Chapter 12 – A Sleepless Night

At the same time.  

Seilia, who had just finished a refreshing bath, sat by her bed, rubbing her damp hair with a towel to dry it.  

Though it was already quite late, she knew there was no way she would fall asleep even if she lay down now. It was better to keep herself occupied. Forcing herself to sleep would only bring back those memories.  

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Seilia’s face turned bright red.  

“Ah… seriously.”  

She had never felt this embarrassed in her entire life, and she doubted she ever would again.  

But this incident wasn’t a blessing from the heavens she had observed from afar—it was a curse that had lodged itself firmly in her mind.  

There was another person tormented by this curse.  

Leo, too, was lying in bed, trying to sleep. He repeatedly tried to calm his restless heart, brushing it aside over and over again as he closed his eyes.  

But cruelly, the vivid memory of his bold interaction with Seilia replayed before him.  

He was painfully aware that he couldn’t take back what he had said.  

Leo knew he shouldn’t have done it, but like a fool, he had failed to hide his feelings and had let them slip out.  

Afterward, he had hurriedly fled the scene, unsure of how Seilia would react, hoping to gloss over the moment.  

How foolish must I have looked?  

Even as he recalled Seilia’s trembling expression, he couldn’t bring himself to lie anymore. While he tried to convince himself that he had done the right thing, the aftermath told him otherwise.  

“Ah.”  

He ruffled his golden hair, trying to hide his flushed face as he forced himself to attempt sleep again. Not that it would work, of course…  

That night, neither Seilia nor Leo could find rest.  

***

The next day.  

After Selection Day had passed, Seilia was seen in the annex’s study early in the morning, receiving her Empress training.  

As the Crown Princess designate, Seilia had already learned court etiquette during her previous visits to the Imperial Palace, but the Empress’s etiquette was distinctly different.  

Seilia spent her time diligently copying books provided by the head maid, committing their contents to memory.  

The head maid and other maids watching her couldn’t help but be amazed.  

She copied dozens of books by hand and memorized every single detail.  

They had heard she was intelligent, but they hadn’t expected this level of brilliance.  

Just then, there was a knock at the door.  

“Your Majesty, Baroness Hirven has arrived.”  

Still adjusting to being addressed as “Your Majesty” instead of “My Lady,” Seilia didn’t respond immediately. After being called several times, she finally looked up.  

For the first time since sitting down, Seilia left her seat and moved to the sofa nearby, where she sat down heavily and spoke.  

“Let her in.”  

The door opened, and Baroness Hirven entered, sitting across from Seilia as the latter adjusted her hair and took a moment to catch her breath.  

Baroness Hirven had been responsible for Seilia’s etiquette training since her childhood.  

Though she had been harsh when correcting mistakes, Seilia had never treated anyone disrespectfully, despite her reputation as a troublemaker in social circles. Of course, Princess Blair was an exception.  

“Your Majesty, you’ve caused another stir.”  

Ah, that topic again.  

The kiss from that day had become the subject of endless gossip and chatter.  

The memory of her kiss with Leo resurfaced, causing Seilia’s face to flush once more.  

Baroness Hirven, watching her closely, narrowed her eyes slightly before speaking again.  

“Now that you’re the Empress, was it really necessary to kiss him so publicly?”  

The kiss had sparked rumors that the two had been lovers all along, as well as accusations of favoritism and other baseless stories.  

Though the baroness’s scolding began the moment she sat down, Seilia didn’t seem particularly bothered—it was a familiar kind of nagging.  

“That’s enough of the scolding. I’d like to discuss something else.”  

Seilia subtly changed the subject, and the baroness, deciding there was no need to press further, sighed.  

After a brief silence, during which Baroness Hirven seemed to deliberate over where to begin, she finally spoke.  

“Let’s start with something simple. Currently, in the Belton Empire, both the late Emperor and Empress have passed away, and since His Majesty is an only child, there are no other imperial descendants to pose a threat.”  

Seilia’s expression suggested she didn’t understand why this topic had come up.  

“Therefore, Your Majesty, you only need to be cautious of Princess Blair moving forward.”  

Baroness Hirven’s calm demeanor left Seilia once again impressed.  

The Duke and Duchess of Ernian had entrusted Seilia’s etiquette training to Baroness Hirven for good reason.  

In social circles, even the smallest actions could lead to scandal.  

The House of Hirven had a reputation for quickly discerning right from wrong and knowing where to position themselves.  

Though some viewed the Hirven family as opportunistic and treacherous, their actions were always in the best interests of their house.  

Holding onto a rotten rope was pointless; if a new rope appeared, they would grab it without hesitation.  

This time, too, the rivalry with Princess Blair was purely political. Only a select few, aside from Seilia and Leo, were privy to the personal aspects of the situation.  

Baroness Hirven’s keen insight into such matters was truly remarkable.  

“Though she is no longer in the running for Empress, the position of royal consort remains.”  

Ah, Seilia had forgotten about that possibility.  

Indeed, Princess Blair wasn’t the type to give up so easily.  

She had abandoned her comfortable life in the Kingdom of Faelin two years ago to pursue the position of Empress in the Belton Empire.  

Having suffered such a humiliating defeat, Blair would stop at nothing to regain her footing.  

“But that decision ultimately rests with His Majesty.”  

“Of course. Come to think of it, the princess does seem well-suited for the role of consort.”  

Seilia smirked as she gazed out the window, though there was a hint of unease in her expression.  

***

In the Eastern Palace’s conference room.  

The grueling meeting that had begun in the morning was finally nearing its conclusion.  

“Well then, let’s wrap up this meeting…”  

Leo’s words were interrupted by one of the nobles.  

“Your Majesty, if I may speak.”  

Leo’s brow furrowed, and murmurs of disapproval filled the room.  

“What could be so important that you would interrupt His Majesty, Marquis Rean?”  

The Duke of Ernian, Seilia’s father, reprimanded the marquis, who ignored the rebuke and continued with a sneer.  

“Your Grace, should I now address your daughter as Her Majesty the Empress? Why must it always be the House of Ernian? While it’s true that your family has produced many empresses, isn’t this a matter of fairness?”  

It was a question that could reasonably be raised.  

The list of candidates for the Empress Selection had included prominent families, though none as influential as the House of Ernian.  

Given the Ernian family’s history of producing the most empresses, it was unsurprising that there had been opposition to yet another Ernian Empress.  

“Fairness?”  

Leo repeated the word coldly, his icy gaze sweeping over the room.  

“Do the rest of you share this sentiment?”  

The silence that followed was an answer in itself.  

Many of the nobles present had daughters who had been candidates, so they couldn’t outright disagree.  

“Let’s examine this so-called fairness, then.”  

With a wave of his hand, Leo gestured for Neir, who handed over a document.  

As Neir began reading aloud, the names of various noble families were listed.  

When Leo slammed the document onto the table, the room fell into stunned silence.  

The title of the document read: 

List of Corruption in the Empress Selection Process.  

“Do you still wish to speak of fairness, Marquis Rean?”  

Leo’s pointed question left the marquis speechless, his face pale.  

“I see many of you left your consciences at home. Perhaps you haven’t heard about the downfall of the House of Irmandi?”  

At the mention of the disgraced House of Irmandi, several nobles instinctively clutched their throats, as if suffocating.  

“Anyone who dares to challenge this matter or spread rumors will be shown exactly what fairness means.”  

The conference room fell deathly silent.  

Leo rose from his seat, his expression one of irritation, and delivered his final words.  

“I trust I won’t have to address this matter again.”  

As Leo left the room, the remaining nobles exhaled in relief.  

Leo rose from his seat and exited the room. Only then did the sound of relieved sighs fill the space, mixed with the reproachful murmurs directed at Marquis Rean from various corners.

“If you’d just stayed quiet, you could’ve salvaged at least half the situation. Why bring it up here and cause a scene?”

As the Duke of Ernian stood and left the meeting room, many followed him. Marquis Rean, however, remained seated, staring blankly into space with a dazed expression.

* * *

After a busy day, evening finally arrived.

On the terrace of the Emperor’s bedroom in the Southern Palace, Seilia and Leo sat across from each other, enjoying a simple dessert after their meal. The dinner was a formal affair dictated by external obligations, with little regard for their personal preferences—perhaps they weren’t even aware of them.

As Seilia was about to finish her small cake, she glanced at Leo, who was resting his chin on his hand, gazing out the window. She cautiously broke the silence.

“Um, you know…”

“Speak.”

Leo turned his gaze away from the window, taking a sip of water from his glass. His indifferent eyes met Seilia’s.

‘Might as well just say it,’ she thought, closing her eyes tightly. The issue that had been bothering her all day finally tumbled out of her mouth.

“Are you planning to take Princess Blair as your mistress?”

“Cough!”

Leo nearly spat out the water he was drinking and, unusually, burst into loud laughter.

“You’ve developed a habit of laughing at nonsense, haven’t you?”

Seilia glared at him as she popped the last piece of cake into her mouth, her tone filled with annoyance as she watched Leo struggle to suppress his laughter.

“Is there a reason I can’t take her as my mistress?”

What an insolent man.

She wanted to throw her fork at him.

There was no particular reason why he couldn’t. Their relationship was effectively over, and in noble society—or among other members of the imperial family—it was an unspoken rule that marriages were for alliances, while affairs were for love.

But why, then, did she feel such a strange, overwhelming sense of misery in her chest? She already knew that Leo had been involved with Princess Blair.

Placing her hand over her chest, she tried to suppress her unease and maintained a neutral expression.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I was just asking.”

Leo’s face twisted into an expression of dissatisfaction, as if he was displeased with her answer.

What kind of response was he expecting?

Pretending not to care, Seilia turned her gaze back to the window. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Then I’ll take one too.”

“What?”

Leo’s green eyes widened in genuine surprise. Seilia repeated herself clearly, as if to make sure he understood.

“I said, I’ll take a lover too.”

Leo let out a disbelieving laugh, then firmly cut her off.

“That’s not going to happen. Absolutely not.”

Seriously? Is this the classic case of “it’s romance when I do it, but adultery when you do”?

What about when he cheated a year ago? And now he says this?

A thousand retorts hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say any of them.

“Why not? Unlike you, I’ll find someone handsome and tall to be my lover.”

Seilia smiled brightly, a touch of mischief in her grin, as she met Leo’s increasingly sour expression head-on.

Why shouldn’t I?

Leo stared at her with a blank expression before finally speaking.

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?”

Seilia tilted her head, puzzled.

“I’m not taking Princess Blair as my mistress.”

Ah.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips before she could stop it. Why was she acting like this? Her heart raced at the thought that he might have noticed.

Leo cleared the dishes in front of her and sat back down, leaning slightly toward her. He stared at her intently.

“So, what about you? What are you going to do?”

With a swift motion, he reached out and grabbed Seilia’s chin, pulling her closer in an instant.

Seilia stammered, caught off guard.

“W-What do you mean…?”

“You know what I mean. Are you going to take a lover?”

Unlike the flustered Seilia, Leo remained calm, his gaze piercing. It was clear he wouldn’t accept any answer other than “no.”

“It’s my choi—”

Seilia began, but the force with which he pulled her closer made her change her words mid-sentence. It wasn’t hard to do, especially since she hadn’t meant what she was saying in the first place.

“No.”

Satisfied, Leo returned to his seat. He adjusted his posture, his mood seemingly improved—though perhaps that was just her imagination.