The eyes of Emperor Nix must surely be on his feet.

‘You shouldn’t receive such treatment.’

Throughout the welcoming banquet, the Empress was like a striking thunderbolt. She was like an erupting volcano and frost that freezes the whole world.

However, immediately after the banquet ended, the Empress turned into snow that could melt at any moment. She was grass withered yellow by the volcano’s energy and a young lamb unfortunately struck by lightning.

How could that be possible?

How could she be so strong in front of all those people while being so fragile?

To Mereum, the Empress was both a marvel and a mystery.

Where did she learn medical skills enough to save a person’s life? How could you have such a noble heart to save someone like me?

There were many questions, but he couldn’t easily open his mouth because somehow he felt she wouldn’t answer.

‘Before you collapsed, you told me to take care of myself.’

She said that while not even able to support her own body.

And thanks to that, Mereum was able to receive VIP treatment in the Empress’s palace even while she was unconscious.

Who knows what would have happened if she hadn’t said so.

Mereum, who had been silent, glanced at the good quality clothes covering his body.

In the desert country, such clothes were not necessary.

Half the year he was out on missions, and the other half he was chased by assassins.

Covered in dust, or covered in blood.

For one of those two reasons, clothes reached the end of their life.

So even if the clothes provided to him were no different from those of commoners, he didn’t get angry or feel humiliated. They wouldn’t last more than three days anyway.

But here, enough clothes were provided to change every day and have some left over… and those clothes didn’t get damaged.

Do you know how long it’s been since an assassin hasn’t come for a day?

‘That too must be because the power of your name protects me.’

The Empress’s control over the palace was impressive.

Mereum unintentionally knew politics well. He also quickly noticed the flow of power within the imperial palace.

In fact, if you pay attention to who sends assassins after you, you can’t help but find out somehow.

To his eyes, the Empress was like a giant who had just stretched.

They may have thought she was a rock and moss grew while she was curled up, but not anymore.

As long as the Empress steps forward, no one will be able to defeat her.

– That’s all thanks to you. That devil should be grateful to you.

At that moment, Eldaim sent a water droplet to whisper to him.

For the first time, Mereum frowned at Eldaim.

“Devil? Don’t call her that.”

– No, what else should I call a devil but a devil? It’s not a derogatory term, she’s a real devil.

“I told you not to call her that.”

– Oh my. Not even able to call a devil a devil… Is this why they say there’s no use in raising children?

Eldaim grumbled something.

Mereum ignored Eldaim until he calmed down, then quietly spoke.

“What do you mean by what I did for her?”

– Hmph. That dev… no, woman… is strange too. Call her Empress. That Empress owes you a debt. So everything provided to you is repayment of that debt. It’s a right you should rightfully enjoy, my contractor.

“You mean the power of the sun?”

– Yes. The Empress cannot survive without the yang energy you give her. Right now her lifespan is about 2 years… even that was extended by you.

“I did that.”

That I could do something for her.

As Mereum quietly repeated this, his lips twitched for a moment.

He was happy. Extremely happy.

Then the Empress wouldn’t abandon him, right? So that’s why she wanted him to live.

The overly kind attitude, gentle tone. The way she cared for him. The effort to create a place for him in the Empress’s palace.

All of that had just made him anxious, but now that he understood, he felt rather relieved.

“I was afraid that the only person who wanted me to live would die, Eldaim.”

– …

“I felt like I would have no reason to live this time if that happened.”

But to think that he could keep her alive!

This was a dark joy. A delight that could be called base without argument.

His sunken golden pupils trembled finely.

‘I can save her.’

I can keep her from dying.

He looked at the Empress for a long, truly long time.

Without moving an inch from his spot, without even touching a strand of her hair. He simply took in her sleeping form with both eyes.

He can’t yet name the emotion blooming in his chest, but as she said… if this is attachment, then it must be attachment.

The desert country’s party returned extremely satisfied, even with the farewell banquet.

Not only that, but they even left saying they would invite us to the desert country next time.

It was quite an achievement for the Empress’s first hosted banquet.

And so spring came.

The Empress’s palace was very busy welcoming spring. The velvet curtains that had hung heavily all winter were removed, and the thick carpets laid on the floor to block the cold also headed to storage.

Because of my opinion that light green would be good for spring, all the newly hung curtains were as soft as leaves in color.

A color that makes you feel energized and happy just by looking at it.

“How is it, delicious? This is called a strawberry.”

“The color is similar to pomegranate.”

“That’s right. The taste is a bit different though.”

And I spent time with Mereum every day without fail.

While teaching him things he should have learned but couldn’t.

Truly, Mereum knew nothing about the beautiful things that exist in this world.

‘But fortunately, I have quite an eye for beauty.’

I taught Mereum to play instruments.

Actually, I wasn’t particularly well-versed in music. Music was always my fifth sister’s domain.

Still, after watching and learning over her shoulder for a long time, there wasn’t an instrument in the world I couldn’t handle.

Also, one day I called Mereum and told him to try drawing.

Drawing wasn’t my domain either, but there aren’t really any rules to drawing what you want to draw.

Mereum’s drawing skills were exactly five levels lower than his instrument playing skills. That means worse than a three-year-old child.

Still, Mereum said he wanted to draw the next day, and the day after that too.

He had a competitive spirit.

After teaching him about art like that, I taught him about desserts.

Because to live in Nix, you need to know Nix’s culture.

Nix was a country where tea parties and banquets were very developed. And desserts always accompany such occasions.

It was culinary art that was not only delicious but also enjoyable to look at.

“Here, this is a strawberry cream cake.”

Charlotte brought the cake just then.

Mereum looked at it but didn’t make a particularly happy expression.

He didn’t say anything one way or the other, but he probably didn’t prefer sweet things very much.

Feeling playful at that, I smiled brightly and opened my mouth.

“These cream cakes have other uses too.”

“Other uses?”

“Yes. Like this…!”

Leaving the perfectly good fork alone, I scooped up some cream with my index finger and suddenly smeared it on Mereum’s lips.

Horizontally at that.

It looked just like he had grown a mustache, making me burst into laughter as Mereum raised an eyebrow.

“How cute.”

“Just you wait.”

“Do it to me too? Come on, try it.”

Actually, I was willing to let him get me back once, so I closed my eyes and thrust my face forward. I was curious to see how he would do it.

Mereum twitched his fingers, then scooped up some cream and put it on my nose. Very carefully at that.

In the end, I couldn’t hold back and laughed while pounding on the table.

“Ah, how cute. How can you be like that?”

“How is it usually done?”

“Hmm… You grab the back of their head and shove it into the cake. Or pick up the plate and smash it in their face.”

That’s what I did with my sisters.

But Mereum’s expression was as if asking how one could do such a barbaric thing.

“It’s fun to be a mess with cake too. I miss it.”

I shrugged and reached for a napkin.

That’s when it happened. The cream that had been barely hanging on my nose fell onto my philtrum.

At that very moment, Mereum’s eyes met mine and he witnessed it in real-time, twitching his lips.

“Oh, you smiled!”

“…No, I didn’t.”

“You just smiled. Really. I saw your lips turn up?”

“You saw wrong.”

Mereum vehemently denied it, but honestly, that much counts as a smile.

I wiped the cream off him with a napkin and smiled brightly.

“I’m glad you know how to smile. Smile a lot in the future.”

“…Okay.”

“Well, if you’re done eating, shall we go to the training grounds?”

It was certainly much more livable than when it was winter, with the temperature itself being warmer.

Being with Mereum every day replenished my energy as much as it drained, so I didn’t collapse as often as before.

‘Today’s energy replenishment complete.’

I stretched out fully and thought idly while looking at the sky where clouds were floating.

‘Come to think of it, it’s about time for a message from Duke Ahil.’

My assistant, I mean.

I wonder how it turned out?

“It’s fun to be a mess with cake too. I miss it.”

The Empress’s tea time.

Derek, standing guard in a corner of the garden, flinched at the gentle voice.

‘When has Her Majesty the Empress ever played pranks with cake?’

Of course, it’s likely she just said it casually.

It should be something to just brush off as nothing, but why does it stick so sharply in my chest?

That’s because… Her Majesty the Empress has changed.

‘Sometimes it feels like she’s not the Empress I know.’

As he quietly followed behind, Derek tried hard to calm himself.

Don’t think strange thoughts. Even doubting the person you serve is a sin.

But why do I feel so uneasy…