Jerald, meanwhile, was in conversation with the nobles.
“I didn’t expect you to surprise us like this all of a sudden.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. She’s not even a candidate for empress, and you’re having your first dance with Countess Rosewell.”
“Are you considering Countess Rosewell for the empress position?”
“I’d rather avoid discussing that directly with you.”
Jerald tactfully replied as Pristin wanted, trying to divert the conversation away from sensitive topics.
“At any rate, I find myself deeply enamored with her at the moment.”
“Hmm, I suspected as much when you granted the title to the Countess.”
“At that time, there was a justification for saving the princess. How?”
“Even if there was justification for the title, you also granted her Camer Palace. In fact, I was a little suspicious at the time…”
“It’s quite embarrassing.”
“Will he mind that?”
“What?”
“Duke Gennant.”
“…”
“You know. Among those given titles by His Majesty, there is no one like Duke Gennant, who aspires to be your father-in-law.”
I know. I know.
Jerald’s brow narrowed.
“What are you going to do?”
“Didn’t we make it clear from the beginning when we established the Selection Bureau? To select an empress candidate, but to appoint an empress when and with whom I desire.”
“Well, that’s true, but whether Duke Gennant will accept that is the question.”
“If he doesn’t accept it?”
Jerrod asked, a cold smile playing on his lips.
“Will he start a rebellion again?”
“Your Majesty, such words…!”
“Your Majesty.”
At that time, Aruvina’s voice cut off the conversation between the two. Jerald turned his head and asked with an indifferent expression.
“What’s going on?”
“Countess Rosewell requests an audience.”
“…The countess?”
Jerald’s expression quickly eased. He nodded soon after.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Jerald came out of the banquet hall without hesitation. His steps went straight to Camer Palace, where Pristin would be.
‘What’s going on?’
She always came to the central palace whenever something happened, but she never asked him to come to Camer Palace first. So, Jerald felt a flutter of worry amidst his trembling at Pristin’s unanswered request. Perhaps something serious had happened.
‘There didn’t seem to be any particular disturbance at the banquet hall.’
Still, just in case, Jerald made his steps to Camer Palace a little faster.
After a while, upon reaching the Camer Palace, he reached the front of Pristin’s room. One of the maids opened the door, and he went inside silently.
“…Pristin?”
He called her name in a quiet voice as he walked further into the room. A few candles illuminated the dark room, filling it with a sweet scent of candles.
A moment later, he could see Pristin staring blankly out the window, her back turned from him.
“Pristin.”
After a moment, Pristin, who had her back turned, staring blankly out the window, slowly turned around upon hearing Jerald’s voice. She was wearing a white patterned dress, unlike the glamorous dress she had worn at the banquet, and she smiled brightly.
“Your Majesty.”
“Why did you summon me? Without notice.”
“Oh my, to make you say such things…”
Pristin replied with a silent smile.
“I have been indifferent to Your Majesty.”
“Considering how much you have to pay attention to others.”
“Actually, that’s why I called you here. We’re still being watched by others.”
“Everyone knows about our relationship now.”
Jerald slowly moved toward Pristin.
“You don’t have to worry about anyone’s watchful eyes. Let’s be like when we first met.”
“I know, but… I’m just cautious for now, by myself.”
“All right.”
Jerald gently smiled and delicately caressed Pristin’s face.
“I’ve always liked your careful nature from the beginning.”
“I asked you to come because I had something to give you.”
“Something to give?”
Jerald asked, looking at Pristin with interested eyes.
“What is it?”
“Please close your eyes.”
“Okay.”
With an intrigued expression, Jerald closed his eyes, and after a while, he heard the sound of Pristin taking something out. What could it be? Jerald tried to predict all sorts of gifts in his mind, but he wasn’t particularly sure. After a moment, Pristin’s voice came again.
“Now, open your eyes.”
When he opened his eyes to Pristin’s words, all he could see before him was a large box. He said with a hearty laugh,
“If you were going to do this, you could have just given it to me right away.”
“I just wanted to amplify the expectations a little bit more.”
“Yeah. If you’re after that effect, it’s a success.”
Jerald grinned and began to unwrap the ribbon around the box.
“The box is quite big. It’s not something like a gold ingot, is it?”
“Where would I have such money, Your Majesty?”
Pristin laughed as if he was absurd.
“And you already have plenty of those gifts without me giving them.”
“Well, then what could it be…”
After Jerald had untied all the ribbons, he finally opened the box. Inside, he saw a bottle containing a dark green liquid, and he looked surprised.
“What’s this?”
“What do you think it is?”
“The color seems quite unusual.”
Jerald, who took a glass bottle out of the box, examined it carefully and asked,
“Is it poison?”
“Your Majesty.”
“I’m kidding. It’s herbal juice.”
“It’s a fatigue-relief potion.”
Pristin answered in a proud voice.
“I made it myself.”
“You made this yourself?”
“Yes. I made it with my own hands.”
“You must have worked hard.”
Jerald murmured, his gaze fixed on the bottle with a fascinated expression.
“The color is really pronounced.”
“I put a lot of effort into making it for Your Majesty to drink.”
“I’m very grateful.”
“I stayed up all night making it yesterday.”
“Really?”
Jerald’s complexion changed drastically at the words.
“Are you feeling all right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. A day or so is fine.”
“Not getting enough sleep for just one day is quite serious.”
Jerald said seriously, looking at Pristin.
“I should probably go to bed early tonight.”
“Huh? Oh…!”
Jerald suddenly picked up Pristin and immediately went straight to the bedroom. Pristin, who was embarrassed, blinked and called Jerald,
“Am I going to sleep already?”
“You stayed up all night.”
“I just slept a little.”
“You didn’t get enough sleep anyway.”
“It’s Your Majesty’s birthday, but sleeping already is a little…”
“So what?”
With that, Jerald leaned his face close to Pristin’s.
“Should we do something different?”
“Different… What…”
“You know.”
“…”
It didn’t sound like a joke, so Pristin didn’t make a tactless reply to it, like, ‘As expected, right?’ Eventually, the two really came to bed, and Jerald laid Pristin down.
“Are we really going to sleep like this?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you’d ask me to talk.”
“Let’s do it.”
“You told me to sleep.”
As Pristin spoke, Jerald climbed onto the bed where Pristin was, embracing her from behind. Surprised, Pristin stiffened, and Jerald chuckled softly.
“Oh, my!”
“We can lie down like this and do it together.”
“…Are you going to sleep here?”
“You don’t like it?”
“…It’s not like that.”
It was certainly embarrassing to suddenly use one bed. Pristin hardened herself in Jerald’s arms, and Jerald, who felt it, laughed softly.
“Relax, Pristin. I’m not going to eat you.”
“…That’s not why I was nervous.”
“Then? Because you’re nervous about sleeping with me?”
“…I’ve never slept with anyone else before.”
“Get used to it from now on.”
“Why?”
“Because spouses can’t sleep in separate beds.”
“…”
“Don’t you think so?”
With a cheeky grin, Jerald laughed softly, and amusingly enough, Pristin actually felt her tension ease at his words. But regardless, sleep didn’t come. So, amidst the silence, she blurted out any words to break the silence.
“Congratulations on your birthday, Your Majesty.”
“That would have been nice to hear in the banquet hall earlier.”
“It’s just…”
Pristin hesitated before speaking.
“I wanted to say it when we were alone.”
“…What?”
“Thank you for being born.”
Pristin slowly turned to face Jerald. Transparent eyes that seemed slightly moist could be seen.
“I’m thankful for meeting you too.”
“…”
“Thank you for finding me again, and thank you for accepting me again.”
“It was you who accepted me, not the other way around.”
“Still, let’s just leave it as being grateful.”
Pristin smiled softly as she gently caressed Jerald’s face.
“I love you, Your Majesty.”
At that, a sudden sigh escaped Jerald’s lips as he stared intently at Pristin. With a puzzled expression, Pristin looked back at him, but suddenly Jerald rose and leaned closer to Pristin.
Pristin looked at Jerald with embarrassment at the sudden change.
“Why…”
“I’m going crazy, really.”
Jerald’s face and upper body gradually approached Pristin. With a bewildered expression, Pristin looked up at Jerald, unable to blink due to tension.
Gradually, his breath touched Pristin’s skin.
“How can you be so lovely?”
“Oh…!”
His lips quickly swallowed Pristin’s. It was an unexpected kiss, but Pristin slowly closed her eyes instead of refusing. The light movement at first became heavier and thicker.
Pristin lay on the bed, stretching out her hands as she kissed Jerald, and at some point, she found herself pulling him closer by his neck. Their chests pressed against each other, and they kissed deeply with movements that wouldn’t seem strange if something happened soon.
“Ha…”
Without anyone prompting, they both exhaled heavily as their breath mingled in each other’s mouths. The chilly atmosphere of the night seemed to dissipate as if it didn’t exist on the bed where they lay. In the increasingly warm air, Pristin looked at Jerald with eyes that seemed unable to regain clarity. There were eyes that were even hotter and more intoxicated than her own.
“I love you, Pristin.”
Pristin instinctively realized that it was impossible to stop this moment. In response to his confession, she kissed Jerald’s lips once again.
