Chapter 04
No matter what Siana says as she approaches, I will never turn around.
I don’t deserve to be full…!
“Ah, Saintess. Here’s His Majesty’s face.”
“Huh?!”
…Thanks to Siana, who knows me far too well, my resolve lasted exactly one second.
A piece of roast turkey entered my mouth as I turned my head.
Chew, chew.
The flavor filling my mouth is incredible.
‘Stop moving! My jaw joint…!’
But this taste on an empty stomach was impossible to resist.
While my jaw moved on its own, ignoring my brain’s commands—
“I don’t know how serious a mistake you made to make you this dejected, but if you send the food back to the kitchen like that, Heli might get fired.”
Siana even provided a perfectly reasonable excuse.
…Just for today, I’ll eat.
Pretending to give in reluctantly, I let Siana lead me to the dining table and sat down.
As soon as I picked up my fork and knife and went straight for the turkey leg, I heard Siana, standing beside me, let out a pleased little laugh.
‘Th-this is a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?’
I’d stubbornly insisted I wouldn’t eat just moments ago, so it was embarrassing—but in front of good food, no one can win.
I busily moved my hands over the plate, filling my empty stomach.
According to proper dining etiquette, I should have followed the order of dishes, but the Prodynta Palace was fairly relaxed about such rules.
Partly because Siana was lenient with me, and partly because this was a separate palace used only by me, so I usually ate alone.
And when I occasionally dined with His Majesty, it was served as a course meal, so I didn’t need to worry much about order anyway.
‘Honestly, when I eat with His Majesty, half the time I can’t even tell whether the food is going into my mouth or my nose… Ah, I want to see His Majesty’s face.’
As my hunger faded, other thoughts started to creep in.
Noticing that my eating had slowed, Siana spoke.
“It’s almost time.”
“Time for what?”
“The day the Bonia Kingdom’s delegation arrives. You’ll be attending this banquet with His Majesty again, won’t you?”
“Ah.”
That thing I’d agreed to when my willpower lost miserably to His Majesty’s looks on the bell tower last time.
“Yeah. I’ll be going.”
A sigh escaped me.
Just sitting there like a noble saintess during the banquet was irritating, but still bearable.
The real problem was the dance at the beginning.
‘This time too, I’ll probably just stumble around like a marionette again.’
And His Majesty will laugh at me.
‘No. His Majesty is a good person. He took in someone as useless as me… ngh.’
No matter how much I tried to brainwash myself, the frustration wouldn’t go away.
It had been the same in my previous world, but this body of mine was innately, fundamentally incompatible with dancing.
When I tried to move my feet, my hands wouldn’t move. When I tried to dance smoothly, my joints would go crack, crack, loudly announcing their presence—a body hopelessly clumsy by divine design.
The time I accidentally saw myself in the mirror during ballroom dance lessons, I looked like a broken wind-up doll.
‘Honestly, even I thought it was ridiculous. I can understand why His Majesty would laugh.’
On top of that, His Majesty was a good dancer. Good enough that you could watch him in a daze.
Too perfect. So perfect it feels like there’s an invisible wall.
‘Ah, the soup is good.’
The slow-simmered meat and potatoes melted softly in my mouth.
The cream, seasoned just right so it wasn’t too heavy, left a rich taste on my tongue—Heli’s cooking really was the best.
I scooped up another spoonful of soup and brought it to my mouth.
As if she’d been waiting for the timing, Siana, who’d been quiet until now, clapped her hands lightly and said,
“It seems His Majesty has feelings for you, Saintess.”
“…Cough.”
What on earth is she talking about?
“Cough, cough.”
Caught off guard, I choked on the soup.
Siana calmly handed me a napkin with practiced ease.
‘I let my guard down.’
Please turn on your blinker before saying things like that, Lady Siana.
I wiped my mouth and asked her,
“When you say he has feelings for me, you mean he thinks I’m a convenient toy to play with?”
“Saintess. There’s no way the noble Emperor would harbor such irreverent thoughts.”
Siana clearly didn’t have even the slightest doubt about His Majesty’s kindness.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t speak of him with such reverent eyes.
“Haha. Right? Of course he wouldn’t.”
Still, I’d guess I’m considered about as important as an amusing subordinate.
Siana smiled at my response.
“What I meant was that His Majesty might be thinking of you as a woman.”
Huh.
“Why… how did you even come to that conclusion?”
The absurdity killed my appetite, and I set down the spoon.
Perhaps thinking I’d eaten enough, Siana silently refilled my glass of water.
“His Majesty is kind to everyone, but he doesn’t easily allow people close to him.”
“But he’s almost always with Chancellor Ebon or Captain Henkel.”
“They’re exceptions. They’ve served by his side since the day he ascended the throne. You’re the first person besides them whom His Majesty has allowed so close.”
Or maybe he just needed a stress-relief target nearby.
I wanted to correct Siana’s misunderstanding based on personal experience, but of course I couldn’t.
Our brilliant emperor deserves to walk only on a path of flowers, not be dragged into scandals.
Wait—does being linked with me already count as a scandal?
“So…?” I prompted.
“Perhaps, after several years since his ascension, he’s finally found someone of the opposite sex he wishes to be with.”
“Definitely not.”
Despite my denial, Siana continued enthusiastically about how she approved of His Majesty and me, how he would surely make a wonderful partner because he was so kind, and so on.
‘P-Please stop…’
But it was rare to see Siana speaking so excitedly, her cheeks even flushed.
Unable to bring myself to stop her, I listened with a hollow smile.
‘As long as Siana’s happy, that’s enough…’
Even if everything went in my left ear and straight out my right.
“Saintess, there was something you said earlier that’s been bothering me.”
After the meal, Siana brushed my hair, which reached down to my waist.
Ever since I came here, my hair had become strangely smooth, so it didn’t really need brushing—but brushing my hair seemed to be Siana’s hobby, so I let her do it once a day.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a toy meant to be played with?”
“…No. No one has.”
I answered cautiously, sensing the shift in her mood.
“If anyone ever does say something like that to you, please be sure to tell me.”
“…Why?”
“Why? Because—”
Our eyes met in the mirror.
Siana gently narrowed her orange eyes and smiled with her eyes.
I found myself smiling back at her beautiful, enchanting expression—until I heard what she said next, and my smile fell.
“No matter who it is, I’ll make sure they can no longer live in this empire. Even if I have to use all the power of the Pradan family.”
His Majesty was seated at his sunlit desk in the study, working.
I was sitting on the sofa across from him, admiring him.
Ah—those golden strands of hair shimmering in the sunlight.
That focused gaze when he works.
Those firm deltoids shifting slightly each time he turns a page. This is insane.
“If you were to live outside the empire, what kind of work would you do, Your Majesty?”
At my sudden question, two pairs of eyes turned toward me.
One was His Majesty’s beautiful blue eyes, the other Chancellor Ebon’s violet eyes.
“Well… I’ve never really thought about that before, so I can’t give you an immediate answer.”
I’d expected him to ignore such a trivial question, but perhaps because Chancellor Ebon was present, His Majesty surprisingly indulged in my small talk.
With an exceedingly gentle expression, too.
“If it were outside the empire, I couldn’t be emperor, so perhaps I’d live as a farmer?”
A farmer.
For a moment, I imagined His Majesty wearing a straw hat, hoeing a field.
Under the blazing sun, tanned bronze skin from hard labor. A white shirt with a few buttons undone. A bead of sweat tracing down that sharp jawline.
‘I fully support farming!’
Ah. Our eyes met.
“Ahem. Yes, farming is good. Food is the most important thing for people to live, after all.”
“Indeed.”
His Majesty smiled and avoided my gaze.
That refined profile clearly says, “I know exactly what ridiculous thoughts you’re having, and I find them pathetic.”
And I’m supposed to believe he sees me romantically?
Not a chance.
‘His Majesty is a good person. His Majesty is a good person… His Majesty’s face is a good person… His Majesty’s face is the best.’
I’ll admire you for the rest of my life. Let’s just not get entangled.
“Saintess. This is the program for the welcoming banquet of the Bonia Kingdom’s delegation.”
Chancellor Ebon’s white, elegant hand entered my view and withdrew.
He placed the program neatly on the table in front of the sofa, then quickly stepped back to create distance.
‘Ugh. Don’t resent me. It’s karma. Karma.’
Chancellor Ebon, victim number one of my shameless behavior, had never once closed the emotional distance between us, even after my full prostrated apology.
Perfect when it came to work, but outside of that, he treated me like a wary cat.
It’s all my fault, so I have to accept it humbly.
Still, being guarded against by a handsome man stings a little.
“The program is shorter this time?”
Events in Zendal were always long.
Being a sacred empire with deep history, there were many rituals to observe.
Usually there were ten to fifteen items, but this program had only five.
“We removed all unnecessary ceremonies.”
Chancellor Ebon explained, standing very close to His Majesty’s desk.
Two handsome men in one field of view.
I must have saved the country without realizing it.
“Why?”
“Because the fourth item is a performance prepared by the Bonia Kingdom’s delegation. That… performance lasts about half a day.”
“Half a day? That’s incredibly long.”
“The Bonia Kingdom has a strong sense of patriotism and takes great care in promoting its culture. Since it’s a diplomatic matter, we had no choice but to concede. That’s why we prepared only the bare minimum of ceremonies.”
As I listened, a brilliant idea struck me.
“Then wouldn’t it be okay to cut one more thing? The last item is the ball, so how about we just skip the opening dance? Everyone will be tired anyway!”
This is my chance!
I clenched my hands and looked at them both with determination.
Ebon lowered his gaze, while His Majesty smiled as though he found this amusing.
“Let’s just get rid of the opening dance!”
“Absolutely not.”
