Chapter 10
Xi’an Vermouth has been really weird these days.
He’s never had a good night’s sleep in his life, these days.
“My favorite thing is hot tea to drink on a rainy day. The sound of falling rain makes my ears tired and the tea warms my body.”
The Empress’s whispering voice puts her mind at ease. Xi’an slowly closed his eyes and sharpened his teeth each time.
‘I will find out for sure tomorrow. What the hell was that?’
But to no avail.
He slept frantically listening to the Empress’s voice. And every time, every night without exception. Like a newborn baby.
Xi’an woke up every morning and was confused. Was my psyche this weak?
He did not know the reason why his mental strength, which was harder than steel on the battlefield and in the torture chamber, only faltered in front of the Empress.
But the biggest problem was there.
“Your Majesty, did you have breakfast?”
“Have lunch with me, Your Majesty.”
An Empress who intervenes in his daily life with no-nonsense excuses. But the problem was that he wasn’t angry at all.
He was known for torturing his captured foes with the utmost cruelty, and when he was not well, a wind of blood literally blew through the Imperial Palace.
But why is he not angry with the Empress?
‘Is it because I slept well?’
In fact, after falling asleep in the hands of the Empress, my mind has been very clear these days. The sleep time was short, but the fatigue was relieved considerably.
Thanks to this, the migraine, tinnitus, auditory hallucinations, and obsessive compulsive disorder that he had been suffering from for over a decade have disappeared considerably.
The Emperor’s government affairs, which had been entrusted only to the Duke of Celeste due to his half-and-half of self-discipline, has increased in number these days.
‘No, no.’
To say that all of this was a simple effect of deep sleep, it was just as annoying at a meeting with the aristocrats who had been attending for a long time.
When the voices of the servants reporting in the conference room became longer, his anger rose to the point of being terrifying.
But, every time it does.
“Your Majesty?”
When the eyes meet the Empress who opened the door. The anger and murderous intentions that had been rising slowly dissapear.
Besides, that voice sounded very sweet. It was soft like pickles dipped in honey.
‘Why?’
Objectively, there were many more beautiful voices than the Empress. The Princesses, young girls of neighboring countries, or opera singers from the troupe, whom I had glimpsed at the prom.
But at that time, the more I listened, the more irritable I became, and the more severe my headaches became.
“Your Majesty! It’s time for dinner.”
But the more I heard the Empress’s voice, the more I wanted to hear it. It was so sweet that it tickled my ears.
In the end, Xi’an couldn’t do anything about the Empress who popped out and disturbed his daily life.
He, the devil of the battlefield, could not defeat a weak woman,that he could break it with one hand.
I should have just endured the headaches and insomnia like before.
Ironically, the desire to hear that voice arose over and over again. So I just accepted the condition that we eat together once a day.
‘That’s funny.’
Xi’an laughed at the odd condition. At the same time, he felt a little strange.
In fact, when that voice prompts me, my body automatically moves. Like a dog waiting for owner. Then, when he came to his senses, he was sitting face to face with the Empress.
Xi’an thought that he was pathetic.
But there was something else that was really pathetic.
“Why didn’t Your Majesty say a word?”
When the empress, who was babbling, asked with a sullen face.
Xi’an realized.
He knew that he always kept his mouth shut because he wanted to hear more of that voice.
‘Crazy bastard.’
Xi’an internally cursed at himself. However, he immediately realized something more and was shocked with an expressionless expression.
Whenever he heard the sweet chattering voice, he was actually holding back.
‘So, why did the harem concubines remain?’
That’s what I want to ask you!
Xi’an realized this while eating, and from then on, he kept his mouth shut. He’s afraid that he will ask this stupid question.
And Xi’an started acting colder and more blunt.
“Your Majesty, going to bed early and waking up early is good for your health.”
But, I didn’t know why the Empress was so interested in me. Even though he doesn’t answer once every time and acts coldly.
Even while he was living his daily life, when he suddenly realized that he was curious about it, he felt frustrated and seemed to go crazy.
So, he went to the Empress’s Palace to build a wall.
Why are you following me like that? Why are you making so much noise to confuse my mind?
I was going to ask a question and get an answer, and solve this strange question.
However, the Empress’s Palace I visited was empty.
“Empress, where did she go?”
“Uhh th-the Empress went to the harem. She said she has a long business to do…”
Are you paying attention to me, and visiting your man in the harem?
He felt bad for some reason. Xi’an, who made an impression, had an uncontrollable feeling.
‘Are you kidding me?’
As if he were the most precious person in the world, she suddenly went to visit her man.
The harem she loved so much not long ago, so she must have the same smile there.
So Xi’an thought he was in a bad mood right now.
“Go back. Don’t talk to Empress that i visited today.”
Xi’an returned after hiding the fact that he had visited the palace staff. And he vowed without expression.
From now on, he himself will no longer be interested in the Empress.
* * *
The plan went very smoothly.
I proposed to Lindo Carcel that I would pay his royal academy tuition if he worked as my pharmacist for the next two years.
“I have a new hobby. Study poisons, especially detoxification.”
“If you say poison…”
Lindo looked at me with her subtly suspicious eyes, he asked.
“Your eyes is being disrespectful”
“…sorry.”
Still with the girdle around his head, he rolled his eyes and apologized.
Well, it’s not unreasonable to make an analogy like that from my image. I clicked my tongue for a moment, then briefly explained.
“I am not trying to poison anyone. I’m afraid I’ll be poisoned. I think you know it well, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Hey, can’t you just admit it so easily?
“In the meantime, you have to protect my life.”
“Then, of course not. I am as desperate as you are, so why would I hurt you?”
At that, Lindo Carcel smiled sweetly as she untied her headband.
“I believe the words of Her Majesty the Empress. However, it will never happen, but in case Your Majesty changes her mind and unilaterally revoked the contract once again.”
“No, I won’t.”
“I will report to the academia and the media what you instructed me to study poison. Even if it looks like this, there are some connections there.”
If that happens, it is certain that I will be poisoning someone as the most famous empress.
“Hm…”
He’s also a brainy guy, so he’s meticulous. How deep was his distrust of Leah? I nodded my head.
“Yes. It will never happen. Instead, you too have to be loyal no matter what happens for two years. If you don’t, go to the battlefield right now for school fees and whatnot, for deceiving the Empress. Do you know how merciless I am?”
“Is there any possibility? I will serve you with all my heart in the future, Your Majesty.”
Lindo, who put the contract in his arms, smiled broadly. As he was also from a harem concubine, there was a twinkle on his face.
I looked at him with cold eyes, but the new contract was successfully signed anyway.
I handed out a new contract with Lindo on it, one at a time.
My old-age funds to be cut by the billions of dollars in tuition were quite a waste.
Well, investment is essential to acquire talent. Talent is born when money is planted.
‘If it’s not enough, why don’t you threaten the academy dean to cut it off?’
I’m already at the peak of my image, but it’s like cutting tuition.
While I was making such a bold plan.
Lindo pulled out the piece of paper and swiped something, and he briefed me right away.
“Your Majesty, it is easier to experience poison than to learn it through paper. In order to prevent poisoning, it is also good to take a small amount of the weakened by the sample to develop tolerance.”
It’s fast. Also, the seniors are different. I asked, thinking that it was also expensive.
“So far? Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”
“We will prepare antidote, of course, but preparation is more important than post-processing. Let’s start with poison weed first. The young leaves are very toxic, so you will only feel a little tired.”
Lindo explained with mad eyes that if she doesn’t believe him, he’ll try it himself first.
I’m glad he’s an employer. If he had been my enemy, I would have quit my job without a word.
I stuck out my tongue and listened.
“However, if you buy poisonous herbs from the market, rumors can spread, so it would be better to make an herbal garden and grow it yourself in the Empress’s Palace.”
“To do that, I’ll have to pick some more servants. With heavy mouths.”
“Do I really need to? You use those who are outside holding onto the poles. As long as they don’t kick you out, everyone will accept it. When I saw them, they all looked like they had no place to return to because they were all children.”
Oh, that’s why I grabbed the pole and didn’t go out. I was very satisfied with the pace of the rush.
“Are you okay? There are only one or three people, so the salary won’t be too expensive. Then I have to start plowing the field today!”
“…Your Majesty, it seems that you have become frugal in the past few weeks.”
Lindo, who had been a man queen until then, seemed a little surprised by his salary, and that I would change him from concubine to my servant and make him work immediately.
To this extent? You don’t seem to know what frugality really is.
He accepted it naturally.
“Really? So, do you want to be more frugal? Come to think of it, foreign royal academies seem to be much cheaper…”
“I offer a cup of tea to beautiful Her Majesty. Will you take it?”
Not knowing where all the concubines went, Lindo smiled and politely poured her tea and offered.
I smiled and drank celebratory tea instead of celebratory wine to commemorate the birth of my second person.
And from that day on, the rest of my harem men became my servants and started planting herb gardens in the evening.
-to be continued
Byoun
