“Your Majesty the Emperor... I come to see you.”
Grand Duke Martins wiped away his embarrassed expression before me and bowed to Linel. I couldn't move my body because Linel was radiating anger from his whole body. His cold eyes, which seemed to freeze everything in the audience room, swung back and forth between me and Grand Duke Martins as he asked.
"Is there anything I shouldn’t know about the relationship between you two?”
I had to make up some excuses. My lips tightened at the eerie indifference in his voice. I had no choice but to rely on Grand Duke Martins, who was smarter than me. I waited for him to come up with some plausible excuse, but he was also lacking in quick thinking.
"Empress."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Were you that close to the Grand Duke you refer to as ‘us’?”
“Not to the extent of... close.”
"Yes?"
“Yes, that’s for sure.”
It was from this point on that a smile began to appear on Linel's face.
“Then, would it be okay if I kill the Grand Duke?”
I was staring at the marble floor, and I looked up in surprise at his words.
"What do you think about it?"
What a tempting offer. I almost clapped my hands. Instead of speaking, I sent a positive signal to Linel with my eyes. I doubt he would notice my positive signal.
“It’s not a bad idea, but..."
After I said this, I glanced at Grand Duke Martins. He was looking at me with a rather hurt expression.
“If you kill the Grand Duke, more strange nobles may come from the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“...Ah! I didn’t think of that. Ha, haha.”
Linel threw his head back and laughed. I didn't mean it to make him laugh, but he really did. He opened his mouth again, pushing back his shiny black hair.
“Yes, there is some truth to what the Empress said. If that happens, it will be more of a headache for me, right?”
“If I say more, it will be nagging, Your Majesty.”
I replied with a grin. I tried to ignore the stinging gaze of Grand Duke Martins on the left side of my face. The Grand Duke, who was involved in the conversation between the Emperor and the Empress, who were laughing and talking about hia own lives, also reluctantly began to laugh. Of course, Grand Duke Martins' eyes
Grand Duke Martins wiped away his embarrassed expression before me and bowed to Linel. I couldn't move my body because Linel was radiating anger from his whole body. His cold eyes, which seemed to freeze everything in the audience room, swung back and forth between me and Grand Duke Martins as he asked.
"Is there anything I shouldn’t know about the relationship between you two?”
I had to make up some excuses. My lips tightened at the eerie indifference in his voice. I had no choice but to rely on Grand Duke Martins, who was smarter than me. I waited for him to come up with some plausible excuse, but he was also lacking in quick thinking.
"Empress."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Were you that close to the Grand Duke you refer to as ‘us’?”
“Not to the extent of... close.”
"Yes?"
“Yes, that’s for sure.”
It was from this point on that a smile began to appear on Linel's face.
“Then, would it be okay if I kill the Grand Duke?”
I was staring at the marble floor, and I looked up in surprise at his words.
"What do you think about it?"
What a tempting offer. I almost clapped my hands. Instead of speaking, I sent a positive signal to Linel with my eyes. I doubt he would notice my positive signal.
“It’s not a bad idea, but..."
After I said this, I glanced at Grand Duke Martins. He was looking at me with a rather hurt expression.
“If you kill the Grand Duke, more strange nobles may come from the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“...Ah! I didn’t think of that. Ha, haha.”
Linel threw his head back and laughed. I didn't mean it to make him laugh, but he really did. He opened his mouth again, pushing back his shiny black hair.
“Yes, there is some truth to what the Empress said. If that happens, it will be more of a headache for me, right?”
“If I say more, it will be nagging, Your Majesty.”
I replied with a grin. I tried to ignore the stinging gaze of Grand Duke Martins on the left side of my face. The Grand Duke, who was involved in the conversation between the Emperor and the Empress, who were laughing and talking about hia own lives, also reluctantly began to laugh. Of course, Grand Duke Martins' eyes
looked extremely sad. Although that sight was a bit pitiful, the feeling of relief was greater. Thanks to that, the tense atmosphere that had been tense until a moment ago slightly eased. It was regrettable that I had blown the opportunity to easily eliminate the Grand Duke, but I still didn't hate him enough to kill him. Of course, I might regret today later.
“Your Highness, congratulations on being able to survive in the Empress’s Palace.”
Linel said, clapping his hands two or three times.
"...Yes?"
“I think it would be best to just go. If my smile disappears, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Linel stepped aside from the door of the audience room he was blocking and spoke. When Grand Duke Martins hesitated, Linel glared at him, asking what he was doing instead of leaving. The Grand Duke turned his back on him and pretended to greet me, whispering in my ear.
“You must return His Majesty to her concubine tonight.”
“?”
“That way, Your Majesty can rest comfortably without being attacked by the ministers while you are here.”
The Grand Duke's advice sent my mood into darkness again. Should I send him back to find her? To the concubine's bedroom?
“Your Highness, do you still have something to say to the Empress?”
I heard Linel's irritated voice. He slowly walked towards where I and Grand Duke Martins were standing. The Grand Duke opened his mouth to make an excuse,
“Should I just go out now?”
Linel cut off the Grand Duke's words. The Grand Duke opened his mouth like a goldfish, then lowered his head and cautiously disappeared out of the audience room.
“Let’s go to the bedroom.”
As soon as Grand Duke Martins left, Linel grabbed my hand.
“Your Highness, congratulations on being able to survive in the Empress’s Palace.”
Linel said, clapping his hands two or three times.
"...Yes?"
“I think it would be best to just go. If my smile disappears, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Linel stepped aside from the door of the audience room he was blocking and spoke. When Grand Duke Martins hesitated, Linel glared at him, asking what he was doing instead of leaving. The Grand Duke turned his back on him and pretended to greet me, whispering in my ear.
“You must return His Majesty to her concubine tonight.”
“?”
“That way, Your Majesty can rest comfortably without being attacked by the ministers while you are here.”
The Grand Duke's advice sent my mood into darkness again. Should I send him back to find her? To the concubine's bedroom?
“Your Highness, do you still have something to say to the Empress?”
I heard Linel's irritated voice. He slowly walked towards where I and Grand Duke Martins were standing. The Grand Duke opened his mouth to make an excuse,
“Should I just go out now?”
Linel cut off the Grand Duke's words. The Grand Duke opened his mouth like a goldfish, then lowered his head and cautiously disappeared out of the audience room.
“Let’s go to the bedroom.”
As soon as Grand Duke Martins left, Linel grabbed my hand.
***
He was silent as we walked from the audience room to the bedroom. He opened the bedroom door and gently pushed my back inside. It was a very strange situation where I was more aware of my husband who had just finished his ceremony with the concubines in the afternoon. I didn’t do anything wrong, but I felt intimidated for no reason. Oh, right, my very existence is a sin.
“It’s forbidden from now on.”
As the bedroom door closed, Linel turned me around to face him and said,
“...What is it?”
“That word.”
“What do you mean?”
“The word ‘we’.”
“Ah, you mean the conversation with the Grand Duke? That was a misunderstanding...”
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or a harm, it’s forbidden.”
“That’s not it...”
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or a mistake! I said I didn’t want to hear it. The ‘we’ you use with other men.”
"... Yes."
As I nodded and answered obediently, Linel's frozen expression gradually loosened.
“Even if the only person here from the Kingdom of Shattonil is Grand Duke Martins, don’t you think it’s a bit odd for the two of you to be alone at this hour?”
“I’ll be more careful from now on.”
I was about to say that Grand Duke Martins had come looking for me without any reason, but I stopped myself. I wondered why I was explaining so much to him, who had four concubines today.
“The one who comes looking for you should be careful.”
Fortunately, Linel thought that Grand Duke Martins had come to me unilaterally.
“This is what saved the Grand Duke.”
He said, fiddling with the silk shawl I was wearing around my shoulders.
“What does that mean? Why this shawl... ah.”
Suddenly, he pulled down my shawl, and my shoulders flinched without me knowing it.
“If you hadn’t been wearing this shawl, I would have thrown one of the Grand Duke's eyes out the window.”
“You’re more considerate than I thought. Please spare him one eye.”
“Me? No way. I was planning on sending the other one to the kingdom.”
Wow, the Grand Duke should have heard this conversation just now! What a pity.
“It’s okay during the day, but I don’t like the idea of another man seeing you late at night... No, the idea of him seeing the Empress’s sturdy bare shoulders.”
“What? Do my shoulders look strong? I’ve never heard anyone say that before.”
I frowned and looked down at my shoulders alternately.
“No, I said the wrong part. It wasn’t the shoulder... Where was it? Oh, right. I meant that I didn’t like the idea of other men seeing your delicate collarbone.”
Linel's words were flowing in an increasingly strange direction.
“But what kind of man is Grand Duke Martins?”
I asked him, running my hand along the line of my collarbone.
“If he’s not a man, then what? Then dress the Grand Duke in a dress and bring him before me. Then I will admit it.”
“...It’s terrifying just to imagine.”
“Ahem, anyway, that aside.”
He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Seeing the Grand Duke come to the Empress’s palace at this late hour, do the nobles of Shattonil find the usual etiquette towards the royal court ridiculous?”
“I heard that it doesn’t matter if a minister or noble requests an audience with the Lapion Imperial Family, as long as it’s not during their bedtime? Did I hear that wrong?”
That's what I heard. It must have been true since I heard it from Raphael, the Emperor's personal secretary.
"Well?"
“Well, what do you think?”
“Oh, well, you wouldn’t know since we live in different countries. But this is something that would never happen in my country.”
For some reason, he was lying right now. His eyes started to wander from side to side as if he were feeling a little prick. He was a man who had no talent for lying.
“Is it... determined by law?”
I asked the question, pretending not to know his lies.
“Law? Oh, yeah.”
“Aha, is that a law that was created a long time ago?”
“Starting tomorrow.”
“...So what do you mean?”
“Yes, the law will be enforced starting tomorrow, so the Grand Duke did not commit a crime. It is something to celebrate.”
“Grand Duke Martins almost became a criminal by one day.”
I laughed at his nonsense. Then he grinned and said that he was an Emperor who strictly followed the law.
“By the way, Your Majesty, what brings you here at this hour? You should be going to the concubine’s bedroom today, right?”
“Yes, but I ended up in the Empress’s Palace.”
“Why...”
“I'm saying the same thing to me.”
Linel smiled briefly and muttered to himself.
"Yes?"
“That’s what I was thinking to myself all the way to the Empress’s Palace. ‘Why...?’”
Linel's eyes looked somehow shy.
“I... But, do the priests come into the bedroom during the first night with the concubines and sing a song of blessing?”
“Were you curious about that?”
“A little.”
I had already heard that the priests did not attend the first night with the remarried Emperor. However, I was slightly curious as to whether the first night with the concubine might be different. Linel raised one side of his lips in a pout.
“If you’re going to do it... why don’t you tell me that problem has been bothering you all day?”
“What difference does it make if I say that?”
I asked him a rather provocative question.
“Everything.”
There was strength in Linel's voice. Everything would change? Could it really be so? ... I was curious. Could it mean that you wouldn't have to spend the night with your concubines? Surely not. What would the point of taking concubines be? It wouldn't be like taking four concubines just to have meals together, take walks together, and sit in bed holding hands and talking.
“I told you I was worried.”
He blurted out.
“...”
The thought that he would sleep with another woman tonight had been gnawing at my mind all day. It was a fact I had to admit. But I kept silent.
“There is no answer. The Emperor is embarrassed.”
He smiled faintly. I just looked up at him. If I said that I cared, if I really did, like Linel said, a lot of things would change. That’s why I was scared. I suddenly became scared. I shouldn’t catch him... But I wanted to catch him. I wanted to catch him.
“It’s forbidden from now on.”
As the bedroom door closed, Linel turned me around to face him and said,
“...What is it?”
“That word.”
“What do you mean?”
“The word ‘we’.”
“Ah, you mean the conversation with the Grand Duke? That was a misunderstanding...”
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or a harm, it’s forbidden.”
“That’s not it...”
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or a mistake! I said I didn’t want to hear it. The ‘we’ you use with other men.”
"... Yes."
As I nodded and answered obediently, Linel's frozen expression gradually loosened.
“Even if the only person here from the Kingdom of Shattonil is Grand Duke Martins, don’t you think it’s a bit odd for the two of you to be alone at this hour?”
“I’ll be more careful from now on.”
I was about to say that Grand Duke Martins had come looking for me without any reason, but I stopped myself. I wondered why I was explaining so much to him, who had four concubines today.
“The one who comes looking for you should be careful.”
Fortunately, Linel thought that Grand Duke Martins had come to me unilaterally.
“This is what saved the Grand Duke.”
He said, fiddling with the silk shawl I was wearing around my shoulders.
“What does that mean? Why this shawl... ah.”
Suddenly, he pulled down my shawl, and my shoulders flinched without me knowing it.
“If you hadn’t been wearing this shawl, I would have thrown one of the Grand Duke's eyes out the window.”
“You’re more considerate than I thought. Please spare him one eye.”
“Me? No way. I was planning on sending the other one to the kingdom.”
Wow, the Grand Duke should have heard this conversation just now! What a pity.
“It’s okay during the day, but I don’t like the idea of another man seeing you late at night... No, the idea of him seeing the Empress’s sturdy bare shoulders.”
“What? Do my shoulders look strong? I’ve never heard anyone say that before.”
I frowned and looked down at my shoulders alternately.
“No, I said the wrong part. It wasn’t the shoulder... Where was it? Oh, right. I meant that I didn’t like the idea of other men seeing your delicate collarbone.”
Linel's words were flowing in an increasingly strange direction.
“But what kind of man is Grand Duke Martins?”
I asked him, running my hand along the line of my collarbone.
“If he’s not a man, then what? Then dress the Grand Duke in a dress and bring him before me. Then I will admit it.”
“...It’s terrifying just to imagine.”
“Ahem, anyway, that aside.”
He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Seeing the Grand Duke come to the Empress’s palace at this late hour, do the nobles of Shattonil find the usual etiquette towards the royal court ridiculous?”
“I heard that it doesn’t matter if a minister or noble requests an audience with the Lapion Imperial Family, as long as it’s not during their bedtime? Did I hear that wrong?”
That's what I heard. It must have been true since I heard it from Raphael, the Emperor's personal secretary.
"Well?"
“Well, what do you think?”
“Oh, well, you wouldn’t know since we live in different countries. But this is something that would never happen in my country.”
For some reason, he was lying right now. His eyes started to wander from side to side as if he were feeling a little prick. He was a man who had no talent for lying.
“Is it... determined by law?”
I asked the question, pretending not to know his lies.
“Law? Oh, yeah.”
“Aha, is that a law that was created a long time ago?”
“Starting tomorrow.”
“...So what do you mean?”
“Yes, the law will be enforced starting tomorrow, so the Grand Duke did not commit a crime. It is something to celebrate.”
“Grand Duke Martins almost became a criminal by one day.”
I laughed at his nonsense. Then he grinned and said that he was an Emperor who strictly followed the law.
“By the way, Your Majesty, what brings you here at this hour? You should be going to the concubine’s bedroom today, right?”
“Yes, but I ended up in the Empress’s Palace.”
“Why...”
“I'm saying the same thing to me.”
Linel smiled briefly and muttered to himself.
"Yes?"
“That’s what I was thinking to myself all the way to the Empress’s Palace. ‘Why...?’”
Linel's eyes looked somehow shy.
“I... But, do the priests come into the bedroom during the first night with the concubines and sing a song of blessing?”
“Were you curious about that?”
“A little.”
I had already heard that the priests did not attend the first night with the remarried Emperor. However, I was slightly curious as to whether the first night with the concubine might be different. Linel raised one side of his lips in a pout.
“If you’re going to do it... why don’t you tell me that problem has been bothering you all day?”
“What difference does it make if I say that?”
I asked him a rather provocative question.
“Everything.”
There was strength in Linel's voice. Everything would change? Could it really be so? ... I was curious. Could it mean that you wouldn't have to spend the night with your concubines? Surely not. What would the point of taking concubines be? It wouldn't be like taking four concubines just to have meals together, take walks together, and sit in bed holding hands and talking.
“I told you I was worried.”
He blurted out.
“...”
The thought that he would sleep with another woman tonight had been gnawing at my mind all day. It was a fact I had to admit. But I kept silent.
“There is no answer. The Emperor is embarrassed.”
He smiled faintly. I just looked up at him. If I said that I cared, if I really did, like Linel said, a lot of things would change. That’s why I was scared. I suddenly became scared. I shouldn’t catch him... But I wanted to catch him. I wanted to catch him.
These contradictory feelings were changing several times a second. My heart kept wanting to take the difficult path. What should I do?
Linel came close to me. I took a step back as if I had been waiting. Then his eyebrows narrowed and his lips opened.
“Tell me not to go.”
"... Your Majesty!"
This time, I moved my body first and stepped back, putting more distance between us. However, he approached me again as if the distance we had gained was meaningless. In this way, the distance between us narrowed and grew further and further. My body, which was running away from him, hit the bedpost. Now, there was nowhere else to retreat. He slowly leaned his upper body toward me leisurely, like a cat enjoying cornering a mouse.
“Tell me not to go.”
"... Your Majesty!"
This time, I moved my body first and stepped back, putting more distance between us. However, he approached me again as if the distance we had gained was meaningless. In this way, the distance between us narrowed and grew further and further. My body, which was running away from him, hit the bedpost. Now, there was nowhere else to retreat. He slowly leaned his upper body toward me leisurely, like a cat enjoying cornering a mouse.
I took a deep breath at his perfect face which was hard to handle and bent my waist back. He seemed startled at the sight of my waist bending flexibly like a bow.
“Why are you like this...”
“Is that difficult? You don’t like me spending the night with my concubine, do you?”
He asked questioningly.
“Linel.”
“Say no. Then I will...!”
When I called his name without saying anything, he grabbed both my shoulders and shook me. At that moment, my left shoe slipped on the marble floor and I lost my balance. He tried to support my waist, but then he pulled his hand away and watched my body fall onto the bed. Instead of holding me, Linel fell onto the bed with me. When I tried to get up, he quickly took over.
“Where are you going?”
Linel grabbed both my wrists, lifted them above his head, and looked down at me.
“You haven’t answered yet.”
He looked like a beast starving for desire.
“Why are you like this...”
“Is that difficult? You don’t like me spending the night with my concubine, do you?”
He asked questioningly.
“Linel.”
“Say no. Then I will...!”
When I called his name without saying anything, he grabbed both my shoulders and shook me. At that moment, my left shoe slipped on the marble floor and I lost my balance. He tried to support my waist, but then he pulled his hand away and watched my body fall onto the bed. Instead of holding me, Linel fell onto the bed with me. When I tried to get up, he quickly took over.
“Where are you going?”
Linel grabbed both my wrists, lifted them above his head, and looked down at me.
“You haven’t answered yet.”
He looked like a beast starving for desire.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment