Cedar got to work as soon as he could during the very next ball. He knew that moving forward here was crucial, but he was also aware that he had to be careful. Lucille Valerian was quite scared of him, so even having a long conversation with her and her father as everyone else was watching would be impossible. Since Camille also had a watchful eye on her son, it was difficult for Cedar to take the first step. And just before he could make any progress, something unfavorable had appeared.

Lucille Valerian had gotten engaged to someone else.

If Cedar wanted to use her as his ace in the sleeve, that was unfavorable though. He really couldn't have her married off to someone, so he kept an eye on this to intervene in an emergency. He quickly noted that the old bastard Lucille was supposed to wed wasn't much of a problem. After all, that sleazeball was known to drink, gamble and treat his servants like slaves. Such a person wouldn't be missed even if they suddenly disappeared. So, Cedar could easily solve this problem even if Raymond didn't break off his daughter's engagement. Though, ruining that fiancé's businesses was the first thing Cedar did. The effects would show later, but first, something else needed to be dealt with.

It was still hard to catch a moment with Lucille alone, so he was quite worried about not being able to make her trust him. Then Cedar got lucky for once.

During a ball, Lucille had danced with her fiancé, only to rush out into the garden immediately after. Cedar assumed that she was upset and wanted some time for herself. Despite knowing that he was being very disrespectful, he fully ignored that and followed her. He wasn't surprised to find Lucille crying at the fountain. He also couldn't deny that this was a great chance for him. Now he just needed to act just as intended.

Cedar greeted Lucille and merely asked whether everything was fine while making sure to stay polite and a bit distant. Lucille reacted with the expected fear and seemed like she thought that he would chop her head off if she upset him. Cedar quickly calmed her down a bit by just interacting with her kindly and offering her a stay in a guest room should she feel unwell. Lucille naturally declined that. Cedar didn't let that stop him and just smiled at her while saying that he knew that he wasn't qualified to say this but still offered help if she really needed it. This shocked that young woman, who had seemingly expected the emperor to be a far scarier person, quite a lot. Cedar just left it at this though and entered the ballroom again.

From then on, he ensured that they would have a few occasional meetings. Whenever Lucille left a ball or party to catch a breath away from anyone else, which she seemed to do during every event, Cedar was there too. Like this, they had already met in the garden four times. The conversations had gotten a bit longer each time, and Lucille had opened up a bit suspiciously quickly. She hadn't hidden much about the chokehold her father had on her when he told her to get married to the old bastard she was currently bound to. It was so obvious that she needed help. And for once, the rumors about Cedar's difficult relationship with his mother helped him easily when he needed to gain Lucille's trust.

Today was the fifth time that they met, and it was also the date when he would finally move this plan forward.

As Cedar walked down the stairs of the terrace, he caught a glimpse of some red in the corner of his eye. Of course, only one lady in the capital had such obvious hair, so Cedar had found what he had searched for. He quietly approached while looking around to make sure that they were alone. When he had the confirmation, he closed the remaining distance between them and spoke up. “Again? How often did this happen by now? We seem to meet here often.”

Lucille, who was sitting on the edge of the fountain, jolted her head up when she heard him. It was dark, but the light of the palace allowed him to see the tears that coated her face as well as the red handprint on the side of her face. 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 hoarse that it was obvious that she was crying.

Cedar didn't need her to leave. He had just come here to chat with her, so why would he send her away? Well, at least it seemed like she hadn't seen past his obvious ploy yet. “You were here before me, so you should not have to be the one to retreat.” And now it was time for Cedar to begin his act. It took some effort to keep himself from smiling, but putting on that blank expression that made him seem tired usually worked like a charm, so he focused on that. He knew that continuing like this was horribly mean, but he made sure to put salt right into the flesh wound. “Did your father insist on going through with the engagement? Even though that man is twice as old as you are?”

Lucille hurriedly lowered her gaze. Her little sob was enough of a response. She was trapped in an engagement she hated.

And this also ensured that she needed someone to pull her out.

Cedar watched her for a moment longer before he searched 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 made sure not to touch her in the process and pulled back immediately after. He needed to keep enough distance to ensure that Lucille wouldn't get mad at him. As soon as she got scared, he would lose, so moving slowly was the only correct answer. Showing her compassion would surely make her trust him.

Lucille accepted the handkerchief and the powder box before lowering her gaze. “Thank you.” She was even quieter and more uncertain than before now. As expected, she didn't feel like the new emperor, who was still known as the insane second prince that had killed his own brother, was a person she should interact with. She was good at figuring out stuff like that.

Cedar had to admit that this would be best for her, but unfortunately, he needed her help. So, he also needed Lucille to trust him. He could probably do that by making her sympathize with him. Cedar despised it when people pitied him, but he might have to ignore his feelings for now. After all, using this strategy always seemed to work. Though, he forced himself to move so slowly that it wouldn't be too obvious. Cedar averted his gaze and pretended to look away as Lucille opened the powder box. From the corner of his eyes, he watched how she put on some of the powder.

Lucille carefully covered her cheek so that it hid the red handprint more or less. When she was done and shut the box, 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 a lot around him. Seemingly, Lucille only did that when she was nervous. As expected, this was still a difficult situation.

Cedar considered delaying what he had wanted to speak about but quickly remembered that he didn't have too much time. If his mother found out what he was doing here, Lucille might be ruined, so he had to stick to a specific pace. He had to speak about something that would hurriedly gain him her sympathy. “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 unconsciously wanted to return to the bright grin he always wore, but he forced himself to keep his face indifferent as he blankly stared at the fountain while replying with the comment that might cause Lucille to drop her guard. “I actually have no use for it anymore. I've gotten better at blindly obeying my mother, so she stopped hitting me.” Not that he would ever speak about this if he wasn't trying to use someone's pity for him against them.

Lucille's eyes widened as she tensed. “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.” Now he reminded her that she had the same problem. After that, he basically just had to point out that she needed his help to get out of this issue. And even when Cedar felt bad and knew that this was a horrible thing to use against someone, he couldn't go without it. He just brought Lucille to her limit. “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.” How awful he was when he knew exactly what remembering her engagement would do to the woman in front of him.

As expected, Lucille lowered her gaze again. She hugged herself for a moment while shaking her head a bit. 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 at that. She began sobbing loudly and tried to stifle her crying by pressing her hands to her mouth.

If she trusted him any more, Cedar might have been able to console her now, but he obviously couldn't do that. Lucille feared him, so she needed to come to him of her own free will if he wanted this to work. So, he just stood there and watched her face while trying to determine how she was feeling. He let her cry for at least a minute to let her worries sink in before he spoke up. “There is one way you could get away from this.”

Lucille surely hadn't expected him to say that. She slowly removed her hands from her face and looked up with round eyes. She looked so helpless.

A kind person would help her just because they could.

But Cedar wasn't kind. He wasn't doing this for fun. “I could help you in return for a very specific favor. It will not be to your disadvantage.” It wasn't that good of a deal for her, but Cedar would turn it into something acceptable, at least he told himself that. It might be dangerous, but he would do his best to protect Lucille.

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Lucille could barely tell what he meant by those words. She looked at him in utter confusion and opened and shut her mouth as if she wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

Luckily, Cedar had already prepared a list of things he would require in return. “I know that your situation is not perfect. Mine isn't either. As you might have noticed, I am under a lot of pressure here. I need a composed empress soon. Someone that 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. 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 am not strengthening either one of the factions too much. Unfortunately, this means that the choices are rather limited since almost everyone chose a side.” That was quite a long list, and it had to sound shocking to someone that had never heard this before.

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 almost made him feel bad.

Cedar barely allowed himself to consider what a mess he was pulling Lucille into here and just resumed with what he needed to share. “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. They barely knew each other, and now Cedar proposed while making it clear that she was just a tool for him. No one would be happy about this.

Though, this wasn't surprising to Cedar. He had expected just this. If there was one thing he was good at, it was talking. So, he kept doing that. “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 demand that I 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 prevent her from becoming a candidate. All in all, this means that I need a wife that meets the requirements I listed quickly. Of course, it would be best if she was aware of my position and could get along with me behind closed doors.” It was quite selfish to ask for a fake wife that wouldn't have power in any way. Cedar had no choice though.

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 doesn'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.” After Camille was dead. If he tried that before, he was sure that his mother would hate how he cared for his child so much that she might try to harm it in some way. Cedar would never let that happen. “That boy will receive the Estien name and become the future emperor.”

Lucille could just sit there with an open mouth as she tried to understand what he was telling her. Unsurprisingly, she didn't find the right words to reply.

So, Cedar just spoke more. “I can calm you in all regards when it comes to you being forced to do anything. All in all, you will just carry the family name and protect me from being bothered by others.” And now he could list all of her advantages. Cedar made sure to go through every single thing while sounding as serious as possible. “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 that 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.”

‘Choice’.

That was the magical word. Lucille wanted to have a choice more than anything else.

Judging by all sources one could find, Lucille had been solely raised by her father after her mother had left the family early. Ever since then, Raymond, who was known to be cold and calculative, had controlled her life fully. Lucille probably hadn't been able to make a single decision upon being pushed into an uncertain future. And at this point in time, fleeing from her father's cage was her biggest wish. Surely, she would grasp every chance to ensure that. Being empress wouldn't make Lucille feel especially good, but she could at least be protected in some way. After all, only two people could order her around in that case.

Cedar knew that he was being a manipulative bastard for using this, but he didn't care. He desperately needed his ace to play along if he wanted to stabilize the capital. So, he was actually willing to be so selfish. In return, he swore to respect Lucille's decision while also keeping her safe in case she agreed. But who was he kidding? Of course, she would agree.

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. She was doubting herself and wondered whether this request was even genuine.

But her tone had revealed that she was thinking about it. As long as this held true, Cedar could reel her in with some care.

Of course, he just added something that would convince her that she was a good fit and that he wouldn't demand too much of her. “I need someone with as little of a 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 threat, 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.” Even so, it was still dangerous. Cedar was aware. He swore to protect Lucille anyway. He wouldn't let her be harmed by anyone here, especially not his mother.

This should be possible when his future wife seemed to be a quiet person that would always hold back. Though, he still felt a bit bad about saying that Lucille was a perfect fit for this role with her lacking confidence and presence, even when it was true.

Lucille didn't question it though. She looked down at her lap for a moment and balled her fists while looking like she was completely overwhelmed by the situation. “This is...much too... I mean, I'm supposed to... I can't. This is too quickly.” Of course. She needed more time. He would happily give that to her.

After all, Lucille needed to understand that this was her choice.

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.”

It was a bit mean. After all, he obviously wanted one thing and just let her choose because he wanted to seem different from her father. He offered her two choices while knowing well that she would pick 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. Then he had already prepared everything for his victory.

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 that fits the description and agrees. It's your choice.” He repeated that word yet again to let it sink in fully. “Contact me when you made up your mind. I wish you a wonderful evening, Lady Valerian.” He turned around and only took one step before the desired result came.

“Please wait!”

Perfect. Cedar was quite relieved upon hearing this, so he gladly turned around.

Lucille had stood up already. She was definitely nervous and very intimidated, but she had already grasped the bait. 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...”

She agreed.

Cedar wasn't surprised. He had known this reaction would come. He already responded a second after she had finished while saying the words he had prepared meticulously a while ago. “You are very 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, which I am not telling you to control you but to ensure your safety. 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, as if to formalize their deal.

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 to her, so she would feel indebted later too.

This meant that Cedar could probably control her completely. He didn't plan on doing this unless it was necessary to protect Lucille, but he was glad to have a hold on her in case of an emergency.

Cedar would only drive down this point further by making her trust him fully. He 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 while already demanding the first thing he needed. Granted, he also helped her with this a little, but this was mainly a selfish request. “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. If Lucille got red like this, it would easily seem like they had had some sort of romantic interaction. As he gently stroked over the back of her hand with his thumb, he used even more bait. After all, he didn't truly need to dance with Lucille. Since she had rejected this, she was more likely to agree to his second request, which was the one he actually needed to be fulfilled. “I have danced often enough for the 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.”

Lucille, who might not understand what he was planning, didn't think about refusing at all, even if this could ruin all chances of her backing out again. If she appeared with Cedar like that, people might talk, and rumors could change a lot in noble society. But Lucille just agreed anyway. “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. If people saw that she had cried, they would assume that he had consoled her. Naturally, that would just underline the misunderstanding he needed. At the same time, he actually did have a plan that would help Lucille though. “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.” He was more than sure that he could easily get what he wanted.

So, he was fully confident as he approached the ballroom, even when Lucille was clearly scared.