Despite Melina’s detailed excuses, Nian silently stared at the flower for a long time, only speaking when Melina was almost on the verge of tears, as if suddenly coming to her senses. Her face was incredibly warm.

“It’s okay, Melina. The type of flower doesn’t matter.”

“Huh?”

“……”

Yes, Melina. The flower isn’t important. What matters is that he sent it, and the feelings it contains. Even if it was changed due to a cute mistake on the way, it doesn’t matter. Because it was delivered so perfectly. Nian felt like she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Thank you, Melina. This is the most beautiful flower I’ve ever received.”

How could it not be? Though it was quite crushed from being carried by the small child and had lost several petals, making it look awkward, it was filled with the hearts of the two people she loved most, emitting such a fragrant scent.

That alone made her feel like she possessed the whole world. Nian put down Melina whom she had been holding. She kissed her daughter’s peach-red cheeks and thanked her, making Melina smile brightly.

“Melina, can you stay in the East Palace by yourself?”

“Where’s Mama going?”

“Mama has somewhere to go.”

“Where?”

To her lovely daughter who tilted her head curiously, Nian answered with a bright smile. Of course, Melina stuck out her tongue, saying it was cheesy.

“To the person I love most in the world.”

Nian left the workshop. Her steps were quite urgent.

Dade, whom she thought would be in the study, was nowhere to be found—not in the study or anywhere else in the Main Palace. Somehow desperately wanting to see him, Nian grew increasingly anxious. After waiting in the study, she finally couldn’t bear it anymore and rushed out of the Main Palace.

Thinking they might have missed each other, she headed to the East Palace, but he wasn’t there either. After wandering for a long time, a sudden thought came to her, and Nian ran toward the forest. Though she tried to walk as carefully as possible, her urgency made it impossible to hold back.

As she reached the entrance to the forest, memories suddenly came flooding back. Here, she had been curled up crying, and he had embraced her firmly.

Back then, she had found him so unkind. Later, when she asked about that time, Dade said that her tears falling on his chest felt like something breaking inside him. That’s why he wanted to find whoever made the Empress cry and strangle them.

Passing through the entrance and walking through the forest, she saw him, reminiscing about that time, scolding her for being so reserved. He recalled that his type was a woman with black hair, a clear voice, and a cold expression.

Along with the cheesy line that she was just the right person for his picky personality.

Come to think of it, he had never been reserved; he had always been a sweet person whispering words of love. She had just been too dense to notice.

Passing through the forest, she finally saw what had once been their herb garden. And there, Dade stood looking at her as if he had known she would come. Nian stopped.

Tears burst forth uncontrollably, making her chest heave. At this sight, Dade opened his arms. After a moment’s hesitation, Nian ran and fell into his embrace.

His arms were, as always, warm and fragrant. As he gently soothed the sobbing Nian with affectionate hands, he spoke.

“Ah, you’re still such a crybaby, now as before. I wondered who Melina took after to be so tearful, but it was all because of you.”

“Did you…… wait long?”

“It doesn’t matter, no matter how long it took, what’s important is that you came.”

Dade carefully detached Nian from his arms. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and caressed her face. After looking up at his blue eyes for a moment, Nian placed her hand on the back of his hand that was caressing her cheek and whispered softly.

“May I kiss you?”

Dade looked at her deeply with darkened eyes before smiling faintly. Then he carefully knelt before her, who always had to stand on tiptoe. Nian looked at him in surprise, but he answered while looking up at her.

“If you would.”

He closed his eyes. Sniffling and exhaling a moist breath, Nian lowered her head to him. His face was stubbly with ungroomed beard around his mouth, as if he had been troubled lately. She lightly kissed his chin, then pressed her lips against his.

She extended her shy tongue to lick his lower lip, and when his lips parted slightly, she pushed her tongue through the gap. Their saliva mixed as their tongues entwined inside their mouths.

Finally pulling away, Nian kissed him briefly once more before smiling shyly, and Dade pulled her close.

“Ah!”

Nian fell into his arms with a short scream, and Dade lay back while holding her. This place, once overflowing with green herbs, had now become a soft lawn, and the two lovers lay there looking up at the sky.

The sky, without a single cloud, was completely blue like his eyes, and looking at it felt like meeting his gaze. As Nian stared endlessly at the sky, Dade, lying beside her, hesitated briefly before speaking.

“I’m sorry about that day. If I had known you would hate it so much, I wouldn’t have done it.”

Nian felt like crying again, feeling sorry for him who always confessed both love and apologies first.

“No, Your Majesty. I didn’t hate it.”

“……”

How could she hate it? No matter how many times they kissed, his kisses were always one of the things that made Nian’s heart flutter. Of course, not just his kisses, but also his blue eyes and deep voice. And his golden hair as well. In truth, Nian was excited and thrilled by everything about him.

“I received the flower well.”

Dade smiled brightly.

“I chose a reliable courier, so of course you did.”

Nian chuckled and handed him the flower Melina had brought, and Dade looked at it in disbelief.

“Ah, it was definitely a red rose…… How did it turn white?”

“Who knows. Perhaps the courier you chose was a magician.”

Dade couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Somehow, he seemed to know exactly what had happened without being told. His laughter made the world seem to brighten, and Nian laughed loudly along with him.

After that day, the Empress returned to the Main Palace. The tension, once like walking on thin ice, melted as spring arrived. The Emperor, like a lazy cat basking in the warmth, spent his days humming with contentment.

* * *

Dade was pretending not to notice Nian, who kept hovering around his desk, as he scribbled with his fountain pen. He had already asked several times if she had something to say, but she only smiled meaningfully without answering.

In his heart, he wanted to pull her into his arms and tickle an answer out of her, but if he did that, they would inevitably end up in the bedroom. Since it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to approve documents then, he was holding back.

Especially lately, he had only been sitting at his desk without actually processing any work, so the pile had grown mountainous. If he postponed work any longer, the Finance Minister’s blood pressure might explode.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Dade put down his fountain pen and addressed the lovely distraction.

“Ah…… wife, if you don’t have any business, I’d appreciate it if you went to the bedroom first?”

“Well, I might have something.”

“……”

She continued to just smile brightly. Finally, he stood up and slowly approached her. Then he lightly embraced her and smiled playfully.

“I wonder how I can extract your confession.”

“My. Are you planning to use a whip?”

He gently caressed her lips, which were mischievously deflecting his questions.

“If you’ll let me tie you up, by all means.”

Nian burst out laughing. She gently pushed him away, as if unable to handle his absurd words spoken with such seriousness. Free from his embrace, she took on a slightly smug expression.

“Don’t you notice anything different about me?”

Nian casually asked that question that makes all men tremble with fear, looking at him with expectant eyes. Dade looked at her curiously for a moment, then stepped back to examine her carefully.

White skin with luscious hair flowing down to her waist. Black eyes that took on a slight brown tint in the sunlight. Nose, lips, neck.

Nothing had changed about her; she was still just a beautiful person.

“Let’s see…… Lip color?”

Come to think of it, she who usually wore very light lip color had applied quite a red tint. Nian chuckled and shook her head. It seemed it wasn’t her face.

“I think I need to look ‘more closely’ to tell?”

He stepped forward again and pulled at her clothing knots with slow movements. For some reason, Nian only blushed slightly without stopping his mischievous hands.

As the tightly fastened knot came undone, her light silk dress flowed down past her waist. Nian looked up at him, appearing somewhat tense in her half-n*ked state, and he stepped back a couple of paces to look her over as if appreciating her.

Dazzlingly white skin. A clear collarbone below her slender neck. Small but firm br*asts. A slim waist. His blue eyes darkened slightly. Nian asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“Can you tell now?”

“Let’s see…… That you’re even fairer than yesterday?”

“……”

“Or that the marks on your chest have faded a bit?”

“……”

“Not that either.”

He strode forward as if unable to endure any longer. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against his body.