Chapter 43

Episode 43: My Love for Her Was Never A Joke

The Imperial carriage sent to the Duchy returned as it was. In the horseman’s hand, an envelope stamped with the seal of the Grand Duke Ludwig was held. Raymond, who was browsing the letter with fierce eyes, jumped up.

“I’ll go to the Duchy of Ludwig!”

At his stern voice, the servants of the Imperial Palace were prepared to leave quickly. Throughout the journey to the Duchy, Raymond ruminated over and over the contents of the letter.

[……Marriage proposal came from Count Vernon.  I have to take bridal lessons and prepare for the wedding. I’m sorry, but please don’t send a carriage in the future..…]

Grit, there was a gritting sound of his teeth in the carriage.

Arriving at the Duchy, he came in recklessly without time for those guarding the door to report to the owner.

As he strode forward, recalling the structure of the castle he had visited a long time ago, he found two people talking outside.  Under a large tree, Kailos, his half-brother and Chloe stood opposite each other.

“Haa…”

A short breath burst out of Raymond’s mouth.

Her eyes looking at her loved one were all wet with sadness. But Kailos smiled kindly as if he couldn’t see it, and patted her head.

He saw her flinching her shoulders at the slightest touch.

‘He can’t see it? She loves him so much. Her whole body shows it.’

Raymond stood there and grabbed both hands tightly. The sound first came out of her mouth, who had been facing Kailos for a long time.

“Congratulations Uncle.”

“Thank you, Chloe. I thought you’d say that.”

The man’s fingertips swept down her face. What is the reason for her cheeks, which are blushing even in this situation, to look so beautiful?

“I have high expectations for Marquis Young Lady. It will be her first visit after the engagement. You’ll have to prepare yourself so that she isn’t disappointed.”

“Yes, I will never let you down.”

Raymond was belatedly able to understand the conversation the two were having.  So his half-brother was making Chloe, who loves him, serve his fiancée.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Kailos smiled softly and grabbed the tip of her chin. With his lips slowly getting closer, Raymond swallowed his breath and hid himself behind the tree.

She was kissing him with the same face as when she kissed Raymond. There was a scratch inside the clenched fist. Raymond clenched his fist harder to prevent the smell of blood from spreading.

His half-brother was kissing her without even loving her. Whether for the sake of pleasure, or for any other purpose, it was clearly an act of deceiving her. He wouldn’t have been ignorant of her feelings which are clearly visible to his eyes.

A little later, he saw his half-brother leaving her first. After standing in place for a long time, she sat on the floor and covered her face with both hands.

His sense of smell, which was more sensitive than others, recognized that it was her tears.

‘I want to comfort you.’

I felt bad for Chloe. My small, fragile, and lovely Chloe. She’s crying so sadly.

But instead of approaching her, Raymond went to his half brother.

“Your Majesty? How did you get here without a message?”

I wanted to rip that face off as he brazenly greeted me with a relaxed smile.  But Raymond persevered, he was the man she loved.

“This letter.”

Tuk, his half-brother’s letter fell onto the table.

“Marriage talks from Count Vernon? He already has grown-up daughters, and I know that he is 20 years older than Chloe.”

An angry voice poured out, but Kailos only smiled with a relaxed attitude the whole time.

“Your Majesty, how dare a child in the same situation as Chloe be the count’s wife? Thanks to Your Majesty’s visit to the child a few times, she has gained fame and become a mere countess.”

“What do you mean? Then, that marriage……?”

“It’s a good thing to be a Countess. To be the joy of an old count.”

“How can you make her do such a thing?”

Raymond was genuinely angry.

“Chloe, Chloe, to you……!”

(T/N: Here Raymond almost says she loves Kailos, and he understood what Raymond was going to say)

“…….”

A small crack broke out over Kailos’ face, who had been relaxed all along. He sighed while washing his face dry.

“Nothing is as good as having the heart of a young woman who doesn’t have anything. And how many times did His Majesty take her and play with her?”

“It’s not like that! I, really, sincerely, love her……!”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It is up to me, the child’s guardian, to decide Chloe’s course of action. And what the Grand Duke of Ludwig will obtain from the union of her with the Count of Vernon is a condition that cannot be ignored.”

“I’ll take her!”

Raymond punched the table with two fists. It was the first time in his life that he expressed his feelings so intensely. Kailos slowly raised the corners of his mouth as he watched the half-brother.

“How are you going to take her?”

“…… We’re reviewing the empress system, brother.”

Raymond, who calmed down slowly, muttered in a bitter voice.

“Of course, if she wants to.”

“Isn’t this a system that disappeared a long time ago?”

“I will review it a little more and declare it. So please don’t send Chloe anywhere else until then.”

Raymond wanted to show somehow.

I’ve never touched her for fun like you did. I wanted to show you how hot and enthusiastic my love for her is.

He stared at his half-brother with a look of contempt and turned around. Just in time, she was walking from the opposite side of the hallway.

Chloe, who found Raymond, smiled lovingly as if she had never cried with her red eyes.

“Your Majesty, what brings you here? My uncle said His Majesty was very busy and would not be able to meet me for a while.….”

“Did he say that?”

Raymond grabbed Chloe’s thin wrist and asked. As soon as he saw her eyes grow wide, surprised by his actions, a small curse flowed into his mind.

“It wasn’t, uh, I was trying to surprise you.”

With a small cough, Raymond made an excuse. Chloe burst into laughter at the appearance of his red face.

“Chloe.”

Raymond glanced at her bright smile and called her name.

“I, you…….”

She tilted her head when he couldn’t speak for a long time.

“Your Majesty?”

“……no, nothing.”

Raymond shook his head as if to avoid it. Sensing the strangeness, she took a step closer to him. Raymond reached out and clasped her face. His fingertips were trembling.

I liked her. Although he found out that her heart was not the same as his, he liked her nonetheless. It didn’t matter for what purpose she smiled so beautifully at him.

Even if she wanted to use his position and wealth, he was willing to be used. She was such a precious woman for him. I didn’t want her to be the joy of an old nobleman, as if she were sold by the hands of the man she loved.

“I will protect you.”

“What?”

“So don’t ever cry.”

Embarrassed by what he said, she patted her eyes. Raymond took his hand off her face with a smile.

“I’m thinking of going back to the Imperial Palace now. Will you come with me?”

“Oh, my uncle asked me to do this…….”

Her face immediately darkened. Raymond, who knew the reason, couldn’t stand it and dragged her recklessly.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll tell my brother separately. Let’s go to the Imperial Palace right now.”

“Y-Your Majesty?”

Chloe was embarrassed and kept calling him, but it was impossible for her small hands to push Raymond.

Chloe eventually stepped into Raymond’s wagon together.

“Are you nervous?”

“Uncle… Won’t he be angry….”

Raymond comforted her because he felt sorry for her, who was wary of the man until the end.

“Who do you think I am? Even though I’m falling for you, I’m the emperor of this country. I can handle your uncle with ease.”

“Oh…”

She sighed a little and nodded.

She was still wriggling her hands as if she was still anxious, but Raymond never wanted to leave her next to his half-brother. I didn’t want to let her serve the man’s fiancée with her hands.

“Close your eyes because we have to go quite far.”

Raymond turned his head, speaking bluntly. After a while, only her gentle breathing filled the carriage.

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