For a while, the palace was nearly devoid of visitors, such was the power of the word tyrant.
Even then, Xian didn’t offer any explanation. Instead, he spent every waking moment in the torture chambers, trying to subdue his relentless headaches.
Months passed. When the pain finally lessened and he emerged from the torture chambers, the world had already come to a consensus: he was a tyrant.
Duke Celeste, who assisted with his duties, even remarked that the nickname was convenient for maintaining authority.
Under the label of tyrant, people no longer bothered him with trivialities or clung to him unnecessarily.
At times, Xian felt a faint, faraway sense of emptiness, but he didn’t understand why, nor did he know what to call the emotion.
So, he simply became a tyrant.
And alongside the memory of his coronation ball, now forever attached to him, he stopped hosting balls altogether.
“…That’s why I will not hold another ball.”
“Oh, is that all?”
Sian slowly turned his gaze toward her. Leah, draped over the sofa’s armrest as if she’d melted, looked up at him with a bright smile.
“Nothing like that would happen again if you held another ball.”
“I said no.”
Xian’s tone was curt, signaling he wanted the conversation to end. The overwhelming scent of alcohol wafting from Leah told him she had nearly finished two bottles of wine on her own.
“That’s enough. You should return to the Empress’s quarters now—”
“But I’m here right now, Xian. Right by your side.”
Leah blinked at him and suddenly held out one hand. Xian stared at her slender, fluttering white hand as if wondering what she was doing, then slowly took it.
“Uh…”
With that, she pulled him closer.
“What are you doing?”
Pulled into an awkwardly close position, Xian frowned. The sweet yet sharp aroma of wine drifted from Leah as she smiled warmly.
“The coronation ball was just an accident. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, was it?”
How could she say such a thing after hearing such a gruesome story?
Xian raised an eyebrow, wondering just how bold this little Empress could be.
“I’ll help you. So you don’t hurt, so you don’t make mistakes.”
Her soft-spoken words were accompanied by a wink for some inexplicable reason.
A strange sensation swirled in Xian’s chest—something like dizziness, or discomfort in his stomach.
He couldn’t figure out what any of it meant, and that left him unsettled.
“So, will you hold the ball?”
“No. No matter what you say, the answer is—”
Kiss.
“You’ll hold it? Thank you.”
The mischievous Empress, who had stolen a kiss, smiled innocently, her face alight with joy.
“…….”
Xian raised a hand to cover his lips. His skin burned as if it were on fire.
At the same time, memories came rushing back.
“Your Majesty, I’m not drunk. Let’s try again.”
“Go to bed.”
The night before, Leah had been so intoxicated she could barely stay upright, babbling endlessly as Xian responded between sips of his own drink.
“Just give me one drink’s worth of leeway. Then I’ll only be five drinks behind you.”
“And why, exactly, should I do that?”
Finding it amusing, he had lifted the next glass to his lips.
Kiss.
“See? Now, you’ll give me that drink’s worth, right?”
Leah, her eyes half-lidded and dreamy, had smiled at him with pure innocence.
Xian froze, lips tingling with the lingering softness of her kiss.
But Leah, oblivious to his reaction, continued drinking as if nothing had happened. In the end, he had to ask her just before she fell asleep.
“Do you do this to just anyone?”
“No… just you. You’re cute.”
With that, she had smiled and drifted off, leaving him utterly bewildered.
“I’m so excited! Starting tomorrow, I’ll pick out what to wear for the ball.”
“……”
He’d tried to forget it, chalking it up to drunken antics. She didn’t even remember it, so what was the point?
“Xian?”
Leah called his name, her flushed cheeks glowing, her violet eyes sparkling like starlight.
“….…”
Xian abruptly stood. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her no while she looked at him like that.
“You’re leaving?”
Heat surged through him from head to toe.
“You…”
The words wouldn’t come out.
Damn it. Xian ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in the sharpness of his movements.
Finally, he turned away from Leah, his voice low and heavy as he spoke before leaving the room.
“…Fix your drinking habits.”
*****
“Look at this! This is the full list of attendees!”
Lindo’s eyes lit up as he glanced over the long, thick scroll I handed him.
“Marquis Renscul, the envoy from Havinston… Excellent. The Renscul estate is known for its harsh northern winters, and Havinston is a desert nation. Hair from individuals exposed to such diverse environments will be particularly effective.”
Lindo carefully marked the names of individuals whose hair would be ideal for collection and handed the scroll back to me.
“Forge connections with these people at the ball. Be sure to collect a strand of hair from each one, then add them to the antidote in sequence.”
“Got it!”
While we were bent over planning, preparations for the Bermut Empire’s royal ball, set to take place in two weeks, were progressing smoothly.
Publicly, it was announced as an event to celebrate the newlywed Emperor and Empress, with foreign dignitaries invited as honored guests.
The two-day event began with a hunting expedition and tea party on the first day to foster camaraderie. The highlight, however, was the second night—a grand ball where attendees would present their wedding gifts to the imperial couple.
Even the palace staff, who had been skittish and anxious, adapted to the peaceful atmosphere and began to buzz with excitement.
The clock ticked steadily on, and as the ballroom’s decorations and interior underwent transformation, the preparations were completed to perfection.
The night before the ball.
“Xian, black ceremonial attire suits you so well. Is it because of your black hair? It matches your eye color beautifully, too.”
“The color of my clothes doesn’t matter,” Xian said flatly, casting me a look as if to remind me of something.
“Yes, yes, I haven’t forgotten! The special sound I promised to show you,” I giggled.
Up until now, I had been providing ASMR storytelling for him, but as we grew more accustomed to each other, we realized the narrative sounds were too engaging, making it harder to fall asleep.
So, I decided to switch to purely sound-based ASMR and prepared something new to maximize its effect. I planned to debut it on the night of the ball, when his exhaustion would be at its peak.
“You’ll sleep much better with the new sounds. Trust me.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Xian replied, closing his eyes with his usual neutral expression.
But by now, I’d become so familiar with him that I could read the satisfaction behind his stoic face.
How adorable.
I stifled a laugh and quietly pulled out a comb.
“You know, I’m so excited to meet new people! I was worried you wouldn’t like the noise, but I’m so grateful you agreed to this.”
“…What kind of trouble would you have caused if I hadn’t?”
“Trouble? Me? Did I make a scene the other night when I was drunk?”
I could vaguely recall hearing the story about how Xian came to be known as a tyrant, but everything after that was a blur. All I remembered was drunkenly pestering him with the sloppy grin of a drunken fool.
Surely I didn’t grab him by the collar for refusing to host the ball… right?
Growing concerned, I asked hesitantly. Xian paused for a moment before shaking his head.
“Whew. That’s a relief. Anyway, I can’t thank you enough. The capital is great, but I’ve been dying to meet new people.”
“…What are you doing?”
The moment I began to gently comb his black hair, Xian’s eyes snapped open, and his large hand instantly caught my wrist.
Wow, such animalistic reflexes.
Internally amazed, I quickly explained with practiced ease.
“It’s a new comb! It glides so smoothly, and they say stimulating the scalp before bed helps you sleep better. I thought of you as soon as I used it, so I brought it.”
“…You thought of me?”
“Of course! I care deeply about you, Xian.”
Well, about your hair, to be exact.
I had been holding off on collecting his hair until the right moment, and now, with the perfect opportunity at hand, I seized it.
“This is a special service just for you, Xian.”
“…What an unusual privilege.”
Though his tone was gruff, Sian seemed to accept my reasoning and released my wrist. Closing his eyes again, he let me continue.
Now’s my chance!
Suppressing a triumphant grin, I began combing his hair with the precision of a cat groomer.
“What’s your favorite season, Xian? I love the moment autumn turns into winter. Do you know the smell of winter?”
Speaking softly, I brushed his hair gently with the cushioned comb. After a few strokes, a couple of strands came loose.
Jackpot!
I kept a straight face and continued combing, pretending nothing had happened.
Xian seemed pleased by the sensation, his complexion appearing slightly rosier than usual—his ears and cheeks faintly flushed.
The day of the ball.
“To the eternal glory of Bermut.”
Envoys from the continent’s most powerful nations and the highest-ranking foreign nobles had gathered.
Because the wedding ceremony had been a private affair held at a temple, this was the first time the Emperor and Empress were officially appearing before the public.
The palace was more lavishly decorated than ever, and the hunting and tea party events had begun in full splendor.
Still, outside the palace walls, rumors of the Tyrant Emperor and Wild Empress were rampant, leaving the guests visibly tense and nervous.
After all, the last grand event was the coronation ball, and everyone remembered how that had ended.
“Thank you for accepting our sudden invitation, Marquis Renscul.”
“The honor is mine, Your Majesty!”
“I hear your northern estate is famous for its eternal snow. Is that true?”
“Ah, yes! The perpetual snow is a symbol of my domain…”
I descended from the Empress’s throne, smiling brightly as I engaged in conversation with the guests in the hall.
Those invited were taken aback, surprised to find the supposedly brash and arrogant Empress speaking so calmly and graciously.
“The conversation’s dragging on. Let’s wrap it up.”
“Wait, Xian. I’m really curious about the eternal snow.”
The guests nearly fainted when the Tyrant Emperor himself descended from his throne to follow me, frowning but refraining from causing a scene despite my resistance.
“What’s going on? Did something happen to them?”
“Good heavens. The rumors about the Tyrant Emperor and Wild Empress must have been nonsense!”
