Chapter 75: The Hidden Lover and the Consecration Day

No one will ever know that the Empire’s very own Sun is hiding the lover to whom he swore eternal love in this very place.

He headed straight to the bedroom, charging toward the woman lying silently on the bed. More precisely, he lunged at the Dakimakura adorned with her image.

“…You’re still beautiful. I’m sorry for coming so late, Lilica-chan.”

Pressing his nose into the soft fabric of the Dakimakura, Karlahee took a deep breath. Could this be what true happiness felt like? His heart began to steady almost immediately.

“My love for you will never change. I promise… *sniff*!”

Karlahee pulled the Dakimakura tightly into his arms. Choosing a human fiancée over his 2D lover was nothing short of betraying Lilica-chan.

Yet, despite his vow, Lilica-chan’s expression remained a crease of doubt. Even if it was only printed fabric, Karlahee’s conscience ached.

“Lilica-chan, if it were up to me, I’d hold a true engagement ceremony with you.”

“……”

“I’m serious. Do you still think I’m untrustworthy…?”

“……”

Today, Lilica-chan’s eyes looked unusually cold. Karlahee met the Dakimakura’s gaze, desperately trying to win her over.

“Yeah… anyone can just talk a good game…”

“……”

“Let me show you just how much I love you.”

Karlahee propped the Dakimakura against the headboard as he immediately began undressing. Of course, when he removed his pants, he ended up flipping the Dakimakura over in embarrassment under Lilica-chan’s burning gaze.

After opening his wardrobe, Karlahee retrieved a checkered shirt. Donning his blue jeans, a bag with dried posters peeking out, and a pair of round glasses, he casually scooped up the Dakimakura with one arm.

There was reason for holding an engagement ceremony on the same day as the Saintess’s Consecration. Today was that sacred day, which came only once a year.

It was a day dedicated to blessing unions. Couples from across the Empire gathered at Daeshin Shrine to swear eternal love before God. Although an annual festival was held in the capital on this day, the celebration was even grander today with the consecration ceremony taking place.

Karlahee intended to join the bustling crowd of human couples at Daeshin Shrine with his Dakimakura in hand, ready to recite the vow of love and prove his devotion.

* * *

The procession of carriages headed for Daeshin Shrine stretched long. Leading the line was a grand, ornate carriage from the Duke Liniat Family.

Inside the spacious ten-seater carriage sat the Lady Elina figures. Lady Elina I, dressed in a pure white gown, Lady Elina II in yellow, Lady Elina III in blue, and Lady Elina IV in green, each absorbed in her own pursuits.

Lady Elina IV was engrossed in a book while Lady Elina III fussed with a dagger hidden in her dress.

Lady Elina I, as blank as a docile livestock, gazed out the window at the sky, while Lady Elina II watched her with conflicted eyes.

For someone about to be engaged to the Emperor today, she looked far too despondent.

“Could it be that Lady Elina I knows about the Emperor’s secret lover?”

By now, it seemed inevitable that she was aware of the connection between Creon and the Emperor. If this were a BL novel world, they’d be known as the Emperor Gong, Tyrant Gong, the Big Dog, and the Beauty.

In days past, such keywords might have been tantalizingly delicious, but Kim Bing-ui felt nothing but a bitter knot in his chest. He was all too empathetic toward the doomed fate of Lady Elina I, forced to watch as handsome men fought over her.

“Hey, Lady Elina I.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t want to get engaged, do you?”

Startled by Lady Elina II’s casual remark, Lady Elina I’s eyes widened in shock.

“Weren’t you always the clueless one?”

“Well, I realized one day that I used to be too oblivious. Please, consider my past self gone.”

Lady Elina I’s stunned expression—like witnessing a sudden villainess—slowly calmed.

“I’ve been thinking about how I could help you.”

“Lady Elina II…?”

“The solution turned out to be surprisingly simple.”

Lady Elina II snatched the small tiara fixed on Lady Elina I’s head and then placed it on her own.

“I figured, you become me, and I become you.”

With identical faces and voices, even the Emperor would never suspect a deliberate deception.

“But… if that’s the case, you’ll…”

As Lady Elina I hesitated, Lady Elina II flashed a reassuring smile. At that moment, Lady Elina IV, who had been quietly absorbed in a heavy book, looked up.

“Lady Elina I, you don’t need to shoulder the burden alone. Although it might seem like a sacrifice for sisters, Lady Elina II actually craves being at the center of what’s to come. I noticed it ever since that bizarre cheerleader outfit she sported at the fencing competition.”

Her sharp insight, penetrating even the deepest layers of one’s subconscious, made Lady Elina II break into a cold sweat. Yet, Lady Elina IV stood her ground, proudly clutching a psychology book by a current Mississippi University professor.

“I just read that in modern society, neglected and cast-off children sometimes resort to bizarre actions to capture attention. When they finally get noticed, they feel an overwhelming rush of elation—a dangerous mental disorder that can spiral into personality issues and even suicide.”

“So you’re calling me attention-seeking? Honestly, you’re making a fuss like a bursting gimbap wrap!”

“I’m not finished yet. Some expressions are just too premature for us.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Lady Elina II isn’t an attention seeker. Yes, she might act without thinking, but her actions were never calculated for attention. Yet to become an attention magnet immediately after the accident is theoretically impossible. According to that professor’s book, attention seekers only form in those starved for attention from childhood.”

Lady Elina IV laid out her argument logically before slamming the book shut.

“In short, you’re not Lady Elina II.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Lady Elina I’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even Lady Elina III, who had been quietly occupied, stopped cleaning her sword and turned her head.

“Ever since that carriage accident—when you finally came to your senses—I thought something was off about Lady Elina II. And Lady Elina V’s odd glances confirmed it; they must have sensed something beyond the ordinary.”

“……”

“And Lady Elina III, since you brought this up, it seems you know more than you’re letting on. What are you hiding?”

True to her intellectual nature, Lady Elina IV’s words struck a chord, and Lady Elina III fell silent.

“Yes, I… am not Lady Elina II.”

At that moment, Lady Elina II spoke up. When Lady Elina I demanded an explanation, Lady Elina II confessed everything.

“When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the body known as Lady Elina II… Somehow, I ended up as the master of this body.”

“Are you a spirit?”

“No… my soul just entered this body.”

“Oh my…”

Lady Elina I covered her mouth in shock. Kim Bing-ui accepted the blame silently—deception was an unchangeable fact. But Lady Elina I did not. Instead, a tear fell silently before she suddenly wrapped Lady Elina II in a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t notice sooner. You must have suffered in silence, unable to confide in anyone, right?”

“No, I did tell Lady Elina III.”

“Even so, it must have been hard. I understand you. Although I’m not even blood-related to you, I’ve embraced dukes with scandalous romances and even the adopted daughter of a tyrant. There’s nothing I wouldn’t hold close. Show me your deep wounds—I’ll help ease your pain.”

Lady Elina II felt the gentle, soothing touch of Lady Elina I running through her hair. Could this be the true comfort of a mother? It was a gesture the lonely, wolf-like Male Lead, who longed for his mother’s warmth, would completely fall for.

“Sniff, sniff, Mom… I miss you so damn much!”

Lady Elina II—no, Kim Bing-ui burst into tears. The small, cozy embrace evoked memories of familiar scents, cherished tastes of home, and the warmth of a long-lost comfort.

“Lady Elina I… thank you. My heart feels so much calmer now.”

Lady Elina II beamed sincerely before adding,

“I truly want to help you.”

“But…”

“Don’t apologize. I want to do what I can right now. So, please, use me.”

With determination shining in her eyes, Lady Elina I nodded vigorously. Inside the carriage, the two hurriedly changed their dresses.

“Aren’t you worried about being caught?”

Now in a yellow dress, Lady Elina I looked slightly uneasy. Lady Elina II squeezed her hand reassuringly, her smile bright and confident.

Meanwhile, Lady Elina III and Lady Elina IV pretended nothing was happening, simply returning to their own tasks.

From early morning, crowds had gathered outside Daeshin Shrine. Couples had come to secure blessings and vow eternal love.

“Hey! Stop shoving!”

“Hey, you pushed me!”

In one corner, a full-blown scuffle broke out. As the brawl escalated, a man was shoved back and something soft struck his elbow.

“Hey, are you okay…?”

When the man turned around, he was left speechless by the sight of a woman’s face crumpled at his elbow—though it was merely the printed image on cloth. And he saw a strong arm clutching that pillow-like figure with unmistakable care.