“When did you arrive?”

I slowly leaned forward towards him and whispered.

Rinel raised his hand to touch my face, but I interlaced our fingers and placed them beside the pillow.

“Is this… a dream right now?”

He asked with enchanted eyes.

I wanted to look seductive, but I failed to control my expression as my cheeks kept twitching.

I just gently pressed my face against his.

Rinel moved our interlaced hands.

It seemed like he wanted to embrace me with both arms.

I intentionally didn’t let go of his hands to tease him.

“Does this mean that today, you want me to embrace you with my two legs instead of my arms?”

He asked in an amused voice, then tried to entwine his legs around my body.

“Right now I just want to stay like this. Listening to your heartbeat…”

I turned my face to the side and placed one ear near his heart.

Thump-thump-thump-. Like drums sounding in an emergency, his heart was beating fast and strong.

“I’m sorry, I slept not knowing you had come. And I’m even more sorry for waking you up.”

“It’s alright. But, there must be a reason?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, the reason you woke me up.”

A thrilling shiver ran through my body at his low, suggestive voice.

“Of course, how dare I wake His Imperial Majesty without reason.”

Though my answer was bold, I felt at a loss.

“Surely your reason isn’t just this?”

Rinel asked, lightly squeezing our interlaced hands.

“Pardon?”

“Just to hold hands without even hugging. It’s not, right?”

His elegant eyebrow raised crookedly.

I took a breath in and out before replying.

“I wanted to so badly.”

“W-what… what did you want?”

Though momentarily flustered by my words, his eyes held an expectant light.

“To hold hands.”

“H-hold… what? How brazen…”

Disappointment filled his eyes as they lost their light for a moment.

I giggled brazenly at his disappointed look.

“Never in my life have I been toyed with like this.”

He complained in a rather cheerful tone for someone supposedly toyed with for the first time.

“I won’t hold back!”

“Your words are most just.”

“Before my patience runs out, let me ask one thing.”

“Please speak.”

“Why do you keep getting prettier?”

“P-pardon?!”

I couldn’t help but look around at his question.

“Where are you looking? It’s just the two of us here. And the ghosts living in this bedroom.”

He teased with a smirk.

“Zelda, are you feeling shy right now?”

He asked, observing my increasingly reddening face.

“That question is even more embarrassing.”

“Don’t be shy, I think it would be nice if you softened up a bit.”

“?”

His eyes curved gently as he continued speaking.

“Instead of just gripping my hands like this, I mean. You’re not trying to break my fingers by continuously squeezing, are you?”

He raised our interlaced hands together, as if protesting to me.

“Are you serious?”

I asked, flinching my shoulders at the soft sensation I felt on my nape.

“Yes, I’ve felt it before, but your grip is surprisingly strong.”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking. You’re saying I keep…”

“Getting sexier?”

“N-no…!”

“Heh, I’m serious.”

“You mean I’m getting sexier?”

“No, that you keep getting prettier.”

“Surely not…”

“I’ve been watching every day with that ‘surely not’ feeling too.”

He said with a deliberately serious expression.

“…”

“But every time I look, you get prettier. Well… my eyes have gotten a bit blurry from looking at so many documents lately.”

Rinel squeezed his eyes shut then opened them, blinking repeatedly.

“Really?”

“Yes, they’re blurry.”

“No, not that! Do you really think every time you look at me…”

“I love you.”

“!”

My mouth closed at his casually dropped words.

Though it seemed he said it nonchalantly, his gaze looked more sincere than ever.

And there was no wavering in his voice.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I couldn’t breathe properly.

Silence fell, but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

This whole situation felt unreal.

It was like seeing snow suddenly falling from the sky on a hot summer day.

Or like frantically running down a narrow alley with old grey walls, turning a corner, and stepping into a paradise unfolding before your eyes.

Is this okay?

For such happiness, such a man…

To… me…

“I love you.”

He told me again.

At his simple confession, my heart seemed to momentarily lose function.

“Me too…”

My lips moved without me realizing.

He smiles.

Why did that smile make me choke up?

We quietly gazed into each other’s eyes.

Looks filled with countless emotions were exchanged.

After telling me he loved me, Rinel didn’t say anything more.

I longed for his voice.

I craved that gentle tone speaking while looking into my eyes.

But before that, I had something I needed to say too.

I gathered my courage and opened my mouth.

“I love you.”

“Me too.”

Rinel shyly replied, imitating my speech.

“Pffft… haha!”

I burst out laughing at his formal speech.

His cheeks twitched before he finally laughed too.

“Hahaha.”

Seems he found it funny as well.

The serious mood was broken, but my feelings for him were growing even stronger.

That’s fine.

As long as he laughs and I’m happy.

I’m not sure if I’m happy because I’m laughing or laughing because I’m happy, but either way is fine.

Just like there’s no order to the fact that I love him and he loves me.

“They say love is only complete when expressed physically.”

“Who says that?”

“A capable person.”

“You mean Raphael?”

“How did you know?”

Rinel asked with wide eyes.

“He’s a capable secretary, isn’t he? Though I didn’t know he was capable in matters of love too.”

I said with a laugh, and he made a profound expression.

“Raphael is originally the open pan… I mean, open-minded one of the imperial palace, so he’s capable in love too.”

“…Ah, I see?”

“Anyway, Raphael is right. Just talking doesn’t let you know. How deep love is…”

He shifted his body to the side while keeping our hands interlaced, laying me down on the bed.

“Is it really deep?”

I asked, flinching my shoulders at the soft sensation I felt on my nape.

“Very deep. It will keep getting deeper.”

“You mean… love?”

“Is there anything else?”

The sound of his laughter came close to my earlobe.

“When are we going to sleep?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you sleep for about 3 hours.”

“What time is it now?”

As I turned my head towards the bedside table where the clock was placed,

“Tsk, why does that matter? My word is the law, and the time.”

He raised his hand to block my view as I tried to check the time.

“Are you sure we can sleep for 3 hours?”

“Actually, time isn’t important. What’s important is getting quality sleep.”

I just nodded obediently, having no particular objection to his opinion.

“Now let’s untangle.”

Rinel said with a grave look in his eyes.

“You mean our desires?”

“Ha… my wife is too explicit. I meant let’s untangle our hands?”

He acted surprised at my words as he pulled his long, large fingers from between mine.

“…I said that because I felt desire from Rinel’s hands too.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

His freed hands lingered on my shoulders for a moment before slowly moving elsewhere.

A sigh escaped like a moan at his touch around my waist.

My upper body was arching like the bow I had seen in the training grounds.

If we’re talking flexibility, I was a notch above the bow.

What an amazing discovery.

With my senses taut and sensitive, it felt like my body might spring away somewhere at any moment.

The rough breaths escaping between his teeth seemed to hypnotize me.

My eyes slowly closed, feeling like I was in a dream.

When I opened them again, a blue sea was looking down at me.

Rinel’s pupils rippled like waves.

His glistening lips were as sweet as honey.

Honey that I had made.

Filled with affection that never cloyed no matter how sweet…

As our emotions were wholly absorbed into each other’s bodies, everything in the world got busy.

Thud-!

Suddenly the clock on the bedside table fell onto the marble floor.

The ticking sound of the clock hands stopped.

Those 3 hours he said I could sleep tonight disappeared into the stopped clock.

[This is the timeline separator]

The next morning.

I entered the main palace audience chamber with Rinel.

We were drinking tea while waiting for Norton Asalman, the 3rd prince of the Partsha Empire from the Southern Continent.

As he was the first distinguished guest to arrive for the Continental Hunting Competition, I was nervous, but I was actually more worried about whether he would really pretend not to have seen me in the training grounds.

“Zelda, before we meet Prince Norton, there’s something I want to tell you so you won’t be surprised.”

Rinel said, taking my hand.

“What is it?”

“Originally, men from the Southern Continent look rough like barbarians. Their personalities are also unrestrained.”

He stated the characteristics of Southern Continent men’s appearances as if it were a fact.

I recalled Prince Norton’s appearance from the training grounds last night.

That’s not right?

The prince was large in build, but his appearance was quite handsome.

It didn’t match Rinel’s description at all.

“Not all men from the Southern Continent are… like that, right?”

I carefully raised an objection to his opinion.

“You’ve never seen a man from the Southern Continent before.”

I saw one yesterday though?

“That’s true…”

“I’ve seen them to the point of disgust on battlefields. Most of the Southern Continent guys look voracious enough to tear into raw meat.”

Come on.

The Southern guy I saw looked like he’d elegantly slurp up spaghetti though?

“So don’t be too surprised. I’m telling you in advance because it would be rude to show fear right in front of his face.”

“Yes, that would be very impolite indeed.”

I pretended to agree with his words.

“Right, even if his appearance is rough and strange, let’s give him some compliments. He is our first guest after all.”

“Of course, don’t worry.”

I responded as if making a promise, looking at Rinel who was earnestly imploring.

He flashed a trusting smile.

“But thinking about it, I think it’s better for me.”

Rinel glanced at me while stroking his chin.

“What is?”

“When you see the barbaric appearance of Southern Continent men, you’ll surely realize what a fine man I am.”

He smiled, gently swinging our joined hands.

Knock knock knock-

With the sound of knocking, Secretary Raphael entered.

“Prince Norton of the Partsha Empire has arrived.”

“Show him in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

A moment later, Prince Norton entered the audience chamber.

I stole a glance at Rinel’s face.

“Hmm?”

He was visibly startled by the Southern Continent man’s appearance, which differed greatly from his expectations.

“May glory and prosperity be abundant in the Raphion Empire. I have the honor of meeting the Emperor and Empress!”

Prince Norton knelt on one knee and paid his respects politely.

Fortunately, the prince acted as if he was seeing me for the first time.

I let out a sigh of relief and glanced at Rinel again.

He was staring intently at Prince Norton.

“Are you really Prince Norton Asalman?”

Rinel asked, emphasizing his name.

He looked ready to receive a great shock if the answer was yes.

“…Pardon? Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Prince Norton appeared quite flustered by the serious question about his identity.

From the prince’s perspective, it was understandably perplexing.

He would have certainly had his identity verified by the imperial administrators upon arriving in the Raphion Empire, and would have also conversed with Raphael just before entering the audience chamber.

“And you’re really from that Partsha Empire on the Southern Continent?”

“Yes, I am. I beg your pardon, but has there been some misunderstanding regarding my personal information?”

“Ah, no, it’s just that there’s something strange…”

He muttered quietly, as if talking to himself.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

Prince Norton asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Rinel then changed the subject, speaking as if in admiration:

“I see the water in the Southern Continent must have gotten really good these days?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

He waved his hand and smiled bitterly.

The atmosphere was becoming strange.

It was my turn to step in for the awkward atmosphere.

Recalling the conversation I had with Rinel just before, I spoke to Prince Norton with as much sincerity as I could muster:

“Your Highness, you have such a splendid appearance. You must be a representative handsome man of the Southern Continent? No, you could represent all continents. Ho ho ho!”

I laughed as naturally as possible while giving him two thumbs up.

At my words, both men’s eyes widened simultaneously and their gazes fixed on me.

And both men blushed at the same time.

“Ah, you flatter me too much, Your Imperial Majesty.”

The only difference was… Prince Norton in front of me had a smiling face, while Rinel beside me was frowning.

Why?

Knock knock knock-

At that moment, Raphael entered again.

“Pardon the interruption. Prince Norton, it seems you need to confirm the Partsha Empire personnel on the guest list for a moment. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is waiting outside the audience chamber now.”

“I see. Please excuse me for a moment, Your Majesties.”

Prince Norton asked for their understanding and left the audience chamber.

“Feel free to excuse yourself for a long time.”

Rinel muttered in a low voice as the audience chamber door was closing, but it didn’t seem like he meant for Prince Norton to hear it.

Click. As the audience chamber door closed, he turned my shoulders to face him.

His gaze was ominous.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”