What I want from you
‘Your majesty.’
‘All she does is make a mouth shape by gathering it in a round shape and slightly opening it without making a sound, so why would my ears itch like this?’
Herhan nodded, clearing his throat, trying hard to hide his confusion.
“Oh… Riella. I have something to say. Would you like to sit here for a moment?”
“Yes.”
Now, while looking happily at Riella, who came and sat down in the nearest seat without having to order her twice, Herhan suddenly realized something.
As Asion said, he has to deliver quite ‘out of the blue’ and ‘confusion’ news to Riella.
‘It’s definitely going to be a burden. Maybe she can just refuse it because she doesn’t like it.’
“Your majesty. What do you want to say?”
Even though Riella urged him to, Herhan’s lips did not move away easily.
How did he, who was confident and shameless enough to make dozens of elders swear that he was too greedy, end up hesitating in front of this little woman?
“Riella, I am thinking of appointing you as the ambassador to the Kingdom of Liotta. Of course, it’s not my decision, it’s the Royal Family of Liotta Kingdom who want it.”
“yes? kingdom ambassador?”
Riella’s eyes widened as expected.
Herhan calmly explained the situation.
“It is a formal position. I won’t actually give you any work. However, you will have a level of status and power that no one can mess with you. Also, since this is a dispatched position from the Kingdom of Liotta, you will be free from the political situation and factions here.”
“Then the lake palace is…”
“I plan to use the Lake Palace as your official residence. Oh, of course, it’s just the outside appearance, and I’m planning to remodel the inside so you can stay comfortably.…”
Herhan added many explanations.
He was afraid that Riella might wave her hand and run away, so he did his best to make it as painless as possible and as friendly as possible.
It was completely different from how he used to subdue his ministers with his firm words.
“I see.”
Only after listening to Herhan’s explanation to the end did Riella nod her head.
When Herhan’s heart fluttered as her lips softly said, “I see.”
“Okay.”
“what?”
The answer Riella gave was so simple and clear that even Asion, who was crossing his arms over there, was surprised.
So easy? So obediently?
For a long time, Herhan and Asion blinked with the same expression.
On the other hand, Riella had no problem with her sitting posture.
“Is there anything I need to prepare? Even if I don’t have a job, I think I need to study the basics…If you pick a book, I will read it. Oh, shall I ask Sir Jess?”
Herhan was dazed for a moment by her somewhat proactive appearance, but finally came to his senses.
“I thought you would be scared or hate it.”
“I’m scared, but I don’t hate it. Because it is Your Majesty’s will.”
“But it’s not your will either. Riella. Is there anything you want?”
“Of course I want something too.”
“what is that?”
“Hmm. well… become more successful?”
Herhan asked, sounding like he’d give anything for it, but Riella just waved the envelope with the kingdom’s seal playfully.
“Honestly, I’m a little excited. I guess I was the type of person with a thirst for power.”
Riella smiled.
It was so unexpected that Herhan burst out laughing along with Riella.
* * *
That afternoon, after hearing the news, Jess hurried to the lake palace.
Jess hurried inside, unsure of what to do, and was speechless at the absurd sight of the bustling interior.
While the servants were rushing back and forth, carrying luggage and decorating the interior, Riella was unpacking her luggage in the innermost bedroom.
“What are you doing? I thought you understood what I said?”
Jess crossed his arms and approached Riella.
Jess thought Riella was trying to scare him by making a fierce impression, but Riella only glanced at Jess approaching and focused on her work again.
‘What on earth are you doing?’
“Are you playing with me? You decided not to get any closer to His Majesty, but to the lake palace and the kingdom’s ambassador. Are you willing to participate in His Majesty’s ridiculous plan? What are your intentions? Ahh… Did you change your mind once you got the position? Since this has already happened, ‘let’s do our part by being by His Majesty’s side’, is that something like that?”
Riella raised her head at Jess’ sharp words.
For some reason, Jess felt a little intimidated as she stared at him with a sweaty face.
‘Obviously, when she came to the lab a few hours ago, Riella looked quite dangerous.’
“Sir Jess.”
“What, what?”
“If you have any spare hands, could you please move some of the luggage over here?”
But now, instead of being dangerous, she was shamelessly courageous.
Without uncrossing his arms, Jess nudged the luggage that Riella had asked him to carry with his toe.
Then Riella raised her head again.
“What! What are you going to do?!”
Riela didn’t avoid his gaze as he shouted, but she spoke calmly.
“I said I understood what you said, but I didn’t say I would distance myself from His Majesty.”
It seemed like he wanted to fight properly, so the moment Jess gritted his teeth, Riella continued her story.
“Today, His Majesty asked me a question. What do I want? Of course I answered that I wanted something.”
‘Yeah. You do. Isn’t there something you want, so you pretend not to hear my warning and continue to act like this next to His Majesty?’
“I wish His Majesty peace.”
Jess, who had been arrogantly sticking out his chin to see her intentions, stopped and opened his mouth as if he had been hit in the back of the head.
While he was frozen, Riella’s dignified expression did not change.
“I hope His Majesty is a little happier. If having me around will make his Majesty feel at ease, then I will do that.”
“No, hey. Miss Riella….”
“And me too. I also want to be happy next to him.”
‘What is this woman? His majesty may die tomorrow, but is she still willing to fulfill all his desires by his side?’
Jess stared at her, but Riella was no longer intimidated by the stare.
‘What on earth made this woman so brave?’
“It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“I know it will be difficult. Because Captain Asion and Sir Jess are following the same path.”
“I don’t know. I definitely stopped you. Don’t say anything else later. Don’t even bother me.”
“yes.”
‘She was always quiet, so why was she so cheerful today?’
Jess glanced at Riella for a moment and then quickly withdrew his gaze.
Instead, he picked up the luggage that Riella had asked him to move earlier, which he had kicked in the opposite direction, and moved it in front of Riella.
“And one more thing. You must not be the first to break down in front of His Majesty. Never. Pretend you don’t know anything until the end and act strong. Do you Understand?”
“aren’t those words unsuitable for you who were drunk yesterday…?”
“Ah. So… If you don’t want to end up like me, do well!”
To shake off the embarrassment in many ways, Jess shouted again.
Riella finally smiled at that sight.
‘For some reason, I felt like I would be fighting with sir Jess often from now on. First of all, today was my victory.’
* * *
A few days passed like that.
The Lake Palace, which had been neglected for more than a decade after the death of the Empress, had been restored to its former glory under Riella’s active initiative.
After finishing cleaning with the servants, Riella headed to the Imperial Library or Jess’s study every afternoon.
There, Riella was busy studying. Jess was the one who was bothered by her passionate study of politics, diplomacy, and aristocratic etiquette.
“Am I a private teacher? I’m really bored to death. I’m busy just doing my research. Because of Miss Riella, I haven’t even finished researching the ingredients of the medicine yet!”
Herhan nodded with a very serious face at Jess’s full-tempered voice.
Meanwhile, what Herhan was looking at at this moment was Riella, who was deep inside with her nose buried in a book, unaware that he was there.
“Isn’t she cute?”
“yes?”
“Has she been bored? If I had known she would work so hard, I should have given her something to do.”
“no….”
While Jess, who was speechless, was unable to respond and was shocked, Herhan walked up to Riella.
“Riella.”
Liella was startled and closed the book.
In Herhan’s eyes, the sight of her welcoming him by saying, “Ah, Your Majesty, you are here” seemed even more lovely.
“Shall I give you an aide if you need one?”
“Aide?”
“Yes. Now that you’re an ambassador to the kingdom, it would be nice to have an aide, and you can learn from him. I’ll find you someone kinder and smarter than Jess.”
Jess, who heard those words, became enraged behind the scenes, but Herhan and Riella did not care.
Riella widened her eyes, then smiled brightly and answered loudly.
“Yes!”
That bright answer again brought unexpected joy to Herhan. Like receiving a gift he wasn’t expecting.
‘Has Riella ever responded to something I said so quickly and so clearly and courageously?’
“I’m happy to hear that you like it, too. But why do you listen to me so well these days?”
At those words, Riella pretended to smile, lowered her head, and took a moment to catch her breath.
“Pretend you don’t know anything until the end and act strong. Did you understand?”
Jess’s request came to her mind.
After thinking about those words over and over again, Riella raised her head again and smiled brightly.
Herhan smiled warmly along with Riella because he thought Riella’s bright appearance was really pretty.
Peacefully, according to Riella’s earnest wish.
* * *
At that time, the Kingdom of Liotta.
When the office door burst open, the old king was startled and dropped the fountain pen he was holding.
Ink splattered messily from the nib of a fallen fountain pen. King Taran II clicked his tongue in frustration at the mess he had made of his papers.
In front of him, Princess Greta charged like a wild horse; she was the only one in the entire palace who could behave like that.
“Greta. Could you please act more politely? Greta, Greta!”
Greta took away the letter he had been examining just now, as if she didn’t care about what her father said.
The letter, made of stiff paper and shiny and also gilded with gold, was sent from Herhan, Emperor of the Elschweig Empire.
Greta’s eyes, which were quickly scanning the letter from top to bottom, became increasingly more vicious.
“Ha! What the hell?”
Greta’s first reaction after reading the entire letter was to burst into ridiculous laughter.
“Your majesty! Do you really have no pride?”
* * *
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