“What is that...?”
I looked down at Linel's hand and asked. There was a small woven bag in his hand. For a moment, I almost hesitated as I thought that I had seen the bag somewhere before. It was the same bag I had received at the 'Dignified Night' clinic.
“They said that this amount would be enough to last until just before arriving at the Tebello Empire.”
“This, this is...”
“Yes, it’s the magic potion you’re taking.”
Linel's voice was calm. And I just sat there. My body was shaking violently. He knew. He knew. I had burn scars on my face. That I had been taking magic potions to hide those hideous scars... He knew!
“I’m grateful, I’m sorry, I’m happy... so...”
“Still... Don’t cry. I’m hurt.”
He cut me off and hugged me tightly. More tears flowed. It was because of Linel. His love was so overwhelming and excessive that it overflowed into tears. I decided that what I was shedding now was not tears but gratitude. So I could cry as much as I wanted. I liked the excuse, so I continued to cry in his arms. He repeated the actions of stroking my hair without saying a word, patting my back, and hugging me with both arms again, changing the order.
“According to Wizard Big, the herb called ‘Yakante’, which is a key ingredient in magic potions, grows in a place called the Cocoa Forest in the Tebello Empire.”
When I stopped crying and calmed down a bit, he took me to the sofa and sat me down, saying, "Yakante..." I already knew where the herb grew through Rosie, but now I know the name of the herb.
“Is that why you changed the destination of the hunting competition to the Tebello Empire?”
“If I say so, will you cry again?”
Linel narrowed his eyes and pointed to my eyes with his hand, asking.
“I won’t cry...”
As I opened my eyes wide and answered, the corners of his mouth twitched.
“It seems that the magician Big didn’t have much Yakante in the first place. This was made with the remaining Yakante.”
Linel said, handing me the sack of rags again.
“The reason you changed your destination to the Tebello Empire, which is closest to the Northern Continent, is because of the herbs, but more than that, it’s because you don’t have enough magic potions...”
I said, fiddling with my pocketbook with my hands.
“That’s right, if I had enough magic potions, I could have finished the hunting competition in the Pasha Empire as usual, and then stopped by the Tebello Empire on my way back to the Northern Continent to get the herbs.”
“Because of me, for no reason...”
“No, thanks to you, the hunting schedules for the other guests have become easier.”
He lifted his hand, tucked my hair behind my ear, and stroked the right side of my face as he spoke.
“I don’t care.”
It felt like someone was squeezing my heart with their hands. I couldn't breathe.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. The one who made it like this... is you.”
“But the scars on my face are just too...!”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“Linel...”
“I heard from Wizard Big about the burn scars. So every time I saw your face, I imagined it. I even imagined an even worse scar on the right side of your face.”
He, who had been talking to me as if he were questioning me, was silent for a moment, then frowned and opened his mouth again.
“But the conclusion I’ve come to is, ‘What can I do?’ Don’t ask me why I’m okay. Don’t even mention that if you actually look at the scar, it’ll change. Don’t ask me that. I can’t answer that either. The one who made me like this is...”
Linel's blue eyes shone clearly.
“It's you.”
As he spoke, tears flowed again. He tilted his head and kissed the burn scar on my right cheek. Linel’s lips lingered on my right cheek for a long time before leaving. He silently wiped away my tears.
“Is there anything else I can say besides thank you? What should I say in a situation like this...”
"I love you."
Linel said and got up from the sofa.
“I think it would be enough if you said that.”
"I love you..."
I really love you. I said, looking up at him from my seat on the sofa. I wanted to stand face to face with him and say it, but my hands holding the silk bag kept shaking. I couldn't move my body for fear of making the same stupid mistake of dropping the silk bag again.
“I’ll go and tell you when I get back.”
"Yes."
“Why don’t you just say ‘yes’?”
"...Why?"
“That was just a secret meeting.”
“Who taught you how to do a honeymoon... Oh, it’s Raphael?”
“Why, did you learn something weird again? Just leave this kid alone!”
“No, please tell me later. I’ll wait.”
He nodded and continued to stand in place.
“Aren’t you going out?”
“I thought you were going to kiss me at this point, but then you said, ‘I’ll do that for you when I get back,’ and pulled away, and that was the end of the secret love affair.”
“...”
“But I want to do one of the two... I’m thinking about it, Your Majesty.”
His speech, which had been innocent and boyish at first, became very serious at the end.
“Please do both and tell Raphael that it went well.”
“Is that so, then?”
He checked the time with a regretful tone and sighed.
“I should go to the conference hall now. The ministers will be cursing at me because they are not grateful to me at all. I will finish talking when I get back.”
“Yes, have a nice day, I love you.”
“...Ah, I can’t have a crush.”
Linel, who had been turning around, turned around again, leaned down, and kissed me. Our lips, which had been aligned, skillfully met and covered each other, and our sweet affection began to move.
“But I’ll tell you later that I love you.”
He pulled away, his eyes showing that his honeymoon wasn't completely ruined.
“I’m already nervous. I want to hear it soon.”
He smiled happily at my answer, then muttered, “It worked.” He left the bedroom door and looked for Raphael. I held the satchel containing the magic potion to my chest and couldn’t move for a long time. Only after my tears soaked the satchel could I get up from the sofa.
“?”
Someone came toward me in the darkness, saw me under the window, and fell backwards. I had no chance to hide either. The person who fell covered my mouth with both hands, and I almost screamed, but quickly shut my mouth. Was it Catherine's servant? Oh, maybe she came to see the net. Did she see my face? What if she did? Just knock me out? My thoughts were complicated.
“Hello, Your Majesty, the Empress?”
Damn, I saw it. This won't work. I'll knock her out first and then leave. Even if she wakes up later and says she saw the Empress here, there's almost no one who'll believe her. Catherine probably wouldn't believe her either, saying that her attendant must have seen something. Even if she did believe her, if I, the Empress, try to get away with it, that's it. I slowly tried to get up,
“Your Majesty, the Empress, what brings you here?”
What is that? Where have I heard that voice before? I quickly approached the servant who had fallen.
“...Melanie?!”
Why did she come here?
I looked down at Linel's hand and asked. There was a small woven bag in his hand. For a moment, I almost hesitated as I thought that I had seen the bag somewhere before. It was the same bag I had received at the 'Dignified Night' clinic.
“They said that this amount would be enough to last until just before arriving at the Tebello Empire.”
“This, this is...”
“Yes, it’s the magic potion you’re taking.”
Linel's voice was calm. And I just sat there. My body was shaking violently. He knew. He knew. I had burn scars on my face. That I had been taking magic potions to hide those hideous scars... He knew!
Linel lifted me up without saying a word. He stared at my face, took my hand, and placed a pouch of cotton on my palm. In an instant, the strength left my arm, and I dropped the pouch he had given me. No!
“Huh.”
At Linel's shout, I shut my eyes tightly.
“Whew...!”
It was only after I heard his sigh of relief that I was able to open my eyes again.
“Zelda, do you know you almost broke this just now?”
Fortunately, the pouch was still intact and resting on Linel's palm, the back of his hand resting against the marble floor.
“If I had been even a little bit late, it would have been broken.”
If it weren't for his quick reflexes, my stupid mistake would have resulted in the magic potion... The mere thought was terrifying. But this moment was just as terrifying.
“Linel... I, I...”
What should I say? Thank you? Sorry for lying to you. I couldn't tell you because I was afraid you wouldn't love me if you saw my true self. Because of this magic potion, I made a deal with Prince Tesla and came to the Lapion Empire as a proxy Empress. Where should I start...
“I know. I know everything.”
Linel said, rising to his feet. His tone, neither angry nor serious, made me feel even more uneasy.
“How, to what extent... do you know?”
“I heard it from Wizard Big. Does that explain it all?”
“Then... the person who took him was Linel?!”
“Yeah, I’m taking him. Stiane feeds him, but he eats a lot.”
Linel spoke very seriously. He had a lot to say, but his mouth wouldn't open. I didn't know what to ask him first, what to hear, everything was scary and fearful.
“The first person to order this magic potion was Prince Tesla. This must have been the bait, right?”
He asked, shaking his pocket slightly. I nodded weakly and lowered my head.
“Zelda, the former acting Empress, raise your head. I told you. You are my wife and the Empress of the Lapion Empire.”
He lifted my chin with his own hand.
“Don’t bow your head to anyone. Not even to me. Do you understand?”
“...Yes. Thank you, Linel.”
I answered as he pleased, but my head was lowered again.
“Oh, you really don’t listen. I guess I’m not going to give you this!”
I raised my head at his threat. He had a smile that was too affectionate for a threatening person. When I think about it, he was always like that. He made my secret, which was hard to even open my mouth, seem like nothing. He looked into my eyes while cupping my cheeks with both hands. It seemed like he was talking to me with his eyes. How can I be so stupid to be worrying about something like this?
“Huh.”
At Linel's shout, I shut my eyes tightly.
“Whew...!”
It was only after I heard his sigh of relief that I was able to open my eyes again.
“Zelda, do you know you almost broke this just now?”
Fortunately, the pouch was still intact and resting on Linel's palm, the back of his hand resting against the marble floor.
“If I had been even a little bit late, it would have been broken.”
If it weren't for his quick reflexes, my stupid mistake would have resulted in the magic potion... The mere thought was terrifying. But this moment was just as terrifying.
“Linel... I, I...”
What should I say? Thank you? Sorry for lying to you. I couldn't tell you because I was afraid you wouldn't love me if you saw my true self. Because of this magic potion, I made a deal with Prince Tesla and came to the Lapion Empire as a proxy Empress. Where should I start...
“I know. I know everything.”
Linel said, rising to his feet. His tone, neither angry nor serious, made me feel even more uneasy.
“How, to what extent... do you know?”
“I heard it from Wizard Big. Does that explain it all?”
“Then... the person who took him was Linel?!”
“Yeah, I’m taking him. Stiane feeds him, but he eats a lot.”
Linel spoke very seriously. He had a lot to say, but his mouth wouldn't open. I didn't know what to ask him first, what to hear, everything was scary and fearful.
“The first person to order this magic potion was Prince Tesla. This must have been the bait, right?”
He asked, shaking his pocket slightly. I nodded weakly and lowered my head.
“Zelda, the former acting Empress, raise your head. I told you. You are my wife and the Empress of the Lapion Empire.”
He lifted my chin with his own hand.
“Don’t bow your head to anyone. Not even to me. Do you understand?”
“...Yes. Thank you, Linel.”
I answered as he pleased, but my head was lowered again.
“Oh, you really don’t listen. I guess I’m not going to give you this!”
I raised my head at his threat. He had a smile that was too affectionate for a threatening person. When I think about it, he was always like that. He made my secret, which was hard to even open my mouth, seem like nothing. He looked into my eyes while cupping my cheeks with both hands. It seemed like he was talking to me with his eyes. How can I be so stupid to be worrying about something like this?
It’s okay. Don’t worry. Hey, you still don’t look good. You really are such an idiot. Smile, I told you to smile?
If I could turn the way he was looking at me right now into words, he would have said that. I tried to smile. The corners of my mouth went up. But tears flowed down at the same time.
“What does it mean to cry while laughing?”
Linel's tone now became serious.
“I think I told you not to cry before? At this rate, you should be sent to prison for habitually disobeying the imperial edict.”
“What does it mean to cry while laughing?”
Linel's tone now became serious.
“I think I told you not to cry before? At this rate, you should be sent to prison for habitually disobeying the imperial edict.”
“I’m grateful, I’m sorry, I’m happy... so...”
“Still... Don’t cry. I’m hurt.”
He cut me off and hugged me tightly. More tears flowed. It was because of Linel. His love was so overwhelming and excessive that it overflowed into tears. I decided that what I was shedding now was not tears but gratitude. So I could cry as much as I wanted. I liked the excuse, so I continued to cry in his arms. He repeated the actions of stroking my hair without saying a word, patting my back, and hugging me with both arms again, changing the order.
“According to Wizard Big, the herb called ‘Yakante’, which is a key ingredient in magic potions, grows in a place called the Cocoa Forest in the Tebello Empire.”
When I stopped crying and calmed down a bit, he took me to the sofa and sat me down, saying, "Yakante..." I already knew where the herb grew through Rosie, but now I know the name of the herb.
“Is that why you changed the destination of the hunting competition to the Tebello Empire?”
“If I say so, will you cry again?”
Linel narrowed his eyes and pointed to my eyes with his hand, asking.
“I won’t cry...”
As I opened my eyes wide and answered, the corners of his mouth twitched.
“It seems that the magician Big didn’t have much Yakante in the first place. This was made with the remaining Yakante.”
Linel said, handing me the sack of rags again.
“The reason you changed your destination to the Tebello Empire, which is closest to the Northern Continent, is because of the herbs, but more than that, it’s because you don’t have enough magic potions...”
I said, fiddling with my pocketbook with my hands.
“That’s right, if I had enough magic potions, I could have finished the hunting competition in the Pasha Empire as usual, and then stopped by the Tebello Empire on my way back to the Northern Continent to get the herbs.”
“Because of me, for no reason...”
“No, thanks to you, the hunting schedules for the other guests have become easier.”
He lifted his hand, tucked my hair behind my ear, and stroked the right side of my face as he spoke.
“I don’t care.”
It felt like someone was squeezing my heart with their hands. I couldn't breathe.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. The one who made it like this... is you.”
“But the scars on my face are just too...!”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“Linel...”
“I heard from Wizard Big about the burn scars. So every time I saw your face, I imagined it. I even imagined an even worse scar on the right side of your face.”
He, who had been talking to me as if he were questioning me, was silent for a moment, then frowned and opened his mouth again.
“But the conclusion I’ve come to is, ‘What can I do?’ Don’t ask me why I’m okay. Don’t even mention that if you actually look at the scar, it’ll change. Don’t ask me that. I can’t answer that either. The one who made me like this is...”
Linel's blue eyes shone clearly.
“It's you.”
As he spoke, tears flowed again. He tilted his head and kissed the burn scar on my right cheek. Linel’s lips lingered on my right cheek for a long time before leaving. He silently wiped away my tears.
“Is there anything else I can say besides thank you? What should I say in a situation like this...”
"I love you."
Linel said and got up from the sofa.
“I think it would be enough if you said that.”
"I love you..."
I really love you. I said, looking up at him from my seat on the sofa. I wanted to stand face to face with him and say it, but my hands holding the silk bag kept shaking. I couldn't move my body for fear of making the same stupid mistake of dropping the silk bag again.
“I’ll go and tell you when I get back.”
"Yes."
“Why don’t you just say ‘yes’?”
"...Why?"
“That was just a secret meeting.”
“Who taught you how to do a honeymoon... Oh, it’s Raphael?”
“Why, did you learn something weird again? Just leave this kid alone!”
“No, please tell me later. I’ll wait.”
He nodded and continued to stand in place.
“Aren’t you going out?”
“I thought you were going to kiss me at this point, but then you said, ‘I’ll do that for you when I get back,’ and pulled away, and that was the end of the secret love affair.”
“...”
“But I want to do one of the two... I’m thinking about it, Your Majesty.”
His speech, which had been innocent and boyish at first, became very serious at the end.
“Please do both and tell Raphael that it went well.”
“Is that so, then?”
He checked the time with a regretful tone and sighed.
“I should go to the conference hall now. The ministers will be cursing at me because they are not grateful to me at all. I will finish talking when I get back.”
“Yes, have a nice day, I love you.”
“...Ah, I can’t have a crush.”
Linel, who had been turning around, turned around again, leaned down, and kissed me. Our lips, which had been aligned, skillfully met and covered each other, and our sweet affection began to move.
“But I’ll tell you later that I love you.”
He pulled away, his eyes showing that his honeymoon wasn't completely ruined.
“I’m already nervous. I want to hear it soon.”
He smiled happily at my answer, then muttered, “It worked.” He left the bedroom door and looked for Raphael. I held the satchel containing the magic potion to my chest and couldn’t move for a long time. Only after my tears soaked the satchel could I get up from the sofa.
***
Linel said that it would be past midnight before he could return to the bedroom after finishing his meeting with the ministers. With the Continental Hunting Competition coming up in three days, there will be many last-minute discussions with the ministers.
It was currently 9 PM. He had about three hours left before he returned from the conference hall to the bedroom. As soon as the urgent fire was put out, the things I had been putting off came to mind one by one. The first thing that came to mind was thoughts about the baby wyvern Moiya and my doubts about the fact that I was the Lord of the wyverns. These two issues were issues that could not be resolved even if I thought about them right away. I was curious about the incarnation sword that the incarnation had mentioned, but I had no desire to obtain it. There was no particular reason to do so. If I get my hands on the Incarnation Sword, can I have the world? Why should I have the world?
Linel is my whole world, and now that I am by his side, I have the world. Wanting more is greed. Just being able to love him now is enough for me, and I am grateful. I didn't have much to worry about the Continental Hunting Competition. I was a little worried about whether my concubines would adapt well, but as long as no heavy rain or monsters appeared during the trip, I should be fine. Oh, and by the way...
“Will Catherine and Count Ethan really meet in the warehouse?”
Amidst my various worries, something I had completely forgotten suddenly came to mind. They had promised to meet at 10 tonight, so the two of them had not yet arrived at the training ground. I opened the bedroom door and went out to the waiting room, and called Sharon into the room.
“Sharon, you had your uniform tailored a few days ago?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress. All the uniforms you have ordered have been placed in the main palace’s costume room.”
“Just bring me one uniform.”
“Why are you wearing a uniform at this hour... Are you planning to go to the training ground?”
As expected, Sharon is very perceptive. When I smiled and nodded, Sharon checked the time and spoke with a slightly worried voice.
“Wouldn’t His Majesty be worried?”
“I’ll be back before then. Even if he finds out I’ve been to the martial arts studio, he won’t say anything. He already knows that I know how to do martial arts.”
Amidst my various worries, something I had completely forgotten suddenly came to mind. They had promised to meet at 10 tonight, so the two of them had not yet arrived at the training ground. I opened the bedroom door and went out to the waiting room, and called Sharon into the room.
“Sharon, you had your uniform tailored a few days ago?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress. All the uniforms you have ordered have been placed in the main palace’s costume room.”
“Just bring me one uniform.”
“Why are you wearing a uniform at this hour... Are you planning to go to the training ground?”
As expected, Sharon is very perceptive. When I smiled and nodded, Sharon checked the time and spoke with a slightly worried voice.
“Wouldn’t His Majesty be worried?”
“I’ll be back before then. Even if he finds out I’ve been to the martial arts studio, he won’t say anything. He already knows that I know how to do martial arts.”
“Are you going with Commander Macrom?”
“I can’t take you with me because I’m not going to practice swordsmanship.”
“That...what do you mean?”
Sharon asked, puzzled.
“I’m going to spy. I have something to check.”
“At this hour? Who?”
“I’ll talk to you when I get back. I’m pressed for time.”
“...Ah, yes. I’ll bring it right away.”
Sharon still looked worried, but when I urged her, she reluctantly went to the costume shop and got the uniform.
“I can’t take you with me because I’m not going to practice swordsmanship.”
“That...what do you mean?”
Sharon asked, puzzled.
“I’m going to spy. I have something to check.”
“At this hour? Who?”
“I’ll talk to you when I get back. I’m pressed for time.”
“...Ah, yes. I’ll bring it right away.”
Sharon still looked worried, but when I urged her, she reluctantly went to the costume shop and got the uniform.
***
I shouldn't go into the training grounds, right?
I arrived in front of the training grounds building, went around the back of the building, and went to the window of the warehouse. I took my pocket watch out of my pocket and checked the time. It was 9:40. It seemed that no one had arrived yet. I went into the warehouse this afternoon, opened the window that I had unlocked in advance, and crouched down underneath it. I knew Catherine's mind well enough in the forge, but I couldn't hear Count Ethan's thoughts. Maybe it was something related to Linel. That's why I came here. Count Ethan said he had something to say to Catherine, so let's just listen to him and go.
“Whew, Whew...!”
“Whew, Whew...!”
“?”
Someone came toward me in the darkness, saw me under the window, and fell backwards. I had no chance to hide either. The person who fell covered my mouth with both hands, and I almost screamed, but quickly shut my mouth. Was it Catherine's servant? Oh, maybe she came to see the net. Did she see my face? What if she did? Just knock me out? My thoughts were complicated.
“Hello, Your Majesty, the Empress?”
Damn, I saw it. This won't work. I'll knock her out first and then leave. Even if she wakes up later and says she saw the Empress here, there's almost no one who'll believe her. Catherine probably wouldn't believe her either, saying that her attendant must have seen something. Even if she did believe her, if I, the Empress, try to get away with it, that's it. I slowly tried to get up,
“Your Majesty, the Empress, what brings you here?”
What is that? Where have I heard that voice before? I quickly approached the servant who had fallen.
“...Melanie?!”
Why did she come here?
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