Chapter 167 - North Korean rabbit

Episode 167

In the end, the Empress's coronation tiara was sent to me.

The Head Chamberlain publicly brought the Empress's tiara to me, and the repair and maintenance of the Empress's Palace also became my responsibility.

"It will soon be a place for you to use, so it would be best for you to handle it directly."

The Emperor had not entrusted only the Empress's affairs to me.

He transferred a considerable amount of real authority to Arpad, granting him powers akin to those of a regent.

It was tantamount to publicly declaring his intention to abdicate.

It was merely that the Imperial Decree had not yet been issued and the schedule had not been formalized.

Everyone except me was accepting this fact as perfectly natural.

Consequently, the Crown Prince's Palace became so busy it was dizzying.

This was because, with Arpad receiving real authority, work naturally flooded in for his close associates as well.

The situation was already chaotic just from dealing with the backlog from the three months we were absent due to Artanus.

With the preparations for the abdication added on top, it became truly, terribly busy.

Even Yulken's patience, which had remained untouched for the three days we did not leave the bedroom, finally ran out.

Yulken came to fetch Arpad with dark circles under his eyes.

Arpad resisted, but it was useless.

"I have not yet fully recovered from the aftereffects of the accident!"

"Please do not lie. Are you trying to trouble Her Highness again? Please be reasonable and descend into the hell of work with me."

This was not the usual Yulken, who would always twist his words whenever Arpad said something.

"Hahaha. To think you would cast me into this hell of work and seek happiness alone. It is absurd. Hahahahaha."

And then he earnestly pleaded with me.

"Please, Your Highness, drive His Highness the Crown Prince away. I am dying."

"My wife would never abandon me!"

Arpad seemed to have completely discarded his image and dignity.

Where had the cold-blooded tyrant Crown Prince gone?

I was momentarily taken aback, then laughed and shooed Arpad off to Yulken.

"You must not work a loyal subject to death. Go on, now."

"How cold."

Arpad threw a supremely childish tantrum, then, after receiving a deep kiss from me as a reward, headed to his office.

Only after sending him off did I finally gain the leisure to quietly organize my thoughts alone.

Dismissing all the ladies-in-waiting and sitting alone, I keenly felt it anew.

Recalling Arpad's words and actions from earlier, my heart ached.

He acted in such an unbecoming manner only in front of me.

The gaze that was always colder than winter frost in front of other women melted like ice welcoming spring only before me.

A blatant sense of satisfaction secretly colored one side of my heart.

That Arpad, acting so disgustingly, looked cute and pitiable was probably because my eyes were firmly clouded by infatuation.

And yet, I almost felt my heart lurch slightly at Arpad's joke, 'My wife would never abandon me.'

I tried hard not to overreact.

All the more so because I was certain of his feelings.

'Because he would absolutely never allow me to leave.'

Even if I spoke of the dragon's words Artanus had left with me, the result would not change.

If he feared or distanced himself from me on the grounds that I might harm him at any moment, it would rather put my heart at ease... .

Reaching this thought, I could only shake my head.

'No, I don't want that. Absolutely not.'

The mere thought of Arpad finding me unsettling and keeping his distance was horrifying.

It was absolutely not okay.

I became aware of my own feelings anew.

'I don't want to leave. In truth, I want to stay by Arpad's side.'

I thought I already knew it well enough, but I did not.

I came to confirm in the worst possible way that my feelings for Arpad were deeper than I had anticipated.

'What should I do?'

To protect him, leaving his side is correct.

Because one cannot know when the dragon's words planted by Artanus might harm Arpad.

But to leave, I must first resolve Arpad's madness.

Soon, I fell into deep contemplation.

Did I become connected to Arpad solely to resolve the madness?

If it weren't for the madness issue, wouldn't I have desired the first night a few days ago?

The conclusion was always the same.

'No, even without the madness, I would have wanted him.'

Just as I want him now.

I love Arpad.

This fact was plunging me into tremendous conflict.

The reason I thought I must leave and the reason I did not want to leave were the same.

It felt as if I myself were being torn in two directions.

* * *

Though my head and heart were heavy with conflict, my hands continued with their tasks.

When I came to my senses, I had handled quite a lot of work without even eating.

Arpad dealt with the backlog of work in his office until evening, then rushed to Sia's bedroom as soon as night fell.

"I'm here, Hili... Mph!"

I clung to him as he entered the bedroom and kissed him.

Arpad was a little surprised, but more than that, he was happy and passionately returned the kiss.

"You, why are you suddenly like this?"

"Why? Does it seem like I'm being forward, and you don't like it?"

"Impossible. On the contrary, I'm so happy it's a bit strange. It's as if a dream I have every day has suddenly become reality. And I'm not some adolescent boy."

I slapped Arpad's chest and scolded him.

"What kind of indecent dreams do you have every day?"

Arpad laughed, a deep sound from his throat.

"Dreams of doing things like this."

He pushed me back urgently, as if he didn't even have the leisure to go to the bed.

We were newlyweds, and it was right after we had confirmed each other's feelings.

It was only natural to be engrossed solely in each other.

Using that as an excuse, I temporarily set aside the unresolved, complicated feelings.

And I decided to focus on the sweet moments with Arpad.

After a passionate time, I dozed off and then woke up.

Arpad was still sleeping, his eyes closed prettily.

For a moment, I admired Arpad's sleeping face.

Perhaps I might soon be unable to see even this sight.

The heavy thoughts I could momentarily forget while being immersed in him grew again and dominated my entire mind.

Anxiety and worry. Regret and sorrow.

I knew only one way to escape this heavy contemplation.

Arpad's body warmth.

Though I had known it for only a few nights, it was as if I had become addicted.

It was also because of these doubts and worries.

'Is the madness truly gone?'

I cannot confirm whether touching him diligently means the madness has vanished.

But I find myself touching him repeatedly without realizing it. As if my fingers have developed a personality of their own.

I poked his cheek, caressed his straight collarbone and his chest, which had a surprisingly pleasant texture, then gasped in surprise.

"Eek!"

Because Arpad's hand had crept up my back.

The sensation and body warmth touching bare skin were tingling.

'He was awake but pretending to sleep with his eyes closed?'

As I found it absurd, Arpad playfully opened his eyes wide.

The elegant eyes holding red pupils narrowed slightly.

It was so irritating and yet so lovely that I couldn't help the corners of my mouth softening.

Simultaneously, I suppressed the regret welling up from deep within my chest, not letting it show.

'Carefully, so as not to be discovered.'

To hide my expression, I lightly pressed my lips to the corner of his eye. Arpad made a slightly surprised face.

As his mouth opened again, my regret and sorrow lightly shattered.

"Hmm, perhaps I'm still not awake after all."

"What nonsense is that?"

"If not, I can't believe it's you, who was so aggressive last night as if you were going to devour me. I can't believe it's you kissing me so sweetly now either."

Thanks to whom could I suppress the lingering sensations, bitterness, and sorrow from last night?

"Who devoured whom? It was the opposite!"

Truly, I was confused whether to consider this a merit or a flaw.

Arpad continued to spout nonsense with his still pointlessly handsome face and splendid voice. He truly is a man who wastes his looks terribly.

"Well, you devoured me. Gobbled me up in one bite."

With a flushed face, I smacked the shoulder of the man spouting such shameless talk.

It felt like hitting a rock, to the point my hand hurt instead.

"Don't be ridiculous! I... thought I was going to break!"

Then the fingers stroking up my bare back noticeably became more cautious.

"Do you still feel like you're going to break?"

"Not really... but why are you asking that?"

Arpad wrapped his arms around me with surprising strength and spun me around.

Thanks to that, I ended up lying on the bedsheet looking up at the ceiling.

Arpad's fair, beautiful, yet feverishly excited face completely obscured the silk wallpaper on the ceiling.

He pressed his lips to the back of my hand with a smacking sound and asked.

"It would be a big problem if you really did break."

"...!"

His lips crept slowly from the back of my hand to my wrist. The lips touching my arm and reaching my shoulder were hot.

I spread my arms, embraced him, and replied softly.

"Try to do it well so I don't break."

"I will do my utmost."

Soon, heat enveloped me.

We indulged in each other, forgetting even the rising and setting of the sun.

I forgot the ominous curse left by the dragon and the fact that I must leave him.

At least for this moment, I was immersed solely in Arpad.

* * *

The formal abdication decree was issued a month later.

And the coronation was scheduled for around the New Year.

That meant the New Year's ceremony and the coronation would overlap. It was certain to be the largest event in half a century.

Because of this, large-scale envoys were expected from other countries, even from other continents.

Naturally, the nobility within the Empire gathered without a single one missing.

This meant one thing.

Even families that had remained motionless like frozen glaciers were beginning to move.

I realized this through the intelligence agency Penny Terrace's report brought by Ani, who came running with a pale face.

Romance, Fantasy,