Chapter 97 – Blood, Food, and a Strange Dream  

As Leo glared at Neir with eyes full of irritation, as if asking if he was being looked down upon, Neir quickly tried to calm him down and explained.  

“Your Majesty, you’ve never cooked before, have you?”  

“…That’s true.”  

“The most important thing right now is the taste, the taste! Not difficult gourmet dishes, but delicious food that will stimulate Her Majesty the Empress’s appetite.”  

Neir, emphasizing the word “delicious” syllable by syllable, seemed to have finally gotten through to Leo. His stubborn expression softened considerably.  

“Then, what should I do?”  

Why are you asking me that? You’re the Emperor, Your Majesty! Decide for yourself!

Neir suppressed his true feelings, which were screaming inside, and instead ordered his aide to quickly bring a beginner’s cookbook.  

“Let’s start by finding a dish you want to make from here and trying to cook it.”  

Neir, convinced that this would take quite a long time, looked out at the slowly dimming yellow sky with eyes full of resignation.  

* * *

At that time, Marse, noticing how lethargic Seilia had been recently, prepared her bedding early so she could take a short nap before dinner.  

As soon as Seilia lay down, she fell into a deep sleep as if bewitched. And in that state, she began to dream.  

The dream felt overwhelmingly vivid, so much so that it was unnervingly eerie and even a bit frightening.  

In the pitch-black darkness, light suddenly began to flood in.  

Seilia squinted her eyes, which had momentarily blurred, and soon realized where the background of her dream was.  

‘The Imperial City…?’  

It was the Imperial City.  

‘Is this the rear garden…?’  

At first glance, it looked like the rear garden where she often went to rest.  

However, there were subtle differences.  

There was a massive tree she had never seen before, perfectly shading the area, and the newly laid grass was scattered with unknown toys and wooden rocking horses made of expensive materials.  

It was undoubtedly the rear garden of the Imperial Palace, but its appearance seemed slightly altered.  

As Seilia wandered around, she noticed faint gray outlines in the distance.  

‘Huh?’  

Upon closer inspection, the outlines gradually became more detailed and vivid.  

Her eyes, which had been staring blankly, soon widened in shock.  

“Leo?”  

It was undoubtedly Leo.  

It was Leo, but… his body was much, much smaller.  

He looked about six or seven years old.  

Even as a child, he resembled Leo so much that it was striking. Handsome, just as he was now, like a young prince straight out of a myth.  

The cold impression, the devilish eyes that captivated people, the sharp nose like a mountain peak, and the red lips—all of it mirrored Leo.  

That young Prince Leo was clinging to someone’s arm, arguing about something.  

Shifting her gaze from the young Leo, Seilia’s eyes were once again filled with shock.  

This time, it was herself.  

A younger version of herself, resembling the portraits scattered throughout her home, appeared in the dream.  

The little Seilia, who seemed two or three years younger than the young Leo, was standing there.  

The resemblance was uncanny.  

The young Seilia, who was the target of young Leo’s argument, suddenly grabbed his hair and threw him to the ground.  

The young Leo, looking bewildered, stared at her in confusion as she twisted his arm with her tiny fingers.  

Seilia felt oddly displeased.  

The fact that this little version of herself, practically her doppelgänger, was already showing such mischievous tendencies was unsettling.  

Why was she dreaming of such a scene?  

Why were these miniature versions of herself and Leo appearing in her dream?  

It was a dream she had never had before.  

She wanted to observe a bit longer, but the figures of the little versions of herself and Leo started to fade away.  

It felt as though she was being pushed backward within the dream, dragged into the dark void.  

Just as she felt dizzy and nauseous…  

“Seilia!”  

She heard someone calling her desperately.  

Seilia immediately sat up.  

But as soon as she did, her face hurt intensely.  

She had collided with something hard, and the pain made her clutch her face, groaning in agony. When she opened her eyes, she saw Leo’s perfectly sculpted nose bleeding profusely.  

This was bad.  

Bright red drops of blood fell from Leo’s nose onto the white carpet beneath Seilia’s bed.  

“Y-Your Majesty the Emperor—!!”  

“Oh my, there’s blood…”  

The startled attendants rushed to bring towels and called for the palace physician.  

Meanwhile, both Seilia and Leo remained frozen, unable to say a word.  

Judging by the situation and the pain she had felt when she sat up, Seilia quickly realized that she was the one who had caused Leo’s nosebleed. She covered her mouth in shock.  

On the other hand, Leo, still in disbelief, hadn’t fully registered that the liquid dripping from his nose was blood.  

Even during the busiest months of his reign, buried in state affairs, he had never once had a nosebleed.  

But now, he was bleeding.  

From colliding with Seilia’s face.  

Amid the commotion, Leo finally regained his composure and waved off the attendants fussing over him.  

“It’s fine. Just bring me something to stop the bleeding.”  

It was just a nosebleed; there was no need for the palace physician. Leo pressed a cloth to his nose to stop the bleeding.  

Seilia, still sitting upright with a dazed expression, was struggling to process the situation.  

Eventually, she snapped out of it and jumped to her feet.  

“Leo… what should I do…?”  

Her voice trembled as she looked at him with teary eyes. Leo waved his hand to reassure her.  

“It’s fine. Calm down.”  

Seilia was more flustered than anyone else, even the attendants.  

She felt incredibly guilty. She had injured her husband, who had only come to wake her up.  

“See? The bleeding has stopped.”  

Leo removed the cloth that the attendant had been holding to his nose and smiled as if it was truly nothing.  

How could he possibly say he was in pain in front of his worried wife? The bleeding had already stopped, but Seilia, standing on her tiptoes, continued to examine his face closely.  

“I’m really fine. Let’s have dinner, Empress.”  

Breaking off her concerns, Leo dismissed some of the attendants who had gathered and began preparing for their meal.  

Ah, right.  

It was finally time to taste the dish Leo had so confidently promised to cook earlier.  

Was she becoming forgetful?  

In the past, she would have remembered such things perfectly, but lately, she had been frequently forgetting even small details. No matter how much she slept, her body always felt stiff and sluggish.  

As Seilia sat down and lightly rotated her shoulders, Leo, seated across from her, asked, 

“Is something bothering you?”  

Perhaps she had slept in an awkward position. Even earlier, when she had just woken up, her eyes looked hollow and dark, and under the bright light now, she appeared even more so.  

“No, I slept comfortably, but I’ve been feeling a bit off lately.”  

Her body constantly felt lethargic and heavy. Adding this, Seilia noticed Leo’s expression darken and quickly tried to lighten the mood while waiting for the food to arrive.  

Finally, the attendants brought in the dishes and lifted the lids.  

As soon as they were opened, the delicious aroma of the food spread throughout the room.  

It was an overwhelmingly mouthwatering smell.  

The neatly plated, vibrantly colored omelet looked particularly appetizing.  

‘Huh? It doesn’t smell strange.’  

Seilia, who was suddenly struck with surprise, glanced at Leo, who couldn’t help but suppress his laughter.  

He felt quite proud.  

He had discovered the joy of cooking.  

Seeing the person he most wanted to enjoy his food react with such delight was so fulfilling and joyous.  

Perhaps he might even consider taking up cooking as a hobby.  

“Go on, try it.”  

Resting his chin slightly on his hand, Leo handed Seilia a fork, urging her to take a bite. Unable to resist his prodding, Seilia firmly grasped the fork and took a small piece of the omelet.  

Hmm?

‘It feels a bit dry….’  

The texture was noticeably drier than it was soft.  

But even so…  

‘It’s delicious.’  

It was delicious.  

Truly delicious.  

Her expression, which had momentarily become hesitant, brightened again after just a few bites. Seeing this, Leo, who had been nervously awaiting her reaction, grinned widely.  

His smile stretched so far it practically touched his ears.  

“Is it good, Empress?”  

Say it aloud.

Leo reached out, tucking Seilia’s hair behind her ear as he continued to ask.  

“Yes, it’s very good. Very delicious.”  

Even though she wasn’t particularly hungry, it slid down her throat so smoothly and satisfyingly.  

It was incredibly delicious.  

“Then that means I’ve won, right?”  

Wanting to hear confirmation, Leo spoke with a triumphant tone.  

The exterior was dry, and the sauce was too thick. She wanted to bluntly point this out, but…  

“Yes, you’ve won. You’re amazing, truly.”  

Instead, she replaced her critique with a sweet smile.  

How could she say anything harsh when he looked so pleased?  

Of course, saying it was delicious wasn’t a lie.  

For someone like Leo, who had never cooked before, making something like this—even if it was a simple dish—was truly impressive.  

Considering the efforts of Neir and the attendants, who were likely exhausted in the kitchen, it was practically a masterpiece.