Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: The Empire's Sole Princess
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Elliott emerged from the bedroom and spotted Juliet approaching down the corridor. His face turned pale.
Even on the verge of death, Lennox had remained eerily calm about his own condition, barking only one urgent order like it was someone else's problem.
That was to keep Juliet from learning about his state.
Elliott quickly shut the bedroom door and blocked her path.
"Miss Monad! I don't know what's going on, but..."
"I'm here to see Your Highness."
"You can't go in...!"
"Step aside. Now."
Her icy tone made not only Elliott flinch but even the merchant guard stationed at the door.
While they hesitated, Juliet brushed past them and flung open the bedroom door.
Bang!
"Lady!"
The moment the door flew open, Elliott rushed in after Juliet.
Elliott was at a loss.
'The family physician is still in the bedroom.'
There's no way Juliet wouldn't recognize him...
"What."
But inside the bedroom, only the duke was leisurely changing his clothes.
"Ah..."
Elliott glanced toward the door leading to the drawing room.
The physician must have hidden himself by the skin of his teeth.
"I asked what you want."
As Lennox glanced toward the doorway and asked again, Elliott finally realized he needed to brief his master on the situation.
"Ah, Your Highness. Lady Juliet is here."
"Out."
"Yes."
A moment later, the sound of the door closing echoed.
Juliet stood there, silently watching the duke's profile as he changed his shirt.
"Didn't you come here to say something?"
"Yes, that's right."
"As you can see, I'm busy, so make it quick."
Lennox slowly buttoned up his loosened shirt, leaving her standing while he took his time. His languid movements somehow felt strangely sensual.
"I'll get out of your way as fast and quietly as possible."
"Sit."
Lennox gestured to a chair.
The bedroom, with its curtains drawn tight, looked much the same as when she'd visited a few days ago.
Come to think of it, he'd been holed up in the mansion lately, not stepping out at all.
Was his health still poor?
Juliet spoke without looking his way.
"I heard something strange at the palace. That's all I came to ask about."
"Something strange?"
"I met the Second Prince."
"Ah."
Lennox leaned back in his chair, unperturbed, as if he'd already guessed.
"So, what does it mean that I'm being registered as an adopted daughter of the imperial family?"
Second Prince Kloff had whispered it to her like it was some grand secret.
Though the content was utterly ridiculous.
"His Majesty says he's taking you as his ward. Didn't you know?"
"They say Duke Carlyle himself requested an audience. He wants to marry you."
Kloff had looked oddly pleased.
If Juliet became his stepsister and married Duke Carlyle, they'd be in-laws.
Meaning Kloff would become the duke's superior without lifting a finger.
But Juliet had no intention of playing along with this bizarre family charade.
"That's exactly what it means."
Lennox said it without a hint of a smile.
"You'd become the empire's one and only princess."
It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious, but Juliet wasn't fooled.
"Because of my status?"
Was the story that House Monad wasn't prestigious enough for a match with a ducal house?
Even upstarts like the Glenfields were tying knots with the imperial family these days, so it felt a bit outdated.
But House Carlyle was the empire's sole ancient lineage, older than the current imperial house, so maybe.
"No."
Lennox's follow-up answer was a bit unexpected, however.
"Because I thought you'd want to marry in the temple."
The unforeseen response left Juliet speechless.
The enmity between the ducal house and the temple was infamous. In Lennox Carlyle's generation, relations had completely broken down.
He'd razed the northern temple, and the temple had excommunicated Lennox Carlyle.
Excommunicated as he was, the duke could neither marry under a priest's blessing nor have his future heirs baptized.
"Yeah, that's right."
The duke himself had firmly declared he had no intention of marrying, and he hadn't batted an eye at the temple's extreme retaliation.
Still, in this situation, making her the emperor's ward did sound like a decent solution.
The temple was obligated to bless any marriage involving the imperial family, with whom they shared religious ties.
'But... was he thinking about that?'
"Then it's a done deal anyway. I don't need any family besides my parents."
Juliet stated flatly.
"Tell His Majesty to drop it. Say I don't want it."
"As you command, Princess."
After a long silence, he replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Is that all?"
Lennox's downcast eyes were chilling.
Juliet thought he looked somehow off, the way he refused to meet her gaze.
His quick retreat was suspicious, too.
Suddenly, she remembered the item she'd lost in this room.
"Ah, my hairpin."
"Hairpin?"
"Yes, I lost it here a few days ago. Have you seen it?"
Lennox sank deeper into the chair and asked indifferently.
"Is it important?"
"Not really, but... It shouldn't be hard to find. It's a gold pin shaped like a leaf with a pearl..."
As she spoke, scanning the room, Juliet froze.
"...a pearl attached."
There was a small mahogany side table between them.
Her hairpin sat right on top.
Someone must have found it while cleaning and placed it there.
"No idea."
...But why?
Juliet shot him a puzzled look.
Then why hadn't Lennox seen it?
"Tell Elliott to look for it."
Lennox replied flatly, as if he truly hadn't noticed the hairpin right in front of him.
Juliet stared blankly at his profile for a moment before realizing something.
Since she'd entered the room, he hadn't met her eyes even once.
That wasn't all.
The locked door, the unusually dim lighting. His disheveled clothes, buttons not fully done. Even the way he slumped in the chair felt defensive—unlike him.
It wasn't easy to notice normally.
But Juliet was familiar with the blind, thanks to her nanny.
It was instinctive.
When vision is blocked, people naturally adopt a defensive posture, sitting a bit more sideways.
To brace for unexpected stimuli.
'No way.'
"Your Highness."
Hoping her voice wouldn't tremble, Juliet carefully rose and approached him.
"Do you remember once telling me blue suits me well?"
"What are you getting at?"
Her hand rested on his knee.
"The dress I'm wearing today. It's your favorite color..."
But before she could finish, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her onto his lap.
"Juliet Monad."
Over their seven long years together, they knew each other too well. He instantly grasped what she was driving at.
"You should have just pretended not to notice and left when I gave you the chance."
Lennox growled low, barely suppressing his anger.
Testing him like this was pointless.
Even if she'd figured out his condition, she shouldn't have probed.
She should have left naturally, as if oblivious.
As if his blindness or his dying state had nothing to do with her.
That's how she should have left.
"If you act like this, I can't keep pretending I'm fine."
Now he had no choice but to cling to her desperately.
His eyes on her were unfocused.
Juliet knew it wasn't him avoiding her gaze.
'He can't see, so he can't meet my eyes.'
Feeling like she might cry, she whispered barely audibly.
"Lennox."
"You're not seeing me right now, are you?"