Episode 57

Episode 57: Am I Crazy? My Past Self?

“Ugh… my head.”

As soon as I woke up, a dull headache swept over me.

Looking out the window, the daylight told me it was morning…

But why did my head hurt this much?

“Ah… the alcohol.”

Memories of drinking at last night’s festival came rushing back.

Originally, I hadn’t planned to drink at all, but Karssen kept pouring me glass after glass, and somehow I ended up drinking quite a few.

It was strong liquor.

Not only am I bad at drinking in general, but the alcohol here is so potent that I must have gotten completely drunk after just a few sips.

“Ugh, my head hurts. Why did I drink when I’m so bad at it?”

It must have been the atmosphere.

The cheerful festival mood where everyone felt united, the relief that everything ended safely.

Yeah, the fireworks decorating the night sky probably added to that feeling, too.

“So I guess I drank a few glasses Karssen offered. And…”

And what else did I do?

My memories were hazy.

Who did I drink with?

I remember Karssen’s bright laughter… I think Leonard was there, too, maybe Cedric?

It all felt like a fog had settled over my memories.

When did I come to this room?

I had no clear recollection.

Only this pounding headache.

At that moment—

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, have you risen?”

A strange voice.

Where were Countess Chloe and Mary?

Ah! This isn’t the Empress’s palace.

The Kingdom of Calus.

The place I had come to solve the drought.

Maybe the hangover was messing with my memories and my sense of reality.

Why on earth did I drink when I was already in such a state?

If I drink until I’m drunk again, I won’t be myself anymore.

I promised myself that.

Then the voice came again from outside.

“May I come in?”

“Yes, please.”

Soon, a middle-aged woman dressed in traditional Calus clothing entered.

“This tea is good for hangovers.”

The tea she brought resembled honey tea—sweeter, but with a clean aftertaste.

It soothed my stomach, and despite my pride, I drank several cups.

“You must have had a hard time yesterday.”

The maid covered her mouth and smiled softly.

Her bright smile left a strong impression every time our eyes met.

Somehow, it felt like she was welcoming me too warmly.

Yesterday, she seemed more reserved…

“Meals have been prepared.”

At the word “meals,” hunger suddenly stirred.

With a hangover, my stomach should’ve been a mess, but strangely, it was demanding food.

What a strong stomach.

After washing up, I changed clothes.

The outfit I was given looked like traditional Calus attire—much more splendid than what the maid wore.

“Please lead me to the dining hall.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The maid smiled again.

Not just her—every maid and knight we passed greeted me warmly.

“Have you risen, Your Majesty?”

“Good morning, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, you were incredible yesterday.”

Seeing their unusually warm greetings, I couldn’t hide my confusion.

Why were they all acting so friendly?

Because we enjoyed the festival together?

Was there some custom where sharing a drink by the torch made everyone brothers…?

But their friendliness seemed excessive.

‘What on earth happened yesterday?’

An uneasy feeling crept over me.

In the dining hall, familiar faces waited.

“Your Majesty.”

“Welcome.”

Leonard and Cedric.

They gave respectful bows.

Could it be they waited for me to arrive?

Seeing only teacups on the table, it seemed so.

“Sorry. Did you wait long?”

“No, we just arrived ourselves.”

“Please, sit.”

I took a seat between them.

Steam rose from the dishes spread across the table.

It looked like the food had been prepared for my arrival.

Seeing the food made me even hungrier.

“How much did I drink yesterday?”

“Hm?”

“I remember having a few glasses, but after that, I have no memory. I don’t even remember coming back to my room.”

“You don’t remember?”

“No. Did I cause a drunken scene or something?”

“Well…”

Leonard and Cedric’s expressions twisted strangely.

Why those faces?

“Did I really drink a lot?”

Then—

Ha ha. With a cheerful laugh, a tall man entered.

A man with striking red hair.

Karssen.

He strode in and sat across from me.

“Oh? To wake up so early after drinking so much—Your Majesty, you always surprise me.”

Surprise me?

No, what really caught my attention was something else.

“Did I drink a lot yesterday?”

At my question, Karssen looked puzzled.

“I remember having two or three glasses…”

“Two or three?”

Karssen glanced at Leonard and Cedric, who both nodded solemnly.

Karssen’s face soon stiffened too.

What was going on?

Had they learned to communicate with expressions behind my back?

“Just to be clear… you don’t really think you only had two or three glasses, do you?”

“Did I drink more?”

Karssen nodded.

I only remembered two glasses, but he said I drank more?

Wait—Leonard and Cedric, why are you nodding like that?

And what’s with those serious faces?

An ominous feeling crept up.

“How much… did I drink?”

Karssen held up six fingers.

“Six glasses?”

“Six bottles.”

My goodness.

“You mean, the strong liquor? Not six glasses but six bottles?”

I deliberately asked Leonard instead of Karssen, just in case Karssen was joking.

Leonard nodded.

That guy!

Thinking about it, Leonard was as mischievous as Karssen… no, maybe even more.

He must be the real mastermind.

Tell me, Cedric.

Right? You’re all just teasing me, pretending I don’t remember, right?

“Six bottles… yes.”

Even trusted Cedric nodded reluctantly.

I hated to admit it, but I really had drunk six bottles of that strong liquor.

Good heavens. I only remembered two glasses, but then I’d drunk so much more?

“I’m sorry you don’t remember yesterday. Everyone was clapping at seeing such a different side of Your Majesty.”

“A different side?”

Did I really make a drunken scene?

I recalled the maids and knights who had looked at me so warmly.

So the reason they greeted me so enthusiastically wasn’t because of some custom—it was because of my drunken antics?

“In our country, people who can drink well are always welcomed. So everyone fell for Your Majesty’s refreshing way of downing strong liquor by the bottle.”

By the bottle?

Even gulping it down cheerfully?

“Ah…”

I was embarrassed.

I wanted to crawl into a hole.

Drunken as I was, my dignity echoed painfully in my ears.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. You have nothing to worry about. Everyone admires Your Majesty.”

Karssen laughed freely but then suddenly wore a troubled expression.

“But you say you remember nothing—surely you don’t forget the proposal I made yesterday?”

Proposal?

“Was there a proposal yesterday?”

“Oh, really don’t remember?”

“Not at all.”

I shook my head.

What on earth had happened?

Why were Karssen, Leonard, and Cedric all wearing such serious faces?

I furrowed my brow and tried hard, but no memory surfaced.

Seeing my flustered look, Karssen’s lips curled into a long smile.

Then came the shocking words.

“I asked you to become my consort.”

“…!”

I almost couldn’t believe my ears.

“Your… consort?”

To him?

Karssen nodded.

My eyes widened in shock.

I was too stunned to speak.

“It was my first time confessing so directly, so I was pretty embarrassed too.”

“….”

Was that the expression of an embarrassed person?

His lips were still curled into a grin.

Anyway, that wasn’t the point.

I had accepted becoming Karssen’s consort?

I was truly crazy.

That couldn’t be real.

This was no mere matter of national dignity.

How on earth could I say such a strange thing…?

At that moment, a faint scene flickered in my blurry mind.

—So, have you thought it over?

—Hic. Thought?

—About my offer to come to my country.

Karssen’s odd words, my arms crossed and a serious expression on my face.

Of course, I was drunk.

So drunk everything felt like a joke…

—I don’t want to.

Rude…

—You don’t want to?

—There’s dignity to think of. How could the Empress of the Empire come to a kingdom? Though I don’t care, people around would be so noisy. I hate that kind of nuisance.

—What use is public opinion?

—Right. But why should I come here? Why don’t you come instead?

—What?

—You come.

—You want me to go to the Empire? I’m a king.

—The Empress comes and goes, so why not the king? Just come.

—Are you serious?

—Why? Don’t want to? Or do you need the throne so badly? How about being my consort? Then you could come. Heh heh heh.

Karssen’s stiff expression.

Leonard and Cedric’s shocked faces.

The strange cheers around us.

Am I crazy? My past self?

What on earth did I do?

I proposed to become the consort of the king of Calus!

That was beyond sane.

And it wasn’t just drunken nonsense either.

My mind went blank.

How would I fix this mess?

Just then—

“What a shame you don’t remember.”

Karssen raised one corner of his mouth.

“It was quite an interesting proposal, you know.”