Episode 68
When the Emperor called her child, Eliano blinked a few times. She hadn’t realized he still saw her so fondly. Or maybe he was just pretending to.
“Your Majesty, I only wish for this matter to be resolved peacefully,” she said softly. “I know little, so I’ve come to seek your wisdom.”
The Emperor’s pale blue eyes watched her closely. Eliano lowered her gaze to hide her nervousness. The Emperor sat back, lost in thought for a moment.
This was no longer the same innocent little girl he once remembered. She still had that gentle nature—but she had grown up. Just like Damian, who had cast aside warmth to become a cold noble heir, Eliano too had shed her innocence. Duke Rosana was lucky to have such children, the Emperor thought, and spoke without emotion.
“I’ve offered Flint the Howard seal as a wedding gift. Perhaps he married you for that reason.”
“Flint is already using another seal. He makes his decisions based on more noble values.”
The Emperor kept his eyes on her, signaling her to continue.
“Just as Flint is my first man, I’m also his first woman.”
That was all she said. She wanted to add that everything she shouted through the magic speaker was true—but something told her not to. Heriath’s warning echoed in her mind: The Emperor doesn’t accept things just as they are.
The Emperor smirked.
“So you married for love? How romantic. That’s not a very noble-like thing to say. Aren’t you too old for fairy tales?”
“Then I’ll speak honestly, as if I’m talking to a father. I didn’t grow up with the luxury of romance. My father’s whip crushed any flowers that tried to bloom.”
Her words hinted that even if Flint was her first in body, he wasn’t her first in heart. The Emperor frowned.
“Was one of those unbloomed flowers my son, perhaps?”
Eliano only gave a quiet smile.
“If you had married my son, things might have gone better. Your father wouldn’t have dared insult the Crown Prince. Heriath would have protected you.”
Eliano lowered her eyes and spoke respectfully.
“I know Your Majesty once saw me as a star of the empire. That was a great honor. But I could not go against my father’s wishes.”
“And yet here you are, having gone against them anyway,” he said coolly.
Eliano bowed her head deeply.
“I’ve heard of the great shouting match between you and your father,” the Emperor said. “Even if I didn’t want to, I couldn’t help hearing it. The Empress was so irritated by the noise I had to calm her down.”
Eliano flushed red with embarrassment. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“My reason failed me in the face of pain. I was foolish and weak.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue.
“If only Demitri hadn’t been so greedy…”
When the Emperor once tried to arrange a match between Heriath and Eliano, Duke Rosana had demanded two old Rosana gold mines in return. The Emperor had dodged the request—and the Duke had refused the match.
He wanted to say, Your father’s greed cost you the star’s place, but he held his tongue. The girl before him was too gentle to burden with that truth.
“Your Highness, Heriath is a busy man,” Eliano said softly. “The timing just didn’t align. That’s my tragedy—and my own lack of courage.”
The Emperor gave a dry chuckle. He didn’t seem upset.
“Ah, so you’re saying he lacked courage. True enough—my son tends to overthink. In that sense, perhaps it’s his own fault.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Eliano looked flustered. But instead of explaining, she chose her words carefully.
“Still, I’m grateful to Your Majesty. Heriath will surely marry someone wiser and more suited to the imperial family.”
She didn’t mention Heriath’s fiancée, Lilliana Sanders. She suspected the engagement delay was part of the Emperor’s larger plan.
“Child,” the Emperor said, “why did you choose Flint? You could’ve had the young Marquis Alviche. Or even the heir to House Boarne. He’s a noble match.”
“Elviche fears my father,” she replied plainly. “And between a Grand Duke and a noble heir… well, a Grand Duke is higher.”
Her innocent tone made the Emperor burst into laughter.
“Ah, child. So you’ve got no more heart than Flint himself, hmm?”
His voice was gentle, fatherly—but there was pressure behind the question.
Eliano smiled but felt deeply uneasy. This man wasn’t someone she could fool. He had lived far longer than her, and experience was not something she could compete with.
Her answer was dry but honest.
“Yes. I simply chose a man who could help me escape my father. But I can’t deny Flint is just as charming as the Crown Prince.”
The Emperor laughed again.
Flint was, undeniably, a remarkable man. Even if his serious nature made him stiff and a little dull, he had everything else—looks, power, ability.
And as much as he praised his own son, the Emperor couldn’t help but be pleased.
“When Flint saved me from my father, he looked so brave… my heart bloomed like spring,” Eliano said, then quickly added, “Forgive my foolishness.”
The Emperor burst into a roaring laugh. The chamberlain, standing by, even cracked a smile.
“Show her,” he said. The chamberlain brought forward a silver tray.
Eliano’s expression faltered when she saw what was on it.
“You seem surprised. But you already knew George took it,” the Emperor said.
She remembered the day she’d seen George tending the fireplace himself. She’d found it strange—and had watched as he tucked away one half-burned letter. She didn’t think he’d delivered the whole thing to the Emperor.
“You’re still a bit too green to be a true noble lady,” the Emperor said, clearly amused.
“I’m just surprised the Great Sun of Bianteca would bother keeping such a small thing…”
“I plan to use this to scold your father,” he said, holding up the letter.
Eliano blinked in shock.
“Since Flint seems incapable, I’ll protect you myself. A man who can’t shield his wife’s pain doesn’t deserve to be called a good husband.”
It almost felt like the Emperor was trying to drive a wedge between her and Flint. Eliano kept her expression calm.
“Your Majesty’s generosity is as vast as the sea. But I’ve already promised my husband we wouldn’t speak of this again.”
“Tch. What a fool.”
Eliano swayed, pretending to feel faint. The chamberlain caught her just in time. She whispered a quiet thanks and held her forehead. She wasn’t lying—talking to the Emperor was exhausting. And her body still hadn’t recovered.
“You’re still unwell,” the Emperor muttered. “Demitri did something truly terrible.”
“I apologize for my poor appearance. Please don’t worry.”
“I’ll talk to Flint myself,” the Emperor said. “If I offer him the Howard seal and his mother’s remains, he’ll agree.”
Eliano’s eyes widened. He had her mother’s remains too?
She quickly calmed her expression.
“I will give Flint a choice,” the Emperor said. “Either the seal and the ashes… or the letter.”
“But Your Majesty… he’ll choose his parents. What fool would abandon them for a woman?”
Eliano meant every word. But deep down, she also knew that the truth about what she endured would clear Flint’s name better than anything else.
She hoped the Emperor would win. He always did. Flint’s grandfather lost to him. So did his father. And now, it might be Flint’s turn.
“Let’s see if your husband’s love can stand the test,” the Emperor said, eyes warm—but something darker lurked beneath.
Eliano clenched her skirt without realizing it.
“If Flint truly loves you as my son says, then he’ll choose you. Men must always be tested. That’s something you should remember, now that you’re a proper noblewoman.”
Eliano hesitated. She should stop him. But she knew the Emperor had already made up his mind.
So she said nothing.
A thought crossed her mind.
The Emperor… was testing the Howard family. Even if he favored Flint, he hadn’t let his guard down.
The conversation ended.
“You may go now, Grand Duchess of Howard. You should rest.”
Hearing her new title made Eliano’s green eyes darken.
She stood, bowed again—but didn’t rise immediately. The chamberlain looked puzzled.
Then Eliano spoke, steady and firm.
“Your Majesty, I am no longer a Rosana. I am a Howard now. I will stand by my husband’s side and serve the Great Sun. Please be glad to gain a loyal subject rather than just a nobleman’s daughter.”
The Emperor, who was about to rise, paused.
“I will be your eyes and ears in the North.”
Eliano had just made a bold gamble on Flint’s heart—and his future.
“They say he loves me dearly. And I believe it’s true.”
Flint let’s just leave this filthy capital and go to north with Lia soon