The Empress' Scandalous Paramour - Chapter 16

“That can’t be… It’s not.”

For a denial, there was strength in the hands.

‘Cute.’

The reason, or rather the main culprit, why the original Leonarda became increasingly confined to her bedroom was none other than Derek.

He loved Leonarda, so he must have wanted to monopolize her.

He probably wished for her to live as a fragile and delicate glass doll.

A person more loyal than anyone else, but at the same time, someone who doesn’t want change more than anyone else. A huge mountain that helped Leonarda, but ironically, prevented her from changing.

I gently tickled his sturdy chin as if soothing a cat. Then, his neck immediately turned red, and his gray pupils trembled.

His appearance was just like snowflakes fluttering in the wind.

“Having a good time.”

But that’s when it happened.

A low voice with a chill echoed in my ear. The tone was so cold, as if frost had settled.

Derek flinched, but I calmly straightened my posture and adjusted my clothes.

Enrique’s eyebrows twitched slightly at my relaxed attitude, as if it didn’t matter whether it was the emperor or the emperor’s grandfather in front of me.

“What brings you to my palace in such a hurry without even contacting me?”

You think you’re the only one who can speak coldly?

With my arms crossed, I openly displayed the meaning of ‘you are an unwelcome guest’ towards Enrique.

“I didn’t know I had to schedule an appointment to meet the empress.”

“I hope you know that from now on. Don’t I also make reservations for Your Majesty’s time?”

When I spat out the sarcastic tone, I could feel Derek tensing up. The guards standing behind the emperor had ambiguous expressions.

Honestly, anyone would react this way if they witnessed a husband rolling around in a meeting room with his mistress.

“I didn’t know the empress was so good with words.”

“It’s not easy to get to know a person. It’s life that you can know ten streams of water but not one person’s heart.”

At my biting remark, Enrique’s lips twisted.

What on earth did Leonarda do wrong for him to dislike her so much?

I snorted and looked straight into Enrique’s eyes. This time, Enrique had no choice but to meet my gaze.

“I’m busy preparing for the banquet, so may I pass by now?”

“If you had nothing to say, you wouldn’t have come all the way here, would you?”

“Then hurry up and say it. I don’t have much time to give to Your Majesty, so you should speak quickly.”

When I urged him with a dry expression devoid of any humor, the entire corridor froze as if the temperature had dropped below zero.

Perhaps Enrique had never seen Leonarda acting this way.

She must have always been at a loss in front of him.

I could tell just by looking at the records left in the diary.

Leonarda was the one who loved, and Enrique had no feelings. So Enrique could easily gain the upper hand in the relationship.

That was the very thing that annoyed me terribly.

“A saint nearly died because of the food served by the empress’s palace, but the empress’s palace did not apologize for it at all.”

“I don’t understand why I should apologize. I heard about it, and it was indeed unfortunate, but in the end, didn’t she recover safely with the holy power?”

“What if she hadn’t recovered?”

“Such assumptions are nothing but pointless arguments. The saint is fine as a result. All she has to do is be careful with peaches from now on. Or are you saying that I should have been careful and anticipated in advance what your mistress can and cannot eat?”

Mistress.

At that blatant word, one of the guards gasped.

From that reaction, I could tell that Leonarda had never once called Helene a mistress.

It’s absurd. A mistress is a mistress, so why can’t she say it?

“I don’t know what misunderstanding you have. Didn’t I tell you many times that Helene is not a mistress?”

“If you insist so, then fine. Then what was it that I heard in front of the meeting room door?”

“I was simply rubbing her shoulders.”

“I hope you know that’s a flimsy excuse. This is really tiring.”

It’s ridiculous that the two highest-ranking people in the palace are having an argument in the hallway.

But I never wanted to offer Enrique a seat in the reception room.

Why should I do that?

Why should I?

‘I feel nauseous. That damn holy power…’

It wasn’t a lie that I was tired.

Even though I’m in a human body, my soul is a demon.

The dizzying holy power emanating from Enrique is adversely affecting me every moment.

Thanks to the ancient magical bracelet that boy gave me, the reaction is limited to this extent. Otherwise, I would have already fainted with the world spinning before my eyes.

“What more is there to say to someone who has already branded me as untrustworthy?”

“Then why did you come looking for me? If you had remained indifferent as you’ve always been, you wouldn’t have had to hear such irritating words.”

When I retorted back and forth without yielding until the end, cracks appeared on Enrique’s cold face.

Finally, he let out a low sigh and quietly opened his mouth to me.

“Helene has been taking care of the palace on behalf of the empress. If you have even a little gratitude for that, you shouldn’t completely exclude her from this banquet.”

“Ha, gratitude……”

Ah, I want to strangle him.

My vision blurred with anger. The hatred swirling in my clouded mind tried to suppress reason.

‘No. I have to endure it. I have to endure it.’

In the end, he came all the way here to say those words.

He never came when Leonarda begged so much, he turned a blind eye even when that poor woman was about to jump from the tower.

He took heavy steps when Helene was about to lose her undeserved excessive rights.

“It’s a truly remarkable love story.”

But when did I ever live by enduring?

In the end, the mockery escaped my lips and fell at Enrique’s feet.

Before he could say anything, I continued without even taking a breath.

“Let’s speak correctly. The saint has been overstepping her boundaries. The reason I tolerated that was because I loved Your Majesty.”

“……”

“But now I must reclaim my rightful position. If you find it unpleasant, the easiest way is to dismiss me from this position and bring in another sacrifice. Or you can place Helene on the empress’s seat. If you wish, you can do so as much as you want.”

“…Empress.”

“Because I no longer love Your Majesty.”

Ah, yes.

I wanted to say these words.

I wanted to say these words so badly.

I no longer love you.

I, no longer!

Of course, Enrique’s expression remained unchanged. He didn’t show any regret or ask why.

He doesn’t have that much interest.

Still, I felt like my suffocated insides had opened up a little.

I wanted to look him straight in the eye and say it.

“So. Even when I personally say it, you can’t entrust any tasks to Helene. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know the empress… disregarded the saint to this extent.”

“You should know that from now on as well.”

“You won’t back down at all.”

“Have you not thought of the generous idea of yielding first, Your Majesty?”

Now that I had crossed the line, I decided to be sarcastic until the end.

The guards had already turned pale and were dying like unripe tomatoes, but even if they were to be shattered by the emperor later, it wasn’t my concern.

“Go and tell the saint. To fulfill her own duties.”

After sharply retorting like that, I turned around without any farewell. I could feel Enrique’s gaze persistently following me, but I ignored it.

After saying everything I wanted to say, just being in the same place and breathing the same air felt so disgusting that I couldn’t stand it.

In the place left behind.

“The empress……”

After a long silence, Enrique slowly opened his lips.

“Was she originally of such a temperament?”

It was a question, but there was no one who could answer.

The guards were all former holy knights who had been with Enrique for many years.

In the past five years, they had only seen Empress Leonarda a few times, including the wedding ceremony and New Year’s events.

And Leonarda’s impression was always blurry.

She was beautifully adorned, but already broken, like a lifeless flower.

“That can’t be.”

Muttering under his breath, Enrique rubbed his lips with a stiff expression. It was a habit that appeared when he was very perplexed.

Enrique, who was stuck in place as if nailed to the spot, thought for a long time.

‘Why does the empress… overlap with that person’s image?’

Has it already been five years?

Since I took that person’s life with these hands.

Since then, Enrique had lost joy.

He gained a solid reason and a cold heart that never wavered in any moment, but at the same time, he couldn’t find joy in anything.

But just now, for the first time in a long while, he felt a forgotten emotion awakening.

Buried deep in his heart… Feelings such as delight, excitement, and enjoyment awkwardly revealed themselves.

Thus, Enrique even felt a sense of regret at the departing figure of the empress.

He wanted to have more conversation. It felt like he would remember what he had forgotten.

It was strange that he wasn’t even displeased by the empress’s aggressive approach when he should have been.

Just… Today’s empress seemed like a different person.

“Let’s go back.”

She said to make an appointment and visit, so he should do as she said.

Enrique tried to recall if he had any free time in his schedule, only to realize that he had no gaps at all until the banquet, and he felt slightly disappointed.

He wanted to know the reason why the empress had changed.

It was the first time since their marriage that he had shown interest in Leonarda.

Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.

The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…

Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.

Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.

The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”

When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…

The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced