As she was walking, chasing the pain of chasing the tail of the tail, her upper body was already above the water.
The wet clothes stuck to her skin and became translucent.
When she raised her head, Demios, who had been walking ahead, had stopped.
“Your Majesty?”
Sepia asked curiously, but he didn’t answer.
Sepia hesitated and reached out to Demios.
“...My head hurts.”
“Your Majesty?!”
With a splash, the body that had been leaning forward sank under the water.
Startled, Sepia hurriedly pulled Demios’ arm.
The body of the unconscious person was heavier than usual.
Unable to bear the weight, Sepia staggered and fell into the water with him.
“Gulp...!”
The salty smell of the seawater stung her eyes. Sepia quickly got up and put her hands on his armpits and pulled him towards land.
“Huk... Huh...!”
There was no time to feel any resistance.
After much effort, Sepia succeeded in laying him down on the floor.
Fortunately, it was shallow, otherwise his life might have been in danger.
Sepia, exhausted, finally caught her breath and examined Demios.
He was frowning with his eyes closed.
'You said your head hurt, right?'
She had to check if he had a fever, but it was not easy to reach out.
Demios's breathing was getting rough.
The guilt of hesitating while leaving the fallen man pushed Sepia's back.
She mustered up her courage and reached out to Demios' forehead.
'It's a fireball.'
Startled by the hot air, Sepia dropped her hand. She had no idea how long his fever had been this high.
'I have to call the attendant.'
The Emperor had collapsed.
If there was a problem during the purification ceremony, it was said that the whole empire would be in a state of suffocation.
However, this was something she could not handle alone.
"I will call the attendant. Please wait a moment."
Sepia, who had made up her mind, was about to get up from her seat.
"...Are you going?”
Demios, who had opened his eyes, was holding onto Sepia’s arm.
He had held it so tightly that a handprint was left.
Sepia, flustered, tried to push him away. Demios hugged Sepia’s waist and rested his head on her hunched leg.
Sepia bit the flesh inside her mouth in the unfamiliar tension.
“It’s dangerous if we continue like this. Your Majesty is now..."
“Wait a minute, stay like this.”
As if he was really sick, his solid body didn’t move at all.
Sepia froze in place as if frozen.
Then, Demios let out a steady breath as if he was relieved.
“Did you fall asleep?”
Sepia decided to wait until he came to his senses.
Fortunately, his fever went down quickly.
However, he didn’t seem to be recovering easily.
Demios’ face, with his eyes tightly shut, looked like an innocent child.
Although he was holding her, Sepia felt a little relieved because she thought Demios wouldn’t be able to move any further.
“...It feels like I’ve gone back to when I was young. Your Majesty, I don’t think you remember.”
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The wet clothes stuck to her skin and became translucent.
When she raised her head, Demios, who had been walking ahead, had stopped.
“Your Majesty?”
Sepia asked curiously, but he didn’t answer.
Sepia hesitated and reached out to Demios.
“...My head hurts.”
“Your Majesty?!”
With a splash, the body that had been leaning forward sank under the water.
Startled, Sepia hurriedly pulled Demios’ arm.
The body of the unconscious person was heavier than usual.
Unable to bear the weight, Sepia staggered and fell into the water with him.
“Gulp...!”
The salty smell of the seawater stung her eyes. Sepia quickly got up and put her hands on his armpits and pulled him towards land.
“Huk... Huh...!”
There was no time to feel any resistance.
After much effort, Sepia succeeded in laying him down on the floor.
Fortunately, it was shallow, otherwise his life might have been in danger.
Sepia, exhausted, finally caught her breath and examined Demios.
He was frowning with his eyes closed.
'You said your head hurt, right?'
She had to check if he had a fever, but it was not easy to reach out.
Demios's breathing was getting rough.
The guilt of hesitating while leaving the fallen man pushed Sepia's back.
She mustered up her courage and reached out to Demios' forehead.
'It's a fireball.'
Startled by the hot air, Sepia dropped her hand. She had no idea how long his fever had been this high.
'I have to call the attendant.'
The Emperor had collapsed.
If there was a problem during the purification ceremony, it was said that the whole empire would be in a state of suffocation.
However, this was something she could not handle alone.
"I will call the attendant. Please wait a moment."
Sepia, who had made up her mind, was about to get up from her seat.
"...Are you going?”
Demios, who had opened his eyes, was holding onto Sepia’s arm.
He had held it so tightly that a handprint was left.
Sepia, flustered, tried to push him away. Demios hugged Sepia’s waist and rested his head on her hunched leg.
Sepia bit the flesh inside her mouth in the unfamiliar tension.
“It’s dangerous if we continue like this. Your Majesty is now..."
“Wait a minute, stay like this.”
As if he was really sick, his solid body didn’t move at all.
Sepia froze in place as if frozen.
Then, Demios let out a steady breath as if he was relieved.
“Did you fall asleep?”
Sepia decided to wait until he came to his senses.
Fortunately, his fever went down quickly.
However, he didn’t seem to be recovering easily.
Demios’ face, with his eyes tightly shut, looked like an innocent child.
Although he was holding her, Sepia felt a little relieved because she thought Demios wouldn’t be able to move any further.
“...It feels like I’ve gone back to when I was young. Your Majesty, I don’t think you remember.”
In the middle of winter, Demios came in secretly to nurse Sepia when she had a cold.
The circumstances were reversed, but why does he remember that time?
It was when she absentmindedly reached out to straighten the hair on his forehead.
“I remember.”
“...What?”
She had thought he wouldn’t hear her words, so she uttered them.
Sepia’s hand stopped in midair. At that moment, Demios opened his eyes.
“The Empress nursed me.”
Ah.
Sepia realized when he was talking.
Demios had caught a fever shortly after she arrived in the Beastkin Empire.
Before Sepia developed an aversion to it, she had nursed Demios with care.
Fortunately, thanks to his quick recovery, the national wedding was not delayed.
Demios and Sepia.
They had been wandering around looking for partners from different periods.
“...That’s right.”
Sepia didn’t deny it and wiped his sweat away.
They were not a bad couple.
He supported Sepia's efforts, and thanks to him, she was able to establish the workhouse and charity without much opposition.
Yes, everything was fine.
Except for the bed.
Demios glared at her with bloodshot eyes.
“Your husband is me. Remember that.”
His eyes urged her to answer.
“But I am not Your Majesty’s lover.”
Even if Sepia were to perform her duties as Empress one day, that fact would not change.
Demios bared his teeth at the words in her eyes.
“Answer, tell me.”
“Your majesty? Wait...!”
In an instant, her vision flipped upside down. Demios was on top of her.
The hand strangling her was cold and damp.
Sepia was frozen, unable to resist.
“...You are mine.”
Demios, who had been growling while looking down at her, furrowed his brow.
He staggered as if a terrible headache was squeezing him, and collapsed on top of Sepia.
His breathing became even again.
“What just now...”
The feeling of her throat being strangled was vivid.
Sepia barely pushed him away and curled up.
Her entire body trembled like an aspen tree.
Tick. Tick.
A noise was heard somewhere.
The pocket watch Demios had been wearing had fallen beside him. Sepia had to hold her breath next to him until the clock told her the next day.
The circumstances were reversed, but why does he remember that time?
It was when she absentmindedly reached out to straighten the hair on his forehead.
“I remember.”
“...What?”
She had thought he wouldn’t hear her words, so she uttered them.
Sepia’s hand stopped in midair. At that moment, Demios opened his eyes.
“The Empress nursed me.”
Ah.
Sepia realized when he was talking.
Demios had caught a fever shortly after she arrived in the Beastkin Empire.
Before Sepia developed an aversion to it, she had nursed Demios with care.
Fortunately, thanks to his quick recovery, the national wedding was not delayed.
Demios and Sepia.
They had been wandering around looking for partners from different periods.
“...That’s right.”
Sepia didn’t deny it and wiped his sweat away.
They were not a bad couple.
He supported Sepia's efforts, and thanks to him, she was able to establish the workhouse and charity without much opposition.
Yes, everything was fine.
Except for the bed.
Demios glared at her with bloodshot eyes.
“Your husband is me. Remember that.”
His eyes urged her to answer.
“But I am not Your Majesty’s lover.”
Even if Sepia were to perform her duties as Empress one day, that fact would not change.
Demios bared his teeth at the words in her eyes.
“Answer, tell me.”
“Your majesty? Wait...!”
In an instant, her vision flipped upside down. Demios was on top of her.
The hand strangling her was cold and damp.
Sepia was frozen, unable to resist.
“...You are mine.”
Demios, who had been growling while looking down at her, furrowed his brow.
He staggered as if a terrible headache was squeezing him, and collapsed on top of Sepia.
His breathing became even again.
“What just now...”
The feeling of her throat being strangled was vivid.
Sepia barely pushed him away and curled up.
Her entire body trembled like an aspen tree.
Tick. Tick.
A noise was heard somewhere.
The pocket watch Demios had been wearing had fallen beside him. Sepia had to hold her breath next to him until the clock told her the next day.
***
The first day of the new year was over. Demios came to his senses a few hours after he collapsed. When it was time to go out, Sepia helped him up the stairs. That was when they opened the door that separated the underground temple from the surface. Sepia’s eyes met with purple ones.
“Your Majesty!”
Titi jumped out through the open door and hugged Demios. She was wearing the same purification ceremonial dress as Sepia.
‘What? Why is Titi wearing the same ceremonial dress as me...?’
The purification ceremonial dress was custom-made. It was something that had to be ordered from a craftsman at least a few months in advance. Titi was wearing the same dress as Sepia, down to every button. It was neither loose nor too loose like hers, but it fit her body perfectly.
Titi, who had taken Demios from Sepia, stumbled under the weight of his weight as she tried to support him.
“Your Majesty, are you okay? Ah...!”
“We will support you.”
Upon seeing this, the servants approached and supported Demios on both sides in place of Titi. Titi wiped the cold sweat running down the Emperor’s forehead with her sleeve with a worried face.
“Your Majesty, your complexion does not look good... Oh my, my goodness. You have a fever?!”
The high fever that had caused Demios to faint had quickly subsided to a mild fever. Sepia, who had been focused on the same ceremonial attire, immediately came to her senses and gave instructions to her servants.
“His Majesty collapsed briefly in the temple. It seems he had a fever before the purification ceremony. Please call the palace doctor immediately.”
“I will have him on standby.”
Demios’ servants began to move quickly. Since the Emperor had suffered from frequent fevers since he was young, the servants did not seem to be particularly flustered. The only problem was that today was the first day of the new year, the day when fortunes were determined. The court ladies, who had belatedly learned that Sepia and Titi were wearing the same attire, began to gossip.
Up until now, only the Emperor and Empress were allowed to wear white attire on the eve of the purification ceremony and on New Year’s Day. At this point, they had no choice but to ask. About the identity of the attire that Titi was wearing.
“...What happened to that dress?”
“His Majesty had it tailored for me. He said he was sorry for not being able to take me to the abbreviated temple.”
Titi blinked innocently at Sepia’s question. The attire that she saw up close was exactly the same, even the lace material. Titi seemed to realize what Sepia was worried about and pointed to below her chin.
“Oh, I didn’t break the custom, so don’t worry. Look here. There’s a color, right?”
The lace covering her neck was dyed a light sky blue. If she hadn’t pointed it out, it would have looked white.
“Ha...”
Sepia let out a sigh of shock. She had predicted that Demios would be nitpicking about the duties of an Empress when he sent her the dress. However, she was grateful that he kept his past promise to send her the dress, and she felt sorry when she remembered the wound he had received on their first night. She thought there must be a reason why he did this. However, when Sepia saw Titi wearing the same dress as her, she felt that any feeling of guilt towards him for even a moment was ridiculous.
In the meantime, Demios, who was staggering from the aftereffects, shook off the attendant.
“Your Majesty?”
The embarrassed attendant retreated at his gesture.
Demios, who had washed his face dry, reached out to Sepia.
Flinch.
Sepia unconsciously stepped back as she watched the hand approaching her.
‘I thought you were fine.’
He wasn’t dead, and he was only strangled for a very short time.
Sepia had crouched down alone and cast a self-hypnosis.
However, she was not okay at all.
The fear of being unintentionally attacked and strangled.
The cold, damp weight was still vivid.
It was probably an instinctive escape.
Demios’s eyes were hurt at Sepia’s reaction.
Before coming up to the ground, Sepia carefully checked that the buttons were all fastened to the end of her neck. She was afraid that if the strangulation marks were to be seen by others, the two would become gossip.
Above all, Demios seemed to not remember his assault.
“Your Majesty?”
The embarrassed attendant retreated at his gesture.
Demios, who had washed his face dry, reached out to Sepia.
Flinch.
Sepia unconsciously stepped back as she watched the hand approaching her.
‘I thought you were fine.’
He wasn’t dead, and he was only strangled for a very short time.
Sepia had crouched down alone and cast a self-hypnosis.
However, she was not okay at all.
The fear of being unintentionally attacked and strangled.
The cold, damp weight was still vivid.
It was probably an instinctive escape.
Demios’s eyes were hurt at Sepia’s reaction.
Before coming up to the ground, Sepia carefully checked that the buttons were all fastened to the end of her neck. She was afraid that if the strangulation marks were to be seen by others, the two would become gossip.
Above all, Demios seemed to not remember his assault.
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