Chapter 10: Stop Touching the Inside of My Thigh

“I’m not asking you to replace them with others; send them all away.”

“Then will you recruit new ones? Without a competition, there are no candidates…”

“No. I’m abolishing the competition too.”

“You’re getting rid of too many things. Please think carefully before deciding.”

The nanny always had to clean up after the Princess’s impulsive actions.

“Please do as I say. From today onwards, no men are allowed in the Empress’s palace, except for official visits. This is an order.”

Possessing this body, she had only resented and tried to escape. But that was impossible. As promised to the Emperor, she had to fit the role of Empress. If she didn’t know something, she would learn. At the very least, she needed to be recognized as a sane Empress. Even if it seemed strange to everyone, she had no choice. First, she needed to survive.

“Understood. I’ll follow your orders.”

The nanny decided to give the male servants in the Empress’s palace a temporary leave, unsure when the Princess might change her mind again.

“Then I will send everyone away except for the chef.”

“Why exclude the chef?”

The chef who had tried to feed her last time naturally came to mind, and her face frowned.

“Princess, you insisted on keeping that chef.”

“Is he that exceptional?”

She asked the nanny, wondering how good his cooking skills must be for the original Princess to say such a thing. She couldn’t remember the taste of the food she had eaten during the meal with the Emperor due to nervousness.

“Of course, he’s exceptional. That’s why you called for him every day.”

It wasn’t that she ate the chef’s food every day. She understood that much now.

“Send the chef away too.”

“Princess? You said you wouldn’t send him away because he’s too handsome…”

“Enough.”

I don’t want to be tormented by Bellita’s men anymore.

“Nanny, from now on, do exactly as I say without any questions.”

The nanny nodded but couldn’t take her eyes off the Princess’s face. It was a rare sight of authority.

She no longer looked like the child who always acted spoiled and threw tantrums. She looked like an adult, though the nanny was still adjusting to this new demeanor. It was the appearance she had longed for.

Even if it didn’t last long and she reverted to her old ways, it was satisfying to see her capable of such expressions. At this moment, she looked like the Empress, not the little Princess.

“Understood, Your… Highness.”

The nanny smiled as she backed out of the Empress’s room. The person who would rain down fire if not addressed as Princess now nodded and even smiled slightly. 

Has she grown up?

The nanny hoped and prayed that this state would last a little longer.

***

“How long do we have to keep walking like this?”

Bellita, walking alongside the Emperor in the vast Imperial garden, stopped in surprise. She had come to meet the Emperor once a day as promised, and the nanny had arranged for her to meet him by the lake in the garden. Bellita, having nothing to say and feeling awkward, walked silently as if on a stroll.

Of course, the Emperor followed her. The weather was so nice that they decided to take a walk, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. Even though she was trying to prove herself as worthy of the Empress’s position, she still trembled in front of the Emperor.

At first, the Emperor showed curiosity, but soon his expression turned bored, and he refused the walk. Bellita also found the walk uninteresting. Being with someone she felt uncomfortable with made it hard to enjoy anything. She couldn’t appreciate the warm sunlight, the chirping birds, or the fresh scent of the trees. It felt no different from walking in a desert.

“Then shall we finish here and return to the palace?”

The Emperor briefly looked down at Bellita. She was not stammering for the first time in front of him and seemed noticeably calmer than yesterday. It should have been boring since she wasn’t trembling, but strangely, he found it interesting.

Having discovered something new and amusing, he signaled to the attendant following them from a distance. The attendant quickly ran over and spread out a round rug made of golden thread on the grass.

However, Bellita was not pleased. Such preparedness was not commendable. She couldn’t even praise it. It meant she had to stay longer.

The Emperor, who had comfortably seated himself, threw a casual remark at Bellita, who was still awkwardly standing.

“You’ve overworked my legs, so why don’t you give them a massage?”

She immediately understood that he wanted her to massage his legs, not solve a riddle. Seeing the Emperor’s expression, which showed how much he enjoyed this, she steeled herself. 

Fine, let’s do it. 

There’s nothing she can’t do. Her life was in his hands, so she would comply for now. And one more thing.

The story was diverging from the original, and she didn’t know when she might die, but the Emperor sitting confidently in front of her would also die soon.

The original story begins after a war breaks out in this land. One way or another, the story will follow its original course. The timing has only been delayed. If she survives, she might escape to the Kingdom of Pellon.

If that happens, the peace-loving King of Pellon won’t join hands with the Loca Kingdom. But there will be a war on this land. The ambitious Loca Kingdom will invade, allying with some country. That’s how the original male and female protagonists meet in the war.

Bellita has a chance to survive if she doesn’t die at the Emperor’s hands. But the Emperor is doomed. Failing to unify the empire and unable to manifest his Divine Beast, the Emperor, who becomes a mad tyrant, will be brutally killed in the war just before he turns thirty. Even if he doesn’t die in the war, he will be dethroned after turning thirty. He might be more pitiful than herself in this novel.

Oh.

The Emperor was inwardly impressed. She obediently followed his orders, and the way she skillfully massaged his legs was first-rate. Even though his legs weren’t sore, her touch made them feel increasingly relaxed.

The Emperor’s muscular legs were long and firm. Knowing that his legs couldn’t be sore from just walking, Bellita diligently massaged them without complaint.

Until her fingers hurt. No, until her arms grew sore. She didn’t know how long she had to continue, but she knew the Emperor would deliberately prolong it to torment her. She decided to work silently. This too shall pass.

The Emperor’s head tilted slightly to the side.

Interesting.

He watched Bellita, who continued to massage his legs without showing any discomfort, even though her arms must be sore. Her red-tinted hair sparkled beautifully in the sunlight, like a ruby. Alternating his gaze between her slender, white hands massaging his legs and her slightly flushed face, the Emperor found her appearance pleasing. He didn’t deny her beauty.

Huh?

What’s that glistening on her forehead?

Sweat?

The end of her neatly braided hair swayed with her movements, and as he followed it with his eyes to her forehead, he saw it glistening with moisture. It looked like it might drip soon.

The infamous Bellita, sweating while massaging my legs in the middle of the palace?

This is something to see. I should let her stop soon.

“Stop touching the inside of my thigh. If you go any further, it could be dangerous.”

Startled by his words, Bellita quickly withdrew her hands. She had been massaging without thinking and ended up touching the inside of his thigh. That area… was just a finger’s width away from his important part. It could have been a disaster.

Phew…

Bellita took a deep breath to catch her breath and cool down.

“You’re doing very well, without any complaints.”

She knew the Emperor was mocking her to provoke her. She wouldn’t fall for it.

“I can do this much.”

It’s important not to get on your bad side.

“Why?”

His sudden question left her unsure how to answer.

“…Because we are married.”

In truth, she was trying to stay in his good graces to avoid dying, but she believed that as a couple, they should be able to do this much for each other. Bellita felt proud of herself for managing the conversation well and smiled.

To the Emperor, it looked like Bellita was smiling brightly at him.

It was the first time he had seen her smile.

She could smile so innocently.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. Praised for her angelic looks, she momentarily appeared like an angel bathed in sunlight in his eyes.

Huh?

Bellita, caught off guard, was startled as his hand approached. Wondering what he was doing, she tensed up, and his hand gently wiped her forehead before returning to its place.

Why… did he do that?

Bellita was shocked by his unexpected action, and her face quickly turned red. She had resolved to handle things calmly, but he had unsettled her with a single touch.

Emperor Kalik looked at the moisture on his fingers in disbelief.

What did I just do?

Before he could think, his hand had moved on its own. When he came to his senses, he had wiped the sweat off Bellita’s forehead.

They said she could charm anyone, and now even me?