His gaze, which had been fixed on my face, subtly shifted downwards.

I followed his gaze down.

When did the bath water decrease this much?

The bath water that had reached my collarbone just a while ago was now rippling at a precarious spot due to its decreased level.

It seemed that as Rinel swept away the rose petals with his hands, he also diligently scooped out the water.

I hastily tucked my neck in like a turtle and submersed myself deeper into the bath water.

“Other ladies usually try to expose their dresses when they stand in front of me, why are you so eager to cover yourself?”

He asked with a puzzled expression.

“So you can get even more impatient.”

“….Eh?”

“Just kidding. It’s just that I’m such a quiet and modest woman.”

“That sounds more like a joke?”

“It’s not.”

“Well, anyway. Adjust that quietness a bit when it’s just the two of us. If not, I might manipulate you at will.”

“….A warm suggestion, thank you.”

When I responded with a slight side glance, he, as if he had been waiting, responded more assertively.

“Listening to such words gives me more courage.”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you not thinking of showing me more of your heart?”

“When?”

Oh, what a foolish question!

Despite my strange question, he didn’t show any change in expression.

“Is the location also important when showing the heart? Well… whether it’s here or in the bedroom, I don’t mind?”

I didn’t know how to respond to his words, whether it was a serious statement or a joke.

How on earth am I supposed to show him my heart…?

The water in the bathtub was getting hotter.

“Heh, I knew my question was stupid. You can’t pull out the heart. You just feel it.”

He said, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“And why did you bother to ask knowing that?”

“I wanted to.”

Rinel answered with an unusual bashfulness.

“Just, I feel like I need to ask you everything. Whatever it is.”

“….Why?”

“I strangely don’t feel like doing anything my way when I’m with you.”

Rinel’s voice was polite, but my heart was beating wildly.

“Just one thing… except for.”

With his added words, his gaze at me felt incredibly provocative.

Somehow, I felt like I knew what he was thinking about me right now.

“Aren’t you going to ask what that one thing is?”

Rinel asked, presuming I would be curious about that ‘one thing’.

Of course, I was curious if my guess was correct, but somehow, I felt like my guess would be correct, and if it was, something difficult to handle would happen.

So the conversation had to end here.

I shook my head fervently, my mouth shut tight.

“Your expression is curious, but you’re shaking your head because you already know?”

How… this man, did he climb to the emperor’s seat with his insight?

When I stared at him with wide eyes, his mouth twitched with mischief.

Unable to help it, I asked him about that one thing he wanted to do.

“What is it?”

In contrast to my hesitant question,

“Sleeping with you. That’s what I want to do.”

His answer was precise and firm.

The intense tension made my eyes unable to blink properly.

“As expected, by the look on your face, you didn’t take my words literally again.”

Rinel burst out laughing and lightly tapped my nose with his finger.

“I wasn’t talking about the relationship.”

“Then….”

“I meant, I like sleeping in the same bed with you.”

Oh, was that what you meant?

You should have expressed it that way earlier.

My heart rate had returned to normal.

“That was a highly ambiguous statement.”

“You’re welcome to misunderstand. Actually, I can’t say anything even if you do misunderstand.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Could it really mean what I was thinking?

My heart prepared to pound again.

“Uh huh, isn’t the thought that’s occurring to your innocent mind right now the correct one?”

Rinel grabbed my head with both hands and laughed.

He seemed like someone who had seen right through me.

Ah, I need to get out before the water in the bathtub starts boiling like lava.

“Your Majesty, I’m a bit tired today and I would like to rest early.”

“Is that so.”

He nodded his head, drawing away from my face.

“So now, could you leave from here……”

I hesitated to complete my sentence.

“Should I disappear?”

“Yes! Ah, no, could you go to the bedroom first……,”

“Is there good news waiting for me?”

“Yes! Ah, no, could you wait on the bed……”

“Will what I desire come true?”

Should I tell him it would?

I hesitated for a moment.

“Huh, why are you staring at me like a startled rabbit? I told you. I won’t bother you if you don’t want me to. You really look tired, so I’ll just retreat for today.”

“……Really?”

I stared at Rinel, who said he would willingly retreat, with a skeptical gaze.

“Yes, you weren’t in a good mood today because of the palace issue, so I should try not to inconvenience you any further.”

His eyes drooped, making him look somehow pitiful, like a puppy caught in the rain.

Why does my head droop down and make me feel sorry?

“You’re probably bloated because of me. I should probably get up, right?”

It seemed like Rinel really intended to leave the bathroom.

“My clothes are damp and chilly, but if I catch a cold, someone will take care of me.”

Could he possibly catch a cold just from being that wet?

“A cold?”

Instead of answering, he just nodded with a pitiful look in his eyes.

“If I catch a cold, you’ll have to come and stay with me until I recover.”

“Me?”

“Well, I can also come. By the way, the wind was blowing pretty hard when I came to the palace earlier. My already cursed, cold body is going to meet a chilly wind.”

Is he trying to say that he wants me to catch him?

“My back feels eerily cold as if several ghosts are clinging to it because I didn’t even wear a robe.”

“That’s a bit much……”

“Our very tired Empress today, don’t worry about me and sleep warmly by yourself. I will enjoy the chilly wind.”

He spoke as if he was about to kick down the bathroom door and leave, but when I stared at him,

“What, why?”

His rear end showed no signs of rising from the edge of the tub.