Chapter 33

Thus, Luitas finally managed to clear the block in his chest, but the emperor was still as frustrated as ever, unable to meet his concubine.

After all, she was the woman he couldn't let go of, even though she had fled and her whereabouts were unknown for two years.

He had finally brought her back, but the joy of holding her and reuniting with her lasted only a brief moment.

Aleks could no longer wait.

He wanted to see Via as soon as possible and hear her voice. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let her go.

Determined, Aleks finally sent an official messenger to the Crystal Palace, inviting the empress to the imperial palace—a bold move (whether it was considered bold for the emperor to invite his concubine to his chambers was uncertain).

It wasn't that he had no chance; it was because of Luitas's advice.

"The Empress is infatuated with Your Majesty," Luitas said. "It's so obvious that it's almost ridiculous."

When Aleks learned that Luitas had met her first, he was taken aback, but Luitas replied matter-of-factly, "I went to get her approval to become the empress."

After the Round Table Conference approved it, if the Empress herself had refused, it would have been a different story.

Via apparently answered that she was happy to take the position of Empress.

Aleks then sent a messenger to the Crystal Palace to invite her to his chambers.

On the day he summoned Via, Aleks spent the day unusually restless.

Gruuk, in his heart, muttered that Aleks looked like a dog that had been put on hold.

While Gruuk thought it was a remarkable woman to have such an effect on the emperor of a nation, he knew from their long association that before Aleks met Concubine Via, he had never trusted women, seeing them only as sources of pleasure. Therefore, Gruuk couldn't help but admire the woman who had changed Aleks so much.

Incidentally, the three people, excluding the emperor, knew the reason why the Empress had kept her distance from the emperor. Luitas had told them.

Amon held his head in his hands at the trivial reason, while Gruuk simply commented that it was typical of the Empress.

He briefly considered telling the emperor but decided not to interfere since he knew they would reconcile eventually.

He was a man who avoided unnecessary actions.

Aleks, on the other hand, finished his work promptly when the time came and returned to his living quarters.

Upon returning, he asked the head chamberlain, "Is Via here?" When the answer was "Yes, she is waiting," Aleks eagerly replied, "Really!" and received a suspicious look from the head chamberlain.

When asked if he wanted to have dinner immediately, Aleks absentmindedly replied, "Sure."

After handing over his sword, he was about to head to the room where Via was waiting when the door opened, and Via came out.

She had been told to share dinner, so she was dressed in a splendid dress, as if attending a banquet.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty."

Via looked up at Aleks and smiled like a blooming flower.

Not only Aleks but also the ladies-in-waiting and chamberlains present were breathless at her flawless, overwhelming beauty.

Her golden hair, like spun sunlight, flowed down her back, and her clear blue eyes, like a lake, were filled with joy and directed straight at Aleks.

Her slender, white face was elegantly shaped, with a straight nose, long curved lashes, and sweet, ripe lips—all perfectly formed, without a single flaw.

Seeing her finally meet her beloved, her eyes filled with the joy that seemed to exude a sweet, alluring glow, Aleks's self-control completely vanished.

He approached Via as if drawn to her and embraced her slender body tightly.

He pressed her body close to his, holding her so tightly as if never to let her go again, and buried his face in the head of his beloved, whom he had finally won.

The chamberlains and ladies-in-waiting, caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, stood there in a daze. But when the Empress Via, who was being embraced, waved her hand to signal them to leave without the emperor noticing, they quietly and silently left the room.

After holding Via for a long time, the emperor finally pulled back slightly to look down at her, and Via responded with the sweetest smile.

"My Emperor."

The elated emperor continued to hold Via in his arms for another quarter of an hour, showering her with intense affection, and then, without thinking, tried to take her to his bedchamber.

So Via had to scold the unreasonable emperor.

Outside the door, the ladies-in-waiting and chamberlains, who had been locked out, were waiting in tense silence for the emperor to call them.

Via, too, wanted to indulge in the time with her lover, but as long as Aleks was the emperor, there were rules to follow.

That night, the emperor and the Empress shared a cozy dinner for two, went to the bedchamber, and spent the night together.

From then on, this became the emperor's daily routine, and five days later, the Round Table Conference adopted the resolution to make Concubine Via the Empress.