HMC 04

~Chapter 4~

“…That’s not funny, Your Majesty.”

At that moment, Frederick let out a sigh, his expression bitterly cold.

“Really? That’s unfortunate.”

Lukas simply shrugged, unimpressed.

The mood shifted in an instant. He added in a teasing tone:

“Still, the fact that you raised your head again means I half-succeeded, no?”

“Had it been anyone else, they would have fainted rather than lift their head. Anyone who had once seen Your Majesty behead an enemy on the battlefield would agree.”

“I know when to joke and with whom. I said it because it was you.”

At those words, Frederick finally managed a slight smile.

“Duke.”

Seeing Frederick’s tension loosen, Lukas continued in a quiet voice.

“I know you’re not the only one involved in this.”

“That’s not true. It was all my doing—”

“No need to cover for them. I already know the senior ministers were part of the plan.”

“…”

Frederick fell silent, bowing his head. Lukas ran a hand through his hair, looking tired.

“I understand what you were worried about. The war just ended, and now you think a clear heir is needed to solidify the fragile peace.”

“…”

“But this time, you went too far. There are already too many looking down on me for being a young emperor. If this gets out, it could weaken Iberia’s position.”

If they were looked down upon even for a moment, war could break out again. Other nations knew the empire’s defenses had weakened in the aftermath of the long war.

If the emperor was also underestimated, the nation’s security itself could be in jeopardy.

He couldn’t bring such pain again to the people who had only just found peace.

“I acted too hastily,” Frederick admitted, biting his lip.

Lukas turned his head away.

“Sorry, but I have no time to entertain every match-making game.”

“But…”

“Right now, we must focus on restoring national strength, not the imperial succession.”

Lukas cut him off firmly.

“I’ll overlook it this time. Because I know your intentions were sincere. But only this once. There won’t be another chance.”

“…I’m deeply grateful, Your Majesty.”

Frederick dared not speak further. Lukas rose from the desk and sat back in his chair, picking up his pen and turning his attention to documents as if nothing had happened.

“Since the trade was just an excuse, submit your report briefly on paper.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After Frederick left, Rosedale still stood before Lukas.

This was the perfect time to shoot her arrow. Once struck by the golden arrow, the victim would fall in love with the first person they saw—she only needed to ensure he met the right woman.

But Rosedale hesitated. The way Lukas had called love a mere “game” lingered in her mind.

To reduce love to mere play… how could he?

As a messenger of the god of love, she couldn’t forgive that. She glared at Lukas.

The look in his eyes—that cold indifference to love—was familiar.

She had seen it far too often in Elpis over the last twenty years.

She didn’t want to bestow love’s blessing upon someone so void of emotion. But she couldn’t ignore Eros’s orders either. As she stood there uncertain, a knock sounded.

“Your Majesty. It’s Cain.”

“Come in.”

Cain entered and carefully approached Lukas’s desk.

“Did your conversation with Duke Frederick go well?”

“You knew, didn’t you.”

Lukas glanced at him with a mocking smile.

“You know everything that goes on in this palace.”

“Forgive me for not telling you in advance. But I too am someone who dearly wishes for Your Majesty to marry soon.”

Cain admitted it candidly.

“Ha. Ridiculous.”

Lukas scoffed but leaned back in his chair, his expression softening despite the harsh tone.

Rosedale blinked. The weighty expression Lukas wore earlier now seemed like a lie.

Truly, humans were too complicated to understand.

She had no choice but to keep watching.

Unaware of her scrutiny, Lukas and Cain continued their conversation.

“When are you going to marry, anyway? At this rate, I’ll grow old before you.”

“Cain, you’re the same age as me. You have sixty more years before you die of old age.”

A playful curve lifted Lukas’s lips.

“That means I can marry any time within those sixty years, right?”

“Are you serious right now?”

Cain leaned forward, shocked.

“You know how precious heirs are to the Iberian Empire! We don’t even have a successor yet, and you keep rejecting every proposal. What are we supposed to do?”

“Should we blame the former emperors, then?”

Lukas crossed his arms.

“Heirs are scarce because the former emperors only loved one empress. Should we blame their fidelity and devotion?”

“Are you serious right now?!”

Cain clutched his chest in frustration.

Lukas laughed at the sight.

Rosedale smiled softly as she watched.

“I think I get it. This is what friends are.”

She had read about it before.

A bond humans form after family: friendship.

A warm emotion shared among equals—something Rosedale had longed for.

As the fairy king’s daughter and heiress, she had only known reverence or obligation. Friendship had always been a distant dream.

Perhaps this was why she came to love humans in the first place.

Those emotions she never had—parental love, sibling affection, friendship shared without condition.

Rosedale looked at Lukas and Cain with longing.

“Cain.”

Lukas’s voice turned serious.

“I won’t take a concubine.”

“Of course not, Your Majesty!”

“So I want to marry a woman I can love and respect for a lifetime. And since she will become the empress, I must be cautious.”

“…Ha.”

A flawless answer, difficult to refute.

Even so, Cain looked at him, unconvinced.

But Lukas remained confident.

“Then at least meet the Marquess Dotrete’s daughter. I won’t ask for more.”

“Rejected.”

“What? Why?”

Cain looked devastated. Lukas returned to his papers.

“The Marquess already holds too much influence. Meeting his daughter would only increase his power.”

“Then what about Viscount Yuzer’s daughter? Her family is small, and the viscount dislikes politics.”

“Also rejected.”

“Why this time?!”

“You just said it—her family is small. The first noblewoman the emperor meets shouldn’t come from a minor house.”

“When did you start caring about family status?!”

Cain grit his teeth, barely holding in his frustration.

“You claim you want true love, yet you won’t even make an effort to meet anyone. Isn’t that contradictory?”

“Is it?”

Lukas answered with indifference. Cain’s face twisted.

“This is why there are rumors, Your Majesty!”

“Rumors? That you and I are romantically involved?”

“Your Majesty!!”

Finally, Cain exploded. Lukas let out a quiet, amused chuckle.

It was a faint smile, barely worth calling a laugh—but his expression had softened.

Yet only a moment later, his face turned dry again, like a desert wind.

“Cain. Perhaps you’ve forgotten—I’m still only twenty-three. There’s no need for all this fuss.”

“…”

“I can’t keep tolerating your insubordination.”

Cain understood that look.

It was Lukas’s final warning—the last kindness extended as a friend.

Any further, and Lukas would cease being a friend and act solely as emperor.

Cain returned to his role as aide and bowed deeply.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Then go. Get back to work.”

“Yes.”

Defeated, Cain bowed and exited.

Click.

The door closed, leaving silence in its wake.

At last, Lukas spoke his true thoughts.

“To speak of love in a life that feels like a sin just to continue living… it’s impossible.”

Can I really allow myself to be happy alone?

His self-deprecating words ended with a bitter sigh.

Across from him—

“Why do you look so sad?”

Rosedale’s expression had changed.

She had thought him emotionless, unable to love. But behind those eyes, she had glimpsed sorrow he tried so hard to hide.

For someone who lived barely a century, how could this man carry such deep pain even she couldn’t comprehend?

What had he gone through? What kind of life had he lived?

Rosedale’s face hardened with determination.

“…I still know so little about humans.”

She held out her left hand. A large bow appeared.

“So I don’t understand why you’re in so much pain or why you pretend not to feel.”

In her right hand appeared a shimmering golden arrow.

“But I do know this: love gives humans the courage to overcome fear, and happiness enough to defy death.”

When she nocked the arrow to the bow, golden light surrounded her.

She could feel Lukas’s fear of love, but also its necessity.

To go through life without knowing even a fraction of that joy—how sad would that be?

“They say a newborn’s first breath requires immense effort. Lungs must open, the heart must surge—and yet now, you breathe so easily.”

So just summon that much courage.

Let love become as natural as breath—

Let your sorrow finally find its end.

Rosedale pulled the string taut.

A warm breeze blew her cotton-candy pink hair back.

Focused entirely on the shot, she didn’t notice when the arrow flew—

—piercing straight into Lukas’s heart.