Ah, it’s absolutely unbearable.

My thoughts become complicated.

“By the way, Empress.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm, how strange.”

Emperor Rinel stopped as if he was about to say something.

He seemed to be waiting for me to ask “What is it?” after throwing out the words “How strange.”

I maintained silence as I wasn’t curious at all.

If he had something to say, he would say it without being asked.

“Other women try everything to make eye contact with me, so I thought my face was quite decent, you know?”

As I expected, the Emperor, tired of waiting, started speaking on his own.

To end with the word ‘decent’ is far from sufficient for the Emperor’s face, which deserves all sorts of flowery descriptions.

You’re being really harsh on yourself in your self-evaluation.

I lifted my head to look up at him.

“But now that I look, it seems not just my face, but other parts of me are quite decent too?”

I was confused about how to react to his playful gaze that flashed briefly amid his seriousness.

“Even if you prefer my feet to my face, when I’m talking, I mean look at my face.”

“Ah, yes, Your Majesty.”

Only then did I realize that I had been staring at his feet continuously.

I agreed, but as my gaze dropped back to his feet, he quickly lifted my chin.

“I have more than enough people bowing their heads before me for a lifetime. No need for the Empress to join them.”

It was a tone that I couldn’t gauge whether it was an order or a request.

I stared intently into his eyes as he wished.

“Much better. I’d like the Empress’s eyes to stay on my face. I know my feet are more appealing than my face, but still.”

“Oh my…”

Without realizing it, an exclamation that seemed to criticize the Emperor’s humor escaped my lips.

He seemed to know that his humor was a bit forced, as the corners of his mouth slowly rose, showing an embarrassed expression.

Seeing his apologetic look, I burst into laughter involuntarily.

“Pfft!”

Have I finally lost my mind?

To laugh so openly in front of the Emperor like this.

He stared at me with an impassive gaze, then raised one hand to wipe one of his cheeks.

It seemed my saliva had sprayed onto his face.

“I’m, I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

I apologized, tapping my lips with my hand.

He let out a chuckle.

In the midst of the confusion, his upper body, smoothly sculpted like a statue, suddenly came closer to me.

As a result, my body, which had been sitting upright, tilted back towards the bed.

Just before falling flat on my back, I quickly planted my hands on the bed and held myself up.

“To answer your question, if I must, the holy men do not observe the first night with a remarried Empress. Is your curiosity satisfied now?”

Damn. Princess Resilia must have it easy.

“Yes.”

I nodded glumly.

And then I openly admired the Emperor’s chest muscles subtly flexing before my eyes, until our eyes met.

The finely divided abs looked even more sensual in the dim lighting.

Even at a glance, there were many large and small scars on his firm abs.

The glorious scars he must have received on the battlefield had left traces on his stomach, as if engraving memories.

Feeling my hot gaze, Emperor Rinel ran his hand down his stomach.

“They were weak opponents.”

He said, pointing to the largest scar just above his navel.

“Pardon?”

“The one who gave me this wound.”

“Ah, but how did a weak opponent manage to inflict the largest wound?”

“This is a secret, but I’ll tell only you, since it’s our first night as a couple.”

He suddenly lowered his voice significantly.

A secret? He’s only telling me?

Whether for better or worse, I opened my eyes wide and leaned in at the words ‘specially’ and ‘secret’.

“You see, I…”

“Yes…”

“For some reason, I tend to let my guard down against weak opponents.”

What?

“…That’s quite a big secret?”

I spoke as if sympathizing with his words while also mocking him.

I worried that he might have noticed my intention, but fortunately, he nodded at my words and agreed, saying “That’s what I’m saying.”

Our faces, which had unintentionally come close, quickly moved apart again.

“You might be nervous, but there’s not much to worry about.”

“What do you mean?”

“Those incompetent holy men with their sham divine power won’t even know if we’re really consummating or not. So I plan to just put on an act and be done with it.”

“An act… you say?”

“Yes. I have no intention of letting the holy men enjoy my abilities for free.”

I wanted to ask what kind of abilities he meant, but my heart had already understood the meaning and started beating rapidly.

Heart, let’s calm down. This doesn’t seem like something you should be looking forward to.

“I have no intention of enjoying it in this state either.”

Emperor Rinel muttered in a serious tone.

I laid out those words in my head and analyzed their meaning.

Is the ‘this state’ he mentioned referring to me?

Or is he talking about this situation where the holy men are observing?

And what does he mean by putting on an act?

I couldn’t get any clues from his unnervingly impassive expression.

“Shall we begin now?”

“…Pardon?”

Emperor Rinel looked at my surprised face and smirked, then immediately called out towards the bedroom door in a very businesslike tone.

“Come in!”

***

Before the holy men entered, the servants first came into the bedroom.

The servants quickly lowered the black sheer curtains tied to the bed posts on all three sides.

Only then did I realize that Emperor Rinel’s words about not worrying and ending it with just an act were actually feasible.

As the Emperor and I sat side by side on the bed, the servants left the bedroom, and soon after, the holy men entered silently like ghosts.

The figures of the holy men visible through the black sheer curtains looked reverent.

Each of them was holding a holy book in their hands.

I wanted to ask why they brought holy books to the Emperor’s first night with his wife.

The holy men took their positions, standing in a circle around the bed at a distance, and began to recite a prayer that is read before the main ceremony.

Emperor Rinel gently nudged my arm.

I had been staring blankly at the silhouettes of the holy men visible through the sheer curtain, but when I looked at him, he whispered softly in my ear.

“As you can see, the holy men can only see our outlines. They can’t see anything in detail. And even that much ends when they leave the bedroom after mumbling their blessing song, so just bear with it for a bit.”

“Pardon? Then does that mean…”

Does it mean the holy men don’t directly observe the first night?

“You should know how lucky you are, Empress.”

“Me?”

I’m lucky? His words didn’t resonate with me at all, so I asked back with wide eyes.

He nodded.

“The first nights of previous emperors were directly observed by holy men inside the bedroom, but things have changed now.”

Really?

“…Since when?”

“Since my time.”

He said he got rid of that tradition this time.

“Instead, I made a compromise and reached an agreement.”

The agreement was as follows:

The holy men enter the bedroom before the first night to offer prayers, and when the imperial couple shares a kiss, they leave and wait outside. Then, when the first night is over, they enter the bedroom again to sing a blessing song, completing their role.

“Why do you look like that? Should I have changed it for the next generation instead?”

“Ah, no. You’ve done a truly excellent job, Your Majesty.”

Then you should have told me that from the beginning…

I was extremely nervous!

“But we’ll still need to deceive the holy men’s eyes a bit.”

“How? What should I do?”

Just tell me.

I’m already deceiving you, the Emperor, so the holy men should be no problem.

“Seeing you speak so actively, I guess the acting won’t be an issue. About the kiss…”

Kiss?

“I’ll pretend to move, so you cooperate too.”

“What kind of cooperation…?”

“You just stay still. That’ll do.”

In other words, the kiss is the signal flare for the first night.

Still, it was truly fortunate that the tradition had changed and the holy men would withdraw at that point.

Although we have to actually kiss, not just coordinate for an act.

“Really… I just need to stay still?”

“Why, do you want to lead? If so, we can do that.”

“Ah, no, Your Majesty. I’ll follow your command!”

I quickly whispered.

“Good.”

Emperor Rinel let out a long sigh.

Now that I look, he seemed tense too.

“We don’t need to show the holy men anything else, but the kiss, we have no choice.”

His voice, seemingly asking for my understanding, somehow sounded sad.

May a bit of sweetness accompany this poor Emperor.

What sin have I committed?

But my heart, forgetting its place, beat severely when it saw Emperor Rinel’s lips.

Anyway, I must endure until Princess Resilia arrives at the Raphion Palace.

It won’t be easy, but my survival game has already begun.

I must not be discovered.

Not for Princess Resilia, not for Prince Tessler, but solely for myself.

To obtain the magic potion that will remove my burn scars and live as a whole person.

“The ceremony begins.”

Emperor Rinel’s voice towards the holy men was as dry as someone attending a boring meeting.

With the Emperor’s words, the holy men stopped their prayer and began to mutter something new.

Meaningless words like incantations flowed from the holy men’s mouths, riding a mysterious rhythm.

Is this the background music played before consummating the first night?

I couldn’t hear clearly, but their voices rose and fell repeatedly, occasionally calling out to ‘God’.

I felt like I could sing along soon.

I had no idea what I should do.

Well, the seemingly experienced Emperor Rinel would probably lead, right?

As I continued to listen to the holy men’s singing, I felt slightly dazed, as if hypnotized.

Emperor Rinel glanced at me and whispered quietly.

“Are you reacting to the holy men’s incantation?”

What? Is there really some divine power in the incantation the holy men are chanting that makes you feel strange?

Come to think of it, my body was already tingling even though our lips hadn’t touched yet.

Unfortunately, heat was rising inside my body.

Since I was seven years old when I got the burn on my face, this reaction occurred several times a month.

This heat sensation was a symptom only I could feel.

Even if others looked at me or directly touched my skin, they couldn’t tell at all that my body was hot.

When the burn scar area on my face felt like it was sizzling with pain and I felt like I was trapped in a fire pit, I had to fill a bathtub with cold water and soak my body for a while.

It’s a bit better in winter, but in other seasons, there’s no other way but to cool my body in cold water.

But even cold water becomes lukewarm after a few minutes.

When the heat is severe, hot steam rises from the water after just 10 minutes.

Of all times, why does this heat symptom have to appear now?

I wanted to throw my body into cold water right away.

Although my burn scar isn’t visible because I drank the magic potion, the burning pain in that spot was still there.

It even felt like someone was holding a fire close to my eyeballs and scorching them.

I couldn’t even see Emperor Rinel’s face properly.

“Don’t frown.”

He whispered, cupping my hot cheeks with his cold hands.

He seemed to think I was annoyed.

“My body is getting too hot… It feels like I’m burning up… That’s why.”

I barely parted my lips to reply.

Emperor Rinel raised his eyebrows.

His cold blue eyes darkened, and a surprised expression flashed across his face.

Ah, it seems my words have caused a misunderstanding for him?

“Excellent. The acting.”

Emperor Rinel muttered softly as he lightly placed his lips on mine.

“That’s not it, ah…!”

Emperor Rinel’s great and noble lips suddenly overlapped with my parted lips.

Oh my.

And my eyes slowly closed at his soft and skillful kiss that followed.

Compared to him, my stiffened lips were being swept around foolishly.

Unexpectedly, the kiss with Emperor Rinel was like an oasis to me.

My mouth, which had been burning up, instantly became refreshing as if I had chewed a handful of mint leaves.

The burning pain also subsided considerably.

How is this possible…

I placed both hands on his dignified face and actively accepted his movements.

Let’s just survive for now.

After quenching my thirst for a while like that, the heat sensation definitely decreased.

As I slowly opened my eyes, Emperor Rinel had a look as if something had been stolen from him.

His wandering eyes due to me asked me.

‘Didn’t I say you don’t need to be this active?’

I hurriedly parted my lips.

“Haah…”

Emperor Rinel exhaled a long breath and glared at me briefly.

Looking outside the black sheer curtain, the ghostly figures of the holy men were no longer visible.

“When, when did they all leave? They left without even saying goodbye?”

“They left a while ago. While we were passionately kissing.”

He said, wiping his glistening lips with the back of his hand.

“…I’m sorry.”

For kissing passionately on my own.

Emperor Rinel, who had been silently looking at me, changed to a face deep in thought.

“That can’t be… What is this?”

He muttered to himself, then placed his hands on both of my shoulders and pushed me down as if to lay me down.

“Your, Your Majesty, the holy men have already all left, haven’t they?”

I urgently said to him, sprawled out on the bed.

“I know.”

“Then why…”

“Just a moment, stay like that. I need to check something.”

The distance between him and me gradually narrowed.