Chapter 22 (2/2)

“No, Your Highness.”

As the Emperor softened the mood, Serek kept rolling his eyes to see how far of it was really a joke. But soon, the Emperor asked again.

“Glad to hear that. But what’s the relationship between Celestia and a magic officer like you?”

“Oh, well……We grew up together in an orphanage since we were young. Once, we were really into each other, but somehow we fell apart, but I don’t know what might happen again.”

‘Might happen again?’

She wanted to push herself off of the conversation as she just wanted to go back to her room.

In fact, he was still much higher in rank than her. Yet, he looked pathetic instead of cool.

‘What the hell is wrong with him? What happened to your fiancée? Wasn’t she pregnant?’

The fact that she once loved such a person seemed to undermine her value. The more she endured him, the less humane she felt and the more miserable she thought her past was. And she was even thinking about how the Emperor would see her.

Van smiled softly at her. It was not just a smile that made her feel good, but one that removed the darkness around her.

“It’s a little different from what I heard.”

“What…..?”

“From what I heard, you sold Celestia to a slave dealer, right? Is this how people get rid of their lovers in Goldina? That’s not something the Burgic Empire would acknowledge.”

Perplexed, Serek turned his face to Celestia.

“That story……How…..?”

‘Are you surprised at it? Believe me, my life is surprising even to me.’

The Emperor leaned back.

“Ah, it’s something I’d like to forget about you. If you thought about this and that while lying on your bed, you’d have gotten a trivial past story. Don’t blame Celestia too much.”

“That……How on earth…..?”

Serek threw his perplexed face towards her again and repeatedly looked at the Emperor. The Emperor momentarily turned his gaze away as if he was finished with what he had to say before looking back at Serek.

“Did you say it was ‘Serek’?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a good thing you joined the Empress Dowager.”

“…….Yes.”

“If you had joined me, you wouldn’t have had a neck to speak up. Anyway, congratulations on being part of the Burgic Empire for the first time in eons. I hope you will continue to work hard for the prosperity of the Empire. Anyway, I have some business to attend to.”

No matter how insulting the current situation was, the Emperor could not stand still. Serek bowed down to him with a bewildered look on his face.

Serek, who was fiddling with his glass as if he was nervous even after the Emperor left, faced her.

“I knew you had become prettier, but you’ve become a much greater person than I thought, Celestia.”

“Don’t talk to me with that filthy mouth of yours.”

“But you know it, too, right? Magic isn’t the only thing that can help you succeed.”

“……What the hell are you saying?”

“I know you’re selling yourself to the Emperor to make it to the Academy, but you’re just getting used up by—”

Unable to stand till the end, she slapped him across his cheek, which instantly turned red. Her palm felt itchy, but it wasn’t important.

“Do not insult His Highness, you bastard.”

Serek was starting to feel bad.

“Don’t do this, Celestia. I’ve been worried about you and your brother. We haven’t even been together since I made the wrong decision for a moment…… You can reconsider it.”

“Reconsider it?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened to your fiancée?”

“W-What fiancée……….?”

‘Are you crazy?’

“The one who was pregnant with your child.”

“Oh, we were thinking of getting married, but the humble noble family of hers said she wouldn’t marry a commoner like me, so it ended up falling apart.”

“And the child…….?”

“I heard it was a miscarriage. Perhaps, if it weren’t for me, she would already be married.”

He wasn’t sad because he missed her, but because he lost the opportunity to marry in a noble family.

“But see, it turned out greatly. The coalesce took place and I met you. How is Samidion doing?”

“Don’t put my brother’s name in your dirty mouth.”

“Your brother and I have known each other for a long time, there’s nothing to be so hard about.”

“Even when he almost died because of you? Without me, my brother would have died without being able to leave the house, do you even know that?”

“I didn’t think it was going to be like that. I’m not that cold-hearted, you know.”

Grinning, he shrugged.

Liberty was the only one who came to Samidion after Celestia was taken.

Serek never visited her brother even after he did such a thing.

“Don’t ever show up before me again, you a**whole.”

Cursing, she stormed out of her seat and walked to the end of the banquet hall.

Serek stood up to catch her, but stopped when he saw the Emperor.

Now that the Emperor had drawn the attention to him, Serek was busy bowing to the compliments he was receiving.

She promised to watch how far he could go up and fall by selling other people.