So painful
“Your Majesty the Emperor!”
While the eyes of the two were fixed on each other, the workers surrounding Riella belatedly noticed the emperor’s appearance and bowed their heads in fright.
In particular, Lou opened her eyes wide as if they were going to jump out and covered her mouth.
‘His Majesty the Emperor is coming here, what if he scolds me for leaving Miss Riella to do the dirty work.’
“Your majesty. I said I wanted to try it myself. My body is aching and stuffy just sitting still in my room.”
Riella’s thoughts were the same as Lou’s.
In case the sparks were to fly in a harsh place, Riella quickly made an excuse.
“I know.”
The emperor’s reply to her was concise.
Lou stroked her chest and was relieved, but Riella hesitated slightly.
The Emperor’s voice seems somehow heavy, is it because of his mood?
It was quite refreshing to dip her bare feet in the cold water and step on the soft foam. It was fun to tease Lou, and it was refreshing and nice to move her body under the good sunlight.
But even the emperor came.
The emperor, who said he would not be able to see her face for a while because he was obviously busy, came to a place like this looking for her.
Riella was more pleased to see him. So she was just happy.
“Well, I have nothing more to say.”
It didn’t seem like the emperor.
Only then did Riella realize the strangely rigid atmosphere, and the corners of her mouth, which had been smiling without notice, slipped down.
Asion’s expression also was hardened. He stepped forward and sent all the workers of the laundry inside, without any special order from the emperor. Lou glanced at him and slowly moved away.
It was Herhan who came in and stood in the place Lou had left.
He stared at Riella, who was still stepping on the foam in the laundry tub, before opening his mouth.
“Why do you think I gave you the West Palace and then pretended to be more intimate with you?”
It was in the form of a question, but Riella knew that it was actually a reprimand.
‘I didn’t know the answer.’
But this is a scolding. Riella bowed her head instead of giving him an answer.
“It was to prevent people from doing anything to you. But you deliberately set yourself up to be a spectacle, and in an instant, my efforts go to waste. Why? Are you trying to piss me off?”
Riella’s heart sank at the ferocious strike, which was not typical of an emperor.
She had only done this to cheer Lou up. She never thought of ignoring the emperor’s consideration, and she had no idea that he would be so upset.
At the same time as being embarrassed, Riella’s face turned red with guilt.
Embarrassed to even meet the emperor’s eyes, Riella hurriedly held on to her skirt with her head bowed down.
“Sorry. your majesty. I’m short-minded. I’II never again…”
But maybe it’s because she was too flustered? She hurriedly put her foot out to get out of the washtub.
Riella slipped on the foam and lost her balance.
Riella’s body swayed violently.
Instead of falling into the washtub and getting covered in foam, or falling out and rolling on the floor, Herhan nimbly caught her.
“Now you are going to be covered in water.”
“Oh no! It was a mistake…”
A thick, strong forearm wrapped around Riella’s waist.
Herhan lightly lifted Riella, who was still confused and pulled her out of the washtub.
“Sorry….”
When she slightly raised her head while apologizing, Herhan’s eyes looking down at Riella were still fierce.
Riella was stunned and immediately corrected her words.
“No, thank you.”
“…..”
‘Why am I so uncomfortable and nervous?’
Since the emperor had been smiling this morning, now she felt even more uncomfortable under his intense gaze, as if he were going to eat her.
“You can let me go now. I can stand on my own, Your Majesty.”
So Riella stepped back as if she were running away from this embarrassing situation.
But even as she backed away, Herhan stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. His steps were deeper than hers.
“Your Majesty….”
“The servants over there are looking this way.”
‘Ah. So he was purposely trying to get closer?’
Even though she is a woman who is not ashamed and walks through the laundry barefoot among the workers, she is a woman that the emperor cherishes so much that everyone should take a good look at her and not ignore her.
Anyway, not wanting to disappoint Herhan even more, when Riella remained still, Herhan pulled her into a hug and buried his face in the nape of her neck.
“Huh!”
Riella swallowed a low breath on Herhan’s forehead, which was so close to where her heart was beating.
‘My heart is beating like it’s about to explode. I’m sure Herhan could hear that beating. ‘
Instead of backing away, he hugged Riella more tightly.
‘He’s punishing me on purpose.’ Riella thought so.
However, knowing the emperor’s intentions did not ease the burning sensation that reached the top of her head.
For some reason, it felt like the emperor’s hot breath was touching the nape of her neck.
And for some reason, the emperor’s lips buried in the hollow of his collarbone, kiss a little bit of her flesh.
Riella’s blood vessels were throbbing and her head was dizzy.
“Your Majesty. Until when…?I think this is enough….”
All Riella could do was tremble in such a small, trembling voice.
After a while, the emperor raised his head.
Riella, whose cheeks were already flushed, looked into his eyes and saw a frosty glint in them. That made her feel even more helpless
“Why are you….”
“Yes…?.”
“Nothing.”
The Emperor did not answer Riella’s trembling question.
Instead, he applied a very strong force to the arm wrapped around Liella’s body, then relaxed and let go.
The moment the Emperor let go of her body, for some reason, Riella felt that he was not letting go of her, but rather throwing her away.
“Let’s have dinner together tonight. Go back, prepare, and come straight to the main palace.”
The Emperor turned and left before Riella could ask why. The sight of his broad back confused her.
The nape of his neck still burned from his hot breath, and all that Herhan’s back exuded was a savage chill.
“Your majesty.”
After leaving Riella, who didn’t know what expression to make, and walking for a while, Asion called him.
‘Miss Riella, you know, now the Emperor has neither a smile nor a cry with a more confused face than yours.’
Herhan gave a belated reply to Asion, who swallowed his monologue in frustration.
“Later.”
“Your Majesty….”
“I will check it later. So don’t do anything to Riella.”
Asion was about to say something, but soon realized that there was no need for an answer, and silently followed Herhan.
* * *
Before dinner, Jess told Herhan, who briefly visited the lab, about some of the facts he had learned so far.
As confirmed by Carnel’s testimony, it was certain that the medicine changed after the emperor arrived in the kingdom. That was probably why the emperor had an untimely seizure in the kingdom.
However, it has not yet been confirmed what exactly the ingredients of the ‘fake medicine’ are.
If the enemy simply intended to harm the emperor, they would have used deadly poison, but no poison was found in the ‘fake medicine’ that was discovered.
The enemy’s intentions were unknown, so it was a more dangerous situation.
Perhaps because of the aftereffects of the fake medicine, today the emperor even showed abnormal symptoms for a while, so it was also important to find out the exact ingredients of the medicine.
In the end, it may sound too obvious, but they need to uncover the spy as soon as possible.
‘But his Majesty, who ran out to catch her, is here in vain.’
Jess clicked his tongue and grabbed Herhan, who was standing with his arms crossed in front of him.
“You said you couldn’t hear her mind. So how are you going to check it?”
Herhan was silent, but Jess just let out a sigh as if he knew that.
Jess, who muttered, “It’s not good, it’s not good”, skillfully lifted up his slipped glasses and put his head down on the old document he was looking at intently.
Jess’s way of speaking was indifferent, as he quickly skimmed the document with gray eyes and threw it at his lord.
“Isn’t it a very typical spy tactic to enthrall an enemy general and dig into his inside? And to think that my wise majesty would fall for such an obvious trick breaks my heart.”
Srakk.
Jess fingertips turned over the yellowed pages.
Jess always shut himself up in his lab, except when he was checking on the emperor twice a day, in the morning and evening, but now he was especially focused on research.
It was heartbreaking that the emperor had been taking fake medicine during the period he was away for a while and today he suddenly suffered an unprecedented abnormality.
Jess, the emperor’s personal doctor, had no choice but to be in an emergency.
‘No. Not as a doctor, but as an old friend who only wants peace for Herhan.’
“Jess, do you doubt Riella?”
“Of course. So you don’t have any doubts? I don’t like her.”
And yet, whether he knows it or not. It was frustrating to Jess that Herhan was so intent on defending the woman, Riella.
Finally, Jess took his eyes off the document, nervously took off his glasses, and glared at Herhan.
“I doubt it, Asion doubts it, and every passing attendant doubts her. except you. Your Majesty is the only one who doesn’t.”
“No. I doubt it.”
‘Eh, really?’
According to Asion, he had been hugging the woman he found at the laundry. They were too close to believe he was trying to read her mind.
Jess couldn’t trust Herhan’s answer. So, when he opened his eyes and tried to question his lord’s sincerity, Herhan first revealed his inner thoughts.
“So it is very painful. I will die.”
Jess was stunned.
At this time, he had to laugh at his lord. He’s always considered it the most shameful sin to show his feelings.
But still, Jess kept his mouth shut.
‘What on earth is it that Herhan, who has overcome so many obstacles and endured his curse calmly for the rest of his life, will collapse like this because of just that little woman?’
“I will die.”
“Don’t say that you will die in front of the doctor.”
“Whatever. Even if I die, won’t you make it beautifully stuffed?”
“That is it. But rather than stuff, I prefer Your Majesty’s smells.”
Jess narrowed her eyes and, unlike the creepy line he’d said, he immediately added a serious expression.
“So please live a long time.”
“…..”
“Don’t be swayed by emotions. It is not like Your Majesty.”
Herhan smiled and left, pretending to be relaxed, but Jess clearly saw that his pupils were shaking dizzy before his lord left.
Jess put on his glasses again and tried to read the book, then closed the book and covered his face with his hands.
Jess, who covered his face with his palm and thought about it for a long time as if sleeping, suddenly got up and headed towards the Imperial Knight Captain’s office.
“Asion. Later, while she is having dinner with His Majesty, searches her bedroom and the carriage the woman rode in. Also, investigate the child, her name is ‘Lou’, right?”
“What? What kind of nonsense are you talking about and you suddenly came in?”
Asion laughed thinking Jess was joking, and then slowly lowered the corners of his mouth when he saw Jess’s determined expression.
“His Majesty said he would take care of it.…”
“His Majesty can’t.”
“….”
“You know that. We need to do this. If you can’t do it, I’ll do it myself. Fortunately, I haven’t done anything to her yet.”
‘Not yet.’
The woman’s face appeared in Jess’ mind as he thought so.
That face that smiled, saying that it was fortunate that there were many good people by His Majesty’s side, and asking Jess to let her know when he made a judgment about herself.
It was so clear that it bothered him.
* * *
