The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 333

Just as she promised, Poliana visited Princes Luminae again, but as soon as she walked in, the little girl pointed at her and screamed, “No!” But when Poliana got closer, even though the princess said no again, she raised both of her arms, wanting Poliana to hold her. Clearly, Princess Luminae didn’t know what the word meant. All she wanted was for Poliana to give her a hug. The princess waited impatiently as she glared at the knightess.

Poliana quickly lifted the demanding princess up into her arms. Because Poliana was much thinner than the nanny or the wet nurse, the princess didn’t seem to like Poliana’s embrace. The little girl was used to being held by soft women. Although the knightess was on the voluptuous side, especially considering how slim she was, Poliana’s body was far from being soft. Her breasts got bigger during and immediately after her pregnancy, but they were now back to their normal size. It was most likely because she stopped breastfeeding and she was also taking the medication that “dried up” her milk. Poliana was slowly regaining her slim and hard body. Prince Luminae seemed to contemplate before wanting to return to her nanny. However, she refused to let go of Poliana’s finger. For a little baby, Princess Luminae was surprisingly strong as she continued to grab onto Poliana’s finger stybbornly.

Suddenly, Poliana thought of her own son Gerald. It was the strangest thing because when she was with him in Sitrin, she often didn’t even pay attention to him even when he was in her arms. She thought of her son more now than when she wasn’t with him. Why was that? Why did this situation remind her of her son?

Princess Luminae, quickly realizing that Poliana wasn’t paying attention to her, pulled at Poliana’s gloved finger. Poliana turned towards the baby and gave her a smile.

One of the maids asked, “Marquess, I see that you’re wearing gloves today.”

“I just felt like it.”

Just from the kiss on her hand from the emperor yesterday, Poliana has been feeling strange all night. At least, her body mostly calmed down by now, but her hand still felt very warm as if the kiss happened just a moment ago.

Didn’t people say that the fourth finger of the left hand had a vein that ran directly to the heart? That was why the wedding ring was worn on this finger. Lucius the First must’ve kissed her fourth finger yesterday because her heart still felt strange even now.

Poliana visited Tory yesterday, and now, it was time to see Stra. When Stra saw Poliana, her eyes teared up as she congratulated her, “Congratulations on your wedding, Marquess Winter!”

Stra hasn’t changed at all. Poliana was going to marry her ex-husband, yet Lady Stra was congratulating Poliana with genuine happiness. Poliana was planning on apologizing as soon as she saw Stra, but she became speechless at Stra’s greeting.

Poliana stammered, “I… it hasn’t been firmly decided yet.”

“But you are going to marry him, right? My maids and I are all cheering for you!”

Stra was still as kind as ever. It seemed that everyone was rooting for Poliana, but this didn’t make her happy. She asked Stra, “Aren’t you upset about it?”

“Upset? Why would I be upset? It’s not like you seduced his highness, Marquess. And you do not need to act so formally around me anymore. I am no longer his highness’s wife. I am just Stra, one of the heads of the maids.”

“You may have divorced him, but his highness still used to be your husband…”

“If I was the kind of woman who would be jealous and upset about this situation, I would’ve never agreed to work in the castle. I have no ill feelings towards you, Marquess. It’s actually his highness that I am a little…”

Soon after he and Stra were divorced, Lucius the First said something rude to her. Ever since, Stra has been a little unhappy with the emperor.

The marriage between the Acreian emperor and a princess from one of the colonies… It was a typical example of a strategic political marriage. At the beginning of their marriage, Stra fell in love with Lucius the First, but before their first wedding anniversary, her feelings disappeared. Ever since, Stra has been watching how things progress between Lucius the First and Poliana. She enjoyed the love story developing right in front of her eyes.

Stra decided to work in the castle mostly because of Princess Luminae. The little girl was motherless now and there was no way of knowing who will become the emperor’s next wife and therefore the princess’s new mother. Tory, even after the scandalous incident, decided to stay and work in Yapa. Although Stra wasn’t as brave as Tory, she never forgot the promise she made.

It was the promise to raise Princess Luminae into a great lady.

Because Stra was no longer the princess’s mother since she divorced the emperor, she could no longer raise princess Luminae herself, but she still could remain in the castle and help.

But when Stra returned to Yapa for this job, she was disappointed to find Poliana gone from the capital city. She was certain Lucius the First was going to confess his love for her, but it seemed that the emperor didn’t do a thing. Stra became very upset and disappointed in the emperor.

However, things were finally happening the way they should and Stra was ecstatic! When she first heard the rumor about the emperor and Poliana, she screamed with excitement.

Stra smiled shyly and said to Poliana, “Anyway, there is no need for you to feel uncomfortable here, Marquess. I hope you know that I have been cheering for you and the emperor for a very long time.”

Blushing, Stra added, “Of all the romantic stories I have heard in my life, yours is the best.”

Only

Here was another person who wanted a happy ending to this situation. Poliana was still struggling to find what true happiness was, but it seemed that everyone around her was certain of what would bring happiness to her.

The marriage between herself and the emperor. This is what everyone wanted for her.

They say that a man becomes happy when he marries the woman he loves, and a woman becomes happy when she marries the man who loves her. Based on what everyone has told her and what she read in the romance books, this was the conclusion Poliana came up with. In a lot of the stories with a knightess, if the main character died, it was considered a sad story. If she lived, it was thought to be a happy story.

Poliana survived everything she had to go through in her life, and she was going to be satisfied with this fact. But it seemed that people around her wanted more for her. They wanted a “happy ending.”

A happy ending based on their beliefs.

Poliana felt more and more confused.

Of course, it also didn’t help that her hand, the very hand the emperor kissed yesterday, still felt ticklish as if a puppy licked it just a moment ago.