Side Story 1: Yun-ah’s Story. My Own Drama Begins Again (3)

The place they went for their honeymoon was quite far from the capital.

They had to change horses three times along the way, taking breaks.

While she was taking a shallow nap with her head on Charte’s lap, she heard Rad’s voice.

“Your Majesty, we have arrived.”

Charte gently stroked her hair with careful hands.

“Yun-ah, we’ve arrived now.”

His touch was so gentle that the corners of her mouth turned up without her realizing it.

Knowing she was awake, Charte lightly pinched one of her cheeks and said,

“Get up quickly. I want to show you this soon. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

After tidying herself up, she got out with Charte’s escort.

“Wow!”

An exclamation of admiration escaped her involuntarily.

Countless stars were shining beautifully in the night sky.

From the forest behind the castle came the scent of trees, rich soil, and flowers carried by the wind.

And from the front, the sound of crashing waves could be heard.

Walking to the beach, she found a sandy shore and took off her shoes to feel the soft, plush sand with her bare feet.

Now it looked like a dark sea in the darkness, but she was excited to see what color it would be when the sun rose.

Smelling the saltiness of the seaside after so long made the trip feel real.

The feeling of traveling with someone she loved made her feel like she could fly into the sky.

While she was absorbed in her thoughts, she noticed movement beside her and saw Charte taking off his shoes.

“If the empress is doing it…… I always want to feel the same emotions as you.”

At first, his expression was awkward, but gradually it changed to that of a mischievous boy enjoying himself.

After walking barefoot, they entered the castle.

Charte had called it a villa, but it was clearly a castle.

Though smaller than the main palace, it showcased exquisite craftsmanship befitting an imperial property.

With the addition of our party to the existing staff of servants, the once-quiet castle quickly became bustling.

The previously quiet space became lively.

Perhaps because they had been in the carriage all day, her body felt exhausted.

After finishing the prepared dinner, Judith approached and said,

“Your Majesty the Empress, your bath is ready.”

Following Judith’s guidance to the bathroom, she found maids waiting.

“Your Majesty the Empress, this place is famous for its good water. They say your skin becomes soft and smooth after bathing. People here are known for their good skin because of this hot spring water.”

“Is that so?”

The maid had added bath salts, filling the tub with bubbles.

She immersed herself in the tub and closed her eyes.

Everything felt perfect—the comfortably warm temperature, the maids’ hands massaging her scalp.

Almost enough to fall asleep.

“You seem to like it, Yun-ah.”

Startled by the unexpected voice, she woke from her doze and opened her eyes.

At first, she was confused, wondering if it was a dream.

“Your Majesty? How did you get here? Eek!”

She submerged herself in the bubbles up to her head.

But unable to breathe, she had to poke her head out.

“Your Majesty, what brings you here?”

“What if I said I came to finish things up?”

Seeing her flustered and not knowing what to do, Charte gently guided her head to rest against the tub.

He massaged her and rinsed her hair with water of just the right temperature.

“You must be tired after being in the carriage all day?”

His hands naturally moved down to her neck, massaging it.

It felt refreshing, like her fatigue was melting away.

“It feels so good. When did you learn to massage like this?”

While loosening her shoulders, he replied,

“Do I need to learn something like this separately? It’s innate.”

Laughing, she responded with her own joke.

“Yes, yes, how could I not!”

At that, Charte said with a deliberately stern expression,

“How rude, Yun-ah.”

Charte’s hands secretly caressed her back.

His fingers moved freely under the bubbles.

“Well, I think Your Majesty’s hands are being more rude than mine.”

Responding to his intimate touch, she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Charte embraced her as well, and a long, lingering kiss began.

Her cheeks, already flushed from the bathroom’s hot air, grew even redder.

The steam grew much thicker with their passionate breaths.

Why were kisses with this man so sweet that she couldn’t regain her senses?

It felt like taking a bite of a perfectly ripe peach and tasting its overflowing juice.

When they could no longer breathe, Charte pulled away, roughly removed his bathrobe, and entered the tub.

As their bare skin touched under the soft bubbles, her breath grew hotter than usual, and her body tensed like a sharpened blade.

The only thing she could do now was hold him tightly.

She never wanted to let go of this man for her entire life.

After a while, her body was swollen when she got out of the tub.

“What is this? Hmph. All wrinkly.”

“You started it first, Yun-ah.”

“You seduced me first. It’s so strange being all swollen. Like a monster.”

“What? What’s strange? You look beautiful to me. What part is strange?”

She pointed to her wrinkled fingers, and he took her hand and calmly kissed each of her ten fingers gently.

The sight looked dazzlingly beautiful to her.

“What’s next?”

When she couldn’t say anything, his face turned mischievous.

“Ah! I said everything.”

Charte picked her up and headed for the bed.

There wasn’t a spot from her head to her toes that his lips hadn’t brushed against.

And so, confirming their love once more, another long night began again.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, Charte’s affectionate face greeted her.

Sharing a light kiss, she turned her gaze toward the window and saw that the sun was already high in the sky.

Startled, she pushed him away and jumped up.

“Charte! The time!”

With a languid smile, Charte took her hand and pulled her back into his arms.

“Did you forget this is our honeymoon? Here, you don’t need to worry about anything. Sleep when you want to sleep, eat when you want to eat, wake up when you want to wake up. This is time just for the two of us. Don’t worry about anything except me.”

She felt like they had become Charte and Yun-ah, not the emperor and empress carrying the weight of the empire.

Since this was a rare opportunity, she wanted to enjoy it properly.

“Charte, let’s go out for a walk.”

Holding hands and walking while looking at the emerald-colored sea, she felt like she had everything she could want.

They also had meals outdoors where they could see the sea directly.

Perhaps because they were by the seaside, fish dishes were frequently served.

The cooking methods that reflected local characteristics also suited her taste.

While she was absorbed in eating the delicious food, she felt someone watching her. When she looked up, her eyes met Charte’s.

“Charte, why aren’t you eating?”

“I feel relieved seeing that your condition has improved since we came here.”

It was true.

During their honeymoon, her mind was at ease, she didn’t feel stressed about work, and even if she couldn’t sleep at night, she could rest well during the day.

On top of that, her appetite had returned, and she had been eating well, gaining some weight.

As color returned to her previously haggard face, she looked much healthier.

“If I hadn’t been the emperor, you would have been happier.”

His face clearly showed his regret, which made her heart ache even more.

“What are you saying? If that were the case, we would never have met. Do you think you would have been happy if you hadn’t met me?”

Charte slightly raised the corners of his mouth and shook his head.

“Of course not. If I hadn’t met you, my life would have remained incomplete.”

They were beings who filled each other’s empty hearts.

If she hadn’t met him? She didn’t even want to think about such a scenario.

Through Charte, she had learned what a true companion was.

Whenever she felt this uncontrollably happy, she always thought of Leila.

‘Is it okay for only me to be this happy? I hope you are as happy as I am, no, even happier than me, Leila.’

The trip ended, and they returned to the imperial palace.

It felt like it had passed more quickly than the blink of an eye.

Though she was disappointed, Charte promised they would travel every year on their anniversary.

Thanks to him always telling her what she wanted before she could even say it, she was filled with happiness.

* * *

With Ivester’s wedding approaching, she was busy preparing for the banquet with Duchess Pahorder.

Today was the day she had arranged to meet Lady Ariel for a final check.

Even though it was a gift, she felt the bride’s opinion should be reflected, so she had called her separately.

Lady Ariel’s eyes sparkled whenever they discussed the party.

“I am deeply honored. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“I’m glad you like it, Lady Ariel. Judith.”

Judith, who was standing nearby, handed a gift box to Lady Ariel.

“This is my wedding gift to you.”

“What? The banquet alone is already too generous, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Surely you’re not refusing a gift from the empress?”

Lady Ariel shook her head vigorously with a surprised face.

“No, not at all. It’s just too generous. Please don’t misunderstand. I cherish and gratefully accept Your Majesty the Empress’s affection.”

“By the way, have you thought about the proposal I made last time?”

“Yes. I think it’s too generous an offer for someone like me.”

Was she refusing? It wouldn’t be easy to find someone with such skills and character. She felt disappointed.

“But I don’t want to disappoint Your Majesty the Empress who chose me. I’ll work hard. I’ll do better than you expect.”

“You’ve made a good decision. I’m confident that your example will be an inspiration to many young girls.”

The school project she had been pushing forward finally began its expansion.

It was the beginning of busy days recruiting teachers and students.

As the project she had been preparing gradually took shape, she felt a rising sense of elation.

Though it was just one school now, she was confident that more seeds would take root from this beginning.

The Oneroad Empire was clearly growing into a better country.

* * *

Today, Ivester held a grand wedding ceremony.

As the first song from the court orchestra began to play in the banquet hall, the dance of her and Charte, Ivester and Ariel commenced.

Naturally, she thought they would leave after the first dance, but when she and Charte continued dancing, many nobles came out to dance and enjoy the same stage.

She remembered that at their own wedding, they had only danced one formal song before leaving.

As if making up for that time, Charte held her and danced until they were exhausted.

After dancing several songs in succession, they returned to their seats.

Watching the bride and groom still dancing, Charte handed her a glass filled with pink liquor.

“Remember this, Yun-ah?”

“Of course.”

In a way, this drink was the beginning of their relationship.

As she was about to toast with him and drink, the smell strangely made her nauseous, and she gagged.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I can drink it.”

She put down the glass with a regretful expression.

Charte offered her water, but that was the same.

Even plain water tasted fishy to her.

Charte’s brow furrowed slightly with concern.

“I think it’s because I haven’t eaten all day. I’ve been nervous and had a lot on my mind, so nothing goes down well. I’ll be fine after I get some rest.”

However, the wrinkle between Charte’s brows refused to smooth out.