Rinel didn’t even chuckle.

He stared at me blankly with a shocked face.

I had never seen his mouth open for so long.

Wait, he hasn’t dislocated his jaw, has he?

“Zelda.”

He called my name with a distant look.

Fortunately, his teeth were tightly packed with no empty spaces.

But now, would an order like ‘For the crime of daring to kick the emperor’s mouth and knock down his noble body, you will be executed!’ fall on me?

Am I going to be dragged out and killed like this?

Why did he match his mouth to the top of my foot in the first place?

“Zelda?”

When I didn’t immediately respond, he frowned and called my name again.

His gaze still lingered in the void.

“Your Majesty, I apologize……”

“I’m fine.”

“Excuse me?”

“Even though you aimed for my teeth with your foot, it’s okay. Don’t try to kiss me out of a sense of guilt.”

What does he mean?

Is he telling me to apologize with a kiss, or not to?

“I have pride, too.”

He added while giving me a sideways glance.

“……I will keep that in mind.”

I responded with my mouth tightly closed.

“But, if you want to charge into my mouth as aggressively with your lips as you did with your foot, I might just accept.”

“……?”

So, he’s waiting for my lips?

For a while, Rinel, who had been maintaining a reclined position, looked more miserable as if it was a form of resistance, then turned over and curled up.

“Rinel…… I didn’t come today to do this.”

I crawled on all fours towards him, who had turned over, and spoke in an apologetic tone.

“I didn’t intend to end up like this by matching my mouth to the top of your foot either.”

“……That, because you suddenly touched my foot with your mouth……”

“Did I confuse it with a candy cane?”

Rinel murmured something halfunderstandable, halfinaudible to himself.

“I’m okay. I’m more sorry for surprising you, actually.”

He made a false apology in an unapologetic tone, emphasizing the word ’emperor’.

“Your Majesty……”

He fell silent again.

“Rinel?”

“Why.”

He hesitated for a few seconds when I called him by his name before finally replying.

“Are you not coming to the Queen’s palace anymore?”

Upon hearing my words, he, who had been closing his eyes, opened them wide and looked up at me.

“Would you prefer it if I didn’t go?”

“No, I didn’t mean that.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“I made such a big mistake, so now……”

If I were to cry here, it would be perfect.

But, unsurprisingly, no tears came.

Ah, if only I could shed tears as freely as others. They would be much more effective than a hundred apologies.

My tears…… they only come out when my swordsmanship doesn’t go as planned, or when I meet a strong opponent and win, only in cases like that!

They say a woman’s weapon is tears, don’t they?

Unfortunately, it seems that the only weapons in my life are the sword and the bow.

Fortunately, I can make my voice sound teary, so instead of tears, I begged him for forgiveness with a shaky voice.

“I’m really, sob, sorry……”

“Zelda, your eyes don’t look like they’re going to cry at all, why is your voice like that? It’s like you’re acting.”

Ah, even a shaky voice like this doesn’t work!

But it was worth a try.

“People don’t cry when they’re too shocked.”

I pretended to wipe away tears from my dry eyes with my fingers and immediately reverted to my normal voice.

“Well, assuming that’s true. If you’re not saying that because you don’t want me to go to the Queen’s palace, then don’t even think about it.”

“Then will you continue to come to my quarters……”

“More often.”

Rinel, who had been miserably curled up, sat up smoothly and said.

He had returned to his commanding, imperial demeanor.

“Until my lips touch every part of your body.”

Rinel stated as if making a vow.

He was truly a conqueror.

“As long as you’re not planning to skin me…… I humbly accept your command.”

“Skinning isn’t my style. I don’t know about the rest.”

I spoke a bit aggressively out of relief, but he seemed very pleased with my response.

Phew, that was a close call. I thought he would be really angry.

“Shall we now hear the real reason why you came to my room?”

His low voice seemed to build a wall around me.

A wall that made it impossible for me to escape from him.

“But Zelda, why have you been kneeling since a while ago?”

Rinel asked, forcing my knelt legs to straighten.

“Ah!”

I let out a strange sound without realizing it.

“Why are you reacting like that just because I touched your legs? This is going to be a problem if you’re already like this.”

“Haah. Your, Your Majesty!”

This time, a roar of anger erupted from my mouth.

“Was it your leg that was sensitive? It’s more satisfying than finding a mana mine.”

Rinel’s eyes softened as he gripped my leg, his hand tensing.

I felt like I was going to die.

“Don’t touch me!”

“You seem to want me to touch you more when you say it with that face.”

“I said don’t put strength in your hand! Hehe. My, my leg is tingling, my leg!”

“Ah….”

“Just leave me alone for a moment, it will only be a moment. I’ll recover soon!”