get Ian to accompany them to the summer palace? Or for suddenly setting up this nerve-wracking private conversation?

There were too many possibilities, so I could only muster an awkward smile. The Emperor chuckled softly.

“I was trying to tease my brother, but I ended up surprising you too. It was just too amusing to stop.”

He did it knowingly. he must have noticed the look on my face because he burst into laughter.

“You’re more endearing than you look, aren’t you?”

Does everything look cute to the Emperor?

“As you know, since Ian took the title of Grand Duke and left, he’s been even more distant. If I don’t tease him like this, he really treats me like a stranger. You saw it yourself, didn’t you? How he kept calling me ‘Your Majesty’ the whole time.”

“Ah…”

So that’s why he thoroughly enjoyed Ian’s near-insubordination just now.

Although the Emperor truly cared for his half-brother, Ian always tried to maintain a certain distance from him. It was almost instinctual for him, having grown up as the son of the imperial concubine in a constant state of tension.

Unlike the Emperor, who genuinely cherished Ian, the former Empress and the concubine were deadly rivals, each eyeing the other’s life.

Because of this, Ian, as the son of the concubine, was seen as a threat to the then-Crown Prince Elisio, regardless of his intentions.

‘And to make matters worse, the concubine constantly egged Ian on.’

At that time, Elisio was twelve, and Ian was just a four-year-old child. The misery of Ian’s childhood was undoubtedly a significant reason for his emotionally detached demeanor. Of course, the pivotal reason was “that incident” when Ian was ten.

“He wasn’t easy to deal with as a child, and now that he’s an adult, it’s even harder. I thought giving him the title of Grand Duke might help….”

The Emperor murmured, sounding genuinely regretful.

‘For family to become so distant.’

After the Emperor ascended to the throne and granted Ian the title of Grand Duke, the perception of them as rivals had somewhat subsided.

However, even now, some members of both the Emperor’s faction and the noble faction were engaged in a tug-of-war, with neither side’s intentions aligning with the actual desires of the individuals involved.

The Emperor’s faction insisted on Ian’s complete exclusion from the line of succession to assert their legitimacy, while the noble faction supported Ian as a means to check the Emperor’s power.

The more the Emperor showed affection for Ian, the more his faction rebuked him, while the noble faction exploited any perceived weakness to attack both the Emperor and the Princess.

‘The Emperor doesn’t have it easy either…’

Yet, despite it all, the Emperor continued to try and grow closer to Ian, which I found quite admirable. At the same time, I also understood why Ian would want to keep his distance.

“I understand that this trip to the summer palace might be uncomfortable for you.”

“No, I should be grateful to be invited.”

“You have such a way with words, just as lovely as your face.”

The Emperor’s radiant smile was captivating, with his lips curling up handsomely, revealing a strikingly bright set of teeth.

‘Wow… he’s so good-looking.’

Is it even fair for a man to be this handsome? I found myself staring at him in a daze without realizing it.

“Please try to persuade Ian for me. Despite how he acts, he’s really quite sensitive and soft-hearted.”

…Sensitive? Ian?

I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I think you’ve misread his character.

“Sensitive… the Grand Duke…?”

“Yes, even though he doesn’t seem like it, he’s really like a soft pudding inside. I’m always worried about him.”

Pudding…

Watching the Emperor describe someone who seemed entirely different from the Ian I knew, I couldn’t help but look at him in disbelief before reluctantly agreeing.

“Yes, I will.”

“Thank you. Well then, let’s wrap this up. If we take too long, Ian might be scowling again.”

The Emperor narrowed his eyes and scrunched up his face in an exaggerated imitation of Ian’s usual grumpy expression.

‘Wow, that’s exactly like Ian.’

I marveled silently. I had never considered that the Emperor and Ian looked alike, but seeing him like this, they really did share a resemblance. Siblings will be siblings, after all.

“By the way, don’t tell Ian I said any of this. He’s very meticulous, you know.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Elisio giggled, stifling his laughter.

Just as we were about to leave the terrace and exit the dining hall, the Emperor called out to me once more.

“Duchess.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With all traces of his previous playfulness gone, he looked at me and smiled gently.

“Please continue to take care of Ian.”

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

Something felt terribly wrong.

‘I never intended to gain this much trust from the Emperor.’

As I rode back in the carriage, I found myself deep in serious thought. During that conversation, I had been swept along by the Emperor’s pace and the mood, nodding in agreement.

But now, thinking about it alone, the signs didn’t seem good.

My plan was to subtly improve Ian’s and my reputation and then make a cool exit. But at this rate, I was giving the Emperor more confidence in me than necessary.

It was almost as if he was entrusting Ian entirely to me. And what was with those eyes, shining like those of a teenager?

‘Wait, why is the Emperor even reading Aria’s gossip column?’

Is it okay for the Emperor to be reading society gossip like that? My frustration started to take a different direction.

“Sigh….”

“Are you trying to sink the ground with those sighs?”

I lifted my gaze from the floor and looked at Ian. From the looks of it, he was clearly displeased with the fact that the Emperor and I had had a long private conversation.

“It seems the conversation with His Majesty wasn’t to your liking, my lady.”

 ‘Please don’t tell Ian I said any of this. He’s very meticulous, you know.’

I was certain that Ian was already in the palm of the Emperor’s hand. Indeed, older siblings who have younger siblings are truly formidable.

Instead of giving a straightforward answer, I gently brought up the issue that had been bothering me.

“…Um, Grand Duke. Do you remember the conditions I laid out when I agreed to cooperate with you?”

“What conditions are you referring to? You laid out quite a few, after all.”

It seemed he realized I was trying to change the subject, and his response came back sharp.

“…I said that if my reputation didn’t change within a year, I’d end everything cleanly and divorce you.”

I could see Ian pause at my response.

He stared at me for a while before slowly nodding.

“…Yes.”

‘What’s with that reaction? Don’t tell me he already forgot?’

Narrowing my eyes, I shook my head and continued.

“If… our reputations change significantly within the year, then I won’t, or rather, can’t divorce you… right?”

Of course, even if you don’t want it now, once Diana appears, you’ll change your mind, but from my perspective, it’s best to divorce as soon as possible.

Ian furrowed his brow as if trying to grasp the meaning behind my question and replied with a slightly more displeased expression than before.

“That’s only natural.”

“……”

“You speak as if you’re planning to ask for a divorce in exactly a year.”

“Ah, no. Well, not necessarily, but….”

‘Because I have to, you blockhead!’

In just a year and two months, Diana will return.

If I’m still living with you by then without having divorced, imagine how shocked my baby would be!

Diana is sensitive and gentle, so she’s much more easily hurt by things like this.

The best tribute I can offer as a fan is to cleanly divorce you before Diana returns.

…Of course, I couldn’t say any of this, so I kept my mouth shut.

Ian, who had been watching me with an unreadable expression, finally spoke again. His tone was unusually flat, even more so than usual, and his voice was half as loud as it typically was, as if he didn’t find this conversation pleasant at all.

“Of course, it’s not an entirely impossible request, if that’s what you wish….”

‘But?’

“But convincing His Majesty would be up to the party who desires the divorce.”

I clenched my invisible fist at Ian’s detached and uncooperative response.

‘…Who said I was getting along with this guy?’

This damn useless male lead!

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