In the end, Ines hesitated at those words. But soon a sly laugh escaped her lips. Looking back, there weren’t many times when Carson wasn’t in trouble because of her.
Angelina, who had been observing Ines’s expression for a moment, continued.
“Trouble is actually... too refined an expression. An Emperor with a weak foundation can’t protect anything.”
Ines’ eyes closed on their own at those words.
‘Foundation, foundation...’
Ines thought for a moment. The foundation that Manisut’s daughter could provide would certainly solidify Carson’s position. So what’s next?
“I can put the Emperor on a solid rock. But what can you do? Warming the bed for an Emperor who has fallen helplessly? My father said that I should understand that much, but I... I absolutely don’t want to do that.”
Angelina continued, but Ines couldn’t stop thinking. What does the rock made by Angelina mean, as she said?
In the end, the rock would shake Carson’s entire body, completely hold him in its grasp, and suffocate him.
“It’s disgusting. Isn’t it?”
Suddenly, Carson’s words, which he had breathed out last night while burying his lips in Ines’s neck, came to mind.
“I will never become a lonely Emperor like my father.”
The hot sigh that accompanied those words seemed to heat Ines’ chest again, so she squeezed her closed eyes even tighter.
“His Majesty is right.”
Angelina’s lips rose as she muttered the words with her eyes closed as if she were confessing.
“That is truly disgusting.”
“I thought well. If my thoughts on him were simply blind, I would easily realize what the path to serving His Majesty is.”
“That’s right. I feel like an idiot for realizing it now.”
Ines shook her head from side to side and laughed self-deprecatingly.
She laughed at herself for saying that it was the only way to be by Carson’s side, becoming a chamberlain. Would staying by his side and hoping for a glance be less disgusting than warming the bed of a man with a wife?
No, it was probably more hypocritical. The more she thought about it, the more her teeth chattered.
“That foundation... you mean the nobles?”
Angelina nodded, leaning back leisurely.
“That’s right. I can give it to him, but you can never give it to him. It may sound childish, but it’s the reality, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Angelina stared straight at Ines’s closed eyes. And she expected the defeat and resignation that those eyes would soon declare. However, the emotions in the green eyes that met her eyes were different from what she had expected, and doubts began to form in Angelina's eyes.
At that moment, Ines smiled faintly.
“You already know how I’ve lived, right?”
Angelina shrugged her shoulders in agreement.
“You’ve already heard, but I’ll tell you again. I will do whatever is necessary. If it is for His Majesty the Emperor, I will not hesitate.”
“You already know how I’ve lived, right?”
Angelina shrugged her shoulders in agreement.
“You’ve already heard, but I’ll tell you again. I will do whatever is necessary. If it is for His Majesty the Emperor, I will not hesitate.”
The Princess tilted her head as she looked at the firm eyes that had a completely different color from before.
“What... are you... talking about?”
“I understood what you said today. If you have nothing more to say, I would like to go and get to work.”
Ines tilted her head slightly and pointed to the desk filled with papers. Angelina’s eyes widened at that.
“What?”
The woman who had taken off her mask no longer acted gentle.
“It is as you heard. I have nothing more to hear or say.”
“You, you don’t understand when I speak softly.”
“No matter what you say, nothing will change right now. I am sorry, but I have to get up first. As you can see, I have a lot to do.”
Angelina’s face crumpled mercilessly as Ines stood up.
“How dare you!”
She shouted and grabbed Ines’ wrist as she tried to move away. Her cheek turned as her body turned. With the sound of flesh hitting flesh, her face turned bright red.
And at that moment, the door opened wide.
“What are you guys doing here?”
The Emperor was standing in front of the door, his face colder than ever, staring at her as if he was pressing her down. Angelina was unmoved even as she saw that cold anger. She simply let go of Ines’s hand, straightened up, and bowed to the Emperor.
Carson’s eyes sharpened to assess the situation.
“I asked you what you were doing here?”
The Princess swallowed for a moment at the chilling voice.
“I was just meeting my husband’s lover as a wife-to-be.”
“Princess.”
She knelt slightly and answered politely at the low title that was called out as if spitting.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t need to get involved in your father’s business.”
“It’s my country’s business anyway.”
Carson smiled at those words. He walked slowly and came close to Angelina. He fixed his eyes on her and stretched out his long arm to grab Ines’ wrist. Then he pulled hard and held her up behind him as if hiding her. At that action, a spark ignited in Angelina’s eyes.
“Don’t say strange things in front of this woman.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Don’t tease a woman who’s already thinking about running away.”
Carson lowered his eyes slightly and looked at Ines. Angelina bit her lip because his gaze was exactly like that of a man who was watching his lover’s mood.
“If you knew how much I’m putting into this woman right now, you wouldn’t suddenly show up and start talking so carelessly. Do you dare to think this is, Princess Manisut?”
He spoke without emotion and looked over at the chamberlain who was trembling behind him.
“Count Henrique, are you my subject or Manisut’s subject?”
The chamberlain bowed completely at the young Emperor’s sharp anger.
“Your Majesty, forgive me.”
“How should I interpret bringing someone into my palace without my permission? Huh? You speak for yourself.”
The late Emperor never once tripped up Manisut’s name. However, Carson was different.
The chamberlain’s white hair trembled as he instinctively sensed danger. It was as if his family was on the verge of being branded a traitor and destroyed.
“Although you were Manisut’s vassal, I kept you by my side. Does that mean I allow all this?”
Carson’s voice was flat. He did not raise his voice to anyone. And yet everyone trembled in fear.
He kept looking into Angelina’s eyes as he spoke to the chamberlain.
“If you understand what I’m saying, take your guest out of here immediately.”
“Yes? Yes, yes.”
The chamberlain repeatedly bowed at the clear order to oust guests and stood in front of Angelina as if to see her off.
“Oh, and tell the Princess this too. There’s nothing good in making me anxious and angry right now.”
The chamberlain hurriedly led Angelina out. She met Carson’s eyes and glared, but continued walking.
When the two of them were left alone, a silence came over them that made it seem like everything that had happened just a moment ago was an illusion.
“What did you talk about with Angelina?”
Ines’ heart was scratched bluntly at the friendly name. He still held her wrist, but he didn’t look at her.
“What... are you... talking about?”
“I understood what you said today. If you have nothing more to say, I would like to go and get to work.”
Ines tilted her head slightly and pointed to the desk filled with papers. Angelina’s eyes widened at that.
“What?”
The woman who had taken off her mask no longer acted gentle.
“It is as you heard. I have nothing more to hear or say.”
“You, you don’t understand when I speak softly.”
“No matter what you say, nothing will change right now. I am sorry, but I have to get up first. As you can see, I have a lot to do.”
Angelina’s face crumpled mercilessly as Ines stood up.
“How dare you!”
She shouted and grabbed Ines’ wrist as she tried to move away. Her cheek turned as her body turned. With the sound of flesh hitting flesh, her face turned bright red.
And at that moment, the door opened wide.
“What are you guys doing here?”
The Emperor was standing in front of the door, his face colder than ever, staring at her as if he was pressing her down. Angelina was unmoved even as she saw that cold anger. She simply let go of Ines’s hand, straightened up, and bowed to the Emperor.
Carson’s eyes sharpened to assess the situation.
“I asked you what you were doing here?”
The Princess swallowed for a moment at the chilling voice.
“I was just meeting my husband’s lover as a wife-to-be.”
“Princess.”
She knelt slightly and answered politely at the low title that was called out as if spitting.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t need to get involved in your father’s business.”
“It’s my country’s business anyway.”
Carson smiled at those words. He walked slowly and came close to Angelina. He fixed his eyes on her and stretched out his long arm to grab Ines’ wrist. Then he pulled hard and held her up behind him as if hiding her. At that action, a spark ignited in Angelina’s eyes.
“Don’t say strange things in front of this woman.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Don’t tease a woman who’s already thinking about running away.”
Carson lowered his eyes slightly and looked at Ines. Angelina bit her lip because his gaze was exactly like that of a man who was watching his lover’s mood.
“If you knew how much I’m putting into this woman right now, you wouldn’t suddenly show up and start talking so carelessly. Do you dare to think this is, Princess Manisut?”
He spoke without emotion and looked over at the chamberlain who was trembling behind him.
“Count Henrique, are you my subject or Manisut’s subject?”
The chamberlain bowed completely at the young Emperor’s sharp anger.
“Your Majesty, forgive me.”
“How should I interpret bringing someone into my palace without my permission? Huh? You speak for yourself.”
The late Emperor never once tripped up Manisut’s name. However, Carson was different.
The chamberlain’s white hair trembled as he instinctively sensed danger. It was as if his family was on the verge of being branded a traitor and destroyed.
“Although you were Manisut’s vassal, I kept you by my side. Does that mean I allow all this?”
Carson’s voice was flat. He did not raise his voice to anyone. And yet everyone trembled in fear.
He kept looking into Angelina’s eyes as he spoke to the chamberlain.
“If you understand what I’m saying, take your guest out of here immediately.”
“Yes? Yes, yes.”
The chamberlain repeatedly bowed at the clear order to oust guests and stood in front of Angelina as if to see her off.
“Oh, and tell the Princess this too. There’s nothing good in making me anxious and angry right now.”
The chamberlain hurriedly led Angelina out. She met Carson’s eyes and glared, but continued walking.
When the two of them were left alone, a silence came over them that made it seem like everything that had happened just a moment ago was an illusion.
“What did you talk about with Angelina?”
Ines’ heart was scratched bluntly at the friendly name. He still held her wrist, but he didn’t look at her.
Ines somehow didn’t want to answer. When she didn’t respond, he shrugged his shoulders and paced around the room. The coldness that had been driving people away with his cold attitude until just now had disappeared.
Then suddenly Carson stopped in front of Ines’ desk.
“What is this...? What is this?”
Carson lifted the list of candidates for the Empress on the desk. His eyes grew cold.
“Are you really organizing the list of people who will become my wives with your own hands?”
“That’s not it.”
He took his eyes off the list and looked at Ines.
“You...? You really have no intention of coming to me?”
He roughly put down what he was holding on the floor.
“Are you really going to become the chief chamberlain?”
“Your Majesty.”
“Go ahead, where. What will happen?”
“...”
“I will never have you by my side as anything other than my woman. You will be by my side for the rest of your life? Who cares!”
He shouted in anger, but there was no answer from Ines.
Unable to bear the situation any longer, he walked roughly to the door.
Ines couldn’t come to her senses in the situation. She hadn’t even finished organizing what had just happened. She hadn’t even decided what she was going to do. She had made up her mind, but there wasn’t enough time to muster up the courage. However, she felt an urgent feeling that she couldn’t let him go like this.
Ines grabbed his wrist as he was going out. His body stopped in surprise, but he didn’t look back at Ines.
“It’s not like that. The chief steward left it to me, so I had no choice but to watch it for a while.”
Then suddenly Carson stopped in front of Ines’ desk.
“What is this...? What is this?”
Carson lifted the list of candidates for the Empress on the desk. His eyes grew cold.
“Are you really organizing the list of people who will become my wives with your own hands?”
“That’s not it.”
He took his eyes off the list and looked at Ines.
“You...? You really have no intention of coming to me?”
He roughly put down what he was holding on the floor.
“Are you really going to become the chief chamberlain?”
“Your Majesty.”
“Go ahead, where. What will happen?”
“...”
“I will never have you by my side as anything other than my woman. You will be by my side for the rest of your life? Who cares!”
He shouted in anger, but there was no answer from Ines.
Unable to bear the situation any longer, he walked roughly to the door.
Ines couldn’t come to her senses in the situation. She hadn’t even finished organizing what had just happened. She hadn’t even decided what she was going to do. She had made up her mind, but there wasn’t enough time to muster up the courage. However, she felt an urgent feeling that she couldn’t let him go like this.
Ines grabbed his wrist as he was going out. His body stopped in surprise, but he didn’t look back at Ines.
“It’s not like that. The chief steward left it to me, so I had no choice but to watch it for a while.”
Even though she explained the situation, his stiff shoulders didn’t think of turning around.
Ines put down the hand that was holding her wrist and grabbed his hand urgently. Then she slowly spread her fingers and forcibly inserted them between his strong fingers. Then his hand trembled. For a moment, she was afraid that Carson would reject her, but instead of pushing her away, he relaxed his fingers so that she could comfortably insert her hand.
Ines let out a small sigh and felt relieved at that action.
“Really, I wasn’t looking at it to organize the list.”
Her voice softened at his soft words.
“Why are you looking at it, you know?”
“I need to know. Me too.”
“...What?”
“Who am I supposed to deal with?”
Only then did he turn around. When their eyes met, Ines’ tense breathing returned to normal.
“What do you mean?”
“That... thing.”
Ines put down the hand that was holding her wrist and grabbed his hand urgently. Then she slowly spread her fingers and forcibly inserted them between his strong fingers. Then his hand trembled. For a moment, she was afraid that Carson would reject her, but instead of pushing her away, he relaxed his fingers so that she could comfortably insert her hand.
Ines let out a small sigh and felt relieved at that action.
“Really, I wasn’t looking at it to organize the list.”
Her voice softened at his soft words.
“Why are you looking at it, you know?”
“I need to know. Me too.”
“...What?”
“Who am I supposed to deal with?”
Only then did he turn around. When their eyes met, Ines’ tense breathing returned to normal.
“What do you mean?”
“That... thing.”
When Ines hesitated to answer, Carson tightened his grip on her hand.
However, Ines couldn’t say anything rashly. She just thought that she couldn’t let him go to another woman right now. She hasn't yet decided how she's going to stand by him.
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