Chapter 42

As cherry blossoms petals danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

When her hair felt uncomfortable, and she complained to the maid, the maid wiped the dirt from her hair strand by strand with a damp cloth. The sensation was so pleasant that she dozed off, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

When she realized it, the outside was already dim, and she knew that the day had ended.

"Where is His Majesty?"

When she asked the maid who had brought her meal to the sleeping chamber, the answer came back, "He is dining with the ambassador from Zelk."

"He had you brought here and then immediately went to the office."

"I must have worried His Majesty."

At Via's words, Eimi smiled.

"We didn't know anything. We were only told that His Majesty had urgent official duties yesterday and wouldn't be returning.

So when Emperor His Majesty carried you here this afternoon, we were truly surprised."

"Yes," Via smiled wryly. The fact that the Empress had gone missing was not something to be mentioned lightly.

"Can you sit up?" she was asked, and she nodded.

At that time, she had been dehydrated and couldn't move. After taking in enough water and resting, she felt much better.

The slightly small bedroom, unified in soft red and light yellow, was Via's private sleeping chamber in the Empress's Palace. It was connected to the Emperor's sleeping chamber, where she usually spent time with His Majesty, by a secret passage.

Via thought absently that she hadn't stayed here since giving birth. She must have been brought here because of her poor health.

"Are the children well?" she asked, and the answer came back, "They are more than well."

"I'll go see them tomorrow."

She had been prepared for the possibility that she might never see them again. She wanted to see their faces and hold them tightly.

Then, Via suddenly remembered little Romalis, who had said, "No one listens to me." Via whispered to herself that she had to save him from that darkness.

It was too dark and too cold there.

Much later that night, Alek returned to the living quarters. When he asked about Via, the reply came that she had eaten dinner properly and was resting.

Yesterday, he had hardly been able to focus on his work, so he had spent the afternoon catching up on the backlog of cases.

Although he was exhausted from staying up all night, he didn't mind as long as Via was safe.

He never wanted to experience a night of such despair again.

Before going to bed, he wanted to see her face, so he visited the Empress's sleeping chamber through the passage. He told the maid standing by to step out for a while and sat beside the bed.

Taking Via's outstretched hand, he pressed it to his lips as if to confirm her safety. When Via, who seemed to have dozed off, woke up, she called out happily, "Your Majesty."

When Via tried to get up from the bed, Alek stopped her with a hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I'm quite strong, you know."

Alek felt relieved at her usual bright answer.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry."

When Via apologized, Alek smiled and said, "It's not your fault."

"But I did worry you."

"Yes," Alek nodded slightly.

"I felt like I was going to die. But you're safe. That's all that matters."

Although his words were soft and full of concern for Via, Alek remained seated in his chair, looking down at her from the bed. Via felt an odd sense of distance.

Via furrowed her brow slightly. She didn't want to have a formal conversation with Alek as Emperor and Empress.

Alek might be satisfied with that, but Via wasn't happy.

In situations like this, shouldn't a husband embrace his wife and let her be pampered?

So, she decided to speak her mind.

"Do you intend to talk to me for a while?"

Taken aback by Via's sudden question, Alek looked down at her.

He had thought he had conveyed his affection properly, but did she seem suddenly unhappy?

"Of course. ... What do you want to talk about?"

When he asked cautiously, Via said firmly, "First, come over here."

Via pulled back the covers and gestured for Alek to lie down. Alek got into the bed as she asked. Via immediately clung to his body, burying her face in a comfortable spot and curling up contentedly.

"Hey. Was that your goal?"

When he said this with a smile, Via looked up sharply.

"I wanted to come back here! I love being in Your Majesty's arms. But you wouldn't embrace me!"

Alek stifled a laugh and immediately pulled Via into his arms. If he didn't pamper her properly, she might really pout.

"Good job for walking back."

Holding her in his arms, he praised her like a child, and he could tell that Via was smiling happily.

"I worked hard to get back to Your Majesty."

Via said this a bit proudly.

"It's quite a distance from the Treasury to the Red Jade Palace. I'm glad you didn't give up and made it back."

Alek had done everything he could, but he had run out of options.

If Via hadn't walked back to the Red Jade Palace, he would have lost her forever.

He pulled the covers up to keep Via warm, cherishing the warmth, and reflected on the hectic two days.

He never wanted to spend such a night again.

Alek closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

Resting his chin on Via's head, he simply enjoyed the happiness of holding her in his arms.

After a while, a maid, suspicious of the lack of sound, gently opened the door and found the Emperor sound asleep, still holding the Empress in his arms.

She called out tentatively, but there was no sign of them waking up. So, she decided to let them sleep.

The next morning, gentle sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains.

Raising his arm to shield his eyes from the light, Alek blinked at the unfamiliar furnishings in the room for a moment before remembering that this was the Empress's sleeping chamber.

"I fell asleep."

He had slept deeply and couldn't even remember when he had drifted off.

"Your Majesty."

When he heard his name, he looked down to see Via reaching out to his face with a happy expression.

She cupped his cheeks with both hands and gave him small kisses on his forehead and cheeks.

Alek was surprised by Via's affection in the morning. Usually, she tried to escape from his arms, mindful of the maids' presence.

Noticing the difference, Alek gently pulled her chin and kissed her.

Via didn't try to escape; instead, she opened her mouth slightly and welcomed him.

Encouraged, Alek decided to try a bit more. He leaned in and kissed her lips passionately.

"Why aren't you running away today?"

When Alek asked, confirming his suspicion, Via looked up at him with a flushed face and moist eyes.

"I thought I might never see you again."

She whispered, her cheeks flushed.

"I really wanted to see you."

Hearing this, Alek decided not to hold back. He caressed her hair, kissed her cheeks and ears, and cherished her to his heart's content.

It was unlikely that she would be this affectionate at this hour, when the maids could come at any moment.

No, Alek was certain it would never happen again.

"Your Majesty, may I come in?"

Eventually, a maid called out hesitantly. By then, Alek's rational mind was far away.

The maid, expecting the usual "Wait a moment," was taken aback when the Emperor said, "Don't disturb us until I call you."

Incidentally, there were no official duties scheduled for the morning that day.

Alek justified to himself that even an emperor should be allowed to sleep in once in a lifetime, and he spent the morning in the Empress's sleeping chamber for the first time as Emperor.

Later that morning, after Alek reluctantly left for his duties, Via called the head chamberlain to her room.

"Did you call for me?"

When the head chamberlain appeared, Via first apologized for the events of the previous day and then, with a serious expression, mentioned the Red Jade Palace.

"I need you to select four or five trusted maids immediately. They will be assigned to the Red Jade Palace."

The head chamberlain was slightly taken aback.

Since the political upheaval, the name of the Red Jade Palace had been taboo in the palace.

The head chamberlain had, of course, received reports that the Empress had been rescued from the Red Jade Palace, but he couldn't understand the Empress's intention in now wanting to take action there.

"Are you increasing the number of staff?"

When he asked cautiously, Via shook her head.

"No. I want the current maids to be transferred to other departments.

I don't need maids who speak ill of Romalis for being given a poor assignment."

"I understand."

After a moment's hesitation, the head chamberlain spoke.

"I have also heard that His Majesty told Romalis to call him 'brother' yesterday."

However, the head chamberlain had no idea how the Empress intended to treat Romalis in the future.

If Romalis returned to the public stage, a rebellion would naturally be a concern. The head chamberlain had thought that Romalis would be welcomed back to the royal family and then demoted to a commoner again.

Looking at the head chamberlain calmly, Via said, "I wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for that child."

"I understand."

"That's why this time, I will protect Romalis.

Please keep that in mind."

The head chamberlain looked up in surprise, and the Empress smiled with a strong resolve in her eyes.

"Just now, I received His Majesty's approval.

He said he has no objections to treating Romalis as his brother."

In other words, the Empress had no intention of demoting Romalis to a commoner and abandoning him.

The Empress's clear statement of her intention to protect Prince Romalis would take precedence in the palace from now on.

No one could openly defy the Empress, who was favored by the Emperor and beloved by the people.

"I understand."

The head chamberlain bowed deeply and, when he raised his head, a soft smile was on his face.

The Empress, known for her deep affection, would never treat the young prince she had taken under her wing with neglect. The little prince would never cry alone again.

As he left the Empress's presence, the head chamberlain felt a sense of peace for the prince's future.