Fabian remained in one place that day until the moon had completely disappeared. It was the first time in his life that he despised and wanted someone so much.
It was also the first time he realized with his body that he missed her terribly. The sad thing was, the Emperor’s grief shouldn’t be shown.
Unlike the young man in his prime, he couldn’t drink alcohol and lay in his bed the whole next day, and he even couldn’t find consolation since he couldn’t talk to anyone about it.
Only the moon stood by Fabian.
The silver moonlight that was soft and also cold at the same time comforted him all night long.
At dawn, the emperor’s morning-dressing started again. Fabian left his body helplessly to the Chamberlain. Serus said that he had important news today, but he wasn’t interested in it now.
“Schedule?”
“Ah …… The Empress Dowager is coming, and there will be a tea time together in the living room”.
“Let’s get it done quickly”, Fabian said without enthusiasm. But Serus was a little nervous. Whatever the information, judging by Logan’s attitude, it looked like the news he was going to deliver would erase Fabian’s sluggish attitude. However, he couldn’t urge the Emperor for anything, so he had to wait for the right time.
Fabian stood up from the Oval Office after finishing his early breakfast and checking the documents that had come up until yesterday. Then, he followed the schedule to meet his mother. That’s their relationship. The bond between mother and son was always like that.
“The Empress is waiting in the parlour.”
Fabian nodded at the servant’s words.
“Your Majesty the Emperor!”
After the greetings, the officers opened the door on both sides. Fabian indifferently entered the parlour. When he saw the Empress, Fabian could see a lady dressed like a flower next to his mother who was wearing a brighter dress. He had the confidence of an Emperor. But Fabian wasn’t stupid enough to ask who she was.
“Are you here?” Fabian coldly said to his mother. He didn’t even glance at the lady next to her.
“I guess she’s still shy and stiff when she sees Your Majesty. Stella, why don’t you set an example to His Majesty?”
“Ah…… Yes. It’s an honour to meet your Majesty.”
Stella lifted the hem of her dress slightly and bent her knees to give a perfect example. Monica smiled gladly as she looked at her. However, Fabian’s face was still emotionless.
“It looks like you’re tired with the Southern Palace.”
“No, I came to meet my sweet niece because she was coming.”
It was a funny saying when she never even said that to Fabian, the son she gave birth to.
“It looks like you’re idle. I’m envious of you.”
“I was a little busy because of Your Majesty”, Monica replied without hesitation. Although Fabian was an Emperor, Monica could do it because he was her son.
“Then, this lady must be the daughter of Metis, recommended by the nobles at the great congress. They forced her to my face, pressuring me to accept her. Is there anything I missed?”
Even after she heard Fabian’s icy words, Monica didn’t blink her eyes. However, Stella, who saw this for the first time, overwhelmed by their intense atmosphere and couldn’t say a thing. She just stood still, hiding behind the Empress.
“But you’re my mother. You didn’t come here to put pressure on me, did you?”
Even so, Stella couldn’t take her eyes away from Fabian. His height, sturdy body, strong jawline, and stern facial features gave him a cold impression, but his handsomeness went beyond that.
Moreover, although he spoke harsh words, his voice was low and deep, reminiscent of his charm. Even though he wasn’t an emperor, he was a man whom a woman would want to marry without hesitation.
In other words, Fabian was much cooler than Stella’s imagination.
“Pressure? This is just tea time. Should I ask your permission to bring my niece around with me?” It was a misleading excuse, but Monica sat down comfortable and poured the tea. Fabian was forced to sit across from her. And Stella, who was shy, clasped her white hands tightly and couldn’t lift her eyes.
“Seeing your suspicious nature, I wanted to tell you beforehand. Your mother has absolutely no intention of siding with the Metis family.”
“And ….you brought Lady Metis, who was an Empress’s candidate.”
Fabian’s answer was calm but accurate. Monica slowly took a deep breath as if to reflect her patience and looked at her son’s face.
“I mean it. I don’t want to get involved in either faction, either now or in the future. I don’t fit into this damn Imperial life. Can I get a reward for being free now?”
“Then If Empress-mother was very unhappy, why you bring your niece? You shouldn’t bring her then.”
Monica’s concern was that she treated her son as an adult because she was too awkward with him. Even if he became an Emperor, even though time had passed, and he grew up as an adult, Fabian actually was still her son. But she didn’t have that feeling at all.
That’s why Monica could say casually in front of Fabian that her time as his mother was unhappy.
“Obligation comes with pain. Above all …… the lady who’s sitting here is a big fan of Your Majesty.”
Fabian turned to Stella with a sour look. The 18-year-old girl blushed shyly as if what Monica had said were true this time.
Just being an Emperor was enough to win the hearts of girls of that age, but when Stella saw his beautiful appearance close by, it seemed like a moment she fell in love.
“I’m exhausted on a long trip, so Your Majesty, can you bring her to take a look at the palace garden?”
Fabian looked at my mother and frowned, “Are you serious?”
“You should show your sincerity, too. Please think about helping your mother after a long time.”
It was a chilling sound, but Fabian didn’t want to be in the same place with his mother anymore. Besides, if he took her to walk around the garden, he could leave this place. It was obvious which one was more efficient.
“Lady Stella, would you like to see the garden?”
“Yes? Yes! It’s an honour.”
Looking at Stella, who was pitifully shy in front of his eyes, caused Fabian’s heart became complicated. He remembered Evelyn, who looked like that in the past.
Evelyn didn’t tremble too badly, but there was a moment when she blushed with shyness and couldn’t look straight at Fabian. At that time, for the first time in his life, Fabian felt that he finally understood the meaning of spring season.
“The Imperial Garden is so beautiful.”
Fabian started walking along the artificial stream. His pace was so fast that it was hard for Stella to follow him. But she worked hard to keep up with his pace because she didn’t want to be further away from Fabian.
“Yes, it is.”
Stella’s cheek was reddened once more, even with his short response.
“But these are things that you can easily see in Metis.”
Fabian’s words had a thorn. It meant that even if she didn’t become an Empress, she could enjoy many things and live a nice life.
“And you don’t have to be unhappy like my mother.”
Stella must have realized the meaning of his word, so she bit her lower lip tightly. Fabian glanced at her and stepped forward again. He thought Stella wouldn’t chase him this time, but he caught up by her also.
Fabian was sorry for Stella, who tried not to show her disappointment. It wasn’t a rational feeling, absolutely, no. Yes, he felt like he saw a short-legs that was recently brought to the palace.
“Let’s sit down and rest.”
“Your Majesty, I’m fine.”
Stella felt so breathless, but she was all right.
“But I want to rest.”
“Yes.” Stella looked confused, didn’t know where to sit, and then Fabian pointed to a seat a little far from him. When she sat down, Stella’s small breath came back little by little.
“Do you still want to be an Empress?” Fabian asked the question first. Stella fluttered her finger and nodded loudly, “Yes, I want to be.”
“There’s no shortage for Metis’s daughter.”
“It’s not like that… I mean… I want a marriage partner…”
Listening to her, Fabian tilted on of his eyebrow. Stella opened her eyes wide to see if she had made a slip of the tongue and looked at his expression.
“You really want me? Didn’t you hear what my mother said a while ago? It was an unhappy marriage.”
“That’s what my aunt, no, the Empress said… but I’m a different person.”
“No. The problem is with me.”
Fabian looked far away.
“You know that I’ve already been married?”
“Yes……”
“The person, who was my Empress, broke the couple’s ties, who swore to the god of marriage and left without any reason. Perhaps…….. I made that.”
Still, Fabian couldn’t figure out exactly what made Evelyn did that. However, as he had been facing the moonlight all night, many memories came, blowing his mind. And he wondered, even if it was the same day, would Evelyn remember the same thing?
Fabian was never sure about that. But there’s only one thing to be sure that he never revealed his feelings or expressed it properly.
“I don’t want to have another miserable woman by my side.” Fabian wouldn’t say that if Evelyn was the woman in front of him. He didn’t want to part with her even though it was an unhappy marriage, as long as he could live with Evelyn.
“I’m not unhappy. It’s not going to happen.” Stella said with an innocent smile. “Because I am….” She couldn’t finish her shy words. Instead, Stella took a luxurious handkerchief out of her arms.
“I made this myself. I’m not good enough, but…”
Fabian looked at Stella with puzzled eyes.
“In truth, I thought I didn’t know before I met Your Majesty. Maybe it’s because I’m greedy, but I want to have a happy marriage, even if it’s a political marriage.”
Fabian also seemed lost and couldn’t keep up with Stella’s words.
“But as soon as I saw Your Majesty today, I have already come to like you.”
Her white hand pulled out the handkerchief. Stella’s initials were engraved on the edge.
“So I want to give you this.”
Stella would give him a handkerchief if she liked her partner. But if she wasn’t, she would go home and rebel against her father.
It seemed that Stella wasn’t an ambitious Lady that Fabian expected. Even though it was the Duke Metis’s daughter, she was so different.
“I want you to take it…”
Stella’s hand was still waiting in the air. The tips of her fingers turned a little white because of the strength in her hand holding the handkerchief. Fabian didn’t want to take any more time, so he grabbed hers. Then there was a big smile on her lips.
“That’s strange.”
“What?”
Fabian shook his head at the thoughtless talk to himself. Stella was the same age as Evelyn when they first met. A little shy but bold, full of smiles, flushed cheeks, talking about small things.
Only
Nevertheless,….. it felt so different. It was hard for Fabian to understand.
“I have no intention of taking an Empress right now.”
Fabian said firmly, but Stella’s eyes revealed no disappointment at all.
“Still…..”
“No, that’s what I’ve decided. So, I want you to find your happiness.”
As if that was the greeting, Fabian got up first and walked out of the garden with a quick pace so that Stella could no longer follow him.
And Stella, who was left alone, couldn’t catch Fabian while crying and only could watch his back faded away.
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