The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 341

That day, when Poliana returned home, she found a gift that was sent from the royal castle. It was a large wagon filled with hundreds of flowers. It looked like all of the flowers from the greenhouse were plucked and put inside this wagon.

The butler and the servants carried the flowers into the house proudly. This gift was proof that their mistress, Marquess Winter, must be the emperor’s most favored person. The first floor of Poliana’s mansion soon became filled with flowers.

These were no ordinary flowers. The seeds came from all over the kingdom and the castle gardeners have been working tirelessly for years to grow them. There were spring, summer, and autumn flowers.

The main hall was filled with the heavy scent of the flowers, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Poliana, however, felt a little dizzy as she stared at the emperor’s gift.

“Mistress, what should we do with all these flowers?”

“Umm… Since they are from his highness, we need to treat them with respect.”

“Then I will take care of them, Mistress. I will pick out the most fragrant once for your bath and perfume. The flowers with the most vibrant colors will be dried and made into potpourri. The rest will be divided and placed in multiple vases and I will make sure they last as long as possible.”

Poliana was thankful that she had such a capable butler. When the butler saw the bouquet Poliana was holding, he asked, “And what is it you are holding, Mistress?”

“This is also from his highness.”

“Oh, I see. It looks like they were plucked by hands because their stems aren’t cleanly cut. I can make them neat for you.”

The flowers that were cut professionally by the gardeners indeed had clean ends. The bouquet of flowers in Poliana’s hand, however, had rough and torn stems. If these flowers aren’t trimmed properly, they weren’t going to last a very long time. But Poliana replied, “No, I… I will take care of these myself.”

Lucius the First gifted Poliana with flowers many times before including the champion’s garland in the past. Receiving a flower from the emperor was one of the greatest honors, especially when they were given with love.

Regrettably, Poliana had no idea what happened to these flowers the emperor gave to her. They were all lost to her.

This bouquet… These flowers were the first ones the emperor gave to her after he confessed his love. They carried a deep meaning and Poliana felt a little burdened by them. Poliana felt determined to keep this bouquet forever. She will not let it be lost this time. She was going to dry it herself and put it near her bed and to do this, she first needed to trim the ends properly.

Before removing the ribbon, Poliana first put her nose on the flowers and inhaled deeply. The green scent of the plants was much stronger than that of the flowers, and it reminded her of the clear green eyes that looked at her so adoringly.

‘I’m parched.’

Poliana suddenly felt so thirsty. She took a sip of water, but even after drinking the whole cup, her thirst didn’t disappear. The thirst that can’t be quenched even with water… This was no ordinary thirst. Poliana, who decided to quit drinking, considered getting a bottle of wine but decided against it. She knew that no alcohol could take care of this problem.

Poliana laid down on her bed and decided to admit the truth.

She missed Lucius the First. She wanted to see him. Poliana was still uncertain if what she felt was love or lust. The strange ticklish feeling on the back of her hand and her heart evolved into ravenous thirst.

Being loved by someone who felt so unfamiliar and odd… Poliana felt shy and embarrassed, but also proud and arrogant. To be pursued by the greatest man in the kingdom… Poliana felt special. Perhaps her self-confidence needed a boost after all.

Lucius the First called her cruel, but Poliana felt the same way about the emperor. To her, the emperor was the most generous yet the cruelest man. In the past, he never bowed to anyone, but now, the way he acted around her made Poliana feel bewildered and uncertain. He restored her confidence in herself, but his love also made her baffled.

“…”

Poliana sighed, unable to fall asleep.

***

That same night, the emperor was also unable to fall asleep. Lucius the First and Master Chail chatted secretly.

“Chail, I’m afraid that she’s developing tolerance to my beauty.”

“Your highness, it was expected. It’s natural to get tired of the same thing, even if it’s your beauty.”

Master Chail was the person who spent the most time with the emperor. Lucius the First staggered a little at Chail’s statement. The emperor was certain that no one could ever become tired of his beauty.

“Chail… Are you serious? Is that how you feel about me too?”

“Of course not, your highness. I would never become tired of your gorgeous face. All I am saying is that it’s possible Marquess Winter may feel this way.”

Lucius the First wasn’t completely convinced, but he decided not to question Chail further. Master Chail was one of the very few people in this world who the emperor could discuss such an important yet private subject. Lucius the First did not want to lose Chail by being too demanding. Most of the time, Chail just listened quietly to the emperor, but this was enough for Lucius the First.

Only

The emperor said to him, “I realized something while watching Inno. I learned that gaining a lady’s sympathy can be a very helpful tactic. A lady often falls in love when she sees a man looking weak and helpless. It starts as sympathy and pity, and these feelings develop into love.”

The Poliana Chail knew definitely wasn’t one of these typical ladies. Master Chail has seen Poliana push her guards against a wall if she found them weak. Poliana also treated her colleagues this way if she thought they were acting unmanly. When Chail pointed this out, Lucius the First disagreed, “This is different! I will keep showing her my strength, but I will also show her my more sensitive side. She will find me fascinating and charming!”

Chail thought secretly, ‘If you know so well, why haven’t you been able to seduce her yet, your highness?’

But Master Chail also knew that Poliana was a difficult woman to seduce. In fact, Chail believed that Poliana Winter may be the most difficult lady to love. But then… Lucius the First was the emperor of Acreia. Of all the men in this kingdom, he had to be the only one who might have a chance.

The emperor could easily have any other woman he wanted, but knowing him well, Master Chail wasn’t surprised Lucius the First picked the harder road for himself.

Love was a funny thing. Many say love was a young man’s game, but although he was in his mid-thirties, it seemed that the emperor’s game of love wasn’t quite over yet.

Not even close.