“I... I...”
“Ha, hahaha! ‘Your wife.’ Is that why you hesitate because it’s so awkward to say that?”
He said in a sad tone. Haa, you're surprising.
“That’s because you suddenly asked me who I am and what my identity is.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth? No. Maybe I was pushing you too hard and you asked.”
Fortunately, he found the reason why I couldn't answer readily in his own sudden question.
“But why did you suddenly ask that question?”
“It makes me feel strange to see you ordering your attendants around to do what I need.”
“Did I give you any wrong instructions?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Oh, you did give the wrong instructions.”
“What is it?”
“Wine. Wouldn’t a glass of wine have been better than a cup of warm lemon tea?”
“Oh, I’ll tell them again.”
As I turned toward the bedroom door, he grabbed my wrist.
“I am the only human who has been harassing the servants of the Lapion Imperial Palace. That’s enough. Just lie down.”
I smiled slightly at his words and climbed into the bed he wanted. The inside of the blanket felt cold as if I had entered an ice cave. It was refreshing.
“It’s getting warmer. Will it get warmer faster if I hold it in my arms?”
He felt the opposite of me and stroked my hair.
“Come here.”
He put one arm under my neck and patted his chest roughly as he spoke. I brought my face close to his chest. My heart pounded and my shoulders hunched.
“You were talking so much, so why are you so quiet now?”
“What are you talking about?”
At that moment, I got angry at his words again, raised my head, and asked.
“No, was it chatter?”
“It must have been babbling?”
He laughed when I responded indifferently.
“Heh, you really have to be touched like this for it to react.”
I said it. I couldn't help but chuckle as I saw his pleased expression. But then, my smile disappeared as I saw his eyes, which had become strange for some reason. It seemed as if they were filled with affection... It must be an illusion. I hope it's an illusion. That way, it'll be less painful to leave him.
“Do you enjoy teasing me?”
“Very. When you react so cheerfully, I feel more proud than if I had won the war.”
When I looked at him with a quizzical expression, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed. His chest muscles followed suit.
“Now that there’s something more fun than war, there may be less war in the future. As long as you’re by my side, Zelda.”
Linel's words made my heart prickle. Even though I knew he was joking, my heart occasionally pricked my conscience.
“If I disappear then...”
“What else can I do but live as a warmonger again? I have to do that to get my body warmed up.”
He answered my question, which didn't even sound like a question, with unnecessary seriousness. Is he serious? Maybe so. However, he will soon have four beautiful concubines. And he can't help but fall in love with the dazzlingly beautiful Princess Resilia. There will be many things in his life that will excite him other than me. So naturally, he will lose interest in me.
“Don't go away from me.”
“...”
Linel spoke to me quietly as if he had just entered my mind. I carefully raised my head and looked up at his handsome face. Unlike his solemn voice, he smiled brightly when our eyes met. Has anyone ever smiled so brightly at me in my life? Even Prince Tesla, who kept saying he loved me the most, never smiled at me without anything in return. Why is this man...?
“If you want peace on the continent, you’d better stay by my side.”
He took on a serious expression again and put strength into his voice.
“I’m sure there will be many times when you fall because of your concubines. That’s not my fault, so please don’t associate it with war later.”
This kind of backtalk was possible because he had his eyes closed, smiled, and put his arm around my shoulder.
“Oh, I forgot. Just as you said, there will come a day when we fall because of them.”
He answered in a voice that sounded like he was beginning to fall asleep.
“Don’t fight with the concubines.”
Linel spoke as if he was ordering. He seemed to be already asleep, but he seemed determined to convey his words accurately. I felt slightly hurt by his commanding tone. Even if they were concubines, he must mean that they were the Emperor's women, so I shouldn't do anything rash. I kept my mouth shut and simply nodded in his arms.
“You are the Empress and my wife. You are different from them...”
"...Yes."
I answered quietly, a smile forming on my face.
“It’s so warm that I’m falling asleep. Zelda, you’re not glaring at me, are you?”
Linel asked me with his eyes closed.
"No."
“Yes. Originally, what is mine was not supposed to be fought over with others... So the Empress left me and the concubines..."
As Linel’s words trailed off, his hand that had been wrapping around my shoulder fell flat on the pillow. Only then could I look at his sleeping face with relief? You’re not even holding my hand today?... Are you feeling sorry for me right now?
“Ohhh, now I’m alive.”
"...Yes?"
“Zelda, I thought my arm was going numb and I was going to die.”
Linel slowly folded his arms, which were stretched out on the pillow, and made an arrogant expression.
“Are you okay?”
I asked, gently placing my two hands on his strong forearms as if a cat were lifting its two front paws.
“Hey hey hey...? Don’t touch me.”
He shrugged his shoulders in disgust. It was funny to see a man who could easily cut off arms, legs, and even balls of men in battle and throw them into the air, joking about losing a single arm.
“You should have woken me up earlier.”
“Do you think I didn’t wake you up?”
“Surely you woke me up and I kept sleeping?”
“I thought you were dead. You wouldn’t wake up at all when I spoke to you.”
“Shake me to wake me up.”
“Where did I just shake it? Check your arm. There should be a few bruises.”
Even though I knew Linel was joking, I unconsciously looked at my arm here and there. Maybe it was because I had soaked in the bathtub for so long the night before, but my skin was even more pale, and there was no trace of his pinching. He spoke cautiously, saying, "You know."
“I slept really well and warmly. How about you?”
“I also slept very well and comfortably.”
“Just wait and see. In the middle of summer, you’ll be begging me not to sleep alone.”
He spoke of his hypothermia curse as something to be proud of in the summer.
“I'll be looking forward to it.”
“Oh, and I told them to bring breakfast here. Is that okay?”
“To the bedroom?”
"Yes."
“Yes, I like it.”
Sharon or the chamberlain, Stian, must have come into the bedroom while I was asleep. I felt a little embarrassed that I was so deep asleep that I didn't even realize someone had come into the bedroom. And I must have been sleeping in Linel's arms. I slowly got up. When I tried to drink some water, I saw that the glass was on the nightstand next to Linel.
“Where are you going?”
He asked with a regretful tone as he watched me get out of bed.
“I want to drink some water.”
He chuckles as I walk around the bedpost towards where he is lying.
“If you ask me, I will do it.”
I couldn't finish speaking and pointed to the blanket he was covering himself with.
“What, you want me to take off the blanket?”
Linel casually lifted the blanket that had been covering him.
He glanced under the blanket and continued speaking in an extremely calm voice.
“It’s a bit difficult right now.”
“...Right now, maybe.”
“That’s right, naked.”
“Since when have you been naked?”
“Since when did someone hug me so tightly while I was sleeping?”
I had no idea. I didn't even feel it. That he was naked. It's a little unfair... No, no. What am I thinking right now? I quickly shook my head and shook off the strange imagination. Linel stared at me with a strange look and then said.
"Don't worry."
“What...?”
“I won’t eat breakfast like this.”
“!”
He stretched out his long arm and handed me a glass of water from the table.
“Here, drink. This is why you came all this way.”
I grabbed the glass of water he handed me with a grin and drank it all in one gulp. I don't know if I drank it all in one gulp because I was thirsty or because I thought I would get thirsty if I didn't drink it all in one gulp.
“I am finally entering the imperial palace.”
Catherine Callios stood before the large full-length mirror in her room. It was the day of fitting her wedding dress for her upcoming wedding to the Emperor. Although it was annoying to have to go through the ceremony with the other concubines, Catherine didn't care much. The important thing was that she was now Linel's woman again.
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter.”
After all, the three concubines are just her attendants. For generations, the concubines of the Lapion Imperial Family have been required to wear cream-colored dresses during their ceremonies. Only the Empress can wear a pure white wedding dress. But Catherine didn't care about that either.
“I just need to be more beautiful.”
Catherine looked confident as she recalled the cream-colored wedding dress she had entrusted to the best designer in the Lapion Empire. Of the concubines, Catherine was the only one to rise to the position of First Concubine. Originally, only concubines who had given birth to Princes for generations could rise to the position, but starting with the previous Emperor, it was changed to a position that could be held for the Emperor’s favor or political reasons. Catherine was able to become the First Concubine thanks to the power of her father, the Duke of Ete Calios. It was also a benefit that came from Emperor Linel taking a woman from a country other than Lapion as his Empress. Catherine herself did not think that she had received any benefit at all. After seeing Zelda from the Kingdom of Shattonil on the day of Emperor Linel’s wedding, her desire for the position of Empress grew even stronger.
'So that insignificant bitch is going to become Empress?'
Catherine, looking at Zelda that day, was convinced that she could easily seduce Linel if she became his concubine without much effort. Her seductive gestures alone would make him fall for it.
“The position of Empress was originally mine.”
So I must come back again, Catherine decided. The designer brought the dress she was going to wear for the ceremony. With the help of her maids, she put on a corset before trying on the wedding dress.
“My waist needs to be more concave! Do you understand? You idiots!”
At her irritated command, three maids clung to her and began to pry at her corset. Catherine gritted her teeth and grabbed the bedpost, shouting at her maids.
“I mean more! More, more, more!”
“Ha, hahaha! ‘Your wife.’ Is that why you hesitate because it’s so awkward to say that?”
He said in a sad tone. Haa, you're surprising.
“That’s because you suddenly asked me who I am and what my identity is.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth? No. Maybe I was pushing you too hard and you asked.”
Fortunately, he found the reason why I couldn't answer readily in his own sudden question.
“But why did you suddenly ask that question?”
“It makes me feel strange to see you ordering your attendants around to do what I need.”
“Did I give you any wrong instructions?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Oh, you did give the wrong instructions.”
“What is it?”
“Wine. Wouldn’t a glass of wine have been better than a cup of warm lemon tea?”
“Oh, I’ll tell them again.”
As I turned toward the bedroom door, he grabbed my wrist.
“I am the only human who has been harassing the servants of the Lapion Imperial Palace. That’s enough. Just lie down.”
I smiled slightly at his words and climbed into the bed he wanted. The inside of the blanket felt cold as if I had entered an ice cave. It was refreshing.
“It’s getting warmer. Will it get warmer faster if I hold it in my arms?”
He felt the opposite of me and stroked my hair.
“Come here.”
He put one arm under my neck and patted his chest roughly as he spoke. I brought my face close to his chest. My heart pounded and my shoulders hunched.
“You were talking so much, so why are you so quiet now?”
“What are you talking about?”
At that moment, I got angry at his words again, raised my head, and asked.
“No, was it chatter?”
“It must have been babbling?”
He laughed when I responded indifferently.
“Heh, you really have to be touched like this for it to react.”
I said it. I couldn't help but chuckle as I saw his pleased expression. But then, my smile disappeared as I saw his eyes, which had become strange for some reason. It seemed as if they were filled with affection... It must be an illusion. I hope it's an illusion. That way, it'll be less painful to leave him.
“Do you enjoy teasing me?”
“Very. When you react so cheerfully, I feel more proud than if I had won the war.”
When I looked at him with a quizzical expression, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed. His chest muscles followed suit.
“Now that there’s something more fun than war, there may be less war in the future. As long as you’re by my side, Zelda.”
Linel's words made my heart prickle. Even though I knew he was joking, my heart occasionally pricked my conscience.
“If I disappear then...”
“What else can I do but live as a warmonger again? I have to do that to get my body warmed up.”
He answered my question, which didn't even sound like a question, with unnecessary seriousness. Is he serious? Maybe so. However, he will soon have four beautiful concubines. And he can't help but fall in love with the dazzlingly beautiful Princess Resilia. There will be many things in his life that will excite him other than me. So naturally, he will lose interest in me.
“Don't go away from me.”
“...”
Linel spoke to me quietly as if he had just entered my mind. I carefully raised my head and looked up at his handsome face. Unlike his solemn voice, he smiled brightly when our eyes met. Has anyone ever smiled so brightly at me in my life? Even Prince Tesla, who kept saying he loved me the most, never smiled at me without anything in return. Why is this man...?
“If you want peace on the continent, you’d better stay by my side.”
He took on a serious expression again and put strength into his voice.
“I’m sure there will be many times when you fall because of your concubines. That’s not my fault, so please don’t associate it with war later.”
This kind of backtalk was possible because he had his eyes closed, smiled, and put his arm around my shoulder.
“Oh, I forgot. Just as you said, there will come a day when we fall because of them.”
He answered in a voice that sounded like he was beginning to fall asleep.
“Don’t fight with the concubines.”
Linel spoke as if he was ordering. He seemed to be already asleep, but he seemed determined to convey his words accurately. I felt slightly hurt by his commanding tone. Even if they were concubines, he must mean that they were the Emperor's women, so I shouldn't do anything rash. I kept my mouth shut and simply nodded in his arms.
“You are the Empress and my wife. You are different from them...”
"...Yes."
I answered quietly, a smile forming on my face.
“It’s so warm that I’m falling asleep. Zelda, you’re not glaring at me, are you?”
Linel asked me with his eyes closed.
"No."
“Yes. Originally, what is mine was not supposed to be fought over with others... So the Empress left me and the concubines..."
As Linel’s words trailed off, his hand that had been wrapping around my shoulder fell flat on the pillow. Only then could I look at his sleeping face with relief? You’re not even holding my hand today?... Are you feeling sorry for me right now?
I shook my head and timidly hugged his waist with both hands. So that he could sleep more warmly. That was all. Really.
***
It’s morning. I opened my eyes to the feeling of someone touching my head. Linel had woken up before me. However, unlike usual when I would open my eyes alone, today he was next to me. He greeted me with a smile instead of a morning greeting. Thinking of him staring at my face from such a close distance, I felt a little embarrassed. I wiggled my head and hips and pulled back to put more distance between us. Then a groan escaped his mouth.
“Ohhh, now I’m alive.”
"...Yes?"
“Zelda, I thought my arm was going numb and I was going to die.”
Linel slowly folded his arms, which were stretched out on the pillow, and made an arrogant expression.
“Are you okay?”
I asked, gently placing my two hands on his strong forearms as if a cat were lifting its two front paws.
“Hey hey hey...? Don’t touch me.”
He shrugged his shoulders in disgust. It was funny to see a man who could easily cut off arms, legs, and even balls of men in battle and throw them into the air, joking about losing a single arm.
“You should have woken me up earlier.”
“Do you think I didn’t wake you up?”
“Surely you woke me up and I kept sleeping?”
“I thought you were dead. You wouldn’t wake up at all when I spoke to you.”
“Shake me to wake me up.”
“Where did I just shake it? Check your arm. There should be a few bruises.”
Even though I knew Linel was joking, I unconsciously looked at my arm here and there. Maybe it was because I had soaked in the bathtub for so long the night before, but my skin was even more pale, and there was no trace of his pinching. He spoke cautiously, saying, "You know."
“I slept really well and warmly. How about you?”
“I also slept very well and comfortably.”
“Just wait and see. In the middle of summer, you’ll be begging me not to sleep alone.”
He spoke of his hypothermia curse as something to be proud of in the summer.
“I'll be looking forward to it.”
“Oh, and I told them to bring breakfast here. Is that okay?”
“To the bedroom?”
"Yes."
“Yes, I like it.”
Sharon or the chamberlain, Stian, must have come into the bedroom while I was asleep. I felt a little embarrassed that I was so deep asleep that I didn't even realize someone had come into the bedroom. And I must have been sleeping in Linel's arms. I slowly got up. When I tried to drink some water, I saw that the glass was on the nightstand next to Linel.
“Where are you going?”
He asked with a regretful tone as he watched me get out of bed.
“I want to drink some water.”
He chuckles as I walk around the bedpost towards where he is lying.
“If you ask me, I will do it.”
“It’s okay. I have to change clothes anyway.”
I answered him and my gaze naturally dropped to the marble floor. My face, which had been smiling for a moment, became rigid. I couldn’t move except for a few steps away from the side table where the glass of water was placed. Linel looked at me rigidly. Then he put both arms behind his head and opened his mouth, glancing down at the floor.
“Ah, as I was sleeping, I felt really suffocated as if something was pressing on my legs.”
The towel he had wrapped around his waist yesterday was spread out on the marble floor. His pajamas had arrived from the main palace after Linel had fallen asleep, so I had deliberately let him fall asleep without waking him up.
“Well, then now...”
I answered him and my gaze naturally dropped to the marble floor. My face, which had been smiling for a moment, became rigid. I couldn’t move except for a few steps away from the side table where the glass of water was placed. Linel looked at me rigidly. Then he put both arms behind his head and opened his mouth, glancing down at the floor.
“Ah, as I was sleeping, I felt really suffocated as if something was pressing on my legs.”
The towel he had wrapped around his waist yesterday was spread out on the marble floor. His pajamas had arrived from the main palace after Linel had fallen asleep, so I had deliberately let him fall asleep without waking him up.
“Well, then now...”
I couldn't finish speaking and pointed to the blanket he was covering himself with.
“What, you want me to take off the blanket?”
Linel casually lifted the blanket that had been covering him.
He glanced under the blanket and continued speaking in an extremely calm voice.
“It’s a bit difficult right now.”
“...Right now, maybe.”
“That’s right, naked.”
“Since when have you been naked?”
“Since when did someone hug me so tightly while I was sleeping?”
I had no idea. I didn't even feel it. That he was naked. It's a little unfair... No, no. What am I thinking right now? I quickly shook my head and shook off the strange imagination. Linel stared at me with a strange look and then said.
"Don't worry."
“What...?”
“I won’t eat breakfast like this.”
“!”
He stretched out his long arm and handed me a glass of water from the table.
“Here, drink. This is why you came all this way.”
I grabbed the glass of water he handed me with a grin and drank it all in one gulp. I don't know if I drank it all in one gulp because I was thirsty or because I thought I would get thirsty if I didn't drink it all in one gulp.
***
“I am finally entering the imperial palace.”
Catherine Callios stood before the large full-length mirror in her room. It was the day of fitting her wedding dress for her upcoming wedding to the Emperor. Although it was annoying to have to go through the ceremony with the other concubines, Catherine didn't care much. The important thing was that she was now Linel's woman again.
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter.”
After all, the three concubines are just her attendants. For generations, the concubines of the Lapion Imperial Family have been required to wear cream-colored dresses during their ceremonies. Only the Empress can wear a pure white wedding dress. But Catherine didn't care about that either.
“I just need to be more beautiful.”
Catherine looked confident as she recalled the cream-colored wedding dress she had entrusted to the best designer in the Lapion Empire. Of the concubines, Catherine was the only one to rise to the position of First Concubine. Originally, only concubines who had given birth to Princes for generations could rise to the position, but starting with the previous Emperor, it was changed to a position that could be held for the Emperor’s favor or political reasons. Catherine was able to become the First Concubine thanks to the power of her father, the Duke of Ete Calios. It was also a benefit that came from Emperor Linel taking a woman from a country other than Lapion as his Empress. Catherine herself did not think that she had received any benefit at all. After seeing Zelda from the Kingdom of Shattonil on the day of Emperor Linel’s wedding, her desire for the position of Empress grew even stronger.
'So that insignificant bitch is going to become Empress?'
Catherine, looking at Zelda that day, was convinced that she could easily seduce Linel if she became his concubine without much effort. Her seductive gestures alone would make him fall for it.
“The position of Empress was originally mine.”
So I must come back again, Catherine decided. The designer brought the dress she was going to wear for the ceremony. With the help of her maids, she put on a corset before trying on the wedding dress.
“My waist needs to be more concave! Do you understand? You idiots!”
At her irritated command, three maids clung to her and began to pry at her corset. Catherine gritted her teeth and grabbed the bedpost, shouting at her maids.
“I mean more! More, more, more!”
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