Chapter 62  

The Bikpa Princess was a royalty, which meant that her bloodline was good enough for Lucius the First to bed. He could have easily ordered her death after he spent the night with her.

The emperor remained quiet. Poliana, still on his back, could feel his body tensing. After a long silence, Lucius the First asked, “You still remember that, huh?”

The emperor’s voice, which always sounded confident, wavered a little.

“How could I forget, your highness?”

“I see…”

He sighed quietly. He could fool Sir Ainno, but he certainly couldn’t fool Poliana.

“Listen, Sir Poliana. What I did to you when we first met… That was my fault. It was a mistake. I was blinded by my desire for a perfect war. I was foolish enough to believe that I could make no mistake. I was wrong.”

‘Oh…’ Poliana understood his words.

Her emperor always looked confident and self-assured, but he was only a man after all. He was a young man of 20 years when he first sat out to conquer the world. And now, a few years later… He was a fully grown man. He had matured, he was different now.“And are you no longer blinded, your highness.”

“Hmm…”

Lucius the First stopped himself from sighing again. Poliana could understand what her emperor must be going through. She agreed that what happened when they first met was his fault. It was only right that he apologized, but then… He was the emperor. If they continued this conversation, perhaps Lucius the First really would apologize to her….?

The emperor reminded himself never to make such a mistake again in the future. He said to Poliana. “It was you, Sir Poliana, who taught me that a living woman’s determination was much stronger than a dead woman’s curse.”

At the time when they first met, no one could have expected this.

The emperor carrying Poliana on his back…

When they arrived at the temporary infirmary, everyone tried to stand up to greet their emperor properly. Lucius the First raised his hand for them to remain as they were and gently placed Poliana on an empty bed.

Poliana took out a handkerchief, which was inside Sir Ainno’s cloak, and began to clean her dirty feet. There were only a few healers so the patients did whatever they could by themselves. Poliana knew her ribs would heal on their own in time and her feet, once disinfected, would feel better soon.

Lucius the First walked around the room, making small encouraging conversations with the injured soldiers. When he was done, he returned to Poliana.

The emperor noticed how Poliana’s head was covered in sticky dry blood. The truth was that she needed a good bath more than a healer for her injuries. Lucius the First quickly ordered a bath for her and touched her hair gently. Then, he asked, “Have you ever thought about growing your hair? Would you consider it?”“Pardon?”

“Well, I can’t have my personal guard bald.” The emperor smiled and continued, “Sir Poliana Winter, I officially assign you to be the commander of my personal protection department.”

Who could have ever imagined that a skinny ugly foreign knightess could become the Acreian emperor’s personal guard? Feeling her eyes welling up, Poliana rubbed her face hard. When she saw her hands covered in makeup and blood, she gasped. Looking up at the emperor again and with her voice trembling in determination, she said, “Thank you, your highness! I will do my best!”

“Excellent! I believe in you, Sir Pol.”

Only

After Lucius the First left, Poliana laid down on the bed and covered her face with her hands. Lucius the First called his close acquaintances by a shortened name. For example, he called Sir Ainno, Inno, while he called Sir Baufallo, Bau. Only those he had known for a long time and he trusted had the honor of being called in this friendly manner.

Poliana weren’t been able to admit it until now, but she realized that she had been envious of these two men. Poliana wanted to be close to Lucius the First too. She wanted to become a knight her emperor could trust.

Her emperor was an amazing man. Lucius the First was able to give a purpose for her life. He even gave her a dream, and he made her realize that she was in fact a greedy person.

Poliana always thought she didn’t care, but she had been wrong about herself. She was greedy for her emperor’s recognition and trust, and she was ambitious to become the one who would help him achieve his dream.

‘It will happen. I just know it.’

Poliana truly believed it. She had no doubt that if she followed her emperor, she would get to see the world, she would get to conquer it alongside Lucius the First.

The emperor had an enormous dream. Poliana would follow him anywhere and dream the same dream.

For the rest of her life, Sir Poliana Winter would live as the shadow of the greatest emperor, Lucius the First.