“Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll be sure to tell my parents too.”
For a greater cause, she decided to hold back and comply.
Nodding, Titie tightly embraced Demios’ arm.
Demios, quietly observing her, spoke up.
“……You could have argued back. You always act so tame in front of me.”
“It’s because you’re the one carved in my heart, Your Majesty. I will always be your docile deer.”
Titie’s voice, implying she belonged only to him, clouded his eyes.
Demios’ pupils darkened, like a predator about to hunt.
The gaze was thrilling yet sweet.
With joy, Titie willingly played the role of his prey.
“Ah, Your Majesty.”
Her violet eyes hazily closed.
Her frail arms pulled the predator’s neck closer.
When morning came, he was gone.
The Emperor never stayed till she woke up.
Realizing it was the same today, Titie clicked her tongue.
‘Tch.’
It was a stark reminder that she hadn’t fully won him over yet.
‘The effect of the Name should be there.’
The strong pull and comfort felt towards someone who bears their Name.
Yet, the Emperor still hadn’t fully opened up to her.
‘He didn’t go to the Empress, did he?’
Despite seeming cold now, they had a good relationship in the past; she couldn’t be complacent.
She needed a way to fully distance the Emperor from the Empress…
As she was about to bite her nails, an idea struck her.
‘Yes, there’s that method.’
A decent idea came to mind.
Titie’s eyes sparkled with clear malice.
On the third day of the victory celebration.
The first day was the busiest, and the second was mostly for socializing. Sephia didn’t attend on the second day.
But today, the banquet hall was as crowded as the first day of the celebration.
Titie looked over the bustling hall.
‘Today they showcase the spoils.’
The Barbaric Lands.
Everyone was eager to see what the punitive force brought back from the dangerous yet mysterious lands.
Before the showcase of spoils.
Pairs of ladies and knights from the punitive force were occasionally seen.
The sight of the party’s heroes enjoying the banquet was quite pleasing.
While Sephia was observing them comfortably, she was approached.
“Your Majesty, the Empress.”
Sephia’s gaze turned to the sudden greeter.
An otter nobleman stood there, his back overly straightened with nervousness, and he grinned widely, showing his teeth.
“I am Luiburus, the second son of the Baron Cheperd family.”
It was unusual for a non-titled noble, let alone a baron’s second son, to approach the Empress.
Sephia asked, puzzled.
“Alright, Luiburus. What brings you here?”
“You called my name, such an honor!”
Confused by his irrelevant response to her question, Sephia blinked in surprise.
Out of the blue, the spirited nobleman requested.
“Would you honor me with a dance?”
Sephia was taken aback by this unexpected request.
She hadn’t danced a single dance today.
The first dance was typically initiated by a woman, and from the second onwards, it was the men who asked.
‘Doesn’t he know I haven’t danced the first one yet?’
Even if so, it was surprising.
Until now, the only male who had asked her to dance was Roxan.
Sephia gently declined.
“I haven’t danced at all yet.”
“But still, I was hoping…”
Sephia’s eyes narrowed.
Despite knowing, his request for a dance indicated either a lack of manners or outright disrespect.
Even for a young animal, such behavior was discourteous.
Unaware of Sephia’s thoughts, the young noble suddenly clapped his hands.
“Ah! Then, how about Empress Sephia asking me for a dance?”
His bright smile seemed to suggest he had thought of a good solution.
Perhaps, the only way to dismiss this naive nobleman was to be straightforward.
“Unfortunately, I’m not in the mood to dance today. Please leave now. The showcase of spoils is about to start; if the party bores you, you might find that interesting.”
Following Sephia’s gesture, the nobleman turned his head.
In the center of the dance hall, where the crowd had dispersed, boxes covered in red cloth were being displayed one by one.
Realizing he had been turned down, the nobleman’s face turned red.
“Ah, excuse me.”
He awkwardly turned and disappeared into the crowd.
‘What an event.’
Seeing him leave immediately upon a single word, it seemed more out of embarrassment than anger.
Not just Sephia, but even the maids looked incredulous.
“What’s going on?”
“What kind of beast does that? Daring to approach our Empress.”
A maid, clearly astonished, placed her hands on her hips.
Sephia, trying to calm the maids, pointed towards the center of the hall.
“Let’s just watch the showcase of spoils.”
“Ah, right. It’s finally starting.”
“What could be inside?”
The maids’ attention shifted to the covered boxes.
Soon, the cloth was removed, and the introduction of the spoils began.
A green lion’s mane.
Glowing plants shining in the dark.
Even a horn that fell from a winged white horse’s forehead.
All were rare items unseen in the empire.
The spoils were to be auctioned at the event.
“Twenty gold!”
“Twenty-five gold!”
The auction heated up.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
