Instead, he bent his upper body and heard the muttering more clearly.
'...No?'
Titi frowned at the sound that did not form a sentence.
The Emperor kept repeating the same words.
Titi, who had been rambling along, was already following what he was saying.
"I'm not like that, am I?"
The moment Titi finished speaking, the Emperor raised his head.
"...!"
She almost screamed.
His blood-red eyes, which looked like they were filled with blood, were directed at Titi.
However, unlike the surroundings that seemed to make her faint, the Emperor's eyes looked very gentle.
"...I'm not like that."
This time, she heard it clearly.
Titi, who barely regained her composure, looked around.
There were various beasts around him.
Among them, the Emperor was claiming innocence.
When she looked closely at the Emperor, his body was trembling slightly.
Like a frightened child.
She thought it couldn't be true.
After much hesitation, Titi hugged him.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I didn’t see anything.”
With a gentle whisper as if soothing a child.
How many times had she caressed his back like that?
At some point, the trembling stopped and the Emperor pushed Titi away.
“Your Majesty? Do you recognize me?”
Titi flinched reflexively and carefully called out to him.
The Emperor who met her again no longer had the eyes of a child.
He stared intently at Titi’s hair, then gathered it together and stroked it repeatedly.
“...It’s different.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, he shook his head, letting out a negative. Before she knew it, his arm, once covered in fur, had returned to that of a human.
“...Nothing. Yes. If it’s you, you must take my side no matter what happens. No matter what I do.”
Unconditionally. Definitely.
Titi understood the meaning behind his words.
“Yes. I will always be on your side, Your Majesty. It’s such an obvious and natural fact, just like a bird can fly in the sky, just like the sky is blue.”
Titi answered softly and slowly untied the hem of her robe.
The Emperor’s name was clearly engraved there.
The Emperor’s eyes were fixed on the name.
Titi felt a strange sense of satisfaction at that unwavering gaze.
“I am yours forever. So, please be mine too, Your Majesty.”
Titi hugged the Emperor’s head and whispered in his ear.
Repeating the same thing she had muttered dozens and hundreds of times.
Even if there was no answer, forever.
Early spring had come to the Empire after the cold winter. It was an important time when the thawed ground was soaked and new life sprouted.
With the warmer temperatures, the empty lot of Revence Home was bustling with construction work on the frame of the building.
The workers moved materials diligently.
Instead of Elon, who was busy with upper-level work, the deputy manager, Gurkus, was representing Revence.
Gurkus, who checked the number of batteries without fail, finished reporting to Sepia.
“I think we can finish it before summer.”
“Thank goodness.”
Sepia nodded.
Perhaps because there was a school nearby, the number of children who had taken refuge at the Revence had increased significantly.
The poor who stayed at the Revence were families or the elderly.
It was difficult to take in more children while maintaining the existing number of people, so Sepia decided to build an additional daycare center next to the Revence. Sepia felt relieved as she looked at the construction site.
“I’m glad we made it through the winter safely.”
And she was very generous.
Among the poor who made it through the winter safely, some decided to stay at the Revence and save money to become independent in late spring.
The workhouse was a temporary shelter.
The number of commoners who left here and succeeded in finding a home and starting a family increased every year.
Perhaps because they had a warmer winter than ever before, the number of people who became independent this year was unusually high.
The Duke’s knights could also be seen all over the Revence.
They continued to serve the workhouse, such as helping to move construction materials or teaching swordsmanship to children.
And Roxanne.
Sepia turned her gaze to see Roxanne and the chief having a conversation.
In the Beastkin Empire, when the efficacy of Bremin tea was discovered, tea was treated as a medicine rather than a taste, and its popularity was increasing day by day.
It was two days ago that Roxanne had pledged to donate the profits he had made from investing in the top to the Empress’s charity.
Since Sepia established the charity, Roxanne has been the largest donor.
He must have felt her gaze and turned his head toward Sepia.
Roxanne finished the conversation and immediately approached her.
“Are you here?”
“Yes.”
Sepia nodded.
Standing in front of Roxanne, the confession from that day kept coming to mind.
Sepia tried not to show it. That was probably what Roxanne wanted.
Furthermore, as she ran the charity, she had more time to talk to him.
The charity was structured to reflect the opinions of the donors, and he was the largest donor in history.
Roxanne had more knowledge than Sepia had thought.
As she quietly listened to his advice and experiences, she was surprised to find herself smiling naturally without any awkwardness.
The reason Sepia visited the Revence today was to check if the orphanage construction was going well, but in fact, she had another purpose.
She took out the invitation she had kept in advance and handed it to him.
“This is...”
“It’s an invitation to a charity party. I want to give it to you in person.”
Sepia held a party every year for members of the charity organization and donors.
Donors wanted to be treated appropriately for the good deeds they had done.
Sepia invited them every spring and gave them donation certificates and souvenirs to encourage donors to continue to donate.
However, this was the first time that the number of donors had increased this much, so the size of the party and the number of people invited had increased significantly.
It was all thanks to Roxanne’s help.
She wanted to give him the invitation in person out of gratitude.
He smiled mysteriously as he received the invitation from Sepia.
“Are you asking for a partner?”
“Yes?”
Sepia blinked in confusion.
The woman handing the invitation directly to the man implicitly meant that she wanted him to be her partner for the day.
But Sepia only thought about telling him, and she didn’t think about her partner at all.
Demios had never participated in donations before, and she had been alone at charity parties every year.
So she thought it would be the same this year.
Roxanne lowered his eyes as if he was disappointed with her reaction.
“Oh, was it my imagination?”
“Oh, no. You applied for a partner, that’s right.”
Sepia quickly denied it and realized it.
He was smiling at her.
Did her ears turn red?
It seemed like all the hard work she had put into not showing any awkwardness or embarrassment had gone down the drain.
‘There won’t be a problem.’
He was a large donor and she was the head of the charity, so it wasn’t a strange combination.
Furthermore, the rumor that the Empress’s mistress was a Duke was almost certain.
However, there was a memory that came to mind.
The confession that day. Her heart turned red in the sunset.
In this way, Roxanne reminded her of that feeling every time she let her guard down.
Roxanne took a step closer to her.
He soon lowered his head and whispered in Sepia’s ear,
“You don’t know how happy I am whenever Sepia reacts like this. It means that you care about me.”
The joy contained in his low, secretive tone flowed into her.
The ground doesn’t get wet right away.
However, the rain that keeps falling eventually soaks the ground.
Why did the words of a wise man come to mind now?
It seemed as if his lips had slightly brushed the tip of her ear.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been this hot.
He kissed the wax seal and folded the invitation.
“I’ll pick you up that day.”
“Yes. I’ll see you that day.”
Because the charity party had grown in size, Sepia had to go back to the palace to finish preparing.
After a short meeting, she got into the carriage and checked the invitation list.
Madam Swany’s name was written just below Roxanne.
Sepia thought back to the truth she had heard from Madam Remody.
‘Should I tell him?’
However, telling him wouldn’t change the past.
Rather, it may only make things more confusing.
In addition, the words that Swany had left behind were also lingering in Sepia’s mind.
‘There’s no need to wait for Demios’s permission.’
The Empress had no authority to establish a new department.
Yet Swany acted as if she knew something. She even considered meeting her but decided not to.
Even if they met again, it didn’t seem like Swany would tell her more.
Swany’s choice to live in seclusion implied that she did not want to be associated with anyone other than the late Empress.
‘But I thought you would continue to communicate with Demios.’
The only grandson of the late Empress she had been extremely loyal to was Demios.
'...No?'
Titi frowned at the sound that did not form a sentence.
The Emperor kept repeating the same words.
Titi, who had been rambling along, was already following what he was saying.
"I'm not like that, am I?"
The moment Titi finished speaking, the Emperor raised his head.
"...!"
She almost screamed.
His blood-red eyes, which looked like they were filled with blood, were directed at Titi.
However, unlike the surroundings that seemed to make her faint, the Emperor's eyes looked very gentle.
"...I'm not like that."
This time, she heard it clearly.
Titi, who barely regained her composure, looked around.
There were various beasts around him.
Among them, the Emperor was claiming innocence.
When she looked closely at the Emperor, his body was trembling slightly.
Like a frightened child.
She thought it couldn't be true.
After much hesitation, Titi hugged him.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I didn’t see anything.”
With a gentle whisper as if soothing a child.
How many times had she caressed his back like that?
At some point, the trembling stopped and the Emperor pushed Titi away.
“Your Majesty? Do you recognize me?”
Titi flinched reflexively and carefully called out to him.
The Emperor who met her again no longer had the eyes of a child.
He stared intently at Titi’s hair, then gathered it together and stroked it repeatedly.
“...It’s different.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, he shook his head, letting out a negative. Before she knew it, his arm, once covered in fur, had returned to that of a human.
“...Nothing. Yes. If it’s you, you must take my side no matter what happens. No matter what I do.”
Unconditionally. Definitely.
Titi understood the meaning behind his words.
“Yes. I will always be on your side, Your Majesty. It’s such an obvious and natural fact, just like a bird can fly in the sky, just like the sky is blue.”
Titi answered softly and slowly untied the hem of her robe.
The Emperor’s name was clearly engraved there.
The Emperor’s eyes were fixed on the name.
Titi felt a strange sense of satisfaction at that unwavering gaze.
“I am yours forever. So, please be mine too, Your Majesty.”
Titi hugged the Emperor’s head and whispered in his ear.
Repeating the same thing she had muttered dozens and hundreds of times.
Even if there was no answer, forever.
***
Early spring had come to the Empire after the cold winter. It was an important time when the thawed ground was soaked and new life sprouted.
With the warmer temperatures, the empty lot of Revence Home was bustling with construction work on the frame of the building.
The workers moved materials diligently.
Instead of Elon, who was busy with upper-level work, the deputy manager, Gurkus, was representing Revence.
Gurkus, who checked the number of batteries without fail, finished reporting to Sepia.
“I think we can finish it before summer.”
“Thank goodness.”
Sepia nodded.
Perhaps because there was a school nearby, the number of children who had taken refuge at the Revence had increased significantly.
The poor who stayed at the Revence were families or the elderly.
It was difficult to take in more children while maintaining the existing number of people, so Sepia decided to build an additional daycare center next to the Revence. Sepia felt relieved as she looked at the construction site.
“I’m glad we made it through the winter safely.”
And she was very generous.
Among the poor who made it through the winter safely, some decided to stay at the Revence and save money to become independent in late spring.
The workhouse was a temporary shelter.
The number of commoners who left here and succeeded in finding a home and starting a family increased every year.
Perhaps because they had a warmer winter than ever before, the number of people who became independent this year was unusually high.
The Duke’s knights could also be seen all over the Revence.
They continued to serve the workhouse, such as helping to move construction materials or teaching swordsmanship to children.
And Roxanne.
Sepia turned her gaze to see Roxanne and the chief having a conversation.
In the Beastkin Empire, when the efficacy of Bremin tea was discovered, tea was treated as a medicine rather than a taste, and its popularity was increasing day by day.
It was two days ago that Roxanne had pledged to donate the profits he had made from investing in the top to the Empress’s charity.
Since Sepia established the charity, Roxanne has been the largest donor.
He must have felt her gaze and turned his head toward Sepia.
Roxanne finished the conversation and immediately approached her.
“Are you here?”
“Yes.”
Sepia nodded.
Standing in front of Roxanne, the confession from that day kept coming to mind.
Sepia tried not to show it. That was probably what Roxanne wanted.
Furthermore, as she ran the charity, she had more time to talk to him.
The charity was structured to reflect the opinions of the donors, and he was the largest donor in history.
Roxanne had more knowledge than Sepia had thought.
As she quietly listened to his advice and experiences, she was surprised to find herself smiling naturally without any awkwardness.
The reason Sepia visited the Revence today was to check if the orphanage construction was going well, but in fact, she had another purpose.
She took out the invitation she had kept in advance and handed it to him.
“This is...”
“It’s an invitation to a charity party. I want to give it to you in person.”
Sepia held a party every year for members of the charity organization and donors.
Donors wanted to be treated appropriately for the good deeds they had done.
Sepia invited them every spring and gave them donation certificates and souvenirs to encourage donors to continue to donate.
However, this was the first time that the number of donors had increased this much, so the size of the party and the number of people invited had increased significantly.
It was all thanks to Roxanne’s help.
She wanted to give him the invitation in person out of gratitude.
He smiled mysteriously as he received the invitation from Sepia.
“Are you asking for a partner?”
“Yes?”
Sepia blinked in confusion.
The woman handing the invitation directly to the man implicitly meant that she wanted him to be her partner for the day.
But Sepia only thought about telling him, and she didn’t think about her partner at all.
Demios had never participated in donations before, and she had been alone at charity parties every year.
So she thought it would be the same this year.
Roxanne lowered his eyes as if he was disappointed with her reaction.
“Oh, was it my imagination?”
“Oh, no. You applied for a partner, that’s right.”
Sepia quickly denied it and realized it.
He was smiling at her.
Did her ears turn red?
It seemed like all the hard work she had put into not showing any awkwardness or embarrassment had gone down the drain.
‘There won’t be a problem.’
He was a large donor and she was the head of the charity, so it wasn’t a strange combination.
Furthermore, the rumor that the Empress’s mistress was a Duke was almost certain.
However, there was a memory that came to mind.
The confession that day. Her heart turned red in the sunset.
In this way, Roxanne reminded her of that feeling every time she let her guard down.
Roxanne took a step closer to her.
He soon lowered his head and whispered in Sepia’s ear,
“You don’t know how happy I am whenever Sepia reacts like this. It means that you care about me.”
The joy contained in his low, secretive tone flowed into her.
The ground doesn’t get wet right away.
However, the rain that keeps falling eventually soaks the ground.
Why did the words of a wise man come to mind now?
It seemed as if his lips had slightly brushed the tip of her ear.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been this hot.
He kissed the wax seal and folded the invitation.
“I’ll pick you up that day.”
“Yes. I’ll see you that day.”
Because the charity party had grown in size, Sepia had to go back to the palace to finish preparing.
After a short meeting, she got into the carriage and checked the invitation list.
Madam Swany’s name was written just below Roxanne.
Sepia thought back to the truth she had heard from Madam Remody.
‘Should I tell him?’
However, telling him wouldn’t change the past.
Rather, it may only make things more confusing.
In addition, the words that Swany had left behind were also lingering in Sepia’s mind.
‘There’s no need to wait for Demios’s permission.’
The Empress had no authority to establish a new department.
Yet Swany acted as if she knew something. She even considered meeting her but decided not to.
Even if they met again, it didn’t seem like Swany would tell her more.
Swany’s choice to live in seclusion implied that she did not want to be associated with anyone other than the late Empress.
‘But I thought you would continue to communicate with Demios.’
The only grandson of the late Empress she had been extremely loyal to was Demios.
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