Previously
Liliana leaves the banquet under the guise of meeting Duke Philom, only to discover Helio Carlo waiting for her in disguise. Helio sneaks her out of the palace in a carriage to enjoy the commoners' festival, where he explains that his earlier declaration about an heir was intended to protect her.
Liliana held the skewer quietly, her eyes fluttering with unease.
Helio chewed on the tip of his skewer and offered his verdict.
When Helio gestured with his hand as if telling her to eat, Liliana took a bite from her skewer. It was quite salty and heavily spiced, but it wasn't bad.
In fact, she rather liked it.
Liliana took another bite as she mumbled under her breath, speaking absentmindedly.
Helio took another bite, cleared his mouth, and spoke nonchalantly. He seemed so completely at ease that it made Liliana nervous.
He had a point. Liliana felt at a loss for words, her lips parting and closing.
She tried sorting through titles that couples might use, but she could not bring herself to utter anything so embarrassing. Finally, she managed to come up with one.
Helio gave a small chuckle at the title, but he didn't object.
Instead, he gave his skewer a little shake, gesturing for her to continue.
Swallowing her rising irritation, Liliana composed herself before explaining what had shocked her.
Liliana thought Helio seemed surprisingly humble. Of course, he was the man who had personally led the assault on the Kingdom of Niita.
Given that the late Emperor had raised him to be a counsel to the heir, he had undoubtedly moved through battlefields as though they were his own home.
Liliana realized she might have treated him like some pampered noble who cared only for appearances, which made her feel slightly ashamed.
Instead of scolding her, Helio handed both empty skewers back to the vendor and began gently wiping Liliana's hands with a handkerchief.
Watching him, she thought to herself:
‘As expected of a father in a childcare novel, he has a tender side.’
Such gestures were merely charm points meant to thrill readers, not something she should genuinely be touched by.
Helio then offered a wry smile and handed her the handkerchief.
Helio emphasized the word ‘Master’ with an amused grin. When she looked down at the handkerchief, she noticed it was embroidered with the imperial crest.
It was a clear hint for her to show it off openly at the upcoming banquets before everyone.
Helio then gestured toward a bustling spot in the market where a crowd had formed.
Without waiting for Liliana's answer, he took her by the hand and pulled her along.
There, a man stood shooting arrows, completely surrounded by onlookers.
Whenever he hit the target, the crowd cheered; whenever he missed, groans and jeers erupted.
Liliana was sure she had no desire to take part in such a thing and was about to suggest they move elsewhere.
Just then, the vendor called out, “Anyone else want to give it a try?” Her mood instantly shifted. She suddenly wanted to put Helio on the spot. It would be delightful to watch him get booed by the crowd.
Liliana raised the hand she had entwined with his and pointed.
Helio turned sharply to look at Liliana. His blue eyes narrowed, but she wasn't frightened in the least. She had begun to realize that something so trivial would never cost her her head.
As the vendor shouted, Helio lightly flicked Liliana on the forehead with his finger, saying gravely,
Despite his threat, Helio strode steadily toward the crowd without the slightest hesitation.
Only then did Liliana remember that Helio was an emperor.
The eyes of a mere hundred people here would never faze him.
When the vendor handed him the bow, Helio took it as naturally as though accepting a hunting bow from his own servants.
The vendor’s remark drew laughter and applause from the onlookers. Helio glanced toward Liliana, flashed a broad grin, and drew the bow with absolute confidence.
The vendor provided Helio with ten arrows. The prizes depended on how many arrows struck the target, though most people walked away with nothing more than the experience.
Helio, however…
Thwack!
Each arrow Helio loosed struck dead center, one after another, as if an invisible black hole at the heart of the target were pulling them in.
At first, the spectators gasped and applauded, but as the display went on, they began shouting at the top of their lungs, jumping in sheer excitement. The air was charged with wild energy.
In the commotion, Liliana found herself jostled by the crowd, pushed left and right until she was thoroughly bewildered.
‘I’m going to fall at this rate!’
Liliana was about to call out to the only person who could help her.
At that very moment, a strong arm hooked firmly around Liliana's waist and hauled her up out of the surging crowd.
Liliana could only squeeze her eyes shut, leaning into the person holding her.
Just when she thought she would be trampled, she slowly opened her eyes, startled to hear a familiar voice from above.
It was the affectionate pet name she used to hear only from her mother or Choo Choo. The voice and the name carried such familiar warmth, and though she was taken aback, the face before her as she looked up was unmistakably Helio’s.
Helio looked her up and down, clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction.
Helio set her down at the very front of the crowd and gripped his bow once more. As he drew his final arrow, a thunderous crack sounded from the target, and the crowd burst into wild cheers again. Liliana, still dazed, clapped along with the rest of them.
Liliana knew Helio found her amusing.
He was the Emperor, after all, and he likely had few people with whom he could banter, which must have made life rather dull.
Even so, his special treatment, his constant attention, and his insistence on not letting her get lost felt strangely deliberate.
‘Is it because I have to bear the King of Niita? Is it purely for political value?’
Liliana reached her own conclusion, but another thought quickly entered her head.
‘If that were true, why would he bring me out to a dangerous place like this?’
When Helio hit the bullseye with all ten arrows, the crowd began chanting loudly, “Again! Again!”
Swept along by the fervor, the vendor couldn't contain the crowd, and Helio had to fire another twenty arrows. Every single one found its mark, leaving the vendor looking utterly pale.
The vendor approached Helio with a terrified expression, stammering,
Hearing that, the crowd began to boo. The grand prize had been a gold ornament—something well beyond what a humble market vendor could afford to give away repeatedly.
Liliana stepped up to Helio and tugged at his sleeve.
Surprised by her touch, Helio raised his eyebrows in question.
The palace vaults were brimming with far more precious treasures, so why take something like this?
Upon hearing Liliana's words, the vendor clasped his hands in pleading, his eyes shining with hope. Seeing an older man act so childishly felt somewhat absurd, but it only confirmed to Liliana that letting the prize go was the right thing to do.
Helio, however, looked dissatisfied, as if displeased with the outcome, and gave a slight shrug.
Liliana froze in her tracks at his words. The onlookers who overheard began whispering among themselves.
Someone started to murmur, clearly curious about the title she had used. Flustered, Liliana pulled her cloak tight around herself and leaned in to whisper into Helio's ear.
As Liliana pondered his words, her gaze flickered over the prizes laid out before them. She quickly darted over and grabbed a sparkling bracelet, holding it up and shaking it toward the vendor.
The vendor’s eyes went wide, and he nodded frantically, as if his very heart were crying out in relief.
Liliana took the bracelet and placed it in Helio’s hand, saying,
When Liliana spoke with such pride, Helio chuckled softly. He then took her wrist gently and slipped the bracelet onto her hand.
The bracelet was set with a blue stone that complemented her pale skin perfectly. Although it was obviously not a genuine gemstone, it looked pleasing enough.
Helio then took Liliana's hand once more. It didn't feel like the affectionate gesture of a lover, but rather the grip of someone terrified she might slip away. Even so, it was born of care and warmth.
The two of them managed to slip away from the laughing crowd and clambered back into the carriage.
On the ride back to the imperial palace, Liliana kept fidgeting with the bracelet, staring down at it.
Helio remarked dismissively, as if it were of no consequence. His offhand attitude irked Liliana slightly, and she lifted her chin with pride.
Liliana replied immediately, raising her wrist again to focus on the bracelet. As the light caught it, its cheapness became obvious, yet Liliana kept smiling, humming a little tune to herself.
Helio had noticed that she preferred this bracelet to the far more valuable first prize.
Liliana cradled her wrist as though guarding the bracelet from being taken away.
Then she broke into a smile so radiant it seemed to brighten everything around them.
Pulling her wrist close to her chest, she gave a shy laugh.
Ah, that was the first time he had seen a genuine smile on her face.