“Why am I surprised?”
What on earth are you imagining about me? I asked, tilting my head.
“If I were to describe in words what I want to do to you... Zelda, you’d probably run out of here right now.”
I felt awkward and ran my hand over the back of my neck.
“I’ve thought about things I want to do with you, but I haven’t done any of them properly yet. But today, I plan on doing one of them.”
“Is that so...?”
“That was a question, not a permission. If you hadn’t raised the end of your sentence, I would have kissed you right away.”
“...”
“You have a strange talent for making the Emperor look at you... Ugh?”
I pressed my lips against him as he spoke with a smile. I did it without realizing it. I could imagine how wide his blue eyes must have been right now. I was the first to invade his lips, which were still as if surprised. The Emperor was given a surprise kiss. The lips that had been teasing me a moment ago were flustered and didn’t move. I didn’t care and acted according to my feelings. Kissing is so comfortable because you don’t have to be polite. I don’t have to constantly check his expression, there’s no surveillance from others, and I can just move as my feelings lead me, so kissing is a truly peaceful experience.
I forced him to sit up and tucked his shirt into his arms as if to soothe an unruly child. Even after all this, he still refused to move, and by the look on his face, it was as if he was intentionally sulking. I had to help him button up his shirt. He was so nonchalant as if he'd just heard about Melanie in another country with the same name, even though he'd been informed that his concubine had rolled down the stairs yesterday.
What on earth are you imagining about me? I asked, tilting my head.
“If I were to describe in words what I want to do to you... Zelda, you’d probably run out of here right now.”
I felt awkward and ran my hand over the back of my neck.
“I’ve thought about things I want to do with you, but I haven’t done any of them properly yet. But today, I plan on doing one of them.”
“Is that so...?”
“That was a question, not a permission. If you hadn’t raised the end of your sentence, I would have kissed you right away.”
“...”
“You have a strange talent for making the Emperor look at you... Ugh?”
I pressed my lips against him as he spoke with a smile. I did it without realizing it. I could imagine how wide his blue eyes must have been right now. I was the first to invade his lips, which were still as if surprised. The Emperor was given a surprise kiss. The lips that had been teasing me a moment ago were flustered and didn’t move. I didn’t care and acted according to my feelings. Kissing is so comfortable because you don’t have to be polite. I don’t have to constantly check his expression, there’s no surveillance from others, and I can just move as my feelings lead me, so kissing is a truly peaceful experience.
My heart was beating, but that was a separate thing. My lips were as absent-minded as if they were being swept away by rough waves in the middle of the ocean.
“Hey, Zelda!”
I was the one who put him to bed first.
Linel looked very surprised when I pushed his shoulder and took over. Nevertheless, he followed me as if he had no joints. I calmly unbuttoned his shirt and then, feeling frustrated pulled it up over his face and took it off. Unlike my usual hesitant voice, my two hands were very quick to respond to his desired answer. As expected, I was a person whose body was faster than my words.
“Hey, Zelda!”
I was the one who put him to bed first.
Linel looked very surprised when I pushed his shoulder and took over. Nevertheless, he followed me as if he had no joints. I calmly unbuttoned his shirt and then, feeling frustrated pulled it up over his face and took it off. Unlike my usual hesitant voice, my two hands were very quick to respond to his desired answer. As expected, I was a person whose body was faster than my words.
As I bent down again, his enchanting appearance filled my vision. His chest muscles, as strong as a castle wall, rose and fell violently, blurring my vision. What did I just do?
When I looked down at his body with his shirt off, I belatedly came to my senses. However, the problem was that I couldn’t stop here. No, it would be more correct to say that I didn’t want to stop. Our lips were separated for a few seconds while I took off his shirt. He felt anxious during that brief moment, like someone who had missed the boat he was supposed to catch. Our faces became close again.
“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”
Linel's low voice barely escaped our lips. And his next words could not escape my lips. Linel's breathing sounded like a pleasant song. He pulled away and grabbed my hand.
“Feel it.”
He immediately placed my hand on his heart and stared straight into my eyes. As the sound of his heartbeat was transmitted to my palm, my whole body felt like it was vibrating. When my heartbeat was added to it, the vibration became even more intense. I even thought that if our hearts were to burst out, it would be hard to catch them.
“Linel, I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my mouth right now.”
“Then that won’t work.”
He responded seriously to my foolish confession. This ridiculous conversation soon turned into action.
“Let’s put the heart back in its place.”
Linel pulled me towards him and started kissing me again. It was like we were dancing as if we were enjoying a festival.
“Don’t you know how terrible the sin of trampling on the Emperor is...”
As soon as his words left his mouth, our positions instantly changed.
“Let me know.”
Linel whispered down at me. Every nerve cell in my body began to anticipate those words. The strength he had shackled me with was terrifyingly persistent and firm. I wanted to ask if it was okay to kiss so aggressively, but the sensation I felt because of his rough movements was incredibly gentle. Our positions had changed, but the desire radiating from his eyes was the same.
“I wonder how terrible that sin is?”
I asked somewhat cheekily.
“Are you provoking me?”
“Would you call it temptation?”
“You’re wearing a dress like this?”
Linel grabbed the hem of my dress and flapped it around in frustration. It was both heartbreaking and amusing.
“I came wearing the lightest dress?”
“It sounds like it was planned?”
“Then will you come over?”
“What? How can you say something like that when it happened so long ago?”
Linel said in a ridiculous tone. Since when did it start? I think I became addicted to this man. Listening to his jokes in a deep and serious voice became a great pleasure to me.
“You really came over?”
“You didn’t know?”
When I burst out laughing, he spoke to me solemnly, deliberately in a more serious tone.
“My mind has already moved on, but why is my body not making any progress? What do you think about this situation?”
“It’s sad.”
“Let’s take care of this dress before I get sadder.”
He tried to pull down the sleeves of my dress that were draped over my shoulders.
“Damn, can’t you make the dress a little looser? What’s stuck to your skin like that?”
I couldn't help but laugh at his serious look.
“This dress isn’t some new torture device.”
As he was looking over my dress, I heard a sound like the thin apricot-colored dress was ripping. I can't live like this.
“!”
“Oh, sorry.”
He ended up tearing my dress. Luckily, the part that was torn was the sleeve of my right shoulder. I should be thankful that the middle of the dress wasn't torn. If I just wore a robe, no one would know that one sleeve of the dress was half-torn.
“I was surprised. I thought I tore off the Empress’s arm.”
Linel rubbed his heart with his hand and sighed in relief. I shook the tattered cloth on my right shoulder and said,
“Please tear it up.”
His eyebrows shot up and he muttered to himself, 'Huh? Is that okay?' His two hands came towards me like ghosts.
“Not the dress!”
"Huh?"
He stopped moving with both arms parallel to each other in front of him.
"Then?"
“I just want this dangling right shoulder area to be ripped off.”
“Oh, that’s what it sounded like? I also...”
Linel smiled awkwardly and ripped off the half-torn fabric on my right shoulder. He held the sleeve he had ripped off with both hands and looked at me blankly. I sighed deeply and started taking off my dress. I thought it was fortunate that Sharon had chosen a dress that was easy to put on and take off. Thanks to Sharon’s sense, I was able to take off the dress by myself without difficulty. His eyes grew wide.
“Linel, could you please turn your gaze for a moment?”
Even though I was wearing a slip underneath after taking off my dress, I still felt a little uncomfortable when he stared at me so intently.
“Why? Anyway, we already... No, let’s just turn off the lights. That’ll be fine, right?”
I nodded, thinking it would be much less embarrassing. All the lights that had been illuminating the bedroom disappeared in an instant. At first, I couldn’t see anything, but after a few minutes, I could see the outline of Linel’s face. He kept looking at me even in the darkness. I took off my dress and pulled the blanket over me to cover my body. I heard Linel rustling. I thought I knew what he was doing. I couldn’t see well because it was dark, but I looked away for a moment.
“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”
Linel's low voice barely escaped our lips. And his next words could not escape my lips. Linel's breathing sounded like a pleasant song. He pulled away and grabbed my hand.
“Feel it.”
He immediately placed my hand on his heart and stared straight into my eyes. As the sound of his heartbeat was transmitted to my palm, my whole body felt like it was vibrating. When my heartbeat was added to it, the vibration became even more intense. I even thought that if our hearts were to burst out, it would be hard to catch them.
“Linel, I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my mouth right now.”
“Then that won’t work.”
He responded seriously to my foolish confession. This ridiculous conversation soon turned into action.
“Let’s put the heart back in its place.”
Linel pulled me towards him and started kissing me again. It was like we were dancing as if we were enjoying a festival.
“Don’t you know how terrible the sin of trampling on the Emperor is...”
As soon as his words left his mouth, our positions instantly changed.
“Let me know.”
Linel whispered down at me. Every nerve cell in my body began to anticipate those words. The strength he had shackled me with was terrifyingly persistent and firm. I wanted to ask if it was okay to kiss so aggressively, but the sensation I felt because of his rough movements was incredibly gentle. Our positions had changed, but the desire radiating from his eyes was the same.
“I wonder how terrible that sin is?”
I asked somewhat cheekily.
“Are you provoking me?”
“Would you call it temptation?”
“You’re wearing a dress like this?”
Linel grabbed the hem of my dress and flapped it around in frustration. It was both heartbreaking and amusing.
“I came wearing the lightest dress?”
“It sounds like it was planned?”
“Then will you come over?”
“What? How can you say something like that when it happened so long ago?”
Linel said in a ridiculous tone. Since when did it start? I think I became addicted to this man. Listening to his jokes in a deep and serious voice became a great pleasure to me.
“You really came over?”
“You didn’t know?”
When I burst out laughing, he spoke to me solemnly, deliberately in a more serious tone.
“My mind has already moved on, but why is my body not making any progress? What do you think about this situation?”
“It’s sad.”
“Let’s take care of this dress before I get sadder.”
He tried to pull down the sleeves of my dress that were draped over my shoulders.
“Damn, can’t you make the dress a little looser? What’s stuck to your skin like that?”
I couldn't help but laugh at his serious look.
“This dress isn’t some new torture device.”
As he was looking over my dress, I heard a sound like the thin apricot-colored dress was ripping. I can't live like this.
“!”
“Oh, sorry.”
He ended up tearing my dress. Luckily, the part that was torn was the sleeve of my right shoulder. I should be thankful that the middle of the dress wasn't torn. If I just wore a robe, no one would know that one sleeve of the dress was half-torn.
“I was surprised. I thought I tore off the Empress’s arm.”
Linel rubbed his heart with his hand and sighed in relief. I shook the tattered cloth on my right shoulder and said,
“Please tear it up.”
His eyebrows shot up and he muttered to himself, 'Huh? Is that okay?' His two hands came towards me like ghosts.
“Not the dress!”
"Huh?"
He stopped moving with both arms parallel to each other in front of him.
"Then?"
“I just want this dangling right shoulder area to be ripped off.”
“Oh, that’s what it sounded like? I also...”
Linel smiled awkwardly and ripped off the half-torn fabric on my right shoulder. He held the sleeve he had ripped off with both hands and looked at me blankly. I sighed deeply and started taking off my dress. I thought it was fortunate that Sharon had chosen a dress that was easy to put on and take off. Thanks to Sharon’s sense, I was able to take off the dress by myself without difficulty. His eyes grew wide.
“Linel, could you please turn your gaze for a moment?”
Even though I was wearing a slip underneath after taking off my dress, I still felt a little uncomfortable when he stared at me so intently.
“Why? Anyway, we already... No, let’s just turn off the lights. That’ll be fine, right?”
I nodded, thinking it would be much less embarrassing. All the lights that had been illuminating the bedroom disappeared in an instant. At first, I couldn’t see anything, but after a few minutes, I could see the outline of Linel’s face. He kept looking at me even in the darkness. I took off my dress and pulled the blanket over me to cover my body. I heard Linel rustling. I thought I knew what he was doing. I couldn’t see well because it was dark, but I looked away for a moment.
After a while, his large hand stroked my hair, and turned my face toward him. Our eyes, accustomed to the darkness, clashed. As the night deepened, our cautious instincts gradually revealed their true colors. Linel’s clear blue eyes made his expression clear. When his large hand, which had been carefully wrapping my face, passed my jawline, a shiver ran through my body. It felt like everything in the world was being covered. Even our souls.
Knock knock.
At that crucial moment, there was a knock outside the bedroom door.
"What's the matter!"
Linel shouted nervously toward the bedroom door.
“I am sorry to inform you that Your Highness the Second Concubine, Madamee Melanie, has fallen down the stairs!”
Linel and I both looked surprised at the urgent voice of Secretary Raphael. However, he soon erased his surprised expression and furrowed his brows.
“Why did he roll down the stairs when he was fine?”
He muttered curtly.
“First, listen to Raphael’s detailed story.”
I said, lifting his chest muscles that were occupying my stomach with both hands as if I were lifting a pillar of a temple.
“Does it really have to be that way?”
“He said she fell down the stairs.”
“It might be a hobby.”
“...”
“It’s a special talent.”
“Whether it’s a hobby or a specialty, they should at least report on what happened.”
“Haa, we should have rolled first, we were a step late.”
“...What are you talking about now?”
“Whatever you say, you are right.”
“Huh? Melanie’s situation was different. It would have been dangerous.”
“It’s just as dangerous to roll down the stairs as it is to roll out of bed, so what’s the difference?”
I almost nodded my head because the words he muttered as if talking to himself sounded strangely plausible.
“Get dressed quickly and listen carefully to Raphael.”
I quickly picked up my dress from the marble floor, one sleeve of which had been blown off. Unlike me, who had quickly gotten dressed, Linel lay back on the bed, his arms behind his head, and did not move.
“Get up, hurry up!”
"What's the matter!"
Linel shouted nervously toward the bedroom door.
“I am sorry to inform you that Your Highness the Second Concubine, Madamee Melanie, has fallen down the stairs!”
Linel and I both looked surprised at the urgent voice of Secretary Raphael. However, he soon erased his surprised expression and furrowed his brows.
“Why did he roll down the stairs when he was fine?”
He muttered curtly.
“First, listen to Raphael’s detailed story.”
I said, lifting his chest muscles that were occupying my stomach with both hands as if I were lifting a pillar of a temple.
“Does it really have to be that way?”
“He said she fell down the stairs.”
“It might be a hobby.”
“...”
“It’s a special talent.”
“Whether it’s a hobby or a specialty, they should at least report on what happened.”
“Haa, we should have rolled first, we were a step late.”
“...What are you talking about now?”
“Whatever you say, you are right.”
“Huh? Melanie’s situation was different. It would have been dangerous.”
“It’s just as dangerous to roll down the stairs as it is to roll out of bed, so what’s the difference?”
I almost nodded my head because the words he muttered as if talking to himself sounded strangely plausible.
“Get dressed quickly and listen carefully to Raphael.”
I quickly picked up my dress from the marble floor, one sleeve of which had been blown off. Unlike me, who had quickly gotten dressed, Linel lay back on the bed, his arms behind his head, and did not move.
“Get up, hurry up!”
I forced him to sit up and tucked his shirt into his arms as if to soothe an unruly child. Even after all this, he still refused to move, and by the look on his face, it was as if he was intentionally sulking. I had to help him button up his shirt. He was so nonchalant as if he'd just heard about Melanie in another country with the same name, even though he'd been informed that his concubine had rolled down the stairs yesterday.
Linel burst into laughter as he watched my hands quickly buttoning up his shirt. Oddly enough, his attention was focused on the wrong place.
“You button my shirt from the top down. I button it from the bottom up.”
Linel spoke profoundly, like a wizard who had discovered a great truth.
“But why do I still feel nervous even though I’m buttoning up my buttons?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No, nothing.”
He smiled as he stroked my right shoulder, where the sleeve had completely disappeared.
“It’s all done now. Tell Raphael to come in.”
I got out of bed first, turned on the light, walked over to the mirror, and said.
“Right now?”
“Then when will you call him?”
“Raphael will be surprised again.”
Linel muttered something behind me, but I couldn't hear properly because I was busy looking in the mirror and fixing my messy hair.
“If the Empress says so, then so be it. Raphael! Come in.”
At his shout, Raphael, who had been waiting outside the bedroom, quickly ran inside.
"Your Majesty!"
“What the hell is going on?”
“Yes, that’s it, hiiiik...! Oh my, my eyes!”
Raphael, who was walking briskly toward Linel, suddenly stopped and covered his eyes with his hands. Why is he doing that? I looked at the mirror and touched my hair, then looked back at Raphael.
“What’s wrong, Raphael? As if you saw a monster?”
As I was looking at Raphael and asking, Linel naturally came into my sight. He was buckling his pants in a hurry.
Linel spoke profoundly, like a wizard who had discovered a great truth.
“But why do I still feel nervous even though I’m buttoning up my buttons?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No, nothing.”
He smiled as he stroked my right shoulder, where the sleeve had completely disappeared.
“It’s all done now. Tell Raphael to come in.”
I got out of bed first, turned on the light, walked over to the mirror, and said.
“Right now?”
“Then when will you call him?”
“Raphael will be surprised again.”
Linel muttered something behind me, but I couldn't hear properly because I was busy looking in the mirror and fixing my messy hair.
“If the Empress says so, then so be it. Raphael! Come in.”
At his shout, Raphael, who had been waiting outside the bedroom, quickly ran inside.
"Your Majesty!"
“What the hell is going on?”
“Yes, that’s it, hiiiik...! Oh my, my eyes!”
Raphael, who was walking briskly toward Linel, suddenly stopped and covered his eyes with his hands. Why is he doing that? I looked at the mirror and touched my hair, then looked back at Raphael.
“What’s wrong, Raphael? As if you saw a monster?”
As I was looking at Raphael and asking, Linel naturally came into my sight. He was buckling his pants in a hurry.
Ah, I thought I knew why Raphael was so surprised. Linel asked Raphael proudly.
“Raphael, did you see it?”
“...Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Raphael, did you see it?”
“...Yes, Your Majesty.”
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