Chapter 8
At that moment, Luan took off his shirt and casually walked toward the bathroom. In a tone devoid of any mischief, he spoke seriously.
“Of course, I did take it off partly for your viewing pleasure, Princess.”
“……”
“I wanted to do something you might find cute.”
His words left her speechless. Seidin looked at the tightly packed muscles on His Majesty’s back as he disappeared into the open bathroom and thought,
‘Our Luan… He’s quietly gone a little mad since I last saw him.’
Then, with Luan completely out of sight, Seidin abruptly turned around. This wasn’t the time to be dawdling. She needed to find somewhere else to stay before Luan returned. Sure, she’d been stuck in his bedroom on the first day because the kingdom had collapsed and she fainted—but now? Now, it was inexcusable. She was perfectly fine both physically and mentally, and it was time to escape.
‘Obviously.’
With unwavering resolve, Seidin tried to walk away. But then a sudden thought made her hesitate.
‘Wait! He took a sleeping potion and then went into the bathroom?! What if he slips and falls?!’
She had been just about to storm out but turned and rushed toward the bathroom instead. However, she faltered at the door, unable to go in with the sound of water running from inside.
Just then, the sound of the water calmed, suggesting that Luan had sunk into the bathtub. Soon after, his damp voice floated out.
“Princess, are you still there?”
“…I’ll call someone. The effects of the drug could be dangerous. What if you collapse under its influence—”
“Under its influence?”
His voice was oddly calm, making Seidin more anxious.
“That sleeping potion is really strong. When I had insomnia, just a drop or two would knock me out immediately.”
“It’s not that strong for me, as you know…”
“But your eyes looked a bit hazy earlier. You gulped that potent stuff down. I’m sure the effects will kick in any moment now.”
Unexpectedly, Luan replied with a hint of laughter in his voice.
“Princess, I didn’t drink that potion to fall asleep. I only drank it because I thought I needed at least that much to hide my impure intentions from you.”
“W-what?! Good heavens! What on earth are you planning?!”
“I needed to seal my lips. I was afraid I might say I love you.”
“……”
“Oops. I said it.”
Splash.
There was a loud splash, likely from Luan shifting in the tub. No longer pretending to be drowsy, he spoke in his usual languid tone.
“Anyway, Princess, putting the sleeping potion in a wine bottle to make it look like wine… That was just a whim. A silly whim to hide a not-so-secret secret. The whim of a weak emperor who lives soaked in medicine, trying to suppress the side effects of divine power.”
Seidin clenched her lips at that. Before calling the servants to assist His Majesty, she deliberately adopted a professional tone.
“If you’re suffering from divine power rampage, of course you should take the medicine—if it eases your pain. But please don’t take it just to get my attention. If it can’t get my attention or help your insomnia, you shouldn’t be drinking it.”
“But I think it did accomplish one thing.”
He whispered seriously from the bathtub.
“It made me look pathetic to you.”
“Your Majesty, that was back when we were children. You were in a difficult situation, so I had no choice but to take care of you.”
He wasn’t joking now, and Seidin tensed up, wondering what he would say next. She clenched her fists, determined not to be swayed by him again.
Whether he noticed or not, Luan continued in a damp voice.
“But your chronic illness remains, doesn’t it? You always take in the pitiful and wipe away their tears.”
“……”
“I know. I shouldn’t be pleased about your chronic weakness.”
“Your Majesty.”
Another splash. It was loud enough to suggest he had fully stood up in the tub.
Splash!
Hearing the water hit the cold bathroom floor, Seidin sensed his presence drawing closer. Luan was approaching—from beyond the bathroom door. She jumped in surprise and turned around abruptly.
Then she dashed back to the door. Her hands, cold from nervousness, grabbed the doorknob.
Click.
Suddenly, Luan was there. He’d stepped out of the bathroom and walked over. His wet hand gently but firmly covered hers on the doorknob.
“I’m sorry. This is my nature. Pathetic enough to cling to your chronic kindness.”
After speaking so heavily, Luan gave her a cheerful smile, hoping she wouldn’t grasp the weight of his words.
“I’ll leave. The night is still chilly. I can’t very well put someone who fainted into an unprepared guestroom.”
Before Seidin could object, Luan changed the subject.
“Do as you wish, Princess. You may work here as a palace healer.”
“……”
“I don’t like it, but starting tomorrow, you may stay in the wing where the healers reside.”
Seidin blinked. The sudden permission caught her off guard, and her grip on the doorknob slightly loosened. Watching her reaction, Luan gently loosened his grip on the doorknob. Their fingers briefly intertwined, and Seidin flinched.
Somehow, she felt like she had fallen for his trick.
Seeing her slightly scrunched brow, Luan said in a low voice,
“I know this makes you hate me a little less.”
He smiled as if it were a joke, hoping she would take it that way. But Seidin saw through his true feelings.
And maybe that’s why…
She could no longer scold him. So that night, Seidin stayed in the emperor’s bedroom—alone—after Luan had left to ensure she could sleep comfortably.
* * *
The next morning at dawn, Seidin woke up feeling physically rested. She began sorting through her chaotic thoughts as best she could.
As in the original story, the wretched kingdom of Heraith fell in a single day, and she had survived smoothly. She even woke up in the bedroom of her old friend, Luan.
‘I really am a lucky person.’
So she did her best to think rationally.
Well, it was fine. She had survived, met Luan again, and she was the one who knew the precise and fastest way to save him.
No need to overcomplicate things. She was the extra villainess who would smash the original bad ending and lead everyone to a happy ending. She was also the male lead’s one and only friend. Even if that male lead didn’t know the ending and had somehow ended up falling for her.
Gasp!
Suddenly, Seidin inhaled sharply. Now wasn’t the time to be lying in bed. She bolted up and ran to the bathroom.
Much earlier than the loyal maids who would arrive at dawn.
Luckily, thanks to living a second life without anyone to care for her, she had enough experience to get herself ready alone.
And for some reason, despite the beautiful dresses neatly prepared in Luan’s massive wardrobe, she ignored them all and chose the simplest, most unassuming dress she could find.
Once she deemed her appearance good enough, she burst out the door.
Clack!
The moment the door opened, her eyes met those of others.
But the knights and maids silently standing guard outside the tranquil bedroom only watched her leave.
Relieved, Seidin rushed forward, afraid they might try to stop her.
‘I need to get to the healers’ wing. In the original story, this is the path…’
She retraced the information she had repeated in her mind for years, making her way confidently.
The Killian Empire, also known as the Holy Empire, worshiped the goddess Reatrize. The myth said that when the goddess descended briefly to the mortal world, she fell in love with a human. Their descendants became the imperial family of the Holy Empire.
And this wasn’t just a myth. The royals were born with divine powers, clear and visible to all.
The people of the empire revered these royals as living gods.
But that didn’t mean all citizens benefited from this divine power.
Thus, an alternative—the healing arts—was developed to treat the sick among the commoners.
In the early days of the empire, healers were considered a commoner’s profession and weren’t allowed in the palace. But as time passed, nobles began to study healing too.
Because the power struggles among divine royals grew fiercer, leading to bloodshed among their own. Over generations, divine power began to tear apart their minds. Healers started to care for these increasingly mad royals. However, the medicines they developed could only calm symptoms, not truly cure them.
‘Unlike my power…’
Well You missed your chance, again~