In fact, Lu Zen was not wrong. It was the young Emperor who appeared then, when she thought she was dying in the neglect of Riviana, who couldn’t understand what she wanted.

“I bear no ill feelings towards the Duchess. On the contrary, I am grateful. Because of you, I have a choice.”

“……”

“Whether to choose Pieren or Creighton. It’s really a dilemma. Each has its pros and cons, but each is charming.”

At Lu Zen’s audacious laughter, Margaret replayed the conversation he just had with Bake.

She wasn’t surprised by Bake’s reaction. But her throat clenched. The time she had spent with him had been very long. Even though his words were harsh, she thought he would care a little when a crisis came.

“Ah, it seems I made you recall unpleasant memories.”

“That, that is……”

Margaret reflexively reached for the offered handkerchief, but hesitated. Her exposed wrist was tied. Margaret’s face reddened with shame.

“First, we need to untie the ropes. May I?”

“Pardon?”

“Just bear with me for a moment.”

Lu Zen nonchalantly gripped Margaret’s wrist. Whether he was skilled at delicate tasks or for some other reason, Lu Zen’s hands easily untied the tightly tied rope with just a few fumbles.

In addition to her mouth, there was a sense of liberation in her hands. It wasn’t as refreshing as the initial freedom, but just the disappearance of the feeling of constriction made Margaret’s breath slightly more relaxed.

But that moment didn’t last long.

Because Lu Zen suddenly lowered his body.

“Ex, ex, excuse me, your, your Majesty?”

She almost shrieked, but Margaret managed to hold it back by awkwardly exhaling repeatedly. However, her confusion didn’t go away.

Margaret tried to open her mouth again but quickly gave up. Her head was blank. She didn’t know what to say.

She just fumbled with her halfspoken tongue, not knowing where to put it. Usually, she wouldn’t have to worry about the position of her tongue, but her panicked body forgot the obvious.

The Emperor was lowering his body in front of her! It was something she dared not even think about, no, she couldn’t.

Margaret tried to move her stiff tongue, but stopped again. Only then did she realize that the Emperor had lowered his body to untie the rope tied to her ankle.

“It’s, it’s okay!”

What was okay? It was a strange sentence. So, naturally, she expected mockery.

But Lu Zen didn’t laugh. He was just focused on untying the rope.

Margaret looked down at him and unconsciously bit her thumbnail. It was a strange feeling.

The man who had toyed with her until a few days ago was lowering himself for her today. He gently lifted the hem of her dress and found the delicate ankle hidden inside.

A faint blush spread across Margaret’s cheeks. Her skin was not dark, but in contrast to the white gloves, her ankle felt pathetically thin. She, more than anyone, knew that her feet were different from the ordinary ladies.

Once she started paying attention to it, she couldn’t help but look at it.

Especially since Lu Zen had lowered his body, their lines of sight were roughly the same, and he was focusing all his attention on untying the rope. It was a great opportunity to observe the noble man, who even had to protect his face and body.

Margaret slowly lowered her gaze.

Like Bake, the Emperor was also dressed in expensive and flashy clothes.

Both were sensitive to fashion trends, and of course, they wore jackets with chain patterns made from twisted gold threads, which are in vogue these days. But she didn’t think they looked alike at all.

Bake was handsome enough to stand out even among those great nobles. He was a beauty, as if a skilled painter had drawn each feature delicately. He was one of the most handsome men Margaret had ever seen.

So, Bake did not hesitate to evaluate the appearance of others. He constantly affirmed how beautiful he was by belittling someone else, and the Emperor was one of them.

Bake always said that Lu Zen was not an emperor, but a rough mountain thief. He should have been a hunter, staying in his place, instead of making a mess here and there.

However, the actual Emperor was not a man to be belittled by Bake’s harsh assessment. There was no longer any youthful look left in the man who had just turned thirty, but rather, that made him look even more manly.

The man with skin golden like wellripened grain looked more like a statue crafted by a skilled sculptor than a bandit. He had a completely opposite appearance from Bake, but he was a beautiful man in a different sense.

But it wasn’t completely different. Like Bake, the Emperor knew how to dress to make himself look more attractive.

He cut his hair shorter, exposing his ears and neck, and his bangs were set upright to reveal his straight forehead. He had deliberately tailored his outfit to subtly reveal his welltrained body, while the ornate embroidery eliminated any rustic feel.

It wasn’t just his status that made Luzen constantly mentioned as an excellent groom in social circles. Putting aside emotions, anyone would not be able to deny that the young Emperor was an attractive man.

“That’s enough.”

How long had he been lost in thought? Luzen lifted his head. Margaret swallowed reflexively.

Her heart was pounding just by looking at him. Somehow, she felt like a child who had done something wrong and was being watched.

Gulp.

How unnatural and loud the sound of swallowing was, Margaret’s face, which had been rosy, turned as red as a wellripened apple in an instant.

“It seems to have been tied too tightly. It wasn’t easy to untie it.”

Did he not hear? But he must have heard. Then is he pretending not to know?

Strength entered Margaret’s thumb rubbing hand. The sudden eye contact startled her, making her heart race and her breath quicken.

She was not a fool. She knew that the Emperor was not purely kind to her. But what could she do now?

Margaret, in the pitchblack darkness, recalled the man who walked in holding a light, and stared blankly at Luzen’s knee, which she accidentally saw as she bowed her head.

Luzen’s pants were perfectly clean, but his knee was stained. It seemed to have been rubbed against the floor as he bent over. It was a sudden realization that this tall man had just bent over for her.

Did he notice her gaze? Once again, a handkerchief fell into Margaret’s hand. The handkerchief, which was clearly made of expensive fabric, was very soft. And it still held warmth.