Episode 88. A Kiss in an Unexpected Place
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the party, Lacrahan decided to search for the "Parallel Butterfly" that the Empress might have somewhere.
Aside from its opulence, the Empress's bedroom was unremarkable.
"It's extremely Periatian."
As far as Lacrahan knew, Lawrence was originally from the Kingdom of Contana.
The three nations that divided the continent would occasionally propose marriages to each other as a sign of peace. It was customary and polite to not refuse a marriage proposal.
When Gerard suddenly ascended to the throne, both empires quickly attempted to foster peace.
The Der'Ansis Empire sent gold, while the Kingdom of Contana sent Lawrence as a gift.
The barbarian King of Contana showed no interest in marrying his fifth daughter to Gerard.
Gerard, too, was deeply infatuated with his mistress, Lyone, and paid Lawrence no attention. However, since he couldn't make Lyone, a commoner, his Empress, he accepted Lawrence, who was only a figurehead, without question.
From then on, Lawrence lived a life of insignificance, overshadowed by his mistress, Lyone.
"Hmm."
Lacrahan scanned the room and approached the side table next to the dressing table. He passed the accessible drawer and placed his palm on the inside of the support.
He felt slowly, but found nothing particularly bothersome.
"No way."
The Lawrence Lacrahan knew was someone who couldn't hide her sinister side.
"If it were here, I'd definitely find it."
Examining the bed, he noticed a tiny gap between the headrest and the wall.
It was exactly the right size for a woman's hand to fit through.
He pushed the bed aside and reached inside, only to find a knob-like protrusion.
He pulled hard, and with a small clank, the headrest, which had been upright, snapped in half.
Sure enough, the deep space extending to the bottom of the bed was filled with an unbelievable number of divine artifacts.
“Ha.”
Lacrahan chuckled at the sight before him.
It was as if a god’s toy box had been relocated.
“This is incredible.”
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the party, Lacrahan decided to search for the "Parallel Butterfly" that the Empress might have somewhere.
Aside from its opulence, the Empress's bedroom was unremarkable.
"It's extremely Periatian."
As far as Lacrahan knew, Lawrence was originally from the Kingdom of Contana.
The three nations that divided the continent would occasionally propose marriages to each other as a sign of peace. It was customary and polite to not refuse a marriage proposal.
When Gerard suddenly ascended to the throne, both empires quickly attempted to foster peace.
The Der'Ansis Empire sent gold, while the Kingdom of Contana sent Lawrence as a gift.
The barbarian King of Contana showed no interest in marrying his fifth daughter to Gerard.
Gerard, too, was deeply infatuated with his mistress, Lyone, and paid Lawrence no attention. However, since he couldn't make Lyone, a commoner, his Empress, he accepted Lawrence, who was only a figurehead, without question.
From then on, Lawrence lived a life of insignificance, overshadowed by his mistress, Lyone.
"Hmm."
Lacrahan scanned the room and approached the side table next to the dressing table. He passed the accessible drawer and placed his palm on the inside of the support.
He felt slowly, but found nothing particularly bothersome.
"No way."
The Lawrence Lacrahan knew was someone who couldn't hide her sinister side.
"If it were here, I'd definitely find it."
Examining the bed, he noticed a tiny gap between the headrest and the wall.
It was exactly the right size for a woman's hand to fit through.
He pushed the bed aside and reached inside, only to find a knob-like protrusion.
He pulled hard, and with a small clank, the headrest, which had been upright, snapped in half.
Sure enough, the deep space extending to the bottom of the bed was filled with an unbelievable number of divine artifacts.
“Ha.”
Lacrahan chuckled at the sight before him.
It was as if a god’s toy box had been relocated.
“This is incredible.”
He examined the various divine artifacts, as if he could never have collected them without the help of the Supreme Being. He spotted a familiar object among them.
“The Promise of Twilight.”
It was Lacrahan’s long-lost artifact. The divine artifact, shaped like two rings joined together, represented day and night. He knew it well, for it had been created by none other than him and Bercheria.
“You even had this.”
When he was forced to ascend to heaven by the Supreme Being, the first thing he did was hide this ring, which contained the two people’s wishes. However, things had moved faster than he had expected, and he remembered that he hadn’t had time to take care of it.
“Now I understand. Why do you try to force Kelita and me into marriage?”
A man and a woman who share this ring, even if they share no feelings for each other, will have their souls intertwined and become inseparable for life. It would be a promise of eternity. If Kelita had tried to force her marriage with him and used this, it would have been a terrible ending.
Lacrahan packed the ring and stepped out of the room. Everyone in the castle seemed to be attending a party, and the hallways were still empty except for the occasional servant. This time, he entered Kelita’s room.
“...!”
As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, Lacrahan could not help but be astonished. The entire room was a complete mess, as if a war had just taken place.
“What the...”
Not only was there no room to step, but even the drawers were out, their contents scattered about.
“This is incredible.”
Lacrahan pushed his feet to the side and cleaned up the mess. He guessed that it hadn’t been this bad before Kelita left the North. Now he finally understands why Bercheria had said something was wrong with Kelita and Lawrence. To be precise, the fact that Kelita's condition was becoming increasingly strange was understandable just by looking at the room.
Just as Lacrahan bent down to pick up one of the overturned drawers, he heard someone running towards him.
"...!"
Lacrahan approached the door and pressed his back against it.
The moment the hurried footsteps stopped at the door, a sudden jolt.
A small body, having rushed inside without hesitation, stumbled against the mess on the floor and tipped forward.
Lacrahan reached out and caught the woman as she fell.
“Bercheria?”
Bercheria, her cheeks flushed red, was in his arms.
“Lacrahan.”
Lacrahan stuck his head out, checked the hallway, and closed the door.
Bercheria was breathing rapidly, uncharacteristically for her.
“What’s going on?”
“Emperor Gerard has announced that you will marry Kelita.”
A short line formed between Lacrahan’s eyebrows.
“In front of everyone?”
“Yes.”
It seemed that speaking to him privately was not working, so he had announced it at the party.
“That’s amazing.”
Lacrahan helped Bercheria up and pushed the trash aside with his foot to make room for her.
Bercheria, finally discovering the mess in the room, looked surprised.
“What’s going on?”
“It seems they even kept the maids out.”
“It definitely feels like something’s going on.”
Lacrahan watched Bercheria’s back as she looked around the room.
Dressed for the party, Bercheria looked even more elegant than usual.
“How did you know I was here?”
“Oh.”
She turned her head, her hands behind her back, to look at Lacrahan.
The moonlight streaming in from outside was shining beautifully on her round forehead.
“Ever since I regained my memory, I’ve just been able to sense where you are.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
“Yes. I know how it feels.”
Bercheria looked at him and asked.
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s what happens when a god falls in love. You can vaguely sense where that person is and how they’re feeling.”
Her golden eyes widened in surprise.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
Lacrahan paused for a moment, then looked up.
“When I’m with you, when I look into your eyes, I can feel how much you love me. And I think I felt it when we were lying in bed together.”
“...Yes?”
“It’s been so long since I remember, I can’t remember exactly, but I think I could tell how agitated you were by my actions.”
“Oh my.”
Bercheria’s face flushed bright red.
Lacrahan smiled, finding her reaction cute.
It was embarrassing for Bercheria, who hadn’t even spent their first night together.
“Aren’t you remembering something that happened in the past?”
“I remember...”
“So why are you embarrassed?”
The Bercheria of long ago had a more bold and proactive personality.
However, the Bercheria of today still had many things she didn’t know about the world, so whenever she recalled past memories, her face would suddenly flush.
“Because it was a long time ago. And it’s still just a memory.”
Bercheria gave Lacrahan a friendly glare.
“So it’s natural for you to be embarrassed.”
"Yes. I'll be more careful next time."
Lacrahan smiled softly.
Ever since he remembered his past, he had been showing his love for Bercheria with his whole body and soul.
It was obvious without effort that every action he took was for her own good.
Even without divine power, she would have known clearly.
That man loved me.
"It must be so hard for people. They can't see each other's hearts. That's how suspicious they must be."
"Some people are like that, and some aren't. You're the first person I've ever felt this way."
Lacrahan nodded slowly.
Bercheria hesitated for a moment before asking,
"You don't doubt me?"
At her words, he let out a small breath and laughed.
"No way."
Lacrahan strode toward her, his long legs stretched out, and without warning, he pressed his lips against her crimson ones.
"There's no time to doubt."
Their sensitive skins squished softly against each other.
Bercheria clung to Lacrahan, lifting her head so he could penetrate deeper.
As they kissed, the two naturally adapted to each other.
How he would wrap his arms around her waist, how he would twist his head. He would start off strong, then soften at some point, making Bercheria feel uneasy.
But that didn't mean he could predict every move.
Just when she felt like she had a grasp, he would tease her with another variation.
It wasn't as if the rookie Bercheria was reading Lacrahan; rather, it felt like she was in the palm of his hand.
How could he so easily find such provocative points?
She felt as if she could just share kisses like this with this man; her life would never be boring.
"Lacrahan."
Amidst the shower of kisses, Bercheria belatedly remembered why she had come to him.
"Gerard, the Emperor..."
"I know."
Lacrahan pressed his wet lips against Bercheria's pale neck.
The wet sound echoed, echoing off the moonlit window and returning to her ear.
"Don't worry. I won't marry anyone else but you."
It was obvious what Gerard was up to.
He must have wanted Bercheria.
He must have also been calculating how to bring Lacrahan into the imperial family and consolidate the northern military power.
Gerard's objective was clear from the beginning.
His permission to bring the imperial knights to Lacrahan, a war hero, must have been for a similar reason.
His persistent demands for an engagement with Kelita must have been along the same lines.
"If I love anyone, it has always been and will always be you, Bercheria."
Lacrahan's voice was sweeter than the wine she had just drunk at the party.
He kissed her neck and then lifted his head again, swallowing her lips.
"Marriage is the same."
Lacrahan's hot breath seeped into her, gently swelling her chest.
If Lacrahan were determined to do so, he believed it would happen.
If it weren't for him, their love, which had endured for centuries, would not have been preserved.
She hadn't realized then how much a god had to give up before deciding to love a human.
She had blindly followed the feeling of love.
But now, having shared that burden, Bercheria understood all too well what Lacrahan meant.
"Me too, Lacrahan."
The words she blurted out as he turned his head were swallowed by him before they could disperse.
In that moment, as the two were absorbed in each other, suddenly, something completely unexpected happened.
Kelita's room opened, and before her stood her maid, Rosie, watching them.
"Your, Your Highness, the Grand Duke of Lacrahan."
The moment the hurried footsteps stopped at the door, a sudden jolt.
A small body, having rushed inside without hesitation, stumbled against the mess on the floor and tipped forward.
Lacrahan reached out and caught the woman as she fell.
“Bercheria?”
Bercheria, her cheeks flushed red, was in his arms.
“Lacrahan.”
Lacrahan stuck his head out, checked the hallway, and closed the door.
Bercheria was breathing rapidly, uncharacteristically for her.
“What’s going on?”
“Emperor Gerard has announced that you will marry Kelita.”
A short line formed between Lacrahan’s eyebrows.
“In front of everyone?”
“Yes.”
It seemed that speaking to him privately was not working, so he had announced it at the party.
“That’s amazing.”
Lacrahan helped Bercheria up and pushed the trash aside with his foot to make room for her.
Bercheria, finally discovering the mess in the room, looked surprised.
“What’s going on?”
“It seems they even kept the maids out.”
“It definitely feels like something’s going on.”
Lacrahan watched Bercheria’s back as she looked around the room.
Dressed for the party, Bercheria looked even more elegant than usual.
“How did you know I was here?”
“Oh.”
She turned her head, her hands behind her back, to look at Lacrahan.
The moonlight streaming in from outside was shining beautifully on her round forehead.
“Ever since I regained my memory, I’ve just been able to sense where you are.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
“Yes. I know how it feels.”
Bercheria looked at him and asked.
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s what happens when a god falls in love. You can vaguely sense where that person is and how they’re feeling.”
Her golden eyes widened in surprise.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
Lacrahan paused for a moment, then looked up.
“When I’m with you, when I look into your eyes, I can feel how much you love me. And I think I felt it when we were lying in bed together.”
“...Yes?”
“It’s been so long since I remember, I can’t remember exactly, but I think I could tell how agitated you were by my actions.”
“Oh my.”
Bercheria’s face flushed bright red.
Lacrahan smiled, finding her reaction cute.
It was embarrassing for Bercheria, who hadn’t even spent their first night together.
“Aren’t you remembering something that happened in the past?”
“I remember...”
“So why are you embarrassed?”
The Bercheria of long ago had a more bold and proactive personality.
However, the Bercheria of today still had many things she didn’t know about the world, so whenever she recalled past memories, her face would suddenly flush.
“Because it was a long time ago. And it’s still just a memory.”
Bercheria gave Lacrahan a friendly glare.
“So it’s natural for you to be embarrassed.”
"Yes. I'll be more careful next time."
Lacrahan smiled softly.
Ever since he remembered his past, he had been showing his love for Bercheria with his whole body and soul.
It was obvious without effort that every action he took was for her own good.
Even without divine power, she would have known clearly.
That man loved me.
"It must be so hard for people. They can't see each other's hearts. That's how suspicious they must be."
"Some people are like that, and some aren't. You're the first person I've ever felt this way."
Lacrahan nodded slowly.
Bercheria hesitated for a moment before asking,
"You don't doubt me?"
At her words, he let out a small breath and laughed.
"No way."
Lacrahan strode toward her, his long legs stretched out, and without warning, he pressed his lips against her crimson ones.
"There's no time to doubt."
Their sensitive skins squished softly against each other.
Bercheria clung to Lacrahan, lifting her head so he could penetrate deeper.
As they kissed, the two naturally adapted to each other.
How he would wrap his arms around her waist, how he would twist his head. He would start off strong, then soften at some point, making Bercheria feel uneasy.
But that didn't mean he could predict every move.
Just when she felt like she had a grasp, he would tease her with another variation.
It wasn't as if the rookie Bercheria was reading Lacrahan; rather, it felt like she was in the palm of his hand.
How could he so easily find such provocative points?
She felt as if she could just share kisses like this with this man; her life would never be boring.
"Lacrahan."
Amidst the shower of kisses, Bercheria belatedly remembered why she had come to him.
"Gerard, the Emperor..."
"I know."
Lacrahan pressed his wet lips against Bercheria's pale neck.
The wet sound echoed, echoing off the moonlit window and returning to her ear.
"Don't worry. I won't marry anyone else but you."
It was obvious what Gerard was up to.
He must have wanted Bercheria.
He must have also been calculating how to bring Lacrahan into the imperial family and consolidate the northern military power.
Gerard's objective was clear from the beginning.
His permission to bring the imperial knights to Lacrahan, a war hero, must have been for a similar reason.
His persistent demands for an engagement with Kelita must have been along the same lines.
"If I love anyone, it has always been and will always be you, Bercheria."
Lacrahan's voice was sweeter than the wine she had just drunk at the party.
He kissed her neck and then lifted his head again, swallowing her lips.
"Marriage is the same."
Lacrahan's hot breath seeped into her, gently swelling her chest.
If Lacrahan were determined to do so, he believed it would happen.
If it weren't for him, their love, which had endured for centuries, would not have been preserved.
She hadn't realized then how much a god had to give up before deciding to love a human.
She had blindly followed the feeling of love.
But now, having shared that burden, Bercheria understood all too well what Lacrahan meant.
"Me too, Lacrahan."
The words she blurted out as he turned his head were swallowed by him before they could disperse.
In that moment, as the two were absorbed in each other, suddenly, something completely unexpected happened.
Kelita's room opened, and before her stood her maid, Rosie, watching them.
"Your, Your Highness, the Grand Duke of Lacrahan."
Rosie's eyes widened as if they were about to tear open, having discovered the two in such an unexpected place.
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