Setting aside the explanations, I first revealed only the most important core and bowed my head.

Lionel had nothing to say even if he were to strangle me right now.

Detailed explanations… If my neck continues to be held like this, I can do that later.

I could feel his piercing gaze as he stared at me intently.

I wanted to lift my head, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at his face, wounded by betrayal.

I deceived him.

It wasn’t my intention, but regardless, it was an undeniable fact that I had deceived him.

But I had failed in my role as the substitute empress long ago.

Because I fell in love with him…

More than revealing my true identity, I was more afraid of the betrayal he would feel from me.

If I had just loved him alone, even if my existence was revealed, he wouldn’t have been hurt.

The problem was all there.

A sense of guilt made my heart gradually shrink.

As if fear had cast a barrier around my body, I couldn’t move.

Perhaps due to the shock, Lionel also fell into silence.

I closed my eyes tightly and said again.

“I am not the empress, I am…”

“I know.”

His voice came immediately, unlike before.

And at his answer, I bowed deeply, automatically lifting my head again.

You know? You know?!

When Lionel and I made eye contact, he opened his mouth again, as if waiting.

“Yes, you are not the empress.”

“Since when… did you know?”

My body felt like it couldn’t breathe properly, as if it were lying under a large rock.

All I could do now was stare at his face.

“Since when I caught you earlier.”

“…What?”

What on earth is he talking about?

“You are a rabbit.”

“!”

Again, my brain circuits went haywire at Lionel’s words.

“W-what… are you saying?”

He probably thought I didn’t hear his words because I asked again,

“Not an empress, but a rab-bit.”

He said again, pronouncing it slowly.

For a moment, the tension left my legs.

I sat down on the mahogany desk behind me.

As the tension was released in a strange way, a subtle sense of relief mingled with emptiness began to seep into my heart.

I forgot where I should start correcting the conversation.

“Zelda.”

In Lionel’s serious voice again, I answered with a weak voice.

“Yes…”

“If you’re okay with the time, come here and hug me.”

He said, spreading his arms.

I couldn’t understand his intentions at all.

If I hugged him now, everything would be okay, just as he said…

Lionel’s gaze was telling me that now was the time to be hugged.

Now is the time to embrace each other’s worries.

“If you’re worried about everything, I’ll hug you until it’s all gone. Come in.”

As he said, hugging him now seemed like it would magically solve everything.

Lionel’s eyes were telling me that it was time for us to hug each other.

Now is the time to hug without saying anything.

If our hearts are pressed against each other, all worries will disappear.

“You won’t have this chance twice, right? Time is ticking. It’s getting narrower.”
He began to slowly bring his arms, which had been spread on both sides, closer together.

As his arms narrowed, it seemed as if his heart would close as well.

Lionel was a master at making people impatient.

“Now. Rabbit, run!”

He shouted, and I ran.

Avoiding Lionel’s narrowing arms by a hair’s breadth, I safely entered his embrace.

I hugged his waist tightly.

He patted my back quietly and said calmly, “I told you not to rush.”

When I raised my head to look at him, he wiped the sweat on my forehead and leaned my head back on his chest.

“Moreover, it must have been tough today, right? Me too… So, let’s talk about it when we’re both more comfortable, okay?”

I thought I should say something to him, but right now, it seemed like I would just utter strange words, so I chose to remain silent.

And I nodded quietly.

“Do you know how lucky I am that you’re mine? If you were another man’s woman, I would have fought a war to bring you to my side… Have you ever thought about that?”

I thought his words were a joke.

“Am I like a wyvern?”

I almost burst into laughter at his absurd hypothesis.

“More than a wyvern.”

“Touching…”

“You know? It’s not sincere to express that you’re touched just by words.”

He said with a frown, giving a slight reproach.

“Then how do I express it?”

“Think about it.”

He said that and at the same time, slightly bit his lower lip.

Without hesitation, I lifted my toe towards his lips.

Lionel bowed his head and unexpectedly entered my lips first.

As he kissed, he walked towards the mahogany desk, making me take a step back.

Unintentionally, I stepped on his instep, as if I were about to fall backward.

“Bold? Daring to step on the emperor’s foot.”

His voice seeped through his slightly parted lips.

Despite his critical tone, there was laughter mixed in his breath.

I sat on the mahogany desk voluntarily.

Upon doing so, he placed my legs on the desk and looked down at me.

Unlike his calm touch, his gaze was already engulfed in desire.

The sound of our sloppy kisses echoed loudly in the quiet library.

My sanity had already flown somewhere between the pages of a book.