I struggled to free my arm from Phoebe’s grip, but the clueless Phoebe, like a small dog trying to protect its owner, growled and clung to me tightly, baring her teeth at Emperor Eteria.

“Ha.”

I sighed and covered my eyes with my other hand. It was too embarrassing to look directly at Emperor Eteria’s face.

“A loyal subject.”

Emperor Eteria looked at Phoebe and chuckled, showing his teeth.

Phoebe flinched and soon shouted proudly.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t laugh like that! Even if you threaten me with such a scary face, you can’t send the Empress away!”

“Hmm. I was just smiling because my wife told me to smile, even though I look fierce. Strange.”

Emperor Eteria pressed the corners of his mouth upwards and snickered.

“My wife said it was cute.”

“What?!”

Phoebe and I asked in unison and then shut our mouths.

‘Was that the smile of business?’

And cute? Who on earth says that smile is cute! I grasped my dizzying consciousness and sorted out this confusing situation.

“So…… the smile you were showing me from the beginning…”

“It doesn’t look kind?”

“……You were smiling to look kind. And the words that you needed me to have fun were about becoming friends with Empress Eteria… right?”

“Is there anything else?”

Emperor Eteria tilted his head as if he could not understand. Phoebe looked at me and Emperor Eteria in astonishment, and slowly released her grip on my arm.

“I, I, I will leave now….”

And she quietly retreated. Emperor Eteria watched Phoebe leave and looked at me lowering my face in embarrassment, then laughed out loud.

“You thought I was choosing a successor?”

“……I can’t deny that. I’m sorry. It seems I was deeply mistaken.”

“It’s fine. It’s understandable. But my ideal woman isn’t one who’s as fragrant and delicate as flowers like the Empress. I like…”

Emperor Eteria smiled and turned his head. He was looking at the lodging where Emperor and Empress Eteria were staying.

That is, where Empress Eteria currently was.

“I like a woman who’s a general, who can overpower me like my wife. I’ve never seen a woman as strong as my wife in my life. I mean, there’s no woman who can satisfy me like my wife, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, yes….”

As he continued talking, I felt increasingly embarrassed and even felt unjustly sorry for Empress Eteria, who had merely greeted me from beyond the carriage.

“So.”

Emperor Eteria bent over, looking at a field flower swaying weakly in the wind, and muttered,

“Won’t you meet my wife? If you meet the Empress, who is called the Goddess of Fortune, my wife’s illness may improve.”

Though his face was impassive, Emperor Eteria pleaded with a sincere tone. I slowly turned my head to gaze at the lodging where Empress Eteria was staying.

“There’s no need to worry. It’s not a contagious disease like an epidemic. Neither I, who was next to her, nor the servants have ever caught it.”

Perhaps he thought I might be hesitant because of the illness, Emperor Eteria unusually went on and on.

‘I won’t catch an epidemic because of my divine power, so it doesn’t matter.’

I thought to myself and looked back at Emperor Eteria.

The Eteria Empire is a country with formidable military power. If a war breaks out in the future, as Jaerim once worried, they will provide invaluable support.

There’s nothing wrong with being indebted to them.

“Alright.”

I nodded, cutting off Emperor Eteria, who continued to go on and on. My nod made Emperor Eteria’s face brighten.

“Let’s go. To see the Empress.”

I followed him to meet Empress Eteria.

.

.

.

…Knock… Knock.

Emperor Eteria knocked cautiously. He knocked so gently that the sound was hardly audible.

‘Was he always like this?’

I stared in disbelief at the back of Emperor Eteria, who was putting his ear to the door to hear the sound from the other side.

“Come in.”
A cautious knock, and a spirited voice came from within. Emperor Eteria went in first, asking me to wait for a moment.

I could faintly hear a conversation and it seemed like he was explaining that I had arrived.

After a while, a servant came out and politely guided me in.

“……My husband has made you walk a long way. Please, come in.”

Upon entering, I saw an abundance of cute objects shaped like animals. Even a few items appeared to be handcrafted.

‘Ah…… She did say she likes cute animals.’

As I looked curiously at the cute animalshaped objects, showing interest, Empress Eteria smiled and spoke.

“I like cute animals. Whenever we find them on our travels, my husband buys them or even makes them for me.”

He made them? These cute items? The Emperor himself?

“Ah……. ”

“I’m late with the greetings. I’m Lisa Eteria. I didn’t expect a guest, so nothing is prepared. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m Teriella Leonharta.”

Empress Eteria, Lisa, leaned back and smiled with difficulty. Beside her, Emperor Eteria stood as restless as a gentle lamb.

“My husband is rather unusual. He insisted on bringing the Empress even when I told him there’s no need.”

“If there’s hope for my wife’s illness to get better, I can do even more.”