Chapter 07
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Ria saw that her cheek, struck by the duke, was swollen quite badly.
“It’s been such a long time since anyone hit me… And it’s the first time I’ve ever been hit and just let it go quietly.”
Her skin was delicate from being raised in luxury, which made the swelling look even redder.
“Tch.”
The fact that the duke acted so thoughtlessly left her incredulous. It seemed he was aware that the emperor’s attitude toward her had changed, yet he still behaved like this.
Did he really think he could get away with it? That she would protect or help him?
Such confidence was pointless.
Even if he was the father of this body, she had no intention of hiding or helping the man who hit her.
A father’s consideration was enough in the form of having taken the blow himself. Simply not hitting her further was enough. Of course, the one who had struck her probably had no idea the person inside the body had changed.
“Nothing pleases me anymore.”
The terrified maids who trembled at her every word, the young noblewomen desperate not to be ignored, the father who had no love for his daughter… even the emperor, who, after losing his memory, suddenly followed her claiming to like her, didn’t please her.
Nothing about the current situation pleased her. All she wanted was to live quietly.
The only good thing, in her eyes, was that she could laze around without needing to earn money.
“I wonder how the emperor will react if he sees this.”
He wouldn’t remain calm.
Thinking this, Ria iced her swollen cheek, trying to reduce the puffiness before the emperor arrived. The cold from the ice bag against her fever-hot cheek made her shiver.
At that moment, the door opened, and Cartian entered.
Ria awkwardly rose and saluted him. Though slightly awkward, her posture was perfect for someone who had seen proper etiquette before.
Cartian’s gaze fell on her face, on the swollen cheek and the ice bag. The air in the room turned cold.
“How dare someone…!”
Cartian’s voice, full of fierce anger, echoed through the room.
Ria made a small, unbothered expression. She had expected him to come today, as he came every day, but not this early—before the swelling had even gone down.
“Ria.”
The anger faded quickly as Cartian approached her and gently touched her cheek.
“Who did this?”
His expression looked as if he himself had been struck.
Although Ria didn’t notice, a deep, dangerous aura emanated from Cartian—an intensity that Baron could feel directly.
He asked who did it, but in truth, he already knew. There was only one person daring enough to treat the empress like this. It couldn’t have been the maids.
“How much it must have hurt,” he murmured, touching her delicate skin, worried even the slightest contact would cause pain.
Ria hesitated. It did hurt, and she didn’t want to lie and say it was fine. She had been furious the moment it happened.
“Should I kill him?”
Reading her hesitation, Cartian asked, his gaze kind but filled with unmistakable rage toward the Seronian Duke.
He shouldn’t have been allowed to get away with it.
In that moment, he thought he should have at least cut off the hand that struck her. Even if it meant she couldn’t use the hand afterward, it didn’t matter. He could have even beheaded him. There would be some protest from the nobles if the duke were executed without trial, but so what? Cartian was already thinking about how to deal with the duke.
“Who?”
“The Seronian Duke.”
Cartian’s voice was firm, though he tried to seem gentle.
Ria didn’t immediately recognize the name, but then realized he was talking about the man claiming to be her father in this body. She felt no strong emotions—this wasn’t her real father; her true father was already dead.
“That’s enough.”
There was no need to kill him. If she caused his death, it would only complicate her feelings. Beyond that, death was too distant, too unreal for her to handle.
“He dared strike you.”
Why did he defend the man? Was it because he was her ‘father’ in this body? Cartian’s emotions swirled.
“Yes.”
Ria simply agreed—it was the truth.
“But… why? Aren’t you angry? Even if it’s your father, he has no right to strike you.”
Cartian growled, and Ria looked on silently. It was refreshing to see him angry—he usually looked so gentle before her.
The emperor seemed ready to tear the duke apart with just a word from her. But she didn’t want that.
“I’d be satisfied if he just never showed his face again.”
“If that’s what you want.”
He could ban him from the palace entirely. But that wasn’t enough. Cartian never liked unnecessary killing, but the one who struck Ria was the exception.
“That’s enough.”
She could handle the rest herself. Though she wasn’t sure how she would get revenge, at least it wasn’t her father—blood ties didn’t bother her here.
“Ria is too kind.”
Cartian muttered as he looked at her swollen cheek.
Ria raised an eyebrow. He called her kind just because she didn’t want the duke killed? That seemed obvious to her. She had never killed anyone in Korea for such a reason.
“Then maybe just a few slaps are okay if it really bothers you.”
I can’t hit him anyway.
“Or should I cut off his hand?”
“What would you do with that?”
Ria was baffled. It would just rot and smell.
“I… I just want to do something.”
Cartian muttered, looking gloomy. But Baron knew better. Outwardly, he behaved obediently like a loyal dog, but inside, a storm of rage whirled.
“That’s enough. Just don’t let him show his face. A few slaps are fine if needed.”
“You are so lovely…”
How could he touch her? Even a light touch worried him.
“Your face is pretty, though.”
Her face in this body was indeed beautiful enough to make even she marvel.
“You should lie down. It’ll hurt if you move.”
“It’s not that bad.”
Her cheek wasn’t seriously hurt; it didn’t warrant being treated like a patient.
Cartian ignored her protest and gently forced her onto the bed.
“Why did you come?”
Ria asked, not opposed to being treated as a patient, curious why he had come.
“Because I wanted to see you.”
As expected.
“Aren’t you busy? You’re the emperor, after all.”
Ria asked, genuinely curious. He always came to see her daily despite his duties.
“Are you worried about me?”
Cartian’s eyes sparkled with anticipation at her unexpected words. Ria flinched. It was more of a shooing him away than genuine concern.
“Yes.”
She nodded lightly, unwilling to crush his hopes.
“Ria.”
Cartian suddenly lunged at her on the bed.
“Ugh.”
The weight of his large frame made her groan, though she didn’t mind being held down.
“R-Ria. I’m sorry. I forgot how fragile you are and just rushed at you.”
His guilty expression made him look almost helpless.
“Move back a little.”
The groan wasn’t from pain, just the sudden pressure. He complied, checking her expression like a dog sensing its owner’s mood.
“Now, aren’t you going to go work?”
“No.”
Ria sighed at his unnecessary firmness.
“How can you work when Ria’s hurt?”
“I’m not dying, am I?”
“You can’t even look sick enough to not work!”
Cartian shouted. The thought of her dying made his heart drop.
“No, I meant you, not Tian. You, over there. Do I look that sick?”
Baron, who disliked Ria as much as she disliked him, was addressed simply as ‘you.’
Cartian gave Baron a sharp glare. Baron couldn’t answer; Ria’s condition didn’t look serious at all.
Ria had noticed Cartian’s reaction. He flushed red, more from embarrassment than anything else.
“So, you want me to eat the carrot?”
“What?”
Ria had asked, forgetting politeness.
Cartian stammered, “I… I said carrot. Carrots are for eating.”
Ria’s expression said everything: what kind of nonsense is this?
His embarrassed face only turned redder.
Ria shook her head at his absurdity.
“Can’t eat it; it’s a human carrot anyway.”
Ria answered herself, not expecting him to answer.
“…I know.”
He pouted.
“You knew and still said it?”
“….”
Cartian looked at her almost tearfully.
“It was a joke.”
“…A joke?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t real, and the thought of anything inappropriate prevented her from taking him seriously.
“A joke, a joke…”
Cartian muttered, still blushing. Even though it was just a joke to her, it was monumental for him.
Ria had softened the barrier a bit, and Cartian smiled, forgetting his previous embarrassment.
Ria sighed inwardly, thinking how simple the emperor could be, but she knew this behavior appeared only in private.
He had been visibly intimidating earlier, angered by her swollen cheek. In public, such behavior could be fatal for an emperor’s image.
“But let’s go work. If we finish, maybe we can have a meal together.”
Seeing his face all day long was a bit much; meal time would suffice.
Ria offered a carrot instead of a whip, teasing him to motivate him.
“Really?”
“I’m not lying.”
Cartian left with anticipation. Baron followed, surprised at Ria’s behavior—he had never seen her act like this before.
It wasn’t only the emperor who had changed after losing his memory; the empress had changed as well—her speech, her actions, everything.
Today, the difference was clear. They would wait and see how it continued.
