Chapter 1 - I was a beautiful bait for the Emperor.

Episode 1: Chloe Garnet

Chapter 1. I was a beautiful bait for the Emperor.

Theard that man coming back. Standing by the window and discovering that man’s carriage passing through the gate, opened the door and walked outside as if running.

The one and only Grand Duke of the Empire, Kailos Ludwig III. The owner of this castle, my guardian, and…

‘No, more than that, I’m not allowed to feel.’

I smiled bitterly and stopped my legs from running. That man always emphasized a decorous attitude on me. After taking a slow deep breath with my hands on my chest, gently walked in search of that man’s footsteps.

The emperor’s half-brother, that man, often left the territory and stayed in the capital.

He was the only man in the Imperial family, except for the emperor, who was in a situation where the Emperor had not seen his heirs for a long time, he was a very ambiguous person.

His mother, who is now dead, was both the Emperor’s mistress and the only grand princess in the empire.

The people of the empire loved the beautiful mistress, who was from the highest family in the empire, more than the Empress, who was married from foreign country.

(T/N: prestigious families having a single daughter were treated like a princess, even though they aren’t of royal blood)

The son of such a woman, who had a greater influence than the empress, grew and became the only Grand Duke of the empire, but had to lose his mother and father at the same time at the age of adulthood.

His half-brother, the current emperor, Raymond del Astaroth, pitied him who had become alone and recognized his status as part of the Imperial family.

The reason why it was possible was because there was no man in the imperial family except for the Emperor,

Although he was disqualified from participating in the noble council in exchange for the recognition of his status as an Imperial family, he was a fairly recognized man in society with a good appearance and eloquent speech.

I found him in countless places, and he was always busy.

This time again, he returned after nearly three months. The distance from the capital to the estate was so close that it would take only half a day by horseback, so I was deeply saddened.

But I was able to greet the man with a shy smile because the joy preceded that disappointment.

Looking at the knights gathered at the entrance of the back garden, I could see that he stopped by the back garden without coming straight into the castle.

It was the place where I took care of while he was gone. When I thought of that man who would be happy to see a more beautiful garden than before, naturally, a beautiful smile was drawn around my mouth.

“Lady Garnet.” [1

His knight blocked me trying to enter the back garden.

“Lord France.”

Lord Enoch France was quite trusted among the male knights for his outstanding skills.

However, the ladies of my age would tremble at the sight of his beautiful appearance that seemed to have come out of a portrait rather than for his abilities. I lifted my skirt slightly towards him and bowed gracefully.

“Welcome back to Ludwig Castle. Is my uncle inside?”

Lord France frowned, his eyes showed an ambiguous expression. I asked again because he couldn’t answer immediately.

“Isn’t my uncle inside?”

“He’s inside. However…”

Nevertheless, he still didn’t speak. As I tilted my head, puzzled and looked up, he turned his head away. Certainly, he seemed to be avoiding something.

“If it’s uncomfortable for me to get in.”

When I asked in a quiet voice, I suddenly realized why he had stopped me. At the same time, the loud whisper of words coming from inside made my cheeks hot.

“As you have said, it’s such a pretty back garden. If I hadn’t come, I would have regretted it.”

“Right. But in my eyes…….”

Over lord France’s shoulder, I could see a man whispering to a stranger sitting on his lap.

“I can’t see the beauty of the back garden, it can’t compare to Betty’s loveliness.”

Although it was a distant scene, every little move of the man stroking her while staring affectionately at the face of the woman facing him was embedded in my eyes.

The gestures and voices that seduced the woman belonged to the one I loved, but the laughter which bursted out belonged to a stranger, not mine.

“Oh, my. The compliments are too much.”

“Well. How can you take my words for it?”

The laughter gradually subsided, and the faces of the two gradually tilted towards each other. I stood there and stared blankly at the two, forgetting to even breathe.

“The daughter of Marquis Elizabeth Rosaline, is with us.”

Just before his lips touched the woman, lord France once again blocked me. Only then did I come to my senses and blink my eyes.

“……I see.”

Realizing that the man was not alone, I tried to turn around with a smile.

It was not unusual for a man who was staying in the capital to return to the territory with another woman. There was no reason to be so sad.

However, I didn’t want to watch that man kiss a strange woman with my own eyes.

Lord France’s voice to escort me to my room seemed to have crossed my ears at first glance. But I, who couldn’t even afford to answer, walked as if I were running to my room.

In the meantime, it was funny to recall that I did not keep the lady’s attitude that man valued.

Three days after returning, that man came to me. The fact that the woman went back in the carriage early in the morning of the same day could be guessed by the words of the servants. [2]

“Hello, Chloe.”

Standing by the door, he looked a little tired. While rubbing my eyes for a moment and staring blankly at him, belatedly realized that it was not a fantasy but a reality

“Uncle?”

“I’m sad. Are you not welcoming me anymore?”

“No way!”

I blushed and approached him following the man’s gesture. Then that man smiled and held me in his arms and turned around, and immediately closed the door.

“Even now,” (Grand Duke)

Thanks to this, I became trapped between the door and the man, and I had to hold my breath to hide my beating heart. Whether he knew of my hardships or not, the man’s thick fingers stroked my face.

“Beautiful, Chloe. Even the queen of fairies in the legend will be jealous and hide when she sees you.” (Grand Duke)

Sweet words praising my appearance poured through his alluring lips.

I thought the distance between that man and me was too, close, but I bowed my head still without being able to do this or that because there was no space to back down.

But the man lifted my chin gently so that I couldn’t avoid his gaze. He was a bad person.

“It’s been a while since we met. Are you going to avoid

me?

“…..I already saw you three days ago.”

Although he might not have seen me, I saw him. At my slightly grumpy words, he rolled up the corners of his mouth.

“You must have seen the daughter of Marquis Elizabeth Rosaline.”

When I nodded, the man bent his eyes and adhered to me.

“She’s a good woman in many ways. She’s also the best woman to be by my side. So don’t do anything to be hated by her. Because once she becomes angry, I can’t protect

you.”

My heart throbbed at the warning, not wanting to offend her as much as possible. It was the first time that man had told a story of another woman in front of me so directly.

“You’re a wise kid. You know what I mean, right?”

That man didn’t wait for my answer. In fact, my answer was not important to him. My answer was always either ‘yes’ or ‘okay’.

The lips of that man who slowly approached fell on me. clung at the gesture of him hugging my waist strongly and leaving a deep kiss.

His sweet fingertips, which were sweeping down my cheeks, came down along my jawline. The thin negligee with a design exposing the collarbone slid down lightly with a single gesture of his hand.

When his hand slid through the round shoulders revealed, inhaled and breathed in without realizing it.

Was my reaction interesting? He burst into a low smile and took off his lips. As soon as the kiss was over, I became disappointed. He bent his back and immediately buried his head above my chest.

“U, uncle, wait……!”

“Shhhh, good girl, Chloe.”

That man whispered to me in a sweet voice as if I were a child. Every time that man’s lips moved and a hot breath touched my skin, I had to clench my hands at the groans that burst out of my mouth.

“Hmm…”

“Still, a lovely body…….”

Finally, raising his head, he murmured, looking over my body with a drowsy gaze.

“I think your breasts became smaller without seeing me.”

[3]

I breathed heavily with a red face.

“He doesn’t like girls who are too skinny.”

I know who the subject of that sentence is. Men like slim women, but it was not allowed for me to take care of my body to suit the taste of men.

The one and only Grand Duke of the Empire, Kailos Ludwig III, and his half-brother, Emperor Raymond del Astaroth.

I was the beautiful bait he would throw at the emperor.

(1) Meaning of the name Garnet: The name Garnet is primarily a female name of English origin that means A Red Semi-precious Gem. Also an English surname meaning, “little Warren’.

[2] she went back on the day he came to visit Chloe

(3) People who didn’t understood this part, the Grand Duke, is basically gr*oming her mentally and physically, so he is making her body in taste with Emperor who likes big breasts, ok now I am embarrassed I will stop here