The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 330

Lucius the First’s beauty had always been Poliana’s pride and joy… until he began to seduce her.

Lucius the First asked her, “You came into the castle, yet were you not going to visit me, Sir Pol?”

“I did, your highness.”

“Good, then I would like you to spare me some of your time.”

“Of course.”

Lucius the First raised his hand. The way he moved was so elegant that it took a long time for Poliana to realize what he meant by it. The knights around them murmured in shock as they also realized that the emperor was offering to escort Poliana.

Poliana took a step back in shock and the emperor asked, “Are you to leave me hanging like this?”

“I can walk just fine on my own, your highness!”

All Poliana said was she would spend some time with him. She never agreed to have physical contacts! Poliana ran out of the break room past the emperor in embarrassment. Lucius the First laughed and said to the guards, “Isn’t she adorable? Don’t you guys think so too?”

The emperor was so proud of her. He found Poliana delightful in every way, but no one in the room agreed and kept their silence.

Lucius the First, feeling awkward, coughed. How come no one else could see how cute Poliana was? Well, it didn’t matter. Only he knew the truth, which meant he was going to be the only one who got to enjoy Poliana.

After the emperor left, as soon as the door closed behind him, the knights began to talk all at once.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe that just happened!”

“This is not just a regular love.”

“I agree. This has to be true love! The truest love!”

What else could it be? Lucius the First was clearly in love that he was blinded.

Some of the knights, who were still suspicious of the rumor, knelt on the floor and announced, “We have been wrong! Your highness! We were wrong!” After this day, every member of the Second Division now firmly believed in the rumor.

Meanwhile, Poliana was waiting outside the breakroom. When Lucius the First came out and offered his hand again, Poliana refused. “I can walk behind you, your highness!”

“Alright. I like your firmness.”

Poliana sighed in relief when Lucius the First did not insist. All she did was walk behind the emperor, but everyone stared with interest. Lucius the First took Poliana to a small dining room inside the castle where only those closest to the emperor were allowed to enter. As they walked together, the emperor said to her, “I heard that you haven’t eaten yet, Sir Pol.”

“That’s correct, your highness.”

“There’s no need to be so tense, all I want is to dine with you.”

“Who says I was tense?”

“I can see it right now.”

Poliana frowned and Lucius the First laughed quietly like an old man. He replied, “I don’t mind you being tense around me. It just means that you are conscious of me.”

“…”

Because it was true that she did feel nervous, Poliana didn’t know what to say. She straightened up, trying to look confident. She has lived as a soldier all her life, which meant that Poliana had an excellent posture.

The servants standing in front of the dining room opened the door for them. When they walked in, Poliana was surprised to find the room filled with a feast.

Roasted meat, boiled meat, fried meat, and tartare… Deer meat, which was Poliana’s favorite, was cooked in various different ways for her. In addition, there were other rare dishes as well, including the special fruits only found in faraway regions. They were brought here especially for her, but all Poliana seemed to be interested in was the meat.

Poliana murmured, “I think this is a little too much.”

Normally, Lucius the First ate simple food. He was in his mid 30’s and was very careful not to gain any extra weight. If he was younger or had more time to exercise, the emperor would remain slim even if he ate all he wanted. Unfortunately, Lucius the First spent a lot of his time at his desk to work, which meant that he needed to stick to a strict diet to keep himself in shape.

This meant that all the food that was prepared in the dining room… It was all for Poliana. Poliana felt happy and a little nervous at the same time. Lucius the First replied, “It’s not too much at all.”

She may be the woman he loved, but he still had to reprimand her when necessary. He said to Poliana, “You were carrying the emperor’s son, yet all you were eating was the dog stew?!”

“But that is what I craved, your highness! I couldn’t help it!”

It was believed that when a woman became pregnant and craving a certain food, it was always something she had eaten before.

Something she was used to eating often…

Lucius the First felt hurt and apologetic that the woman he loved craved the kind of food even the dogs refused to eat. His pride was hurt and Poliana didn’t have an excuse. She herself felt embarrassed about her pregnancy craving.

‘Why did I have to want that stupid stew?’

Poliana was also apologetic that she nicknamed Gerald “Dog Stew.” She knew she should’ve come up with something better.

Inside the dining room, there were only two of them. Poliana didn’t see any servants or guards. Lucius the First pulled out a chair for her and smiled kindly.

“Have a seat.”

“Your highness! You shouldn’t have to do such a thing! I should be the one serving you!”

The emperor replied firmly, “No, I want to do this. Sir Pol, you just enjoy your time here.” When Poliana hesitated, Lucius the First asked her, “Are you planning to leave me hanging here again?”

“Your highness, you should take a seat as well!”

Poliana ran to pull out a chair for the emperor quickly before taking the seat Lucius the First pulled out for her. She had to run all the way around the table to get the chair on the opposite side and the emperor watched with a smile.

‘Hmm…’

They sat across from each other and she was used to this. They also ate together often before, so Poliana felt a little relieved because this was a familiar scene for her. Of course, how the emperor treated her now was vastly different than before, but still… No matter what, eating alone with the emperor was always considered a great honor.

Only

“Thank you for the food, your highness.”

“I hope you like them. I ordered all your favorite dishes to be prepared. Enjoy.”

The food was indeed amazing. Although Poliana was still nervous, this didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy such a wonderful meal. The emperor watched her chew on the roast with a pleased smile on his face.

“Your highness, aren’t you going to eat?”

“Just watching you enjoy the meal makes me feel happy.”

“That is something a parent would say to a child, your highness.”

“Who cares? I’m just happy to be here with you. By the way, what’s happening with Gerald?”