Chapter 8

"No, that's not it. It's neither love nor infatuation."

The emperor, who had immediately visited Ellis to talk about his feelings, was outright rejected by Ellis, who was directly involved.

Ellis, having recovered from her tendonitis and regained her sanity, had reverted to her usual cold demeanor. Despite this, the emperor, feeling a flutter in his heart, continued to plead.

"Then what is this feeling? I even felt jealous, wanting to monopolize you! If this isn't love or infatuation, what is it!?"

Moving away from the desk and adjusting her glasses, Ellis looked straight at the emperor and declared boldly,

"It's just obsession."

"Obsession?"

To the emperor's puzzled expression, Ellis began to explain kindly, as if to a child.

"Doesn't Your Majesty want to kill anyone who touches me?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't it make you feel uneasy just to think of someone else being next to me?"

"Absolutely."

"Your heart calms when you're with me, and it becomes restless when you're apart."

"Indeed."

"You can't stand it when I smile at anyone else, or when I interact with anyone other than you, or when I'm even a little bit away from you, or when I go somewhere out of your reach."

"Exactly."

Nodding in agreement, the emperor looked convinced, and Ellis smiled in satisfaction.

"Then it's just obsession."

"???"

Confused, the emperor tilted his head. Unconvinced, he faced Ellis, who gently tried to reason with him.

"If you truly love someone, you should be happy as long as they are smiling, regardless of the situation. If you are infatuated, you should be restless all the time, not just when you're together. Therefore, this is neither love nor infatuation, but just obsession."

"I see...?"

While thinking that if Ellis says so, it must be true, the emperor still felt uneasy.

Ellis looked at him with a bright gaze.

"Your Majesty thinks I'm an 'interesting woman' and is obsessed with not letting me go. Therefore, I believe there is a more wonderful woman out there for Your Majesty, someone with whom you can fall in love and share affection. I hope you will welcome such a woman as your empress."

Ellis's words made the emperor feel a sharp pain in his chest. The thought of loving another woman besides Ellis made his heart feel uneasy and nauseous.

"But, Ellis... Whether it's love, infatuation, or obsession, it doesn't matter. You are still special to me, isn't that right?"

He wanted her to understand his feelings. With this in mind, the emperor desperately tried to convey his thoughts to Ellis.

"To begin with, I can't even tell other women apart. They all seem like noisy, flashy birds. You are the only one who is special to me. I don't want anyone else."

Ellis, who had widened her eyes in surprise, blushed in appreciation.

"Please wait, Your Majesty. I will write down your words. They are a very good line."

"Yes, use them as you like. I think it was quite good myself."

The emperor, amused by her typical reaction, answered with a smug smile.

Watching her happily taking notes, the emperor couldn't help but ask,

"...Hey, are you special to me too?"

The emperor looked at Ellis with puppy-like eyes, as if a child trying to gauge a parent's mood. Ellis, lifting her head, nodded vigorously.

"Of course! Being with Your Majesty always sparks my creativity. Your beautiful face and bold, straightforward actions constantly stimulate my inspiration."

Smiling, Ellis took the emperor's hand.

"Your Majesty is an indispensable and special person to me (in my writing)."

"Is that so? Then it's fine."

The emperor, relieved, couldn't hide his pleased smile.

"...By the way, Your Majesty, I've been wondering, why do you like my novels so much?"

Ellis, asking a belated question, received a bewildered look from the emperor.

"It's all your fault. Ever since you wrote this, I can't focus on anything else."

Pointing to the manuscript Ellis had written, the emperor pouted as if it were her fault.

"I had no love, no infatuation, no dreams, no hopes. Such things were unnecessary in my life. Killing, violence, intrigue, deceit—these were all that were needed to survive in this royal family. But... after reading your books, my world changed."

For the emperor, who had lived a life where people were not even considered human, Ellis's stories filled with love and hope were a shock.

"Reading such things made me feel like I was being transformed. I felt like I could understand something called 'emotion.' Your novels make me feel human. So... write more new stories for me."

Despite having unread manuscripts still on the desk, the emperor's demand for more was arrogant.

"Write more? Write until you die. Write as much as you like, until your life is spent. ...By my side."

Ellis, receiving the emperor's words, which were more of a plea than a command, blinked behind her glasses and slowly smiled.

"Yes, I understand."

"Really? You'll stay by my side forever?"

"I will stay by your side until you tire of my novels. Your Majesty, who so eagerly awaits my novels, and this place is the best environment for me to focus on writing. It's so comfortable that I might never want to leave."

Hearing this, the emperor's voice brightened with enthusiasm.

"If that's what you want, I'll provide anything else you need."

"Oh, thank you. Then, could you call the editor Luke from the publishing house right away?"

"Publishing house? ...Why?"

The emperor, stopping his movements, furrowed his brow.

"It's time to hand over the completed manuscript."

"Are you going to hand over this manuscript?"

Since Ellis had come to the palace, she had written enough to fill three books.

The emperor, looking at the large stack of manuscripts, frowned.

"Of course. I had given up on continuing the story due to my father, but now that I've finished the cold-blooded knight and princess story and even started a new one, it's only right to deliver them to the readers who have been waiting."

"No."

"Huh?"

"No! You and your novels are all mine."

Ellis, facing the emperor who was acting like a spoiled child, tried to reason with him again.

"Your Majesty, imagine if my novels, the continuation, and the new works, existed but couldn't be read. How would you feel?"

"..."

The emperor, turning away in a huff, still reacted.

"If someone monopolized them and kept them from the outside world, could you bear it?"

Imagining the situation, the emperor honestly answered.

"No... I would have to kill that person to get the continuation of the novel."

"What if the readers who have been waiting for my novels rebel against you?"

The emperor, reacting, was pushed to the limit by Ellis.

"Or do you not want to see my manuscripts become books? Don't you want to add Ellis's new works to your proud bookshelf?"

The emperor, reacting even more, looked at his proud bookshelf.

There was a little space left to add new books at any time.

The emperor had been eagerly waiting for the day when the new works would be added.

"...Fine. I'll call the publisher right away."

The emperor, conceding defeat, nodded. Ellis, satisfied,

"Indeed. You can't win against me..."

Reluctantly heading to the door, the emperor was about to call Jeffrey when,

There was a knock, and Jeffrey appeared, looking tense.

"Your Majesty... Duke Tranchesta is requesting an audience."