/

Chapter 45




‘I’ve grown attached to him.’
Five years wasn’t a short amount of time.
And now, she had to start preparing.
Rosaline looked back at Hui. “I want to see His Majesty first before all of this. Would it be possible?”
Hui checked the time. “Yes
”
Rosaline smiled. When the door opened, maids were lined up outside with red velvet boxes in their hands.
“What’s all this?”
“His Majesty sent these.”
An older woman, the head maid, instructed them to open the boxes. She bowed. “Please pick which jewel you like best, Secretary Rosaline.”
One, two, three, four, five, six

Rosaline’s jaw dropped.
***
She was pacing in front of Cahir’s bedroom. Normally this was the time when he gathered administrators into the office to reprimand them.
‘Is he okay? Is he still concerned about the selection?’
The carriages going into the palace were visible from here.
Maybe another young lady would welcome this position, but

“Come on in.”
The knights standing next to the bedroom door opened it wide.
Cahir was looking out the window. Perhaps what he saw was no different from what she saw too. She stepped in carefully, standing behind him.
“I greet the sun of our empire—”
“Shhh.” Cahir looked back at her, his gaze fixed on her ears and neck.
***
Last night, while Rosaline was sleeping, dead to the world. Cahir had sneaked out of the imperial palace with Derek.
He had knocked on the door of the largest jewelry store in the capital. And the man who opened the door had a club in his hands.
“Hurry up and open the door, Edward.”
The designer of Rosaline’s pink diamond necklace threw the club into one corner.
“Your Majesty, if you come, you, you
” He could feel Derek’s glare from behind Cahir and promptly shut up.
“The jewelry set from there to here. Wrap all of them up.”
That meant as many as fifty sets. Edward didn’t even bother thinking about all the costs. Ten mansions? Anyway, this was the emperor in question. What he needed to worry about was

That he would have nothing to sell the next day.
“To whom will you gift it to..?” Cahir looked like he was in a good mood, so Edward mustered the courage to ask, forgetting that he had almost died earlier.
“Who else? My empress, of course.”
“But the empress hasn’t been
”
The good mood quickly turned icy.
Derek stepped forward between the two other men. “Haha, she has been picked, according to the rumors. It’s Secretary Rosaline. Secretary Rosaline,” he whispered.
Edward caught on quickly. “Ah, yes! Secretary Rosaline’s skin is especially luminous, so if you pick this
”
Each jewelry set was packed into its own box with the sound of praises as the background music. Cahir’s stiff expression gradually loosened.
‘I saved a person today.’
Derek felt rather proud of himself.
***
It was the story of all those boxes delivered to her room.
“It’s the pearl set.”
He couldn’t stop staring at Rosaline’s ears and neck. As expected, she was stunning.
The pink pearls were the size of his smallest nail, fine and unblemished.
“It looks good on you.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps because of what was about to occur, Rosaline was dressed up a bit more than usual, a bit more beautiful than usual. Flowers seemed to bloom around her, sunlight seemed to shine despite the cloudy weather.
It was really nice.
Especially because she hadn’t removed the pink diamond necklace. Instead, pearls complemented it.
Cahir was touched that she valued his first gift so much.
However, Rosaline didn’t actually spend that much time thinking about her accessories. She just wore a new one without taking off the other, and the maids had even applauded the unique effect.
“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I prepared a variety. I see that you have a penchant for colorful pearls.”
“Your Majesty, no. I chose them because they were the simplest.”
“Rosaline likes simple things. Derek, write that down.”
Derek really opened his notebook and wrote something down.
“You must be busy, but you came quite early. You’re active for someone who doesn’t want to date.”
She wanted to pinch his mouth shut but settled for looking sideways at Derek.
Cahir noticed her discomfort. “Derek, go out.”
“Yes, sir!”
He desperately wanted to rest now. Fantasizing that this meant he could leave the imperial palace at well, he walked out of the room.
Rosaline straightened. “Your Majesty, you promised that you would do anything for me if I became the empress, right?”
“I didn’t forget.” Cahir pulled out the chair from under the table, a gesture for her to sit.
She accepted gratefully, and he sat across her.
After the war, he was often on the negotiation table. He set his hands down on the table as if this was one of those times.
They were silent for a moment, her blue eyes against his scarlet. Her mouth was pursed, and he was nervous for no reason.
“What do you want? Jewelry boxes? Land in the countryside? Tea ceremonies and balls held every day? Roy in a minister’s seat?”
Logically, Cahir knew that she didn’t want any of that. He was just babbling, to be honest. When Rosaline remained silent, he had no choice but to shut up. He was the most anxious he had ever been.
She sighed. “Your Majesty, I’ll be your empress. You want this, right?”
“Yes.”
“And it absolutely must be me.”
“That’s right. No one else but you, Rosaline.”
Her heart almost jumped. How nice it would have been if he said that not for political reasons, but because he really wanted her

She came to her senses.
‘What? What was I thinking just now? My affection for him is only maternal! Get a grip!’
The only thing he wanted was a partner he could trust with the position. This whole thing would be over if she leaned a little to the empress dowager’s side, rebelled against him, or disgraced him somehow.
Her life would end too.
Affection? More like respect.
‘Love
’
Rosaline reined in her heart.
“Tell me, Rosaline. What do you want?”
She gulped. Hadn’t he prohibited her from quitting as a secretary? It wasn’t a direct threat, but it was almost the same thing. Would it be the same today? It piqued her curiosity.
“I’ll be the empress.”
Cahir was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to be warming up to the idea. He put his chin in his hand, eyes twinkling. Rosaline’s words were enchanting. Like melting cream—well, he didn’t like sweet things, so maybe not cream exactly, but
 if it was from her, he’d soak in it all day.
He held back his exclamation of joy.
‘Is there anything more satisfying than this?’
Although he initially chose her out of pragmatism, he genuinely wanted her to be the empress.
And now she had accepted. He felt like a general who captured an impregnable fortress.
“However, there are conditions, Your Majesty.”
“Anything. I intend to be a generous husband.”
“We must divorce amicably after the political situation stabilizes.”
Cahir wanted to take his words back.