“Are you... awake?”
I asked in a timid voice, listening to Linel's heartbeat.
"Not yet."
It was a strange answer. I wanted to ask what he meant, but I didn't have the courage. He hugged me tighter and took a deep breath as if he was smelling something strange about me.
“I want to... because it’s getting warm again.”
His sleepy voice rested strangely on my temple.
“Are you talking nonsense right now?”
I barely managed to pull my face away from his chest and look up at him.
“How about we fall asleep while kissing? The person who falls asleep late will clean up after themselves.”
“Khuhuh, what is that?”
As I listened to Linel's story, I found myself imagining something.
“Why? You could at least close the mouth of the person who is sleeping first.”
“Are you serious?”
“Huh, are you serious?”
"Sure?"
“It’s a wish.”
“Shall I help you achieve it?”
I asked seriously, holding back laughter.
“Zelda... you are better than God.”
Linel smiled with his eyes closed.
“From now on, I will serve you instead of God.”
“Just trust me.”
I said with a confident expression. After I said the words, my conscience pricked me. Trust me... Who is the one who is deceiving him now? I laughed at myself mercilessly inwardly.
“If I believe... is heaven waiting for me?”
I asked in a meaningful voice.
“Why are you waiting? You can go right now.”
I pulled out of his embrace, half-raised my upper body, and looked down at him. He took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and opened his mouth.
“Wait a minute. I just woke up from a deep sleep, so my mind and body are waking up separately right now. So just wait a minute.”
As he said, let's wait a moment, and he started to lift the blanket he was covering himself with.
“I'll just kiss you.”
I held his hand as he tried to kick the blanket away and spoke firmly.
“...was it the devil?”
Linel asked with a shocked look on his face.
“Isn’t the devil’s temptation always sweeter?”
“Then, what if we do everything else but just don’t kiss...?”
“That won’t work, will it?” he added, frowning with a pained expression.
“Speak sense.”
“Why do you have to say only what makes sense? You seem to forget often, but I am the Emperor.”
“Yes, I am often surprised by that fact.”
He laughed heartily as I grumbled. Linel enjoyed my challenging his authority in this way. Otherwise, he would not have smiled so innocently at my somewhat arrogant answer. He lifted one hand and placed the other over his heart and mine.
“What are you doing?”
I asked, covering his large hand that was pressed against my heart with mine again.
“Comparing.”
“Breast size?”
“That was already compared a long time ago.”
“...”
“Now we’re comparing whose heart is beating faster.”
“What are the results?”
He answered me with a solemn tone as I asked him with a smile.
“Isn’t that accurate?”
“?”
“Let’s try our best. But when will we get to heaven?”
I asked with an expectant look, holding his head with one hand. I stared at Linel’s smiling face and thought, He was the one who gave me heaven first. With those eyes, with that smile, with that voice. My name burst out like sweet juice from between his parted lips.
“Zelda...”
“Come into heaven...”
I immediately captured his lips and swallowed his sweet voice.
Linel's surprised breathing tickled my chest. His instincts were awakening again because of me. The desire that had grown bigger shook their sensitive senses. Just by listening to this man's breathing, I could tell when his patience would run out. Linel had already expended too much energy tonight. I stopped kissing him, holding his two hands that were becoming free. It was only after I came to my senses and opened my eyes that I realized that I was on top of him.
“Haa... Wait, let’s stop now.”
“What? Phew, you really are a god.”
"Why?"
“God gives both joy and pain.”
I held back my laughter and spoke to him in a calm tone.
“Many distinguished guests from various countries will be arriving in the future, so you must take care of your condition, Your Majesty.”
“Empress, if you want to persuade me with such words, then come down from above me and do it. If you have a conscience.”
Linel spoke with authority, grabbing one of my ankles with his hand.
"Sorry."
I got off his body and lay back down on the bed. But since he wouldn't let go of my ankles, I ended up in a very funny position.
“Oh, please let go of my ankle. I can’t sleep properly like this.”
“That’s fair. I can’t sleep properly in this condition either.”
“It’s childish!”
“Childish? Oh, who am I in this country?”
"Sorry..."
A minute passed. He still held my ankle with his hand.
“Please hold my hand instead of my ankle.”
I put my hand out to him.
"Ha."
“?”
Instead of the hand that was holding my ankle, he uncomfortably placed his chin on my palm with his other hand. His body and mine were changing into increasingly bizarre shapes.
“If I sleep like this, I might suddenly get sick tomorrow. Then I’ll have to sleep alone, right?”
“Are you threatening me now?”
I closed my eyes and prepared myself mentally.
“Ugh!”
“Empress, good night .”
Contrary to my expectations, Linel closed his eyes while holding my nose. For me, it was the most suffocating night ever.
“Thank you for seeing me off. I think it would be best if we parted ways here. There are guards at the palace entrance...”
As Rosie approached her quarters, she bowed to Prince Norton.
“Oh, right. I don’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. Then I’ll go back here.”
“Thank you so much for just now...”
“No problem. Even if it hadn’t been for Her Majesty the Empress’s request, I would have brought you here for your safety.”
Prince Norton cut her off, waved one hand, and said humbly:
“Other than that... I was just going to say thank you for protecting Her Majesty the Empress.”
“...Oh, I see.”
Prince Norton continued speaking, tapping the head of the kitten in Rosie's arms with his finger, with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.
“You should be more thorough with your cat supervision. I saw that one earlier, and it seemed to be quite rebellious.”
The kitten, who had been dozing off, opened its eyes wide. It threw an absurd punch with its small, white front paws as if trying to scratch Prince Norton. Rosie grabbed the four legs of the struggling kitten, each front and back, with her hands, like a roasting pig, and stopped the kitten from struggling.
'You, leave now!'
Rosie glared at the baby wyvern that had transformed into a cat with her eyes and screamed inwardly.
“Well then, that’s it. Next time, if we get a chance, I’ll meet you together with Her Majesty the Empress.”
When Prince Norton greeted her again, Rosie bowed her head again and turned away.
Moiya acted like the owner of the house and patted the kitten on the back. She opened the bedroom door and went out, calling her servant to give the cat some snacks, even though she was angry.
“Look at me, she listen to what I say.”
“Meow. (I guess I found the right path.)”
Moiya glanced at Rosie's back and nodded to the kitten's words.
“Ahh... sir!”
Just before the bedroom door closed, Rosie's irritated voice was heard. Moiya said, patting the kitten.
“Hey, Cotton Ball. From now on, your name is ‘Aoshi.’
“Miyawong! (I like it so much!)”
Suddenly, the cat named Aoshi started licking Moiya's small wings.
“There are many ways. Rather than wondering how I got in, you should be wondering why I got in.”
Prince Tesla opened his arms toward me, one cheek twitching.
“Your Majesty the Empress, would you please repeat the welcoming remarks?”
I asked in a timid voice, listening to Linel's heartbeat.
"Not yet."
It was a strange answer. I wanted to ask what he meant, but I didn't have the courage. He hugged me tighter and took a deep breath as if he was smelling something strange about me.
“I want to... because it’s getting warm again.”
His sleepy voice rested strangely on my temple.
“Are you talking nonsense right now?”
I barely managed to pull my face away from his chest and look up at him.
“How about we fall asleep while kissing? The person who falls asleep late will clean up after themselves.”
“Khuhuh, what is that?”
As I listened to Linel's story, I found myself imagining something.
“Why? You could at least close the mouth of the person who is sleeping first.”
“Are you serious?”
“Huh, are you serious?”
"Sure?"
“It’s a wish.”
“Shall I help you achieve it?”
I asked seriously, holding back laughter.
“Zelda... you are better than God.”
Linel smiled with his eyes closed.
“From now on, I will serve you instead of God.”
“Just trust me.”
I said with a confident expression. After I said the words, my conscience pricked me. Trust me... Who is the one who is deceiving him now? I laughed at myself mercilessly inwardly.
“If I believe... is heaven waiting for me?”
I asked in a meaningful voice.
“Why are you waiting? You can go right now.”
I pulled out of his embrace, half-raised my upper body, and looked down at him. He took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and opened his mouth.
“Wait a minute. I just woke up from a deep sleep, so my mind and body are waking up separately right now. So just wait a minute.”
As he said, let's wait a moment, and he started to lift the blanket he was covering himself with.
“I'll just kiss you.”
I held his hand as he tried to kick the blanket away and spoke firmly.
“...was it the devil?”
Linel asked with a shocked look on his face.
“Isn’t the devil’s temptation always sweeter?”
“Then, what if we do everything else but just don’t kiss...?”
“That won’t work, will it?” he added, frowning with a pained expression.
“Speak sense.”
“Why do you have to say only what makes sense? You seem to forget often, but I am the Emperor.”
“Yes, I am often surprised by that fact.”
He laughed heartily as I grumbled. Linel enjoyed my challenging his authority in this way. Otherwise, he would not have smiled so innocently at my somewhat arrogant answer. He lifted one hand and placed the other over his heart and mine.
“What are you doing?”
I asked, covering his large hand that was pressed against my heart with mine again.
“Comparing.”
“Breast size?”
“That was already compared a long time ago.”
“...”
“Now we’re comparing whose heart is beating faster.”
“What are the results?”
He answered me with a solemn tone as I asked him with a smile.
“I knew this would happen. Zelda, you’ll have to work harder from now on.”
"Yes?"
“My heart is beating much faster. What is this? It’s proof that as much as I love you, you still love me less.”
I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I watched him speak as if something that didn't make sense was true.
“As evidence, it’s too much...”
"Yes?"
“My heart is beating much faster. What is this? It’s proof that as much as I love you, you still love me less.”
I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I watched him speak as if something that didn't make sense was true.
“As evidence, it’s too much...”
“Isn’t that accurate?”
“?”
“Let’s try our best. But when will we get to heaven?”
I asked with an expectant look, holding his head with one hand. I stared at Linel’s smiling face and thought, He was the one who gave me heaven first. With those eyes, with that smile, with that voice. My name burst out like sweet juice from between his parted lips.
“Zelda...”
“Come into heaven...”
I immediately captured his lips and swallowed his sweet voice.
Linel's surprised breathing tickled my chest. His instincts were awakening again because of me. The desire that had grown bigger shook their sensitive senses. Just by listening to this man's breathing, I could tell when his patience would run out. Linel had already expended too much energy tonight. I stopped kissing him, holding his two hands that were becoming free. It was only after I came to my senses and opened my eyes that I realized that I was on top of him.
“Haa... Wait, let’s stop now.”
“What? Phew, you really are a god.”
"Why?"
“God gives both joy and pain.”
I held back my laughter and spoke to him in a calm tone.
“Many distinguished guests from various countries will be arriving in the future, so you must take care of your condition, Your Majesty.”
“Empress, if you want to persuade me with such words, then come down from above me and do it. If you have a conscience.”
Linel spoke with authority, grabbing one of my ankles with his hand.
"Sorry."
I got off his body and lay back down on the bed. But since he wouldn't let go of my ankles, I ended up in a very funny position.
“Oh, please let go of my ankle. I can’t sleep properly like this.”
“That’s fair. I can’t sleep properly in this condition either.”
“It’s childish!”
“Childish? Oh, who am I in this country?”
"Sorry..."
A minute passed. He still held my ankle with his hand.
“Please hold my hand instead of my ankle.”
I put my hand out to him.
"Ha."
“?”
Instead of the hand that was holding my ankle, he uncomfortably placed his chin on my palm with his other hand. His body and mine were changing into increasingly bizarre shapes.
“If I sleep like this, I might suddenly get sick tomorrow. Then I’ll have to sleep alone, right?”
“Are you threatening me now?”
“It’s a compromise.”
“Aha, good, compromise. You want to sleep while holding hands, right?”
I nodded vigorously.
“Then we can just sleep together fairly.”
“Aha, good, compromise. You want to sleep while holding hands, right?”
I nodded vigorously.
“Then we can just sleep together fairly.”
"Is it so."
Oh, now I can understand. Linel finally lets go of my ankle and takes my hand.
“Since you held my hand the way you wanted, I’ll take the hand I want, so it’ll be a proper compromise, right?”
His gaze lingered on my chest for a moment before moving up.
“Fairness... is that what you meant?”
I asked with a glare. He slowly reached out to me with the corners of his lips tilted upwards.
“Where I want to be... here.”
Oh, now I can understand. Linel finally lets go of my ankle and takes my hand.
“Since you held my hand the way you wanted, I’ll take the hand I want, so it’ll be a proper compromise, right?”
His gaze lingered on my chest for a moment before moving up.
“Fairness... is that what you meant?”
I asked with a glare. He slowly reached out to me with the corners of his lips tilted upwards.
“Where I want to be... here.”
I closed my eyes and prepared myself mentally.
“Ugh!”
“Empress, good night .”
Contrary to my expectations, Linel closed his eyes while holding my nose. For me, it was the most suffocating night ever.
***
“Thank you for seeing me off. I think it would be best if we parted ways here. There are guards at the palace entrance...”
As Rosie approached her quarters, she bowed to Prince Norton.
“Oh, right. I don’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. Then I’ll go back here.”
“Thank you so much for just now...”
“No problem. Even if it hadn’t been for Her Majesty the Empress’s request, I would have brought you here for your safety.”
Prince Norton cut her off, waved one hand, and said humbly:
“Other than that... I was just going to say thank you for protecting Her Majesty the Empress.”
“...Oh, I see.”
Prince Norton continued speaking, tapping the head of the kitten in Rosie's arms with his finger, with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.
“You should be more thorough with your cat supervision. I saw that one earlier, and it seemed to be quite rebellious.”
The kitten, who had been dozing off, opened its eyes wide. It threw an absurd punch with its small, white front paws as if trying to scratch Prince Norton. Rosie grabbed the four legs of the struggling kitten, each front and back, with her hands, like a roasting pig, and stopped the kitten from struggling.
'You, leave now!'
Rosie glared at the baby wyvern that had transformed into a cat with her eyes and screamed inwardly.
“Well then, that’s it. Next time, if we get a chance, I’ll meet you together with Her Majesty the Empress.”
When Prince Norton greeted her again, Rosie bowed her head again and turned away.
***
Rosie returned to the bedroom, dismissed all the servants, and locked the bedroom door. She placed the kitten in the corner furthest from the bedroom door.
“I knew you’d cause an accident! You ran away without fear while I was taking a quick bath?”
A very angry Rosie shouted, blowing out hot breath.
“You should have called my master quickly.”
The baby wyvern returned to its original form and crossed its arms just like Rosie did, and at the same time, the white cat shuddered and looked around Rosie's room with a bewildered look on its face.
“Hey, don’t be scared. This is the room where I’m taking care of the child.”
The baby wyvern went to the corner and spoke to the trembling white cat. The cat then looked somewhat more relaxed and wagged its tail, staring up at Rosie.
“What the heck? Who is taking whom? What the heck, did that cat understand you just now?”
“Isn’t it strange that ot don’t understand? You shouldn’t compare a lowly human to this great wyvern, orange head.”
“This wyvern cub is for real! You almost put Her Majesty in trouble. You idiot!”
“I’m also reflecting on that..."
The baby wyvern couldn't bring himself to confess that the attendant had been killed by Prince Tesla's knight because of him. If he had told Rosie the truth, there could have been a second murder tonight. The baby wyvern bowed his head in reflection, then raised his head again with red eyes shining.
“By the way, call me by my name from now on! If you don’t, I’ll singe your orange hair black.”
“You’re funny. Where’s your name?”
Rosie snorted.
“It’s here! The first thing the master said when she saw me was this: name it!”
“So, what’s your name?”
Rosie was inwardly curious about the baby wyvern's words, even though she found them absurd.
“Come on.”
"...What?"
“From now on, my name will be ‘Moiya.’”
“What did Her Majesty the Empress call you that your name became like that?”
Rosie sat down on the bedroom floor and asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“As soon as you saw me, you said, ‘What is this, Moi...?’ Really? Really? You little punk.”
The baby wyvern looked back and forth between Rosie and the white cat and spoke triumphantly.
“Did you happen to say, ‘Moiya?’ in your name...”
“That’s right! That’s what the master said.”
“I guess she just said that because she suddenly thought, ‘What’s with the cat?’”
“That was the first thing my master said to me when he saw me when I was still a baby. But now that we’ve made eye contact, I heard the same thing again, so it must mean something, right, Moiya~?”
The baby wyvern, already fully grown, flapped its wings excitedly.
“Oh, so that’s why you’ve been adding ‘moiya’ to the end of every sentence lately?”
Rosie laughed as if it was ridiculous.
"huh!"
“Hey, if that’s the case, why don’t you name it ‘this’ as you mentioned at the beginning?”
Rosie burst out laughing and grumbled.
“That won’t do. I didn’t make eye contact with her back then. By the way, Rosie, how did you know I turned into a cat?”
“I happened to see it while reading a book without even realizing you were gone. A doppelganger is one of the abilities of some great wyverns. But that applies to you too!”
Rosie put her hand on her forehead and looked back and forth between the baby wyvern and the kitten sitting side by side in front of her. Despite their adorable appearances, she couldn't help but sigh.
“What are we going to do now? Her Majesty the Empress knows you are that cat, and what will I do when she comes to my quarters looking for you?”
“What’s the problem? Just turn into this for a little while.”
“Meow!”
The kitten meowed bitterly at Moiya.
“What did that cat say? He doesn’t like it, does he?”
Moiya shook her head at Rosie's words.
“No. Okay, shut up, and buy me some food.”
“Huh?”
Rosie pounded her fist on her outfit.
“Yes, it’s my house. Just think about it and make yourself comfortable. Rosie is a kind person if you get to know her... Hmm, she’ll be kind soon.”
“I knew you’d cause an accident! You ran away without fear while I was taking a quick bath?”
A very angry Rosie shouted, blowing out hot breath.
“You should have called my master quickly.”
The baby wyvern returned to its original form and crossed its arms just like Rosie did, and at the same time, the white cat shuddered and looked around Rosie's room with a bewildered look on its face.
“Hey, don’t be scared. This is the room where I’m taking care of the child.”
The baby wyvern went to the corner and spoke to the trembling white cat. The cat then looked somewhat more relaxed and wagged its tail, staring up at Rosie.
“What the heck? Who is taking whom? What the heck, did that cat understand you just now?”
“Isn’t it strange that ot don’t understand? You shouldn’t compare a lowly human to this great wyvern, orange head.”
“This wyvern cub is for real! You almost put Her Majesty in trouble. You idiot!”
“I’m also reflecting on that..."
The baby wyvern couldn't bring himself to confess that the attendant had been killed by Prince Tesla's knight because of him. If he had told Rosie the truth, there could have been a second murder tonight. The baby wyvern bowed his head in reflection, then raised his head again with red eyes shining.
“By the way, call me by my name from now on! If you don’t, I’ll singe your orange hair black.”
“You’re funny. Where’s your name?”
Rosie snorted.
“It’s here! The first thing the master said when she saw me was this: name it!”
“So, what’s your name?”
Rosie was inwardly curious about the baby wyvern's words, even though she found them absurd.
“Come on.”
"...What?"
“From now on, my name will be ‘Moiya.’”
“What did Her Majesty the Empress call you that your name became like that?”
Rosie sat down on the bedroom floor and asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“As soon as you saw me, you said, ‘What is this, Moi...?’ Really? Really? You little punk.”
The baby wyvern looked back and forth between Rosie and the white cat and spoke triumphantly.
“Did you happen to say, ‘Moiya?’ in your name...”
“That’s right! That’s what the master said.”
“I guess she just said that because she suddenly thought, ‘What’s with the cat?’”
“That was the first thing my master said to me when he saw me when I was still a baby. But now that we’ve made eye contact, I heard the same thing again, so it must mean something, right, Moiya~?”
The baby wyvern, already fully grown, flapped its wings excitedly.
“Oh, so that’s why you’ve been adding ‘moiya’ to the end of every sentence lately?”
Rosie laughed as if it was ridiculous.
"huh!"
“Hey, if that’s the case, why don’t you name it ‘this’ as you mentioned at the beginning?”
Rosie burst out laughing and grumbled.
“That won’t do. I didn’t make eye contact with her back then. By the way, Rosie, how did you know I turned into a cat?”
“I happened to see it while reading a book without even realizing you were gone. A doppelganger is one of the abilities of some great wyverns. But that applies to you too!”
Rosie put her hand on her forehead and looked back and forth between the baby wyvern and the kitten sitting side by side in front of her. Despite their adorable appearances, she couldn't help but sigh.
“What are we going to do now? Her Majesty the Empress knows you are that cat, and what will I do when she comes to my quarters looking for you?”
“What’s the problem? Just turn into this for a little while.”
“Meow!”
The kitten meowed bitterly at Moiya.
“What did that cat say? He doesn’t like it, does he?”
Moiya shook her head at Rosie's words.
“No. Okay, shut up, and buy me some food.”
“Huh?”
Rosie pounded her fist on her outfit.
“Yes, it’s my house. Just think about it and make yourself comfortable. Rosie is a kind person if you get to know her... Hmm, she’ll be kind soon.”
Moiya acted like the owner of the house and patted the kitten on the back. She opened the bedroom door and went out, calling her servant to give the cat some snacks, even though she was angry.
“Look at me, she listen to what I say.”
“Meow. (I guess I found the right path.)”
Moiya glanced at Rosie's back and nodded to the kitten's words.
“Ahh... sir!”
Just before the bedroom door closed, Rosie's irritated voice was heard. Moiya said, patting the kitten.
“Hey, Cotton Ball. From now on, your name is ‘Aoshi.’
“Miyawong! (I like it so much!)”
Suddenly, the cat named Aoshi started licking Moiya's small wings.
***
After seeing Linel off early in the morning, I took a leisurely shower and left the bathroom. However, the refreshing feeling changed to a feeling of being covered in excrement in less than a second. It wasn't a dream. Even if it was a dream, it was closer to a nightmare. Prince Tesla was standing in front of me in the middle of the bedroom. Why is that son of a bitch here! I couldn't hide my surprised expression.
“How... did you get in here?”
“How... did you get in here?”
“There are many ways. Rather than wondering how I got in, you should be wondering why I got in.”
Prince Tesla opened his arms toward me, one cheek twitching.
“Your Majesty the Empress, would you please repeat the welcoming remarks?”
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