What on earth is going on?
“Your Majesty... at this hour... how did you come?”
"By walking."
“?”
“Heh, do you not need to drink any more water?”
“Oh, I want to drink a little more...”
I raised my hand toward the glass of water he was holding, my thirst still not fully quenched.
“This is warm water, is that okay?”
He asked, slightly lifting the glass of water he was holding as if to keep it from touching my hand.
“I feel like I just drank cold water... Am I imagining something?”
“It is not a mistake. It seems that the Empress desperately wanted cold water, so I held this water in my mouth and offered it to you.”
"...Yes?!"
Emperor Linel seemed to find my bewildered expression amusing.
“It is possible because the temperature of things that touch my hand drops.”
“Oh, so that’s why the water got cold too?”
“Yeah, it got colder because it stayed in my mouth.”
I was speechless at the explanation he added.
“Do you need more water?”
“Yes, I need it, but...”
“That means you need me soon.”
He nodded his head while muttering to himself, then he made eye contact with me and smiled.
"Wait."
As I swallowed dry saliva, he brought the glass of water to his lips and spoke. Then, without a second of hesitation, he drank the water and came close to my face. My lips parted as if they had been waiting.
I slowly absorbed the water he was slowly putting into my mouth. Strangely enough, the water he was holding in his mouth was as cold as ice water. My mouth, which had been bubbling, was gradually cooling down due to its refreshing sensation.
“You still... look really thirsty?”
He pulled away and gently grabbed my chin, whispering,
“It’s okay now...!”
Emperor Linel as if he didn't hear me, drank all the water left in the glass and then handed me water again through his mouth.
"Ha."
The fire that had been rising from my neck now felt completely extinguished. It was as if I had found an oasis in the middle of a desert where the sun was shining and had jumped into it. Even after he gave me the last sip of water, he was still kissing me. I pushed his shoulder gently.
“Now, it’s really done.”
I said, wiping my lips, which had become moist thanks to Emperor Linel, with the back of my hand.
“I was the one who brought you the cool water, but it’s strange. Why do I feel warm all over my body...”
He fiddled with the glass of water he still held in his hand.
“Is it just my imagination?”
He hummed as he did so, raised his head, and looked at me again.
“Empress, are you feeling ill? Or have a cold?”
He placed his hand on my forehead and tilted his head.
“I don’t have a fever.”
As expected, it seemed like he couldn't feel the hot sensation inside my body.
“There is nothing wrong. I just feel thirsty while sleeping. But, Your Majesty, what is the matter at this hour of the night...”
“I will come to the Empress’s Palace tonight. I told you at lunch, didn’t I?”
“Oh, that’s true, but I thought you weren’t coming since I didn’t hear from you until dinnertime.”
“I thought it would be very late... I told the maid not to tell her because I was worried that the Empress would have to wait without being able to sleep.”
"Yes..."
“I just stopped by to see your face, but I ended up waking you up like this.”
“With Your Majesty’s lips?”
I smiled and accepted his words, but he still looked at me with a worried look.
“Just now... I think you were having a nightmare?”
I smiled and accepted his words, but he still looked at me with a worried look.
“Just now... I think you were having a nightmare?”
“Oh, that happens sometimes.”
When I brushed it off lightly, he made a somewhat suspicious expression but didn't ask any more questions.
“I see.”
We exchanged glances for a moment without speaking. Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, I raised the corners of my lips first, and he seemed to be just as awkward, raising the corners of his lips as I did. Then he coughed a few times and got up from the bed he was sitting on.
“Ahem, then it’s okay, so I’ll go back now.”
"Yes..."
“?”
When he said he was going to go back, I also got up from bed to see him off.
“Are you going to the main palace bedroom?”
“...Right. Is there anywhere else to go?”
Emperor Linel's voice was somewhat cold. He spoke coldly as if he would turn around at any moment, but for some reason, he still remained in his place. What should I say to the Emperor who was just staring at me? Should I hold him back out of courtesy? Or should I tell him to go back safely?
The reason for this hesitation was one thing. If I were his real wife, I would have definitely grabbed his arm. But I...
“Then, please be careful on your way back...”
I am not Emperor Linel's real wife. In the end, I bowed my head and greeted him once more.
“Just stay here. There’s nothing to come out of.”
Emperor Linel turned around and gave me a commanding look as he followed me to the bedroom door.
“Oh, yes.”
Watching his back as he walked toward the bedroom door, I felt a little regretful. I thought that if he had looked back just once more, I might have the courage to approach him.
I am not Emperor Linel's real wife. In the end, I bowed my head and greeted him once more.
“Just stay here. There’s nothing to come out of.”
Emperor Linel turned around and gave me a commanding look as he followed me to the bedroom door.
“Oh, yes.”
Watching his back as he walked toward the bedroom door, I felt a little regretful. I thought that if he had looked back just once more, I might have the courage to approach him.
But then...
He eventually left the bedroom. A feeling of emptiness seemed to seep in through the crack in the bedroom door. I stood there staring at the bedroom door until the sound of his footsteps disappeared from the distance. Silence came again. I turned off the small light he had turned on and lay back down on the bed. Opening my eyes in the darkness, I vaguely recalled the moment when I had just woken up. I recalled the moment when the water he had handed me seeped through my lips. Then I placed my hand on my heart which was beating little by little and tried to feel that feeling again. The cool water, the soft touch of his lips, the way he moved slightly as he handed me the water... Everything seemed sweet. No, it was sweet. And it was also thrilling. I brought the hand that was on my heart to my lips. And very naturally, my hand touched the spot where the burn scar had been on the right side of my face.
Would he have gotten out even if I had caught him?
“Wake up. What are you expecting?”
There is nothing for me in the Lapion Palace. I hypnotized myself once again, reminding myself of the role that had been assigned to me. I could not be his woman. He would never love me. So come to your senses!
...But what if he did love me?
"No."
I kept shaking my head from side to side, trying to drive away the thoughts that were making me hopeful.
“That can’t be true!”
The moment I burst out laughing and pulled the blanket back over my head, bang!
The bedroom door opened without even knocking. I was startled and jumped up. A black shadow was draped over the bedroom.
“Who, who are you?!”
My voice was too high-pitched because I was flustered. Despite my question, the black shadow slowly approached me without any response. The pitch-black darkness needlessly heightened people’s fear to the extreme.
“Who, who are you? You dare not knock at this hour! Can’t you hear me? You’re fearless! Who the hell are you?!”
“Your fearless husband.”
“...Your Majesty?”
I quickly turned on the light. Even in the dim light, his blue eyes were clearly visible.
“Who, who are you?!”
My voice was too high-pitched because I was flustered. Despite my question, the black shadow slowly approached me without any response. The pitch-black darkness needlessly heightened people’s fear to the extreme.
“Who, who are you? You dare not knock at this hour! Can’t you hear me? You’re fearless! Who the hell are you?!”
“Your fearless husband.”
“...Your Majesty?”
I quickly turned on the light. Even in the dim light, his blue eyes were clearly visible.
“Why have you come back again?”
“I thought about it and it was annoying.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Couldn’t you have told me to have a cup of tea before I go, even if it was just empty words?”
Emperor Linel asked in a displeased tone. I glanced at the desk clock.
“...Tea at this hour?”
“Well, it’s not really time to drink tea.”
He followed my gaze, checked the time, then slightly shifted his frown that had been forming just a moment ago and changed his words.
“What do you mean, go to sleep? Does that mean, even if I die, I won’t come out?”
“That, that... I don’t think His Majesty would want that.”
“I thought about it and it was annoying.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Couldn’t you have told me to have a cup of tea before I go, even if it was just empty words?”
Emperor Linel asked in a displeased tone. I glanced at the desk clock.
“...Tea at this hour?”
“Well, it’s not really time to drink tea.”
He followed my gaze, checked the time, then slightly shifted his frown that had been forming just a moment ago and changed his words.
“What do you mean, go to sleep? Does that mean, even if I die, I won’t come out?”
“That, that... I don’t think His Majesty would want that.”
“How did the Empress know that?”
Emperor Linel's sharp gaze was fixed on my face. His eyes were persistent and questioning.
“I know that Your Majesty is considerate of me, but I am worried that you might be forcing yourself to come to the Empress’s Palace...”
“Empress, I apologize for interrupting you, but I have no idea what you are talking about. And besides...”
He raised one hand to stop me from talking, then began to pour out his words.
“Do you think I am merciful? Just today, more than ten people have been beheaded on my orders?”
“...Okay, I will cancel the mercy.”
“Yeah. So you’re saying you didn’t catch me because you thought about me?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Don’t you know that your consideration makes me angry?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”
“That means there is no need for such consideration.”
He came towards the bed.
“Instead, I will gladly accept the consideration of giving me the seat next to the Empress.”
“Yes? Are you saying you’ll sleep here?”
I opened my eyes wide, looked back and forth between Emperor Linel, and the bed, and asked.
“Then do you think I came back just to ask why you didn’t catch me?”
“Well, then...?”
“I came to sleep!”
Emperor Linel spat out his words in a harsh tone and threw the robe hanging from his shoulders carelessly onto the floor.
As I stood there blankly staring with a stiff face, he lightly tapped my shoulder and then collapsed onto the bed.
“You dare stand there and stare down at me, the Emperor? Well, that’s refreshing, though.”
“Oh, no.”
I immediately looked down.
“Empress, please lie down. I wish we could lie down and have a conversation from the same perspective.”
He grabbed my hand with a slightly tired voice.
“I’m sick of living my life looking up at those eyes every day. I want the Empress to be close to me and make eye contact with me.”
I lay down carefully in the spot he had given me and looked up at the ceiling.
“Turn towards me.”
He commanded. I quickly turned my face towards the Emperor.
“How rude. Just turn your body towards me.”
There was affection in his deep, deep voice. As if his words were a spell, I turned my body toward Emperor Linel without realizing it. He had already turned toward me. He was holding up his handsome face with one hand and waiting for my gaze. When I saw his beautiful features up close, my breathing seemed to become tangled. I swallowed and awkwardly opened my lips. He met my eyes without saying anything, then covered my eyes with his large hands and whispered.
“I know I have a desirable appearance.”
He was telling me to stop staring. When I let out a small laugh at those words, this time he spoke in a voice that was devoid of any joking.
“I feel like I have disturbed the Empress’s sleep for no reason. Are you uncomfortable?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
I shook my head and whispered.
“You understand. That’s just my existence. I’m not the type of person who can make anyone comfortable.”
“I... Your Majesty, I am at ease.”
"What?"
Emperor Linel's straight eyebrows rose as if my answer was somehow wrong. He straightened his upper body and looked down at me with a serious expression as he asked.
“To say that your husband is comfortable in bed... is that insulting?”
He misunderstood what I said strangely. He seemed really offended.
“No! That, means, comfortable doesn’t mean you don’t feel like a man! Clearly, when we kissed, my heart was racing so much that I wanted to pull away, but no, I didn’t mean I wanted to pull away from your lips, I meant I wanted to pull away from my heart...!”
Emperor Linel's straight eyebrows rose as if my answer was somehow wrong. He straightened his upper body and looked down at me with a serious expression as he asked.
“To say that your husband is comfortable in bed... is that insulting?”
He misunderstood what I said strangely. He seemed really offended.
“No! That, means, comfortable doesn’t mean you don’t feel like a man! Clearly, when we kissed, my heart was racing so much that I wanted to pull away, but no, I didn’t mean I wanted to pull away from your lips, I meant I wanted to pull away from my heart...!”
“...”
What am I talking about? I was so flustered that I blurted out words without any order, then gasped and stopped talking, taking a deep breath.
“Keep talking.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I was so sleepy that I forgot that I was in front of Your Majesty and just started talking nonsense.”
“Go on. I’ll finish it up, so you can do whatever you want, Empress.”
"... Yes?"
“I’m just good at finishing things. Whether it’s war or people. I see everything to an end.”
Why does hearing that send shivers down my spine?
“So what I mean is, what I want to say is...”
“Do you want to keep your lips together?”
“Yes! I want to put it back on... Yeah?!”
“If you want, I’ll be happy to.”
Emperor Linel's two hands covered my face.
“I don’t allow it.”
He immediately started teasing my lips.
“Paste it. As much as you want.”
His sweet voice echoed inside me. I closed my eyes tightly and held my breath. My shoulders went up in tension and my body became rigid.
"Empress, is it because I have no water in my mouth that I will not open my lips anymore?”
Emperor Linel tilted his head and pressed his lips against mine as he asked. Only after hearing his words did I realize that my lips were tightly shut.
“Ah, sorry... Ugh!”
As I exhaled the breath I had been holding, my lips parted. Emperor Linel dug in, closing the tiny gap.
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