Those Who Received Her Love (3)

“Who did that?”

Instead of exploding in anger, Leonard asked calmly. It was his last bit of patience. However, the voice that came out was chillingly cold. Faced with Leonard’s sudden appearance, Lerian, who had been shocked, avoided answering and instead averted her gaze.

Faced with Lerian’s attitude, Leonard’s gaze shifted to the maid who was standing next to her. Under the Emperor’s gaze, which seemed ready to explode at any moment, the maid trembled and alternated her gaze between Lerian and Leonard, her face full of unease.

However, that too was short-lived, as she soon clenched her fists tightly and stammered in a trembling voice several times. The answer did not come immediately, but Leonard waited. After a moment, a suppressed voice finally burst out.

“…It was Her Majesty, the Empress.”

Despite finding out the perpetrator he had been so eager to know, Leonard was not as shocked as he thought he would be. Perhaps he had suspected to some extent?

However, not being shocked did not mean he wasn’t angry. Leonard felt something welling up inside him. But he held back and remained patient until the end because Lerian, who was frightened and cowering, was in front of him.

“Exactly, since when?”

If what he had heard from beyond the door earlier was true, this was not the first time such a thing had happened. Leonard’s gaze turned to Lerian, seeking an answer. However, Lerian chose silence once again. What could that woman possibly have done to make Lerian react like this?

His gaze then shifted back to the maid. At that second glance, the maid spoke without hesitation.

“As of today, it’s been five days. Suddenly, unexpectedly, entered into the room, and then…”

The maid’s voice trailed off. Leonard, who had been gazing at her trembling fist for a moment, heaved a sigh in his conflicted heart.

“Five days…”

He muttered silently and suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening. He remembered that it was the day they had argued with each other. The anger he had been suppressing finally reached to the point where he could no longer hold it back.

Upon seeing the look in Leonard’s eyes, Lerian quickly approached him and lowered her head. And then, in a voice that had not yet fully settled, she pleaded with him.

“I… I’m fine. Please, don’t confront Her Majesty because of me.”

Her small, warm hand gently rested on his hand, which was still clenched in anger. He felt sorry for her, who was worrying about him even in this situation despite the swelling on her not yet subsiding. It made his heart ache even more.

Leonard gently lowered his head to look at Lerian, who was still holding her head down. Then, as their eyes met when she raised her head, he noticed tears streaming down her cheeks. In the midst of those tears streaming down her face, they reflected Leonard’s shocked expression.

Seeing Lerian’s tears, it felt as if something inside him crumbled. It felt as if his throat had been tightly constricted, as if someone was choking him.

He couldn’t think rationally, as if someone was choking him from within.

He was furious. He couldn’t think rationally as he had been overwhelmed by emotions. That’s why he didn’t even notice the faint smile at the corner of Lerian’s lips.

It was too overwhelming for him to even attempt to contain the emotions surging inside of him. He couldn’t understand how she could ask him to stay calm in this situation. And why couldn’t he confront Kilianerisa?

Leonard kept asking himself endless questions. But in reality, it was a foolish act. He already knew the answer to that question.

Yet, he continued to obsessively ponder over the question like a fool. Unable to even find a moment to think about how helpless he was in the face of his lover’s unjust suffering. But, as if to mock him, the answer to the question he could no longer push away filled his mind.

‘You received a lot of help from the Duke of Hameln to become the Emperor.’

It was something he hadn’t asked for. But that didn’t matter. Ultimately, it was an undeniable fact that he had received help from the Duke of Hameln.

He hadn’t forgotten that favor, but now that he was the Emperor, he couldn’t keep tiptoeing around them forever. At the very least, as the Emperor leading the country, he had to be able to make judgments about what was right and wrong.

He was not a fool, and he could judge what was fair and unfair. But perhaps it would have been better not to make that judgment. Ideals and reality were different, and he was living in reality.

In the end, there was nothing he could do at the moment. He looked at Lerian, who was trembling faintly with tearful eyes, holding his hand. His lips pursed a few times before he could speak.

“…Do you really, truly wish for that?”

He couldn’t even tell what his intention was when he said those words. Lerian looked at him for a moment with eyes full of meaning, then sadly smiled.

“Yes.”

Her response stirred strange emotions in him. There was a sense of feeling that he shouldn’t let this pass just because she said so, but also uncertainty whether he could assert himself more in this ambiguous situation. However, at the same time, there was a sense of relief.

However, Leonard had one misconception. His actions were not bringing the matter to a conclusion but merely postponing it. At that time, he was unaware of this fact. And what was postponed would eventually explode.

The incident had happened several days ago. Kilianerisa had become increasingly uncontrollable. Leonard believed he could no longer delay the situation, especially when he saw the numerous wounds, big and small, that could not be covered by makeup.

“Kilianerisa!”

Bang!