White hair fluttering weakly in the night breeze like strands of white yarn. Purple eyes that were cloudy but definitely had a violet hue. And crucially, a golden brooch shining brightly near his chest. It was the Emperor, who should have been seated at the highest place.
  
“Your, Your Majesty?”
  
Why was he here? And alone, with no one else around.
  
Despite her call, the Emperor did not respond, only staring back, which left Amelia bewildered. She wished he would say something……. His silent gaze fixed on her felt incredibly unsettling.  
  
“Should I leave…?”
  
It seemed she was unaware of something. Each balcony had its designated owner. She shouldn’t have just barged into any available space. This place was… probably a private rest area for the Emperor.
  
“…….”

“Not… leaving?”
  
Even as she suggested leaving, the Emperor’s expression remained stern. She wondered if this person really was the same amiable-smiling Emperor she had seen before. His demeanor now matched not at all with the gentle image he projected towards Raphael earlier.  

The Emperor’s first impression was of a weak king who was cautious around Raphael, right? Yet, his face, full of greed, could not be hidden. Just by bringing out and flaunting that brooch in such a setting showed as much. There was no dignity befitting an Emperor.
  
“…….”

“I… Your Majesty?”
  
Frankly, she hadn’t known the Emperor could make such a face. And she certainly hadn’t expected him to make one at her. A ruler governing an entire country couldn’t possibly be simple. She shouldn’t have overlooked that……. The face of the Emperor she met in solitude was entirely different from before. All previous expressions were pretense.
  
This was his true self.  
  
“Why, why are you doing this…….”
  
He was approaching with a terrifying expression, as if she had done something wrong. Amelia stepped back, protecting herself with her hands. A little more, and she might fall off… The party venue was quite high up; the balcony overlooked a steep drop.
  
Was he so displeased after finding her on the balcony? Enough to look at someone as if to kill them? That wasn’t a normal expression. It was a fearsome look suppressing immense murderous intent. Were Amelia and the Emperor not meeting for the first time…?
  
“Don’t, don’t come closer!”
  
Such an expression wouldn’t be made if they weren’t already acquainted. Logically, one wouldn’t look at someone they’ve just met with eyes full of murderous intent. There must be something between Amelia and the Emperor. But… it was Amelia’s first time visiting the imperial palace….
  
Still, the Emperor’s face remained unyielding. She thought of him as a powerless Emperor lacking in majesty, but that was her misconception. After all, an Emperor who had never trusted anyone in his life couldn’t possibly be weak.
  
“Ah…!”
  
If she took one more step back, she would fall down. Would she meet death in vain like this? And unnoticed by anyone?
  
That couldn’t happen. Amelia clenched her eyes shut and braced her legs. Even if pushed, she wouldn’t walk off on her own.
  
“What are you doing right now.”
  
His tone was cold and familiar. She nearly collapsed from the sudden release of tension in her legs, if not for the strong arms that caught her waist.
  
“…… Raphael.”

The cool sea breeze that wafted on her nose was indeed his. Amelia clutched his clothes even tighter with a sense of relief.

“G, Grand Duke, so this is….”

“I asked what you were doing.”

When Raphael appeared, the Emperor instantly changed. The menacing face he had shown her just moments before was gone, replaced by his usual innocent and feeble expression. Of course, his greedy eyes, full of desire, remained unchanged.

“If you were trying to harm my wife….”

“No, no! Not at all! How could I possibly do such a thing!”

His voice was so desperate, it was hard to believe this was the same person who had cornered her before. Amelia frowned at his truly despicable attitude. Everything had changed with Raphael’s arrival. If not for her heart pounding in fear, she might have thought it was all a dream.

“I was just talking to the Grand Duchess because she was alone.”

“And my wife seemed like she was about to fall?”

“I tried to catch her. Don’t you trust me?”

To catch her? It sounded like a laughable excuse. But she couldn’t deny it either. The other person was the Emperor, the ruler of the empire. Without clear evidence… causing a commotion over this would ruin the Founding Festival.

Besides, the Emperor’s attitude. It was the reaction of someone who knew her. There was something Raphael and she didn’t know.

“Yes.”

“What… did you say?”

“His Majesty the Emperor talked to me because I was alone. And he said it was too dangerous here and told me to come inside.”

It’s clear that the imperial family is desperate for Raphael, or rather, for the Grand Ducal family. But telling the truth here would not explain the Emperor’s inexplicable attitude. It wasn’t like he had harmed her… Everything was ambiguous.

“I was just a bit tired and went out for some air… I guess I went too close to the balcony.”

“…”

Raphael wouldn’t believe her words. But if both parties involved say it’s nothing, there wasn’t much he could do.

“Let’s go back inside.”

Amelia leaned against his chest and coaxed him. It was somewhat cowardly, but she knew how to move him in such situations.

***

Fortunately, Raphael left. Wrapping her in his arms so that the Emperor couldn’t even glance at her. His large chest heaving told her he was not in a good mood.

It was good they got away… but it was a disaster. If people saw them like this, rumors would spread.

“Maybe it’s time… to let go.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me go. People are watching.”

She couldn’t hear well because she was trapped in his embrace, but she could sense the murmuring atmosphere. To anyone looking, the situation seemed odd. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess hastily leaving the balcony made for perfect gossip material.

“If I let go now, it’ll be a disaster.”

“What?”

She didn’t understand what he was talking about. Was Raphael unaware of people’s stares? She felt exposed even without looking forward.

“If I’m not holding onto my wife, I might not be able to hold back.”

“What… can’t you hold back?”

“If you want to go back to the balcony and see me kill the Emperor.”

That would be fine.

Raphael Lloyd Siegfried had a unique way of threatening. He made sure his opponent couldn’t possibly oppose him.

In the end, Amelia had no choice but to stay in his arms until his mood improved, or rather until his urge to kill subsided. Raphael’s racing heart told her he was excited, wanting to kill the Emperor right then.

“Is… is it okay now?”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

It was a lie. His breathing had slowed down, though it was still fast, but not as furious as before.

“We should sit down soon. I can’t sit on your lap forever.”

She still couldn’t lift her face from his chest, which made things awkward. She needed to check on Leonel too…

“Why not?”

“Stop joking and let me go.”

Every time he acted like this, she couldn’t help but feel he was even younger than Leonel. Leonel never insisted so stubbornly.

“Your Grace.”

At her firm tone, the strong arms wrapped around her gradually loosened. The quick release of his large body even made her feel a strange sense of loss. It was hard to believe he had been holding her so tightly.

Instead, she felt weird for feeling disappointed.

“Do you know?”

She was startled by his attitude, which showed no signs of reluctance, when a voice reached her from above. It was soft, meant only for her ears.

“I’ve come to hate being called Your Grace by you to an awful extent.”

No, honestly, it annoys me.