Chapter 50

Rosena, who was walking down the hallway, spoke, with a face that was as if she suddenly remembered.

“Oh, and Illian wants to learn swordsmanship, so I’d like to hear your opinion.”

Yerhan looked at Rosena blankly.

As soon as he arrived, he heard about Illian, but it was still good. It really felt like being in a family, asking for opinions rather than making decisions on her own.

“Children of his age are starting to learn by now, so I’ll take a look.”

“Thank you.”

After those words, Rosena kept her mouth shut. Oddly enough, her heart still hadn’t calmed down.

Is it because he came a week earlier, or is it because they met after a long time…

Rosena, who naturally arrived in front of the bedroom, recalled something.

While Yerhan was away, she continued to stay in the bedroom, and her footsteps went straight to the bedroom unconsciously.

She was about to go to the drawing room, but Yerhan reached out and opened the bedroom door and tilted his head.

“Please go in first…”

Rosena was forced into the bedroom and he closed the door.

Rosena’s body flinched at the sound of the door closing. Yerhan looked at Rosena strangely and asked, taking off his coat.

“Did nothing happen during that time?”

“Nothing special…”

Even if it was a big deal that she met the second prince’s wife at the tea party, made a new friend, and met the crown prince after going out.

Rosena, looking back on her memory, briefly recalled the crown prince and frowned. It was because she remembered what he said back then.

She tried to bury into the depths of her mind, but it suddenly popped out.

The power of divinity, her existence, and the reason why Yerhan married her.

She had decided not to believe the crown prince’s words, but she was confused again.

Rosena shook her head and turned the subject of the conversation.

“Did you finish your work well?”

Yerhan, who was taking off his cloak, paused for a moment.

“Yeah, it was easier than I thought. Oh, and…”

Yerhan pulled something out of his cloak.

Rosena looked down and saw what he had pulled out. It was a small box.

“I went to Haylor this time, but I remembered what you said you had never been there, so I brought it.”

When Rosena opened the box, a branch came out. Flowers that she had never seen before in her life were in full bloom on the branches.

The flowers in full bloom looked like they were about to fall off at any moment.

“I couldn’t bring the scenery from there…”

Yerhan blurred his words.

He wanted to show Rosena the scenery of Haylor, but he couldn’t find a painter during that short time.

After much deliberation, he plucked a branch that did not have an open flower bud so they’ll bloom as the weather got hot while coming to the capital.

In a few days, the flowers were in full bloom.

“…..”

Rosena glanced down at the flowering branches.

No petals were damaged due to how much care it was given during the journey from Haylor to the capital.

As she held the branch, the strong scent of flowers tickled the tip of her nose.

The unique scent she smelled for the first time in her life was filled with the distinctive scent of Haylor.

It was just a flower branch, but the scenery of Haylor seemed to be unfolding in front of her.

“Thank you. I really like it.”

When Rosena answered with sincerity, he smiled softly.

When he was expressionless, he had a cold aura, but with one small smile, his impression changed, as quickly as a flip of the palm.

Now, Yerhan’s face looked like a beautiful scenery in which the spring breeze blows.

“I’m going to change clothes for a while.”

Rosena, who had been staring at his face in awe, belatedly came to her senses.

“I’ll be out.”

“No need. It won’t take long.”

Yerhan shook his head and slowly turned around.

Rosena took a step back and glanced at his back. She didn’t mean to steal a glance at it, but her eyes went straight to him.

Yerhan raised his arm to unbutton his shirt. But it didn’t go well, it kept slipping out of his hands.

“Did you hurt your hand?”

At Rosena’s question, Yerhan stood still. He answered in a confused voice.

“On the way back a little…”

“Do you want me to take it off for you?”

He turned his head in surprise. Seeing Yerhan’s expression, Rosena was also belatedly surprised.

It was kind of weird to think about it after spitting it out casually.

“No, I… I think it’s going to take a long time…..”

Embarrassed, Rosena stuttered, and Yerhan hurriedly approached her.

“I’m counting on you.”

Rosena, who offered to do it and could not refuse, carefully stretched out her arms.

As her finger touched the button, Rosena unbuttoned the first button of his shirt.

She was just unfastening a button, but she felt strange for supposedly doing nothing.

When the first button wrapped around his neck was loosened, his defined neckline was revealed.

Rosena took a deep breath and carefully released the second button.

As the second button was released, the neckline and the connected collarbone caught her eyes. The collarbone stretched thickly below the neck.

Seeing this, Rosena’s hands gradually slowed down.

The third button didn’t work out because her fingers kept slipping.

Only when the button barely came off the hole did the hem of his shirt open, revealing his firm chest.

Rosena unknowingly lowered her eyes.

She did make love with Yerhan on their wedding day, but she was distracted and couldn’t see his body well because it was all dark.

The last time she saw his body in such a bright place was seven years ago when he was injured in the forest.

At that time, she watched with admiration without much thought, but why is her face so hot now?

Rosena barely lifted her head to unclasp the next button.

Then, beneath the hard muscles, scars engraved as clearly as tattoos caught her eyes.

Small and large scars remained on his body, from old to relatively recent scars.

“There’s a lot more wounds… than that time….”

Yerhan’s eyes shook at Rosena’s murmur of sadness.

He reached out his hand unconsciously. A long, rough finger touched Rosena’s cheek.

When a firm, warm touch touched her cheek, Rosena raised her head.

His blue eyes were only directed at Rosena.

It seemed to be drenched in the clear blue light like a lake

Yerhan’s fingers slid down her cheek and wrapped around Rosena’s chin.

The first thing that came to Rosena was the scent. The scent seemed to embrace the fragrance of an unknown flower.

The next thing she felt was Yerhan’s breath. As soon as the breath touched her face, warmth gently spread.

The last thing that touched her was his lips. The lips that gently pressed on Rosena’s lips were as soft as petals compared to his hard body.

The heat from his breath poured into her open lips. Rosena licked his lips without even thinking of pushing him away.

Yerhan’s arms wrapped around Rosena’s waist.

Their lips, which had fallen for a moment, met again, and their tongues glided. It felt like her head would melt with the heat.

She was dizzy as if she had been steaming under the sun for a long time in midsummer.

Even though she didn’t feel any irrational impulses, her body was excited.

Her trembling fingers touched his wide chest.

As her fingertips touched the long scar on his chest, Rosena came to her senses and pushed him away.

It wasn’t strong enough to ignore it, but Yerhan stopped coveting her lips and slowly backed away.

“…..”

Rosena held her breath and looked at Yerhan with wobbly eyes.

It was the first time. A kiss when they didn’t lose their rationality or just to show off.

Yerhan realized that the corners of Rosena’s eyes were red. It was the first time seeing Rosena’s face so perplexed.

“I’m sorry.”

Yerhan apologized. In any case, it was a kiss without asking her consent.

He should have been a little more patient, but at Rosena’s words, he unwittingly stretched out his hand.

Because he didn’t know she would remember about seven years ago.

“…We could have made a mistake because of the atmosphere.”

Rosena tried to answer calmly. But a firm answer came back instantly.

“It’s not a mistake.”

Yerhan looked straight at Rosena.

Receiving that gaze, Rosena did something she would never normally do.

“Then?”

When asked directly, unlike Rosena, who had always avoided it, Yerhan did not answer.

And after thinking for a long time, he answered.

“I, I wanted to do it.”

No matter what he thought, that was the only conclusion. It wasn’t because of the atmosphere, but because he couldn’t stand her loveliness.

Neither instinct nor rationality could stop the action.

“……”

Rosena was silent for a long time. She couldn’t even move her lips even until the silence felt heavy. It was as if he was saying that he likes her.

Rosena didn’t question any further. She thought she would be shaken if she heard his true intentions.

Rosena doesn’t like Yerhan. No, she shouldn’t like him.

She didn’t want to lose her mind any longer due to irrational impulses, and she was thinking of going back to Astania later. There was no one else in the barren empire for her to call family.

From that day on, Macella and Rania were not part of Rosena’s family.

There were people in Astania who she would consider as family for the rest of her life.

Rosena did not want to be put at the crossroads of choice. So she had to keep this in mind until she divorced him.

“I…”

It was like a grain of sand had entered her throat.

She can push him away as usual, just one harsh word will work…. but why can’t she do that?

Rosena, who had been looking for words for a long time, muttered as if she was vomiting.

“I don’t know.”

That was the most honest thing Rosena could say.

Rosena was not yet sure what this feeling for Yerhan was.

The reason why her chest tickles every time he smiles, and why she doesn’t hate kissing him.

Just by having Yerhan in front of her, she experienced many things for the first time.

“That’s enough for now.”

Yehan smiled softly. The folded eyes were more beautiful than anything else.

“Mo…”

There was the sound of a bang, the door opening violently. Illian, who came in with the door open, stood tall.

Yerhan was unbuttoning his shirt, and Rosena’s cheeks were a little red.

After reading the strange atmosphere, Illian narrowed his forehead, strode forward and stood in front of Rosena. And he looked up at Yerhan with a face asking what he had done.

“It’s been a long time.”

Yerhan raised his arm and stroked Illian’s head.

Illian crumpled his face, but didn’t shove his hand.

“Yes, did you have a safe trip back?”

Because Rosena was there, he couldn’t even say his true feelings, but the tone of his voice contained dissatisfaction with why Yerhan had already returned.

“Your talking has improved a lot.”

Yerhan chuckled. It seemed to laugh at Illian, asking if he’d stopped talking in a slur.

“Oh, yes.”

Yerhan turned to the hanger with a face as if he just remembered something.

He rummaged through his coat and pulled something out of his pocket.

“A gift.”

A gift?

Yerhan would never give him a gift…..

Illian looked at Yerhan with uneasiness and wonder. And what he gave Illian’s hand was none other than a stone.

Yerhan said with a sneaky smile.

“I heard it’s a lucky rock.”

“….Thank you.”

Illian put the stone in his pocket, uttering words that he didn’t even want.

Illian was determined to dump it somewhere later.

***

The servants of the Empress Palace cleaned the palace early and prepared to welcome guests.

Around the morning, the lady-in-waiting in charge of the empress palace went outside and waited for someone.

By the time the sun rose, a splendid carriage with all kinds of jewels approached the Empress Palace.

The flag on the back of the carriage had a lily crest, which symbolized the Duke of Eloa’s family.

The carriage stopped in front of the palace, and the duke stepped outside.

The Duke of Eloa looked around as soon as he got off the carriage. The Empress Palace, which reflected the taste of the empress, looked somewhat cold with minimal splendor.

“This place is still the same.”

The duke, who seemed to be unsatisfied with the palace, turned his head and looked to the east.

Not far from the Empress Palace was the main palace, the Emperor Palace.

The main palace was so huge that it overwhelmed other palaces, and the golden spire was so tall that it was considered the best palace within the Imperial Palace.

Duke Eloa looked at the Emperor Palace with a look of great covetousness.

Unaware of it, he hid his expression and, following the maid of honor, walked in stride into the Empress Palace.

“Are you here?”

The empress, who was sitting inside the living room, did not get up to greet the duke.

The duke also sat down on the opposite of the empress without saying much.

When the servant stepped down after serving tea, the duke opened his mouth first.

“Your Majesty, have you been busy lately?”

“There was nothing special.”

Tersia, who answered indifferently, looked at her father, Duke Eloa.

He looked young for a man who had a grown-up grandson called the crown prince.

The Duke of Eloa was one of the few dukes of the empire. His only daughter, Tersia, had two sons after marrying the emperor, but he was still a greedy man hungry for power who would not relinquish his title.

He had been brainwashing Tersia from a very young age that she should become an empress. And thanks to all his efforts, Tersia became the empress.

According to the wish of the duke, Tersia gave birth to a crown prince, but his greed was still not over.

The Duke of Eloa waited for his grandson, Zigrit, to ascend to the throne quickly.

Dreaming of the day when his family swallows the empire.

Tersia pretended not to know her father’s greed, closing her eyes to it. It wouldn’t go the way her father thought, but in the end she had the same purpose.

Tersia’s final goal was to raise Crown Prince Zigrit on the throne.

“The duchy is so quiet that I’m here to hear the story of Your Majesty the Empress. Any story will do.”

The Duke of Eloa, who had not visited for a long time, always wanted to hear about the things happening in the Imperial Palace through Tersia.

It was something he wanted to hold more than anyone else.

Tersia only spoke briefly, but long enough to tell much.

The duke changed the subject after making a face that showed he was not very satisfied with what he heard.

“Come to think of it, the third prince got married a while ago.”

Tersia, who was calm no matter what the duke said, became flustered.

“I thought the security would be loosened by then… but I was mistaken.”