Your Majesty, I’m Not that Man - Chapter 6: Days and Nights of Bliss II (1)

The Wendell Ducal family’s carriage arrived at the Imperial Palace. From the moment the grand gates of the palace came into view, Maxim’s face had turned pale, and his knees trembled uncontrollably. It was behavior ill-suited to his otherwise cool and composed demeanor.

Albert considered saying a few words to him but decided against it. Maxim wasn’t Hans—there was no guarantee that he would calm down, even if Albert tried to reassure him. If anything, Maxim might just lash out in frustration.

A royal attendant opened the carriage door. Bowing his head in accordance with court etiquette, the attendant remained silent. Maxim, clearly mindful of appearances, made an effort to compose his expression. Even in such a state, it seemed he still cared about saving face.

Maxim stepped out of the carriage first, followed by Albert. When Albert thanked the attendant, the attendant’s face reddened.

The emperor was to meet them in the audience chamber. Maxim clenched his chattering teeth to avoid making any noise, his jaw tight with tension. He saw no reason to be polite to the imperial attendants and followed stiffly behind them with a hardened expression. While he knew the way to the audience chamber, protocol was protocol.

Albert walked slowly behind Maxim. He had visited the Imperial Palace before, but his destination back then had always been Lavinia’s Hyacinth Palace. This path was unfamiliar to him.

The Imperial Palace of Adalaxus was so vast and grand that it could easily be described as a small city. The main palace, which housed the administrative offices, consisted of eight separate wings. Additionally, the Emperor’s palace and the Empress’s palace were each made up of several interconnected palaces. The sheer scale of the Imperial Palace set it apart from the kingdoms where single palaces were divided into multiple sections for use.

“So this is what it means to be a true empire…”

Albert couldn’t help but wonder just how immense the power and authority of the emperor ruling over such an empire must be.

Even so, he steeled himself. He couldn’t allow thoughts of impossibility to take root. He had to achieve what he had come here for, no matter how impossible it seemed.

For Lavinia, who was undoubtedly suffering under that emperor’s grasp.

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Her body swayed lightly atop the horse. Lavinia, who had fainted during her encounter with Cassion, realized she was now sitting on a horse. Cassion was riding with her, his strong arm supporting her body.

Lavinia’s horse quietly followed behind the one Cassion was riding. When she glanced back, she noticed the horses were connected by a rope.

“Are you coming to your senses?”

Cassion asked when he saw Lavinia lift her head. She nodded. No matter how good it had felt, fainting from the sheer intensity of it… it was humiliating.

‘I think His Majesty proposed to me…’

He had even said he loved her. While the memory felt somewhat dreamlike—probably due to the repeated climaxes that had caused her to pass out—she could clearly recall it.

Lavinia was dying to confront him about it, but she kept her mouth shut. Right now, the person Cassion should be thinking about wasn’t her, but Albert. And yet, Cassion’s behavior was far too strange.

‘Could it be…? Is he trying to make me empress as quickly as possible in order to erase his feelings for Albert?’

If that were the case, it would make sense. After all, in the original story, Cassion had tried to deny his feelings for Albert, digging himself into countless messes because of it.

‘But I don’t want to get caught up in all of that! If His Majesty accepts his feelings for Albert, I’ll undoubtedly become an obstacle…’

Having lived as a scorned prince and endured a life of servitude to the emperor, Cassion had become adept at reading others’ emotions. He must have already realized, after the previous incident, that the person Albert cared for was Lavinia.

Wouldn’t Lavinia, as a mere obstacle, be the first one he’d get rid of?

The thought sent a shiver of fear through her. The only solace she found was that it had been nearly a month since she arrived. Soon, she would be allowed to leave the palace.

‘I was planning to wait until Cassion lost interest in me… but the situation has changed. I’m worried about everyone in the duchy, but I don’t want to die.’

When she was finally allowed outside, she would escape. She would use everything she had prepared for this moment to flee the Empire of Adalaxus.

Resolving herself, Lavinia worked hard to push the thought from her mind. For now, she had to focus on Cassion. He couldn’t be allowed to notice anything.

＊ ＊ ＊

Her body, having experienced climax after climax for what felt like hours, was completely devoid of strength. Cassion carefully dismounted Lavinia from the horse and allowed the maids to support her. Then he quickly got off his horse and lifted Lavinia into his arms.

The young lady, who had been perfectly fine when they set out with the Emperor, now seemed unable to hold herself upright, leaving the maids and attendants bewildered. Only the more observant among them cast furtive glances at Lavinia’s trousers.

Cassion’s trousers remained unchanged, the same as the ones he’d worn when they had left, but Lavinia’s were different. Instead of the leather riding pants, she had been provided something more comfortable. This, of course, revealed the change in her attire, and whispers began to brew.

Noticing the speculative glances, Cassion shot a cold glare in their direction. The palace servants quickly averted their eyes, pretending to see nothing.

Carrying Lavinia in his arms, the Emperor headed toward a palace near the riding grounds. It was a palace that had already been prepared for the two of them to spend both day and night together, all per Cassion’s instructions.

He ordered a bubble bath to be prepared and carried Lavinia into the drawing room.

“Why are you so quiet, Lavinia? You haven’t already run out of energy, have you?”

Seated on a sofa, Cassion asked cautiously. Lavinia was sitting on his lap, leaning her head against his chest and breathing heavily.

“Mm… just a little…”

“Then shall we eat first?”

At Cassion’s question, Lavinia nodded. If she was going to be devoured by him anyway, she might as well fill her stomach first. After all, she would need energy for that as well.

Once Lavinia agreed, Cassion immediately summoned a servant to bring lunch. It seemed they had spent enough time at the riding grounds for it to already be midday.

They were led to a dining room with a dome-shaped glass ceiling. Cassion whispered to her that this was the Glass Palace, located to the left of the riding grounds. It had been built by the 16th Emperor for one of his concubines. Both the dining room and several other halls and dozens of bedrooms in this palace had glass ceilings.

It was a space designed for the concubine, who loved gazing at the stars. However, to ensure that residents wouldn’t be disturbed by the morning light, a magical mechanism caused black drapes to automatically cover the ceilings at dawn.

In addition to its glass ceilings, the palace featured numerous greenhouses, and they decided to explore them after finishing their meal.

Lavinia marveled at the existence of such a beautiful palace outside of Hyacinth Palace. Surely, this imperial family must have even more stunning palaces that she had yet to see.

‘Not that I’ll ever get to see them after tomorrow…’

But she didn’t mind. After all, she was going to gain something even more beautiful than the view of any palace—her freedom.

One by one, dishes were placed on the golden table. Cassion seated Lavinia in a chair and personally served her. Though flustered, Lavinia tried to object, but Cassion was adamant.

“It’s my fault you’re so exhausted. Let me do this much for you.”

“But…”

When Lavinia hesitated, Cassion turned to the servants.

“Leave us. Now!”

The servants swiftly vacated the dining room. Now that they were alone, Cassion looked at Lavinia as if there was nothing left to worry about.

“Here, Lavinia… say ‘ah.’”

With a playful smile, he held out a fork with a piece of meat. Lavinia hesitated before opening her mouth. While he seemed cheerful now, she couldn’t help but worry that one day he might recall this moment and say something like, “She dared to let me wait on her.”

“No. I will succeed, and I won’t even think about Cassion ever again.”

With that resolve, this much was fine. Lavinia cut her own food and offered it to Cassion. He seemed slightly surprised but happily accepted the food from her.

The act felt so much like they were on a real date that it left Lavinia feeling unsettled.

＊ ＊ ＊

After the meal, Cassion suggested having dessert in the greenhouse. There was no reason to refuse, as it was important to keep him in a good mood. Besides, the royal chefs were exceptionally skilled.

The greenhouse, teeming with tropical plants, was filled with vibrant flowers said to bloom only on southern island nations. When Cassion had toured the greenhouse alone, it had failed to stir any emotion in him. But walking through it with Lavinia made everything feel new and different.

Past large red and yellow flowers, they came upon smaller, white or violet blossoms. Cassion led Lavinia further until they arrived at a sunlit area.

There, a grand golden bathtub awaited, surrounded by a table laden with a variety of sweets and champagne. It was abundantly clear what Cassion intended for their “dessert.”

“Ugh… My stomach might be sticking out,” Lavinia murmured.

“No matter how much weight you gain, you’ll always be beautiful to me. And even more so when you’re carrying my child as my empress,” Cassion replied.

Lavinia was careful not to let her expression betray her thoughts. Fortunately, Cassion seemed not to notice anything amiss. As he began to undress her, Lavinia reached out to return the favor.

“No need. Today, I want to serve you.”

Cassion wouldn’t have minded kneeling to remove her shoes if she had asked. He would do anything for her because, to him, Lavinia was too precious and heartbreaking to bear. He didn’t even understand why he felt this ache in his heart.

Was it because she didn’t love him?

At this unbidden thought, Cassion felt as if he’d swallowed a lump of cold lead. His face twisted in despair, drawing a concerned and puzzled look from Lavinia.

“Your Majesty…”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Now fully undressed, Lavinia shyly tried to cover herself from his gaze with her slender arms. The way she shielded her chest was sensuous, and Cassion’s breath grew uneven. He hurriedly removed the rest of his clothing.

Though it was still early spring, the greenhouse was warm and humid, maintained to nurture the tropical plants.

Once entirely undressed, Cassion helped Lavinia into the bathtub first. Watching her lift her leg to step in, he found himself staring, thinking even that small motion was beautiful. Embarrassed, Lavinia quickly sat down in the tub, which was filled with fluffy white bubbles.

Cassion soon followed, sliding into the water and pulling Lavinia into his arms.

The floor beneath the tub was covered with a bright, expansive carpet, and not far away, a large container was filled with hot water. After soaking in the bubble bath, they were to rinse themselves with the fresh water.

“… Surely this isn’t a bathroom, is it?” Lavinia asked.

“There was once a bathhouse here. The emperor at the time is said to have filled it with countless beautiful women. The plumbing from that era still exists, so I made use of it.”

The bottom of the bathtub was connected to that old drainage system, allowing the soapy water to be easily drained and replaced with clean water.

As he explained, Cassion pulled Lavinia closer. Her body fit so perfectly into his arms that it made him smile.

“Come here. I prepared all of this so I could pamper you like this.”

As Cassion touched Lavinia’s body, it seemed as though he was already eager to enter her, pressing his penis against her. Lavinia clung to him, panting heavily. When her bubble-covered body nestled fully into his arms, Cassion, uncharacteristically, seemed taken aback. Lavinia had never acted like this before.

“Kiss me first, Your Majesty…”

Spreading her legs, Lavinia willingly wrapped them around Cassion’s waist, whispering softly. The sensation of his penis rubbing between her abdomen and his firm abs made Cassion’s face flush. Their bare bodies intertwined tightly, leaving no space between them.

“Mm… Leni…”

“You always make me feel good… so this time…”

Feeling embarrassed, Lavinia avoided Cassion’s gaze, yet she moved her hips so that his penis pressed against her intimate area. She slid his length between her folds, pressing it against her and moving her hips and abdomen side to side. Cassion panted, clearly enjoying the sensation.

“If you want a kiss… you need to look at me.”

Seeing Cassion’s face twisted in pleasure made Lavinia feel something strange. The emperor, who had always seemed so terrifying, now struck her as oddly endearing. Perhaps it was because his face was almost too handsome.

When Lavinia turned her head to meet Cassion’s eyes, he gave her a soft smile. His beautiful face lit up with an expression of pure happiness, and it made her chest tighten.

I’m not this man’s destiny… but he seems so happy because of me. That thought left her feeling conflicted.

“Mmh…”

Their softly joined lips carried the same urgency as always. Cassion had always been like this—every time he kissed Lavinia, it was as if he was impatient, almost desperate. Lavinia didn’t understand why, but Cassion did.

It was because he knew that his love for her was entirely one-sided.

“Lavinia, Lavinia… I love you.”

At his whispered words, Lavinia’s green eyes widened in surprise. Without waiting for her response, Cassion pressed his lips against hers again, deeply savoring her soft lips.

Even if she didn’t love him now, it didn’t matter. As long as he could be the one to make her happy, that alone would be enough. How fortunate he felt to hold Lavinia in his arms at this very moment.

Cautioning himself not to grow arrogant over such a modest blessing, Cassion continued the sweet kiss. Even though his feelings were entirely one-sided, the kiss with Lavinia was unbearably sweet.

Thump, thump.

Feeling her heartbeat quicken, Lavinia grew flustered. She wanted to push Cassion away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so—not when he was so completely immersed in his happiness. Embarrassed by the sound of her own racing heart, Lavinia’s face flushed red.

No… this can’t happen!

She wouldn’t allow herself to give him her heart. This was nothing more than a fleeting moment of emotion. Reassuring herself with this thought, Lavinia closed her eyes. Yet, with every kiss, every time their tongues intertwined, her tender heart throbbed hotly and insistently.

“My Leni…”

Even his whispered voice, low and breathy as if sighing, sent a shiver through her chest. Peeking at Cassion’s incredibly handsome face so close to hers, Lavinia quickly closed her eyes again.

This pounding in her chest didn’t feel like it would ever go away. That thought scared her more than anything.

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