The emperor and his knight 8

chapter 332

What Poliana experienced seemed strange. The word “embarrassment” didn’t quite explain it.
She was most likely feeling self-conscious and shy, but Poliana couldn’t understand why.

As she became more and more uncomfortable, Poliana began to eat faster. She ate like she
fought and attacked the food viciously. Although it was an amazing feast, unfortunately, Poliana
could barely taste anything anymore and she didn’t care. She knew that the only way for her to
escape this situation was to finish the meal and leave!

Poliana ate and ate until she could no more. There was still plenty of food left on the table and
her stomach was beyond full. Lucius the First filled her cup with water and said to her, “Don’t
overeat. You’ll make yourself sick. I’ll have an even better feast ready for you next time.”

“Thank you for the meal, your highness.”

“You’re welcome. You are probably still tired from your trip, so you should return home and rest.”

“Your order is my command, your highness.”

“This isn’t an order. It is a suggestion. From now on, everything I say to you will be a request,
not an order. Please understand this.”

“Your highness… Why me, why did you choose me? There are so many better women out
there?”

“Pol…”

Lucius the First looked at her disappointedly, but Poliana continued, “I am ugly, your Highness.
Do you remember telling me how you would rather sleep with a dirty wh*re?”

Lucius the First replied in a clearly upset voice, “Please forget I said that! Please, I beg you!” He
hated himself for saying such a thing to her in the past. Poliana hated seeing him so sad, so she
decided she will never bring up this again. It was one of the things the emperor said to her that
she could never forget, but if Lucius the First wanted her to forget it, she will try her best.

“Alright, your highness. Anyway, I am old and ugly. You are the man every woman wants, but I
am the woman no man wants. So I just don’t understand why you are pursuing me like this. I
realize there is no logic or reason for love, but still… This still doesn’t make sense. There have
been plenty of beautiful and wonderful ladies in your life, so why do you want me?”
“You’re being so cruel, Sir Pol. If what you say is right that I am the man every woman wants,
then shouldn’t you feel proud to have me fall in love with you? You have always been a
confident and proud woman, so why can’t you be happy about my feelings for you?”

“Those are two very different things, your highness. My pride and confidence have nothing to do
with anything here.”

“You are wrong. And even if you aren’t, it doesn’t matter. Also, you are not ugly. I find you
adorable.” When Lucius the First told her she was cute, Poliana became quiet. She blushed
again and to hide it, Poliana covered her cheeks. They felt warm on her hands and Poliana
decided it was time for her to go.

“I’ll see you later, your highness.”

“Alright. I’ll walk you out.”

Lucius the First stood up quickly. Worried that he might try to pull out the chair for her again,
Poliana stood up immediately, but to her shock, the emperor was at the door and opened it for
her.

‘Dammit!’

This was now the second time she walked through the door that was opened by the emperor.
Such an honor was difficult to endure for her; her eyes reddened and she felt like she wanted to
disappear.

The servant waiting outside quickly ran to the barn to get her horse. Poliana and the emperor
walked leisurely outside. She made sure to walk slightly behind Lucius the First. The emperor
must’ve ordered the horse to be brought to the back door. When they walked out, there was no
one around, not even a single guard. The servant who ran out to get the horse was gone, thus,
Poliana waited for her ride.

Poliana bowed and said to the emperor awkwardly, “Well then… Have a good night, your
highness.”

What Lucius the First did next made her feel even more uncomfortable. He bowed politely and
asked Poliana, “Please, my lady, allow me the honor of kissing the back of your beautiful hand.”

The emperor has been dying to ask Poliana this ever since he saw Sir Ainno do it to his wife. It
was such a respectful request, but Poliana froze as if he stabbed her. She looked like she was
about to burst in shock.

“Your highness, you know my hands aren’t beautiful! They are ugly!”
Her hands were discolored and rough with callouses. Her fingernails were broken and
misshaped. Until now, Poliana has been proud of her hands, but at this very moment, Poliana
felt embarrassed.

Lucius the First said to her in frustration, “Smooth and soft hands aren’t the only hands that are
beautiful. Do you think a mother’s hands are ugly if they are worn from sewing so much? Noble
ladies work hard to keep their skin soft and beautiful while the common women work hard to
feed their families. I believe the hands of all ladies are beautiful, just as I think your hands as the
knightess are beautiful.”

Lucius the First gently held her hands. A man’s hands on her skin… Since they were both
experienced swordsmen, Lucius the First had the callouses in the same areas as hers.
Poliana’s hands were, of course, rougher. The emperor rubbed the back of her hand with his
thumb, but he did not kiss it. He was going to wait until she gave him her permission.

“Please let my hands go, your highness.”

“If you are going to refuse me, you must say it outright. Tell me not to kiss your hand and I won’t,
but if you don’t say it, I am going to stand here and wait.”

The emperor was ready to wait forever for her even if she ran away. He would wait day and
night. He would wait for her for a decade. Perhaps longer.

Poliana knew she was allowed to refuse him, but it was difficult to say no. It was because
Poliana has kissed the back of the emperor’s hand so many times before. Love and respect
were two different things, but… Poliana remembered the first time she was allowed to kiss the
emperor’s hand. The happiness and excitement she felt… She would never be able to forget
that moment.

And here was the man who was clearly in love with her. He was looking at her beggingly and
Poliana didn’t have the heart to refuse him. It didn’t feel right for her to say no when she was
given the honor of kissing his hand so many times before.

Poliana finally said to him, “Do whatever you wish, your highness.” Lucius the First slowly kissed
the back of her hand. Her hand was rough while the emperor’s lips were soft.

Even though it was the back of her hand he kissed, strangely, Poliana felt her palm feeling
ticklish. In fact, her neck, back, breasts, feet, ears, and even her teeth felt sensitive.

It was just a simple kiss on her hand, but Poliana became filled with strange emotions. The
unfamiliar feelings refused to disappear even when she went to sleep that night.
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Just as she promised, Poliana visited Princes Luminae again, but as soon as she walked in, the
little girl pointed at her and screamed, “No!” But when Poliana got closer, even though the
princess said no again, she raised both of her arms, wanting Poliana to hold her. Clearly,
Princess Luminae didn’t know what the word meant. All she wanted was for Poliana to give her
a hug. The princess waited impatiently as she glared at the knightess.

Poliana quickly lifted the demanding princess up into her arms. Because Poliana was much
thinner than the nanny or the wet nurse, the princess didn’t seem to like Poliana’s embrace. The
little girl was used to being held by soft women. Although the knightess was on the voluptuous
side, especially considering how slim she was, Poliana’s body was far from being soft. Her
breasts got bigger during and immediately after her pregnancy, but they were now back to their
normal size. It was most likely because she stopped breastfeeding and she was also taking the
medication that “dried up” her milk. Poliana was slowly regaining her slim and hard body. Prince
Luminae seemed to contemplate before wanting to return to her nanny. However, she refused to
let go of Poliana’s finger. For a little baby, Princess Luminae was surprisingly strong as she
continued to grab onto Poliana’s finger stybbornly.

Suddenly, Poliana thought of her own son Gerald. It was the strangest thing because when she
was with him in Sitrin, she often didn’t even pay attention to him even when he was in her arms.
She thought of her son more now than when she wasn’t with him. Why was that? Why did this
situation remind her of her son?

Princess Luminae, quickly realizing that Poliana wasn’t paying attention to her, pulled at
Poliana’s gloved finger. Poliana turned towards the baby and gave her a smile.

One of the maids asked, “Marquess, I see that you’re wearing gloves today.”

“I just felt like it.”

Just from the kiss on her hand from the emperor yesterday, Poliana has been feeling strange all
night. At least, her body mostly calmed down by now, but her hand still felt very warm as if the
kiss happened just a moment ago.

Didn’t people say that the fourth finger of the left hand had a vein that ran directly to the heart?
That was why the wedding ring was worn on this finger. Lucius the First must’ve kissed her
fourth finger yesterday because her heart still felt strange even now.

Poliana visited Tory yesterday, and now, it was time to see Stra. When Stra saw Poliana, her
eyes teared up as she congratulated her, “Congratulations on your wedding, Marquess Winter!”

Stra hasn’t changed at all. Poliana was going to marry her ex-husband, yet Lady Stra was
congratulating Poliana with genuine happiness. Poliana was planning on apologizing as soon as
she saw Stra, but she became speechless at Stra’s greeting.
Poliana stammered, “I… it hasn’t been firmly decided yet.”

“But you are going to marry him, right? My maids and I are all cheering for you!”

Stra was still as kind as ever. It seemed that everyone was rooting for Poliana, but this didn’t
make her happy. She asked Stra, “Aren’t you upset about it?”

“Upset? Why would I be upset? It’s not like you seduced his highness, Marquess. And you do
not need to act so formally around me anymore. I am no longer his highness’s wife. I am just
Stra, one of the heads of the maids.”

“You may have divorced him, but his highness still used to be your husband…”

“If I was the kind of woman who would be jealous and upset about this situation, I would’ve
never agreed to work in the castle. I have no ill feelings towards you, Marquess. It’s actually his
highness that I am a little…”

Soon after he and Stra were divorced, Lucius the First said something rude to her. Ever since,
Stra has been a little unhappy with the emperor.

The marriage between the Acreian emperor and a princess from one of the colonies… It was a
typical example of a strategic political marriage. At the beginning of their marriage, Stra fell in
love with Lucius the First, but before their first wedding anniversary, her feelings disappeared.
Ever since, Stra has been watching how things progress between Lucius the First and Poliana.
She enjoyed the love story developing right in front of her eyes.

Stra decided to work in the castle mostly because of Princess Luminae. The little girl was
motherless now and there was no way of knowing who will become the emperor’s next wife and
therefore the princess’s new mother. Tory, even after the scandalous incident, decided to stay
and work in Yapa. Although Stra wasn’t as brave as Tory, she never forgot the promise she
made.

It was the promise to raise Princess Luminae into a great lady.

Because Stra was no longer the princess’s mother since she divorced the emperor, she could
no longer raise princess Luminae herself, but she still could remain in the castle and help.

But when Stra returned to Yapa for this job, she was disappointed to find Poliana gone from the
capital city. She was certain Lucius the First was going to confess his love for her, but it seemed
that the emperor didn’t do a thing. Stra became very upset and disappointed in the emperor.

However, things were finally happening the way they should and Stra was ecstatic! When she
first heard the rumor about the emperor and Poliana, she screamed with excitement.
Stra smiled shyly and said to Poliana, “Anyway, there is no need for you to feel uncomfortable
here, Marquess. I hope you know that I have been cheering for you and the emperor for a very
long time.”

Blushing, Stra added, “Of all the romantic stories I have heard in my life, yours is the best.”

Here was another person who wanted a happy ending to this situation. Poliana was still
struggling to find what true happiness was, but it seemed that everyone around her was certain
of what would bring happiness to her.

The marriage between herself and the emperor. This is what everyone wanted for her.

They say that a man becomes happy when he marries the woman he loves, and a woman
becomes happy when she marries the man who loves her. Based on what everyone has told
her and what she read in the romance books, this was the conclusion Poliana came up with. In
a lot of the stories with a knightess, if the main character died, it was considered a sad story. If
she lived, it was thought to be a happy story.

Poliana survived everything she had to go through in her life, and she was going to be satisfied
with this fact. But it seemed that people around her wanted more for her. They wanted a “happy
ending.”

A happy ending based on their beliefs.

Poliana felt more and more confused.

Of course, it also didn’t help that her hand, the very hand the emperor kissed yesterday, still felt
ticklish as if a puppy licked it just a moment ago.
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Yesterday, the emperor went to sleep early. As soon as he woke up this morning, he did not go
immediately to work. Instead, he put great effort into his skin and hair. While Lucius the First
was busy taking care of his beauty regimen, his cousin, Duke Luzo, and Marquis Zeese were
burdened with the work of running the kingdom.

Duke Luzo with his receding hairline from all the work…. Marquis Zeese who found the castle
more comfortable than his own home because he did not trust his own wife… These two men
shuddered as they saw the work piling up on their desks.

“Is his highness taking another day off today?”

“Yes, that is what I was told.”

“…Chancellor… I have a son, who resembles an adorable little piglet, and a wife, who
resembles a pretty squirrel, waiting for me at home.”

“My lord, I have a foxy wife and a dovely son waiting at home myself.”

Marquis Zeese’s wife was able to avoid being punished during the recent political turmoil thanks
to her husband. However, Lady Zeese was shocked to find how her husband was secretly on
the emperor’s side. She couldn’t believe she was never told of his plan, and ever since, they
have been living as strangers.

Marquis Zeese and his wife, although were married by an arranged marriage for a political
purpose, shared a close bond. They weren’t in love with each other, but they were affectionate.
But ever since the time when all the elders and many nobles were removed for being traitors,
things changed between the husband and the wife. They only talked when necessary, and just
like that, the couple Poliana envied was over.

Sir Bentier regretted his decision, but it was too late to change what he did. He should’ve trusted
his wife. He should’ve trusted women in general. Sir Bentier did not blame anyone because he
knew it was all on him. It was his fault.

Unfortunately, his relationship with his son also became strained. Feeling uncomfortable in his
own home, the chancellor became an even bigger workaholic than the emperor.

But what about Duke Luzo? The chancellor has always been a workaholic, to begin with, but
Duke Luzo never was! He was being used just because he was the emperor’s cousin.

The Acreian government was still short on officials. The emperor was being very thorough in
hiring people because he wanted to pick the best of the best. This was a great idea, and it was
going to pay off in a few decades, but it also meant that the government was going to be
short-staffed for a very long time. The only reason the current officials were able to survive
being overworked was because their own emperor worked very hard alongside them.

Then recently, the emperor announced all of a sudden that he was going to take a vacation for
himself in order to focus on seducing Poliana. The emperor’s marriage was an incredibly
important deal for the entire kingdom, which meant that no one could fault the emperor for
taking some time off. Sir Bentier and Duke Luzo would’ve loved to just tell the emperor to marry
someone else, but when they heard Lucius the First and Poliana already had a son together, the
two men could not oppose this marriage.

Duke Luzo complained, “When will I get to rest?! When will I get to enjoy my life?”

Unfortunately, Duke Luzo still had a long way to go.

The emperor, meanwhile, was hard at work to make Poliana fall in love with him. He was waiting
at the outer door of the lady’s quarters and when Poliana came out after visiting the princess, he
snatched her away. He asked her to lunch with him again and Poliana could not refuse. After the
meal, he suggested they should take a walk in the garden as he claimed that he hadn’t had the
time to exercise at all due to his work.

Lucius the First has always been a workaholic emperor and Poliana didn’t doubt his words. In
the past, she has been worried for him for working too hard.

‘He should take a vacation.’

She felt obligated to walk with him in order to give him at least a small break from his work.
Today, the emperor looked as gorgeous as ever. He dolled himself up again and he was
glowing, perhaps because he was in love. Poliana thought he reminded her of the beautiful mist
of an early morning on a crisp autumn day.

The two walked quietly in the garden. Because this particular castle garden boasted of beautiful
blooming flowers, it was often crowded. However today, it was completely empty. Lucius the
First walked ahead while Poliana followed him from behind awkwardly. Whenever he turned to
look at her or stepped back to get closer to her, Poliana became nervous. She begged him,
“Your highness, you’re going to fall. Please be careful.”

“If I do fall, I am sure you will catch me, Sir Pol.”

“Please just keep walking. You will hurt yourself if you fall onto the paving stone; it’s very
dangerous.”

“But I can’t help it. When I see the flowers, I think of you. When I see the birds, I think of you.
When I see the sky, it reminds me of you.”

When Poliana saw Lucius the First, he reminded her of flowers. Whenever she saw beautiful
birds, they reminded of the emperor. Whenever she saw amazing statues, she thought of Lucius
the First. Every time she saw something beautiful in this world, she thought of the emperor, and
now that she was the recipient of this admiration, Poliana felt shy and embarrassed.

She said to the emperor, “Then, I will walk ahead of you, your highness.” Poliana walked faster
to pass the emperor, who replied, “But this way, I only get to see the back of you, Sir Pol.”

Just as the emperor did, Poliana looked back from time to time to see him. The two, trained to
be brisk during the war, were fast walkers. Poliana walked as fast as she could, but she could
feel Lucius the First closing the gap easily. It almost felt like she was being chased and the
tension intensified. Poliana realized her mistake. This was supposed to be a simple walk, but it
felt different.
Poliana also began to see the things she never noticed when she was walking behind the
emperor. His beautiful summer forest green eyes greeted her. Even though they were walking
the best garden in the castle, it seemed that Lucius the First could not take his eyes off of her.
He smiled at her, happy that he could look at her all he wanted. Suddenly, Poliana felt ticklish
again. Her heart especially did a somersault, and the feeling was much more intense than
yesterday. Poliana looked down and continued to walk.

Lucius the First asked her, “It has been so long since I last saw you wield your sword. Perhaps
you will honor me with a spar sometime soon.”

“Of course, your highness. Whenever you like.”

Did the emperor know how he made her feel? He brought up the subject he knew made Poliana
feel comfortable. During her stay in Sitrin, she kept herself sedentary. She tried her best to train
whenever possible, but the midwife and the doctor kept a close eye on her. It was a miracle that
she was able to give a decent fight when Sir Donau asked for a duel. Poliana felt excited at the
prospect of a spar with the emperor. When she looked happy, Lucius the First grinned.

“You are finally walking alongside me.”

“What do you mean, your highness?

chapter 335

Lucius the First said to Poliana, “I said, you’re finally walking at the same pace as me.”

“What do you mean, your highness?”

“You were walking like you were running away from me, but now, you aren’t.”

When they first began their walk in the garden, every time Lucius the First took a step, Poliana
took two. But now, just as the emperor said, they were walking at the same pace.

Every time Lucius the First took a step, Poliana took a step along with him. The emperor smiled
and asked, “I am not chasing you, so why were you running away?”

Poliana pouted and replied, “I didn’t run away, your highness.” When she slowed down a little,
Lucius the First suddenly closed the distance and said to her, “Don’t run away. You’re only
making me want to catch you.”
Although the emperor said this, he didn’t mean to catch her. All he did was to close the distance
between them. His sudden move surprised her and made her trip. Thankfully, Poliana, a soldier,
had excellent reflexes. She quickly regained her balance, but lost it again when the emperor
yelled, “Sir Pol! That’s dangerous!”

Poliana ended up stumbling backward. Most people fall forward and hurt their noses, and
although most would think this was unlucky, Poliana would’ve preferred to stumble forward than
backward. Because as she did, Lucius the First caught her from behind.

Luckily, she didn’t fall into his embrace. Well, lucky for Poliana, not so much for Lucius the First.
He said to her, “You walking ahead of me is dangerous. Let’s not do that anymore.”

Lucius the First squeezed Poliana’s hand, but she didn’t even have the time to be shocked by
the feeling of his skin. It was because when she almost fell, she saw the windows of the building
around them.

They were being watched by a huge audience! Poliana had no idea they were putting on a show
for everyone in the castle!

“Your highness, look up over there!”

Poliana pointed at them in shock, but none of the people watching walked away from the
windows. They were busy watching the emperor and the knightess. Some leaned out of the
window and looked dangerously close to falling out. Poliana didn’t notice people were watching
because she had been so focused on the emperor.

Lucius the First replied, “Yes, I can see that we have a large audience.”

“We need to make them stop!”

“Just leave them.”

“But your highness!”

“What does it matter? Both you and I live in public lives.”

This man was the emperor of this kingdom while the woman was the marquess. They were
well-known figures, and they will always be watched by others closely. Normally, Poliana didn’t
care about being the center of attention, but this situation was too embarrassing. To be courted
by the emperor…

The emperor asked, “Is your ankle ok?”

“Yes. I’m fine, your highness.”

Lucius the First smiled and replied, “Good, good. I’m glad.” He let go of her hand and made her
walk alongside him.

“But your highness!”

“You walking ahead is dangerous, so I forbid you to do it. Walking side by side is nice, but I can’t
see your face this way, so let me at least hold your hand.”

“But!”

“It saddens me not to see your adorable face. Would it be better if we hold both hands and walk
sideways so I can see your face?”

All she had to say was no, but Poliana’s brain froze. She could think logically. Holding one hand
and walking normally or holding both hands and walking like crabs… There was no reason why
Poliana had to choose one over the other, but for some reason, she contemplated.

“…”

The emperor interpreted her silence as a yes to the first option. He took one of her hand and
they began to walk together. As if to make her feel comfortable, Lucius the First looked ahead. It
was actually Poliana who was staring at him. She couldn’t stop looking at the side of his face.
Her hand felt ticklish just because he was holding it.

This was all because of the kiss on her hand. It was because the emperor kissed the spot where
the vein was connected directly to her heart. This was the excuse Poliana tried to stick to, but
she secretly knew the truth. The hand he was holding right now wasn’t the same hand the
emperor kissed yesterday. She was also wearing her gloves, yet she still felt like she could feel
him. This sweet feeling slowly climbed up to her wrist, arm, and to her heart.

Poliana felt angry. It was Lucius the First who confessed his love for her. Poliana was supposed
to only love the emperor as her sovereign while Lucius the First declared that he loved her as a
woman. This meant that it was the emperor who should be feeling nervous.

So why was it that Poliana’s heart was pounding so fast? It felt like her blood, once cold, was
now flowing into a warm place. Her body tingled strangely.

Poliana looked down at their hands together. She didn’t like that fact he was the one holding her
hand and she was following him. Although she knew this was considered rude, Poliana
squeezed back. She held his hand harder than the emperor and looked down at their hands
again. It felt right. It felt right for her to be the one leading. The strangely ticklish feeling
disappeared. Pride filled her.
Poliana finally felt calmer. She was relaxed enough that she could converse with the emperor.
When she looked up at Lucius the First’s face, she saw that the emperor was blushing subtly.
He was a man in his mid 30’s and he was blushing like a schoolgirl, yet it didn’t look odd. In fact,
the rosy blush suited the emperor.

‘How could a man look so beautiful?’

This was the question of the century. How could Lucius the First be so gorgeous? He was like a
pretty blooming flower.

Meanwhile, Lucius the First looked down at Poliana and wondered, ‘How could a woman be so
adorable like this?’ The emperor couldn’t believe how cutely Poliana was acting just now. She
was squeezing his hand and looking proud of herself. Lucius the First was having a hard time
keeping his cool. The two were thinking the same thing about one another.

It was obvious that they were very close. They clearly trusted each other and now, they were
smitten with each other.
Chapter 336

Chapter 336

Poliana agreed to have lunch with Lucius the First again. She thought about refusing the
request, but she couldn’t. Poliana didn’t know that the emperor was on vacation. Even though
the emperor worked constantly, there seemed to be no end to the amount of work required to
run a kingdom. Poliana, still believing that Lucius the First was working hard, felt obligated to
have lunch with him when he was sparing his precious time for her.

The loyal knightess could not refuse her emperor. After they parted in the garden, Poliana
began to assault a tree. She was wearing her gloves, so she was able to punch harder than
usual.

Bam! Bam!

The audience at the window chatted excitedly, wondering what was going on between the
emperor and the knightess. They began to make up stories as they watched Poliana punching
the tree.

Some thought that perhaps it was the witch’s love magic that became activated when punching
a tree. Or maybe the marquess saw a bug on the tree and was killing it. Others thought that the
trees grew better with physical simulations and Marquess Winter was only helping to grow the
garden.
The audience soon tired of watching Poliana bashing a tree, so they dispersed. Then suddenly,
someone new appeared in the garden. It was a small slim man and when Poliana saw him, she
lowered her face in surprise.

Those still watching wondered, “Who is that man and how is he able to make Marquess Winter
bow like that?”

“Huh? Oh, that man…”

“Do you know him?”

“I think he’s the auditor, Momo.”

“Oh, him. He and Marquess Winter are acquainted, right?”

“Yes. So why is the marquess acting so politely like that?”

Momo was a low ranking noble with a decent government career at best, so how was this man
able to make the powerful Marquess Winter act so meek?

Ignoring the audience, Momo yelled in frustration, “How could you do this to me?!”

“Hahaha, Momo, I’m really sorry.”

Poliana couldn’t help but laugh. Momo was a timid man who found it difficult to express his
anger. He was not good at confrontation, which meant he normally kept his frustration deep
inside. But this time… He couldn’t believe how Poliana lied to him and made him look like a fool.

Momo argued, “You abused my trust in you! His highness is now going to believe that I’m a liar!”

Auditor Momo found this situation to be too unfair; he lied to the emperor to keep Poliana’s pride
and honor intact, but it turned out that the father of Poliana’s child was the emperor himself!

Lucius the First did not tell Momo about the existence of Gerald, but Momo was able to figure it
out himself. After all, Momo was considered one of the most detailed and intelligent men in the
government.

Of course, even if Poliana told him that the father was the emperor, Momo would’ve still lied to
Lucius the First. After all, Momo considered Poliana his good friend.

Poliana apologized again before running away. “Haha! I’m so sorry!” The knightess ran, but the
auditor followed her. Unfortunately, Poliana was a much better runner with excellent stamina.
Momo, with his desk job, could not keep up and ended up losing her. Their broken friendship,
which was repaired when Poliana gave him an interest-free loan to purchase a home, was
destroyed again.

Later on, they would become good friends again after Poliana helped him to become the
highest-ranking scribe, but this wasn’t to happen for many more years.

<hr />

‘I made a mistake. I have done him wrong.’

After making sure Momo couldn’t catch up to her, Poliana sighed. She has been so busy that
she forgot about him. It wasn’t that she valued him; Momo was unfortunately just a very
forgettable person.

She had no excuse. As an ex-scribe and a current auditor, truth and honesty were very
important to Momo. If the emperor decided to mistrust him because of this, it was going to be
Poliana’s fault.

‘I better tell his highness what really happened.’

She finally found a safe subject to discuss with the emperor tomorrow at lunch. Poliana felt a
little relieved. There was no war going on anymore, so why did Poliana feel so tense? Seeing
Lucius the First was a source of great joy for her, but Poliana also couldn’t help feeling nervous
and uneasy.

‘Dammit! His highness is just too handsome.’

Poliana thought she was used to his beauty by now since she worked a long time as his guard,
but she was obviously wrong. When Lucius the First was just an emperor, Poliana did not feel
this way. But now that he was treating her as a man would a woman, Poliana’s heart did funny
things.

Lucius the First has truly bewitched her.

But there was an even bigger problem.

‘Maybe I really did lose my mind.’

The biggest problem here was that Poliana liked this situation. The way she felt… Perhaps the
word “like” wasn’t the right term, but Poliana definitely knew that she didn’t dislike it. The ticklish
sweet feeling on her hand that traveled to her heart… Something was definitely happening here.

This something… It was similar to the feeling she felt when Frau approached her. It was also
similar to the feeling she felt when the other handsome knights treated her like a lady.
But what she felt right now… It was stronger. It felt… more pleasant.

Although she denied it so far, Poliana had to admit that it was nice to be pursued, especially by
a beautiful man she greatly respected. He confessed his love for her! It would be a complete lie
if she claimed that she hated this situation.

If only Lucius the First wasn’t her emperor! If the man who was pursuing her wasn’t Lucius the
First, she would’ve accepted his love by now.

The next day at lunch, another feast was prepared for Poliana as expected. She was, however,
still surprised because the table was filled with dishes that were completely different from the
lunch the day before. Poliana felt a deep respect and guilt towards the royal cooks, who must be
slaving away even though there wasn’t even a castle banquet. Their hard work was going to
fatten up Poliana.

‘I better increase my training.’

Poliana decided to spend more time exercising to keep herself in shape. It looked like the
emperor was going to keep inviting her to lunches like this. Although she enjoyed eating these
wonderful foods, she knew she wasn’t going to like the result of it.

Poliana still hasn’t lost all of the pregnancy weight yet. She also did not regain the muscles she
lost. She lost some weight from breastfeeding, but she most likely also lost a lot of nutrients
from her body to feed Gerald. This was one of the reasons why Poliana decided to stop
breastfeeding as soon as possible. The custom-made full armor the emperor gifted her was
Poliana’s pride and joy. She never wanted to be forced to adjust it like so many older knights
who had to replace the stomach portion to accommodate their changing bodies.

Poliana said to the emperor, “Your highness, I would like to ask you for a favor.”

“Tell me.”

The emperor looked like he was ready to give her anything she wanted.
Chapter 337

Chapter 337

Lucius the First has always been a generous emperor, especially to those close to him. He has
always been obliging to Poliana and Sir Ainno, and now that he was openly in love with her,
Poliana could ask him for anything and he was only willing to give it to her. Lucius the First was
ready to give Poliana the world. He looked at her with tremendous affection.
As usual, Poliana ate quickly and the emperor watched her happily. He couldn’t stop smiling as
if he found her to be the loveliest thing in the world. Lucius the First smiled and smiled, and he
couldn’t hide his pride. Poliana couldn’t understand why.

Was he proud of her big appetite? Was he proud of the fact that she ate very well?

‘Well, it is true that watching someone you like to eat well is very satisfying.’

Poliana said to the emperor, “I want to talk to you about Momo. I would like you to reinstate him
as your scribe.”

“Why are you bringing him up all of a sudden?”

“I made a mistake and ended up owing to him. I promised him I would make him a scribe again.”

Thankfully, Lucius the First was not angry about Momo’s lie. He believed that if Momo knew the
situation directly involved the emperor, Momo would’ve told him the truth. Lucius the First
suddenly became serious as he replied, “But he is such an excellent auditor. As you know,
Momo is quick, a great listener, and has an amazing memory. Besides, he has a better chance
at promotion in the audit department anyway.”

“But he wants to be a scribe. To be honest, I think he wants to be a scribe because it is an

easier and simpler job.”

“Right? You think so too? I was thinking the exact same thing.”

Everyone in the government was working so hard, so how dare he try to take an easy path?
How dare he?!

Lucius the First grumbled for a while, but in the end, he gave his permission for Momo to
change his department. With this favor, Poliana was able to keep her friendship with Momo
safe.

Just like yesterday, Lucius the First suggested they take a walk after the meal. Although Poliana
agreed, she felt uncomfortable having an audience watching them again. If the emperor asked
her to walk the garden, she was going to suggest a different location.

“Will we be taking a walk in the garden again?”

“No, I noticed how we were being watched by so many people yesterday when we were in an
open area. Why don’t we go visit the greenhouse and enjoy the flowers?”

“Of course, your highness.”

Lucius the First nonchalantly offered her his arm and Poliana almost took it without thinking.

‘His highness is very good at this!’

Indeed, Lucius the First was a master of making people do what he wanted. Poliana thought in
determination, ‘I better keep my mind sharp.’

Poliana looked down at the emperor’s arm quietly. She couldn’t imagine holding his arm like a
lady. She also felt awkward holding his hand, but it would look odd if she refused to do so when
she did it only yesterday.

Gulp!

After swallowing audibly, Poliana decided what to do. She put her hand on top of his and then
squeezed before swinging their hands together.

“Let’s go, your highness!”

“Of course.”

Lucius the First was overjoyed that Poliana took his hand without a word. Watching him looking
proud, Poliana became confused. Why was he looking so proud? Was he proud of her hand
strength? It was true that Poliana had great hand strength.

“Your highness, where is Sir Ainno? I haven’t seen him all day.”

“He’s on sick leave.”

Poliana was shocked to hear this news. ‘That jerk is actually sick?’

Sir Ainno’s mission in life was to protect the emperor. He was a true knight who refused to ever
admit he was in pain even when he was. Sir Ainno believed in being manly and he would never
leave the emperor’s side just because he was sick.

‘Unless… Is he sick like the way he was sick after Cekel kicked his crotch?’

At the time, Sir Ainno took a sick leave more so from his damaged pride than actual pain. When
Poliana couldn’t hide her shock, Lucius the First realized that this was his chance to tell her
about what Sir Ainno did to him.

‘Wait. No, I shouldn’t waste this opportunity. I can use this better.’

The sneaky emperor suddenly thought of another plan. Lucius the First didn’t say a word
because he came up with a much better idea. Sir Ainno used the emperor for his gain, so why
couldn’t Lucius the First do the same? The emperor decided that his payback to Sir Ainno would
have to come later.

When Lucius the First remained quiet, Poliana asked, “Is Sir Ainno being beaten by his wife,
Lady Cekel?”

Poliana knew that Sir Ainno was smitten with Cekel. She also witnessed how strong and firm
Cekel was with Sir Ainno before their marriage. When Poliana looked up at him hopefully,
Lucius the First laughed and replied, “No, he hurt his head, so I told him to take a day off. I also
told his lady wife to take time off so she could take care of him. By the way, Sir Pol, I think most
people would think of an illness when someone takes a sick leave, not an unhappy marriage.”

Lucius the First found Poliana’s thinking amusing. When people thought of an unhappy and
violent marriage, they thought of a husband beating his wife, but Poliana was the opposite. The
emperor would’ve actually loved to see Lady Cekel beating up Sir Ainno, but he knew
something like this would never happen.

Poliana murmured, “Well, something similar happened in the past, so I was just thinking out
loud.” She secretly would’ve loved it if it was true, but Poliana would never admit this out loud.

Never!

The emperor replied, “Oh, that’s true. I remember Inno taking some time off after Lady Cekel
kicked him.”

While they chatted, the emperor and the knightess finally arrived at the greenhouse. This place
was familiar to Poliana because the emperor’s wives often used to visit it. But the greenhouse
looked very different now. It looked unfamiliar and Poliana wondered, ‘Is it because I haven’t
been here for a long time? Wait… I think there are many more flowers here.’

Gardens and greenhouses changed depending on the gardener’s effort. Until now, because the
emperor has never been interested in such a thing, Master Chail has been the one who
controlled the maintenance of the gardens and the greenhouse. Because Master Chail’s taste
was elegant, the gardens used to boast of subtle beauty. It was the same for the greenhouse,
but now… The greenhouse looked very colorful and extravagant.

Poliana suddenly realized, ‘Wait a minute. This is his highness’s style.’ She had no doubt that
the emperor had something to do with the choices of the flowers in this greenhouse. She used
to be the emperor’s personal guard, so she knew his taste very well. The greenhouse walls
were rebuilt with expensive materials. The inside was being heated very well to keep the colorful
and rare flowers blooming. Red, yellow, and blue flowers… Poliana only knew the names of half
of the flowers.Chapter 338
The reason why Poliana knew many flower names was because she had a keen interest in
geography and geology. She knew very well how different plants grew in different climates and
soils. In the past, Poliana found it very helpful in coming up with battle strategies if she knew the
geology of the area well. It became her habit to study different plants.

‘But I have been lazy about keeping up with my hobby.’

Poliana had a dream of writing a book about battle strategies and relevant geology. She planned
on doing this after her retirement, which was why she has been diligent about studying these
topics. Of course, after she found out about her pregnancy, she stopped. In retrospect, Poliana
regretted not focusing on study during her pregnancy rather than trying to knit baby socks.

The greenhouse was beautiful. She could see how hard the gardeners must’ve worked to have
the flowers from different climates to bloom at the same time. Lucius the First smiled as he
watched Poliana check the roots of the flowers rather than the blooms.

He has been planning for this for a long time. He ordered the gardeners to make sure there are
exotic flowers blooming at all times so he could propose at any time. As his plan for the
marriage proposal became delayed, the greenhouse became filled with more and more flowers.
The emperor knew he would never have to worry about proposal flowers now.

Lucius the First thought in determination, ‘I will not fail my second marriage proposal.’

Since they had Gerald together now, Poliana accepted the idea of marriage. There was no
denying that the birth of their son was what made this possible. What Lucius the First now
needed to focus on was to make sure Poliana continued to think positively about their marriage.
He needed to do everything he possibly could to make sure Poliana does not ask for a divorce.

The emperor said to her, “Lean towards me a little.”

“Pardon?”

Lucius the First picked a blue lily blooming nearby and tucked it behind Poliana’s ear. Poliana
flinched when she saw the giant flower coming at her. It was way too big to be put behind one’s
ear, but somehow, Lucius the First balanced it on her ear and smiled in satisfaction.

Since the emperor looked so happy, Poliana wanted to be happy about it as well, but… Only
crazy women put flowers in their hair and besides, this particular flower was just too big. If
anyone saw her, a rumor would begin immediately that Marquess Winter has finally lost her
mind. Lucius the First exclaimed, “It suits your hair color, Sir Pol.”

No matter who looked at it, Poliana’s hair was a dull brown. At best, it could be considered a
light brown, but it certainly was not golden like that of the emperor’s. The flower would have
suited Lucius the First much better with his blond hair.

Poliana laughed awkwardly. The subtle vibration from her laugh caused the flower to fall to the
ground. Unfortunately, Poliana’s thin hair was not able to support the giant bloom. Poliana
lowered her body to pick it up.

“I apologize, your highness.”

She was about to pick it up when the emperor’s hand touched hers. Poliana frowned and said to
him, “Your highness, I should be doing things like this for you.”

“Look at me, Pol; this definitely is something I want to do.”

Lucius the First gently took the flower from Poliana’s hand. He straightened up quickly and said
to her, “Things like this… These are part of my job now. Giving you flowers and picking up the
things on the ground for you… I want to do these things for you. Please don’t take this away
from me.”

“How could this be your job, your highness?”

“Because I am in love with you.”

Lucius the First gently shook the lily to get the dirt off. He murmured to her, “With the blue flower
in your hair, it looked so beautiful like a blue bird sitting on a cornfield.”

Apparently, the flower represented the blue flower and Poliana the cornfield. The emperor
added, “The blue bird looks the best when it is sitting on a cornfield, after all.”

Lucius the First put the flower behind his ear and said to her, “See? This doesn’t suit me.”

Before she met the emperor, Poliana believed that flowers and men didn’t go together. But now,
she knew that Lucius the First looked amazing with flowers and jewels. She suspected he would
even look lovely with laces.

While Poliana ogled him with her eyes, Lucius the First picked a few more flowers. His action
was casual, but he was very gentle with the flowers.

“Your highness, you will hurt your hand.”

“This is part of my duty now.”

The emperor picked various flowers to make a small bouquet. He pulled out the ribbon that was
holding his hair together and wrapped it around the bouquet of flowers.

“Every flower in my hand… They are all yours, Sir Pol.”

‘Oh my… Dammit… I’m getting goosebumps.’

Poliana’s entire body became covered with goosebumps. She shuddered but still accepted the
bouquet. The strange thing was, this situation was so corny that even Poliana wanted to scream
and run away, but she could not take even a step away from the emperor.

Lucius the First thought happily, ‘Perfect! It’s working!’ He smiled in satisfaction.

Just as he suspected, his knightess had no experience in romance. The emperor was courting
her with everything he had, and it was working!

No wonder this naïve woman fell for that gold digger, Frau Sneke!

‘No! Focus, Lucius!’

He was standing in front of the woman he loved, which meant he should only be thinking about
her. Lucius the First waited patiently until Poliana looked up at him. When he finally saw her shy
and confused brown eyes, he smiled again. This was more than he expected.
The smell of the greenery was much stronger than that of what had bloomed. The sticky fluid
ran down her fingers from the stems. Poliana thought, ‘I can’t breathe.’

Poliana felt like she was suffocating. It wasn’t because of the strong scent of the flowers; it was
because Lucius the Frist’s smile was too blinding.

She was fine yesterday when she was with him, so what was different today? Suddenly, Poliana
realized that the difference was the location. In the garden yesterday, they were an open space
with an audience, but today, they were alone in a closed space.

No matter where she looked, she was surrounded by colorful flowers and a man who was even
more beautiful than any flower.

‘Calm down, Poliana.’

She took a deep breath to stop herself from hyperventilating. Touching the flowers in her hands
gently, Poliana said to the emperor, “To be honest, I have to admit that the way you treat me… I
don’t dislike it, your highness. In fact, I will admit that I actually like it a little. After all, I am still
human, so how could I not feel flattered when someone so beautiful like you is courting me?
How could I not feel attracted to you just a little?”Chapter 339

What Poliana didn’t know was the fact that Lucius the First asked the gardener previously to
learn the meaning behind all of the flowers in the greenhouse. Poliana also didn’t realize that
although it looked like the emperor was picking the flowers randomly, he was actually selecting
the flowers that represented what he wanted to say to her.
But it was okay that Poliana didn’t know these things because most flowers in this world carried
the meaning of love. All the emperor wanted to tell her was that he loved her. Lucius the First
desperately wanted Poliana to know the true extent of his feelings for her. And now, it seemed
that Poliana was giving Lucius the First her truth.

Poliana said to him, “As you know, your highness, you used to be just my emperor. I never saw
you as a man. I think you used to feel the same way about me. I did not see you as an opposite
sex until that… unfortunate accident.”

Poliana gritted her teeth. If it wasn’t for the huge mistake she made that night… This ridiculous
situation would’ve never happened. If she didn’t get so drunk that night…

Poliana continued, “Because of that unfortunate incident… I began to see you, your highness,
as a man. Yes, I will admit it. I feel… differently about you now. I am more aware of you as a
man and I apologize, your highness. I know this is wrong, but I can’t help it.”

The reason why Poliana avoided Lucius the First in the past wasn’t just because she felt guilty.
It was mostly because every time she saw him, it reminded her of that night. It was even more
frustrating because she actually didn’t remember what happened that night. She remembered
only small pieces of it, and just these memories were enough to make her run away. Poliana
almost felt suicidal during this time. If she didn’t get pregnant, it was very possible that she
eventually fell in love with the emperor on her own.

Some wouldn’t understand how someone can fall in love just from spending one night together.
How could a person be so simple? But then, Poliana was a very simple woman. In fact, Poliana
began to like Frau just because she decided to marry him. She began to fall for him just
because he was going to be her husband.

Poliana didn’t know what love was. She never felt a genuine affection of a man for a woman.
Poliana was loved as a student, a colleague, subordinate, superior, and friend, but never as a
woman.
And now… She was experiencing the love between a man and a woman for the first time in her
life. She still didn’t know about the love between a mother and her child yet because she never
experienced it with her own mother. This was perhaps why Poliana still did not like Gerald
much. She was going to marry Lucius the First only because of Gerald. She may have given
birth to him, but to Poliana, Gerald was the son of her beloved emperor rather than her own
flesh and blood.

To Lucius the First, Gerald was the luckiest thing that happened to him while to Poliana, it was
the opposite.

Until now, perhaps even now, Poliana did not believe in true love. This was no wonder since all
she felt in her life were the friendship between the colleagues and the affection from her
emperor. She still did not trust what she was feeling right now, especially because it began after
that unfortunate night. Poliana felt that feeling this way about the emperor was inappropriate
and rude.

She continued, “To be honest, I do like how you are treating me, your highness. I do like it… and
I am attracted to you, but it is because I like this situation. A handsome man falling in love with
me… Who wouldn’t like that? But I am not sure this is because it is you, your highness, or it is
because I am a loose woman. I mean, after all, I said some mean things to you in Sitrin, so for
me to suddenly be attracted to you like this…”

“You are not a loose woman, Sir Pol. Not at all.”

Lucius the First begged her to stop blaming herself for anything. He continued, “You should do
whatever you want. You should enjoy this situation if you want. That is exactly what I would like.
If you experience what I can offer you, and if you like it, then you should keep enjoying it. That
would make me very happy. This is how I really feel. And besides…”
Lucius the First adjusted the flower tucked behind his ear and added, “You deserve it, Sir Pol.
You worked so hard all your life that you deserve a man like me.”

In most stories, the knights were richly rewarded after their adventures. Unless it was a tragic
story, they all ended in a similar fashion. The hero would find a treasure, be awarded with a
castle by the emperor, be kissed by a beautiful lady, or be greatly respected by the other
knights. Some heroes got everything including an honorable reputation, wealth, and a beautiful
wife.

Lucius the First emphasized the fact that Poliana deserved all the happiness in the world.
Poliana agreed because she felt the same way. She believed that she had the right to enjoy all
of the good things in life. The emperor said to her, “It would be my honor for you to want me and
lust after me, Sir Pol.”

Lucius the First suddenly closed the distance between them. He slowly lowered his face to kiss
the bouquet Poliana was holding. Poliana was mesmerized as she watched the most beautiful
man kissing the beautiful vibrant flowers.

Yes, she was definitely bewitched by this man.

Even the most exotic flowers could not outshine the beautiful green eyes of the emperor. It felt
like a dream to see the emperor surrounded by the flowers. Poliana couldn’t help the
overwhelming affection she felt for this man. The vague memories of that drunken night filled
her head, making her feel dizzy. The intensity of her feelings… They were always there deep
inside of her, and now, they were beginning to surface.

What a lovely man her emperor was. Could it be that what she did that night wasn’t a random
act due to being drunk? Could it be that she always had feelings for Lucius the First and she just
never knew about it?
At this point, however, it didn’t matter. What was important now was that something was
happening between them. Something was happening to Poliana.

Suddenly, Poliana asked the emperor impulsively, “Your highness, may I kiss you?”

“Of course.”

One of the many special rights Poliana had was the honor of kissing the emperor’s hand and his
rings. Being a very polite woman, she always asked for his permission before kissing his hand.
Lucius the First offered his hand without hesitation, but to his shock, Poliana grabbed it and
pulled him towards her. The emperor was greeted by Poliana’s embrace and then…

Their lips locked.Chapter 340

As soon as her lips touched his, Lucius the First’s eyes widened. Poliana’s eyes, however, were
closed so she did not notice the emperor’s surprise. Their lips rubbed against each other. Before
the emperor could open his mouth, Poliana stepped back. Lucius the First, although
disappointed, did not pull her back towards him. He let her go. The emperor wasn’t going to
force her. He wasn’t going to pressure her; this was his way of showing her how considerate he
is.

Perhaps it was a stupid thing to do. Many would think so, saying that such patience and
consideration were silly. Even Lucius the First thought this; his patience was what caused that
snake Frau to use Poliana in the past.

But even knowing this, the emperor could not help being gentlemanly. This was because he
knew very well what could happen once he started to do what he wanted. He was the most
powerful man in the kingdom. He had the power to take Poliana in any way he wanted. If he
began to use his power for his personal gain, Lucius the First knew that it would be the
beginning of him turning into a tyrant. What he gained from then on would become meaningless.
What he wanted was for Poliana to choose him, not be forced to be with him. Perhaps it was his
powerfulness that made his love so much harder.

His heart was pounding wildly, but the emperor said to Poliana nonchalantly, “I thought you were
going to kiss the back of my hand.” Lucius the First was worried his heart might burst out of his
chest. He was even more concerned that Poliana might hear his heartbeat, so he took a step
back and acted calmly. Poliana said to him, “I thought I might realize something by doing this.”

“What were you hoping to learn?”

“Your highness, I love you. I can tell you without a doubt that this is the truth.”

Lucius the First was not surprised by this statement because he knew this already. Everyone
could tell that Poliana loved and respected the emperor. The knightess and the emperor were
smitten with each other. Their love for each other was greater than anything.

Unfortunately, however, the kinds of love they felt for each other were very different. Poliana
continued, “My love for you has been from a knight to her emperor, but now, I am beginning to
see you as a man. This change has brought me a lot of confusion. Your highness, you told me
that your love for me suddenly changed. It is possible that the same thing happened to my
feelings for you too since just now, I wanted to kiss you. So I thought that if I did what I wanted,
which was to kiss you, I thought I might learn something from it… But that wasn’t the case.”

“If you ever want to test out things like that again in the future, please feel free to do it. I
welcome it wholeheartedly.”

He would not only welcome it, but he would greatly appreciate it.
Poliana shook her head and replied, “There is no need because I will admit that I am physically
attracted to you. In the past, whenever I saw you, I didn’t feel anything like this, but now…”

Poliana didn’t finish her sentence because she was afraid that saying what she thought out loud
would be considered sexual harassment. Lucius the First was desperate to hear how she saw
him, but he didn’t prod.

Poliana couldn’t hide her confusion. She was filled with wants and needs, but she couldn’t tell if
they simply came from her lust for the emperor, or from love. She wanted to kiss him. There was
no denying that she did. She thought that if he kissed him, her confusion would magically
disappear and she would know the truth, but unfortunately, the kiss only confused her even
more.

Love and lust often came together, but not always. There were times when they occurred
separately. If one could only sleep with a person he or she loved, the human race would’ve
ended a long time ago. Most people Poliana knew married without love, but even so, they all
had plenty of children and lived content lives.

Poliana said to him, “I just don’t get it. I don’t understand what I am feeling. Not at all! But your
highness, if what you feel for me is similar to how I feel, then…”

Poliana, uncertain about her own feelings, asked the emperor if it was possible that he confused
his lust for love. Could it be that he was also having difficulties distinguishing the two similar but
very different emotions? It was an extremely rude question. It was worse than when people
whispered that the emperor had a fetish for older women because he lost his mother at a very
young age.

Lucius the First’s eyes sharpened with anger, but he quickly controlled his fury. The woman he
loved, standing in front of him, was the infamous Poliana Winter. She never had any marriage
prospects until she was well into her thirties. She spent all her life surrounded by men on
various battlefields. She became an adult without a first love. The very first man she fell for was
a gold digger and a conman, and her first pregnancy was from a drunken night with her
emperor. Her life has been very different than that of Lucius the First, who lacked nothing.
Although he lost his parents very young, he grew up being loved by many.

Lucius the First said to her, “I will forgive you since you only asked this question out of
confusion. But remember this; I will never forgive such a question the second time.”

“I apologize, your highness.”

Lucius the First knew he needed to explain further. He continued, “Oftentimes, love comes with
lust, obsession, and possessiveness. So please know this; I am a man who is lusting after you. I
am desperate to make you mine, Pol. I hope you know that I can achieve this at any time. I have
the power to do this, but I am being patient. I am sure you know why.”

If all Lucius the First felt for Poliana was lust, it would’ve been easy for him to satisfy his needs.
All he had to do was order her to his bed. If what he wanted was just simply to marry Poliana, it
also would’ve been easy for him to achieve this. All he would have to do is to order her. Even if
he betrayed her and lost her trust, it didn’t change the fact that he was Poliana’s emperor and
therefore her master. Poliana could never leave the emperor. She would always have to follow
his order.

But Lucius the First refused to force her in any way and Poliana trusted him to be fair and
honorable. The emperor said to the knightess, “I want to tell you this, Sir Pol. It is true that I love
you and lust after you, but I am the kind of a man who would always respect you rather than
force you. I hope you realize what it feels like to have someone who genuinely loves and cares
for you. I think you already are beginning to learn what it feels like, right? You told me that you
don’t dislike it. You said you actually like being treated this way. This is only the beginning.
There is much more to come. I am a little hurt that you would even consider my feeling for you
to be just lust. You are very cruel, Sir Pol.”

It indeed hurt the emperor greatly. When Poliana saw how the emperor felt, she gritted her
teeth. She realized that she was being a coward. She ended up insulting the emperor.
“….I have done you a great wrong, your highness.”

“You are so cruel, my beloved lady. Let’s end our walk for today.”

This was all Poliana’s fault. She promised not to doubt the emperor’s love, but she ended up
insulting him. Poliana tried to kneel and apologize, but Lucius the First refused to give his
permission.Chapter 341

That day, when Poliana returned home, she found a gift that was sent from the royal castle. It
was a large wagon filled with hundreds of flowers. It looked like all of the flowers from the
greenhouse were plucked and put inside this wagon.

The butler and the servants carried the flowers into the house proudly. This gift was proof that
their mistress, Marquess Winter, must be the emperor’s most favored person. The first floor of
Poliana’s mansion soon became filled with flowers.

These were no ordinary flowers. The seeds came from all over the kingdom and the castle
gardeners have been working tirelessly for years to grow them. There were spring, summer, and
autumn flowers.

The main hall was filled with the heavy scent of the flowers, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Poliana,
however, felt a little dizzy as she stared at the emperor’s gift.

“Mistress, what should we do with all these flowers?”

“Umm… Since they are from his highness, we need to treat them with respect.”
“Then I will take care of them, Mistress. I will pick out the most fragrant once for your bath and
perfume. The flowers with the most vibrant colors will be dried and made into potpourri. The rest
will be divided and placed in multiple vases and I will make sure they last as long as possible.”

Poliana was thankful that she had such a capable butler. When the butler saw the bouquet
Poliana was holding, he asked, “And what is it you are holding, Mistress?”

“This is also from his highness.”

“Oh, I see. It looks like they were plucked by hands because their stems aren’t cleanly cut. I can
make them neat for you.”

The flowers that were cut professionally by the gardeners indeed had clean ends. The bouquet
of flowers in Poliana’s hand, however, had rough and torn stems. If these flowers aren’t trimmed
properly, they weren’t going to last a very long time. But Poliana replied, “No, I… I will take care
of these myself.”

Lucius the First gifted Poliana with flowers many times before including the champion’s garland
in the past. Receiving a flower from the emperor was one of the greatest honors, especially
when they were given with love.

Regrettably, Poliana had no idea what happened to these flowers the emperor gave to her. They
were all lost to her.

This bouquet… These flowers were the first ones the emperor gave to her after he confessed
his love. They carried a deep meaning and Poliana felt a little burdened by them. Poliana felt
determined to keep this bouquet forever. She will not let it be lost this time. She was going to dry
it herself and put it near her bed and to do this, she first needed to trim the ends properly.

Before removing the ribbon, Poliana first put her nose on the flowers and inhaled deeply. The
green scent of the plants was much stronger than that of the flowers, and it reminded her of the
clear green eyes that looked at her so adoringly.

‘I’m parched.’

Poliana suddenly felt so thirsty. She took a sip of water, but even after drinking the whole cup,
her thirst didn’t disappear. The thirst that can’t be quenched even with water… This was no
ordinary thirst. Poliana, who decided to quit drinking, considered getting a bottle of wine but
decided against it. She knew that no alcohol could take care of this problem.

Poliana laid down on her bed and decided to admit the truth.

She missed Lucius the First. She wanted to see him. Poliana was still uncertain if what she felt
was love or lust. The strange ticklish feeling on the back of her hand and her heart evolved into
ravenous thirst.

Being loved by someone who felt so unfamiliar and odd… Poliana felt shy and embarrassed,
but also proud and arrogant. To be pursued by the greatest man in the kingdom… Poliana felt
special. Perhaps her self-confidence needed a boost after all.

Lucius the First called her cruel, but Poliana felt the same way about the emperor. To her, the
emperor was the most generous yet the cruelest man. In the past, he never bowed to anyone,
but now, the way he acted around her made Poliana feel bewildered and uncertain. He restored
her confidence in herself, but his love also made her baffled.
“…”

Poliana sighed, unable to fall asleep.

***

That same night, the emperor was also unable to fall asleep. Lucius the First and Master Chail
chatted secretly.

“Chail, I’m afraid that she’s developing tolerance to my beauty.”

“Your highness, it was expected. It’s natural to get tired of the same thing, even if it’s your
beauty.”

Master Chail was the person who spent the most time with the emperor. Lucius the First
staggered a little at Chail’s statement. The emperor was certain that no one could ever become
tired of his beauty.

“Chail… Are you serious? Is that how you feel about me too?”

“Of course not, your highness. I would never become tired of your gorgeous face. All I am
saying is that it’s possible Marquess Winter may feel this way.”

Lucius the First wasn’t completely convinced, but he decided not to question Chail further.
Master Chail was one of the very few people in this world who the emperor could discuss such
an important yet private subject. Lucius the First did not want to lose Chail by being too
demanding. Most of the time, Chail just listened quietly to the emperor, but this was enough for
Lucius the First.

The emperor said to him, “I realized something while watching Inno. I learned that gaining a
lady’s sympathy can be a very helpful tactic. A lady often falls in love when she sees a man
looking weak and helpless. It starts as sympathy and pity, and these feelings develop into love.”

The Poliana Chail knew definitely wasn’t one of these typical ladies. Master Chail has seen
Poliana push her guards against a wall if she found them weak. Poliana also treated her
colleagues this way if she thought they were acting unmanly. When Chail pointed this out,
Lucius the First disagreed, “This is different! I will keep showing her my strength, but I will also
show her my more sensitive side. She will find me fascinating and charming!”

Chail thought secretly, ‘If you know so well, why haven’t you been able to seduce her yet, your
highness?’

But Master Chail also knew that Poliana was a difficult woman to seduce. In fact, Chail believed
that Poliana Winter may be the most difficult lady to love. But then… Lucius the First was the
emperor of Acreia. Of all the men in this kingdom, he had to be the only one who might have a
chance.

The emperor could easily have any other woman he wanted, but knowing him well, Master Chail
wasn’t surprised Lucius the First picked the harder road for himself.

Love was a funny thing. Many say love was a young man’s game, but although he was in his
mid-thirties, it seemed that the emperor’s game of love wasn’t quite over yet.

Not even close.Chapter 342

Poliana frowned. The deep wrinkles on her forehead made her look mature and regal. Last
night, she didn’t get to sleep until early in the morning. Since it was her habit to wake up early,
Poliana ended up waking up without much sleep at all. Whatever sleep she got was not enough.
Poliana felt horrible.

‘I’m so tired.’

She felt both physically and emotionally fatigued. Poliana could feel herself aging. Getting old
was not a fun experience. After an aggressive breakfast, Poliana sat blankly. Her brain wasn’t
working properly.

The butler asked, “Aren’t you going to the castle today, Mistress?”

“Umm… Why do you ask?”

“Since you received the flowers as a gift, you need to repay him with a present yourself.”

“Oh, the flowers…”

Yes, the beautiful flowers that now decorated the marquess’s mansion… Poliana nodded in
understanding. Lucius the First publicly gave her an incredible gift. If it was just a single flower
or even a bouquet, Poliana could’ve just thanked him, but she received a wagon full of flowers
that were seen by everyone in town; a simple thank you was not going to be enough.

“A gift for the emperor… I don’t know what a proper choice would be as a thank you for the
flowers. What should I give him?”
“A handkerchief is the safest and most common choice.”

Poliana groaned and crossed her arms. She did embroider several handkerchiefs during her
pregnancy because the midwife and the doctor insisted it was good for the baby. Unfortunately,
Poliana left these handkerchiefs in Sitrin. She never thought to bring them with her to Yapa
because why would she? Who would’ve thought she would need them?

Should she embroider another one right now? Never!

“I can’t go back to sewing at this point. Besides, I gave his highness a pair of leather gloves in
the past, and I have never seen him wear them.”

Poliana didn’t explain further, making the butler believe that it was her poor sewing that
displeased the emperor. This, however, was not the truth; Lucius the First refused to wear these
gloves because they were made of alligator hide.

Poliana insisted that she shouldn’t go to the castle until she picked out a gift, but the butler said
to her firmly, “You must go today. The first thing you need to do is thank his highness; you can
come up with a gift later.”

It was clear that the butler was on the emperor’s side rather than Poliana’s, but Poliana had to
admit that her butler was right. The emperor gave her an incredible gift that would make any
lady swoon with pleasure. It was only right that she visited him in person and thanked him.

“But wouldn’t it be better if I pick out a gift first and thank him with it?”
“For his highness, your visit would be the greatest gift he can hope for, Mistress.”

“…”

Poliana had no idea her butler was such a corny romantic. His comment made her feel
embarrassed, so she quickly returned to her room. The butler, who was an elderly man, kept a
straight face. He couldn’t understand why Poliana found his comment so distressing.

***

Poliana faced Lucius the First rigidly. Before she thanked him for the gift, Poliana had something
more important to say first.

“Your highness… I misspoke yesterday and I would like to apologize.”

In the greenhouse yesterday, she doubted his love once again. She thought that perhaps what
he felt for her was lust, not love. Poliana immediately regretted saying such a thing as soon as
she asked the question. She knew what she did to the emperor was unforgivable, yet instead of
getting angry and punishing her, Lucius the First gave her a wagon full of flowers. He gave her
all the flowers in his greenhouse. Poliana knew he sent them to show his love and forgiveness.
Poliana was kneeling on the floor and looking down, waiting for the emperor to punish her.

“I was not going to say this, but…” Lucius the First looked at the top of her head and sighed. He
continued, “You’re just like Inno when it comes to kneeling. You kneel all the time like him.”

“Never! That is not true, your highness!”

“Yes, you do. You’re so loose with your kneeling; you kneel too easily.”

“I am not easy!”

She was not an easy woman! Poliana protested angrily. The only one she kneels for was the
emperor, so how could he call her an easy kneeler? Poliana stood up quickly, making Lucius the
First smile. The best way to boost Poliana’s mood was to bring up her nemesis.

“Sir Pol, now that I think about it, I really do think you and Inno resemble each other.”

“How?! Why would you think I resemble that jerk?!”

“Think about it. You both used to fight for my affection in the past, but now you both have
abandoned me… It looks like neither of you needs me or wants me anymore… You’re treating
me like an old unwanted shoe…”

Now that he said it out loud, Lucius the First really felt sad. He gave Poliana a lonely smile
before turning away. He remembered the time when Poliana couldn’t seem to spend enough
time with him.

Oh, what happy times.

“In the past, you and Inno used to fight for my attention and affection… But now, Inno is married
and he barely notices me. And you, Sir Pol… You think what I feel for you isn’t genuine…”
The more he thought about it, the sadder he became. Lucius the First’s eyes watered a little,
and Poliana gasped in shock. She kneeled again and exclaimed, “I’m sorry, your highness! I
deserve to be punished!”

“I was just kidding.”

“…that wasn’t funny at all, your highness.”

“It was funny to me. It was fun to joke with you like the old times.”

It seemed that no matter how old the emperor became, his sense of humor never improved.
Lucius the First put his hand on Poliana’s shoulder and helped her stand up.

“Rise, Sir Pol. I have done you wrong many times before and this is your first time making a
mistake, so there is no need to apologize.”

“Your highness, you are my master, and I am your servant. No matter what happens, even if you
are courting me, this fact will never change.”

“You are too rigid, Sir Pol. Well, alright. I would like you to give me a gift in return for my flowers
and as an apology.”

Lucius the First has always been the giver of this relationship while Poliana was the one who
always received. He was the emperor after all with all the wealth and power in the world. Lucius
the First gave her so much so far, and all Poliana gave him in return had been a simple thank
you. So today, she expected the emperor to say that all he needed was her thanks. Poliana
realized that she was very wrong about this. She felt confused, ‘Should I hire someone to go
grab my handkerchiefs from Sitrin?’

Poliana asked the emperor what he wanted, and Lucius the First replied, “Give me your whole
day.”

Poliana nodded emphatically, “I am ready to give you my entire life, your highness.”

Lucius the First shook his head, telling her that is not what he meant. “Spend a night with me.”

All Poliana could do was nod…Chapter 343

“Marquess, please breathe normally.”

Even though Lady Siming told Poliana she could stand comfortably, Poliana refused to relax her
stomach. She continued to hold her breath as long as she could, making Lady Siming sigh.

“Marquess Winter, you’re very slim even without you holding your stomach in.”

“But I have gained weight recently. I have a potbelly.”

“No, you don’t. In fact, Marquess, you’re still too thin; It would be nice if you gain a little more
weight.”
“No way!”

There was a reason why Poliana refused to let her body change in shape. The armor the
emperor gifted her after conquering the continent… This golden armor was her pride and joy.
There was no bigger honor for a knight than receiving a custom-made armor from the emperor.

Normally, a piece of armor was made to accommodate a few layers of clothes underneath,
which meant that there was room to gain a bit of weight. Unfortunately, there weren’t many
armor makers who specialized in making female armors. Poliana’s armor was, in addition, made
especially tight to make it look slim, elegant, and beautiful. It was indeed an amazing looking
armor, but it also meant that Poliana could not gain even an ounce of weight. She could, of
course, change different parts of the armor to accommodate any weight gain, but Poliana didn’t
want to do this.

There were three things that were necessary to make a masterpiece armor.

Money, power, and the right person to wear it.

These three things were satisfied to make Poliana’s armor. This female armor was shaped to
enhance Poliana’s body through its feminine lines. It was elaborate and elegant, making it look
like something that a fictional knightess from a romantic story might wear. If Poliana wore this
and did not take off her helmet, the armor had the power to make people imagine that there was
a beautiful knightess inside it.

The armor maker who created this retired afterward, making Poliana’s piece his last one. His
students carried on, but if Poliana wanted to make adjustments to her armor, a different metal
will have to be added by a different armor maker. There was no way her armor would look the
same, and Poliana did not want this.
There were mountains of fabrics surrounding Poliana and Lady Siming. The maids seemed
excited to bring more and more pieces of fabric to the room. All the women looked enthusiastic
as they worked tirelessly.

“Lady Siming! I brought some green fabrics as you asked!”

“I got the blue ones!”

“I also ordered the servants to bring all the furs they could find!”

Poliana watched awkwardly as the tables continued to be piled up with different fabrics. All
these materials were brought here to make her dress.

When the emperor mysteriously asked her to give him her night, Poliana ended up nodding
nervously. As soon as she agreed to his request, Lucius the First called for Lady Siming.

After the emperor asked Poliana to spare him her whole day, he disappeared, leaving her alone
with Lady Siming. Poliana tried to escape, but she was quickly captured by the lady, who looked
thoroughly determined.

To Poliana’s surprise, Lady Siming had brought a dress, which fit her perfectly. Poliana had
unusually overdeveloped shoulders, arms, and chest, yet she had no problem fitting into this
dress. It was an outfit Poliana has never seen before, so she asked, “Lady Siming, why do you
have an outfit that was custom-made for me?”

“Do you remember how I made a dress for you in the past?”
“Yes, of course.”

“This is a dress I completed at the time.”

“But then why do you still have it?”

“I didn’t want to take it apart because I put a lot of work into it. I also didn’t feel right giving it to
you since you broke up your engagement. So I just kept it until now.”

Although Lady Siming was the royal seamstress and designer, she had made some outfits for
Poliana in the past per the emperor’s request. Lady Siming was asked to make Poliana’s
wedding dress as well as other party outfits for her wedding, but after the Frau incident, all the
work had to be stopped.

One thing that was lacking severely in the Acreian castle was the number of royal family
members. At the moment, there were only two people: Lucius the First and his daughter
Princess Luminae. Because of this, Lady Siming and the other royal seamstresses didn’t have
much to do.

Thankfully, the emperor was a very fashionable man, which meant that there was some work to
do, but it just wasn’t enough to keep the royal fashion department busy. Princess Luminae was
too young, which meant that there was a limit to the use of jewels and silks in making her outfits.
Lucius the First, who enjoyed wearing lavish outfits and accessories, was still a man and
therefore could not satisfy Lady Siming’s desire to create beautiful dresses for a lady.

Lady Siming has been secretly working out various dresses for Poliana to keep herself busy.
Although Poliana wasn’t in Yapa, Lady Siming still had all of her measurements.
The robe Lady Siming made for Poliana was shredded to pieces the day Poliana first wore it.
Lady Siming put a lot of thought and effort into this robe, so she couldn’t hide her
disappointment when it was destroyed. So immediately afterward, Lady Siming began to work
on a new robe.

She designed and completed a pretty blue robe for Poliana. Lady Siming remembered Poliana
insisting her favorite color was blue, so she chose the fabric carefully. Lady Siming has been
waiting for Poliana’s return to the capital city. She planned on giving it to Poliana and lie to her
that she made it a long time ago along with the green dress that was made for the banquet.

Then suddenly, Lady Siming heard a lovely rumor about the romance between the marquess
and the emperor! She could not believe her luck and joy. Lady Siming studied the blue dress
she made for Poliana and wondered. Was this meant to be? Was this dress she created on a
whim to be used as a wedding dress?

But then… This blue robe was not fit to be used as the empress’s wedding dress. Even though
she wasn’t ordered, Lady Siming began to work on a wedding dress for Poliana. Today, she
made further measurements on Poliana’s body so she could complete the wedding dress later
in secret.

The emperor did not order anyone regarding his and Poliana’s wedding plan, but there was no
need. Everyone, as soon as they heard what was happening, began preparing for the upcoming
event on their own.

Chancellor Marquis Zeese began to gather the items necessary for the wedding ceremony.
Duke Luzo, who was superstitious just as much as his cousin the emperor, began to look
through the calendar to pick the most auspicious day for the wedding. Sir Mahogal, knowing the
Knight’s Order will need to attend the ceremony, began to teach his men the basic royal
etiquettes. Sir Wook and Sir Jainno suspected that the royal wedding party may last for many
days, so they began to organize their schedules and plans to keep the city streets safely
guarded.
Sir Ainno, on the other hand, didn’t do anything. This was fine since the emperor would’ve been
happy as long as his friend didn’t cause any trouble.Chapter 344

Lady Siming asked Poliana, “See, Marquess? This is your favorite color, right? The accessories
are very simple but elegant, right?”

“Yeah, it’s very pretty but when did I ever say I like blue?”

Lady Siming’s eyes widened in confusion and fear. Didn’t Poliana insist only on blue dresses
before?

“D-do you hate it?”

“No, I just don’t have a favorite color, that’s all”

It was obvious that Poliana only insisted on blue, not because it was her favorite color, but
because it was the color she was most used to. Lady Siming and her maids sighed in relief.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door and one of the maids went out to open the door. Poliana was
only wearing her underwear because Lady Siming was trying on different fabrics on her. Poliana
quickly moved behind the privacy screen. She could hear people coming and going outside the
thick fabric screen. It seemed that large heavy boxes were brought into the room. Lady Siming,
who was inside the screen with Poliana, finally went out to see what was going on. Poliana
could hear Lady Siming shaking her head and ordering the men, “This isn’t enough. We will go
to the storage ourselves to have a look. Please open it for us.”

“To go inside the storage… How dare you suggest such a thing…”

Poliana’s ears picked up the man’s voice. The man who was arguing with Lady Siming was
someone she knew because she recognized his voice. Poliana tried to remember who it was
and after a few minutes, finally realized that it was the man who worked as the keeper of the
royal treasures and valuables stored in the Yapa castle.

The man argued, “Only a royal member can enter the storage.”

Lady Siming replied, “But she will become one soon.”

“Even so…”

“His highness will allow it. Where do you think I got all these silks and furs from?”
One of the servants, who was watching nervously, quickly went out to get the emperor’s
permission. It was clear that everyone wanted things to go smoothly. The entire castle was
helping Lucius the First to make this marriage happen. As soon as the emperor’s permission
was granted, Lady Siming dressed Poliana in her original clothes and they walked towards the
treasure storage. The butler and the other maids followed excitedly.

As she stood inside the royal treasure storage, Poliana gaped in shock.

“…”

She could understand why the treasure keeper acted so nervously when Lady Siming
suggested they go into the storage. Inside was filled with the most precious and priceless gems
and jewels of the entire continent. The number of treasures Lucius the First collected was
enormous. It was a good thing that there was already a well-organized catalog of the treasures
or else, it would’ve taken a lifetime to figure out what was inside this room.

Even Tory, Stra, and Rebecca, who were the emperor’s wives, were never allowed into this
storage. Whenever they needed to wear royal jewels, only certain maids who were given special
permission could visit the treasure keeper. It was only after the treasure keeper gave his
permission when the maid could enter the storage under the keeper’s watchful eyes to grab
what she needed.

The selection process was also carried out by the keeper. Only very few and specific jewels
were allowed to be worn by the emperor’s wives. In the history of Acreia, there has never been
an incident where the person who was going to wear the jewels was allowed to enter the
storage to pick them out herself.

The keeper took out a large key chain. The keys were necessary to open the many boxes inside
the storage. He opened each of them one by one and it took two guards to lift the heavy doors
open.

One of the guards met Poliana’s eyes and grinned. He was silently cheering for her.

‘Boss, you lucked out! I am rooting for you.’

‘Shut up, you bastard.’

Poliana and the guard were arguing silently while Lady Siming and the maids looked around the
room. The room was surprisingly not shiny; in fact, it was rather dark. It was because the jewels
and the gems were mostly stored inside the boxes. The place was organized according to
different types of jewels.

Lady Siming and the treasure keeper began to discuss their plan.
“Since she’s a blonde, we should go with the primary colors…”

“I don’t think the extravagant style will suit her so we should choose elegant items…”

Poliana’s opinion was also important, so the keeper asked her, “Are there any specific gems you
prefer, Marquess Winter?”

“I would like to get a gold dagger.”

“That is something you should have made with your own money, Marquess.”

Poliana flushed angrily. Did he think she was a beggar? She replied, “I was going to. I just
wanted to have a look at one from here so I get an idea of what design I should get.”

The maids brought out different styles of daggers and laid them out in front of Poliana. She
stared in happiness as she enjoyed the beautifully bejeweled weapons. Lady Siming said to her,
“I can see you like the gems, Marquess; that’s very feminine of you.”

The keeper argued, “It’s not just the ladies that love the gems. We’re driven by instinct to collect
shiny things.”

This was true. If it was only the women who liked the gems, then why would there be so many
jeweled weapons? Men also loved gems. It was partly because it represented power and
wealth, but still, it was a fact that men loved shiny things just as the women did.

After the jewels were selected, the real work began. After putting on Lady Siming’s blue robe,
the accessories were put on Poliana. Before leaving the treasure storage, Poliana was given
one of the lovely daggers. Poliana wasn’t planning on keeping it, but the keeper told her it was
ok. He murmured that everything in the storage was going to be hers anyway very soon.

Poliana couldn’t understand why everyone was so agreeable.

‘Why isn’t anyone against the marriage?’

It seemed that Poliana was the only one who opposed the relationship between herself and the
emperor. She felt a little lonely, feeling like she was all alone in this.

After the preparation was done, Lady Siming and the maids brought out a full-length mirror.
Poliana stared at herself now looking like a highborn lady. Normally, most women would greatly
improve in appearance after so much work and care, but in her case…

“I don’t understand what the problem is…”

Poliana genuinely was curious about why something still didn’t seem right. She still didn’t look
feminine. One of the maids finally murmured, “Well… The nose is supposed to be the center of
one’s face, but in your case… I mean…”

The maid was very accurate in her assessment. Poliana’s bent nose indeed made her look
mean and vicious. In addition, Poliana worked as a soldier all her life. She killed countless men
and her harsh face showed it. There was always a frown on her face and with the uneven nose,
Poliana looked very strong and unique.

There was no way she could ever become a fragile lady. No one could deny the power and
authority that exude from her body.Chapter 345

Lady Siming tried to make Poliana feel better, “Marquess Winter, you may be unmarried yet, but
you aren’t a young girl anymore, so we need to emphasize your elegance and maturity…”

But the truth was, the other ladies in their thirties still did their best to look fragile and feminine.
Even some married women with three kids still wore veils to emphasize their girlishness, while
here was Poliana, who was a single woman but needed to “show off” her maturity. Poliana
couldn’t help feeling a little sad about it, but she also couldn’t deny the fact that Lady Siming and
the maids were correct in their assessment.

Poliana was the type that improved in appearance as she became older. Unlike some women
who bloomed beautifully in their teens and twenties, Poliana maintained a constant solidity as
her charm. She was unchanging and steadfast, which was what the maids focused on when
they dressed her.

It was always a good thing for the emperor and the empress to be beautiful. However, Lucius
the First had more than enough beauty for both of them, which meant Poliana didn’t have to
worry about her own appearance.

The final result of Lady Siming’s work was a lady who looked formidable and unwavering.
Poliana’s posture was straight and her manners faultless from serving the emperor for such a
long time. The woman who stood in front of the mirror was not conventionally beautiful, but
everyone in the room could see that Poliana was going to make a majestic empress.

<hr />

The day was getting dark and Poliana was finally escorted to the emperor. When he saw her,
Lucius the First became speechless. After a few seconds of silence, he finally said to her,
“There were times when I thought you might not look suitable to stand next to the emperor, but I
was very wrong.”
Indeed, although she didn’t look beautiful, Poliana looked magnificent. The emperor, however,
seemed a little disappointed, “The only thing is that I wish they emphasized your cuteness a bit
more.”

“Pfft.”

Poliana covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. She felt embarrassed as she replied,
“Your highness…”

“My eyes are perfectly fine, Sir Pol. See? I can see that I’m holding two fingers.”

Lucius the First quickly replied as he waved two fingers in front of his eyes. Lucius the First
asked Poliana for a whole day to spend with him, but it took her half a day to get ready. Now,
what was going to happen? Poliana waited patiently for the emperor’s order.

It was dinner time already, so they ate together. Poliana, still worried about gaining weight, so
ate less than she usually did. The emperor looked at her with concern as he said to her, “We will
be working out all night, so you should eat up.”

Oh my god. Poliana blushed uncontrollably.

‘He must be talking about…’

It could be only one thing. Poliana regretted agreeing to do this. This man was asking the
woman he loved to get dolled up, eat dinner with him, and “exercise” all night… What else could
it be?

It had to be…

‘Why did I say yes? So are we really going to sleep together? Just like that? Really? Will it be
possible when we aren’t drunk?’

Poliana could no longer eat.

<hr />

After the dinner, Lucius the First held her hand and escorted her out of the dining room. Poliana
felt confused and nervous, not knowing what she should do.

‘Will we go right to bed? Or will we go for a walk first? Are we really going to do this? Are we
going to drink first? We aren’t even married, so is this ok? Well, we already have Gerald
together… And we are going to get married anyway… So I guess it doesn’t matter? So is it
really ok for me to sleep with his highness like this? I mean, I always thought the emperor could
have everything for me, but this feels different… I don’t know what I want…’
The truth was, Poliana’s body wanted Lucius the First. There was denying that her body craved
him, but her heart seemed uncertain.

When Lucius the First took her outside the building, Poliana became tense.

‘Outside?!’

This was only their second time sleeping together and it seemed that the emperor wanted to do
it outside! How daring!

Poliana began to sweat profusely. Her entire body was becoming wet. The makeup and her
styled hair were all being ruined, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Poliana tried to think positively, ‘We already slept together once. We even have a baby together,
so there shouldn’t be any problem, right? Yes! That’s right! We should sleep together and that
way, I will know for sure how I feel!’

Only a short while ago, Poliana argued that she should not be treated as a loose woman, yet
now, it seemed that she was ready to jump into the emperor’s bed.

Poliana and the emperor finally arrived at a beautiful stone gazebo. Poliana clenched her fists.
So they were really going to do it outside! She pictured what they might be able to do here. If
Lucius the First knew what she was thinking… He was going to die of a heart attack.

He said to her mysteriously, “I won’t let you sleep at all tonight.” He let go of her hand and
walked up to the gazebo. Poliana rubbed her hands nervously like a fly waiting for its meal. Her
hands were sweating as well as she yelled, “Should I take off my clothes now?”

“What?”

Lucius the First, who was about to ask Poliana to dance with him, froze.

‘Oh my god.’

It was clear that the emperor was acting like a perfect gentleman asking a lady to dance.
Suddenly, Poliana realized that she made a mistake. It was only her whose mind was in the
gutter. She was completely wrong about her assumption for tonight and the emperor’s intention.

Lucius the First, who never imagined the woman he loved would ever ask such a thing to him,
seemed confused.

“Just what did you think we were going to do tonight?”

“I thought you were talking about the type of ‘exercise’ that is done naked…”

“What! How could you?! I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to, but we aren’t even married yet!”

The emperor acted like a blushing virgin bride on her wedding night. Normally, he enjoyed
imagining spending erotic nights with her. However, recently, he has been trying to control his
dirty thoughts since he was in the middle of courting Poliana. So, for her to bring up this subject
all of a sudden… Lucius the First felt a little angry that Poliana misunderstood his gentlemanly
intention. Did she still think he was only lusting after her rather than truly love her?

Poliana argued, “But it was you who said strange and suggestive things, your highness!” When
she was embarrassed or surprised, Poliana tends to become angry and aggressive. She yelled
at the emperor, strongly believing that this situation was largely Lucius the First’s fault.

“But I didn’t do anything!”

“You asked me to spend my whole day and night with you. You told me you won’t let me sleep
tonight. You said it will be a vigorous night.”

“I was planning on dancing with you all night!”Chapter 346

“Then you should’ve explained it better. Let’s be honest here. If a man offers to feed and clothe
a woman and tell her that he won’t let her sleep that night, everyone will think the same thing as
I did. Right guys?”

Poliana looked around and asked the musicians who were hiding around the gazebo. They
have been waiting for a long time on standby. These musicians were supposed to start playing
when the emperor began to dance with Poliana, but it seemed that things weren’t going
according to his plan. The musicians all replied with a nod.

“See? Your highness, the things you did and said tonight were very misleading. It is no wonder I
misunderstood you.”

“But I am innocent! Did you really think I would force myself on you like that? Outside?!”

Lucius the First staggered a little in shock. He ordered all the musicians to leave and leaned
against a stone chair. Poliana, who argued heatedly because she felt too embarrassed, now
regretted her words.

‘I think he is upset at me now…’

Because she worked as the emperor’s personal guard for many years, she knew that if she
didn’t console him now, Lucius the First was most likely going to pout for days. The best way to
make him feel better was to compliment him.
“Y-your highness. I can’t believe you prepared the musicians. How romantic. I am very
impressed and flattered.”

“…”

Of course, these musicians ended up being dismissed without playing a single song. Poliana
began to sweat nervously. She looked around and continued hurriedly, “And this place! What a
beautiful and romantic location. The calm sound of the bugs and this gorgeous gazebo… This is
a perfect place to dance indeed, your highness.”

“…”

“And the moon and the stars are so bright tonight. So how about it, your highness? Would you
allow me this dance?”

Poliana bowed politely while holding her dress up like a lady. Lucius the First finally turned
towards her. After a sigh, he took her hand and they walked to the center of the gazebo.

There weren’t any musicians, which meant there was no music. However, Lucius the First and
Poliana didn’t feel awkward. The emperor gently wrapped her waist with one hand and guided
her into a smooth dance. Their legs moved like they were meant to dance together.

The sun was almost completely set now, leaving only a slight bit of redness in the sky. The bugs
continued to cry because it was a mating season. After a long silence, the emperor finally said
to her, “I realize that you and I are both adults and we even slept with each other once already…
But…”

“Yes, your highness.”

“But I am currently courting you right now. Unless you give me permission, I would never make
unwanted physical contact. Even if you allow me, if I feel that it is not appropriate, I wouldn’t do
it.”

This was very true. Ever since Poliana returned to Yapa, Lucius the First never made any
unnecessary physical contact with her. All he did was look at her adoringly and ask her politely if
he could kiss the back of her hand. He also waited patiently until she was ready to hold his
hand.

The emperor continued, “They say men should be greedy while women should be patient. I am,
however, proving my love for you by being patient so that you would become greedy for me, Sir
Pol.”
While they chatted, their first dance ended, but Lucius the First could not let Poliana’s hand go.
Just as he said, once he began to dance with her, he could not stop.

This time, it was the emperor who bowed to her and asked her to dance. Poliana bowed back
and took his hand. Lucius the First chose an excellent location to dance. The moon, now high
up in the sky shone directly on the gazebo.

Poliana’s dance moves were textbook and rigid but Lucius the First led her smoothly and
elegantly. While they danced together, their breathing and heartbeat matched perfectly. Poliana
could not stop looking at the emperor. It was the same for Lucius the First. The emperor made
sure not to touch Poliana more than was necessary, which oddly disappointed her.

Just how many dances were they going to dance? It was Poliana who first fell onto fatigue. She
didn’t get a good sleep last night and she didn’t eat much at dinner earlier. Lucius the First
encouraged her, “Sir Pol! We can dance more! You can do this.”

“I am feeling too nauseous, your highness. I can’t.”

She was beginning to feel dizzy as well. Poliana surrendered and Lucius the First quickly got
her a warm blanket he prepared as she sat down on a chair.

“I’m okay, your highness. I don’t need the blanket.”

“It’s pretty chilly at night nowadays. You just gave birth recently, so it is important to keep
yourself warm at all times.”

Lucius the First looked up at the sky longingly and continued, “My mother died when I was very
young because she didn’t take good care of herself after giving birth to me. She got a very bad
cold and didn’t make it. So please, Sir Pol, I am begging you. Please take care of yourself.”

The emperor did not bring up his dead mother spontaneously. This was a topic he prepared in
advance. He also looked up at the sky at an angle that allowed the moonlight to shine on his
face and hair.

Lucius the First wanted Poliana to realize what a sensitive man he was. He may have been the
emperor of the kingdom, but deep inside, there was a great sadness of losing his mother very
young. He might have been a perfect man, but he was also someone who needed a woman’s
warmth and sympathy.

This was what Lucius the First learned from his friend Sir Ainno. He didn’t care if Poliana pitied
him. What the emperor wanted was any kind of strong emotion from her. Lucius the First wanted
Poliana to show interest in him. He wanted her to love him.
He wondered secretly, ‘Do I look handsome now? Does Pol think I look good? Or does she think
I look pitiful?’

“Your highness…”

The emperor looked so lonely and suddenly, Poliana felt a strong urge to lessen his sadness.
She wanted to be the one who healed the emperor’s pain. She wanted him to know that he
wasn’t alone.

Poliana wanted Lucius the First to know that she could provide him the warmth he craved so
much.

Her heart began to beat very fast as she looked at the emperor. Could this be love? It had to be,
right? Then should she say it out loud? Should she tell him? Poliana knew he would be thrilled
to hear it.

But was it really okay to tell him?

Poliana stood up from the chair to stand next to the emperor. But as she stood up, she
accidentally stepped on the blanket. Luckily, Poliana had excellent reflexes, which meant she
would’ve staggered a little before straightening up. However, Lucius the First’s overreaction
made things worse.

The emperor was busy wondering what Poliana was thinking when he spotted her stumble.
Lucius the First grabbed Poliana’s wrist and pulled her towards him. Unfortunately, this made
her lose her balance even more. The emperor turned his body to embrace her and they ended
up bumping into the nearby column.

By the time Poliana opened her eyes, she found herself trapped between the emperor and the
column.

“Are you alright?” Lucius the First whispered.Chapter 347

If the emperor left her alone, Poliana’s reflexes would’ve kicked in and she would’ve been fine,
but Lucius the First tried to help and this surprised her even more than anything. Poliana
thought about pointing this out, but she kept her mouth shut.

The night sky was full of stars and underneath it, Lucius the First’s face moved closer to her. He
was still holding her wrist while his other hand was supporting her neck.

‘I’m trapped,’ Poliana thought suddenly.

Just as she thought he was going to kiss her, Lucius the First let her go. She was free now, but
her heart continued to pound fast.
Badum, badum.

The emperor said to her, “That was close. You need to be more careful.” He also apologized to
her for touching her without her permission. He was being a perfect gentleman yet when
Poliana didn’t reply; he became uncomfortable.

‘Is she mad?’

Lucius the First glanced at her nervously, trying to figure out what she was thinking. It was a
very difficult task because she was neither smiling nor crying. She also didn’t look angry.
Poliana seemed surprised, but the emperor could not tell if she was shocked because he
suddenly embraced her or because she almost fell.

“Sir Pol, now that I think about it, something like this happened to me before. I thought I was
going to have a heart attack. I thought I was going to die. You were trying to protect me from an
assassin, but it was you who almost killed me.”

The emperor brought up one of his favorite memories from the past. It was the time when she
slammed him against a wall for his protection. Just thinking about that moment still made Lucius
the First heart skip a beat.

What the emperor didn’t realize was that Poliana was feeling the same sharp emotions he
experienced at that time. He had no idea how Poliana’s heart was pounding because, at this
very moment, she found him incredibly attractive.

Lucius the First has always been attractive. The problem for Poliana was the fact that he was
going to become more and more handsome. What she felt right now was more intense than
how the emperor felt before. In the past, Lucius the First suffered from difficulty in breathing and
chest pain. Poliana, however, felt even worse now.

Her hands felt heavy as if they were chained. Her heart felt trapped in a cage. The moonlight
that shone on the gazebo seemed to have captured her like a helpless animal.

Her soul was forever changed. Poliana knew she would never forget this moment until her
death. She was going to think about this moment over and over again in the coming days.

“Your highness…”

Poliana was afraid but also happy and excited. Poliana wanted to run away but also hold on to
him. She wished this moment would last forever yet she also wanted this night to be just a
summer night’s dream.

“Your highness… My emperor…”

Poliana’s lips trembled a little as she whispered. Her voice was barely audible, but because
Lucius the First was so focused on her that he could hear her perfectly.

Moonlight was supposed to make a woman look more radiant and beautiful, but unfortunately,
this wasn’t the case for Poliana. Lucius the First had perfect eyesight so he could see her
clearly. Most of her makeup was gone by now from dancing so vigorously.

Sun-burnt skin, noticeable scars, and twisted nose. When she smiled wide, the missing molar
was very noticeable. Even he couldn’t say Poliana was beautiful, but to him, she was the
loveliest woman in his kingdom.

‘I have enough beauty for the both of us, so it’s okay.’

His love for her grew day by day. Ever since the moment he realized how felt about her, Lucius
the First never stopped loving her. They say age worsens people’s appearances. They say that
as time passes, one becomes tired of the same face every day, but strangely, Lucius the First
never felt this way. Every day he saw her, he fell in love with Poliana over and over again.

Some say love usually only lasts three years, but to the emperor, his love for her was eternal.
Every week, every day, and every moment… Lucius the First fell in love with her again and
again. In a way, it was a battle he was never going to win. He was the loser in this war of love,
but then at the same time, he was going to be the winner who earns the woman he loves.

Because he fell in love with someone like Poliana, his fight was a difficult one, but in some
ways, it was also destined to be an easy battle. It was because Poliana was desperate for love.
It was impossible for her to refuse someone who was ready to shower her with love and
affection.

So…

“Your highness… Are you sure it is okay for me to love you?”

“If that happens, it would be the greatest honor of my life.”

“But are you really sure it’s okay for me to love you?”

“You do not need to ask for my permission to love me, Sir Pol.”

In truth, Poliana wasn’t asking this question to the emperor. She actually was asking herself and
society.

Was she really allowed to love the emperor? For an unknown reason, Poliana felt guilty about it.
Was it because it felt like she was coveting the emperor she was supposed to respect and
admire? Was it because she was desiring the husband of her dead friend? Or was it because
she felt guilty towards Princess Luminae?

No, it was none of these reasons.

In this kingdom, Marquess Winter was the only woman who possessed all the freedoms of a
man. She was forced to become a soldier, but she ended up paving a powerful life out of her
situation. While all the other women were forced to live inside the invisible wall the society
created, Poliana was the only one who escaped it.

But if she loved Lucius the First, she could no longer live outside this wall. She had to voluntarily
return to “where women belonged.” Although she would be living inside the most luxurious
castle, this castle was going to be inside this invisible wall.

Was this really okay? Why did she feel so guilty? Why did she have to feel like she was doing
something wrong? Was it the right decision to give up everything she accomplished for love?

Tory said to her that Poliana’s life was her own and therefore she should do whatever she
wanted.

Stra told her that Lucius the First and Poliana would make a great couple.

Sir Donau told her that she should do whatever she desired.

Not a single person was against their union, and for some reason, this scared Poliana even
more.

But she could no longer control her desire. She lunged at Lucius the First and embraced him.
The emperor, without hesitation, embraced her back. She felt his warm arms on her body.

Poliana closed her eyes and focused on the beautiful man. Perhaps she would regret it once
this night was over, but for now…

She wanted this man. She wanted to make him hers.Chapter 348

The next day, Lucius the First woke up before Poliana this time.

The emperor didn’t get much sleep last night. Just the fact that Poliana was sleeping next to
him… He was so happy that he didn’t want to miss a moment.

Lucius the First quietly drew down the bed canopy so Poliana could not be bothered by the
sunlight. He tried his best not to make any noise, but Poliana, who was a very light sleeper,
opened her eyes. Lucius the First tried to give her a morning kiss, but he was stopped by
Poliana’s loud groan. She stretched her arms and pounded her back hard.

Her hangover dulled her muscle pain the first time they slept together, but now, Poliana could
feel every inch of her body clearly.

They looked at each other. Poliana stared at him blankly while Lucius the First blushed and
looked away shyly.

He asked her, “Are you alright?”

“Yes. How about you, your highness?”

“I am excellent.”

“…”

“…”

Then, there was silence. They were close enough that they usually felt comfortable in silence,
but after spending the night together… They couldn’t help feeling awkward. It was the emperor
who couldn’t stand the silence anymore. He coughed and put the kettle on the fire. Walking
towards the table, Lucius the First pretended to be busy picking out the tea.

Poliana busied herself wiping her body with a wet towel. She realized that they have finally done
it this time. There was no going back now. They weren’t drunk when they chose to be with each
other. There was no excuse. On top of that, all of the emperor’s maids and servants knew about
their night together now.

So how did she feel?

‘It was good.’

It was pretty good. Of course, in this context, “pretty” meant incredible. Last night was…
amazing.

She slept with a man she liked. At first, they were a bit hesitant, but their bodies were burning
with desire. There was no effort to be made. They both let their bodies do the work.

It was beyond PG 15. In fact, it was more like PG 28. This was perfectly alright since they were
both over 30 years old.

Lucius the First poured some cold water into a teacup and handed it to Poliana. He looked
excited and happy like a groom after his wedding night.
Poliana thanked him quietly. Lucius the First was not a good tea maker. He put the tea leaves
when the water was too hot. Poliana, however, didn’t complain. It was rare for her to complain
about the taste of food because she could usually eat anything and everything.

Lucius the First sat next to her at the table. He took a sip of his tea and frowned at the taste
before telling her, “If we get another child from last night…”

“That would be shocking.”

“I would love a daughter, Milady.”

Gerald was a miracle, but another baby? Poliana began to cough in shock but not because of
what he said. It was the way the emperor said to her.

His speech was much more respectful, and he seemed very proud of it.

“Your highness, why are you talking to me like that?”

“Well, you are going to be my wife very soon, which means I cannot talk to you disrespectfully,
Pol.”

‘Oh.’

Suddenly, Poliana realized what was happening here. Lucius the First addressed those close to
him by their nicknames. Towards the end of the conquest, he began to call her “Pol,” but when
he realized that he fell in love with her, he changed back to calling her “Sir Pol.” After she broke
up with Frau, he again began to call her Pol until Poliana sobbed after Lucius the First
confessed his love to her.

She was addressed as “Sir Pol” by the emperor since then even after she returned to Yapa. He
was making a point of calling her by her knight’s title because he knew how important her
position was to her.

Poliana replied, “But your highness, we aren’t married yet.” She began to count slowly as she
continued, “Spending one night doesn’t mean we must get married. If that was the case, you
would have so many wives by now… Let me see… One, two, three…”

Lucius the First’s eyes widened. He knew he had no excuse regarding this matter, so stood up
quickly and tried to change the subject, “Breakfast! We need to get some breakfast! You didn’t
eat much last night so you must be very hungry!”

Poliana stopped counting and replied, “It’s just a joke, your highness.”
“Haha.”

Lucius the First patted his chest and staggered a little. “You’re so funny, Pol. I almost had a
heart attack because it was so funny. Anyway, if you insist, I won’t change how I talk to you.”

“Your highness, I may have fallen in love with you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will marry
you.”

“Because it would mean you would have to give up being a knight?”

Lucius the First tapped the table quietly as he added, “I understand this isn’t fair for you. If it was
anyone else other than me, the emperor, you wouldn’t have to give up so much. I understand
why it would be hard for you to accept me.”

“You are correct, your highness.”

“If it was anyone else… Even my cousin Luzo, who is working like a slave for me… You wouldn’t
have to give up your sword. The two of you would’ve slaved away for me for the rest of your
lives.”

“That is true.”

“But can’t you see it from my point of view as well? See how unfair it is for me too?”

Lucius the First kneeled in front of her. Poliana, feeling shocked, tried to get up and kneel as
well, but the emperor stopped her. He put his hands on top of hers and continued, “Just
because I was born to a royal family and united the continent, I am having a difficult time
marrying the woman I love. How unfair is that? But Pol, what bothers you certainly bothers me
too. Your problem is my problem as well.”

The emperor began to tell her what he has been thinking for a long time.

“You can continue to carry your sword if you wish. You can continue to wear pants as well. You
can also continue to boss around everyone. If there isn’t a law to stop you from doing these…
And if someone argues against it…”

Lucius the First was about to say he would take care of these opposers, but he knew better. He
said instead, “You will beat them up, I’m sure, and I will always back you up no matter what.”

Poliana quietly listened to the emperor. Born as the only son to the emperor and therefore
forced to rule the kingdom… It was true that Lucius the First never had any choice in this. She
could understand how he would feel that the world was unfair. Although it looked like he had
everything, she knew that things weren’t always perfect for him.
The emperor begged her, “When things become too unbearable, please just remember me. The
fact that you have me hopefully helps.”

“But your highness…”Chapter 349

Poliana couldn’t accept this situation. It was too unfair. It was true that the emperor also faced
some difficulties, but what he had to endure if they got married could not compare to how much
she would have to suffer. Pouting, Poliana said to him, “Your highness, you don’t actually lose
anything from this relationship.”

Everyone in the world thought it made sense for Poliana to be the one who gave up in order to
make this marriage work. Even worse, Poliana herself thought the same way.

Lucius the First didn’t have to give up anything for this union. He had everything. He was going
to get everything he ever wanted, yet for Poliana, she was going to be forced to give up
everything she achieved for love.

Career and love… Love and job… Title and love… Love and title… Properties and love… Love
and properties…

While the emperor could have both, Poliana had to give up one to get the other. What made her
the angriest was the fact that her surrender was going to solve all the problems and bring the
textbook happiness everyone in the kingdom believed in. It seemed that everyone was going to
be happy and satisfied when she gives up and marries the emperor.

Everyone except for her.

So why did she have to give up her own happiness for everyone else?

“Your highness, you’re a coward. You’re being selfish. You’re being too greedy.”

“So you hate me for it?”

Poliana shook her head emphatically and replied, “No.” She felt her eyes tearing up, so she bit
her lips to stop herself from crying. Just like that night of the accident, it was again Poliana who
seduced the emperor. She needed to take responsibility for her actions.

Looking straight at him, Poliana confessed her feelings to the one she considered the most
precious treasure in her life.

“I love you, your highness.”

“Could you call me by my name?”

“…Luci.”

“Luci” was the nickname only Sir Ainno used when he and the emperor were alone. Poliana
knew this and was jealous of Sir Ainno for being allowed to call the emperor by his nickname.
When Lucius the First heard this, his eyes widened before smiling. He looked so happy like a
man who had everything he ever wanted in this world. Indeed, he had the entire continent and
now he also had the love of his life.

“Pol.”

This was an inevitable conclusion. Lucius the First was Poliana’s whole world. He was her
everything, so how could she ever push him away? How could she ever deny him?

Lucius the First was the man who completed Poliana Winter as a person. It was him who gave
her an identity, so now, she must accept the fact that he was going to take it away and give her
a new one.

‘Poliana Clair. It doesn’t suit me at all.’

Both Lucius the First’s nickname and last name sounded very feminine. It was a mystery how
the emperor of such a male-oriented kingdom ended up with the family name of “Clair.”

‘Gerald Clair… That doesn’t sound right either… But Luminae Clair sounds very pretty.’

Poliana was not completely happy with how everything was going, but it couldn’t be helped. She
smiled brightly at the man she loved.

Lucius the First’s happiness was her own happiness after all.

<hr />

Poliana continued to stay in the Yapa castle. Officially, she was the emperor’s guest, but
everyone treated her like she was already the empress.

As soon as he heard about Poliana’s stay, Duke Luzo visited the emperor and asked which day
should be set as the wedding day. Marquis Zeese went to both the emperor and Poliana to ask
if they had any special requests for the wedding ceremony. Because it was a royal wedding, it
was considered a national event. This meant that Poliana’s personal taste could not be applied
too much, but Marquis Zeese was willing to satisfy Poliana as much as possible.

All Poliana said to him was that she wanted an ordinary wedding. Marquis Zeese asked, “And
what is an ordinary royal wedding?”
The way Marquis Zeese spoke to Poliana was different now. He treated her with much more
respect and formality.

Poliana replied, “How should I know?”

“I am afraid you are no help… You will need to be more specific… Is there anything you want…”

“Oh, I want my wedding ring to be big enough to fit on top of a gauntlet.”

Marquis Zeese refused immediately, “Denied.” He murmured that he was very busy and left.

Everyone thought the wedding should take place sooner rather than later since the bride and
groom were both in their 30’s. Those who knew about the existence of Gerald seemed even
more anxious for the wedding. They wanted the heir to become legitimate as soon as possible.

Poliana began her skincare regimen again. Whenever she practiced sword fight with the
emperor, the maids watched nervously, worried Poliana might end up with a scar on her face.

One thing that displeased Poliana was the fact that Sir Ainno also began his own skincare
routine. He was confident he was going to become the best man, so apparently, he wanted to
shine during the wedding.

‘Why is he so sure that he is going to be at the wedding party? I don’t want him to be the best
man, but then, I know his highness would want him…’

Whenever Sir Ainno talked to her respectfully, Poliana couldn’t help the goosebumps covering
her entire body.

‘That bastard is faking it! How dare he show respect to me?! So annoying.’

What shocked Poliana most recently was the fact that Sir Ainno and his wife, Lady Seki, actually
got along much better than she expected. Poliana had to admit that Sir Ainno must truly love
Cekel.

It was decided that Cekel will be Poliana’s maid of honor. Vaxi and Vanessa lived too far away,
and it was going to be difficult for them to travel with such young children. Poliana was close to
Tory and Stra, but they were both the emperor’s ex-wives, so it seemed inappropriate to make
them her bridesmaids. The only other noble lady Poliana could think of was Cekel, so by
coincidence, both the husband and wife of the Seki family became the official member of the
wedding party. Cekel seemed surprised at Poliana’s request, but she accepted it graciously.

As the bride-to-be, there was so much Poliana needed to do, yet her acquaintances would not
leave her alone. Now that she was going to be the emperor’s wife, her title and wealth would
have to be inherited by someone else. Sir Jainno already asked her if she would accept his
second son as the next in line to her title. The other nobles also wanted their own sons to inherit
her wealth and status. Poliana tried to choose carefully, which meant there was much research
she needed to do on each candidate.

Poliana was busier than she has ever been in her life. She could’ve just denied all of the
requests, but if she did, her title and wealth were going to be confiscated by the royal family. The
name “Winter” was going to disappear forever and Poliana did not want this.

This name was given to her by the emperor and she wanted it to thrive. Lucius the First gave
her permission to give away her title to a person of her choice. This was considered to be her
right and her obligation.Chapter 350

Everyone welcomed Poliana’s and the emperor’s union. There were some who believed it was
truly a love match while others believed it was a political marriage. The main thing was that no
one was against the idea. Everyone was ready to accept Empress Poliana Clair.

Poliana became a little bitter and lonely. People said to her that her effort was finally paying off.
They told her that she was finally going to be acknowledged for her hard work.

But… This wasn’t what she worked for. This was not what she wanted.

‘But I guess it doesn’t matter anymore at this point.’

The witch who seduced the emperor…

She used to be called so many ugly names during the war, but now, no one said one bad thing
about her. All the criticism whenever she accomplished something stopped. When she became
a knight and marquess, which were titles she knew she truly deserved, so many noblemen were
against the idea. But it seemed that these same men were perfectly fine accepting her as their
empress.

Strangely, Poliana missed their criticism now. It felt so strange that she was being accepted so
wholeheartedly.

Poliana remembered what her adopted brother Donau said to her once. He asked her what she
was going to do if she became so used to the criticisms and insults. It seemed that Sir Donau
knew a long time ago that something like this might happen.

Poliana was doing something these noblemen would’ve and should’ve disagreed in the past. So
why were they not saying a word? Why were they keeping so quiet? She felt strange. The whole
world was being kind to her. The entire kingdom was cheering for her and the emperor’s love.

Despite it all, however, she kept herself busy preparing for her wedding. Poliana couldn’t help
feeling excited just like when she was planning her wedding with Frau in the past.
Poliana giggled more nowadays. Although she felt a similar excitement as before, her current
emotions were stabler. It was because she knew Lucius the First truly loved her and confessed
his feelings for her.

The emperor was much richer and more powerful than Poliana, which meant that he wasn’t
marrying her for her money. There was no way she was going to be conned by the emperor. On
top of it, they already had a child together, which meant that she didn’t have to feel pressured to
produce a royal heir.

Have there ever been days like these when Poliana felt so happy and safe? Happiness and
excitement filled her every day. She felt like she was dreaming until the letter arrived from the
south.

“Hmm.”

Poliana put the letters on the table. Looking at the dates these letters were sent, it was most
likely that they were written before the news of her wedding reached the south. So the people
who wrote these letters probably only knew about how Poliana made a huge mistake of getting
pregnant, running away, and having her child in secret. They obviously didn’t hear about how
Poliana was now going to marry the emperor.

When Poliana groaned, a maid nearby asked curiously, “Oh, what’s wrong?” Normally, Poliana
loved opening the letter from the south. So it was no wonder that the maid found it strange that
Poliana was just staring at the messages without even opening the envelopes.

Poliana groaned again before finally opening the first letter. Being a grown woman didn’t mean
she enjoyed being reprimanded. She wished silently, ‘I just hope Donau explained the situation
in the best light possible.’

Her adopted brother was the only one she could rely on right now.

‘Please! Please Donau!’

There were several letters from the south and Poliana decided to open the ones she knew were
going to be kindest.

As expected, the twins were on her side. Just like when she was about to marry Frau, Vaxi and
Vanessa wrote that they would support whatever decision Poliana makes. They also wrote that
they cried when they heard Poliana gave birth to her baby all by herself. Sir Howe didn’t write
Poliana a letter but his wife Vaxi wrote that he was ready to ride to Yapa if Poliana needed him.
Poliana smirked. Why would she need him?

Now there were three letters left.

‘Three?’

Confused, Poliana checked the names. There was one from the Viceroy Bika and another one
from Sir Baufallo. The last one, however, was not actually a personal letter but an official
document that was sent from the local government from the south to Marquess Winter.

“What is this?”

When she opened the envelope, Poliana was shocked to see another letter inside. This letter
had her name written on the outside in a writing that was dear to Poliana. The handwriting of a
person Poliana missed desperately.

If she wasn’t mistaken, this letter was from Lady Rebecca. This had to be her last message to
Poliana.

<hr />

“I got one too.”

“Me too.”

The three women gathered together. Poliana was a bride-to-be and therefore very busy. Stra
and Tory were also busy because of their jobs. So why did these three very busy women get
together? There could be only one reason. It was because they used to be a group of four
women a few years ago.

Just like Poliana, Stra and Tory also received letters from Rebecca. Everyone believed that
Lady Rebecca left only one will, which was a last letter to the emperor, so this was a shocking
turn of events for the three women.

The reason why these letters weren’t given to the correct receivers was all because of Duchess
Nani. Rebecca kept these letters safe in her safe just in case, and it seemed that her mother the
duchess took the safe with her when she left Yapa. There was a small note from the southern
government that explained this situation.

Tory trembled angrily, “Duchess Nani would’ve known about these letters a few days after
Rebecca’s funeral! How could she not have sent them to us sooner?” Stra, remembering
Rebecca, began to cry quietly. The two ladies already read their letters, which meant there was
only Poliana’s left to be opened.

Poliana asked if she could find out what Rebecca said to Tory and Stra. The messages for the
two women were similar. Rebecca told them she was happy to have known them and that she
hopes they would take care of her child. She also hoped that Tory and Stra would find
happiness in their lives.

Stra, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, murmured, “Rebecca, we will protect Princess
Luminae so please rest in peace.”

Tory guessed, “There could be only one reason why the southern region sent these letters to us.
Now that you and the emperor are getting married, they are probably telling you, Marquess, to
not to forget about them.”

Poliana shook her head, “No, that can’t be. The south doesn’t know about the wedding yet.
They probably forgot about these letters until now. Just a random coincidence that they arrived
before my wedding. Besides, Duchess Nani did lose her daughter…”

Poliana tried to think positively. Although Duchess Nani and Rebecca didn’t seem close, the
letters were in excellent condition, considering they were many years old. The south was humid
and warm, which meant that the papers often became worn and destroyed easily. The fact that
these letters looked new meant that they must’ve been kept in a cool and dark place safely.

It was very possible that Duchess Nani did not open Rebecca’s safe until recently. After all, it
couldn’t have been easy to go through the things of her daughter who died giving birth in a
foreign land.

Carefully, Poliana opened the letter Rebecca sent her.Chapter 351

The letter Rebecca sent to Poliana contained slightly different messages than those sent to Tory
and Stra.

“I want to ask you to take care of my child, but I won’t. You should not try to take responsibility
for anyone else except yourself. Be greedier and happier. That is all I ask of you.”

Poliana never expected even her dead friend to force happiness on her. She looked at the letter
quietly. It felt as if Rebecca was whispering the words in her ear.

Poliana’s eyes teared up so she quickly wiped them with her sleeves. Tory handed her a
handkerchief without a word. Reading Rebecca’s letter before her own wedding to Lucius the
First… Poliana felt strange. She looked up and finally asked the question that has been
bothering her.

“Is it really okay for me to marry his highness?”

Stra wiped away her own tears and replied, “Of course! If Rebecca was alive, she would’ve
been happy for you!” Again, hearing these words from the ex-wife of her future husband… This
was truly a strange situation for Poliana.
Tory added firmly, “Marquess Winter, just as Rebecca’s letter says, you should not be so
concerned for others. All you need to think about is yourself. There isn’t even a need for you to
promise to be a good mother to Princess Luminae.”

Looking straight into Poliana’s eyes, Tory continued clearly, “No one will blame you for anything.
No one will criticize you. No one has the right to judge you.” With a smile, Tory added, “So
please don’t feel bad for us or Rebecca just because you are marrying the emperor.”

How could she not!

Poliana sighed deeply and replied, “Thank you.”

<hr />

Poliana was alone and back at her desk. It was time for her to open the letters from her previous
superiors. She sat up straight and opened the envelopes. The first one was from the Viceroy Sir
Rabi.

His letter contained calm words. He stated that he would support her and even congratulate her
if she chooses to marry the emperor. He emphasized that marrying the emperor would be the
right choice. As she read the letter, Poliana felt like she was finally coming home. It was hard to
explain, but it just felt… welcoming. As a skilled strategist, Sir Rabi also advised never to tell the
public how the prince was conceived as an accident. He suggested telling everyone that her
marriage to the emperor was a political one.

“Hmm.”

Poliana put Viceroy Bika’s letter back into the envelope. Now, it was time to read the letter from
Sir Baufallo.

“…”

Poliana groaned after reading the first sentence, which stated how Sir Baufallo could not believe
what she did. He reprimanded her for the next little while but ended with the following.

“But since you now have a child, I guess it can’t be helped. Congratulations.”

Poliana tried to figure out what must’ve happened in the south. She guessed that Sir Donau did
not tell her old superiors that Lucius the First was in love with Poliana. Even so, the two men
congratulated her, which told her they cared about her deeply. Poliana felt touched.

‘Even if they hear the rumor that the emperor is in love with me, they probably won’t believe it
for a long time.’
Finally, Poliana finished reading the dreaded letters and stretched her body to relieve her tensed
muscles.

Rebecca’s message from the grave and the reprimanding letters from her old bosses… Within a
very short amount of time, Poliana felt immense stress. At a time like this, she knew the best
thing was to move her body.

Poliana searched for Lucius the First. She was going to ask for a sword match.

The emperor, who succeeded in capturing Poliana’s heart, now had no excuse but to return to
work. All the government workers protested angrily that his vacation was over.

So during the day time, Lucius the First worked like a dog, and during the evening and the night,
he enjoyed his time with Poliana. Whenever he got a chance, he sparred with Poliana, which
now was one of his favorite pastimes.

The other knights avoided sparring Poliana at all cost, knowing that she was going to become
the next empress. Besides, if they caused even the smallest cut on her body, the knights knew
they would be hounded by the maids who were responsible for Poliana’s skincare.

The only knight who didn’t care and was willing to practice with Poliana was Sir Ainno, but
Poliana herself refused. This man was merciless even when sparring with the emperor. Sir
Ainno, from his own extravagant skin regimen, now boasted of the smoothest skin in
preparation for the upcoming wedding. Yet, when Poliana sparred with him once, he was vicious
as if he was trying his best to hurt her.

‘What a jerk.’

Sir Ainno was such an annoying man. Poliana used her tongue to touch the area where one of
her molars was missing. A tooth specialist was currently hard at work to make a fake ivory tooth
for Poliana. It would look unseemly for a bride to be missing a tooth on her wedding day.

Poliana remembered how Sir Donau never once used the denture the emperor gifted him. She
suspected that after her wedding day, she would be doing the same thing.

‘People might complain that the empress of this kingdom is running around with a missing tooth,
but it can’t be helped. Especially since it is the future duke who caused me to lose this tooth.’

This future duke was also the one who broke her nose in the past. Who knew the woman he
was beating up was going to be the future empress of the entire continent? No one did.
The knightess from the foreign kingdom becoming the empress of Acreia… When Poliana
thought of that cold winter day, her body shook. She was given the name “Winter” so that she
would never forget that day.

“…”

She used her tongue again to rub the gum where the molar should be.

<hr />

Lucius the First greeted Poliana happily. He was always so pleased to see her. His whole face lit
up as soon as she walked in. Some of the scribes covered their lips to hide their smiles.
Unfortunately, there was no time to spar at the moment, but the groom-to-be wanted to have a
chat with his bride-to-be.

“…and therefore, I am planning on adjusting my mother’s ring so it could be your wedding ring.
We will have to make it bigger.”

“That sounds good.”

“This ring isn’t very extravagant. Is that okay?”

If they wanted to make Poliana a new ring, it would take a very long time to make it properly.
The first thing they would have to do is to find an appropriate stone. Lucius the First wanted the
best, biggest, and the shiniest stone this continent could offer, but this was going to be a
time-consuming task.

Many believed that instead of using the stone from one of the colonies, it would be more
meaningful to use the ring used by the previous Acreian royal family. Thankfully, Lucius the First
had just the thing. It was the ring his mother used.Chapter 352

The former empress’s wedding was pretty, but it was too small for Poliana’s finger. This was why
the ring maker was brought in to enlarge it. Because Acreia used to be only a small northern
kingdom, this ring was now considered too simple and small and therefore unfitting to be worn
by the empress of the entire continent. However, Poliana said she was happy to wear it. She
didn’t care about how big or small the ring was. She thought it was perfect that she gets to wear
such a meaningful ring.

Poliana lost her mother at a very young age, which meant she did not remember her at all.
Lucius the First, however, remembered his mother very fondly. It meant a lot for him that Poliana
would wear his mother’s old ring.

The emperor and Poliana also discussed other bridal jewelry for a few more hours before talking
about their day. Lucius the First told her what kind of government work he completed earlier
while Poliana talked about her extravagant skin regimen involving many different plants. She
also brought up the subject of Rebecca’s letter.

“…it has been so long since she passed away, so how could the letter be here now?”

“Tory said the same thing.”

“I can understand how angry she would be. I am actually surprised now that I received
Rebecca’s letter on time.”

“I think Lady Rebecca wrote these letters at different times. The letters she sent to me, Stra, and
Tory were handwritten. I assume the one you received was written by her maid, right?”

“…”

So his dead wife wrote the letters to the other wives by hand yet the one sent to her husband
was written by someone else… Lucius the First felt such mixed emotions. He thought that
perhaps he would’ve felt more comfortable if his ex-wives and Poliana didn’t have amicable
relationships, but this wasn’t the case. Poliana, Stra, Tory, and Rebecca were great friends.
When Poliana told him what the letter said, Lucius the First laughed.

“Rebecca is right. You need to be more selfish, Sir Pol.”

“Do you remember what your letter said, your highness?”

“It was very business-like. He told me what to do with the maids she brought from her homeland
and the new people she hired while she was here. She also told me to choose the baby if it
came to that, and…”

Talking about Rebecca was a painful task for the emperor. Poliana felt guilty about bringing up
this subject, so she gave him a look that told him he could stop if he wished. Lucius the First,
however, continued, “She said that even if the baby is a girl, she won’t apologize for it. She
asked me to change the world so that the women do not ever have to apologize for bearing a
daughter.”

This last bit was the only personal message Rebecca included in her last letter to the emperor.
Unlike many other men, Lucius the First would’ve been happy as long as the mother and the
baby were both healthy. He wouldn’t have cared if the child were a girl or a boy. When he read
Rebecca’s letter, he couldn’t help but feel bitter and sad. Rebecca was a greedy woman.
Unfortunately, at this point, it was impossible for the emperor to change his kingdom the way
Rebecca would’ve wanted him to.
But now, he wondered how Rebecca would feel about the things that happened after her death.
Tory received a title that belonged to her. Cekel was working as a secret agent in the
Intelligence Unit. And… Poliana was about to lose her title.

Was Acreia moving forward and improving or was it taking a step back?

At this point, it didn’t matter. Nothing changed the fact that Rebecca was dead. Lucius the First
would never truly find out if he did the right things for his kingdom because the effect of them will
be seen after his death. The changes that were made in the kingdom were going to be judged
by the next generation. But he was certain of at least one thing that if he did his best and
worked hard, it would pay off.

The emperor lived a life that never betrayed his hard work and effort. He believed anything was
possible. On the other hand, Poliana believed that some things cannot be achieved no matter
how hard one worked for it. In this aspect, their beliefs were very different.

The emperor worked to unite the continent. He often sighed in frustration about how young
people nowadays did not put any effort into things. After all, didn’t his effort even get him his true
love?

Lucius the First and Poliana walked the garden together holding each other’s arms. They looked
up at the sky and chatted about the stars. They kissed often as if their lives depended on it. Just
as the emperor promised, Poliana finally experienced the kind of happiness the other women
must feel. She has never felt this way before. She felt content.

Poliana finally realized what it felt to be loved.

Lucius the First whispered to her, “Your eyes are filled with stars. They are so beautiful like the
pretty lake on a clear day.”

“…”

“Don’t be so embarrassed.”

“You may be used to this kind of compliment, but I am not, your highness.”

Poliana slapped his back in embarrassment and the emperor just laughed. When the night
deepened, they finally parted. Instead of going to bed, Poliana sat down at a desk.

She was happy, but she also felt nervous. When Poliana told Stra about it, Stra reassured her
that it was a normal feeling for a bride-to-be. Stra explained that everyone felt nervous before
their wedding day. Once Poliana was married, she would be fine.

‘But what if I keep feeling anxious? What if I get more things to worry about?’
On her way to the bedroom, one of the guards passing by greeted Poliana. He told her that she
looked happy lately. This made her think hard about her life. If even a random guard thought she
looked happy, it must be true. She had to be happy.

Be happy. Be selfish. Remember that she is the one in control. She can make a choice.

These were the things many people told her. The people who cared about her… And just as
they wished, Poliana became happy.

The very first Marquess and knightess Poliana Winter was going to be the very first empress of
the new united Acreia. She was going to be the wife of the greatest emperor and it was very
possible that her son Gerald was going to be the next emperor. She was going to be given the
greatest happiness and honor a woman could ever hope for.

She was going to have everything.

Poliana Clair was going to have everything.

Poliana Clair.

“Oh.”

Suddenly, Poliana realized what she had forgotten. When she was young, Poliana didn’t have
much, but as she became older, she was lucky enough to possess and enjoy many things. Of all
these, there were some Poliana could let go while there were others she could never give
up.Chapter 353

For example, Poliana could not give up Lucius the First. She also could not give up power nor
her sword.

Poliana thought carefully. The thing that she could not give up even if it meant she would end up
at the deepest part of hell… For this, she was willing to let go of her knight’s honor or even her
pride as a human. Perhaps this was even more important to her than the emperor’s smile.

“I have the right to choose… This will be my choice to make…”

Tory told Poliana not to feel honor-bound to do anything just because she now had Gerald. Even
if the boy remained illegitimate, his look will no doubt prove his royal birth. A mother who was a
powerful marquess and a father who was the emperor of the kingdom… Gerald could still easily
become the next emperor and take over his birthright even if Poliana did not marry Lucius the
First. If not, Gerald would still become the next Marquis Winter, which was no small rank.

“Love…”
There was no doubt that Poliana loved Lucius the First. But… Her love for him was not great
enough to give what was most precious to her.

To be fair, this was the same for Lucius the first. He would always choose his kingdom over
Poliana. Just as the emperor could never give up his empire, there was something Poliana
could not give up even for Lucius the First.

Tory told her that even if Poliana chose the hard road for herself if Poliana felt that this was the
right path for her, she would be able to walk it with pride. For example, Poliana was ready to
give up being a knight to see her emperor smile with happiness.

Because she had been watching her weight, Poliana was slimmer than before, but as she
slowly stood up, she felt steadier now. She walked out of the castle and saw that it was very
early in the morning.

She didn’t care if she became criticized for being selfish. She didn’t care if people thought she
was an idiot who didn’t know what was really important in life. She now had her decision. She
may regret her choice, but she wasn’t going to change her mind.

She was a knightess. She needed to be more ambitious.

Therefore, her greed for what was important to her was justified.

<hr />

“…”

One of the gatekeepers gaped while another one groaned. In front of the main entrance to the
castle, there stood a knight in a complete set of glorious armor as if ready to enter a battle. The
knight was wearing a helmet as well so without the family coat of arms, there should’ve been no
way of knowing who this soldier was, but the knight’s identity was clear to everyone.

There was no mistake that this was the one and only knightess in the kingdom. There could be
only one woman who would show up at the royal castle in full armor.

The guards saluted her firmly. Just yesterday, they greeted her as the future empress, but today,
they could not.

“Boss, good morning!”

“Work hard.”
As Poliana walked into the castle, everyone who saw her gasped in shock. Only the royal
guards usually wore full armor inside the castle. Those who were allowed to be armed in the
emperor’s presence only carried small and basic weapons. Therefore, to wear full armor and
walk around the castle so brazenly… It had to mean that this knight was trying to rebel against
the emperor. Just her presence in the castle like this could be considered treason.

And the scary thing was that this knightess was searching for the emperor. In any other
situation, the guards would’ve stopped such a person immediately and disarmed him, but… no
one stopped her. No one even tried.

This wasn’t because Poliana was the head of the Second Division. It was because she was
trusted. Although she did not explain the reason for her visit in such a fashion, the guards felt
like they could guess. After an initial shock, all the royal guards seemed to understand what was
happening. Perhaps, subconsciously, they were all expecting this to happen.

Clunk clunk.

The sound of the metal armor rang inside the castle as the knightess walked to the emperor.
People moved away to create a clear path for her. Her armor, which should’ve taken seven
years to make but the emperor insisted on getting it done within a year, was inspiring. The
armor maker claimed that it was his best work. He put his life and soul into it. Even though its
line was slim and feminine, there was no mistake that whoever wore this was a fighter.

When Master Chail spotted her, his eyes widened in shock. Before he could announce her
arrival, the door to the emperor’s office opened. It wasn’t Chail who opened it but Poliana
herself.

Everyone who was inside stood up in shock. Luckily, or unluckily, all the important figures of the
kingdom were gathered around the emperor.

“W…what is the meaning of this?!”

“Is there a rebellion? What are the guards doing… Oh, it’s just Marquess Winter. Hello.”

When the men realized it was Poliana, they all relaxed. There was no way that Poliana Winter,
the head of the Second Division, would ever revolt against Lucius the First. It was even more
unlikely that Sir Ainno turning into a kind and caring gentleman.

Knightess Poliana Winter took her helmet off and kneeled in front of the emperor. Lucius the
First looked at her calmly. His face was blank as if he was hiding what he was thinking. Marquis
Zeese grabbed his forehead as if he was getting a headache. Duke Luzo sighed in frustration.
Sir Ainno glared at Poliana for a while before looking away.
Perhaps everyone in the room also knew, just like the guards, that something like this was going
to happen. The Marquess they knew was definitely capable of this. She was the kind of woman
who would choose this metal armor over the crown of the empress.

She was a knightess.

“Greetings to the one and only emperor of this continent from Poliana Winter.”

“Rise, Marquess.”

“I came here today to ask your highness something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you love me, your highness?”

“I do. I love you.”

“Then can you give up the kingdom?”

Lucius the First smiled. She was asking the impossible.

“No, I cannot.”

“I feel the same way, your highness. I love you. I really do. And just like you, your highness,
there is something I cannot give up.”

“And what would that be?”

Everyone knew the answer. Poliana replied, “Your highness, do you remember that winter day
when I swore my loyalty to you?”

“How could I forget? It was the day when you became my knight.”

“That day… That winter… I screamed for a sword so I could swear to become your knight. No
one offered one to me but before the cruel reality hit me, your highness gave me your own
sword.”

Lucius the First had the kingdom while Poliana had that winter. Her winter. The winter her
emperor gave to her. The winter they shared together.

Their winter.

And Poliana decided to choose her “Winter.”

Chapter 353
Chapter 354

The harsh winter was going to follow Poliana forever. There will be plenty of snow and hail in the
future for her. There will be times she would have to endure freezing temperatures and walk the
icy road. The blizzard may blind her eyes, but she accepted this as part of her life.

Poliana said to Lucius the First, “Your highness was absolutely right. You did show me what
happiness and love are. You taught me, an ignorant woman, the greatest happiness I never
could imagine.”

“And I am not done yet. I haven’t shown you everything.”

“I know without a doubt that I am giving up a wonderful sense of happiness. I also know that
what I am doing, as a woman and as your knight, will make you sad. But your highness… I
cannot ever forget that winter day. It was the happiest moment of my life. Just as you cannot
give up Acreia, I cannot give up my winter.”

Poliana bowed deeply. Her forehead almost touched the floor as she continued, “I would be
willing to do anything you order, your highness. I would happily drink poison, jump into the fire,
and fight a bear with my bare hands. But your highness… This is one thing I cannot abandon
even for you. I cannot give up my name.”

The men in the room shook their heads. They expected her to refuse the emperor for perhaps
her title or her knighthood, but for her name? This was very unexpected.

“You can take away my title. You can confiscate all of my lands. But your highness! There is one
thing you cannot take away from me. The name you gave me… You cannot take it back.”

Lucius the First never once looked away from her. His expression also never changed, which
scared Duke Luzo, who said to Poliana, “Marquess Winter! How can you do this now?! And
what about Gerald?”

“If your highness will allow me, I will raise him myself.”

“But he is the first-born son of the emperor!”

“If you insist, then I will send him to Yapa.”

“You will abandon your own son?”

“I am abandoning him. I am sending him to be raised by his father.”

Why would Duke Luzo think she would be abandoning her son? She would be sending Gerald
to Lucius the First. Just what did these people want? They didn’t want her to raise him herself,
yet they didn’t want Gerald to be raised by his father either?

Poliana glared at Duke Luzo. Today, she looked like a force of nature. The fragile Duke Luzo
could not even meet her gaze. The only reason why he didn’t run out of the room in fear was
that this involved his nephew. Duke Luzo tried to say more, but Lucius the First stopped him.

“Marquess Winter, you may do what you wish. You can have whatever you want. And I would
never take away your title. How could I?”

“Your highness…”

“Poliana Winter, you are the most loyal knight of this kingdom. You are my own knightess who
walked to the end of the continent by my side. I awarded you a great title and many lands
because you deserve them. So Poliana Winter, do you wish to remain my knight?”

Poliana bowed and replied, “Even if you don’t allow me, I will always be your knight, your
highness.”

“Good. You will be my knight for eternity. No one can ever change this fact.”

“Even if you give me permission, I have abused my power today by coming here this way. I
would like to resign as the head of the Second Division.”

“I won’t accept your resignation.”

Lucius the First denied her for the first time. Poliana raised her head and protested, “Your
highness!”

“Sir Pol, you just promised to remain my knight forever, yet you are acting like you will never see
me again. Snap out of it! Poliana Winter, I will give you a year to be on your own. After a year,
you will return to this castle and protect the kingdom. Do not give me an excuse that you can’t
do this because of your personal feelings. I believe in you, Poliana.”

He said the words so coldly, which actually made Poliana believe that this could really work. She
stood up using her sword as a cane. Lucius the First stood in front of her and said to Poliana, “I
believe in you, Sir Pol. I always will believe in you. Therefore, please believe in me too. Since
you showed me your determination, I will give you my answer. I will continue to love you. I will
always love you and I hope you do the same for me.”

“I will love you until the day I die, your highness. I will love you forever.”
The loyal knightess bowed deeply before leaving. After the door closed, Lucius the First turned
towards the men and announced, “Starting today, I plan to become a tyrant. If anyone has a
problem with it… If anyone plans on running away… And if anyone plans on mutiny… Let me
know right now.”

No one said a word. Poliana brought in a storm into the castle, and now, it seemed like it was
the emperor’s turn. Everyone shut their mouth. Lucius the First looked around and continued,
“Are you sure? No one? I am not joking. I will become a true tyrant. I can tell you that you will be
dissatisfied with my decisions. There is a possibility that the royal line might actually end with
me if I do what I plan to do. Perhaps I will be later remembered as a tyrant who lost his mind
because of love. Perhaps people will say Marquess Winter is the evil seductress who destroyed
the kingdom.”

Again, no one said a word.

Marquis Zeese tried to figure out what the emperor’s plan was while Duke Luzo began to hiccup
nervously. Duke Luzo could almost feel the rest of his hair falling away from his head.

Lucius the First looked at all the men until he turned around and faced Sir Ainno, who was
standing behind him. The emperor asked him, “So what do you say, Sir Ainno? You are the only
one who can end me. The one who can remove me. I am not joking when I say I plan on
becoming a tyrant. I am going to do mad things. I am going to be creating so much disorder in
this kingdom we tried so hard to stabilize. The future generations will call me the mad emperor.
So, Sir Ainno, what will you do? You have always told me that if I ever became a tyrant, you
would kill me.”

Lucius the First tried to look calm but he was sweating secretly. Sir Ainno looked at the emperor
as if he was a wolf eyeing its prey. The knight’s right hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

Sir Ainno, as usual, looked nonchalant. He kept touching his sword, uncertain what he should
do. Acreia was finally becoming stable yet here was the emperor trying to do something
unnecessary and drastic. It wasn’t a joke when Sir Ainno said he would kill Lucius the First if he
ever became too dangerous. The emperor knew this and it was partly why he trusted Sir Ainno
so much.

Sir Ainno eyed the emperor’s face carefully.Chapter 355

Sir Ainno could see in Lucius the First the same boy king who claimed he would conquer the
world. The young emperor who was so sure that he was going to unite the entire continent…

Sir Ainno, after contemplating for a long while, finally sighed and replied, “I have a debt to repay
to Marquess Winter. I think this should make us even.”
Sir Ainno removed his hand from his sword and Lucius the First sighed secretly. He risked his
own life just now for love, and it seemed that he won this dangerous bet. Unaware of how the
emperor was sweating profusely, Sir Ainno kneeled in front of him.

“Your highness, I, your Inno, will follow you even to hell if necessary!”

Sir Ainno was on Lucius the First’s side even if the emperor became a tyrant. The emperor felt
relieved, realizing that he wasn’t going to be stabbed to death in this very room.

Lucius the First said to the other men again, “Anyone who wants to run away, you better do it
now. Perhaps if all of you side together against me, you might be able to achieve a successful
rebellion. You can at least try if you wish.”

The men shivered as the emperor casually mentioned an uprising. It was clear that Lucius the
First was serious about his plan. Duke Luzo, who couldn’t take the tension anymore, finally
surrendered. He knew he was going to lose the rest of his hair before it was all over.

Duke Luzo said to the emperor, “I mean it, your highness! You will let me go when this is over!
You have to keep your promise. After all the work is one, you will release me!”

Marquis Zeese sighed after long deliberation, “Your highness, people are going to protest. There
is going to be a huge backlash. The entire kingdom may become unestablished.”

“That is why I am telling you that you may leave if you wish. You can even protest if you want,
but it won’t change the fact that I will become a tyrant.”

“Just for a woman.”

When Marquis Zeese sighed again, Lucius the First shook his head and replied, “Not just for
her. I am doing this for half the population of our kingdom.”

Of course, the emperor wasn’t telling the whole truth. He was indeed doing this all for just one
woman, but the rest of the kingdom didn’t have to know this.

The men murmured among themselves nervously. Those who knew the emperor well realized
that Lucius the First was dead serious about what he was about to do. Those who weren’t very
close to the emperor seemed fearful and confused at the same time.

Lucius the First waited while the rest of the men contemplated. He waited and waited without
leaving the room and finally after 12 hours of discussion, all of the highest-ranking noblemen
bowed as one. Lucius the First nodded in satisfaction and announced, “Now, it’s time to get to
work. Let’s see what kind of damages we can do to our kingdom.”

It was going to be a long hard road for everyone.

<hr />

Poliana said her goodbyes to her friends in Yapa. Tory, Stra, and Cekel couldn’t hide their
concern for Poliana. The other knights couldn’t stop admiring Poliana, claiming that even after
her death, she will be the knightess who protects the kingdom. The guards shook their heads,
unable to understand why their boss would do this. They joked that she probably would remain
the head of the Second Division for another 30 years.

Poliana didn’t feel that it was necessary to waste any more time in the capital city. She
immediately headed for Sitrin. The person who seemed most disappointed was her butler.

To her surprise, no one seemed to be against her leaving like this. Even though the wedding
was canceled, no one seemed to be angry at her. No one criticized her. The nobles seemed
uninterested while surprisingly, it was the commoners who seemed to react more strongly.

Many were hoping for a fairy tale, a happy ending. These people were very disappointed, but
most accepted the situation without a fight.

Even Poliana herself felt calm.

‘Perhaps this is for the best.’

It seemed that everyone felt this way.

In any case, Poliana became the first and only woman who refused the emperor. Her already
incredible fame increased 100-fold from the recent event.

On her way to Sitrin, there were many moments when Poliana regretted her decision. Did she
make a mistake? She couldn’t believe that she gave up having the emperor for herself. But
then, she remembered what she gained from all of this. The happiness as Poliana Winter rather
than as Poliana Clair. Even if she became unhappy, she would always be Poliana Winter.

Born as Poliana Cranbell, she was reborn as Poliana Winter and almost became Poliana Clair.
And now… She will forever be Poliana Winter. She knew it was a selfish decision. Poliana felt
apologetic towards Gerald especially. He could’ve become the next emperor, but now, he would
have to be happy with becoming the next Marquis Winter. Poliana tried to rationalize her
decision, ‘I am sorry, Dog Ste… I mean, Gerald. But this might be a better life for you. You will
be able to experience the joy of becoming promoted to a higher rank. Imagine how happy you
will feel when you become a duke from a marquis.’

Poliana thought about Gerald often, must more so than when she was pregnant with him. Now
that she chose to remain a “Winter,” the burden and the pressure she felt towards Gerald
disappeared.
Poliana finally realized that she has been too hard on her son. Even if she didn’t feel love
towards him, she should’ve given it to him. She knew she didn’t treat him right. Poliana felt
horrible that she became the kind of parent she used to hate as a little girl.

When she arrived at Sitrin, it was, of course, Gerald who greeted her most vigorously. It has
been a few months since Poliana left, yet Gerald seemed to recognize her. He raised both of his
arms towards her and screamed, “Mama!”

The angelic boy smiled brightly. Poliana took Gerald from the wetnurse and replied, “Yes,
Gerald Winter. I am your mommy.”

Gerald was so much bigger than she remembered. He was now big enough to stand if he held
onto something. When he crawled around, he was faster than any baby Poliana knew. She felt a
little bitter that she missed spending so much time with her son. The heavy weight of the baby in
her arms felt meaningful.

Gerald, with his unusual strength, grabbed and twisted Poliana’s nose and lips as he sniffed her.
Poliana patted his back affectionately.

“Yes, Gerald.”

“Mama!”

“Yes, yes. I am your mom. I haven’t been with you for a while and I am so sor…”

Suddenly, Poliana narrowed her eyes.

“Wait a minute… There is nothing I should feel sorry about, right?”

She has seen so many mothers apologizing this way that she almost did the same thing, but
Poliana realized that there was nothing to be sorry about. Most noble ladies did not raise their
children themselves. Poliana left Gerald because she had to take care of some very important
things. If she left for no reason, she should’ve apologized to Gerald, but this wasn’t the case.

Poliana raised him high. He was a heavy baby, which meant that most noble ladies would’ve
found it hard to lift him, but Poliana was no ordinary lady.

“Gerald, I left you because I had to take care of something.”

Of course, the baby didn’t understand her at all. Gerald just laughed as if she told him a funny
joke. He looked so beautiful that Poliana smiled and said to him, “My son, you’re so strong. You
will make a great knight!”
Poliana had an ambitious dream. Someday, the next Marquis Winter will also become the head
of the Second Division. Gerald Winter, who didn’t know anything, just laughed happily.Chapter
356

After she returned to Sitrin, Poliana remained in the villa because the existence of Gerald was
still not official.

Lucius the First gave her a year. In one year, when she returned to Yapa, she was going to take
Gerald with her. By that time, he should be old enough to travel the long distance.

One of the first things Poliana did was to write letters to the south. When the story of how
Poliana refused to marry the emperor reaches the southern region… Poliana shivered in fear.
Her old superiors were upset that she gave birth out of wedlock, so how angry were they going
to be when they heard about the most recent event?

After sending her letters, Poliana waited nervously for the replies. Then one day, several guests
arrived from the south. It was Sir Howe, Sir Donau, and their wives. Poliana hugged the twins
tightly. It has been a few years since they last saw each other. They laughed and hugged for a
long time.

Poliana was pleasantly surprised that the couples brought their children as well. They were here
to meet their aunt.

“It must’ve been a very hard journey…”

“Not at all. They are so strong and sturdy…”

“Gerald is really healthy too.”

“Well, I guess it makes sense that they are all children of the knights. Since they are so healthy,
I guess we will never have to worry about them getting sick.”

Sir Donau and Vanessa’s daughter, Marin, picked up Gerald easily. Gerald’s nanny watched
worriedly since Marin herself was a very young child. To the nanny’s shock, Marin showed off
her monstrous strength.

Sir Howe and Vaxi’s son, Martin, stood nearby and practiced with his tory sword. Gerald nanny
again watched nervously, worried that Martin might accidentally hurt the baby, but Martin stated
that only an inexperienced swordsman would make such a stupid mistake.

Martin yelled bravely, “I am going to be the head!”

“Me too!”
They were still very young children and what they were saying didn’t make much sense. When
Poliana looked at their parents, the twin sisters laughed and explained, “Both of them want to
become the head of the guards in the future.”

“They used to fight about this every day.”

“So we told them that there were three divisions in the capital city, which stopped their fighting.”

“If not, they would still be fighting.”

It was a cute story, but Poliana couldn’t smile. Sure, perhaps Martin could become one, but
Marin too? When she looked displeased, Sir Donau quickly explained, “Sis, we are not saying
we will force Marin into becoming a knight. If she wants to become one when she grows up,
then we won’t stop her…”

“This is a huge problem.”

“What is?”

“I was going to have Gerald become the head of the guards. So to have Marin and Martin as his
rival… It is going to be a very difficult road for my son.”

Poliana sighed deeply. Marin and Martin inherited their mothers’ incredible strength. They were
still so young, but the way they played with the toy swords was truly impressive.

Poliana then turned towards her son. Gerald was too young to show any talents yet. He
definitely resembled his father, but would he also have his father’s talent for swordplay? What if
Gerald resembled Poliana instead… It would be a very sad thing, indeed. She hoped Gerald
would become a strong and talented fighter.

The kids played hard before falling asleep. Taking this opportunity, Vaxi and Vanessa went to
enjoy the hot spring. Poliana sat down with Sir Howe and Sir Donau, knowing she would hear
about how her old bosses reacted to her letters.

Sir Howe scratched his cheek and said to her, “My father-in-law… Well, he sighed a lot.”

Poliana asked nervously, “And?”

“My mother-in-law said that she thinks she might understand a little about what kind of
happiness you must want, Sir Pol.”

This was unexpected.

“Lady Bika did?”

“Yes. There are occasions when men change their last name because they have to leave their
families or receive a new one from the emperor, but she said that only women can understand
what it feels like to lose her family name just because she gets married…”

“In Aehas, it isn’t uncommon for a man to marry into a more powerful family and change his last
name.”

“Exactly. Lady Bika said that because of this, you might find it even harder to give up your
name.”

‘Hmm? I wonder if she is right. Is that why I felt so strongly about my name?’

She was an Acreian now, but she grew up in Aehas. Poliana nodded in understanding. In the
Cranbell family, there were only two daughters and Poliana was the oldest one. If she remained
Poliana Cranbell, it was very likely that her husband, whoever it may have been, would’ve had
to change his name into Cranbell.

Her name and her family… These were all hers. Just as the kingdom Acreia was Lucius the
First’s life, the name “Winter” was the most precious thing to Poliana.

Now, it was Sir Donau’s turn.

“Well, our father…”

He couldn’t continue for some reason, so Sir Howe explained, “Our father cried.”

“What? Why?!”

“He cried because of you, Pol. You need to really go visit our father and apologize.”

Poliana couldn’t hide her nervousness. Sir Baufallo cried? Because of her?

Sir Donau said to her, “Sis, please calm down. Our father felt sad because he thought you might
have made your decision because of what he said in the past.”

“In the past? When?”

“The day we ate the ducks.”

Poliana remembered it immediately. It was the day when there were five people but only four
duck legs!
“That day? What did he say to me that day… Oh, I remember. He told me that if I want to die a
knight, I better not fall in love with anyone… But things are different now!”

Sir Howe replied, “Yes, yes. We all know, but he is an old man, and he doesn’t feel that way.
Ever since he became a grandfather, he became much more emotional. You know how big his
eyes are right? Like a cow? His eyes filled up with tears. It was quite a sight.”

“…”

She would’ve much preferred Sir Baufallo come to Sitrin and slap her back. Making her old
superior cry… Poliana felt awful. Sir Howe, seeing how upset Poliana was, tried to console her,
“Don’t feel so bad. It isn’t that bad. He just cares about you a lot.”

Sir Donau added, “We know you didn’t make your decision because of what he said a long time
ago. Sis, please look so sad.”

“Did I really make a mistake? Do you think… Was… Was my decision a wrong one?”

Sir Donau replied, “Sis, do you remember what I said to you before? I told you that as long as
you are happy, that is enough.”

Sir Howe added, “If I were you, I would’ve grabbed the chance to become the empress without
hesitation. But you are not me. You should do whatever feels right, Pol.”

The brothers were very encouraging, making Poliana feel much better.Chapter 357

After the two couples and their children left, Poliana felt a little lonely. The villa seemed so quiet
without them, especially because Gerald was a quiet child who rarely cried.

Then a letter arrived from Yapa. It was Sir Deke who delivered it and on the outside of the
envelope was the emperor’s seal. Poliana opened it nervously, but the content of the letter was
surprisingly simple.

Lucius the First wrote how he was doing so far. He asked about Gerald and Poliana. He asked
Poliana to write back or else he would be disappointed. It was a very calm and nonchalant letter
especially considering it was written by a jilted groom to his runaway bride.

Poliana asked Sir Deke, “How are things in Yapa?”

“People are talking a little, but overall, it’s very peaceful.”

“And his highness is faring well?”

“A few scribes called him a tyrant…”

Poliana raised her fist and exclaimed, “And he just let them live?!” She seemed ready to return
to Yapa immediately so she could beat them up. Sir Deke shook his head and replied, “His
highness already beat them up himself.”

“Oh, I see. Good.”

Poliana sat down again. How could the scribes call him a tyrant? Suddenly, she became
confused.

“Did they actually think he is really a tyrant or were they just protesting because the emperor is
overworking them too much?”

“The latter.”

“Just what is it that his highness is trying to do?”

Poliana glared at Sir Deke. Since he was part of the Intelligence Unit, there was a good chance
he knew quite a bit about what was going on. Poliana was silently threatening him to tell her
everything he knew. Sir Deke shook his head again. He had the duty to keep silent even if it was
the head of the military division or a marquess who was threatening him. Sir Deke thought
desperately, ‘If I disappoint the emperor one more time, I am really going to lose my job.’

Sir Deke did not want to get fired. He was desperate. No matter how hard Poliana tried, Sir
Deke only told her the things that the general public already knew.

Currently, the emperor was overworking again. He was back to his workaholic self. People
believed that he was burying himself in his work from the shock of being abandoned by
Marquess Winter. The way he focused on his work… It was no wonder the scribes called him a
tyrant. It would’ve been fine if he was the only one who overworked, but Lucius the First forced
everyone else around him to work just as hard as him. He ordered many of the noblemen and
scholars from all over the kingdom to work on his project. He collected as many books as
possible too. If someone, too tired and overworked, asked to resign, the emperor refused to let
them.

Based on Sir Deke’s description, it seemed that the inside of the Yapa castle was now a scary
place. It seemed that Lucius the First was making even some of the book-smart knights to work
on paperwork. Poliana’s arms became covered with goosebumps.

“Just what is his highness trying to do?”

“No matter how hard I think, I believe this whole thing is because the emperor was too shocked
when you left him.”
“Haha, no way. That can’t be.”

Poliana began to feel more and more nervous. What would Yapa look like in a year when she
returned? Would she be greatly hated by all? But Poliana believed in Lucius the First’s fairness
and kindness. Now that she thought about it, she remembered how hard she had to work during
the conquest. All the other knights were also overworked when necessary.

Sir Deke left Sitrin with Poliana’s reply to the emperor. Poliana sighed as she watched Gerald,
who smiled at her. He looked just like his father Lucius the First. Just much smaller.

‘I still can’t believe how much he resembles his father.’

Since then, Poliana and Lucius the First regularly exchanged letters. Because the emperor’s
letters were calm and matter-of-fact, Poliana also wrote letters that were more like reports. She
wrote how she and Gerald were doing. She also always wrote Lucius the First not to work too
hard.

On the nights when the moon shined brightly, Poliana went out to look up at the stars. She
counted them one by one, remembering the nights she spent with Lucius the First.

Poliana wondered. After a year has passed and she returned to Yapa, will things be the same
between them?

She had no idea. Since Poliana declared she would raise her son as Gerald Winter, this meant
that the emperor had to find another heir. However, for some reason, Lucius the First didn’t look
for another wife.

Could it be that she wasn’t getting all the information from Yapa? Perhaps because of her
relationship with the emperor, she wasn’t being told the truth on purpose. So Poliana used her
own sources to get any news from the capital city, but she still didn’t hear anything.

Her worry grew day by day just as her son grew up quickly. Four seasons passed by, but her
feelings towards Lucius the First remained the same.

And soon, it was going to be a year since she left the emperor.

One day, an unexpected guest arrived at Sitrin. Because the existence of Gerald was still a
secret, there were only a handful of people that were allowed into Sitrin. So it had to be
someone Poliana knew well. It turned out it was her adopted brother Sir Donau. Poliana greeted
him, “What brings you here?”

“I am here to escort you to Yapa.”

“You should be home protecting Vanessa and Marin.”

“I know, I know. This will be my last time.”

Sir Donau gave her a silly smile and Poliana grinned. It was still a while till she was going to
leave for Yapa, so while they waited, Sir Donau suggested they go out riding. He said they
should ride out to the outer boundary of Sitrin for fun.

Poliana has been feeling bored lately since she was stuck in the Villa, so she agreed. Poliana
decided to hide her identity and Donau stood nearby as she disguised herself. Sir Donau
protested, complaining about her outfit, and Poliana argued, “Hey, just shut up! You should
never argue with a lady about her outfit.”

“Sis, please! Don’t wear that handkerchief like that on your head! You look like a middle-aged
woman working in the field!”

“Who are you calling middle-aged?!”

“You have a kid, and you are nearing your late 30’s, so obviously you are middle-aged!”

“What? Well, you have a kid too, so you must be middle-aged too! You jerk!”

In the end, Sir Donau was no match for Poliana. They were adopted siblings, but they certainly
acted like real siblings. Poliana wore the exact outfit she thought was the best, and as they rode
to the outer boundary of Sitrin, Sir Donau continued to grumble, “Don’t you have better clothes?
And stop riding so fast! Your hair is turning into a huge mess!”

“Shut up!”

“You’re rich, and you must have beautiful clothes! So why do you have to wear things like that?
Why must you look like a field help?!”

“You better stop nagging me or else I am going to hang you upside down on that tree.”

Afterward, they rode in silence until suddenly, Sir Donau pointed at a small hill and said to
Poliana, “Sis, look over there. The scenery is amazing.”

“Yeah.”

The small hill was covered in beautiful wildflowers. Sir Donau suggested that they should eat
their picnic lunch on the hill. Poliana shook her head, “That’s not part of my land.”Chapter 358

The hill Sir Donau pointed at was on the outside of the Sitrin’s boundary. Sir Donau said to
Poliana, “Oh, who cares? It’s not like we are committing a crime there.”
“But what if the owner of that land suddenly shows up? It would be so embarrassing for me to
be eating on his land when I have a perfectly good piece of land.”

“Sis, the way you look now… No one could ever guess that you are Marquess Winter.”

“Hmm, you think so?”

Poliana was convinced. They were out on a picnic, so wouldn’t it be nice to eat surrounded by a
beautiful view? All they had to do was cross the small stream to get to the neighboring land.

Before crossing the water, Poliana unarmed herself and hid her weapons. She thought that if
they were seen by someone, it would be odd for a woman to be armed so heavily.

‘Donau has his sword, so we should be ok.’

Poliana easily crossed the stream. She felt a little guilty for entering someone else’s land, but it
passed quickly. They climbed the hill and unpacked their lunches. Sir Donau claimed that his
water bottle was empty so he would go back to the stream to fill it.

Sitting alone, Poliana wondered, ‘If you drink the wrong water, you can get parasites…’ She
tried to figure out how clean the stream water might be. She pictured the map of her land in her
mind. She was so focused that she didn’t hear someone calling her the first time. The man
called out to her again from behind, “Hey lady, do you have some time for me?”

‘No, you loser.’

Poliana didn’t even bother to answer him. She ignored him, wondering what kind of an idiot
would try to seduce a woman who was dressed like her.

But the man insisted, “Hey, woman. Look at me.”

‘I better teach this jerk a lesson…!’

Although she didn’t have her sword and Sir Donau wasn’t here, Poliana still clenched her fist to
get ready. She still had her fists and her feet! How dare a man try to assault a woman in the
middle of the day?! Poliana was ready to beat up this man.

But when she turned around, she realized that it was…

Lucius the First.

Poliana was so shocked that she forgot to drop her fist.

“Your highness?”
“Were you about to punch your emperor?”

“No, I mean…”

Poliana slowly unclenched her fist. Lucius the First mockingly frowned and said to her, “I can’t
believe you were about to hit me.”

“That’s not true! I… Your Highness, why are you here?”

The last time she heard from Yapa, it seemed that the emperor was still working nonstop. So
how could such a busy man be standing here in front of her?

Now that she looked around, Poliana realized that they were surrounded by many other men.
They were very familiar to her.

Sirs Ainno, Jainno, Wook, Mahogal, Donau, Howe, and etc. She recognized most of the men.
They were the highest-ranking knights of this kingdom. Poliana silently glared at them, asking,
‘If you are all here, who is keeping the capital city safe?’

They all looked back smugly, ‘Our subordinates, of course.’

‘Damn these lazy men!’

Poliana continued to glare at them, but she knew that these men were all in positions where
they had enough men to take care of things back home.

The bigger question was, why were the emperor and these knights here?

Lucius the First walked up to her. It has been a year since she last saw him, and the emperor
was just as beautiful as ever. Poliana’s heart began to pound just like the day she left him.

“Poliana Winter, I ask you, will you fight with me?”

“Is there a rebellion happening somewhere? If that is the case, of course, I will, your highness.”

Thud.

Lucius the First dropped a giant book in front of her. It was the thickest book Poliana has ever
seen. The emperor said to her, “This is the foundation of this kingdom. This is the Acreian law.”

After a quick pause, Lucius the First added, “Well, it’s the first draft anyway.”
It was the final product of all the hard work by the emperor and everyone back in Yapa. It was
the book that caused Lucius the First to be nicknamed the tyrant.

The emperor explained, “In Acreia, there is no law that a woman cannot become a knight. That
is why you were able to remain a knightess, Sir Pol. In Acreia, there is no specific law that a
woman cannot receive her own title and lands. That is why you were awarded many lands and
the title of marquess. But in Acreia, there is a law that states a woman cannot inherit the family
title and wealth. A woman must take the husband’s name when she gets married. Only a man
can be the head of the family.”

Everyone knew this, so Poliana guessed that there was a reason why Lucius the First brought
up this topic.

“Sir Pol, you asked me if I could give up my kingdom. I told you it would be impossible. You then
said that you felt the same way about your name. You showed me your determination and will.
You gave me your answer so now, it is my time to give you mine.”

Lucius the First gave her a heart-stopping smile and continued, “This is my answer.”

The emperor changed the entire legal system just to marry Poliana. It wasn’t a simple
adjustment of the law, but a complete makeover of the legal foundation.

At first, Lucius the First was going to change just the inheritance law, but he realized that it
wasn’t going to be enough. He learned that to change one major aspect of the law, he needed
to change the entire system.

This was why the giant book was only the first draft of the new legal structure. To make it into a
stable and completed system, it was going to take at least another 10 years. Afterward, it would
take his lifetime, if not longer, to implement it to the kingdom.

Lucius the First always dreamt of retiring at an early age and live the rest of his life peacefully,
but now, he knew it wasn’t going to be possible. To get the woman he loved, this was the least
he could do. It was the price he was willing to pay. He could not give up his kingdom for her, but
he could do this for Poliana.

Poliana became pale as she listened to him. Her brain became blank suddenly. The emperor
was very clear about what his intention was, but she found it very difficult to comprehend.

“T…this doesn’t make sense. It won’t work. It never will. The noblemen won’t allow it and to
have it accepted by the commoners too…”

“Yes, I know that. It will be a tough road. We will have to fight for it constantly. We might work on
it for the rest of our lives and still not see it happen in real life. We might not succeed. But
Poliana Winter, I have a dream.”Chapter 359
Poliana became confused. She felt surreal. Everyone, including the emperor, was smiling at her
happily, but she alone was shocked.

Lucius the First said to her, “I have two dreams now. First, I will take you, Sir Poliana Winter, as
my wife. And with that, I would like to finish this change in the legal system. I have worked as
hard as I could for these dreams, and I will continue on working for them. To be honest, I know
that it will not be an easy road for us. Perhaps it will be even more difficult than conquering the
entire continent. Perhaps this will be the end of this kingdom, but Poliana, I cannot control my
greed for you. I hope you will become my wife.”

The Acreian emperor smiled. His smile was kind and handsome. It was the smile of the emperor
who was great enough to rule the entire continent with dignity and generosity. Just as he said,
his dream to change the legal system so drastically was a foolish one. It was too ambitious. It
was ridiculous that he was even going to make an attempt.

But still, the emperor once again asked Poliana, “Won’t you dream with me?”

One of the knights standing nearby whistled. Another knight quickly slapped his back to stop
him. The men around them murmured but Poliana couldn’t hear any of these noises
surrounding her. Inside of her was a huge storm brewing.

Suddenly, Poliana realized the truth. Just when she was about to give up and accept the reality,
her emperor created a brand new world for her. A brand new dream they could dream together.

“How…”

Her body became covered with goosebumps. Just how great was this man? This greatest
emperor was standing in front of her and asking her to fight with him once again. She gave up
on their marriage a year ago without a fight, but it seemed that Lucius the First wasn’t
disappointed in her. He trusted her and believed in her. He recognized and accepted her
dilemma and returned to her a year later.

Lucius the First was the beginning of Poliana’s world. He completed her in every way. She knew
that it would be her dream come true to fight for him.

No, fight with him. Fight alongside him.

Poliana moved her hand to reach her sword but realized that she wasn’t carrying one. She left it
behind before crossing the stream. She could go back and retrieve it, but Poliana didn’t have
the patience.

“Get…”
Her voice became louder and stronger as she continued, “Get me a sword!”

She didn’t care whose sword it was. She didn’t care what kind of sword it was. All she needed
was a sword, any sword.

All the knights surrounding her unsheathed their swords. The sounds of sharp metals rang
throughout the hill. Surprised, Poliana looked around to realize that every single man had their
swords drawn and ready for her.

To show her respect, they held the sword backward to offer her the handle. This was the
greatest deference a knight can show to another soldier. Poliana gritted her teeth. If this were a
dream, she hoped that she would never wake up from it.

“Sir Pol! I sharpened my sword this morning!”

“Sir Pol! This is my family’s sword! I brought it for you especially!”

“Sis! Please pick your brother’s sword!”

“Pol! You know I have the best sword here, right?”

“Boss! Don’t forget about us!”

“Boss! You must pick the sword of the Second Division guard! Don’t pick the one from the First
Division! We made a bet with them!”

“That’s not fair! That’s cheating!”

“Bastards!”

Every man had their sword ready for her. Every man here was fighting for her to pick his sword.
Every man wanted to help her just because she asked for it. As Poliana listened to them argue,
she couldn’t believe her own ears. She couldn’t understand what was happening here. It was no
wonder because, in the past, everyone refused to give her their sword. This change was too
shocking.

There were too many swords to choose from. The best knights of the kingdom were holding
their swords and surrounding her, but Poliana didn’t feel any fear. They were all here for her.

Then suddenly, Poliana saw that it wasn’t just the knights that were here. She saw Vaxi,
Vanessa, Cekel, Tory, Stra, and some scribes who were her close friends.

If she refused the emperor today, it was going to make a legendary story. Of course, Poliana
had no intention of doing such a thing.
“…”

While every knight was trying to get Poliana’s attention, Sir Ainno was the only one who
remained quiet. He, however, also had his sword unsheathed and ready to be taken by her.
When their eyes met, Sir Ainno smirked at her. He said to her, “Family sword and legendary
sword… They are all meaningless. The best sword is the one that is held by the best knight.”

‘Oh, you jerk.’

Sir Ainno was acting like he was confident she was going to choose his sword. Just where did
such confidence come from? Turning away from him, Poliana finally picked her adopted brother
Sir Donau’s sword. She was annoyed that he fooled her and led her to this situation, but now
wasn’t the time to punish him. She was going to do that later.

Sir Donau, happy to be chosen, bowed deeply and helped her hold his sword. Poliana stabbed
the ground with the sword so it stood on its own. She then kneeled alongside and declared, “I
will never betray you. I will never fail and always protect my honor. I will spend the rest of my life
serving you. I will enter the gates of hell and fire for my emperor. I will fight for you. I, Sir Poliana
Winter, swear my loyalty to your highness.”

“I, Lucius the First, as the emperor of Acreia, am the man who is going to create a world where
a woman does not need to apologize for giving birth to a daughter.”

Poliana looked up at the emperor. Her eyes were filled with determination as she replied, “I will
never leave your side, your highness! I will forever stay with you and fight with you. As long as
you allow me, I will remain your knight until I die!”

“That is not true, Winter. Even if I don’t allow you, you will always be my knight”

Lucius the First waved and smiled at her a little awkwardly. It was obvious that he was nervous.
He said to her, “So rise, Pol. It is now my turn to kneel.”

Poliana stood up and this time, Lucius the First kneeled on the ground. Because the grass was
wet, his pants became wet, but he didn’t care. He asked for her hand.

“I told you once before. Sir Pol, you are enough just as you are. In fact, you are perfect the way
you are now. That means you shouldn’t have to change your name. Pol, you are the perfect
partner for me. Your existence makes me breathe and laugh.”

This was the happiest moment in Poliana’s life. The man kneeling before her looked up at her
like she was the most precious thing in this world.

“Again, I ask you. Poliana Winter, will you marry me?”

Lucius the First kissed the back of her hand and offered her a small box. Inside was a ring that
was unusually big.

“It was my father’s ring. You can wear it over your gauntlet.”

There could be no gift more perfect than this. Poliana gritted her teeth so she wouldn’t cry. This
was the happiest day, so she didn’t want to show any tears. Poliana nodded and put her hand
on top of his as she replied, “Your highness. My beloved, will you marry me?”

“You will make me the happiest man.”

Lucius the First put the ring on Poliana’s finger. It was obviously too big but Poliana knew it
would fit perfectly over her gauntlet. The people around her threw flower petals at them.

Sir Donau and Sir Howe kissed their wives happily. The other knights, watching the happy
couples, wished they brought their own wives. Sir Ainno tried to kiss Cekel but she kicked his
knee. When he looked upset, Cekel sighed and closed her eyes, and nodded. Sir Ainno smiled
happily.

The emperor’s personal scribe Momo couldn’t help his tears, but his hands continued to move
quickly. He was writing down everything that was happening today. This would make the
greatest love story of the century.

Stra smiled brightly while Tory dabbed her eyes daintily.

The emperor kissed the knightess.

They became a good couple. They were husband and wife, but this didn’t change the fact that
they were still the emperor and the knightess.Chapter 360

In the capital city Yapa’s royal castle, the innermost area was where the emperor’s public office
is located. This was where he held official meetings with the noblemen.

Inside this place, there are many large paintings that fill the walls. They were mostly the painting
of various events in history. The one on the main wall is the painting of the emperor’s wedding.

This painting was unusually big and detailed. It was so meticulously done that one could see
each face of all the spectators. The number of paints, effort, time, and the number of painters it
took to create this masterpiece was considered to be the greatest in the history of Acreia.

As one would expect, the emperor’s wedding was extravagant and luxurious. Lucius the First
was beautiful as usual, but everyone was shocked once again to see his radiance on this day.
His flawless skin, his golden hair, his bright eyes, and his perfect body… It seemed that no one
could ever get used to his incredible beauty and elegance.

The bride, who was supposed to be the flower of the wedding, appeared wearing her armor.
When someone mentioned how a bride should be wearing a dress, Poliana replied, “But the
tradition dictates that the bride wears the most expensive outfit she owns right? I am only
following this rule.”

Indeed, the bride was right. It was true that the bride was supposed to wear the most expensive
outfit in her closet and it was also true that the metal armor, which was gifted to her by the
emperor himself, was the most expensive outfit she owned. It was further adorned by being
painted with white gold and jeweled with various precious stones. It was possibly the most
expensive armor that was ever made. Because it was the bride that was wearing it, everyone
seemed to be in awe and discomfort. If the emperor wore it, people would’ve openly admired it.

Just as he promised, Lucius the First put the wedding ring over his bride’s gauntlet. No expense
was spared for this event. It was a luxurious and extravagant wedding, but rather than being
known for how beautiful it was, this wedding was forever going to be remembered as the
strangest event in Acreian history.

The painting, when completed, was the talk of the town.

“Those royal painters should be ashamed of what they did. This painting is supposed to be an
accurate representation of the true event.”

“This is… wrong. This isn’t right.”

“Actually, I think I can understand why they did this… I mean, she is the very first empress of
this continent, so it would be too sad if the painters painted the truth… You know what she looks
like… The painters obviously had no choice.”

“Then they should’ve just drawn a helmet over her face rather than lie about it!”

“But that didn’t happen, so the painting would be inaccurate. She didn’t wear a helmet so how
would they be able to draw it in?”

“…look at the empress’s face on that painting. Do you think that is accurate?”

Poliana Winter.

The enemy knightess who was caught by the emperor. The knightess who betrayed her own
kingdom to serve Lucius the First. Even as the foreigner and a female, the knightess who
became the marquess and eventually the first empress of Acreia. There was no doubt that
Poliana Winter was going to be the most remembered female figure in Acreian history. This
meant that the royal painters had the obligation to paint as accurately as possible, but… They
just could not make themselves paint Poliana accurately. This was especially the case because
standing next to her was the beautiful Lucius the First,

So they changed her features a little. Just a little bit.

They straightened her twisted nose a little. They made her eyes look a little larger and slimmed
down her manly chiseled cheekbones. They rounded her harsh face a little and painted her
cheeks pink. They also made her skin look brighter and clearer.

When Lucius the First saw the finished product, he was furious.

“It looks like I married another woman!”

But Poliana understood how tormented the painters must’ve been. To appease the emperor and
make the painters feel less guilty, they decided to paint a portrait of Poliana.

Normally, when an important figure such as a royal member of a nobleman, the portrait tended
to be painted subjectively based on the painter’s discretion. The more powerful the figure was,
the more beautiful the portrait turned out to be.

It would’ve been normal, even expected, for the portrait of the empress to be beautified, but
Poliana ordered, “You need to paint me truthfully.” Because a personal portrait was usually
enhanced dramatically, the wedding painting would’ve been expected to provide a more
accurate face of the empress than her portrait. So what will the future generation think when
they see how Poliana looked much uglier on her personal portrait than the wedding painting?

Either they were going to say that the painter who painted the portrait must’ve hated the
empress or that Empress Poliana Winter was truly an unattractive woman.

Poliana, however, thought that by comparing her portrait to that of the emperor, the future
generation would realize what a beautiful man Lucius the First was.

<hr />

Poliana groaned as she stretched her arms. She ended up resigning as the head of the Second
Division. The Second Division was responsible for the protection of the royal family, and now
that she became part of this family, it didn’t make sense to protect herself. So instead, she was
reassigned to the head of the Third Division, which was responsible for protecting the Yapa
castle and the surrounding area.

It was a big job as it involved providing security for the entire capital city. Because they were so
short-handed, Sir Jainno and Sir Wook, who were the heads of the Second Division, welcomed
Poliana with open arms.
To replace Poliana, Sir Mahogal became the head of the Second Division. Sir Mahogal, happy
to have left Sir Ainno’s grasp in the First Division, apparently cried for three days straight.

The position of the second-in-command of the First Division was given to Sir Beke. Although he
wasn’t the best fighter, the guards of the First Division were notoriously unruly so it was decided
that Sir Beke, who was considered a logical and sensible man, would be perfect for the job. It
also helped that Sir Beke was Sir Ainno’s brother-in-law. There was no way any knight would
ever dare to disobey Sir Beke knowing how Sir Ainno could come after them.

Sir Ainno, after becoming a father of a daughter, finally received his title and became Duke Seki.
The story of what Sir Ainno’s face looked like when he saw his daughter for the first time was a
popular one. Unfortunately, Poliana didn’t get to witness this in person, but she heard that Sir
Ainno cried. Sir Jainno was laughing so hard when he told Poliana the story. Apparently, Sir
Ainno’s usually grumpy face was gone, and his lips trembled for the longest time. Poliana
laughed hard when she heard the story too. It was a story she knew she would never
forget.Chapter 361

After a productive workday, Poliana returned home and was greeted by two children.

“Poli~!”

“Mother!”

Poliana picked up Princess Luminae with one hand and Gerald with the other. Because they
were getting big, Poliana could only pick them up for a few seconds, but the children laughed
excitedly. Princess Luminae was heavier than Gerald because she carried a sack that was filled
with various items she picked up from everywhere. Gerald was wearing an alligator hide.

Poliana said to her son, “Gerald Winter, you know how that hide will shock your father! Take it
off right now.”

“Mother, I am going to become her highness’s alligator dog when I grow up! Woof woof!”

Gerald barked a few times like a dog and ran in circles. Poliana and the maids asked him to
stop, but he refused. Princess Luminae, the heir to the throne, held her forehead as if dizzy and
said to Poliana, “He has been doing that all day today. Hey, Gerry, you need to stop.”

“Yes, your highness! Woof woof!”

“See?”
Princess Luminae said to Poliana as she shook her head in resignation. Poliana, knowing how
her husband hated reptiles, decided to get rid of this alligator hide as soon as possible before
the emperor got home.

Princess Luminae sighed, “Duke Seki came by today and watched Gerry practicing his sword.
Since then, Gerry has been acting like that.”

“Duke Seki came by?”

“Yes. Sir Mahogal asked him to come by.”

“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

“Gosh, you are so noisy! Gerry, fetch!”

Princess Luminae, annoyed how Gerald was interrupting their conversation, took out a ball from
her sack and threw it. Gerald, excited, ran after it immediately.

Princess Luminae looked genuinely concerned and asked Poliana, “He won’t really bring the
ball back in his mouth, will he?”

“I am sure he will bring it back in his hand. Your brother isn’t that stupid.”

So Duke Seki visited today? Poliana wanted to talk to Sir Mahogal. After excusing herself,
Poliana left Princess Luminae to talk to the knight.

Sir Mahogal explained to Poliana, “Prince Gerald has a true talent.”

“Gerald? Even though he is my son?”

“Yes, even though he is your highness’s son.”

“Hmm.”

When Poliana seemed unconvinced, Sir Mahogal continued, “Duke Seki said so.”

Duke Seki. He was the man who claimed he was the strongest and best man in the world. He
was the man who declared that everyone else in the world was weak compared to him.

In a word, he was a jerk.

So if Duke Seki said that her son had a talent for swordsmanship, then… Poliana gasped in
surprise. It seemed that although she wasn’t gifted with this talent, her son was going to be
spared.
“F*ck… I mean, good.”

Poliana, the empress of Acreia, coughed to hide her reaction and asked Sir Mahogal, “So the
reason why Gerald is insisting on becoming the alligator dog is…”

“Duke Seki apparently told the prince that he should become the head of the First Division when
he grows up, and you know the symbol of the Knight’s Order is the alligator dog.”

“I assume Duke Seki gave him the alligator hide then.”

Sir Mahogal nodded silently. It was obvious what happened. Duke Seki most likely brought the
hide to scare the emperor. When he saw Gerald’s talent, he probably gave the hide to the boy.
Lucius the First and Duke Seki were both fathers, but it seemed that they would never tire of
teasing each other.

After her conversation with Sir Mahogal, Poliana returned to her quarters and saw the brother
and sister pouring over something. She walked to them and realized that they were looking at
the map of the continent Poliana gave to Princess Luminae on her seventh’s birthday.

This map was created by all the information Poliana gathered from trusted sources. It was the
first sample of what was going to be a comprehensive military map of Acreia. Although it was
only a first draft, it was accurately made with all the roads, waterways, and cities marked in
detail. It wasn’t the kind of thing that should be shown to everyone, but it seemed that Princess
Luminae has been carrying it around in her sack.

‘I am going to ask her not to do that.’

If she told Princess Luminae not to do this right now in front of her younger brother, it was going
to weaken the future heir to the throne’s authority in front of Gerald. Poliana decided to talk to
the princess later in private.

Meanwhile, the two children continued to chat seriously.

“So the land up to this ocean and the ocean itself is all mine.”

“Your highness, what about the islands over here?”

“Those are someone else’s lands.”

“Your highness, your loyal subject Gerald Winter will conquer those islands for you!”

Poliana covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Because the children lived in the castle, the way
they talked was too mature and formal for their ages sometimes.
Princess Luminae replied, “There is no need, Gerry. When I become the next ruler, you will be
busy taking care of those who oppose me just because I am a woman.”

There was no need for Gerald to go all the way south. In about 20 years, their powerful cousins,
Marin and Martin, were going to take care of everything anyway.

Gerald insisted, “But that would be Park’s job.”

Park was Duke Luzo’s son. For the first time during their conversation, Princess Luminae
became angry, “Why do you call Park by his name, but you call me your highness?! Why won’t
you call me by my name?”

“You are your highness and my sister, but it would be too hard for you to be both. So just be
your highness!”

“No! I am going to be both! So you be both as well! You be my brother and my loyal
subordinate!”

“It’s too hard!”

Gerald insisted that since Princess Luminae was going to be the next ruler, he was going to
serve her as such beginning now. Luminae, on the other hand, was always annoyed that Gerald
refused to call her his sister. This was an ongoing fight between the brother and the sister.

But they were only children for now. Just as they began to fight, they quickly began to laugh and
play together again. Poliana ushered them to their rooms for bedtime.

When Gerald was in his bed, Poliana said to him, “Gerald, if it’s too hard for you to be both all
the time, you can alternate. Since you were her loyal subordinate today, you can be her brother
Gerry tomorrow.”

“What if I become her subordinate again tomorrow?”

“Then you can be her brother for two days after tomorrow.”

“Alright…”

Gerald finally nodded and fell asleep. Poliana caressed his forehead gently. Thanks to the
changes to the legal system, a woman could now inherit family title and wealth. Only the
first-born son used to be able to inherit everything, but now, the firstborn, no matter whether it
was a male or female, was to inherit everything.
People often asked Poliana if she felt disappointed that her own blood son wasn’t going to be
the next emperor. The child of another woman was going to take over the throne, so did Poliana
feel unhappy about it?Chapter 362

Poliana’s answer was always the same.

Not at all.

This was just her opinion and not Gerald’s, and Poliana did feel apologetic about it. But
thankfully, Gerald seemed to have no desire to become the next emperor. Of course, he might
change his mind as he became older, but for now, his goal in life was becoming Princess
Luminae’s alligator dog. When he grows up and he becomes upset about not becoming the next
emperor, Poliana would tell him to blame her. It was just a bit of unfortunate luck on his end that
he was born to a marquess.

Next, Poliana went to Princess Luminae’s bedroom. The little girl was already in bed and ready
to go to sleep. She said to Poliana, “Good night, Poli.”

“Lumi, you can’t show that map I gave you to just anyone.”

The map was just too important to be given to a child. All Poliana wanted to do was to show
Luminae the land she was going to rule one day, but now, Poliana regretted her decision.
Princess Luminae contemplated for a moment before nodding, “I agree that I made a mistake.
But I won’t apologize for it since I will become the next emperor.”

“I agree; the emperor must never apologize.”

Princess Luminae looked up at Poliana and asked, “Poli, why do you think Gerry doesn’t call me
Sister?”

“Because when you are a young boy, you think being different is cool. Most families have sisters
and brothers, but they certainly don’t have a future emperor and her subordinate.”

“But I would prefer him to call me Sister… Besides, we are already different than the other
families since we have different last names.”

“I am sure he will start calling you Sister more and more from now on.”

Poliana kissed Luminae’s forehead and left the room.

Luminae Clair and Gerald Winter. After the law passed that allowed the women to inherit the
family title, it also became possible for children to receive their mother’s maiden name. A child
could either take both parent’s last names or choose one when older.
Inheritance law was a complicated matter. Although a basic change was made, the paperwork
was far from being over. It was still an ongoing process. It was going to take a lot of work from
the poor scholars to complete this process.

“Phew…”

Poliana sighed quietly, making sure no one heard her. She felt guilty that she took the throne
away from Gerald. She also felt guilty that she was forcing the throne on Luminae.

Thankfully, Princess Luminae was a greedy girl. It made sense since both of her parents were
greedy people. One good thing was that since she was born with so much, she didn’t have any
desire to take other people’s things away from them. However, she also refused to give up
anything that was hers unless there was a good reason for it.

This meant that Luminae was never going to give up the throne because as the first-born child
of Lucius the First, it was her right to become the next emperor.

Since she was going to become the first female ruler of this kingdom, Lucius the First insisted
on making sure Luminae received the best education possible. He did not want her to be
criticized in any way by the other noblemen. This meant that Princess Luminae’s lessons were
very strict. Some believed this was too cruel for a child, but Lucius the First was firm on his
decision. Fortunately, Princess Luminae loved to learn. Her greed for knowledge was
unmatched.

Poliana shook her head, trying not to worry too much about the children and their futures.

She just returned from work for the day, but her work was not over yet. In addition to being the
head of the Third Division, she was also the empress, which involved much work. Baroness
Leef managed the castle affairs instead of the empress herself, but Poliana still needed to hear
the daily report.

After telling Poliana a few things, Tory smiled, “You look very tired.”

“There is too much work.”

Poliana grumbled. Tory’s situation was the same; there was no end to her work either. Tory
stopped herself from slumping and replied, “It’s the same for me too.”

“I’m sorry, Baroness. I will get you more staff as soon as possible.”

Technically, Tory was taking care of the things Poliana, as the empress, was supposed to do.
Poliana stretched her arms again and thought of her past, which became her end-of-the-day
habit.
Poliana’s life has been an average one. Of course, others may disagree, but to her, it felt like an
ordinary one. One thing Poliana could say with confidence was that she worked hard, and she
lived for herself. She believed she lived her life greedily, making everyone around her, including
herself, work hard, and she was glad to say that she felt happy.

In romantic novels, a knightess was always forced to choose one life over the other. She could
never have anything. In reality, this knightess also at first believed that her ambition was out of
her reach. She thought she should not be so greedy. She thought she had to choose one thing
over another.

But then, her husband appeared and gave her the whole world. He told her she deserved
everything in life. He was going to help her get everything she ever wanted.

So Poliana decided to fight with him. They fought, are still fighting, and will continue to fight till
the end. After the wedding, they haven’t had a day of rest.

Poliana sighed and asked Tory, “I guess it will be another 10 years before I can take a break,
right?”

“I think you might have to work like this forever.”

“We are probably the only emperor and the empress who work this hard in the world.”

Well, there were only one emperor and one empress on this continent, but that wasn’t the point.

After Tory’s report, Poliana finally went to her bedroom. Unlike her, who at least got to go
outside to work, her husband was trapped inside the castle all day.

“Welcome back, Wife.”

“Hello there, your highness.”

He may have had dark circles that reached his lips, but Lucius the First still was the most
beautiful man in the kingdom. When he saw his wife, the emperor brightened immediately. He
saw Poliana every day, yet he always smiled whenever he saw her as if he hasn’t seen her in a
long time. Lucius the First was still falling in love with Poliana every day.

The emperor was already in bed looking tired. Poliana began to massage his face for him and
Lucius the First groaned like a tired middle-aged man.

‘Well, I guess he is actually really a middle-aged man. He’s so handsome that I keep forgetting
that.’

“Does that feel good, your highness?”

“It does, my lady.”

Lucius the First was overworked as usual, but it was completely his fault. The emperor,
however, did not regret his decision since it was for the woman he loved.

Lucius the First wanted more than just a face massage from his wife. He wanted to get physical
with her, but his body was so tired. The emperor has been feeling his age lately. He tried his
best to keep in shape, but the amount of work he needed to do every day was too much for him.

In the end, the emperor chose to do what he thought he never would do. He secretly asked
Viceroy Bika to send him the white-tailed lizard to increase his stamina. Until then, all he could
do was work out as much as possible. To be able to make love to Poliana, Lucius the First was
willing to do, or eat, anything except for giving up his kingdom of course. If necessary, he was
ready to eat an alligator alive.

Lucius the First grabbed Poliana’s hand and kissed it again and again. Poliana giggled and
when her broken fingernail caused his lips to bleed, Poliana kissed his lips clean.

Lucius the First, unable to control himself, whispered to her, “Wife, I am a dangerous beast at
the moment.”

“Me too, your highness, hehe.”

The husband and wife undressed quickly. Didn’t they say they were both tired? Yet they moved
like they had all the energy in the world.

Lucius the First whispered, “If we get a third child…”

“As long as it’s healthy, it won’t matter.”

“That was my exact thought, Pol.”

They kissed passionately and Poliana’s giggle filled the room.

-The End.