“Episode 9”
As he muttered quietly, the wine got stuck in my throat again. Emperor Lionel’s words were not something to bring up while being observed by the young ladies. Not that it would be comfortable to talk about it privately either. I glanced at the expressions of the young ladies standing side by side against the wall. As expected, their faces were already flushed, though I couldn’t tell what grandiose fantasies they were conjuring up in response to the Emperor’s recent remark.
“Your Majesty, perhaps such remarks shouldn’t be made here…”
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze and whispered enough for only him to hear.
“What… do you mean?”
Despite the difference in the level of his own words, his voice was too bland.
“If you can’t say such things here, where else? In bed, perhaps?”
I looked at his brazen face. Emperor Lionel seemed to be on the verge of slicing the steak on his plate when he noticed it wasn’t being cut properly.
“Why isn’t this being sliced properly? The meat’s tough today. Empress, why are you looking at me like that? Like you want to slice the steak right away, just like yesterday, but it’s not cutting well today.”
“Was that… your intention?”
I asked with narrowed eyes. He responded aggressively, as if he had been waiting for it, by slicing the steak.
“Could it be that you misunderstood my words?”
“No, Your Majesty. Upon reflection, I also… seem to have heard it that way.”
Though I echoed his words, my face was already flushed with misunderstanding. For a moment, mischief glinted in the Emperor’s eyes. Was he intentionally playing word games to tease me? He chewed on a piece of steak with a pleased smile on his face. Now would be the time to ask. Do I really need those young ladies as my maids, and why exactly are they all here at the dining table, sticking to the wall and watching me?
“Your Majesty, why are those young ladies, who were appointed as my maids, here at the dining table?”
“Why are you asking me?”
He asked me with a puzzled tone. I shifted my gaze to each of the young ladies standing against the wall.
“Aren’t they the Empress’s maids now, moving at your command?”
Emperor Lionel didn’t look at the young ladies but only at me as he asked.
“That’s right. I also know that, but…”
I intentionally prolonged my words to leave an impression as I trailed off. As I started slicing my steak with a hesitant manner, he finally turned his head towards the young ladies and asked.
“Haven’t they come here at the Empress’s behest?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We received the instructions as conveyed by the palace attendants due to the abundance of attendants.”
Melanie’s answer, which was aimed at me, was given with a resigned expression while she looked at Emperor Lionel. I dropped the fork and knife I was holding onto the table with a loud sound.
“To whom?”
I asked Melanie with a voice full of doubt.
“I-I mean… Due to the large number of palace attendants, it’s difficult to recall exactly who conveyed the Empress’s message.”
Melanie didn’t even look at me when she responded, but instead, she looked at Emperor Lionel with a sorrowful expression.
“It seems there was some confusion.”
Emperor Lionel, who had been receiving Melanie’s gaze until the end, spoke to me as if it were nothing serious.
“Is that so?”
I responded with a hesitant voice, expressing my dissatisfaction timidly. I just let it go, portraying a sense of uncertainty. It seemed like the issue with the maids would have to be discussed separately with the Emperor later. But then, Emperor Lionel’s decisive voice was heard.
“Replace all the maids in the Empress’s Palace.”
I was surprised by his unexpected decision.
“All of them…?”
“Or, the Empress can replace the maids herself.”
Emperor Lionel nonchalantly tilted his empty wine glass towards me. Quickly, I reached out, grabbed the wine bottle, and poured wine into his empty glass. As I poured halfway and met his gaze again, I couldn’t help but smirk. He winked with one eye, as if signaling that he understood my mood. It could have been my imagination, but well, it didn’t matter. Anyway, it felt quite satisfying.
“Your Majesty, could we discuss the process of replacing the maids over a cup of tea after dinner?”
I asked, suppressing my rising smile and returning to a composed expression. If he didn’t agree, there was nothing I could do, but I had thrown the idea out there. In truth, it was a matter of salvaging something from the situation. The young ladies’ gazes were all focused on Emperor Lionel’s response.
“There’s no need to rush.”
Emperor Lionel said solemnly as he picked up a small piece of bread.
“Oh, yes…”
My attempt to smile faded into a bitter expression. Rejection always came with embarrassment.
“Let’s talk about it later.”
He firmly reiterated.
“Yes. Understood, Your Majesty.”
“That’s it, the Emperor seems like he’ll listen to everything you say, huh?”
I felt the mockery in the gazes of the young ladies directed at me. Unconsciously, I lowered my head. Then, something suddenly caught my attention. What is it? I looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
“Tonight.”
He said, handing me a piece of bread.
I blinked as I accepted the bread he handed me.
“We can discuss that later tonight; for now, enjoy this.”
“Oh, yes…”
“Shattonil Kingdom’s bread may be less soft than others’, but the more you chew, the more flavorful it gets. Just be careful, it might be tough on your teeth.”
At the end of his gruff remark, Emperor Lionel’s slight smile made my heart suddenly race. It seemed like his joke, along with the bread, was a subtle reminder of my familiarity with the well-known Shattonil Kingdom’s bread, which was famous for its softness and flavor compared to bread from other countries. I took a bite of the somewhat tough bread, dipping it into the soup, and chewed diligently before responding.
“I actually prefer tougher bread.”
“Good taste.”
“Yes?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Emperor Lionel suddenly cleared his throat and spoke in a slightly lower tone. His expression grew serious again as he instructed the maids, who were discreetly eavesdropping on our conversation, to leave the dining hall. Though the maids looked somewhat disappointed, they respectfully greeted him before leaving.
“They are all pretty maids, aren’t they?”
I commented, watching the dazzling maids as they left.
“Their faces are.”
At the mention of faces, the area around my right burn scar tingled. In truth, I envied their flawless skin more than their pretty faces. Since acquiring the burn scar, I often stood at a distance in front of the mirror, squinting my eyes and examining only half of my face. The Emperor, who was observing me closely, spoke in a softer tone.
“You possess elegance, Your Majesty.”
“Do you also know how to comfort?”
“If it sounded like that, you can take it that way. Beauty may shine on its own, but elegance has the power to illuminate the surroundings.”
“That’s a nice thought.”
I nodded in agreement with his words, silently pondering them.
“Elegance isn’t something anyone can possess. Yet, it exists in the Empress.”
His casually spoken words ignited a warm feeling in my chest. It felt strange. For the first time in my life, my heart, which had been pounding with fear, embarrassment, or anxiety, began to beat with excitement and anticipation of being loved. In this situation, what should I say?
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
In the end, I expressed my gratitude in a formal manner, then fiddled with my half-eaten salad with my fork. I wanted to see what expression he was wearing, but I held back. I controlled my breathing quietly, not wanting to show any signs of tension. Though my hands trembled slightly as I picked up the knife and fork again to finish cutting the steak, his hand suddenly appeared before me. In an instant, my plate disappeared, replaced by his.
“Have some of this.”
He asked as if he had been waiting.
“Your Majesty, the steak has become quite… cold.”
Perhaps because his touch had been on the food, it was much colder than the steak I had been eating.
“Still, it’s delicious. Your Majesty, please try mine as well.”
At my words, he quickly cut a piece of the steak I had been eating and put it in his mouth. I quietly waited, expecting his reaction to soon unfold. As soon as he took a bite of the steak, his eyes lit up. He savored the taste and gestured with his fingers to cover his mouth. I knew what he was trying to say.
“How is it?”
“How is it still warm?”
“Perhaps because my heart is warm.”
I simply replied with a smile, not intending to disclose my secret to him. If I were truly his wife, not just a surrogate Empress, then what? If that were the case, I would have confessed about the goddess within me immediately. “Don’t abandon me. Keep me by your side. Then, I will melt your icy body!” I would have shouted like an advertisement in the Imperial Gazette. Suddenly, the fact that Princess Lyselia suffered from acrophobia came to mind, and I almost burst out laughing unknowingly.
“After a while, Duke Martyns suggested having tea. Would the Empress like to join?”
As the meal was coming to an end, Emperor Lionel wiped his mouth with a napkin and spoke. He was watching to see what my response would be.
“We already had tea in the morning at the Audience Chamber. I will join you next time.”
“We?”
Emperor Lionel twisted his lips slightly sarcastically before speaking.
“Well, since Duke Martyns is someone who came from the Shattonil Kingdom, the Empress must rely on him a lot, right?”
“Even so, I am now a person of the Laphion Empire.”
As his slightly deflated mood from my response lifted, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“Yeah. Regardless of what your previous life was like, you’re mine now, my woman.”
For a moment, a chilly glint appeared in his eyes. Could it be… was he beginning to doubt my identity? When I saw his noticeably hardened expression after mentioning Duke Martyns, a sense of unease crept over me.
***
It was almost time to go to bed, but Emperor Lionel did not come to my bedroom. I wasn’t particularly expecting him to. Even in the Shattonil Kingdom, the king and queen didn’t sleep together every night. In fact, whether they couldn’t or wouldn’t sleep together, I couldn’t say for sure, but in any case, they didn’t sleep in the same bed every night, like some noble or common couples. Knowing this fact, I didn’t entirely believe his words about coming to the Empress’s quarters for dinner. Sharon placed a scented candle on a table a little away from the bed, saying it would help with sleep. I gently took Sharon’s arm.
“Sharon, thank you.
Sharon blinked and smiled sweetly.
“If it weren’t for Sharon, living here would have been much harder. Please continue to take care of me.”
“Oh, it’s too much praise. If Your Majesty chooses handmaids who are to your liking in the future, royal life will become even more comfortable.”
“Yes, and indeed… Although I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay with you, before I step down from this position, I will definitely repay you.”
“What do you mean by that? Stepping down?!”
“Oh. No, I mean… I just said it in passing.”
“Your Majesty, please don’t even think about such nonsense! It’s absolutely unthinkable!”
“Alright, I got it.”
Seeing Sharon’s overly serious expression, I deliberately smiled more brightly to reassure her. Sorry, Sharon. But that dreadful thing, the thing that must never happen, I’m the one causing it…
“Now, Sharon, go and rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please rest well.”
With that, Sharon placed the water pitcher on the bedside table and left the room. I sat on the bed, taking in the lavish and spacious bedroom, before lying down. The oppressive silence filled the room. **
Without fail, the symptoms started. I woke up feeling a burning sensation all over my body and intense thirst. Water, I need water… I kicked off the blanket, struggling to catch my breath. It’s so hot… Another hot night alone that I had to endure. No matter how high my body temperature rose, there were no visible signs of heat on my skin, and I didn’t sweat, making it an unbelievable symptom to tell others about.
“Water… Cold water…”
I reached out weakly towards the water pitcher Sharon had placed on the bedside table. Suddenly, a water glass appeared in my hand out of nowhere. Was it a dream? I struggled to open my eyes, feeling strange. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw something blue in the distance. The blue light approached me slowly…
“Huh?!”
It covered my lips, and cool water flowed into my mouth through the space between our lips.
“Are you awake now?”
It was Emperor Rinal. His voice.
