Previously
Emperor Helio mocks the King of Niita for Liliana's escape attempt and demands that her future children hold succession rights to Niita's throne. Liliana's treatment improves drastically as she is prepared for her departure to the empire, though she remains wary of her fate.
Helio gave a mocking smirk. It was laughable how confident she sounded while claiming to be worthless.
He reached toward the carriage window.
Liliana shrank back, only to freeze with wide eyes and abandon the thought entirely.
She was bolder than he had expected.
With that thought, Helio reached out and touched her pink hair.
The soft strands tangled around his fingers, only to be freed by the swaying of the carriage.
She could not dispute that.
A child would have succession rights to the throne. Niita would have no choice but to take an interest.
They might even want to take the child back to keep that influence from growing too large.
And they would have to pay a steep price for it.
She had not realized Helio had been planning that from the start.
‘Somehow, an heir is supposed to be born between that man and me.’
Liliana felt a sinking sensation in her chest.
On top of that, in the original story, Helio and Liliana had indeed conceived children for political reasons.
Not once, but twice.
The first child was lost to a miscarriage brought on by slander, leaving the original Liliana deeply broken.
And when Helio received word that her body had recovered, he visited her palace and fathered a second child.
Yet that report had been a lie—something the original Liliana fabricated just to survive in that desolate palace.
Her unrecovered body could not endure childbirth, and she died.
After a moment of silent reflection, Liliana rounded her lips as if an idea had struck her.
‘Either way, as long as I don’t lie about recovering, the Emperor won’t even come to see me!’
There was no chance the Emperor would force himself on an invalid, so she would not have to die.
And yet…
‘The first pregnancy still ends in a miscarriage! That alone will ruin my body! I don’t want to spend the rest of my life dreading that!’
A shudder ran through her.
As she shook her head vigorously, her soft, cotton-candy-like hair fluttered.
Helio watched her with a curious expression.
‘Look at that little head, lost in such serious thought.’
She looked just like a squirrel—a little squirrel about to drop all its acorns from thinking so hard.
Tapping his horse lightly on the flank, Helio left Liliana to her brooding.
His bay mount trotted past the carriage and took the lead.
Meanwhile, Liliana remained in turmoil.
‘How on earth do I get the Emperor to forget about me entirely?’
❈❈❈
In truth, it had not felt real until they crossed the border.
Liliana could only gauge the shift by how frequently the checkpoints appeared and how much finer the equipment looked.
The military gap between the Carlo Empire and the Kingdom of Niita had widened over thirty years ago, but Liliana naturally knew nothing of military affairs, having lacked such knowledge in both her past and present lives.
So when they finally reached a major city, what she truly felt was, ‘So this is the Carlo Empire!’
The roads were well paved, and the markets bustled with life.
She was astonished by how prosperous the people looked.
Parting the curtain to gaze outside, Liliana asked a knight riding alongside the carriage,
The knight replied flatly,
Liliana’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was her first time stepping beyond Niita’s royal castle, so she only had this one chance to compare the borders of Niita and the Carlo Empire. Even so, the sheer contrast was startling.
Nothing stood there but military outposts, and everyone looked starved. Hearing Liliana’s murmured words, the knight spoke with far more pride than before.
That was why so many people gathered and settled here.
Liliana nodded. As she quietly watched the street, she noticed passersby pausing to stare at the carriage.
Liliana bit her lip in embarrassment and drew the window shut. As the curtains fell into place, the air inside filled with the muffled sound of whispers.
At Liliana’s words, Sophia took on a look of deep concern.
Sophia was a very kind maid. Deciding to journey to this far-off land could not have been easy, yet she had willingly come along.
Liliana took Sophia’s hand and patted it gently.
Sophia had said it to comfort her, but a chill ran down Liliana’s spine all over again, and she managed only an awkward smile.
She would never have a child—she refused to even consider it.
Liliana hesitated, then pulled Sophia’s hand into her lap. Sophia looked at her in surprise, wondering what was coming. Liliana leaned in close to her ear and whispered,
Sophia swatted Liliana’s hand away as though she had spoken utter nonsense.
That was precisely the problem! The Emperor would never let his grip loosen because of those succession rights! He had Niita firmly by the leash, but she could not afford to take that bait.
Liliana looked at her with wide, sorrowful pink eyes and pouted. But the pitiful act did not work in the slightest.
Scolding her like a child, Sophia flicked Liliana’s lips with a finger and shook her head.
Sophia looked utterly resolute; there would be no swaying her.
Liliana decided she would have to take matters into her own hands first, even if she had no idea how to save herself yet.
Sulking, she turned her head away. Still, with nothing to see but the swaying curtains, boredom quickly settled in.
Liliana’s childish sulk did not last long. Her exhausted body could not fight off the monotony, and she soon drifted off to sleep.
❈❈❈
Liliana woke to the thunderous roll of drums and the roar of a crowd.
The people cheered passionately, breaking into a hymn of victory.
Liliana parted the curtain slightly and peeked out. The capital of the Carlo Empire was so grand and magnificent that her admiration knew no bounds.
Towering buildings lined the avenue, and even the common folk were dressed in such fine silks that one could hardly tell their station.
Liliana murmured bitterly,
The Kingdom of Niita had been utter fools to provoke a nation this powerful.
The carriage rolled down the capital’s main thoroughfare and entered the imperial palace grounds, where the avenue branched into several different paths.
At last, Liliana’s carriage came to a halt before a palace.
Its pillars were pure white, the roof was emerald like a fresh sea, and the windows were etched with intricate carvings.
Liliana stood in awe before a residence far more splendid and vast than anything she had ever seen.
Liliana assumed the building belonged to the Empress Dowager or some high-ranking noble. But as she stepped down from the carriage, the servant bowed and dismissed the thought.
Liliana’s jaw nearly dropped, but she managed to hold her composure as a princess.
Trying not to betray her shock, she asked carefully,
It made sense to build such a stunning place when one never knew what manner of guest might arrive.
Yet the servant shook his head and confirmed the truth.
Utterly bewildered, Liliana stepped inside the Emerald Palace. A line of maids stood waiting for her. The maid at the front of the row stepped forward and presented her with an envelope.
Liliana took the envelope and checked its contents.
Written in flowing cursive across stationery adorned with gold leaf were the words:
“Every maid here is your guard, so do not even think of running away.”
Hah. That mad Emperor…
Liliana felt a headache coming on.