It was a long yet short week. It was a very productive week for the emperor and the empress.
For the past week, the secret passages have allowed Bina and Princess Beatrice to remain hidden. Lucretius and Bina held each other’s hand lovingly as they strolled down the passage.
Lucretius asked, “By the way, are you sure this is okay? Do you really think it’s safe to leave Duchess Lonensia as is?”
Bina giggled. “I didn’t just let her off! She was such a strong arrogant woman, and I made her kneel in front of me and used her own son against her. I can guarantee you that the duchess has never been humiliated like that in her life.”
Lucretius nodded. “I guess. Even when she was thanking you, she looked like she would rather die.”
Bina whispered sweetly, “So that is why you can’t kill him, Luc.”
Lucretius frowned. He knew who Bina was referring to.
She continued, “I am serious. Don’t kill him. That man is Duchess Lonensia’s weakness. He needs to remain alive, so we can use him against her. Roberto will be our dog leash for Norma. If she loses her son, who knows what she will do?”
From the beginning, Lucretius agreed it would be best to keep the duchess around, so they can use her as they wished. Bina was the empress; therefore, she had full control over the castle. However, she was only one woman and couldn’t rule the entire social world of Cransia. If she got rid of the Duchess Lonensia, the head of the noble ladies, things could get confusing and messy.
Bina needed to keep Norma around. As long as she had control over the duchess, she had control over the noble families.
This whole scandal worked out very well in the end. Roberto’s stupidity and arrogance gave them Duchess Lonensia, yet Lucretius was still unhappy about one thing.
“But to keep that bastard alive? Could it be that you… fell for him…?”
Bina pouted and pinched his nose. “Don’t even joke about something like that! How could you even think that?! Don’t you remember what I said to you? I hated his gaze. It made my skin crawl.”
Lucretius looked unconvinced. “I guess, but…”
“I thought you were just acting like you didn’t trust me… Or were you really thinking I had an affair?”
“Of course not, but…”
When Lucretius didn’t finish his sentence, Bina narrowed her eyes.
“But what?”
Lucretius hugged her tight. “But the fact is that he targeted you. Do you know how hard I tried not to hurt him? Every time he looked at you, I wanted to pull his eyes out. Every time he kissed your hand, I wanted to sew his lips up. I wanted to chop his hands off just for holding your hand.”
“…”
Bina sighed. She was so used to Lucretius now that most of the odd things Lucretius did and said looked adorable to her. She could understand him being jealous of others from time to time, but when his scary side came out like this, she felt concerned. She thought this side of him was gone after their marriage.
Bina said to him, “Stop overreacting.”
“Why would you think this is overreacting?”
“Because it is. If he succeeded, then I would have wanted to kill him too, but he didn’t. He failed miserably, right?”
Lucretius complained like a child. “You are too soft-hearted.”
“We can afford to have hearts now. Katleyanira is gone, and we don’t have any enemies like Prince Coronel anymore. You promised you will do your best to inherit a peaceful kingdom to our child.”
This was the promise Lucretius made on the night of Bina’s coronation. She was pregnant at the time with Beatrice, and they were determined to create a safe world for their baby.
Lucretius remembered the beautiful night and finally regained his calmness.
“Yeah, I remember.”
Bina caressed Lucretius’ cheek gently. She looked like a lion trainer teaching the beast to behave.
“Good boy.”
Lucretius chuckled and rubbed his head against Bina’s hand.
“You always treat me like I’m a baby, but the funny thing is… whenever you do that, I really do feel like a young boy again.”
“But you like it, right?”
“Yeah, I do. The only time I can relax is when I’m with you.”
If he hadn’t met Bina, Lucretius would’ve never been able to feel this. When he was with her, he felt like he could let go and rely on her. He knew Bina was strong enough.
The only other person who tried to protect him was his mother when he was young, but Empress Beatrice was too weak. When she died, he was only ten, and he had to grow up fast to survive.
Now, Lucretius didn’t have to be the strongest of them all. As Bina said, he could relax in her presence. He could act childishly.
“I know, Bina.”
Lucretius hugged her tightly. His lovely wife, his protector, his everything.
‘Well… I guess I can do a lot of things to him without killing him.’
Lucretius was not a good man. He was honest enough to admit it. He knew Bina would hate it, but he would make sure she never finds out.
***
The guards, sent by the royal family to protect Amarince, surrounded her house. When a man came to see her, the guards stopped him, but the man wouldn’t leave. After half an hour of struggle, Amarince finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“…”
“…”
She opened the door slightly just enough so only half of her face could be seen. She was nervous, and it was no wonder. The man who came to visit her was the man who choked her. It was the man who plotted against the empress. Amarince had no doubt he would kill her in a heartbeat.
Roberto called out her name desperately.
“Amari…”
Amarince replied coldly, “Go back home.”
“Amari! How could you do this to me?”
Amarince smirked. “What a stupid thing to say.”
“You…! How dare you!”
Amarince finally could see this man for what he really was.
‘How blind I have been! What a loser he is.’
He was weak and cowardly. He plotted against the empress and when it failed, he blamed everything on Amarince.
Even today, he came here and banged on her door as if he wanted to get to her to hurt her.
Roberto frowned angrily.
He growled, “You can’t do this to me. You love me.”
Amarince glared at him. “I did once love you, and that was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“What?”
When Roberto looked shocked, Amarince felt better. She was happy that she now was strong enough to be able to say this to him.
“It’s true. Even now, I may have feelings for you, but it’s not big enough to put her highness in danger.”
“You care more about that woman you barely know than me? That’s why you betrayed me? Why!?”
“…”
Amarince still remembered that night when the applause surrounded her on the royal stage. It was the best night of her life.
She said to Roberto, “Because she is my audience.”
“A… udience?”
Roberto stared at Amarince in shock as she continued confidently, “As a woman, it’s true that I still have feelings for you. But as a singer, I cannot betray her. Her highness is the most important audience of them all.”
Amarince was now the best female singer in the kingdom. If she had to choose between living as a woman or as a singer, her choice was clear. Her career was the most important thing for her; therefore, she chose Empress Sa Bina without hesitation over Roberto.
“So leave, Roberto. I’m sure your mother will protect you.”
“…”
“I will look out for your next song. I don’t know what name you will use next, but I’m sure it will be the best.”
She meant it. As a singer, she respected Roberto as a composer.
Roberto frowned angrily. He finally exploded.
He moved so fast that it happened before anyone could react. Roberto stabbed the two guards. Blood spilled everywhere and it splashed onto Amarince as well.
“How dare you…!”
Roberto then grabbed Amarince’s neck through the opened door.