ITYVA 48🔐

Chapter 48

My face went pale.

No. Harnen’s personality is beyond words. If he finds out that this man trespassed onto the terrace, I can’t guarantee his life!

My ultimate favorite doesn’t care about the circumstances at all!

I couldn’t let the life I saved from Quielo be taken by Harnen’s hands.

I quickly called Silabi and asked her to take the man outside.

The man, who hadn’t even noticed Harnen’s visit because he was still caught up in my words, suddenly seemed flustered as he floated up slightly. He blinked blankly and looked at me.

Our eyes met, full of his bewilderment.

I smiled gently and mouthed a word.

“Hello.”

The man, reading my lips, blushed bright red again.

At the same time, he completely disappeared outside the terrace.

“Phew…”

I had saved one person.

Leaning on the terrace, letting out a relieved sigh, Harnen approached as the terrace door opened.

“You didn’t answer when I called. So you were here?”

“Uh, uh-huh! I came out because the stars looked beautiful!”

I raised my hand sparklingly as I replied.

Harnen squinted at me for a moment before giving a faint smile and speaking.

“I see.”

He handed me the mulled wine and added casually as he passed by:

“You can see the stars well enough from inside too.”

“….”

Sweat poured down my face like rain, but I smiled persistently.

“B-but the sky looks clearer and more beautiful from outside!”

“Yeah, you’re right. It does look clearer here.”

Harnen leaned slightly against the railing and lifted the wine to his lips.

The sight of the crimson liquid flowing between his red lips was mesmerizing.

I stared blankly at him.

As expected… my ultimate favorite… every action he takes is a blessing. Pure blessing.

“Einra?”

“Huh?”

“Is there something on my face?”

Harnen tilted his head, meeting my eyes.

I felt a rush of adoration inside me.

Yes, there’s a lot. Handsomeness, charm, cuteness, beauty, nobility, loveliness…

But I couldn’t just list them all out in front of my ultimate favorite!

I shook my head with a normal smile.

“No, nothing’s on it.”

“I see. I thought there was something because you kept staring at me.”

Harnen, smiling gently with his eyes closed, sipped his wine and looked up at the sky.

I took a sip of my mulled wine and stole glances at my ultimate favorite, alive and in front of me.

The night sky spread like soft black velvet, stars sparkling like scattered diamonds.

A gentle night breeze carried the sweet scent of spring.

And under it, my ultimate favorite, elegantly dressed in a formal suit, drinking wine gracefully.

Even though I had been reincarnated into the world of the Tyrant Emperor for 25 years, moments like this still felt surreal.

Just like now.

“…Harnen.”

“Yeah, Einra.”

“Your Majesty, the Bellarician Emperor.”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

Harnen turned to me and smiled softly, eyes closed again.

Seeing my ultimate favorite respond to my call, I smiled broadly too.

“Yeah, you’re here.”

Maybe it was the sweet drink spreading across my mouth, but my feelings were strange.

Simply having my ultimate favorite alive and breathing in front of me felt like a miracle.

…Ah. If the emperor knew I was feeling sentimental, he’d tease me.

But with such lovely weather, a beautiful view, a sweet drink, and my ultimate favorite right here!

If I didn’t get sentimental, that wouldn’t be right!

Leaning against the terrace railing beside Harnen, I took another sip of my mulled wine.

Ah, so peaceful, so happy.

“Einra.”

“Huh?”

“It’s about time to head back on your own, isn’t it?”

“…Yeah.”

…Not peaceful, not happy at all.

Finally, the banquet ended.

By the time I was freed from the nobles clinging to me until the very last moment, Harnen’s whereabouts were already unknown.

Harnen, I’m sorry. No matter how much you’re my ultimate favorite, I need to go home first…

I decided to greet Quielo later and for now escape home riding Hisha.

As I headed straight to the terrace, I was caught by the emperor.

“Einra, how disappointing. How can you try to leave without saying goodbye?”

“Things turned out this way…”

I answered vaguely and glanced at the hand the emperor had caught.

He held it tightly under the pretext of escorting me.

There was no way I could pull away with my small, precious strength.

Noticing my gaze, the emperor smiled lazily.

“Cute Einra, still trying to run away?”

Suddenly, my body was lifted with his strong grip.

Startled, I grabbed the nearest thing, and a low chuckle sounded by my head.

“Do you like being held that much?”

“Uh…? Huh.”

I quickly let go of the emperor’s neck I was hugging tightly.

“I wouldn’t mind holding you longer.”

The emperor, lifting me like a princess, whispered this into my ear and started walking.

I twisted to ask to be put down, but it was useless.

I eventually gave up and relaxed my body.

The one small relief was that this was the emperor’s private area, the inner palace, so there were few eyes watching… Wait a minute.

If this is the emperor’s private space…?

My face turned pale.

When I turned my head, as I feared, I met the eyes of Evelyn, one of the emperor’s concubines, who had just come to greet him.

“….”

“….”

For a moment, a sharp chill passed through her beautifully made-up eyes.

I swallowed back my tears.

No… I’m also a victim here… I even have someone I like…

The emperor didn’t even look at the concubine and just nodded slightly before passing by.

Wait, Your Majesty, is that really how you act toward such a beautiful and handsome concubine?

“….”

Her glare at me intensified.

I’m telling you, I’m a victim too…

Silently shedding “blood tears,” I covered my eyes with my arm.

After some time, I heard the emperor’s voice by my head.

“Einra.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve arrived.”

Arrived? Curious, I lowered my arm and looked up.

We had arrived at the Semelit Garden.

There was one carriage adorned with the imperial emblem and two plain black carriages hidden behind black curtains.

As I blinked, the emperor began explaining.

“The leftmost imperial carriage is a decoy to send you to the hotel you’re officially staying at. The black carriage in the middle is to take the emperor’s friend. Finally, the black carriage on the right is…”

The emperor strode toward the carriage and flung the door open.

Through the open door, I met the red eyes of As.

“…As?”

Calling out a name that shouldn’t be there, As smiled gently and extended a hand.

“I’ve come to pick you up, Einra.”

“The cute young duke wanted to come get you, so I specially sent a carriage to his residence…”

I barely heard the emperor’s words as I grasped the hand As extended.

Warmth radiated from it.

…It’s really As.

My body, which had felt as heavy as wet cotton just moments ago, felt much lighter.

I smiled unconsciously, and As smiled back softly, lightly brushing my cheek with his hand.

“Did you enjoy the banquet?”

“…Everything was good except meeting the nobles. Haha.”

Since 85% of the banquet was about mingling with nobles, it was understandable if it wasn’t enjoyable.

But I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it while the one who held the banquet for me was staring at me sharply from behind.

As’s gaze shifted to the emperor.

The emperor slumped his shoulders, looking aggrieved under As’s stern gaze.

“But Einra is so popular that all the nobles flocked to her. Even I had difficulty approaching her.”

“I trust that the emperor’s authority is not that trivial.”

As smiled, speaking sharply. The emperor shrugged instantly, masking his grievance.

“However, Einra’s return after five years of absence was already a hot topic for them. If we hadn’t eased their curiosity with this banquet, it would have caused quite a headache later.”

“…Ah.”

“You’re not planning to remove them all just because you don’t want to ease their curiosity, right, Duke Serenia?”

The emperor smiled at As.

As’s red eyes softened in response to the pointed remark.

“Ah… you caught me.”