70 Chapter 70: I Liked Him More Than I Thought

Heinley had a moment of stunned doubt, but then his face brightened. The words he said to me earlier were not empty, and he looked genuinely joyful. I too couldn't believe that I considered his crazy offer.

Heinley opened and closed his mouth several times before whispering to me quickly.

"If…if you would be my queen, I would be the happiest man in the world."

Then his voice turned solemn as he made a promise.

"I will do my best to make you not only the happiest woman in the world but the happiest person."

His eyes glistened, and the corners of his mouth were stretched into a wide smile as if he couldn't help himself. He was like a large dog that had been reunited with its owner after ten years. Heinley reminded me of my pet Retriev in that situation, one of the happiest creatures I had ever known in my life. Retriev was a large dog that had been born in the same year I was.

Anxiety still pressed on my mind. One side tried to whisper reason to me and reassure me that I was fine.

On the other hand, it was as if the inside of my mouth was rotted. It could appear too calculating that I already found a remarriage partner before my actual divorce. Well, looking at it another way, it was Sovieshu who had found a remarriage partner first.

"I promise you."

I opened my mouth and spoke my vow to Heinley.

"I will make a good queen. Not only to you but to the people."

I meant it. That was the only way to express my gratitude. And that wasn't the end of it yet.

"Queen…"

"And I will never interfere if you accept another woman to love as your concubine."

"!"

At that moment, Heinley's expression shook as if it were about to collapse. His eyes widened in shock and he stared at me.

"Heinley?"

He blinked when I called his name, and he gave a stiff smile.

"Concubine?"

The word sounded uncertain on his tongue as if he never expected it.

Horror swept over me. I realized I had made a huge mistake. Why on earth did I bring up the topic of concubines before we were even married?

"I meant that just in case."

He looked like he would fall over in sheer astonishment, and I hurriedly tried to amend my words. However, my offer to him was true. Even if Heinley took a concubine for himself…I was already prepared. This time.

Historically, the majority of emperors and kings had concubines. Heinley's brother had several lovers himself. The few that did not have any were usually not married in the first place. I once thought that if there was an emperor that didn't take another concubine, it would be Sovieshu, but that assumption proved wrong.

Could Heinley be different? Yes, I suppose so. But I did not want to be taken by surprise again. While Heinley was not as much as a playboy the rumors suggested, it was clear he lived a life of freedom.

Heinley took me firmly by the chin and spoke in a quiet voice.

"Queen, if you don't mind, would you let me know the details?"

Despite his initial joy, his expression soon turned serious.

"I'm wondering why you suddenly offered me a political marriage."

I realized I was still holding my hand over his, and I quickly lowered it. Heinley also took his hands off my face.

"Of course, whatever the reason is, I will never persuade you to reconsider otherwise."

"Thank you."

"But Queen. If you're to be my queen, then we'll be married. We'll…we'll be husband and wife."

Suddenly, Heinley stopped talking and began to fan his face. He looked embarrassed to say the words "husband and wife," and his cheeks were stained red. I was curious about what he was going to say, but first I held his hand to calm him down.

"Are you feeling better now?"

His face was still flushed, but he smiled and scratched his cheek before continuing to talk again.

"Yes, we'll be married. I want to know why you agreed to this, Queen."

If Heinley really wanted to take me as his queen, then so be it. My suggestion was outlandish and unprecedented to anyone who heard it. Now that I was here with Heinley, I was going to tell him about my situation.

Before I could speak, however, two people approached us, and we both ceased our conversation. One of the people wore an academy cloak, while the other was dressed in ordinary clothes. They stopped right in front of us, and the one in ordinary clothes bowed deeply before me.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. You had been gone for a long time, and we were worried when we did not hear from you."

The dean must have sent the escort just in case. Heinley glanced at his watch. Indeed, time flew by far faster than expected. We shared a brief smile, knowing that we had similar thoughts.

When the man in ordinary clothing looked at Heinley, Heinley suddenly lowered his hood with his hand.

'Ah. He had said he came here secretly.'

It would be troublesome if rumors spread that I met him here, even more so that I was facing divorce as an empress.

"Very well. Let's go back."

I spoke as calmly as I could, then looked at Heinley and mouthed "letter".

* * *

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The moment Navier glanced at Heinley and mouthed "letter", he felt as if his knees would give way beneath him. After she left, he staggered to the ground and leaned his head back against a pillar.

He couldn't believe what had just happened.

'I met Queen…'

In truth, it wasn't a coincidence that the two met in Wirwol. As soon as Heinley heard that Navier would come to this region, he took flight and rushed here in a hurry.

The meeting at the restaurant, however, was indeed a coincidence, and Heinley was ecstatic about it. How likely was it for two people to think of going to the same restaurant at the same time?

His luck didn't end there. He and Navier ate together, walked together, and even dressed in the same clothes. While there were also twenty-three people around them wearing the same uniform, to Heinley they were invisible.

He covered his mouth with one hand and thumped his head against the pillar in disbelief.

He was proposed to.

Queen, who he was willing to have at any cost, proposed marriage to him directly. This would be enough to satisfy the nobles' impatience and McKenna's nagging. Several passersby looked strangely at Heinley as he kept grinning wildly to himself alone.

However, his expression turned grave soon after. The happiness of marriage was tainted with a dark shadow—of a marriage of convenience, the talk concubines, a promise not to interfere… He didn't know what Empress Navier was going through, but he was saddened that there was no mention of love.

'I just need a throne for her.'

He looked down at the ground, and the passersby continued to whisper to themselves. Heinley didn't even hear a word of it. He stood up and forced a smile.

'But I'm glad she changed her mind.'

Navier wanted a throne, and he had a throne. Besides, so what if it was a marriage of convenience? As long as she stayed by his side, they would have the opportunity to become closer.

'But what on earth happened…'

* * *

A few days later, I made my return trip to the Imperial Palace. I recalled my agreement with Heinley. He would give me the position of queen, and I would give him my experience as a ruler.

However, when I considered the idea more calmly in the carriage, I felt regret. He had accepted my proposal, but what if he came to reason now? No matter how happy he was, this deal was a loss to him. If a rumored womanizer like himself were to marry me, the scandal between us would erupt and spread throughout many countries. For a monarch who has to throw away his old, frivolous image and take on a dignified weight and figure, this wouldn't be a nice matter.

Furthermore, marriage between foreign monarchs was usually done with the intent to create a political alliance. I couldn't expect that after divorcing Sovieshu. Meanwhile, my family, well-known for producing the empress of the Eastern Empire, could not help Heinley with the domestic politics of the Western Kingdom.

'If he doesn't change his mind, then I must simply do my best.'

Fortunately, I had some advantages that would help Heinley. I would be compared opposite of him. My cold judgment would balance Heinley's free-spirited image. I could use my experience as an empress to empower his position…

'Rwibt!'

Yes, Grand Duke Kapmen had said he would continue to look for diplomatic partners. Perhaps we could arrange a relationship between the Western Kingdom and Rwibt!

As I thought about what I would do after going to the West, I shook my head and took a deep breath. I wasn't sure how far Heinley planned for this, and I was getting ahead of myself.

Finally, the carriage stopped, and I took out my hand mirror to freshen up my face.

'If Heinley marries me and then falls in love with another woman, it won't be as difficult as with Sovieshu.'

Just then, a sudden realization struck me hard on the back of the head, and I lost my composure. When the knight came around to help me out of the carriage, he looked at me in surprise.

"Your Majesty! Are you all right?"

I took the knight by the arm to balance myself, and I put on a smile and assured him that I was fine. However, the sudden thought I had made me feel dizzy. The carriage door closed behind me, and as I walked with the knight, I heard greetings from various people here and there. I strolled down the corridor feeling utterly hollowed out, while I gradually began to come to terms with my realization.

I…

I liked Sovieshu.

I didn't know if there was a distinction between love as a man and woman or the friendship we shared for a long time. But I liked Sovieshu very much. Even more, than I thought.

"…"

Admitting it didn't make any difference. I did not intend to remain with him simply because I liked him.

***

"Your Majesty! The Emperor has sent Lord Koshar away!"

However, despite the realization of my affection for Sovieshu, the wounds only grew deeper. I couldn't cling to him. I had to find a way to protect what I had left.

The news that he had banished my brother made me ache with pain and loneliness. Did Sovieshu have any affection for me anymore?

"Did you hear where His Majesty went?"

"I don't know. It happened so suddenly…"

Countess Eliza was crying as she told me the news, while Laura paced around the room. I buried myself in an armchair, half-resigned.

"I knew he would be exiled. But for it to happen so quickly…"

"It seems like the Emperor was waiting for you to leave, Your Majesty."

I couldn't believe Sovieshu banished my brother. I closed my eyes to calm my uneasy heart, and Countess Eliza spoke to me in a careful voice.

"Will you send money and letters to Lord Koshar?"

"I should."

I stood up from my armchair and went to my desk. When I went to open the drawer, however, I paused. There was a delicate layer of makeup powder between the gap of the drawer door. I swept my fingers through it, collecting the powder on my fingers.

"…"

It was a silvery color, but so subtle that it was hardly noticeable unless one knew to look for it. I had left it in the drawer before leaving Wirwol, just in case, someone tried to open it.

"Your Majesty? Is there something wrong?"

As I stopped and looked at my fingers, Countess Eliza approached me. I quickly brushed the powder from my hands.

"Has anyone come by my room while I was away?"

"The ladies-in-waiting took a vacation and went home."

I went out into the hall and asked the same question to the guards.

"Only the maids who come here to clean, Your Majesty."

'I don't think it's the people who always come and go in my room…'

"What is it, Your Majesty?"

"There's a trace of someone searching my room."

The ladies-in-waiting who attended to me and the guards outside the door looked at each other in amazement. One of the guards then recalled something.

"Come to think of it, Your Majesty. A few days ago, a collective summons was issued, and we were absent for a while."

"Collective summons?"

"Yes. Each palace guard was called in order."

Did the intruder visit my room in the meantime?

"Who issued the summons?"

"The knight commander."

'Sovieshu…!'

An unpleasant idea occurred to me. I quickly went back into my room and looked at the place where I kept Heinley's letters hidden. If the knight commander were involved in this, he might have taken them. Sovieshu would use any tool at his disposal to divorce me.