Chapter 49 (2/2)

“Your Majesty, please turn your back this way.”

He pressed his eyes shut. “No, he can sense what’s going on at this close range. We can’t show them our weaknesses so openly.”

“Your Highness.”

“I told you I will not allow it.”

Khun, who was being transported by horseback to diplomatic captivity, had been a nuisance in many ways, but we couldn’t do anything to him.

The emperor was right, but his condition, which was much worse than usual, bothered me.

“Why don’t you get some rest?”

“Yeah, it’s been a long day.” The emperor accepted this time without hesitation. However, even lying on his seat in the large wagon, he seemed very uncomfortable.

I bent over to him to fix the pillow again, and my arm touched him.

Was that the trigger?

His lips chased mine and before I knew it I was on top of him, out of breath and held tightly in his arms. He felt hot everywhere. It felt like he was going to burn me everywhere he touched.

I knew exactly what was going on.

He instinctively found the fastest coolant. A small voice at the back of my mind nagged that this wasn’t a very efficient way of healing because there was no direct contact with the damaged area, but I ignored it. Even this much would be helpful in this situation.

I had been held like this before. I had mistaken it for love then.

But not at all this time. I no longer gave meaning to these meaningless actions.

Last time, he said clearly that he wouldn’t do anything under any circumstances if I said no. But I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t push him away.

Though I was embarrassed by how this kiss was much deeper than I expected.

He kissed me as if he wanted to take my breath away, but slowly opened his eyes and looked at me before he let me go slowly. He pressed his lips to my hands and arms.

He had an unexpected look in his eyes as he stared at me.

It was obvious to me what he wanted to say, but I didn’t want to hear him apologize. Anything else but that. I just wanted to be a secretary who did what I was supposed to do, and who didn’t give meaning to a kiss or two.

So I brought it up on purpose. “Your Majesty, would you mind if I go back to the palace and take care of your back?”

He blinked very slowly several times, then nodded.

“I’ll do that.”

The emperor used to have no expression on his face when it was time for the two of us to be alone, but it was different now. There seemed to be something he wanted to say to me.

But even though I knew it, I looked out the window, avoiding eye contact. No. Neither he nor I would bring it up again. Such discussions were useless, anyway.

***

Rumors of an Academy terrorist attack swept the capital in an instant, leaving public opinion devastated. If this was what the empress dowager intended, she would have achieved half of her goal.

Who on earth committed it? The terrorist was from the subjugated country that was annexed by the Empire? What the hell?

The capital originally had many small countries around the Burg Empire or small tribes around it. Some countries were merged when the former emperor continued to expand the empire, but many more countries and tribes surrendered and chose to merge after the current emperor took office.

The Burg Empire had a very lenient immigration policy compared to the Teppoda Empire which was almost the same size. That was the main reason for the expansion of the border during the era of the current emperor. The empire allowed the people who surrendered and merged to live in their present territories without changing their lords. It distributed seeds of improved crops and spread advanced technology. It was inevitable that the market was formed with slaves sold without excessive taxation, but it did not enslave the citizens of the annexed countries.

Although the status of the nobles of the merged country was maintained, it was true that it was, in reality, a demotion. However, from the perspective of farmers and ordinary people who lived on the land, the treatment was better due to the change of king and the name of the country.

In the meantime, there had been little disturbance because the Burgish people, already composed of immigrants, had not been at odds with the newer immigrants.

However, the attack, which they were clearly blamed for, was not something that could be taken lightly. Citizens and aristocrats gathered in the square late at night, unable to sleep properly.

Perhaps the only person I could trust was the emperor who had investigated all of this in advance and infiltrated the academy to stop the attack.

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