Unwanted Guest
“What is this?”
Herhan asked as Riella approached.
Herhan’s gaze was directed to Riella’s wrist, which was wrapped around a thin chain.
She didn’t answer, but the knight who followed Riella answered it.
“For safety reasons, we’ve shackled the prisoner, so that we don’t have to worry…”
“Whose safety are you talking about?”
“Of course, you are His Majesty the Emperor.”
The knight stiffened. It was unfortunate that it was not his master’s praise that would return to him for his loyalty, but a scolding.
“Do you see me as an emperor who is enough to be defeated by a woman without a weapon?”
“yes?”
“It means release the chains of Riella Blinite.”
The knight blinked his eyes with a bewildered expression for a long time, but belatedly realized the emperor’s will and jumped up.
The knight hurriedly untied the chains, and Riella wrapped her wrists, which were slightly reddened by the chains.
‘I was relieved and ashamed at the same time. It felt like the scars of the red chain were the stigma of my situation.’
“I should have told him earlier. I didn’t pay attention.” said the emperor.
‘Are you apologizing?’
His gaze was persistently on Riella’s wrist. The color of his eyes was unusually deep blue as if he was regretful.
Was it because his wrist was injured, or was it just because the emperor’s eyes were hot?
Riella hid her red hands behind her back and lowered her head.
“No, Your Majesty, just for letting me go out like this…”
She was about to say thank you, but Riella hesitated.
She remembered that she hadn’t said a word of thanks to the Emperor yet.
Not just today, she has been with him since the first meeting at Le Der’s. For saving her from death, for saving her from almost being killed. For giving her a chance to explain. For letting her explain. To release the chains on her wrists.
And like this, for allowing her to walk while looking at spring flowers.
“Thank you,” Riella said.
Herhan, who had been walking in the garden, stopped.
He was still standing with only his back visible. If he stayed like that, Riella seemed to be able to get a few more words out.
“I must be stupid. I should have said that first.”
Fortunately, Herhan kept a step away so that Liella could speak freely.
“I shouldn’t have asked what you wanted in return. I shouldn’t have offered my body. I should have said thank you.”
“…..”
“I didn’t know the sky outside was still so bright and pretty.”
Her voice trembled slightly, saying, “This is also a confession.”
Still, Riella calmly continued to speak. Hoping that this small and weak voice will reach Herhan right in front of her.
“I still don’t know how beautiful the world is.… So I didn’t know how grateful I was to live again. I didn’t know it was precious.”
It was just as it was said.
‘I was gritting my teeth and begging to be saved because I resented being used by the royal family, but that was only because I resented it, not because I valued my life.’
But after coming out and receiving sunlight, she understands.
‘How great was what Emperor Herhan gave me.’
“Thank you for saving me. You saved my life. And…”
“That’s better.”
The emperor answered at that point and turned around to face Riella.
He began to approach.
Riella thought she was quite a distance away from the Emperor, but with his large strides, it was only about four paces.
“It’s much better than apologizing and endlessly groaning.”
“Thank you. your majesty.”
“That doesn’t mean saying thank you endlessly.”
The emperor laughed
It was a shallow and short laugh, but it was enough to fill the air with the scent of flowers.
After that, the Emperor and Riella walked a little more in the garden.
After exchanging a few words, Herhan asked Riella how she wanted to be treated in the future.
Instead of answering right away, Riella looked up at the emperor. Why is he asking this question? And asked.
“Will you hug me?”
“If you want.”
It was an absurd answer.
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Even so, you don’t have a choice.”
The answer was the same.
“Why do you ask what I want when I don’t have a choice?”
Even when asking such a question, Riella expected an obvious answer.
Without much meaning. Those with power usually take pleasure in taking advantage of the weak.
However, Herhan’s answer is different from the previous answers.
“I just want to know what’s in your heart.”
Riella flinched at the words she couldn’t understand.
Herhan stopped his steps beside Riella.
The two of them, who deliberately walked away from the knight, were already deep within the garden fences.
“I am not a person who asks a lot of questions. Rather, I tend to act on my own will to the point of being arrogant. But I keep asking you something.”
‘It’s because I can’t hear your mind and strange things keep happening around you.’
Instead of letting those words out of his mouth, Herhan grabbed Riella’s wrist, who had stopped following him.
Her wrists were thin enough to hold comfortably with one hand. Herhan was concerned about the scars of chains still left in red on that fragile wrist. So he deliberately did not hold that part tighter.
Even though he held her hand, Riella’s thoughts were still unheard.
Riella raised her red eyes and looked up at him quietly.
‘What are you thinking while Looking at me? What is this woman thinking?’
“I am curious about you. Riella Blinite.”
For the first time, Herhan knew that curiosity about people can be as
intense as lust.
“I need to know you.”
At his words, which sounded like a declaration of war, Riella caught her breath with her eyelashes quivering.
Riella’s red lips murmured. She seemed to be about to say something, but before she could, the report of a knight who had rushed up to them sounded louder.
“Your majesty! I beg your pardon for interrupting your rest, but I urgently need to…!”
Herhan frowned at the interruption of time.
However, even after knowing the meaning of the emperor’s face crumpled, the knight could not retreat.
It was noisy beyond the garden fence. Herhan frowned further as he realized the source of the disturbance.
“Your majesty. You were taking a walk in the garden.”
A cheerful and clear voice approached. She was Princess Greta.
Behind the princess, there was a pile of people who couldn’t hold her or just let her go, So they frantically followed her.
“I have been looking for you for a long time. Even though I sent someone to see you, there was no news. Someone else said that His Majesty was sick.”
Greta continued, walking across the flower without hesitation.
“But you are strong enough to take a walk like this. I’m just happy.”
“Princess.”
“Yes. your majesty. Long time no see. Even though we live in the same palace.”
Even though she smiled, Greta’s words were sarcastic at the Emperor’s behavior toward the royal family.
Of course, the expressions of the imperial entourage gathered around them turned pale. The faces of the royal servants at Greta’s side were no different.
“You must have some very urgent business since you’ve come to the flower garden in person.”
“Oh. Wasn’t it necessary to look all over the palace, not just the flower garden, to see Your Majesty?”
Despite the attendants’ dissuades, Greta let out all the words in her heart and laughed shamelessly.
She should try to talk the emperor out of it, ask him what he wanted, and if that didn’t work, she would get down on her knees and do what he asked.
However, Greta had made up her mind to put an end to it and rushed to the front of the emperor.
So there was no need for further pretense.
‘I was sick and tired of being nervous in a situation where our secrets were revealed.’
“Let’s talk about it later. princess. I will immediately send the Minister of Protocol to the main palace to schedule a meeting.”
‘But the emperor’s attitude was strange. The emperor, who was always more reckless than me, looked calm today. I’m being so blatantly rude, but you don’t give me a single reprimand?’
It was also suspicious that he would smoothly set up the meeting schedule that he had been putting off all along.
‘Are you going to avoid the royal family by just talking out loud again?’
“your majesty. Don’t waste each other’s time, if you want something, just be honest now….”
Greta, who took a step closer, suppressing her irritation and nervousness, only then did Greta realize what the Emperor had hidden behind his back.
“Riella?”
She just called out that name, and the tiny shoulders behind the emperor stiffened and began to tremble.
“Really Riella Blinite? you….”
Greta sounded surprised, then burst out laughing in disbelief.
“Is it really you? Why are you there?”
Each time Greta laughed, Riela felt her soul plummet to a lower place.
Riella was out of her breath. It was at that moment when she realized that Greta was approaching from beyond.
It was from that moment that Herhan held her hand tightly.
At first, she hid behind his back, but it was still not enough to avoid Greta’s eyes.
“What are you doing? Are you taking a walk with His Majesty?”
Greta came towards Riella. Greta, forgetting the emperor and what the negotiations were about, her black eyes twinkled like a hawk that caught its prey.
How dare the wretch have cornered her, Fabian, and the royal family. Riella, whom she should have killed long ago.
“Riell—!”
But before Greta, who had come closer, could stretch out her hand, the Emperor quickly wrapped his arms around Riella and pulled her into his back.
Greta, who had her prey stolen right in front of her eyes, frowned.
The emperor hid Riella completely behind himself and took a step closer to Greta.
“princess. It seems that you are in a hurry to talk to me. I’ll make a place for our meeting right now, so go inside.”
“You’re kind, Your Majesty. Different from before.”
Greta gritted her teeth and replied.
Greta’s dark eyes alternated look fiercely between Herhan and Riella, who had now hidden behind him.
A man who protects a treasure he can never give away, and a woman who is very familiar with him.
And, the emperor’s hand, holding her tightly as if driving away her fears.
If they were only united against the royal family, they wouldn’t be holding hands like that.
‘Are the rumors floating around in the palace true?’
Greta’s gaze, half surprised and half interested, glared at Herhan.
“princess. I say it again, come inside…”
“No. your majesty. I think you misunderstood. I confirmed His Majesty’s safety with my own eyes, so that’s enough. I came to the annex for another reason.”
Greta had already finished her calculations. The calculation was that what she thought was her leash might become her shield.
“I came to meet Riella Blinite. Your Majesty. Could you please allow me?”
Herhan’s eyes became terrifying at Greta’s request. Still, Greta did not give up. Rather, she even directly provoked Riella, who was cowering behind the Emperor’s back.
“What about you, Riella? Don’t you have a lot to talk about with me, too?”
Greta’s loud voice became an arrow in Riella even though the emperor was blocking her.
‘Don’t we have a lot to talk about?’
In anger and fear towards Greta, Riella flinched
However, Herhan strengthened the hand that held hers. With each word Greta spoke, he gripped her harder and harder, until the blue tendons on the back of her hand stood out.
Riella looked down at the Emperor’s hand and gritted her teeth.
‘I was lucky to have that hand.’
Thanks to that, it kept Riella from fainting.
She could breathe, she could have stood up proudly in front of Greta, who was terrifying just to think of it, and answered like this.
“Yes. I also have something I wanted to say to the princess.”
* * *
