16. I Have No Intention of Taking an Empress

Edward rose from his seat and left the dining room with his attendants. Larael was left alone in the dining room, biting her lip. This was something she had prepared herself for on the day she decided to become the Empress Consort.  

Until an Empress was crowned, it was her duty. However, what upset Larael was the thought that Edward’s words had been spoken out of anger, as if he had lashed out in the heat of the moment.  

‘Why is the suggestion to crown an Empress something to get angry about?’  

“Your Highness, we must return to the palace quickly. There isn’t much time to prepare.”  

Larael, who also needed to prepare to welcome the Emperor, returned to her palace.  

“Your Highness, are you all right?”  

“What?”  

As her hair was being styled, one of the maids asked if it hurt when her hair got tangled. Larael, lost in thought, looked puzzled as she responded.  

She had been thinking about Edward in the dining room. She recalled the look in his eyes when he first gazed at her and how cold those same eyes had been when he left. Larael bit her lip at the memory.  

After hastily finishing her preparations, Larael sat on the sofa, waiting for the Emperor to arrive.  

The same night, the same attire. Larael glanced down at the negligee she was wearing. The nightgown, which seemed somewhat indecent, clung to her body. Her bedroom, shrouded in darkness, was illuminated not by the usual magical lights but by scented candles placed throughout the room.  

The moonlight streaming through the large window was brighter, and she found herself staring endlessly outside.  

‘Will he come late again tonight, as he always does?’  

As she leaned against the sofa, thinking about her life before her regression, the sound of the Emperor’s arrival suddenly reached her ears.  

“His Majesty the Emperor is here.”  

The door to the bedroom opened, and Edward entered. As his shadow fell across the room, the maids inside quickly exited, leaving Larael alone with him. She sat frozen on the sofa, forgetting even to greet Edward.  

For a moment, Larael hesitated.  

‘Should I go straight to the bed? Or should I stay here?’  

When Edward sat down across from her, she suddenly realized she had forgotten to greet him. However, for some reason, her body wouldn’t move, and she could only swallow nervously.  

The moonlight streaming in illuminated Edward’s disheveled hair, which shimmered faintly each time he moved his head slightly. Larael stared at him, entranced. The interplay of the candlelight and shadows made the scene feel surreal.  

Edward, who had boldly declared his intention to share a bed with her, had clearly been angry up until the moment he sat across from her. Yet now, he couldn’t even meet her gaze.  

If the room had been brightly lit, his face would have been as red as any crimson object one could compare it to.  

The negligee clinging to Larael’s body barely seemed to serve the purpose of clothing. Edward, who had been trying to avoid looking at her, caught sight of it and nearly bolted from the room.  

“Are you nervous? Would you like to drink this?”  

Although Larael didn’t know much about Edward’s experience with women, strictly speaking, this was their first night together in their relationship. Knowing this, Larael, noticing Edward’s nervousness, poured a liquid from a luxurious teapot and placed it in front of him. Edward stared at the teacup.  

‘Are you not nervous yourself?’  

Edward swallowed his question and downed the tea in one gulp. As he drank, a warmth spread through his body, and he felt a sense of relaxation.  

“Is this supposed to help with… stamina?”  

Edward, recalling stories of concubines giving such drinks to help with stamina, asked the question.  

“It’s just warm water…”  

Edward frowned. He had been so tense that he couldn’t even taste the water properly and had blurted out something nonsensical.  

A heavy silence fell between Larael and Edward. The two of them, frozen like statues, seemed ready to sit there all night.  

“Your Majesty, I’ll go lie down on the bed.”  

Larael broke the silence and stood up from the sofa.  

Edward quickly stood as well, following her and grabbing her arm. He thought now was the moment to recreate a scene he had read about in a book.  

“Wait!”  

Edward energetically moved beside Larael and lifted her into his arms. He placed one arm firmly around her waist and used the other to support her legs.  

However, at that moment, the hem of her skirt slipped from his grasp, and her left leg awkwardly dangled, dragging along the floor. Larael was utterly bewildered by the situation.  

She wondered how ridiculous she must look, with her body and right leg being held by Edward while her left leg dragged on the ground. Instinctively, she clung tightly to Edward’s neck with both hands to avoid falling.  

Larael’s pupils trembled violently.  

Edward’s pupils also shook.  

He had wanted to create a romantic moment like the ones depicted in illustrations, but instead of feeling the excitement of their bodies touching through thin fabric, the shock of the situation sent cold sweat running down his back.  

“Your Majesty, please put me down.”  

Edward closed his eyes tightly and gently set Larael back on the ground. Larael quietly walked over to the bed, sighed, and sat down.  

“Where did you even learn something like that? Why would you do something so out of character…”  

Larael muttered to herself and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.  

“Larael? Did I hear you correctly just now?”  

“What?”  

Larael furrowed her brow and flopped onto the bed. Edward chuckled softly, gaining a bit of confidence, and approached the bed.  

—

Early the next morning, Lillian received a letter from the Dowager Empress’s palace. She was instructed not to reveal who had sent it and to deliver it to the Empress Consort. Lillian looked troubled, recalling how Larael had scolded her before. However, she couldn’t refuse a command from the Dowager Empress’s palace.  

Lillian clutched the letter to her chest, unsure of what to do, and kept glancing nervously at Larael.  

‘Should I just leave it on her desk when she’s not looking?’  

Since it was the day after the Emperor’s visit, Larael hadn’t left her bedroom. She was handling all her affairs, including meals, within the room.  

Lillian mulled over various options. She didn’t know what the letter contained, but she feared Larael’s anger if she delivered it. On the other hand, failing to deliver it would undoubtedly incur the wrath of the Dowager Empress. The thought of her snake-like gaze, which seemed to see through everything, sent shivers down her spine.  

“Your Highness.”  

Larael, who had been choosing a hair ornament from the selection Kara presented, looked up at Lillian’s call.  

“I was instructed to deliver this to you.”  

Larael took the trembling letter from Lillian’s hands. She didn’t bother asking who had sent it. The seal on the envelope made it clear that it was from Herwen.  

‘So the Dowager Empress sent it. Is she fully recovered from her illness?’  

Larael motioned for Lillian to come closer. Lillian leaned in, bringing her ear near Larael.  

“Tell the person who delivered this that the Empress Consort’s lover is far too careless. Anyone could figure it out just by looking at the seal, couldn’t they?”  

Lillian stared at Larael in shock. Larael, maintaining a calm expression, softened her gaze and continued speaking.  

“Don’t leave out a single word, understand?”  

Larael then tore the letter in half, and then in half again, before handing the pieces back to Lillian.  

“Tell them I refused because too many eyes were watching.”  

Larael smirked, imagining Herwen’s reaction.  

By now, he would have received the southern granary lands he had long coveted as compensation from the Emperor.  

Though he was nicknamed after the north, Herwen rarely stayed there. Instead, he coveted the fertile southern granary lands, gradually taking them from the Emperor.  

Lillian hurried out of the bedroom, flustered. Whether she delivered the message truthfully or not didn’t matter to Larael.  

Once Lillian left, Larael’s head throbbed with disgust for Herwen. She frowned, wondering what scheme he had in mind this time to send her a letter.