emperor chapter 2

“As you know, there are many eyes in the Imperial Palace. If I leave now, rumors are bound to spread, and it would be troublesome for both of us to be misunderstood, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re right.”

“I won’t lay a finger on you, so rest assured and go to sleep. If the pain persists until tomorrow, let me know through my secretary.”

“Alright then.”

With that brief farewell, Lowell closed his mouth. He seemed relieved that he didn’t have to do anything bothersome, whether my claim of illness was true or not.

The political marriage between the Emperor and the Holy Empress was a tradition of the Darensia Empire, with its long and illustrious history. The marriage, initiated to prevent the power structure from tilting too far in one direction, a steadfast promise never broken throughout history, was now destined to be broken for the first time between Lowell and Miniel. Miniel is not Lowell’s destined partner.

Maintaining a hollow marriage with Miniel, Lowell one day finds his true partner. Already treating Miniel poorly, he begins to openly reject her. He can’t kill Miniel, the Holy Empress, so he pushes her far away in his heart. And then one day, he mercilessly kills his wife for hurting his partner.

“Lowell.”

I have no intention of following that path. Rather than meeting a tragic end, I’d rather… right now…!

“Are you in a lot of pain? You’re very different today. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s as if you’ve become a different person… Oh dear. My imagination is running wild. You can forget what I just said.”

“It’s alright. That’s alright. However…”

“However?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“If it’s your request, my lady, I shall gladly grant it.”

Perhaps because he hasn’t met his true partner yet, his attitude was strangely kinder than I had encountered in the novel. But I shouldn’t be complacent. He’s a man ready to leave me at any moment.

“It’s nothing much, really.”

“You’re taking an awfully long time for something that’s ‘nothing much.’”

“Please divorce me.”

So, before he leaves, it’s better for me to leave first.

“As I said, it’s not nothing much. No.”

“I’ve thought it through. Then, I’ll have your secretary prepare the documents as soon as… What? What? What did you just say…?”

“I said no. I can’t grant you a divorce.”

“Why?”

“I thought you were a calm woman, but today you’re truly different. Has your head become so dull that you can’t understand such an obvious thing? That would be a serious problem.”

The expression with his lips tilted up wasn’t one a person facing a serious problem would wear. Lowell seemed to find my statement amusing.

“For you, my lady, I’ll make a special effort to explain this obvious fact.”

“….”

“You should be happy.”

Lowell smiled, seeing my frozen expression. I realized for the first time that a smile could be terrifying.

“If your personality has changed because you’re sick, would you stay sick forever? I seem to have a preference for it, unknowingly.”

“You say frightening things so casually. I don’t want to be sick forever because of you. …That’s why I want to break up.”

“Hmm. That’s strange. Did I do something to you without realizing it?”

Not yet, would be more accurate. But I can’t say that now. If I do, I’ll have to tell you that you’re a character in a novel.

“Tell me. What don’t you like?”

Lowell took my hand and brought it to his face. The feeling of his skin against my hand was stimulating. My fingers were gradually moved, settling on his lips. As if showing off his charm, his lips parted, and he lightly licked my hand.

“My face? Surely, you can’t be serious.”

His eyes narrowed, and a leisurely smile bloomed. His will guided my hand slowly downwards, past his sharp jawline, over his Adam’s apple.

“If it’s my body, I’m ready to show you anytime, so just say the word.”

I feel like I’m being completely toyed with!

Just before my hand reached his chest, I flinched and pulled it away. I almost naturally proceeded with the wedding night. Reminding myself that the man I was dealing with was experienced, I gathered all my vigilance.

“I said I wanted a divorce, not a grand night.”

“I suppose you anticipate that time with me wouldn’t be so bad? And as I said, divorce is out of the question.”

“What’s the reason?”

“Miniel. As long as you are the Holy Empress and I am the Emperor, we need to be bound.”

In other words, I’m a hostage, to ensure the relationship between the temple and the Imperial family doesn’t sour. In my case, sacrificial lamb might be a more fitting term.

“You entered this marriage knowing that. Are you having regrets now?”

Lowell, without an object of obsession, was surprisingly reasonable. He likely accepted the unwanted marriage with Miniel because he judged it to be advantageous. Since he had reached that conclusion, the possibility of him changing his mind was slim. The probability would increase explosively once he met his destined partner, but that was still a long way off.

“Regrets… Lowell, you’ll probably never understand what I’m feeling right now.”

“Is that so? Tell me if you feel like sharing. I’ll lend an ear to my wife’s words.”

“Then, divorce me…!”

“But I absolutely won’t grant a divorce from the Holy Empress.”

“….”

And so, feeling like I was trapped in a cage with a predator, I spent my wedding night wide awake. And I thought only one thing.

I have to find Lowell’s partner…!

His name is Helion. Helion is Lowell’s true, destined partner, assigned by the novel. After meeting Helion, Lowell forgets Miniel and obsesses only over him. If I can just find Helion earlier than planned, the two of them will have a beautiful love story, and I can divorce Lowell and start a new life.

Incidentally, Helion is a man. The book I’ve possessed, His Majesty’s Obsession, is a BL novel.