Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90 - Light And Shadow>
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112 - The Morning Comes>
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118 - After The Storm
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121
Chapter 122
Chapter 123
Chapter 124
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132 -
Chapter 133
Chapter 134 - Epilogue 1.3
Chapter 135 - Epilogue 2.1: Traces Of Life
Chapter 136
Chapter 137 - Epilogue 2.3
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141 - Epilogue 4.1: Ever After>
Chapter 142 - Epilogue 4.2
Chapter 143 - Epilogue 4.3
Chapter 144 - Epilogue 5.1>
Chapter 145 - Epilogue 5.2
Chapter 146 - The Most Romantic Weekend>
Chapter 147 - Short Stories 1.2
Chapter 148 -
Chapter 149 -
Chapter 150 -
Chapter 151 -
Chapter 152 -
Chapter 153 -
Chapter 154 - Short Stories 3.1: Unexpected Things Happen>
Chapter 155 - Short Stories 3.2>
Chapter 156 -
Chapter 157 -
Chapter 158 -
Chapter 159 -
Chapter 160 -
Chapter 161 - Short Stories 5.1: The Man Behind The Mask>
Chapter 162
Chapter 163
Chapter 164 -
Chapter 165 -
Chapter 166
Chapter 167 - Short Stories 6.2
Chapter 168 - Short Stories 6.3
Chapter 169
Chapter 170
Chapter 171
Chapter 172
Chapter 173
Chapter 174
Chapter 175
Chapter 176
Chapter 177
Chapter 178
Chapter 179
Chapter 180
Chapter 181
Chapter 182
Chapter 183
Chapter 184
Chapter 185
Chapter 186
Chapter 187
Chapter 188
Chapter 189 (End)
Categories Genre: All, Completed, Fantasy Status: Completed ______
Total Chapters in book: 189
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 189 Page No. 188 Page No. 187 Page No. 186 Page No. 185 Page No. 184 Page No. 183 Page No. 182 Page No. 181 Page No. 180 Page No. 179 Chapter 51
Chapter 51:
Lucretius said proudly. It was ridiculous.
“I’m such an understanding guy. Look how I am treating you! I am willing to do anything you ask, even though you won’t even look at me!”
“Oh, sure…”
I didn’t have any energy left to argue with him. When he saw my expression, he laughed.
“I think if I go on any further, you will get really angry.”
“You’re right,” I answered calmly.
He chuckled and pulled the rope beside the bed to call for a maid.
He continued, “I know you still don’t believe me, but my feeling for you is genuine. I will prove it to you.”
“Prove it to me how?”
When I looked at him curiously, he whispered to me, “It will be a ball season soon. I will be throwing a banquet in your honor.”
“A ball?”
“Yes. It will be the biggest one of this year. Every important figure from all over the world will be invited. Someone you know will also attend.”
“Who?”
“Someone you have met before.”
I couldn’t figure out who it could be.
“It’s someone I know?”
“Yes. It’s the priestess.”
Oh! Oh! I remembered. That lady!
She was the one who was present in the room when Lucretius declared himself the new emperor for the first time. If Lucretius was the most handsome man I had ever met here, then the priestess was the most beautiful woman around.
He touched my cheek gently and whispered, “She is the symbol of our religion Aos. It is believed Aos began even before the beginning of our history.”
“And how would you prove your feeling by that?”
“I will explain. The biggest treasure in Aos is the record by every priest and priestess in history. It includes everything that has happened on this land.”
I was surprised. He smiled vaguely and continued, “If there were ever a person who came from a different world like you, there could be a record of it. The priestess is the only one who has access to this record.”
My mind became a turmoil. I couldn’t understand why he was voluntarily giving me this information.
If his feelings for me were genuine, then he wouldn’t want me to leave. That was my biggest fear. What if he won’t let me go? I was afraid.
I was wrong. He was really helping me to return home as he promised. He was doing it even before I kept my side of the bargain, which was to help him thwart the dowager empress.
I bit my lips, which were dry.
I asked sharply, “Why?”
“Like I just said, I want you to choose me voluntarily. This means I need to provide you with all possible options. To tell you the truth, I don’t think even the priestess will be able to find a way for you to return. Anyway, it will also be advantageous to have a good relationship with the priestess.”
I didn’t know what to say. If I accepted this as proof of his sincerity, that meant I had to acknowledge his feelings for me.
After a few seconds of silence, I asked, “What is it that you want in return?”
“…”
Give and take. This was what I learned from him. This was how I defined our relationship.
He flinched. I wanted to ignore it, but his disappointed expression was one I cannot ignore. He touched my chin and gave me an answer that surprised me.
“I would like you to call me Luc.”
What?
For a second, I thought I misheard him.
He knew I was stunned, so he said it again.
“I would like you to call me Luc.”
“…”
I started to sweat. Yesterday, he asked me to call him Lucretius, and now, he wanted me to call him by a pet name. I stared at him like a cautious cat.
“…”
“…”
Another silence fell. Unlike my worry, he didn’t insist on me completing my part of the deal right away even though he had all the right to ask of me in exchange for this favor.
Then why didn’t he?
There was only one reason I could think of.
To me, I could only accept a business relationship with him. I had hoped he would want the same thing, but I was beginning to think perhaps he really did want more.
Did he really feel something for me?
My heart started to beat fast. I felt strange. What was this feeling?
I had to ignore it before it became too big. I decided to take up on his offer. I said to him.
“Lu… c…”
A happy smile bloomed on his face. It was so bright I almost fell for him right then and there. I turned away quickly.
He said to me, “I like it.”
He giggled like a child. I became red as I yelled, “Why are you smiling!”
He continued to grin and replied, “Because I’m happy.”
I became speechless.
He was acting like a prince from a fairy tale. It was so strange to see him being kind and loving. I didn’t know why, but I felt anxious while my heart fluttered.
He was acting like a completely different person. This was not the Lucretius le Cransia I knew. He was being so sweet.
He was a man who killed his own father and wife. He also handed me a cup with poisoned water. However, right now, it was hard to believe he was the same person.
I wondered if he asked me to call him Luc because he wanted me to see him as a man in love rather than Lucretius le Cransia, the emperor.
***
My head felt heavy. Was it because I was thinking too hard? It felt like a balloon filled with water. Like pricking the water balloon with a needle, I wanted to get all my thoughts out of my head.
I watched as the maids and servants worked busily around me.
Suddenly, someone walked towards me.
It was Lisbeth.
“…”
We were one of the few people who weren’t actively working. She sat in front of me with a sour face.
Everyone else was working to get ready for the banquet. The emperor announced his plan yesterday.
There wasn’t much time to prepare because it was such a short notice. The castle and the entire kingdom were bustling with excitement.
This would be the first ball ever the new emperor held. It would be the biggest event of the year. As Cransia was the biggest kingdom of this land, the royalties from other nations would be attending too.
This would be a celebration for the entire world.
Every available body was recruited to get prepared.
Samantha came to me in a hurry. She was holding several pieces of paper.
“Your highness, I have brought you the list of names you asked for.”
I took it with a smile.
“Thank you.”
My work began now, which meant Lisbeth was the only person in the entire castle who wasn’t working. Even if I wanted her to work, I couldn’t let her. She couldn’t accomplish even the easiest tasks.
After Lisbeth showed how incompetent she was, no one ever gave her any responsibilities. She was quickly becoming an outsider.
Despite it, she didn’t show any effort to change this situation. She didn’t even try, but I knew why. The only reason for her to accept this position was because she wanted to be noticed by Lucretius.
Her ultimate goal was probably to replace me.
I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. Just thinking about Lisbeth standing beside the emperor was so ridiculous.
I didn’t like the idea at all.
I was at a crossroad. I thought very hard, and I was sure I came up with the right decision. I had thought of it well last night.
I just couldn’t accept Lucretius’s feeling even though I now knew he was sincere.
The main reason was that I was not of this world.
My only priority was to survive and return home.
This meant Lucretius’s feeling was a hindrance to me. I thought very carefully last night. Thankfully, Lucretius had too much work and didn’t come to my room, so I had plenty of time alone to think.
Would it be better if I made an attempt to push Lisbeth towards the emperor? I did consider it briefly. If he became interested in another woman, he would lose his interest in me. Not to mention, this world was filled with women who wanted to be in his bed.
I really wanted to go back home. This meant I couldn’t accept his feeling.
I knew he felt this way because I was the only woman in his life right now. Even if this wasn’t the case, it didn’t matter. I didn’t care.
I just needed to make things work.
Total Chapters in book: 189
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
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