Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

 

In the meantime, Erita has returned to her homeland. The Delua Emperor sent an envoy to formally apologize for the recent incident.

 

The representative of this envoy, Prince Tolle, admitted his younger sister’s mistake and agreed to significantly reduce tariffs on certain trade goods.

 

He also agreed to quietly let go of the matter of demanding compensation from Asha for damages caused by the fighting with the Xenos Rebellion near the Delua border.

 

Erita had abruptly returned to her homeland as soon as her visit to Lerian was over.

 

Judging by her expression, it didn’t seem like she gave up easily, but this time, the Delua Emperor appeared thoroughly furious.

 

The Delua imperial family had a hereditary disease that had been passed down for generations. Even Emperor Mokan Kundras showed signs of it as he aged.

 

Because of this, his once strong imperial authority began to subtly waver. He could no longer turn a blind eye to his young daughter’s disgraceful behavior.

 

Rumor had it that Theo didn’t even bid Erita farewell before she left, and she didn’t bother him either until her departure.

 

For some reason, it seemed like something had gone wrong between them, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

 

Soon after, a servant entered the office and delivered a news.

 

“Your Majesty, Lord Claflin, has arrived.”

 

Soon after, Theo entered the room. When he saw me, his face flashed a slight smile. His smile was as charming as ever, enough to make my heart race.

 

After returning from Lerian, Theo had been visiting the Empress’ palace more frequently.

 

Perhaps the recent attack had left a significant impact on him.

 

“I’ve been seeing you here quite often lately.”

 

“Well, you seemed a bit regretful about me not being able to visit the Empress’ palace for a while.”

 

“When did I…?”

 

My ears perked up a bit at the way he spoke as if he knew everything. Then the corners of his mouth curled into a wider arc.

 

“The spirit told me.”

 

“…….”

 

Did my loyal spirit blabber nonsense just to please its master once again? I was speechless, unable to think of a response.

 

My face was turning embarrassingly red.

 

“I’m worried that something might happen again, and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

 

He continued with a warm tone and a deeper smile.

 

I recalled the day when he had turned back from his journey to Lerian to find me.

 

Lerian was quite far from the capital, and under normal circumstances, he should have returned to the capital a week later.

 

When I saw Theo after his rushed journey, he looked like a person pursued by some terrifying force; his face was drained of color, and he was panting as if he had just finished a race.

 

<You’re safe.>

 

<I’m fine.>

 

<I know.>

 

<Then why…….>

 

<I couldn’t relax until I saw for myself.>

 

Theo’s usual carefree demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

 

When I saw that he had rushed to me without thinking, driven by his concern for me, I felt grateful and touched.

 

Since that day, he had been visiting me regularly, even without any apparent reason, and it seemed like I was constantly waiting for him.

 

I didn’t necessarily hate it.

 

Despite knowing that I should let go of my feelings for Theo, I couldn’t help but anticipate his visits.

 

It became a part of my daily routine to try to guess when he would arrive.

 

Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder if this incident had somehow changed his feelings for me, and hopeful fantasies would occasionally cross my mind.

 

In a somewhat surreal tone, I spoke to him, someone who always worried about my well-being.

 

“The situation is quite different now compared to back then. Security within the palace has been strengthened even further.”

 

“Still, my mind can’t seem to rest easily. How about, while I’m known as the Empress’ paramour, you allocate a residence closer to the Empress’ Palace for me?”

 

He conveyed these words out of the blue with a somewhat serious expression.

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

“Hmm, or perhaps you could offer me a spare room in the Empress’ palace.”

 

He rubbed his chin as if contemplating something, like he was trying to gauge whether such a thing was possible.

 

Is he suggesting that we should live together? I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or a serious proposal; he looked quite serious.

 

“But I think what would put my mind at ease the most is if we shared the same room…”

 

“W-What did you say?”

 

I was utterly bewildered by his words, to the point where I questioned my own hearing. My expression must have been comical.

 

He looked at me, arched his eyebrows slightly, and smiled sheepishly.

 

And with a somewhat sad tone, he said,

 

 “…That would probably be asking too much.”

 

He shook his head lightly, as if trying to erase his thoughts.

 

Indeed, it seemed that the incident had a profound impact on Theo.

 

The subtle awkwardness and stiffness that had existed before were completely gone.

 

I wondered if he’d forgotten that I had special feelings for him or if he was just being casual about it.

 

No, he seems to be saying it with genuinely pure intentions. Am I the one imagining strange things alone?

 

“Well, we’ll think about that later. I came here today because there’s something special I want to teach Her Majesty, but before I do that…”

 

His gaze slowly traveled up and down my figure, as if he were contemplating something.

 

“You should probably change out of that cumbersome outfit.”

 

His words made me take a second look at my dress.

 

It was the style I usually wore—nothing particularly fancy or cumbersome.

 

I looked up at him with a puzzled expression. What was he planning to do?

 

××××××××××××××××××××××

 

After changing, I headed back to the garden, where he had been waiting.

 

I had chosen a simple outfit made of light fabric without any embellishments. I wish I could wear such comfortable clothes all the time.

 

In the palace, even during moments of relaxation, I often had to wear multiple layers of uncomfortable clothing, making many moments frustrating.

 

Not wearing a corset and without the layers of dress snagging on my every move, I felt as if a burden had been lifted.

 

In the distance, I could see him holding two wooden swords. As I approached, he handed me one of them and said,

 

“Since I can’t always be by your side, it wouldn’t hurt to learn some basic self-defense techniques, especially if you ever plan to leave the palace.”

 

“Ah…….”

 

I know I will leave one day, but it was a little bitter to hear those words come out of his mouth.

 

“Given that it’s not feasible for a lady to defend herself against an assailant with her bare hands, it might be a good idea to teach you how to use a weapon.”

 

“So, that’s why you handed me a wooden sword.”

 

“Well, first, I should teach you how to hold a sword.”

 

He took my hand to demonstrate, enveloping it in his. The sudden contact made my heart race, but his expression remained as serene as a tranquil lake. The touch didn’t last long.

 

Once he finished explaining, he let go of my hand and took a step back. There was no hint of any ulterior motive in his actions.

 

Instead, I felt like he was subtly drawing a line, setting boundaries in some way. Still, I decided to respond willingly to his teachings.

 

I was grateful for his meticulous care and attention. He taught me a few basic sword movements, not too complicated but challenging to execute with speed.

 

The lightweight wooden sword he provided for practice was manageable, but I couldn’t help thinking that if this was the extent of it, wielding a real sword would feel overwhelmingly heavy.

 

As if reading my thoughts, he glanced at me and said,

 

“It will take quite some time to learn how to handle a real sword. Initially, getting the right posture is the most important.”

 

During practice, if my stance faltered, he would approach and correct it, repeating his instructions in a gentle tone.

 

As time passed, I began to sweat slightly.

 

When he called for a break and sheathed his wooden sword, a maid brought water as if she’d been waiting.

 

Theo must have told her in advance.

 

“You’re doing better than I expected.

 

“Is that so?”

 

It could have been a passing comment, but for some reason, his praise felt good to hear. As the cool breeze brushed against my forehead, I felt refreshed.

 

I had never exercised to the point of breaking a sweat in the palace, so this experience was unexpectedly enjoyable.

 

On the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions—a strange blend of joy and sadness, as if I were accumulating yet another memory with him.

 

I continued to take sword lessons from Theo for a while. It was nice to have time to be with him in this way.

 

One day, as he watched me practice with serious eyes, he spoke up.

 

“Now, try to strike me with all your might. If you manage to land a hit even once, I’ll grant you whatever you wish.”

 

He hid his right hand behind his back and raised his wooden sword with his left.

 

When I tried to swing the sword at him, standing there with a calm face, his hand did not rise willingly.

 

“Go ahead with all your might.”

 

Encouraged by his resolute voice, I steeled myself and held the wooden sword as instructed by him.

 

I hadn’t had a chance to witness his actual swordsmanship skills, but deep down, I wondered if I could even land a hit.

 

What would I wish for if I succeeded? In truth, my heart longed for something I couldn’t have—my wish is him.

 

Theo stared at me, waiting for me to strike. With a determined mindset, I swung the sword as hard as I could, just as he had advised..

 

In response, he deftly parried my attacks with precise movements, and I almost lost my grip on the wooden sword due to the sudden, unexpected speed of his counterattacks.

 

The rapid exchange caught me off guard, leaving me somewhat disoriented. Regaining composure, I focused on striking the sword as fast as I could.

 

Clang, clang—the sound of our wooden swords clashing continued. However, my sword couldn’t even graze his clothing.

 

It was as if he knew exactly where my strikes would land.

 

As time passed, I grew increasingly fatigued, while he remained as composed as when we started. Frustration started to well up within me.

 

Taking a moment to catch my breath, I adjusted my stance and prepared for another round, determined to succeed at least once.

 

Then, a moment of opportunity presented itself.

 

I sensed a slight hesitation in his movements, a moment when he seemed less prepared. Seizing this chance, I prepared to strike directly at his heart, following the movements he had taught me.

 

However, he didn’t adopt any defensive stance and simply stood still.

 

Puzzled, I stopped just short of delivering a blow to his heart and glanced up at him.

 

In a voice both gentle and firm, he said,

 

“Never hesitate at a decisive moment, even if the opponent is me.”

 

He looked down at me with an unreadable gaze. I nodded slightly, seemingly possessed by something. Only then did he smile and continue speaking.

 

“I’ll teach you archery and horse riding next time.”

 

While not particularly extraordinary, his promise for the future somehow lifted my spirits.

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊