“Steian, what on earth is going on that you’re hesitating like this?”

I asked again, struggling to repress my irritation.

“Oh, yes, Your Majesty, the Empress! Before I say, I have always been at the forefront of the path you wish to take as your closest aide, but I must inform you in advance that I was lagging behind this time!”

Seeing the steward going around in circles, Rinel started to worry more.

“Tell me what’s going on immediately.”

My nerves were getting frayed.

“Yes, if I don’t tell you right now, I think I’m about to get kicked…… Alright, I get it! Yes, yes.”

As the steward spoke to me, he mumbled something towards the outside of the restaurant door, turning his head sideways.

The steward who looked forward again cleared his throat and exclaimed.

“The Emperor has arrived!”

……What?

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment and jumped up from my chair.

The other ladies of the court were just as flustered.

They all scrambled up in surprise, following my lead.

But the surprise was temporary, color began to return to the faces of the ladies of the court.

They seemed pleased to see him, even like this.

But why did he suddenly barge into a dinner with the ladies of the court?

Is this also a tradition of the Rafion Empire?

The ladies looked back and forth between my face and the restaurant door.

Their eyes asked me to explain the situation.

I shrugged my shoulders and whispered to them that I didn’t know anything either.

“Steian, you talk too much.”

Rinel’s voice came first from outside the restaurant door.

“Just saying he’s going in, why is he leading and blabbering.”

Rinel, who appeared suddenly, shoved the steward, who was standing in the middle of the restaurant door, far away with his hand.

“Get out of the way. I need to bow.”

Rinel’s tone was brusque, but his expression looked very happy.

At his sudden appearance, I was lost for words and just blinked my eyes.

He raised one hand shyly towards me in greeting, then returned to his composed expression and slowly lowered his hand.

Those blue eyes were filled only with me.

Ah, it’s so fatally sexy that it’s unbearable.

I must admonish him later.

Never to greet with such a shy smile when other people are around.

Especially in front of other women.

I never thought I’d want to monopolize someone in my life, but he kept making me feel strange emotions.

He’s a dangerous man in many ways.

For now, I greeted him with a smile as he approached with long strides.

As if there was only a straight path in this world, he looked forward without looking elsewhere and approached.

The ladies all watched him with their mouths open as if appreciating him.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor!”

They all paid their respects to Rinel, who was walking into the restaurant with a dumbfounded expression.

Why does he look even more handsome today?

I would have honestly regretted it if I had seen Rinel, who was shining brilliantly, alone.

‘Yes, he is a man too wonderful for one woman to monopolize.’

As he approached, I thought.

I had to somewhat sympathize with the ladies who were jealous and envious of me.

I laid in the bed where he sleeps every day last night, received his gaze, felt his touch, shared love and fell asleep.

Among the beautiful four women in front of me, the woman who received his love… was me.

Suddenly realizing that fact, my heart boiled.

But it wasn’t just because of the time we spent together last night.

I felt love in his gaze, which is only on me and approaching now.

Love? Did I just say love?

It was unfamiliar, but I had to admit.

There was no other word to explain this emotion.

Rinel stopped in front of me.

“Your Majesty… what’s going on suddenly?”

I asked him like that, forgetting to greet him.

After he coughed a few times, he said confidently to me.

“I’m hungry.”

“……Yes?”

“The palace of the Empress has something especially delicious.”

What’s delicious here?

“Haven’t you had dinner yet?”

I looked at the steward standing behind him and asked him.

Then the steward seemed to have been waiting and said to me.

“Your Majesty the Empress, His Majesty has already finished his meal.”

“Steian, don’t apologize to the Empress, just shut your mouth.”

Rinel glanced around the royal chamber, muttering something under his breath, then looked at me and the concubines again with a dignified gaze.

“I didn’t get to have dessert.”

In the end, his excuse began and ended with food.

“Oh, Your Majesty! Then eat with us!”

Melanie cried out, pushing her chest forward towards him.

I wanted to correct her posture by grabbing her neck.

“Melanie, how did you get to the Empress’s palace?”

As Rinel addressed Melanie, she asked back with a bright, innocent expression.

“Pardon? How did I get here?”

“You didn’t roll all the way to the Empress’s palace, did you?”

Rinel asked, gesturing with his hand.

“Ah, Your Majesty… You’re being mean while expressing your concern.”

Melanie swung her body left and right, holding her cheeks with both hands.