1. How to Handle Beasts’ Proposals

Episode 1

The capital of the Belpator Empire, Brincia.

I arrived here just a week ago. I had come to marry Emperor NeLian and become the Empress of the Belpator Empire.

Truthfully, I didn’t want to come. I disliked the idea of marrying an emperor sixteen years my senior, and I wasn’t keen on becoming the Empress of an empire either.

The reason they chose me to be the Empress was obvious. They needed a woman who knew nothing and wouldn’t try to learn—an obedient doll.

I was born the fourth princess of the small kingdom of Dirmil, living a life far removed from any chance of the throne.

My life was to live quietly so as not to fall out of favor with the king, marry whomever he chose, and continue to live quietly. That was all I was given.

I often wondered if my father even knew my name. Suddenly, he acted as if the fate of the Dirmil Kingdom depended on me.

I couldn’t even utter a word of protest to the man who repeatedly insisted I behave like a compliant tongue in the Emperor’s mouth.

Pushed to Belpator by a father who told me never to think of returning, I was greeted with a hospitality that was detailed and warm, unlike what I had expected.

Everyone in the palace welcomed me, considering my tastes, preferences, and habits.

Among them was the Emperor’s daughter, 12-year-old Crown Princess Lothania, who looked just like NeLian.

I had worried a lot before meeting Lothania.

Would I get along with my husband’s daughter, who wasn’t related to me by blood? Our age difference wasn’t significant; would she feel uncomfortable around me?

However, Lothania, with her bright red eyes—almost vermilion—welcomed me with a shy smile, looking just like NeLian.

Her golden hair, which seemed to melt in the sunlight, her slightly protruding front teeth, and her captivating dimples were all incredibly endearing.

With eyes that sparkled like jewels, Lothania greeted me with an angelic face.

“Welcome to Belpator.”

“Thank you, Crown Princess. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Please call me Lotti. And feel free to speak comfortably.”

“Is that really alright?”

“Of course!”

Lothania raised her head confidently as she spoke.

She blushed slightly, perhaps startled by her own loud voice, looking utterly adorable.

She had lost her mother at a very young age. Had she lived a lonely life in the palace without any siblings?

I hadn’t given her anything, yet the girl smiled at me as if she had the world.

After Lothania left, NeLian spoke to me.

He said there were now two people in the Empire who called his daughter by her name and asked me to take good care of Lothania.

A kind husband and an adorable daughter.

I thought it might be too much to expect, but I began to think that perhaps I could be happy.

After a short adaptation period of one week, I had a grand wedding with NeLian, one so grand that it couldn’t be sufficiently described by the word itself.

The wedding, which doubled as a coronation ceremony where I received the Empress’s crown from Emperor NeLian, marked my official role as the mistress of the Belpator Empire.

It was a beautiful day, as magnificent as the elaborate wedding dress that required five maids to hold up its train and veil.

That night, on our wedding night, my husband NeLian remained as gentle as ever.

He looked down at my anxious face and smiled.

“In Belpator, one is not considered an adult until the age of twenty.”

In the Kingdom of Dirmil, we hold the coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen. I had already been an adult for two years, but apparently, that wasn’t the case in Belpator.

No, adulthood was just an excuse he used to ease my nerves.

My twentieth birthday was a month away. He was giving me a grace period to accept him as my husband.

I was prepared to respect and cherish him as the Emperor, but love was different.

Had he desired, I would have fulfilled my duties as Empress on our wedding night, but I gratefully accepted his thoughtful kindness accompanied by a gentle smile.

The very next day.

The newlywed Emperor went for a cheerful morning ride, only to suffer a fatal fall from his horse in the forest behind the palace.

They said his neck broke, and he died instantly.

The first thing I did as the Empress of the Belpator Empire was to oversee my husband’s funeral.

At the solemn funeral, I stood by the Emperor’s coffin, more bewildered than sad.

What would become of me now? Would I be sent away?

My father’s words, “Never think of coming back,” kept spinning in my head as Lothania stood beside me, staring at her father’s coffin, gritting her teeth to hold back her tears.

Moved by the sight of the young Crown Princess trying to suppress her sobs with tightly clenched lips, I reached out a hand.

Lothania, her crimson eyes filled with unshed tears, looked at me and cautiously took my hand before breaking down in tears.

The mourners at the Emperor’s funeral dabbed at their eyes with handkerchiefs as they watched the Crown Princess bury her face in my lap and sob.

Everyone mourned the death of NeLian, the great Emperor and kind father.

Well, not everyone.

Between the sorrowful faces, there were those whose eyes gleamed with readiness to break free from the bonds that restrained them and bare their fangs, as well as others who coveted the immense power left by the Emperor.

At least the beasts remained silent until the end of the Emperor’s funeral.

The real problem arose from an unexpected source.

“Crown Princess! Ah, my poor thing. Your aunt is here, Lothania.”

Marchioness Bonita Senwood.

NeLian’s only sister approached with tears at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them with a black handkerchief and took Lothania’s hand.

“Aunt Bonita…”

“Yes, my dear. Your aunt is here. Don’t worry now. I’ll take care of everything.”

Bonita hugged Lothania and patted the back of her poor niece, who had lost both parents.

I handed Lothania over to her blood relative, but for some reason, Lothania clung to my skirt with her small fist.

Bonita, holding Lothania, also offered me her condolences.

“You must be devastated, Your Majesty. To have such a thing happen just one day after coming here.”

Indeed.

Her words were not accusatory, but I felt guilty and bowed my head slightly. Bonita spoke to me with a kind face.

“Leave the aftermath to me, Your Majesty.”

“No, Marchioness. This is my responsibility.”

“How could this tragedy be Your Majesty’s fault? It is only right that a family member handles this.”

Her words were peculiar.

Though she claimed it wasn’t my fault, her tone suggested otherwise, drawing a line that I was not family.

“Therefore, it is my responsibility, Marchioness.”

“Shouldn’t Your Majesty be preparing to return?”

“Return?”

“With His Majesty gone, you should return to your homeland.”

As Bonita finished speaking, Lothania’s grip on my skirt tightened. Her tear-filled, crimson eyes looked at me imploringly.

I reached out and brought Lothania, awkwardly nestled in Bonita’s arms, to my side.

Freed from her aunt’s embrace, Lothania clung to my waist.

As the girl struggled to hold back her sobs, Bonita’s crimson eyes, so much like her brother’s and niece’s, were fixed solely on me.

I patted Lothania’s back and asked Bonita.

“Why do you think I should return, Marchioness?”

“Do you, Marchioness, return to the palace when widowed?”

“Your case is different, isn’t it? You are still young, Your Majesty.”

Was she implying that since my marriage lasted only a day, I should just move on with my life?

It might sound like she was concerned for my future, but it was absurd.

Even if I returned to Dirmil, my father would not welcome me back.

Moreover, I could not abandon Lothania, who, now on her second day with her new stepmother, clung to my side, avoiding her aunt’s grasp.

“His Majesty bestowed the Empress’s crown upon me, and whether he is here or not, I am the Empress of Belpator, Marchioness. And this is not the appropriate place for such a discussion.”

Bonita looked at me with a stunned expression, then, conscious of the surrounding gazes, stood up and straightened her dress.

By her side, paying respects to the deceased, was her son, Henry Senwood, who was the same age as Lothania.

I swallowed a sigh and glanced around.

Scattered throughout the vast chapel, the three beasts sat far from one another, watching Lothania and me with keen interest.

After that, I didn’t see Bonita again until the end of the funeral. It seemed she had met with Lothania separately, but I didn’t ask about their conversation.

A week passed in a blur, and on the day the Emperor’s funeral ended, the unrestrained beasts finally bared their teeth.

The three dukes of Belpator simultaneously proposed to me, seeking to become the Emperor by marrying the Empress.

What was more astonishing than their outrageous proposals was the sight of my small, beloved daughter, Lothania, baring her teeth and fiercely barking back at them.

After deferring my response and sending Lothania and the beasts away, I spent the night pacing my bedroom, pondering.

How could I put a leash on those vicious beasts?

By dawn, I had reached a conclusion, though how it would unfold was uncertain.

It was a gamble, baited with the throne, but for now, it was my only option.

* * *

The next day, I summoned the three dukes again. They arrived, still eyeing each other warily, and I addressed them.

“I have decided to accept your proposals.”

Violet, bright red, and deep blue eyes all fixed on me. With a broad smile, I made my proposal to the three suspicious beasts.

“You each suggested marriage, did you not? Let’s proceed.”

“A radical change overnight, Your Majesty. Have you made up your mind?” asked Duke Lian Zernia the Serpent duke, with a sly smile.

“I haven’t yet decided which of you I will marry. Choosing a lifelong partner is a serious matter, and I know little about any of you. Therefore, I propose we spend some time getting to know each other.”

“And what do you mean by getting to know each other?” asked one of them.

“I propose to have private meetings with each of you, twice a month. At the end of this period, I will marry the one I feel the strongest connection with.”

The three beasts blinked simultaneously, looking up at me. This was the solution I had come up with after a night of sleepless contemplation—a way to play along with their schemes while seizing the initiative.

I paused briefly and took a deep breath, making sure they wouldn’t notice. I couldn’t show any sign of fear in front of these beasts.

Clenching my moist fists from nervousness, I lifted my chin and looked down at them, continuing in my most regal Empress tone.

“For your information, I prefer someone who is gentle, kind, and warm-hearted.”

So hide your fangs and claws, you beasts.