Is this a dream or reality? I had not been sleeping well since dreaming of Noah, so a brief nap felt heavenly. However, waking up in the middle made my head fuzzy.
“…Quite pitiful.”
“Ah…”
At the emperor’s typically insolent words, I hastily touched my head, though my hair wasn’t particularly messy.
Did I have sleep in my eyes? Or maybe I drooled because I was sleeping so soundly? I quickly wiped my face.
“Interesting.”
“Yes?”
“Are the children still asleep?”
“It’s nap time. Do you have something to say?”
“Yes.”
I resolutely shook my head. Disturbing nap time was strictly taboo, even for an emperor. If the children got grumpy, what then?
How Sasha had whined the last time I carelessly woke her… Ah, just the thought was horrifying.
“But they mustn’t be woken. Growing children need to eat and sleep well.”
“Do you have something to say?”
“Ah! What is it?”
“But it might be good for the children to hear this. But you won’t leave them here alone to follow me.”
What could he mean?
The emperor looked serious, making me a bit anxious.
“Hmm.”
Liandro wore a fairly serious expression.
“What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”
“It appears he’s pondering how to proceed, given that he had to leave for a while. Time isn’t on his side.”
Then it happened. Tettel, the adjutant who had been right beside Liandro, spoke as if he had been waiting.
“Tettel.”
As if confirming the truth of the statement, Liandro glanced at him sharply.
“Yes, Your Majesty! Would you like to fire me?”
“…”
“Please give the word at any time. I’ve already cleaned up the adjutant’s office.”
Without seeing it, it seemed clear enough what had happened. Tettel, who wanted to quit his position as the emperor’s adjutant, and the emperor, who wouldn’t accept his resignation letter.
Last time, it seemed like Tetel wanted to quit this job for a moment. It appears I was right.
“Absolutely don’t want you to quit.”
“Why? It’s time for you to let me go. Why am I acting so bratty?”
“You still work well. Even if you didn’t, seeing your behavior makes me not want to let you go even more.”
“Then, I will continue to talk nonsense until I get fired by the revered Emperor.”
At that point, he moved closer to me.
“Speaking of the Empress Mother, the main palace was chaotic yesterday.”
“Why?”
I shouldn’t have asked, but I was curious, so I instinctively did.
“Because no one other than His Majesty uses the neglected library, there was quite an uproar to quickly clean it. Do you think that was it?”
It was then. Leandro, who had been staring at Tetel with a very uncomfortable expression, put his hand on his waist.
“Tetel, should I make you resign from this world before you resign?”
“Whoa. I apologize, Your Majesty.”
Only then did Tetel shut his mouth. He became suddenly timid in the face of death. Whether he stepped back at the right time, or was forcibly made to step back was a bit ambiguous.
“There’s no need to listen to Tetel. Most of what he says is useless.”
“Still, I would be a little moved if you say that Leandro cleaned the library for me.”
“……Yes, I did.”
At the word “moved,” Leandro, who was clearing his throat, nodded his head.
“Well done.”
His quickly changed words made me chuckle, like a child eager for praise.
“……In any case, I’ve made the library accessible. So, while we’re on the topic, shall we go together… We’re not leaving the kids behind, right?”
“Yes, it would be problematic if they think I left them and went off somewhere.”
How chaotic it would become. Although Lurdelo might be fine, Shasha is scary. Sometimes, she would unknowingly exhibit her power, and even for me, who doesn’t know magic well, it felt incredibly strong.
So, I had to make sure she doesn’t get emotionally upset.
“Then, I guess I have to come back in the evening…”
Just then, before the Emperor left without even having a cup of tea, Shasha rose from her seat smoothly, like a doll, and looked around. I thought she might start crying because I wasn’t there, but she just stared at Lurdelo next to me.
What is she trying to do? I briefly wondered, when Shasha lay down, hugging Lurdelo.
…Lying down… hugging?
As if handling a pillow, Shasha lay down hugging Lurdelo and seemed slightly uncomfortable as she tossed and turned Lurdelo’s body like a doll. Lurdelo too, as if accustomed, moved earnestly at Shasha’s touch.
“Sha… Shasha… that Lurdelo…”
You shouldn’t be treating him like a doll! Especially with the Emperor right there!
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
