Lily calmly continued her explanation to Damian, who was shocked by the unexpected answer.
“If the couple looks good but the woman doesn’t have a child for over a year, most will easily assume that the problem is with me, who is not strong, rather than with Your Lordship, who is strong.”
“Yes…child… So maybe…”
“So, for the time being, I think it would be best to maintain a moderate level of closeness, given that we don’t fight.”
It wasn’t wrong. It was not his honor that will be damaged so he couldn’t force it.
However, Lilian’s attitude, which didn’t seem regretful at all, made him feel sorry for her.
‘They say that the one who falls in love first loses…’
Right then.
A neat knock sounded more cautiously.
“Your Lordship and Your Ladyship.”
It was head butler Allen.
“Looks like you need to get up. A messenger has been sent from the imperial palace.”
Damian’s expression instantly disappeared at the words ‘messenger sent from the imperial palace’.
“Is there a message?”
There was a moment of hesitant silence behind the door.
“It’s said that His Majesty has issued an edict to Her Ladyship.”
“To my wife?”
His chronic disease must be acting up again.
Damian was cynical. He had never respected Claude as Emperor, but the tenacious Claude didn’t give up. In this way, he periodically tried to instill that ‘I am the Emperor, so you are my subject’.
It’s not like he’s a star…
“Your Highness, you have to go out and see…”
“No, you can ignore it.”
There was no loyalty to fill that small pride. Besides, the opponent he pointed out was not him, but Lilian.
‘Never. I won’t tolerate it.’
It was then.
“Your Highness.”
Lilian’s hand touched Damian’s arm.
“Even so, they came here on the Emperor’s orders, so I think it’d be better to go out and listen to it in person.”
Lilian persuaded him without hesitation.
“In the future, if His Majesty finds fault with this matter in any way, we will be brothered. Besides, asking the Head Butler to expel the Emperor’s emissary would be a difficult order to follow.”
“…”
If Ivan had said the same thing, he wouldn’t have listened, but it was Lilian. Besides, this was a situation where they slept on the same bed and woke up.
He’d never been through it or seen it, but he thought that this would be an extremely normal couple.
He didn’t want to refuse the persuasion of his wife, who was sitting next to him on the bed and looking up at him.
No, he couldn’t refuse at all.
“Will you be okay?”
“What is there to worry about? Your Highness will be by my side.”
Lily shrugged her shoulders.
“Your Highness is the best military commander in this country, and this house is your domain. To worry about being harmed.
Isn’t that even stranger?”
Damian made no reply for a moment.
It seemed that the heart that had been disappointed a little while ago had completely disappeared at the disinterested trust. His throbbing heart loosened and the feeling of plummeting to the floor flapped its wings in the air with hope.
“My wife has a knack for playing with people.”
“…pardon?”
“It means you have the talent to be a flirt.”
How can people’s hearts be stirred like this without selfishness?
“This is foul play.”
Damian muttered sweetly in a hoarse voice, lightly resting his forehead on Lily’s shoulder.
It was then.
“…ahem, ahem.”
The Head Butler made his presence known by coughing politely from outside the door.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry, but you need to give me an answer immediately. What should I do?”
Before Damian had time to stop, he kissed Lily’s shoulder lightly and then stood up with a flowing motion.
“I’ll get ready and go out, so tell them to wait.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Allen soon left. Damian asked with a grin as Lilian patted her shoulder.
“Did I do well?”
It was an attitude that wanted to be praised from a large adult male. A smile appeared on Lilian’s lips as if she couldn’t help it.
“Yes, good job.”
“Won’t you compliment me?”
“Didn’t I just tell you that you did a good job?”
“Only with words?”
Then what more should she do?
At the end of the troubled Lily, she raised her hand and gently patted Damian.
Even though it was a clumsy gesture, Damian let out a low moan like someone having his frozen body thawed by hot water.
“Don’t stop and keep patting. Stay like this for a little while longer.”
It wasn’t a difficult request. Lilian patted him a few more times, and Damian’s mouth cracked into a smile.
He murmured.
“…I can’t believe I’m being nice and quiet with this alone.
I’ve come a long way too.”
“?”
“I hope you didn’t hear.”
***
Usually, before accepting an Emperor’s decree, there must be a procedure to refine their clothes.
But since the messenger came so suddenly that she couldn’t keep them waiting, Lilian put on her casual clothes and finished dressing up in a rough ponytail.
Damian was even worse. He was wearing a gown over his pajama and slippers on his feet.
He was on his way out to meet the Emperor’s emissary acting like he never wanted to leave the bedroom, but Lilian surprisingly didn’t care.
“Will it be okay? You’re not even involved.”
Her opinion was that it would be okay to rebel like that, since if they listened to it too softly, they might think it was strange.
The two of them were walking down the stairs, dressed in opposite outfits, when someone was walking out of the hallway. It was Matteo.
All three eyes met at the same time. Matteo first pretended to be aware of Lily’s bow. Then he asked, looking at Damian with a very distraught expression.
“My esteemed Highness, the Grand Duke of this Empire, and my dear uncle, what the hell are you doing right now?”
“I’m on my way to receive the Emperor’s emissary.”
“Yes? An emissary?”
“Yes, they say an imperial decree has been handed down to me.”
An imperial decree was passed on to Lily.
Matteo’s expression became serious.
“I will go as well.”
Damian shrugged his shoulders as if to have his way.
The three soon arrived in front of the drawing room. However, when Head Butler Allen, who was in front, saw them, Matteo to be exact, he put on a very frustrated expression.
“Is His Highness the Crown Prince coming as well?”
“Who is inside?”
“Earl Taurin is here. I…”
Just then, a voice filled with resentment came from within the drawing room.
“Eiish! You cheeky bitch! How long are you going to keep me, the royal envoy of His Majesty the Emperor, standing like this!”
Huh?
A mischievous smile crept across Damian’s lips. He nodded to the Head Butler and ordered the door to be opened.
The Head Butler hesitated but still carefully opened the door.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to chew on something like this…!”
“Yes, you’re a cheeky guy who doesn’t mind chewing.”
“…uuuugh!”
There were two knights and an envoy dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Capital Defense Knights.
The envoy, Earl Taurin, was dressed in splendid clothes and dangling a gold watch chain.
“Y-Y-Y-Your Highness?”
“Aren’t you saying your greetings? My wife and the Crown Prince is here as well?”
“C-Count Schmidt of Taurin greets His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the Grand Duke, and Her Ladyship. Your Highness, what you just heard is really a misunderstanding!”
“There is one thing I’m curious about, did the term ‘cheeky bitch’ perhaps refer to my wife and me?”
Count Taurin became mute after eating honey. At that time, a knight who had been standing behind him without a presence stepped out.
“Forgive me for the rudeness, Your Highness. But Count Taurin came as an envoy.”
He was a thick, handsome man with dirty blond hair and turquoise eyes. Damian narrowed his eyes as if it were unexpected. Look at this.
“Long time no see?”
“…yes. Long time to see, Your Highness.”
“I know. It’s almost like the first time since your entire family became traitors, Young Duke of Blanchett.”
Damien’s insignificant remark instantly chilled the atmosphere.
Lilian was a little surprised.
‘If it’s Blanchett…. Lady Marianne’s older brother.’
After the sorority incident, the Blanchett family turned to the imperial faction.
Wary of the rising status of the Electors, the Emperor gave power to several Dukes, one of whom was Duke Blanchett.
Right then.
“Ethan Schmidt, how are you here?”
Matteo’s eyes seemed to burn with anger. He didn’t mean to ask how he came. He was questioning why he came.
“Your Highness, I…”
“Hah!”
Ethan tried to say something, but Matteo just snorted loudly. However, he soon stumbled upon Lilian, who was slightly taken aback by the unexpected atmosphere.
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