Episode 11
Oh no. I got too caught up in how delicious the food was.
“Hahaha, Your Majesty, this food is absolutely amazing. Hoho.”
I quickly put on my graceful noble-lady act and laughed softly. Even though there was a big difference between my reaction before and now, the emperor didn’t seem to mind.
“Haha! I’m glad it suits your taste. If the lady says so, the chefs must be rewarded,” he said.
The emperor laughed heartily and called for his attendants, ordering that everyone involved in preparing the food should receive a generous bonus.
From the kitchen, I could hear the excited shouts of the staff receiving their surprise reward. They were shouting things like, “Long live His Majesty!”
But wait, they got rewarded because of me! So why are they cheering for the emperor?
I felt a little annoyed at them for that.
After finishing our lunch, the emperor and I moved to the Imperial Theater.
The theater was huge—way too big for a private space. It had about fifty seats, and each table had a luxurious one-person sofa placed beside it. The seats were spaced apart just right for watching the large stage comfortably.
A servant explained that the royal family usually used the theater, and sometimes nobles were invited to attend events there.
Just like in my past life, I wasn’t a fan of opera.
Opera is a high-class form of entertainment, and I was never used to it. I preferred plays or musicals since they’re more common and easier to enjoy.
But of course, the emperor, being part of the highest nobility, must enjoy opera. Even if all the lines are sung and hard to understand.
🎶“Above all nations, there is the Prales Empire~”
🎶“This empire shines forever with the sun-like grace of His Majesty~”
And if the opera was just about praising the emperor and the glory of the empire, and not even about some spicy love affair?
Then of course, sitting in a warm, cozy seat after a big meal would make anyone sleepy.
Yaaaaawn.
I couldn’t help it. I let out a big yawn. It was just a natural reaction.
“Lady Eilin, are you bored of the opera?” the emperor suddenly asked.
Ugh. I really wish he’d just ignored that…
“No, Your Majesty. It’s just because I’m full, and it’s making me sleepy.”
“If the stage bores you, you can look at me instead.”
The emperor leaned toward me, resting his elbow on the armrest and his chin on his hand while lowering his eyes slightly.
That pose…
In that moment, an image popped into my mind like lightning.
Isn’t that the emperor’s signature ‘seductive male lead’ pose from the novel’s illustrations?!
I couldn’t believe I was seeing it in real life.
I’d seen his face on the cover art so many times, but seeing him move and smile like a real sculpture come to life—this was different.
The emperor’s looks were truly stunning. No wonder the female lead in the novel couldn’t resist him, even though he had a twisted personality.
Still, there’s a difference between saying, “Wow, he’s handsome,” and “Be mine! Haaah~”
My reaction was the first kind. That star-struck awe.
My reaction to Raymond, though, was definitely the second.
“That’s true,” I replied calmly.
The emperor seemed disappointed by my cool response. His eyebrows drooped slightly.
“Do I not meet your standards, Lady Eilin?”
“Your Majesty is so perfect that you don’t even seem real.”
“What?”
He looked stunned, then burst out laughing.
“Pfft—hahaha!”
He laughed so hard that he grabbed his stomach. The opera singers on stage looked startled, but like professionals, they kept performing without missing a beat.
His smile really was dazzling—like gold.
But I knew the truth. I knew who he really was from the novel.
The emperor was two-faced. He knew exactly how to show others the version of himself he wanted them to see. He looked like a generous and wise ruler on the outside, but in reality, he was cruel and manipulative.
He pretended to be kind to his people while squeezing them dry with taxes. And he especially had a huge inferiority complex when it came to Grand Duke Ruslough.
Sigh… Just thinking about that made me miss my precious Raymond.
I quickly brought his image to my mind and reminded myself to resist the emperor’s fake charm.
After the yawn-inducing opera ended, we moved again.
Now it was time for dessert—the final course.
We sat on a wide terrace overlooking the Imperial Garden. The garden was so big and beautiful that I couldn’t even see the end of it. Gorgeous sculptures and colorful flowers were everywhere.
It looked like the kind of place I’d want to walk around in with Raymond. I imagined him posing for a picture while I snapped the shot.
As I gazed at the garden and got lost in daydreams, the emperor suddenly called me.
“Lady Eilin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“I used to be sad when you wouldn’t spend time with me. But now that you’re here, I’m happy.”
“….”
I couldn’t answer right away. His words caught me off guard.
Wait… Eilin refused to spend time with him?
I thought the emperor had rejected her.
This must be something that wasn’t in the original novel. Did Eilin really avoid the emperor?
Why would she do that?
Actually, before even wondering about the reason—was that even possible?
Rejecting the emperor of the entire empire? Eilin must have been much bolder than I thought. Compared to her, I felt weak for not being able to resist anything right now.
Now that I thought about it, maybe there was more to why the emperor had pushed her away. Maybe politics wasn’t the only reason.
As my thoughts tangled up like spaghetti, a knock came at the door, and the maids entered with the dessert.
Because I was caught up in my thoughts, I missed the perfect moment to reply—but the desserts quickly made me forget everything.
On the table were cake slices—lots of them. I counted them. Ten types!
Whipped cream, buttercream, chocolate, white chocolate, mocha, sweet potato, banana, green tea, cherry, strawberry… Oh my gosh.
My eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I prepared everything. Take your pick.”
“R-really?”
I couldn’t believe I was hearing this.
Ah, the power of royalty!
People say the emperor knows how to win women’s hearts, and right now, I completely agreed.
I was so touched that I covered my mouth to stop my drool from escaping.
“Your Majesty, can I try them all?”
“Of course. You need to try them to know which one suits your taste.”
Yes! What a perfect answer!
From then on, my fork danced from slice to slice like a fencing champion. Fast and skillful.
Each bite melted on my tongue like fluffy clouds of sweetness.
But as I was happily eating, I suddenly felt someone watching me.
I looked up and saw the emperor staring at me with a strange smile.
It wasn’t just a look—it was like he had discovered something curious. His eyes held a strange intensity.
Chilling curiosity.
That phrase flashed in my mind, and a cold shiver ran down my back.
But the sweet cakes quickly made me forget that feeling.
Then the emperor called me again.
“Lady Eilin. Let’s spend more time together like this from now on.”
Wh-what did he just say?
I was so shocked that I almost dropped my fork.
His words felt completely unexpected. In a normal romance story, it might have sounded sweet.
But knowing the truth from the original story, I felt a chill run down my spine.
“Pardon? What did you say?”
I pretended not to hear clearly, hoping he’d change the subject—but he just kindly repeated himself.
“It would be nice to grow closer before the wedding, wouldn’t it?”
So I really did hear it right the first time?
Why is he doing this to me?! Please stop talking to me!
“W-well, it’s always an honor to be with Your Majesty.”
I forced a smile while hiding my panic. I didn’t know what his real plan was, but I couldn’t let him know how I really felt.
The emperor seemed pleased with my answer and gave a sly smile.
As he touched his sharp jawline, his golden hair shimmered. Even if his heart said something else, his gaze looked enchanting.
That irresistible handsome smile…
Even knowing what kind of person he was, it was still dangerously charming.
That’s why it was lucky I had my one and only favorite character.
Grand Duke Ruslough, protect me!!
I pictured his deep ocean-blue eyes and managed to snap out of the emperor’s spell.
Huff… huff… I did it.
As I turned my head away and clutched my chest, my heartbeat slowly began to calm down.
