The Cutest Empress in the World
“What happened? His Majesty?”
“He is with the Ambassador in the general library on the second floor.”
“Did he find Miss Riella? Are they both safe?”
Imperial Library Lobby. Asion immediately headed for the stairs to the second floor at the knight’s reply, but Jess grabbed him.
“Why? I must go to His Majesty immediately—!”
“Calm down. You’re so clueless.”
“What did I do!?”
Asion shook off Jess’s hand pulling at his clothes and finally started to “think.”
‘His Majesty is with Miss Riella. All the knights stand and retreat outside.’
“Ah…”
Jess grabbed Asion again, who had stopped with an embarrassed expression.
“They will come out when the time comes, right?”
“His Majesty will take care of it.”
Asion stared at the firmly closed door in the middle of the staircase and muttered,
“It looks like we’re going to have an Empress. She makes sure we stay alert until the end.”
Jess rubbed his temples, agreeing with a sigh of relief. As if he was about to have a real headache.
Seeing Jess like that, Asion chuckled softly.
Jess gestured toward the exit.
It was a signal to return to the banquet hall and finish their preparations.
* * *
In the shadow of a large bookshelf, Riella was sitting curled up in the middle of the floor, surrounded by scattered books.
She stayed like that for a while, silently staring at one thing—the vivid red gem glowing on the ring clasped in Herhan’s fingers.
Herhan held her hand very carefully and watched Riella’s reaction for a while, holding his breath.
After hesitating several times, he finally spoke cautiously, his voice trembling slightly.
“So?”
Riella, who had been staring at the ring as if she was captivated, only then raised her head.
Herhan, who was waiting for an answer while keeping his eyes level with hers, looked visibly nervous.
‘Has this guy ever acted like this in front of me?’
She stared at Herhan, feeling both curious and dazed, and Herhan opened his mouth again in an anxious voice.
It was as if he couldn’t bear the gaze of Riella, who was just staring at him.
“Riella. Will you be my Empress?”
‘Your Empress…’
Riela looked back at the ring. The gem, sparkling with the same color as her red eyes, seemed to echo Herhan’s question.
Just as I found my place, are you ready to find yours?
* * *
Just after she found out that Herhan was planning to propose to her.
Riella shook off all of the maids and went to find Jess.
“It’s the queen’s sun.”
“Pardon?”
“The name of that diamond. The Queen’s Sun.”.
Riela let out a small sigh.
She had guessed it was a precious item, but to think it even had such a grand name—of course, it did.
“Why did you bring it back to me?”
“I finished my homework. I answered the question Sir Jess asked me.…I know the answer.”
“Really?”
Jess was indifferent.
Judging by the fact that he didn’t seem that surprised, it seemed like he had expected that whole situation, including that Riella would realize the Emperor’s intentions and come there.
Riella found that really annoying, but on the other hand, she thought it was a good thing. It meant she could be honest and open about her feelings without having to say anything.
“I don’t know.”
So, Riella suddenly revealed her complicated inner feelings.
“Being His Majesty’s partner means I will become the empress of this country.…That’s too big of a deal. It’s scary and burdensome. I’ve never even thought about it.…”
“You’ve never thought about it?”
Jess asked, adjusting his glasses.
“Then have you ever imagined this? Someone else standing beside His Majesty.”
“…!”
“Another woman in His Majesty’s arms, bearing his children, spending a lifetime together—”
“Sir Jess! That’s too much!”
“Is it? I’m merely stating the obvious. If you don’t wish to be the Empress, someone else will have to take on that role. His Majesty is no longer under a time limit, after all.”
“That…that may be true…”
Riella’s face flushed, her cheeks burning.
The thought of another woman beside Herhan—she couldn’t even entertain it in her imagination.
Forget about the weight of the crown, politics, or public opinion.”
“But the responsibilities I’ll have to bear…”
“If His Majesty has made his decision, we will bear the responsibilities. Finding solutions is our job. All you need to do is dream of what you truly want.”
‘What I truly want…’
Riela stood still, as if struck by lightning, and thought.
‘What I want is…’
To stand by Herhan’s side, to protect and love him.
To no longer hide or run away, no longer waver under threats.
To be recognized as his right partner, holding his hand proudly anywhere and everywhere.
Not as a descendant of Ann, but as Herhan’s one and only love.
Riella took a deep breath.
“What if I really decide to become Empress? What will you do then?”
“….”
“What if I become Empress and make a mess of everything? What if I keep calling on you every day, bossing you around?”
“That would simply be my fate. If I were afraid of that, I wouldn’t have stayed by His Majesty’s side until now.”
Jess replied with a calm expression before continuing.
“Anyway, If you can’t decide now, you can take the ring back and hide it away, because he’s not going to propose to you without it.”
Despite his kind offer of an alternative, Riella stood and thought.
Then, she suddenly turned and walked out of the lab.
“Will Captain Asion come here later?”
“Yes. He’s working a group overtime on the last-minute preparations for the banquet. He’ll be here soon. Why?”
Riela gave no reply and simply left.
Jess frowned as he watched her disappear.
‘So, is she going to accept the proposal or not?’
‘If you’re going to run away, shouldn’t you at least tell me so I can prepare?’
Jess’s mouth twitched with regret as he remembered the contract he hadn’t gotten to until the last minute.
This time, Asion entered the room, sobbing.
“Hey, Jess. I think I’m done here. I’m going to go wait for you in the other world…”
Asion said weakly, and then fell to the floor, screaming.
“Hey!”
“Why?”
“Ya-!”
It wasn’t until Jess stepped away from his desk that he realized Asion’s “Yay” wasn’t calling out to him, but rather a howl of joy and celebration.
Asion, prone on the floor like a turtle, stared, hands shaking, at the Queen’s Sun, which lay scattered on the floor in front of Jess’s desk.
“Ahhhhh!”
A pitiful cry of relief rang out, “I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive!
Asion remained like that for dozens of moments before he scrambled to his feet.
“Jess, I’m going to His Majesty first! You can clean it up on your own!”
Asion, who snatched the queen’s sun, disappeared like the wind.
It had been a while since he had seen Asion looking so happy.
Jess thought about Aison’s retreating figure and found himself chuckling despite himself. Then, catching his own reaction, he suddenly clicked his tongue.
‘Have we already gotten used to this?’
‘Now it’s not just one devil, but two.’
‘It felt daunting, but strangely exciting at the same time.’
* * *
“Riella. Your answer?”
Herhan asked again. Each time he repeated the question, his blue eyes trembled with more anxiety, and his gaze became even more intense.
Riella’s lips, red and swollen from biting them as she tried to hold back her tears, moved stiffly as she muttered irritably.
“I told you not to kneel anywhere as the Emperor.”
“Why would this be just anywhere? It’s only in front of you.”
In front of Herhan, who couldn’t move even if she tried to get him up, Riella’s gaze again turned to the ring fitted in her hand.
“It’s too much for me. It’s so beautiful.”
“It’s nothing compared to you.”
Herhan leaned in closer.
“Riella, you’re someone who is more than enough for me.”
When Riella lifted her head, she saw something more beautiful than the dazzling jewel on the ring—Herhan’s eyes as he looked at her.
What was truly overwhelming wasn’t the brilliance of the ring, but the depth of his feelings for her.
And those feelings, so vast and profound that Riella wasn’t sure she could hold them all, were something she found herself wanting—craving—to embrace.
“I’ll be the clumsiest Empress in the world.”
“So you will become one?”
“….”
“My Empress…my companion.”
Herhan lifted her hand, the one wearing the ring, and gently kissed its back.
“You’re agreeing to become the Empress I’ll devote the rest of my life to serving?”
Riella bit her lip again, looking at Herhan with resentment.
Herhan was smiling—a smile so tender that she couldn’t bring herself to resent him.
Jess had been right. There was no point in worrying about the difficulties of the future now.
If Herhan offered his hand, all she had to do was take it. That was how she’d made it this far, and every step along the way had been the right one. Herhan had always made it so.
So, this time, too.
“I’II try.”
Riela finally nodded.
That small movement was enough for Herhan to close his eyes and exhale a deep, long breath.
“Don’t scold me if I make mistakes.”
“…Alright.”
“If a rebellion breaks out because the Empress is incompetent, I won’t take responsibility—”
Her words, trembling and tearful, were abruptly cut off by Herhan’s warm breath.
Their unsteady, hurried breaths intertwined. Herhan’s lips were more desperate than usual, filled with urgency and sincerity.
When they parted briefly, he gazed at her with eyes brimming with emotion, as though he couldn’t believe she had come to him.
His unwavering gaze left Riella both grateful and shy.
“What if my makeup… gets ruined? I spent so much time on my hair too…”
Her nervous murmuring was her attempt to avoid his gaze, but Herhan responded confidently.
“It doesn’t matter. No matter how you look, you’ll be the most beautiful Empress in the world.”
His assured voice was followed by another kiss, soft and resolute.
Their hands remained tightly clasped together.
* * *
“Miss Riella! Where have you been—huh?!”
In the waiting room adjoining the banquet hall, Lou had been pacing nervously. But upon seeing Riella and Herhan enter together, she froze in shock.
“Did you… cry?”
“No.”
“No? Oh, but it’s all my fault! I revealed His Majesty’s plan and scared you—”
“That’s not—”
“How much did you cry? Enough for your lipstick to smudge like that? Oh no!”
Riella quickly covered her mouth and lowered her head, unable to respond.
Herhan stepped in to speak for her.
“Lou, you seem very aware of your mistake. Are you ready to accept your punishment?”
At his stern tone, Lou nodded.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll take responsibility with my life—”
“Then take responsibility by fixing Riela’s makeup. There are ten minutes left until the entrance. Can you manage that?”
“…What?”
Lou’s eyes widened as she glanced around in confusion. Then her gaze fell on their clasped hands—and the ring glittering on Riella’s finger.
“Th-the two of you…”
Lou’s mouth hung open in realization.
The guilt-ridden tears in her eyes were replaced with wide-eyed astonishment and growing joy.
Before Lou could cry or burst into celebration, Herhan cut her off.
“Ten minutes.”
“Y-yes! I can do it! I’ll make it happen!”
Lou shouted with sudden determination, as if she had never been crying in the first place.
Herhan nodded and turned to leave. He wanted to give Riella some space while Lou fixed her makeup.
But Riella quickly followed him outside.
“What is it? Are you anxious? Should I stay with you?”
“No, that’s not it…”
Hesitating, Riella held out a white handkerchief.
“Hmm?”
As Herhan tilted his head in confusion, Riela pointed to her lips, then to his, mumbling shyly.
“Your Majesty…your lips…”
Her face flushed bright red as she hurriedly walked back into the room.
Herhan felt dizzy.
‘The cutest Empress in the world. My love.’
* * *
