"W-Wait a minute..."
Estelle thought while slightly scratching her head as she look at the tension.
"Estelle is the princess of the Southern Empire! She is Princess Estelle Estridsen, my heiress!"
Emperor Victor shouted while furiously looking at Emperor Nicolaus who is looking down from the veranda.
"Yes, she is the Crown Princess of your Empire but she is also the future Empress of my Empire"
He calmly replied. When Estelle heard her title, she cannot take her eyes off from her handsome and cool lover.
"That is impossible! The Crown Princess of the Southern Empire must marry someone from the Blanchett's!"
Jerome furiously said.
"Then, stripped her title off as the Crown Princess of the Southern Empire"
Nicolaus calmly replied but deeply inside he wants to punch the face of the Duke.
"No need!"
Estelle shouted.
"I am no longer the Crown Princess of the Southern Empire. I am just Estelle, just Estelle. I am one of your subjects and you may bestow any name for me, Your Majesty"
She added and gave Nicolaus a bright smile that her family nor Jerome has ever seen.
"Then, take my second and last name. Just say yes, and I will bestow it to you"
Nicolaus replied trying to hold back his longing for Estelle that he wanted to go down and run towards her.
"You cannot! Certainly cannot!"
Victor interrupted looking so pale.
"Estelle, just this once! Listen to me!"
He added trying to convince her daughter.
"Why would I?"
She weakly replied.
"When I said I am not the culprit, did you ever listen to me? Did anyone of you trusted me? None of you except for Princess Camilla. Instead, you immediately locked me up in the dungeon or in my own room. That's why, please stop this and let me live here..."
She added trying to be as calm as she is but her continuous headaches made her dizzy and she eventually started to breathe heavily.
"Stay away from her!"
Nicolaus shouted and ran as fast as he can to hug Estelle.
"She is burning up"
He thought when he touched the back of her neck, so he immediately carried her trembling body.
"Put me down, this is so embarassing..."
She whispered while resting her forehead in the shoulder of Nicolaus to hide her blushing face.
"Forgive me..."
He said and kissed her head. That kiss made Estelle's body relaxed and her consciousness slipped away. He was about to go down from the stage when Victor stopped him.
"She has my blood. Anyone who has Estridsen's blood are bound to wither before they reached their thirties. She can only be saved if she consummate her marriage to someone who is destined by Althea and that someone is Duke Jerome Blanchett"
He said hoping that he will consider giving back Estelle to the Southern Empire.
"Whether what you said is the truth or not, the final decision will come from Estelle. But if I were you, I'd rather saw my daughter die happy in the arms of the man she loves than saw her live miserably together with a man she does not even love anymore"
Nicolaus said before he left the stage. Victor was speechless while Jerome is trembling in anger.
"Attend and lead our guests to their rooms"
He said to his butler.
When Estelle regained her consciousness, she immediately looked for Nicolaus.
"Your Majesty..."
She weakly called him who is seriously talking to the Royal Physician. He immediately went to her side and hold her hand.
"Estelle... I am glad you open your eyes"
He said and showered her hand and forehead with kisses.
"You have diagnosed with high fever due to overfatigue. I am really sorry that I failed to protect you. Please fogive me, Estelle..."
He apologize over and over. She caressed his face and looked at him with deep admiration.
"You don't need to apologize. Me being sick is not your fault. I misunderstood you and doubt the promise that you've made but... Just as you want to protect me and so do I. That's why... share some of your burdens to your future wife. You are the one who said to me that it is better to work as one, aren't you?"
She said and weakly smiled.
"I will, from now on. I promise"
He replied and sealed his promise with a deep kiss on the princess' lips.
"Y-You--! You might get my fever!"
She said and weakly slapped his muscled arm.
"I am strong"
He replied with a smile and stared at her dearly.
"Is he made of stone?"
She thought when she slapped him.
"Ah! From this moment on, I will seal every promise I made to you and to anyone with a kiss from you"
He said and smirked to tease her.
"Don't! You pervert!"
She weakly shouted and throw a pillow at his face. He just giggled and she followed. Nicolaus' chambers is now filled with their giggles.
The next day, while Estelle is being spoon feeding again by Nicolaus, Emperor Victor, Princess Camilla, and Duke Jerome asked permission to enter Nicolaus' chambers to visit Estelle.
"Please allow them, Your Majesty"
"I don't want to"
"Why?"
"They are going to take you away from me. I am already merciful that I did not beheaded them after knowing what they did to you. How dare them put you in the dungeon?!"
Estelle caressed Nicolaus' angry yet handsome face to calm him down.
"Pretty please"
She pleaded because she wanted to settle the matter that was left. This time, she decided that she will cut-off all her ties from the Southern Empire.
Nicolaus hesitated but still granted Estelle's request.
"Before they see you, I need to tell you something"
He said with a serious tone.
When the Southern Empire's Royalties entered Nicolaus' chambers, a red lightning was set up by him to serve as their boundary.
Jerome and Victor was displeased by this. The Duke was about to unsheath his sword but he was stopped by Victor.
"Estelle, my younger sister, let's go home"
Camilla gently said with her teary eyes.
"My home is here"
Estelle replied.
"You foolish child! You will die early if you continue to be this stubborn!"
Victor furiously said.
"Even so. I want to stay here. If you are just going to go against our relationship, please just forget that you have me as your daughter. This will be my last request as the Crown Princess. Let me marry the man who will give me happiness until the day that I die, Your Majesty"
Estelle replied with sincerity.
"That man is cruel and a liar. How can he make you happy?"
Jerome started to slander the name of Nicolaus.
"Your Grace, I wish you refrain from speaking ill about my soon-to-be husband. I know him more than anyone of you"
Estelle said, holding back her anger.
"I bet you are not, my dear fiancee"
Jerome confidently replied and brought up the war five years ago.
"You keep praising the man who joined hands with the Northern Empire to annihilate our homeland during that time we spent day and night fighting on that endless war five years ago"
Estelle's expression got paler and she worriedly looked at Nicolaus to get an answer from him. He gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead.
"You did well at that time, my future wife"
Jerome was quite taken aback on the confidence of the young Emperor.
"Yes, it is true that I am a cruel man. At that time, what I want is to take revenge on the death of my people and to conquer the North. You know that the Northern Emperor is much more cruel than I am, aren't you?"
Nicolaus only fixed his eyes on Estelle while explaining. As if they are the only people inside the room.
"I know. Then why?"
Estelle calmly asked while her lover keeps on caressing her cheek.
"Because the closer you are to your enemies, the more weaknesses you will know about them"
Nicolaus replied and his future Empress immediately understood it.
"Is that why we keep on having battles with the North?"
Estelle asked with a worried look.
"Yeah. My motives were found out and now the Northern Emperor keeps on bugging me and my Empire"
Nicolaus said while still admiring the beauty of his future Empress.
"But don't worry, I will take over the Northern Empire soon. As payment for almost killing my future wife, I will behead their Emperor and annihilate his bloodline. This, I promise"
Estelle got shivers on her lover's seriousness but at the same time found him cute for going to that extent after he knew that her life was at risk five years ago. She cannot help but giggled on his cute side.
"What a crue--"
She was about to tease him but her lips were once again sealed by Nicolaus' soft lips along with his heated tongue playing inside her mouth that made Estelle complexion turned red.
"H-How dare you do such-- such filthy thing to my betrothed!"
Jerome angrily said as he unsheathed his sword.
"Let go of her this instant!"
He said but Nicolaus won't even budge and make his kisses deeper, making Estelle make some weird noises. He also increases the electricity barrier that he created while furiously looking at the Duke. As if he is silently saying that you cannot touch my woman.
"Let's just leave for now. Put your sword down"
Victor said and the three of them left Nicolaus' chambers looking dejected.