Chapter 78

Adelina unknowingly embraced Lexion’s head.  

Every time his lips moved, she twitched to the tips of her toes.  

When he gently swept with his tongue, a moan escaped involuntarily.  

She felt like twisting her whole body like a pretzel.  

At the same time, she thought of being wrapped by a snake and didn’t want to move at all.  

Strength surged from the tips of her hair to her toes.  

Unlike her stiffened body, the parts touched by his breath felt incredibly soft.  

She was always cold all over, even in midsummer.  

When his hot touch reached her shoulders and arms, it seemed her body temperature rose to match others.  

She became gradually addicted to his touch, feeling a chill when it left her.  

His hot touch was felt through the thin fabric protecting her body.  

“Lexion… not there…”  

She lifted his head buried in her cleavage with both hands, indicating it was not yet time.  

Inserting her hand between his hand touching the rounded part, she turned her body sideways.  

“It’s my dream. I’ll do as I please.”  

Lexion laid Adelina straight and intertwined his gaze with hers.  

Caught in the spell of his deep eyes, she blinked twice, and his hand touched there, moving gently.  

‘Oh my! Goodness!’  

Adelina covered her mouth with both hands and tightly closed her eyes.  

His breath passed through the thin fabric, following his gentle touch.  

+++

“Your Majesty, you seem to be in good condition today.”  

The physician felt a sense of relief seeing Lexion’s face brighter than the day before while disinfecting his arm.  

‘With as many as 100 dead… his insides must be as torn as this wound on his arm…’  

The officials, watching Lexion handle all tasks as usual, must also feel pity for him like the physician did.  

“It seems the sleeping aid you secretly added was effective.”  

The physician gave an awkward smile at Lexion’s much more relaxed voice, perhaps from a good night’s sleep.  

“Ah… did you know?”  

There was no point in feigning ignorance, so he confessed.  

“I’ll let it go this once. But don’t do it again. I must always be awake.”  

What an inhuman person.  

It wouldn’t hurt to pretend not to win for a day or two and work a bit more leisurely.  

“Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize.”  

The physician rebandaged Lexion’s arm and helped him put on his shirt.  

“But, Your Majesty… did you wear perfume?”  

“Hmm… no.”  

‘Really? It seemed like there was a sweet scent in the bedroom…’  

The physician hurriedly followed Lexion out of the room as his ears turned red and he cleared his throat.  

“I left some documents in the bedroom. I’ll fetch them myself.”  

Before the maids tidied the bedroom, Lexion returned to it.  

After organizing the documents near the bed, he approached the bookshelf.  

‘There’s a poetry book I brought from Petrus… found it.’

Lexion took a thin poetry book from the shelf.  

He checked the coiled strand of Adelina’s hair inside and turned a couple of pages.  

Then he inserted the long silver object that was among the documents.  

+++

Before calling the maids, Adelina had already finished a quick shower and was applying ointment while looking in the mirror.  

‘You rascal! How could you leave so many kiss marks! People will misunderstand!’  

Her hand, applying ointment to the red mark on her chest, paused, and her face turned red.  

‘That rascal… that rascal… he’s educated!’

What a… naughty rascal he was…  

Even with her extensive reading of mature novels, her heart fluttered recalling his touch and lips.  

“Hmm! Get a grip!”  

Adelina spread her hands wide and slapped her cheeks multiple times to make a sound.  

As she was about to put her legs into the skirt of a dress that reached up to her neck, she stopped again. 

‘Could Lexion be good at… that too?’  

It took her 30 minutes to put on the simple dress, which usually took 10 minutes without the need for a corset or petticoat.  

‘I apologize, Jaeyon… but I doubt anyone is as naughty as Lexion.’  

+++

After dressing and letting the redness fade from her face, Adelina pulled the bell cord.  

“You must be cold already. Wearing long sleeves like this.”  

“It seems a bit chilly.”  

Seyra, dressed neatly, entered and finished styling Adelina’s hair in front of the vanity.  

“When are the envoys from other empires departing?”  

“The earliest leaves this week, and the latest by Thanksgiving.”  

Instead of fully tying up her hair as Seyra intended, Adelina had it half up and let the rest fall, just in case.  

She deliberately twisted it to cover her neck a bit more.  

“Find out which empire’s envoys are leaving late. I want to establish connections with them in advance.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

Once the preparations were complete, Adelina was pleased that no bare skin was visible except for her face, ears, and hands.  

As Adelina stood up, Seyra called in the other maids.  

“Your Majesty, have you caught a cold?”  

“No, just a bit chilly.”  

“Already feeling cold… I hear there’s a very effective tonic in the Tiola Empire. I’ll inquire about it.”

Each maid expressed concern upon seeing Adelina’s long attire.  

‘All this fuss over wearing long clothes.’  

Yet, receiving such attention didn’t seem entirely unpleasant.  

“Hmm. A tonic?”  

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s said to warm a woman’s body.”  

“Is that so? Then, please look into it.”  

Adelina spoke nonchalantly and left the bedroom.  

‘A tonic! A tonic! That black and bitter thing! Supposedly very good for the body!’  

In her past life, when other seniors complained about the taste of red ginseng and such, she only smelled it.  

Finally, she might get to taste it herself!  

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s also said to be an excellent remedy for pregnancy.”  

Though the maid continued speaking, Adelina, already fixated on the word “tonic,” didn’t hear the rest.  

+++

As Adelina and the maids left the Camellia Palace, flocks of migratory birds moving for winter flew like black clouds.  

‘Will we… be able to return to Ernst?’  

Gazing forlornly at the Tiola Empire’s palace garden, where leaves had begun to fall, they headed to the audience chamber where the Emperor awaited.  

“Your Majesty, we’ll escort you and the maids.”  

Knights, carefully selected from high-ranking noble families of the Tiola Empire, followed them.  

It was quite burdensome that they would provide close escort 24/7 starting yesterday.  

As they approached the audience chamber door, Jaeyon was seen running down the palace corridor.  

“Your Majesty.”  

“Jaeyon, are you entering with us? I thought it was a private meeting.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty. The attendants will report.”  

Adelina gave a sidelong glance at Jaeyon, who stood confidently beside her and commanded the attendants.  

“In the Tiola Empire, does ‘private’ mean something different?”  

She had requested a private meeting and received a response accordingly.  

It was only natural for her to be displeased.  

“Originally, friends accompany each other in difficult situations. You’ll feel more secure with me.”  

‘Really? Will I?’  

As the door opened, Jaeyon exaggeratedly bowed and extended his arm inward.  

“Please, Your Majesty.”  

“Sure. Just don’t stab me in the back.”  

“Hahaha. Joking too. I think I fell for this side of you, Your Majesty.”  

‘Hahaha. Lies too. You fell for me because I’m Lexion’s wife, to use me as leverage against him.’  

Adelina reluctantly stepped inside, seeing the Emperor seated on the platform in the audience chamber.  

As she took a few steps in, the Emperor descended from the platform with a bright smile.  

‘Get a grip! I’m the Queen of Ernst!’  

The Emperor’s audience chamber, with its red carpet, felt like standing on a snake’s tongue.  

She kept lifting her head, which wanted to bow, upward.  

In the center of the audience chamber, a chair and tea table were specially set.  

Once the three of them took their seats, attendants served a cup of warm quince tea each.  

“Now that the banquet is over, what are your plans?”  

The Emperor asked, placing his cup down after taking a sip of what seemed to be still hot tea, and looked at Adelina.  

Jaeyon, sitting beside her, didn’t seem troubled by the Emperor, as he drank tea while leaning deeply against the chair.  

“Of course. I plan to return home.”  

Adelina sat upright, determined not to show any gaps, and focused intently with both eyes.  

‘I should have asked for cold tea.’  

The air in the audience chamber felt stifling, perhaps due to the dress reaching her neck.  

Her mouth was dry, but it seemed she couldn’t bring herself to drink the quince tea until it cooled.  

“Stay here longer. You can continue using the Camellia Palace.”  

The Emperor spoke in a plain voice, as if issuing a natural command.  

Adelina, without showing any expression, elegantly lifted the quince tea.  

‘If I splash this tea on the Emperor’s face… I’ll die, right?’  

For a brief moment, she considered splashing it on Jaeyon’s face instead, but slowly drank the tea as if savoring it.  

+++

The Emperor leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, watching Adelina slowly drink her tea.  

‘A woman who turned that old ship into a treasure ship… a woman who turned a fishing boat into the fastest sailing ship… Jaeyon must covet her.’  

After finishing her tea, Adelina placed the cup down and lowered her hands beneath the table.  

She lifted her gaze, meeting the Emperor’s eyes.  

“Your Majesty.”  

Her voice was neither angry nor excited. She didn’t seem particularly flustered.  

In a voice so calm and low that it broke the Emperor’s solemn expression into a smile.  

“This place will be safer for you, Your Majesty.”  

“If you intend to hold me hostage, you’ll have to pay the price.”  

“The price… you know I can throw you to Petrus as a sacrifice and demand peace for this empire. Not just you, but all the maids too.”  

Still far from it.

Negotiations should be done after shaking the opponent’s heart like this.  

She’ll get angry at this. She’ll be flustered at that.  

She might even be so surprised that her hands tremble.  

However, contrary to the Emperor’s expectations, Adelina smiled brightly, even giving a slight eye smile.  

“You won’t do that, will you?”  

Her voice, filled with confidence, made the Emperor tilt his head to examine her expression more closely.  

“Why do you think so, Your Majesty?”  

“The pride of the Tiola Empire. You’d rather go to war than bow to Petrus.”  

Adelina leaned forward as if to share another secret, beckoning with her finger.  

In response to Adelina’s provocative gesture, the Emperor and Jaeyon also leaned slightly forward to match her rhythm.  

“And, you want Ernst and Petrus to fight fiercely. For both to be as destroyed as possible. Perhaps you want one of them to perish. Even if it’s Ernst.”  

Adelina, speaking somewhat irritably, straightened her body and crossed her arms, glaring at them both.  

“We’ll fight fiercely for you. We’ll fight to the death. So, pay the price.”  

“Hahaha.”  

The Emperor and Jaeyon burst into laughter at Adelina’s bold demand.