What, what the hell!
Moiya and Moni were clutching the bedposts, peeking at him and me.
No, they were just staring at him openly.
"Didn't you... Go to Rosie's quarters?"
As soon as our eyes met, I accidentally dropped the wine glass I was holding.
Linel parted her lips at the sound of the wine glass shattering.
"I'm sorry, the wine glass slipped..."
"Are you hurt?"
He asked, examining my hands and feet.
Meanwhile, Moiya and Moni had run out the window again.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Shards of the broken wine glass were scattered everywhere at my feet.
I quickly bent down to clean up the large shard of glass that had fallen at his feet.
Moiya and Moni were clutching the bedposts, peeking at him and me.
No, they were just staring at him openly.
"Didn't you... Go to Rosie's quarters?"
As soon as our eyes met, I accidentally dropped the wine glass I was holding.
Linel parted her lips at the sound of the wine glass shattering.
"I'm sorry, the wine glass slipped..."
"Are you hurt?"
He asked, examining my hands and feet.
Meanwhile, Moiya and Moni had run out the window again.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Shards of the broken wine glass were scattered everywhere at my feet.
I quickly bent down to clean up the large shard of glass that had fallen at his feet.
"Leave it. It hurts. You can call a servant."
"Yes, but just roughly what's at my feet... Ouch."
I touched the glass with my bare hand and pricked my finger.
I must have stabbed deeper than I thought, because blood was flowing out of my finger.
“See! I told you to just leave it alone.”
Linel lifted my legs and sat me on his thighs.
In the blink of an eye, my body was engulfed in his arms.
He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and glared at me.
“What is this, you idiot?”
“I’m sorry. I did it because I was worried Your Majesty would get hurt.”
“You're getting hurt is the same as me getting hurt. Give it to me.”
“What...?”
“Your injured finger.”
Linel grabbed my bleeding finger.
“Tch, what are you doing?!”
I pushed his shoulder away and frowned.
“What? It’s just stopping the bleeding.”
He took my index finger to his mouth without hesitation.
The feeling of my finger in his mouth felt like a cold compress.
“...Ah!”
Linel suddenly placed his hand on his forehead.
“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”
His short cry made me wonder if there was poison in my blood.
“Wait, wait!”
His eyes shook violently.
“Zelda, I think I... haven’t been affectionate enough.”
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“It just suddenly... occurred to me,”
Linel said, staring blankly at me.
“What?”
“Our first night.”
“?”
At the same time,
Prince Tesla visited the Empress’s palace to meet Roxana.
Upon hearing the Prince’s visit, Hetor went to the bedroom where Roxana was temporarily staying and informed her.
“He's waiting in the drawing room right now. What should we do?”
“We should meet.”
Roxana put down her tea and put on her veil.
As soon as Roxana entered the drawing room, Prince Tesla, who had been sitting on the sofa, abruptly stood up.
“Meet Your Majesty!”
The Prince immediately bowed his head upon seeing Roxana.
“There was an unpleasant incident at the harem ceremony today, right?”
“Oh. Yes. I didn’t stay until the end, but with the three concubines absent, it felt more like a wedding than a harem ceremony.”
Prince Tesla's words cracked Roxana's haughty face.
"I see."
"Just before they entered, one of them spilled wine on her wedding dress. Another slipped and badly injured her ankle. They fell and grabbed the concubine next to them, causing her to hit her head on a statue and faint."
Prince Tesla insisted on detailing the incident that had occurred before the concubine ceremony to Roxana.
She already knew the details from the report.
But hearing it from Prince Tesla's mouth made her even more annoyed.
"Useless. How did they behave?"
Roxana gritted her teeth, remembering the concubine ceremony where only the two of them would have attended.
Her absence had caused all this trouble.
It seemed as if it was all the fault of the Shattonil siblings.
"Your Majesty, where is my sister?"
Prince Tesla asked cautiously, lowering his eyes.
"Do you think Princess Resilia's crime was minor?"
"Isn't this a crime worthy of such interrogation? And besides, it was ruining Her Highness Zelda's wedding dress..."
"Now! Do you think I would have brought the Princess here for that?"
Roxana glared at Prince Tesla.
“If that’s not the case, then why did you take the Princess?”
“Why are you pretending not to know?”
“What are you saying...”
Prince Tesla looked up at Roxana’s words.
Their gazes clashed in mid-air.
“Princess Resilia barged into my bedroom yesterday while I was away and was loitering around in front of the dressing table.”
“...Huh?”
“My precious belongings... have gone missing.”
Prince Tesla, quick-witted, immediately understood Roxana’s meaning.
What a disaster.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! To tell you the truth, I knew that Your Majesty the Empress possessed a wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword.”
“As expected, conversations with Prince Tesla are quick.”
“Do you... Really think Resilia touched them?”
“No, no.”
Roxana shook her head and laughed incredulously.
“The Princess wouldn’t have taken them herself. Her role would have been to confirm that the items were indeed there.”
“That’s a misunderstanding! How could we dare do something so outrageous!”
"Yes, but just roughly what's at my feet... Ouch."
I touched the glass with my bare hand and pricked my finger.
I must have stabbed deeper than I thought, because blood was flowing out of my finger.
“See! I told you to just leave it alone.”
Linel lifted my legs and sat me on his thighs.
In the blink of an eye, my body was engulfed in his arms.
He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and glared at me.
“What is this, you idiot?”
“I’m sorry. I did it because I was worried Your Majesty would get hurt.”
“You're getting hurt is the same as me getting hurt. Give it to me.”
“What...?”
“Your injured finger.”
Linel grabbed my bleeding finger.
“Tch, what are you doing?!”
I pushed his shoulder away and frowned.
“What? It’s just stopping the bleeding.”
He took my index finger to his mouth without hesitation.
The feeling of my finger in his mouth felt like a cold compress.
“...Ah!”
Linel suddenly placed his hand on his forehead.
“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”
His short cry made me wonder if there was poison in my blood.
“Wait, wait!”
His eyes shook violently.
“Zelda, I think I... haven’t been affectionate enough.”
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“It just suddenly... occurred to me,”
Linel said, staring blankly at me.
“What?”
“Our first night.”
“?”
***
At the same time,
Prince Tesla visited the Empress’s palace to meet Roxana.
Upon hearing the Prince’s visit, Hetor went to the bedroom where Roxana was temporarily staying and informed her.
“He's waiting in the drawing room right now. What should we do?”
“We should meet.”
Roxana put down her tea and put on her veil.
As soon as Roxana entered the drawing room, Prince Tesla, who had been sitting on the sofa, abruptly stood up.
“Meet Your Majesty!”
The Prince immediately bowed his head upon seeing Roxana.
“There was an unpleasant incident at the harem ceremony today, right?”
“Oh. Yes. I didn’t stay until the end, but with the three concubines absent, it felt more like a wedding than a harem ceremony.”
Prince Tesla's words cracked Roxana's haughty face.
"I see."
"Just before they entered, one of them spilled wine on her wedding dress. Another slipped and badly injured her ankle. They fell and grabbed the concubine next to them, causing her to hit her head on a statue and faint."
Prince Tesla insisted on detailing the incident that had occurred before the concubine ceremony to Roxana.
She already knew the details from the report.
But hearing it from Prince Tesla's mouth made her even more annoyed.
"Useless. How did they behave?"
Roxana gritted her teeth, remembering the concubine ceremony where only the two of them would have attended.
Her absence had caused all this trouble.
It seemed as if it was all the fault of the Shattonil siblings.
"Your Majesty, where is my sister?"
Prince Tesla asked cautiously, lowering his eyes.
"Do you think Princess Resilia's crime was minor?"
"Isn't this a crime worthy of such interrogation? And besides, it was ruining Her Highness Zelda's wedding dress..."
"Now! Do you think I would have brought the Princess here for that?"
Roxana glared at Prince Tesla.
“If that’s not the case, then why did you take the Princess?”
“Why are you pretending not to know?”
“What are you saying...”
Prince Tesla looked up at Roxana’s words.
Their gazes clashed in mid-air.
“Princess Resilia barged into my bedroom yesterday while I was away and was loitering around in front of the dressing table.”
“...Huh?”
“My precious belongings... have gone missing.”
Prince Tesla, quick-witted, immediately understood Roxana’s meaning.
What a disaster.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! To tell you the truth, I knew that Your Majesty the Empress possessed a wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword.”
“As expected, conversations with Prince Tesla are quick.”
“Do you... Really think Resilia touched them?”
“No, no.”
Roxana shook her head and laughed incredulously.
“The Princess wouldn’t have taken them herself. Her role would have been to confirm that the items were indeed there.”
“That’s a misunderstanding! How could we dare do something so outrageous!”
“I understand, they were so enormous that you must have been quite greedy.”
Roxana’s expression was growing fiercer.
“But, Your Highness, islanders have little patience. So, by tomorrow night! Bring them back before my eyes.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“The wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword.”
“Ha! Not us! It must have been someone else in the palace!”
“Do you think so, Prince?”
“Of course, it’s just my hunch, but since we’re not the culprits, it’s only natural that I think so.”
Roxana stared intently at Prince Tesla’s face. She didn’t believe him, but if by any chance the wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword were not the work of the siblings from the Shattonil Kingdom, but someone else... For example, if it were really Zelda who took them, then it would be a disaster.
However, when she had her servants search Zelda's room in the main palace, they didn't find even a regular sword, let alone the Incarnation Sword.
"Very well. Then prove your innocence."
"W-what do you mean?"
"If it's true that someone in the palace took it, find out for yourself and bring it back to me. Then I will believe you."
"How can I come here without any information?!"
Roxana paid no attention to Prince Tesla's bewildered expression.
"Oh, Your Highness. Princess Resilia's safety is at stake."
Roxana sat up on the sofa.
"I must be going now. I saw Princess Resilia faint earlier, so I guess she's awake by now?"
The tone was clearly a threat.
Prince Tesla jumped up from the sofa.
"Your Majesty!"
"I will only hear your grievances after I receive at least one of my belongings back."
Roxana finished her words in a cold voice, turning around and leaving the drawing room.
Prince Tesla, momentarily dazed, regained his senses and hurried out of the Empress's palace.
He had to meet with Grand Duke Martins immediately to discuss this dire situation.
Prince Tesla headed straight to the villa where the Grand Duke was staying.
Memories of the first night of his national wedding with Zelda kept flooding back to Linel.
'Hold your face?'
'Have you sinned?'
'I know you don't like me.'
'Even if we don't like each other, we're already a couple.'
'I don't know what God was thinking when he brought you and me together...'
His memories were mainly of the times he'd been rude to her.
It would have been nice if he'd at least spoken with some affection. He didn't like the way his voice sounded, as if it were aggrieved.
He even thought it might have been better if Zelda had lost her memory of him.
The final scene that came to mind was even more bizarre.
'Anyway, I intend to fulfill my duty as a husband. Tonight will be the first night I begin that duty.'
He tossed out a word as if to inform her, then abruptly untied the laces of the gown he was wearing.
Zelda, in his memory, saw his naked body, widened her eyes like a rabbit's, and fell back onto the bed.
"How startled you must have been..."
Linel muttered to himself, looking at her pitifully.
Her expression was clearly frightened.
That scene, of all things, was the end of their first night's memory.
"Damn it."
Linel squeezed his eyes shut and frowned.
“Was our first night that bad?”
Zelda asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity, watching his distressed face.
He began with an apologetic look.
“I don’t think I had any manners. No, I didn’t.”
“...Who?”
“Me.”
“Why, what scene came to mind? Yes?”
Zelda shook his arm with both hands, her face frantic with curiosity.
“I... suddenly took off my gown. That startled you so much...”
He couldn’t bring himself to say, “You fell over in surprise.”
Linel muttered, unable to understand why he had been so inconsiderate, then tugged at her hair and lowered her head.
Zelda grabbed his hair, forcing him to raise his head again.
He stared in surprise at her clutching his hair, but she seemed completely oblivious to what she had just done.
“Zelda, no matter what, isn’t it a bit much to grab the Emperor’s hair?”
Just as Linel was about to say something, she preemptively struck back with a shy expression.
“Could it be that I was surprised because it was so wonderful?”
Zelda’s earnest voice sounded sticky.
“...What?”
“Could it be that I was surprised because Your Majesty’s body was so perfect?”
At Zelda’s words, he recalled the expression on her face that had flashed before and pondered it.
“Well... You didn’t seem to like it very much, did you?”
“It’s more likely I was being coy.”
She decided this to herself and burst out laughing.
“...That’s fortunate, then, but why did the memories of our first night suddenly come back to me?”
It was a first.
“Could it be that your memories are coming back?”
Roxana’s expression was growing fiercer.
“But, Your Highness, islanders have little patience. So, by tomorrow night! Bring them back before my eyes.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“The wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword.”
“Ha! Not us! It must have been someone else in the palace!”
“Do you think so, Prince?”
“Of course, it’s just my hunch, but since we’re not the culprits, it’s only natural that I think so.”
Roxana stared intently at Prince Tesla’s face. She didn’t believe him, but if by any chance the wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword were not the work of the siblings from the Shattonil Kingdom, but someone else... For example, if it were really Zelda who took them, then it would be a disaster.
However, when she had her servants search Zelda's room in the main palace, they didn't find even a regular sword, let alone the Incarnation Sword.
"Very well. Then prove your innocence."
"W-what do you mean?"
"If it's true that someone in the palace took it, find out for yourself and bring it back to me. Then I will believe you."
"How can I come here without any information?!"
Roxana paid no attention to Prince Tesla's bewildered expression.
"Oh, Your Highness. Princess Resilia's safety is at stake."
Roxana sat up on the sofa.
"I must be going now. I saw Princess Resilia faint earlier, so I guess she's awake by now?"
The tone was clearly a threat.
Prince Tesla jumped up from the sofa.
"Your Majesty!"
"I will only hear your grievances after I receive at least one of my belongings back."
Roxana finished her words in a cold voice, turning around and leaving the drawing room.
Prince Tesla, momentarily dazed, regained his senses and hurried out of the Empress's palace.
He had to meet with Grand Duke Martins immediately to discuss this dire situation.
Prince Tesla headed straight to the villa where the Grand Duke was staying.
***
Memories of the first night of his national wedding with Zelda kept flooding back to Linel.
'Hold your face?'
'Have you sinned?'
'I know you don't like me.'
'Even if we don't like each other, we're already a couple.'
'I don't know what God was thinking when he brought you and me together...'
His memories were mainly of the times he'd been rude to her.
It would have been nice if he'd at least spoken with some affection. He didn't like the way his voice sounded, as if it were aggrieved.
He even thought it might have been better if Zelda had lost her memory of him.
The final scene that came to mind was even more bizarre.
'Anyway, I intend to fulfill my duty as a husband. Tonight will be the first night I begin that duty.'
He tossed out a word as if to inform her, then abruptly untied the laces of the gown he was wearing.
Zelda, in his memory, saw his naked body, widened her eyes like a rabbit's, and fell back onto the bed.
"How startled you must have been..."
Linel muttered to himself, looking at her pitifully.
Her expression was clearly frightened.
That scene, of all things, was the end of their first night's memory.
"Damn it."
Linel squeezed his eyes shut and frowned.
“Was our first night that bad?”
Zelda asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity, watching his distressed face.
He began with an apologetic look.
“I don’t think I had any manners. No, I didn’t.”
“...Who?”
“Me.”
“Why, what scene came to mind? Yes?”
Zelda shook his arm with both hands, her face frantic with curiosity.
“I... suddenly took off my gown. That startled you so much...”
He couldn’t bring himself to say, “You fell over in surprise.”
Linel muttered, unable to understand why he had been so inconsiderate, then tugged at her hair and lowered her head.
Zelda grabbed his hair, forcing him to raise his head again.
He stared in surprise at her clutching his hair, but she seemed completely oblivious to what she had just done.
“Zelda, no matter what, isn’t it a bit much to grab the Emperor’s hair?”
Just as Linel was about to say something, she preemptively struck back with a shy expression.
“Could it be that I was surprised because it was so wonderful?”
Zelda’s earnest voice sounded sticky.
“...What?”
“Could it be that I was surprised because Your Majesty’s body was so perfect?”
At Zelda’s words, he recalled the expression on her face that had flashed before and pondered it.
“Well... You didn’t seem to like it very much, did you?”
“It’s more likely I was being coy.”
She decided this to herself and burst out laughing.
“...That’s fortunate, then, but why did the memories of our first night suddenly come back to me?”
It was a first.
“Could it be that your memories are coming back?”
“But it was only for a moment. And only fragments.”
“Still, it’s a good thing.”
Zelda envied him, wishing she could recall even a little of his memories.
Linel silently got up from the bed and called the servants to clean up the broken wine glasses.
All the while, he pondered why the erased memories had suddenly surfaced.
However, Linel never noticed that when Zelda’s blood touched his body, his memories returned, and when he wiped her blood away, they stopped again.
The most important ingredient in a magical amnesia potion is the other person's blood.
Occasionally, contact with that person's blood can cause fragments of lost memories to resurface, a phenomenon that only rarely occurs between those deeply in love.
The two, completely unaware of this, were both delighted and disappointed by Linel's sudden return to memory.
"The beginning is important. Memories will gradually return. Don't be too heartbroken,"
Zelda offered her reassuring words, and his smile returned.
"Actually, the memory is one thing, but I'm also bothered by the fact that I was rude to you on our first night."
"I don't remember anyway, after all. And even if you were a little rude, seeing Your Majesty's muscles under your robes would have made me feel better."
"...I doubt you would have."
"No, I'm sure!"
Zelda declared, raising her chin.
Her face flushed slightly from the loudness of her voice.
"Perhaps God has given us a second chance."
He stared into her eyes and began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Yes?"
Zelda, her gaze fixed on his firm, expanding chest, asked,
"Today, make up for that first night."
"How do you plan to make up for it?"
"If you're curious... don't close your eyes today."
“Still, it’s a good thing.”
Zelda envied him, wishing she could recall even a little of his memories.
Linel silently got up from the bed and called the servants to clean up the broken wine glasses.
All the while, he pondered why the erased memories had suddenly surfaced.
However, Linel never noticed that when Zelda’s blood touched his body, his memories returned, and when he wiped her blood away, they stopped again.
The most important ingredient in a magical amnesia potion is the other person's blood.
Occasionally, contact with that person's blood can cause fragments of lost memories to resurface, a phenomenon that only rarely occurs between those deeply in love.
The two, completely unaware of this, were both delighted and disappointed by Linel's sudden return to memory.
"The beginning is important. Memories will gradually return. Don't be too heartbroken,"
Zelda offered her reassuring words, and his smile returned.
"Actually, the memory is one thing, but I'm also bothered by the fact that I was rude to you on our first night."
"I don't remember anyway, after all. And even if you were a little rude, seeing Your Majesty's muscles under your robes would have made me feel better."
"...I doubt you would have."
"No, I'm sure!"
Zelda declared, raising her chin.
Her face flushed slightly from the loudness of her voice.
"Perhaps God has given us a second chance."
He stared into her eyes and began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Yes?"
Zelda, her gaze fixed on his firm, expanding chest, asked,
"Today, make up for that first night."
"How do you plan to make up for it?"
"If you're curious... don't close your eyes today."
She wasn't confident about that.
Her eyes were already drooping at the mere sound of his sweet voice.
Her eyes were already drooping at the mere sound of his sweet voice.
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