Chapter 4
Chloe was healthy. To the extent that she could knock out an assassin who had infiltrated the mansion and covertly move him from the third floor to the backyard to bury him.
As the daughter of Troy Langsher, a renowned knight, it was somewhat expected of her.
Gideon, who had been teaching her some basic self-defense techniques, realized her talent and thought of teaching her more.
But it wasn’t until they found themselves juggling with iron balls in her bedroom that he wondered, ‘Can this be called self-defense?’
By then, it was already too late, as Chloe was becoming someone who could be subdued with just one hand by several soldiers.
With guilt over her family, worry for Luke, and shame over being the sole survivor, Chloe immersed herself in physical training to clear her cluttered mind, while Gideon, in his own way, thought of Chloe releasing stress healthily, likening it to the fading complexion of a dying emperor.
Incredibly, Gideon found himself comparing the emperor and Chloe, as if alternating between examples of the right and worst ways to relieve stress. Of course, the worst was the emperor.
Yeah, that was the problem.
Chloe’s alter ego, Marie Edant, was a frail woman who couldn’t even take a step outside her room properly, to the extent that her husband chose to retire to the countryside with her for care.
… Just yesterday, she had practiced bare-handed combat and smashed the bathtub. She was truly a difficult character to portray.
Of course, appearances could be deceiving.
Chloe anxiously stared into the mirror, with her hair dyed as light as possible and her pale skin from rarely going outside.
Thanks to the expensive medicine Gideon had smuggled from abroad to change her eye color, her brown irises had become so light, almost lemon-like beyond the pale yellow.
“Gideon, how do I look?”
“You look fine.”
Chloe Langsher was truly the epitome of a precious lady.
With smooth chestnut hair, a loud laugh, cheerful smile, and naive words, she effortlessly portrayed a glamorous lady, spending hours on her appearance without a care.
So Marie Edant had to be completely different.
“Do you think, from my appearance, Chloe Langsher would come to mind?”
Gideon shook his head. Even someone who knew Chloe Langsher very well would not think of her when they saw the woman in front of them.
The woman deliberately wore a white dress that didn’t even match the trend, except for her yellowish eyes, she was entirely pale.
If Chloe Langsher represented summer, Marie Edant represented winter. A lifeless, snow-covered ruin.
“His Majesty won’t recognize you.”
Chloe took a deep breath and placed her hand on Gideon’s arm.
She still didn’t understand why Gideon had saved her. But from her experiences over the past three years, the only things she could trust were Gideon and herself.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
It had been three years since they last met, even if the other party might not know that fact.
As her heart raced, Chloe calmed down as she stood in front of the door. She lowered her gaze, determined to see or hear nothing.
She wouldn’t be discovered. It wasn’t time to remember the daughter of the Langsher family, whom she had approached to exploit.
She tried to remain as calm as possible. But it was when the door was halfway open.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the door burst open, and someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the parlor. As she collided with his solid body, grey irises stared at her intensely from close range.
A faint shade of blue, like the color of the sky before rain.
His eyes scanned her face, and she couldn’t breathe from the tension. Chloe unconsciously licked her dry lips.
At that moment, his face seemed to get a little closer—
“—Your Majesty.”
Chloe looked up at Gideon, who had wrapped his arm around her with a pale face. Gideon, who had pulled her away from his grip, almost embraced her tightly.
The emperor, or rather Luke, watched them quietly, as if they were a very affectionate couple, before shrugging his shoulders.
“I mistook you in the dark.”
The emperor, who collapsed into a comfortable chair, kicked the table with his long legs, as if something was bothering him. Then, he muttered coldly as if he had committed a grave sin.
“I thought your eyes were brown.”
Chloe, who stared blankly at the fallen table and the flowing alcohol on the carpet, thought numbly about the unexpected way of their reunion.
…So he became a rascal. Luke.
***
Chloe had never experienced the true nature of Luke as an adult.
When they were young, Luke was timid, and when they reunited in their adulthood, he was playing the role of an affectionate gentleman. But Chloe knew well that his affectionate nature was just an act.
Considering the tumultuous childhood and the elaborate revenge drama, he probably didn’t grow up with a good personality. But still, he was such a kind and timid kid…
“Perhaps he grew up with a sensitive and thorough personality.”
That was Chloe’s assessment of Luke over the past three years, and Gideon looked at her with lukewarm eyes. Then he opened his mouth to say something but quietly closed it again.
He realized that having too much to say sometimes rendered him speechless.
Sensitive? Thorough?
Luke Olfenster was generally indifferent to most things.
He had no rival in being cruel and arrogant on such topics. People who didn’t know him well might have likened him to a black panther or some other beast, but Gideon thought he resembled purgatory.
No creature in the world should be compared to Luke Olfenster. Maybe a hibernating bear would suffice…
Knowing a man who wouldn’t lift a finger unless absolutely necessary, Gideon understood that Luke’s visit to his mansion was a significant decision for him.
And if he had gone this far, it meant Luke Olfenster had no intention of accepting Gideon’s retirement declaration. That’s why he spoke up, blocking the royal official from approaching Chloe.
“Lady, please come in.”
“After going through the trouble of bringing the official here, you won’t even show yourself once?”
In response to Luke’s petulance, Gideon led Chloe behind him and retorted.
“It’s not a specific illness but a general weakness of the body that won’t be of much help. So they said it requires care rather than treatment, didn’t they?”
“Even in the capital or the estate-“
“She is weak. Your Majesty.”
Gideon, cutting off Luke’s words after a long time, swallowed his saliva.
Chloe Langsher and Luke Olfenster were in the same room, barely a few steps apart.
And Luke Olfenster must not know anything. That’s how it had to be.
“They said she won’t last long in the capital. Even if she goes down to the estate, it won’t be more than ten years.”
It had been well over a hundred years since most mansions in the capital began using coal. Even children knew that the black smoke rising wasn’t good for health.
“So, your lady will return to the capital after your wife’s death?”
Even though the ‘lady’ was blatantly present in the same room, Luke asked without hesitation. Gideon was about to refute, but he hesitated when he felt Chloe’s hand on his back, pulling him back.
“I’ll vacate the throne for however many months or years it takes; seems like living comfortably these days has made you bold.”
A brief chuckle followed.
“If I lose power, you die too, Gideon. Wherever you’re holed up, whether it’s in the countryside or wherever, you, your wife, even the damn dog you’re raising, all of you.”
Truth be told, Luke didn’t particularly oppose Gideon’s retirement. But the sight of the affectionate couple that was glaringly obvious to him kept bothering him.
Gideon saved Luke’s life when they were young. As a result, he survived and succeeded in revenge. So, didn’t Gideon bear some responsibility for Luke’s survival?
It was a deeply resentful thought towards his savior, but he couldn’t help it.
It was a kind of jealousy.
A longing for a future he could never have.
“…Understood. Your Majesty.”
Gideon bowed his head. Only then did the woman who had been hidden behind Gideon become visible. His gaze lingered on her pale lips, long enough to cover his eyes.
Luke unconsciously tilted his head. He couldn’t understand why his gaze went to those lips, which, apart from looking painful, were nothing special.
Strange. She didn’t resemble Chloe at all.
Since that day three years ago, there had been corners in everything that caught Luke’s eye, reminding him of her. Whether it was her deep brown hair resembling tree bark, her eyes, or her soft, pliant body untouched by hardship, her brightly painted appearance, or her lively, vibrant aura.
Even a passing glance revealed not a single resemblance to that woman.
She was taller than Chloe, excessively thin, and pale…
His eyes went back to her lips, stopping there again after finding dozens of other differences.
…But did she resemble her?
His eyes narrowed. Unconsciously, his muscles tensed along his spine. But as Gideon rose to shield his wife again, that strange tension disappeared unnoticed.
Meeting his gaze, Gideon asked clearly.
“Then shall I send only my wife down to the estate? Could you give us a few days to escort her there and return?”
“…Give her ten days.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Gideon replied calmly and gently pushed his wife out of the door. The woman stepped back without a sound. Before she could grasp anything, a maid barged in. A burly servant followed, setting up a table and clearing away the broken glass, while another maid held a tray and glasses.
The door closed with a thud.
It was a smooth exit, almost difficult to nitpick. Luke let out a bitter laugh.
Quite a show.
