Cedar''s head was throbbing. He had a horrible headache, and he had no idea why. Or maybe he had a vague clue. He didn''t want to be here, wherever he was. When he opened his eyes, this became even more apparent.


    He was in the ballroom of the royal palace. At least he thought so, but his vision was slightly blurred and the scenery somewhat distorted. But this strange version of the ballroom was full of shadowy figures, whose silhouettes made them look like they wore ballgowns and suits. The room was full, like all the nobles of Artias had come. Something like this would only happen for important events, like coronations and royal weddings. But that wasn''t even the strangest thing.


    What actually made Cedar ask questions was his position. Even through his slightly blurred sight, he could tell that he was higher than everyone else, looking down on them from the throne.


    In front of the platform on which the throne stood, a few figures in white robes with golden crosses were waiting. One of them was standing on the platform and gave a long speech, of which Cedar only heard broken whispers and singular words. The scene reminded him of a coronation, which made no sense. The emperor, Theodore, was completely fine. There wouldn''t need to be another coronation until Aurora would take over the crown.


    Cedar felt a small tinge of panic in his stomach, at least as much as he could with that fog clouding his mind. He slowly turned his head while trying to find out what was going on.


    Besides his throne, someone stood. Even though she was as blurred as everyone else, Cedar could recognize her. There was his mother. She was beaming from one ear to the other. Camille met her son''s gaze with so much cheerfulness that it sent terror through his veins. Then she added something even more horrifying by mouthing something to him. ‘We finally did it.’ He understood that part but not what this meant. Her greatest goal was killing Theodore and making Cedar the emperor, right? That couldn''t have worked because Theodore was still alive.


    Cedar was pulled from his thoughts when the high priest''s inaudible speech stopped. That man prepared to pick up the crown, which was lying on top of a navy pillow in a servant''s hands. That was the crown, the official heirloom of the Estien family. Why was this here? This was only done for coronations.


    With each second, more questions arose, but Cedar didn''t receive replies. When he lifted his hand to stop the priest, he was relieved for a moment. But as he wanted to ask what was happening, his mouth worked without his approval. He didn''t ask where Theodore was or what the people here were thinking when they suddenly imitated a coronation, questioning if people disagreed with his claim on the crown. His own voice sounded hollow and distant. Like he wasn''t saying it but heard someone else speak in his voice.


    None of the guests moved. All of them were cowards. Even though their new emperor had murdered the former one and everyone here knew that, no one protested.


    Wait...


    Cedar''s thoughts stopped right there. Now his muddled brain confused him even more. None of this could be right. He hadn''t killed Theodore. His brother was still alive. And his wife and daughter were alive as well. Why should Cedar be crowned when all three of them had a claim on the throne before him? It made no sense. Why were he and everyone else acting like he had killed Theodore?


    Cedar was getting more nauseous with each second. His mind was so clouded that he could barely form a coherent thought.


    The high priest saw that no one stepped forward and saw that as his cue to continue, after saying something inaudible to the guests. He picked up the crown with utmost care while he walked toward the throne. Then he addressed Cedar and asked him some questions the prince didn''t understand. It sounded like the question you would pose the future emperor, asking him to protect and serve the nation though.


    Cedar''s voice responded again. This time, it sounded even further away, growing louder and quieter once in a while. Whoever spoke accepted the crown and asked for the loyalty of Artias'' citizens.


    The foggy silhouettes in the room bowed to him.


    Since neither the guests nor Cedar protested, the high priest came closer to the throne and lifted the crown before bowing down and slowly putting the ultimate symbol of the royal family on Cedar''s head. His voice sounded odd too, almost echoed like it came from another room as he announced that a new emperor had taken over.


    Cedar was pretty sure that he was dreaming at this point. After all, his body didn''t listen to him, and he felt so heavy like he was made of stone. He couldn''t even budge his finger slightly no matter how hard he tried. This certainly wasn''t normal.


    As soon as the crown rested on his head, the nausea inside Cedar grew even more. He could feel it. He could feel the crown digging into his scalp, dragging him down more than a real crown could. He felt like he couldn''t breathe.


    The ceremony continued against his will.


    The silhouettes that probably represented the three dukes and duchesses stepped forward to bow down once more in an exaggerated manner. Cedar recognized Duke Lamont and Duke Duremont based on their appearances. The real problem was that he also recognized the form of his uncle, Duke Vasquez. Why was Claude here when he should be dead?


    Cedar would have liked to insist on this being a dream, just because that would explain what was going on here. But to be honest, that didn''t make much sense. If this was a dream, why could he feel the heavy weight of the crown dragging him down? Why could he feel the armrests of the throne under his hands? Why could he feel his heart pounding in his chest?


    Too many question marks surrounded Cedar''s mind. He could barely think clearly. A dream, surely? That made the most sense.


    Cedar ignored how Duke Duremont muttered something inaudible while trying to find something that made sense in this horrible scenario. For a single moment, he hoped when he caught a glimpse of red hair in the corner of his eyes. But to his horror, he couldn''t even turn his head to make eye contact with his lover. His body refused to pay attention to her, even though she was right there.


    And something else might be even worse. Lucille stood there like all the other guests, slightly blurred and distant. He could see her face, but that seemed wrong to him too. She didn''t smile at him nor did her gaze hold the usual affection for him. As if she didn''t know him at all and just saw the twisted prince of Artias who had murdered his brother and was crowned the new emperor.


    Cedar hated that. He hated every second of this damned coronation, this obvious nightmare. If he could move his body, he would have thrown the crown away already. And he definitely wouldn''t hold still when his mother put her hand on his shoulder either.


    Camille leaned down to him and whispered something into his ear, which finally broke the inaudible murmuring in his mind. He couldn''t understand her either though. Then she stepped back again to watch from beside the throne.


    Cedar was much more uncomfortable with her standing there than he should be. But in the end, that didn''t change anything. He couldn''t move on his own nor could he speak of his own volition. Like this, at least one torturous hour passed by with all the guests congratulating him. He understood none of them, but it felt like they tried to curry favor with him, and some seemed to be scared. Cedar couldn''t blame them. He was scared too. His body didn''t show it, but he was about to throw up. He wanted to snap out of this so badly, but that didn''t happen. Even when the dance floor and the buffet were opened, he didn''t manage to wake up from this dream. His mouth just gave a short speech regarding the future of Artias against his will.


    Cedar doubled his efforts to move. He wanted to stand up, to say something, to look at Lucille. He wanted to do something else than sit here and accept this coronation. But no matter what he did, he couldn''t move. He stayed on the throne for what felt like an eternity before he needed to walk around to escort his mother to speak to the guests. By now, his body didn''t feel like more than a puppet that moved around. He couldn''t feel the floor beneath him or the warm air of the ballroom but just the heavy crown on his head.


    All his supporters were still here, even those who should have been eliminated by Theodore, at least if he read their silhouettes right.


    The most concerning part had to be Lucille though.


    When Cedar''s body finally greeted her and he could still make out her face, he had hoped that he would manage to break free from this trance. That didn''t happen. He addressed her as distantly as everyone else. He didn''t receive the reaction he had hoped for either.


    Raymond''s strangely motionless face watched the prince, or rather the emperor, with much more skepticism than before.


    And Lucille was fearful too. She didn''t seem relaxed in her lover''s presence at all. She curtsied, addressed him with his title and almost tripped over her words in the process. She was scared of Cedar.


    But even this didn''t allow Cedar to snap out of it. After a short greeting, he turned around and addressed another family. By now, he was filled with utter despair, but his attempts to call Lucille''s name were ignored by his body. Cedar tried to convince himself that this was a dream and impatiently waited for his body to wake up, but this nightmare just continued. He was forced to go through the whole ball until midnight before he left. He prayed for it to end there, but whatever this farce was continued.


    As soon as he stepped into the hallway, it felt like their surroundings morphed around him, suddenly letting Camille''s voice ring in his head. “Cedar!”


    Cedar turned, only to find his mother right in front of him. And even through the fog in his head, he became unhappy needing to face. So, he didn''t know why his body stood still until his mother reached him. He didn''t even hug her or show her a smile either though. He just waited for his mother''s affection.


    Camille stepped much too close and put her arms around him. She didn''t use much force, and yet, it seemed to press the air out of Cedar''s lungs. Had her embrace always felt this suffocating and made the air feel so cold? It only got worse when she looked up and raised her hand to cup his cheek, which Cedar couldn''t feel. “We finally did it.” A bright smile was visible on her lips, as far as Cedar could tell at least. “We won, Cedar. We finally have what we always wished for. We are the victors. You are the emperor and will rule Artias. We have the undeniable right to the throne and limitless power, so no one will undermine you. We finally had revenge on the murderer of your father. We have everything we ever wanted.” She was so happy that it was sickening.


    Nothing about this was pleasant for Cedar. This felt like a nightmare.


    Especially as his mother''s far too light voice whispered into his ear. “You always know what the best for us is. You have become grown to be such a respectable young man. Every time I look at you, I can''t help but wonder how quickly the years passed by. I still remember when you were my baby and needed me to carry you around. Now you are carrying the burden of the nation on your shoulders and will lead Artias to a better future. I trust you and know that you will make the best decisions for our citizens. Cedar, there is just one thing you can''t forget.”


    Cedar wanted to push her away and tell her that he wasn''t keen on listening to her when she had threatened to kill everything he loved. Yet, his body leaned into her touch. “Yes, Mother?”


    Camille grinned at him. She knew that he was in her grasp, so she had been sure that he would listen from the very beginning. “I love you. I''m so proud of you. There is nothing we can''t reach.” She was trying to bind him to her. Maybe she was scared because he was much more powerful than her now. She needed him to follow her anyway, so she would have to pull out all her manipulation tactics to make sure that he wouldn''t get upset with her.


    Even after they had won and Theodore was dead, Camille wouldn''t let her second son escape from the cage she had locked him in ever since his birth.


    But Cedar had tried to free himself. He was sure that he had gotten out with the help of Lucille, Theodore, Blanche and everyone else in the palace. Why was he stuck in this horrible nightmare now? He wasn''t sure, and he didn''t receive his answer. Instead, his body just made the decisions for him.


    Cedar closed his eyes for a moment. Before he could open them again, it got darker and much cooler. For a second, he dared to hope, but when he opened his eyes, he still couldn''t move his body by himself, and he still wore that damned crown on his head. All in all, it was horrible, even when he was now standing in the middle of the garden and staring at the fountain. He would have liked to scream in frustration, but he couldn''t even do that.


    But this time, something else caught his attention. A hint of red appeared in the corner of his eyes.


    Lucille.


    Cedar begged his own body to move in her direction, and for once, he wasn''t disappointed. He turned to her and took a step toward her before stopping there. Then his voice spoke again. “Again? How often did this happen by now? We seem to meet here often.”


    Lucille, who was sitting on the edge of the fountain, was now a bit less blurry. Still, her hair looked washed out, and her motions weren''t fluid. This figure that resembled Lucille but wasn''t quite her looked up when she heard him. It was dark, but the red hand-print on the side of her face almost seemed to glow. She averted her eyes as soon as she met his gaze. “I''m sorry for bothering you, Your Majesty. I can...leave if you wish to be here alone.” Her voice was so soft, as if the wind was uttering those words instead. It didn''t sound like her.


    Cedar wanted to go hug her nonetheless. He wanted to pull her into his arms while saying that everything would be fine, and he hated himself for not doing that. His useless body stood there and refused to budge. “You were here before me, so you should not have to be the one to retreat. Did your father insist on going through with the engagement? Even though that man is twice as old as you are?”The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Her little sob was enough of a response.


    So, Lucille was engaged to some other man in this dream? Why would she be? Raymond cared about his daughter. Why would he force her to marry such an old man? Surely, Viscount Valerian had wished for power, but he would never have sold off Lucille like that. And why didn''t Lucille remember anything about promising to marry Cedar?


    That made this a perfect nightmare.


    The Cedar from this world remained silent, even though he was hurting on the inside. His chest felt like it was bleeding. He loved Lucille. Seeing her like that, without recognition in her eyes, was more painful than any wound he had received. Without wanting to, he began to search for something he had hidden in his uniform. He pulled out a handkerchief as well as a small powder box and held both toward Lucille. “This should be fine for now.”


    Lucille looked up at him with wet eyes but didn''t dare to meet his gaze for more than a second. “Thank you, Your Majesty. But...I can''t keep-”


    Cedar cut her off by just putting the items into her hand. He hadn''t even made skin contact for a single second, and he couldn''t even feel it. Lucille was right in front of him. Why wasn''t he touching her, hugging her or kissing her? He loved this woman, so he should use every chance he had to show that to her.


    But he could neither speak out of turn nor move on his own, and the nightmare continued.


    Lucille accepted the handkerchief and the powder box before lowering her gaze. “Thank you.” She was even quieter and more uncertain than before now. She treated him like every other stranger. It was like in the beginning when she hadn''t trusted him yet.


    Cedar hated it. And what was even worse was that he just stood next to her in silence instead of consoling her. He didn''t even look toward her but stared into the distance as if he was indifferent.


    Lucille carefully covered her cheek with powder so that it hid the red handprint more or less. When she was done, she dared to speak up again. “Uhm...” She waited until he looked at her before giving him his powder box back. “I thank you...from the bottom of my heart. I will...return the handkerchief when we see each other again. I mean...if you want it back and...” She was stuttering around him again. It hurt to see her so nervous.


    But the Cedar of this world didn''t care much. He sounded emotionless again, which was a stark contrast to his normally cheery tone. “You can keep it. The powder too.”


    “Oh.” Lucille slowly lowered the powder box again. She barely dared to make eye contact with the emperor before she looked down. She sat there in silence for a few seconds before she spoke again. “I am unsure whether it would be inappropriate to ask, Your Majesty. But...why are you carrying around powder with you?”


    Cedar didn''t show his usual polite smile. He just blankly stared at the fountain while replying. “I have no use for it anymore. I''ve gotten better at blindly obeying my mother, so she stopped hitting me.” He would never have admitted that outright in his normal state of mind. Whatever had caused this world to be like this was completely messed up. Cedar didn''t want to see any of this. He wanted to return home to his Lucille, who would smile at him and hug him.


    This Lucille here was just intimidated by his presence. She was on edge even now. “I''m so sorry to hear that.” She said this and panicked a moment later before hurriedly correcting herself. “Ah. I meant I''m sorry to hear that she hit you! Not that she stopped or-”


    Cedar cut her off. “I know. It''s fine. It''s not like you aren''t used to the same problem, so there is no need to pity me.” Why was he so rude? Even if this wasn''t Lucille, he shouldn''t be so harsh with a crying woman. He should leave a stranger alone when they were busy, so why was he staying here when Lucille wasn''t comfortable crying out loud while he was so close? “You can cry if you want to. Me being here shouldn''t stop you. It''s fine if you let out your frustration about that old bastard.” Why was this version of him so cruel? He had known what his words would cause.


    Lucille was reminded of her engagement and lowered her gaze again. She hugged herself for a moment. She tried to hold back, but the tears ran down her cheeks within seconds. “I...I...” She stuttered a little before she finally spoke. “I just...know that that man will hit me often. And I...I...” She gave up. She began sobbing loudly and tried to stifle her crying by pressing her hands to her mouth.


    Cedar insulted his other version a hundred times. Why had he said that to her? Had that been on purpose? Definitely. He knew how to read people. He had made Lucille cry with the full intention of using this to his advantage. After all, he didn''t even console her now. He just stood there and watched her face while trying to determine how she was feeling. He let her cry for a bit before he spoke up. “There is one way you could get away from this.”


    Lucille looked up immediately.


    Cedar noticed that his expression was still blank. He wasn''t even hiding that he addressed this topic with something specific in mind. And then it got even worse. “I could help you in return for a very specific favor. It will not be to your disadvantage.” What?


    No. He should help her without demanding anything in return.


    But this world''s Cedar didn''t care. He waited until he was sure that he had Lucille''s attention before resuming. “I need a composed empress. Someone who will not challenge my mother, will not evoke her envy and will not get involved in politics. Someone that will only appear next to me in public and keep away any inquiries of me taking in a wife.” He wouldn''t dare to do that, would he? In his mind, Cedar tried to stop himself, but his mouth continued without showing the slightest bit of hesitance. “In all honesty, my position is complicated, which is why the woman I marry has to meet a lot of requirements. I need to keep my supporters weak and my opponents strong so that my reign won''t destroy the power balance of our nation. It would be best if the empress came from one of the less politically involved, neutral families so that I would not strengthen either one of the factions too much. Unfortunately, this means that the choices are rather limited since almost everyone chose one side.”


    Lucille probably thought that he was insane as he told her this. Yet, she didn''t interrupt him and just listened with an uncertain expression that pained him to witness.


    By now, Cedar used all his willpower to stop himself from voicing this pathetic offer, but it didn''t work. His body resumed. “Another issue is that my mother is a jealous person. She will murder anyone she thinks I care about. That means I would need to treat my wife very coldly at all times to show that she isn''t anyone special to me. Doing that is quite harsh. I''m not comfortable with that, but I have no choice. It would just be good if the concerned person knew what was going on and could deal with that. At the same time, I need someone reserved who won''t try to interfere when I rule and someone who will back all of my decisions without quarreling with my mother or with me.”


    Lucille looked like she was utterly shocked. She gazed at him with wide eyes and barely seemed to understand what he was saying. That made sense. The situation here indicated that they had only talked occasionally during events here. Suddenly proposing in such a disgusting way wouldn''t make her jump with joy.


    Cedar just resumed as if it didn''t matter that he was paralyzing Lucille with his suggestion. “With some time, it would be fine. I could find someone in a few years. But I will be forced to marry soon as the nobles worry about the royal family''s heir. Aside from me, there aren''t any male relatives left, so I have to present a child soon. That means they will push me to announce a wife in just a couple of months. I will not marry Lady Peril, whom I resent. However, my mother supports her as my choice, and I need to get engaged to ensure that she will not become a candidate. All in all, this means that I need a wife that meets the requirements I listed fast. Of course, it would be best if she was aware of her position and could get along with me behind closed doors.” So, he wanted a fake wife that would leave him alone and allow him to rule on his own. That was selfish. Cedar had always been reluctant to talk about marriage because he hadn''t wanted to bind a poor woman to someone like him. Even in a nightmare, it was odd to assume something else.


    Lucille blinked at him. That was probably the only logical answer to something like this.


    Yet, Cedar chose to add something else, still in the same indifferent tone. “I assume that you understood what I am proposing. You do not have to worry about me demanding anything of you. This is your own choice, and it would be a marriage in name more than anything else. I don''t need a successor. It would be better if the Estien bloodline didn''t continue with this curse. It will only end unofficially, of course. I will adopt a child later when I took care of the mess Theodore left behind and say that it''s mine.” He probably meant after Camille was dead. “That boy will receive the Estien name and become the future emperor.”


    That was another harsh hit that was currently dealt out. Lucille wanted to have a family, and currently, someone was trying to get her to agree to something that would basically ruin her dreams and life.


    Cedar paused for a moment to allow Lucille to swallow this pill before he resumed. “I can calm you in all regards when it comes to you being forced to do anything. You will just carry the family name and protect me from being bothered by others. In return, I can protect you from your father and from the bastard he chose as your fiancé. You will not have to fear a husband who abuses you and can instead rest assured that I will protect you in each and every way. No one will undermine your rank, and no one will be able to tell you what to do from now on. You can make your own decisions. I know that this trade offers much more to me than it offers you, so I will not be upset if you reject it. Just say the word, and I will never mention this again. It''s your choice.”


    For the first time in his life, Cedar hated what he was doing with every fiber of his being. He was a manipulative bastard. This had always been the case, but now he was directly confronted with it in his own dreams. He knew that Lucille had always hated the fact that Raymond had predetermined her life. She had felt like she wasn''t able to make decisions on her own. Fleeing from her father''s cage had been her biggest wish. She had also planned on marrying a man who wouldn''t hurt her without really demanding love.


    Cedar knew that, and he used it against Lucille by phrasing his proposal in a manner that would make her feel like she could fulfill her two biggest goals at the same time. She would say yes for sure.


    Normally, Cedar would be happy to have Lucille accept him, but he didn''t want her to say yes like this. If he proposed to Lucille, it couldn''t be such an unromantic proposal. He didn''t want her to be a quiet wife that kept engagements away. He wanted her to marry him because he loved her.


    Lucille reacted as he had guessed that she would. She tensed and looked at him with wide eyes. She didn''t believe him and took a few seconds to collect herself before replying. “But me as the empress... That''s impossible. I could never appear in public and guide our nation.” She was so quiet that he could barely hear her. But her tone had revealed that she was thinking about it.


    As expected, Cedar just added the worst comment he could voice.“I need someone with as little presence as possible. You would not have any tasks aside from being seen with me in public and enduring me sleeping in the seating room of your chambers once in a while to keep up the illusion of us being a normal married couple. My mother would be the greatest danger, but I can protect you from her as long as you act like we are completely indifferent to one another. If she thinks that you are scared of me and you make sure to show that she has more power than you, she will ignore you.” No. What was he doing?


    Camille was always dangerous no matter what. That woman was unpredictable. If the emperor didn''t fight against her, she would be much too powerful. Cedar couldn''t just use Lucille to keep away problems while risking her life. And even if he had wanted to take away Lucille''s worries, telling her that she had no presence was awful.


    Lucille didn''t question it though. She looked down at her lap for a moment and balled her fists. She was completely overwhelmed by the situation. “This is...much too... I mean, I''m supposed to... I can''t. This is too quick.”


    Cedar replied in the same calm voice as before. “It''s your choice whether you want to reconsider. You can simply write a letter at any time or approach me during a ball. Make your decision. I will not interfere nor pressure you.” He only said that because he wanted to seem different from her father. He offered her two choices while knowing well that she would choose him if the engagement with a violent old man was the other possibility. After this, he would only need to be silent for a few seconds. Inwardly, Cedar complained and wanted to tell Lucille that he loved her and that he didn''t want to use her, but he had never had a chance.


    Lucille stared at her hands for a minute or so. She was thinking about it. She went through the two possible ways that were lying in front of her. There was only a little tap missing, and she would fall into his grasp.


    And Cedar gave her that little tap by speaking up again. “As I said, the offer is there. It will most certainly remain until I find another person who fits the description and agrees. It''s your choice. Contact me when you made up your mind. I wish you a wonderful evening, Lady Valerian.” He turned around and only took one step.


    “Please wait!” Lucille already stood when he faced her again. She stuttered around a bit while wringing her hands and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. But after a few seconds, she replied. “I...accept. If I can help you while also getting away from...my father, I want to do it. I don''t think I''m a fitting person, but...”


    Cedar wasn''t surprised. He had known this reaction would come. He already responded a second after she had finished. “You are very much fitting. As I promised, you will not need to bother with politics nor will you have to be perfect when you appear in public. No one will dare to criticize my wife since they question my sanity.” He came a step closer to her again before he continued. “You can leave everything to me, and I will take care of it. I will not restrict your freedom as long as you don''t interfere with mine or challenge my mother. I will guide you when you ask for it though. Keep in mind that Mother is unstable and that you should avoid her, but that is all you need to know. Everything else will go smoothly. I can swear this to you as Cedar Estien and the emperor of Artias. As long as you are with me, I will protect you.” He offered his hand to her.


    This was Lucille''s last chance to refuse, but she wouldn''t do that. As expected, she carefully put her hand onto his after hesitating for a second. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” She seemed to see this as an advantage for herself, so she would feel indebted later too.


    How much of an idiot Cedar was. How could he be so unaffected while seeing how Lucille''s face was still wet with tears? How could he use that for his sake? Had he really been so selfish before falling for her? He couldn''t believe that. Now his body did something nice, but that was also part of the manipulation. Cedar took the handkerchief from the edge of the fountain and wiped away a few of Lucille''s tears before putting it into her empty hand. “I have to thank you. I''m pleased that you agreed. I will send a letter to invite you for tea in a short while, and we can discuss the details then. For now, we have to set protective measures in place. Let us act a little.” He looked directly into Lucille''s eyes. “Please allow me to dance with you once. Just so that we have an excuse for when we met and so that your father will have to stop talking about marriage.”


    Lucille''s panic came back in an instant. “Your Majesty, I apologize. I can''t dance well.” She was already getting red just because of so little skin contact.


    Cedar used that to his advantage, most likely because he planned on bringing her inside with her face being flushed as a sign of them getting closer. But he didn''t admit that outright and just stroked over the back of her hand with his thumb. “I have danced often enough for both of us. If you close your eyes, I will lead you. However, if you don''t wish to dance, I will just bring you inside. Let me escort you for five minutes. That will be enough to show them that we are acquainted.” He had offered the more intimate thing first so that he could step back a bit and act like he was generous. What an awful move.


    Lucille didn''t think about refusing at all, even if this could ruin all chances of her backing out again. “Fine.” She was silent for a moment and only tensed when Cedar linked his arm with hers. “What... What are you planning to do?”


    Cedar slowly began leading her to the ballroom without giving her a chance to dry her tears completely. Maybe he wanted to make it seem like he had consoled her. “I will scare your father a bit. I will tell him to take care of you and voice a silent threat. He won''t dare to hit you again. Trust me.” So, he seemed to have a bit of a guilty consciousness. He really would protect her in return for her agreement, but this still was a horrible plan.


    This could bring Lucille in more danger than it would help her.


    Cedar tried to speak up again to tell her that and to tell her that he actually cared for her, but his mouth didn''t budge again. But with every step he took toward the ballroom, the nausea inside him rose. If he spent enough time with Lucille like this, he would fall in love with her again. For some reason, he was sure of that. Surely, Lucille being with him like this was better than her not being with him at all, but he didn''t want their relationship to begin because he used her as a shield to keep proposals away. He wanted her to be with him because they had naturally grown affectionate with each other. He wanted to her be his wife because they loved each other and not because of society''s pressure.


    And it wasn''t just this fake marriage that he didn''t want. He didn''t want this whole world.


    Cedar didn''t want to kill his brother to become emperor. He didn''t want to stay his mother''s puppet.


    What Cedar wanted was completely different, and the most important thing he wanted was Lucille. He loved her, and he needed her to love him in return. And he had her love. He knew that.


    He remembered how much time he had spent with her. He remembered bleeding in her garden until she helped him. He remembered hugging her when she cried and sleeping in her bed because he had needed to console her. He remembered her asking about their relationship and how he had kissed her during the firework. He remembered her telling him that she loved him, and he also remembered their first night together. All of that had happened. He was sure of that.


    Whatever this current world that was shown to him was, it was nothing but a nightmare.


    Cedar didn''t belong here, and he refused to accept this as his life. He hadn''t hurt his brother. The royal couple was happily living together and had a daughter. The capital was almost completely stable and not in ruins. The nobles and the people in the palace were happy with their families, and Artias was flourishing.


    And Cedar was Lucille''s lover. She was his beloved. There was no room for anyone else when he knew that he loved her with his whole heart.


    That was why he had to return to her side. He wanted to return to his world where he could move on his own accord and see all the people he cared about. He wanted to see his whole family again.


    Cedar wasn''t sure what had caused it, but all of a sudden, the world around him seemed to freeze as if time had been stopped. Then it was awfully warm, and the scenery around him disappeared. It was as if a glass wall in front of him was shattered and allowed his mind and body to connect. He could finally move again. He was lying somewhere now, and a warm blanket covered half of his body. The location wasn''t important though.


    What Cedar needed to know was whether Lucille was with him again.


    He opened his eyes.