Chapter 31

- Please forgive me, I didn't do it on purpose. I was just so happy to see you again...

Juliet, who sat grabbing her head, struggling with nausea, finally managed to recover.

.... Happy to see me again?

"Damn it, I see you for the first time in my life!"

She didn't understand why he was so happy to see her again if she had never met him before.

After all, this man's appearance was so impressive that if she had ever seen him, she would definitely never have forgotten.

Could she forget the face of such a handsome man?

He had that magnificent appearance that could not be forgotten even 10 years later, if you just accidentally saw him on the street passing by.

Being in the position of Lennox's mistress Carlyle for many years, Juliet's standards for male beauty reached the highest level, since any man seemed like a worm next to him, but looking at this handsome man with silver hair, she could not help but admit that in appearance he was inferior to her former lover.

Nevertheless, she hoped that this gorgeous man would stop behaving like that...

Juliet looks around.

The train brawl seemed to have finally settled.

- Mr. Roy!

- I'm so glad to see you're all right! What a happiness!

Most of the people of his huge build, who seemed to have come to save him, including the giant old man, approached them.

Moreover, almost all of them looked at Juliet as an enemy.

It seems that this half-naked man was the same "Lord Swarm" they came for.

And they didn't seem to like this situation when their master suddenly undertook an unsuccessful rescue operation by some unfamiliar woman and now apologized to her kneeling.

Then what kind of huge wolf was that?

So that giant wolf is not "Mr. Roy"?

But I thought it was exactly him.

Juliet looked around again, not understanding where such a big wolfhound could go after she released him.

It's strange. Even if there were ten cars on the train, a wolf of this size could not help but cause a real stir after his release.

Juliet looked up again in surprise at the man.

- Forgive me. Maybe you got hurt somehow...?

When Juliet met him, the man immediately automatically apologized.

If she doesn't accept his apology properly, he'll most likely continue like this all night.

In addition, he had such a sad expression on his beautiful face that did not fit with his size that it was impossible to get angry with him.

Juliet hardly looked away from his beautiful body, after which she quietly said:

- ..... Okay, I accept your apologies, and now could you get dressed?

- Huh?

- Ekhm...

The elderly man standing behind them coughed in embarrassment and handed his master a long cloak.

He was the biggest man Juliet first noticed in a dining car.

The silver-haired young man raised his head as if not understanding what had happened, but then smiled embarrassedly, took clothes from his hands and threw them on his shoulders.

When the soft golden eyes turned to Juliet again, she quickly got up before the words of apology flew off his lips again.

- Do you know me?

- What?

- I'm talking about what you said earlier. You said you were very happy to see me again.

- Oh, you're talking about it...

The man blinked as if he was a little embarrassed.

- I've never met anyone like you.

- Oh, exactly.

The gentle man looked at her in surprise, and then suddenly laughed. When he stopped laughing, such a charming smile appeared on his lips that could make any woman's heart tremble.

- I'm sorry that my performance was a little late, dear lady.

The man standing in front of her on the same knee gently took Juliet by the fingertips with natural movement and gently kissed the back of her hand.

Juliet was a little surprised by his smooth movements, similar to running water.

But the next moment Juliet was stunned when she heard the name of this man.

- My name is Romeo Romulus Barscal. But you can just call me Roy.

- ...

A couple of moments later, Juliet's ringing laughter was heard in the silence of the train.

Juliet laughed before she understood it herself.

Romeo and Juliet. Aren't these the same names of the main characters of the famous love novel that the nanny told her about a long time ago?

- I know that this name is quite old-fashioned and doesn't suit me too much...

Roy, who looked at her with a shy expression on his face, smiled embarrassedly, and then continued:

- But when you laugh at me so openly, I feel embarrassed.

- Oh, no, I apologize for my inappropriate laughter. That's not the point at all...

Juliet bit her lip, trying to restrain her laughter.

The people behind him looked at her with dissatisfaction, after the first explosion of laughter, but when she failed to suppress her fun and laughed again for the second time, they stared at her with already fierce glances.

If you think about it, when was the last time something so funny happened that could make her laugh so violently? She didn't even remember anymore.

But how can I explain it to them?

However, whatever she tells them now, they still won't understand. So she stopped laughing for a while, and smiling radiantly, said:

- .... Nice to meet you, Roy. My name is Juliet.

*****

In the early morning, when it had just daw, a man hurried to the imperial palace.

It was a blond young man named Cliff, who was the second prince.

The emperor had three sons, and Prince Cliff was the most competent and most beloved of the three of them.

Therefore, many nobles believed that he would soon be granted the title of crown prince.

Prince Cliff's harling looked somewhat excited while he hurried to the palace.

He was going to visit his father, the emperor, at such an early hour for a very good reason.

"Well, finally!"

Since it was the fucking Duke of Carlisle, who was for the imperial family like a splinf in the ass and, who also showed the slightest respect for her, it was very difficult for him to spy on him.

Duke Carlisle was surrounded only by people he could trust, and his assistants were so loyal to him that there was no way to bribe them for money.

But Cliff still tried to find information that could somehow become Duke Carlisle's weakness.

And last night, he finally managed to catch Duke Carlisle in some strange actions.

Last night, even before the New Year's banquet managed to develop into a full-scale celebration, Lennox Carlisle left the hall with his mistress.

The fact that he left the event without saying a word to the emperor was a very arrogant and rude act, but in this case it was not so important. What was really important was what happened after that.

"Duke Carlisle broke into the Main Temple and stole the sacred relic!"

One of Cleef's men managed to trace the Duke's movements when he so hastily left the New Year's banquet.

It was the best opportunity for Cliff, who tried for a long time to find information to compromise the Duke.

And in this case, we are talking not only about the Duke's connection with the temple, but also about the abduction of the sacred relic. Perhaps now thanks to this information, he will be able to weaken the Duke's power.

Therefore, Cliff hurried to see his father, the emperor, at dawn to tell him the good news.

However, when Cliff finally reached the emperor's auditory hall, he was suddenly stopped.

Irritated by this unexpected hitch, he instantly attacked the guard who blocked his way.

- Get out of my way! I need to meet the emperor immediately!

However, the guard did not step back one step.

- Your Highness, the emperor will not be able to receive you now, as he is waiting for an important guest.

An important guest?

Cliff frowned thoughtfully. Who can get an audience from the emperor in such an early morning?

However, he didn't have to guess much, so the answer to this question arose behind him.

Hearing loud steps behind his back, Cliff involuntarily looked around.

But when he saw a man with a harsh expression on his face, who was calmly walking in his direction, he froze.

..... Duke of Carlisle?

Prince Cleef's face turned gray with fear, and he felt as if he would lose his feelings.

And all because he thought that the Duke found out that he was the person he was going to convey to him to the emperor.

Lennox Carlisle.

It was a man you would never confuse with someone else, even if he was dressed in modest, discreet clothes.

In the eyes of Duke Carlisle, who noticed that the second prince was standing in front of the audience hall, there was not a shadow of respect, let alone any hint of a greeting.

He was the only duke in the empire who was not bound by blood ties with the imperial family.

However, the Carlisle family, whose family history was much longer than that of the imperial family, was guaranteed full autonomy by the Northern Lands in exchange for a non-aggression pact by the first emperor.

That is why no Duke Carlisle has ever bowed to any emperor or members of the imperial family, nor addressed them officially (Your Highness).

The man, whose gait resembled a predatory beast, stopped at the entrance to the audience hall, like Cliff some time ago.

- Open it.

However, unlike the previous time, when Cliff demanded the same, this time, the guard opened the door to the audience hall without the slightest hesitation.

Boom.

Staying behind the closed door of the audience hall, Cliff clenched his teeth with anger.

*****

Even before the New Year's celebration ended, there was a tense atmosphere in the palace.

An unexpected guest came to the palace, laughing to bring a detachment of armed knights with him. And this man, who also dared to ask the emperor for a personal audience, was none other than Duke Carlisle, who ruled the Northern Lands.

- ...Duke Carlisle, what did you just say?

- I'm getting married.

Emperor Maximilian II was a very suspicious man and tried to benefit wherever possible.

However, Duke Carlisle, who was now in front of him, was a double-edged sword for the imperial court and the entire empire.

Although the Duke's powerful army sometimes made him feel uncomfortable, he rarely visited the royal palace, preferring to spend most of his time in his northern lands, so this did not bother the emperor too much, since at the same time, this army was a strong weapon for the empire.

It was for this reason that the first emperor reported the sinister sign was Duke Carlisle.

If the coming catastrophe meant an invasion of their lands, it would need the Duke's military power.

However, contrary to the emperor's expectations, Lennox Carlisle's visit to the imperial palace had nothing to do with responding to his call.

The emperor looked at Lennox Carlisle sitting opposite him.

The new Duke Carlisle was younger than his youngest son, and looked quite young.

- Congratulations. And what family is this woman from?

The emperor was nervous.

As soon as he heard about the Duke's intention, his fear of bad omen instantly dissipated.

Duke Carlisle's immediate desire to marry was even more frightening for him than some uncertain catastrophe that should occur only in the future.

The emperor began to quickly sort through the names of all the most influential aristocrats with unmarryed daughters who could make a worthy couple with Duke Carlisle.

In addition, if the duke decides to enter into a marriage with an influential family or, even worse, a royal family from another country, it will be really a bigger headache for him.

Of course, the Duke's bride list did not include the name of his current mistress, Countess Montagu.

Duke Carlisle was famous for choosing the most beautiful women as his mistress.

But a much more famous fact was that the Duke did not take any of his mistresses seriously, they were all nothing more than a beautiful decoration.

And the emperor was also one of those who did not believe that Juliet Montagu would ever become a duchess.

Moreover, the imperial family and their allies were secretly pleased with the relationship between the Countess of Montagu and the Duke of Carlisle, as she was very modest and for a long time had a love affair with him, which did not pose any threat to them.

But why did he decide to get married so abruptly? Did he make a decision in just one night?

However, for some reason, Lennox Carlisle now looked at the emperor with a cold, contemptuous look.

- I'm marrying your adopted daughter. - he replied sharply.

- ...

The emperor, looking at the overly indifferent and self-confident pose of Duke Carlisle, was taken aback for a moment and even thought: "Do I really have a daughter I don't know about?"

No, it must be just a mistake.

The emperor didn't have a single daughter, let alone the reception. Everyone in the empire knew perfectly well that he had three sons.

- But, I don't have an adopted daughter...

- Starting today, Juliet Montagu is the adopted daughter of Your Majesty.

The emperor was so stunned that he even opened his mouth wide.

However, he soon recovered, and immediately began to process this information to understand what this arrogant insolent was up to.

Lennox Carlisle was excommunicated after he closed all the temples in the Northern Lands. Therefore, he could not officially marry because he would not receive the blessing of the temple.

But even if he didn't care about this circumstance and still got married, a child born in such a marriage would never be officially recognized as his heir.

Nevertheless, if someone from the imperial family becomes his marriage partner, it will be another story.

The temple had an unspoken duty to unconditionally give a blessing to a member of the imperial family in case of marriage.

Thus, the new young duke was going to use the imperial family only to hold a perfect and impeccable wedding.

...No, wait a minute, what the hell does this arrogant bastard think about himself?!

In addition, his intention was to grant his mistress the untainted status of stepdaughter, making her a member of the imperial family.

And yet, no matter how powerful Duke Carlisle was, having decided to use the imperial family just to marry a woman, he crossed all conceivable and unthinkable boundaries.

How shameless and arrogant do you need to think of this?!

Soon the emperor decided that it was time for him to lose his temper, as it would be very strange of him not to get angry in this case.

But...

- Sign.

Before the emperor could say anything, Lennox Carlisle calmly put a pre-prepared document before the emperor.

Because of this action, the emperor missed the moment when he had to get angry.

The emperor looked shocked at the documents lying before his eyes.

[Taking into account the many years of service of the Count of Montagu for the benefit of the empire and his devotion to the imperial family, Juliet Rosemary Montagu's only heiress is accepted into the imperial family as a full daughter.]

The document that began with this crazy phrase ended with a promise to give the Duke Carlyle a sapphire mine as a gift to the imperial family.

The emperor was completely speechless looking at this absurd document, with which he completely disagreed.