At that moment, in the separate palace.

With each step walking through the deserted forest, excitement seeped out. Every time her cheeks flushed with a light pink rose up, her round eyes crinkled into crescent moons.

Though no one was watching, she tried to pull down her lips that were smiling from an inexplicable shyness, but it was no use.

As happy laughter kept escaping quietly from her mouth, Arabel became embarrassed and hurried out for a walk even before finishing breakfast.

The sensation of black hair flowing through her fingers was still vivid in her memory, as Arabel gently clasped her hands together. Remembering last night that still made her heart flutter, wondering if it had really not been a dream.

‘It seems the banquet has ended.’

At the Emperor’s words as he worked at the bedroom desk, Arabel lifted her head from where she sat on the sofa looking at an art book by the royal painter.

Outside the glass balcony that took up one wall, brilliant fireworks signaling the end of the banquet began to burst in the night sky.

The Emperor who had given Arabel a box of chocolates kept his eyes on his documents the whole time, while Arabel also looked at the books on the table while eating chocolates.

Though it could have been an awkward situation with just the two of them in one space… even without saying anything to each other, even while doing different things, the air in the bedroom was nothing but comfortable and cozy.

A special time that felt not special at all, like their natural daily routine. Though quite some time must have passed, it felt too short, a moment that was only precious.

As Arabel quietly got up to return to her carriage, the Emperor had already approached her side using his long legs. Placing both hands on her shoulders and applying slight pressure, Arabel who had been standing was seated back on the sofa.

As startled round eyes looked up at the Emperor, he sat down next to her and said nonchalantly:

‘Looking into your eyes, it seems you have something weighing on your mind.’

Red eyes that had captured light brown orbs sparkled with mischief.

The crimson gaze trailed down the small round nose to rest on lips exhaling sweet breaths mixed with the sweetness of chocolate. Just from the red gaze resting on her lips, slender shoulders trembled finely.

After savoring the soft lips slowly with his eyes in silence, the Emperor opened his mouth again.

‘It seems you feel very grateful to me for teaching you to dance while getting your feet stepped on, but you’re troubled not knowing how to repay me.’

Realizing the Emperor’s meaning, Arabel’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

Honestly, she did feel grateful to His Majesty for teaching her to dance, but with so many things happening today she hadn’t had a chance to think about it… Come to think of it, she hadn’t even properly thanked him.

Seeing Arabel’s flustered expression, not knowing what to do, the Emperor let out a soft sigh.

‘Being so kind like that…’

However, the Emperor was not one to give up a good opportunity just because he felt a little sorry for her kindness.

‘So I thought about it a bit.’

As the Emperor spoke, Arabel’s face brightened considerably.

Seeing the expression of firm resolve to do anything on Arabel’s face, the Emperor’s red eyes glanced briefly at his bed.

Imagining a transparent body buried and disheveled on the red sheets that no one else had ever lain on… The thick veins on his neck throbbed and his lower body grew taut.

But clenching his jaw muscles, the Emperor immediately pushed away the dark thoughts and slowly opened his mouth. Suddenly in a quite weak, tired tone.

‘I haven’t been able to sleep for days since returning to the palace. I think I could fall asleep if you lend me your lap like that night.’

Normally she would hesitate, but feeling very apologetic to the Emperor now, she nodded without hesitation.

‘It would seem strange if the carriage doesn’t leave from in front of the palace, so I’ll send the maid back first. Instead, I’ll take you back at dawn.’

As the Emperor spoke to Arabel, his hands were busy bringing a large cushion behind her back for support. To not give Arabel time to feel awkward, the Emperor quickly rested his head on her lap and closed his eyes.

Unlike the Emperor who lay comfortably on the sofa with his long legs stretched out, as Arabel’s body stiffened slightly with tension, the Emperor grumbled quietly with his eyes still closed.

“Last time I fell asleep quickly because you stroked my hair. Will you only touch my head if the bear cub is beside you.”

A gentle smile formed on Arabel’s lips, and her hand carefully rested on the Emperor’s head. As slender fingers gently combed through black hair, a pleased curve also formed on the Emperor’s lips.

Suddenly wanting to touch those glossy red lips, Arabel startled and stopped her movements, but the Emperor’s arm reached up.

Large hands gently grasped Arabel’s nape and brought her face close to his, as the Emperor opened his eyes to reveal deepened crimson eyes.

As their gazes met and intertwined, everything around them faded into the distance. The thick heat transmitted from the Emperor’s palm spread down her slender neck, causing ripples at the fingertips of her hand resting on his head.

Gathering his senses that were becoming intoxicated by the soft skin, the Emperor asked in a low voice.

‘Are you still afraid?’

It had always weighed on his mind.

The pitiful sight of her trembling like an aspen, unable to even cry properly, in the carriage returning to the palace. The sight of her unable to even breathe properly, curled up in his arms in fear while crossing the river, was unforgettable.

Whether she was still not afraid to be with him. Whether he was perhaps frightening her even in this moment.

As the Emperor waited for her answer without pestering, he slightly furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar face reflected in her clear eyes. Would she even recognize this anxious expression he was showing for the first time in his life?

‘No. I’m not afraid.’

Sparkling eyes without a hint of falsehood answered without hesitation.

‘When I’m with Your Majesty… I’m not afraid of anything.’

Courage welled up to speak as her eyes reddened all the way to the corners, and he wanted to swallow those adorable lips in one bite, his hands tensing.

For the first time, the desire to leave his indelible mark on the nape in his hands rose up with a possessive urge.

In that moment, the Emperor bit down hard on his molars and cut away the desire that had begun to dominate his reason with all his might. He would absolutely never treat her carelessly.

‘Not being afraid of the Emperor, hmm, that’s a problem too. You’re probably the only one in the empire who isn’t afraid of me.’

His hand came down from her nape to cover her hand over his eyes as he complained, and Arabel’s eyes crinkled into crescents again.

Arabel let out a small whimpering sound as she felt a warm touch gently caressing her face.

As she nuzzled and burrowed closer, the comforting movements that had been steadily supporting her suddenly stopped, causing her lips to pout slightly in disappointment, not yet fully awake.

Something firm stroked her lower lip soothingly, and the sensation felt so vivid that Arabel’s eyes slowly opened.

Gasp…!

Arabel’s eyes widened as she quickly covered her mouth with both hands to stifle her startled breath. She hastily pulled her head away from the Emperor’s hand and sat up abruptly.

She had clearly been sitting on the sofa putting His Majesty to sleep, but now she was occupying the bed as if she were the mistress of the bedroom, while the Emperor sat perched on the edge of the bed, looking at her with a smile.

The Emperor ran his thumb, which had just been resting on her lips, across his own lips as he spoke with a hint of regret.

‘I’m very surprised you can make such an adorable sound.’

At the Emperor’s teasing, Arabel’s face flushed bright red all the way up to her forehead, causing the Emperor’s crimson eyes to ripple with pleasure.

‘I’d like to let you sleep more, but dawn is breaking and it’s time I took you back.’

Arabel took the Emperor’s outstretched hand and rose from the bed, looking at him curiously as he led her not towards the bedroom door, but to the bookshelf beside the fireplace.

‘Today you’ve become the only person in the empire in several ways. The only one who isn’t afraid of the Emperor, who wakes up in the Emperor’s bed, and who passes through the Emperor’s secret door.’

Everything from last night feels like a dream.

As Arabel placed a hand on her still-pounding heart and twirled on her tiptoes,

“…Young lady…!”

“Miss Arabel…!”

The urgent voices of Vera and Dina calling for her could be heard from the entrance of the forest.

“Young lady, what should we do… sob, Roxy, Roxy has been arrested by the imperial soldiers on charges of theft. Sob, sob.”

Dina ran up to Arabel as she emerged from the forest, bursting into tears as she spoke.

“Princess Lilibet framed Roxy when she went to return the golden egg.”

Upon hearing Vera’s explanation, Arabel’s face turned pale as she began running towards the annex.

As she reached the pond where the twelve annexes were gathered, about a dozen soldiers stationed inside and outside the separate palace, along with ten candidates and their maids, came into her view.

And she saw Roxy kneeling with her wrists bound, surrounded by people.

Roxy, who had been crying and insisting on her innocence when arrested inside Princess Lilibet’s annex… now silently endured the criticism and finger-pointing directed at her, as if she had given up on everything.

It was because she knew there was nothing she could do against the Empress Dowager’s niece.

This was the punishment for betraying her kind young lady after falling for Lilibet’s snake-like seduction. As long as it didn’t harm the young lady, it would be fine.

Roxy kept her head lowered, unable to face Arabel, as she waited for the harsh fate approaching her.

“Then we will take her away.”

As the guard captain spoke and lifted Roxy to her feet,

“Wait a moment!”

“Wait!”

All eyes turned to the two owners of the voices that cried out simultaneously. Arabel and Lilibet’s gazes met in midair, clashing tensely without breaking.

And then,

“Why is it so noisy inside the separate palace that I thought was nothing but peaceful?”

A cool baritone voice riding over the main gate of the separate palace instantly suppressed the surrounding noise.

Without exception, everyone turned their heads to see Emperor Maxwell standing arrogantly with his sharp chin raised high, having never before crossed the threshold of the separate palace.