“Fortunately, the child had no apparent injuries when he was found, perhaps because he was holding him in his arms when he fell from the cliff.”
“Hmm, is that really a good thing?”
Grand Duke Martins asked, placing a hand on the shoulder of his shadow knight, Lord Rolf.
"Yes?"
“When I think about that child’s life in the future, I wonder if it’s fortunate that he survived.”
“Your Highness, if that mercenary knight dies without waking up... what will you do with that child?”
“Why, Sir Rolf, are you going to raise it?”
When Sir Rolf scratched his head and smiled at Grand Duke Martins' question, the Grand Duke clicked his tongue with a pitiful expression.
“Oh, have you become attached to him?”
The Grand Duke's escort knight, Sir Rolf, was his first sparring partner in the knighthood exam. The Grand Duke was defeated miserably by Sir Rolf, who was lower in rank than him, and also failed the knighthood exam. After that, the Grand Duke called him to the Grand Duke's mansion and made him his swordsmanship partner. Despite constant practice, his skills never improved, so the Grand Duke gave up swordsmanship and instead took Sir Rolf as his subordinate. Although he was a loyal subordinate, his weakness was too weak.
“I’ll take my leave for today. Oh, Sir Rolf. I have something to ask you.”
“Please speak.”
“What would be the point of a man going to a woman at this hour? And at such a fast pace?”
“Do you know what kind of relationship those two have?”
Sir Rolf looked at him strangely, but also curious, as it was not the kind of question that usually came out of Grand Duke Martins' mouth.
“Couple, so far.”
“Then it seems like there is only one?”
“One thing, what?”
The sharp face of Grand Duke Martins became crooked.
“The husband is in a hurry.”
“What’s the rush?”
“Isn’t there one? A place to share a passionate passion...”
“Huh? That cold-blooded guy?”
“Don’t cold-blooded people have sexual desires?”
“I heard that the Emperor doesn’t have any contact with women, so why...”
“Your Highness! You just said he was the Emperor? Oh, you said he was going to bring in concubines, but is he already busy at night?”
Sir Rolf, who had been indifferent to Grand Duke Martins' questions until a moment ago, suddenly asked in a curious voice.
“Not a concubine, but Zelda von Trova.”
“Huh, Her Majesty the Empress?!”
“Hey, you seem to be able to say Her Majesty the Empress quite naturally."
“That’s true, isn’t it? Until they get a divorce.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
The Grand Duke nodded in agreement with Sir Rolf's words.
“Are you just talking nonsense because you’re about to die?”
Linel threatened, seemingly threatening to let go of the hand that was supporting my waist.
“Absolutely not! I just said it because I thought I might die!”
“I can’t believe it. It’s like you just made it up.”
“Wasn’t that great?”
Fortunately, Linel laughed at my words and straightened me up without taking his hands off my waist. A towel was already wrapped around his waist, which I don't know when he put it on.
“Thank you for saving my life. There’s an old saying that even gods don’t recognize a person who has died with his head smashed in...”
“Don’t mention it. But, even if you don’t recognize God, wouldn’t it be wrong to not recognize your husband and call him such a terrible person?”
"Sure..."
“And besides the fact that your head will break, if you don’t hold on to me and our relationship breaks up, it will be problematic.”
“That’s right...”
When he held me up and hugged me, I felt like I couldn't breathe because the distance was so close, but this time, I felt like I was breathing hard just by standing face to face. My breathing got faster and faster. I hypnotized myself not to look below his Adam's apple, which I wanted to press. My chin kept getting pulled in without me knowing, but I consciously kept my eyes looking up and focused on the center of his forehead.
“What did you ask?”
He asked, touching his forehead with his palm as if my gaze was strange.
“No, your forehead is really... beautiful.”
“Look again.”
"Yes?"
“Where is the forehead the only cool part?”
He took a step back, spread his arms, and said:
I thought he would turn around, but he didn't. That was fortunate. Since he was a work of art himself, there was no need to look for a cool place. Since the door to the bedroom was open, the steam that had filled the bathroom disappeared, and my vision gradually brightened. Only then did I notice that there was a spare towel on the table behind the bathtub?
“Here, use this to wipe away any remaining moisture.”
I turned my head to the side and handed Linel the towel with both hands.
“If someone saw us, they would think we hadn’t even spent our first night together. Just pass by.”
“What is it?”
“Being shy.”
He said sarcastically, wiping away the remaining moisture with a new towel.
“If you think about it, it wasn’t even a proper first night.”
Haa, why did I have to say something like that? I don't know why I keep blurting out words like I have a fatal disease if I don't talk back to him.
“I agree with that idea.”
He nodded vigorously. No, don't agree!
“Let’s go to the bedroom and talk. My feet seem numb.”
Linel looked down at his wiggling toes and said, "Oops.
“Yes, yes! Come on out!”
“Catch it.”
He reached out to me. He was a sweet man. He was sexy, too. I was nervous that the towel he had wrapped around his pelvis might go somewhere far away.
“Come on. You shouldn’t slip.”
“Thank you, I’ll walk carefully so as not to fall.”
As expected, his hands were icy. Well, I just need to keep my heart warm. I said shyly, taking his hand and walking lightly on the slippery bathroom floor.
“Not you. I mean me.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I shouldn’t slip.”
"...Ah."
“Just think about it. What if I slipped and got hurt? The Empress from Shattonil, coming out of the bath, tripped Emperor Lapion and tried to kill him by making it look like an accident! It would be easy to misunderstand that, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah, haha. Is that so? You must be careful, You Majesty the Emperor. You have four concubines besides me, so I don’t mind falling over.”
Obviously, my face must have been hurt right now, but he was holding his stomach and laughing at something so funny. We held hands again and left the bathroom, careful not to slip.
“Come on, cover yourself with the blanket and lie down.”
I quickly pulled back the blanket on the bed and invited him to come up first.
“I feel quite cold.”
Linel climbed onto the bed and sat up, pulling the covers up to his neck.
“Just lie down, so your body will get warmer.”
“What is your identity?”
This time his voice dropped a tone. Could it be that he was beginning to doubt my identity? But when and how?
“Was that a difficult question?”
Linel narrowed his eyes.
“Zelda, what is your identity...”
“Hmm, is that really a good thing?”
Grand Duke Martins asked, placing a hand on the shoulder of his shadow knight, Lord Rolf.
"Yes?"
“When I think about that child’s life in the future, I wonder if it’s fortunate that he survived.”
“Your Highness, if that mercenary knight dies without waking up... what will you do with that child?”
“Why, Sir Rolf, are you going to raise it?”
When Sir Rolf scratched his head and smiled at Grand Duke Martins' question, the Grand Duke clicked his tongue with a pitiful expression.
“Oh, have you become attached to him?”
The Grand Duke's escort knight, Sir Rolf, was his first sparring partner in the knighthood exam. The Grand Duke was defeated miserably by Sir Rolf, who was lower in rank than him, and also failed the knighthood exam. After that, the Grand Duke called him to the Grand Duke's mansion and made him his swordsmanship partner. Despite constant practice, his skills never improved, so the Grand Duke gave up swordsmanship and instead took Sir Rolf as his subordinate. Although he was a loyal subordinate, his weakness was too weak.
“I’ll take my leave for today. Oh, Sir Rolf. I have something to ask you.”
“Please speak.”
“What would be the point of a man going to a woman at this hour? And at such a fast pace?”
“Do you know what kind of relationship those two have?”
Sir Rolf looked at him strangely, but also curious, as it was not the kind of question that usually came out of Grand Duke Martins' mouth.
“Couple, so far.”
“Then it seems like there is only one?”
“One thing, what?”
The sharp face of Grand Duke Martins became crooked.
“The husband is in a hurry.”
“What’s the rush?”
“Isn’t there one? A place to share a passionate passion...”
“Huh? That cold-blooded guy?”
“Don’t cold-blooded people have sexual desires?”
“I heard that the Emperor doesn’t have any contact with women, so why...”
“Your Highness! You just said he was the Emperor? Oh, you said he was going to bring in concubines, but is he already busy at night?”
Sir Rolf, who had been indifferent to Grand Duke Martins' questions until a moment ago, suddenly asked in a curious voice.
“Not a concubine, but Zelda von Trova.”
“Huh, Her Majesty the Empress?!”
“Hey, you seem to be able to say Her Majesty the Empress quite naturally."
“That’s true, isn’t it? Until they get a divorce.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
The Grand Duke nodded in agreement with Sir Rolf's words.
“It’s something I never expected. Who would have thought that the Emperor Linel Guardion Edpa, who seems to be very picky, would have the same taste as the Empress.”
“His Majesty the Emperor has a keen eye for detail, more than I expected. I didn’t see it that way..”
The two men's opinions clashed at the same time.
“His Majesty the Emperor has a keen eye for detail, more than I expected. I didn’t see it that way..”
The two men's opinions clashed at the same time.
“What did you just say? Does the Emperor have an eye for it? Does that mean that the Empress is quite attractive?”
Am I the only one who is late? Grand Duke Martins thought to himself as he outwardly pushed Sir Rolf’s chest with his fist.
“I am hesitant to say this, but I have seen Her Majesty the Empress from afar a few times while I was in the kingdom.”
Sir Rolf spoke as he recalled the moment he had seen Zelda as if he were recalling a woman he had unrequited love for.
“See? Are you serious? What did you see the Empress like that made you make that face?”
The Grand Duke looked at Sir Rolf's face as if observing it.
“At the training ground.”
"Where?"
“I’ve seen her practice swordsmanship alone in the training hall many times.”
“What? The Empress knows how to swordsman?!”
The Grand Duke doubted his ears.
“Yes, it is so beautiful that it is almost ecstatic to see the Empress demonstrating her sword skills.”
“Are you saying that the Empress is more skilled than you?”
“Oh my, compared to her, I should die with a knife in my mouth right now.”
“The Empress... practices swordsmanship?”
As Grand Duke Martins muttered, stroking his chin, Sir Rolf quickly added:
“That’s so good that it makes me want to curse. Very good.”
If Sir Rolf spoke of it with such respect, it meant that her skills were truly extraordinary. So did the Empress know that I had fallen to the Knights? How much did she laugh at me inwardly?
“What the hell.”
When Grand Duke Martins heard that Zelda was skilled in swordsmanship, he couldn't help but curse. Regardless of the Grand Duke's deep sorrow, Sir Rolf continued to speak in praise.
“What about us? When we see someone with better swordsmanship than ourselves, we feel a similar emotion to falling in love. Knights are like that, although of course, it is an emotion that Your Highness cannot understand.”
Sir Rolf had not intended to tease the Grand Duke, who had always failed his swordsmanship tests, but he often kept a sharp look in his scabbard like this.
“...Hmm, just get out of here.”
“Yes, Your Highness. And I hesitated because it’s not certain yet, but I thought it would be good for you to know, so I’ll tell you.”
“What is it?”
“That mercenary named Norton, he is said to be of unknown origin, but it seems likely that he may not be of humble origins.”
“The basis is.”
“The jewel embedded in the hilt of the sword he was holding was broken, and there was something like a seal inside it.”
"Seal?"
“Yes, it wasn’t a seal used in the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“What did that seal look like to you?”
“I’m not sure, but it might be a seal used by noble families or royalty... But it’s also possible that he stole the sword from somewhere.”
In an instant, Grand Duke Martin's eyes became sharp.
“Sir Rolf, bring me the sword.”
Wait, the towel should be in the bathroom? Why am I out? I looked around the bedroom, then tapped my forehead with my hand and went back to the bathroom. But I was so flustered that I didn't even close the bathroom door properly. If his damned cold body had turned into an ice statue, it would be half my fault.
“The towel was in the bathroom, but I mistook it and looked for it in the bedroom. Haha.”
I said awkwardly and went into the bathroom. He turned around. As the smoky steam began to escape, his back slowly revealed itself, and it was truly fantastic. Linel's back reminded me of Tepero, the god of war. He glanced at me as he wiped the water off his body with a towel and smiled. His moist smile, which seemed unrealistic, made me feel hazy.
“Zelda, I feel like I’ve lost feeling in my toes.”
Oh my God!
“Yes, just a moment!”
I need to find a new towel quickly. I regained my senses and looked around the bathroom, trying to remember where the attendants had left the towels. When I lost my composure, my body and mind started to act differently and I kept doing stupid things. I searched around in the wrong places like a person who had lost his sense of direction and eventually slipped on the wet floor and spun my arms around.
“Whoa!”
My body, which was falling backward, stopped in midair. He held my waist with both arms and looked down at me. It was a posture that gave me a sense of stability. In the meantime, the steam in the bathroom had almost all escaped, and Linel’s handsome face came into my sight clearly.
“I almost got in big trouble.”
Linel frowned slightly.
He was talking nonsense, but then he stopped for a moment. I held back my laughter and asked with a serious expression.
“Oh my, are you trying to tell me I’m a ‘bitch’?”
"...What?"
“Aren’t the bad ‘guy’ and the bad ‘bitch’ originally a set?”
“No? You’re a terrible woman. Is that what you were going to say? Yes, that’s what I meant.”
“I don’t think so.”
Am I the only one who is late? Grand Duke Martins thought to himself as he outwardly pushed Sir Rolf’s chest with his fist.
“I am hesitant to say this, but I have seen Her Majesty the Empress from afar a few times while I was in the kingdom.”
Sir Rolf spoke as he recalled the moment he had seen Zelda as if he were recalling a woman he had unrequited love for.
“See? Are you serious? What did you see the Empress like that made you make that face?”
The Grand Duke looked at Sir Rolf's face as if observing it.
“At the training ground.”
"Where?"
“I’ve seen her practice swordsmanship alone in the training hall many times.”
“What? The Empress knows how to swordsman?!”
The Grand Duke doubted his ears.
“Yes, it is so beautiful that it is almost ecstatic to see the Empress demonstrating her sword skills.”
“Are you saying that the Empress is more skilled than you?”
“Oh my, compared to her, I should die with a knife in my mouth right now.”
“The Empress... practices swordsmanship?”
As Grand Duke Martins muttered, stroking his chin, Sir Rolf quickly added:
“That’s so good that it makes me want to curse. Very good.”
If Sir Rolf spoke of it with such respect, it meant that her skills were truly extraordinary. So did the Empress know that I had fallen to the Knights? How much did she laugh at me inwardly?
“What the hell.”
When Grand Duke Martins heard that Zelda was skilled in swordsmanship, he couldn't help but curse. Regardless of the Grand Duke's deep sorrow, Sir Rolf continued to speak in praise.
“What about us? When we see someone with better swordsmanship than ourselves, we feel a similar emotion to falling in love. Knights are like that, although of course, it is an emotion that Your Highness cannot understand.”
Sir Rolf had not intended to tease the Grand Duke, who had always failed his swordsmanship tests, but he often kept a sharp look in his scabbard like this.
“...Hmm, just get out of here.”
“Yes, Your Highness. And I hesitated because it’s not certain yet, but I thought it would be good for you to know, so I’ll tell you.”
“What is it?”
“That mercenary named Norton, he is said to be of unknown origin, but it seems likely that he may not be of humble origins.”
“The basis is.”
“The jewel embedded in the hilt of the sword he was holding was broken, and there was something like a seal inside it.”
"Seal?"
“Yes, it wasn’t a seal used in the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“What did that seal look like to you?”
“I’m not sure, but it might be a seal used by noble families or royalty... But it’s also possible that he stole the sword from somewhere.”
In an instant, Grand Duke Martin's eyes became sharp.
“Sir Rolf, bring me the sword.”
***
Wait, the towel should be in the bathroom? Why am I out? I looked around the bedroom, then tapped my forehead with my hand and went back to the bathroom. But I was so flustered that I didn't even close the bathroom door properly. If his damned cold body had turned into an ice statue, it would be half my fault.
“The towel was in the bathroom, but I mistook it and looked for it in the bedroom. Haha.”
I said awkwardly and went into the bathroom. He turned around. As the smoky steam began to escape, his back slowly revealed itself, and it was truly fantastic. Linel's back reminded me of Tepero, the god of war. He glanced at me as he wiped the water off his body with a towel and smiled. His moist smile, which seemed unrealistic, made me feel hazy.
“Zelda, I feel like I’ve lost feeling in my toes.”
Oh my God!
“Yes, just a moment!”
I need to find a new towel quickly. I regained my senses and looked around the bathroom, trying to remember where the attendants had left the towels. When I lost my composure, my body and mind started to act differently and I kept doing stupid things. I searched around in the wrong places like a person who had lost his sense of direction and eventually slipped on the wet floor and spun my arms around.
“Whoa!”
My body, which was falling backward, stopped in midair. He held my waist with both arms and looked down at me. It was a posture that gave me a sense of stability. In the meantime, the steam in the bathroom had almost all escaped, and Linel’s handsome face came into my sight clearly.
“I almost got in big trouble.”
Linel frowned slightly.
“A husband who makes a wife a widow within days of marriage is a terrible person, but a wife who makes a husband a widower within days of marriage is a terrible...”
“Oh my, are you trying to tell me I’m a ‘bitch’?”
"...What?"
“Aren’t the bad ‘guy’ and the bad ‘bitch’ originally a set?”
“No? You’re a terrible woman. Is that what you were going to say? Yes, that’s what I meant.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Do you really think so? But my arm suddenly feels so sore?”
He slowly let go of the two hands that were holding my waist.
“Ah, you rascal!”
I screamed, desperately clinging to his body.
“!”
Wait, what did I just say...?
He slowly let go of the two hands that were holding my waist.
“Ah, you rascal!”
I screamed, desperately clinging to his body.
“!”
Wait, what did I just say...?
“Are you just talking nonsense because you’re about to die?”
Linel threatened, seemingly threatening to let go of the hand that was supporting my waist.
“Absolutely not! I just said it because I thought I might die!”
“I can’t believe it. It’s like you just made it up.”
“Wasn’t that great?”
Fortunately, Linel laughed at my words and straightened me up without taking his hands off my waist. A towel was already wrapped around his waist, which I don't know when he put it on.
“Thank you for saving my life. There’s an old saying that even gods don’t recognize a person who has died with his head smashed in...”
“Don’t mention it. But, even if you don’t recognize God, wouldn’t it be wrong to not recognize your husband and call him such a terrible person?”
"Sure..."
“And besides the fact that your head will break, if you don’t hold on to me and our relationship breaks up, it will be problematic.”
“That’s right...”
When he held me up and hugged me, I felt like I couldn't breathe because the distance was so close, but this time, I felt like I was breathing hard just by standing face to face. My breathing got faster and faster. I hypnotized myself not to look below his Adam's apple, which I wanted to press. My chin kept getting pulled in without me knowing, but I consciously kept my eyes looking up and focused on the center of his forehead.
“What did you ask?”
He asked, touching his forehead with his palm as if my gaze was strange.
“No, your forehead is really... beautiful.”
“Look again.”
"Yes?"
“Where is the forehead the only cool part?”
He took a step back, spread his arms, and said:
I thought he would turn around, but he didn't. That was fortunate. Since he was a work of art himself, there was no need to look for a cool place. Since the door to the bedroom was open, the steam that had filled the bathroom disappeared, and my vision gradually brightened. Only then did I notice that there was a spare towel on the table behind the bathtub?
“Here, use this to wipe away any remaining moisture.”
I turned my head to the side and handed Linel the towel with both hands.
“If someone saw us, they would think we hadn’t even spent our first night together. Just pass by.”
“What is it?”
“Being shy.”
He said sarcastically, wiping away the remaining moisture with a new towel.
“If you think about it, it wasn’t even a proper first night.”
Haa, why did I have to say something like that? I don't know why I keep blurting out words like I have a fatal disease if I don't talk back to him.
“I agree with that idea.”
He nodded vigorously. No, don't agree!
“Let’s go to the bedroom and talk. My feet seem numb.”
Linel looked down at his wiggling toes and said, "Oops.
“Yes, yes! Come on out!”
“Catch it.”
He reached out to me. He was a sweet man. He was sexy, too. I was nervous that the towel he had wrapped around his pelvis might go somewhere far away.
“Come on. You shouldn’t slip.”
“Thank you, I’ll walk carefully so as not to fall.”
As expected, his hands were icy. Well, I just need to keep my heart warm. I said shyly, taking his hand and walking lightly on the slippery bathroom floor.
“Not you. I mean me.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I shouldn’t slip.”
"...Ah."
“Just think about it. What if I slipped and got hurt? The Empress from Shattonil, coming out of the bath, tripped Emperor Lapion and tried to kill him by making it look like an accident! It would be easy to misunderstand that, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah, haha. Is that so? You must be careful, You Majesty the Emperor. You have four concubines besides me, so I don’t mind falling over.”
Obviously, my face must have been hurt right now, but he was holding his stomach and laughing at something so funny. We held hands again and left the bathroom, careful not to slip.
***
“Come on, cover yourself with the blanket and lie down.”
I quickly pulled back the blanket on the bed and invited him to come up first.
“I feel quite cold.”
Linel climbed onto the bed and sat up, pulling the covers up to his neck.
“Just lie down, so your body will get warmer.”
“Yeah, I will.”
He went straight to bed. At times like this, he seemed like a well-behaved, gentle child.
“Let’s lie down together. You seem like the ultimate weapon to raise my body temperature.”
He went straight to bed. At times like this, he seemed like a well-behaved, gentle child.
“Let’s lie down together. You seem like the ultimate weapon to raise my body temperature.”
“The ultimate weapon has some work to do before that, just a moment.”
I held the blanket tightly around him to keep the wind out and went out of the bedroom. I told the chamberlain, Stian, who was waiting outside, to bring his pajamas and the uniform he would wear tomorrow morning, and I told Sharon to bring some warm lemon tea with honey. When I went back into the bedroom, Linel was sitting up, covered with the blanket. He watched me as I walked to the bed. His expression became more and more serious as I got closer. What did I do wrong?
“Who are you?”
I couldn't even sit up on the bed, just blinking at the sudden question, and just stood there in front of him, dumbfounded.
“That... What do you mean?”
I held the blanket tightly around him to keep the wind out and went out of the bedroom. I told the chamberlain, Stian, who was waiting outside, to bring his pajamas and the uniform he would wear tomorrow morning, and I told Sharon to bring some warm lemon tea with honey. When I went back into the bedroom, Linel was sitting up, covered with the blanket. He watched me as I walked to the bed. His expression became more and more serious as I got closer. What did I do wrong?
“Who are you?”
I couldn't even sit up on the bed, just blinking at the sudden question, and just stood there in front of him, dumbfounded.
“That... What do you mean?”
“What is your identity?”
This time his voice dropped a tone. Could it be that he was beginning to doubt my identity? But when and how?
“Was that a difficult question?”
Linel narrowed his eyes.
“Zelda, what is your identity...”
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