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9. Oath to each other
The floor was hard, but the thick carpet was soft. Then, it seemed that she had fallen asleep all of a sudden.
“Ah… I see, I have fallen asleep. What time is it?”
Lasilia, waking up to the faint morning sun, blinked her eyes as she searched for her watch. The time was a little before six o’clock.
“Oh, I have to go back.”
As Lasilia rustled and raised her body, the parrot sleeping on the perch also opened its eyes.
“Ahem. This body is the 1st generation of Shuraiden! Good morning!”
“Yes, good morning. Thanks to you, I got through the day safely. Then see you next time.”
“Ten thousand words! Good morning!”
“Hello, Duke. Bye.”
When Lasilia left Shryden I’s room, she closed the door and came down the stairs. Fortunately for her, she didn’t run into anyone until she got all the way down the north tower. However, she was not on her way to the empress’ palace.
“…”
As the blue bird had warned her, she knew something was wrong the moment she opened the small door hidden behind the painting wall and stepped out.
“Your Majesty the Empress…?”
When she arrived, the empty room was full of royal guards and courtiers.
“Aha… I lost my way…”
Lasilia’s absurd excuse was overshadowed by the shouts of the guards.
“I found Her Majesty the Empress!”
* * *
‘I don’t think the excuse will work.’
Lasilia slightly regretted last night’s decision.
‘I must have made the wrong decision because I was flustered. My thoughts were short.’
She vaguely assumed that since the emperor fell asleep first, it wouldn’t be a big problem. In any case, she kept her promise and left the word that she would return to the empress’ palace. But as soon as he woke up, he stayed up all night to find herself.
‘Didn’t they say that in the past, when the empress made an excuse that she was sick, he just let it go…? I thought he was just like that.’
Looking at the number of guards in the empress’ palace now, the empress, who had been avoiding contact every time, could be used.
‘It must be useless to avoid it.’
And she knew one thing. The Empress of Cartagena genuinely disliked making contact with the Emperor, to the extent that she would risk it all.
“Your Majesty the Emperor and the Empress have arrived.”
Regardless of her ever-complicated thoughts, he eventually reached the empress’ bedchamber. The front and back were surrounded by three times the number of guards than yesterday.
“Let him in.”
The door opened on both sides. The emperor was standing in the room, the same as last night, dressed in splendor. No, it was flashy, but not flashy. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were disheveled. His eyes were bloodshot, and the corners of his eyes were dark.
Lasilia swallowed her dry saliva.
‘…It’s kind of scary.’
Originally, the emperor was the one who made the viewer nervous for no reason because of his crazy appearance. It was beyond the tension now that he felt suffocated. Two shadow knights were watching from behind the emperor’s back, looking like they wanted to bite him, but that was nothing compared to the emperor.
“I was lost. Shame on me.”
Lacilia was the first to open her mouth. It was because she felt that if she was swept away by the atmosphere, she would be frightened.
“…”
T hump thump.
In exchange for his words, the emperor came towards her. It was the first time she had heard someone’s footsteps so loud.
“I couldn’t sleep… I was wondering if there was a place that came to my mind when I wandered around, but it wasn’t.”
“…”
T hump thump.
The distance was getting closer. It looked like she would get caught. Lasilia glanced behind her like someone who was involuntarily looking for a place to escape.
“By my negligence… It seems to have caused some concern. I apologize.”
“…”
T hump thump.
He finally stopped walking. The emperor was right in front of her.
“I can not understand.”
The emperor opened his mouth while his bloodshot eyes reflected her image.
“Why did you run away? You were the first to show me the will to sleep.”
“… Yes?”
At first she thought she misunderstood.
“Sleeping… What? When did I…?”
“But you ran away. You gave me medicine.”
The emperor knew that the fruit was a problem. Her heart was pounding, but Lasilia struggled to shake her head.
“Your majesty. You seem to have misunderstood. I never meant to put you to sleep.”
“And you’re lying.”
Reddened gold eyes let out a sharp breath.
“Of all the things you’ve done, today’s work was the lowest. Just a moment ago, I was thinking that today would be totally unacceptable,”
Having said that, the emperor suddenly hugged her. Lasilia struggled in bewilderment.
“You-Your Majesty.”
“Looking at your face… Strange. I am no longer angry.”
“…”
“Strange.”
“…”
Like the emperor who kept saying it was strange, Lasilia was also strange. His embrace was so strong that it seemed to choke her, but she couldn’t push him away.
‘He looks so earnest.’
She understood that. That she didn’t have much time. So she had no choice but to be desperate. However, it was a problem that the emperor, who might kill her, looked sad.
‘You know. I shouldn’t be here. There’s nothing I can do for the Emperor.’
Now was the time to speak. She didn’t do much good in wasting time. Moreover, Lasilia feared that she would feel more than pity for the emperor, as her prophecy had predicted.
“Your majesty.”
Lasilia opened her mouth and Lescal took a deep breath.
“Don’t tell me to let go. I have no intention of letting go now.”
“Not that… I have something to tell you.”
“Do it like this.”
Lasilia said, feeling her discomfort and regret at the same time.
“I am not your destiny.”
* * *
“What?”
“What?”
It was the Shadow Knights who reacted before Lescal did. Surprise, despair, anger, and disbelief crossed their faces quickly. But that was only for a moment.
“It looks like you’re ready to be honest now.”
Sureureung.
Ryan was holding his sword. The expression of the other knight standing next to him was as good as the one holding the sword.
‘It’s impossible to be honest.’
She was less upset because she had expected it. It gave her goosebumps for a moment, but not enough to scare her.
“Pick up the sword. What are you talking about?”
Lescal removed his body and stood blocking the Shadow Knights with his back. Lasilia calmly continued her words towards Rascal.
“I am not Your Majesty’s companion. Because I lost my memory.”
“…”
Even Lasilia did not know if these words would work. But for now, that was the best way.
“Partners of destiny are probably words for beings who belong to each other from birth. But to me who lost my memory, Your Majesty is just a stranger. I know nothing about you, and I have no feelings for you. Whenever Your Majesty comes by my side, I feel awkward and stiff with fear. How can you say that you are a partner of fate?”
Lescal slowly followed Racilia’s words.
“…There is nothing.”
“I have also heard from the maids what contact is. I cannot be of any help to Your Majesty.”
“Therefore?”
“As I said, it takes time. Recovering your memory will make a difference.”
“If I get my memory back.”
Lescal tilted his chin once.
The next moment he took Lasilia’s hand. Wanting to grab it, he lightly turned his wrist and inserted the pod into Lasilia’s hand holding her own. In an instant, he took a tight grip on her hand.
“If you want to win me some time, you’ll have to swear, too.”
Her hand be holded was not as uncomfortable or difficult as she thought. But it was embarrassing.
“What oath do you mean?”
“If you get your memories back, promise to return as my destined partner.”
The word oath carries weight. For the Prophet, the meaning of the oath was many times heavier than for others. But it was acceptable. Because she never lost her memory, so she couldn’t get it back. It was a promise that could not be kept in the first place.
“I swear.”
“Then I will allow you time as you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Lescal pulled Lasilia’s hand, which was entangled in his own. The next moment his lips pressed very gently to the back of her hand. Somehow it was more embarrassing than a kiss on the cheek. She couldn’t deny the feeling that a kiss with staring eyes like now was unfamiliar.
Lescal continued without taking his lips from the back of her hand.
“During that time, I will do my best to bring back your memories.”
“…”
* * *
“Is this the end? Does that make sense, Your Majesty?”
Ryan couldn’t accept the situation.
“She drugged Your Majesty! And are you saying that no punishment will be given to Her Majesty the empress who ran away? Of course not!”
Serben also helped out.
“I am of the same opinion, Your Majesty. Because this time is different from the atrocities of the past…”
“It is a completely different thing!”
Ryan couldn’t contain his anger, and the rest of her tiptoe stamped him on the floor.
From the moment they returned from the empress’ palace, no, from the moment he kissed the empress, who was not happy even if the emperor didn’t punish her, he must have been going crazy when he said that.
But Lescal felt different. As he said, he forgot his anger at the moment the empress returned. It wasn’t anger, but rather a different emotion arose.
He was nervous.
He never wanted to see the empress disappear again. Rather than get angry unnecessarily, he had to find a way to keep the empress firmly.
“You all misunderstood something, but I was the one who ate the sleeping fruit.”
“Yes…? You said His Majesty ate it yourself?”
“The empress didn’t tell me to eat. She said she wanted to eat it.”
“No, then… Are you saying His Majesty took away what she wanted to eat?”
“Because it’s a fruit I don’t know. The empress could have gotten sick.”
“No, that… ”
Ryan couldn’t speak any longer and bit his lips. Oddly enough, Lescal’s words sounded like a maddening scream of caring for his empress so much that he would rather hurt himself.
“So you didn’t get sick? Your Majesty.”
“I’m not saying that I forgot the fact that the empress tried to put me to sleep and run away.”
Widely!
Rascal took the cloak off his shoulders and dropped it at his feet. The thought of taking off the cloak now meant that he had been completely distracted throughout the night.
“I’m saying that making people swear is more effective than punishing them.”
“How does that happen? Her Majesty will postpone her amnesia until she feels like it.”
“We just need to find proof that she hasn’t lost her memory. Even the smallest things.”
Lescal brushed his hair. Oddly enough, the face seemed to be smiling.
“Then the empress can no longer reject me. Because she swore.”
“…”
“…”
The shadow knights who had been silent for a while nodded in turn.
“It could be…However, it doesn’t seem easy to find evidence that she hasn’t lost her memory. You can’t keep an eye on Her Majesty for twenty-four hours a day.”
Lescal cut off Serben’s words.
“Why not?”
“Yes?”
“Why can’t I watch her twenty-four hours?”
“For that to happen, someone has to be with her all the time… ,”
Lescal interrupted Serben. As if this was his true intention, with a clear smile on his face.
“I will.”