The Emperor and the Knightess

She didn’t care that Frau wasn’t a particularly dependable man because she was dependable herself. It was okay that he didn’t have any money because she had plenty. It was also fine that he didn’t have a significant rank since hers was high enough.

Frau told her he was fine not having any children. He wanted to marry her not because he was pressured by his parents. He himself wanted to marry her for her money and status, and she liked it.

For now, Frau was at the top of the potential husband list for Poliana. Since there wasn’t anyone else on the list, he was on the top. If Lucius the First knew about this, he would’ve fainted.

But for now, the emperor had no idea. He smiled kindly and said to Poliana, “A marriage is a very important deal, so I really hope you end up marrying someone you really like, Pol. People around you may pressure you, but please don’t be so rash with your decision. I will protect you and make sure no one forces you.”

“I know that, your highness.”

“Don’t just marry anyone just because you feel pressured or feel like it’s too late. Don’t marry an average man, Pol. You need to marry someone who is handsome and from a good family. Someone with a good body and has a good personality. It will have to be someone I approve of.”

It sounded like the emperor wanted her to never get married. Poliana laughed at his nagging.

***

After Poliana left, Lucius the First sighed. He wished he could make his worries go away. All those sleepless nights…

‘Frau Sneke.’

The man who made the emperor almost faint.

Lucius the First took a deep breath. He had to lose his personal feelings and think objectively about this situation.

Frau Sneke. He was from a decent family, but he was kicked out of it. He was a doctor, so he wasn’t even a knight even though he was from a good noble family. He wasn’t rich and he wasn’t a genius doctor either.

So how dare he propose to Poliana? Even the emperor, with his beauty and power, couldn’t dare to do it, yet here he was, a below-average nobleman daring to marry his love.

Frau Sneke.

His crime was so great that he deserved to be punished with death. The emperor was so furious that he wanted to rip Frau Sneke’s body into pieces.

‘How dare he covet Pol’s wealth? How dare he insult the woman I love?’

This information was collected and reported to him by the Intelligence Unit. The unit did not consider it very important, however, so it did not have much detail.

It was only reported to Lucius the First because Poliana was his favorite knight. If she was anyone else, this incident wouldn’t have been related to the emperor, especially because Poliana turned Frau down.

There were only a few things Lucius the First knew about this incident and he was unhappy about it. He wanted all the details. For example, how long have Poliana and Frau known each other? How did they first meet? How often have they been meeting? Was there a chance that they might get together?

Lucius the First contemplated.

Should he explore this situation further? Or should he leave it alone?

It seemed that Poliana wasn’t interested in Frau, which meant there was no reason the emperor had to be worried about it. It would be a waste of time and manpower to explore this incident any further.

However…

Lucius the First clenched his fists hard. The fury he felt… He couldn’t control it.

Should he get someone to find out more about this incident? Or should he leave it alone?

The emperor contemplated for a long time. He had never thought so hard about anything else before. He was the emperor. All he had to do was order it and it would be done without a question.

Only

But… If he ordered such a thing, it would be the same as him admitting that he was very interested in Poliana and her affairs. There was no reason for the emperor to spy on Frau Sneke other than his connection, not Poliana. What would the Intelligence Unit think if Lucius the First ordered it to spy on Frau?

He knew no one would question his motive, but this wasn’t how he wanted his men to work. He wanted his men to think for themselves and know the reasons behind what they do.

A good ruler needed to follow the same rules as his subjects. Lucius the First swore he would never become a dictator, although there were days when he wished he could act like one.

Like the days when he finds out that another man proposed to the woman he loved.

Like the days when he felt so angry that he couldn’t even tell the woman he loved the truth.

Like the days when he couldn’t even go out and beat up the guy who proposed to the woman he loved.

Love was like an illness. It made Lucius the First to become sicker and weaker.