“Stian, what on earth is going on that you’re hesitating like this?”

I asked again, trying not to push the head chamberlain.

“Ah, yes, Your Majesty the Empress! Before I speak, as Your Majesty’s closest confidant, I have always led the way on the path Your Majesty wishes to go, but this time, I must inform you in advance that I have stepped back!”

The head chamberlain’s attitude of constantly beating around the bush made me start to worry more about Rinel.

“Tell me what’s going on right now.”

My nerves were on edge.

“Yes, if I don’t tell you right away, I feel like I might get kicked… Oh my, I understand! Yes, yes.”

While speaking to me, the head chamberlain turned his head to the side and mumbled towards the outside of the dining room door.

The head chamberlain, facing forward again, cleared his throat and shouted.

“His Majesty the Emperor is here!”

…What did he say?

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment and stood up abruptly from my chair.

The other concubines were equally surprised.

They all stood up in confusion, following my lead.

But the surprise was momentary, and color began to return to the concubines’ faces.

They seemed happy to be able to see him, even like this.

By the way, why did he suddenly barge into the lunch with the concubines?

Is this also a tradition of the Raphion Empire?

The concubines alternately looked at my face and towards the dining room door.

Their eyes were asking me to explain this situation.

I whispered quietly to them that I had no idea what was going on, shrugging my shoulders.

“Stian, you talk too much.”

Rinel’s voice was heard first from outside the dining room door.

“I said I’m just going in, why are you rambling on and on?”

Rinel’s hand suddenly appeared, pushing away the shoulder of the head chamberlain who was blocking the middle of the dining room door.

“Move aside. I need to enter.”

Rinel’s tone was gruff, but his expression looked extremely pleased.

At his sudden appearance, I was at a loss for words and could only blink.

He raised one hand shyly to greet me, then returned to a calm expression and lowered his hand discreetly.

Those blue eyes were focused only on me.

Ah, he looks fatally sexy, this won’t do.

I’ll have to earnestly implore him later.

To never greet with such a shy smile in front of other people.

Especially not in front of other women.

I’ve never thought about wanting to monopolize someone in my life, but he kept making me feel unfamiliar emotions.

He’s a dangerous man in many ways.

I smiled for now and welcomed him as he strode towards me.

As if there was only one path in this world – straight ahead – he approached looking only forward, not even glancing to the side.

The concubines all stared at him with open mouths, as if admiring him.

“We greet Your Majesty the Emperor!”

They all paid their respects to Rinel as he walked into the dining room, with equally dazed expressions.

Why does he look especially handsome today?

If I had seen that brilliantly shining figure of Rinel alone, it honestly would have been a shame.

‘Yes, he’s too enchanting a man for one woman to monopolize.’

As he got closer, I thought.

That I should try to understand a little of the jealousy and envy the concubines feel towards me.

Last night, I lay in bed with that man, in the bed he sleeps in every day, receiving his gaze, feeling his touch, making love until we fell asleep.

Among the four beautiful women in front of me, the only one who received his love was… me.

My heart boiled over at the sudden realization of that fact.

But it wasn’t just because I recalled the time I spent with him last night.

Even now, I could feel love in his gaze as he walked towards me, his eyes containing only me.

Love? Did I just say love?

It was unfamiliar, but I had to admit it.

There was no other word to describe this feeling besides that one.

Rinel stopped in front of me.

“Your Majesty… what brings you here so suddenly?”

I blurted out, forgetting even to greet him.

He cleared his throat a couple of times and then said to me boldly.

“I was hungry.”

“…Pardon?”

“There’s something especially delicious here in the Empress’s Palace.”

What on earth is so delicious here?

“Have you not eaten yet?”

I asked him, glancing at the head chamberlain standing behind him.

The head chamberlain then spoke to me with an expression like he had been waiting, as if explaining.

“If I may humbly report, Your Majesty has already finished his meal, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Stian, don’t humbly report to the Empress and then act apologetic, just keep that mouth shut.”

Rinel turned to the head chamberlain and mouthed some harsh words, then looked back at me and the concubines with a dignified gaze as if nothing had happened.

“I didn’t have dessert.”

In the end, the excuse he made up started and ended with eating.

“Oh my, Your Majesty! Then please have some with us!”

Melanie exclaimed, thrusting her chest forward as if about to throw herself at him.

I wanted to grab her by the nape of the neck and correct her posture.

“Melanie, how did you get to the Empress’s Palace?”

When Rinel addressed Melanie, she asked back with a bright expression, all excited.

“Pardon? What do you mean how did I get here?”

“You didn’t roll all the way to the Empress’s Palace, did you?”

Rinel asked, turning one hand in circles.

“Heehee, Your Majesty… you express your concern for me in such a mischievous way.”

Melanie cupped her cheeks with both hands and swayed her body side to side.

Wow, her ability to prettily package teasing words to her liking is impressive.

What a positive mindset.

I found Melanie’s behavior quite amusing, but the other concubines seemed to disagree with me.

Especially Catherine, who glared at her with eyes narrowed like buttonholes, as if looking down on her.

“Melanie, you really do have an excellent sense of fashion.”

Rinel’s empty words were heard.

Here we go again.

I gave him a look telling him not to do that, but he pretended to show interest in Melanie’s dress as if he had found something to tease about.

“As expected of a woman born with a sense for it, you absorb trends right away.”

He tapped one of his shoulders and gave Melanie an impressive thumbs up.

“I knew Your Majesty would like it!”

At this, Melanie rotated her exposed shoulder back and forth, glaring at Catherine with a smug expression.

“Those who understand style, eat more.”

At that one line from Rinel, Melanie’s face overflowed with peace as if she had received words of blessing in a temple.

“Your Majesty, I heard your schedule is very busy today.”

I asked him accusingly.

“It’s not busy.”

That was a lie.

I already knew that he had meetings from early this morning, and due to the prolonged meetings, he was scheduled to have lunch with his ministers.

No matter how I thought about it, he didn’t have the time to leisurely drop by the Empress’s Palace today.

Moreover, he would have been informed that I was having lunch with the concubines, yet he barges in without any warning?

It was strange.

“Actually, I am busy.”

He changed his words again.

“If you’re busy… how did you have time to come all the way to the Empress’s Palace?”

“I don’t. That’s why I ran here to save time.”

His answer plunged me further into a maze of confusion.

Ah, that must be a lie too… I thought.

But.

“I thought I was going to die from being out of breath, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The head chamberlain chimed in again, adding weight to Rinel’s words.

“If you’re so busy, why bother…”

At my words, he immediately put on a hurt expression.

Because of that, I couldn’t finish my sentence and only asked with my eyes.

“I left this morning without properly greeting the Empress.”

“Why does that…”

I was conscious of the concubines listening to our conversation and asked him in ventriloquism.

“It bothered me all morning that I left you lying there alone in my bed.”

He deliberately raised his voice as if only the two of us existed here.

My ventriloquism was rendered meaningless at that moment.

Am I the only one here who cares about the listening ears in the dining room?

It was already overwhelming to bear the jealous gazes of the concubines, but Rinel smiled at me even more affectionately as if to show off.

“You could have talked about that later…”

My voice came out even drier because of Rinel, who was saying such embarrassing things so casually in front of the concubines.

He made a sullen expression and said.

“Later is now.”

“Ah, I see…”

If His Majesty the Emperor says so, then it must be so.

I nodded obediently.

Seeing the corners of his mouth slowly rising, I had an ominous feeling.

What is he going to say now?

“Empress, there’s no need to be nervous. I’ve seen your face, so that’s enough.”

But contrary to my concerns, he really seemed like he was just going to greet and leave.

When the concubines raised their greetings with disappointed faces, he nodded perfunctorily to them and turned around.

I watched him walk out of the dining room with steady steps and sat back down with the concubines.

However, a few seconds later, Rinel came back in.

“What’s the matter, Your Majesty?”

I asked, startled by his reappearance.

He answered as he rushed quickly towards me.

“I just realized I didn’t have dessert.”

At his words, Catherine and I simultaneously reached for the plate placed between us.

It was a dessert cake topped with lots of strawberries and blueberries.

“Your Majesty, this cake is the most delicious among the desserts here. Please have a bite before you go.”

Catherine’s hand was faster than mine.

Her voice was sweeter than the cake.

Rinel raised one hand with such a serious expression that I felt embarrassed.

“I decline. I have a different dessert that I like.”

Although Catherine offered the cake, he stared at my face as he replied.

Catherine didn’t back down either, picking up another cake plate in front of Melanie and asking him again.

“Then how about some cheesecake?”

Melanie also reached out at the same time, but Catherine was faster this time as well.

“I don’t like rich things. Neither in food nor in people.”

He muttered meaningfully and then grinned at me, who was maintaining a expressionless face.

Why are you smiling like that? Why?

“Your Majesty, you don’t have time to linger. You need to do it quickly and leave.”

The head chamberlain urged him, holding a pocket watch in his hand.

Wait? I understand he needs to leave quickly, but what does he need to ‘do’ quickly?

“I was going to step outside with the Empress for a moment…”

His gaze was ominous.

“There’s no time for that!”

The head chamberlain said firmly.

Rinel, who had been mouthing something busily to Stian, dropped his lips onto mine without warning.

It happened in an instant.

“Mmph?!”

I lost my balance at his aggressive kiss and fell back into the chair.

“Delicious, as expected.”

His lips whispered slowly as they moved away from mine.

I lost my balance at his aggressive kiss and fell back into the chair.

The concubines who witnessed this scene firsthand covered their mouths with both hands.

I did the same.

The only difference between them and me was that my mouth was blocked by his lips instead of hands.

“Wh-what… did you just do?”

“I ate.”

“…Pardon?”

“My dessert.”

His low voice sweetly echoed through the dining room.