It doesn't seem like we've left the Empress's Palace for long, but we've already arrived in front of the main palace.
“We didn’t take a shortcut, did we?”
“Yes? You came the same way you came this afternoon?”
Sharon answered my unexpected question by glancing back at the path we had come from.
“Really? But why does it feel like it came so quickly...”
I muttered as I looked up at the bedroom floor of the main palace of Linel, where the lights were on. My already tense mind was further disturbed by the overwhelming main palace building. In fact, the cause of my tension was the being waiting for me inside.
“Your Majesty the Empress, are you alright?”
Sharon asked with concern in her voice.
“No, it’s not okay at all. But we have to go in. Let’s go.”
“Yes, don’t be so nervous.”
“That’s right, feel free to relax.”
“Don’t be nervous, just take a deep breath, Your Majesty.”
The three attendants took turns behind me, encouraging me.
“But why are you guys so nervous?”
I looked back at them, worried about me, and smiled, my voice trembling. But suddenly, the expressions of the three attendants froze.
“Relax. I’m okay now... I’m okay, ahh!”
I looked back and said, and Sharon opened her eyes wide and said, "Your Majesty! In front!" I wondered why and turned my head forward again, and I hit my face on something. It felt like I had hit a pillar. It was such an impact that it wouldn't have been strange at all if my nose had burst.
I didn't want to know where Linel's lips were going, but I could see too clearly what he was trying to do. I thought to myself, "No way, no way." Why would he insist on kissing the sole of my foot?
“Ugh, it tickles!”
At that moment, I couldn't stand the ticklish sensation and without realizing it, I put strength into my feet. Because of that, a single, suffocating scream burst out of his mouth.
"Oh!"
Oh, what should I do? I was so flustered that I unknowingly... stretched my feet forward. His mouth was blocked by my foot, and he fell backward with a short scream. It was just like a knight who had been shot in the chest with an arrow on the battlefield. Fortunately, it was a bed where he wouldn’t be in any danger of getting hurt if he fell backward. The problem was that I dared to push the Emperor in the mouth as if I were hitting him. And with my foot at that.
“We didn’t take a shortcut, did we?”
“Yes? You came the same way you came this afternoon?”
Sharon answered my unexpected question by glancing back at the path we had come from.
“Really? But why does it feel like it came so quickly...”
I muttered as I looked up at the bedroom floor of the main palace of Linel, where the lights were on. My already tense mind was further disturbed by the overwhelming main palace building. In fact, the cause of my tension was the being waiting for me inside.
“Your Majesty the Empress, are you alright?”
Sharon asked with concern in her voice.
“No, it’s not okay at all. But we have to go in. Let’s go.”
“Yes, don’t be so nervous.”
“That’s right, feel free to relax.”
“Don’t be nervous, just take a deep breath, Your Majesty.”
The three attendants took turns behind me, encouraging me.
“But why are you guys so nervous?”
I looked back at them, worried about me, and smiled, my voice trembling. But suddenly, the expressions of the three attendants froze.
“Relax. I’m okay now... I’m okay, ahh!”
I looked back and said, and Sharon opened her eyes wide and said, "Your Majesty! In front!" I wondered why and turned my head forward again, and I hit my face on something. It felt like I had hit a pillar. It was such an impact that it wouldn't have been strange at all if my nose had burst.
Was it really a pillar? I hit the pillar and my legs swayed as I bounced.
"Be careful!"
What the heck? There's no way the pillar would grab my waist and shout 'Be careful!'? Just as I was about to fall backward, someone grabbed my waist. Could it be?
"...Your Majesty?!"
“What do you mean it’s okay? It doesn’t seem like it’s okay at all.”
What I just hit wasn't a solid pillar, but Linel's body.
“Thank you for catching me, Your Majesty. But why... are you with me?”
“Me? I... I was on my way back from a walk, right?”
At his words that somehow sounded like a lie, I glanced at Raphael who was standing next to him. Raphael met my eyes and quickly replied.
“Yes, we were going out for a walk.”
“?”
The two men's words did not match. Linel said he was on his way home from a walk, and his secretary said he was on his way out.
“Well, anyway, walking is good. Your Majesty, I think you can let go of my back now.”
I whispered to him as he hugged my waist tightly, conscious of the attendants surrounding us. Then he glanced at the attendants lined up behind him, made a 'tsk' sound, and took his hands off my waist.
“Yes, let’s go up.”
Linel held out his hand to me. I took his hand and we started climbing the stairs of the main palace together.
“What brings the Empress to my bedroom today... no, why have you come here?”
He asked in a rather businesslike tone.
“I came to sleep.”
I repeated what Linel had said a few days ago when he barged into my bedroom. He looked slightly surprised by my answer, then asked again in a calm voice.
“Just a moment?”
“...Let’s talk a little bit.”
"Be careful!"
What the heck? There's no way the pillar would grab my waist and shout 'Be careful!'? Just as I was about to fall backward, someone grabbed my waist. Could it be?
"...Your Majesty?!"
“What do you mean it’s okay? It doesn’t seem like it’s okay at all.”
What I just hit wasn't a solid pillar, but Linel's body.
“Thank you for catching me, Your Majesty. But why... are you with me?”
“Me? I... I was on my way back from a walk, right?”
At his words that somehow sounded like a lie, I glanced at Raphael who was standing next to him. Raphael met my eyes and quickly replied.
“Yes, we were going out for a walk.”
“?”
The two men's words did not match. Linel said he was on his way home from a walk, and his secretary said he was on his way out.
“Well, anyway, walking is good. Your Majesty, I think you can let go of my back now.”
I whispered to him as he hugged my waist tightly, conscious of the attendants surrounding us. Then he glanced at the attendants lined up behind him, made a 'tsk' sound, and took his hands off my waist.
“Yes, let’s go up.”
Linel held out his hand to me. I took his hand and we started climbing the stairs of the main palace together.
“What brings the Empress to my bedroom today... no, why have you come here?”
He asked in a rather businesslike tone.
“I came to sleep.”
I repeated what Linel had said a few days ago when he barged into my bedroom. He looked slightly surprised by my answer, then asked again in a calm voice.
“Just a moment?”
“...Let’s talk a little bit.”
“And then?”
“...Let’s also take a look at Your Majesty’s bedroom.”
“And then?”
“I need to sleep.”
“...Let’s also take a look at Your Majesty’s bedroom.”
“And then?”
“I need to sleep.”
***
As we climbed up to the bedroom floor, his pace quickened. I couldn't help but follow suit and quicken my pace to match his.
“Does the word ‘sleep’ have other meanings? Or is it simply what it means?”
Linel pushed aside the attendants and knights who were following us, then grabbed the doorknob of the bedroom door himself and asked.
“Umm...”
As I paused, he opened the bedroom door and spoke before I could answer.
“Let’s go in first, lie down, and talk.”
“...Yes, yes?”
I was almost dragged into his bedroom by Linel. The bedroom of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire. Aside from his mother, his nanny, and some servants, he had never brought a woman into the room before. Even that was before he ascended to the throne, so surprisingly, I was the first woman to enter the main bedroom.
“Does the word ‘sleep’ have other meanings? Or is it simply what it means?”
Linel pushed aside the attendants and knights who were following us, then grabbed the doorknob of the bedroom door himself and asked.
“Umm...”
As I paused, he opened the bedroom door and spoke before I could answer.
“Let’s go in first, lie down, and talk.”
“...Yes, yes?”
I was almost dragged into his bedroom by Linel. The bedroom of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire. Aside from his mother, his nanny, and some servants, he had never brought a woman into the room before. Even that was before he ascended to the throne, so surprisingly, I was the first woman to enter the main bedroom.
The atmosphere of the bedroom was less extravagant than that of the Empress’s bedroom, but it was magnificent. I quickly glanced around the bedroom as I walked to the bed while holding his hand. The sound of our heels echoed in the spacious bedroom. Linel walked quickly, holding my hand without stopping.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
I asked him, deliberately trying to act innocent, even though I knew exactly where his footsteps were leading. I laughed as I watched him stride straight to the bed without saying anything.
“You’ll know when you go.”
His serious voice finally made me laugh. I knew he was heading to a large bed right in front of me, but how could I know when I got there? He was walking quickly, but when he got to the bed, he suddenly stopped. However, he put more strength into the hand he was holding.
“Linel.”
When I called his name, he stood facing me.
“I was going to throw you on this bed first.”
Linel nodded to the bed and spoke as if confessing.
“I tried to talk to you after that.”
“You can do it.”
“I’m talking about body conversation.”
"...Ah."
“But, that won’t work.”
His speech and expression were extremely cautious. In fact, as an Emperor, there was nothing he had to be careful about in the imperial palace. He had even less to worry about what others thought. However, his appearance now did not look like that of the Emperor of the greatest power in the northern continent. He simply looked like a husband who cared deeply for his wife. Even more shocking words came out of his mouth as he honestly confessed his plan.
“I can’t do it, I’m afraid you’ll reject me, I’m afraid you’ll push me away.”
Looking at Linel's pure gaze as he spoke with sparkling blue eyes, I felt the urge to put glue on my body and stick to him.
“Really? You want to do that...?”
I was worried about his increasingly serious expression, so I threw the comment out there as a light joke.
“Yeah. It’s crazy.”
The words I had thrown out as a light joke came back as a heavy earnestness. I had thrown them out expecting a smile to spread across his lips, but somehow the corners of his lips lowered even further.
“First, shall we go up to bed?”
He took off the robe I was wearing and threw it far away onto the sofa. Even though it was quite a distance, the robe flew like a bird and landed on the back of the sofa.
“Right?”
"Yes."
What should I talk about? I just thought I should meet him, but I didn't think about what I would talk about with him. If I don't have anything to say, should I just talk about the story of Catherine and Rosie meeting in the greenhouse today?
“If you want, you can take some time off. It will be painful to endure, but I must willingly accept that kind of pain.”
“?”
Excuse me? I feel like our conversation is going in different directions right now.
“...I’m talking about conversation.”
“...What did I say? I also said conversation.”
“Aha. I see.”
When I looked at him and gave him a look that said, 'I don't think that's what you meant,' he quickly added, pointing to the bed with his finger.
“Because conversations are the most comfortable and honest when they are held in bed.”
“Didn’t you say earlier that it was painful to endure? What did you mean by that?”
I enjoyed watching Linel train, so I kept testing his reflexes.
“Conversation has always been painful. Even if you want to speak quickly, you have to hold back to keep pace with the other person. That’s why it’s painful...”
Oh, that was a pretty plausible excuse.
“Are you talking about conversation?”
“Yeah, that fucking conversation.”
Unlike his calm expression, Linel's face was getting redder. I couldn't tell if he was blushing because of embarrassment or because he felt defeated by my pun. However, I was certain that I wanted to kiss his lips, which were slightly protruding in discontent.
“I guess you wanted to do this with me? Talk.”
“Then I really wanted to talk.”
“Did you wait for me too?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Conversations that are originally conducted after waiting tend to go better.”
“Yeah, it’s working out. Let’s start with this first.”
Linel nodded and untied the strings of the robe he was wearing. He threw his robe on the same sofa where mine had been thrown. The robe flew into his hand and surprisingly landed exactly on top of mine. Linel looked at me and fiddled with the buttons of the shirt he was wearing. It seemed as if he was asking for my permission to take it off.
“We’re going to talk.”
“Who said what? I usually sleep with my top off.”
“That’s surprising. You feel cold a lot, but you always sleep with your top off? I think it would be better for you to keep it on.”
When I asked with a suspicious look, he hesitated and then nodded.
“...Well, I guess I can take it off later.”
“Yes, please do so.”
I smiled and climbed onto the wide bed that I could roll over several times without falling. As soon as I sat down on the bed, Linel also climbed onto the bed. The moonlight coming in through the terrace door illuminated his face. He looked really beautiful, but at the same time, he felt dangerous. He slowly approached me on all fours like a beast of burden as he climbed onto the bed. Every time he supported the bed with both arms, his chest muscles, visible through his shirt, twitched elegantly. He looked like a beast of burden facing its prey.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
I asked him, deliberately trying to act innocent, even though I knew exactly where his footsteps were leading. I laughed as I watched him stride straight to the bed without saying anything.
“You’ll know when you go.”
His serious voice finally made me laugh. I knew he was heading to a large bed right in front of me, but how could I know when I got there? He was walking quickly, but when he got to the bed, he suddenly stopped. However, he put more strength into the hand he was holding.
“Linel.”
When I called his name, he stood facing me.
“I was going to throw you on this bed first.”
Linel nodded to the bed and spoke as if confessing.
“I tried to talk to you after that.”
“You can do it.”
“I’m talking about body conversation.”
"...Ah."
“But, that won’t work.”
His speech and expression were extremely cautious. In fact, as an Emperor, there was nothing he had to be careful about in the imperial palace. He had even less to worry about what others thought. However, his appearance now did not look like that of the Emperor of the greatest power in the northern continent. He simply looked like a husband who cared deeply for his wife. Even more shocking words came out of his mouth as he honestly confessed his plan.
“I can’t do it, I’m afraid you’ll reject me, I’m afraid you’ll push me away.”
Looking at Linel's pure gaze as he spoke with sparkling blue eyes, I felt the urge to put glue on my body and stick to him.
“Really? You want to do that...?”
I was worried about his increasingly serious expression, so I threw the comment out there as a light joke.
“Yeah. It’s crazy.”
The words I had thrown out as a light joke came back as a heavy earnestness. I had thrown them out expecting a smile to spread across his lips, but somehow the corners of his lips lowered even further.
“First, shall we go up to bed?”
He took off the robe I was wearing and threw it far away onto the sofa. Even though it was quite a distance, the robe flew like a bird and landed on the back of the sofa.
“Right?”
"Yes."
What should I talk about? I just thought I should meet him, but I didn't think about what I would talk about with him. If I don't have anything to say, should I just talk about the story of Catherine and Rosie meeting in the greenhouse today?
“If you want, you can take some time off. It will be painful to endure, but I must willingly accept that kind of pain.”
“?”
Excuse me? I feel like our conversation is going in different directions right now.
“...I’m talking about conversation.”
“...What did I say? I also said conversation.”
“Aha. I see.”
When I looked at him and gave him a look that said, 'I don't think that's what you meant,' he quickly added, pointing to the bed with his finger.
“Because conversations are the most comfortable and honest when they are held in bed.”
“Didn’t you say earlier that it was painful to endure? What did you mean by that?”
I enjoyed watching Linel train, so I kept testing his reflexes.
“Conversation has always been painful. Even if you want to speak quickly, you have to hold back to keep pace with the other person. That’s why it’s painful...”
Oh, that was a pretty plausible excuse.
“Are you talking about conversation?”
“Yeah, that fucking conversation.”
Unlike his calm expression, Linel's face was getting redder. I couldn't tell if he was blushing because of embarrassment or because he felt defeated by my pun. However, I was certain that I wanted to kiss his lips, which were slightly protruding in discontent.
“I guess you wanted to do this with me? Talk.”
“Then I really wanted to talk.”
“Did you wait for me too?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Conversations that are originally conducted after waiting tend to go better.”
“Yeah, it’s working out. Let’s start with this first.”
Linel nodded and untied the strings of the robe he was wearing. He threw his robe on the same sofa where mine had been thrown. The robe flew into his hand and surprisingly landed exactly on top of mine. Linel looked at me and fiddled with the buttons of the shirt he was wearing. It seemed as if he was asking for my permission to take it off.
“We’re going to talk.”
“Who said what? I usually sleep with my top off.”
“That’s surprising. You feel cold a lot, but you always sleep with your top off? I think it would be better for you to keep it on.”
When I asked with a suspicious look, he hesitated and then nodded.
“...Well, I guess I can take it off later.”
“Yes, please do so.”
I smiled and climbed onto the wide bed that I could roll over several times without falling. As soon as I sat down on the bed, Linel also climbed onto the bed. The moonlight coming in through the terrace door illuminated his face. He looked really beautiful, but at the same time, he felt dangerous. He slowly approached me on all fours like a beast of burden as he climbed onto the bed. Every time he supported the bed with both arms, his chest muscles, visible through his shirt, twitched elegantly. He looked like a beast of burden facing its prey.
As I watched him getting closer, my heart also started beating at an incredible speed like a beast of burden on four legs. The tension soared to the high ceiling. Linel seemed to feel the same way.
“You’re not trying to bite me, are you?”
A stupid question popped out as I looked down at him who had come right up to my nose. His expression, which had been serious the whole time, suddenly collapsed. He let out a breathy sound with a look of disbelief, and then suddenly opened his mouth wide like a beast with a growling sound. Before I could dodge, he bit my thigh through my thin dress. Oh my.
“You’re not trying to bite me, are you?”
A stupid question popped out as I looked down at him who had come right up to my nose. His expression, which had been serious the whole time, suddenly collapsed. He let out a breathy sound with a look of disbelief, and then suddenly opened his mouth wide like a beast with a growling sound. Before I could dodge, he bit my thigh through my thin dress. Oh my.
'The Emperor of the Lapion Empire bared his teeth like a beast and growled and bit the Empress's thigh.'
This was a story worthy of gracing the front page of a gossip newspaper that noble ladies secretly read.
“What are you doing?!”
I screamed, twisting my legs sideways as if I was about to start a game because I was so surprised. I almost kicked his handsome face reflexively. If I had... those neat teeth that I could see whenever he smiled brightly might have fallen off.
“Zelda, did you just try to kick me with your foot?”
As expected of a man who wields a sword, he had an outstanding ability to read his opponent's gestures.
“How could I dare do that? How could I kick Your Majesty, who is so noble and stern!”
“Really? Did I misunderstand?”
“Of course. I have such a weak constitution that even if you were to be kicked, it would only be like tickling you with a feather.”
Weak constitution, it was an obvious lie. My conscience tickled, but I couldn't help it. He nodded, crawled back a little this time, and suddenly grabbed one of my feet and lifted it up to his chest. Was he planning to bite my feet after my thighs?
“What, what are you doing?”
He answered my question with actions. With a slap, Emperor Raphion's lips touched my instep and lifted off, making a pleasant sound.
“!”
“You’re not going to kick me this time?”
Linel said with a sweet smile, holding one of my feet. Anyone who saw me would think I had just won a wyvern cub from the Valley of Death.
“Then how about here?”
“What are you doing?!”
I screamed, twisting my legs sideways as if I was about to start a game because I was so surprised. I almost kicked his handsome face reflexively. If I had... those neat teeth that I could see whenever he smiled brightly might have fallen off.
“Zelda, did you just try to kick me with your foot?”
As expected of a man who wields a sword, he had an outstanding ability to read his opponent's gestures.
“How could I dare do that? How could I kick Your Majesty, who is so noble and stern!”
“Really? Did I misunderstand?”
“Of course. I have such a weak constitution that even if you were to be kicked, it would only be like tickling you with a feather.”
Weak constitution, it was an obvious lie. My conscience tickled, but I couldn't help it. He nodded, crawled back a little this time, and suddenly grabbed one of my feet and lifted it up to his chest. Was he planning to bite my feet after my thighs?
“What, what are you doing?”
He answered my question with actions. With a slap, Emperor Raphion's lips touched my instep and lifted off, making a pleasant sound.
“!”
“You’re not going to kick me this time?”
Linel said with a sweet smile, holding one of my feet. Anyone who saw me would think I had just won a wyvern cub from the Valley of Death.
“Then how about here?”
I didn't want to know where Linel's lips were going, but I could see too clearly what he was trying to do. I thought to myself, "No way, no way." Why would he insist on kissing the sole of my foot?
“Ugh, it tickles!”
At that moment, I couldn't stand the ticklish sensation and without realizing it, I put strength into my feet. Because of that, a single, suffocating scream burst out of his mouth.
"Oh!"
Oh, what should I do? I was so flustered that I unknowingly... stretched my feet forward. His mouth was blocked by my foot, and he fell backward with a short scream. It was just like a knight who had been shot in the chest with an arrow on the battlefield. Fortunately, it was a bed where he wouldn’t be in any danger of getting hurt if he fell backward. The problem was that I dared to push the Emperor in the mouth as if I were hitting him. And with my foot at that.
Damn it, I’m in big trouble. I didn’t come all the way to his bedroom for this...
“Your Majestyyyyyy!!”
I cried out to him urgently, quickly got down on my knees, and crawled to him, panting, like I had done with Linel earlier, on all fours.
“If you’re hungry, tell me. Why are you picking on someone else’s feet...!”
In my panic, a crazy sound came out of my mouth. Linel's blue eyes, which had been absent-minded, rolled up and looked at me. I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying. Ah, I really screwed up.
“Your Majestyyyyyy!!”
I cried out to him urgently, quickly got down on my knees, and crawled to him, panting, like I had done with Linel earlier, on all fours.
“If you’re hungry, tell me. Why are you picking on someone else’s feet...!”
In my panic, a crazy sound came out of my mouth. Linel's blue eyes, which had been absent-minded, rolled up and looked at me. I couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying. Ah, I really screwed up.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment