Chapter 62
“Not really.”
Reina stuttered, feeling as if her feelings had been exposed.
Then, Reina spun around and stood up from her seat, saying.
“I’ll be going now.”
As she left the place as if fleeing, he, who had been pretending to be calm all along, let out the breath he had been holding in one burst.
“Haa.”
She’s so cute, I could die.
How can such a woman exist in this world?
Kaiden thought to himself that he was a very fortunate person.
Otherwise, Reina wouldn’t have come to him on her own.
He barely held back the urge to stamp kisses on her forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips right then and there, as she was embarrassed.
Even now, he was holding his feet back with reason, which wanted to follow her, so how much more so.
He didn’t want to use the situation as an excuse to kiss Reina.
Because he still didn’t know how she felt about him.
At least for a kiss, he wanted it when she wanted him too.
“Maybe I should have just done it.”
Kaiden let out a voice full of regret as he clenched his palm.
It still felt like her dainty hand was inside it.
* * *
A few days later, Michael arrived at Crencia Castle.
Since Kaiden was away due to an external schedule, Reina personally greeted him.
“Welcome, Lord Michael.”
“It’s been a while. Lady Reina.”
Michael gave a polite smile and bowed properly.
Then, as he looked around as if searching for someone, Reina said.
“The Duke is out for a while.”
“I see.”
Michael showed no sign of displeasure despite Kaiden’s absence.
If it were Scal, he would have been raging, saying it was ignoring the royal family.
‘He’s the same as ever.’
He had that attitude before too.
He acted indifferently to most things unless it was information that piqued his interest.
More precisely, he clearly drew his own boundaries and didn’t let anyone in easily.
An attitude that was neither particularly rude nor kind.
Even though they were half-siblings, there was a clear difference in status between him and her.
The Fromm Marquis family was undoubtedly one of the nobles leading the Mernie Empire, and the Eve Count family was a humble rural family whose name was even unfamiliar.
Michael could have easily looked down on Reina, but he didn’t.
On the contrary, recalling the banquet where he scolded Scal for being rude to her, he was even gentlemanly.
That’s why he was someone to be even more wary of.
‘It would be easier if he openly showed his emotions like Scal.’
He was as difficult to deal with now as before.
“It would be good to rest and relieve your travel fatigue first. The Duke said he would return in time for dinner. Until then, please rest comfortably in your quarters…….”
Michael, who had been quietly listening to Reina’s words, said.
“Before that, since it’s been a while, I’d like to have a cup of tea together.”
“With me?”
Michael nodded lightly.
Clearly, he must have accumulated fatigue during the journey.
Perhaps he was aiming for the time when Kaiden was absent.
Reina casually instructed Celine as if nothing was wrong.
“Celine, store the items from the imperial family well and check the number of servants who came with them and let me know. Rose and Lily, prepare tea in the reception room.”
“Yes, madam.”
As the three moved quickly upon receiving the orders, Reina took charge of Michael.
“Lord Michael, please follow me.”
Upon arriving at the reception room, Michael quietly looked around and said.
“The temperature difference from outside the castle is quite significant. Is it using magical tools?”
“Yes. I heard it’s rechargeable magical tools.”
“As expected of the north. Using precious magical tools just for heating.”
Michael’s tone was one of pure admiration.
Of course, depending on how one heard it, it could sound sarcastic, but she didn’t care about that.
Reina said.
“Was there any inconvenience on your way here? I heard you used land routes instead of portals.”
“It’s a waste to use portals with this many people.”
Portals operated on sacred stones.
Since sacred stones themselves are precious, it was difficult for many people to use them.
Reina, knowing this, asked again.
“At least for Lord Michael, I thought that much wouldn’t be a waste.”
Michael stared blankly. Reina didn’t avoid his gaze and continued.
“So, did you enjoy sightseeing the north?”
At that moment, curiosity appeared in his eyes, which had been like dead fish all along.
Michael smiled faintly.
“Ah. That’s it?”
The Fromm family possessed a large amount of sacred stone mines.
Meaning that portal movement for a delegation scale wasn’t difficult for him.
Yet, not using portals meant it was to spy on the north.
Reina was implying that she knew the real reason Michael didn’t use portals.
At least, she couldn’t appear stupid in front of this opponent.
Because Michael hated stupidity the most.
Having grasped her intention, he made an amused expression.
“You’re not someone who knows nothing at all.”
“I just judged that His Majesty had a reason for sending Lord Michael as the representative.”
Reina replied as if respecting the imperial family’s will.
It was to loosen Michael’s guard even a little.
At the same time, it was to induce him to feel that this marriage had no other intentions, and that she prioritized the imperial command over the north.
“I wondered why you dismissed all the servants.”
Michael glanced around the reception room where only the two of them remained and continued.
“Well, thanks to that, the conversation will be quicker.”
Fortunately, it seemed her intention had worked.
Only then did Michael take out a letter from his bosom.
“This is a separate message from His Majesty to Lady Reina.”
Reina’s gaze turned to the letter.
The envelope stamped with the empire’s seal was used when the emperor secretly sent orders to the royals.
Probably the real reason for allowing this marriage.
Reina opened the letter with a tense face.
[The north is said to be very cold, are you doing well without issues?
I sent you there and couldn’t sleep for a long time.
My wish is great to hold a grandchild in my old age.
A child born between Mernie and Crencia will make the future of this empire even more prosperous.
You have nothing to offer but your face, so I believe you can fulfill my wish quickly.
I want to raise the child born from you as the next emperor of the empire.
I look forward to the day you prove your usefulness soon.]
‘Ha. This was it?’
Reina barely held back the nausea rising from the sinister intention aiming at her child.
The emperor was still a son of a bitch.
* * *
Meanwhile, Michael keenly observed Reina.
In fact, he didn’t know what command the emperor had given her.
Because the emperor’s secret letter was sealed with magic, no one but the intended recipient could open it.
The emperor wanted to keep Crencia in check while keeping it close.
So, there must be a separate purpose for making this marriage happen.
Michael tried to grasp the emperor’s intention from Reina’s expression.
But she remained calm throughout reading the emperor’s letter.
The blank expression, as if determined not to reveal any emotion, clearly meant something.
Either she already knew the emperor’s intention or she had other thoughts.
Whatever it was, it was the reaction of someone accustomed to hiding their true feelings.
‘She’s not as easy as I thought.’
After meeting Reina at the banquet, Michael collected information about her.
All evaluations were that she was lethargic, weak, and like a paper doll with few words.
The evaluations were completely different from the woman he saw with his own eyes, which instead piqued Michael’s interest.
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By Anna 💓
