Patricia, frowning at the bright light, opened her eyes to the heavy weight pressing down on her body. Harchen was lying on his side, pressing down on her body.

There was enough space between their faces to see each other, but below, their bodies were so entangled that they couldn’t move.

Ah, I with this man…

Patricia recalled their passionate moments and blushed.

They had delved deeply into each other. The bedroom ceiling was also circular with a glass ceiling, and the sky looked as if bluish water might drip down.

Only when the dawn light shining through the ceiling illuminated the room did Harchen wipe her clean and embrace her, cradling her head on his arm.

Patricia gazed at Harchen’s face as he slept with his cheek against her hair.

Like a heavenly statue. She never dared to approach and touch him, but somehow it ended up like this.

The moment she first saw him in the academy corridor, she felt overwhelmed by his beauty.

She had heard too much about him from Patrick and thought she was prepared, but when she actually saw his unrealistic appearance like a heavenly statue, her heart sank.

At least his low voice reminded her of reality. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. But that was as far as it went.

His attitude of having the world at his feet and his dogmatic tone were arrogant. Patricia wasn’t captivated by his splendor enough to overlook his arrogance.

Whenever she happened to meet Harchen, she treated him like a heavenly statue. To her, he was from another world, something to be viewed from afar just once in a while.

When did her consistent impression of him begin to change?

Was it the day he waited in Patricia’s bedroom while she was bathing to deliver news of Patrick? No. The night they arrived in Karsik, after losing the sword match, she went to his office and he listened to her words seriously.

That was the first time she looked at this man carefully without prejudice.

She felt sincerity from him, but she didn’t want to fall for it rashly. Attraction, sincerity, happiness, love. She was rather strict about being swept away by such intangible emotions.

Having experienced the cruelty of Emperor Kazan, her blood relative, and her mother’s coldness since she couldn’t remember, she resolved never to beg for affection. She cut off such consumptive emotions with a sharpened sword.

But if this overwhelming and fluttering feeling she was experiencing now was happiness, she was completely happy. Patricia wanted to indulge in this happiness just a little bit more. Yes, just a little more.

She murmured inwardly as she gazed at his face. His straight eyebrows cast a shadow below his thick eyelashes.

Patricia slowly pulled out her arm pinned under his bicep. The inside of her wrist and arm were mottled with traces of Harchen’s lips.

She pressed her fingertip against his straight eyebrow bone. She traced down his straight nose bridge and outlined his distinct lips.

Below his straight nose bridge, the corners of his lips turned up as if smiling. It seemed like he was pretending to be asleep.

Hick.

She was startled. The moment her hand touched his lips, his entangled legs moved. It was hot. At the same time, her nerves stood on end, and a certain point came alive, pressing closer and expanding.

Then Harchen opened his eyes wide and smiled slowly.

“Are you seducing me?”

A cool breeze came in through the open window.

Patricia raised her upper body and turned her head away, avoiding Harchen’s gaze as he stared down at her.

“What? When did you wake up?”

“I didn’t sleep.”

Harchen turned her cheek towards him and brought his face even closer.

“No, why?”

“My heart was too full? Are you done admiring my face?”

He reached out and traced her eyebrow bone, nose, and lip contour in the same order she had just touched him. Then he brought her curly hair to his nose and inhaled its scent.

“Now tell me. Who do you like better, Patrick or me?”

“What kind of strange question is that?”

Harchen stroked down from her nape with the back of his hand. He pressed his lips against hers and said,

“Seems you’re still conflicted. You can’t do this with Patrick.”

“The question itself is unfair!”

“Didn’t you know? Being pushy is my charm.”

Harchen lifted Patricia up and placed her on top of him, raising his upper body to lean against the bed’s headboard. His muscular build tempted her right before her eyes.

She placed her palms on him as if looking for a gap. He grabbed both her wrists with one hand, lowered them, and met her gaze.

“Now, I, the Emperor of the Karsik Empire, will make an important proclamation for the eternal development of the empire.”

He clenched his fist, cleared his throat, and spoke solemnly with a serious expression. Patricia hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should listen in this position, then raised her sparkling eyes.

“I’m going to do it every day.”

Patricia squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away sharply.

“You should look at me.”

Harchen released her two wrists he was holding, made her grab his shoulders, and held the back of her head to meet her gaze.

“So it’s troublesome. Will you come out of White Palace and into the main palace with me?”

“Don’t be pushy. As I recall, the head chamberlain and head lady-in-waiting decide the day of consummation.”

“Then I’ll come to you every day, how about that?”

Patricia cupped his cheeks with both hands.

“Harchen. I like looking at you like this. Not because you’re handsome, but because it’s you. So, let’s take it slow.”

“You’ve already learned how to manage me?”

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Thump thump.

The sound of someone knocking on the entrance door of Aster Palace was heard. At first, it was a small knock with hands, but when there was no answer, it turned into pounding with fists.

“Your Majesty, it’s Calip.”

That bastard.

“He’s crazy.”

“Lord Calip?”

As Patricia tried to raise her body in surprise, Harchen grabbed her waist and pressed her down.

“Where are you trying to go? Just stay.”

He pulled her towards him, embracing her and cradling her head.

“Calip. Do you want to die?”

“Your Majesty, I apologize. An urgent matter, no, an incident has occurred.”

“Wait. I’m in a hurry too.”

Harchen calmly placed his lips on Patricia’s shoulder.

“Your Majesty, I apologize. It would be best if you hear the report and judge.”

“Come in.”

“I want to get up.”

“Just a moment. I don’t want to separate. Stay like this.”

As Patricia tried to raise her body in surprise, Harchen held her even tighter and covered her neck with the blanket.

“Don’t come into the bedroom, report from there. What is it?”

“Uh. Last night, Emperor Kazan of Tane was attacked at Dusae Palace.”

“……! What?”

At that moment, both Harchen and Patricia thought of Patrick and Eden.

The word ‘attacked’ meant… failure, not success!

Patricia got up from the bed and went to the dressing room.

Harchen immediately followed her and embraced her in his arms as she stood trembling, clutching her nightgown, and brought her back to the bedroom.

“Calip. Didn’t Patrick say he was postponing the operation to the Empress’s birthday?”

Harchen tried to help Patricia put on her nightgown, but with two pieces of cloth and numerous strings attached, he didn’t know how to dress her and just pulled at the strings.

“Yes. Your Majesty, I heard the same and that’s what I understood.”

“So the attacker was caught?”

Harchen asked about the assassin’s situation rather than Emperor Kazan’s well-being.

“Well, they caught the culprit right away and he’s currently at Dusae Palace. I went to see, but Tane’s Empress said she would report to Your Majesty directly.”

Patricia, who was trying to put on the nightgown she had received from Harchen’s hands, clutched the clothes and sank down.

“Eden, Lord Eden!”

“No, Patricia. It’s too sloppy to be Patrick’s doing. It could be the Torun Kingdom.”

Harchen mentioned the Torun Kingdom to reassure Patricia, but he couldn’t be certain.

He had visited the King of Torun staying at Anatole Palace and walked with him along the red wall path.

At that time, he had informed him that the honeymoon was planned for the Torun Kingdom and Patrick would visit as well. Though he didn’t say it outright, he had hinted at planning an operation.

And Patrick was planning to visit the garnet mine operated by the Lasbur merchant group. The King of Torun wasn’t one to proceed independently without consulting Patrick.

Then… who could it be?

Harchen embraced Patricia, laid her on the bed, and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

“Don’t worry and stay here.”

He quickly put on his clothes while giving instructions.

“Calip. First, call for a lady-in-waiting.”

“They’re already on standby.”

“Let them in. And Calip, go to Notos Palace yourself to check, then come to Dusae Palace. I’m heading to Dusae Palace now.”

“Shall I have a carriage ready?”

“No. A horse is faster.”

“As you command.”

Harchen approached Patricia after dressing, brushed her hair back, and wiped her eyes.

“It won’t be what Patricia is worried about. I’ll go find out and come back to tell you, so wait here.”

Harchen meant to give her a light kiss on the lips for comfort, but it unknowingly turned into a deep kiss. Patricia pushed him away.

“Go quickly.”

Harchen. Crazy bastard. Even at a time like this.

Harchen wiped his lips and turned sharply to open the bedroom door. Eva and Anna, who were waiting outside the door, greeted him. The young maid who used to cling to Patricia like a fan was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Tane’s young maid?”

“Well. Ani fell asleep early yesterday evening and wouldn’t wake up no matter how much we shook her.”

“I see, go in and take good care of her.”

“Yes, as Your Majesty wishes.”

In the garden of Aster Palace, knights including Lean and Bern were waiting with horses. Harchen swiftly mounted a horse and rode straight towards Dusae Palace.

As he rode, his face gradually reddened. He was bewildered by the unfamiliar sensation he had never felt while riding a horse his entire life.

He thought it was because the excitement from the night and dawn’s pleasure hadn’t subsided. Harchen pulled the reins to increase speed even more.

Patricia… she was ecstatic.

With her cheeks tinged pink, looking up at him shyly, she was lovely just to look at.

Harchen’s eyes grew hot. He had never experienced such emotions in his life. Like waves rushing onto a sandy beach, his heart swelled with emotion.

If angels existed in heaven, she would be one. No, she was more beautiful and powerful than an angel.

Even if they fell into an empty world with nothing but Patricia, even if it were hell, he felt they would be happy as long as they were close together.

Just thinking of Patricia made his pulse race faster. He wanted to reach her even a little quicker. He grew urgent and spurred the horse on.

Harchen didn’t care at all about the Tane Emperor’s well-being. He only wanted to leave the shooting incident, which was clearly not from Patrick’s side, to Calip and return to Aster Palace.

Only when he arrived at Dusae Palace and saw Tane’s knights standing in line with swords drawn, who had been staying outside the palace using the shooting incident as an excuse, did his heated reason return to cold rationality.

The imperial advisor waiting in the garden approached and informed him that the ministers had already arrived and were waiting. The emperor gritted his teeth and entered the reception room of Dusae Palace.

“We greet the burning golden sun of the empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”

Empress Pamila, dressed in a dark green dress, greeted with perfect makeup that covered even her facial features and expressions.

Could it be… a self-staged act by the Empress’s side? But there was no reason to come all the way here for that.