Side Story 2: Charte’s Story. That Man’s Light (2)

To be honest, he was perplexed.

The emotion he was feeling now—it would be a lie to say he wasn’t confused.

His heart, which he thought would never change, had moved.

Like Inna from the Crazy Couple, he had been gradually melting without realizing it.

But it was still difficult to precisely define or be certain about his feelings.

He needed to know in which direction they had changed.

The time he spent pondering his changed feelings didn’t take long.

During the accident at the hunting competition, when she almost got hurt, his heart felt like it was in free fall, shattering into pieces.

Without realizing it, his heart had already fallen for this strange woman who had proposed a contract marriage on their wedding night.

Once he confirmed his feelings, they grew uncontrollably, like wildfire spreading.

He had thought he could never trust or love anyone again.

The incident three years ago was one that had shaken everything about him to the core.

He thought all his emotions had disappeared then.

But that wasn’t the case.

After the hunting competition ended, when he asked her to dance, she seemed very flustered.

She also seemed to find his actions burdensome.

‘Well, it’s a natural result, considering I was talking about killing or sparing her at the beginning. I sowed the seeds, so I must reap them.’

He pretended to be nonchalant, but he felt lost.

Would her feelings ever become like his?

He wasn’t confident.

He was a dark person stained with blood, while she was a bright person standing under the radiant sunshine.

He worried that his deep darkness might spread to her.

Did he even deserve to love her?

He was quickly consumed by fear.

He tried offering her drinks and bringing up other topics.

But she always hurriedly returned to her story.

Urgently, like someone being chased by something.

The empress never gave me any openings.

She would subtly ask about our relationship, but she always maintained boundaries.

It was frustrating, but I had created this situation, so I couldn’t blame her.

I shouldn’t have dared to have such feelings for her, but I felt disappointed.

‘I guess it’s not meant to be?’

Just as I was about to resign myself, she requested me to come to her at night.

Hope began to creep back in once again.

But seeing her count the days and speak of life debts again, my heart crumbled.

I couldn’t focus on work, and all motivation disappeared.

While I was struggling with lethargy, she invited me and made knife-cut noodles, a food from the Crazy Couple.

The taste was excellent, but those chopsticks—they were bewitching.

Thanks to the chopsticks, the dining atmosphere was precarious.

Her hands kept brushing against mine as she taught me, clumsy as I was, how to use chopsticks.

Her touch was warm and soft.

The occasional brushing sensation sent thrilling shivers throughout my body.

I fed her knife-cut noodles with my unfamiliar chopstick skills.

The way she opened her small mouth like a baby bird and chewed was so adorable that my heart felt like it was turning to powder.

I barely restrained myself from reaching out to touch and embrace her right then.

And that day, a miracle happened to me, like snow falling in the south.

She said she wanted to be friends with me.

I was so happy that it was almost painful to pretend to be solemn, wanting to show only my best side.

Though there was some regret, it was tremendous progress.

Now that we were friends, I thought I could express my feelings a bit more than before.

I gave her the most expensive and finest chopsticks as a gift.

As soon as I sent the gift, I received a dinner invitation in return.

This time, rice wine and jeon were waiting.

I naturally expected her to use the chopsticks I had gifted, but they were nowhere to be seen, which disappointed me.

I hadn’t been so petty before, but with her, I found myself reacting to even the smallest things.

I tried to hold back, not wanting to appear trivial, but I finally asked about the whereabouts of the gifted chopsticks.

Surprisingly, the chopsticks came out of her hair.

As she pulled out the chopsticks and her hair fluttered, I lost my senses.

She was so beautiful I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

That day, I was clearly intoxicated by her, not by the rice wine.

And she was clearly intoxicated by the rice wine, not by me.

She gradually moved closer until she was leaning against me like a cushion while drinking.

She was so lovable in my arms that I wanted to kiss her right away.

While I was barely restraining myself by reciting the imperial law code as she squirmed in my arms, her hands began to unbutton my shirt one by one.

I was so surprised by her bold action that I froze.

I didn’t know what to do or how to react.

“Hard! Hard! I knew it. Perfect as expected. Chocolate abs!”

Then her hands moved along the contours of my muscles.

‘This was a t*rture worse than any other t*rture.’

Just as I couldn’t hold back any longer and reached out to embrace her, she collapsed into my arms.

Then she fell into a deep sleep and wouldn’t wake up.

It was a night that was mentally long but physically short.

I repeatedly fell asleep and woke up in agony.

When I came to my senses at dawn, she was still in my arms, looking beautiful.

Her face was as happy as a child’s, which brought a smile to my lips as well.

The wholesome happiness was very brief, and her sweet scent of flesh stimulated me.

Not wanting to lose her to anyone, I held her deep in my arms.

As I was gazing at her for a long time, my mind hazy from her soft skin, she woke up.

Out of desire to hold her a little longer, I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Every time she squirmed in my arms, her soft body and sweet scent nearly made me lose my mind.

My heart was completely filled with her.

The darkness was disappearing, and light was entering.

As my light continued to grow, I learned from Catano that the empress had visited Yasrin’s garden.

Thinking about it, I felt sorry that I had given her so little.

All I had given her was just a pair of chopsticks.

“Catano! I don’t care how much it costs. I will gift the most beautiful garden to the empress.”

When Leila received the bouquet I personally selected, she had the happiest face in the world.

I was just as happy as she was.

But from some point, she began to change.

She wouldn’t even show her face at all.

While I was suffering, not knowing the reason, a conflict arose at the border, and I urgently left the capital.

Even as I crossed the battle lines, all I could think about was her.

Leila’s existence was dominating me.

I fought, survived, and won with the sole desire to return to her quickly.

When I went to meet her after returning, I was more nervous than on the battlefield.

I was afraid she might reject me forever, but I wanted to see her, Leila.

As I entered the garden, I saw her in the distance.

The moment she came into my sight, nothing could stop me.

I strode over and captured her in my arms.

Holding her made me feel alive.

“I missed you, Empress.”

It was certain that I couldn’t live if I lost this woman.

“I missed you a lot.”

That one sentence was enough.

We held each other without saying anything.

With the words ‘I love you’ held in our hearts.

Her breath relaxed me, and her scent made me happy.

It was a respite I hadn’t had in a very long time.

She was my only sanctuary.

We began to play around while drinking rice wine together.

It might have been the alcohol, but the moment her lips touched mine, I couldn’t think straight.

I held her tightly as she tried to break away from me and conveyed my passionate feelings through a kiss.

At first, I was worried she might push me away, but she wrapped her arms around my neck.

I invaded and explored her mouth without restraint.

Her lips, full of sweetness, were never enough no matter how much I took.

‘So you felt the same way as me.’

I was relieved, happy, and above all, grateful.

But then a sound broke all these emotions.

“Since we’re friends, let’s be cool about it.”

The alcohol sobered up instantly, and my whole body trembled with anger.

In the end, it wasn’t meant to be for us.

When I turned away after spitting out harsh words, I felt the warm body temperature of someone embracing me.

There was no point in hiding my feelings anymore.

It was time to be honest.

“I love you. There hasn’t been a single day I haven’t missed you since we were apart, Leila.”

“I love you too, Charte.”

For the first time, we could confirm each other’s feelings.

It felt like I had the whole world.

I thought we would just be happy like that.

But the next day, a bomb dropped.

Yasrin had returned.

My feelings for her had been erased long ago.

I had forgotten Yasrin since becoming intoxicated with the smell of blood.

It was just like her to appear at the happiest moment of my life.

There was nothing particularly new about Yasrin appearing.

For me.

But I grew worried, thinking it wouldn’t be good for Leila.

I tried to send Yasrin away immediately, but couldn’t because she attempted s*icide.

I was furious beyond endurance, but I barely restrained myself at Leila’s words not to stain my hands with blood anymore.

I owed Leila a debt that I could never repay in a lifetime.

She was the savior who had pulled me from a blood-red world into a world of light.

She was the one who had given me a life I thought I would never enjoy.

I had planned to repay her gradually over a long time by her side.

But in the end, Yasrin caused a major accident, and I threw myself to save Leila.

Until the last moment before losing consciousness, I thought it was fortunate that I could protect Leila and that she wasn’t hurt.

After confirming her safety, I lost consciousness.

‘I’m sorry, Leila. I haven’t done much for you.’

Every day I heard her voice.

She called my name with a more poignant voice, holding back tears.

“Charte. Charte. Please come back. Don’t leave me alone. I love you.”

When I thought I couldn’t leave her in pain alone anymore, I was able to open my eyes.

‘You saved me once again.’

I was grateful to her for enduring well while I was gone, and I thought now only happiness remained.

But what awaited me upon waking was an even greater despair.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, I am not Leila Whyman.”

It was like a bolt from the blue.

The woman I loved was not Leila Whyman but Jo Yun-ah.

It didn’t matter who she was.

The only important thing was that I loved her!

Thinking about how she must have suffered, hiding this and agonizing over it, made me sad and want to cherish her even more.

But there wasn’t much time left.

In my heart, I wanted to hold onto her, but I couldn’t.

I couldn’t push the person who had saved me from a blood-red world back into that world.

I wanted to do whatever she wished.

Burying the pain.

I decided to take out the sorrow after she left.

Though I had firmly made up my mind, I didn’t have a single peaceful day because of Yun-ah, whose soul seemed to come and go frequently.

I was anxious every day, every moment, fearing she might disappear without even saying goodbye.

She was like sand slipping through my fingers.

But I couldn’t show it, and eventually, she left forever.

Everything I had been barely holding onto collapsed.

I couldn’t do anything.

I couldn’t eat, sleep, or work.

All I could do was long for Yun-ah and suffer.

As I was deteriorating day by day, the real Leila Whyman came to see me.

“Your Majesty, please help me.”

I looked at her with dull eyes, devoid of will to live and light.

“I want to switch back with Yun-ah again. Your Majesty the Emperor is the only one who can do this.”

For the first time since Yun-ah left, I was able to come to my senses.

After that, things progressed quickly.

The Tower Master, court mage, and Gardio all gathered.

Unlike last time, this magic was more difficult because I was going myself.

The essential condition for this magic was not only on our side but also Yun-ah’s will was important.

That is, it was important whether she still wanted me or not.

It was difficult, but eventually I crossed the dimensional door and went directly to Yun-ah’s world, and met her again.

* * *

“Dad! Dad!”

“Yes?”

“Play with me. Play with me. With me.”

Our child, Hereis, was already five years old.

“Hereis! Mom told you to always use formal speech with Dad.”

Hereis pouted and then came into my arms.

“Mom only scolds me. I wanna be friends with Dad.”

“I don’t mind. Hereis can do whatever she wants!”

“Charte!”

Yun-ah glared at me with angry eyes.

“Because you always give in like that, Hereis’s behavior is getting worse. Soon the baby will be born too.”

Yun-ah’s face, pregnant with our second child, sharpened.

“Hereis, this won’t do. Dad has to listen to Mom well. Dad’s number one priority is always your mom, Her Majesty the Empress. So no more informal speech!”

I held the pouting Hereis and approached Yun-ah.

I kissed her, still as lovely as ever.

“Thanks to you, I’m happy today too, Yun-ah.”