Previously
Liliana discovers she has the rare talent of a Spirit Master when she encounters Choo Choo, a wind fairy imprisoned by magical shackles in the storage room. Over the next two weeks, Liliana secretly practices spirit magic under the fairy's guidance to eventually free her.
At a loss for how to react, Liliana merely blinked her eyes slowly.
It was unheard of for an emperor to attend the appointment ceremony of a queen. After all, a queen was distinct from an empress.
Regardless of the rank's prestige, in the end, she was merely a high-ranking concubine. Why had Helio come to such an occasion?
Helio glanced around before striding down the white carpet toward Liliana. She remained kneeling on the ground. He extended a hand out to her.
As Liliana sat there looking entirely bewildered, Helio smirked and added,
His hand was empty, but Liliana could clearly tell that the gift Helio offered was not something tangible.
‘The Emperor attended Liliana’s appointment ceremony as Queen and took her by the hand.’
This piece of news would spread through the capital by evening. By tomorrow, it would reach the neighboring city; two days later, the next city; and eventually, every soul in the empire would know.
And then people would whisper:
‘The Emperor cherishes Queen Liliana dearly.’
Thanks to that single gesture, Liliana would hold a backing far more powerful than any humble lineage could provide. No one would dare strike her across the cheek in public again.
Knowing what it meant, Liliana placed her hand in Helio’s. He gently pulled her to her feet.
Liliana hesitated for a brief second before shifting course.
Liliana recalled that the original version of herself had never received such treatment.
Though she could not say for certain, Liliana had caught Helio’s eye ever since recalling her past life, and that attention might very well keep her alive. She resolved to accept his help with open arms.
The Empress Dowager shifted her gaze to Helio as though intending to address him.
Helio cut her off with a curt greeting and turned away without waiting for a reply. Caught by the hand, Liliana was yanked along in his stride.
Liliana glanced over her shoulder and called out, “Stay in good health, Your Majesty!”
The moment they stepped out of the Empress Dowager’s palace grounds, Helio furrowed his brow and spoke.
Startled, Liliana tried to pull her hand away from Helio’s grasp. But he only tightened his grip, halting her right beside him.
Helio let go of Liliana's hand and asked in surprise,
Liliana grumbled under her breath, rubbing her wrist.
Helio took her hand far more gently this time and examined her wrist. It seemed her complaint was no exaggeration; faint red marks stood out against her pale skin.
Liliana stared in disbelief. It was hard to believe Helio had never held a woman’s hand before, and his claim that he would make amends sounded surreal coming from him.
To Liliana, Helio was a terrifying, warmongering tyrant—ruthless to a fault, yet prone to dropping flippant jokes that nearly scared the soul out of her. Seeing such an ordinary, mundane side to him was disorienting…
Helio chuckled once more at her remark. When she muttered that she couldn't fathom why he laughed every time he saw her, he flicked her forehead with his finger.
“Didn’t I tell you I fancy you quite a bit?”
As Liliana rubbed her stinging forehead and grumbled, Helio shook his head as if she were hopeless.
This time, it was Liliana who laughed. It was absurdly comical; Helio’s bottomless arrogance—and the past deeds that actually justified it—made her think, ‘Right, fair enough.’
Even as she laughed, Helio said nothing more. He simply strolled ahead at an easy pace, hands folded behind his back. With her feet beginning to throb in the high heels, his slow stride was a welcome mercy.
Liliana shook her head without hesitation.
Helio looked down at her through half-lidded eyes, puzzled. Common courtesy usually dictated turning down an offer with modest hesitation, but Liliana was clearly not refusing out of mere politeness. Her refusal came straight from the heart.
Liliana burst into laughter. Her pink eyes curved into happy crescents as she looked at him.
At that instant, Helio felt a sudden squeeze in his chest. It felt as though his heart had suddenly expanded after holding his breath for far too long.
Helio pressed a hand to his chest, paused for a moment in thought, and then flicked Liliana on the forehead again. The bright smile on Liliana’s face vanished, instantly replaced by a scowl.
Helio didn't know the answer himself. Why had he suddenly raised a welt on this little girl's forehead? Seeing her pale brow turn swollen and red, a pang of regret washed over him.
Regret? Helio felt an unfamiliar sensation stir within him as he took a step ahead of Liliana.
Liliana replied with submissive compliance. Helio was treating her kindly, but it seemed born of a passing whim. She was a princess dragged from a defeated nation; he appeared to look after her merely because she amused him, and perhaps out of a sliver of pity.
Liliana did not mind that in the least, but she had no illusions that such kindness would last.
Therefore, if the Emperor commanded something of her, she had to obey. Naturally.
Then, Liliana curled her lips and spoke up.
Helio asked in bafflement, as though the idea of ghosts appearing on imperial grounds were utterly preposterous. But Liliana, playing the part of pure honesty, widened her eyes and nodded earnestly.
Exchanging idle banter, they reached the Emerald Palace before they realized it. The ripples of the rumor that the Emperor had personally escorted Liliana were bound to be immense. By now, it was plain to all that Helio had shown her the utmost favor.
Liliana dipped into a small curtsy and voiced her gratitude.
Though she expected him to boast again and had braced herself to brush it off with a polite ‘thank you,’ she felt only his piercing gaze lingering on the crown of her head, accompanied by silence.
Liliana lifted her head and looked at Helio. He stood watching her with his hands clasped, then dropped a startling remark.
Liliana’s eyes rounded in shock. …Returning tonight?
Her appointment ceremony as Queen had taken place today, so there was no mistaking what those words implied.
Spending the first night with her after she became Queen was nothing short of a grand boon from Helio. If this continued, the entire empire would undoubtedly revere Liliana as a woman of extraordinary stature.
Helio spoke with a faint smile.
Helio gave a casual wave of his hand and continued on his way. Liliana remained standing where she was, tilting her head toward the path he had taken, lost in thought.
Certain things had begun to deviate from the original story.
Originally, Liliana had never garnered an ounce of interest from the Emperor.
She had been so quiet and meek that she never dreamt of escaping; the Emperor had never attended her appointment ceremony, nor had he come for a first night.
Things might play out differently now. Perhaps she would be able to bear a child in peace. If that happened, Liliana’s body would not be wrecked, the child might become a new source of strength for her, and in time, she might safely give birth to a second child and live out a tranquil life.
Had things followed the original trajectory, a young child would have faced a harrowing existence, even with a mother and an older brother present.
Yet all of that depended on every piece falling into place perfectly.
At worst, should Liliana conceive, Helio’s interest might abruptly fade, allowing Lady Gabriel to intervene and send someone to induce a miscarriage.
In that scenario, just as in the original story, Liliana’s health could deteriorate beyond recovery. Worse still, with rumors spreading that Helio cherished her, Lady Gabriel might preemptively eliminate her before she could ever bear a second child, simply out of caution.
‘Let us proceed according to plan.’
Liliana resolved internally as she stepped inside the Emerald Palace. She considered the grim possibility that this might be the last time she ever saw Helio's face up close.
If Helio ever discovered that she had used a trick to evade sharing a bed with him, he would surely strip away everything he had given her.
She recalled the face of the man who had teasingly banter with her, then imagined how chillingly cold his gaze would turn, and shook her head.
Nothing in this world was worth more than her life.
❈❈❈
As Helio worked through the documents in his office, he checked the time and raised an eyebrow, catching the head butler approaching in silence.
Helio had never spent time as a crown prince, meaning there had never been a crown princess consort before him, which made Liliana the very first woman officially taken into his fold.
In other words, this was to be the Emperor’s first official consummation night.
The wedding night was forever an alluring, covert spectacle in stories, held with an air of sanctity. When it involved the Emperor himself, its weight became monumental. For that very reason, the imperial court was abuzz with quiet commotion.
‘The Emperor’s first official night.’
As for the other protagonist, Liliana, she undoubtedly had not managed to catch a single breath—scrubbed clean, scented with perfumes, and forced into dozens of different gowns.
Imagining Liliana whining to him about her exhaustion, Helio let out a chuckle.