“Is it okay for a patient to sit like that?”
Linel stared at me with blazing eyes and asked the Magic Tower Lord.
“It’s best for you to lie down.”
“You heard, Lady Zelda?”
He wiggled his eyebrows and told me.
“Don’t worry. The imprint is good, so the wound on my heart will heal quickly.”
I got up from the bed to reassure him.
But this time, Magic Tower Lord stopped me, as if it was still too much.
“It would be best for you to not move your body as much as possible today, Lady Zelda.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I nodded obediently to the Magic Tower Lord's advice.
“Then I can get up tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, I’ll come back tomorrow to check your condition.”
Magic Tower Lord responded in a more affectionate tone than when we were alone.
Linel watched Magic Tower Lord and me conversing and then nodded to the bedroom door.
“...Ah, I’ll take my leave now and see you tomorrow morning.”
Magic Tower Lord left the bedroom, watching his expression.
“Why are you still standing?”
As the bedroom door closed, he approached me and asked.
“Aha, do you think I should treat you with respect like the Magic Tower Lord for you to listen?”
“...Your Majesty, are you jealous?”
He lifted my chin slightly with his hand and warned me.
“Don’t let other men use your name without permission. Did you understand?”
“I didn’t give it without permission.”
“Yes, it seems to me that you gave it out of genuine friendship.”
“...I’ve been helped a lot by the Lord of Magic Tower.”
“Then, will you tell Sharon to call you Zelda? And Commander Macrom?”
He asked me as if he were demanding.
When I smiled awkwardly, his long eyelashes fluttered slowly, and he spoke in a sad voice.
“If you keep doing this, this Emperor will be upset, Zelda.”
“Phew, ah, right. The Lord of the Tower told me not to laugh for a while...”
I quickly wiped away my smile and muttered, and he narrowed his brows.
“You really listen to the Lord of the Tower, don’t you?”
He touched his chin and let out a small sigh.
“Zelda, should I learn magic too?”
“No, you’re already busy, and that’ll make you even busier. And then we’ll have less time to see each other.”
“Then, so that I can maintain this face that my wife likes for a long time, please don’t make me frown. Thanks to that, I feel like I’ve aged ten years today.”
That’s right. That face should last forever!
I quickly climbed onto the bed.
He climbed onto the bed too and sat next to me.
“You were surprised because of me earlier, right?”
I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“Surprised is not enough.”
I was also surprised by his continued politeness.
“How long do you plan on speaking politely?”
“Until Lady Zelda’s wounds have completely healed.”
“...There’s only one person who speaks down to me, so are you giving up that privilege?”
“I’m not giving it up, I’m putting it on hold.”
He said, deliberately bluntly.
Then he smiled awkwardly, thinking it was childish.
After feeling each other’s body temperature for a moment, I straightened my leaning body and asked him,
“Prince Tesla, is he okay?”
“You know... You know? Who is the assassin?”
“Yes, even if he's wearing a mask, I can tell just by looking at his eyes.”
There were few people with such an unpleasant look in their eyes as Tesla.
“But why do you have the Incarnation Sword? I thought Roxana had it?”
“Because I got it back.”
“Then, on the day the Empress’s dressing room caught fire, did you...?”
Linel looked at me with a knowing expression.
I explained to him in detail how I planned this.
“Archduke Martins did a great job. Was Prince Tesla just bait?”
“The imprinting was something that had to be done anyway. I also had a debt to pay to Prince Tesla, so I did it at the same time.”
“But it was too risky a choice.”
He said with a serious expression.
“What if he stabbed you somewhere else? Didn’t you ever worry about that?”
“I didn’t worry about that because I know what kind of person Prince Tesla is.”
I replied without hesitation.
Linel asked with a puzzled expression.
“How could you make such a bold choice like that?”
“I was supposed to do everything when necessary.”
I buried my face in Linel’s chest.
Then he became serious.
The corners of his mouth were too upturned for his serious face.
“What did I do right to make you say this?”
“I’m just being cute because I did something wrong.”
“What, do you think I’ll just let it go if you're being cute?”
“No?”
“Then. I’m not that easygoing of an Emperor... Hmm?”
I covered his mouth with my lips.
The Emperor, who was supposedly not easygoing, opened his lips too loosely.
“I’m not really easygoing, am I?”
I pulled away and teased him.
“Zelda, the former Empress, you should lie down now.”
He coughed awkwardly and patted his pillow.
“I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Listen. I told you. Even though I look so pretty, I’m a really nasty guy.”
He emphasized once more, saying that rumors were rampant in the Northern Continent.
“That is..."
“You probably didn’t know. I treated you with a smile every day.”
I was about to say that I already knew, but he interrupted me, so I shut my mouth.
“Oh, right, the Incarnation Sword?”
He asked, his gaze lingering on my heart.
I put my hand under my pillow and pulled out the Incarnation Sword.
“Here it is.”
“...What on earth happened to this?”
He asked with a surprised face, looking at the red gem in my palm.
“After I finished engraving the Incarnation Sword and tried to hide it again, it changed like this.”
“Then... What about the blade?”
“It’s gone. The Lord of the Tower said that it went into the red gem.”
“Is this red gem holding the blade?”
“I think so. He said that the Incarnation Sword will reappear when it needs to be used.”
“Oh my... It’s so hot.”
Linel touched the red jewel and then removed it, saying,
“Hot? I have no idea.”
The temperature of the red jewel on my palm was not hot.
“Very hot.”
Oh, I see...
It seemed that the heat was not transmitted to the imprinter.
“Prince Tesla will testify at the trial. If he reveals that you have the Avatar Sword, it will be difficult in many ways, so you should prepare.”
“I will blame it on the Prince’s mistake.”
“For the argument of a mistake to work, there has to be a reason to think so...”
Linel muttered as if he was struggling.
“Look under the bed.”
At my words, he reached under the bed and pulled out a sword.
“This is...?!”
“At first glance, it looks similar to the Avatar Sword, right? You wouldn’t know it better in the dark. Prince Tesla mistook it for the Avatar Sword and stabbed me with it tonight. I intend to testify like that.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I borrowed the sword from Count Ethan at the blacksmith shop today. The hilt of the sword was melted down and inlaid with a ruby, myself.”
Linel stared at me with blazing eyes and asked the Magic Tower Lord.
“It’s best for you to lie down.”
“You heard, Lady Zelda?”
He wiggled his eyebrows and told me.
“Don’t worry. The imprint is good, so the wound on my heart will heal quickly.”
I got up from the bed to reassure him.
But this time, Magic Tower Lord stopped me, as if it was still too much.
“It would be best for you to not move your body as much as possible today, Lady Zelda.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I nodded obediently to the Magic Tower Lord's advice.
“Then I can get up tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, I’ll come back tomorrow to check your condition.”
Magic Tower Lord responded in a more affectionate tone than when we were alone.
Linel watched Magic Tower Lord and me conversing and then nodded to the bedroom door.
“...Ah, I’ll take my leave now and see you tomorrow morning.”
Magic Tower Lord left the bedroom, watching his expression.
“Why are you still standing?”
As the bedroom door closed, he approached me and asked.
“Aha, do you think I should treat you with respect like the Magic Tower Lord for you to listen?”
“...Your Majesty, are you jealous?”
I tried to ask, but one of his fingers pressed against my lips, and I couldn’t continue.
“Please lie down, Lady Zelda. This Emperor has a lot to say tonight.”
“Why are you speaking so loudly? It’s burdensome.”
“Aha, Magic Tower Lord is fine, but is your husband burdensome?”
His face was smiling, but his eyes were filled with anger.
“I didn’t mean it like that...”
“Or you should just go up to bed.”
Even though his eyes were serious, I stood there for no reason because I liked his jealousy.
However, it didn’t seem like a good choice.
“Lady Zelda.”
“...Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’m so handsome, so I think I’d have a handsome personality, too, right?”
“!”
No?
His face, as he asked me kindly, looked like a beautiful madman.
I already knew that his personality wasn’t all that great.
Besides, I’d heard from Moiya how cold-hearted he was.
Still, I nodded, thinking I should at least respond.
“Actually, unlike my face, my personality is really ugly. So, Madam, from now on...”
“Please lie down, Lady Zelda. This Emperor has a lot to say tonight.”
“Why are you speaking so loudly? It’s burdensome.”
“Aha, Magic Tower Lord is fine, but is your husband burdensome?”
His face was smiling, but his eyes were filled with anger.
“I didn’t mean it like that...”
“Or you should just go up to bed.”
Even though his eyes were serious, I stood there for no reason because I liked his jealousy.
However, it didn’t seem like a good choice.
“Lady Zelda.”
“...Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’m so handsome, so I think I’d have a handsome personality, too, right?”
“!”
No?
His face, as he asked me kindly, looked like a beautiful madman.
I already knew that his personality wasn’t all that great.
Besides, I’d heard from Moiya how cold-hearted he was.
Still, I nodded, thinking I should at least respond.
“Actually, unlike my face, my personality is really ugly. So, Madam, from now on...”
He lifted my chin slightly with his hand and warned me.
“Don’t let other men use your name without permission. Did you understand?”
“I didn’t give it without permission.”
“Yes, it seems to me that you gave it out of genuine friendship.”
“...I’ve been helped a lot by the Lord of Magic Tower.”
“Then, will you tell Sharon to call you Zelda? And Commander Macrom?”
He asked me as if he were demanding.
When I smiled awkwardly, his long eyelashes fluttered slowly, and he spoke in a sad voice.
“If you keep doing this, this Emperor will be upset, Zelda.”
“Phew, ah, right. The Lord of the Tower told me not to laugh for a while...”
I quickly wiped away my smile and muttered, and he narrowed his brows.
“You really listen to the Lord of the Tower, don’t you?”
He touched his chin and let out a small sigh.
“Zelda, should I learn magic too?”
“No, you’re already busy, and that’ll make you even busier. And then we’ll have less time to see each other.”
“Then, so that I can maintain this face that my wife likes for a long time, please don’t make me frown. Thanks to that, I feel like I’ve aged ten years today.”
That’s right. That face should last forever!
I quickly climbed onto the bed.
He climbed onto the bed too and sat next to me.
“You were surprised because of me earlier, right?”
I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“Surprised is not enough.”
I was also surprised by his continued politeness.
“How long do you plan on speaking politely?”
“Until Lady Zelda’s wounds have completely healed.”
“...There’s only one person who speaks down to me, so are you giving up that privilege?”
“I’m not giving it up, I’m putting it on hold.”
He said, deliberately bluntly.
Then he smiled awkwardly, thinking it was childish.
After feeling each other’s body temperature for a moment, I straightened my leaning body and asked him,
“Prince Tesla, is he okay?”
“You know... You know? Who is the assassin?”
“Yes, even if he's wearing a mask, I can tell just by looking at his eyes.”
There were few people with such an unpleasant look in their eyes as Tesla.
“But why do you have the Incarnation Sword? I thought Roxana had it?”
“Because I got it back.”
“Then, on the day the Empress’s dressing room caught fire, did you...?”
Linel looked at me with a knowing expression.
I explained to him in detail how I planned this.
“Archduke Martins did a great job. Was Prince Tesla just bait?”
“The imprinting was something that had to be done anyway. I also had a debt to pay to Prince Tesla, so I did it at the same time.”
“But it was too risky a choice.”
He said with a serious expression.
“What if he stabbed you somewhere else? Didn’t you ever worry about that?”
“I didn’t worry about that because I know what kind of person Prince Tesla is.”
I replied without hesitation.
Linel asked with a puzzled expression.
“How could you make such a bold choice like that?”
“I was supposed to do everything when necessary.”
I buried my face in Linel’s chest.
Then he became serious.
The corners of his mouth were too upturned for his serious face.
“What did I do right to make you say this?”
“I’m just being cute because I did something wrong.”
“What, do you think I’ll just let it go if you're being cute?”
“No?”
“Then. I’m not that easygoing of an Emperor... Hmm?”
I covered his mouth with my lips.
The Emperor, who was supposedly not easygoing, opened his lips too loosely.
“I’m not really easygoing, am I?”
I pulled away and teased him.
“Zelda, the former Empress, you should lie down now.”
He coughed awkwardly and patted his pillow.
“I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Listen. I told you. Even though I look so pretty, I’m a really nasty guy.”
He emphasized once more, saying that rumors were rampant in the Northern Continent.
“That is..."
“You probably didn’t know. I treated you with a smile every day.”
I was about to say that I already knew, but he interrupted me, so I shut my mouth.
“Oh, right, the Incarnation Sword?”
He asked, his gaze lingering on my heart.
I put my hand under my pillow and pulled out the Incarnation Sword.
“Here it is.”
“...What on earth happened to this?”
He asked with a surprised face, looking at the red gem in my palm.
“After I finished engraving the Incarnation Sword and tried to hide it again, it changed like this.”
“Then... What about the blade?”
“It’s gone. The Lord of the Tower said that it went into the red gem.”
“Is this red gem holding the blade?”
“I think so. He said that the Incarnation Sword will reappear when it needs to be used.”
“Oh my... It’s so hot.”
Linel touched the red jewel and then removed it, saying,
“Hot? I have no idea.”
The temperature of the red jewel on my palm was not hot.
“Very hot.”
Oh, I see...
It seemed that the heat was not transmitted to the imprinter.
“Prince Tesla will testify at the trial. If he reveals that you have the Avatar Sword, it will be difficult in many ways, so you should prepare.”
“I will blame it on the Prince’s mistake.”
“For the argument of a mistake to work, there has to be a reason to think so...”
Linel muttered as if he was struggling.
“Look under the bed.”
At my words, he reached under the bed and pulled out a sword.
“This is...?!”
“At first glance, it looks similar to the Avatar Sword, right? You wouldn’t know it better in the dark. Prince Tesla mistook it for the Avatar Sword and stabbed me with it tonight. I intend to testify like that.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I borrowed the sword from Count Ethan at the blacksmith shop today. The hilt of the sword was melted down and inlaid with a ruby, myself.”
I shrugged.
“And the ruby was procured by Melanie through her family.”
“So now we have witnesses...”
“Yes. Many people can testify that I asked for the ruby stone and the sword and that I made them myself.”
He nodded and smiled with satisfaction.
“But there is no one who can prove to Prince Tesla that the Avatar Sword that I took from the dressing room was the real Avatar Sword.”
Linel kept patting my head as if he was impressed.
“Besides, since the Avatar Sword only has this red gem left, Roxana won’t be able to find it even if she searches my bedroom.”
The Avatar Sword was already in my heart.
“But Zelda. Even if I knew all this, I would have stopped you.”
He said as he hugged me with both arms. Our hearts met.
As I felt his heart pounding, the newly created blood from the imprint circulated quickly in my body.
“That’s why I didn’t tell you in advance. I’m really sorry.”
“You’re safe, so that’s fine. And since you’ve become stronger from the imprint with the Avatar Sword, can I just trust you, Lady Zelda?”
I became even more playful at his playful words.
“Yes, just trust me.”
Linel laughed as if he were dumbfounded.
Then he spoke to me in a serious voice again.
“The fact that you are imprinted with the Avatar Sword means that you can move the wyvern. If this fact becomes known to the continent, then maybe...”
“Everyone will want to be friends with me, right?”
I blurted out jokingly.
Tonight, I wanted to put my troublesome thoughts aside and spend a comfortable night alone with him.
He noticed my intention and relaxed his serious expression.
“Yes. Don’t befriend others so carelessly. You're my Zelda.”
At the same time, in the Empress’s Palace, Roxana and Princess Resilia were sitting across from each other, drinking tea.
Roxana went to the room where Resilia was locked up and poured her some black tea herself.
‘What are you up to today?’
Princess Resilia glanced at Roxana and sipped her tea.
“Will Prince Tesla bring me the wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword back? What do you think, Princess?”
Roxana’s hypocritical tone made her teeth chatter, but Princess Resilia also opened her mouth with a fake smile.
“I have nothing to do with that, so I don’t know, but if it was something my brother did... Of course it would be right.”
“Right? No matter how great they are, they are not more precious than the life of my only sister.”
“...Yes. That, of course.”
Princess Resilia, who was drinking her tea, almost heard the sound of a squeal. An awkward silence was about to flow when Hetor entered the room without knocking and with a flushed face.
“What’s going on?”
Roxana asked with a displeased look.
Hetor, conscious of Princess Resilia, politely relayed the news to Roxana.
“We’re in trouble, Your Majesty, the Empress. I heard that Prince Tesla has been taken to prison.”
Roxana’s hands stopped drinking her tea at Hetor’s words.
“What? For what?”
“Why is my brother?!”
Roxana and Princess Resilia asked at the same time.
“He was caught by His Majesty while trying to assassinate Her Highness Zelda.”
“In Zelda’s quarters... Directly?”
Roxana rolled her eyes and asked.
“Yes, he was caught while trying to escape to the West Palace, where the concubines’ quarters were, and was sent to prison in a state of total destruction.”
“T-That can’t be true! You must have misunderstood something!”
Princess Resilia shouted, spilling all the black tea in her cup.
However, Roxana and Hetor ignored Princess Resilia and continued their conversation.
“Your Majesty’s reaction.”
“According to the knights who were present, if the secretary hadn’t stopped him, Prince Tesla would have been beaten to death by His Majesty on the spot.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Princess Resilia burst into tears and covered her mouth.
“Isn’t the Incarnation Sword in the former Empress’s quarters?”
Hetor asked Roxana in a low voice.
“Then... Are you saying that the disappearance of the Wyvern Egg and the Incarnation Sword wasn’t Prince Tesla’s doing?”
Roxana muttered as she looked at Princess Resilia, who was shedding tears.
“How many times have I told you otherwise! Why can’t you trust people? I knew it was Zelda... I knew it!”
Princess Resilia slapped her dress and vented her frustration.
“Shut up!”
Roxana, with a look of disgust at Princess Resilia’s tears, got up from her chair and slapped her across the face.
“Ah! Huhu, why are you hitting me? Who is the one who imprisoned an innocent person and cornered my brother? Why are you hitting me, why, why!”
Princess Resilia sank to the floor and cried loudly.
Roxana, whose already tangled mind was even more complicated by Princess Resilia’s tears, went out the door with Hetor.
“If Prince Tesla moved it himself, then the Avatar Sword must have been in Zelda’s residence. There’s no doubt about it!”
“If the former Empress has the Avatar Sword, then there must also be a wyvern egg, and if it hatches by any chance...”
“Absolutely not! It’s me. I’m the owner of that wyvern egg! What do I do? What do I do now...?”
Roxana clung to Hetor’s arm and pleaded.
Hetor tried to soothe her.
“I’ll bribe the guards in the spire. First, I think it would be best to go see Prince Tesla, who’s locked up in prison.”
“And the ruby was procured by Melanie through her family.”
“So now we have witnesses...”
“Yes. Many people can testify that I asked for the ruby stone and the sword and that I made them myself.”
He nodded and smiled with satisfaction.
“But there is no one who can prove to Prince Tesla that the Avatar Sword that I took from the dressing room was the real Avatar Sword.”
Linel kept patting my head as if he was impressed.
“Besides, since the Avatar Sword only has this red gem left, Roxana won’t be able to find it even if she searches my bedroom.”
The Avatar Sword was already in my heart.
“But Zelda. Even if I knew all this, I would have stopped you.”
He said as he hugged me with both arms. Our hearts met.
As I felt his heart pounding, the newly created blood from the imprint circulated quickly in my body.
“That’s why I didn’t tell you in advance. I’m really sorry.”
“You’re safe, so that’s fine. And since you’ve become stronger from the imprint with the Avatar Sword, can I just trust you, Lady Zelda?”
I became even more playful at his playful words.
“Yes, just trust me.”
Linel laughed as if he were dumbfounded.
Then he spoke to me in a serious voice again.
“The fact that you are imprinted with the Avatar Sword means that you can move the wyvern. If this fact becomes known to the continent, then maybe...”
“Everyone will want to be friends with me, right?”
I blurted out jokingly.
Tonight, I wanted to put my troublesome thoughts aside and spend a comfortable night alone with him.
He noticed my intention and relaxed his serious expression.
“Yes. Don’t befriend others so carelessly. You're my Zelda.”
***
At the same time, in the Empress’s Palace, Roxana and Princess Resilia were sitting across from each other, drinking tea.
Roxana went to the room where Resilia was locked up and poured her some black tea herself.
‘What are you up to today?’
Princess Resilia glanced at Roxana and sipped her tea.
“Will Prince Tesla bring me the wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword back? What do you think, Princess?”
Roxana’s hypocritical tone made her teeth chatter, but Princess Resilia also opened her mouth with a fake smile.
“I have nothing to do with that, so I don’t know, but if it was something my brother did... Of course it would be right.”
“Right? No matter how great they are, they are not more precious than the life of my only sister.”
“...Yes. That, of course.”
Princess Resilia, who was drinking her tea, almost heard the sound of a squeal. An awkward silence was about to flow when Hetor entered the room without knocking and with a flushed face.
“What’s going on?”
Roxana asked with a displeased look.
Hetor, conscious of Princess Resilia, politely relayed the news to Roxana.
“We’re in trouble, Your Majesty, the Empress. I heard that Prince Tesla has been taken to prison.”
Roxana’s hands stopped drinking her tea at Hetor’s words.
“What? For what?”
“Why is my brother?!”
Roxana and Princess Resilia asked at the same time.
“He was caught by His Majesty while trying to assassinate Her Highness Zelda.”
“In Zelda’s quarters... Directly?”
Roxana rolled her eyes and asked.
“Yes, he was caught while trying to escape to the West Palace, where the concubines’ quarters were, and was sent to prison in a state of total destruction.”
“T-That can’t be true! You must have misunderstood something!”
Princess Resilia shouted, spilling all the black tea in her cup.
However, Roxana and Hetor ignored Princess Resilia and continued their conversation.
“Your Majesty’s reaction.”
“According to the knights who were present, if the secretary hadn’t stopped him, Prince Tesla would have been beaten to death by His Majesty on the spot.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Princess Resilia burst into tears and covered her mouth.
“Isn’t the Incarnation Sword in the former Empress’s quarters?”
Hetor asked Roxana in a low voice.
“Then... Are you saying that the disappearance of the Wyvern Egg and the Incarnation Sword wasn’t Prince Tesla’s doing?”
Roxana muttered as she looked at Princess Resilia, who was shedding tears.
“How many times have I told you otherwise! Why can’t you trust people? I knew it was Zelda... I knew it!”
Princess Resilia slapped her dress and vented her frustration.
“Shut up!”
Roxana, with a look of disgust at Princess Resilia’s tears, got up from her chair and slapped her across the face.
“Ah! Huhu, why are you hitting me? Who is the one who imprisoned an innocent person and cornered my brother? Why are you hitting me, why, why!”
Princess Resilia sank to the floor and cried loudly.
Roxana, whose already tangled mind was even more complicated by Princess Resilia’s tears, went out the door with Hetor.
“If Prince Tesla moved it himself, then the Avatar Sword must have been in Zelda’s residence. There’s no doubt about it!”
“If the former Empress has the Avatar Sword, then there must also be a wyvern egg, and if it hatches by any chance...”
“Absolutely not! It’s me. I’m the owner of that wyvern egg! What do I do? What do I do now...?”
Roxana clung to Hetor’s arm and pleaded.
Hetor tried to soothe her.
“I’ll bribe the guards in the spire. First, I think it would be best to go see Prince Tesla, who’s locked up in prison.”
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