“I will not deny that we are alive today because of Your Majesty’s mercy. However even if that had not been the case, we would not have begged for our lives out of desperation.”

Though his face was flushed with drink, Harbat spoke slowly, his voice calm and sincere.

“Therefore, I wish to make it clear that this old man taking a seat in the council is not an act of submission to the Empire’s command. Would Your Majesty agree to that?”

As if to prove his earlier words were no mere formality, Harbat boldly posed the question.

If Ahazan chose not to overlook such insolence dismissing the mercy he had been shown Harbat could very well be made to pay with his life, here and now.

“I kept you alive because I had use for you. I have never shown you mercy, so do not think you have received any.”

Ahazan spoke with a relaxed smile, his face betraying not the slightest trace of drunkenness.

And yet, there was nothing lenient about him.

In his eyes, fixed on Harbat, was a quiet confidence one that would not overlook even the smallest misstep.

“Likewise, my proposal was never an order to begin with. The word submission does not belong in this conversation. If you choose to refuse it, the loss will be yours alone.”

Tilting his head slightly, Ahazan narrowed his eyes.

“That said… I am curious. What do you mean when you say you accepted my proposal because of my wife?”

As the topic shifted to her, Clodine lifted her chin slightly, focusing more intently on the conversation.

Harbat’s expression softened somewhat as he responded, his words once again slightly slurred.

“Didn’t Her Majesty say… that she understands very well how much we wish to return to our homeland?”

Perhaps it was the alcohol weighing on his eyelids but as he looked at Clodine, the corners of his eyes curved downward as though smiling.

For a moment, Clodine seemed frozen, unsure what he meant.

Then, as realization dawned, a soft ‘Ah…’ escaped her lips.

Harbat’s smile grew clearer.

“And you also said… that we are not here for no reason.”

At those words, Clodine understood exactly what he was referring to.

Her mind returned to that conversation the one she had shared with little Elena at the edge of the village.

‘You came here to protect Jenis and Pita. The reason they can live safely there… is because you are here.’

‘Does that mean I’m a hero protecting them?’

‘That’s right. I thought you were just kind but you’re clever too.’

Clodine looked at Harbat, her expression tinged with disbelief.

“…Don’t tell me.”

“I didn’t mean to overhear… but my apologies.”

“I didn’t realize anyone was watching.”

“It was simply… too pleasant to look away.”

Harbat said this without the slightest hint of guilt.

A faint blush rose to Clodine’s cheeks.

Realizing that he had heard everything that day left her feeling unexpectedly embarrassed.

It wasn’t that she had spoken falsely to comfort the child but the exaggerated tone she had used, the small commotion caused by her hunger afterward…

none of it quite suited her dignity.

“In any case… just as Your Majesty said that day, I too will endure bravely while waiting for the day I may return home with pride.”

Though those had been words tailored to a child’s understanding, there was no reason for Clodine to correct him.

If they had led Harbat to such a decision then that alone was enough.

***

“It seems there are things between the two of you that I am not aware of.”

Ahazan’s voice cut in suddenly, drawing both Clodine’s and Harbat’s attention to him.

With one brow deliberately furrowed, he feigned displeasure.

Clodine let out a quiet laugh and played along.

“You don’t need to know everything that happens to me.”

“It appears His Majesty the Emperor is more narrow-minded than he looks.”

Harbat sided with Clodine in his rough voice.

At his increasingly drunken remarks, everyone including Ahazan burst into laughter.

Thanks to Clodine’s role, Harbat Kesen was brought into the reform faction more smoothly than expected.

With that, the last traces of stiffness among the people quickly dissolved.

Of course, the warm fragrance of the wine and the lively rhythm of percussion music also played their part.

“Ah, that’s right! When it comes to music and dance, no one surpasses us!”

Beside Harbat, who was now nodding heavily, drunk, a man looked around the tents and shouted boisterously.

From afar, someone else jumped to their feet and answered.

“Exactly! Now that our Prime Minister has forged a new agreement with the Empire, let us cast aside the past and celebrate together with dance!”

“Agreed!”

“I can hardly believe it’s been so long since we last had a festival like this!”

Clodine blinked in surprise at how quickly the atmosphere in the courtyard had transformed.

People, so drunk it was hard to distinguish between imperial citizens and those of the former kingdom gathered together in the wide open space at the center.

The percussion quickened.

Then, someone added the soft, lilting sound of a flute creating music lively enough for group dancing, even if imperfect.

Men and women alike joined hands, dancing freely.

Though such movements might have been considered crude in noble society in this moment, no one cared.

They clapped, stomped, and laughed together.

Even just watching, the joy in the air was infectious.

Without realizing it, Clodine found a faint smile forming on her lips.

At that moment, Ahazan rose from his seat and extended one hand toward her.

“Clodine… shall we join them?”

Clodine wiped the smile from her face and whispered sharply, wary of being overheard.

“Are you out of your mind?”

As if he had expected that exact reaction, Ahazan replied without the slightest hint of being affected.

“If you take my hand, I’ll look somewhat sane, at least.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

Clodine leaned back into her chair and rejected him outright.

But Ahazan did not back down. With one hand, he enclosed both of hers where they rested neatly in her lap.

“Sorry, but you don’t get to refuse.”

A playful, teasing smile flickered across his face.

Clodine pressed her elbows firmly against her sides to keep from being pulled forward and whispered back,

“What do you mean I can’t refuse?”

“Did you forget? You lost our wager earlier. The loser has to grant the winner’s wish.”

“You only won because you used a trick that was unfair…!”

“Was there a rule that said I couldn’t?”

“Isn’t that obvious without saying?”

“Then fine. Stay a proud and honorable loser forever, Clodine. That works out perfectly for me.”

With shameless ease, Ahazan teased her and then, using strength she couldn’t resist, pulled her up from her seat.

Unable to make a scene, Clodine could only protest in a hushed voice meant for him alone.

“What kind of dance is this, all of a sudden…! Let go of me…!”

Finding her reaction endlessly amusing, Ahazan simply laughed and led her into the crowd of dancers, their hands still intertwined.

Perhaps even he thought it would be excessive for the Emperor to drag the Empress into a completely unrestrained danceso instead, he slipped his arm smoothly around her waist and took a proper waltz stance.

“At last… I get to dance with you like this.”

His voice, low and soft, brushed against her ears so different from her desperate whispers.

Now that they had already taken their positions, stopping would only be more embarrassing.

With a quiet resignation, Clodine allowed her rigid body to lean into him.

After all that was where a waltz began.

“I missed this.”

Murmuring softly, Ahazan guided her movements, gently leading her steps in time with the music.

“Standing like this, close enough for our bodies to touch… moving to the same rhythm.”

Clodine followed his lead instinctively.

It had been so long since they last danced together that she had thought she might have forgotten but she hadn’t.

To anyone watching, they moved as though they were one body, tracing a seamless, mesmerizing pattern through the air.

And as their steps grew more intimate, Ahazan’s whispers grew more seductive.

“Of course… it doesn’t compare to what we share in bed… but this is a rare pleasure in its own way, don’t you think?”

His low, intoxicating voice nearly made her lose her footing.

From the moment his hand had settled at her waist, Clodine had been tense.

Whenever she danced with Ahazan, she always felt as though she had become an instrument one played by a captivating musician.

When he pulled her close, she would tilt with him.

When he moved, her body and heart would follow, spinning until she felt as though she had been reborn as music itself.

“This is dangerous.”

The voice she had hoped would fall silent continued once more.

As if holding her close wasn’t enough, Ahazan drew her in completely, leaving no space between them as he lowered his lips near her ear.

Her heart pounded wildly.

She couldn’t even tell whose heartbeat it was anymore.

Pressed together like that, the sound echoed between them rising and falling, leaving behind a lingering imprint as vivid as his voice.

“Being like this… makes me want to be alone with you so badly it’s driving me mad.”