Chapter 209

“…What?” Lucio could instantly feel his mind turn blank. -Abandon her?- The thought alone was ridiculous. Not only would she be the one to more likely abandon him, but he could never abandon her in the first place. He could not do that anymore. How could he possibly do such a thing? He protested, “What are you talking about? Never could I do such a thing…”

“Rosemond as well,” Patrizia mentioned the taboo name. “You abandoned her.”

“…Lizzy,” Lucio called out to Patrizia and gathered her into his arms. “The situation is different. The person I know you are… you are not someone who will hurt others for your own benefit.”

“Why does Your Majesty speak as if you know anything about me?” Patrizia asked, close to tears. “If I end up being blinded by jealousy and hurt others, will I also be thrown away at that time? Will I find my neck placed on the guillotine as well?…”

“Lizzy.” Lucio tightened his grip around her with a desperate voice. “I will swear this. No woman beside you can stand by my side. I cannot hold a woman other than you in my arms.”

“…”

“I am sorry. This is because I could not instill faith within you.”

“What I am exactly afraid of, Your Majesty does not know about.”

“…Alright. That may be so.”

“That is why I am scared,” Patrizia’s voice shook, and she gripped his shoulder hard. “I have given my heart to Your Majesty, and I am afraid that someday I will be abandoned.”

“Lizzy, I…”

“I cannot give birth to a child,” Patrizia lamented in a sad voice. “Your Majesty must produce an heir. Then that means someday… You will have no choice but to embrace another woman.”

“Even if it means adopting a child from a distant branch of the Imperial Family, there will be no such situation like that. I have absolutely no plans to do something like that.”

“How can I believe something like that…”

“Lizzy,” he called out in an agonized voice. “What can I do so that you will believe in me?”

“…”

“Shall I write up a contract with you and sign it? If I set one up with the Marvinus Empire’s Dukes to serve as witnesses, even I would have no choice but to stick to such an obligation. If you want, I will write up the contract tomorrow; no, I can do it even now.” He struggled to come up with an alternative. “Or maybe there can be another way? Shall I leave the Imperial Seal with you? So that you have the ability to dethrone me anytime? If not that, then…”

“Your Majesty, do you still not understand?” Patrizia lifted eyes full of tears to Lucio and said, “I am not referring to something like the materialistic aspect of it.”

“…”

“When my relationship with Your Majesty reaches a point where it is completely broken, I am afraid of the wounds I will ‘once again’ receive.”

“…Lizzy, there is no official oath I can take on that, as you know. However…” He continued without any hesitation whatsoever, “I will swear it. Although there may be a time when you may abandon me, I will not abandon you first. I will make that perfectly clear as your husband, and not the Emperor of the Marvinus Empire.”

“Haaa…”

“Talk to me, Lizzy. What happened to you?”

“…I had a dream,” Patrizia answered in a low voice while she continued to be held in his arms. “‘That woman’ mocked and laughed at me. She said that someday I would meet my demise, just like her.”

“So that is what happened.” He comforted Patrizia by patting her back and continued to hold her in his arms, in a voice filled with regret. “There is no possibility of something like that happening.”

“…”

“I will solemnly promise with everything that belongs to me. Just this one time…” His desperate voice was delivered into Patrizia’s ears.

Patrizia had her face buried in his chest and could hear the heartbeat from his chest better than her own. His heart was beating violently, as if he was showing that he was alive and begging for some recognition from her. Patrizia felt like her heart was resonating with his…

“Believe in me just once in your life.”

“…A kiss.” She lifted up her eyes brimming with tears, and asked him, “Will you give me a kiss?”

“More than willingly!” he whispered into her ears, and placed his lips on top of hers.

After a while, Patrizia felt a salty taste in her mouth, and realized he was crying. She was the one who should be crying, but the one who was actually doing so was not her, but Lucio. -Why is he crying?- A notion came up in her head, but it was really a guess on her part. He could not be such a sentimental man as that…

-Alright, fine. I have decided to trust you. Even if I do not believe in you, my feelings have grown beyond the point of no return, and will not forgive me. I might have started a love that should not have come to fruition. He said he would not abandon me, but he doesn’t know what might happen in the future. I might one day be thrown away by you again. But even if that is the case, can I place my trust in you just this one time? Would it be alright for me to do that?

-Can I leave my heart with you at least once? Even if I am being deceived, I will believe in you. No, I will trust my heart just this one time. For the first time…I have found something that I want to do. I might be able to imagine and paint a picture-perfect warm love, along with the future.-

Patrizia shared her warm lips with his late that night and soothed her heart in that manner. It was feeling similar to being on drugs. It provided her with the illusion that it would solve all of her worries and concerns.

—–

“…So these days, His Majesty is out of his mind, being so preoccupied. He is busy every day trying to match Lizzy’s mood.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. He has personally baked sweet desserts for her every day, and occasionally sends gifts as well. Of course, Lizzy doesn’t like gifts that are too extravagant, so His Majesty ensures that they are presented in moderation and with caution.”

“I cannot imagine this. To hear His Majesty is behaving in such a manner!”

“Why is that?”

“Because I heard from my father that His Majesty is someone who is emotionless to the point of being stone. I guess it must have been my father’s mistaken perception.”

“Well, he may very well be that way when he is conducting official business. But what is important is how he is treating his loved one, is it not?”

“So that is why I must ask… am I treating you well, Nil?”

At Rothesay’s question, Petronilla burst into a fit of giggles as she came to a stop from walking along the road. “You are the best husband, Ro. Even His Majesty the Emperor will not be able to follow in your footsteps. Desserts? Gifts? Eyy… honestly, you do all of that for me too!”

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Translated by Haeli

Edited by RED