Get your hands off her
El followed Riella into the imperial library and took a deep breath as the interior was so deep and magnificent that he could not see the end.
The imperial library was larger than it appeared from the outside. In order to properly store books according to their material, they were divided into light and shaded areas, and within those areas, all kinds of books were neatly categorized by subject, author, and year.
As he tried to act calm and took a deep breath, the musty smell of the book mixed with his inhaled breath and filled the tip of El’s nose.
‘What is this?’
Just as he was beginning to get upset unnecessarily over nothing, Riella came around the next bookcase and spoke.
“Sir El. I brought all the books.”
Riella was coming towards him, whimpering, holding so many books in her arms that it blocked her vision.
El found the sight so funny and absurd that he smiled without realizing it.
When he took out more than half of the book and held it for her, Riella, who had a clear view, smiled brightly.
“Is there a book you’re looking for?”
“No. I just want to look around.”
“Sir El was from the Imperial Academy, right? I guess there’s a big library there like here.”
“uh…Yeah.”
EL trailed off.
Riella was right. The Imperial Academy, where he graduated, had a library comparable to that of the Imperial Library.
‘Was there? There was…maybe.’
Actually, my memory was blurry. The days at Imperial Academy were a series of terrible memories.
Although he always did his best in studying, it was a time when only the dirty labels directed at his family and the glares of his peers followed him.
He couldn’t even go in and out of the library.
The first time he tried to go in without notice, but it wasn’t long before his pass was confiscated.
El was not interested in success. He just loved books, but his family couldn’t afford to buy them, so he enrolled in the Academy on a scholarship he’d earned.
“My childhood treasure number one was Enri and Ann.’”
It was Riella who turned his attention to a story that had not been asked out of the blue when he was about to feel frustrated by a not-so-pleasant memory.
“Enri and Ann?”
“yes. It’s the title of a children’s book. It was about Enri flying in the sky and going on an adventure with Ann. Enri is very strong. I think he spouted fire from his mouth.”
“Enri, who flies in the sky, is very strong, and spouted fire from his mouth.”
“Yeah. He’s even stronger when he’s with Ann. Isn’t it amazing?”
She looked so innocent as she reminisced, as if she were back to being a child who treasured a small storybook as treasure number one.
“Did you hear that I was a mercenary when I was in the Kingdom of Liotta?”
El nodded. Everywhere he went, everyone he met was talking about this woman, and of course it was impossible not to know.
“It was a fairly poor mercenary group. There were many times when I skipped meals. Of course I couldn’t buy books.the one book I got by accident I read and read and read until the pages fell out, and the more I looked at it, the more it broke, no matter how carefully I treated it. How upset I was at that time.”
“……”
“But now I have the biggest library in the world. It’s really amazing and I’m thankful.”
At that moment, a distant happiness flickered in Riella’s eyes.
When El looked at Riella like that, Riella belatedly shook off her thoughts and blushed.
“Of course, Sir El has visited many other large libraries. But to me, this place is like a treasure trove…”
‘I’m almost like you.’
Instead of answering like that, EL pulled out an old book that was stuck somewhere on the bookshelf he was looking at.
“Here it is. Your number one treasure.”
“yes?”
El placed the book he had taken out onto Riella’s hand. Liella scanned the title of the book with wide eyes.
[The myth of Enri and Ann]
“What the Ambassador saw was probably a version adapted into a children’s fairy tale and this is the original.”
“This is the story of Enri, who can fly, is strong, and spits fire out of his mouth?”
“Uh yeah. Flying in the sky too, that’s it. To be exact, it’s a story about gods who shook the world.”
El tried not to laugh.
“Wow…this was a real treasure trove!”
However, the moment he saw Riella smile happier than anyone else at the thought of that old, boring book, he followed her expression and burst out laughing helplessly.
* * *
The next day, EL went to work early at the official residence like any other day and organized the day’s schedule.
While checking all the documents in advance so that Riella could work comfortably, he saw ‘Enri and Ann Mythology’ placed in a corner of Riella’s desk.
‘She must have read it when she finished her work last night.’
“Is Miss Riella here yet?”
He frowned once at the sudden voice and once again at the casual call of the ambassador he was serving as ‘Miss Riella.’
“yes. The Ambassador will be here soon. Who are you and where are you from?”
“My name is Jess, His Majesty’s personal doctor. Are you ‘El Weiss’?”
It was a natural situation to shake hands, but Jess and El just stared at each other and did not move.
That ‘Jess’ and that ‘El Weiss’.
Although today was the first time they had met in person, they had heard of each other’s reputation for a while and they had some indirect relationship.
“In the end, we meet with Miss Riella’s aide nameplate. You didn’t even pretend to hear that when I offered you a job at my lab.”
“I remember. sorry. I don’t really like playing with numbers.”
“Ah, are you the boring civil servant type? It’s unfortunate that you don’t know the beauty of science.”
A fiery war of nerves ensued between El, whose black hair covered his eyebrows, and Jess, whose silver hair was neatly combed.
Their untimely confrontation was only interrupted by Riella’s quick arrival.
“Sir El. Good morning again! Uh…What brings you here, Sir Jess?”
“He came to see the ambassador. You two, please talk comfortably.”
It was EL who first averted his gaze from the other man and turned away.
Jess watched him with persistent gaze until the end as he left the office, then turned his gaze to Riella.
“I just have something to confirm about His Majesty. I’m sure you’ve heard that he’s scheduled for a medical checkup.…”
Jess asked Riella a few questions.
The situation when Herhan had a seizure in the Kingdom of Liotta, the signs she’d seen and experienced while with him afterward.
“Okay…. I use this as a reference for my checkup. by the way…”
After listening to Riella’s answer and taking notes, Jess turned around and added a question.
“You probably didn’t say anything unnecessary to your aide, right? About his Majesty’s abilities or illness.”
“What? no. Not at all!”
Riella widened her eyes and raised her voice.
It is true that she trusts and follows El, but does that mean she seems like the kind of person who would talk about confidential information about His Majesty?
She was not only sad, but also dumbfounded.
‘When will Jess ever trust me?’
“What’s going on?”
“If not, that’s okay.”
The insincere words were even more disgusting.
‘Without even a word of apology for doubting, ‘If not, that’s okay!’ Is it okay to just act like that?’
“What is that book? The myth of Enri and Ann. Why are you suddenly seeing something like that?”
Then Jess narrowed his eyes again and asked.
Riella narrowed her eyes and answered bluntly.
“It’s my treasure.”
“What? treasure?”
“yes. You don’t need to know.”
Riella huffed and turned away from Jess.
* * *
“I think I’ll go to bed early today.”
“yes. Then I will bring you some sleeping pills right away.”
Asion quickly handed the medicine he had brought to his lord.
The sleeping pill was a special medicine that Jess made to suit Herhan’s physical condition, and was one of the medicines that Herhan had to take while preparing for the checkup.
As Herhan poured the medicine into his mouth, Asion nodded with satisfaction.
That was the end of Asion’s work for today.
“Then have a good night. your majesty.”
Asion left after saying a friendly good night.
It was after the door that Asion had left was completely closed that Herhan spat out the pill that had been lingering under his tongue.
‘Relax your mind and body. Yeah. Physical and mental stability is important.’
There was no delay in Herhan’s movements as he nodded and got up from the bed.
There was no time to change clothes.
He took a quick glance in the mirror and made a quick adjustment to his hair and collar before opening the wall cabinet next to the bed.
There were several sets of dressing gowns hanging in the cabinet.
Herhan turned around and looked, then stretched out his hand into the cabinet. When he pushed with enough force, the inside of the cabinet was pushed away, revealing a narrow passage.
Herhan entered the passage with a determined expression.
‘I’m sorry. Asion. I’ll be right back without you even noticing.’
Asion didn’t seem to know why the lake palace was used as the empress’ palace, or why Herhan went to the trouble of moving Riella to the lake palace.
Well, it was natural. Only the previous empresses and emperors knew of the existence of a secret passage leading from the emperor’s bedroom to the lake palace bedroom.
Herhan himself had discovered it at a very young age, while playing in his mother’s lake palace.
‘They say that if my mind and body are at peace, my test results will be better.’
Herhan nodded to himself.
There was no other way. This was the way it had to be. Taking Riella away from him to calm his mind had caused him to have a nervous breakdown.
The aide who was said to look gloomy turns out to be a man of peerless handsomeness, and Riella spends all day with such a man, and doesn’t she have a strong bond with him? Even her former lover was on his way to the imperial palace.
‘If I just see her face for a moment, my mind and body will calm down.’
Herhan sped up his pace.
It was only ten minutes to the Lake Palace, to Riella’s bedroom.
*
“I was fine until this morning, I swear, I thought it was just the heat of the day that made my face so hot.”
While Riella, who was lying on the bed, was complaining in protest, El took the thermometer out of Riella’s mouth.
“37.7 degrees, you have a mild fever.”
“Don’t call the doctor. In particular, never call Jess. I’m sure he’ll just nag.”
“Yes. I have no intention of calling that person.”
‘I’m glad he thought about it that way.’
As Riella smiled in relief, El glanced at her with concern.
“Are you sure there’s nothing else that’s inconvenienced you?”
“yes. Just a little dizzy, that’s all.”
“Okay. I can’t believe you have a cold in midsummer.”
“Haha. Did I mention I’m suddenly studying like I’ve never studied before?”
Riella smiled carefree as if she was talking about someone else, but El knew her situation.
What happened in the Kingdom of Liotta. A bad relationship with the princess. The identity of the fiancé the princess was bringing with her this time. Those strange and eventful stories.
El knew that even if she pretended to be brave, it would be difficult at times, so he pushed Riella more.
That’s why he purposely pushed her to work and study. He didn’t want her to think about anything else.
“My thoughts were short. I guess I pushed the ambassador too hard.”
“What? What do you mean? It’s my fault for not taking care of my body.”
“No. It’s probably my fault, because usually when something goes wrong, it was all my fault.”
Riella quietly stared at El while feeling dizzy with a fever.
‘He was a man who pretends to be strong but can be shady at times, and I was right.’
She felt sorry for EL, who had been darkened by the deep self-blame. It was even more familiar because his dark side was so much like her own.
“I don’t know about other times, but not now. I liked it. Because Sir El is a strict teacher.”
At those words, El raised his face, which had been distorted with guilt.
“So, please help me as much tomorrow as you did today. I’m going to get a good night’s rest tonight, and I’m sure I’ll be well.”
The way Riella looked at him was so hot.
Is it because it was a hot summer night, or is it because Riella’s red eyes are full of warmth?
“Yes.”
El, who returned to his usual face, stood up and lightly touched Riella’s forehead.
“I’ll pack some fever reducers and nutritional pills. I will tell the maids, so please eat it. Because the fever isn’t that high right now—”
“Get your hands off her.”
A black silhouette stepped out from a corner of the room where there was no room for people to come out.
Riella reflexively raised her body and covered her mouth.
“I told you to get your hands off her.”
The black silhouette once again gave an order in an eerie voice. Blue eyes flashed as he slowly approached through the darkness.
* * *
