EURL CH 19

Chapter 19

“Why, you ask?”

“When Lady Wildenbiston followed behind you for twelve years, you ignored her like she was the fifth wheel on a carriage. So why, now of all times, are you blocking that poor girl’s future? It may not have made it into the Pacific Times, but the noble houses of the capital are already buzzing. Poor Lady Wildenbiston’s reputation hasn’t just hit rock bottom—it’s drilling into bedrock! Why did you do that? If this was how it would be, then you should have—”

“I was the Crown Prince then. I am the Emperor now.”

“…Pardon

Weiss’s expression went slack for a moment.

Rubellus looked at him directly. The playful look was gone. His face had turned serious.

Instinctively, Weiss understood. One wrong word here, and his head could roll.

“Her reputation is something I can take responsibility for, is it not?”

Weiss blinked in shock.

Wait. Then that engagement statement wasn’t a joke?

Just then, the attendant returned with the clothes. Sensing that their private conversation was ending, Rubellus stood and walked toward them.

The audience was over.

“Are you serious?”

The question burst from Weiss’s mouth before he could stop himself.

Rubellus halted mid-step and turned his head slowly.

The moment Weiss saw his face, he froze completely.

Rubellus was wearing an expression he had never seen before.

“Of course I’m serious.”

He said it while looking Weiss straight in the eye.

A chill ran down Weiss’s spine. If looks could kill, he would have been torn apart several times over.

“…Forgive me.”

“I will finish preparing. Go ahead to the audience chamber.”

“As you command.”

He had almost died.

That wasn’t an exaggeration.

Weiss swallowed dryly and scrambled to his feet. He needed to get out of there before Rubellus finished dressing.

***

“Gasp!”

I kicked at the air and shot upright in bed.

Panicked, I looked around.

My bed.

I quickly examined the room layout. It wasn’t someone else’s house. It was the home I had grown up in.

The moment I confirmed it was my room, I looked down at my clothes.

Good! I was wearing my usual gray-green day dress.

After checking everything, I clutched my chest and shouted joyfully.

“Thank you, God! Thank you! Be blessed! Be happy! I love you! Hooray, hooray!”

It was a dream.

A dream!

I grabbed both my hands and thrashed in place in pure relief.

I never thought I’d live to see the day I was grateful for a dream.

But honestly, it had been such a bizarre and awful nightmare. I had finally resolved to go on a blind date, and then His Majesty Rubellus barged into the venue and crushed Marquis Shoden’s son’s shoulder. And then he said—

“‘My fiancée’!”

I burst out laughing and flopped back onto the bed.

Now that I knew it had all been a dream, I felt unbelievably peaceful.

“Wow, that was ridiculous.”

Completely ridiculous!

I kicked the blanket away and stretched my arms and legs wide.

Then I gazed proudly at the sunlight streaming into my room.

The sky was beautifully blue today. Cheers to my parents for letting me see such a lovely world—

“Miss! Oh my goodness! She’s awake! Over here!”

At the shrill voice filling the room, I turned onto my side and looked toward the door.

Marta stood there, pale as a sheet, practically screaming.

“Marta!”

“Miss! You’re awake? Do you know where you are? Do you recognize me?!”

Honestly, was it that shocking that I woke up early?

Sure, I was usually half-asleep when she woke me, but wasn’t this a bit much?

Still, I felt great today. I could overlook anything.

“Of course I do. Hey, Marta. Good morning. The air felt so fresh I woke up early. I did well, didn’t I?”

Still lying on my side, I gave her a casual two-finger salute at my brow and even winked.

But instead of looking annoyed like usual, Marta turned even paler.

“Call the doctor! The miss is acting strange! Oh dear, our poor miss! She must have lost her mind!”

My brows knitted tightly.

Her reaction had been excessive from the start. Now it was just strange.

Why was waking up early equal to losing my mind?

“Marta, what’s wrong? I’m fine. I’m perfectly sane.”

Sensing something was off, I climbed out of bed and walked toward her.

The moment she saw me walking normally, she collapsed to the floor and began wailing.

“Oh, Miss. I understand everything!”

This was getting serious.

I crouched in front of her.

“Marta, what on earth is going on?”

She suddenly grabbed my shoulders tightly.

“Miss, do you know what day it is?”

Her voice sounded almost tragic.

“Today? The nineteenth. The long-awaited blind date day.”

“Oh no! She’s truly lost her senses! Miss, today is the twentieth! The twentieth!”

She burst into tears again.

The twentieth?

Had I mistaken the date?

But what was the big deal if I had?

I patted her shoulder awkwardly—

And then a memory flashed through my mind.

No.

No way.

“Wait.”

I clutched my head.

Don’t tell me…

The things I thought were a dream…

“Then Marta, did His Majesty really come to the blind date?”

“They said he did! Oh, what will become of our poor miss!”

“…It was real?”

All of it?

The emperor entered the restaurant with a carpet laid before him. Gripping Shoden’s son’s shoulder. Looking straight at me. Smiling brightly and clearly declaring, “My fiancée.”

All of it?

“…It really happened?”

It felt like all the blood drained from my body.

I stood up slowly.

“Oh, Miss! Stay here! The doctor is coming!”

“It really happened…”

I took a deep breath.

No. That made no sense.

Why would His Majesty do that?

Why come to me and cause such chaos?

“That can’t be. It can’t.”

I clenched my fists tightly.

I needed to see my family.

Leaving Marta crying behind me, I rushed downstairs.

“I don’t understand this at all.”

Bianca’s voice.

I froze.

Her voice was coming from the small drawing room just beneath the staircase outside my room.

I leaned over the railing and looked down.

Bianca sat on the sofa, holding her head with a troubled expression. Her makeup-free face looked exhausted.

“I had just arrived at the estate and had to pack up and rush back to the capital. At first, I thought it was a joke. His Majesty barging into Aira’s blind date? If it’s a joke, it’s a terrible one.”

“But it is true. Thankfully, the newspapers are quiet.”

Elphain sighed and lowered the paper in his hands.

They normally disliked this small drawing room.

If they were sitting there, it meant they were waiting for me to wake up.

Just as I was about to call out to them—

Bianca sighed deeply.

“It seems the Imperial Household didn’t permit any reporting. Weiss must have blocked it.”

“Yes. We’ve already discussed it with the Shoden family as well. Father and Marquis Shoden have likely agreed to treat the incident as though it never happened.”

Reporting?

I knew Weiss well enough. He was Elphain’s friend and used to visit often.

He once fed me ridiculous rumors about Rubellus and laughed about it.

Bianca nodded slowly.

“So it can be suppressed like that. That’s fortunate, at least. Anyone who wants to make a living through the press in this country would be careful when dealing with the Imperial Family.”

Then silence.