Until The Real One Shows Up​

“His Majesty is still sitting at the door.”

The moment she heard her words, Anastasia felt all the thought circuits in her head stop.

“No matter what I say, it seems that he has no intention of moving…”

Before she could finish speaking, Anastasia jumped to her feet.

Even in midsummer, the floor was marble. It will be colder at night when the heat of the day is gone.

‘How did you keep sitting like that? What the hell are you thinking…!’

It wasn’t funny. If he got kicked out, he should just quietly go back to the Central Palace and go to sleep.

Sitting there without telling her who to wait for. She’d rather Selene have lied…

“… Your Majesty.”

Indeed, he was sitting there in front of her.

Hearing her little murmur, Wilhelm turned his head and smiled.

“Anastasia.”

Her heart throbbed at the look on his face as if he knew it was coming.

However, her reality soon came to awaken her.

‘Now I’m … Shouldn’t I just turn away from this and turn around?’

If she decided to leave him, shouldn’t it be like that?

Anastasia bit her lip and opened her mouth with a stern look of anger.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting.”

Wilhelm replied with a still light smile.

“I thought you’d come out like this.”

She was at a loss for words. Anastasia spoke to him with her brows narrowed.

“Go back. You’re not gonna make any difference…”

“Cough!”

At that moment, Wilhelm’s mouth broke into a cough. 

Anastasia was staring at him with a bewildered face, and there was a constant sound of coughing.

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

“…”

He’s telling her to listen to this, right? 

Anastasia replied with a stunned look.

“I won’t be fooled even if you try to force it.”

“Actually.”

Wilhelm opened his mouth with a sigh.

“I’m not feeling very well right now.”

“Then go back and rest.”

“No.”

“Your Majesty, what are you doing now…!”

“Who cares?”

Wilhelm coldly interrupted Anastasia. 

Anastasia looked at Wilhelm with a blank look on her face.

“You said you hated me. You said you were dying to divorce me.”

“…”

“What does it matter if I freeze to death or collapse from body aches here?”

“Don’t act like a child. Even if you come out like this… Your Majesty!”

At that moment, Wilhelm staggered to the floor, and the startled Anastasia reflexively approached him.

“Are you alright? The palace…!”*

*TN: she was about to say doctor

“No, thanks.”

Wilhelm shook Anastasia’s hand helplessly and said.

“It’s just a migraine. I don’t have a fever. You don’t have to worry.”

“…”

“Go sleep. You must be tired.”

…why are you sitting here saying that?

Anastasia was going crazy. To be honest, it was too obvious. 

Who doesn’t know that he was trying to get inside?

‘But…’

That said, she can’t just leave him there.

Anastasia knew Wilhelm well. If he just went on like this, he may really wear only one nightgown here and get hit by the morning dew. 

‘And he’s going to catch a cold and turn my stomach inside out.’

She hated him. If he knew how she was pushing him away now, he wouldn’t have made it so hard…!

‘But what I hate more is…’

She knew what he was up to, but she couldn’t leave him on the cold floor. 

Anastasia pondered about ten more times before finally making a big decision.

“Wake up.”

“I’m not going.”

“Won’t you go to my room?”

Wilhelm raised his head quickly at the words. 

… Look, it’s so obvious.

“Get up quickly. You’ll catch a cold.”

“…really?”

“Instead.”

Anastasia made the conditions firmly.

“You have to sleep a meter away from me. I can’t concede any more.”

“…”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, I like it.”

Contrary to his answer, he jumped up from his seat with a glum expression. 

You look so fine all of a sudden… It’s probably her misunderstanding, right? 

It was when Anastasia narrowed her eyes and was about to enter the room again.

“Ah…”

Anastasia flinched in surprise as he grabbed her hand from the side. 

How long he had been sitting, his hands, which had originally been cool, had become quite cold.

“…”

Anastasia bit her lips and turned her head. 

Wilhelm was staring at her with an innocent face as if he knew nothing. 

As if she was going to say something to him with that face about holding hands.

‘…was there such a sly thing?’

It didn’t seem like this was the case even before the return, so according to her calculations, Anastasia couldn’t say anything more.

Instead, she tried to sneak her hand away, but he held it tightly and refused to let go. 

Anastasia eventually gave up and strode forward. He managed to follow Anastasia like a puppy in time.

When she finally got to the bedroom, Anastasia sighed briefly and laid down on the bed. 

When Wilhelm was about to lie down next to him, Anastasia narrowed her eyes and reached for him.

“You didn’t forget what I said earlier, did you?”

“…”

“One meter, Your Majesty.”

Anastasia made a line with a few scattered rose petals on the bed, then said.

“Don’t come in here.”

“…”

He didn’t say a word of it, but he was expressing his feelings of it being too much.

Anastasia didn’t care, laid on the bed and turned her back. Wilhelm, who saw it, protested, saying, “This is not right.”

“You’ll turn your head, right?.”

“Then my head will be bent.”

“I’m telling you to turn your body around too.”

Wilhelm replied in a voice of astonishment.

“Empress, you can’t do anything from a meter away anyway.”

It was your, Anastasia said after turning around with a gracious look on her face.

“Now don’t say anything and go to sleep.”

“Yes.”

But even after answering playfully, Wilhelm still looked at Anastasia with glistening eyes.

Even though she closed her eyes, she felt the gaze was clear, so when she opened her eyes, she could see him closing his eyes as if it had never been like that.

‘…you’re quick-witted anyway.’

Anastasia stared at him with her eyes narrowed. 

Whether he was pretending to be sleeping or really sleeping, the breathing sound was evenly heard, and his expression looked comfortable.

“…”

When she saw that, she kept thinking about how he was sitting on the cold floor like an abandoned puppy, crumpled up, and felt uncomfortable.

‘…Yes, it’s a good thing.’

Even if she had come back with a cold heart, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night because she was still worried.

She’d rather have this. He was a meter away and he couldn’t do anything.

She was about to close his eyes, saying she should go to sleep, but at that moment Wilhelm opened his eyes and made eye contact with Anastasia.

“ah…”

A short moan escaped from Anastasia’s surprised mouth. Wilhelm looked at him and smiled.

“… you’re awake?”

“Your gaze on me was so hot.”

Wilhelm nodded his head in a playful way.

“You have to be able to sleep.”

Ha, look who’s talking!

When Anastasia looked at Wilhelm with a stunned expression, he continued to joke around.

“I’ll close my eyes again, so keep watching.”

“I didn’t watch.”

Anastasia, who gave a single shot, closed her eyes, and then a low-pitched laugh was heard. With her eyes closed, the sound of his laughter seemed to resonate better in her ears.

‘… This man is real.’

Finally, when she opened her eyes again and glanced at him, Wilhelm stopped laughing and closed his eyes calmly.

“…”

Anastasia looked at Wilhelm for a while longer, then swallowed her silent sigh and closed her eyes again. 

~~~~

It felt strangely heavy all over her body.

“Uh…”

Anastasia moved her body a few times, narrowing her brow slightly, but when that didn’t work, she finally opened her eyes with her brief moan.

“… Ugh!”

At the same time, a desperate scream erupted from her mouth.

‘… what is this?’

Anastasia, with a startled bunny-eyes, set out to understand her situation.

It didn’t take long. Because she had Wilhelm’s face right above her as he held her in his arms.

There was no trace of where the roses had been scattered.

Anastasia turned to stone on the spot with her astonished face.

‘… What’s the situation now?’

How did this happen? No, since when?

She tried to push her body to get out of there, but he didn’t move as if he was a huge boulder.

He was even wearing only one of his nightgowns, so every time she pushed him, the gown kept coming open, revealing his bare chest.

At this rate the situation would end up becoming R-19, Anastasia eventually gave up moving further away and decided to wake Wilhelm.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”

“…”

“Your Majesty!”

But no matter how much she shouted, he showed no sign of getting up.

It was the moment when she was about to pull her cord* because she thought she had to call someone.

*TN: the route to ring a bell to call a servant

“… Your Majesty?”

Wilhelm opened his eyes as Anastasia stretched out her hand to the rope.

Maybe he wasn’t pretending to sleep, his hazy eyes filled Anastasia.

Anastasia thought it was good he woke up, so she hurriedly told Wilhelm.

“You have crossed the line a lot.”

“…” 

“I won’t say anything, so please let go of this hand.”

Doesn’t his arm feel numb? It must have been tingling if he had slept like this, but Wilhelm had an expressionless face like a person who didn’t feel any pain.

Then he smiled and moved his hand. 

It was the moment when Anastasia was about to breathe a sigh of relief because she thought she would finally live.

-pop! 

Suddenly, something soft and damp touched her forehead. It wasn’t long before she realized it was Wilhelm’s lips.

When Anastasia, who was so surprised that the accident had stopped*, looked at Wilhelm with a blank expression, Wilhelm slightly raised the corner of his mouth and kissed Anastasia’s nose this time.

*TN: him crossing the line

“Good morning.”