Melanie stared intently at my mouth, as if looking into a jewel box.
Ah, such a burdensome gaze.
"Why are you suddenly asking about family plans?"
I asked, putting some distance between me and Melanie, and she clung to me like a magnet.
"The peace of the continent depends on Your Majesty, the Empress."
Melanie replied, staring intently at my belly.
Ah, such a burdensome gaze.
"Why are you suddenly asking about family plans?"
I asked, putting some distance between me and Melanie, and she clung to me like a magnet.
"The peace of the continent depends on Your Majesty, the Empress."
Melanie replied, staring intently at my belly.
"...As I already said, I have absolutely no intention of using wyverns to rule the continent."
"It's not about wyverns, Your Majesty the Empress."
Rosie spoke with a longing look in her eyes, and Catherine and Pecilini, standing next to her, looked at me with similar eyes.
Why are they all acting like this?
The concubines placed their hands on their bellies and looked at me affectionately.
Ah, I had a feeling.
It seemed like they were talking about the marriages of their unborn children.
"I want my children to marry people of their own choosing, not political marriages."
“Oh, how naive,”
Catherine said, one eyebrow raised crookedly.
Melanie followed Catherine’s smile and added,
“If you don’t want a political marriage, why don’t you arrange a natural meeting first?”
“I don’t think it’s right to already decide on partners for unborn children.”
I answered, careful not to offend the concubines as I served food on plates.
“Then let’s talk again after the birth. You may have only sons or only daughters. In any case, Your Majesty, I hope you have many children.”
“Yes. You too, Melanie.”
“No problem for me. I have a high probability of pregnancy relative to the effort I put in.”
Melanie boasted, her voice full of pride. Everyone looked at her with disapproving eyes, but no one dared to argue with her.
After serving the food, the concubines all gathered around the round table.
I quietly spoke to Rosie, who was sitting next to me.
“I heard from Moiya and Moni last night.”
"Huh?"
"Moiya's slip of the tongue. Even though he's just a baby, he's so clueless after living in an egg for nearly 300 years. Why are you talking about belly fat when the Prince is here? Why?"
Rosie, who had been listening to me, tried to put a large piece of steak in her mouth, but put it down and cut it in half.
"Why, just eat it."
"I think I need to lose some belly fat before the wedding. Moiya actually doesn't lie, you know..."
That's true.
I couldn't say it out loud, so I answered with a silent smile.
"Then you shouldn't eat the bread. I'll eat it for you. The baby wants it."
Bringing up the still-formed baby, Melanie took a roll of bread slathered with butter and strawberry jam from Rosie's plate.
"Yes, Your Highness Melanie, have some..."
Rosie replied weakly, stuffing the thinly sliced steak into her mouth.
At the other table, Linel kept giving me glances.
He's our romance writer... So, he gestured to Melanie with his chin, as if to inquire about Hetor's writing activities.
I nodded to him and then casually chatted with Melanie.
"Didn't Hetor say he lost his notebook?"
"Ugh, ugh, how did you know?"
Melanie asked, her eyes darting back and forth.
"His Majesty found it in the pantry yesterday."
"I don't think... His Majesty... has seen that notebook?"
Yeah. I have, too.
"Well? I don't know about that."
I pretended not to know, since there were so many people listening.
Judging by Melanie's relieved expression, she knew that Hetor was writing novels, romance novels at that.
If it were just a novel, she wouldn't be so worried.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Hetor?"
I asked Melanie, looking around the restaurant.
“Oh, he said he was tired from churning up his stomach yesterday looking for that notebook. He said he wanted to close his eyes rather than eat breakfast. But actually, it was more like he had no appetite because he lost the notebook than because he was tired.”
“Tell him not to worry. His Majesty was going to return it after dinner anyway,”
I said to Melanie, exchanging glances with Linel.
“That’s good. But really... I wonder if His Majesty hasn’t seen that notebook?”
“Why? Is there something important in it?”
I shrugged and pretended not to know.
“Hmm... I think it’s important to Hetor?”
Melanie answered vaguely, then quickly tore off a piece of bread and put it in her mouth.
Did Melanie not know the details? Or was she deliberately feigning ignorance to preserve Hetor's image? Or maybe she knew there was a romance novel, but didn't know what it was about.
"Hetor was really upset, so I'm glad you found it."
Melanie said, seeming delighted as if it were her own. Rosie burst out laughing and teased,
"He's a bit more sensitive than he looks, aren't he? He's upset over a small notebook, not even a weapon."
"Yes, you're not feminine on the inside like Prince Norton,"
Melanie countered, laughing in unison.
"My. The Prince may look feminine on the outside, but he's so wild on the inside..."
Rosie... what? A beast? A savage? Wild?
Why did you stop talking?
Rosie raised her voice in anger, but when my gaze focused on her, she lowered her head and ate her soup absentmindedly.
"The Prince was quite wild last night, wasn't he?"
I asked the ventriloquist, and Rosie's face almost sank into her soup bowl.
"That's only true for Hetor."
Melanie said with a hint of boastfulness.
Catherine, who had been eating with a haughty expression, moved her lips in a ticklish manner before chiming in.
"Count Ethan is the very embodiment of passion. He's the head of the palace forge, isn't he? His job itself is passionate."
Catherine's shoulders rose as she spoke.
I glanced at the concubines with a mocking look. They seemed unaware that Linel was the man who possessed all of those qualities.
Well, how could they know, having never experienced it themself?
I quietly enjoyed my meal with a victor's smile.
At the same time, in the palace of the Pasha Empire.
Prince Calvain opened his eyes in bed and frowned as soon as he woke up.
He had been experiencing rapid fatigue recently, and this morning, he had even experienced numbness in his arms and legs.
It was a short time, but since this had never happened before, he planned to call the palace doctor today for a proper examination.
“Are you awake?”
Princess Jasper, who had woken up first, brought black tea into the bedroom herself.
“What is it?”
“Black tea. I brought it here after cooling it down just enough for you to drink.”
“My mouth was feeling a bit dry, so this is good.”
Prince Calvain drank the black tea his wife had brought him, oblivious to the poison strawberry powder dissolved in it.
“Today is the day the Lapion Empire’s celebratory delegation arrives.”
“The number of guests will have changed since we left.”
“What... do you think Emperor Adrian had planned on his way here?”
“The Emperor Adrian, I know, would have done so. He is the most obsessed with wyverns among the Emperors of the continent. He knows the Wyvern Lord. If there was a Wyvern Lord among the delegation, they wouldn’t have passed the Valley of Death without a fight.”
“Then you should have warned Prince Norton in advance to be careful. It could be dangerous,”
Princess Jasper said, frowning slightly.
“Emperor Adrian is after the Wyvern Lord anyway. He can’t just carelessly kill the younger brother of the soon-to-be Emperor of the Pasha Empire.”
“That’s true...”
“We’ll first assess the guests who have arrived and move accordingly... Ugh.”
Prince Calvain continued, then placed a hand near his heart, groaning in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
Princess Jasper quickly supported Prince Calvain’s arm and asked.
“My heart has been pounding for some strange reason lately. My head is spinning too.”
“It’s probably because you're so focused on the coronation ceremony. Please lie down a little longer.”
“Hmm, right. Jasper, you’ve been looking quite gaunt lately. How about we rest together?”
“I’ll wash up first. Then.”
Princess Jasper pulled his hand away, forcing a smile to lift.
"Then I guess I should get some shut-eye in the meantime."
"Yes, that would be good. You don't look well."
It was clear that the toxicity of the dried poison strawberry had spread throughout Prince Calvain's body.
Princess Jasper, hiding her satisfied smile, leisurely headed to the bathroom.
After enjoying a leisurely morning bath for an hour, Princess Jasper re-entered the bedroom and shouted,
"...Your Highness!"
She dropped the towel she was holding onto the floor.
Prince Calvain collapsed on the floor next to the bed, clutching his chest.
***
After breakfast, Linel and I visited Empress Elan's chambers to check on her condition.
We relayed to her the news that Emperor Adrian and Roxana had been killed by the Galacos the night before.
Empress Elan, suddenly feeling an appetite, rose from bed, ready to head to the dining room for breakfast.
However, she felt it was too much to walk, so she sent a servant to bring food.
Empress Elan, her worries vanished, showed a hearty appetite.
Seeing her, I felt a sense of relief.
Sooner or later, we had to inform the key ministers of the Tebello Empire of Emperor Adrian's death.
Linel insisted on revealing that Philike had already used black magic to kill Emperor Adrian's spirit three years ago, inhabited his body, and assumed the role of Emperor.
Empress Elan wholeheartedly agreed.
The problem was that the Tebello Empire had no royal bloodline to inherit the throne.
The Tebello Empire was likely to become a state jointly governed by several nations.
First, we decided to discuss this issue again at a gathering of distinguished guests from various countries in the Pasha Empire after Empress Elan recovered.
As we left Empress Elan's quarters and walked down the hallway, we ran into Hetor heading toward the dining room.
"Good night,"
Hetor greeted us.
"No. I couldn't sleep because of you."
Linel replied with sleepy eyes.
"Huh?"
"You're also good with a pen, aren't you?"
He blurted out.
Oh my goodness.
"What are you talking about..."
"It's not about wyverns, Your Majesty the Empress."
Rosie spoke with a longing look in her eyes, and Catherine and Pecilini, standing next to her, looked at me with similar eyes.
Why are they all acting like this?
The concubines placed their hands on their bellies and looked at me affectionately.
Ah, I had a feeling.
It seemed like they were talking about the marriages of their unborn children.
"I want my children to marry people of their own choosing, not political marriages."
“Oh, how naive,”
Catherine said, one eyebrow raised crookedly.
Melanie followed Catherine’s smile and added,
“If you don’t want a political marriage, why don’t you arrange a natural meeting first?”
“I don’t think it’s right to already decide on partners for unborn children.”
I answered, careful not to offend the concubines as I served food on plates.
“Then let’s talk again after the birth. You may have only sons or only daughters. In any case, Your Majesty, I hope you have many children.”
“Yes. You too, Melanie.”
“No problem for me. I have a high probability of pregnancy relative to the effort I put in.”
Melanie boasted, her voice full of pride. Everyone looked at her with disapproving eyes, but no one dared to argue with her.
After serving the food, the concubines all gathered around the round table.
I quietly spoke to Rosie, who was sitting next to me.
“I heard from Moiya and Moni last night.”
"Huh?"
"Moiya's slip of the tongue. Even though he's just a baby, he's so clueless after living in an egg for nearly 300 years. Why are you talking about belly fat when the Prince is here? Why?"
Rosie, who had been listening to me, tried to put a large piece of steak in her mouth, but put it down and cut it in half.
"Why, just eat it."
"I think I need to lose some belly fat before the wedding. Moiya actually doesn't lie, you know..."
That's true.
I couldn't say it out loud, so I answered with a silent smile.
"Then you shouldn't eat the bread. I'll eat it for you. The baby wants it."
Bringing up the still-formed baby, Melanie took a roll of bread slathered with butter and strawberry jam from Rosie's plate.
"Yes, Your Highness Melanie, have some..."
Rosie replied weakly, stuffing the thinly sliced steak into her mouth.
At the other table, Linel kept giving me glances.
He's our romance writer... So, he gestured to Melanie with his chin, as if to inquire about Hetor's writing activities.
I nodded to him and then casually chatted with Melanie.
"Didn't Hetor say he lost his notebook?"
"Ugh, ugh, how did you know?"
Melanie asked, her eyes darting back and forth.
"His Majesty found it in the pantry yesterday."
"I don't think... His Majesty... has seen that notebook?"
Yeah. I have, too.
"Well? I don't know about that."
I pretended not to know, since there were so many people listening.
Judging by Melanie's relieved expression, she knew that Hetor was writing novels, romance novels at that.
If it were just a novel, she wouldn't be so worried.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Hetor?"
I asked Melanie, looking around the restaurant.
“Oh, he said he was tired from churning up his stomach yesterday looking for that notebook. He said he wanted to close his eyes rather than eat breakfast. But actually, it was more like he had no appetite because he lost the notebook than because he was tired.”
“Tell him not to worry. His Majesty was going to return it after dinner anyway,”
I said to Melanie, exchanging glances with Linel.
“That’s good. But really... I wonder if His Majesty hasn’t seen that notebook?”
“Why? Is there something important in it?”
I shrugged and pretended not to know.
“Hmm... I think it’s important to Hetor?”
Melanie answered vaguely, then quickly tore off a piece of bread and put it in her mouth.
Did Melanie not know the details? Or was she deliberately feigning ignorance to preserve Hetor's image? Or maybe she knew there was a romance novel, but didn't know what it was about.
"Hetor was really upset, so I'm glad you found it."
Melanie said, seeming delighted as if it were her own. Rosie burst out laughing and teased,
"He's a bit more sensitive than he looks, aren't he? He's upset over a small notebook, not even a weapon."
"Yes, you're not feminine on the inside like Prince Norton,"
Melanie countered, laughing in unison.
"My. The Prince may look feminine on the outside, but he's so wild on the inside..."
Rosie... what? A beast? A savage? Wild?
Why did you stop talking?
Rosie raised her voice in anger, but when my gaze focused on her, she lowered her head and ate her soup absentmindedly.
"The Prince was quite wild last night, wasn't he?"
I asked the ventriloquist, and Rosie's face almost sank into her soup bowl.
"That's only true for Hetor."
Melanie said with a hint of boastfulness.
Catherine, who had been eating with a haughty expression, moved her lips in a ticklish manner before chiming in.
"Count Ethan is the very embodiment of passion. He's the head of the palace forge, isn't he? His job itself is passionate."
Catherine's shoulders rose as she spoke.
I glanced at the concubines with a mocking look. They seemed unaware that Linel was the man who possessed all of those qualities.
Well, how could they know, having never experienced it themself?
I quietly enjoyed my meal with a victor's smile.
***
At the same time, in the palace of the Pasha Empire.
Prince Calvain opened his eyes in bed and frowned as soon as he woke up.
He had been experiencing rapid fatigue recently, and this morning, he had even experienced numbness in his arms and legs.
It was a short time, but since this had never happened before, he planned to call the palace doctor today for a proper examination.
“Are you awake?”
Princess Jasper, who had woken up first, brought black tea into the bedroom herself.
“What is it?”
“Black tea. I brought it here after cooling it down just enough for you to drink.”
“My mouth was feeling a bit dry, so this is good.”
Prince Calvain drank the black tea his wife had brought him, oblivious to the poison strawberry powder dissolved in it.
“Today is the day the Lapion Empire’s celebratory delegation arrives.”
“The number of guests will have changed since we left.”
“What... do you think Emperor Adrian had planned on his way here?”
“The Emperor Adrian, I know, would have done so. He is the most obsessed with wyverns among the Emperors of the continent. He knows the Wyvern Lord. If there was a Wyvern Lord among the delegation, they wouldn’t have passed the Valley of Death without a fight.”
“Then you should have warned Prince Norton in advance to be careful. It could be dangerous,”
Princess Jasper said, frowning slightly.
“Emperor Adrian is after the Wyvern Lord anyway. He can’t just carelessly kill the younger brother of the soon-to-be Emperor of the Pasha Empire.”
“That’s true...”
“We’ll first assess the guests who have arrived and move accordingly... Ugh.”
Prince Calvain continued, then placed a hand near his heart, groaning in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
Princess Jasper quickly supported Prince Calvain’s arm and asked.
“My heart has been pounding for some strange reason lately. My head is spinning too.”
“It’s probably because you're so focused on the coronation ceremony. Please lie down a little longer.”
“Hmm, right. Jasper, you’ve been looking quite gaunt lately. How about we rest together?”
“I’ll wash up first. Then.”
Princess Jasper pulled his hand away, forcing a smile to lift.
"Then I guess I should get some shut-eye in the meantime."
"Yes, that would be good. You don't look well."
It was clear that the toxicity of the dried poison strawberry had spread throughout Prince Calvain's body.
Princess Jasper, hiding her satisfied smile, leisurely headed to the bathroom.
After enjoying a leisurely morning bath for an hour, Princess Jasper re-entered the bedroom and shouted,
"...Your Highness!"
She dropped the towel she was holding onto the floor.
Prince Calvain collapsed on the floor next to the bed, clutching his chest.
***
After breakfast, Linel and I visited Empress Elan's chambers to check on her condition.
We relayed to her the news that Emperor Adrian and Roxana had been killed by the Galacos the night before.
Empress Elan, suddenly feeling an appetite, rose from bed, ready to head to the dining room for breakfast.
However, she felt it was too much to walk, so she sent a servant to bring food.
Empress Elan, her worries vanished, showed a hearty appetite.
Seeing her, I felt a sense of relief.
Sooner or later, we had to inform the key ministers of the Tebello Empire of Emperor Adrian's death.
Linel insisted on revealing that Philike had already used black magic to kill Emperor Adrian's spirit three years ago, inhabited his body, and assumed the role of Emperor.
Empress Elan wholeheartedly agreed.
The problem was that the Tebello Empire had no royal bloodline to inherit the throne.
The Tebello Empire was likely to become a state jointly governed by several nations.
First, we decided to discuss this issue again at a gathering of distinguished guests from various countries in the Pasha Empire after Empress Elan recovered.
As we left Empress Elan's quarters and walked down the hallway, we ran into Hetor heading toward the dining room.
"Good night,"
Hetor greeted us.
"No. I couldn't sleep because of you."
Linel replied with sleepy eyes.
"Huh?"
"You're also good with a pen, aren't you?"
He blurted out.
Oh my goodness.
"What are you talking about..."
"Instead of 'Secret Chamber,' wouldn't you consider changing the title to 'The Secret Room' or 'The Hot Room'? That would be more catchy."
He mused, referring to the novel's title written in his notebook.
"!"
Hetor was startled and covered his mouth with his fist.
"When can we expect episode 12?"
He demanded.
This time, Hetor was backing up against the wall, on the verge of a fight.
“W-what are you talking about... I have no idea.”
“First, could you just tell me what the Duke said at the end?”
I gently pushed him aside, who was acting stubborn, and politely asked Hetor.
“!”
Hetor’s sturdy body, like a wooden pillar, tilted slightly to the side, as if in shock.
Linel caught Hetor and took a notebook out of his uniform pocket and handed it to him.
“Here it is.”
“My notebook... Your Majesty has it?!”
Hetor denied the reality, knowing that Linel had already read the contents of his notebook.
Hetor’s shocked mutterings were followed by his urging.
“When do you plan to start writing again?”
“Don’t stress a writer. He’ll write it himself.”
I whispered, poking his ribs.
“I ask you both. Please...”
Hetor clenched his fists around the notebook, clasping them together as if in prayer.
“I’ll keep it a secret from everyone else. That you’re writing a ‘romance’ novel.”
“...Thank you. Well, I’ll take my leave then.”
“So, when can we watch episode 12?”
“Yes?”
“Just tell me what Paul said to Susan’s older sister and then go.”
“!”
Linel asked what the male protagonist’s first line would be in the next novel, on the condition that he keep Hetor's secret hobby a secret.
It was a clear threat.
“I, I still... don’t know.”
Hetor stammered and shook his head.
Seriously. If the author doesn’t know, who will?
I held back my words, afraid that if I kept pressing him, he might become burdened and declare he’d stop writing.
Linel took a step back and whispered,
“I’ll wait.”
“Me too.”
We exchanged cheering looks.
Hetor scratched his head, nodded, and turned back the way we came.
“Didn’t he come to eat?”
Linel asked me, watching Hetor’s back as he left.
“Couldn’t he be going to write?”
“Oh, is that so?”
We walked to the guest room, watching Hetor’s back as he fled.
"Go on, I need to get some more sleep."
He mused, referring to the novel's title written in his notebook.
"!"
Hetor was startled and covered his mouth with his fist.
"When can we expect episode 12?"
He demanded.
This time, Hetor was backing up against the wall, on the verge of a fight.
“W-what are you talking about... I have no idea.”
“First, could you just tell me what the Duke said at the end?”
I gently pushed him aside, who was acting stubborn, and politely asked Hetor.
“!”
Hetor’s sturdy body, like a wooden pillar, tilted slightly to the side, as if in shock.
Linel caught Hetor and took a notebook out of his uniform pocket and handed it to him.
“Here it is.”
“My notebook... Your Majesty has it?!”
Hetor denied the reality, knowing that Linel had already read the contents of his notebook.
Hetor’s shocked mutterings were followed by his urging.
“When do you plan to start writing again?”
“Don’t stress a writer. He’ll write it himself.”
I whispered, poking his ribs.
“I ask you both. Please...”
Hetor clenched his fists around the notebook, clasping them together as if in prayer.
“I’ll keep it a secret from everyone else. That you’re writing a ‘romance’ novel.”
“...Thank you. Well, I’ll take my leave then.”
“So, when can we watch episode 12?”
“Yes?”
“Just tell me what Paul said to Susan’s older sister and then go.”
“!”
Linel asked what the male protagonist’s first line would be in the next novel, on the condition that he keep Hetor's secret hobby a secret.
It was a clear threat.
“I, I still... don’t know.”
Hetor stammered and shook his head.
Seriously. If the author doesn’t know, who will?
I held back my words, afraid that if I kept pressing him, he might become burdened and declare he’d stop writing.
Linel took a step back and whispered,
“I’ll wait.”
“Me too.”
We exchanged cheering looks.
Hetor scratched his head, nodded, and turned back the way we came.
“Didn’t he come to eat?”
Linel asked me, watching Hetor’s back as he left.
“Couldn’t he be going to write?”
“Oh, is that so?”
We walked to the guest room, watching Hetor’s back as he fled.
"Go on, I need to get some more sleep."
I was feeling drowsy, having lost a few hours of sleep reading Hetor's romance novel.
After breakfast, Melanie returned to her room.
She found Hetor sitting at the table, his face filled with anguish. She wondered why he was staring at her so intently, and then she saw a notebook lying on the table.
“Has His Majesty returned it already?”
The notebook Hetor had lost the night before, sobbing, had returned.
“How did you know?”
***
After breakfast, Melanie returned to her room.
She found Hetor sitting at the table, his face filled with anguish. She wondered why he was staring at her so intently, and then she saw a notebook lying on the table.
“Has His Majesty returned it already?”
The notebook Hetor had lost the night before, sobbing, had returned.
“How did you know?”
“Her Highness Zelda told me in the dining room. His Majesty found it in the pantry yesterday. But why does your expression look like that?”
“...They read it.”
Hetor clutched his hair in anguish.
He’d even heard them wait for Chapter 12.
At first, they thought he was teasing them, but they seemed genuinely curious about what would happen next.
The imperial couple were the first readers of his romance novel. It felt strange.
But that didn’t make the embarrassment go away.
Melanie patted Hetor on the shoulder, offering comfort. But her words weren’t comforting at all.
“I think I’ll see. You can’t blame your in-laws.”
“...Your in-laws?”
“...They read it.”
Hetor clutched his hair in anguish.
He’d even heard them wait for Chapter 12.
At first, they thought he was teasing them, but they seemed genuinely curious about what would happen next.
The imperial couple were the first readers of his romance novel. It felt strange.
But that didn’t make the embarrassment go away.
Melanie patted Hetor on the shoulder, offering comfort. But her words weren’t comforting at all.
“I think I’ll see. You can’t blame your in-laws.”
“...Your in-laws?”
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