The Lady In The lake || The Warrior Series #1

Chapter 11 ☪ The Secret Lover

    

    "You are saying impossible things. My father won't like it. " That's what he is wrong about. His father can accept any noble lady as the empress if they are both outstandingly smart and that they can manage the empire. 

    

    The rumor is still circulating since a month ago, so why did the emperor not use another noble lady that is more suitable as his highness wife, and not all noble ladies are very smart to begin with, they are only exceptionally smart because of their status in the social circle of high society.

    

    Make an example for Lady Shania. Anna told me ‌she's smart with managing tea parties and has a brain for trends. She is better and suitable for the empress seat than I am, but the emperor didn't choose her; she spread news about his highness rejecting me. Shouldn't the emperor see that way?

    

    Unfortunately, he didn't, because the emperor is wise enough not only to judge someone with achievements and rumors but also to be aware of their potential to rule. The emperor did not pick anyone based on brain and other evidence; he based his choices out of logic and instinct. He must have thought about my proposal in process repeatedly before he actually saw the potential within my proposal.

    

    I gave them a proposal based on logic, that thinks about noble and commoners' feedback about the military salary, and the conducts. So I was sure he was not basing only on intelligence, he was basing on everything logical and beneficial.

    

    Lady Shania couldn't do that and other nobles aren't exceptionally thinking about its people, most nobles only think about profits and power, and Lady Shania spends her life without experiencing the world beyond the walls between commoner and nobles. 

    

    Going back to being a scapegoat. The proposal gives him strength, but also thinking of his son's rumor, with a ladylike me seated on the throne, he felt like hitting two birds with one stone. 

    

    "Your father doesn't care about anything about a lady's status or wealth, the emperor is wise enough to know that, if a candidate to the empress seat is not just both intelligent but also smart and logical, he will accept her as your wife, even if she's a baron's daughter or a commoner, he is idealistic and he want to make that happen, my proposal to the military salary gives him a reason to pick me, " there was no reason for him to pick a girl who tried to kill herself but the result of my proposal has determined his assumptions that I can lead this empire. 

    

    I am confident of my ability, but to become a slave of the empire will never be my dream and to seat in a throne will take away all of my freedom, I believe I do not deserve to lead, that is why I want Lady Lucia to take up the throne instead of me. 

    

    "You actually surprised me today, you've always told me that, you are more worthy to be my wife, so you keep persuading me to do so," I left out a few seconds of silence on his (compliment) if I say, while leaving the room entirely awkward.

    

    I responded. "There are things that need to be changed, and people change for the better. I know you still doubt my words, but I do not intend to accept or to reject your proposal..."

    

    "That's impossible, how? "

    

    "Propose to Lady Lucia instead and let me pursue the emperor, I am certain of that, and I will circulate the rumors regardless of you and the maid," I noticed footsteps approaching by the door so I ended up cutting my statement at the right moment. 

    

    *knock knock*

    

    I heard a sound of a door knock coming from outside of the door; ‌the maid I ‌asked had come, and then I heard exclaimed. "I have your tea. "

    

    "Come in, " the door opened and a maid holding a tray stood in front of the door before she bowed. 

    

    "Greetings, sun of the empire, the crown prince, as well as milady, I shall take my leave," she put the tray on the table in front of us before she left.

    

    I heard the door closing until the footsteps went away. 

    

    "Tea, your highness? " I asked and then I took the two cups of tea and poured the tea from the kettle. He nodded nicely without even saying a word, so I poured one into his teacup. 

    

    "Sugar or milk? "

    

    "Sugar, 3 cubes please. " I take three cubes of sugar and pour it on the tea, before I mix it with the small spoon waiting for them to melt. 

    

    "You like so much sugar, I see, " then I give him his tea, putting it down on the table against him. 

    

    "I hate tea because of the bitter taste on my lips, but when I add three cubes of sugar, the taste melts into my mouth. " 

    

    I hate tea, nor coffee, however etiquette is a priority in this lifetime. If I were still me, I would obviously throw this garbage away and drink a sum of alcohol. I use this to rub my feelings and to ignore the sensation of death clinging behind my back, to escape my responsibility to carry everyone's wishes, and I've been doing that every night enough to overdose myself with alcohol.

    

    I cannot sleep with the whispers, nor those that I hear when there is nothing. I can still feel that aching sensation behind me. However, this time, it feels so light that my sleep is far more stable and easy without being on-guard for assassins trying to kill me.

    

    "First thing first, I need to confirm something. Is Lady Lucia intelligent with politics? " His eyes show no sign of agreement, so I predicted he would shrug his head silently.

    

    "There's no chase then, tell Lady Lucia to come to our residence every weekend between Friday to Wednesday, I'm not always free on Thursday because of my etiquette classes," he gave me a sign of confusion before he took the cup of tea back to the table. 

    

    "Why? Are you perhaps---"

    

    "Don't overthink too much, I mean no harm, we have to turn her into a fine lady who can out stand the social circle, and a lady with intelligence both politics and military, but I'm not sure if she'll survive so I'll need to think about reducing her subjects," I stare at him to observe his reaction but it was a good thing he's altered the situation and he seem off guard (for now)...