# 57
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Once the others had left, the Emperor dismissed even the servants and led me to the balcony.
The balcony of the dining hall was equipped with a small table for tea and refreshments, and provided a stunning view of the gardens of the Palace of the Sun. The Emperor motioned for me to sit opposite him.
“If you're surprised, I apologize.”
What exactly was he apologizing for? Was he apologizing for using me as an excuse to have Ian accompany them to the Summer Palace? Or about suddenly having this nerve-racking private conversation?
There were too many possibilities, so I couldn't help but give an embarrassed smile. The Emperor laughed softly.
"I was trying to tease my brother, but I ended up surprising you too. It was so entertaining that I couldn't stop."
He did it knowingly. He must have noticed the look on my face because he burst out laughing.
“You're more attractive than you look, aren't you?”
Does everything look nice for the Emperor?
“You know, ever since Ian took the title of Grand Duke and left, he has become more distant. If I didn’t tease him like this, he would really treat me like a stranger. You saw it yourf, right? How he kept calling me ‘Your Majesty’ all the time.”
“Ah…”
So he was thoroughly enjoying Ian's almost complete rebellion now.
Even though the Emperor truly cared for his half-brother, Ian always tried to maintain a certain distance from him. It was instinctive for him, having grown up as the son of a concubine in a constant state of tension.
Unlike the Emperor, who truly cherished Ian, the former Empress and the Concubine were in a deadly rivalry, each observing the other's lives.
Because of this, Ian, as the son of a concubine, was seen as a threat to the then Crown Prince Eliseo, regardless of his intentions.
‘To make matters worse, the concubine was constantly encouraging Ian.’
At the time, Eliseo was twelve years old, and Ian was only a four-year-old child. There is no doubt that the misery of Ian's childhood was an important reason for his emotionally detached behaviour. Of course, the pivotal reason was “that incident” when Ian was ten years old.
"It wasn't easy to deal with him when he was a child, and now that he's an adult, it's even more difficult. I thought giving him the title of Grand Duke might help…."
The Emperor muttered, his voice sounding genuinely remorseful.
“For family to become so far away.”
After the Emperor ascended the throne and granted Ian the title of Grand Duke, the perception of them as rivals calmed somewhat.
However, by now, some members of both the Emperor Faction and the Noble Faction were engaged in a tug of war, and neither side's intentions were in line with the actual desires of the individuals involved.
The Emperor Faction insisted on completely excluding Ian from the line of succession to confirm their legitimacy, while the Noble Faction supported Ian as a means of curbing the Emperor's power.
The more affection the Emperor showed towards Ian, the more his faction rebuked him, while the Noble Faction took advantage of any perceived weakness to attack the Emperor and the Princess.
'The Emperor doesn't have it easy either…'
However, despite all that, the Emperor continued to try to get closer to Ian, which I found admirable. At the same time, I also understood why Ian wanted to keep his distance.
“I understand that this trip to the Summer Palace may be uncomfortable for you.”
“No, I should be grateful for the invitation.”
“You have a wonderful way with words, just like your beautiful face.”
The Emperor's bright smile was captivating, with his lips beautifully curled, revealing a set of strikingly gleaming teeth.
'Wow... he's so handsome.'
Is it fair for a man to be so handsome? I found myf staring at him in amazement without realizing it.
“Please, try to convince Ian on my behalf. Despite his actions, he is really very sensitive and kind-hearted.”
...sensitive? Ian?
I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I think you misunderstood his character.
“Delicate… Grand Duke…?”
“Yes, even though it doesn't look like it, it's really like soft pudding inside. I'm always worried about him.”
Pudding…
When I watched the Emperor describe someone who looked very different from the Ian I knew, I couldn't help but look at him in disbelief before reluctantly agreeing.
"yes i will."
"Thank you. Okay, let's get this over with. If we take too long, Ian might be grouchy again."
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his face in an exaggerated imitation of Ian's usual angry expression.
'Wow, that looks just like Ian.'
I marveled silently. I never thought that the Emperor and Ian were similar, but seeing him like this, they really shared a similarity. Brothers will still be brothers, after all.
"By the way, don't tell Ian I said any of that. It's very accurate, you know."
Emperor Eliseo laughed, stifling his laughter.
When we were about to leave the balcony and exit the dining hall, the Emperor called out to me again.
“Duchess.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After all traces of his previous cheerfulness had disappeared, he looked at me and smiled kindly.
“Please continue to take care of Ian.”
❖ ❖ ❖
I felt like something was terribly wrong.
‘I never intended to gain so much trust from the Emperor.’
When I returned to the carriage, I found myf immersed in serious thought. During that conversation, I was carried away by the Emperor's pace and mood, so I nodded my head in agreement.
But now, thinking about it alone, the signs didn't look good.
My plan was to subtly improve Ian's reputation and my own and then quietly withdraw. But at this pace, I was giving the Emperor too much confidence.
It was like he was trusting me with Ian completely. And what happened with those bright, teenage-like eyes?
'Wait, why would the Emperor read Arya's rumor mill?'
Is it acceptable for the Emperor to read society rumors this way? My frustration started to take a different direction.
"Yes…."
“Are you trying to drown the earth with these sighs?”
I looked up from the ground and looked at Ian. From his appearance, it was clear that he was upset by the fact that the Emperor and I had a long private conversation.
“It seems that the conversation with His Majesty was not to your taste, ma’am.”
"Please don't tell Ian I said any of this. It's very subtle, you know."
I was sure that Ian was already in the palm of the Emperor's hand. In fact, older siblings with younger siblings are truly amazing.
Instead of giving a direct answer, I gently brought up the issue that was bothering me.
“…Um, Duke. Do you remember the conditions I set when I agreed to cooperate with you?”
"What conditions are you referring to? I've set quite a few of them, after all."
He seemed to realize I was trying to change the subject, and his response was sharp.
“…I said that if my reputation doesn’t change within a year, I will end everything cleanly and divorce you.”
I saw Ian pause at my response.
He stared at me for a while before slowly shaking his head.
"…Yes."
'What's up with this reaction? Don't tell me he's already forgotten?'
I narrowed my eyes, shook my head and continued.
“If… our reputation changes dramatically within a year, I won’t divorce you, or rather, I can’t… right?”
Of course, even if she doesn't want to now, once Diana appears, she will change her mind, but from my point of view, it is better to divorce as soon as possible.
Ian frowned as if trying to understand the meaning behind my question and answered with a slightly more displeased expression than before.
“This is normal.”
“You talk like you plan to file for divorce in exactly one year.”
“Oh, no. Well, not necessarily, but...”
'Because I have to, you idiot!'
In just a year and two months, Diana would be back.
If by then I'm still living with you without divorcing you, imagine how shocked my baby girl will be!
Diana is sensitive and kind, so she gets hurt more easily by things like this.
The best tribute I can pay as a fan is to release you before Diana returns.
...Of course, I couldn't say any of this, so I kept my mouth shut.
Ian, who had been watching me with an unreadable expression, finally spoke again. His tone was unusually flat, even more so than usual, and his voice was half as high as usual, as if he did not find this conversation interesting at all.
“Of course, it's not a completely impossible request, if that's what you want...”
“But?”
“But convincing His Majesty will be up to the party who wishes to divorce.”
I clenched my invisible fist at Ian's detached and uncooperative response.
'...Who said I agree with this guy?'
This damned man is uess!