But Melanie instinctively shut her mouth tightly.
Judging by her still swollen cheeks, fortunately, the antidote was still in her mouth.
"Melanie! You absolutely, absolutely must not swallow what you just drank!"
If you swallow that, Hetor will kill you!
"?"
Melanie rolled her eyes at me at my near-scream.
"Give it to Hetor. Give it to him quickly! Hurry up and give it to him! Yeah?"
"That's right, Melanie. If you don't want a funeral on your birthday, just give it to him!"
Linel also offered Melanie some heartfelt advice.
"?"
Melanie's already large eyes widened even more at our repeated advice, almost bulging out.
Hetor continued to struggle to pry open Melanie's mouth, which had just emptied its contents into a single gulp.
"Open it up!"
In a fit of urgency, I even pretended to open my mouth wide with both hands.
It was a veritable pandemonium.
I was nervous that Hetor would rip her mouth open. But thankfully, that didn't happen.
Finally, Melanie opened her tightly clenched mouth, and Hetor desperately began to slurp the antidote in her mouth.
"Ugh, what the heck is this, uh...!"
Melanie looked confused, but also delighted.
"This is so uh... passionate?!"
Judging by her still swollen cheeks, fortunately, the antidote was still in her mouth.
"Melanie! You absolutely, absolutely must not swallow what you just drank!"
If you swallow that, Hetor will kill you!
"?"
Melanie rolled her eyes at me at my near-scream.
"Give it to Hetor. Give it to him quickly! Hurry up and give it to him! Yeah?"
"That's right, Melanie. If you don't want a funeral on your birthday, just give it to him!"
Linel also offered Melanie some heartfelt advice.
"?"
Melanie's already large eyes widened even more at our repeated advice, almost bulging out.
Hetor continued to struggle to pry open Melanie's mouth, which had just emptied its contents into a single gulp.
"Open it up!"
In a fit of urgency, I even pretended to open my mouth wide with both hands.
It was a veritable pandemonium.
I was nervous that Hetor would rip her mouth open. But thankfully, that didn't happen.
Finally, Melanie opened her tightly clenched mouth, and Hetor desperately began to slurp the antidote in her mouth.
"Ugh, what the heck is this, uh...!"
Melanie looked confused, but also delighted.
"This is so uh... passionate?!"
She seemed delighted.
How positive.
I admired Melanie's wit for using the word "passionate" in this situation.
After a moment, Hetor removed his hand from Melanie's face and let her go.
Whenever he kept his mouth shut, Melanie continued to thrust her face into Hetor's with a look of regret.
Hetor, who had inhaled the antidote from Melanie, frowned and lowered his head as if a headache was coming on.
He blocked Melanie's forehead with his palm as she leaned in to kiss him.
Hmm... It didn't seem intentional.
With a thud, Melanie fell backwards from the recoil.
Linel caught her as she fell backwards with quick reflexes.
“Are you alright?”
“No, my forehead is numb, Your Majesty.”
“No. Not you, Hetor.”
“Huh? I’m the one who fell and almost cracked my head?!”
“Zelda. Cover Melanie’s mouth, try.”
Linel shoved Melanie towards me.
Despite the slight push, Melanie stumbled like a scarecrow and fell into my arms.
“Oh my, even though I like Your Highness Zelda, I don’t want to kiss her!”
What nonsense is she talking about?
“Please keep your mouth shut.”
I covered Melanie’s mouth with my hand.
Meanwhile, Linel grabbed Hetor’s shoulder and asked again,
“Do you have a bad headache?”
“Yes... Why does my head hurt so much, like it’s going to split open...!”
Linel barely managed to catch Hetor as he fell to the floor and sat him down on a chair.
“Hetor... Why, why are you like this?”
Melanie approached Hetor with a worried expression.
“Melanie, leave him alone for a moment.”
I stopped her.
A few minutes later, Hetor looked up, his headache gone.
“How are you feeling?”
Linel asked.
“You said it was an antidote, but that was nonsense, wasn’t it? My head is splitting and nothing has changed...”
Hetor tapped the side of his head with the back of his hand and asked me questioningly.
“According to the magic master, the headache is a sign that the antidote is working. And once the headache goes away, you're back to normal.”
Linel explained, sitting across from Hetor.
“Then how do we know that ‘that..’ has been lifted?”
Hetor continued his questioning, but, conscious of Melanie, he avoided the word “submission potion” and instead used “that.”
Melanie, sensing that now was not the time to intervene, remained silent.
"They say 'that' thing takes effect after you see 'that face,'"
Linel replied to Hetor, aware of Melanie.
Melanie, listening to the two men's meaningful conversation, looked at me, her eyes begging for an explanation of what was going on.
"You'll hear from Hetor later..."
It seemed better to hear it directly from the person involved than from me.
"You have to see that face... to finally break free."
"So that's what they said. Are you planning to go right now?"
Hetor, washing his face dry, was conflicted at Linel's question.
If it were me, I would immediately go to Roxana to check if the antidote had worked properly, but Hetor chose differently.
"I'll go after lunch."
"Why?"
Instead of answering, Hetor raised his head and looked at Melanie.
"Because it's Melanie's birthday?"
He asked with a smile, and Hetor admitted calmly.
"Yes, I was invited to lunch too."
"Of course!"
Melanie beamed at Hetor's words.
"I thought we were leaving for the Pasha Empire today, so I couldn't prepare a birthday party, but we all have to have lunch together! No one can leave my palace until we finish dessert, you all know that."
"Are you sure you're okay with that?"
Linel sighed and asked Hetor's opinion.
"I've been 'that way' for months, so how much longer is it to stay like this?"
"Well, that's true."
“Her Highness Rosie and Prince Norton will be here soon. I told them to come straight to the dining room for dinner, so we should go down now.”
Melanie said, looking excitedly at the clock in Hetor’s room.
Linel and Hetor rose from their chairs at her words.
“I was already hungry. You must be a little hungry now, since you just ate something... hahaha.”
Linel teased Hetor, stroking his lips. Hetor’s earlobes instantly turned red.
However, Melanie didn’t get Linel’s joke and clung to Hetor, narrowing her eyes and questioning him.
“Did His Majesty catch you eating something by yourself?”
“...”
As we approached the dining room door, Rosie and Prince Norton came walking affectionately from afar.
“Your Highness Zelda! Oh, it’s His Majesty the Emperor!”
Rosie greeted me warmly, then was startled to see Linel next to me.
“I didn’t know His Majesty would come too.”
Prince Norton, though surprised, seemed to welcome his arrival.
After entering the dining room, we split up and sat at the table of honor.
Melanie, the birthday girl, sat at the head table, Linel and I to the right, and Rosie and Prince Norton to the left.
“His Majesty’s arrival has made the seating arrangements a bit awkward.”
Melanie said with a glum expression.
“What would the original arrangement have been like if I hadn’t come?”
“I was planning on having Her Highness Zelda and Her Highness Rosie on the right, and Hetor and Prince Norton on the left.”
“Aha, so you’re saying that Hetor’s seat is now awkward because I got in the way.”
Linel looked at me with a hurt expression and forced a tearful expression. To think the Emperor of the Lapion Empire would be treated like this, and by a concubine at that.
“There’s an empty seat over there? Hetor can just sit over there.”
I pointed to the far head table opposite Melanie.
It was my own form of revenge.
Rosie followed my finger and burst out laughing.
“It’s so far! If Your Majesty allows, I’d like him to sit next to me.”
As expected, Melanie jumped up and spoke to Linel in a suddenly polite tone.
“Why do you need my permission?”
“Because I’m legally Your Majesty’s concubine. Not yet.”
Melanie put a lot of emphasis on the word “not yet.”
“Fine. It’s my birthday present.”
Linel replied, one corner of his mouth raised.
He looked at Hetor, who was standing alone like a lost sheep.
“Congratulations on winning the penalty. Bring a chair and sit next to Melanie.”
“Hmph! Your Majesty, a penalty?”
Melanie grumbled, making a horse’s whine.
Hetor quietly walked over to Prince Norton and, instead of moving the chair, sat down.
“What, why are you sitting there? I said, Come sit next to me?”
Melanie tapped the table next to her, looking at Hetor.
“No. I’ll eat here.”
Hetor gave Melanie a look of embarrassment, warning her not to do so.
“Your Majesty! The gift refuses Your Majesty’s orders! Hee-ing!”
Melanie shouted at him.
“Yes. What are you going to do if you blatantly refuse the Emperor’s orders? I didn’t even bring Macrom.”
Linel took Melanie’s side and threatened Hetor.
“...I’m sorry. I will follow Your Majesty’s orders.”
Hetor then quietly stood up, picked up a chair, and walked over to Melanie.
Linel whispered to Melanie with a smug expression,
“I hope you’re satisfied with my gift.”
“Yes. It’s a very satisfying birthday present, Your Majesty!”
After a somewhat cheerful meal, the cake Rosie brought from the palace was served for dessert.
“Your Majesty, may I rise first?”
Hetor asked Linel politely.
It seemed he was going to the Empress’s Palace to meet Roxana.
Yes, he’d held out for Melanie long enough.
“Why are you asking me? You should ask the birthday girl.”
When he deferred the decision to Melanie, she looked closely at Hetor.
“Is it because you’re feeling unwell from the headache you had earlier?”
“...Yes, I think I’ll feel better after I get some fresh air.”
“Then go. But you have to come quickly.”
Did she expect him to hold on?
Melanie surprisingly dismissed Hetor coolly.
“Thank you. When I return, I’ll bring your gift.”
“Fine. Just get rid of the headache and come back.”
Those words sounded like she was telling Roxana, who had administered the obedience potion, to completely get away from him.
Melanie, who still knew nothing about the antidote, had said it without much thought, but Hetor looked quite touched.
Did Melanie know?
How important her words had just been to Hetor.
After lunch, Hetor left Melanie's palace and headed straight to the Empress's Palace. He considered stopping by the main palace to see Bellos before going to the Empress's Palace, but even if he did, he didn't think he could get any advice other than what Emperor Linel had told him.
'We'll know right away when we meet Roxana,' he thought.
He wondered how he would feel after the antidote wore off.
And what memories would surface before he took it?
However, he was worried that he would feel so angry that he couldn't control himself.
If that happened, he would likely be excluded from Roxana and Emperor Adrian's plans.
Not only that, but his own life would be in danger.
So, after seeing Roxana's face, he vowed never to show it, even if memories and emotions from before taking the obedience potion came flooding back.
He hadn't seen or heard of the exact symptoms of someone who had taken the potion and then detoxed, so he didn't think much of it.
"Patience for the greater good."
He remembered Emperor Linel's quiet whisper to him before leaving the dining room.
He had answered yes when asked if he could, but he wasn't sure.
"Patience" didn't suit him.
Hetor climbed the stairs to the Empress's palace and reached the bedroom.
Nancy, standing at the bedroom door, greeted him first.
"Welcome."
"Is Her Majesty inside?"
"Yes."
Nancy knocked on the bedroom door, and a voice called from within.
Roxana's voice alone hadn't yet made any difference.
Hetor opened the door and entered the bedroom.
She was sitting at a table outside on the terrace, leisurely sipping tea.
Nana, the bulldog sitting at her feet, approached, wagging her short tail at the sight of Hetor.
Hetor bent down and stroked Nana's wrinkled jawline with his hand. Then, he saw Roxana's profile, sitting in the sunlight.
"You're here?"
Roxana avoided looking at Hetor, sipping her tea, and gazing out into the garden.
Hetor slowly approached her and stopped in front of her.
"What are you doing? You're not sitting. Sit down."
Roxana gestured to the seat in front of her and commanded Hetor.
Nana, who had been wagging her tail beside her, plopped down on the floor.
Nana had obeyed Roxana's command in Hetor's stead.
Perhaps because she seemed to resemble her own loyal dog.
Hetor looked down at Nana and snorted.
"You're right here. I was just about to call you. Soon..."
Roxana, sensing something was off, cut herself off, set down her teacup, and looked up at Hetor.
"But, why are you staring at me like that?"
Their eyes met.
Hetor's pupils twitched violently.
Memories and emotions from before he took the obedience potion began to surface.
“You, you...”
Hetor unconsciously reached out his hand towards Roxana’s slender neck.
How positive.
I admired Melanie's wit for using the word "passionate" in this situation.
After a moment, Hetor removed his hand from Melanie's face and let her go.
Whenever he kept his mouth shut, Melanie continued to thrust her face into Hetor's with a look of regret.
Hetor, who had inhaled the antidote from Melanie, frowned and lowered his head as if a headache was coming on.
He blocked Melanie's forehead with his palm as she leaned in to kiss him.
Hmm... It didn't seem intentional.
With a thud, Melanie fell backwards from the recoil.
Linel caught her as she fell backwards with quick reflexes.
“Are you alright?”
“No, my forehead is numb, Your Majesty.”
“No. Not you, Hetor.”
“Huh? I’m the one who fell and almost cracked my head?!”
“Zelda. Cover Melanie’s mouth, try.”
Linel shoved Melanie towards me.
Despite the slight push, Melanie stumbled like a scarecrow and fell into my arms.
“Oh my, even though I like Your Highness Zelda, I don’t want to kiss her!”
What nonsense is she talking about?
“Please keep your mouth shut.”
I covered Melanie’s mouth with my hand.
Meanwhile, Linel grabbed Hetor’s shoulder and asked again,
“Do you have a bad headache?”
“Yes... Why does my head hurt so much, like it’s going to split open...!”
Linel barely managed to catch Hetor as he fell to the floor and sat him down on a chair.
“Hetor... Why, why are you like this?”
Melanie approached Hetor with a worried expression.
“Melanie, leave him alone for a moment.”
I stopped her.
A few minutes later, Hetor looked up, his headache gone.
“How are you feeling?”
Linel asked.
“You said it was an antidote, but that was nonsense, wasn’t it? My head is splitting and nothing has changed...”
Hetor tapped the side of his head with the back of his hand and asked me questioningly.
“According to the magic master, the headache is a sign that the antidote is working. And once the headache goes away, you're back to normal.”
Linel explained, sitting across from Hetor.
“Then how do we know that ‘that..’ has been lifted?”
Hetor continued his questioning, but, conscious of Melanie, he avoided the word “submission potion” and instead used “that.”
Melanie, sensing that now was not the time to intervene, remained silent.
"They say 'that' thing takes effect after you see 'that face,'"
Linel replied to Hetor, aware of Melanie.
Melanie, listening to the two men's meaningful conversation, looked at me, her eyes begging for an explanation of what was going on.
"You'll hear from Hetor later..."
It seemed better to hear it directly from the person involved than from me.
"You have to see that face... to finally break free."
"So that's what they said. Are you planning to go right now?"
Hetor, washing his face dry, was conflicted at Linel's question.
If it were me, I would immediately go to Roxana to check if the antidote had worked properly, but Hetor chose differently.
"I'll go after lunch."
"Why?"
Instead of answering, Hetor raised his head and looked at Melanie.
"Because it's Melanie's birthday?"
He asked with a smile, and Hetor admitted calmly.
"Yes, I was invited to lunch too."
"Of course!"
Melanie beamed at Hetor's words.
"I thought we were leaving for the Pasha Empire today, so I couldn't prepare a birthday party, but we all have to have lunch together! No one can leave my palace until we finish dessert, you all know that."
"Are you sure you're okay with that?"
Linel sighed and asked Hetor's opinion.
"I've been 'that way' for months, so how much longer is it to stay like this?"
"Well, that's true."
“Her Highness Rosie and Prince Norton will be here soon. I told them to come straight to the dining room for dinner, so we should go down now.”
Melanie said, looking excitedly at the clock in Hetor’s room.
Linel and Hetor rose from their chairs at her words.
“I was already hungry. You must be a little hungry now, since you just ate something... hahaha.”
Linel teased Hetor, stroking his lips. Hetor’s earlobes instantly turned red.
However, Melanie didn’t get Linel’s joke and clung to Hetor, narrowing her eyes and questioning him.
“Did His Majesty catch you eating something by yourself?”
“...”
***
As we approached the dining room door, Rosie and Prince Norton came walking affectionately from afar.
“Your Highness Zelda! Oh, it’s His Majesty the Emperor!”
Rosie greeted me warmly, then was startled to see Linel next to me.
“I didn’t know His Majesty would come too.”
Prince Norton, though surprised, seemed to welcome his arrival.
After entering the dining room, we split up and sat at the table of honor.
Melanie, the birthday girl, sat at the head table, Linel and I to the right, and Rosie and Prince Norton to the left.
“His Majesty’s arrival has made the seating arrangements a bit awkward.”
Melanie said with a glum expression.
“What would the original arrangement have been like if I hadn’t come?”
“I was planning on having Her Highness Zelda and Her Highness Rosie on the right, and Hetor and Prince Norton on the left.”
“Aha, so you’re saying that Hetor’s seat is now awkward because I got in the way.”
Linel looked at me with a hurt expression and forced a tearful expression. To think the Emperor of the Lapion Empire would be treated like this, and by a concubine at that.
“There’s an empty seat over there? Hetor can just sit over there.”
I pointed to the far head table opposite Melanie.
It was my own form of revenge.
Rosie followed my finger and burst out laughing.
“It’s so far! If Your Majesty allows, I’d like him to sit next to me.”
As expected, Melanie jumped up and spoke to Linel in a suddenly polite tone.
“Why do you need my permission?”
“Because I’m legally Your Majesty’s concubine. Not yet.”
Melanie put a lot of emphasis on the word “not yet.”
“Fine. It’s my birthday present.”
Linel replied, one corner of his mouth raised.
He looked at Hetor, who was standing alone like a lost sheep.
“Congratulations on winning the penalty. Bring a chair and sit next to Melanie.”
“Hmph! Your Majesty, a penalty?”
Melanie grumbled, making a horse’s whine.
Hetor quietly walked over to Prince Norton and, instead of moving the chair, sat down.
“What, why are you sitting there? I said, Come sit next to me?”
Melanie tapped the table next to her, looking at Hetor.
“No. I’ll eat here.”
Hetor gave Melanie a look of embarrassment, warning her not to do so.
“Your Majesty! The gift refuses Your Majesty’s orders! Hee-ing!”
Melanie shouted at him.
“Yes. What are you going to do if you blatantly refuse the Emperor’s orders? I didn’t even bring Macrom.”
Linel took Melanie’s side and threatened Hetor.
“...I’m sorry. I will follow Your Majesty’s orders.”
Hetor then quietly stood up, picked up a chair, and walked over to Melanie.
Linel whispered to Melanie with a smug expression,
“I hope you’re satisfied with my gift.”
“Yes. It’s a very satisfying birthday present, Your Majesty!”
After a somewhat cheerful meal, the cake Rosie brought from the palace was served for dessert.
“Your Majesty, may I rise first?”
Hetor asked Linel politely.
It seemed he was going to the Empress’s Palace to meet Roxana.
Yes, he’d held out for Melanie long enough.
“Why are you asking me? You should ask the birthday girl.”
When he deferred the decision to Melanie, she looked closely at Hetor.
“Is it because you’re feeling unwell from the headache you had earlier?”
“...Yes, I think I’ll feel better after I get some fresh air.”
“Then go. But you have to come quickly.”
Did she expect him to hold on?
Melanie surprisingly dismissed Hetor coolly.
“Thank you. When I return, I’ll bring your gift.”
“Fine. Just get rid of the headache and come back.”
Those words sounded like she was telling Roxana, who had administered the obedience potion, to completely get away from him.
Melanie, who still knew nothing about the antidote, had said it without much thought, but Hetor looked quite touched.
Did Melanie know?
How important her words had just been to Hetor.
***
After lunch, Hetor left Melanie's palace and headed straight to the Empress's Palace. He considered stopping by the main palace to see Bellos before going to the Empress's Palace, but even if he did, he didn't think he could get any advice other than what Emperor Linel had told him.
'We'll know right away when we meet Roxana,' he thought.
He wondered how he would feel after the antidote wore off.
And what memories would surface before he took it?
However, he was worried that he would feel so angry that he couldn't control himself.
If that happened, he would likely be excluded from Roxana and Emperor Adrian's plans.
Not only that, but his own life would be in danger.
So, after seeing Roxana's face, he vowed never to show it, even if memories and emotions from before taking the obedience potion came flooding back.
He hadn't seen or heard of the exact symptoms of someone who had taken the potion and then detoxed, so he didn't think much of it.
"Patience for the greater good."
He remembered Emperor Linel's quiet whisper to him before leaving the dining room.
He had answered yes when asked if he could, but he wasn't sure.
"Patience" didn't suit him.
Hetor climbed the stairs to the Empress's palace and reached the bedroom.
Nancy, standing at the bedroom door, greeted him first.
"Welcome."
"Is Her Majesty inside?"
"Yes."
Nancy knocked on the bedroom door, and a voice called from within.
Roxana's voice alone hadn't yet made any difference.
Hetor opened the door and entered the bedroom.
She was sitting at a table outside on the terrace, leisurely sipping tea.
Nana, the bulldog sitting at her feet, approached, wagging her short tail at the sight of Hetor.
Hetor bent down and stroked Nana's wrinkled jawline with his hand. Then, he saw Roxana's profile, sitting in the sunlight.
"You're here?"
Roxana avoided looking at Hetor, sipping her tea, and gazing out into the garden.
Hetor slowly approached her and stopped in front of her.
"What are you doing? You're not sitting. Sit down."
Roxana gestured to the seat in front of her and commanded Hetor.
Nana, who had been wagging her tail beside her, plopped down on the floor.
Nana had obeyed Roxana's command in Hetor's stead.
Perhaps because she seemed to resemble her own loyal dog.
Hetor looked down at Nana and snorted.
"You're right here. I was just about to call you. Soon..."
Roxana, sensing something was off, cut herself off, set down her teacup, and looked up at Hetor.
"But, why are you staring at me like that?"
Their eyes met.
Hetor's pupils twitched violently.
Memories and emotions from before he took the obedience potion began to surface.
“You, you...”
Hetor unconsciously reached out his hand towards Roxana’s slender neck.
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