“Why trees all of a sudden?”

Liliana blinked as she asked. Helio, seemingly satisfied with his idea, strode further inside.

Since he still held Liliana’s hand, she had to hurry and catch up with him with quick steps.

“If the Emerald Palace is too small, then I’ll just give you a bigger one.”

“Your Majesty, slow down, please.”

Unable to keep up with Helio’s large strides, Liliana eventually asked for help. At her plea, Helio suddenly stopped and looked down at her.

“It’s because you’re so small that you can’t keep up. I’m in a hurry.”

“And what are you in such a hurry about?”

“I’m eager to share good news. Aren’t you the same?”

Helio’s face looked oddly innocent as he spoke. Liliana couldn’t bring herself to resist that expression and ended up shaking her head.

Still, Helio wrapped an arm around her waist and walked at her pace.

“I’m thinking of giving you the Aris Palace.”

“The Aris Palace? Didn’t it catch fire?”

“You underestimate the palace’s fire safety measures. Even if it did catch fire, it’s fine. That said, the main palace will need to be torn down and rebuilt. I’ll have the other buildings, including the annex, refurbished, so you can decorate them to your liking.”

The Aris Palace was the one given to his daughter in the original story by Helio. Despite the altered future, it felt strange that Helio was still offering the palace to Liliana.

“I will. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

When Liliana readily accepted, Helio’s expression became peculiar. After expressing his joy with exaggerated gestures, he tilted his head slightly and gazed at her.

Feeling embarrassed, Liliana instinctively stepped back, but with his arm still around her waist, it was futile.

Helio, observing her with a blank expression, then flashed a charming smile. Drawing her closer, he whispered near her ear, his lips nearly brushing her earlobe.

“Why do I find your reaction so delightful?”

As Helio pulled back slightly, Liliana stared, her mouth agape, blinking in surprise.

She knew Helio was trying to seduce her, but this was the first time he had been so blatant, leaving her flustered.

Liliana instinctively tried to push Helio away, but her hands were devoid of strength. It was almost as if she was asking to see more of his handsome face.

“Why wouldn’t I? Of course, I’ll accept when you’re offering something good.”

“How shameless. You’ve always said what I give isn’t worth compared to that cheap bracelet.”

Liliana gave him a bewildered look at the exaggeration. She pushed Helio away again, this time with more force in her palms.

Although Helio didn’t budge, he obediently loosened his arm and stepped back.

“Words can be interpreted differently, but you always seem to choose the most annoying way to take mine.”

“That’s just how I am.”

Helio didn’t deny it and simply laughed.

Though Liliana found him infuriating, it didn’t sit right with her to argue back barely five minutes after he’d mentioned giving her the magnificent Aris Palace.

Helio found Liliana’s attitude even more puzzling.

“I expected you to protest and whine that it’s too close to the Empress’s Palace and that you’re scared, but you seem different. What’s changed?”

At Helio’s words, Liliana fell silent as if her tongue were tied. Aiming to become Empress, it would be unwise to show fear over merely receiving the Aris Palace.

Instead, she needed to seize this opportunity to spread rumors about how much the Emperor cherished the Empress Consort, stirring public opinion.

“There’s no change. But it will take quite some time to rebuild the palace, won’t it? If you plan to plant trees seasonally as you said, you’ll have to trouble hundreds of trees.”

As Liliana joked, the two reached the second floor. She guided Helio to her bedroom, subtly signaling Sophia.

Although it didn’t seem like Helio had come to embrace her today, Liliana still wanted to take a contraceptive pill just in case.

“For now, I’ll be content with the Rhenia trees until the palace move.”

“You’re underestimating the Empire’s technological prowess. Since it’s not a complete rebuild, it’ll be finished around the time the war ends.”

At the mention of war, Liliana’s lips parted, then closed, repeating several times. Helio watched her thoughtfully before asking,

“Didn’t you already know?”

“Yes. I heard about it.”

“I figured my clever Empress Consort would have.”

Helio’s expression remained calm, oblivious to Liliana’s swirling emotions. It felt like this burning, anxious heart was hers to bear alone.

After seating herself at the table in her bedroom with Helio, Liliana carefully asked,

“Will Your Majesty also join the war?”

“I must.”

Helio’s voice carried not a hint of hesitation. Though Liliana had been an abandoned princess, she knew this much:

Not just nobles but even royals would resort to all sorts of disgraceful acts to avoid going to war.

Even the most honorable knightly families would feign illness to dodge the battlefield, only to end up in ridiculous situations. But Helio’s face showed not a trace of fear.

Liliana forced a hesitant smile.

“Why? You are the great Emperor of this Empire; why do you feel the need to join the war yourself?”

“It’s not something pleasant to hear. I’d rather not discuss it.”

“…Alright.”

As Liliana sulked and lowered her head, Helio clicked his tongue and tapped the table. He seemed to want to change the atmosphere, so he asked something else.

“Are the preparations for the year-end and New Year’s celebrations going well?”

“Honestly?”

Liliana’s voice sounded petulant, perhaps upset that her previous question hadn’t been answered. Helio chuckled lightly and gestured for her to continue. Liliana clasped her hands on her lap and let out a deep sigh.

“I wish there was a gap between the end of the year and the start of the next one.”

“Haha!”

Helio laughed heartily, amused by Liliana’s ridiculous remark, a rare sight.

“I’m serious.”

“There were also hunting tournaments and palace banquets alongside the Harvest Festival.”

“Yes. At that time, I was sure that there was no national event more exhausting than the Harvest Festival. But nothing is as grueling as the New Year’s and year-end celebrations.”

Liliana muttered as she curled each of her fingers one by one.

“Since the dates are different, the curtain colors, tablecloth colors, and even the meal concepts have to be different. The guests are slightly different, so I have to pay attention, and even the attendants’ outfits are supposed to change. There’s so much to decide that I picked my own dress in a hurry.”

“So you wish there was some time between the end and the start of the year?”

“Yes. Even a month, no, just a week would be enough.”

Leaning back comfortably in his chair, Helio replied arrogantly, “I guarantee you that during that time, you’d still end up commemorating, praying for, or celebrating something. And then there’d be another event, and you’d be stuck preparing three different celebrations at once.”

Liliana’s face turned horrified. She looked completely taken aback, as if she had never once considered such a dreadful thought.

She let out another wistful sigh as she stared blankly at Sophia placing a teacup in front of her. She took a sip of what was likely tea infused with her contraceptive pill and shook her head as if resigned.

“Still, it’s a relief that Agrina joined as my close maid. Unlike me, she was raised with all sorts of etiquette from birth, and she’s well aware of the trends in the capital. She was a big help in selecting decorations for the banquet hall.”

“Ah, that woman.”

Helio briefly averted his gaze before looking back at Liliana.

“Why did you bring her in as a close maid all of a sudden?”

Unlike Helio, Liliana leaned closer to the table, propping her chin with both hands. With her cheeks pressed against her palms, she looked like a chipmunk.

“I don’t feel like saying.”

At her coy tone, Helio straightened his posture and closed the distance between them.

He reached out toward Liliana, and she instinctively clenched her lips, wary that he might flick her forehead or pinch her nose again. Noticing her guarded stare, Helio withdrew his hand and chuckled.

“Everyone knows you as the most gentle and mild Empress Consort in history.”

‘You’re really neither gentle nor mild.’

Though that was his unspoken implication, Liliana focused on something else entirely. She straightened her back from leaning against the table and crossed her arms firmly.

“That’s nonsense. I’ve been trying so hard to become a femme fatale.”

Now that she had resolved to become Empress, being seen as ‘gentle’ didn’t sit well with Liliana, and she bristled at the comment.

“Femme fatale doesn’t mean arrogant.”

“I know that, too—”

Before Liliana could finish her sentence, Helio stood up fully and leaned over the table toward her.

Liliana, who had been chattering away, suddenly stiffened, her entire body going rigid. She glanced up at Helio, her transparent eyes trembling like glass.

“Are you sure you know what a femme fatale means?”

Helio brushed the strands of hair that had slipped down Liliana’s cheek behind her ear and slowly caressed her neck. Liliana unfolded her arms and raised her hands, but they hovered aimlessly, unable to push him away, hold him, or shield herself. Helio took one of her hands and slowly interlaced their fingers.

“Your Majesty, what I meant was…”

Liliana’s head was spinning, but she struggled to speak. Yet Helio, as if determined to seduce her as he had once claimed, didn’t stop his actions.

“What I mean is, I wasn’t referring to that kind of femme fatale but to one who disrupts Your Majesty’s mood…”

Helio, finding her endearing, smiled and gently pressed his lips to hers.

“Disrupt me.”

The words etched onto her lips were short but intense. Even with her eyes tightly shut, Liliana felt as if her vision was swirling.

Isn’t the real femme fatale this man, not me? Otherwise, how could he make me feel this dizzy?

Unable to resist the temptation, Liliana clung desperately to Helio’s neck.