Linel didn't even burst into laughter. He stared blankly at me with a face that couldn't recover from shock. It was the first time I'd seen his mouth open for so long. Wait, his jaw didn't fall off, did it?
“Zelda.”
He called my name with a distant gaze. Fortunately, his teeth were tightly packed without any empty spaces. By the way, would an order like, 'For daring to kick the Emperor's mouth and make his noble body fall, I will sentence you to death!' be given? Would I be dragged out and killed like this? Then why did you kiss my foot in the first place?
“Zelda?”
When I didn't answer right away, he frowned and called my name again. His eyes were still fixed on empty space.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry...”
"I'm okay."
"Yes?"
“Even though you kicked my teeth, it’s okay. Don’t try to kiss me out of guilt.”
What are you talking about? Are you asking me to apologize with a kiss or not?
“I have pride too.”
He added, glancing at me slyly.
“... I will keep that in mind.”
I answered with my mouth tightly shut.
“But if you really want to rush into my mouth with those lips like you did with your feet earlier, I’ll just accept it.”
“...?”
So, you're waiting for my lips? Linel, who had been lying on his back for a while, turned to the other side and curled up, perhaps trying to look more miserable.
“Linel... I didn’t come here today to do this.”
I crawled back to where he was lying on all fours and said apologetically.
“I didn’t kiss your feet to end up like this.”
“...That, that’s because you suddenly put your mouth on my foot...”
“Did I mistake you for a candy cane for a moment?”
Linel muttered quietly to himself, half audible and half inaudible.
“I'm fine, I'm more sorry for scaring the Empress.”
“Zelda.”
He called my name with a distant gaze. Fortunately, his teeth were tightly packed without any empty spaces. By the way, would an order like, 'For daring to kick the Emperor's mouth and make his noble body fall, I will sentence you to death!' be given? Would I be dragged out and killed like this? Then why did you kiss my foot in the first place?
“Zelda?”
When I didn't answer right away, he frowned and called my name again. His eyes were still fixed on empty space.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry...”
"I'm okay."
"Yes?"
“Even though you kicked my teeth, it’s okay. Don’t try to kiss me out of guilt.”
What are you talking about? Are you asking me to apologize with a kiss or not?
“I have pride too.”
He added, glancing at me slyly.
“... I will keep that in mind.”
I answered with my mouth tightly shut.
“But if you really want to rush into my mouth with those lips like you did with your feet earlier, I’ll just accept it.”
“...?”
So, you're waiting for my lips? Linel, who had been lying on his back for a while, turned to the other side and curled up, perhaps trying to look more miserable.
“Linel... I didn’t come here today to do this.”
I crawled back to where he was lying on all fours and said apologetically.
“I didn’t kiss your feet to end up like this.”
“...That, that’s because you suddenly put your mouth on my foot...”
“Did I mistake you for a candy cane for a moment?”
Linel muttered quietly to himself, half audible and half inaudible.
“I'm fine, I'm more sorry for scaring the Empress.”
He made a false apology, emphasizing the word 'Emperor' and sounding completely unapologetic.
"Your Majesty..."
He fell silent again.
“Linel?”
"Why."
He hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly answering when I called him by his name again.
“And now, the Empress isn't coming?”
He had his eyes closed, but he opened them wide at my words and looked up at me.
“Do you wish I hadn’t gone?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“I made a huge mistake, so now...”
It would be nice to cry here. As expected, no tears came out. Haa, in times like this, shedding tears would be more effective than a hundred apologies. My tears... only came out when swordsmanship didn’t go as planned, or when I met a strong opponent and won, and things like that!
There’s a saying that a woman’s weapon is tears, right? But unfortunately, my only weapons in life were my sword and bow. Fortunately, I could cry out loud, so instead of crying, I cried out for his forgiveness.
“Really, ugh, I’m sorry...”
“Zelda, your eyes don’t look like you’re going to cry at all, but why does your voice sound like that? It’s like you’re acting.”
Ugh, I didn't think such a sobbing voice would work at all! Still, it was a good try.
“They say that if you’re really surprised, you won’t even cry.”
I dabbed my dry eyes with my fingers as if wiping away tears, and immediately returned to my normal voice.
“Then from now on, at my place...”
Ugh, I didn't think such a sobbing voice would work at all! Still, it was a good try.
“They say that if you’re really surprised, you won’t even cry.”
I dabbed my dry eyes with my fingers as if wiping away tears, and immediately returned to my normal voice.
“Well, whatever. Don't even think about it, unless it's because you don't want me to go to the Empress's palace.”
“I’ll go more often.”
Linel sat up from his pitiful crouch and spoke. He had returned to the majestic aura of the Emperor.
“Until my lips touch your entire body.”
Linel spoke with determination. He looked very conqueror-like.
“If you do not intend to skin me... I will humbly accept Your Majesty’s command.”
“Skinning isn’t my thing. I don’t know about anything else.”
I was relieved and spoke to him a bit harshly, but he seemed very satisfied with my answer.
Phew, I'm alive. I thought he'd be really angry.
“So, now let me hear the real reason why you came to my bedroom?”
His bass seemed to create a wall around me, a wall from which I could never escape.
“But Zelda, why have you been kneeling all this time?”
Linel asked, forcibly straightening my kneeling legs.
“Ugh!”
Without me knowing, a strange sound leaked out.
“I just touched your leg, why are you like this? Isn’t this already a problem?”
“Ha. Your Majesty!”
This time, a voice as if crying burst out of my mouth.
“Your legs were sensitive? I’m more proud than I was of discovering a magic mine.”
Linel's eyes closed gently and his hand that was holding my leg tightened. I felt like I was going to die.
“Don’t touch it!”
“When you say it with that expression, it sounds like you want me to touch it more.”
“I told you not to use your hands? Hehe. My, my legs are numb, my legs!”
"Ah..."
“Just leave me alone for a moment, I’ll be fine soon!”
I put my hands together and asked him to restrain himself.
“Is today a day when your legs work hard?”
Linel touched his lips and burst into laughter.
“Aaah! This is too much!”
He deliberately tapped my numb leg with his hand as if he was taking revenge on me. Once again, my foot almost flew into his face. A minute later, the numbness in my leg completely disappeared. The voices of him and me laughing and talking also disappeared.
'Now try to seduce me.'
Linel's eyes seemed to be urging me on.
“So... why did you come to my bedroom?”
Our conversation returned to its original point. All of Linel's features were focused on my lips. His eyes were filled with anticipation, making it impossible for me to lie.
“I wanted to come and see.”
Of all the excuses I had prepared in my head on my way to the main palace, the most bland answer came out.
“Is that all?
Linel's face was clearly filled with disappointment.
“No way.”
When I answered him slyly, his eyes closed again. He was enjoying this situation quite a bit. He didn't look like someone who had just been 'mouth-gagged' by his wife. As I watched his lips turn up beautifully, I reflected again. What on earth did I do to those beautiful lips? I felt even more sorry.
“I felt uneasy after you left my bedroom like that last night.”
“So, that’s all?”
He asked me with a disappointed tone as if my answer wasn't sufficient, but he seemed much happier than before.
“You came to the palace tonight to see me because you were feeling uneasy? If you were feeling uneasy, wouldn’t my bedroom be even more uncomfortable?”
“That’s what I wanted to see the most.”
“Phew...”
Linel let out a long breath, glanced at me, and continued speaking.
“I just heard it now.”
He spoke quietly with a relieved expression on his face.
“Now I’ve seen your face.”
He lifted my chin slightly and studied my face with a worried expression.
“What should I do with you when you come to my bedroom? I..."
It seemed like he wasn't asking me, but himself.
“What would you like to do?”
“So, now let me hear the real reason why you came to my bedroom?”
His bass seemed to create a wall around me, a wall from which I could never escape.
“But Zelda, why have you been kneeling all this time?”
Linel asked, forcibly straightening my kneeling legs.
“Ugh!”
Without me knowing, a strange sound leaked out.
“I just touched your leg, why are you like this? Isn’t this already a problem?”
“Ha. Your Majesty!”
This time, a voice as if crying burst out of my mouth.
“Your legs were sensitive? I’m more proud than I was of discovering a magic mine.”
Linel's eyes closed gently and his hand that was holding my leg tightened. I felt like I was going to die.
“Don’t touch it!”
“When you say it with that expression, it sounds like you want me to touch it more.”
“I told you not to use your hands? Hehe. My, my legs are numb, my legs!”
"Ah..."
“Just leave me alone for a moment, I’ll be fine soon!”
I put my hands together and asked him to restrain himself.
“Is today a day when your legs work hard?”
Linel touched his lips and burst into laughter.
“Aaah! This is too much!”
He deliberately tapped my numb leg with his hand as if he was taking revenge on me. Once again, my foot almost flew into his face. A minute later, the numbness in my leg completely disappeared. The voices of him and me laughing and talking also disappeared.
'Now try to seduce me.'
Linel's eyes seemed to be urging me on.
“So... why did you come to my bedroom?”
Our conversation returned to its original point. All of Linel's features were focused on my lips. His eyes were filled with anticipation, making it impossible for me to lie.
“I wanted to come and see.”
Of all the excuses I had prepared in my head on my way to the main palace, the most bland answer came out.
“Is that all?
Linel's face was clearly filled with disappointment.
“No way.”
When I answered him slyly, his eyes closed again. He was enjoying this situation quite a bit. He didn't look like someone who had just been 'mouth-gagged' by his wife. As I watched his lips turn up beautifully, I reflected again. What on earth did I do to those beautiful lips? I felt even more sorry.
“I felt uneasy after you left my bedroom like that last night.”
“So, that’s all?”
He asked me with a disappointed tone as if my answer wasn't sufficient, but he seemed much happier than before.
“You came to the palace tonight to see me because you were feeling uneasy? If you were feeling uneasy, wouldn’t my bedroom be even more uncomfortable?”
“That’s what I wanted to see the most.”
“Phew...”
Linel let out a long breath, glanced at me, and continued speaking.
“I just heard it now.”
He spoke quietly with a relieved expression on his face.
“Now I’ve seen your face.”
He lifted my chin slightly and studied my face with a worried expression.
“What should I do with you when you come to my bedroom? I..."
It seemed like he wasn't asking me, but himself.
“What would you like to do?”
I tilted my head and asked in a whisper.
“If I tell you, you’ll be surprised?”
***
Melanie finished her bath and stood up in front of her vanity, fully dressed.
“Oh, right.”
Melanie spun around to the vanity table again as if she had forgotten, hummed, and sprayed perfume all over her body. She was almost dousing herself with perfume. The scent was so strong that the servant who was serving her next to her turned his head to the side and secretly wrinkled his nose.
“What time will His Majesty arrive at my residence?”
Melanie said, looking satisfied at her reflection in the mirror in her sexy slip.
“Has the child who went to see the situation at the main palace not returned yet?”
Melanie, who had been looking into the mirror for a while, asked the attendant standing behind her through the mirror.
“It’s about time you came, Second Concubine.”
“Really? Haa, if I were the first concubine like Catherine, I would have been the first of the concubines to have spent the first night with His Majesty! Huh, if that were the case, the world would have changed by now. Well, there’s nothing I can do. I just have to give birth to a Prince first.”
Melanie walked confidently to the bed. Then another servant who had gone to check on the situation in the main palace entered the bedroom with a troubled expression.
“Second Concubine, I’m back...”
“His Majesty? Is he coming here now?”
Melanie asked excitedly, sweeping her long hair over one shoulder.
“I, that is...”
The face of the servant who had gone to the main palace was very dark as if he had been wondering what was going on.
“What? His Majesty going to Catherine’s again today?”
Melanie had assumed that Emperor Linel had spent the night with Catherine in her quarters the previous night. So when her servant hesitated to speak, she had a bad feeling that he might have gone to Catherine's palace again today. She thought it was entirely possible since the two were former fiancés.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? You’re asking if that bitch Catherine intercepted His Majesty in the middle!”
Melanie screamed at the servant.
“His Majesty, His Majesty did not go to see Madame Catherine...”
“Surely His Majesty didn’t skip me and go to that bookworm Rosie?”
Melanie glared at the servant, her voice even more irritated than before, and she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently.
“You’re not even Madame Rosie!”
Melanie took a step back at the servant's answer, blinking with a bewildered expression.
“Oh, so His Majesty went to Pecilini?”
“No, Madame.”
“Then why.. haven’t you come to my place yet?”
“Her Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress is in the main palace bedroom right now!”
"Who?!"
Melanie looked dumbfounded at the fact that it was the Empress, and not Catherine, who had interrupted her wedding night.
“Nonsense, what could you possibly have gotten wrong!”
Melanie, who had been shouting at the maid, stepped on the hem of her long slip skirt and flailed her arms.
“Be careful, Madame!”
As the servant next to her quickly grabbed Melanie's arm and helped her up, she pushed the servant aside with an annoyed look on her face.
“Oh, right.”
Melanie spun around to the vanity table again as if she had forgotten, hummed, and sprayed perfume all over her body. She was almost dousing herself with perfume. The scent was so strong that the servant who was serving her next to her turned his head to the side and secretly wrinkled his nose.
“What time will His Majesty arrive at my residence?”
Melanie said, looking satisfied at her reflection in the mirror in her sexy slip.
“Has the child who went to see the situation at the main palace not returned yet?”
Melanie, who had been looking into the mirror for a while, asked the attendant standing behind her through the mirror.
“It’s about time you came, Second Concubine.”
“Really? Haa, if I were the first concubine like Catherine, I would have been the first of the concubines to have spent the first night with His Majesty! Huh, if that were the case, the world would have changed by now. Well, there’s nothing I can do. I just have to give birth to a Prince first.”
Melanie walked confidently to the bed. Then another servant who had gone to check on the situation in the main palace entered the bedroom with a troubled expression.
“Second Concubine, I’m back...”
“His Majesty? Is he coming here now?”
Melanie asked excitedly, sweeping her long hair over one shoulder.
“I, that is...”
The face of the servant who had gone to the main palace was very dark as if he had been wondering what was going on.
“What? His Majesty going to Catherine’s again today?”
Melanie had assumed that Emperor Linel had spent the night with Catherine in her quarters the previous night. So when her servant hesitated to speak, she had a bad feeling that he might have gone to Catherine's palace again today. She thought it was entirely possible since the two were former fiancés.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? You’re asking if that bitch Catherine intercepted His Majesty in the middle!”
Melanie screamed at the servant.
“His Majesty, His Majesty did not go to see Madame Catherine...”
“Surely His Majesty didn’t skip me and go to that bookworm Rosie?”
Melanie glared at the servant, her voice even more irritated than before, and she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently.
“You’re not even Madame Rosie!”
Melanie took a step back at the servant's answer, blinking with a bewildered expression.
“Oh, so His Majesty went to Pecilini?”
“No, Madame.”
“Then why.. haven’t you come to my place yet?”
“Her Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress is in the main palace bedroom right now!”
"Who?!"
Melanie looked dumbfounded at the fact that it was the Empress, and not Catherine, who had interrupted her wedding night.
“Nonsense, what could you possibly have gotten wrong!”
Melanie, who had been shouting at the maid, stepped on the hem of her long slip skirt and flailed her arms.
“Be careful, Madame!”
As the servant next to her quickly grabbed Melanie's arm and helped her up, she pushed the servant aside with an annoyed look on her face.
“Get out of my way!”
Melanie began pacing frantically around the room, pulling at her long hair with both hands.
“Are you sure the Empress is in His Majesty’s bedroom?”
“Yes, Madame...”
“Ahhhhh!”
The servants huddled together, their heads bowed and trembled at Melanie's screams of rage.
“The Empress was a fox? She’s from the Kingdom of Shattonil?”
The mere existence of the hateful First Concubine Catherine was enough to give Melanie a headache, but now the Empress, whom she thought was nothing special, is blocking her path.
“Did I take her too lightly?”
Melanie began to roll her head, clutching her hair between her ten fingers.
“If His Majesty does not come to my quarters tonight, how ridiculous will that haughty Catherine think of me?”
In a situation where Catherine alone was in the position of first concubine, her pride was rising to the sky.
“In this situation, I can’t believe that my first night was stolen by a foreign Empress.”
It was a real blow to Melanie's pride.
“Is this Catherine’s trick?”
Yes, something had clearly gone wrong along the way. Melanie kept suspecting that Catherine had interfered in some way.
“That could very well be the case. That annoying thing either lied to His Majesty that I was sick or used the Empress to prevent His Majesty from coming to my quarters today.”
Melanie was almost accepting her guess as fact. The Empress, who had not even stopped Catherine, the first concubine, and the Emperor's fiancée, from her first night, seemed unlikely to suddenly stop her, the second concubine, from her first night.
Melanie began pacing frantically around the room, pulling at her long hair with both hands.
“Are you sure the Empress is in His Majesty’s bedroom?”
“Yes, Madame...”
“Ahhhhh!”
The servants huddled together, their heads bowed and trembled at Melanie's screams of rage.
“The Empress was a fox? She’s from the Kingdom of Shattonil?”
The mere existence of the hateful First Concubine Catherine was enough to give Melanie a headache, but now the Empress, whom she thought was nothing special, is blocking her path.
“Did I take her too lightly?”
Melanie began to roll her head, clutching her hair between her ten fingers.
“If His Majesty does not come to my quarters tonight, how ridiculous will that haughty Catherine think of me?”
In a situation where Catherine alone was in the position of first concubine, her pride was rising to the sky.
“In this situation, I can’t believe that my first night was stolen by a foreign Empress.”
It was a real blow to Melanie's pride.
“Is this Catherine’s trick?”
Yes, something had clearly gone wrong along the way. Melanie kept suspecting that Catherine had interfered in some way.
“That could very well be the case. That annoying thing either lied to His Majesty that I was sick or used the Empress to prevent His Majesty from coming to my quarters today.”
Melanie was almost accepting her guess as fact. The Empress, who had not even stopped Catherine, the first concubine, and the Emperor's fiancée, from her first night, seemed unlikely to suddenly stop her, the second concubine, from her first night.
“It’s obvious Catherine did it. She’s a bitch.”
Melanie ground her teeth. The servants all stood with their backs against the wall at the sight of Melanie's furious expression. They held their breath, trembling with fear that the sparks would fly to them at any moment.
“Do you think I'll just let it go?"
Melanie's eyes flashed fiercely. She paced around the bedroom frantically, biting her fingernails with her mouth.
“What should I do? What should I do?”
Tonight, I had to figure out a quick way to get the Emperor to her quarters.
Melanie ground her teeth. The servants all stood with their backs against the wall at the sight of Melanie's furious expression. They held their breath, trembling with fear that the sparks would fly to them at any moment.
“Do you think I'll just let it go?"
Melanie's eyes flashed fiercely. She paced around the bedroom frantically, biting her fingernails with her mouth.
“What should I do? What should I do?”
Tonight, I had to figure out a quick way to get the Emperor to her quarters.
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