When he thought about those days when he was nervous and restless because of others trying to win her heart, he smiled in satisfaction.

Only now could he reminisce with a smile, but he had to calm down his violent temper several times a day whenever he thought about her back then. Anyway, people around her valued her so much that he knew if he hurt her once more, she would not really look back at him again.

‘That’s why I can’t live without her as a devoted husband!’

But he genuinely thought that wasn’t too bad. As the emperor, he already had everything in the world, but whenever he saw Tia smiling, he felt like he really had the whole world. Even though he listened to her most of the time, he knew when he had bedside talk with her, he could have her agree with him nine out of ten times. Of course, he had to be ready for her nagging the next day.

When he recalled her narrowing her eyes sharply, he found himself turned on again, though he barely calmed down his strong sexual desire a moment ago. He almost went crazy.

‘I’m afraid I have to change my job to a priest.’

Suddenly he became cynical, thinking like that, and hysterically pulled the blanket over his head. He decided that when she came back, he would confine her to the bed and make love for at least three days.

***

“… Your Majesty.”

“…”

“Daddy, Your Majesty! It’s morning already.”

“Um…”

“Oh my…please wake up! Why can’t you get up today? You don’t sleep normally. ”

Rublis frowned deeply at the high tone of a child, which resonated through the room. Since he barely went to sleep very late at night, he found it so hard to wake up even in the morning.

When he barely lifted his eyelids at the child’s violent shaking, he saw something silvery fluttering in the beaming sunlight. The little child smiled brightly at him who was frowning again because of a sense of deja vu when he saw her.

“Good morning, Daddy, Your Majesty!”

“… Oh, Dia, what’s the matter with you in the morning?”

When he asked slowly, raising his body, she chose words for a moment, rolling her big golden eyes. He broke into a smile, forgetting that he felt displeased a moment ago because Dia’s actions reminded him of Tia when she tried to check his expression.

“Your Majesty, may I go outside the palace today?”

“Um? Where do you want to go?”

“I’m going to play with Gradis. Can I go? Please, please!”

He raised his eyebrows a bit, looking at her who kept egging on him with a charming voice.

‘So, you have been teasing me like this because you want to play with that boy?’

When he recalled the boy with the red hair who resembled his father, he felt annoyed all the more, but he could not disappoint Dia who was begging him with an expectant look.

So, he replied, hiding his unpleasant feelings, “… Yes, you can play with him.”

“Thank you!”

“But you should not play without the royal knights like you did last time. Got it?”

“Yes, Daddy. Thanks!”

Dia, who looked at him nervously, smiled brightly as soon as he approved. Then she kissed his cheek quickly and got out of the room.

Watching her for a while, he got up with a hollow smile. He was in terrible shape because he slept less than two hours last night, but he had no other choice. He could not go back to sleep now as he knew he couldn’t even if he wanted to.

He grabbed his heavy hair and changed clothes, then he pulled himself together and headed to the office, realizing her absence once again. He briefly toyed with the idea of stopping by the royal knights division, but it seemed that he could not do a morning workout as he was extremely tired due to lack of sleep.

As if they noticed he was in a bad mood, his assistants hurriedly handled their assigned work. He smiled, watching them working hard, who had been on alert for more than a month.

If the empress were with him now, he would cheer them up with comforting words, but he didn’t feel up to it now. In fact, it was her way of appeasing them, not his.

”If you feel bad, bring the empress back here.’

Suddenly, he felt out of sorts, so he snatched the document from one of his aides and opened the first page.

How come they are so slow-witted! They could have scratched his itch if he was hesitant for the sake of his honor.

‘Well, he’s the only guy who is quick-witted to know what I want.’

When he recalled the guy’s broad and sly smile, he felt frustrated, hysterically turning over the document.

That knight with blue eyes, Carsein. He was one of the few friends of Tia’s who once used to stick around her to win her heart.

Although he knew that Carsein maintained his relationship with her only as a friend, and that Carsein also had a happy family, Rublis was still bothered by his close ties with her. Granted, he also had more than ten years of friendship with Carsein, he didn’t like Carsein’s continued friendship with her.

“… Oh, is it?”

“Pardon, Your Majesty?”

Stunned by his murmuring suddenly, his advisors checked his expression furtively. Frowning a bit, he waved at them and said, “It is nothing. So, go ahead.”

“Oh, ah, yes, Your Majesty. Then I will continue. In this case …”

Caring little about what his advisors reported, he picked up a quill pen. It happened already a month ago, but he felt bad when he reflected on the matter, no matter how much he tried to leave it behind.

How come Carsein was included as a member of the empress’s delegation visiting her family’s estate? Why was he among other knights selected?

Moreover, when he thought about his daughter who kept begging him to let her out to play with Gradis, Carsein’s son, in the morning, he felt awful. He murmured, tightening his grip on the pen, ‘Damn it. I don’t like anything about Carsein and his son.’

When he was lost in thought about them for a moment, one of his aides shouted with a trembling voice, “Oh my God! Your Majesty?”

“…What the heck?”

“Your quill pen…”

“What’s wrong with it?… Whew.”

He sighed anxiously, looking down at his hand stained with ink. His palm was stained with ink here and there because of the broken quill.

Watching him hysterically putting down the quill, his aides said, “Your Majesty, you had better put it off until tomorrow. Why don’t you take a break? You look very pale.”

“I agree, Your Majesty. We’ll give you a briefing again tomorrow after fleshing it out with more details. So, please have a rest today. You really don’t look good.”

“Your Majesty, I’m afraid you’re going to get sick. So, please resume your work tomorrow.”

“…Okay. You may leave, too.”

He thought he could not concentrate any more, so he just nodded at their suggestion.

When he saw them hurrying out of the office as if they were being chased, he felt worse than before. He pulled the string silently and told the servant to bring some water to wash his hands. He didn’t want to use the handkerchief Tia made for him on an occasion like this.

So, he wiped his hands clean with the hot water that the servant brought and reopened the letter from her with a sigh a few days ago. At the bottom of the letter was the empress’s own crest engraved with a spear, shield, and lion and a tiara. It was the special crest he gave her, who was not only the empress but also the successor of the Monique family.

After touching the letter that seemed to contain her warmth, he read it again. He had almost memorized by now. Thanks to his repeated reading, he was already gazing at the end of the letter written in her own handwriting style, even though it was rather long.

<Dear my love, Rube,

Are you doing well? Are you comfortable these days?

I am doing fine. All the attendants are also keeping well…So, I would like to stay a little longer here. Is it okay with you? My father is very happy to stay here, and when I am about to leave, I suddenly feel like I want to stay here a little more. I’m really sorry. You know how much I miss you, right? Say hi to Diana. Then, I will be waiting for your reply.

With love, Aristia.>