Chapter 76.1

Gerald looked at Louella. His smiling face seemed too strange for her. What did that mean? It was a breathtaking atmosphere.

Gerald’s fingers slowly fiddled around her neck. “Gerald…” she called him out.

“What is it, Lulu?” Gerald spoke to her in a low voice.

“Uh—”

“This is about you accepting me.” Gerald interrupted and breathed slowly.

She was under the illusion that all of his movements were attracting her. They kissed countless times and spent the night together as they wished.

All of her first times were with Gerald. He was a lifelong lover and the only love she knew in her previous life and in this life.

She realized that… “I…” she trailed off. With tears, Louella continued, “You seemed to be my last, Gerald.”

His eyes which were filled with tears twinkled. It wasn’t only him, who didn’t understand what she was saying.

Gerald’s hand was on hers for a moment. Gerald swallowed his breath as he fiddled with her neck.

* * *

Ernst turned his head and found where Louella might be. She said that she was sick with a cold, so he expected that she wouldn’t be able to come out of her bedroom.

In the end, even if he came to visit the hospital like this, he was most likely to return without seeing her face. And that was the reason why he had to come to the mansion today. Before Gerald takes the seat next to Louella.

Ernst checked his clothes again and went into the mansion. It was Alexid and the Duchess with awkward expressions that greeted him. Alexid was a straightforward character who served as one of the Royal Guards but could not hide his discomfort around him.

When he asked Alexid about Louella, he used to sneak away.

Ernst smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality. Duchess. And a gentleman.”

“Not at all, Your highness. Did you come to visit Louella? We are just grateful. But now she’s sick and can’t get out of bed…”

“That’s all right. I’m here to tell you something else today.”

Merce nodded and led Ernst to the guest room. Alexid chased after him with an uneasy face.

“You, too?” Merce asked Alexid with a surprised face.

Alexid nodded briefly.

Looking at Alexid, Ernst thought he looked like a hound guarding the house. Alexid, when encountered in a private space other than at work, was showing a stark sense of vigilance in him. Ernst laughed bitterly.

The maids of the mansion prepared refreshments sensibly to soothe the awkwardness. Ernst looked at the Duchess. She looked gentle.

Since coming from the Kingdom of Turandot in the past,

Merce’s beautiful appearance had been famous. And even now, her beauty remains intact.

The Prince felt a mature and calm demeanor from Merce with her hair rolled up. She was not an easy opponent. All the people in this mansion are not easy.

“Hmm. You like our Lulu?” She stated, “I heard that you invited her on the day of the museum’s reopening.”

“Yes, I had Lady Louella advise me on the works of the museum the other day. I’m careful and worried about everything because it’s a job that demands a lot of creativity. Again, I wanted to get her opinion and delve more into Lady Louella’s perspective.”

“Haha. I didn’t realize that Louella had a sense of art.” Merce smiled coolly.

She hid that fact and she was reminded again of such a thing again in her heart.

There were many things she didn’t know when she would let her children go out freely after they became adults. And in the meantime, it seemed that Louella had a small, budding relationship with the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince’s story made sense. By the summer and when the spring finally ends, the Crown Prince would be the Emperor. The Arena Empire seemed to be separated from the divine and the imperial right, but still will be connected as one.

After the divine right are inherited, the Crown Prince becomes the Emperor. And in this generation, it was done early. The Crown Princess died and it was delayed, but now things were in a different perspective.

Only the Emperor and the person who would become the Emperor knew how the ‘divine right’ was inherited. Such a man and Louella were intertwined.

This obviously didn’t come off as something good as well. Merce was hoping that Louella would live as normal and happy as possible.