Previously
Liliana and Helio share street food and navigate the market, where Liliana begins addressing him as 'Sir' to hide his identity. After Liliana playfully goads him into an archery challenge, Helio displays master-level skill, drawing a massive crowd and eventually rescuing Liliana from being crushed by the mob.
Helio found himself thinking that the things that brought Liliana joy were far simpler than he had imagined. Resting his chin in his hand, he watched her closely before making an observation.
Slightly startled, Liliana gingerly touched her face and asked tentatively,
Helio cut her off, adding,
Helio's words caught her completely off guard, freezing her in place. Liliana had no idea whether to address his compliment or his sudden question. She merely stared out the carriage window, her face burning crimson.
Rather than pressing the matter, Helio simply watched as the blush spread across her cheeks and the tips of her ears. He could not help but wonder if she might burst into flames if he reached out and touched her.
As the silence stretched between them, Liliana's fluster gradually subsided. Her heavy eyelids began to flutter, closing and opening in a slow rhythm, before finally shutting altogether.
With the swaying of the carriage, her head began to tilt to and fro, prompting Helio to slide over to her side. Awakened for a brief moment by his movement, Liliana registered that it was only him and drifted right back to sleep.
When Helio guided the side of her head onto his shoulder, Liliana felt an odd sense of comfort, dropping her guard entirely despite his proximity, and nestled against him. She murmured softly under her breath,
Her lips parted in a slight yawn, and a stray tear escaped the corner of her eye. Though clearly just a natural consequence of drowsiness, it lent an ominous cast to her weary face. The day had been overwhelmingly exhausting for her.
Helio brushed the tear away from the corner of her eye with his thumb, then gazed straight ahead as he spoke.
Liliana had already drifted off and did not hear his words. The rhythmic rumble of the carriage acted as a gentle cradle, drawing her into a deep, peaceful slumber.
❈❈❈
The following morning, Liliana opened her eyes and let out a loud shriek. She had thought she was waking from a well-earned, restful sleep, only to discover a blond man lying right beside her in her bed!
Instinctively, she yanked the blanket entirely over herself, swaddling her body tightly. Her sudden pull left the man's bare torso completely exposed where the covers had once been.
Liliana shrieked again, nearly tumbling off the edge of the mattress. Helio, who had been lying there calmly observing her frantic reaction, caught her firmly around the waist. Clicking his tongue, he lifted her back and settled her safely onto the bed.
Meanwhile, Liliana's heart was pounding wildly against her ribs. She could feel his toned muscles distinctly through the thin fabric of his nightclothes, and waking up with his face so startlingly close left her dazed.
It was far too intense a sight to take in the moment one opened one's eyes in the morning.
Unable to settle her racing heart, Liliana blurted out the first thought in her head.
As she protested, she tried to pry his arm from her waist. But the harder she pushed, the tighter Helio held her, a confident smirk spreading across his face as though mocking her futile efforts.
Only then did the events of the previous night come rushing back to her—including the heavy silence that had fallen when he told her she had a sweet smile.
Her face flushing red, Liliana scrambled out of his grasp. Fortunately, Helio did not force her to stay this time. Instead, he simply raised both hands above his shoulders in mock surrender.
If word spread that the Emperor had entered the Emerald Palace only to leave immediately, people would assume she had fallen out of favor. Bestie and countless others would seize on the chance to look down on her.
By Helio's logic, staying the night by her side had been an act of consideration on his part.
Pressing a hand to her forehead, Liliana let out a heavy sigh. All the while, Helio remained casually sprawled out, his bare chest in plain view.
As Liliana reached for the bell pull, Helio caught her by the wrist, stopping her.
Though she muttered under her breath, Liliana took Helio's clothes and stepped behind him. Naturally, Helio allowed her to assist him with dressing. As he slid his arms through the sleeves, he asked,
Liliana smoothed the folds of his garment without hesitation and replied,
Liliana felt a flash of indignation at his remark. During the opening dance, she had endured the hostile glares of the entire hall, and Bestie had sneered at her for her ignorance of imperial customs. Saying she had 'done nothing' seemed entirely unfair.
Helio turned to face her, cutting in decisively.
Her words caught in her throat. Helio had not been speaking about her presence at the ball itself.
Hosting an event of such magnitude required immense effort, and Liliana had not contributed in the slightest.
She had indeed heard that Helio's half-sister, Princess Lucia, who also served in the palace administration, had overseen the arrangements for Foundation Day this year.
Liliana took pains to clarify that this had not been her neglect. Meanwhile, her pale fingers worked deftly down the buttons of his shirt.
Helio watched her busy hands with a faint smile.
Liliana snapped her head up, having been intently focused on the buttons with her eyes downcast. Her wide eyes rounded in utter disbelief.
“There is no Empress at present. You are my only wife.”
‘Wife…’
The word brought with it an odd, flustered warmth. The tips of Liliana's ears began to flush pink, though she remained oblivious to it. Making her voice deliberately sterner than usual, she countered,
Formally speaking, her reasoning was sound. But Helio answered without a moment's hesitation.
Helio stopped moving as Liliana held the edges of his collar, looking up at him. She blinked repeatedly in bewilderment, struggling to comprehend the meaning behind his words.
Helio brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead with a flick of his finger and gave a slight shrug.
Helio waved his hand dismissively at the absurd thought and walked over to sit on the sofa. Liliana picked up his coat, though she seemed reluctant to help him put it on.
Only moments ago, their talk regarding the Empress's throne had stirred something uneasy in her heart.
For that reason, Liliana let out a faint sigh, his coat draped over her arm.
Liliana's sharp, slightly petulant tone caused Helio to burst into sudden laughter.
Soon, however, his expression cooled back into composure, and a serious thought seemed to cross his mind. Liliana set his coat back onto the stand and walked over to him.
Leaning back against the sofa cushions, Helio eyed her.
His gaze held his usual haughty condescension, yet beneath it lay genuine curiosity. He was the Emperor of the realm; no one had the privilege of hearing his private grievances.
Liliana took a seat a short distance away from him, nodding as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Her words carried practical sense. Liliana was merely a powerless foreign princess brought here as a hostage, devoid of any real influence in the Empire.
Moreover, the maids of the Emerald Palace were mostly commoners, and even the Head Maid hailed from the Barion family, leaving Liliana with no means to orchestrate conspiracies through the household staff.
Helio found it rather amusing that the woman before him was offering to be the Emperor's confidante. Stranger still was the realization that he actually felt inclined to speak to her after hearing her offer.
Helio crooked a finger toward her. Liliana shook her head, her face scrunched in clear discontent.
Liliana grumbled under her breath as she pulled a cushion from the sofa and settled down right beside him. In an instant, the two were sitting side by side.
Helio leaned back into the sofa with an overtly pleased look on his face. While his smug expression was infuriating, the subtle solemnity underlying it made it impossible to dismiss.
Liliana thought back to Bestie. She was beautiful, certainly, but arrogant enough to strike the Queen across the face within the Imperial Palace, consumed by jealousy, and utterly dismissive of foreign princesses.
From any perspective, the idea that such a woman could make a wise empress was absurd.
As Liliana nodded along attentively, Helio let out a soft sigh and turned to face her completely. A sly smile tugged at the corner of his lips.