Chapter 35

I slowly dipped my toes. And the calves… Then the thighs.

‘Oh, it’s warm…’

As soon as I entered the bath, the warm water gently wrapped my skin.

If not for Rixus, who sat next to me with his beastly body exposed… I would have been completely relaxed.

“Relax.”

As if he had read my expression, he slowly said,

“I’m not going to eat you up.”

I glanced at him through my right eye, which was reflecting a light blue.

I didn’t want to be caught feeling nervous. I really didn’t want to reveal my weak side to Rixus.

Raising my thick lips proudly, I said,

“I’m not nervous.”

“Really?”

“I’m tired today, but soaking in the water makes me feel drowsy.”

“Hmm…”

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

‘What’s with that face?’

‘Why are you reacting like that?’

I hurriedly raised a finger.

“But don’t ‘do anything’. I’ll just take a bath here.”

“Oh, my.”

He bit his lower lip with an overtly sad expression on his face.

‘…Are you really going to?!’

With that sad gaze, he said,

“I can’t believe I can’t do anything.”

The purplish-blue pupils became slightly smaller.

A heavy bass sound lingered in my ears.

“It’s the first night.”

“……”

What the hell was he planning to do?

To kiss in the bathroom……? Or maybe even before going to the bedroom, in the water…… 

All sorts of imagination popped into my head, and I finally couldn’t contain my curiosity and carefully asked,

“What were you going to do…?”

“……”

He smiled softly, then gently gestured with his large hand as if asking me to come.

As I went a little closer, a strong chest and a firm nape wet with water tilted towards my ear. 

Even though our skin wasn’t touching, I could feel the heat, and my heart pounded.

Rixus twisted his lips and whispered as if he had seen all of my imagination.

“Shamelessly racy.”

“!”

Instantly startled, I glared at him with a flushed face and splashed water on him.

Rixus smiled a little, wiping away the water droplets from his face with his large hand.

I rebuked him.

“How dare you!”

“Your expression is getting better now, Queen.”

……Right. He must have called me here on purpose to check my expression and condition. Was it some kind of careful consideration?

Actually, I have been in a tense state ever since I came to Aktoum.

It was the same while preparing for the high priest’s visit, and even though I had successfully completed it, the tension was still not relieved.

When I dipped myself in the bath with him, I felt my tiredness and fatigue slipping away.

However, this was not an environment where tension could be relieved.

‘Why is Rixus so sexy today?’

Revealing his cool and manly forehead, he felt different from usual.

Thick and pretty eyebrows.

Visible, clear facial structure when raising his head, and a strong line from the collarbone to the shoulder.

Over and over again, his eyes met mine.

My heart kept pounding, and every time I accidentally touched his skin, it felt electrifying.

“Drink.”

He offered champagne.

“…Ah, okay.”

I took the glass of champagne from his large hand, and suddenly my gaze shifted to his shoulder.

“Doesn’t it hurt here?”

I put my hand on his burn marks.

An unsightly scar like a white snake remained on top of his flushed skin.

I gently touched the rough skin with my hands as if applying ointment.

“Why didn’t you fix it? A wizard would be able to erase the scar.”

“I do not care.”

Rixus answered dryly. But my heart was not dry. I cared a lot.

He had to carry with him the scars he had when he was a little boy until he became an adult.

Would that scar remain in his heart?

I was afraid he would feel lonely looking at those burn marks in the mirror… Maybe he would remember the time when he desperately hugged the nanny who tried to kill him.

My heart kept pounding.

“Berylia.”

Lost in thought, I lifted my head at the call of Rixus.

Contrary to my concerns, he seemed okay.

He seemed to be thinking about our future rather than about the scar on his shoulder that had been around for a while.

After a sip of champagne, he said,

“The wedding will be held as soon as my uncle’s seal is stamped.”

“I know.”

“From then on, we will proceed with the merger of the two countries.”

I also answered with a sip of champagne.

“Yes, it’s been hard so far, but the process in the future won’t be easy either.”

The sweet sparkling drink hit the tip of my tongue and passed softly.

Looking straight at him, I said,

“There’s something you have to do for me.”

I could feel him concentrating. My face was vividly reflected in his blue-purple eyes.

“Certainly…….”

“……”

“Become the ‘Emperor’ of Aktoum.”

To become the Emperor of Aktoum. That was the beginning and completion of the merger of the two countries.

The point where the nine nobles were completely defeated and there were no more people who could go against our will.

Rixus knew it well.

In the end, the ‘seal of the emperor’ that approved unification was the most important thing.

It was something that was impossible to get with half the crown as it was now.

“Certainly…….”

Rixus said with darkened eyes.

“I promise. Queen.”

It was a reliable promise. He could definitely do it.

In this lifetime, I would even help him ascend to the throne.

‘Only when you become an emperor can you be rewarded.’

I hoped that Rixus’ hard times would be rewarded like that.

Then I would be happy too.

‘I want to see it with my own eyes this time too.’

Until now, I had never seen Rixus become emperor.

Because my life always ended before that.

‘Will he become emperor after I die?’

In fact, I didn’t even know about it until now.

Because I didn’t even finish reading .

Had I known this would be the case, I would have read the novel to the end……

‘I stopped for no reason, so I don’t know the ending.’

It was when I was regretting with gloomy eyes.

“What about you?”

“What?”

Rixus asked me.

“You are already a great monarch of a country.”

“……”

“Is there anything you want to become in the future, even when you’re already sitting at the peak of power?”

I felt that he was asking out of pure curiosity.

“I…”

The question that suddenly flew pierced my chest like an arrow.

‘What do I want to be…’

In fact, there wasn’t anything.

I lived in a swamp all my life, suffered as the queen, and died two years later. What hope do I have for the future?

But it wasn’t bad to be asked a question about a problem I had never thought about before.

My heart was pounding for no apparent reason.

“I…”

After a bit of hesitation, I revealed a precious dream.

“My hope for the future is to be a grandmother.”

“…?”

“If possible, I want to be a rich grandmother.”

Just imagining becoming a grandmother made me so excited and happy.

‘I can’t believe I would still be alive then! Oh my gosh, I’ll wear a floral dress with my lovely gray hair.’

‘…Knitting and watching my grandchildren!’

‘It’s just too good to imagine.’

He laughed at first at my rather absurd hopes for the future, but soon realized that it was heartfelt and stopped laughing.

“…A grandmother.”

It was hard to understand, but I could feel his sincerity in trying to take what I said as seriously as possible.

‘Because, Rixus, I’ve never been old.’

Because of some Munchkin protagonist trying to save the world.

Rixus stopped thinking for a moment and said, tucking my wet hair behind my ear.

“I promise.”

“…….”

“I’ll help you become a rich, happy grandmother if possible.”

‘Never forget that promise, I beg you, Rixus.’

I liked it so much that I forgave him for about three of the times he killed me.

* * *

Deborah’s letter was delivered an hour later.

It arrived at a mansion in Malta, a resort far away from the capital.

“Lady Yuria, a letter has arrived from Duchess Deborah.”

“Leave it there.”

The woman lying on the bed looked at the letter quietly.

Lady Yuria Mavis.

She was a beautiful woman with silver hair flowing like the Milky Way and light blue eyes shining like stars.

She was like a weak and pitiful angel, as if the devil had forcibly cut off her wings.

She was so beautiful, but unfortunately, her face was completely discolored.

It was warm enough that flowers bloomed outside the window, but she was wearing thick layers, and she kept coughing dryly.

“There is no reason for Duchess Deborah to send a letter…”

“Isn’t this just to say hello?”

Keuk, keuk. Yuria, who was coughing, put her thin legs down the bed and picked up the letter.

She whispered coldly.

“In the past two years, Duchess Deborah has not said hello.”

“Yes… My lady.”

Yuria cut a wax seal with a letter knife and opened the letter. There, it was written in Madam Deborah’s handwriting:

After reading the content, Yuria’s hands trembled relentlessly.

For a while, she read that short letter again and again with unbelieving eyes.

“!”

Yuria’s vision went black and she fainted on the spot.

“Ah, my lady, my lady!”

“Call the doctor!”

* * *

I stood in front of Rixus’ bedroom for 30 minutes.

In Aktoum, on the first night of the engagement, it was said that it was a tradition for the husband-to-be to prepare first and wait in the bedroom.

I was sure Rixus was in there… I couldn’t bring myself to enter.

My heart was pounding in my chest.

‘Oh my God, my heart is beating so fast…’

I barely managed to take a deep breath and rubbed my hand against my heart.

‘What if I faint like this?’

It was then. From inside the door, with a very slow movement, Rixus opened the door and appeared.

“!”

He was wearing a robe that was barely there. I thought I saw his muscles contract.

It was so sexy that it took my breath away for a moment.

Rixus leaned on one arm and asked in a heavy, low tone.

“Are you going to kill me?”

Ah… He must have known that I was hesitating at the door.

I looked up at him with an open mind.

Although he wasn’t wearing any special clothes, he was so attractive that any woman would want a night.

“……”

He slowly grabbed my arm and led me through the door.

I let out a trembling exhalation to get my mind at ease.

Then he laughed lowly. Rixus gently lifted my lower jaw with his long fingers.

“Don’t relax now, Queen.”

Broad shoulders leaned towards me.

The area beneath his eyes was redder than usual, and his eyes were leveled with mine, then he twisted his lips strangely and whispered,

“Because I’m going to eat you.”

Badump, badump. My heart thumped to the floor.

Ame: Don’t worry, there’s one more chapter, I’m not leaving y’all on this cliffy.