“Episode 10”
“What’s going on here?”
“Your Majesty, at this hour… How did you come?”
“On foot.”
“?”
“Well, do you still want more water?”
“Um, I do want a little more…”
I reached out towards the water glass he was holding, still feeling the lingering thirst.
“Isn’t this warm water? Is it okay?”
He slightly lifted the glass as if to prevent it from touching my hand, asking.
“But didn’t you just drink cold water? Or am I mistaken?”
“It’s not a mistake. It seemed like Her Majesty urgently wanted cold water, so I kept it in my mouth and offered it to you.”
“Um…?”
The Emperor’s expression seemed to find my confusion amusing.
“Things that touch my hands become cooler.”
“Oh, so the water became cold because it was in your mouth?”
“Yeah, because it stayed in my mouth.”
His explanation left me speechless.
“Do you need more water?”
“Yes, I do, but…”
“That means you need me.”
He chuckled to himself as he nodded, meeting my gaze.
“Wait.”
As I swallowed dry saliva, he brought the glass to his lips and drank. Without a moment’s hesitation, he then leaned in close to my face. My lips parted as if waiting.
He slowly conveyed the water into my mouth, and I absorbed it as it was. Strangely, the water he had in his mouth was as cold as ice. My parched mouth, which had felt like it was boiling, gradually cooled down with his refreshing touch.
“You still seem very thirsty.”
He gently released my chin and whispered, “It’s okay now…”
Whether he didn’t hear me or not, Emperor Lionel finished the remaining water in the cup and offered more through his lips.
“Ahh.”
The raging fire in my throat had now completely subsided. It felt like encountering an oasis in the middle of a scorching desert and diving into its cool embrace. Even after handing me the last sip of water, he continued to face me, his lips still lingering.
“I think you’re good now.”
I wiped my now moist lips with the back of my hand, thanks to Emperor Lionel.
“It’s strange that I provided you with cool water. Why is my body radiating warmth?”
He continued to fiddle with the water glass he still held.
“Maybe it’s just a feeling?”
He murmured with uncertainty, raising his head to look at me again with a worried expression.
“Your Majesty, could it be that you’re feeling unwell somewhere? Like a cold or something.”
He smiled as he touched my forehead.
“I don’t have a fever.”
Just like me, he couldn’t feel the warm sensation inside my body.
“I’m not feeling unwell anywhere. I was just thirsty from my sleep. But, Your Majesty, what brings you here at this hour?”
“I said I would come to the palace tonight, during dinner.”
“Well, I thought you wouldn’t come because there was no message from you until now.”
“I thought it might be too late… I didn’t want the empress to wait up for no reason.”
“Yes…”
“I just stopped by to see your face, but it turned out like this.”
“Using your lips?”
I smiled at his words, but he still gazed at me with concern.
“Earlier… It seemed like you were having a nightmare?”
“Ah, it happens sometimes.”
I dismissed it lightly, and he didn’t press further.
“I see.”
We exchanged glances in silence for a moment. Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, I raised the corners of my mouth first, and he followed suit, perhaps feeling awkward like me. After a few dry coughs, I stood up from the bed.
“Well then, now that you’re fine, I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes…”
“?”
As he mentioned leaving, I also rose from the bed in order to see him off.
“Are you going to your chambers in the main palace?”
“…Yes. Is there anywhere else I should go?”
Emperor Lionel’s tone was somewhat chilly. His words were firm, as if he would leave immediately, yet for some reason, he still remained in place. What should I say to the emperor who stands there, staring at me blankly? Should I hold him back out of courtesy? Or should I bid him farewell again? The cause of this hesitation stemmed from one thing: if I were his true wife, I would have certainly held onto his arm. But I am not.
“Then, please take care on your way back…”
I lowered my head once again, knowing that I wasn’t Emperor Lionel’s real wife.
“Just stay here. There’s no need for you to leave.”
Emperor Lionel turned to me as if issuing an order, following me to the bedroom door.
“Ah, yes.”
As I watched him walk towards the bedroom door, I felt a slight sense of regret. A thought crossed my mind that if he turned back just once more, I might gather the courage to approach him. However, with a click, he ultimately left the room. A sense of emptiness seemed to seep through the gap in the bedroom door. I stood there, staring at the door until his footsteps, gradually fading away, disappeared. Silence returned. I turned off the small lamp he had lit and lay back on the bed. With my eyes open in the darkness, I recalled the moment I had vaguely awakened from sleep just now. I retraced my memory to the point when water was offered to me between my lips. And I tried to feel that sensation again, placing my hand gently on my slightly pounding heart. The cool water, the soft touch of his lips, and his murmuring as he handed me the water… Everything felt sweet. No, it was more than sweet. It was electrifying. I brought my hand, which had been resting on my beating heart, to my lips. And quite naturally, my hand brushed over the scar on my right cheek. Would he have left if I had held onto him?
“Snap out of it. What are you expecting?”
I reminded myself once again of my role, hypnotizing myself. I couldn’t be his woman. He would never come to love me. So snap out of it! …But what if he did come to love me?
“No.”
I shook my head vigorously to dispel the growing hope.
“That’s impossible!”
As I let out a bitter laugh and flipped the blanket over my head again, click—. Without a knock, the bedroom door opened. Startled, I sat up straight. A black shadow stretched into the room.
“W-who’s there?!”
My voice came out louder than intended due to my bewilderment. Despite my questioning, the black shadow approached me slowly without any response. The pitch-black darkness only heightened my sense of fear unnecessarily.
“W-who are you asking?! How dare you come at this hour without knocking! Can’t you hear me? Who the hell are you?!”
“The fearless husband of yours.”
“…Your Majesty?”
I quickly turned on the light. Even in the dim light, his blue eyes were clearly visible.
“Why… have you come back?”
“I thought about it on my way. It felt awkward.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you ask me to have at least a cup of tea before leaving?”
Emperor Lionel questioned with a displeased tone. I glanced at the clock on the table.
“…Tea at this hour?”
“Well, it’s not the time for tea after all.”
He also checked the time following my gaze, then changed his tone slightly, avoiding the slight frown on his forehead from earlier.
“What about going to sleep? Weren’t you told not to come back?”
“That… Your Majesty, I thought you wouldn’t want me to come back.”
“How could the Empress know that?”
Emperor Lionel’s sharp gaze pierced my face. His eyes stared at me persistently as if probing.
“Although I appreciate Your Majesty’s kindness, I’m worried that it might not be appropriate for me to come to the palace against your wishes…”
“Empress, I’m sorry for interrupting you. But I don’t understand what you’re saying. Moreover…”
He raised his hand to stop me and poured out his words. “Do you think I’m merciful? Just today, more than ten people had their throats slit by my orders alone.”
“I… I’ll cancel the mercy.”
“Good. Anyway, you didn’t try to stop me because you thought about it, right?”
“T-that’s correct.”
“Your consideration seems to anger me, doesn’t it?”
“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”
“Such consideration is unnecessary.”
He approached the bed.
“Instead, I gladly accept the consideration of granting me the Empress’s side.”
“Excuse me? Are you saying you’ll sleep here?”
I blinked in surprise, alternating my gaze between Emperor Lionel and the bed.
“Then, did you come back just to argue about why I didn’t stop you?”
“S-so…?”
“I came to sleep!”
Emperor Lionel spat out the words with irritation and casually tossed the robe he had been wearing over his shoulder onto the floor.
As I stood there with a stiff expression, he lightly tapped my shoulder and then sprawled onto the bed.
“So, you dare to stare down the Emperor, huh? Well, that’s refreshing.”
“Oh, no, Your Majesty.” I quickly lowered my gaze.
“The Empress should lie down too. It’d be nice to have a conversation on the same level.”
He gently pulled my hand with a tired voice.
“I’ve lived just seeing eyes looking down on me every day. I’m tired of it. I hope the Empress can look into my eyes up close.”
I cautiously lay down in the space he offered, looking up at the ceiling.
“Turn towards me,” he ordered. I quickly turned my face towards him.
“Better. Turn your whole body towards me.”
His tone, although severe, contained affection. Almost as if under a spell, I swiftly turned my body towards Emperor Lionel, who had already turned towards me. With one hand supporting his handsome face, he waited for my gaze. Meeting his exquisite features up close made my breath catch. I awkwardly licked my lips and murmured. He continued to meet my eyes in silence before covering my eyes with his large hand and whispered.
“I know I’m attractive.”
It was a warning to stop staring. When I chuckled lightly in response, he spoke again, this time without humor.
“I feel like I disturbed the Empress’s sleep for nothing. Uncomfortable?”
“No, Your Majesty,” I whispered, shaking my head.
“You understand. That’s how I am. I’m not someone who can make others comfortable.”
“I… I’m comfortable with Your Majesty.”
“What?”
He raised an eyebrow, seemingly misunderstanding my response. It sounded genuinely uncomfortable.
“No! I-I mean, it’s not that… that I don’t feel comfortable as a man with Your Majesty! When we kissed, my heart was racing so much I wanted to tear it out, not because I wanted to separate my lips, but because I wanted to tear out my heart!”
“… Continue.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I forgot I was in front of Your Majesty and blurted out anything.”
“Go on. I’ll wrap it up. Whatever you say, whether you blurt it out or carefully say it, it doesn’t matter.”
“…Yes?”
“I’m good at wrapping things up. Wars, people, anything. I see things through to the end.”
Listening to him gave me goosebumps.
“So, what I meant was…”
“Do you want to keep kissing?”
“Yes! I want to kiss ag… Y-yes?!”
“If you wish, gladly.”
His hands enveloped my face.
“I permit it.”
He immediately began tormenting my lips.
“Keep them together. Freely.”
His sweet voice echoed within me. I closed my eyes tightly and held my breath. With the tension, my shoulders tensed up, and my body stiffened.
“Empress, are you not opening your lips now because there’s no water in my mouth?”
He asked, his head tilted, while his lips hovered over mine. Realizing I was tightly sealing my lips, I gasped as I exhaled.
“Oh, sorry… Umph!”
As I exhaled, my lips parted. Emperor Lionel took advantage of the tiny opening and delved in.
