Chapter 76

He sounded so arrogant and so sure of himself when he said so that I could practically hear those words that he’d omitted. But at the same time, he really was a man that fit those words more than anyone else.

I bowed my head to him moderately enough and pressed my lips together.

“Ah, yes. I see.”

“After all, just from how I’m staying out here right now, those busy-tongued things in the capital are a given—even people from each country would be rushing in to grasp the empire’s affairs.”

“….”

“If I pass the weekend like this here, there will probably be a lot of rumors that I will use the Northern Lands as a stepping stone to attack the Kingdom of Levante, which I left out from my last continental conquest.”

“The Kingdom of Levante…”

No! Wasn’t that my Haniel’s groom-to-be male lead’s nation?!

It wasn’t like they were betting on who would attack whom first or anything—for the sake of my dear Haniel, we need to avoid shedding blood between her older brother and her future husband.

When my face paled in fright, the Emperor showed at least the slightest humane aspect by letting himself laugh a little at my whitened complexion.

“This is such a small thing.”

“B-but it’s still not fine, that. War isn’t something that isn’t that easy, and Rohan is so prosperous now, so really….”

“That’s why I’m saying I won’t be.”

“…..”

“For now.”

Rashid tapped his fingers slowly on top of the table once more. Since I thought I could see how he clearly did not have any intentions to invade the country right now, I breathed a little easier, albeit by a small amount.

“….So Your Majesty is saying that just by Your Majesty staying in the Northern Lands, which is a gateway to the continent, the politics of the world fluctuates. Therefore, in order to dispel people’s speculations, you need another reason for you to continue remaining here.”

“Your ability to understand is unexpectedly quick.”

His satisfied smile above the black table was as elegant as the moonlight peeking between clouds.

“It’ll also be troubling if Haniel’s existence becomes known. Including Levante, there are swarming hordes of those that eagerly watch for an opportunity to stab my back. If they know that a young princess has gone missing, there will be a huge commotion of trying to find her first.”

“…..”

“And if the kid ends up in any of their hands….”

As I blankly watched him for a moment as Rashid stopped and knitted his brows together, our eyes met.

“…..what?”

“No-nothing.”

If I said that this man actually looked human for even the shortest while, would that be an insult or a compliment?

I didn’t have any reasons to say so to a man who was trying to kill me in the first place, only to shorten my lifeline, though. Ending this conversation as quickly as possible would be my best option. I carefully changed the subject.

“I understand what you are saying, but if it is for that reason, isn’t it better to talk about this with my eldest daughter instead?”

“…..you mean the Lady?”

“Yes. There is much that she has done already, and she is skilled in the politics of the Northern Lands and everything that happens in it, so in order to do what Your Majesty is pushing for, she will….”

“And why can’t you do that?”

“Yes?”

His more direct tone, the look in his eyes, and the way he stood there leaning on one arm—he looked as imposing as the portrait of a militant king on the battlefield.

“You said you are the Duchess. What can the lady do that you can’t?”

“…..As you already know….”

When he openly asked me when he must’ve already guessed that I’d been pushed to the back room, I had nothing to say.

Instead, I turned and touched my cheeks with the back of my hand, as if I was hiding my blush.

“Anyways, I worry that I would be a bother to Your Majesty’s business.”

“I won’t ask for anything difficult.”

“….”

“I told you, do as you are now. Keep talking back to people shamelessly, make up some things here and there, and if you can’t do that, well…. Smile, or something.”

“What?”

“You do that well. Hedging over things with a smile.”

Before I could properly meet his stare, his eyes turned elsewhere.

Since this was the first time that Rashid had avoided my eyes, I also became speechless.