I Left my Cheating Husband and Married a Beast

Chapter 34

It felt like watching an obedient child.

When Shanur suddenly hugged her, Beloni was so shocked she thought her heart might burst.

But it wasn’t just from surprise—it was a mix of nervousness and excitement.

And when she placed her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating just as fast as hers, she was happy.

Knowing that it wasn’t just her who felt this way made her feel warm inside.

Being in his strong embrace gave her an unfamiliar but overwhelming sense of security.

It was surprising to learn that physical contact was something Shanur needed, but for Beloni, it was good news.

His broad, dependable arms made her feel so safe—it was almost addictive.

The thought that she would get to be held by him again made her happy.

“I have something to ask.

Can you come to the palace tomorrow to meet my brother?”

“His Majesty?”

Beloni, who had been comfortably resting with her eyes closed, was startled.

She was so shocked that she instinctively stepped away from Shanur, waiting for him to explain.

Shanur immediately regretted bringing this up at this moment, but it was too late to take it back. He continued slowly.

“The day you went to the Marquis’ estate, I went to the palace to meet my brother and got his approval for our marriage.

But it seems he has heard some rumors… and now he wants to meet you before the wedding.”

Worried that she might feel pressured, Shanur quickly added,

“Of course, it’s not a command. It’s not an official meeting, so if you don’t want to, you don’t have to go.”

“No, I’ll meet him.”

Beloni hesitated for a moment but then nodded.

It wasn’t that she wanted to avoid meeting the emperor.

It was just that he seemed like such a distant figure that it made her nervous. But she decided to think of him as Shanur’s family rather than as “the emperor.”

If Shanur spoke so casually about him, then they must be close, and that meant he probably wasn’t a difficult person to meet.

“When will we be meeting?”

“The day after tomorrow. I’ll take care of everything, so you just have to come.”

Beloni smiled.

“Okay, I will.”

After their conversation ended, an awkward silence settled between them.

They were used to each other’s presence now, so silence wasn’t uncomfortable.

But because they had been so close just moments ago, it felt a little different than usual.

Beloni hesitated before standing up.

“I feel like I’ve taken up too much of your time. I should get going now.”

“Ah, okay.”

Just as she reached for the door handle, she turned back.

“…Try using the mask and tell me what you think.”

With a flushed face, she quickly left the room.

Shanur, unable to respond in time, simply stared after her and absentmindedly touched the mask.

Even though it had a cool fabric lining, it somehow felt warm inside.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

I stared out the carriage window, watching the scenery change rapidly, trying to steady my breathing. But the closer we got to the palace, the more nervous I felt.

“Are you that nervous?”

Shanur, looking as composed as ever, almost seemed irritating.

“Your Highness. I don’t know if you remember, but just two months ago, I was nothing more than the daughter of a ruined noble family.

I’ve only been to the palace once before, during my debutante ball.”

Even then, I had been so nervous that I barely remembered anything.

All I could recall was that the palace was enormous and incredibly extravagant.

“There’s nothing special about it. Rather than being nervous, it’s a place where you should be cautious.”

Shanur’s expression darkened slightly.

Of course, the palace was currently a battlefield of political power.

With the third prince’s faction gaining strength, and the empress—who supported him—still holding considerable influence, the palace was a dangerous place.

The emperor had been bedridden for years, which only added to the tension.

The empress might not have more power than the emperor, but she had enough to put pressure on the crown prince.

“But you don’t have to worry about any of that. I’ll be with you.”

His words were incredibly reassuring.

I smiled softly at Shanur.

“That’s not something I’m worried about at all.”

And I meant it.

Now that I was sure Shanur would protect me, the palace didn’t seem so intimidating anymore.

“By the way, I think we should change the way we address each other.”

“Change… how?”

“My brother fully believes the rumors about us. That is, the rumor that we… fell in love.”

“Oh.”

Realizing what he meant, I hesitated.

“Then… Shanur… sir?”

“If you just drop the last part, it’d be perfect, Beloni.”

When he playfully called my name, I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to say,

“Shanur.”

Thankfully, my voice didn’t shake like a frightened goat.

“Good job.”

He smiled, and I quickly turned my head to look out the window, pretending not to notice.

Then, silently, I practiced his name over and over in my head.

‘Shanur. Shanur.’

I didn’t want to mess up later, so I made sure to repeat it beforehand.

Just as I was doing this, the carriage came to a stop.

Michel opened the door, and as Shanur’s faint smile faded into a neutral expression, he stepped out first.

He reached out his hand, and after taking a deep breath, I took it and carefully stepped out of the carriage.

This wasn’t an official meeting, but it wasn’t a secret visit through the back gate either. Holding onto Shanur’s arm, I followed the palace steward who had come to greet us.

The mention of the “Emperor’s steward” almost made my heart leap out of my chest, but I managed to maintain my composure and smile.

As I walked through the halls, I realized that the palace was just as massive and grand as I remembered.

Shanur and the steward seemed to be on friendly terms, chatting naturally as we walked. Luckily, I didn’t have to participate in the conversation.

“His Majesty is waiting inside. Please enter.”

The steward smiled kindly and opened the large doors.

As I took a deep breath, I felt Shanur’s gaze on me.

When I turned to look at him, I gave him a reassuring smile. He returned a faint smile before we stepped inside.

The office we entered was much simpler than I expected.

Despite the ornate doors, the room itself was modest, with only the essential furniture.

It didn’t look like the room of a reigning emperor at all.

“You’re here.”

A gentle voice greeted us.

I had been distracted, looking around the room, and only belatedly noticed the emperor. I quickly lowered my head.

“Brother.”

“Oh, Lady Beloni?”

Ignoring Shanur’s greeting, the emperor called my name.

I hurriedly grabbed the edges of my dress and bowed.

“It is an honor to meet Your Majesty.”

Shanur had told me there was no need for formalities since this wasn’t an official meeting, so I kept my greeting simple.

“You may rise.”

As I cautiously lifted my head, I saw the emperor had stepped closer.

Despite being only in his early forties, he looked much older, probably due to his illness.

His tall frame was thin, his hair was completely white, and beneath it, I saw familiar golden eyes—just like Shanur’s.

His features were surprisingly gentle, and he bore a resemblance to the crown prince.

As I took in his appearance, he suddenly grabbed my hand and lightly patted the back of it.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Before I could react, he continued.

“I never thought Shanur would fall in love, but here you are.

I truly thank you. I thought I would never see him settle down before my time was up.”

“Ah, that’s not—Your Majesty.”

I wasn’t even sure what I was denying, but the words just spilled out.

The emperor genuinely seemed grateful.

His gaze was warm, filled with affection—not just for me, but for Shanur as well.

“Brother, please don’t make Beloni uncomfortable.”

Shanur gently guided me toward the sofa.

As the emperor stood alone for a moment, he clicked his tongue and followed us.

“I’m just happy. I’ve been asking to meet her for so long, but you kept refusing.”

Wait… he had been asking to meet me all this time?

My eyes widened in surprise.

The emperor shot a look at Shanur, and when I turned to him as well, he cleared his throat and adjusted his clothes.

“We hadn’t known each other for long at the time.”

“So you proposed to a woman you barely knew? Ah, don’t worry, Lady Beloni. That wasn’t directed at you.”

Despite his sharp words toward Shanur, his gaze softened when he looked at me.

As I observed them talk, I found myself fascinated.

They didn’t seem like just brothers—they almost seemed like a father and son.

“Shanur, you may leave now.”

Shanur frowned slightly.

“Brother, Beloni is—”

“She’s my only sister-in-law. Do you think I’d do anything reckless? Do you not trust me?”

S-Sister-in-law?!

Hearing the emperor call me sent shivers down my spine.