“Are you awake…?”

I asked in a timid voice, listening to Lionel’s heartbeat.

“Not yet.”

It was a strange answer.

I wanted to ask what it meant, but I didn’t have the courage.

He pulled me closer, inhaling deeply as if savoring some peculiar scent from me.

“Now that it’s warm again… I want to…”

His sleepy voice lingered strangely in my ears.

“Are you sleep-talking right now?”

I barely freed my face from being pressed against his chest and looked up at him.

“How about we kiss until you fall asleep? The one who falls asleep later can take care of the aftermath.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Listening to Lionel talk, I found myself unintentionally imagining.

“Why? The one who falls asleep first can at least close their mouth.”

“Are you serious?”

“Heh, do you think I’m joking?”

“Really?”

“It’s a wish.”

“Shall I make it come true?”

I asked seriously, suppressing a laugh.
“Zelda… You’re better than a god.”

Lionel smiled with his eyes closed.

“I should worship you instead of God from now on.”

“Just trust me.”

I said with a confident expression.

After saying it, my conscience pricked at me.

Trust only me…

Who is the one deceiving him right now?

I inwardly ridiculed myself mercilessly.

“If I believe… will heaven be waiting?”

He asked with a meaningful tone.

“Why wait? You can go right now.”

I slipped out of his embrace, half-raised my upper body, and looked down at him.

As he took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, he spoke.

“Wait a moment. I just woke up not long ago, so my mind and body are still waking up separately. So, wait a moment.”

As he said, I waited for a moment, and he began to lift the blanket covering him.

“I’m only going to kiss.”

I firmly said, holding his hand as he tried to uncover the blanket.

“…Were you an angel?”
Lionel asked with a shocked expression.

“Isn’t the temptation of the devil supposed to be sweeter?”

“Well, how about doing everything else and just not kissing…”

He added with an uneasy expression, furrowing his brow.

“Make sense when you speak.”

“Why should I only say sensible things? You seem to forget often; I am the Emperor.”

“Yes, I’ve been surprised many times by that fact.”

As I grumbled, he burst into laughter.

Lionel enjoyed when I challenged his authority in this manner. Otherwise, he wouldn’t show such an innocent smile in response to my somewhat arrogant replies.

He raised one hand over his heart and placed the other on top of mine, over my heart.

“What are you doing?”

I covered his large hand, firmly pressed against my heart, with my hand again and asked.

“Comparing.”

“Comparing what? The size of our chests?”
“That’s something that was compared long ago.”

“…….”

“Now, it’s about comparing whose heart is beating faster.”

“And the result?”

Asking with a smile, I received a solemn response.

“I knew it would be like this. Zelda, you need to step up your game. My heart is beating much faster. What’s this? It’s evidence that you love me less than I love you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at him saying something that was hard to accept as if it were a fact.

“Too much evidence…”

“Exactly, right?”

“?”

“Let’s step up. By the way, when are you going to take me to heaven?”

Supporting his head with one hand, he asked with an expectant look in his eyes.

I looked quietly at Lionel’s smiling face and thought.

He gave me heaven first.

With those eyes, that smile, that voice.

Between his slightly parted lips, my name burst out like sweet juice.

“Zelda…”
“Welcome to heaven…”

I swallowed his sweet voice by pressing my lips against his in one breath.

Lionel’s surprised breath tickled my chest.

Because of me, his instincts were awakening again.

The intensified desire shook each other’s sensitive senses.

Just by listening to this man’s breath, I could now tell when his patience might snap.

Lionel had already consumed too much energy tonight.

I held his freely wandering hands and stopped the kiss.

I realized that I was on top of him only after I opened my eyes and regained my consciousness.

“Haa… Wait, let’s stop now.”

“What? Hoo, you really must be a goddess.”

“Why?”

“God gives joy, but also pain.”

I spoke with a calm tone, suppressing my laughter.

“In the future, many dignitaries from various countries will arrive. You need to adjust your condition, Your Majesty.”
“Empress, if you’re trying to persuade me with such words, come down from above and do it. If you have a conscience.”

Lionel spoke with dignity, grabbing one of my ankles with his hand.

“I’m sorry.”

I descended from his body and lay back on the bed. However, because he didn’t release my ankle, my posture became quite awkward.

“Oh, please let go of my ankle. I can’t sleep properly in this position.”

“Fair enough. I can’t sleep properly in this position either.”

“Childish!”

“Childish? Oh, who am I in this country?”

“I apologize…”

One minute passed.

He still held onto my ankle with his hand.

“I’d rather you hold my hand. Not my ankle.”

I pushed my hand toward him.

“There.”

“?”