“Ah, haha. It’s nice that the rock is really flat.”
To lift it up. When I answered with an awkward smile, Linel followed me and laughed awkwardly, saying, 'Ah, haha.'
“Just go for today and sit down later.”
“I guess so? I’ll have to remember that. Near the lavender field...”
Linel muttered as he looked around the dark surroundings, trying to remember where the rock was.
“Let’s go now.”
"...Am I also going back to the main palace bedroom?”
“Why are you asking something so obvious?”
He raised an eyebrow and said, Since when did it become normal for me to come and go from the main palace bedroom?
“I can’t just turn away the first and last guest who came to my bedroom.”
I'm the last guest in his bedroom? When I heard that, the blood in my veins started to pump rapidly.
“I’ll make you come back often.”
Linel muttered as if making a promise.
“Is this a good place?”
“...Well, depending on how you think about it?”
He shrugged and laughed.
“Are you going to become a regular? You’ll make a lot of good memories tonight.”
“A lot...?”
“Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
“I’m nervous.”
“How naive.”
The eyes of the very clever person who told me I was naive seem to be trembling a lot right now.
“Anyway, that’s fortunate. If the Empress’s stamina had been too weak, I would have been in trouble.”
He put my hair behind my ear and made a very excited expression. I don't know what my weakness had to do with his being in trouble, but I liked it because he liked it.
“Your Majesty! My eyes are starting to hurt!”
At that moment, Raphael's voice was heard, struggling. He was muttering while rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Since it was the Emperor's order, they couldn't even look back, and they all expressed their struggles by tapping their shoulders and necks with their hands.
“Okay, let’s stop looking at the moon and everyone lower your heads and turn around again.”
As soon as Linel gave permission, the attendants all grabbed the back of their necks and turned toward us.
“Oh my, what a surprise! Your Majesty? Your lip isn’t bleeding, is it?”
Raphael asked him, tapping the left corner of his mouth with his hand.
"What?"
Linel asked bluntly. I quickly looked up at his face. When I saw the corner of his mouth that Raphael had pointed to, my face also turned the same color.
“Your Majesty, there’s my lipstick on the left corner of your mouth...”
That's red too, I said quietly, grabbing his arm and turning him around.
“Ah, I see. Zelda, would you mind lending me your left sleeve that’s dangling alone?”
“Why is this sleeve missing because of Your Majesty?”
“I don’t need to wipe it.”
He playfully tugged at my sleeve.
“Oh my, you can wipe it with Your Majesty’s sleeve.”
I replied, holding back laughter and hiding my hands behind my back.
“Your dress is already ruined. My clothes are fine.”
“...So?”
“Make some sacrifices.”
Linel added that he would use the dress sparingly like a napkin since it was going to be thrown away anyway, and wiped the lipstick off his lips on my sleeve. I could see Sharon's surprised face in the distance between the servants. Sharon seemed saddened by the sight of the dress she had ambitiously chosen for tonight in such a state.
To lift it up. When I answered with an awkward smile, Linel followed me and laughed awkwardly, saying, 'Ah, haha.'
“Just go for today and sit down later.”
“I guess so? I’ll have to remember that. Near the lavender field...”
Linel muttered as he looked around the dark surroundings, trying to remember where the rock was.
“Let’s go now.”
"...Am I also going back to the main palace bedroom?”
“Why are you asking something so obvious?”
He raised an eyebrow and said, Since when did it become normal for me to come and go from the main palace bedroom?
“I can’t just turn away the first and last guest who came to my bedroom.”
I'm the last guest in his bedroom? When I heard that, the blood in my veins started to pump rapidly.
“I’ll make you come back often.”
Linel muttered as if making a promise.
“Is this a good place?”
“...Well, depending on how you think about it?”
He shrugged and laughed.
“Are you going to become a regular? You’ll make a lot of good memories tonight.”
“A lot...?”
“Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
“I’m nervous.”
“How naive.”
The eyes of the very clever person who told me I was naive seem to be trembling a lot right now.
“Anyway, that’s fortunate. If the Empress’s stamina had been too weak, I would have been in trouble.”
He put my hair behind my ear and made a very excited expression. I don't know what my weakness had to do with his being in trouble, but I liked it because he liked it.
“Your Majesty! My eyes are starting to hurt!”
At that moment, Raphael's voice was heard, struggling. He was muttering while rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Since it was the Emperor's order, they couldn't even look back, and they all expressed their struggles by tapping their shoulders and necks with their hands.
“Okay, let’s stop looking at the moon and everyone lower your heads and turn around again.”
As soon as Linel gave permission, the attendants all grabbed the back of their necks and turned toward us.
“Oh my, what a surprise! Your Majesty? Your lip isn’t bleeding, is it?”
Raphael asked him, tapping the left corner of his mouth with his hand.
"What?"
Linel asked bluntly. I quickly looked up at his face. When I saw the corner of his mouth that Raphael had pointed to, my face also turned the same color.
“Your Majesty, there’s my lipstick on the left corner of your mouth...”
That's red too, I said quietly, grabbing his arm and turning him around.
“Ah, I see. Zelda, would you mind lending me your left sleeve that’s dangling alone?”
“Why is this sleeve missing because of Your Majesty?”
“I don’t need to wipe it.”
He playfully tugged at my sleeve.
“Oh my, you can wipe it with Your Majesty’s sleeve.”
I replied, holding back laughter and hiding my hands behind my back.
“Your dress is already ruined. My clothes are fine.”
“...So?”
“Make some sacrifices.”
Linel added that he would use the dress sparingly like a napkin since it was going to be thrown away anyway, and wiped the lipstick off his lips on my sleeve. I could see Sharon's surprised face in the distance between the servants. Sharon seemed saddened by the sight of the dress she had ambitiously chosen for tonight in such a state.
I'm sorry, Sharon.
“Are you saying that Her Majesty the Empress personally visited the palace?”
Grand Duke Martins looked troubled after receiving the report from his escort, Sir Rolf. Sir Rolf had difficulty judging Grand Duke Martins’ mood. He seemed more than just surprised, but also slightly amused, and at the same time, he seemed to be angry for some reason.
“Besides, isn’t it very strange that the two of you went to the concubine’s quarters together?”
“It’s strange.”
“Is His Majesty strange? Or is Her Majesty the Empress extraordinary?”
Sir Rolf, who had been following the movements of the imperial couple, was quite shocked when he saw them entering the harem together.
“The Emperor may be like that, but what on earth is Her Majesty the Empress thinking...”
Grand Duke Martins narrowed his eyes and tapped the table.
“Your Highness, will you report today’s events to Prince Tesla?”
“Well, how should I report this?”
Grand Duke Martins pressed his temples and chuckled.
“Is it true that the Empress is overly absorbed in her duties? Or is it that the Prince has completely misjudged Emperor Linel’s tastes, and that is why things are going so strangely?”
“Things are going differently than expected.”
Sir Rolf nodded in agreement with Grand Duke Martins' words.
“There’s one more thing that goes unexpectedly.”
The Grand Duke, who had been sitting cross-legged on the chair, suddenly sat up. He walked toward the bed and lifted the mattress eagerly. The mattress was heavier than he had thought, so the Grand Duke whined and called out to Sir Rolf.
“Sir Rolf! Come here and hold this for me.”
“Yes, Your Highness. But why are you suddenly bringing up the mattress?”
Sir Rolf looked puzzled at Grand Duke Martins's sudden behavior. Unlike the Grand Duke who was whining, Sir Rolf lifted the mattress up.
“Yes, now.”
Grand Duke Martins took out a fine silk pouch that he had kept under the mattress, and from within it he took out a sword handle without a blade.
“Isn’t this the Norton I brought you?”
“Yes. It belongs to Norton, who I knew as a mercenary knight of unknown origin.”
“But why did you hide it under the bed? Like a treasure.”
“Because it’s a treasure. It is a treasure.”
Grand Duke Martin smiled meaningfully and touched the center of the sword hilt where the jewel had been set. There was a seal engraved inside where the jewel had been set.
“Was it as expensive as you expected? Did you find out which family the seal belonged to?”
“It’s priceless. It’s more than just family. What’s that Norton guy up to these days?”
“His body is gradually recovering. He still can’t speak well, though.”
“And he didn’t even ask about Princess Resilia?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve tried to bring up the subject of the Princess a few times, but he's just glared at me every time. And one time he actually threw a punch at me.”
“You must have demonstrated your special talent.”
“What is my specialty?”
“I’m talking about nagging.”
“No! I was fast enough to dodge, but that ignorant bastard managed to smash one of the tables.”
“It’s not that you’re fast, it’s that Norton is injured and his body is still slow.”
“Your Highness... Do you really need to be so specific about that?”
Sir Rolf grumbled with a sour expression.
“Hahaha, but what did you say that made him throw a punch?”
“Princess Resilia said she would soon come here to remarry the Emperor of the Lapion Empire.”
“...Then what did he say?”
“He didn’t say anything. He just smashed the table and looked down at the sleeping child.”
“That’s strange. He's in a position where he doesn’t have to put up with it.”
Grand Duke Martin muttered, examining the seal inside the sword hilt.
“Oh, that thing!”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s what the Grand Duke just said, and Norton said that while caressing the child.”
“Are he saying he won’t stay still?”
“Yes, it’s similar. He won’t leave it alone.”
“Huh, things are about to get interesting. The third Prince of the largest Parsha Empire in the Southern Continent can’t just sit still.”
“Huh? Prince?!”
“Yes. The Princess who gave birth to his child abandoned him and remarried the Emperor of the Northern Continent. Of course, he can’t just sit still. He can’t do that.”
Grand Duke Martins burst into laughter and put the hilt of Norton's sword back into his pocket.
“Huh? That mercenary with no origins, from the Southern Continent...?”
“The third Prince of the Parsha Empire. Three years ago, the Emperor died without being able to properly inherit the throne, which led to the rebellion of the Princes.”
“Yes, the Grand Duke told me before. That the Second Prince killed the First Prince...”
“Yes, he was poisoned. However, for some reason, the ministers of the Parsha Empire are continuing to delay the succession to the throne.”
“Is it because he is not of the red lineage?”
“Well, that may be the case. But unless something unexpected happens, the second Prince, Calvin, will become the Emperor of the Paesha Empire.”
Unlike the 1st Prince, the 2nd Prince Calvin and the 3rd Prince Norton are real brothers. Now, if Norton were to return to the Southern Continent, there was a high probability that he would play an important role in the 2nd Prince's inner circle. Furthermore, if the 2nd Prince Calvin, who is still unmarried and has no children, were to become the Emperor of the Parsha Empire, the next heir to the throne would be the 3rd Prince Norton.
“When the Second Prince eliminated the First Prince, the remaining Princes who had no interest in power left the Parsha Empire.”
“Norton must have been one of them.”
“That’s right, but who would have thought that the third Prince of the Parsha Empire of the Southern Continent would crawl into the Shattonil royal family of the Northern Continent as a mercenary?”
Grand Duke Martins continued speaking with an interested expression, and Sir Rolf chimed in.
“And then he met Princess Resilia and ran away in the middle of the night.”
“Yes, he even had a child and lived.”
“Isn’t that all? Didn’t Princess Resilia betray and return to the royal palace? And Norton and his son fell off a cliff because of the royal knights?”
“But in the end, he survived.”
Grand Duke Martins, who had been talking to Sir Rolf, took a sip of the wine on the table and smiled with satisfaction.
“If it weren’t for the Grand Duke, he would have been dead already.”
“Yes, it’s my fault.”
“The child would have probably become food for wild animals, and Your Highness is the savior of those rich people!”
“That too, the 3rd Prince of the Parsha Empire of the Southern Continent? Hahaha!”
The laughter of Grand Duke Martins swirled around in the glass of wine he was drinking.
“By the way, Grand Duke, if Princess Resilia comes here, will Emperor Linel’s heart waver?”
“If you don’t waver when you see Princess Resilia, you’re not a man.”
Sir Rolf nodded automatically as he recalled Princess Resilia's face at Grand Duke Martins' words.
“I feel a little sorry for Her Majesty the Empress. She must be hurt. Of course, she came as an acting Empress in the first place.”
“Don’t worry. The wounds will heal quickly if you fill them with affection again.”
“Who will fill it?”
"Me."
“Huh?! Why would the Grand Duke have affection for Her Majesty the Empress...?”
Sir Rolf asked back with a surprised face, but Grand Duke Martins just smiled and ordered Sir Rolf to go back.
***
“Are you saying that Her Majesty the Empress personally visited the palace?”
Grand Duke Martins looked troubled after receiving the report from his escort, Sir Rolf. Sir Rolf had difficulty judging Grand Duke Martins’ mood. He seemed more than just surprised, but also slightly amused, and at the same time, he seemed to be angry for some reason.
“Besides, isn’t it very strange that the two of you went to the concubine’s quarters together?”
“It’s strange.”
“Is His Majesty strange? Or is Her Majesty the Empress extraordinary?”
Sir Rolf, who had been following the movements of the imperial couple, was quite shocked when he saw them entering the harem together.
“The Emperor may be like that, but what on earth is Her Majesty the Empress thinking...”
Grand Duke Martins narrowed his eyes and tapped the table.
“Your Highness, will you report today’s events to Prince Tesla?”
“Well, how should I report this?”
Grand Duke Martins pressed his temples and chuckled.
“Is it true that the Empress is overly absorbed in her duties? Or is it that the Prince has completely misjudged Emperor Linel’s tastes, and that is why things are going so strangely?”
“Things are going differently than expected.”
Sir Rolf nodded in agreement with Grand Duke Martins' words.
“There’s one more thing that goes unexpectedly.”
The Grand Duke, who had been sitting cross-legged on the chair, suddenly sat up. He walked toward the bed and lifted the mattress eagerly. The mattress was heavier than he had thought, so the Grand Duke whined and called out to Sir Rolf.
“Sir Rolf! Come here and hold this for me.”
“Yes, Your Highness. But why are you suddenly bringing up the mattress?”
Sir Rolf looked puzzled at Grand Duke Martins's sudden behavior. Unlike the Grand Duke who was whining, Sir Rolf lifted the mattress up.
“Yes, now.”
Grand Duke Martins took out a fine silk pouch that he had kept under the mattress, and from within it he took out a sword handle without a blade.
“Isn’t this the Norton I brought you?”
“Yes. It belongs to Norton, who I knew as a mercenary knight of unknown origin.”
“But why did you hide it under the bed? Like a treasure.”
“Because it’s a treasure. It is a treasure.”
Grand Duke Martin smiled meaningfully and touched the center of the sword hilt where the jewel had been set. There was a seal engraved inside where the jewel had been set.
“Was it as expensive as you expected? Did you find out which family the seal belonged to?”
“It’s priceless. It’s more than just family. What’s that Norton guy up to these days?”
“His body is gradually recovering. He still can’t speak well, though.”
“And he didn’t even ask about Princess Resilia?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve tried to bring up the subject of the Princess a few times, but he's just glared at me every time. And one time he actually threw a punch at me.”
“You must have demonstrated your special talent.”
“What is my specialty?”
“I’m talking about nagging.”
“No! I was fast enough to dodge, but that ignorant bastard managed to smash one of the tables.”
“It’s not that you’re fast, it’s that Norton is injured and his body is still slow.”
“Your Highness... Do you really need to be so specific about that?”
Sir Rolf grumbled with a sour expression.
“Hahaha, but what did you say that made him throw a punch?”
“Princess Resilia said she would soon come here to remarry the Emperor of the Lapion Empire.”
“...Then what did he say?”
“He didn’t say anything. He just smashed the table and looked down at the sleeping child.”
“That’s strange. He's in a position where he doesn’t have to put up with it.”
Grand Duke Martin muttered, examining the seal inside the sword hilt.
“Oh, that thing!”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s what the Grand Duke just said, and Norton said that while caressing the child.”
“Are he saying he won’t stay still?”
“Yes, it’s similar. He won’t leave it alone.”
“Huh, things are about to get interesting. The third Prince of the largest Parsha Empire in the Southern Continent can’t just sit still.”
“Huh? Prince?!”
“Yes. The Princess who gave birth to his child abandoned him and remarried the Emperor of the Northern Continent. Of course, he can’t just sit still. He can’t do that.”
Grand Duke Martins burst into laughter and put the hilt of Norton's sword back into his pocket.
“Huh? That mercenary with no origins, from the Southern Continent...?”
“The third Prince of the Parsha Empire. Three years ago, the Emperor died without being able to properly inherit the throne, which led to the rebellion of the Princes.”
“Yes, the Grand Duke told me before. That the Second Prince killed the First Prince...”
“Yes, he was poisoned. However, for some reason, the ministers of the Parsha Empire are continuing to delay the succession to the throne.”
“Is it because he is not of the red lineage?”
“Well, that may be the case. But unless something unexpected happens, the second Prince, Calvin, will become the Emperor of the Paesha Empire.”
Unlike the 1st Prince, the 2nd Prince Calvin and the 3rd Prince Norton are real brothers. Now, if Norton were to return to the Southern Continent, there was a high probability that he would play an important role in the 2nd Prince's inner circle. Furthermore, if the 2nd Prince Calvin, who is still unmarried and has no children, were to become the Emperor of the Parsha Empire, the next heir to the throne would be the 3rd Prince Norton.
“When the Second Prince eliminated the First Prince, the remaining Princes who had no interest in power left the Parsha Empire.”
“Norton must have been one of them.”
“That’s right, but who would have thought that the third Prince of the Parsha Empire of the Southern Continent would crawl into the Shattonil royal family of the Northern Continent as a mercenary?”
Grand Duke Martins continued speaking with an interested expression, and Sir Rolf chimed in.
“And then he met Princess Resilia and ran away in the middle of the night.”
“Yes, he even had a child and lived.”
“Isn’t that all? Didn’t Princess Resilia betray and return to the royal palace? And Norton and his son fell off a cliff because of the royal knights?”
“But in the end, he survived.”
Grand Duke Martins, who had been talking to Sir Rolf, took a sip of the wine on the table and smiled with satisfaction.
“If it weren’t for the Grand Duke, he would have been dead already.”
“Yes, it’s my fault.”
“The child would have probably become food for wild animals, and Your Highness is the savior of those rich people!”
“That too, the 3rd Prince of the Parsha Empire of the Southern Continent? Hahaha!”
The laughter of Grand Duke Martins swirled around in the glass of wine he was drinking.
“By the way, Grand Duke, if Princess Resilia comes here, will Emperor Linel’s heart waver?”
“If you don’t waver when you see Princess Resilia, you’re not a man.”
Sir Rolf nodded automatically as he recalled Princess Resilia's face at Grand Duke Martins' words.
“I feel a little sorry for Her Majesty the Empress. She must be hurt. Of course, she came as an acting Empress in the first place.”
“Don’t worry. The wounds will heal quickly if you fill them with affection again.”
“Who will fill it?”
"Me."
“Huh?! Why would the Grand Duke have affection for Her Majesty the Empress...?”
Sir Rolf asked back with a surprised face, but Grand Duke Martins just smiled and ordered Sir Rolf to go back.
***
From the moment I entered the main palace, I was completely dominated by Linel. My rapid pulse and rapid breathing were not enough to keep up with Linel's passion.
"...Your majesty."
“I said I wouldn’t stop... !”
My two hands were nailed to the pillow, holding Linel’s. The only thing that didn’t move was him and the two hands he was holding. Looking up at his eyes which were shaking ecstatically, I could clearly see what kind of emotions he was looking at me with. I couldn’t help but notice. A trickle of sweat ran down his overwhelmingly beautiful face. I couldn’t come to my senses because of the passion he poured on me as if he was trying to conquer my soul.
"...Your majesty."
“I said I wouldn’t stop... !”
My two hands were nailed to the pillow, holding Linel’s. The only thing that didn’t move was him and the two hands he was holding. Looking up at his eyes which were shaking ecstatically, I could clearly see what kind of emotions he was looking at me with. I couldn’t help but notice. A trickle of sweat ran down his overwhelmingly beautiful face. I couldn’t come to my senses because of the passion he poured on me as if he was trying to conquer my soul.
When Linel couldn’t control his emotions, he would stop everything for a moment and stare at my face. As if he had set a rule, after smiling, he would always kiss my neck and cheek in turn.
For a while, I felt like my soul would disappear forever, then I would return to reality. I was going back and forth between heaven and earth with his breath. I looked up into Linel’s eyes. He was saying with his eyes. He was cherishing me. He loved me. We did everything together, felt everything, shared everything. The night was short, but our joy and delight were endless.
For a while, I felt like my soul would disappear forever, then I would return to reality. I was going back and forth between heaven and earth with his breath. I looked up into Linel’s eyes. He was saying with his eyes. He was cherishing me. He loved me. We did everything together, felt everything, shared everything. The night was short, but our joy and delight were endless.
Linel held me and hugged me for a long time. Even if he was separated from me for a while, he tried to keep his body close to mine, like someone who could only breathe if we could touch at least the tips of his fingers.
“I felt like crying.”
It was when everything was getting quiet that Linel's low, shy voice shook me out of my slumber.
“I felt like crying.”
It was when everything was getting quiet that Linel's low, shy voice shook me out of my slumber.
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