As Ines said, it was true that there was nothing to give her right now.
Since the Emperor had grabbed her wrist and dragged her to Granzaim Castle, it was obvious as daylight what kind of modifier would be attached to her now.
While he was thinking of an excuse, Ines’ voice continued. The thought that she would blame him was again misplaced.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you wouldn’t even imagine it.”
Ines looked up at Granzaim Castle and her eyes sparkled. The castle was like a huge wall. There must have been an entrance, but it was like a deep mountain where she couldn’t find a way in anywhere.
“How much I want to enter this castle right now.”
Ines’ eyes sparkled as if she was looking at an oasis that would disappear if she touched it. The light in her green eyes was a strong determination to have it.
“I know that if I just go in here, the dizzying fear and pain I feel every day will be resolved in an instant. So every moment of this moment is a temptation and a path of suffering for me.”
She let out a gasp. Ines had to close her eyes to see if they were gleaming with greed. She gathered her courage and turned to Carson.
“So I will definitely become a maid.”
Carson eventually burst into laughter at Ines’s most typical choice.
“What will it be?”
“Even if you laugh, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Why am I laughing at you?”
“If it’s not that, then that’s fortunate.”
“Okay. I’ll make you a maid or something. So for now...”
“No. I will become a maid myself. Your Majesty has just become the Emperor. So you must never do anything that goes against the laws of the Empire. A court lady can become a maid if she has merits. The fact that I was a criminal at that time does not matter to the law.”
“Is that your conclusion?”
“Yes, if I become a maid, then you must assign me to the Imperial Palace.”
The Empress had sole authority over where a maid would be assigned. But now that the Empress was gone, the Emperor had all the power to decide.
“So please wait.”
“Again?”
“Yes, and please keep the Crown Princess’s closest maid and me out of the palace for the time being. The closest maid is someone you can trust.”
Carson thought as he looked at the woman who seemed to be radiating determination.
“I’m sorry, Ines, but I have no intention of waiting for you any longer.”
The coronation was still a month away, but he was thinking of bringing it up.
Once the coronation was over and Swenden became Lord of Landhill, they would elect an Empress right away.
He could picture what would happen if he had said that he would make Ines the Empress, beating out all the other candidates.
So who should he cook first? The Duke of Manisut? Chancellor Bonifax?
Ines continued to speak as he made his plan.
“Yes? In exchange for letting me be your maid, I promised to help the closest maid remain in the palace. Give me a little more time, and I’ll prove myself useful.”
Carson nodded and stared at her.
“Thank you very much.”
Ines sighed and smiled quietly. When she smiled, it seemed as if the previously colorless imperial palace was filled with color.
Carson felt relieved to finally see her in his hands. And he tried to figure out the identity of the subtle sense of discomfort he had felt since earlier.
Her tone of speech had changed strangely.
The attitude Ines was showing him now was neither that of the 20-year-old noblewoman he had seen when they first met, nor that of the temple maid who always walked one step behind him, bowing down.
“First, you and that closest maid will be transferred to Granzaim Castle.”
“Yes?”
“You have to leave Chandera anyway. And I need a maid too. The Emperor’s maid can start the service even if she is not the closest maid.”
Ines’ face brightened as if she hadn’t thought about that. Red autumn flowers swayed behind her as she smiled.
“That’s true.”
“But, do you know that?”
“What?”
“Whether maid or servant, once you become a palace maid, you can never leave here without my permission.”
“Are you saying that is some kind of threat to me now?”
The light of awe that seemed to worship a God had not completely disappeared from the eyes that looked at him. He, who was receiving that worship himself, knew best that the blindness still existed.
However, she was different now. No, the feelings Ines had for him had strangely changed.
“Isn’t this a threat?”
“Of course.”
“Even though I am declaring that I'm yours?”
Her lips, which were constantly asking him what he wanted, and her eyes, which were certain that she would listen, seemed to have sensed that he was a precious being to her.
So the current Ines Swenden was not the appearance of a believer who looked up to him as a God.
She was a beautiful woman who could make a man kneel with just one finger at any time.
That was why Carson could be sure that the Ines Swenden right in front of him was the most perfect version of her.
The shining confidence that she knew exactly what she wanted somehow stimulated Carson. The woman he had chosen had always made him breathless but had never disappointed him.
“Yes, that’s right. I belong to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Ines’ eyes widened as she heard the curses softly spilling out of Carson’s mouth.
“Do you even curse like that?”
“That’s why I said I didn’t want to be an Emperor.”
Ines looked around at those words. Then she let out a small sigh.
“I’m not in a position to be aware of the situation, but I unconsciously looked around to see if anyone was listening.”
She felt relieved, but soon she glared at him slightly. Every moment was a stimulus to Carson.
“Still, don’t say things like that. You’re like the Emperor. And now, don’t say harsh words.”
“What does Lady Swenden know? My heart.”
Ines smiled again, hearing the occasional playful tone.
“How could I know all the depths of His Majesty the Emperor’s heart?”
“Everything else, even if I don’t really want it, just falls into my hands.”
Carson suddenly reached out and stroked Ines’s nape. Her eyes widened at the sudden action.
“Even the Emperor. Was the Keynes Empire really that easy to get?”
Ines couldn’t answer. She unconsciously moved her neck following his touch. Everywhere his hot body temperature touched, her strength drained away.
In the frozen time, only he occupied all her space. The earnestly entangled gazes spoke so clearly that Ines felt lost in his eyes.
“Speaking of which... I have to take a long detour because of something so trivial.”
Her tone of speech had changed strangely.
The attitude Ines was showing him now was neither that of the 20-year-old noblewoman he had seen when they first met, nor that of the temple maid who always walked one step behind him, bowing down.
“First, you and that closest maid will be transferred to Granzaim Castle.”
“Yes?”
“You have to leave Chandera anyway. And I need a maid too. The Emperor’s maid can start the service even if she is not the closest maid.”
Ines’ face brightened as if she hadn’t thought about that. Red autumn flowers swayed behind her as she smiled.
“That’s true.”
“But, do you know that?”
“What?”
“Whether maid or servant, once you become a palace maid, you can never leave here without my permission.”
“Are you saying that is some kind of threat to me now?”
The light of awe that seemed to worship a God had not completely disappeared from the eyes that looked at him. He, who was receiving that worship himself, knew best that the blindness still existed.
However, she was different now. No, the feelings Ines had for him had strangely changed.
“Isn’t this a threat?”
“Of course.”
“Even though I am declaring that I'm yours?”
Her lips, which were constantly asking him what he wanted, and her eyes, which were certain that she would listen, seemed to have sensed that he was a precious being to her.
So the current Ines Swenden was not the appearance of a believer who looked up to him as a God.
She was a beautiful woman who could make a man kneel with just one finger at any time.
That was why Carson could be sure that the Ines Swenden right in front of him was the most perfect version of her.
The shining confidence that she knew exactly what she wanted somehow stimulated Carson. The woman he had chosen had always made him breathless but had never disappointed him.
“Yes, that’s right. I belong to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Ines’ eyes widened as she heard the curses softly spilling out of Carson’s mouth.
“Do you even curse like that?”
“That’s why I said I didn’t want to be an Emperor.”
Ines looked around at those words. Then she let out a small sigh.
“I’m not in a position to be aware of the situation, but I unconsciously looked around to see if anyone was listening.”
She felt relieved, but soon she glared at him slightly. Every moment was a stimulus to Carson.
“Still, don’t say things like that. You’re like the Emperor. And now, don’t say harsh words.”
“What does Lady Swenden know? My heart.”
Ines smiled again, hearing the occasional playful tone.
“How could I know all the depths of His Majesty the Emperor’s heart?”
“Everything else, even if I don’t really want it, just falls into my hands.”
Carson suddenly reached out and stroked Ines’s nape. Her eyes widened at the sudden action.
“Even the Emperor. Was the Keynes Empire really that easy to get?”
Ines couldn’t answer. She unconsciously moved her neck following his touch. Everywhere his hot body temperature touched, her strength drained away.
In the frozen time, only he occupied all her space. The earnestly entangled gazes spoke so clearly that Ines felt lost in his eyes.
“Speaking of which... I have to take a long detour because of something so trivial.”
He placed his finger precisely on the dot on Ines’s nape. It was a dot that she hadn’t even remembered being there before he touched it. Ines flinched at the strange sensation she felt for the first time.
The large hand that had been gently stroking the dot slowly wrapped Ines’ nape completely. Although it was clearly much hotter than her body temperature, Ines’ body trembled slightly.
“That trivial thing, surely... you’re not talking about the Emperor’s seat, are you?”
Her heart, thumping, conscious of her emotions, raced without hesitation. Ines bit her lips tightly, feeling as if her heart would burst out of her mouth.
“That’s right, the Emperor’s position was so easy to obtain, but why is it so hard to get Young Lady Swenden?”
When he put strength into the place where he gently held her, Ines’s neck rose on its own. Carson slightly slipped the hand that had been holding her neck and moved only his thumb to firmly press her chin. Her lower lip slipped out from between her teeth on its own.
“You know better how much Young Lady contributed to that... Do you?”
He stared intently at Ines’ lips. It seemed to awaken all the senses in her body, so she unconsciously glanced at her parched lips. His golden eyes flashed and disappeared. Every moment seemed to suck up all the air around her.
“Since the destination is the same anyway, does the order really...? matter?”
“Order...?”
She followed his words as if she was possessed. At that moment, everything he said was right, so she felt like she could do whatever he said. His lips were as sweet as honey, but his eyes were threatening and seductive. The way he spoke, which was very lingering, sounded like a child’s whining, but the hand on her neck didn’t even give her a chance to refuse. It was an unfamiliar feeling that she had never felt from him before.
Carson suddenly realized as he listened to Ines’s disheveled breathing.
It wasn’t the Duke of Manisut or the Chancellor Bonifax who had to cook right now.
Ines had shown him a chance by revealing her white nape, so he was in a position where he had to woo her passionately so that he would feel like a complete man.
“Yes, you don’t seem to know. We have the same goal.”
“Just become a maid. From then on, I will do whatever Your Majesty tells me.”
As he tilted his face and came closer, Ines blurted out the words that came to mind without going through her head.
“As I say?”
“Yes, except for going far away.”
At that moment, Carson and Ines’ hands were grabbed at the same time. The two of them looked down at the protagonist at the same time. And they couldn’t help but feel equally embarrassed.
“Your Highness.”
“Louis!”
Noah, Charlotte, and a few servants and court ladies were standing not far from Carson and Ines, who had arrived at some point.
“You two are not fighting, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Ines looked surprised and immediately moved away from Carson and leaned toward Louis.
“Really? That’s good. But Ines, I’m sleepy.”
“Would you like to take a nap?”
Louis nodded, and Carson immediately gave an order to Noah.
“Take care of Château de Chandère.”
“Yes, I understand.”
At that moment, Ines lightly grabbed the end of Carson’s sleeve. Although she didn’t say anything, he knew exactly what Ines wanted to say.
“Oh, who is it?”
“Casey Hampshire.”
“Yes, Casey Hampshire, except for the former Crown Princess’ closest maid. She will be brought to Granzaim Castle starting tomorrow. As my maid.”
Noah and Charlotte accepted the situation naturally, but the servants and other court ladies standing around them could not hide their surprise.
“As I say?”
“Yes, except for going far away.”
At that moment, Carson and Ines’ hands were grabbed at the same time. The two of them looked down at the protagonist at the same time. And they couldn’t help but feel equally embarrassed.
“Your Highness.”
“Louis!”
Noah, Charlotte, and a few servants and court ladies were standing not far from Carson and Ines, who had arrived at some point.
“You two are not fighting, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Ines looked surprised and immediately moved away from Carson and leaned toward Louis.
“Really? That’s good. But Ines, I’m sleepy.”
“Would you like to take a nap?”
Louis nodded, and Carson immediately gave an order to Noah.
“Take care of Château de Chandère.”
“Yes, I understand.”
At that moment, Ines lightly grabbed the end of Carson’s sleeve. Although she didn’t say anything, he knew exactly what Ines wanted to say.
“Oh, who is it?”
“Casey Hampshire.”
“Yes, Casey Hampshire, except for the former Crown Princess’ closest maid. She will be brought to Granzaim Castle starting tomorrow. As my maid.”
Noah and Charlotte accepted the situation naturally, but the servants and other court ladies standing around them could not hide their surprise.
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