### Episode 3###
“Lady, there’s blood on your dress…!”
Doris spoke in shock.
“I’ll prepare bathwater at once.”
With that, Doris and Joy hurriedly ran off to the bathroom.
It must have been from when Cyrus killed that thug yesterday—the blood must have splashed a little on Arion too.
Unfortunately, the bloodstain was below her waist, which could easily cause misunderstanding.
Arion suddenly remembered the first time she had her monthly cycle.
It was one of the most unforgettable days of her life.
Because she had never learned even the most basic knowledge about the body, she thought she had caught a deadly disease.
For months she suffered in silence, not knowing how to deal with it. Eventually, during a prayer service at the temple—where even nobles and palace officials were gathered—she ended up revealing it by accident.
Her chemise had already turned red.
Because of this incident, Lady Huntington, the High Priest’s mistress, assigned a private teacher to Arion.
That teacher explained about monthly cycles, and also gave her a lot of knowledge about sex.
She had said she worked on Nox Street, and much of what she taught was knowledge that a saintess didn’t really need.
Back then, Arion was even younger than she was now, and every lesson had been unbearably embarrassing.
Answering the maids’ call, Arion went to the bathroom. The bathtub was rimmed with gold and decorated with jewels that sparkled. It was so big that three people could easily fit inside.
As expected, the palace was different. Even a guest room’s bathroom was this luxurious.
The bathwater gave off a fragrance she had never smelled before. Arion leaned in and inhaled deeply—the scent of roses was strong.
Even rose petals floated on the water’s surface.
For Arion, who had always washed quickly with cold water, this was her first taste of true luxury.
Doris and Joy tried to bathe her, but Arion felt too awkward about someone else touching her body, so she insisted on washing herself.
At the same time, she wondered if she really deserved such luxuries. And what was Cyrus planning? Why had he saved her, and why was he letting her enjoy such treatment?
As she was lost in thought, her eyes landed on the calendar hanging on the wall.
“Iris Year 519…”
She had been sacrificed in Iris Year 520. So the calendar showed exactly one year earlier.
There was no denying it anymore. She had truly gone back one year in time.
Arion thought about all that would happen in the coming year. So many things…
The biggest event would be the rebellion of the Duke of Heset.
Arion had lived through countless things while being under the High Priest’s shadow, but even for her, that rebellion had been confusing and hard to understand.
After all, Emperor Cyrus was the man who had created the most prosperous empire in Brickton’s five-hundred-year history.
How could such a great empire fall from small cracks within, like pants soaking through from a light drizzle?
The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if this was truly real.
Her hair and eye color changing overnight was strange enough.
Suddenly she remembered something she had once read in a book: *“If you make bubbles and they don’t float in the air, then it’s real.”*
At once, Arion blew bubbles in the bathwater and tried to make them float.
They rose for a moment, like tiny clouds, then gently fell to the floor.
Not convinced by one attempt, Arion tried several more times. The result was the same.
Only then did she finally accept it. She had really returned to the past.
“Lady, breakfast is ready.”
It was Doris’s voice, calling from outside.
Arion quickly dried herself and put on the fresh clothes Joy had laid out.
But when she stepped outside, the maids were gone. Only Emperor Cyrus was there.
In the meantime, he had changed into his formal uniform. On his arm glittered the Brickton imperial crest, set with diamonds.
Arion realized more than ever that he was truly the Emperor.
In contrast, she had just come out of the bath and was wearing only a thin robe, barely covering herself. Her face turned red.
Thankfully, Emperor Cyrus also seemed conscious of her and avoided looking at her directly.
“Your Majesty, are you here?”
Since he was standing there so awkwardly, Arion herself stepped closer and met his gaze.
At the temple, it was considered proper manners to meet the eyes of someone with a high position when speaking, for the eyes were said to be the windows to the soul.
Cyrus’s cheeks turned slightly red.
“Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?”
At her question, Cyrus stayed silent, his face expressionless.
“…What kind of food do you like?”
He had wanted to say something to her, but seeing her in such thin clothing flustered him. So he blurted out a random question.
“I often eat rye bread with fig jam.”
“No, I mean what you actually like.”
“What I like… hmm…”
Arion paused. She had never once thought about what food she truly liked.
Her life had been too harsh to allow such luxuries.
Since she hesitated, Cyrus did not press her further.
“I’d like us to eat breakfast together.”
Arion wasn’t too eager. Despite being grateful for his help, being alone with the Emperor made her uncomfortable.
But still, she appreciated that he had taken time out of his busy life to care for her.
“Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”
Next to her room was a dining hall. The servants quickly guided her inside.
When she entered, a table was already filled with many dishes.
The maids were standing there, waiting.
“Today’s menu is truffle potage, seafood salad, beef bourguignon, and croissants.”
The chef announced each dish, then left.
Though it was called breakfast, it was the most luxurious meal Arion had ever seen.
Every dish was new to her.
Cyrus sat down first. His servant naturally guided Arion to the seat across from him.
As soon as she sat, everyone except the two of them left the room.
Arion felt very awkward but forced herself to smile calmly.
Cyrus’s face was unreadable. That somehow made her even more self-conscious.
Then, without a word, he placed a piece of meat and bread onto her plate.
“I thought you’d only eat the soup otherwise.”
He simply stared at her quietly, urging her to eat.
Feeling pressed, Arion cut a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. At that, Cyrus finally looked satisfied.
Arion felt strange. She had never once in her life been cared for in this way during a meal.
She blushed, thinking he was treating her like a child.
Luckily, after that, Cyrus focused on his own food. His large, strong hands made the food disappear quickly.
But even while eating, he did not forget to add more dishes to her plate now and then.
Arion tried hard not to show that she had never eaten seafood before, but Cyrus caught her little struggle and secretly smiled.
The food was all delicious, but perhaps from nervousness, she quickly became full after only a few bites.
The moment Cyrus noticed, he called for the servants.
Even though he himself didn’t seem full yet, he ordered them to clear the table.
The servants obeyed at once.
Arion thought it was a pity. She couldn’t eat much, but to see so much food go to waste in a single meal felt wrong.
After clearing the food, the servants brought lilac tea and strawberry cake.
The tea gave off an especially fragrant scent.
Arion loved pleasant scents, even though she had never been able to indulge in luxuries.
As she breathed in the aroma, her nervousness slowly faded, replaced by a faint flutter of excitement.
She sipped the tea and tried to think of a topic to start the conversation.
But before she could, Cyrus spoke first.
“Lady Arion, will you not become my Empress?”
—
