Chapter 9
I absolutely cannot stand people who lack focus.
When I heard him say that, only one thing came to mind: falling asleep in the office last night. So he really didn’t like that, huh.
“I’m sorry… I only meant to rest briefly, but I seem to have caused some trouble.”
He looked at me as if to say, What do you mean by that? I added,
“It won’t happen again… but if it does, just leave me be. I can wake up and get back on my own.”
He let out a short laugh.
“Haha… now I see what you were talking about.”
Why is he laughing? Wasn’t I talking about last night? He wore a faintly amused expression and said,
“You didn’t seem like you could wake easily. I had to press your cheek and even then you didn’t wake.”
Press my cheek? Who does that to someone just because they’re sleeping?
The amusement slowly vanished from his face.
“I’m not talking about your sleep. I’m talking about your dreams.”
“My dreams…?”
“Don’t you remember?”
Only faintly. I know I worked myself to the bone in the lab, but that’s about it.
“Not really.”
“Not really… hmm, that’s a comforting thing to say.”
“…Did I say something in my sleep?”
“Of course not. Actually, that would have been better.”
He gave a wry smile and turned his gaze toward the window, squinting slightly in the morning sunlight.
Narrowed brows, straight and high nose, cheeks with a hint of blue. A face that seemed impossible to draw even a drop of blood from with a needle, yet worry had somehow settled there, oddly out of place.
Then he turned back to me and said something I did not expect at all.
“I don’t care who you meet outside, or even if someone is desperately waiting for you to leave the palace. I don’t care about that.”
“Excuse me?”
“There’s only one thing I want. When you are my wife, I want you to focus solely on our relationship.”
He took my hand in his.
“Physically.”
And lightly kissed the back of my hand.
“Mentally.”
“…”
“I wanted to tell you this, Livia.”
For a moment, I withdrew my hand from his. Without even realizing it.
It wasn’t because of the sudden words. He seemed to have misunderstood that I had a lover. Even if that were true, nothing would change. I didn’t feel the need to clarify.
It wasn’t the kiss on my hand either. Though it did surprise me slightly—it was common etiquette in this world.
What startled me… was that he called me wife.
The fact I had only understood in my head suddenly hit me vividly.
That I had truly become married to this man. Different from becoming an empress—it felt more intimate… more dangerous, somehow.
Did he even know what his words made me feel?
…Probably not. If he did, he wouldn’t say such things.
I forced myself to stay composed.
“Of course I will focus. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“That’s a relief. Then I hope you have another excellent day today.”
Reto stepped back and opened the office door for me. I nodded once and entered the office.
From behind me, his voice carried.
“Oh, and… it wasn’t inconvenient at all.”
I turned to reply, Then you won’t have to trouble yourself in the future. But the door was already closed.
A few days passed. I’ve grown accustomed to the busy palace life.
This morning, I received a request for an audience from Parham. I accepted.
On the night of the founding festival, I told Reto I would make a medicine to cure Parham’s illness. He said,
Soon, Parham will come to assist you.
I had temporarily forgotten while adjusting to palace life. Now was the time to prove my worth.
On a sunny afternoon, Parham and I had tea in the garden.
His skin had improved considerably. Hidden under dead skin, I hadn’t noticed before. He was a gentle-looking handsome man, though the rash still seemed present.
“Your skin has improved greatly.”
“I wash my body with tea tree every day. Thanks to Her Majesty the Empress’s grace, I’ve survived. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Parham smiled brightly. Certainly something to celebrate. But tea tree was only a temporary measure. Now it was time to find a fundamental solution.
“Sir Parham, I had the knights keep watch around here, so no one can eavesdrop on our conversation.”
“Yes, understood.”
He tensed slightly. I spoke in a gentle tone.
“So trust me and tell me honestly. What abilities do you have?”
“Excuse me?”
“His Majesty said you would help me make medicine. It isn’t just because you are loyal, is it?”
He wasn’t sent merely as a subordinate; he must have some real skill.
Parham exhaled deeply, his breath trembling.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will tell you honestly, trusting you.”
I nodded. He leaned closer.
“Actually… I have a small laboratory in the basement of my mansion.”
“A laboratory?”
“Yes. I’ve long been interested in science and medicine. So I obtained foreign texts through illegal means and conducted experiments.”
“Wouldn’t such experiments be impossible without the High Temple’s permission?”
“I did them secretly, of course.”
He smiled faintly. He seemed mild, but was quite daring.
“I’m curious why you went to such lengths.”
“Hmm… it’s said that ‘life’ is the goddess’s domain. But I wondered if humans could handle it too. Not a grand belief, just curiosity, haha.”
Quite a scientific temperament. I understand why Reto assigned Parham to me.
“You seem to know as well, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. More than knowing, he secretly supports me too.”
Reto even supports this… then there’s no reason to hesitate. It’s time to get to the point.
“Sir Parham, I wish to create a medicine to heal your skin condition.”
“Yes. Actually, His Majesty has already told me. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude, Your Majesty.”
I smiled at him.
“Let your gratitude be in helping me.”
“Of course. I will dedicate myself fully to assisting you in any way.”
His eyes shone with enthusiasm. I asked,
“Aren’t you afraid of the High Temple? We had quite a struggle because of the High Priest.”
“Not at all. That fraud only harmed me. Many others with this condition have been accused of being cursed, especially commoners.”
I understood the reason. Psoriasis’s cause is unclear. It’s more likely to appear in commoners due to harsh living conditions.
“If you really make the medicine… you could save many people.”
“That would be ideal. First, we should start by gathering medicinal ingredients.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. What should I do?”
“We should examine the plant compendium first. Extracting medicine from plants is the easiest method.”
The main ingredient for psoriasis medicine is indigo. First, we need to check if it exists in this world.
Parham hesitated.
“The palace library has a plant compendium, but not all plants are included. Previous scholars started it, but the temple opposed it, so it was halted.”
I expected that. Still, starting with existing records is the way to go—every research begins somewhere.
“May I see that compendium?”
“You’ll need to go to the library’s confidential section. You can’t take it out, you must see it in person.”
“Then let’s go, right now.”
I rose immediately. There was no time to waste.
The royal library was atop the central academy building. On the stairs, Parham spoke.
“Your Majesty, may I ask a question?”
“Of course.”
“Your knowledge of medicine… did you really gain it through the goddess’s power?”
A question worth asking, especially for someone like Parham.
“If I asked that, would you doubt me?”
“Ah, no. Not at all. I—”
Parham straightened.
“I trust you, Your Majesty. Even if it’s by the goddess’s grace, it’s Your Majesty making the medicine.”
I understood why Reto liked Parham. Absolute faith in his ruler, a devotion without doubt—impossible without pure loyalty.
The confidential section was at the very back of the library. Parham quietly asked the librarian guarding it,
“Is anyone inside?”
“No, no one is here.”
He slipped a silver coin to the librarian.
“Her Majesty wishes to read quietly. You understand what that means, right?”
“Of course. Please enter.”
The librarian hid the coin in his sleeve and opened the wooden barred door. The scent of old books wafted out.
I asked Parham,
“You can’t just enter the confidential section. Does a coin really make a difference?”
Parham waved his hand as if to say, Don’t say that.
“The palace isn’t that corrupt. I have permission from the former emperor to enter. The coin was to keep others out.”
Then it was the right thing to do. Showing myself reading the compendium would do more harm than good, especially with the High Temple.
Parham brought out the compendium. Surprisingly thin for a reference book. We stood at a standing table to examine it.
“Just in case, I’ll fetch paper and a pen.”
“Please do, Sir Parham.”
He hurried off. I opened the compendium.
It contained illustrations of the plants. Good. Indigo might be known by another name in this world.
How much time had passed?
Tap, tap, tap…
Cautious footsteps. I thought it was Parham, but something felt off. I looked up.
It wasn’t Parham. A strikingly handsome man with blonde hair and light brown eyes was looking at me.
Most notably… he wore a priest’s robe.
“A priest… here…?”
“Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”
He bowed respectfully. His gaze flicked to the compendium. I asked,
“I thought no one was here.”
“There are many ways to enter, not just through the door.”
The priest smiled without a hint of tension before the empress. He seemed extraordinary. And… familiar.
“What is your name, priest?”
“The honor is mine, Your Majesty, that you ask my name.”
“I asked what your name is.”
He smiled and replied,
“Dante. Dante Hamelson.”
Dante. I remembered.
Dante is the chief priest of the High Temple and the foremost disciple of the High Priest—the right-hand man of the High Priest.
