Please Divorce Me, My Emperor

CHAPTER 9

The following evening, Aurelia was reviewing supply logs in her study when the heavy double doors opened. Kaelen walked in, carrying a single piece of heavy parchment paper stamped with the gold dragon crest.

He set it down gently on her desk, right beside her tea set.

Aurelia looked at the paper, then up at him, her brow furrowed. "What is this? Another denied petition?"

"Read it," Kaelen replied softly, leaning against the edge of her desk and crossing his arms.

Aurelia picked up the document. Her eyes scanned the elegant script:

Imperial Addendum to the Ceasefire Agreement

Party A (Emperor Kaelen) and Party B (Empress Aurelia) hereby agree to the following terms:

1. Party B shall continue her administrative duties and remain at Party A’s side during state functions for the remaining fifty-five days of the agreed term.

2. Party A grants Party B absolute authority over palace security audits and internal governance.

3. Should Party B still desire a complete dissolution of the marriage at the conclusion of the term, Party A will sign the formal decree without delay, condition, or court interference.

4. In exchange, Party B agrees to give Party A an unreserved, genuine opportunity to court her as a husband, free from past grievances.

Aurelia’s breath hitched at the fourth point. She stared at the bold, sweeping signature of Kaelen Solar Draconis at the bottom, accompanied by his gold wax seal.

"A formal contract?" she whispered, looking up. " You are putting your word on parchment? If I say leave in fifty-five days, will you let me go without a fight?"

"My word as Emperor," Kaelen said, his expression completely serious. "I will not hold you against your will, Aurelia. If, after I give you everything I have to give, you still look at this life and see only a prison... I will open the gates myself."

He leaned down, placing his hand over hers on the cold wooden desk. His palm was warm, strong, and steady.

"But until that day comes," Kaelen whispered, his thumb lightly stroking the back of her wrist, "I intend to make you forget you ever wanted to leave."

Aurelia felt a lump form in her throat. For months, she had viewed Kaelen as an obstacle to her freedom, a stubborn tyrant who refused to sign a piece of paper. But looking into his raw, unwavering eyes, she realized the truth: he wasn't trying to trap her. He was fighting for her.

Slowly, deliberately, Aurelia picked up her quill, dipped it in dark ink, and signed her name beside his.

"Fifty-five days, Kaelen," she murmured softly, her eyes locking onto his. "Don't make promises you might regret."

Kaelen’s lips curved into a slow, breathtaking smile. "I have never regretted a single moment with you, my Empress."

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The morning sun barely broke through the misty gray skies over the palace training grounds. The air smelled of damp earth and polished steel.

"You move like you're attending a tea party," Kaelen’s deep voice echoed across the dirt arena.

Aurelia wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, gripping a light practice broadsword with both hands. She was dressed in leather trousers and a simple white linen shirt—far removed from her usual silk gowns. Her honey-gold hair was tied back in a messy braid.

"I am an Empress, not a gladiator," Aurelia panted, adjusting her grip on the heavy hilt.

"Assassins do not care about your title," Kaelen said calmly, stepping forward with his own wooden blade held loosely at his side. "The library incident was a warning. Valerius and his faction are getting desperate. If you are going to walk through this palace as my equal, you will know how to defend your own life."

He lunged forward—a slow, deliberate swipe designed to test her reaction time.

Aurelia brought her blade up, steel clashing against wood with a sharp c***k. The shockwave traveled up her arms, making her wrists throb, but she held her ground, twisting her blade to deflect his.

"Better," Kaelen murmured, his violet eyes sparkling with genuine approval. "Again."

For an hour, they moved together into the dusty courtyard. Kaelen was a relentless teacher, but he was extraordinarily patient. Whenever her form slipped, he didn't scold her; he stepped behind her, his large frame pressing against her back, his hands wrapping over hers on the hilt to guide her elbows into the correct position.

The physical closeness was intoxicating. Every time his warm chest pressed against her back, every time his breath fanned against the nape of her neck as he corrected her stance, Aurelia’s focus faltered—not from exhaustion, but from the wild fluttering in her chest.

"Keep your weight on your back foot," Kaelen whispered in her ear, his fingers tightening over hers as they brought the sword up together. "Like this."

"Kaelen," Aurelia breathed, her head tilting slightly back against his shoulder. "It is difficult to concentrate when you are standing so close."

Kaelen paused. He didn't step back. Instead, he slowly lowered their shared sword, his lips brushing against the soft curve of her jaw, making her gasp softly.

"Good," he growled playfully, his voice a low vibration against her skin. "Your enemies will try to distract you, too. You must learn to overcome it."

"You are cheating," she accused, turning around in his arms, her wooden sword held horizontally between their chests.

"I am an Emperor," Kaelen smirked, his arms wrapping around her waist despite the wooden blade separating them. "I use every advantage available to me."

Aurelia looked up into his dark, warm eyes, her heart hammering wildly. The sword between them fell to the dirt with a soft thud, neither of them caring enough to pick it up.