/
Trying her hardest to hide just how much her heart was pounding, she returned the question back to him with an air of nonchalance.
Unlike her, he hadn’t gotten the chance to take a nap during their train or carriage ride.
Nevertheless, seeing as he hadn’t gone to bed so far, was there something bothering his mind?
Sera looked at him with a bit of concern.
“I was taking a walk for the same reason.”
“Without the knights?”
Helios nodded lightly as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Well, I was feeling a bit suffocated today.”
“Why, Your Majesty? Is there something worrying you?”
Can I be of any help?
Even though she was a bit puzzled, Sera answered immediately without any hesitation.
She couldn’t just leave His Majesty be when he was so deeply troubled that he was talking a walk alone in the middle of the night.
“I’ll try to be of help to you, Your Majesty. However I can.”
Helios couldn’t help but smile as he saw her determined gaze, as if she really would help no matter what.
“Well
”
But Helios was at a loss for words at this moment. He paused and thought of what to say.
After a while, he slowly opened his lips to speak.
“Would it be alright if you come down here for a little while?”
Pointing a finger to where he was standing, he suddenly made this impulsive suggestion.
“Now, sire?”
Sera asked back, surprise painting her eyes. It was the last thing she expected him to say.
She just stared blankly at him. She didn’t think that he’d tell her she needed her now.
And whether it was just a joke or whether he really meant it, Sera was just confused.
However, there was a serious look in his eyes as he was glancing up at her. He seemed sincere.
“Have I put you in a difficult spot
? If so
”
“Ah! No, Your Majesty!”
As her answer was delayed, Helios had already taken a step back.
But that didn’t mean she wanted to just let him leave, so Sera called out to him urgently.
“I’ll be down in a second! Please wait a moment!”
Sera immediately hurried back into her room. However, she quickly turned around like she forgot something.
She strode back to the railing and stuck out her head.
“Your Majesty!”
Helios was still looking up at her from below.
“I’ll change my clothes first, so please wait a little. Don’t
 Don’t go.”
That’s what she meant. Helios smiled.
“Yes, I’ll wait for you. Please take your time.”
* * *
‘Ow!’
Sera had tears in her eyes.
She had taken off her nightgown and frantically looked around for a change of clothes. Then, as she was putting on her new dress, her toes had hit the corner of the large mirror.
It was so painful that she wanted to yelp, but she covered her mouth with both hands and endured the pain.
She didn’t want to wake the other people in the vast imperial villa.
Above all, she hated the thought of alerting Helios about this. He might heal her with his divine power and tell her that it would be better to stay and rest here.
The pain from her toes shot up her entire body like electricity, but she waited for it to go away. By then, she focused on changing her clothes again.
It was a long dress made of thin fabric, and it flowed down until her ankles. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she now looked as neat as Helios.
‘Maybe I even look a little pretty?’
Sera twirled around in her dress then checked the mirror again.
She didn’t look bad even now, but she decided to sweep her hair with both hands to one side.
In any case, this was a change in hairstyle that only she would know. She’s sure that Helios couldn’t care less about this.
However, whether he’d reciprocate her feelings for him or not, it’s only natural for her to want to look pretty for the person she liked.
Sera then tiptoed down the hallways and stairs as quietly as possible. She didn’t want to wake up the other people staying here.
The guards, who were patrolling in the corridors, asked why she was heading outside.
Fortunately, she was questioned no more after they confirmed that it was His Majesty who was waiting for her.
“Did I make you wait for a long time, sire?”
Running to him, Sera huffed out a hot breath in front of Helios, who was still waiting at the same spot.
The sound of her short breathing mixed with the night wind.
“No. Not at all.”
Helios chuckled quietly, perhaps thinking that the sight of her out of breath was funny.
Before long, his gentle gaze turned to her.
“You styled your hair. Pretty.”
She thought he wouldn’t notice. He might have just said that meaninglessly, but Sera’s face turned bright pink.
She shouldn’t be this way.
Just the single word, ‘pretty’, was enough to cause a wave of emotions to come crashing into her.
“Then, Your Majesty, what can I do for you?”
Sera said so, trying to avoid Helios’s gaze.
If she were perfectly honest, she had no idea why Helios called her here.
She was in such a hurry after hearing that he needed her here, so she didn’t think it through. It’s the first time that he asked for her help.
“Shall we take a stroll first?”
“A stroll?”
“Right out in front. By the sea.”
Slightly jutting his chin, Helios pointed towards the dark blue sea, which reflected the moonlight.
The palatial villa was built atop a low cliff, right atop a constructed seawall.
A little ways from the front garden, they’d be able to reach the sandy beach, which Sera had been furtively admiring throughout dinner earlier.
“It’s the most beautiful scenery of the Imperial Villa.”
The sound of the calm waves was carried along with the sea breeze.
She thought that he was suffering through a big problem, however his voice seemed much lighter than she had expected, and the sound of it was like a secret temptation.
But there was nothing bad about that suggestion, so Sera readily agreed.
“It’s always nice to have a walk together with you, Your Majesty.”
Already, her feelings began to overflow little by little.