TPECIAD 19

19. Serious Play with Rough Breathing

Elise’s pleas were of no use. Without saying a word, Roan simply held Elise’s hand and led her toward the room.

“Do not let anyone in.”

With a thud, Roan’s command fell, and the door closed. Only Elise and Roan remained inside.

“Y-Your Majesty….”

“My Elise.”

Just looking at Roan approaching her with lust-filled eyes sent chills down Elise’s entire body. However, if she wanted to avoid being devoured by this terrifyingly handsome man, she had to stay sharp.

‘They say if you stay calm even in a tiger’s den, you can survive!’

Elise steeled her resolve. It was do or die.

“Your Majesty, you said you would help me recover my memories, right?”

She began thinking, drawing on all the knowledge she had.

“Of course. I will do anything for you.”

She swallowed dryly. If things went well, Roan might be swayed as she wished.

“Then… to help recover my memories, I’d like to play a game I enjoyed as a child.”

Roan, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped.

“A game?”

His expression darkened instantly, and Elise felt breathless under his sharp blue gaze. If he suddenly turned into a beast and pounced on her, she would have no way to escape. The difference in strength was obvious.

‘I have to persuade him no matter what.’

“Yes. It’s a game I really liked, and I think playing it again with Your Majesty will help bring my memories back!”

At her words, Roan briefly fell into thought. The memories he wanted Elise to recover did not need to go back as far as childhood.

‘I want her to recover the recent memories we shared.’

Still, it didn’t feel bad that his concubine was asking him for something as she used to.

“Very well. Tell me what game it is.”

“It’s hide-and-seek.”

“Hide-and-seek?”

‘Hah! Look at this sly one?’

Was she saying she would hide from him right now? As Roan’s mood began to sour, Elise hurriedly continued.

“I’ll hide and wait for Your Majesty to find me, and I’ll feel my heart pounding with excitement! And also…”

‘She’ll be excited waiting for me?’

At the mention of her heart pounding, Roan’s blue eyes widened, filled with delight.

“And also?”

“When Your Majesty finds me, I’ll be so surprised—it could even act as shock therapy, don’t you think?”

“Shock therapy. That does sound plausible.”

Roan was gradually falling for Elise’s persuasive words. While he hesitated, Elise waited anxiously for his response.

“Very well.”

Yes! Elise cheered inwardly. The palace was vast, and she had already decided where to hide—Empress Psyche’s room. Surely Roan would hesitate to enter it. And Psyche would definitely help hide her if asked.

Just as Elise relaxed, smiling inwardly in triumph—

“However, there is a condition. You cannot leave this room.”

“Pardon??”

Her grand escape plan was crumbling. Hide-and-seek in such a small room was no different from walking straight into a predator’s cage.

“But the room is too small….”

“If you dislike that, then we will not play. I can simply help you recover your memories in the way I see fit.”

‘Ah! That “way” of yours is the problem!’

She could only curse inwardly. She couldn’t exactly tell the emperor that his mind was filled with indecent thoughts.

In the end, Elise made a decision. If things had come to this, she would have to take the game seriously.

“Then I have a condition too!”

“Let me hear it.”

Roan replied generously. Finding Elise in a confined room was child’s play for him.

“The seeker must wear a blindfold while searching. And we must play ten rounds!”

Until Roan grew exhausted, Elise intended to risk her life hiding.

Meanwhile, Damon was reading a letter sent from the Empress’s palace:

“Please attend as my partner at the upcoming party held for Elise.”

The Empress’s intention was clear. Since the Emperor would attend the party with Elise, she was asking Damon to attend in his place as her partner.

‘This could be dangerous…’

From the outside, it might appear that the Empress was jealous of the Emperor’s relationship with his concubine and had sought another young man.

‘Is she saying she doesn’t mind that?’

Damon couldn’t tell whether Psyche’s decision was bold or reckless. She must have her reasons, but he hadn’t expected her to act so decisively.

‘She must be desperate. Otherwise…’

Or it meant she was that confident—confident in regaining Roan’s heart. Either way, Psyche seemed remarkable. The Empress who desired the Emperor so strongly.

The party for Elise was only three days away. He would attend as the Empress’s partner, and in the banquet hall, he would face Elise—she as Roan’s partner, and he as Psyche’s.

“Haah….”

Just thinking about her made his chest tingle again with that unfamiliar sensation. Since receiving the spirit stone from Count Taylor, he had been thinking of her more often.

Her scent, her voice, her hands, her body in his arms—all of it kept resurfacing. At one point, he even found himself unconsciously writing Elise’s name on documents before dropping his pen.

“Have I gone mad?”

‘Why am I like this? I look like someone completely infatuated.’

To clear his mind, he stood up. In the corner of the room lay the blue spirit stone obtained by the Count. Many within and outside the kingdom coveted it.

But what if Elise, who might be like a living spirit stone, became known?

‘That would be disastrous.’

As the head of a ducal house, he needed to be prepared to protect her. Moreover—

‘She doesn’t seem to know her own power yet.’

It was fortunate that he alone knew of the power she had yet to realize.

Tap tap tap.

At that moment, a messenger bird tapped at the window. Seeing the red tag on its leg, it was an urgent message from Margaret.

‘Did something happen to Elise?’

His heart sank. Red letters were used only in emergencies involving Elise.

Hastily opening the letter, Damon frowned.

“Prepare the carriage. I’m heading to the imperial palace immediately.”

He relayed the message to Heim and left the ducal estate at once, riding like the wind.

“Huff… huff…”

Heavy breathing filled Elise’s room. Both Roan and Elise were drenched in sweat. The tenth round of hide-and-seek was about to begin.

‘Wow, how is his stamina that good!’

Finding someone while blindfolded was not easy. Elise had expected that if she stayed quiet like a mouse, Roan wouldn’t be able to find her. So she boldly suggested ten rounds.

Each round was 10 minutes—100 minutes total. She had thought that would tire him out.

‘Does the male lead have some hidden ability? Like seeing with his eyes closed?’

Thanks to Roan’s unexpected speed, the two had been running around the room for nearly two hours.

‘If I hadn’t insisted on blindfolding, I’d be doomed!’

Elise silently praised her past self. Still, Roan was visibly tiring. She pushed herself to keep running.

But then—just as she was about to begin the final round—

Grab!

Roan seized both her arms and pulled her into his embrace.

“Ah, Your Majesty!”

Elise cried out in surprise as she was caught.

“Huff… huff…”

Roan removed his blindfold, breathing heavily. But his blue eyes burned with even more desire than before.

‘I dug my own grave…’

Their eyes met. Elise’s heart dropped. It was too late for regrets. Instead of tiring him, the game had stimulated him.

Her flushed face and lips glistened with sweat, appearing more sensual than usual. Roan brushed back her damp hair. It reminded her of golden shores swallowed by crashing waves—her body felt like it was being engulfed by his gaze.

“…Ha. I’ve won.”

The only reason he agreed to ten rounds of hide-and-seek was because he was confident he would win. Afterward, he could embrace her as he pleased. And unexpectedly, searching for her blindfolded had become an exciting new stimulation.

Following her breath and scent through the darkness, he had fully enjoyed the game for nearly two hours. His desire to possess her had reached its peak again.

“Now it’s time to reward the winner of the game, Elise.”

“R-reward?”

Elise’s face turned pale.

Roan cupped her face with both hands. Her silver hair spread around, partially covering her delicate features.

“Now that we’ve played the game you wanted, I hope even a fragment of your memories returns.”

His head slowly lowered.

‘No!’

Trapped in his arms and held by the face, Elise couldn’t move. She shut her eyes tightly.

Just as Roan was about to press his lips against hers—

Bang bang bang!

The door was loudly knocked upon.

Roan turned toward the door with a terrifying expression.

“Who dares…! I said no one was to enter!”

“Your Majesty, there is an emergency!”

A frantic voice came from outside.

“The Empress’s chambers are on fire!”

“What??”

Roan shot up in shock.

Earlier, both the Empress and Damon had received similar messages from Margaret. Unaware that Roan and Elise were playing hide-and-seek, Margaret could only pace anxiously outside.

Part of her duty was to ensure Elise’s safety and help her resist Roan. But Elise had been forcibly taken into the room, and the Emperor’s intentions were obvious.

Fearing what might happen inside, Margaret rushed to the Empress’s quarters.

“His Majesty the Emperor forcibly dragged Elise into the room. Elise has not yet fully recovered. Please, help her!”

She pleaded at the Empress’s door.

Although she had also sent a message to Damon, the distance was too great. Moreover, it was difficult for him to intervene in matters between the Emperor and his concubine.

But the Empress was different.

Margaret believed the Empress was the only one inside the palace who could save Elise.

Thus, she clung to that last hope.

As a result, Roan burst out of the room and rushed toward the Empress’s quarters.

Freed from Roan’s grasp, Elise was also able to escape.

For Elise, Psyche was nothing short of a benefactor. But hearing that there was a fire, she worried for Psyche’s safety.

‘She’s the heroine, so she should be fine… but still.’

Margaret quickly approached Elise and led her away.

“Please evacuate immediately. It is the Empress’s order.”

“The Empress’s order? Is she alright despite the fire?”

“Yes, she is safe. For now, please head to the imperial library.”

“Alright, got it.”

Elise had originally planned to go to the library before being caught by Roan, so heading there now was convenient. Still, she was more worried about Psyche than herself.

Then Margaret whispered something unbelievable into her ear:

“The Empress herself started the fire.”

“What?!”

Elise’s expression froze in shock as Margaret pulled her along toward the library.