The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 307

Poliana asked, “So you think I need to get married too, huh?”

“Of course. Is there another choice? There is certainly nothing I can do to change this. You obviously can’t leave the prince as a bastard, especially when he looks just like the emperor.”

“Yeah, I guess. I guess there’s no other way,” Poliana murmured bitterly.

The prince’s life was much more important than her own, so it made sense that she needs to sacrifice herself. If it was a daughter, however, would she have had another choice?

Poliana decided not to think of the what-ifs. She should’ve felt grateful for bearing a healthy son. Isn’t that what every woman dreamt of?

Lady Rebecca ended up losing her life to give birth, yet people still felt disappointed in her for giving birth to “only” a daughter. Meanwhile, Poliana was alive and well with a healthy son. She was even promised the position of the empress along with the love confession from the emperor.

‘I know I should be thankful. What a lucky woman I am.’

She knew being sarcastic about the royal family was inappropriate, so she did not voice her thoughts out loud. Others would think she was acting spoiled, but Poliana couldn’t help feeling this way.

It was time for Dog Stew, no Gerald, to be fed. Poliana quickly did her duty before talking with her adopted brother. Poliana was the one who mostly talked while Donau listened.

The first thing she explained was the reason why that unexpected night with the emperor happened. That very day, she cut off the Frau’s penis and got drunk with the emperor in the inn. They drank late into the night and Poliana ended up taking advantage of the emperor. Sir Donau flinched when he heard this part. Glancing uncomfortably at her, he asked, “Umm… It can’t be that you took advantage of him, Sis… It doesn’t make sense…”

“Shut up. I told you I was the one who did it, so who are you to tell me otherwise?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“I will do the talking, so you just shut up and listen.”

Sir Donau was late to arrive and help Poliana, so he lost his right to give his opinion. Or perhaps even if he came on time, Poliana would’ve forced him to listen and nothing more. Both before and after the emperor found out about their baby, what Poliana truly needed was someone who could listen to her, not someone who can give her a solution to her problem.

Poliana wasn’t asking for him to agree with her wholeheartedly. She knew very well what she did wrong. What Poliana wanted was for Donau to tell her that although she made a mistake, he still felt sympathetic towards her and that there was nothing she could do about her situation. Poliana just wanted him to console her.

Poliana told Donau that when the emperor and herself woke up the next morning, neither of them could remember what happened. They spent a long time arguing about who was at fault, and in the end, they agreed that they would forget about the whole thing. Unfortunately, within a few weeks, Poliana learned that she was pregnant. After contemplating for days, she decided to run away to her castle in Sitrin.

Sir Donau slapped her back again when he heard the part about her running away. What happened with the emperor that night could be partly blamed for her drunkenness, but running away was a decision she made when she was fully conscious. What she did was very wrong.

Poliana argued, “How dare you hit the marquess?!”

“I don’t care if you are the marquess or the future empress. I am punishing you as my big sister. I told you not to drink so heavily like that before! I warned you many times before!”

“I didn’t drink because I wanted to! I drank because I wanted to forget!”

“You forgot, alright! You forgot the most important part!”

During the war, Sir Donau had to be the one cleaning up after Poliana just because she was his adopted sister. Donau also didn’t like to drink himself, so he often nagged her to stop overdrinking so much.

Something shocking finally did happen from Poliana’s drinking, and Donau could not help slapping her back.

Slap! Slap!

There were so many feelings Donau felt. He was relieved that it wasn’t Poliana who was raped by some random man while drinking. He was also glad that of all men, it was the emperor she ended up spending the night with. Of course, he was also angry that of all people, she had to sleep with the emperor. It made things so much more complicated.

Poliana explained what happened before Donau arrived. While he was delayed with his ill wife, the emperor paid a special visit, and Poliana ended up telling him the truth. And now… It was all over.

Poliana shook her head in regret. She wished she could drink an entire bottle of hard liquor, but all she had in her hand was a cup of water. When she drank it like she would drink wine, Sir Donau realized that Poliana must’ve stopped drinking. He agreed with her decision, because after what happened from her drinking, why would she ever want to taste alcohol again?

Sir Donau did not enjoy drinking. Some, who did not like to drink, still choose to drink if they needed to be consoled. Donau, however, was not one of these people. Alcohol made him feel nauseous and it gave him an awful headache.

Poliana continued to drink water while Sir Donau drank watered-down juice. They weren’t drinking alcohol, but they talked honestly as if they were.

“So his highness must’ve asked you to marry him.”

“Yup.”

Poliana was the most loyal and accomplished knight of Acreia. She was also one of the closest acquaintances of the emperor. She now had Lucius the First’s son, so if the emperor refused to marry her, it would be the greatest embarrassment on her part.

Sir Donau thought of the consequence of this event. The emperor finally got a male heir and the marquess was going to become the empress. Lucius the First and Poliana had an excellent and affectionate relationship. Poliana was undoubtedly one of the most loyal women in the kingdom. The likelihood of their son, Gerald, becoming the next emperor was very high. Only

But what if the emperor married more women? And what if his other wives had sons too? There would be a rivalry between the emperor’s sons for the throne. Of course, if Gerald continued to grow up to resemble the emperor so much, and if he had half the intelligence and charm of Lucius the First, he was going to be the most likely one to take the throne.

Just as Duke Luzo agreed, the marriage between the emperor and Poliana was a smart idea. As a foreigner who achieved so much and became powerful on her own… Poliana would strengthen the emperor’s own power in the government.

Donau thought with a shiver, ‘So… She could really become the next empress… This is really happening!’

Poliana was not the daughter, sister, or granddaughter of a loyal nobleman. She WAS the loyal noble herself. She was powerful and influential on her own, which meant the emperor himself could not disrespect her easily.

Sir Donau suddenly shivered again. When he thought about the fact that his adopted sister might really become the empress, he felt shocked and impressed at the same time. Donau murmured, “So you are really becoming the next empress.”

“Well, I have been thinking, and…”

“Yes?”