Chapter 16
Kaien surprisingly left the Empress’s quarters quietly after lunch, walking away lightly.
“I’ll let it slide this time.”
Kaien said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. He looked completely relaxed—no one would believe he had killed someone just that morning.
“But the Empress should focus on her health.”
That was the same as saying: don’t interfere anymore.
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Hearing Alicia’s polite reply, Kaien didn’t say more. Everyone in the Empress’s palace silently let out a breath of relief.
A good meal always puts someone in a good mood.
Kaien had forgotten that feeling for a long time.
Even though he was an emperor, eating rough meals quickly on the battlefield or in tents was nothing like a proper meal.
“This is interesting.”
“…Sorry?”
Glen asked without thinking.
“Everything is different from Lubeo. Even though I cut down enemies and saw corpses just like before… having a meal here feels completely different.”
Glen still didn’t understand what Kaien meant.
“Yes, in Lubeo, we sometimes had to eat while seeing the bodies of enemies.”
Glen answered blankly, missing the point. Kaien looked out the window silently.
Unlike the harsh battlefield of Lubeo, the autumn sky here was clear and peaceful, and the clouds floated by slowly.
“Ah, Your Majesty must want to return to Lubeo soon!”
Everyone knew Kaien disliked the palace and believed the battlefield was where he belonged.
Once the Great Assembly ended in two weeks, he was expected to go back.
“You still have your knights.”
“Yes, they’re all waiting for you.”
“The war with the barbarians is almost over.”
Glen, still clueless, answered with a determined face.
“Yes. A glorious new era is coming for Lubeo!”
Normally, Glen’s thoughts were in line with Kaien’s. But today was different. Even Kaien didn’t know why.
He couldn’t say it aloud, but… for now, he didn’t want to leave the palace.
After living a life once before, Alicia now knew exactly what she needed to understand—not just about being husband and wife, but about who Kaien and Alicia were to each other now.
“This is hard… hard.”
Why do married couples take everything for granted?
Even though they were a married couple, they lived like strangers. In her past life, they had stayed like that until the end.
“He’s just… too much for me.”
Just remembering Kaien’s cold black eyes when he got angry still scared her.
It wasn’t just a husband in a political marriage getting angry—it felt like her life was in real danger.
“But if I want to live properly… I have to face him someday.”
When she first became Alicia, it was hard to adjust to the time period and the old-fashioned way of thinking.
But now, this was her second time turning twenty as Alicia. She knew she couldn’t change the world by herself.
“…Hmm.”
Alicia thought for a while, then rang the bell on the table. Soon, Aness came in and bowed.
“You called for me, Your Highness?”
“Yes. Were the bodies taken care of properly?”
“Yes. As you ordered, they were cremated and respectfully sent back to their hometowns.”
Hearing that, Alicia nodded in relief.
“But… today was very risky, Your Highness. It’s a good thing it turned out well, but there was no need to make His Majesty angry over such people.”
“I know.”
In her past life, Alicia was scared of Kaien and stayed close to her family in Lucan.
She didn’t even realize that relying on them was ruining her life.
“But I have to do something.”
“Your Highness is already the Empress and the wife of the Emperor.”
Aness looked confused. To her, just being Empress was enough.
She didn’t understand how far Alicia’s thoughts reached.
“Anyone can just sit quietly as Empress.”
“But still—”
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
Alicia looked straight into Aness’s eyes.
“I’m not foolish enough to ask for a divorce out of nowhere.”
Even if today ended peacefully, she couldn’t predict what might happen if she pushed Kaien too far.
“I was only suggesting, maybe you could forget about it—”
“The divorce?”
“Yes.”
Aness didn’t know why Alicia suddenly mentioned divorce. It had only been a year since the wedding.
Surely if she waited, her relationship with Kaien would get better, and they might even have children.
“His Majesty will continue living in Lubeo. The only time he returns here is in early spring, to honor his late mother.”
“But now that he has you, Your Highness—”
“No. I have no power.”
It used to frustrate Alicia how much Kaien loved Lubeo.
But now, she understood. He had been exiled to the wild desert as a boy, and there, he found his future.
“Lubeo means everything to him.”
That desert land, once considered useless, was now almost fully developed. Kaien had turned it into a perfectly planned city—the first of its kind under the Darius Empire.
“Unfortunately…”
That city would eventually become the root of a rebellion.
Kaien wasn’t a perfect man either.
“People pity widows, but what about someone like me, whose husband is alive but never around? Isn’t that even crueler? Especially if your husband is the Emperor—then the whole world will know.”
“We’ve only been married a year, Your Highness. Why think so negatively?”
Alicia hesitated. If she couldn’t even convince her closest maid, how could she convince Kaien?
“Think about why I became Empress. The nobles and Lucan sent me to watch over Kaien because they didn’t think he was fit to rule.”
That wasn’t even a lie. Kaien hated Lucan and the nobles in the capital.
“That must’ve been humiliating for His Majesty. And his hatred for Lucan hasn’t changed.”
“But Your Highness has changed—”
“And now Kaien sees me as an enemy too.”
She might be the Empress, but with Lucan as her background and Kaien cutting off all ties, she had no power.
“But I still carry Lucan’s blood.”
None of this was her choice.
“His Majesty will never want a child who has Lucan’s blood.”
Hearing Alicia’s firm voice, Aness quietly lowered her head. She couldn’t argue with that.
“But… maybe someday, His Majesty will change his mind after getting to know you—”
“Aness, do you want me to gamble my whole life on something so uncertain?”
Aness looked up at Alicia’s clear, steady voice.
“I don’t want much. I just want to leave this palace, grow flowers, cook meals, have peaceful days, and see the world.”
“That’s…”
“I don’t want to live meaninglessly in this Empress’s quarters anymore. I want a life that matters.”
Maybe others would think her dream was small, but for Alicia, it was everything.
“There won’t be many more chances to meet His Majesty.”
If she wanted permission to leave, now was the time to ask—while she still had a chance to talk to him. It would only get harder in the future.
“It doesn’t even have to be a divorce. I’d be happy just living in a separate villa, away from here.”
She didn’t want to live a lonely, hollow life anymore—especially not one that ended in rebellion.
“I understand that Your Highness has made up your mind.”
At last, Aness gave in.
“Whatever Your Highness chooses, I’ll follow and protect you.”
“Thank you, Aness.”
“But please promise me… don’t do anything dangerous like today again. Please?”
Even Alicia had been scared of Kaien’s fury. Aness must’ve been terrified. Feeling a bit guilty, Alicia nodded, and Aness smiled faintly.
“I beg your pardon!”
Just then, the head attendant called urgently from outside. Alicia raised an eyebrow and motioned for Aness to let him in.
“What is it?”
“Um, well…”
Chief steward Howard looked shocked.
“His Majesty said he will also eat dinner here at the Empress’s quarters.”
The three of them blinked in surprise.
Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal for a couple.
But this was the imperial palace.
Even a kind husband wouldn’t casually dine with his wife every meal—and Kaien was far from kind.
“…Why?”
“I don’t know. The Emperor’s servant, Lord Miller, just passed along the message.”
Of course, there was no way to refuse. Alicia quickly accepted the situation and stood up.
“Well then, I should go check the kitchen.”
“Pardon? You, Your Highness?”
“It’s part of my duty too. Besides, I have something I want to do while I’m there.”
Just earlier, Alicia felt helpless—but now her eyes sparkled with life again.
Whenever she thought of something she could do, even something small, it gave her hope and excitement.
