In Time And Memories

Chapter Sixty

I thought we were going straight to the Therilian Palace when he turned to the path towards the empress' garden. However, I still remained silent and just let him lead the way.

We arrived at the gazeboo and he gestured the bench, to signal me to sit. I sat on the bench while he sat behind me.

"Can I?" He asked while holding my hair. He probably meant if it's okay for him to touch my hair. Seriously. Does he have to ask for permission in every action he will make towards me?

"Mhm okay."

Urus gathered unkept my hair and while doing so, his fingers lightly brushed through my skin. I held my breath after feeling ticklish.

"What's with you and Commander Harckion?" My eyebrows furrowed upon his sudden question.

"You mean Cain? We are friends," I answered him but it seems like he was not satisfied due to the sound of his sigh. Is he feeling jealous that I was with Cain earlier? Is that why he was angry? I don't want to assume but he might be.

I felt my hair moved as if it is style into a braid. "That guy likes you." That is a statement. I snorted.

"No, he don't. Why would he like me?"

"Maybe the same reason why I love you," he blurted out. I was dumbfounded on how straightfoward he is that I even felt my cheeks flushed.

I cleared my throat and brushed it off. "A-Anyway, Cain doesn't like me," I insisted.

"He does. He told me before."

That made me froze. I tried glancing at Urus' expression, to see if he is joking but all I can see is his serious face.

What...

I don't want to believe it. Then, the conversation Cain had with Thebion before, when I couldn't grasp the context, they were talking about me? And the reason why Cain had to move on is also because of me? Oh my god.

"Crazy..." I whispered to myself.

This is mind-blowing, alright? I never expected that since I only see him as a friend and either way, it's not like I am going to do something with his feelings. Unfortunately, I don't feel the same so even if I knew about it, Cain still has to move on.

"Did you know that there is something going on with Xiel and Cavelia?" I asked him to change the subject.

"Really? Xiel never told me anything."

I chuckled. "Cavelia loves you, that is why."

I felt Urus stopped whatever he's doing on my hair so I turned my head and looked at him. His face seems serious and I can't read what's on his mind.

"I don't love her," he said which made me laughed.

"I know and that does not matter. I just wanted to share how shocked I was when I found out."

After I said that, he continued braiding my hair then he tied it after finishing it. He sat beside me and smiled. "There." The braid went on my shoulder, therefore, I saw how it is done prettily.

"Thank you. How did you learned braiding a hair?"

"Father used to do this on my mother. She likes it so much so I also learned how to do it then braid her hair." His eyes met mine. "Did you like it?" He's looking at me with those puppy eyes.

I smiled. "Yeah, it is pretty." I licked my lips. "How was Empress Thiane as a mother?"

He hummed for a bit, reminiscing his days together with his mother. "She was not a perfect mother but she did her best to take care of me." A bright smile formed on his lips; that only tells me how much he loves Empress Thiane.

"And Emperor Ytrius loves her so much."

"Yeah. Father loves my mother that he can't even last a day without seeing her. Thinking about it now, they are pretty cheesy with each other but father still had to do his duties with his concubine." I assume that concubine he's pertaining to is Queen Frizella.

"Why would Emperor Ytrius still took Queen Frizella as his concubine?"

"Well..." He sighs. "That is because their marriage was already planned and no one from the both sides wanted to terminate it."

Even the imperial family didn't terminate their promise to arrange Emperor Ytrius and Queen Frizella into a marriage. But why? They are the imperial family, it is easy for them to take back their words.

Or maybe Queen Frizella did something about it. Knowing how schemeful she is, I'm probably right. I just have to know what happened.

"And my grandfather manipulated him to have a concubine since it is an emperor's duty," he added. I raised my eyebrows. I didn't know that having a concubine is an emperor's duty.

My eyes went to Urus and squinted. "Now, that you are an emperor, are you going to have some concubines?"

Why did I sounded like a jealous wife?

Slowly, his expression became playful and teasingly. A smirk is plastered on his lips while he is staring at me with an amused eyes. I couldn't help but rolled my eyes. I avoided his gaze and looked straight ahead.

"Hmm," he hummed. "I don't know. Maybe I could get two or at least one."

My eyebrows are furrowed when I looked back again. His expression screams that he is just teasing me but who knows? He is an emperor and there is a chance that someone will manipulate him to get a concubine. Hell. Maybe those women will throw themselves to Urus just to become his concubine.

I scoffed. "Suit yourself." I stood up and took a frw steps away when he stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"You know that I can't do that. I already have you, so why would I look for someone else?" This time his voice sounds sincere. "The hell I care if it is an emperor's duty. All I know is that my duty as your husband is to be faithful only to you and that's what important to me."

I heard him sigh when I didn't said anything. He gently pulled me closer to him.

"Can I hug you?" Again, with the permission.

I looked away then nodded my head.

There is a sigh of relief when he finally got to wrap his arms around me. "I only need you, My love. I don't want anyone else. Just you."

He thinks his parents were cheesy but I think he too, is cheesy.

———

we are down to the last 10 chapters before the epilogue.