how to divorce the male lead- chapter 29

Yuliana continued to speak affectionately to the still cringing empress.

"Our ancestors were nomadic people who rode horses in the fields and mountains. I've been studying a bit lately. It was a very interesting history. Back then, even women had skills in equestrianism. Nowadays, everyone has settled down and forgotten, but..."

"And the empress mama is skilled in riding horses. Your Majesty's face turned even redder at Yuliana's added words.

"I-it's nothing special."

"Empress Mama is an idol to noblewomen and those who govern them. I'm trying to create a place where you can show off your skills from the time when equestrianism was popular. How about it?"

"I-it's uncomfortable."

Elena frowned as if she were about to speak forcefully, but it didn't come out right at all. With the feeling of wanting to cut off her stiffened tongue, Elena shouted inwardly.

'If I foolishly step forward in a situation like this, I'll just be called a bizarre empress! Even if Her Majesty named it a "game," and even if she said she wanted to give me a rose, that's all lies. People like you might think this is all just a game, but I'm not. I have to live quietly, why are you saying things that turn my world upside down?'

As she vented her frustration inwardly, tears welled up somehow. Elena's lips trembled with sorrow, and then, once again, a seductive voice was heard.

"Empress Mama."

"W-what is it?"

Perhaps because she spoke out loudly, her voice became louder. Elena felt her shoulders trembling as she tried to suppress her boiling anger.

Knowing her position well, it was frustrating to hear her being mocked with strange proposals from the empress, who claimed to be an idol to noblewomen.

Elena stepped back.

It was a moment when Yuliana was about to say something in response to her refusal. A loud cheer erupted outside the stadium, loud enough for those outside to hear.

Yuliana and Elena both closed their eyes tightly. The mixed screams of excitement and concern were telling them something. Who was hurt.

Before their personal struggle could continue, the match began.

***

"Damn it. If only there was more time to plan in advance."

The postponement of the final match due to the Emperor's intervention was announced to take place just four days later.

Therefore, Yuliana planned to gather as much information as possible. Although she had no idea about the characters since she hadn't finished the novel, she had enough to study how to approach the 'empress' who would become the villain.

Yuliana didn't trust Evan Hillchen. She didn't even consider the idea that he would win without getting hurt.

"Evan Hillchen is a liar."

Not just any liar, but a liar who tells sweet lies to Yuliana Oven. He was also foolish enough to have a hopeless crush on her, trying to make things easy for her in any situation.

So, this level of intervention was inevitable for Yuliana.

She hadn't received such affection in her past life or in her current life. So, making sure he didn't get hurt had some human moral significance.

Yuliana silently nodded to herself.

"I have to help somehow, no matter what."

Yuliana urgently spoke to the frozen Elena amidst the crowd's cheers.

"Empress Mama!"

The small face of the empress, bearing the name of the sun god, turned pale. The two of them locked eyes, guessing that they were thinking the same thing.

"Evan must be hurt."

"Her Majesty must be hurt."

"Come on..."

The empress urged first. Without hesitating to respond to her urging, Yuliana entered with her.

The audience seats were like a small festival, with alcohol, meat, and the noise of people mingling throughout. 

The spectators were all focused on the arena. Descendants of conquerors who had started as nomadic tribes, they had forgotten the civilized manners they had learned in settled positions and were cheering wildly.

Yuliana closed her eyes tightly once again. Anyone with eyes could tell who was more injured.

"Evan!"

It was a split-second decision. Despite only clashing once with a lance, Evan's shoulder was severely injured. As evidence, he mounted his black horse without grasping the massive lance, instead clutching his injured shoulder with his free hand.

"I-I need to go to the Emperor..."

Seeing this, the Empress took the first step.

More than worrying about the Duke being seriously injured, Elena worried about the wound on the Emperor's cheek. It must have been slashed by the terrifyingly jagged blade of the lance.

Her heart pounded. So, Elena did something she could never have imagined doing under normal circumstances.

She immediately dashed into the waiting room to see the Emperor's face. When the timid Empress, tears in her eyes, entered, the Emperor, who had been wiping the blade, grinned.

"Y-Your Majesty..."

"Oh, Empress... What brings you here? By the way, it seems the Duchess got lost on her way to the waiting room."

"...!"

Startled by his words, Elena turned around.

Although the Duchess herself couldn't enter the waiting room, Yuliana, who had sufficiently revealed herself with her presence, was waiting for the Emperor's summons.

"The Duke's waiting room is on the opposite side, Duchess."

"Your Majesty, forgive my impudence."

"The Duke should be upset. He's the one who planned to take a dagger to the shoulder to offer the Duchess a blue rose."

The Emperor, Lucian, chuckled in a low tone. Elena was surprised by Lucian's unfamiliar tone. He had always spoken with such politeness and composure, drawing clear boundaries. Even after a year of marriage, he had always been the same person. Elena didn't know how to respond to Lucian's casual tone towards the Duchess. Tears welled up in her eyes for a different reason.

"No... The Empress doesn't like it when you cry."

Who could understand the tender heart that shed tears at the sight of a new aspect of someone who didn't even look back at her? Elena folded her hands despondently. Whether Lucian understood that sentiment or not, he ushered the Duchess into the room.

As the Duchess entered, she looked extremely pale, as if she had been running frantically. It occurred to Elena that Yuliana Oben, known as the Imperial Blue Rose and hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world, had been described as frail.

"To think she'd collapse like that from a little running..."

As a slight curiosity passed through Elena's mind, Lucian, glancing at the Duchess's complexion, seemed intrigued. In his hand, the blood had already dried and hardened imperceptibly. Sensing this in a brief moment, Elena instructed attendants to bring something to wipe it away. Promptly, one of the attendants hurried off and soon returned with a handkerchief.

"Just a moment..."

Gathering her trembling nerves, Elena carefully took Lucian's hand and gently wiped away the blood with a handkerchief soaked in warm water.

Even as she tended to her, Lucian didn't shift his gaze towards Elena. Feeling a pang of disappointment, Elena stifled a sigh inwardly.

"To be injured like this... How terrible..."

As she struggled to suppress the feeling of bursting into tears, Lucian broke the silence.

"The illustrious magician has finally shown some skill after a long time."

"My abilities were lacking, so this was all I could do."

"What did you do?"

Lucian chuckled brightly. Of course, that smile appeared devilish to Yuliana. Internally, Yuliana gritted her teeth like she did just before defeating a high school student whining about buying alcohol and cigarettes in her past life.

"At that moment, I should've swiftly called the boss—Oh? No, wait. Am I the boss now?"

Finishing her thoughts, Yuliana parted her lips.

"...You must have seen the gift I sent to the royal side."

Confirming the familiar phrase from the grasshopper-like Emperor casually eating grass next to the waiting room, Yuliana had cursed the sluggish Emperor inwardly.

Of course, silently.

The Empress, who had rushed into the waiting room in a frenzy, might not have seen it though.

As Yuliana watched the baby Empress carefully wiping the Emperor's hand, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Well, what can you expect? You were the one who fell for it first."

Boldly addressing the Emperor, who pretended not to notice, Yuliana said, "I heard that Your Majesty personally received the letter I sent. Yet, despite that, you participated in the final match and crushed my husband."

Even at Yuliana's sharp inquiry, the Emperor responded with a cheerful air, not cracking a smile.

"Oh, didn't you hear from the Duke? He said that if you wished to decide the victory or defeat yourself, it didn't matter. So, I accepted the Duke's bet. By any chance, Empress... Was our performance too obvious?"

"Uh, yes?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Erena visibly flinched. It was natural since she hadn't watched the match.

Lucian paid no mind to the young Empress's bewildered expression. Yuliana interjected calmly, "So, my foolish husband accepted Your Majesty's bet. But Evan said Your Majesty wouldn't win... What did he mean by that?"

"Duchess, perhaps you didn't read fairy tales when you were young."

"Do I have to put up with this too?"

Yuliana sighed deeply inwardly.

"...Endure, endure! Think of the warm iced Americano that the customer used to order!"

Recalling her experiences working part-time even during high school, Yuliana forced a strained smile.

"I was too focused on studying magic to read fairy tales."

"But that's a common theme in fairy tales, isn't it? A compassionate Emperor rewarding a courageous knight."

"...Ah, so that's how you plan to end this game?"

For a moment, Yuliana couldn't control her expression. It was fleeting, but Lucian, who seemed to have eaten a hundred grasshoppers, noticed. Flashing a mischievous grin, he said, "Were you surprised by such a trivial reward, Duchess?"

Yuliana shot back as she recovered her composure, "When have I ever been surprised?"