Two-Faced Princess - Chapter 286

“Your Majesty? What did you just say…?” Uriel stuttered, seemingly confused as well. The beautiful tapestry on the wall seemed larger than usual as it stared at her intently.

“Ah, never mind,” Apollonia turned her head and took a sip of her iced tea. She needed to calm her racing heart.

“Forget it.”

“No,” Apollonia answered curtly.

Uriel tilted his head as he looked at her. “I don’t have anything specific in mind. I just thought it would be easier to manage if some of my father’s power were transferred to Paris,” she explained, shrugging her shoulders. “Besides, Paris tends to make foolish mistakes when he’s both excited and anxious, so I thought it would be a good idea to provoke him a bit.”

Compared to the cunning Emperor, Paris had many weaknesses. If Paris, the apparent heir, were to gain strength, it would result in a shift of the Emperor’s power towards him. Apollonia felt that provoking Paris into making a mistake could be beneficial.

“How do you expect him to react?” Uriel inquired.

“Hard to say,” Apollonia responded. “Considering his personality, he might tarnish his reputation by mistreating a noble, or clumsily attempt a coup and expose his own weaknesses. There are many possibilities. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

Uriel nodded at Apollonia’s analysis; he knew Paris well too. “I also need to send letters to Bianca, Anne, and Ilona. Adrian will handle it,” Apollonia added quietly, as Uriel was about to offer her some chocolate, thinking the conversation had concluded.

“You’re probably the only person who would be on good terms with maids who have taken their fiancées away,” Uriel remarked, pausing his action.

“Didn’t we already send congratulatory gifts for the childbirths?” he then asked.

“This isn’t about that. Earlier, I heard from Morten that my father is preparing to send letters to several kingdoms,” Apollonia explained.

“And the content?” Uriel questioned.

“I don’t know yet. But it’s unlikely to be just a greeting. He’s probably trying to solidify external support amid the instability among the nobles,” Apollonia concluded, taking Uriel’s hand and bringing it naturally closer to her lips, where she gently bit into the chocolate at his fingertips.

“Since my father has entrusted me with tasks, I can find out what the content is without Evangelin’s help. Then, I’ll decide what to communicate to Bianca and the others.”

She blurted it out involuntarily. She couldn’t believe she had just referred to Uriel as the father of her child. It was an unexpected slip of the tongue, all because Uriel had asked a pointless question.

“Sigh…”

Apollonia sighed inwardly. She felt embarrassed that her true feelings had inadvertently surfaced, but that wasn’t the only issue.

“Your Majesty,” she said, avoiding Uriel’s gaze. “Really, just forget it.”

Even though she had spoken without thinking, Apollonia didn’t want Uriel to harbor any expectations about their marriage.

They were lovers, and she loved him. Despite this, Apollonia was still not sure about offering him a seat beside her as emperor. Imperial marriages had always been political affairs, and she didn’t want to make such an important decision based on emotions.

“But what about marrying someone else?”

The thought brought to mind her seven former fiancés, including Caelion. She shook her head vehemently. The idea, although fleeting, was repulsive.

She could do it if she had to, but Apollonia realized she wouldn’t find it pleasant to marry someone other than Uriel and have children. Above all, she hated the idea that Uriel might not be by her side if she did so.

“You don’t look well,” said a sweet voice, pulling her out of her thoughts. The voice sounded closer than before.

“No, I’m fine,” she started, lifting her head but closing her eyes when she saw Uriel’s face right in front of hers. He softly held her chin and their lips met.

“Hmm…”

Just as she opened her mouth, a refreshing and fragrant piece of ice was pushed through Uriel’s lips into hers. He pulled away with a sly smile, having transferred the ice cube from his iced tea into her mouth. The coldness briefly disoriented her, but then it seemed to clear her mind.

“Are you okay?” Uriel asked, caressing Apollonia’s cheek. His folded eyes were incredibly beautiful.

“Uriel,” she replied.

“As I’ve told you before,” Uriel said, his eyes brilliant as top-grade sapphires and holding affection and a tinge of playfulness that made it impossible to look away. “I don’t dream of sitting beside the emperor. I’ll be with you, no matter what choice you make.”

“But…”

“Of course, I might go a little crazy if there were someone else by your side,” Uriel whispered into Apollonia’s flushed ear as their lips met, awakening every sense in her body. “Being your lover is enough for me. Or, if you really feel sorry…”

He pulled away from her face with a sly grin.

“You can also make me your hundredth consort.”

“Hundredth?”

Apollonia asked incredulously. Just how much of a playgirl did he think she was?

“Where would I find the other ninety-nine?”

“Well, the empire is vast. Couldn’t you slowly collect handsome men?”

Uriel shrugged as he spoke. Apollonia ended up laughing along with him. The heaviness she’d felt just a moment ago had somehow flown away.

“I hope you’re happy, Your Majesty, at least when you’re with me,”

Uriel added affectionately. Though his tone was light, it wasn’t difficult to detect a hint of worry in his voice.

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