Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

The Imperial Palace sent unexpected news. It was an invitation to dinner.

 

I looked at Stella distantly as she delivered the message and asked.

 

“Did…… I hear it wrong? He wants to have dinner with me?”

 

“You heard me correctly. It’s only natural for the Emperor and Empress to have dinner together at least once or twice a month. His Majesty has been pretending not to know until now, but…”

 

“So. He’s been pretending not to know all this time, but then suddenly…”

 

“I don’t know about that, but…… I hope you won’t refuse.”

 

Stella delivered her opinion firmly in a dark voice. Her reaction felt different from usual.

 

But I didn’t feel like having dinner with him alone. Just thinking about that awkward situation made me feel suffocated.

 

“I don’t have to, it’s not like I’m obligated.”

 

“His Majesty rarely visits the Empress’ palace, and people say unkind things about it, and with Rosetin’s arrival at Kaelin Palace, there have been even more unnecessary rumors.”

 

“That’s…”

 

“I beg you.”

 

Stella interrupted me, her eyes unusually serious.

 

“Stella?”

 

“I heard from my father that Madam Leven has been going in and out of the duchy lately, the woman who was in charge of the education of the late and the current Empress.”

 

Stella’s complexion visibly darkened as she took a small, deep breath and spoke dejectedly.

 

“Of course, it could be that she’s going in and out of the Duchy because of his personal friendship with Duchess Bledel, but I have a feeling there’s another purpose.”

 

“…….”

 

“I know you’ve already guessed this, but…… still, I’d like to see your Majesty here for a little while longer.”

 

Stella’s last words seemed to contain some bitterness, so I had no choice but to nod.

 

  *****

 

The private dining room where the Emperor and Empress dined was very large and ornate. Under the dazzling chandelier, I sat face to face with Ian at a long table seen in movies and dramas. 

 

The white tablecloth was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and crystal candlesticks. The food on the table was more plentiful and appetizing than anything at the Empress’s palace, but none of it caught my attention.

 

It was the first time I had ever sat down to eat with the male lead. Although I came here at Stella’s request, it was not a pleasant meeting as expected.

 

As soon as I saw his face, my heart beat fast as if it wasn’t mine. Of course it doesn’t mean anything positive. It was fortunate that the table was so big that my distance from him was not relatively close.

 

I tried to focus on my food as much as possible, and from the moment I sat down, I kept my gaze fixed on my food and utensils. There was uncomfortable silence before he spoke.

 

“I filled it with the dishes I often find at the Empress’ palace. I heard your tastes have changed a lot lately.”

 

None of the dishes on the table were to Lethenia’s taste.

 

Roast turkey with all the trimmings, tenderloin steak cooked to perfection, beef stew with all the trimmings, bread topped with sweet cream, and honey-drenched drinks.

 

I didn’t want to follow that part. Lethenia was a vegetarian who enjoyed simple dishes and had no sweet tooth.

 

It was the opposite of me, who is used to an omnivorous diet. I picked up my fork and knife and replied nonchalantly.

 

“As I get older, I find myself exploring new things.”

 

“You used to enjoy these dishes before.”

 

Somehow, his tone softened. I sliced the meat and asked him what I’d been wondering.

 

“Why are you suddenly doing this?”

 

“Why would I need a reason?”

 

I lifted my head for a moment and looked at him. When I gave him an incomprehensible look, he spoke again.

 

“It’s just a casual meal.”

 

“You’re the one who’s been using every excuse to avoid casual meals with me.”

 

He took a sip of the wine in front of him and replied, his voice as impassive as ever.

 

“I’m afraid I’ve been too indifferent to the Empress.”

 

“Why did you suddenly have such thoughts now?”

 

I uttered a sharp word to him without realizing it. He didn’t show any change in expression, as if he had already anticipated my aggression.

 

Then he raised his eyebrows and muttered to himself.

 

“Yeah, I wonder why I had such thoughts?”

 

His insincere reply left me speechless.

 

“I heard that Rosetin came to see you.”

 

As soon as Rosetin’s name came out of his mouth, I felt an uncontrollable surge of discomfort. Unable to remember what was in my mouth, I answered. My mind focused on Lethenia’s emotional state.

 

“She came to me with a gift. A gift from the Emperor’s mistress to the Empress.”

 

“Is that all?”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

“No. I will now tell her not to go to the Empress’ palace.”

 

I sent him an unconsciously sharp glare. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to do anything to harm Rosetin.

 

“Do you think I’ll do anything to her?”

 

“I was wondering if Rosetin had done something rude to you.”

 

His next words surprised me a bit and I almost dropped the fork in my hand. Although Rosetin had behaved in a way that I found somewhat rude, I had no intention of snitching at her.

 

Since I didn’t want to be in a position that could create discord between the main characters.

 

Today, I felt that he was different from his usual self. He seemed to have changed a lot, and although he was the same male lead I knew, he wasn’t as cold as before.

 

Even that made me cringe, but I couldn’t let go of the tension because I didn’t know when he would change again. Right now, I have a more important conversation to have. As we sat down to eat, I brought up a topic I had already thought of.

 

“Now that I’m officially in charge of Brilland Farm, I need to visit it in person.”

 

“In person?”

 

I needed official permission to go out, for things that would have to be handled covertly.

 

This is because I didn’t want him to mobilize the knights to find the Empress like last time. In that regard, Brilland Farm was a suitable excuse.

 

“Although the management has changed, it is still under the influence of Duke Bledel. You also know that there are many problems there. I want to see for myself how things are going.”

 

“Do it.”

 

Ian, who I had expected to say no to, agreed surprisingly easily. His reaction was a little unexpected, so I was even anxious inside.

 

As I tried to guess what he was thinking, he spoke again.

 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for the Empress to be seen by the Xenos slaves, so disguise yourself as an imperial steward. I’ll assign skilled guards to accompany you.”

 

Ian spoke in a softer tone. I felt a strange wariness at the unfamiliarity of his favor.

 

His offer of a bodyguard made me wonder if he was trying to spy on me.

 

“You don’t have to do that. If you’re trying to keep an eye on…….”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. After the previous incident and considering the fact that this place might be suffocating for you…”

 

“…….”

 

“I just don’t want you to be in any danger.”

 

The last time I left the palace unannounced, it had left quite an impact on him, but I still didn’t like the idea of wandering around without his people by my side.

 

“I don’t need additional guards; the servants at the Empress’ Palace are sufficient. But if you’re really worried, I’ll go with Theo. You know he’s better than the Emperor’s guard.”

 

Ian’s hand stopped cutting the meat. For a moment, there was a chill in his eyes. He spoke again after a moment’s silence.

 

“If you go with the Marquis Claflin, you’ll stand out more.”

 

He wasn’t wrong, so I couldn’t find the words to respond. For better or worse, Asha’s celebrity, Theo, would draw attention wherever he went.

 

He said, still staring at me with meaningful eyes.

 

“Do you have a problem with Duke Bledel?”

 

His question was quite abrupt. I didn’t have a clue what you meant. Unconsciously, I became defensive and asked him back.

 

“Why?”

 

“For some reason, I think that the two of you are not like ordinary father and daughter.”

 

Ian shot her a questioning glance. Suddenly, I remembered Stella’s words.

 

<Madam Leven has been going in and out of the duchy lately.>

 

I don’t know if he asked with that in mind, but Ian’s tone was different than before.

 

It was subtle, but I could feel it. I can’t tell if it’s because his bad feelings for Lethenia have eased, or if he’s just putting on an air of generosity to get a lead on Duke Bledel.

 

‘I wonder if it would be good for me if Ian knew that I was at odds with the Duke of Bledel.’ 

 

For a moment, I wondered how far I should go.

 

I didn’t want Ian to become suspicious of the relationship between Duke Bledel and Mary Carlus, because it would be a disaster if he discovered the secret of Lethenia’s birth…….

 

I would lose the leverage I was diligently preparing for negotiations and might end up in prison. It was unlikely that he would turn his back on his supporters and actively protect Lethenia just because they are old friends.

 

Unconsciously, I nervously moved my eyes around, feeling a sense of unease. That made his gaze sharper.

 

“There’s no such thing.”

 

“Lethenia.”

 

At the sound of the name, I felt as if an invisible force was pressing down on me. He set down his cutlery and spoke gravely.

 

“If there’s anything I need to know, you must tell me.”

 

I sensed in him a determination to hear any answer now.