Episode 6
It was now 9 p.m. — three hours since my audience with the Emperor had ended.
I was enjoying myself, indulging in the sweetness of dessert that the Emperor had bestowed upon me in my assigned chambers, when the maid Emma, one of the attendants the Emperor had appointed to me, spoke up.
“Your Highness, you should get ready.”
“Get ready?”
Emma stood with her hands neatly clasped, nodding politely.
Normally, preparing me for bed would have been my governess Madame Haley’s job, but the Emperor had been insistent — and so had his appointed maid — that tonight’s preparations be handled by the imperial maid.
“Bedtime is at eleven.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words wouldn’t form. Instead, my lips just twitched soundlessly.
Two hours early? Really?
When you go to bed at eleven, you just… go to bed. What “preparation” could there possibly be?
Still, blurting out such a thought would only draw suspicion, so after exchanging a wary glance with Ribede, I simply nodded.
“Alright then.”
Emma gave me an inscrutable smile and withdrew, leaving me with an uneasy feeling.
“Sir Ribede… am I missing something here…?”
I had learned and memorized so many court etiquettes — imperial manners, duties expected in a political marriage, and so on — but now that the situation was here, my mind was a blank.
“Don’t tell me…”
“?”
Ribede’s expression mirrored my confusion — until his face shifted, as though he’d realized something unpleasant.
“Oh no.”
He let out a deeper sigh.
“I can’t believe I forgot about this.”
Biting his lip, he ran a hand through his usually neat red hair in agitation, then fixed his gaze on Madame Haley.
“Madame Haley. What do we do?”
“…I truly didn’t expect they’d have you stay here overnight.”
Even Madame Haley, who normally exuded composure, exhaled heavily.
“This isn’t what I think it is… right?”
Even the most oblivious person can sometimes sense danger when it’s right in front of them.
When you stand before a cave, some part of you knows whether it’s a tiger’s den… or a treasure trove.
My trembling voice only deepened the shadows on Ribede’s and Madame Haley’s faces.
Why aren’t they answering? Why won’t they answer?!
“It’s not what I’m thinking, is it? Right?”
“…”
Maybe… I’d already known. Maybe I’d simply refused to think about it because I didn’t want to face it.
“…Ah, damn it.”
I bit my lip as I stared down at my neatly braided blue hair.
What else would newlyweds do when put in the same room for the night?
“Do you have any alcohol?”
Screw it.
I bit down harder on my lower lip.
This was something neither Ribede nor Madame Haley could stop — and I knew that better than anyone.
And it wasn’t just about dignity; my life could very well depend on this.
So, like a prisoner being dragged to the gallows, I walked as slowly and mournfully as possible.
Could I be any more unlucky?
It was pitiful, yes. But when I remembered who I had possessed, it almost made sense.
A beggar. A literal beggar. Out of all the characters in a romance fantasy novel, I hadn’t even been a named extra — just some no-name urchin from the countryside.
“Nervous, Your Highness? The Grand Duke is actually kinder than he appears.”
The man who said this at exactly 10:50 p.m. — knocking as if he’d been waiting for the moment — introduced himself as Miller Kiesny, the Grand Duke’s aide.
Unlike the Grand Duke, he had light brown hair and a gentle, calming smile.
Standing behind him was Emma, the same maid who’d dressed me earlier before disappearing.
Ribede and Madame Haley had wanted to accompany me, but Miller insisted one guard was enough. In the end, only Ribede, Emma, and Miller escorted me to the chamber the Emperor had provided.
“…Yes.”
Forcing a smile, I barely lifted the corners of my mouth in response to Miller.
“There’s really nothing we can do to stop this?”
I slowed my pace even more, letting Emma and Miller go ahead, and whispered desperately into Ribede’s ear.
“…”
“I figured as much. Ha…”
“I didn’t think things would move this quickly. That’s my oversight, and I apologize.”
My breath misted in the winter air as I sighed. Ribede’s apology was calm and sincere.
“Oh, honestly…”
Feeling awkward, I turned my head away. My future wasn’t looking any brighter, and that was just depressing.
“…Are you feeling okay, though?”
“…Ah.”
“I did tell you it wasn’t a good choice. But you went ahead anyway — that’s not on me.”
“Oh, please. I’m not blaming you, alright?”
“…We’re here.”
In the middle of our back-and-forth, my steps must have quickened without realizing it — because suddenly, we’d arrived at the place I least wanted to be.
“This is your stop, Your Highness. We’ll leave you here.”
Miller and Emma stood on either side of an ornate golden door.
“Uh… here?”
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“Yes. His Grace will join you shortly.”
“….”
Without batting an eye, Miller nodded firmly. Before I could say more, he opened the door.
“After you.”
Emma gestured inside with both hands, her voice almost giddy.
I turned to Ribede one last time, hoping he might intervene — but… damn it.
His gaze was fixed firmly on the floor.
“Phew… it’s hot.”
I sat on the plush bed, silver embroidery shimmering in the moonlight, staring at the window.
I’d convinced Ribede to let me drink earlier — thinking I might at least blend into the “mood” — and now the alcohol was finally kicking in.
What was absurd was that Ribede, who would normally stop me without hesitation, hadn’t tried to this time. Maybe he felt guilty.
Now my body was warming up steadily.
“Maybe I should just pretend to be asleep under the blankets…”
Right? If he’s late, that’s on him, not me.
And after the exhausting spectacle of a wedding, it was perfectly reasonable to be sleepy!
The clock on the wall showed it was already 11:30. The Grand Duke still hadn’t shown, and boredom was creeping in.
“…Or maybe he didn’t want to come either, and just ditched. Which — fine by me.”
I crawled from the edge to the center of the bed.
The liquor must have been strong, because my eyelids grew heavy fast. My body too.
“…Whatever. First night, wedding night, whatever — I’m too sleepy.”
Unable to fight it, I sprawled out across the bed, sinking into its luxurious softness.
Then I turned my gaze toward the door.
I thought I’d heard something beyond it. Maybe just alcohol-induced hallucination…
But no — the door really opened. Through my blurring vision, I still recognized the tall figure etched into my memory.
“Your Highness?”
He approached slowly, a faint look of puzzlement on his face.
“Are you unwell? Your face is red.”
He said something else after that, but my memory cuts off there.
When I forced my eyes to focus again, he was suddenly much closer — sitting on the bed.
Because he leaned toward me, the opening of his nightshirt revealed a glimpse of his firm chest, scars and all.
“Your Highness?”
Looking up at him, I couldn’t deny it — his features were so striking that anyone would turn to stare if he passed by on the street.
His eyes, like polished black pearls, were framed by long black hair that suited the night perfectly.
And every time he moved, a sweet, fruity fragrance clung to him, wrapping around my senses.
Whether it was the scent… or the alcohol…
I was mesmerized — and no matter the reason, my thoughts refused to scatter.
“Seed?”
His lips moved in sync with mine.
“So you did come.”
That was still a fairly sensible thing to say.
“It’s my duty. But I thought you might be uncomfortable, so I came a bit late.”
His deep, pleasant voice tickled my ears.
Huh. So he does have some social sense.
I gave him a weak, crooked smile. My body felt even heavier now — I might fall asleep any moment.
“How’d you guess? Correct.”
My lips moved on their own, using what little strength remained.
After a brief pause, I added,
“But…”
“?”
“No matter how I look at it, your face is just… ridiculous. You’re handsome.”
And with that, I sank completely into unconsciousness.
To be continued
