It must have been Melanie's own unconscious remark. But Linel coldly asked her back.
“Oh my, ‘this’? Is that what you just said about the Empress?”
“I, I don’t remember what I said... Oh, oh, oh, my head hurts.”
Melanie pretended to have a headache, holding her head with both hands. I smiled kindly at her, who was at a loss as to what to do, and said to her,
“Your Majesty, ‘this’ could not possibly have been said to the Empress. You must have misheard.”
When I referred to Melanie as 'this', he twitched one cheek.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Linel apologized to her, saying that he had misunderstood, as a concubine would never dare say such a thing to the Empress. Melanie nodded madly, her eyes mesmerized by his smile, before turning her gaze back to me.
“But why has Your Majesty the Empress come to my residence?”
“Ah, I...”
As I trailed off, Linel answered her for me.
“The Empress was with me. She came with me because she was worried about the concubine who fell down the stairs. She is truly a kind woman.”
When did I...? I asked him with a sidelong glance and a questioning look in my eyes. In fact, I was a little worried, but I had no desire to come all the way to the concubine’s quarters. Melanie stared at me. Her eyes seemed to ask why I was bothering her.
“Melanie, how did you fall down the stairs? Are you sure you did?”
Linel took a step closer to her, pulling the hand I was holding up to his chest. Melanie stared at our hand with an unkind gaze. However, as the distance between us became closer, Melanie's face suddenly brightened.
“Yes, I rolled around like crazy! It hurt! I even cried! Hehe.”
“So, why are you so sick? I heard you were on the verge of death.”
“I was lost! I was on the verge of death just a moment ago and then I woke up?”
“It’s fortunate that the path I wandered along was short.”
"... Yes?"
“I’m saying you look okay.”
He responded blandly. It was unclear whether Melanie was really sick, but he seemed quite bored with the prospect of someone claiming to be sick.
“No, Your Majesty. I'm not okay! I thought my leg was broken. Just take a look!”
She spoke very shyly and then boldly threw back the blanket that was covering her body.
“Ta-da! It’s really swollen. Eek.”
...Hey, what’s that? Melanie’s thin ankle, which looked like it could break if you hit it with one hand, was not swollen at all, contrary to what she said. It must have been her ankle that she was trying to show him, but the slip she was wearing was up to mid-thigh. Was she not even paying attention to me standing next to Linel?
I burst out laughing. What the heck? I quickly cut off my words because I was afraid that if I kept talking, I would have to turn the laughter I had been holding back into sobs.
“... I don’t know what to do with myself because Your Majesty the Empress is worried. It’s all my fault.”
Melanie continued, tilting my head to the side to see if I was really crying.
“I got tired of waiting for His Majesty like a fool, so I came here like this.”
It was as if she was telling me to listen. It was because of you that I fell down the stairs. If you hadn't gone to the main palace, I wouldn't have fallen down the stairs while waiting for His Majesty.
“Oh my, ‘this’? Is that what you just said about the Empress?”
“I, I don’t remember what I said... Oh, oh, oh, my head hurts.”
Melanie pretended to have a headache, holding her head with both hands. I smiled kindly at her, who was at a loss as to what to do, and said to her,
“Your Majesty, ‘this’ could not possibly have been said to the Empress. You must have misheard.”
When I referred to Melanie as 'this', he twitched one cheek.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Linel apologized to her, saying that he had misunderstood, as a concubine would never dare say such a thing to the Empress. Melanie nodded madly, her eyes mesmerized by his smile, before turning her gaze back to me.
“But why has Your Majesty the Empress come to my residence?”
“Ah, I...”
As I trailed off, Linel answered her for me.
“The Empress was with me. She came with me because she was worried about the concubine who fell down the stairs. She is truly a kind woman.”
When did I...? I asked him with a sidelong glance and a questioning look in my eyes. In fact, I was a little worried, but I had no desire to come all the way to the concubine’s quarters. Melanie stared at me. Her eyes seemed to ask why I was bothering her.
“Melanie, how did you fall down the stairs? Are you sure you did?”
Linel took a step closer to her, pulling the hand I was holding up to his chest. Melanie stared at our hand with an unkind gaze. However, as the distance between us became closer, Melanie's face suddenly brightened.
“Yes, I rolled around like crazy! It hurt! I even cried! Hehe.”
“So, why are you so sick? I heard you were on the verge of death.”
“I was lost! I was on the verge of death just a moment ago and then I woke up?”
“It’s fortunate that the path I wandered along was short.”
"... Yes?"
“I’m saying you look okay.”
He responded blandly. It was unclear whether Melanie was really sick, but he seemed quite bored with the prospect of someone claiming to be sick.
“No, Your Majesty. I'm not okay! I thought my leg was broken. Just take a look!”
She spoke very shyly and then boldly threw back the blanket that was covering her body.
“Ta-da! It’s really swollen. Eek.”
...Hey, what’s that? Melanie’s thin ankle, which looked like it could break if you hit it with one hand, was not swollen at all, contrary to what she said. It must have been her ankle that she was trying to show him, but the slip she was wearing was up to mid-thigh. Was she not even paying attention to me standing next to Linel?
Oh, it must be the opposite. She must be showing off her school legs on purpose to kill my spirit, right?
“It looks like your feet haven’t walked all day.”
He glanced down at Melanie's slender ankles, which were like wrists, and asked questioningly.
“Yes? What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Melanie, how long has it been since you last walked on two feet?”
“Until Your Majesty comes...”
“That’s not it... It’s just that my ankles are so thin that they look okay!”
Melanie rolled her eyes and made an 'oh no' expression, then waved her hands and made an excuse.
“Really? Well, anyway. You fell down while coming out to pick me up?”
“Yes, isn’t today the day you come to my residence? So, I waited in my bedroom, but in my excitement, I went outside the palace to wait, but…...”
“You rolled.”
“Eek, don’t you think I’m stupid?”
“That’s right.”
“..."
Oh, please. I wanted to get out of this conversation. To someone who asked me with a smile, “Aren’t I stupid?” and then said seriously, “Yes.” I bit my lower lip hard to keep from laughing. But the attendants watching this scene behind me kept coughing and making noises to suppress their laughter, so it was getting harder and harder to maintain a straight face.
“It looks like your feet haven’t walked all day.”
He glanced down at Melanie's slender ankles, which were like wrists, and asked questioningly.
“Yes? What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Melanie, how long has it been since you last walked on two feet?”
“Until Your Majesty comes...”
“What do you mean, you were lost on foot until I came?”
Melanie rolled her eyes and made an 'oh no' expression, then waved her hands and made an excuse.
“Really? Well, anyway. You fell down while coming out to pick me up?”
“Yes, isn’t today the day you come to my residence? So, I waited in my bedroom, but in my excitement, I went outside the palace to wait, but…...”
“You rolled.”
“Eek, don’t you think I’m stupid?”
“That’s right.”
“..."
Oh, please. I wanted to get out of this conversation. To someone who asked me with a smile, “Aren’t I stupid?” and then said seriously, “Yes.” I bit my lower lip hard to keep from laughing. But the attendants watching this scene behind me kept coughing and making noises to suppress their laughter, so it was getting harder and harder to maintain a straight face.
I shouldn’t laugh. Sad thoughts, painful thoughts! Depressing thoughts, bad thoughts!
“Hehe, but you came to see me because you were worried about this idiot, right, Your Majesty?”
“Khuhuh.”
In the end, all the sad thoughts I had in mind were defeated by that fool's one word. Fortunately, right before I burst out laughing, I quickly suppressed my laughter and lowered my head. So, depending on the person listening,
“Even a fool wouldn’t cry, so why would the Empress cry? It’s so shameful for a person to be so weak...”
I could have thought of it the other way around. Linel patted my back affectionately. The person who had been waiting for him and rolled down the stairs was right in front of him, but I was walking on my own two feet and was receiving comfort from him, which was a strange situation.
“Does the Empress feel that sorry for Melanie?”
It would have been best if he had just said something else, but Linel deliberately spoke to me and made me laugh.
“Melanie’s delicate ankles, ugh, thinking about how she must have fallen down those rough stairs on her way out to meet Your Majesty, ugh, before I knew it, I... !”
“Hehe, but you came to see me because you were worried about this idiot, right, Your Majesty?”
“Khuhuh.”
In the end, all the sad thoughts I had in mind were defeated by that fool's one word. Fortunately, right before I burst out laughing, I quickly suppressed my laughter and lowered my head. So, depending on the person listening,
“Even a fool wouldn’t cry, so why would the Empress cry? It’s so shameful for a person to be so weak...”
I could have thought of it the other way around. Linel patted my back affectionately. The person who had been waiting for him and rolled down the stairs was right in front of him, but I was walking on my own two feet and was receiving comfort from him, which was a strange situation.
“Does the Empress feel that sorry for Melanie?”
It would have been best if he had just said something else, but Linel deliberately spoke to me and made me laugh.
“Melanie’s delicate ankles, ugh, thinking about how she must have fallen down those rough stairs on her way out to meet Your Majesty, ugh, before I knew it, I... !”
I burst out laughing. What the heck? I quickly cut off my words because I was afraid that if I kept talking, I would have to turn the laughter I had been holding back into sobs.
“... I don’t know what to do with myself because Your Majesty the Empress is worried. It’s all my fault.”
Melanie continued, tilting my head to the side to see if I was really crying.
“I got tired of waiting for His Majesty like a fool, so I came here like this.”
It was as if she was telling me to listen. It was because of you that I fell down the stairs. If you hadn't gone to the main palace, I wouldn't have fallen down the stairs while waiting for His Majesty.
She seemed to think that all this had happened because I suddenly showed up at the main palace.
“Why were you waiting for me like an idiot?”
Linel asked Melanie in a very gentle tone, but there was definitely a prickle in his words.
“No, it’s not Melanie’s fault. The idiot is the stairs.”
What is he talking about now?
“Well, the stairs are stupid. They don’t turn like anyone else.”
Linel was being too blatant in his remarks about her being stupid.
'Stop it, I understand.'
I gave him a wink of caution.
'Shall I make a bet? Do you understand?'
He asked with a nod.
“Oh my goodness! Your Majesty, are there any stairs that lead back?”
Melanie asked in surprise. We both stared at her at the same time. She didn't notice at all that Linel had said something to her head, and she continued to talk nonsense. He glanced at me with a smug look, saying, "Look at that."
“Will it be okay to walk?”
At Linel's question, her expression returned to that of a critically ill patient.
“It’s not a big problem, but I think I’ll need someone to support me...”
Melanie raised both arms forward and waved her shoulders and hands miserably at him. Wow, how did she do that?
“Why were you waiting for me like an idiot?”
Linel asked Melanie in a very gentle tone, but there was definitely a prickle in his words.
“No, it’s not Melanie’s fault. The idiot is the stairs.”
What is he talking about now?
“Well, the stairs are stupid. They don’t turn like anyone else.”
Linel was being too blatant in his remarks about her being stupid.
'Stop it, I understand.'
I gave him a wink of caution.
'Shall I make a bet? Do you understand?'
He asked with a nod.
“Oh my goodness! Your Majesty, are there any stairs that lead back?”
Melanie asked in surprise. We both stared at her at the same time. She didn't notice at all that Linel had said something to her head, and she continued to talk nonsense. He glanced at me with a smug look, saying, "Look at that."
“Will it be okay to walk?”
At Linel's question, her expression returned to that of a critically ill patient.
“It’s not a big problem, but I think I’ll need someone to support me...”
Melanie raised both arms forward and waved her shoulders and hands miserably at him. Wow, how did she do that?
Her hands and shoulders flapped like thin sheets of paper. It didn’t seem like she was asking him to pull her arms out, but was she asking Linel to help her up? Wasn’t that kind of behavior a woman’s charm to show her weakness?
Linel stared down at her hands and instead of taking them, he opened his mouth.
“Are you already a ghost?”
Thinking about it, Melanie's figure, holding up both hands and sobbing, looked like a ghost. At his words, her expression, which had been like that of a seriously ill patient, became scary, like a real ghost.
“Your Majesty! A ghost? Where can you find such a pretty ghost?”
Melanie's lower lip jutted out like a drawbridge being lowered.
“Eek!”
Eek? There she goes again. I've been watching her go 'eek, eek' since a while ago, and I wondered if she was possessed by words.
“Are you already a ghost?”
Thinking about it, Melanie's figure, holding up both hands and sobbing, looked like a ghost. At his words, her expression, which had been like that of a seriously ill patient, became scary, like a real ghost.
“Your Majesty! A ghost? Where can you find such a pretty ghost?”
Melanie's lower lip jutted out like a drawbridge being lowered.
“Eek!”
Eek? There she goes again. I've been watching her go 'eek, eek' since a while ago, and I wondered if she was possessed by words.
Tsk, tsk, the way she shook her head from side to side also looked like she was swearing. Her excessive aegyo made my arms goosebumps, but I tried my best to control my expression so as not to frown.
“I heard the palace doctor came by?”
Linel pointed at Melanie and asked her attendant.
“Yes, Your Majesty! Just before Your Majesty arrived, the palace doctor examined the Madame and withdrew.”
“But what’s the condition... Oh, didn’t you say you hit your head when you fell down the stairs?”
He looked back and forth between Melanie and her attendant, his voice very serious.
“Hair? Is my hair messy? I combed it well before I went to bed.”
Melanie quickly brushed her long hair over one shoulder with both hands and looked up at him at his words. Contrary to her first impression, Melanie now seemed to have a very pure soul.
“Then that’s what it was like originally... Amazing.”
Linel put a hand on his forehead, sighed deeply, and muttered. I wanted to run away from Melanie's place right now, run somewhere where there was no one, and laugh out loud. I prayed in my heart that at least one of the two people who kept provoking my laughter would restrain themselves.
“Go see the doctor again tomorrow.”
He said it with sincerity.
“I think I can climb the stairs one more time because Your Majesty is so worried about me!”
She cried out with eyes filled with emotion.
“There’s no need to roll down the stairs again. Unless you’re busy.”
“Ouch.”
At Linel's words, I lowered my head again. A strange sound, neither laughter nor tears, came out of my mouth. I'm dying, really.
“The Empress must be very tired. She’s standing and snoring.”
He put his hand on my shoulder and shook it gently, pretending to wake me up.
“But you should sleep lying down, Empress.”
“!”
Please stop! I nudged his waist with my elbow.
“If you are tired, Your Majesty the Empress, why don’t you return to the palace first? I am really fine now.”
Melanie must have thought this was the moment, so she pretended to care about me and tried to get me out of her bedroom.
“Your Majesty, Melanie is feeling better now, so I think it would be best for us to go back now.”
Linel agreed with her.
“Of course, it’s late at night.”
I answered him, looking at Melanie's face. Her dull expression brightened in an instant.
“Please take care on your way back, Your Majesty the Empress!”
Melanie was the most polite and courteous person I've ever been greeted by.
“Yes, you are His Majesty the Emperor’s concubine, so I hope you always take care of yourself. Your Majesty, then I will return to the Empress’s Palace first.”
I turned around after giving the two people an empress-like greeting.
“It’s pretty dark now. You're scared of walking at night, so let’s go together.”
Linel grabbed my hand.
“It’s not scary.”
"Me."
"Yes?"
“I mean, I’m afraid of walking at night.”
Let go of my hand!
“I heard the palace doctor came by?”
Linel pointed at Melanie and asked her attendant.
“Yes, Your Majesty! Just before Your Majesty arrived, the palace doctor examined the Madame and withdrew.”
“But what’s the condition... Oh, didn’t you say you hit your head when you fell down the stairs?”
He looked back and forth between Melanie and her attendant, his voice very serious.
“Hair? Is my hair messy? I combed it well before I went to bed.”
Melanie quickly brushed her long hair over one shoulder with both hands and looked up at him at his words. Contrary to her first impression, Melanie now seemed to have a very pure soul.
“Then that’s what it was like originally... Amazing.”
Linel put a hand on his forehead, sighed deeply, and muttered. I wanted to run away from Melanie's place right now, run somewhere where there was no one, and laugh out loud. I prayed in my heart that at least one of the two people who kept provoking my laughter would restrain themselves.
“Go see the doctor again tomorrow.”
He said it with sincerity.
“I think I can climb the stairs one more time because Your Majesty is so worried about me!”
She cried out with eyes filled with emotion.
“There’s no need to roll down the stairs again. Unless you’re busy.”
“Ouch.”
At Linel's words, I lowered my head again. A strange sound, neither laughter nor tears, came out of my mouth. I'm dying, really.
“The Empress must be very tired. She’s standing and snoring.”
He put his hand on my shoulder and shook it gently, pretending to wake me up.
“But you should sleep lying down, Empress.”
“!”
Please stop! I nudged his waist with my elbow.
“If you are tired, Your Majesty the Empress, why don’t you return to the palace first? I am really fine now.”
Melanie must have thought this was the moment, so she pretended to care about me and tried to get me out of her bedroom.
“Your Majesty, Melanie is feeling better now, so I think it would be best for us to go back now.”
Linel agreed with her.
“Of course, it’s late at night.”
I answered him, looking at Melanie's face. Her dull expression brightened in an instant.
“Please take care on your way back, Your Majesty the Empress!”
Melanie was the most polite and courteous person I've ever been greeted by.
“Yes, you are His Majesty the Emperor’s concubine, so I hope you always take care of yourself. Your Majesty, then I will return to the Empress’s Palace first.”
I turned around after giving the two people an empress-like greeting.
“It’s pretty dark now. You're scared of walking at night, so let’s go together.”
Linel grabbed my hand.
“It’s not scary.”
"Me."
"Yes?"
“I mean, I’m afraid of walking at night.”
Let go of my hand!
I fought him silently. Linel let go of my hand and this time grabbed my forearm. He grabbed the robe that was draped over my shoulder as well, causing one shoulder that was covered with the robe to slip down. It just so happened to be the one where he had ripped off the entire sleeve.
“Oh, my? Your Majesty the Empress’s dress?!”
As expected, Melanie looked at my bare right shoulder and was startled. As I looked at her, my eyes met with Linel's. When I glared at him, he looked away, pretending to be calm.
“Your Majesty, how did your dress end up like that?”
Melanie asked, frowning.
“Ah, this dress...”
'It is said that His Majesty the Emperor, who has been waiting for you with bated breath, has caught and tore it apart.'
I was momentarily hesitant about telling her the truth.
“I thought this style was popular in the Empress’s home country, the Kingdom of Shattonil?”
He said, caressing my bare right shoulder shamelessly.
“!”
What? What kind of fool would believe that? He made excuses, but they were so ridiculous. I couldn't help but laugh.
“Really? It’s unusual? It seems like a rather strange design to me.”
...Ah, there she was, right in front of me. The fool who believed his words. Surprisingly, Melanie seemed to believe his nonsense, perhaps because it was the Emperor’s words.
“Why? To me, it looks unique and beautiful.”
He looked at me with a deep gaze and dismissed Melanie's opinion. Then her eyes changed. She stared at me intently as if examining my dress with one sleeve blown off. I quickly put the robe back on my bare right shoulder. While I was doing that, Linel said goodbye to Melanie.
“You must be very surprised, so get some rest. Let’s go now.”
His tone and gaze were almost like a command. It sounded like a threat that if you don't rest now, something will happen later and you won't be able to rest even if you really want to. But Melanie couldn't read his nuance.
“Your Majesty! You came all the way here, so are you really going to just leave?”
“Well, if I’m bored, I might as well roll down the stairs or something on my way there.”
Melanie almost jumped off the bed in an instant.
“Then when are we going to have our first night?!”
She screamed, stretching one hand out toward Linel.
“Oh, my? Your Majesty the Empress’s dress?!”
As expected, Melanie looked at my bare right shoulder and was startled. As I looked at her, my eyes met with Linel's. When I glared at him, he looked away, pretending to be calm.
“Your Majesty, how did your dress end up like that?”
Melanie asked, frowning.
“Ah, this dress...”
'It is said that His Majesty the Emperor, who has been waiting for you with bated breath, has caught and tore it apart.'
I was momentarily hesitant about telling her the truth.
“I thought this style was popular in the Empress’s home country, the Kingdom of Shattonil?”
He said, caressing my bare right shoulder shamelessly.
“!”
What? What kind of fool would believe that? He made excuses, but they were so ridiculous. I couldn't help but laugh.
“Really? It’s unusual? It seems like a rather strange design to me.”
...Ah, there she was, right in front of me. The fool who believed his words. Surprisingly, Melanie seemed to believe his nonsense, perhaps because it was the Emperor’s words.
“Why? To me, it looks unique and beautiful.”
He looked at me with a deep gaze and dismissed Melanie's opinion. Then her eyes changed. She stared at me intently as if examining my dress with one sleeve blown off. I quickly put the robe back on my bare right shoulder. While I was doing that, Linel said goodbye to Melanie.
“You must be very surprised, so get some rest. Let’s go now.”
His tone and gaze were almost like a command. It sounded like a threat that if you don't rest now, something will happen later and you won't be able to rest even if you really want to. But Melanie couldn't read his nuance.
“Your Majesty! You came all the way here, so are you really going to just leave?”
“Well, if I’m bored, I might as well roll down the stairs or something on my way there.”
Melanie almost jumped off the bed in an instant.
“Then when are we going to have our first night?!”
She screamed, stretching one hand out toward Linel.
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