Chapter 59

Chapter 30.1

That gaze… was burdensome.

Even at the moment when I washed my face and was bewildered at the thought that I had nothing to wear here, or while wearing the tunic that Raniero had chosen, which kept falling even when I wrap it around my waistband, and, even when I went to the dining room of the Main Palace in such a dress and had breakfast…

His eyes were glued onto me.

Nonetheless, I managed my morning schedule while glancing away from him ambiguously. Of course, there was nothing special about the schedule as it was only eating and washing up.

Since my whole body was in aching pain, I just wanted to go home and rest. I wanted to wear my own clothes instead of this one… And most of all, although I lacked sleep, I couldn’t even openly yawn in front of His Majesty, so I just chewed the inside of my lips and held it in. Seriously, I must’ve had a hard day yesterday. I couldn’t believe that I slept even with Raniero Actilus in front of me… 

After I finished eating, I drank water and glanced at Raniero.

‘I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to get an upset stomach if I continue like this…’

I eventually made a decision abruptly before deciding to muster up my courage and tell Raniero my feelings.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes.”

“I want to go home.”

I shut my eyes tightly. It wasn’t until I spat those words out that I came to my senses. Not my house, but the Empress’ Palace, the Empress’ Palace…!

Before I could correct anything, Raniero spoke first.

“This is your house?”

I could sense teasing in the words he said. Because of that, I covered my blushing face with both hands before replying.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I meant the Empress’ Palace. I didn’t have enough sleep, so I’m talking nonsense…”

“You slept like that…”

It was true that Raniero slept less than I did. Still, I… I did too much yesterday!

Of course, I didn’t intend to bring up such a story. It was because I thought it was impossible for him to understand ‘the tired sense of an ordinary human being.’ If I tried to express it like that, I would not be able to regain my principal*.

[ T/N: It’s an idiom which means, ‘For one’s effort to cause a negative and reverse effect. ]

When I peered into his face through the gap between my fingers, he was cutting a thick steak that looked like it was dripping with blood.

He surely ate a big meal in the morning…

Even though he was only eating, there was a faint smile on his bewitching lips. It seemed like my mistake was funny to him. Regardless, at the point of that ‘slight smile,’ there was a part that caught my eye.

There was a wound on his lips.

…How was it there?

As I thought so to myself, I quickly searched through my memory. No matter how bad my memory was, I wasn’t a goldfish to the point where I would forget important things, such as whether or not there was a wound on the mad, villainous Emperor.

Nonetheless, no matter how much I thought back about yesterday in the bathroom, until then… there didn’t seem to be any injuries?

‘Maybe, I… did it?’

Was I that crazy…?

‘No, I would not have done it.’

Aside from when I saw it, if I did it, there would be no way I would not be having breakfast facing the Emperor like this now, right? I would have been drinking rotten water in the dungeon instead!

Thinking that, I focused on the food as much as possible and tried not to make eye contact with Raniero. I tried to make up for the absurd mistake I had made earlier after dinner to convey that I made a request to go home with dignity and in a mature manner.

“I’m grateful for the kindness Your Majesty has bestowed upon me like this, I’d like to ask for your grace again…” 

“What kind of grace?”

Raniero chuckled. Glancing at me, his eyes narrowed as he added.

“Well, go ahead.”

I had already prepared the perfect reason for returning home. Today was the day Sylvia entered the Empress Palace. So since a new maid would be arriving, of course, the Empress should take the lead…!

“As a new maid enters the Empress’s Palace today, I’ve to hurry back and see her with my position as the owner…” 

“Oh. So it’s not that you want to go home?”

‘If you know, send me home… I won’t even get angry that you are cutting me off from time to time.’

With that thought, I gazed at Raniero with earnest eyes. However, the wounds on the lips kept coming into my eyes, so my earnest gaze eventually turned to his pretty lips instead.

Really, how did that happen?

It could be said that I was stuck on something strange, although I couldn’t help but become bothered by this. I know Raniero well. I thought I was staring at him as unobtrusively as possible, although apparently, I wasn’t.

Raniero licked his lips.

Seeing that, I beat him to an apology before he could say anything.

“I, I’m sorry if the gaze was rude. It’s just that I’m concerned about the damage on the Emperor’s body…”

Huu.

After escaping safely in winter, I should publish a book like 「 The Art of Flattery. 」 Meanwhile, as I was thinking in vain, Raniero muttered softly from the top of my head.

“It concerns you… It concerns you?”

It was never a good sign that he repeated the same thing and ended with a question mark. My body stiffened a bit. Unsurprisingly, Raniero grabbed my neck and pulled me closer the next moment, and I took a breath and was pulled towards him.

The eyes that I tried not to meet were staring straight at me.

I reflexively lowered my eyes though he brought his face closer to me.

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