Arkan carried Erdene into the bedroom and placed her down on the bed.
Although he looked as if he was going to throw her away, his movements were so absurdly slow and careful that Erdene had a hard time holding back laughter. His forehead, which had become red from running down the hallway while carrying Erdene, was covered in sweat.
She bit her lip and frowned, staring at his face intently, then wiped Arkan’s forehead with her sleeve and said.
“Is this it? What are you talking about?”
“This isn’t the only thing.”
At those words, the laughter she had been trying to suppress burst out. Even as Erdene shook her head and laughed, Arkan had a serious expression on his face.
“What’s so funny?”
“I’ve never seen a man as funny and stupid as you in my life.”
“What did you say!”
When Arkan pretended to get angry, Erdene grabbed his cheeks with both hands and pulled him back. As Arkan’s face turned red from the sudden closeness, Erdene opened her eyes dimly, made a sinister expression, and pressed his cheeks.
“Uww.”
“Huh? Your Majesty, what did you say?”
“Uww...”
Arkan, who had been comically moving his lips that had protruded like a carp, furrowed his brow. This was because Erdene had protruded her lips just like him and made a sound as if she was coaxing a large dog. Arkan shook off Erdene’s hands and pressed her cheeks as if taking revenge.
“Are you going to keep teasing me like this?”
Erdene nodded, rolling her eyes. Her appearance was so calm and composed that it was beyond annoying, it was incredible. A more serious problem, really serious.
‘I’m even getting used to it!’
Arkan thought. Thinking about it, he hadn’t really made a resolution to learn meditation these days, even when Erdene was getting on his nerves. He realized too late that he had unknowingly gotten caught up in her pace. To the point where he couldn’t even imagine Erdene not saying something annoying or being mean to him and turning his insides upside down.
“Ha...”
“Why are you sighing?”
Arkan glanced at Erdene as if asking if she was talking.
“This doesn’t seem right.”
Erdene looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean it doesn’t seem right, all of a sudden?”
Arkan answered.
“Think about it. You always tease me, taunt me, make me mad, and then suddenly collapse, making my heart drop to the floor, and then wake up and do this to me. Don’t you think I’m not the only one who gets treated like this, do you?”
Arkan’s lips were tightly shut as he pressed on without giving her a moment to breathe. Only later did he realize that he had made a mistake again, that he had given Erdene a reason to tease him, but there was no way to pick up the spilled milk. Erdene narrowed her eyes even more, tilted her head, and spoke in a voice mixed with laughter.
“I can’t help teasing and taunting Your Majesty because it’s my hobby, but what comes next is fun. I collapsed and my heart dropped to the floor?”
Arkan didn’t answer. No, it was more like he couldn’t. That was because Erdene’s fingertips lightly touched his chest. Erdene, who had been gently touching the spot where his heart was, moved her fingertips downwards and spoke.
“I’m the one who woke up and picked up and put down Your Majesty? What do you mean by picking up and putting down? Is that what you mean?”
Erdene suddenly approached him again, and her lips came close enough to cover Arkan’s. Her palms that were cupping his cheeks were warm, and their breaths, which seemed like they would touch if they moved just a little, tickled each other’s lips and he could hear them giggling. As he slowly inhaled, Erdene’s scent surged in. The scent of perfume, alcohol, and an indescribable, cool, refreshing scent made Arkan shiver. The sensation he had felt before, when her hair brushed his arm, when she hugged him, the sensation that passed through him fiercely, was coming back to him strongly at this moment.
“Yes.”
Arkan, who had been silent for a long time, said. As his body tilted, Erdene’s body also slowly stepped back, matching the speed and flow.
“That’s exactly what I mean. You keep me from staying still. You make me do things that are completely out of character for me."
Arkan's lips, whispering as if he was out of breath, covered Erdene's lips.
The soft, warm, and sharp sensation that seemed to cut a corner of his chest made his closed eyelids tremble.
Between their lips, he heard a moan of pain and the sound of cloth and skin brushing against each other. When Erdene's fingertips touched Arkan's nape, the veins stood out under the thin skin and the scrotum shook up and down.
"What's wrong?"
Arkan asked, swallowing his breath. Erdene felt his hands move up her ankles and down to her knees.
Somewhere on her body, somewhere she couldn't place, she felt an unbearable tickle. Like a fever.
"Umm, it's a bit... I guess so."
Arkan, who had been holding his breath and pressing his lips to her cheek, frowned and looked at Erdene.
His eyes seemed to ask, “What are you trying to say?”
Erdene, who had been staring blankly at him with her head turned, pretended to lick her lips and said,
“Aren’t we talking about bear traps? Kensilom’s wheat, ugh!”
“Are you kidding me? Are bear traps a big deal, now?”
Erdene’s laughter echoed behind Arkan’s voice, who had suddenly become angry.
Arkan grumbled, Erdene answered, and the sound of fluttering cloth hitting the floor followed.
Soon, other sounds could be heard, countless sounds brushing past, touching, and overlapping.
Meanwhile, after finishing her conversation with Merton, Roelica sat like a statue for hours without speaking to anyone.
“Your Majesty.”
Her close maid, Savina, carefully called Roelica as she changed the tea that had gone cold.
Roelica’s eyes, looking out the window, seemed empty, and the hand stroking her swollen belly felt as if it were a ghost’s.
“Savina.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Did you see the expression on Merton’s face when he left earlier?”
Savina nodded after a moment of thought.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I did.”
“What did you think? Do you think he will keep his promise to me?”
Savina was a cautious woman.
As a descendant of a long-fallen Viscount family, she had come to the Atelgadis mansion as a child, no different from a maid, but as she took care of Roelica, her treatment gradually improved, and she followed her when she became the Empress.
Roelica trusted Savina’s ability to read people, so she asked her about Merton.
Savina thought for a moment and then answered.
“Since the time of Her Highness Princess Ernede, Merton has been famous for his weight and trustworthiness in his words and actions. Thelma and Aiman have different personalities, but their loyalty to the Princess is special. If asking the Empress for help is for Princess Erdene, I think they will definitely keep their promise to the Empress as long as it helps the Princess.”
“...Yes, that’s right.”
Roelica slowly got up.
The hem of her dress, unique to the Empire and decorated only with embroidery and no ornaments, flowed like waves to the floor.
Roelica said.
“As long as I am of help to Princess Erdene, they will not be able to abandon me or the child in my womb. Being of help, on the other hand, can be a blade that can be used against them.”
“Empress.”
A lonely smile appeared on Roelica’s face as she turned to Savina.
“Why, Savina. Do you think it’s strange for me to say this?”
Savina, who had been looking down, sighed.
“No. No matter what the Empress does or says, not only I, but no one in Hirschsten should have such a reckless thought. However, Empress, I tell you this out of loyalty that has served you since childhood, even as a maid. It is also wise to avoid paths that seem dangerous. The Empress always accepts your fate so uprightly and honestly.”
Roelica’s expression became a little more bitter at Savina’s words.
Savina was the only person Roelica could trust in this golden castle.
When she tried to run away with her lover, it was Savina who had been treated so harshly by Atelgadis, but had never told them where Roelica had gone. She knew that the scar was still on Savina’s body.
Nevertheless, Savina was still ready to sacrifice her whole body for Roelica.
So. Roelica thought. So she had to accept the help of Captain Merton and take his hand.
Never again will Savina be whipped because of me. Never again will anyone, not even the Emperor or my father, trample on me, drag me around like cattle.
“Aren’t we talking about bear traps? Kensilom’s wheat, ugh!”
“Are you kidding me? Are bear traps a big deal, now?”
Erdene’s laughter echoed behind Arkan’s voice, who had suddenly become angry.
Arkan grumbled, Erdene answered, and the sound of fluttering cloth hitting the floor followed.
Soon, other sounds could be heard, countless sounds brushing past, touching, and overlapping.
***
Meanwhile, after finishing her conversation with Merton, Roelica sat like a statue for hours without speaking to anyone.
“Your Majesty.”
Her close maid, Savina, carefully called Roelica as she changed the tea that had gone cold.
Roelica’s eyes, looking out the window, seemed empty, and the hand stroking her swollen belly felt as if it were a ghost’s.
“Savina.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Did you see the expression on Merton’s face when he left earlier?”
Savina nodded after a moment of thought.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I did.”
“What did you think? Do you think he will keep his promise to me?”
Savina was a cautious woman.
As a descendant of a long-fallen Viscount family, she had come to the Atelgadis mansion as a child, no different from a maid, but as she took care of Roelica, her treatment gradually improved, and she followed her when she became the Empress.
Roelica trusted Savina’s ability to read people, so she asked her about Merton.
Savina thought for a moment and then answered.
“Since the time of Her Highness Princess Ernede, Merton has been famous for his weight and trustworthiness in his words and actions. Thelma and Aiman have different personalities, but their loyalty to the Princess is special. If asking the Empress for help is for Princess Erdene, I think they will definitely keep their promise to the Empress as long as it helps the Princess.”
“...Yes, that’s right.”
Roelica slowly got up.
The hem of her dress, unique to the Empire and decorated only with embroidery and no ornaments, flowed like waves to the floor.
Roelica said.
“As long as I am of help to Princess Erdene, they will not be able to abandon me or the child in my womb. Being of help, on the other hand, can be a blade that can be used against them.”
“Empress.”
A lonely smile appeared on Roelica’s face as she turned to Savina.
“Why, Savina. Do you think it’s strange for me to say this?”
Savina, who had been looking down, sighed.
“No. No matter what the Empress does or says, not only I, but no one in Hirschsten should have such a reckless thought. However, Empress, I tell you this out of loyalty that has served you since childhood, even as a maid. It is also wise to avoid paths that seem dangerous. The Empress always accepts your fate so uprightly and honestly.”
Roelica’s expression became a little more bitter at Savina’s words.
Savina was the only person Roelica could trust in this golden castle.
When she tried to run away with her lover, it was Savina who had been treated so harshly by Atelgadis, but had never told them where Roelica had gone. She knew that the scar was still on Savina’s body.
Nevertheless, Savina was still ready to sacrifice her whole body for Roelica.
So. Roelica thought. So she had to accept the help of Captain Merton and take his hand.
Never again will Savina be whipped because of me. Never again will anyone, not even the Emperor or my father, trample on me, drag me around like cattle.
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