Empress of Another World

Seventy Four

A long silence fell. I began to feel even more nervous.

Just when I couldn’t take it anymore, Lucretius smiled smoothly and said to me, “Alright.”

He allowed it so easily that I felt annoyed.

“Really?”

“It’s definitely not a bad plan as long as we are aware that they can’t be trusted.”

“That’s a given.”

“Yes. It’s a good idea to have people close to the dowager empress on our side. I do agree that they are desperate, and we can give them what they want. I don’t know about Liliana, but Marquis Toruka’s son probably doesn’t like his father right now.

If they help us in a major way, I can make things happen for them.”

“Princess Liliana has enough reasons to help us as well. She is being abused by the dowager empress. She was also about to be married off to an old man for her mother’s gain. I’m sure she wants to go against the dowager empress…”

Lucretius shook his head to my surprise.

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m sure she is angry at the dowager empress, but the Liliana I know won’t dare to defy her mother. She is a meek child. Whenever I see her, she looks just like the dowager empress, but her demeanor reminds me of my own mother. It always made me upset.”

“…”

I forgot Lucretius has known Princess Liliana much longer than me. He obviously knew her better.

He continued, “And that’s why I am surprised.”

“About what?”

“Even if the situation is bad, I would have never guessed Liliana would go against the dowager empress.”

“It wasn’t me who convinced her. It was Clodys. She may not have done it for herself, but perhaps it was easier to do for the one she loves.”

“I suppose she has never known love, so when a good looking man professed his feelings for her, she must have fallen for it.”

“Don’t be so negative. I could see that Clodys truly loves Princess Liliana.”

I didn’t know what caused it, but Lucretius suddenly looked annoyed. His serious expression changed into that of a pouting young boy.

“By the way, why are you calling Marquis Toruka’s son by his first name so familiarly?”

“Pardon? Familiar? When did I…”

“You did.”

He was being unreasonable. I started to sweat again.

“I also called Princess Liliana by her first name.”

“You called her by her rank, not just her first name.”

“…”

Lucretius’s frown deepened.

“Now that I think about it… You said you talked to ‘him’ and not ‘them’, right?”

I did say that, and I had no intention of lying to him now. I didn’t do anything wrong!

“That’s right. I talked to him after Princess Liliana left.”

Lucretius’s eyebrows went up sharply.

“Where was this?”

“In the main library. Why?”

He now looked very angry.