CH 16

16. When the blue moon rises (1)

It was an excuse. Lasilia jumped up from the sofa.

What was the shock? It looked so distant… It hurt to speak every time, but today the Emperor was dazzling. During that short period of time, he came back with a solid growth. At this point, she wondered if the Emperor was a being who lived to dress up every day.

“It doesn’t seem necessary.”

“Why?”

When Lasilia got up, the Emperor followed suit.

“It was already a few hours ago that I fell into the water, and even if I was shocked, it would have all gone.”

“It’s not.”

“And wouldn’t the drowning person have suffered more if they were shocked? I ask that you be considerate of my feelings as well.”

“Ah… I must have.”

Her physical condition wasn’t bad enough to say such a thing, but she had the heart to pretend to be sick in order to separate herself from the annoying Emperor.

“My consideration was lacking. It was you who fell into the water.”

“Yes, so…”

But that wasn’t the case.

“You need to rest.”

The Emperor hugged her without warning.

“Your majesty! …Let go. You don’t have to do this.”

“I will let go. After I put you on the bed.”

“No, you don’t have to…”

“You haven’t been able to stand properly for a while. I will do more because you are the one who fell into the water.”

“…”

The reason Lasilia shut her mouth was because the words that she couldn’t even stand up sounded like the truth.

Pushing the door of her bedroom with his shoulder, the Emperor strode towards the bed. Eventually, Lasilia was speechless until she lay down on the bed.

“So you can be comfortable. Until you feel better.”

Actually, she was fine now. It was the moment when she realized once again that she had to be careful with her words in front of the Emperor. This person was unpredictable. She didn’t know where to bounce. So she always seemed to be nervous when dealing with the Emperor.

“…I will.”

It looked like he should lie down like this. It was late, as the sun was setting anyway. Maybe it would be better to go to bed early. Because they said there was a blue moon today.

Lasilia nodded, and Lescal lifted her blanket. It was as if he meant to cover her if he took her place.

“Wait a minute. I have to take my shoes off.”

“Ah… You forgot your shoes.”

Reluctantly, Lescal put down the blanket and quickly grabbed her feet before Lasilia moved.

“Your majesty.”

She thought she had gotten used to the strange things he did, but this time she couldn’t help but be taken aback.

“Stay still. I just want to take off your shoes.”

“I can do it.”

“Can’t I?”

It wouldn’t be right.

“I don’t think it’s the Emperor’s job.”

“Is it…”

After thinking for a moment, Lescal shook his head.

“No, I don’t think that’s something an Emperor should do.”

Bewildered, Lescal stared at Lasilia’s outstretched hand and lowered his head while holding her foot.

“Did the instep look like this?”

Even after slowly removing her shoes, the Emperor continued to hold her feet. For some reason, Lasilia grabbed his wrist, feeling that he was about to do something absurd again.

“Please let go now.”

“Why?”

“It is inconvenient.”

“…”

After Lasilia spoke, as always, he did as she told him, only apparently.

“…I always kissed your instep.”

“What?”

But he said such nonsense.

“Because we got along very well.”

“…”

Lacilia clenched her teeth and held back her rising anger.

‘Are you treating me like an idiot? …ha. I still have to endure it.’

After today it will be fine. When the blue moon rises.

“Because now I don’t remember. I’m sorry.”

Lasilia pushed Lescal’s hand away as if telling him to stop. However, Lescal was quick to grab Lasilia’s hand.

“If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll stop kissing you on the instep.”

He was talking like he was making a big concession. It’s just something he shouldn’t do.

“Let me do it somewhere else instead.”

“…I clearly said that it was inconvenient.”

“So I said I would put up with your feet.”

“…”

“I even took off your shoes.”

“…”

Who was the person who forcibly took off the shoes in the first place?

“I am afraid that if this discomfort continues, I will eventually stir up Your Majesty.”

Then the Emperor twitched his lips.

“But if you avoid me every time, there’s no way your memories will come back. Did you forget that I decided to be by your side for twenty-four hours to help your memory return?”

Lescal gave strength to the hand he was holding. Like an earnest stroke.

“I swore to help you to get your memories back as soon as possible. But you don’t seem to be making any effort to recover your memories.”

Whoa.

Lasilia let out a short breath. Even then, she felt, but the Emperor had a corner that reminded her of a dog in the forecourt of the temple. Once he started stroking her, he didn’t even notice her circumstances and continued to tease her until her arms were sore.

…okay. Because it’s a blue moon. It’s only today.

“I’d rather do it. Will you be okay?”

Lasilia, who was choosing her part with relatively little embarrassment, thought this. There would be no such place anyway. Where the Emperor’s lips had touched so far, her latent heat remained to the point of embarrassment, making her feel suspicious all the time. Hopefully she just thought she’d be better off on her own. In an instant, gold eyes flashed.

“Are you going to do it? A kiss?”

“Yes.”

In the blink of an eye, his face suddenly came right in front of her.

“Good. Do it.”

The already dazzling golden eyes felt more burdensome today.

“…Hehe, where would you like to go?”

Lasilia turned her head slightly to the side and cleared her throat. The Emperor looked this way without blinking.

“As long as I like you, anywhere is fine.”

“Then… You’d better close your eyes for now.”

“As you wish.”

The Emperor closed his eyes while Lasilia tried to find a place where she would feel as safe as possible.

‘I think I made a mistake somehow.’

As a result, she unintentionally took the time to examine the Emperor’s face in every nook and cranny.

‘I thought his forehead would be fine.’

Seeing this, she wasn’t sure at all. The straight forehead was like a statue of some kind. The brow bone and bridge of the nose, the symmetrical cheekbones, the narrow bridge of the nose and the clear line of the lips below it were all embarrassing.

‘Is it because I closed my eyes?’

Maybe it’s because she couldn’t see the golden eyes that are too flashy to be called human. With his eyes closed, the Emperor no longer seemed an alien being. He was just an unrealistically handsome man.

“It seems to be taking too long.”

The Emperor muttered lowly with his eyes closed.

“Did you change your mind then?”

“I am choosing.”

“Then just put it on my lips.”

What was he talking about now?

“I’ll do it on the cheek.”

“Right or left?”

Should she even tell him that…?

“Right.”

“Good.”

Seeing what she said made her even more nervous. Lasilia swallowed her dry saliva and looked at the Emperor’s right cheek.

‘Ha. I don’t know. I’ll just have to get rid of it quickly.’

So she decided, and she put her lips on it. And at that moment, the Emperor turned his head away.

“…?”

By the time she realized what had happened, it was already too late. The moment the Emperor turned his head away, their lips touched instead of the cheek, and an unexpected kiss began.

‘This… what?’

The moment her lips touched his lips, she felt a sensation he had never thought of before. The soft wet skin and the mingling breath were something that surpassed all the touches Lasilia had ever experienced. When she came to her senses, she was lying on her bed with the Emperor hugging her tightly.

“…Awesome!”

Puck!

Lasilia pushed the Emperor away.

“Ah…”

Surprisingly, the Emperor was easily pushed away. He was different from when he usually didn’t budge.

“No, that…”

The Emperor blinked. It was a face that seemed to have lost consciousness.

“This is too cowardly.” said Lasilia, suppressing her wheezing breath.

“That is… I didn’t do that on purpose…”

“What if it wasn’t on purpose? Who forced you to turn your head?”

“Just… My body moved on its own. It happened without me knowing.”

“That sounds like a ridiculous excuse. Please leave.”

“It is an excuse, but it is also true. Really. I didn’t do that on purpose…”

That strangely flustered expression made her even more angry.

“Get out.”

“That… Are you angry?”

“It would be weird if I wasn’t. Again, get out.”

Her voice was so cold that she startled herself as she spoke. The Emperor, his shoulders drooping, rose from the aesthetic bed.

“I was wrong… I’m serious.”

“Yes, you were wrong.”

“Can you tell me how to relieve your anger?”

“I don’t think the person who made you angry is saying something to someone who is angry. Find out for yourself. And if you stay here, I will be more angry.”

“I get it.”

The hesitant movements sped up a little.

“I’m leaving, so don’t be angry.”

“I am already angry.”

“That is… I was really wrong.”

The droopy shoulders drooped further down. The Emperor turned his back helplessly and left the bedroom.

“Ha.”

She felt like she was breathing only after the Emperor was gone. She couldn’t even remember how she had been breathing until then.

“It’s crazy. To do such a thing.”

Lasilia rubbed her lips with the back of her hand.

“For something like this… I never thought I would feel like this.”

That was the problem. At first, she didn’t even know what was wrong. Just like the Emperor said that it happened naturally, it just felt natural for her.

“I must be crazy.”

Right before kissing him, she thought the emperor was too handsome. It didn’t make sense from that point on. If her identity was revealed, the Emperor would kill her. Even after seeing the whole scene, she couldn’t believe that she was still thinking about the Emperor being handsome.

-I love you. I am your destiny.

She screamed like that in her dream. To a man who didn’t show a single ray of emotion in his radiant eyes. Lasilia was afraid that it might really be her own future.

“Two months is too long.”

She intended to hold out until she learned of Delarta’s circumstances, but now it was more urgent for her to get out of the Emperor’s side.

“I have to find a way. I can’t go on like this.”

As if making a promise, the blue moonlight fell over Lasilia’s shoulder as she nodded her head alone. Lasilia’s eyes widened as she turned her head toward her window.

“That… Blue Moon?”