RYEHCE | Ch 12

Episode 12

“Where are you looking?”

Hendrick suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to face his pitch-black eyes.

“You always stand there all prim and proper, pretending to obey me. But I know what you’re really thinking—you just want this time to be over as fast as possible, don’t you?”

Celeia could tell he was on edge, ready to explode at any second.

There was only one way to handle him in moments like this.

She looked straight at him, steady and unwavering.

“Of course not, Hendrick.”

His intimidating energy slowly faded.

He had always been weak to her green eyes—the same color as Kastin’s.

“…Damn it.”

Hendrick staggered, then dropped back down onto the sofa.

After a long silence, he spoke again.

“Kastin liked you, you know. Funny, isn’t it? She used to talk about you sometimes. A concubine bringing up the legal wife—tell me that’s not messed up.”

“….”

“Maybe marrying you is where my life first went wrong…”

He rubbed his flushed, drunken face with both hands, then waved lazily.

“Fill the glass again. I’m not leaving until the bottle’s gone.”

And so the night dragged on with Hendrick’s endless complaints—some of which even touched on dangerous state secrets.

Celeia listened, nodding here and there, while occasionally glancing toward the door.

Luckily, the shadow she’d glimpsed earlier had vanished.

Finally, when the bottle was drained, Hendrick stood.

Celeia pulled the cord to summon the guards waiting outside.

“Things will get noisy in the south soon. I’ll have to shut some people up permanently…”

He muttered as she draped a heavy fur coat over his shoulders.

Celeia pretended not to hear and opened the door.

Haider was waiting right there. Hendrick noticed him and gave a curt nod.

“Return to the capital with me. Your father says he barely remembers your face.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Haider glanced at Celeia for a moment, but in the end, he bowed.

Protecting her couldn’t take priority over the Emperor’s orders.

“I’ll be back again.”

Hendrick left behind a promise no one wanted, then boarded his carriage and disappeared into the night.

“Haa…”

Celeia let out a long breath, watching the carriage vanish, then turned back.

Elaine and Vera were standing there, worried.

“My lady, are you alright?”

“We heard a lot of shouting this time…”

“What about Lotte?”

Celeia asked immediately.

Her daughter’s well-being was her first concern.

“She’s fine, my lady. She’s asleep in her room now. But…”

“But?”

“Well, earlier she asked me for some warm milk. Then she slipped away and went to see Mr. Raska…”

Celeia fell silent.

So that was why he had come downstairs.

Had Lotte said something to him?

‘I didn’t want him to see that side of things…’

Did he realize Hendrick was the Emperor?

She wondered how much Raska had seen, and what he thought of it.

No matter what, it couldn’t have looked normal.

“I’ll go talk to him.”

She reassured Elaine and Vera, then headed toward the guest room where Raska was staying.

Of course, the lights inside were still on.

The glow spilling into the hallway made her rub her brow with her thumb. Even after an afternoon nap, she felt exhausted.

“Mr. Raska.”

She called softly at his door.

A moment later, it creaked open.

His large frame filled the doorway, casting a shadow, his face unreadable.

“May I come in for a moment?”

“…That’s exactly what young Lotte asked me earlier.”

He tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

Celeia smiled faintly at his attempt and stepped inside as he moved back to let her pass.

He didn’t close the door fully, leaving it half-open as he turned to face her.

“Well…”

“I was…”

They both started at the same time, then fell silent. Raska spoke first.

“Truth is, I think I figured something out from what I overheard earlier.”

Celeia swallowed hard.

Could it be? Did he realize Hendrick was the Emperor—and that she was his former wife?

But Raska’s expression was serious as he continued.

“You still have feelings for your ex-husband, don’t you, my lady?”

“…What?”

Celeia stared at him, stunned.

That was not what she expected.

“I may not know much, but I can read people when it comes to relationships. I’m sure you suspect it too.”

Raska winked playfully.

With his handsome face, he definitely looked like the kind of man who’d get caught up in love scandals.

Celeia didn’t know how to react, but he didn’t seem to care.

“He comes to visit late at night, offers to buy you a house in the capital… That clearly means he still has feelings for you. Of course, I’m not excusing his behavior.”

“Oh… that can’t be true.”

Celeia muttered weakly.

That man had never cared for her in the first place.

But Raska pressed on confidently.

“Whoever he is, no matter how rich, you don’t just casually buy a new house for someone you don’t care about. And judging from him, he doesn’t seem like the type to donate to charity either.”

“Well… that’s true.”

Celeia chuckled softly, nodding.

“Alright. I’ll keep your words in mind.”

It wouldn’t change anything, but she couldn’t help finding the situation a little funny—like she was receiving relationship advice.

The heavy tension from earlier now felt almost unreal.

“You look a little better now. I’m glad.”

Raska smiled warmly at her, relief in his eyes.

‘…So he was just trying to cheer me up.’

It wasn’t deep compassion, but not indifference either.

His silly little remarks earlier had been his own way of showing kindness.

Celeia finally understood, and a quiet warmth spread inside her chest.

‘Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to realize that man was the Emperor.’

That would make explaining things much easier. Her tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Then Raska spoke again, his tone gentler.

“And… I should have said this first.”

“You can just speak freely, Raska.”

She nodded with a clear, open look.

His lips twitched before he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry for not helping when I saw you in trouble.”

“Ah…”

Her eyes widened.

That wasn’t what she expected.

Looking awkward, Raska ruffled his golden hair.

“Lotte seemed to want me to step in, but… it didn’t feel like my place. So I stayed out of it.”

The pieces fit together.

Lotte must have thought a mercenary like Raska could stop Hendrick and asked him for help.

Both of them had acted out of concern for her.

“Mr. Raska.”

Celeia called softly.

He lifted his head, and she smiled—relieved.

“Thank you. But don’t worry too much. This is just… something that happens once every season. Think of it as bad luck I have to endure.”

“…What?”

Raska frowned.

Celeia took her time to explain.

“That man is like a curse in my life. A disaster I can’t avoid, no matter what. But disasters eventually pass, don’t they?”

In the dim light, Raska’s clear eyes trembled slightly.

To Celeia, though, it was nothing more than a passing misfortune.

Her face, as she said it, was completely at peace.