'Darcor... What on earth is your true face...'
Elena fiddled with her teacup, biting her lower lip.
Fatigue was plain on the empress's face.
She hadn't slept a wink all night because of what happened in the garden yesterday.
Every time she closed her eyes, it came back vividly.
The dagger flying straight at her.
And the emperor knocking it away in one motion before roughly pulling her into his arms.
"Stay still."
That low voice echoing in her ear refused to leave her mind.
'Is this really the emperor I knew?'
She felt confused, yet at the same time, a strange flutter stirred deep in her chest.
It was while Elena sat lost in thought like that.
"Your Majesty! Empress Her Majesty!"
A clamor unfit for a space where even breaths should be cautious, like its master,
came bursting in.
"Such a racket. What is it?"
"His Majesty... His Majesty has done it!"
The head maid rushed into the drawing room, skirts flapping, forgetting all decorum.
An impudence unimaginable under normal circumstances.
Elena, who had been elegantly sipping her tea, set down her cup with a frown.
Clink.
The head maid's face was flushed beet red.
"At the morning assembly, he uncovered the mastermind behind the assassin who tried to kill Your Majesty!
Count Felix and his accomplices... all the traitors gnawing away at the empire have been rounded up!"
"...!"
Elena's eyes widened round.
'Could it be... for me...'
In just one night.
"His Majesty declared it himself. 'I will punish those who dared point a blade at my woman.'"
Thud.
Elena's heart plummeted.
It was the moment the scattered puzzle pieces clicked together.
The relentless cold shoulder.
The eyes that looked at her like a bug.
Yet in the moment of crisis, he threw himself to shield her body.
Everything pointed to one truth.
'Ah... so that's how it was.'
Elena's hands began to tremble.
'It was all an act. To protect me in this palace surrounded by enemies on all sides...'
Realizing his true feelings only now.
Something uncontrollable began boiling up from the depths of her heart.
"Your Majesty... how lonely you must have been."
Tears welled up in Elena's blue eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A bathroom filled with white steam.
Amid the thick rose scent, Elena brushed back her wet hair and gazed into the mirror.
Her golden locks, darkened by moisture, flowed smoothly down her sleek shoulders,
and the rose fragrance enveloped her entire body.
After leaving the bathroom, Elena shoved her usual thick nightgown deep into the drawer.
Then she pulled out a dusty box from the very back.
A garment she'd brought from her wedding but never worn even once.
A transparent, thin silk gown that revealed the skin beneath.
Swish.
Her face flushed bright red like a ripe peach, but Elena's eyes burned with resolve.
"From now on, I must lighten Your Majesty's burdens."
She clenched her fist tight.
"I won't leave him to fight alone in that solitary battle any longer."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hoo... why is this string so damn stiff?"
Darcor grumbled as he struggled to tie the knots on his black garb.
He wore it every night, yet it never got comfortable.
"Tonight's target is the smuggling ring at the harbor. There are a lot of them, so I might be late."
"You must return before dawn. And Your Majesty, please, I'm begging you..."
Edel turned from the window with worried eyes.
"Ah, I know. Just don't get hurt, right?"
"If it seems even a little dangerous, you run immediately. Understood?"
"This nagging... Fine. I'll make it clean and quick."
Darcor let out a hollow chuckle at Edel's firm gaze.
It was then, as he picked up the black mask tossed on the bed.
Bzzz.
A ringing filled his head.
The suppressed Madness Level score began creeping up again.
"I'm off."
Darcor was just about to leap from the windowsill.
"Your Majesty! The empress has arrived!"
The urgent shout of the servant guarding the door rang out.
"Uh... huh?"
Darcor's body froze solid.
Soon, Edel's flustered voice came from outside the door as she rushed out.
"E-Empress Your Majesty? What brings you at this hour..."
"Step aside. I have words for His Majesty."
Elena's voice was firm.
"However, His Majesty is asleep now. He gave strict orders not to let anyone in."
"I saw the light on. I know he's awake, so open the door."
It was utterly unreasonable.
Click clack!
Darcor fell into full-blown panic.
"What the hell... why now of all times?"
If she saw him like this, it was over.
As Darcor hurriedly moved to close the window.
"Your Majesty. I'm coming in."
The door flew open with the empress's voice.
"....!"
Darcor threw on a shower robe over his black garb at light speed.
The black mask he couldn't hide went behind his back.
And there stood the empress, face flushed, in a thin silk gown.
"Y-Your Majesty... this is..."
Edel, who had followed her in, froze at the sight of the two.
'Get out.'
Darcor shot her a fierce eye signal.
"Then rest well..."
Edel clenched her fists as if her feet wouldn't move, but eventually bowed her head.
Now, only Darcor and Elena remained in the vast bedchamber.
An awkward, heavy silence.
Darcor leaned crookedly against the bedpost, pretending nonchalance.
'...'
The gossamer silk gown.
White shoulders and silhouette glowing under the lamplight.
Anybody could see it was an outfit meant for seduction, but Darcor's impression was a bit different.
'Is it that hot?'
He cleared his throat, trying to set the mood.
"Ahem... What brings you at this late hour, Empress?"
As dry and stern as possible.
Elena spoke in a trembling voice but didn't avert her eyes,
staring straight at Darcor.
"I came to express my thanks to Your Majesty."
She took one step after another toward him.
Click clack.
A wave of rich rose scent wafted over.
"I heard you punished those who targeted me."
Elena's eyes grew moist.
"And that it was all for me..."
"..."
Darcor swallowed a sigh inwardly.
'Not really. It was just the quest.'
But there was no need to correct her.
Misunderstandings could be convenient sometimes.
"Don't worry about it."
Darcor replied curtly.
'It'd just be a hassle if you got hurt.'
That much was true.
"How long will you keep being cold to me...?"
Unaware of that, Elena wiped away a tear and smiled sadly.
"What are you..."
"Now I know. Your true feelings, Your Majesty."
Elena suddenly grasped Darcor's large hand
with both of hers.
Zing.
⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING ⚠️
[Warning: Madness Level rising. (45% → 55%)]
[Murder impulse triggered.]
[Risk of long-suppressed killing intent rampaging.]
'Ah... damn it.'
Darcor's breathing grew ragged.
His heart pounded like it would burst, and his vision began to tint red.
The impulse to bolt out right now and slit someone's throat.
'Hold it... I have to hold it. If I snap here, I'll hurt the empress.'
Darcor desperately suppressed the killing urge, gasping for air.
His bloodshot eyes bored into Elena.
But in Elena's eyes, with her romance filter cranked to maximum,
it looked entirely different.
'His Majesty's eyes... burning so passionately.'
Rough breaths.
Bloodshot eyes.
A dangerous gaze like he would devour her any second.
'He's held back for me all this time...?'
Elena's heart thundered.
Now she was certain.
This was unmistakably the look of a man craving a woman.
She lowered her trembling lashes and slowly closed her eyes.
Then she slowly pursed her lips and leaned toward the emperor.
The moment Elena's red lips drew near his nose.
'Danger!'
This would end in disaster.
Darcor reflexively snatched the thick down quilt from the bed and flung it up.
Flap!
"Kyaa?!"
Elena's scream rang out as darkness fell before her.
Roll roll.
In an instant, Elena was piled atop the bed, buried in the quilt.
Only her face peeked out; she couldn't move a muscle.
"Y-Your Majesty?"
Elena wriggled in confusion inside the quilt.
"The night air is cold."
"Eh...?"
"It'd be a big problem if the empress caught a cold. Stay warm."
Darcor said with a stern expression.
In truth, it was more like touch you and I might kill you,
but that wasn't something to say now.
'In the world...'
But even that clumsy excuse struck Elena completely differently.
Her face flushed like a ripe tomato.
'Desire overflowing like that, yet he holds back for fear of harming my body... or me catching a cold?'
A selfless, pure love that prioritized the woman's health over his own urges.
She swallowed emotional tears from within the quilt.
"I'm tired today. Go back."
Darcor turned his back.
He felt like he might really explode if he faced her any longer.
"This is an imperial command."
Elena nodded shyly.
Darcor hurriedly called for Edel.
"Edel! Escort the empress. Very politely—quilt and all!"
Even as she was carried out by the maids and Edel, quilt and all,
Elena wore a happy smile.
'I've confirmed His Majesty's love...'
Click.
The moment the door shut, Darcor roughly tore off the robe he'd thrown on.
He slapped the crumpled mask over his face and flung the window wide open.
"Whew... almost really pounced."
Ding!
⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING ⚠️
[Warning: Murder impulse at critical point.]
The red glint shining through the mask burned eerily.
"Can't hold back anymore."
Whoosh!
Darcor kicked off the windowsill and hurled himself into the night sky.