The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 242

Poliana said to Frau, “Something extreme and crazy happened alright.”

“Extreme and crazy?!”

“That’s right, it was incredible.”

Poliana gazed at Frau. Now that she thought about it, Poliana realized that Duke Sneke was one of the nobles that were arrested tonight.

‘Hmm, I will have to tell them not to arrest Frau.’

The royal guards were busy arresting the guilty nobles as well as their family members, who were scattered all over the castle. Frau was kicked out from his family, but his name was still Frau Sneke. Even if he was most likely going to be released later, it wasn’t going to be good for him to be arrested. Poliana was powerful enough to do this for her future husband.

‘It’s good to have power.’

When she didn’t have it, she used to hate those in power, but now that she had it, she loved it.

Frau carefully sewed up her wound. He offered her sedative, but Poliana refused.

The power she enjoyed right now came from her position, and she could maintain her position only by doing her job well. As the head of the Second Division, there was something Poliana needed to do after getting this medical treatment.

Frau murmured, “I am so glad that you weren’t hurt too badly. Thank god.”

It was clear he was concerned because his face was now filled with relief.

“Were you worried about me?”

“Yes. I was worried about what might happen to me if you died, Marquess… Oh, I misspoke, didn’t I? S-should I sew up my mouth?”

Frau brought his needle and thread close to his lips. He was sometimes too honest. Poliana patted his shoulder sympathetically and replied, “It’s fine. I like your honesty.”

She could understand why Frau must be concerned for himself. He was now known to everyone as the poor weak man who proposed to a wealthy powerful woman for her money. His reputation could not get any worse, so what would happen to him if his future bride died? He would most likely have to file for bankruptcy at the very least. All of Poliana’s wealth would be taken back by the kingdom and Frau would be left with nothing.

Frau did his best to treat Poliana’s wound gently. He was so focused on her injury that his mouth was slightly gaping, making him look funny. His shoulders, which were usually slumped weakly, were tensed. Every time the needle pierced Poliana’s skin, Frau murmured quietly, “It’s going to sting a little…. Sorry… A little pinch…”

It was more than a little pinch. In fact, most patients would’ve jumped in pain. But what Poliana felt was a little different. Instead of the needle, her focus was on the warmth from his fingers and his breaths. Poliana didn’t know, but her cheeks were flushed a little.

‘Wait a minute… Could this be what people call a ‘romantic moment?”

A healthy man and a woman in a private room… Two people promised to be wed soon… A little bit of nudity and their skins touching…

Was this moment going to lead to a successful romance? Or will it be a failure?

Until now, Frau and Poliana did not engage in any physical intimacy. They were proper nobles after all. They could become intimate after their marriage. It was especially not hard for them to refrain since they were no longer young kids. They weren’t in their teens anymore.

Poliana thought logically, ‘But a light kiss would be fine during this engagement period.’ It would look too awkward if they kissed for the first time on their wedding day. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to kiss from time to time, so they get used to each other? Poliana’s heart began to beat fast.

She was about to get closer to him when Frau stepped back and announced, “It’s all done, Marquess. Please make sure to take your medicine. Oh and please, do not move your shoulder.”

This was the first time Frau treated Poliana as a doctor, but he heard many things from the other doctors, including the military doctor, about Poliana as a patient. Apparently, she made the worst patient because she was too stubborn. She never listened to a doctor’s advice and she did not take care of her body. Frau wondered if he should somehow put a restraint on her so Poliana could not move her arm and shoulder. He could not trust her at all.

‘I wish she would be more careful.’

Frau wished she would be more careful with herself, at least until they got married. What was the point of having a skincare regime if she was going to keep getting these awful scars?

Until her wound healed, her skincare was going to stop. Frau also didn’t know what happened, but if it was bad enough that a division leader was injured, it had to be something big enough to keep Poliana very busy for a long time.

“Marquess, please take care of yourself.”

Frau begged and Poliana nodded with a grin.

***

A few days later.

“What?”

The emperor exclaimed in shock after Baron Redikal reported his findings. The royal doctor bowed deeply. It was shocking news, but it was the truth. Baron Redikal repeated himself, “Both Lady Tory and Lady Stra were poisoned.”

“So the security of my castle has been that weak?”

Lucius the First could not help his anger and it was understandable. Any ingredients that enter the castle were examined thoroughly. Only those from the designated farms could send their products and everything was harvested and processed by a designated noble family and its servants and workers.

Only

Even if the quality of the ingredients was not the best, the safety of the royal members was always the priority. This was the same for all high-ranking noblemen since there was always a risk of poisoning.

The emperor knew that his royal guards were excellent. The Second Division, led by Marquess Poliana Winter, boasted of its air-tight security. From first glance, it looked like the Second Division was unorganized, but the guards followed very strict rules. Poliana also often did surprise checks to make sure all of her men always remained alert.

Thinking about how hard the guards worked, the emperor began to calm down a little. He could guess when the poisoning must’ve begun. His guess was confirmed by the royal doctor’s explanation, “It doesn’t look like the ladies were poisoned for a very long time. Their symptoms are very mild…”

“Fine, fine. I guess if this thing began around that time, it couldn’t have been helped.”

The poisoning had to have begun when the emperor and most of the nobles were away to Yapa. The emperor returned alone much earlier than expected, and so many things happened around that time. It was a very confusing period, especially because the head of the Second Division along with many of the royal guards were absent as well.

It was during this very time when many of the maids were replaced. There were also quite a number of new hires inside the lady’s quarters. Many strangers from the mid and southern regions entered the castle because of the birth of the new princess as well as the funeral of Lady Rebecca. At the time, the emperor was also not in his right mind and Lucius the First suspected he may have made some mistakes during that time.

After Baron Redikal left, the emperor asked for the second-in-command of the Second Division. Unfortunately, the answer he received was unexpected.