CH 11

11. Scandal

It seemed that the Emperor was not holding a bouquet of flowers, but that he was standing in a field of flowers. The combination of gold and red was so dazzling that it hurt her eyes.

Usually, if the Emperor came, the attendants would go ahead and announce his visit. There was none of that now. Of course she was surprised. However, even the Emperor who entered the room did not look calm.

The Emperor, who stood still after opening the door and entered, soon strode toward her direction.

“Ah, greetings to His Majesty the Emperor…”

Belatedly, Ternaden got up from his seat and took a bow.

“Goodbye.”

Puck!

Lescal passed the heavy bouquet in his hand to Ternaden.

“Ugh, heavy,”

Thud!

Ternaden, who accidentally picked up the bouquet, hesitated, then fell backwards and hit him on the buttock. Then, Lescal kicked the fallen Ternaden with his foot.

“Ugh!”

Lescal said to Ternaden who was groaning.

“Please quickly put it in a vase.”

“… yes? What?”

Ternaden did not understand what had happened to him.

The Emperor dragged her out like a piece of luggage in front of the Duke of Pelion’s heir, and the Shadow Knights.

“Did you see that? His Majesty just said…”

Serben nudged Ryan’s side and tried to whisper, but Ryan quickly cut him off.

“Huh. I don’t believe it either, but don’t you think we should get the little Duke out first?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Fortunately, the incomprehensible things stopped there as the two knights moved quickly.

* * *

“What did you come for?”

As far as Lasilia knew, the Emperor was the most unreasonable person. With a blank expression, he made the most menacing expression. For reasons unknown, Lasilia thought he looked very dangerous now.

“Did I get in the way?”

These were the words that came after a few breaths. But he did get in the way.

“I was in the middle of a chat. It’s unfortunate, but there will be another opportunity next time.”

It was an opportunity to learn more about the real Empress. It was regrettable that the conversation was cut off in the middle, but it was fortunate to know that there was a person named Duke Pelion that knew her. Above all, he was very close to the Empress, and believed in her memory loss.

“Next time…”

The Emperor murmured softly and sat down in the same seat where Ternaden had sat. Ternaden was sitting close enough to whisper to Lasilia. So it meant that the Emperor was just as close.

“It’s too close, Your Majesty. And why did you come?”

The Emperor cut off her talk.

“You were closer to the Little Duke.”

“No. I wasn’t.”

“You were closer.”

The Emperor’s face came closer as if their lips were about to touch.

“It was this close.”

‘It wasn’t at all. And what’s the point of distance?’

Racilia leaned back and put herself away.

“If you wish, do so.”

“And held hands.”

At the same time as he said that, the Emperor grabbed Lasilia’s hand. Lasilia looked at Lescal with a face of incomprehension.

“…It wasn’t my will, but it happened. So now would you let go of her hand and keep your distance? It’s too close.”

The Emperor seemed to have no intention of moving.

“Did you tell him this too?”

“What?”

“Did you say ‘I lost my memory, and it’s uncomfortable because I’m just a stranger, so don’t touch me and stay away’?”

She reflected for a moment, but nothing like that happened. Instead of talking to her, he just grabbed her hand and pulled it away.

“No.”

“Why?”

Even if it wasn’t, the distance that was too close got closer. The golden eye in front of her nose was more than burdensome and disturbed her vision.

“Why are you telling me to stay away from you, but you didn’t say the same to the little Duke?”

“I never had a chance to say that.”

“Really?”

“Yes?”

“If you had the opportunity, you would have rejected the Duke as well?”

Her eyes blinked spontaneously.

‘Why are you doing this? Do you have any problems with the Little Duke? …Ah, that’s not what he is after, she just doubts if I really lost my memory. The Empress and the Duke seemed to be close from the beginning.’

So, saying that he’d seen the mark many times was extremely jarring. Was it right to see it as just a close brother and sister?

“Yes, that is the answer.”

“If the little Duke hold your hand again, are you going to ask him to let go?”

“Of course I will. Even the little Duke is very unfamiliar to me.”

“…then.”

After hearing that, the Emperor slowly let go of her hand. The distance that had been the difference of a piece of paper was widened to the size of a book.

She looked at the Emperor with an expression that asked if it was all that far away, he met her eyes and said,

“From now on, be the first to tell him to let go of your hand. If he doesn’t, do it yourself.”

“I will.”

With that said, one book has grown into two books. It was still too close, but she felt like she could breathe now.

“What happened to the Little Duke?”

She asked, with the Emperor still not taking his eyes off her. It was surprisingly uncomfortable to have a conversation side by side, eye to eye, from a distance of two books.

“I came to say goodbye. It looks like you heard the news now.”

In reply, Lasilia raised her body.

“If that seat is good, I will move to sit down there.”

“That won’t be necessary. You can just stay there.”

“I want to move.”

At those words, the Emperor wrinkled his brow. But he didn’t say no.

“…if you want.”

“Yes.”

Moving her seat made her feel more comfortable. Lescal twitched the tips of his lips as he looked at Lasilia, who was breathing involuntarily.

“It’s strange that he came. Even when you were sick, the Duke never came to visit you.”

To be precise, he had come not to visit the Empress, but to ask about the sign. Lasilia quietly changed her words.

“Even your Majesty did not come to visit me.”

In an instant, the golden eyes flashed.

“How do you know that? Did your memory come back?”

…No way.

“I heard about the past from the Duke.”

“Did you talk about me? What did you say?”

“He said that His Majesty and I weren’t close enough to visit each other often.”

It was more terrifying than that. The Empress loved the Emperor, and the Emperor was indifferent. But the emperor needed the Empress, and the Empress could not supply her need, so she concealed herself in lies. It was a relationship in which there was no way to improve unless the mark was perfected.

But the emperor, who kept his mouth shut and stared her in the eyes, said:

“It is a lie.”

* * *

‘It’s a lie.’

“The Little Duke lied. You and I got along very well.”

“…”

It was a little absurd.

“It’s hard to believe. They said that we were very good friends and that we hadn’t even had a first night.”

“That would be proof that we were good friends.”

The Emperor was a human being who could lie while staring her in the eye.

“I don’t really understand why that happens.”

“The reason we didn’t have the first night was because you didn’t want to. It’s a request that I don’t know why, but I think the fact that we’ve been following each other faithfully is proof that our relationship is very close.”

It was nonsense, but it seemed like it made sense because he said it so confidently, and it was such a confusing feeling.

“…It’s different from what little Duke Pelion and the ladies-in-waiting said.”

“I don’t think they know us better than I do.”

Not only them, but also Ryan said so.

“Even if it’s His Majesty’s Shadow Knight?”

“Even my shadow knight.”

“…”

There must be a reason. Why did he lie so unbelievably?

‘Why… Ah, because of the blue moon.’

Amnesia was perhaps an opportunity for the Emperor. The Emperor, who could no longer delay contact with her, was in a position to force his contact with the Empress, and the Empress untimely lost her memory. If it was said that they were originally close, it would be difficult for the Empress to find a reason to refuse contact in the future.

‘Ha… He was a smart man. Because I can’t say with my own mouth that the past wasn’t like that, he must have calculated that I would have no choice but to be swayed like this.’

It was the correct answer.

“So from now on, I hope you don’t say that you are too close to me. We always sat side by side in the same chair. Very close.”

Sitting in a chair would be the beginning.

“… If so, Your Majesty.”

Fortunately, Lasilia had a plan in mind.

“I want to receive healing prayers. To bring back memories.”

“A prayer for healing?”

“Yes. The Little Duke of Pelion informed me. There are priests with healing powers in Delarta Kingdom.”

There’s probably no combination that’s as bad as a prophet and a lie, but she needed to do it now. As long as the Emperor appeared like that, she should have been able to lie to him. Young Duke Pelion seemed to be on the Empress’s side, so he would somehow match her rhythm, even if belatedly.

“I want to go to Delarta.”

* * *

“Sleep. Take it.”

“…?”

Serben held out a large vase, and Ryan talked. Ternaden looked at the two of them alternately with an absurd face.

“Take this… What should I do?”

“Your Majesty gave the order himself, right? Put it in a vase. Plug it in.”

“So this is for me now… to do it for real… Is that what you mean?”

“It’s an order from the Emperor. Were you thinking of rejecting it? You won’t live long like this. Isn’t that right, Serben?”

“That’s right.”

Ternaden burst into anger. He had never personally encountered the Shadow Knights, but he had heard of them. It was said that they behaved like a member of the royal family with the protection of the Emperor on their back, and that was perfect. If that’s what meant being a Shadow Knight then he wasn’t grinding his teeth for nothing.

“…I will remember your names. Let’s see how long it stays like that.”

“Well, do as you like.”

Ryan snorted his snort sullenly.

“More than that, please give your heart and soul to His Highness. Please know that we cannot help at all according to His Majesty’s wishes.”

After speaking, the shadow knights sat cross-legged comfortably on the chairs behind them. So it meant that they would be watching while the young Duke of Pelion was arranging flowers that he didn’t even know existed.

“… this.”

Ternaden swallowed all the curses in his stomach. Even though they could clearly see his distorted faces, the shadow knights didn’t bat an eye.

“You… Why are you doing this to me?”

The third time a rose thorn pricked his finger, the impatient Ternaden turned around and glared at the shadow knights.

“Oh, there is no particular reason.”

Ryan faced Ternaden with his clasped hands supporting the back of his head.

“I wonder if Her Majesty recently had a rather big accident. That’s right.”

“What, what? Is that what you are talking about with Her Majesty?”

“So, of course, the Duke of Sox was a distant relative and an adoptee, so he wasn’t someone who couldn’t date at all, but it can’t be helped that the arrow of love flies. Just accept it.”

Ternaden’s complexion suddenly changed.

“Uh, what is that… ?What a scandal…!”

“It’s also not something that Your Majesty doesn’t know about. Right, Serben?”

Serben nodded his head.

“There’s no way you wouldn’t know. You must have known it all before her wedding.”

“So, as the Blue Moon approached, she was feeling uncomfortable, and she told His Majesty that she would like him to pay attention to what kind of existence she is. Oh, that is, before he sat on one of the sofas and held his hand as if to treat Her Majesty alone.”

“…”

Ternaden bit his lip.

“Then do the flower arranging. You seem to have a knack for it.”

It was the moment Ryan leaned against his back, thinking that he was polite enough to say, “Don’t annoy our Majesty,” as he opened his eyes.

“Ryan.”

In the next room, where the Empress and Emperor were left alone, Lescal called Ryan.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The two knights moved with unbelievable speed and entered the next room. Before the door closed again, Ternaden heard these words.

“How long does Delarta take from here?”