“Am I the type who gets easily tired of things, Skyra?”
Carlos, sitting in a corner of Skyra’s laboratory, muttered seriously.
Gregory and Leopold were also old friends, but he couldn’t be completely honest with them. He had to maintain some imperial dignity after all.
So whenever he felt he was becoming unbearably annoying even to himself, he naturally sought out Skyra every time.
Right now, his current state wasn’t very impressive even to himself.
“You’re just realizing this now?”
Skyra was furiously writing something on a huge parchment without saying anything else.
“Lying about being sick and pushing away… do I get tired of things?”
He wasn’t sure if it was a lie or not, but somehow it had been bothering him ever since Leopold mentioned it. Especially after she pulled her hand away at the dinner table.
So he asked the question, and Skyra, who had been focused solely on the parchment, suddenly looked up.
“Don’t tell me Her Majesty the Empress is pretending to be sick to avoid you?”
“…I’m not certain-”
“Hahaha! I knew it. No matter how close you are, what woman wouldn’t get tired of being chased like that? Hahaha!”
Skyra laughed loudly, holding his stomach. As if he found it extremely amusing.
Carlos watched Skyra and rubbed his temples. He had to deeply reflect on his life choices, realizing that the only friend he could truly open up to in all his years had such a terrible personality.
“That’s right. She must be tired of you. Ah, pretending to be sick to avoid you, what a masterpiece. From now on, please come more often and tell me in detail how the Empress avoids Your Majesty. For the first time, I might welcome Your Majesty to my laboratory! Haha. Finally, you’re teaching a lesson to someone who’s been acting as if they’re living alone in this world. As expected, Her Majesty the Empress is always wise.”
Skyra laughed loudly once more, saying all his frustrations were flying away. He really seemed genuinely excited.
However, Carlos ignored Skyra’s words and focused only on his inner doubts. He was already used to this kind of reaction.
“So you think Mercedes has grown tired of me?”
“Yes. It’s clear. You should have chased her a bit more, Your Majesty.”
“…Hmm.”
After all, the longtime friend in front of him was a woman, so she might understand Mercedes’ feelings better than Gregory or Leopold.
‘Ah, should I have asked Mrs. Fisher?’
But then the story might reach Mercedes. Carlos’ head became as tangled as a knotted thread.
“Skyra. You haven’t seen Mercedes recently. Can you be sure?”
“Come on. Even if I don’t have any dating experience, I know the basics. There are so many ladies who complain about husbands who stick to them every day!”
Skyra recalled the chatter of the ladies at the salons she was forced to attend by Carlos’ orders.
Of course, when those ladies said, “It’s so disgusting to be stuck together every day,” it was actually a high-level irony boasting about their good marital relationships. However, Skyra, who had no interest in love and never even considered it, had no way of understanding that.
“…Is that true?”
Even the ladies are like that!
Carlos was shocked.
“…Is there a solution?”
“You should stay away for a while. That way, she can have time to herself, and Her Majesty the Empress might do some thinking too. Ah. If you’re going to be depressed missing her, please don’t come to me, I beg you. Understood? I’m going to put a barrier on the door so you can’t enter the laboratory.”
“I should stay away…”
Carlos took those words to heart. Even though they lived in the same palace, he still thought about wanting to see her every day despite being lovers.
If she really had developed some different feelings towards him…
“If I stay away, will it get better?”
“Well, when I’m stuck on research, I first distance myself and then think about it. Isn’t that better?”
This time too, he felt like he had chosen the wrong person to consult.
Somehow, he thought it was a bit better than Gregory or Leopold.
Carlos made the painful decision that he should let go of his habit of staying by her side, at least a little…
The emperor with sad eyes made those watching him feel quite ridiculous. It’s not like they were parting forever!
Even Franz, the loyal head chamberlain, who was also unmarried, dared to have the irreverent thought that the emperor had gone a bit strange for a moment.
Somehow, there wasn’t a single person in the imperial palace who could give proper advice about love. Therefore, it was natural for Carlos’ perspective to narrow.
* * *
“His Majesty says his work will run late today. He said he doesn’t want to wake the Empress, so he asked me to inform you that he will sleep separately.”
“His Majesty did?”
“Yes.”
Mercedes tilted her head slightly.
This had never happened since they got married… except for the occasional business trips.
‘Did he find out something?’
If he had, he would have come chasing after her to ask about the pregnancy, but that wasn’t the case either.
It felt a bit strange, but… well, the act she had put on for the past 12 days was perfect. Fortunately, Carlos hadn’t been too suspicious, and the imperial doctor had helped with her lie.
During that time, Mercedes had tried to rest well and focus on only the good things.
She did feel quite guilty every time she saw Carlos worry about her after she pretended to be sick. She knew he was checking on her carefully every night.
But now, in two days when she gets examined again, it will be over. Last week’s examination, the imperial doctor said it was almost certain, and they were just being cautious by watching for one more week, so it must be pregnancy.
That news will be a great gift for Carlos. So it should be okay to set aside her conscience for a moment, right?
Mercedes thought this as she lay alone in the wide bed for the first time in a very long time.
Was that why?
Without the familiar warmth beside her, it felt quite empty. Mercedes couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, just like in the distant past when she used to wander the corridors when sleep wouldn’t come.
After pondering for a moment, she got up and put on a robe. She thought it wouldn’t be bad to take a walk in the night palace.
And so, without waking her maids, she moved slowly, step by step, immersing herself in the night palace. The moonlight settled beautifully, giving the elegant and classic palace scenery a different, subtle charm from daytime.
She quite liked it.
As she walked for a while like that, Mercedes…
Just like that time.
Just like when she first met Carlos in Sheim.
She encountered a familiar man in the courtyard.
Back then, she couldn’t even recognize him blending into the darkness, but this time she knew him instantly.
The familiar scent, the beloved black hair, eyes darker and deeper than the darkness itself.
He was leaning back in an iron chair in the courtyard, taking in the moon in the sky.
Before, he would have noticed her much faster.
It felt strange that Mercedes could find him from afar and recognize him first, quietly appreciating him.
Mercedes smiled and approached him. It seemed he had come out to rest for a moment, tired from the prolonged work.
She was happy to meet him unexpectedly. Just not spending one night together, yet she felt this glad.
‘Love really does blind people.’
Although she found herself amusing, she quickened her steps, wanting to get to his side as soon as possible.
And at that moment, Carlos noticed her.
“Carl. What are you doing here?”
Mercedes asked in an affectionate voice as she approached him.
Crash!
At the same time, Carlos jumped up from his chair.
“Oh, s-startled me… Are you alright?”
The chair had fallen backwards.
Carlos faced Mercedes with a surprised look. Then…
“Ah, work has been so busy, I’m completely out of it. I was just resting for a moment. I have to go back to a meeting. You, don’t overdo the walk in the cold. Your body isn’t well… after all.”
Carlos spilled out words uncharacteristically disorganized.
“What? Carl, wait-”
“I’d like to escort you back to your room, but that will be difficult. Sleep well, Mel.”
He spoke in a gentle voice, but clearly drawing a line, then quickly turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
“…Huh?”
His behavior was so bewildering that Mercedes stood there for a while.
* * *
Why did he suddenly avoid her?
Why on earth? It didn’t seem like he had found out anything…
‘Could it be, his feelings…’
Have cooled? It’s not like she hadn’t heard that being too close can make one easily tired.
She nervously bit her nails.
Right. He can’t avoid her until mealtime. After all, it wouldn’t be good for rumors to spread that the relationship between the Emperor and Empress was bad.
Mercedes recalled him from last night and prepared thoroughly for dinner time to confront him clearly. With more care put into her appearance than usual, she entered the room where the formal dinner was set, embracing her anxiety tightly.
Carlos was already there as always.
However…
“…Carl?”
The chair was a bit, no, quite… far. At opposite ends of the long table.
Not once since coming to Sheim had they been this far apart. Even before she and he fell in love, he always had her dine by his side.
But to push her away so blatantly like this?
The Mercedes of the past would have swallowed her misery, but not now.
In the year of living a comfortable daily life, Mercedes had learned something about herself.
That she was quite hot-tempered.
She had kept it well hidden under her well-learned etiquette and grace until now. But to suddenly feel rejected like this by her beloved?
Carlos stood up to welcome her and pull out her chair. It seemed to be his way of escorting, but Mercedes firmly grasped his outstretched hand and pulled him sharply towards her.
It was a judgment she could make because the only servant in the room was the head chamberlain, Franz. Franz had been quietly watching the two but quickly lowered his eyes.
Mercedes was angry.
Not only avoiding her, but even changing their daily routine that had become a sort of promise between them.
“Carl.”
“…Yes, Mel.”
“What is this right now?”
“It’s dinner. As always.”
“Won’t you speak plainly?”
She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled his face close to hers.
“You’re avoiding me, aren’t you? You need to explain properly. You.”
It was such a direct question that the short but long time Carlos had spent pondering and devising methods became useless.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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