Chapter 10

“Right now…”

There was no way she could call him cute anymore, not even as a meaningless compliment. Edelis barely came up to Lehan’s shoulder now, and the atmosphere around him was completely different from before. There was a quiet but undeniable air of dominance beneath everything he did. The moment she saw him again last night, her first thought hadn’t been that he was cute—it had been…

“Right now?”

“…cool…”

Lehan smiled radiantly. That only made him look even more attractive. If his face had once been adorably charming, now it was strikingly handsome—that was his most defining feature. Edelis blinked, surprised at the word that slipped out of her mouth, and quickly tried to play it off.

“…is what I didn’t think.”

“Understood.”  He chuckled softly.

“…Seriously, I didn’t! It’s not like I’ve seen you long enough to judge or anything.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“What?”

Lehan had smoothly changed the topic, just as she’d wanted, but there was still a tinge of irritation in her voice. Of all the memories to bring up, did he have to choose the one where she was stuffing her face?

“Your mood—are you feeling a bit better?”

“No? Not at all?”

‘Hmph. Totally not okay.’ It was only because it was just the two of them that she wasn’t dying of embarrassment. If anyone else had been around, she might not have been able to lift her head.

“I’m glad to see you seem more relaxed now.”

“Oh…”

Now that he mentioned it, she wasn’t shaking anymore. Just moments ago, she’d been so tense she could barely walk straight.

“Your hand was so cold when you first took mine. It surprised me.”

Back then, she had felt like the blood had drained from her whole body. But talking about the old days with Lehan had somehow helped—his hand now felt warm.

“It’s fine… now.”

“I thought so. I’m glad we took the longer way around.”

Edelis had just thought the imperial palace was enormous, but now she realized that Lehan had been giving her time to calm down. If she’d gone straight to the dining room in her earlier state, she would’ve been too nervous to taste anything. On the other hand, if she hadn’t relaxed, Lehan would’ve probably kept walking around the palace with her, so she wasn’t sure if it was entirely a good thing.

“…Thank you.”

“If you’re thankful, then later, do me one favor.”

“…What kind of favor?”

Because she had grown up knowing the time and manner of her death, Edelis had never agreed to anyone’s request easily.

‘I’ll listen first! Then think about whether I can do it or not!’

“I don’t want to command you…”

So it’s something she’d have to do whether she wanted to or not. Just like he said—he would use whatever worked to his advantage. Still, Lehan’s helpless tone made Edelis nod in the end.

“…Fine. Tell me whatever it is.”

Lehan’s grin spread wide. It was the same boyish smile he used to wear, and Edelis couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Right then, they arrived at the dining room, and the attendants opened the large doors.

The table was overflowing with food, brightly arranged and inviting. Edelis spotted several dishes she remembered enjoying in the past.

‘I might as well enjoy myself while I’m here!’

At any moment, she might be stabbed by the Emperor’s sword. But if she could eat delicious food and dream of the day she’d walk away with generous alimony, she could keep going. After finishing the last of the sweet desserts, Lehan stood and offered his hand, helping her up from her seat.

They returned to her room quickly—this time, without detours. Lehan followed her in naturally, and the maids who had helped her earlier came in to help her get ready for bed.

‘…Lehan’s in my bedroom, and I’m supposed to get ready for bed?’

The thought hit her as she followed the maids to the bath.

‘Wait. Lehan’s my husband now, isn’t he? That means… it’s not weird for him to sleep here? But sleep with Lehan? That clueless little kid?’

His appearance was now completely different from before. He looked every bit the adult man. But before dinner, they had talked about their childhood—so it was only natural that he still felt a little young to her. The contrast confused her.

‘Sure, he’s technically an adult now… but still! Do you know how much younger he is than me? Four whole years! When I was making my debut, he was only fourteen!’

There was no one around to hear her, yet her mind kept shouting. Of course, she couldn’t very well grab a maid and ask, “Just how old is Lehan, if he’s my husband?”

‘And this is totally different from the first-night act! What was I thinking back then, getting naked like that? I guess Lehan was still a kid then, so I didn’t think too hard about it. But now? Now he’s a full-grown man!’

While Edelis was still trying to wrap her head around everything, the maids dutifully washed her, applied fragrant oils, changed her clothes, and led her to the door. The head maid knocked, and from inside, Lehan’s voice responded, telling them to enter.

She had hoped that when she returned, Lehan would have gone back to his assigned room. But expectations always differed from reality.

“You’re… still here?”

“I was waiting because I wanted to have wine with you. It’s your first night staying at the imperial palace, isn’t it?”

‘Did he bring it knowing I’d need something to stay sane through everything that’s coming…?’

Lehan used a corkscrew to open the bottle and poured the wine into two glasses. Edelis accepted the one he handed her and brought it to her nose—the aroma was rich and deep.

“They say it’s a 21-year-old wine from the Verdi region.”

“Aged well. The scent is amazing.”

“Twenty-one years should be enough time for proper aging, don’t you think?”

“True. It’s delicious.”

It tasted even better paired with the sweet desserts. Lehan watched her eat and drink, smiling meaningfully. It was already late at night, and being alone with her betrothed in the same room only made her more self-conscious. Trying to avoid his gaze, Edelis focused on eating, and soon the dessert began to disappear quickly from her plate.

“Should I have them bring some more?”

“No! If I eat too much, I won’t be able to sleep. Moderation.”

“Wouldn’t it be fine if we exercised a little before bed to help with sleep?”

Edelis’s fork paused mid-cut through her cake.

‘Exercise…? At night? Newlyweds? Before bed? What kind of exercise?!’

Edelis was old enough to know what it meant when the maids meticulously bathed her for a long time, applied scented oils, and now she was wearing a sheer, see-through dress. Even if she hadn’t interacted with anyone since reading the book, she had been educated and had learned plenty from books too. On top of that, Lehan’s slightly damp hair and his sensual air were choking her into silence.

He looked like he had no idea what his words implied, but Edelis swore she wouldn’t be fooled. Still, there was no stopping the blush spreading across her face.

“You’ve barely had any, but you already seem flushed. Is the wine hitting you?”

Lehan chuckled softly and gently brushed her cheek with a finger. It wasn’t the wine. It was the heat radiating from where his hand had touched. And Edelis’ instincts were screaming:

‘This… this is not the Lehan I knew.’

This man exuded pheromones and danger—he was not the innocent boy she remembered. That unfamiliar feeling from the first time she saw him again was now overwhelming. Edelis racked her brain for how to escape this moment.

She had two choices:

<1. Say she’s drunk and wants to rest.>  

At first glance, it seemed like the safest choice—but she knew better.

‘If I say I want to rest now, where would I rest?!’

They were in a bedroom. That wasn’t an escape—it was escalation. She discarded that option immediately.

<2. Say she’s not drunk and endure the situation.> 

After a brief debate, Edelis chose to endure. It wasn’t much of a choice anyway. She grudgingly admitted that Lehan had been smart to bring the wine—it had helped her stay in the room instead of bolting. …Though if he hadn’t brought the wine, maybe this situation wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

“I’m fine. For now.”

In the awkward silence, they slowly sipped their wine. As a gentle buzz settled in, Lehan tried to ease the tension by bringing up the past.

“…Do you remember the time you offered me a drink? On your birthday.”

It had been when Edelis came of age. She’d drunk a little at a time and eventually gotten quite tipsy. Lehan, drinking only water, had been completely sober, and she’d drunkenly insisted he join her. Edelis guessed Lehan was about to tease her for claiming she was fine that night and then being completely hungover the next day. But she was no pushover.

“That was the night you passed out after just one glass, wasn’t it?”

Lehan visibly faltered. He hadn’t expected her to go on the offensive first.

“…I can handle strong liquor now.”

“Ohhh, is that so~?”

She mocked him and kept sipping her wine. As expected of imperial wine, it suited her taste perfectly.

“I noticed during dinner—you even ate mushrooms.”

“I am twenty-one now.”

“No need to lower your voice to sound grown-up.”

“……”

He used to hate mushrooms because of the squishy texture, but now he ate them just fine. It showed how much he’d changed. Yet the way he still got flustered when teased was just the same.

‘He used to say he would protect me… He said that again today. But in the end, he’s the one who kills me.’

If she hadn’t read that book, she would’ve trusted Lehan completely—and the thought made her melancholic.

‘When you’re down, drink!’

Her glass was already empty. She filled it again to the brim.

“Edelis.”

“What?”

‘This wine is amazing. Should I ask him for a bottle later?’  

She kept sipping; the wine was disappearing fast.

“…Never mind. Just have some dessert too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

Edelis took another bite of dessert. But maybe she rushed it—her throat caught mid-swallow. Desperate, she grabbed the glass and gulped it down. The liquid brought instant relief. Once her glass was empty again, she poured another with such urgency that some spilled over.

‘Ugh, what a waste. That was the good stuff.’

“…Edelis.”

Lehan, who had been silently watching her behavior, opened his mouth as if to speak several times… then fell quiet again.

“What?”

“…You seem drunk.”

“No? Do you think I’m you?”

“Didn’t I just say I can drink well now…?”

But it was hard to believe him, considering his glass of wine had barely gone down. Maybe noticing Edelis’s eyes flick toward his glass, he added: “One of us should at least stay sober, don’t you think?”

“Then you can drink. I’m sober.”

“……”

“Go on, drink up.”

“More importantly, Edelis—how have you been? Tell me in detail.”

She could tell he was changing the subject, but she let it slide. Maybe he really didn’t want to drink, and besides, she was genuinely curious about how he had been. They had brushed past the topic earlier during the day.

“Like I said earlier, not much has changed. The biggest difference is that I barely left the house. Since I stayed in the estate, there wasn’t much to do. But you—I bet things were different for you.”

They had to be. If everything had been the same, he wouldn’t have suddenly returned as Emperor after being a commoner.

“…I went to the Grand Duchy of Raksid and trained there.”

Lehan paused as if recalling that time, then let out a long sigh. She could tell he must have suffered a lot.

“That must’ve been hard. But you did well, didn’t you? Even back when you were staying at the Count’s, the Captain of the knights used to praise you constantly.”

Lehan gave a faint smile. Sensing his bittersweet expression, Edelis offered him her glass, but he just shook his head with a smile.

‘It’s good, though…’

So she drank it herself instead.

“When you truly want something, you find a way—even if it’s hard.”

“Sounds like you were really motivated. But it worked out, so that’s good. So, did you get what you wanted?”

“…Pardon?”

“You said you wanted something badly.”

Lehan blinked at her, wide-eyed.

‘Why’s he so surprised? Listening is the foundation of any conversation, you know.’

Edelis continued sipping her wine as she thought that.

“What? You just said it a moment ago. That when you want something desperately enough, you push through no matter how hard it is.”

“I certainly did say that, but…”

“Wait a second.”

Suddenly the world tilted. She raised a hand to stop him from talking and dropped her head, dizzy. Lehan quickly reached out and took her hand, worry clouding his voice.

“Are you all right, Edelis?”

“Huh? Of course! I’m fine!”

She answered with a tongue-tied voice and a flushed face that screamed the opposite, so there was no way Lehan would believe her.

“I think it’s best if you rest now.”

“Already?!”

She instinctively jerked her head up and stared at him.

What do you mean, “rest now”?! We just started drinking! If I go and rest now, then… it’s that, right? That exercise that helps with sleep?!

Her whole face went bright red as if she’d been born with such a complexion. The alcohol, mixed with the thoughts racing in her mind, made her feel like her head was about to explode.

“It’s not that early.”

Following Lehan’s gaze, her eyes fell on the empty wine bottle.

‘Wait, I didn’t think I drank that much…?’

She realized belatedly that, aside from the one glass she gave Lehan, the rest had gone straight into her stomach. Her usual limit was two glasses—and now she didn’t even know when she’d passed that. Just to be sure, she turned the bottle upside down. Only a couple of drops spilled out.

With that, there was no excuse to keep stalling.

“…I guess I drank faster than I thought.”

Lehan let out a low chuckle and effortlessly slid his arms under her, one behind her back and the other beneath her knees, lifting her up. Edelis was startled—It’s happening. She barely kept a neutral expression, but her thundering heart and heated breathing gave her away.

Lehan didn’t seem to find her heavy at all. He walked with his usual smooth stride and gently set her down on the bed. Despite mentally preparing herself earlier, Edelis now had no idea what to do.

It was like she’d been thrown back to the moment just before entering the room.

‘It’s still Lehan!! He’s four years younger than me!!’

With nerves tightening her chest, she couldn’t find anywhere to look. As she stared off helplessly, Lehan leaned over her, one hand planted beside her head, and asked in that calm, confident voice: “Are you nervous?”