The warmest consolation
“Why is His Majesty here…?”
“Am I interrupting?”
It was Greta who was crying, but Herhan didn’t take his eyes off Riella.
At the end of the emperor’s blue gaze, Riella closed her eyes and caught her breath.
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant… I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, just our conversation…oh.” Greta said. Deliberately hiding her tears.
“I have something to discuss privately with Riella.….”
“This is not a discussion, because the princess spoke one-sidedly.” Herhan’s answer was cold.
Whether Greta was trying hard to convince him that she was crying or not, wasn’t his concern.
‘It’s not easy, fooling that man.’
Greta thought so and changed the subject.
“I didn’t know that Your Majesty would come all the way here in person.”
“I forgot something.”
Saying that Herhan pulled from his arms a folded handkerchief.
“I forgot to give it to you earlier. I thought one of you was going to cry.”
At those words, Riella raised her gaze.
It suddenly dawned on her, very uncomfortably, that the princess was crying. She was crying pitifully in the presence of a sinner.
‘Had I made a mistake? Would this put the emperor in a difficult situation?’
‘I haven’t done anything…’
However, because the princess cried first, she was overwritten by the ‘sin of daring to make the princess cry.’
‘What if I’m accused of this? Will the emperor believe me when I say that the princess cried alone while I stayed silent?’
Riella was immersed in self-deprecating thought.
“Take it.”
“…!”
At that time, Herhan took out a handkerchief and held it out to Riella. Riella looked up in surprise.
‘Not for Greta, but for me?’
Greta, who was sitting across from him, was also dumbfounded. Of course, she thought it was for her, so her hand that stretched out to receive the handkerchief trembled in the air in embarrassment.
“I think you might need it.”
The emperor’s voice was gentle. The hand that bent down and gave the handkerchief to Riella was also gentle. as if he realized she was the one who was crying, even though she wasn’t making a sound.
Riella held the handkerchief handed to her by the emperor and swallowed her emotions.
She felt like she was about to cry, but surprisingly, it faded quickly. Perhaps because of the soft handkerchief she was holding in her hand. Or…
“If you need anything else, tell me, Riella.”
“….”
“If you want me to stay by your side, I will.”
Perhaps it’s because of the man who stood by her side, as if he were an escort knight.
“It’s alright. I don’t think I have anything else to say to the Princess.”
“What do you say?”
‘I should do what I was going to do.’
Herhan looked at her as if he were encouraging her.
Riella nodded her head slightly.
‘I was tired just facing Greta.’
She was tired of facing Greta, tired of her apologies and her tears, and she wanted to run away.
Did the Emperor know that, and had he come to comfort her?
Riellla opened her mouth to Greta anyway.
“I will accept your apology. But I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything after that. princess. As I said earlier…It has nothing to do with me.”
“Riella, you…”
“And I also have something to say to the princess. I also want to apologize.”
Riella looked at Greta, who was still in tears.
‘Why is the Princess crying?’
Riella couldn’t understand her, but she didn’t care anymore anyway.
She wanted to pour out her frustrations, and she wanted to hear some lame excuse.
Riella decides not to understand Greta or this situation.
“The favor you asked me….”
“….!”
“I guess I won’t be able to hear that. I’m here to tell you that. sorry. Princess.”
* * *
“Thank you for taking me. your majesty.”
Arriving in front of her room in the Annex, Riella politely bowed her head. Even then, Herhan hadn’t said a word. It was an awkward silence considering that the knights were separated from them and he brought Riella directly to her bedroom.
“You’re not asking me anything?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
In the end, Riella spoke first, but Herhan only slightly parted his lips.
He must have heard the name Fabian. He would be curious about what the princess had asked her to do, and he would be worried that she might have interfered with his empire’s plans.
“Of course I’m curious.”
“Then I will tell you—”
“But it’s okay.”
“….”
“Get some rest.”
Herhan said that and let Riella into the room.
‘Are you angry?’
When she entered the bedroom and looked in the small mirror on the wall, Riella knew why he acted like that.
‘I had a face like this.…’
A tired and sick face as if it had been through a battle.
After realizing that the emperor’s silence was a gesture of consideration, she felt sorry and grateful again. Riella trudged back onto the bed and sat down.
As she sat in silence, her mind replayed the words that the princess had shared with her earlier.
“Fabian could die”
‘Fabian…’
‘I decided to reply that I didn’t care, that it had nothing to do with me, but of course, my heart wasn’t like that.’
‘You’re bringing up Fabian, now? And what was I supposed to do?’
Once the royal family had fallen, there was nothing she could do about it. Or even if she could…
‘why me? When I was dying, where was Fabian and what was he doing? You’re the one who made me like this…’
Riella bit her lip.
‘I hate you so much, but why can’t I forget your face? How can you stay so clear and torment me endlessly?’
‘You stupid. You are selfish. You’ve been hiding somewhere and never showing up. Now you want me to save you? How can you be so cowardly? How can you do that until the end.…’
‘I’m afraid that crying will leak out the door. Then I’d make the knights and the emperor annoyed again.’
Riella hugged herself as much as she could and cried.
Then she suddenly realized that light was coming in between her knees.
‘The window…’
She looked up and saw the sunlight pouring in through the open window.
This morning, until she went out for a walk with the emperor, the window had been sealed with a board.
Riella slowly got off the bed. She brought a chair and put it in front of the window, and sat there looking out at the open air.
And then she cried.
While being comforted by the soft sunlight. No, perhaps while being comforted by someone warmer than the sunlight.
Riella, who had fallen asleep leaning against the window sill, suddenly opened her eyes to the sound of the rain falling.
There was no sign of rain in the morning.
The sky was covered with dark clouds and it was quite dark everywhere.
‘How long did I sleep?’
Riella jumped up.
Leaving her bedroom, Riella headed to the emperor’s inner room.
The knight guarding the door to the inner room didn’t hinder Riella’s visit. Instead, he knocked first, letting the emperor know she was there and opening the door for her.
The emperor, who was standing in the inner room, widened his eyes when he saw Riella who had come to visit him. Around him, his staff, including Asion, were moving busily.
“Ah, I came because I have something to tell you, Your Majesty.….”
“His Majesty has a busy schedule right now.”
The one who intercepted the answer was the minister of protocol, who checked the emperor’s clothes.
Riella hesitated and withdrew.
She was about to say ‘ sorry’ and that she will come back next time, but the emperor was the first to speak.
“Is it an urgent matter?”
“No. your majesty.”
‘When I woke up, I ran quickly because I wanted to express my gratitude before the day was over.’
“Then tell me later.”
“yes.”
So it was fine.
Compared to the busy political affairs that the emperor had to deal with, a simple thank you from someone who was indebted to him would have to take second place.
however.
“How about dinner tonight?”
“yes?”
“I will stop by the main palace for a while and then come back. I’ll be back before evening so let’s have dinner together.”
The staff listening next to Herrhan’s suggestion were surprised and stopped moving. Of course, Riella also opened her mouth wide, not knowing what to answer, but Herhan continued to speak with an expressionless face.
“That’s when we’ll talk.”
“…..”
“Get some more sleep until then. Your face is still a mess.”
Riella blushed and lowered her head when she heard that her face was a mess.
‘Come to think of it, I came out without even looking in the mirror properly.’
‘My eyes must have been swollen because I cried and then slept.’
The emperor approached while she was embarrassed, biting her lips thinking that she might look ugly.
“It means to rest more.”
The voice speaking into her ear was soft.
Surprised by that, Riella didn’t even have time to raise her head again, and the emperor rushed off.
The staff tried to suppress their panic and followed the emperor.
Left alone in the inner room, Riella quietly caressed her ear. It was as if she could still feel the emperor’s breath on her reddened ears.
* * *
Asion looked gloomy all the way to the East Palace. His pouting lips seemed sulky, and sometimes he seemed worried when looking up and down at Herhan and sighing deeply.
“If you’re going to grumble, do it.”
“What’s the point of doing it? You won’t even listen.”
“Yes, that’s right,” said Herhan with a smirk, and Asion sighed again.
“Your majesty. Still, can’t you think again? It’s only been a day since the seizures subsided, but you’re going to use your powers… Ah, yes. You’re not listening to me, right?”
Asion’s nagging, which had been patiently endured, fell to the ground without any gain, as expected.
Herhan just walked forward in silence.
It is impossible to break his Lord’s stubbornness, so he just accepts it, but it was a bit strange to Asion.
The Lord, who had been thinking seriously about something all afternoon while staying alone in the study room, suddenly said he should meet the princess. He didn’t just meet her, he said that he had to read the princess’ mind.
“You mean now? For what? Oh, no. The fact-finding investigation has already been completed. Reading her mind can’t be used as evidence anyway, and wasn’t your Majesty who said let’s leave the royal family alone?”
“just…”
“What just?”
“I’m dying of curiosity, but I can’t ask her. she’ll cry if I even touch her.”
“If that woman…Are you talking about Riella Blinite?”
Herhan was silent at that point.
Lately, whenever Herhan was silent without context, it was about Riella Blinite.
“Your majesty. Do you have any special feelings for Riella Blinite? Like the rumor? Pure love, femme fatale?”
TL: femme fatale, a seductive woman, has a strong attraction towards men.
So Asion took the risk of rudeness and asked a question.
Stop walking, or stare at yourself.
Asion, who had expected Herhan to be stopped, glared at him, or worse, laughed hysterically, answered very calmly and quickly.
“It seems so.”
“Th-That’s right!?”
“Yes. Specifically, I am curious.”
“Oh, no. I thought it was because your powers didn’t work on her, right?”
While Asion sighed and brushed his chest, Herhan was alone in his thoughts.
‘Well, I don’t know. Is that so?’
While he pondered the question, which had no easy answer, Herhan arrived at the East Palace.
“What’s going on? Your Majesty visits this palace twice a day. Besides, it’s raining.”
The Emperor held out his hand to Greta, who approached with suspicion.
She knew it wasn’t part of the greeting if the emperor kissed the back of her hand, but Greta still held out her hand out of courtesy.
‘You ignored me like that before, what trick are you doing again this time?’
In Herhan’s head, Princess Greta’s angry grumble resonated.
It was a clear voice, but still a long way off. What he wants to look into is a secret memory of the princess.
Herhan kept a calm expression and put his lips on the back of Greta’s hand.
* * *
