The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 320

Poliana asked, “Your highness, do you really… Do you really mean what you said?”

“The moment we stood on that cliff, my feelings for you have never changed; my love for you will be eternal.”

Ever since he has fallen for her, Lucius the First has been Poliana’s prisoner. Poliana’s hands, still held by the emperor, warmed up. Slowly, she tried squeezing back, and by doing so, she was able to feel her own heartbeat at the tips of her fingers. Until now, she has been trying to deny it all, but now, Poliana couldn’t believe how she could’ve missed it. This man’s feelings for her were obviously pure and how could anyone in this world be able to ignore such a beautiful man’s sincerity?

Poliana’s cheeks blushed. It wasn’t that she had fallen in love with him, but now that she knew the truth, she had a new responsibility.

She could no longer deny it. She couldn’t ignore it either.

And… She needed to give him a chance.

Lucius the First liked those who worked hard and made efforts because he was the same way. Poliana was just like him. There were times when she worked so hard without even a purpose in life. If someone was making an effort for a clear goal, she needed to be decent enough to give that person a chance.

Even if she didn’t want him to succeed…

Poliana didn’t want to be the kind of person like her Acreian superiors used to be. She answered, “Alright, your highness.”

“Thank you, Pol.”

Lucius the First bowed lightly and his golden hair blinded her eyes. They say the emperor’s crown is too heavy for him to bow, but in front of the woman he loved, it was too easy. Poliana said to him, “I’m only giving you a chance.”

They had to get married no matter what because of Gerald. This didn’t mean Poliana was in love with the emperor. Her blushing was just a natural physical reaction because Lucius the First was too beautiful. He was clearly a man, yet it seemed logical to call him beautiful. The emperor replied, “I know. I have spent 10 years uniting the continent. I would be happy to spend as much time, or more if necessary, to win the heart of the woman I love.”

Lucius the First finally let her hands go. Poliana was expecting him to at least kiss her hands, but when he didn’t do anything, she felt embarrassed. The emperor escorted her to the door holding her arm like a gentleman.

“You must be tired from the long trip. Don’t drop by anywhere. Just go home and rest.”

“I’m fine, your highness.”

“But I am not fine with it. Sir Pol, getting stabbed and giving birth are two very different things. Please do not treat your health so lightly and listen to those who care about you. You need to especially listen to me, the man who loves you.”

Poliana felt shy and embarrassed, but Lucius the First seemed happy. He thought of his current situation.

Love.

Now that he knew Poliana was aware of his feelings for him, he wanted to keep saying it over and over again. He wasn’t shy about telling her how he felt. In fact, he felt proud. Lucius the First was ecstatic. Finally, he didn’t have to hide how he felt. He could tell her he loved her as much and often as he wanted. Poliana was giving him the chance to pursue her.

For the first time, Poliana saw him not only as an emperor but as a man. He could feel the difference because although she was giving him the same compliments, that he was beautiful, she was saying it differently. It was definitely worth getting dolled up for her today.

The emperor turned the knob and opened the door for her. What an honor to have the emperor of this kingdom personally open the door! When Sir Donau saw the emperor, he yelled helplessly, “You look so beautiful, your highness!”

***

Sir Donau shook his head. Just as he expected, Poliana had no chance against the emperor. It wasn’t just the matter of the emperor’s convincing words; it was Lucius the First’s unbelievable beauty, only a blind person could resist him.

Today, the emperor was more beautiful than usual if that was possible. Even Sir Donau, a man, felt his eyes water from the honor of it. So, it was no wonder that Poliana, who was alone with the emperor in the room, had no chance of winning this battle. It was obvious that Lucius the First planned this meeting; this was his chance to seduce her and he was successful.

The surprise rumor attack and now this… This battle was over. Sir Donau had no doubt who was going to be the winner in the end.

Lucius the First ordered Poliana to rest, and she followed it faithfully. On her way home, she received several attractive offers, but she refused all of them. Her colleagues asked her to go out drinking, her men begged her to drop by the breakroom for some snacks, and the maids wanted to have fun with her, but Poliana said no to all of them; she even skipped visiting Princess Luminae.

Poliana and Sir Donau went straight back to her home.

At the dinner table, Sir Donau said to Poliana, “I will be returning home tomorrow.”

“Wouldn’t that be too tiring for you?”

“Well, my presence here isn’t going to be helpful at all, so…”

Sir Donau was clearly insinuating that Lucius the First was going to win. Poliana replied in annoyance, “You told me you were going to be on my side!”

“Of course, I will always be on your side, but you lost, Sis. You got seduced.”

Poliana exclaimed, “What could I have done? I can’t help the fact that his highness is so beautiful!”

“In the past, you would’ve just simply admired his beauty and nothing more.”

This fact was the reason why Sir Donau was convinced of the emperor’s victory. It was true that Lucius the First’s beauty would’ve never worked like this on Poliana before. She saw the emperor only as her ruler and not as a man at the time. But now… Poliana’s eyes and heart wavered like a fragile tree branch against a wind. Was it because they slept together that night?

One could not blame her for being human. In fact, it was odd that she never saw the emperor as a man before. Poliana replied, “I can’t help it. Whenever I see his highness, I keep thinking about that night.”

Only

“I thought that it was unlikely you would be happy marrying the emperor, but perhaps I was wrong. Who knows? Maybe it would be really good.”

Really good? Suddenly, Poliana remembered that night. The emperor’s hot breath on her neck… It was nothing like how she felt with all the other men in her life. Even though the emperor’s breath smelled of alcohol, it felt sweet and warm on her skin. Instead of feeling unpleasant, which would’ve been her usual reaction, Poliana remembered feeling passionate.

‘F*ck.’

Poliana blushed again as her thoughts turned to that night. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about it? Sir Donau sighed as he watched her. He had no idea what his sister was thinking. He said to her, “I will support whatever decision you make. You can get divorced after the marriage or choose to become the empress. You can even refuse to marry him if you wish, but there is one thing I don’t want you to do.”

“Running away?”

Sir Donau shook his head and answered, “No. It’s unhappiness. I don’t want you to miss out on happiness on purpose.”

“I’m not an idiot. Why would I choose unhappiness on purpose?” Sir Donau laughed quietly, “I want you to be happy. You don’t have to be the happiest woman in the kingdom, but I really hope you will find your own happiness, even if it is a small one.”