Inside the reception room, where the air was cool and cold, Jeremiah was facing the attendants who had come out of the palace with a surprisingly stiff expression. A strange tension hung around them.
"Ahem... Nice to meet you. We have come out of the palace to check on the sleeping quarters of the Grand Duke and his wife."
The one who seemed to be the head of the household cleared his throat and began to speak. Then, a low voice came out from Jeremiah's mouth as he glanced at the lowered servant.
"You are to wait outside the bedroom while my wife and I have sex."
"Yes?"
Jeremiah did not stop there and continued speaking.
"Everyone should cover their eyes and ears, then stand outside the door with their backs turned."
The faces of the servants who heard those words clearly showed signs of bewilderment.
"What do you mean? We have come under the command of His Majesty the Emperor. We must confirm whether or not the merger will take place."
He raised his voice as if he was saying that he was not the representative. From that moment on, a terrifying murderous aura began to emanate from Jeremiah.
"So? Are you saying that you dare to see my wife naked?"
Jeremiah's eyes lit up.
"OMG...!"
The attendant, who had raised his voice in response to the oppressive feeling that suffocated him and stabbed his lungs sharply, quickly closed his mouth.
"His Majesty has given me full authority over you. So after I confirm this, I have no problem with gouging out your eyes and tongues and cutting off your ears."
"..."
Jeremiah was casually uttering words more frightening than a death threat.
"Ha, but we... we... are only following His Majesty's imperial orders..."
One of the servants, who seemed to be the oldest, spoke tremblingly, but could not come out with the right words.
"If you really must confirm it, then let me do so. But you will have to put your life in my hands."
A heavy silence fell over the reception room. The servants all held their breath in a tense atmosphere that seemed ready to burst at any moment.
"You will be beheaded in front of me before you return to the palace tomorrow."
"...!"
The faces of the servants turned pale at Jeremiah's assertive remark. Several of them swallowed their breaths as if they had been sentenced to death. The servants who had worked in the palace for a long time were quick-witted. They immediately realized that Jeremiah's words were sincere. And because they had been in the palace for a long time, they knew the Emperor's disposition and the inner workings of the palace well.
The Emperor had no interest in the lives of his servants. Even if they died, he would fill the empty space with others. There was no way that such an Emperor would protect them when their lives were threatened. No, he might even welcome their sacrifice, saying that they had caught the Grand Duke of Colesberg's nitpick.
The servants trembled in fear when they realized that they were the only ones who would die in the battle between the Emperor and the Grand Duke. Jeremiah, who had been staring at them with a frosty gaze, opened a small way for them to survive.
"If you do as I say, your heads will not be cut off."
"I will do as Your Highness the Grand Duke wishes."
Eventually, the servants decided to follow Jeremiah's instructions.
***
The sun had set. A beautiful crimson color had dyed the early evening sky. The sunset, which had been hanging like a veil, hid itself beyond the western mountains as darkness came. The curtain of night spread and the still night sky mysteriously shimmered with purple and dark blue. In a place where not a single star was visible, only the silvery moonlight revealed its presence alone. The cold moonlight that had seeped in through the cracks in the window illuminated Karina, creating a dreamy atmosphere. However, her expression was quite bewildered, which did not match her mysterious appearance.
'When did you prepare for this?'
The room prepared as a master bedroom was decorated quite romantically. There was a large, wide bed with thin, soft silk curtains. On the bed was a soft, fluffy comforter. The comforter smelled warm and fluffy as if it had just been dried in the sun. On the shelf next to the bed was an expensive silver candlestick with an antique appearance, and a high-quality scented candle with a sweet fragrance was burning softly. The light from the candle lit the room dimly. The headboard and the edge of the bed were filled with brightly blooming flowers, and the area around the bed was covered with red rose petals like a velvet carpet. If there had been no time constraints, the floor would have been covered with petals. The table and chairs opposite were decorated with a white lace tablecloth, lace cover, and pure white ribbons. On the table were precious Black Label wine and rare champagne. The delicately crafted crystal glasses seemed to convey the gravity of the situation.
'Is it really necessary to prepare this thoroughly when you're just pretending to do it?'
Of course, others knew that the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess were really having a merger today, so they must have prepared with all their heart and soul. Karina put her hand on her forehead with a pale face. Something she had taken for granted suddenly felt like a great burden.
'Maybe I was thinking too lightly?'
She was also concerned about her own clothes for no reason. Karina was wearing only underwear and a thin slip, with a thick shawl over it. She was dressed with a great deal of consideration for other people's gaze. A person preparing for their first night couldn't be wrapped up tightly. However, when she saw the splendid bedroom, she unconsciously buttoned up her collar. It wasn't like they were actually having sex, but Karina felt nervous for no reason.
'I really hope this play ends successfully!'
Karina clasped her hands together with an anxious expression. Jeremiah said he was going to meet the servants from the palace and tell them about the annexation in advance.
'I hope you're doing as the head maid tells you to do?'
"Phew."
Karina kept sighing as she waited for him.
Karina, who had difficulty staying still, paced around the bed for a while. Then, Karina's eyes caught sight of the lavender flowers displayed at the head of the bed.
"Ah..."
A groan-like elasticity escaped from her teeth. She hadn't noticed it earlier because the room was dark.
'I never thought I'd see lavender in the bedroom where we first had sex.'
A feeling of discomfort spread through her body as if she had been covered in excrement. She wanted to throw the lavender on her bedside table out the window right now.
'Not now. I have to endure it.'
Karina's eyes, sunken low, caught sight of the wine on the table. She uncorked the bottle without hesitation and drank the wine in one gulp. There was a beautiful crystal glass next to her, but she didn't even think about pouring it into the glass. Her esophagus felt hot as if it was burning.
"Ugh..."
Perhaps because she drank it all at once, she felt a sudden rush of energy, and her vision spun around. Karina grabbed her chest, walked over to the bed, and collapsed on the bed.
"Phew."
After waiting a moment, her mind came back a little. Karina suddenly felt funny for having been so nervous just now. This was because she remembered her real first night, which had been completely simple. Karina brought up a memory from the distant past.
First night. That day when she had waited for him, anxious and nervous, but her heart had raced and pounded. When would he open that closed door and come in? What kind of expression should she make to greet him? She had imagined all sorts of things and worried about it...
'At that time, I was just waiting for him to come quickly.'
Karina quietly snickered. That night, when she was excited with a trembling heart and high expectations, Karina went to the office where Jeremiah was, with an excited heart, to find him, who never showed up. However, Jeremiah...
'When did I ever give you my name?'
He was ruthless and warned her not to make any effort, saying he would not allow anything, including his name.
'I should have listened to you then.'
The expression disappeared from Karina's face. In fact, it was not that she didn't hear those words, but that she just couldn't give up hope, but in the end, it brought about the same result. Karina calmed her mind by recalling the memories of that time.
'You know this stuff doesn't mean anything anymore.'
Karina's eyes grew cold. Her inner self became calm without a single ripple.
***
After a while.
Bam.
"...!"
Karina's body flinched in surprise when she heard the sound of the door opening. The bedroom door opened and someone came in along with the cold air outside.
'Huh? Did I doze off for a bit?'
As the cold air hit her, she felt a little bit more conscious. Karina pressed her forehead and checked who had entered the room. It was Jeremiah. Even though he had entered, the door was wide open. Karina glanced through the thin silk curtains and checked outside the door. Although she couldn't see clearly, she could see a few people standing beyond the open door.
'They are servants from the palace.'
At first glance, it seemed like there would be about 5 or 6 people. Her guess that there would be one or two was wrong.
'There are too many eyes watching!'
She thought that they sent a lot of people to confirm the merger. Karina suppressed her rising discontent again. In any case, the audience was ready.
'Now Jeremiah and I just need to act well.'
Karina measured the distance between the bed and the entrance.
'It's okay. This distance is enough to fool you!'
He repeated that to herself as if she was brainwashing herself. In the meantime, Jeremiah opened the curtain that was hanging like a veil and entered the space Inside the bed.
"...!"
Karina raised her head involuntarily at the sound and met Jeremiah's eyes. And then she froze. It's nothing. Just act appropriately. She had thought so lightly until just a moment ago, but when she actually faced him on the bed, her thoughts stopped without her realizing it.
"..."
For some reason, Jeremiah also looked at Karina with a calm gaze for a moment. It may have been an illusion, but his expression, which had been the same, changed slightly. Surprise? Embarrassment?
However, that change was only for a moment. He soon returned to his original face and, with a calm expression, carefully closed the curtains. There were only Jeremiah and Karina around the large, wide bed. A suffocating silence came over them, so much so that they could even hear each other's breathing. Jeremiah, who had been watching with indifferent eyes, approached Karina and sat down next to her. His body smelled of soap and a refreshing woody scent. Jeremiah's hair was still wet as if he had just washed up. Was it because of the warm light from the candle?
His jet-black hair and eyes looked darker than usual. His moist lips were a bloody red, and his white skin was clean without a single blemish. Karina was finally able to stare at Jeremiah for the first time In a long time. Jeremiah didn't show any particular reaction to her gaze. Like her, he just looked.
'Why is the person who is going to merge so calm?'
Of course, it's not real, but isn't it still a little too tense? Layla is also hiding in the room, and outside the wide open door, even the palace attendants are watching with wide-open eyes.
"Karina?"
Jeremiah called Karina's name.
"Are you okay? Your face is really red."
'Huh? Did I drink too much wine in a fit of anger earlier?'
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment