Crash! Without warning, the door burst open.
“Etricia—Ahh!”
Lilien, her eyes red and teary, rushed in and gasped in shock when she saw us. She quickly covered her flushed face with both hands.
“S-Sorry! I-I didn’t see anything!”
I was happy to see her out of bed, but the feeling was quickly replaced by embarrassment.
We were only hugging tightly at the edge of the bed, but to an outsider, it might have looked quite suggestive.
“You’re here, Lilien?”
As I struggled to get up, Edmund suddenly pulled me into his arms.
Huh? My cheeks were squished against his chest like a marshmallow as I blinked in surprise.
“Etricia needs to rest in my arms. Greetings can wait. Please leave.”
Edmund spoke coldly, his expression unreadable.
It was the first time I had heard him speak to Lilien in such a tone. I was both taken aback and worried that she might feel hurt.
‘Did they have a fight while I was asleep?’
As I darted my eyes between them, Lilien removed her hands from her face and glared at Edmund.
“Edmund, let me through. I came running as soon as I heard the news.”
She was still panting between sentences, proving her words true.
Edmund pressed my head further against him and said, “I am Etricia’s fiancé. Anyone can see that now is the time for you to step aside.”
“Not even letting me greet her after she just woke up? That’s too much, Edmund!”
“You are with her every time I leave the estate. Please give way this time.”
“Are you serious?”
Lilien huffed, her face turning red with frustration.
‘What is this situation?’
I was bewildered as they bickered over me.
Carefully, I slipped out of Edmund’s embrace.
As I fixed my hair, made messy from static, I looked up at him. He leaned against the bed’s headboard, frowning in displeasure, as if asking, ‘Are you really going to leave me and go to her?’
“…Is this what you meant by ‘do as I please’?”
He stared at me sulkily before looking away.
“Whenever you’re with her, I’m always second place.”
“M-Me? When did I ever—?”
His unexpected behavior left me flustered, and I stuttered.
He was acting like a child throwing a tantrum.
“You don’t know… When I loved you alone, your gaze was always on her. It drove me crazy.”
“Oh… I see.”
Uh… so, in this situation…
“S-Sorry. I should have realized your feelings sooner. I must have hurt you.”
A few seconds later, his nape turned red, as if my hair had caught fire.
He shut his eyes tightly.
“…Don’t laugh.”
Oops. He caught me.
I had been biting my lip to hold back, but at his words, I burst into laughter and collapsed onto his chest.
‘Ah, how can he be so adorable?’
Leaning against him, I gazed up at his face.
“Damn it. This is why I didn’t want to say anything.”
He ruffled his hair roughly, mumbling as if he didn’t understand why he was acting like this.
It’s obvious. He finally relaxed.
I wiped my damp eyes with my fingers as my laughter subsided.
Then, I reached out and rubbed his flushed nape before shifting my hand to his shoulder and turning my head.
“Lilien, I’m sorry. Can we postpone our talk until tomorrow? I’m really happy to see you, but today…”
I shrugged and scrunched my nose.
“My lover is too jealous.”
Speaking in a teasing tone, I saw Edmund grab my hand and playfully nibble my finger—a silent protest against my laughter.
“Ow. That hurts.”
It didn’t hurt at all, more like a puppy’s nibble, but I pouted and pressed my fingers against his lips in retaliation.
Ow. He bit them again.
“Oh? Is that how you want to play?”
“Are you going to keep laughing?”
As we giggled and playfully bickered, a hesitant voice spoke up.
“U-Um…”
Standing at the door, Lilien peeked through her fingers at us as if she had seen something scandalous.
‘Oh. Lilien…’
I quickly pulled my hand away from Edmund’s lips, my cheeks turning bright red.
I had been so caught up in playing with Edmund that I forgot about Lilien.
“Ah.”
Edmund glanced at my retreating hand in disappointment before turning to the door.
“Sister, are you not leaving?”
Lilien slowly lowered her hands and glared at him sideways.
“I am! Stop acting like I’m some kind of intruder!”
I nudged Edmund’s chest, silently telling him to stop, then grabbed Lilien’s hands.
“Lilien, I’m really happy to see you again.”
“Me too. I was so worried…”
She let out a shaky breath, trying to hold back tears, her eyes glistening as she smiled.
“I heard you’ll be allowed short outings soon? You’ll meet His Majesty first, of course, but after that, let’s take a walk in the garden together.”
“I’d love that.”
Lilien sniffled and wiped her eyes.
“Now that I’ve seen you’re safe, I’ll head out. Oh, and make sure to sleep separately.”
Her last comment made my face heat up. I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, but it still made me flustered.
I turned to look at Edmund with an ‘You heard that, right?’ expression. He furrowed his brows and tilted his head in protest, but I ignored him.
“Don’t worry… We’ll sleep separately.”
“Oh, and drink plenty of water.”
“Yes, yes.”
“You should stay in bed today.”
“I will.”
No sooner had I answered than she continued.
“Since you’ve been bedridden for a month, your muscles must be weak. You should start with light food like soup and freshly baked bread. I already spoke to the chef, so tomorrow—”
“Lilien?”
Her lecture was endless.
Looking closely, I realized she had changed slightly over the past month.
Her gaze was sharper, and her voice was firm.
I was used to her being timid, so this confident version of her felt unfamiliar.
“Sister.”
At Edmund’s low voice, Lilien flinched.
“Fine…”
She finally left, pouting as she bid farewell.
I watched her go, then turned to Edmund with a questioning look, but he just fed me a spoonful of soup, avoiding my gaze.
It seemed that while I was asleep for a month, many things had changed.
We walked along the red carpet and entered the banquet hall.
At the center of the long dining table, the emperor, seated on a gold-painted chair, welcomed us.
His bluish eyes and pale face clearly showed signs of illness.
It was a huge contrast to the dignified appearance he had just a few months ago when he inspired awe—so much so that it made my heart uneasy.
“Finally, the people I wanted to see are here.”
“To His Majesty the Emperor, the gentle light of the empire—”
As Edmund and I began to bow to show respect, the emperor raised his trembling hand to stop us.
“There’s no need for greetings between us. It’s just a waste of time. Sit down.”
Edmund and I exchanged glances and then straightened up.
Following the attendant’s guidance, we sat across from the emperor.
After finishing the luxurious meal and enjoying a simple dessert, I took a moment to speak.
“I’m sorry for not visiting. I’ve been busy preparing for the opening of the Lebron Jewelry Shop.”
Cough, cough. The emperor covered his mouth with his fist as he coughed, then curved his lips into a sly smile.
“Or were you just busy being in love?”
Blushing, I glanced up at the emperor. In a way, I was relieved to see he still had enough energy to tease.
“Your Majesty, you promised to stay healthy until we met again.”
I turned his joke into a little complaint, and the emperor laughed heartily. He said one nagger like Jake was more than enough.
“I’ve heard news about the two of you. It caused quite a stir.”
Edmund, who had been standing silently, took my hand and gently pulled me toward him, then bowed.
“I’m sorry for causing concern.”
“Concern? Nonsense.”
The emperor waved his hand.
“That’s a disappointing thing to say. I was the first one to notice your relationship.”
“You noticed?”
As I slowly blinked, a distant memory flashed through my mind.
“I’m glad you’ve found where you belong, Etricia.”
Ah. So those words he said during the audience a few months ago meant that. A chill ran down my arm at the emperor’s foresight.
In that moment, I made a silent vow never to make the foolish mistake of trying to deceive him in the future.
“You suit each other very well.”
At the sudden, solemn voice, Edmund and I looked up at the emperor at the exact same time, as if we had planned it.
