Chapter 26

Cahir’s hands were bigger than she had thought. Unlike that beautiful face, his hands were distinctly masculine, with large bones and calluses. Rosaline shivered each time they accidentally grazed her neck.

She tensed, making Cahir tense as well. His joints stiffened.

He couldn’t quite secure the necklace, partly because his large hands were unaccustomed to such delicate movements, but mostly because he was…

‘Nervous? Am I nervous?’

He scoffed at himself. He had never been nervous even when he took the lead against an army that outnumbered his own, ten to one. And yet now he was nervous about putting on a necklace? It was absurd.

Was it her body? Her scent? Would he finally relax if he could breathe it in to his heart’s content? It was embarrassing, but he had to get used to it somehow.

“Gah!”

Cahir buried his nose in her hair, wrapping thick arms around her waist.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing?” She tried to move away.

“Rosaline, just tell me the truth, okay?”

“Your Majesty, people can see us!” Her hand hovered above his forearm, her strength insufficient to push it down.

The knights were staring at them.

With his head still pressed against her neck, Cahir rolled his eyes at Hamburg. “Resume training! One hundred strikes!”

Everyone raised their swords at his roar.

“Nobody’s looking at us now, so just tell me the truth.” He had no intention of loosening his grip as he took a deep breath.

Rosaline flushed, from her cheeks all the way to her neck. “Your Majesty…”

He breathed through his mouth, each exhalation warming her even more. “Rosaline, if not scented soap or perfume, then what is it? What do you use?”

“I don’t use any!” Her small hand pushed Cahir’s arm away to no avail.

“Tell me,” he whispered into her ear.

“It’s powder!” Rosaline blurted out nervously. “I use it when I take a bath…”

Why did the completely objective and normal term ‘bath’ feel so obscene today?

Cahir laughed, vibrating against her skin and sending flutters to her belly.

“Your Majesty, please let go of me.”

‘Get off me, you shameless bastard!’

“Rosaline, one more. Just one more question.”

“Please, Your Majesty, go ahead,” she nearly begged. Aside from the embarrassment, she was at a loss due to the unfamiliar heat.

“Answer quickly and I’ll let you go and never speak of it again.”

“…Just ask me.”

“Rosaline, let’s say you’re half-serious about wanting to quit. What are you going to do after you resign?” Cahir asked curiously.

The premise of his question was wrong. She wholeheartedly wanted to quit.

“Really…” she mumbled. Rosaline felt muddled. One of his arms was still around her waist, and his hot breath tickled the back of her neck. Her temperature soared and she felt a bit breathless. “No…”

“What did you say, Rosaline?”

‘What do you mean, ‘no’? Did I just fall for that pink diamond? Was I this much of a materialist?’

She frowned.

‘Right, that must be it. I guess I’ve been living too simply until now. Maybe I should buy some things for myself during the upcoming holidays.’

Rosaline tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

“What’s your answer?”

“Your Majesty,” she began, voice trembling slightly. Rosaline blamed herself for being so shaken up by the pink diamond. “I want to quit and enjoy life.”

Cahir let her go, stepping back. “Enjoy life?” he asked, waiting for an explanation.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I want to have tea parties with other ladies and buy jewelry and dresses.”

That way, she wouldn’t be too sentimental about the pink diamond necklace and fall back into being his secretary again.

“Oh, only that?”

‘’Only,’ you say!?’

Rosaline’s eyes widened. True, it wasn’t much, but it was a luxury that she had never had in the past five years.

“Is there anything else?” Cahir was particularly persistent today. “Are you sure you’re going to live like that, Rosaline? Are you going to spend your life having tea parties and buying clothes and accessories?”

“No, I just mentioned the two things that first came to mind.”

“Then tell me more. I’ll wait.”

He called for Hamburg, deciding to give her time to mull it over.

The commander of the knights ran to him, the two of them discussing this and that. Cahir asked about Hamburg’s son, Stergios, and Dorian, who were both knights-in-training. He normally wasn’t interested in the lives of his subjects, but those two were exceptions, being the top students of the academy that he established.

Cahir liked smart and competent people

‘That’s why I like Rosaline.’

Hamburg noticed the emperor’s gaze falling to her again, and he nearly shuddered at what he suspected.

That beast on the battlefield, the tyrant who shed neither blood nor tears, showing that much emotion in his eyes… He couldn’t even imagine the repercussions.

“Hamburg, are you listening?”

“Yes, I’m listening,” he lied bravely.

“I heard that the students are in charge of security during the dawn festival.”

“Yes, that is correct. Serving the empire is their pride and honor.” He handled it skillfully, speaking like someone who had been focused on the conversation from the start.

Cahir stared at Hamburg and smirked. He was always like that with his son’s success. His own mother, Lydia, who had been the golden flower of the empire. He inherited his golden hair from her.

‘My mother was…’

Everything had become a mess once Lady Azela entered the imperial harem. Lydia used to stay at the Third Star Palace, and his father, Kergo, had a lot of women. Everyone knew that Azela was the emperor’s favorite, and that going against her spelled harm, and so Lydia laid low to protect her son.

He frowned, gripping the railing.

“Your Majesty, I have an answer for you now.”

If it wasn’t for Rosaline’s clear voice, one part of the railing would have been crushed by his hand.

He relaxed. “Tell me. What the hell are you going to do with your life?”

“I won’t live too luxuriously.”

“Oh? Then are you going to live brilliantly?”

“No. I want a normal life.”

Cahir blinked slowly. Rosaline smiled at the look on his face.

“Rosaline, are you out of your mind?”

She tilted her head.

“It’s a basic human desire to pursue a better life. Are you studying asceticism these days?”

‘A better life…’

For Rosaline, a better life was not about having lots of material possessions. It was a normal one, where she could get up late and brew a cup of tea, stroll around and chat with other girls her age, attend balls, and…

She’d never even dated in her life.

Rosaline had been single even in her past life. She got a job as soon as she graduated college and worked like crazy. She didn’t have the time to meet any guys.

Why was it the same even now? It was a little embarrassing that she had never been in a relationship even though she was from a respected noble family. At twenty-three, she was already at a marriageable age, especially because this world was not like Korea. It was difficult for noblewomen to live without getting married. Late marriages were also criticized by the aristocracy.

That’s why she needed to meet as many men as she could in a short amount of time.

“Alright, I understand. I guess you miss ordinary things because you spend so much time with me. It’s the same way that I’m sick of gold and jewels,” he said, gesturing to his crown. “But I don’t know anything about ordinary things, so let me see. Not now, but later.” Cahir raised his hand and pointed over her shoulder.

Derek approached them. “The meeting is about to start.”

They had an emergency meeting about the selection of a site for the temple. It was clear that Cahir would do as he wanted, but it was important to obtain the consent of the nobility.

“Rosaline, let’s go.” He put on the crown crookedly.

“Your Majesty, wait a minute.” Rosaline stood on her tiptoes and reached out, Cahir lowering his head so it would be easier for her to fix it.

It was a very rare sight for the emperor to bow to a woman.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey.”

“I’m not seeing things, am I?”

“I can see it too.”