Episode 7
“Stop right there! Hey, you little cat!”
Serena hurriedly stuffed the papers in her hand into her bag and took off after the gray cat. It was so fast that she felt she’d lose sight of it if she hesitated for even a moment.
How long had she trudged through the bushes, following the cat’s tail as her guide?
“Gotcha!”
At last, Serena managed to catch the cat. Her hair was already a mess, tangled with weeds and leaves.
“You little rascal… I was trying to pamper you, and you pull off a heist instead?”
“Meow.”
As Serena lifted the cat in the air and scolded it, it wriggled in protest. Its wide, shameless eyes seemed to declare it innocent. Those round pupils stared straight at her.
“Does being cute excuse everything?”
Determined not to fall for the cat’s charm, Serina shook her head. She was still deciding how to punish it when—
“Who are you?”
A man’s voice, wary and sharp, interrupted her thoughts.
His neatly tied dark blue hair swayed gently in the breeze. Beneath it, his gray eyes were fixed on the cat.
“Do you have business with my cat?”
The way he looked at Serena next was as if she were a kidnapper caught red-handed.
It seemed her stern expression had caused a misunderstanding. Serena shrugged and said, “Are you the owner of this cat?”
“I am.”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I wasn’t planning on harming your cat.”
Serena calmly handed the cat over, and the man accepted it. The cat let out a pitiful meow as it nestled into his arms, making it seem as if Serena was the guilty party.
“In fact, your cheeky cat ran off with something of mine.”
“Oh.”
Serena held up a damp piece of paper, soggy with cat drool. Realizing what had happened, the man deliberately put on an angry expression and scolded the cat.
“Pai, how many times have I told you not to cause trouble for strangers?”
“Meow.”
Pai let out a seemingly indignant cry and kneaded the man’s arm with its paws. The man’s stern face softened instantly.
‘This owner is too soft… At this rate, the cat will never learn,’ thought Serena, choosing to focus on whether her document was still legible. Unfortunately, the ink had smudged, making parts of it unreadable.
She squinted at the paper, trying to decipher it, when—
“Let me see that.”
The man casually extended his hand toward the document. Serena tilted her head in confusion.
“This is mine,” she said.
“I know.”
“Then why—”
“I’ll restore it to its original state. After all, my cat caused the damage.”
Without waiting for her consent, the man took the paper from her hands.
“Hey, hold on!”
As Serena protested, the man removed his glove. A silver emblem was engraved on the back of his left hand.
“[Restore].”
The man uttered the word softly, and the emblem glowed white. Moments later, the document was as good as new. While Serena stood in shock, he slipped his glove back on and handed the restored document to her.
“Consider this compensation for your trouble.”
“Uh… thank you.”
Serena accepted the document with a bewildered expression. It looked as if it had never been damaged.
“Amazing. That’s elemental magic, right? It’s my first time seeing it.”
“In comparison to others, it’s just a minor trick.”
“Well, having even a minor trick is better than none.”
Serena’s cheerful response seemed to catch him off guard. He blinked, as if surprised by her remark.
At that moment, Serena glanced at her watch and gasped as though she had just remembered something. It was almost time to administer the emperor’s medicine.
“Oh no! I’m sorry, but I have to go. Thanks again!”
Waving the document, Serena dashed off toward the corridor. The man watched her retreating figure with an intense gaze.
Just then, Pai coughed up something. A golden badge glinted in the light—a badge given to imperial medics. It seemed the cat had swiped it along with the document.
The man frowned as he examined the badge. On the back, the name “Serena Vincent” was engraved.
“Hm? I didn’t know the Vincent family had another daughter.”
Puzzled, the man pocketed the badge, thinking he might return it if the opportunity arose.
***
Arriving on time, Serena entered the study carrying a bowl of medicinal decoction herself. She had decided to take on the task personally rather than entrusting it to a maid, as it was faster that way.
Azaid was slumped in his chair, seemingly exhausted from work. His eyes were closed, and he hadn’t noticed her presence.
As she set the tray on the table beside him, she hesitated, unsure whether to wake him—
“Ugh…”
Azaid groaned and furrowed his brow, cold sweat forming on his forehead. Serena was about to reach out to touch his forehead in surprise when—
“Don’t go.”
Azaid, half-asleep, pulled Serena close by the waist. She found herself in an awkward position, looking down at him.
Still seemingly trapped in a dream, he clung tightly to her waist, his breaths shallow and uneven.
All she intended was to wake him up.
Caught off guard, Serena was left speechless, her lips parting soundlessly like a fish.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty?”
She managed to call out to him, but there was no response.
His arms, holding her so tightly, seemed unyielding. Serena tried to pry herself free but to no avail. It felt as though he was holding on to someone he feared might escape.
What kind of dream is he having?
Resigned to her inability to escape his grasp, Serena paused to observe him.
Golden locks, soft and fluffy, caught her eye. They looked so delicate that she couldn’t help but feel tempted to touch them.
Then, she noticed his trembling arms.
“Don’t go.”
The words he had mumbled before pulling her close suddenly echoed in her mind.
Who could he be dreaming of?
To cling this desperately, the person must mean a great deal to him.
“Ugh,” Azaid groaned, his body trembling pitifully. Like a drenched puppy, his demeanor stirred something tender in her.
Guess I have no choice.
Hoping to comfort him in his dream, Serena gently ran her fingers through his hair.
Soft strands slipped easily through her fingers, even silkier than they appeared. Serena smiled faintly and whispered softly.
“Don’t worry.”
“……”
“I have no intention of going anywhere until I’ve saved Your Majesty.”
Of course, she knew the words “don’t go” weren’t meant for her, but she said it anyway.
At that moment, as if in response to her reassurance, Azaid’s grip on her gradually loosened.
Then, his body stiffened as if on the verge of waking.
A moment later, his tightly shut blue eyes blinked open. Serena looked down at him and asked,
“Are you awake?”
“……”
“If so, could you let go of me now?”
“How is this…?”
Azaid stared up at her with wide eyes, clearly startled to find himself in her embrace.
Not to mention, Serena’s hand was still resting on his head. Seeing his stunned expression, Serena withdrew her hand with a sheepish explanation.
“You seemed to be having a nightmare.”
She then grabbed his arms, which were still loosely wrapped around her waist, and pulled them off. He released her easily, still looking dazed.
Whether he was groggy from sleep or simply shocked by the situation, it was hard to tell. Regaining some composure, Azaid finally asked,
“Why are you here? If it’s for a walk, let’s skip it today…”
“I’m not here for a walk.”
Serena shook her head lightly and held out a bowl of herbal medicine. Azaid gestured dismissively toward the table without even looking at it.
“Just leave it there. I’ll drink it later.”
He seemed to be in a foul mood, perhaps due to the dream. Serena, however, pressed the bowl into his hands and said firmly,
“This needs to be taken warm.”
“I’m busy.”
“Coming from someone who was just taking a nap, that doesn’t sound very convincing.”
Her blatant sarcasm made Azaid scowl. They locked eyes in a silent standoff until Serena broke into a teasing smile.
“If you’re too lazy to drink it yourself, shall I feed it to you?”
“……”
“Come on, say ‘ah.’ Here comes the medicine.”
Her tone, as if addressing a child, made Azaid grimace.
He couldn’t fathom where this audacious woman had come from, treating an emperor with such casual irreverence.
While her cheeky demeanor was absurd, what baffled him more was his own inability to resist her antics.
“You really are…”
Lost for words, Azaid snatched the bowl and downed the medicine in one go, intending to get rid of her as quickly as possible.
When he obediently finished the bowl, Serena clapped her hands lightly and held out a piece of chocolate.
“Good job. Here’s a reward.”
It was blatant babying, and it was infuriating.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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