"Um… Your Majesty, why are you being so kind to me? I can't do anything anymore. I've forgotten everything. I'm just a regular person now. A total outsider from another world. I've just been hurt and caused trouble from the beginning…"
The Emperor nodded slowly and spoke in a calm, quiet voice.
"…Ah, I see. I haven't told you that part yet. You were injured because you stepped in during a battle between the Imperial-led multinational army and a horde of monsters. You… used your body as a shield and helped us."
"In other words," the man said, "part of the reason you ended up like this… is without a doubt, my responsibility."
He continued, saying Li Shen should feel free to use him, rely on him, order him around, say anything he wanted—without hesitation.
A faint, bitter smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he said it.
"Huh? Wait, wasn't it me who rushed in recklessly, like one of those past stories you hear about? This really isn't Your Majesty's fau—"
Li Shen stopped mid-sentence, surprised. The Emperor had gently pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet. Instinctively, Li Shen looked up, meeting his eyes.
And immediately, he regretted it just a little.
There was something in those violet eyes—something strong, something overwhelming—that made Li Shen feel like he wanted to look away, maybe even run.
He wasn't sure why, but it was like being struck by an invisible force.
"That was careless of me," the Emperor said softly. "I almost made the same mistake again. Using excuses like this to keep you close... But if I were to lose you now—truly lose you—then none of this would have any meaning."
He laughed at himself in a self-deprecating way.
His large, steady hand reached out and gently touched Li Shen's cheek.
Then, with his thumb, he slowly brushed under Li Shen's eye, as if to confirm he was really there.
The warmth of his touch was comforting, but Li Shen's body tensed up from the sudden closeness.
All he could do was blinking, unable to move.
Then came the words, slowly and carefully spoken, "Li Shen... I love you. Whether you have your memories or not, whether you can use magic or can't—it doesn't matter. None of that matters to me. So please, let me stay by your side. And also... Call me Somnus."
He said it in a whisper, so close it felt like the words brushed right against Li Shen's skin.
The next moment, something soft and warm pressed against his lips.
His eyes fluttered shut without thinking.
...Okay, seriously—can we all just agree this has to be a dream!?
What the hell is going on with my life right now!?
The Emperor—no, Somnus—was, in Li Shen's honest opinion, a ridiculously good looking man.
…Okay, that was a lie.
Somnus wasn't just good-looking—he was outrageously beautiful.
The kind of beauty that looked unreal, like something out of a dream or a fantasy painting.