Chapter 39

'If you do it, it’s romance, but if I do it, it’s adultery? What a load of nonsense.'

Adel, who had been leaning against the desk after being pushed by the emperor, sat on the desk. She untied the scarf she had been wearing and slowly wrapped it around the emperor’s neck. Karl took a step back at her sudden action, but Adel paid no attention. As she reached behind his neck with both hands, Karl held his breath. Adel tied the scarf around the emperor’s neck and then held it as if it were a leash, smiling seductively.

"Why do you keep forgetting what you said to me?"

The emperor remained silent, seemingly pondering the meaning of her words. Adel suddenly unleashed the anger she had been holding back.

"Why are you treating me like this?!"

"It’s because you mistake this place for Gothrop."

"……"

"It’s because you still think you are a princess who doesn’t need to bow to anyone, and because you refuse to budge an inch from that belief. I want to make you realize your foolishness."

Karl tightened the scarf knot with a sudden pull. Adel’s body was drawn forward, and he supported the back of her head with his other hand. The night air flowed through his fingers.

I want to lean in and kiss those red lips. As Karl tilted his head to do so, a chilling voice stopped him.

"Do you think you can make me submit like this?"

Adel pushed him away with one hand, spitting out the words.

"You want to tame me, but you shouldn’t just push me around like this. Try to seduce me with things I like. When I’m distracted, then you can carefully and gently wrap that loose leash around my neck. Make sure I don’t notice."

The intense will of a born king washed over Karl like a wave, striking his ears. The deep night, the waves in his ears, the bright golden moon, and the heavy scent of spring flowers were overwhelming. At that moment, a flash of insight crossed Karl’s mind. His lips hovered near Adel’s, and just before their lips touched, Karl narrowed his eyes and slowly parted his lips. It was the first smile he had shown since meeting Adel. The emperor’s smile, like a fully bloomed flower, was so radiant and innocent that it left Adel momentarily speechless. After coming to some decision, the emperor took a step back and slowly tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear. When Adel frowned at his touch, Karl politely removed his hand and took another step back. He then silently turned and left. His aristocratic gait left Adel staring in disbelief. The emperor’s arrival and departure were equally sudden.

What is he doing? Adel muttered to herself, utterly confused.

"…Is he crazy? He’s just impossible to understand."

* * *

That afternoon, merchants suddenly flooded the Empress’s Palace. The maids, who had been burned before, tried to block them.

"Really! We didn’t invite them, so why are they here?!"

The merchant representative, however, confidently replied with wide eyes.

"Ah, this time! They were sent by His Majesty the Emperor!"

"……"

"Isn’t that fine?"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. By His Majesty the Emperor?!"

After verifying the emperor’s seal, the maids took deep breaths and ran to inform Lady Gix.

"Sent by His Majesty the Emperor?"

"Yes!!! That’s what they said!!!"

"……Tell them to wait for a moment."

"Yes!!"

Lady Gix elegantly turned and walked, reflecting on what had just happened. The emperor, who had rushed in like a demon, was smiling when he left the Empress’s Palace. The empress was engrossed in reading books she had brought from the library.

"Empress."

"Speak."

She didn’t even look up from her book.

"Merchants sent by His Majesty the Emperor are waiting."

The hand turning the pages paused, and the empress, who had her head buried in the book, raised her eyes and firmly refused.

"Send them away. I don’t need anything."

"But, Empress."

"…I really don’t understand. Wasn’t he clearly angry when he came here?"

"He was in a much better mood when he left."

They were fighting and bickering!

"So why? I don’t understand. The atmosphere was completely different."

If he weren’t the emperor, Adel would have sarcastically asked, "Are you crazy?"

"I don’t need anything and don’t want to receive anything. Send them away. It hasn’t even been a week since the supplementary budget was rejected. Is this a way to mock me?"

"There’s no need to reject a hand that is extended. It could damage the royal dignity."

Adel sighed irritably and rubbed her temples. Destroying towers would be easier and simpler. Understanding the empress’s frustration, Lady Gix, after some thought, suggested a solution. Sending the merchants away would openly offend the emperor, and receiving unwanted gifts would only anger the empress.

"Perhaps buying gold would be a good idea?"

"……Gold?"

The empress’s eyes narrowed. It was a brilliant idea, befitting a highly experienced palace manager.

* * *

The news that the emperor’s merchants had flooded the Empress’s Palace spread throughout the palace before sunset.

"Dian Poitier’s era is coming to an end."

"I thought she would get the Ivory Palace back any day now, but no. She moved to the emperor’s palace, right?"

"Sigh. A concubine without a son is like a candle in the wind."

"But who knows? The emperor hasn’t expelled Dian Poitier from the palace. I heard that the only place the empress’s residence permit doesn’t cover is the emperor’s palace."

People spent hours discussing such matters. Lady Gix cleverly set a price that was neither too luxurious nor too cheap, ensuring the right amount of gossip. Adel watched the maids, who were busy with gold bars, with a stern expression. Tapping her fingers on the railing, frowning, and pursing her lips, she exuded a tense aura. The maids, sensing her mood, didn’t try to please her.

'How much is all this?'

Adel unfolded the settlement document in her hand and checked the amount. The figure was significantly higher than the supplementary budget she had proposed. No matter how positively she tried to think, this was clearly a mockery.

'I have the ability to give you a supplementary budget, but I won’t. Instead, I’ll give you gifts. Buy some dresses or jewelry.'

Is this it?

"Madam."

"Yes, Empress."

"Am I supposed to go and thank him for this?"

Two difficult personalities had met. Lady Gix sighed inwardly and replied politely.

"Do as you see fit."

Adel folded the settlement document and handed it to Lady Gix before turning and entering her room without a second thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Baldur family residence. The secret guest who had arrived quietly left the same way. The Baldur family’s butler, entering to clean the room the empress had used, laughed wistfully at the spotless interior. Despite being born into a noble family and not needing to clean, the empress had left the room in impeccable condition.

"Her Highness the Empress is truly a tidy person."

Lionel nodded in agreement with the butler. That night, after the empress had left, Lionel tossed and turned in bed, eventually getting up to rub his temples in frustration. He suspected he had developed insomnia due to the turmoil in his heart. Sitting on the bed, he pondered the situation. What is this, and why am I feeling this way? Unable to find an answer, he changed his approach.

'What do I want to do right now?'

It was a question about desire. The answer came quickly, almost mocking the time he had spent pondering. A deep, red presence in his chest slowly extended its front paw. His tightly clenched blue eyes turned to the window. The desire extended another paw, and his curled body began to stretch. The flickering light reflected in his golden eyes, his neat and beautiful face, and his cold, small hands. Despite not daring to think about what he wanted to do, just thinking about her made his body and heart burn like a teenage boy with a fever. Overwhelmed by the intense emotions he couldn’t understand, Lionel couldn’t bear it any longer and burst out of the room.