As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

* * *

After the news of the princess’s visit spread, the imperial palace became busy preparing to welcome the distinguished guests from Pendel.

It had been 7 years since a new sun rose in the empire. The king of Pendel had sent a congratulatory delegation and a huge amount of gifts to the new emperor of Kaillon but had never sent a royal family member to the empire until now.

Emperor Eligos von Bellord was angry, believing Pendel refused to send a royal family member due to his illegitimate birth. He was even prepared to go to war over it, but the empress dowager dissuaded him. Of course, Pendel, the second-largest kingdom in the continent with good relations with neighboring kingdoms, would be troublesome if they united against the empire.

It seemed that Pendel now recognized him as they were sending the princess to Kaillon again.

“

what good news.” Emperor Eligos raised his glass.

Reiad, sitting in front of him, also lifted his glass. He was always dressed in splendid formal attire, though not quite matching the emperor. “Your Majesty, congratulations.”

“So, it’s widely known that the princess of Pendel was once the first love of the Grand Duke Lindeman, wasn’t it?”

“That is what I understand.”

“But I’ve heard she has quite a history with men, suffering a lot because of it. Rumor has it she doesn’t discriminate against any handsome man, whether a minor or an already married man, as long as he doesn’t have a wife at the moment. Moreover, there are rumors that her visit to Kaillon is to add men to her harem.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. By now, you should realize what you must do.”

The emperor smiled satisfactorily as their glasses clinked. Reiad’s hand shook momentarily as he held his glass. He smirked and drained his glass.

“You are the only one who knows the Grand Duke Lindeman’s weaknesses, besides his closest allies. It’s like a sumptuous feast being laid out before you. How can you resist?”

“For the peace of the empire and Your Majesty’s happiness, I believe someone should indeed do what needs to be done.”

“Exactly. I have great expectations for you.”

Reiad set down his glass and licked his lips. For some reason, this drinking session felt several times more exhausting than usual. “…However, since I’m already married, I think this task will be difficult for me. No matter how skilled I am at seducing women, I can’t change their preferences.”

“That’s what divorces are for, aren’t they? That was the whole point of having a wife like that in the first place. Surely you haven’t fallen for that insignificant woman.”

“That is true, but…”

The emperor was right. Reiad’s reasons for marrying Luize were clear. Before getting married, he had checked five conditions for a spouse:

First, she should be naive enough to sign any contract he put in front of her.

Second, she should have a gentle nature that would tolerate whatever he did.

Third, she should be lacking the ability to live independently from him.

Fourth, she should have no close relatives in or near the capital.

Fifth, she should come from a commoner background with a noble lineage, thus having a surname.

Although Maxion’s appearance slightly deviated from the fourth condition, Luize was among the few women who met his condition.

Passing her off as a countryside noble for marriage was not difficult since she originally had a surname. However, even the most common surname could give away that Luize was not a noble if her name became widely known, so it has been thoroughly concealed until now. A legitimate wife was a good excuse to not be criticized for his affairs while making it easy for lovers to leave. That was precisely the need for Luize di Cloette.

.

“It was difficult to find another woman with such qualifications, considering I need myself to freely act as the empire’s ear and be comfortable doing so.”

“

don’t worry about that. This will be the last time.”

“The last time…?”

“The temple is on my side, and Pendel has come forward to join hands with me. The former crown prince will lose his life in this expedition, so I need not worry further. You must be tired of your dalliances by now. If you become the princess’s husband, there will be no greater rise in status.”

Eligos’s words caused Reiad’s grip on his glass to tighten.

Alcohol made the emperor too honest. He couldn’t hide his stupidity, nor his insecurities and fears.

Reiad knew from the moment the emperor first commanded him what he thought of him. The emperor had Reiad approach families with information he desired by seducing their daughters or wives. Once he had free access to their homes, he not only gathered various information in bed but also searched the houses for documents beneficial to them while they slept.

To the emperor, Reiad was nothing more than a dirty and humble being, akin to a lowly gigolo wandering around the back alleys and, at the same time, one of the few useful pawns on his chessboard.

“Being the princess’s husband seems too generous for me.”

“Perhaps, but she was once considered for engagement to the former crown prince, so maybe you would suit her better. It’s too bad I’m not her type for being older.

!”

The emperor laughed frivolously and continued, “If the grand duke dies, as promised, I’ll give you the southern Karel estate. Rutigor has been suffering from a long famine, so it would take at least that much to maintain your title and live comfortably. I’m offering this especially because I care for you. Once the grand duke is dead, even if you separate from the princess, it won’t matter. You can even remarry your wife if you care about her.”

Karel is a fertile estate with a large population adjacent to Rutigor and was once part of Edward’s territory. After the death of the empress, the emperor took everything from Edward except Lindeman. This included numerous estates, now under imperial control.

The previous emperor left the disposition of these lands undecided upon his death, making it a delicate issue to handle. If the previous emperor had not died after the confirmation of paternity, the lands would have naturally reverted to Edward, who would have been reinstated. As long as the disposed crown prince was alive, it was difficult to rashly meddle with that land.

If the emperor arbitrarily distributed the land using his authority, the haughty high nobles would sneer at him for being frivolous, and the people would harbor doubts. However, the situation would change if Edward were to die without heirs. Then, the land would naturally return to imperial control, effectively becoming Emperor Eligos.

The emperor planned to divide the title and land among his people and future children once Edward died. He believed that possessing the land of someone with the legitimate blood of the imperial family would make him a more perfect emperor.

“You must be touched,” the emperor said with a satisfied smile, observing Reiad’s delayed response.

Reiad licked his lips. Why was it that he found it difficult to speak even though it was exactly what he had wanted? He was familiar with both the emperor’s disregard and the atmosphere. The fate of the disposed crown prince was none of his business.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he finally spoke, “It’s an honor. I will heed Your Majesty’s command.”

Reiad smiled and refilled the emperor’s glass. He tasted blood in his mouth from biting too hard.

It was supposed to be unrelated to him, yet Luize’s face wouldn’t leave his mind. What expression would she have if he presented her with divorce papers?

His blue eyes, which resembled the sky, became cloudy, like dark clouds.

* * *

After the swordsmanship tournament, Luize devoted herself to rose gardening, planning to tend to her rose garden one last time before leaving the mansion after her divorce.

She headed to the central market to buy a new potion that repels bugs without killing them, which is ideal for her preferences. Luize was willing to share some leaves from trees and other plants with small, plump caterpillars, regardless of whether they became moths, flies, butterflies, or other insects.

“There it is.”

Next to the flower store that Luize often visited, she saw a poster advertising the potion with a caterpillar drawing.

“Alright, let’s give it a proper try!”

As she headed towards the store, suddenly, the door of a nearby restaurant flung open, and people burst out. A woman with flaming red hair led the way, followed by a neatly dressed man and a bulky man.

“Fight? With you? You tiny thing! You might look a bit wealthy, but I have more money!”

“If you have so much money, why don’t you buy a potion to fix your face? Improve your skin, enlarge your eyes, and lift your nose. It’s pitiful, really, how my eyes suffer looking at your ugly and nasty personality. They say looks match personality, and it’s true in your case. You’re just vile.”

“What, ugly? This little thing!”

The large man swung at the woman, but the handsome knight beside her twisted his wrist. Luize, who had been watching and ready to intervene, sighed in relief.

“Stand back.”

The knight effortlessly twisted the man’s arm. The man screamed, surrendering, and the knight released him.

“Wow, you’re strong for someone who looks skinny.  Disgusting, I’m leaving. I was going to entertain you because you’re somewhat pretty.”

“Go away.”

The man spat on the ground and stormed off, cursing under his breath. The woman raised her middle finger towards the departing man. Luize knew that gesture was an obscene insult.

Hesitantly, Luize turned her head back towards the store. It seemed like it wasn’t something she needed to worry about after all.

“Excuse me.”

The woman briskly approached Luize. Then, with wide eyes, she abruptly grabbed Luize’s hand with both of hers. Luize was startled and looked at the woman.

“Yes, yes?”

“Where is Grand Duke Lindeman’s residence?”