Episode 18

Episode 18. Do You Happen to Need a Lover?

Why is that man here again?

My face stiffened the moment I saw him.

At the banquet hall—no, I had been certain we would never cross paths again, at least not within the imperial palace.

“Oh my! Isn’t that…?”

“Goodness. I can’t believe he came to the banquet. Do you think he overheard our conversation?”

The voices of the noblewomen rose in pitch.

“Hmm? Who is that man? I didn’t know someone that handsome existed.”

“Madam Etroir, you don’t recognize him?”

“Is he someone famous?”

“Of course. That’s the renowned Sir Leonard.”

“Ah! The commander of the Second Knights?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

The man drawing all the attention as he entered was none other than Leonard.

“He’s just as the rumors say… no, even more beautiful than the rumors claimed. I heard he rarely attends events like these.”

“Exactly! What brought him out tonight, I wonder?”

The banquet hall buzzed with chatter about Leonard in no time.

Indeed, as they said, he looked as stunning as ever.

Instead of his usual knight’s uniform, he wore a lavishly adorned black formal suit that exuded a completely different aura.

Yet even the ornate gold trim paled in comparison to his appearance.

They say fashion is completed by the face—and his face left no room for the clothes to shine.

No one could tear their eyes from him—not because of his outfit, but because of him.

But I know his true identity.

Everyone, don’t be fooled by that face.

That man… he’ll fall into darkness later and shake the entire empire!

Yet despite what I knew, he quickly became the center of the banquet.

“Oh my!”

At that moment, a noblewoman standing nearby covered her mouth and whispered by my ear.

“Sir Leonard just glanced at Her Majesty.”

“That’s impossible. You must be mistaken.”

How could someone surrounded by so many people be looking this way…?

“…!”

Our eyes met.

And it wasn’t a coincidence.

His cold expression subtly changed the moment our eyes locked. It was a deliberate look—laden with meaning.

He moved only his lips, silently mouthing the words:

‘It’s an honor to see you again today, Your Majesty.’

I frowned in horror at his boldness.

He caught my reaction—and smiled.

The noble ladies around us nearly fainted at that smile, gasping in unison.

Meanwhile, I waved him off with a look of alarm.

Why are you suddenly acting creepy?!

There’s something unsettling about a man like him smiling like that.

“Oh my, oh my. He’s blatantly staring now.”

…Yes, I noticed too.

That man is doing it on purpose.

It seems he enjoys teasing me.

Was I only imagining it?

Just when I started to suspect Leonard was walking toward me—

A deep trumpet call rang throughout the hall.

“His Majesty the Emperor!”

With the attendant’s booming voice, knights clad in golden armor lined up on both sides of the entrance.

The lively chatter instantly faded under the weight of ceremony.

Then he appeared: my husband, the Emperor Jerome, with the imperial concubine, Fay, firmly at his side.

All at once, I felt the weight of the room’s gaze.

The Emperor had arrived not with the Empress, but with his concubine.

Everyone was watching me—to see how I’d react.

If this were the original Helena, her face would’ve twisted with fury.

She’d have muttered to herself about how humiliating it all was.

But I’m not that villainess.

Am I jealous?

Not even a little. Why should I be? I have no feelings for Jerome.

In fact, this scene played out in the original novel, too.

It was Fay’s first official appearance after becoming the imperial concubine.

The novel had described her excitement and nerves with such vivid detail that I’d been quite immersed while reading. Now I was witnessing it firsthand.

It felt surreal.

As the Emperor entered, everyone stood and bowed their heads.

I rose as well—but instead of bowing, I stepped forward to greet him.

“Your Majesty,” he dipped his head.

“You’re late.”

“…Business took longer than expected.”

Jerome and I exchanged the usual formalities.

“…?”

For some reason, he seemed to be in a bad mood.

In the novel, he had reportedly been filled with emotion during this moment—escorting Fay with pride.

But that expression was nowhere to be found. His gaze looked downright threatening.

Was he trying to intimidate me ahead of time, afraid I might lash out at Fay?

Does he think I’m the type to cower?

I offered a bright smile.

If you hate it that much, then divorce me already.

Perhaps he understood my meaning.

Jerome’s brow furrowed—but he said nothing. He simply turned away, following the knights.

I returned to my seat as well… only to be surprised by an unexpected visitor.

“Your Majesty.”

…Why are you here?

I had assumed Fay would stay by Jerome’s side.

But she followed after me.

Smiling sweetly, she addressed the noblewomen around me.

“I have something important to discuss with Her Majesty. Would you mind giving us a moment?”

Her request caught me completely off guard.

She wanted to talk to me? And she even asked the others to step away so we could speak privately?

This hadn’t happened in the novel, and her demeanor was different, too. I remembered her being terrified at her first official appearance—clinging to the Emperor like a lifeline.

That, in turn, had only fueled Helena’s jealousy.

“Imperial concubine. What business do you have with me?”

“I wanted to apologize for the other day.”

“The other day?”

“When I lost my ring… you ended up in a difficult position because of me,” she fidgeted with her hands as she spoke. “I’m truly sorry. I should have taken better care of it.”

I was speechless.

What was I supposed to say? “Yes, take better care next time”?

“It was my carelessness. I didn’t expect them to search your chambers over it… I really didn’t.”

Her eyes drooped sadly. She looked so pitiful, it could tug at anyone’s heart.

I stared at her, emotions tangled.

If I were Helena, I would’ve lashed out with venom and mockery.

And if I were still a reader, I would’ve reached for her hand, saying: “It’s okay, I support you, hang in there, heroine.”

But I could do neither.

Just as I’m no longer the villainess, this woman standing before me no longer felt like the heroine I once knew.

The dress incident… the ring incident… there had been too many suspicious signs.

One thing was certain: Fay wasn’t as innocent as she appeared in the original story.

With a fresh, glowing smile, she continued.

“I kept wondering how best to apologize, and I thought—wouldn’t it be best to speak to you face to face?”

“…I see.”

Maybe taken aback by my indifferent tone, Fay briefly looked uneasy.

She quickly summoned an attendant and ordered wine.

“T-the maids told me that at times like this, sharing a drink and talking openly can help smooth things over.”

She filled her own glass to the brim and downed it in one go—then poured wine into my empty glass as well.

The red liquid sloshed right up to the rim.

Her graceless behavior made the surrounding noblewomen frown in displeasure.

Yet Fay, clueless about imperial etiquette, simply smiled as she offered me the wine.

“Please accept my drink, Your Majesty.”

I shook my head.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I’ve already had quite a bit.”

Still, she insisted.

“I know I’m not someone you like. But I’ll do better from now on. So please, take my drink.”

“It was just a misunderstanding; you don’t need to worry. Though with so many watching, it might be best to be more—”

“Please, just a little—ah!”

Then it happened.

Despite my firm refusals, Fay tried again to hand me the glass—and spilled it.

Wine splashed across my blue gown, staining it deep red in an instant.

“Oh no! I didn’t mean to—I’m so sorry!”

All eyes turned toward us.

Guests began murmuring behind fans and raised hands.

Fay could only stammer apologies, over and over.

“It’s alright. I know you didn’t mean it…”

I tried to calm her, all the while wondering how to contain the damage.

Then—

“Oh, no. An accident, was it?”

A deep, familiar voice fell from above me.

I looked up into cool, blue eyes.

My startled reflection swam in his gaze.

Sir Leonard?

The very same man who had made such a grand entrance earlier, surrounded by a crowd.

Why is he here…?

Before I could say anything, he unfastened his black coat.

And like something out of a painting—

He knelt on one knee before me with effortless grace.

A man as striking as a statue looked up at me from where he knelt. He draped his coat over my gown, hiding the stain.

Then he pressed a kiss to the back of my hand.

“……!”

Heat bloomed where his lips touched.

I started despite myself.

As if noting my reaction, his deep blue eyes clung to mine.

Finally releasing my hand, he spoke in a slow, velvet tone.

“You are breathtaking, as always, Your Majesty.”

“Ah… thank you.”

“Not at all. But more importantly…”

His smile deepened. And then, with unthinkable boldness, he whispered:

“Do you happen to need a lover?”