Chapter 25

She couldn’t treat his wounds while sitting right beside him, but she could feel the mana radiating from everywhere she could reach. However, since the magic had been cast upon such a large population, the side effects did not fade easily.

“Are you okay?”

Whether he was a little distracted or was reacting to what she said, he shifted slowly. Raising his hands, he wrapped them around her back and buried his nose on her shoulder.

She wanted to see the wounds with her own eyes, but she didn’t want to graze over it when doing so. The emperor had been still for quite a while, but then suddenly, he lifted his head and pulled himself off her. His red eyes rested on his palm.

She was worried he wasn’t feeling well. He was breathing heavily, which usually happened when he didn’t rest well.

She asked again.

“Are you all right, Your Majesty?”

He looked back at her, catching her eyes.

“……I’m fine. I’ve caused you trouble.”

“You mean the wound hurts very badly?”

“Yeah.”

“And don’t say that, Your Majesty. Taking care of your wounds is one of my important –”

He cut her off.

“No, this is different.”

Suddenly, he jumped up and sat across from her. He shook his head, running his hand down his face.

Somehow, she didn’t want him to be so thoughtful. Without realizing it, she let out words at a flashing speed of light.

“Of course, I don’t like someone being too coercive….. but if that’s not the case, it’s okay to have light physical contact if it helps you, Your Highness, to prevent more side effects. It’s one of the negative effects, so I can understand it.”

His eyes, which continuously seemed to be reluctant to meet hers, shot directly at her at the words. As always, his eyes were as red as rubies.

“You can understand…..”

“Yes.”

“One of the negative effects?”

“That is what I think it is.”

As if feeling suffocated, the Emperor pulled the collar of his clothes, loosening it up.

“From the way you’re saying what I have never experienced before, it seems like you already know about this. Don’t you?”

“I beg your pardon…..?”

“Was there anyone else besides me who asked for any physical contact because of the side effects?”

Naturally, it reminded her of Serek. Then immediately, she erased the thought.

However, the Emperor answered with sunken eyes.

“There was. That’s why you’re acting like it is not the first time.”

She hadn’t said anything yet, but the Emperor seemed to have noticed what she was thinking. His eyes had a way of seeing through people’s thoughts.

Serek was really not a hot topic, but she had no choice but to admit it.

“That’s right. But….. he’s also someone that I don’t want to go near to……”

“That guy. He looked really stupid.”

“Pardon?”

“Seems like we’re on the same level, which is unpleasant.”

“Don’t say that you’re on the same level. You get the negative side effects when you use a lot of mana, but he gets so many side effects even with such a low understanding of magic. It’s completely different.”

He shook his head.

“No, it wouldn’t be that different. That’s not the problem here. It is not a matter of effects, but a matter of degree. A matter of morality.”

“What do you mean…..Your Majesty?”

Leaning his head as if he was bored, he continued.

“It’s convenient and attractive for me, but in some cases, it’s coercive. I will find a way to improve the current situation. I don’t understand exactly what the principle of such impulses naturally is, but I can’t guarantee that this won’t happen in the future…… I don’t think this is right.”

“If you think so –”

“And you can firmly deny me if that doesn’t seem right to you. If you say no, I won’t touch you no matter how insane it drives me.”

While she listened to his uncharacteristically rapid spouting, her heart sank slowly. Was the Emperor apologizing to her?

Most of all, she was concerned that his eyes were boring the wall of the carriage beside her, not at her.

It was as if they were threatening to shoot people, to consume people alive. The kind of thing that didn’t suit her.

She called him.

“Your Highness.”

Instead of responding to her, he began to mutter what was left to say.

“You’re going to need something. You won’t listen to my magic because you can use magic invalidation, but the difference is far superior.”

“Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to see me when I use excessive magic. Otherwise, would it be better to grant you the right to secretly carry a dagger?”

“Your Majesty.”

His eyes slowly shifted to look at her the third time she tried to get his attention.

Instead of being clear as ever, his eyes looked chaotic. Perhaps, he was still not free from the impulses he felt. But he didn’t seem to have any intention of coming closer to her.

She gave a faint smile.

“As you say so, Your Majesty….. I will come up with another plan. But right now, do you mind if I treat you first?”

“Yeah, but wait for a moment.”

“I will treat you, but I can’t let you be harsh with me. Hugging once or twice is not a great deal. And if I don’t consider it as the right path, I’ll be the first to reject it. That’s what you wanted, didn’t you, Your Majesty?”

He seemed to have a lot more to say, but he sighed quietly before taking off his shirt. Then, he lied down on the bed chair on one side of the carriage. The bed felt so narrow due to his large figure even though the carriage was a huge one.

She placed her hands on the many marks on his back, feeling the heat and slowly dismantling the magic he had used recently. In fact, it was much easier to dismantle the wounds in order because she could see what was exactly spreading the mana and what was written afterwards.

When her hand reached the wound, he let out a low groan, but it subsided soon enough.

However, the magic was so large that its methods were very complicated, but she could cure all the side effects after an hour of disclosure.

Of course, it was to put out the heating effect immediately, and it was not something that would heal in a day. It would have to be treated over and over again the next week to completely quell the pain from the burn marks.

She sat back, pulling her hands off his back.

“It’s done, Your Majesty.”

He sat up. He touched the shoulder, which was the most injured, with his other hand and moved his limbs little by little before nodding.

“Yes. It doesn’t hurt at all now. And that weird impulse…… has also subsided. Thank you.”

He was now looking straight at her.

His consideration was pleasing again. She chuckled quietly.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes.”

“You’re very sweet, Your Majesty.”

He frowned, still looking at her.

“I’ve never heard anyone say that to me before.”

“That’s from worrying too much for me. You could use your subordinates more to say so.”

His eyes narrowed. Trying to say something more, he sprang up.

“You don’t have to flatter me either. Ask for what you need more confidently. If one asks for something too much, I refuse. That’s how I treat my people.”

“But, Your Majesty –”

“I’m not angry. I am grateful to you. I’m not the person you think I am. What if you ask for more? You’d better be warier of me.”

He shut the door behind him as he finished.

Even after returning to the royal palace after completing all the schedules in the Southern region, the atmosphere was still a little awkward between them. As for her, she wondered if it was something she said that he seemed to be bothered with.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t help and get his treatment done.

That day was also when she was treating his wounds in his room. She heard an urgent knock.

“The Empress is here.”

At the sudden notice, she sprang up immediately, but there was nowhere else to escape from the room. In addition, if one had to exit the Emperor’s door in the middle of the corridor, it was difficult to avoid being spotted by other people because of the vast corridors, which were so surprisingly wide on both sides.

She wasn’t even allowed to leave at that moment anyway, so she sat down on the chair in the drawing room. And almost at the same time, the Empress Dowager proudly stepped inside.

“The Emperor has always stayed in his room after he returns from an expedition and doesn’t do anything, but he’s been working actively for the past few days. Do you happen to know of the reason?”

‘Does she know something?’

Celestia looked at the Empress, but she couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. Horrified, she greeted her more respectfully than ever.

She could feel the Empress’ eyes boring on her back, which made her back sting. She could easily guess how strong her gaze was, even if she didn’t meet her eyes.

“Are you ignoring my question?”

The Empress’ voice was cold. Celestia had no intention of going against this foul-tempered Empress Dowager. But what would she have said?

‘His Majesty has been sick since he usually ventures out to war zones, but thanks to me, you can say he’s getting better now.’

She could now fully feel her gaze getting colder and colder in the slightest moment of silence.

She had no choice but to speak up.

“I’m afraid I have no answer to that question, Your Highness. There’s nothing a lowly servant like me can know about anything like that.”

“It seems you’ve made a lot of achievements in one step. Weren’t you serving drinks the last time I saw you? Then, you danced with that Emperor, and this time, you’re in his bedroom……. That’s too much of a story.”

It sounded like the Empress was saying Celestia had achieved a lot of success.

“Please do not misunderstand. I’m just…..”

Instead of continuing her words, she shut her mouth and quickly decided to finish what she was saying earlier.

“There is nothing I know about His Highness, the Emperor. If it is about his schedule, it is up to His Highness to decide. How would I know –”

“How dare you talk back to me? Who else should I ask other than the maid who was chosen by the Emperor for her unrequited love?”