Chapter 23_Sleeping Together

Bellita had no choice but to let out a deep sigh and properly lay the Emperor down.

Why is he sweating so much?

Seeing his face covered in sweat, she gently wiped it away. The Emperor, whose breathing was stable and face looked peaceful, seemed slightly annoying. He had made her so uncomfortable, yet he was the one who fell asleep.

He told me not to faint. Should I demand that he doesn’t fall asleep next time?

She looked at the deeply sleeping Emperor’s face and straightened his disheveled nightwear. This feeling was new, and she still didn’t know how to handle it.

She lay on her side next to him and once again carefully examined his face. She had noticed before, but he was indeed very handsome. His lips were even more handsome.

She wanted to argue that this wasn’t just because they had shared an overwhelmingly blissful kiss, but it was true. She was influenced.

Watching him sleep, her wildly beating heart began to calm down. Unconsciously, she reached out and gently stroked his lips. The sexiness and intensity of him lingering on her fingertips made her slightly tremble.

To think such a person would die…

That damned war is the problem.

Can’t he avoid going to conquer the Euclo Kingdom? He takes an army of a million and only a few thousand soldiers return alive.

Returning in such a disastrous defeat, the capital is left with almost no soldiers, and morale hits rock bottom. The Loca Kingdom, not missing this opportunity, joins hands with the Pellon Kingdom and invades. This man doesn’t last long and dies.

Sigh…

It felt like a waste for him to die like that. Not only because of his handsome appearance but also because if he achieved his goal of unifying the empire and ascended as the emperor of a peaceful country, he would live well. 

Why does he have to be a supporting character in the original work? He’s the Emperor. How furious would he be if he knew? 

She chuckled at the thought.

What if this man were the protagonist? If he were the protagonist of the original story, the story might have flowed differently. 

With a bit of leisure, she recalled the original story. The Emperor was called a tyrant because of his actions against enemies, but he wasn’t particularly harsh to his people. If he had achieved unification and the Divine Beast appeared, he would have been a decent Emperor.

But wait.

Earlier!

Though it disappeared in an instant, that enormous thing.

It’s definitely a Divine Beast.

The original story didn’t mention what the Emperor’s Divine Beast was. It only said he died without it manifesting. But she had seen it. She had seen it clearly with her own eyes.

What happens now?

Does anything change? Can it change?

I hope so. If this man doesn’t die, I can live too.

If the Loca Kingdom invades and kills the Emperor, they wouldn’t leave the Empress alive either.

As she pondered these thoughts, sleepiness gradually overtook her, and she gently leaned her head on his shoulder. Yawning, she soon fell asleep.

For the first time, the two slept soundly in the same bed.

***

The nanny was jumping up and down in place. Anyone seeing her might call her frivolous, but there was no one else in the room.

She had sent all the maids back to their quarters and waited alone in the adjacent room all night. Of course, she alternated between dozing off and waking up, smiling, laughing, and dozing again while staring at the door that never opened all night.

Early in the morning, she was startled by the sudden opening of the door and quickly stood up, bowing deeply without even opening her eyes. She maintained that position until she heard the sound of the Emperor’s footsteps walking away. As she raised her head again, her smile was so wide it seemed to reach her ears.

When the Emperor had appeared late at night in plain clothes, everyone had nearly fallen over in shock. It wasn’t the usual composed appearance of the Emperor but an excited and urgent one, which was even more surprising.

When he slammed the door shut, the remaining maids blushed. In the past, they would have been worried about something going wrong, but now their reactions were different. They were sure nothing worrisome would happen in that room. So what could happen? Only something to make their faces blush.

The nanny was puzzled but somewhat understood.

I was always with Madam, so when did they get so close? Nothing special happened, so what made the Emperor rush over like that?

She felt a bit sad not knowing such an important thing, but her anticipation and excitement overshadowed that sadness.

Madam. Hang in there.

What could be better than this? Getting close to the Emperor. She had always supported the Madam’s choices, but if it was the Emperor, her husband and the ruler of the country, it couldn’t be better.

So she sent everyone back and stayed alone in the room. The Emperor stayed longer than she expected, making her blush. 

Is he going to sleep here? 

The nanny, smiling broadly, still found the fast development surprising.

They had only shared a few meals and conversations, and then the bed…

Well, the Emperor couldn’t resist Madam’s beauty.

Oh ho ho ho.

It felt like she was being rewarded for all the years of raising the Madam. The Madam had always been stubborn and never listened, only attracted to random men – most of whom were just good-looking but worthless – but she had always supported the Madam’s happiness.

She would have supported any man the Madam liked, but this time, it was the Emperor. If she was going to be with a man, her husband was the best. This time, she had fallen for a decent man.

Entering the room to gently cover Madam with a blanket, the nanny’s eyes teared up at the sight of the Madam sleeping peacefully like a baby. After covering her, the nanny quietly closed the door and left.

***

The Emperor received news from Dein that a house on the outskirts of the capital had burned down, and the widow living there had died in the fire. Dein’s information network had also discovered that Kuro had been frequenting that house. The fire was definitely Kuro’s doing, but there was no evidence. He must have used another rogue to do it while he stayed safe.

“If you had manifested a Divine Beast, I wouldn’t be worrying like this.”

The fact that an unworthy person like Kuro had a Divine Beast was an upheaval. The eldest son was usually more likely to manifest it, but the second son, Kuro, had received the blessing.

“Because my body is weak…”

The gods had given Dein a brilliant mind but a weak body. He was shorter than others and less skilled in swordsmanship than Kuro. So the Divine Beast appeared to his brother.

“If it were you instead of Kuro, I wouldn’t mind giving up the throne.”

“Please don’t say such things. The heavens would be angered. That position is not for just anyone. Especially not someone like Kuro. Don’t worry. Your Divine Beast will manifest soon, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was sincere. He knew Dein’s loyalty well. Throwing a heavy gaze at him, the Emperor smiled faintly.

After Dein finished his report and left, the Emperor returned to the thoughts that had occupied him since morning.

Sleeping with Bellita.

In the same bed!

I must have been bewitched or gone mad.

The Emperor pressed his throbbing head with his hand. He was confused about whether he regretted sleeping with Bellita or because he slept. His head hurt from the confusion.

Focusing solely on unifying the empire, he had never kissed a woman like that. Just thinking about how hot it was made his head ache more. It was so blissful. The lingering sensation of her on his tongue was still vivid.

I’m going crazy. Just thinking about it makes my body ache. 

The Emperor looked down at his body in disbelief. To think he had kissed Bellita like that and now had this reaction. Even without her presence, just the thought of her…

Ha!

I must be mad.

But when will she come today?

No.

She won’t come anymore. I told her I wouldn’t kill her, so she won’t come. But she knows she committed a grave crime.

She was trembling in fear of being killed because she had never committed such a grave crime. Even Bellita feared treason. She was also a fool who couldn’t grasp the situation. It was true that he had enjoyed it for a while. He had even experienced such a kiss. He gained more than he lost. That’s enough.

Hmm… But will she really not come? Because I assured her I wouldn’t kill her?

Maybe she has returned to her old self. Then she won’t come. But if she comes today, it means I’m her next target. I heard Bellita always makes a man hers once she sets her sights on him. So if she comes…

Knock, knock, knock.

The Emperor’s eyes widened in surprise. Even his reaction annoyed him. With an irritated expression, he glared fiercely at the opening door.

***

A little earlier, Bellita was sitting by the sunlit window, yawning lazily. The nanny was combing her hair from behind, but all she could think about was going back to bed.

“Are you tired?”

“Yawn… I didn’t sleep much…”

Bellita answered, yawning repeatedly. She had woken up too early.

The nanny, whose lips kept twitching into a smile, decided to tease her.

“Did His Majesty keep you up all night?”

Hehehe. 

The nanny, laughing quietly behind her, eagerly awaited the Madam’s response. 

What will she say… 

The Madam, who had woken up and was acting as if nothing had happened, seemed a bit strange, but the nanny thought she was just being shy and pretending to act normal.

The Madam had played with many men inappropriately but always sent them away after the fun. Never, not even once, had she let a man sleep in her bed after the act. But she had slept with the Emperor. 

What could this mean?