Asha looked down on them with dignity like an empress, her waist erect, without any sign of embarrassment or shyness.

At her imposing manner, they were the ones who were taken aback.

I had heard that she was from a minority tribe, but she didn’t seem like an ordinary woman.

Among them, a duke with pink hair like cherry blossoms smiled at Asha, seeming to like her.

The head of the Duke of Blossom, Shihan Blossom, was a man of a light and playful feeling, as Asha remembered, and there were many rumors that he was a playboy.

‘Karaf would be upset if he saw this…….’

Asha glanced at him beside her, then was startled.

Karaf was already glaring at her with fierce eyes, gripping his armrest tightly.

His expression was savage, like he was looking at an assassin targeting the empress.

As she looked forward tremblingly again, Asha’s eyes met with someone with mysterious blue hair.

Count Kiam Delfinium.

He was the man who had driven a minority village to ruin in the past…….

Asha couldn’t forget his cruel face that day, laughing as he trampled the village.

On the dirt floor, she had been roughly dragged barefoot before him by the soldiers, grabbing her hair.

His beastlike yellow eyes, as if discovering prey, looked at her meaningfully.

He must have already heard the rumor that she was of minority origin.

Suddenly feeling nauseous, Asha covered her mouth with one hand.

Karaf noticed her action and asked with concern.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine, Your Majesty…….”

Asha tried not to look at him, but her trembling hand could not be hidden.

Seeing this, Karaf discreetly laid one of his hands on the back of her hand.

A hand that was white but roughened from holding a sword countless times covered the back of her hand.

Asha looked at him in surprise, but Karaf only looked forward as if nothing had happened.

He meant to reassure her, though she didn’t know why, by being beside her.

So the tribute ceremony began.

Karaf always liked things big, beautiful, and flashy.

Looking at all the tributes, which were all topnotch, he seemed ready to thrust his shoulders through the ceiling.

“If you see anything you like among these items, speak up. I’ll take it all to the Empress’s Palace.”

“……Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Although she didn’t particularly want a tribute, Asha said so as they were in front of the nobles.

But as Asha’s reaction wasn’t bad, Karaf thought that the opportunity to score with her had finally come.

The nobles paid tribute one after another, but he was too busy observing Asha’s face to pay attention.

‘Does she not like anything…….’

Karaf became increasingly anxious as time went by and Asha showed little interest in the tributes.

He never wanted to admit that he couldn’t give her what she wanted.

There was nothing that could scratch his pride as an emperor more.

The nobles sent their greetings from the bottom of the stairs, quickly averting their eyes.

Rumors that the emperor had fallen hard for the butterfly were rampant throughout the empire, but seeing it in person was even more astonishing.

They doubted whether the man who couldn’t take his eyes off the butterfly with a lovestricken, enchanted face was really the brutal man they knew.

Asha knew that Karaf’s eyes were fixed only on her, but she felt her face burning from the reaction of the nobles, so she pretended not to notice his gaze.

But after staring indifferently at the tribute items for a while, Asha’s eyes suddenly widened.

At that reaction, Karaf, who was carefully watching Asha, quickly turned his gaze forward.

The doors of the hall opened, and a very finelooking grey horse was coming in, clattering, cutting through the dazzling white light.
With healthy muscles settled all over his body and the curve of his powerful physique, neatly groomed mane and fur that shone, it was a horse that could truly be called a fine steed.

Asha jumped up and screamed as soon as she saw the horse.

“Shayfi…!”

Shayfi recognized her too and excitedly neighed, wagging his long tail.

“…Shayfi? Do you know this horse?”

Karaf asked suspiciously, and Asha quickly hid her emotions and calmly said,

“It’s a horse I used to raise. I lost it when I left the minority village…”

Asha looked at Shayfi with emotional eyes, unable to continue her lie.

How much she had missed those calm blue eyes…

Karaf felt Asha’s joy and closely observed the horse.

Though held by the hand of Duke Iris, the horse’s outwardly displayed spirit was so strong that it seemed like the Duke was being held by the horse instead.

Such a horse belongs to a fine steed, but Karaf knew from long experience that it was equally difficult to tame.

It would often get excited, raising its front hooves at its master or recklessly charging, leading to frequent accidents and falls.

But then Asha asked him cautiously,

“Your Majesty… I would like to greet my horse after such a long time, may I have your permission?”

“Do as you please.”