Linel suddenly moved to sit behind me... I couldn’t do anything while his position in the bathtub changed. It happened so quickly,
“As an Emperor who is famous for swinging his sword in battle, how can I be lazy about going to the training ground?”
“Did you kill a lot of people in the war?”
I couldn't imagine what he would look like on the battlefield. Right now, he was just an overly handsome husband who tripped and fell into the bathtub.
“I fight with the thought that the fewer enemies I kill in war, the greater the sacrifices of my empire’s people.”
After a moment of silence, he answered seriously.
“I'm not a murderer. Look, if the Northern Continent’s power grows stronger, there will be less bloodshed in the war with the Southern Continent, so we even had a national wedding. Well, it was also to keep the ministers in check.”
It was nice to hear Linel's low voice and soft laughter behind me.
“Don’t you regret it?”
“What? Did I fall into the bathtub? Or did we get married?”
“So... you fell into the bathtub on purpose, right?”
I turned my head to glare at him, thinking of the precious soap lying horribly crushed on the floor.
“The acting was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
He admitted it obediently, his eyes narrowing. I was startled by his moist and shining face and changed the subject.
“My precious soap was sacrificed.”
He affectionately accepted my questioning tone, which seemed to be hurting him for no reason.
“I’ll buy you the exact same thing.”
"... Yes?"
“I have a lot of money.”
“Phew.”
“Why are you laughing? When you laugh, it makes me think I’m lying.”
“No, please buy it.”
“Yeah. First of all, if I had to answer the question about getting into the bathtub, I don’t regret it. I feel like all my fatigue has gone away. Look, the water is still warm.”
Linel was still amazed as he scooped up the steaming bathtub water with his hands and let it drip down his body.
“But it’s really strange...”
He returned to his previous conversation, muttering to himself in a doubtful voice.
“And the national wedding. I’m glad that you’re my Empress. So I have no regrets. I’ll try to do my best so that you won’t regret it either.”
My heart fluttered at the sound of his shy, confessional voice.
“You don’t believe me?”
When I didn't say anything, he tightened his strong arms around my neck.
“Hey, if I say I don’t believe you, are you going to strangle me to death right now?”
I grabbed his strong arms and pretended to suffocate for no reason. Then he chuckled and loosened his grip on my neck.
“It’s nice that we can have a comfortable conversation now that we’re both in the bathtub.”
“I’m not comfortable.”
“Why?”
“It’s not fair.”
“Oh, dear. I was rude.”
Linel spoke as if reflecting, and then I heard something moving behind me. When I glanced back at him, he was unbuttoning the shirt he was wearing.
“What are you doing now...?”
“I’m trying to be fair.”
Even though he was already soaking wet and his chest muscles were clearly visible, he took off his shirt and threw it on the floor.
“Zelda, step forward a bit.”
Oh, really...? He grabbed both my arms and pushed me slightly towards the bathtub. Then he knelt on the floor of the bathtub, raised his upper body slightly, and put his hands on the waistband of the pants he was wearing. I quickly turned my head back to the front and shouted.
“Oh, I think you don’t need to take off your clothes below? Well, you’re going to be cold anyway!”
“I see? Well, that makes sense.”
He sat back down in the tub. Phew, I really thought he was going to take everything off. After a while, Linel whispered in my ear in an evil voice.
“But, Empress.”
"Yes..."
“Already, taken off.”
“!”
His shocking words made me turn my entire body to look at him. His watery blue eyes looked so mysterious that this moment seemed unreal.
“Are you only looking at me properly now that I said I took everything off?”
I didn't see anything. I just looked up at the ceiling. There was a painting on the ceiling showing a naked goddess and a god bathing together, and baby angels pouring water jars on the two gods. Was he really naked?
“Don’t worry. I was joking.”
What? I glanced down at the bathroom floor, not believing Linel. It must be true. Fortunately, his reasoning seemed to be working properly, as there was nothing on the floor.
“I don’t think both of us should take them off. At least one of us should wear them.”
“What a very polite couple.”
“Huh, hoo hoo, hahaha!”
His joyful laughter rose to the ceiling along with the steam.
“Linel, unless you want to eat me for breakfast tomorrow, I’ll get out of the bath first. I think my body is starting to get used to it after being in it for so long.”
I tried to escape by spreading out my ten wrinkled fingers to him.
“Yeah. It’ll be a problem if it gets ripe. I guess I should go now.”
“Then... who will go out first?”
“Choose. Me, who has clothes on but no change of clothes? Or you, who has a robe but is naked right now?”
Let's make it a one-shot game. I clenched my fist and held it out to him, meaning that we'd decide with rock-paper-scissors. It's all a matter of luck. Linel also clenched his fist. But, that fist rushed straight into mine.
“Yeah, it was a nice bath.”
We bumped fists together and he said, "Isn't this it? Hey, I thought we were going to play rock-paper-scissors?" I raised my fist awkwardly and then slowly lowered my hand.
“I’ll turn my head away for a moment, so you can put on your gown first. You might catch a cold.”
It probably wasn't something someone cursed with hypothermia should say, but I was still touched by his thoughtfulness.
“Yes, then please turn your head for a moment. Surely... you wouldn’t be peeking, would you?”
“I like stealing other people’s land, but I’ve never stolen another person’s body. I don’t even have a hobby of stealing.”
I trusted his very firm words.
“Yes, then I’ll get out of the bathtub first.”
“You haven’t gone out yet?”
Linel turned his head to the other side and spoke slyly. I checked his turned head until the moment I left the bathtub, and then walked to where the robe was hanging. After drying my whole body with the long towel on the shelf, I put on the pink slip and robe hanging on the deer horns. After tying the robe strings tightly, I turned to him and opened my mouth.
“I’m all dressed. I’ll go find a towel for Your Majesty... Gyaak!”
Linel's head was already turned towards me.
“Oh, how long have you been watching me?”
I was dumbfounded by his brazen change of direction and carefully unbuttoned my gown once more.
“Um, well.”
“Huh? You said you don’t have a hobby of peeping!”
“I said that because I haven’t had anything to do with peeping in the past. So of course I didn’t have any interest in peeping. But maybe it will become a hobby from now on.”
He put both arms over the bathtub and rested his perfect face on it, speaking languidly.
“What did you say?”
“I think it suits my aptitude.”
“I’m disappointed.”
I said bluntly with a bewildered expression.
“But, honestly, it doesn’t make sense to say I stole it.”
"Ha..."
A long sigh escaped my lips. I couldn't tell whether it was a sigh of relief or a sigh of regret.
“You look really upset that I’m not taking off my pants?”
He seemed to have accepted my sigh in that way.
“Not at all?”
“Your reaction is cute right now, but I really need to take it off now.”
“Hey, are you going to take off your pants now?”
I turned away slightly, speaking defensively.
“It got wet, so of course I have to wipe it off. I can’t just lie down on the Empress’s bed like this, right?”
Oh, right. That goes without saying.
"Towel."
“Oh, here it is, wipe it.”
I turned my head slightly to the side and handed him the towel.
“Can’t you clean it for me?”
Linel's hand, which had received the towel, grabbed mine and spoke. I turned my gaze to his face. I could tell even while looking into his eyes. I could tell without looking. He had already taken off his pants. So, he really was now a naked Emperor. Even though I was clearly only looking at his face, my face was getting hotter. Sweat dripped down my forehead from the steam in the bathroom mixed with the tension. Linel's hand wiped the sweat off my forehead.
“You really seem to have a fever. I was freezing as soon as I got out of the bath.”
Oh, I was so flustered that I forgot about his hypothermia curse for a moment. His body was soaking wet and his temperature was dropping rapidly. Who told me to take it all off? Why did you have to get into the bathtub in the first place?
“It’s so cold...”
At his pitiful voice, I quickly spread out a towel and wrapped it around his body, wiping away the moisture. I shook off his soaking-drenched black hair, squeezed the moisture from his sculpted face, passed his broad shoulders, passed his solid chest muscles, past, past, past, my hand stopped at his waist. My hand holding the towel could not go any lower, and I looked into Linel’s eyes,
“Catch it.”
I put a towel in his hand and stepped back.
“I understand. There are obstacles too big to just pass over.”
“!”
“I’ll clean from here on out. Zelda, why are your shoulders raised so high?”
Before I knew it, my body was frozen with my shoulders touching my ears.
“I think the towel is a little small to dry off all the moisture, so I’ll bring another one.”
I ran out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
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“It’s because I’m cold. I’ll stay still. Really....”
His earnest request left me unable to move.
“Aren’t you uncomfortable?”
“It’s warm. The human thermal magic stone is talking, so I’m not bored.”
Linel said, resting his chin on my temples.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
"Yes."
"Why?"
“You know. I don’t have to say it.”
Honey, at least you're wearing clothes.
“Oh, right.”
“But why do you insist on asking?”
“Don’t you know? Are you crazy?”
I nodded in agreement with his words, and he laughed like crazy because he thought it was funny. When his laughter died down, I remembered what he had said earlier and asked quietly.
“Do you train often?”
His earnest request left me unable to move.
“Aren’t you uncomfortable?”
“It’s warm. The human thermal magic stone is talking, so I’m not bored.”
Linel said, resting his chin on my temples.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
"Yes."
"Why?"
“You know. I don’t have to say it.”
Honey, at least you're wearing clothes.
“Oh, right.”
“But why do you insist on asking?”
“Don’t you know? Are you crazy?”
I nodded in agreement with his words, and he laughed like crazy because he thought it was funny. When his laughter died down, I remembered what he had said earlier and asked quietly.
“Do you train often?”
“As an Emperor who is famous for swinging his sword in battle, how can I be lazy about going to the training ground?”
“Did you kill a lot of people in the war?”
I couldn't imagine what he would look like on the battlefield. Right now, he was just an overly handsome husband who tripped and fell into the bathtub.
“I fight with the thought that the fewer enemies I kill in war, the greater the sacrifices of my empire’s people.”
After a moment of silence, he answered seriously.
“I'm not a murderer. Look, if the Northern Continent’s power grows stronger, there will be less bloodshed in the war with the Southern Continent, so we even had a national wedding. Well, it was also to keep the ministers in check.”
It was nice to hear Linel's low voice and soft laughter behind me.
“Don’t you regret it?”
“What? Did I fall into the bathtub? Or did we get married?”
“So... you fell into the bathtub on purpose, right?”
I turned my head to glare at him, thinking of the precious soap lying horribly crushed on the floor.
“The acting was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
He admitted it obediently, his eyes narrowing. I was startled by his moist and shining face and changed the subject.
“My precious soap was sacrificed.”
He affectionately accepted my questioning tone, which seemed to be hurting him for no reason.
“I’ll buy you the exact same thing.”
"... Yes?"
“I have a lot of money.”
“Phew.”
“Why are you laughing? When you laugh, it makes me think I’m lying.”
“No, please buy it.”
“Yeah. First of all, if I had to answer the question about getting into the bathtub, I don’t regret it. I feel like all my fatigue has gone away. Look, the water is still warm.”
Linel was still amazed as he scooped up the steaming bathtub water with his hands and let it drip down his body.
“But it’s really strange...”
He returned to his previous conversation, muttering to himself in a doubtful voice.
“And the national wedding. I’m glad that you’re my Empress. So I have no regrets. I’ll try to do my best so that you won’t regret it either.”
My heart fluttered at the sound of his shy, confessional voice.
“You don’t believe me?”
When I didn't say anything, he tightened his strong arms around my neck.
“Hey, if I say I don’t believe you, are you going to strangle me to death right now?”
I grabbed his strong arms and pretended to suffocate for no reason. Then he chuckled and loosened his grip on my neck.
“It’s nice that we can have a comfortable conversation now that we’re both in the bathtub.”
“I’m not comfortable.”
“Why?”
“It’s not fair.”
“Oh, dear. I was rude.”
Linel spoke as if reflecting, and then I heard something moving behind me. When I glanced back at him, he was unbuttoning the shirt he was wearing.
“What are you doing now...?”
“I’m trying to be fair.”
Even though he was already soaking wet and his chest muscles were clearly visible, he took off his shirt and threw it on the floor.
“Zelda, step forward a bit.”
Oh, really...? He grabbed both my arms and pushed me slightly towards the bathtub. Then he knelt on the floor of the bathtub, raised his upper body slightly, and put his hands on the waistband of the pants he was wearing. I quickly turned my head back to the front and shouted.
“Oh, I think you don’t need to take off your clothes below? Well, you’re going to be cold anyway!”
“I see? Well, that makes sense.”
He sat back down in the tub. Phew, I really thought he was going to take everything off. After a while, Linel whispered in my ear in an evil voice.
“But, Empress.”
"Yes..."
“Already, taken off.”
“!”
His shocking words made me turn my entire body to look at him. His watery blue eyes looked so mysterious that this moment seemed unreal.
“Are you only looking at me properly now that I said I took everything off?”
I didn't see anything. I just looked up at the ceiling. There was a painting on the ceiling showing a naked goddess and a god bathing together, and baby angels pouring water jars on the two gods. Was he really naked?
“Don’t worry. I was joking.”
What? I glanced down at the bathroom floor, not believing Linel. It must be true. Fortunately, his reasoning seemed to be working properly, as there was nothing on the floor.
“I don’t think both of us should take them off. At least one of us should wear them.”
“What a very polite couple.”
“Huh, hoo hoo, hahaha!”
His joyful laughter rose to the ceiling along with the steam.
“Linel, unless you want to eat me for breakfast tomorrow, I’ll get out of the bath first. I think my body is starting to get used to it after being in it for so long.”
I tried to escape by spreading out my ten wrinkled fingers to him.
“Yeah. It’ll be a problem if it gets ripe. I guess I should go now.”
“Then... who will go out first?”
“Choose. Me, who has clothes on but no change of clothes? Or you, who has a robe but is naked right now?”
Let's make it a one-shot game. I clenched my fist and held it out to him, meaning that we'd decide with rock-paper-scissors. It's all a matter of luck. Linel also clenched his fist. But, that fist rushed straight into mine.
“Yeah, it was a nice bath.”
We bumped fists together and he said, "Isn't this it? Hey, I thought we were going to play rock-paper-scissors?" I raised my fist awkwardly and then slowly lowered my hand.
“I’ll turn my head away for a moment, so you can put on your gown first. You might catch a cold.”
It probably wasn't something someone cursed with hypothermia should say, but I was still touched by his thoughtfulness.
“Yes, then please turn your head for a moment. Surely... you wouldn’t be peeking, would you?”
“I like stealing other people’s land, but I’ve never stolen another person’s body. I don’t even have a hobby of stealing.”
I trusted his very firm words.
“Yes, then I’ll get out of the bathtub first.”
“You haven’t gone out yet?”
Linel turned his head to the other side and spoke slyly. I checked his turned head until the moment I left the bathtub, and then walked to where the robe was hanging. After drying my whole body with the long towel on the shelf, I put on the pink slip and robe hanging on the deer horns. After tying the robe strings tightly, I turned to him and opened my mouth.
“I’m all dressed. I’ll go find a towel for Your Majesty... Gyaak!”
Linel's head was already turned towards me.
“Oh, how long have you been watching me?”
I was dumbfounded by his brazen change of direction and carefully unbuttoned my gown once more.
“Um, well.”
“Huh? You said you don’t have a hobby of peeping!”
“I said that because I haven’t had anything to do with peeping in the past. So of course I didn’t have any interest in peeping. But maybe it will become a hobby from now on.”
He put both arms over the bathtub and rested his perfect face on it, speaking languidly.
“What did you say?”
“I think it suits my aptitude.”
“I’m disappointed.”
I said bluntly with a bewildered expression.
“But, honestly, it doesn’t make sense to say I stole it.”
“Are you going to evade your duty now?”
“Oh, you are telling the truth.”
“?”
“I actually didn’t steal it, I just looked at it openly. Isn’t this considered evasion?”
"Ha..."
“And I’m not as vulgar as anyone else.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Something ominous was brewing in my mind. I felt like I had to get out of the bathroom quickly.
“If you want to see it, then see it. I don’t say anything as tacky as turning away.”
“I, I have to go get a towel to dry myself with...”
“Don’t move. Stay right there.”
The moment I was about to take my foot off the ground, my foot stopped in mid-air at his solemn command.
“Just use what you just use. Then you don’t have to go out.”
Oh, were we sharing a towel? Even if we were a married couple, is he His Majesty the Emperor?
“?”
“I actually didn’t steal it, I just looked at it openly. Isn’t this considered evasion?”
"Ha..."
“And I’m not as vulgar as anyone else.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Something ominous was brewing in my mind. I felt like I had to get out of the bathroom quickly.
“If you want to see it, then see it. I don’t say anything as tacky as turning away.”
“I, I have to go get a towel to dry myself with...”
“Don’t move. Stay right there.”
The moment I was about to take my foot off the ground, my foot stopped in mid-air at his solemn command.
“Just use what you just use. Then you don’t have to go out.”
Oh, were we sharing a towel? Even if we were a married couple, is he His Majesty the Emperor?
I’d never heard of a couple of noble families sharing a towel, not just the royal family, even in the Kingdom of Shattonil. I thought arguing with him would only drain my energy, so I followed his lead and picked up the towel I had just used from the shelf. I would never look down below his lips. I repeated this to myself as I walked toward him. I couldn’t see him well anyway because of the thick steam. As I approached, he rose from the bathtub with a noble gesture. Linel’s hazy overall appearance was as beautiful as a water nymph. He stepped out of the bathtub without any hesitation. It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to look away...
That was actually an excuse. I was also curious. I wondered if he could really stand up as he said, and if so, I was slightly curious about how he would act afterward. Yes, just a little bit. But I couldn’t see anything.
"Ha..."
A long sigh escaped my lips. I couldn't tell whether it was a sigh of relief or a sigh of regret.
“You look really upset that I’m not taking off my pants?”
He seemed to have accepted my sigh in that way.
“Not at all?”
“Your reaction is cute right now, but I really need to take it off now.”
“Hey, are you going to take off your pants now?”
I turned away slightly, speaking defensively.
“It got wet, so of course I have to wipe it off. I can’t just lie down on the Empress’s bed like this, right?”
Oh, right. That goes without saying.
"Towel."
“Oh, here it is, wipe it.”
I turned my head slightly to the side and handed him the towel.
“Can’t you clean it for me?”
Linel's hand, which had received the towel, grabbed mine and spoke. I turned my gaze to his face. I could tell even while looking into his eyes. I could tell without looking. He had already taken off his pants. So, he really was now a naked Emperor. Even though I was clearly only looking at his face, my face was getting hotter. Sweat dripped down my forehead from the steam in the bathroom mixed with the tension. Linel's hand wiped the sweat off my forehead.
“You really seem to have a fever. I was freezing as soon as I got out of the bath.”
Oh, I was so flustered that I forgot about his hypothermia curse for a moment. His body was soaking wet and his temperature was dropping rapidly. Who told me to take it all off? Why did you have to get into the bathtub in the first place?
“It’s so cold...”
At his pitiful voice, I quickly spread out a towel and wrapped it around his body, wiping away the moisture. I shook off his soaking-drenched black hair, squeezed the moisture from his sculpted face, passed his broad shoulders, passed his solid chest muscles, past, past, past, my hand stopped at his waist. My hand holding the towel could not go any lower, and I looked into Linel’s eyes,
“Catch it.”
I put a towel in his hand and stepped back.
“I understand. There are obstacles too big to just pass over.”
“!”
“I’ll clean from here on out. Zelda, why are your shoulders raised so high?”
Before I knew it, my body was frozen with my shoulders touching my ears.
“I think the towel is a little small to dry off all the moisture, so I’ll bring another one.”
I ran out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
***
An hour ago, Grand Duke Martins saw Emperor Linel on his way back to the villa where the VIP room was located after a night walk. Even from a distance, the Emperor seemed to be walking quickly somewhere. Where could he go so late at night? The attendants and knights who followed the Emperor seemed to be busy keeping up with his hurried steps. Grand Duke Martins followed him at a certain distance.
“I never thought...”
Emperor Linel walked away in the direction of the Empress's Palace. Grand Duke Martins looked at the Empress's Palace in the distance for a while before turning his steps toward the villa where he was staying. Returning to the VIP room, the Grand Duke closed his eyes and took a deep breath as soon as he opened the door. Grand Duke Martins, who had a keen sense of smell, noticed that the air was quite different from when he left the room an hour ago. It was a sign that someone had entered his room.
“You came earlier than I thought.”
As Grand Duke Martins snapped his fingers, a black shadow appeared from the terrace window. The Grand Duke's shadow knight, who had been hiding behind the curtain, knelt on one knee and bowed to him.
“Meet the Grand Duke!”
“The news I brought.”
“There is no way yet. The doctor says this week is critical.”
“Hmm, well, it’s surprising that you’re still breathing after falling off a cliff. Has Prince Tesla noticed yet?”
“That seems to be the case. The Royal Knights also seem to think that the body would have floated away with the river below the cliff, where the current was strong.”
“That’s right. Tell the doctor to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day, and give him more money.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I never thought...”
Emperor Linel walked away in the direction of the Empress's Palace. Grand Duke Martins looked at the Empress's Palace in the distance for a while before turning his steps toward the villa where he was staying. Returning to the VIP room, the Grand Duke closed his eyes and took a deep breath as soon as he opened the door. Grand Duke Martins, who had a keen sense of smell, noticed that the air was quite different from when he left the room an hour ago. It was a sign that someone had entered his room.
“You came earlier than I thought.”
As Grand Duke Martins snapped his fingers, a black shadow appeared from the terrace window. The Grand Duke's shadow knight, who had been hiding behind the curtain, knelt on one knee and bowed to him.
“Meet the Grand Duke!”
“The news I brought.”
“There is no way yet. The doctor says this week is critical.”
“Hmm, well, it’s surprising that you’re still breathing after falling off a cliff. Has Prince Tesla noticed yet?”
“That seems to be the case. The Royal Knights also seem to think that the body would have floated away with the river below the cliff, where the current was strong.”
“That’s right. Tell the doctor to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day, and give him more money.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
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