Thankfully, Mirabel was there. If she hadn’t been, he would have taken Liz with him the day he left this house, no matter what happened.
Suddenly thinking of something, he put his hand in his jacket pocket.
When he took it out, it was with a small crimson velvet case. Lifting the lid, a blue gem reflected the chandelier’s light, shining brilliantly.
Topaz, it was Liz’s birthstone ring.
The earrings he had taken from her the day he arrived as a noble in Lorein were also topaz, but they were too inferior.
“Yet she wore them proudly, claiming it was the first gift she’d ever received from her mother.”
That was why he hadn’t thrown them away but returned them.
A faint smile appeared on Hersis’s lips as he stared at the ring.
He almost strangled the obsessively perfectionist jeweler on the spot when it took him a month to complete it.
He would have undoubtedly done so if he hadn’t seen the finished product.
But he forgave him the moment he saw the differently graded blue color and the meticulously crafted gem surface.
The wait had been worth it.
Hersis wanted to put the engagement ring on Liz’s finger as soon as possible.
He wished she would willingly extend her hand.
Before she realized that her own will was not important in this marriage.
Rustle—
Hersis closed the ring case at the sudden sound of rustling fabric.
He turned around slowly, his eyes unshakably calm. There was no reason to be disturbed.
The one who appeared was not Liz.
Lilia was utterly confused.
‘The Emperor? The Emperor has proposed? Why would the Emperor who is soon to have a national wedding propose to my sister?’
Lilia’s widening eyes narrowed due to a plausible thought that just came to mind.
‘There must be another person like my sister here. Probably broke off an engagement right before the wedding. How bad must it have been for the Emperor to break off an engagement even after becoming Emperor.’
Thinking so, her mood slightly improved. She felt she should genuinely congratulate her sister.
Lilia neatly adjusted her posture and descended to the lower floor.
The smile disappeared from her face, which had been politely smiling while making a small presence, the moment she confirmed the face of the turned-around Emperor.
That man! The man who caught her eye at the ball that day. The man who had made her heart flutter then, and was still doing so now.
Yet this man was the Emperor.
And now… he had come to propose to her sister.
‘How could this happen…’
Lilia felt lightheaded.
Suddenly, the events from her coming-of-age ceremony vividly flashed through her mind.
It was odd, she thought, to see her sister—who never even considered any man other than Kain as a man—dancing body to body with a stranger.
Her sister must have known. That this man was not a noble from Lorraine but the Crown Prince.
‘Yes, thinking back, her interest in Kain had waned around then. Of course, it did. With a man like this, who would care about someone like Kain? My cunning sister. I should have known. Someone as indifferent to the world as her acts quickly in such matters.’
But Lilia knew that her condemnation would change nothing.
Lilia felt maddeningly regretful and indignant for being one step too late.
‘What should I do now? Kain has left, and my heart has died. This is the only man who could make it beat again. I might never meet another man who makes my heart flutter like this. Why does it have to be my sister…!’
Holding back her rising anger, Lilia bowed politely.
“I greet His Majesty, the Emperor. I am Lilia, the second daughter of Duke Berium.”
Hersis nodded with an indifferent face.
Throughout all this, Liz had yet to appear, and Lilia had intended to continue being a conversation partner until Liz was ready, as her mother had said.
Even if her mother hadn’t said anything, Lilia planned to stay. To see if there was any chance of turning this man’s heart or of changing the target of his proposal.
“Would you like a tour of the house while you wait, Your Majesty?”
“No need. I’ve seen enough.”
“Then may I offer you some tea? My sister takes her time getting ready, so it might take a while.”
“If it takes time, there must be a reason. Don’t worry about me. Go attend to Her Grace.”
Upon Hersis’s curt reply, Lilia’s gripped fingers tensed.
Just then, Rena rushed over and whispered to Lilia.
“Miss, you were here? I’ve left a letter in your room. The young master Berth is planning to write a letter, so the head butler said it’s a top priority……”
“Oh my, Lena, really… When did I ever say that?”
Lilia interrupted hastily with a smile.
“……Yes? But I’m sure……”
Confused, Lena looked at her.
Maintaining her smile, Lilia subtly glanced at the Emperor, and as soon as she saw that his attention was not on her, she shot Lena a sharp look.
‘Don’t. Don’t interfere.’
Lena still didn’t understand, but she got the meaning of the look.
She was about to disappear as the young lady had indicated, when she abruptly stopped, looking up at the ceiling due to the sound of frantic footsteps.
Both Hersis and Lilia also seemed puzzled by the noise.
A moment later, the Countess appeared where they were, with a forced smile on her face that was blatantly awkward.
“Your Majesty, I deeply regret to inform you that Liz is not feeling well today. I know it’s inconvenient, but if you could visit another day……”
“Over there.”
The Emperor shifted his gaze and quickly summoned one of his attendants with a hand gesture as she hurried down the corridor.
A female servant with dark brown hair and lifted eyebrows approached hesitantly and stood beside the Countess. She had been an influential fallen noble’s servant up until half a year ago, but now she was a pitiable creature trembling like a mouse in front of a lion.
“Explain what happened.”
His chilling voice made this pitiful attendant shudder even more.
“That, that is……”
Countess Berium covertly pinched her arm.
But it was in vain.
Faced with the suffocating aura this man had begun to emit, the threats from her mistress were nothing.
“Miss Liz has disappeared.”
“……”
“She’s taken all her clothes and jewelry. She left only a note asking not to be searched for.”
It was the moment when the Emperor’s golden eyes turned to ash.
Top Celebrity Younger Brother Bears Her Child (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: Forced to live stream romance with a top celebrity in a female-dominant world.
Yan Jin transmigrated into a brothel, with a fellow transmigrated junior beside her.
Hearing the obscene words coming from outside, the unfortunate junior covered his ears tightly, his cheeks flushed red, and whispered to comfort her, “Don’t worry, I will definitely help you escape.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely defend your chastity.” Yan Jin looked at the flawless and delicate features of the unfortunate junior and gently comforted, “Because we have transmigrated into a female-dominant world.”
※※※
Top celebrity Yu Shu suddenly fell into a coma during a concert.
Research scientist Yan Jin fainted in the lab after working overtime.
Two people with no connection were rushed to the same hospital.
Three days later, neither of them had woken up.
Suddenly, the entire nation discovered that a live streaming app had been forcibly installed on their phones.
Upon opening it, they heard the two discussing how to escape from the brothel.
The entire internet was in an uproar.
After the two successfully escaped from the brothel, Yu Shu’s fan group rushed to make a banner and sent it to the hospital overnight.
“Big sister bravely took action to defend the chastity of our idol!”
※※※
When Yu Shu was diagnosed with pregnancy, Yan Jin stared at his belly for a long time.
Covering his stomach, he muttered gloomily, “If you don’t like it, I’ll go get an abortion.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Yan Jin hugged Yu Shu and said softly, “I just feel like I’m not human.”
Yu Shu comforted Yan Jin, “I was already an adult when we got together.”
Yan Jin hesitated, “But you won’t be of legal marriageable age even after giving birth to the child.”
At the same time, a flood of bullet comments appeared in the live streaming room that the two couldn’t see.
[Although it’s inappropriate, I also want a young and handsome boyfriend to have my child.]
①Male pregnancy (highlighted)
The female lead is five years older than the male lead, and the male lead is already an adult when he appears.
