Chapter 7

Elvin and Baron Bellen did not dare reply or offer further advice this time. They simply lowered their heads.

The Emperor was merciful enough that, as long as no one crossed the line he had drawn, they could joke and speak with him quite freely.

As long as they stayed within his limits.

Kallis flicked a finger.

Understanding the signal immediately, Elvin presented the book that had been resting on the side table.

The title read:

Cruel Moon.

It was Elliot Dark’s very first novel—now impossible to purchase anywhere.

Gathering his courage, Baron Bellen spoke.

“I will certainly discover Elliot Dark’s whereabouts and bring him to Your Majesty.”

“I have faith in you, Baron.”

He swallowed the rest of the sentence.

If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have assigned you the task in the first place.

There was no need to say it aloud. The Baron already knew.

The moment Kallis opened the book and read only a few sentences, his eyelids grew heavy.

He forced them back open with effort.

The rumors that Elliot Dark’s novels had cured the Emperor’s chronic insomnia…

…were completely true.

For some inexplicable reason, the instant he opened one of Elliot Dark’s books, sleep would overtake him.

Within only fifteen minutes.

Without even giving him a chance to resist.

Everyone in the imperial palace welcomed this miracle.

Everyone…

Except the Emperor himself.

I want to keep reading!

For the first time in his life, Kallis resented the sleep he had always longed for.

It was only natural.

Among all the novels he had once dismissed as trivial entertainment, Elliot Dark’s stories were the first he had ever genuinely enjoyed.

He desperately wanted to ignore his drowsiness and continue reading.

Yet after only a few pages, he would inevitably collapse into a deep sleep.

His favorite novel had become the world’s most effective sleeping pill.

How many days had he spent reading for fifteen minutes before passing out?

It took Kallis several months to finally finish the book.

…Though the moment he reached the ending, he fell asleep and didn’t wake for fourteen hours.

Even with all the interruptions from sleep, Kallis had still read Elliot Dark’s novel well over ten times.

He had long since memorized not only the story, but entire passages.

Still, some books revealed something new with every reread.

Elliot Dark’s works were exactly that kind of book.

That…

…was why the Emperor was searching for Elliot Dark.

He needed two things:

A fascinating novel.

And sleep.

Elliot Dark alone could provide both.

To Kallis, the mysterious author was nothing short of a savior.

Besides, the Kingdom of Chelling isn’t exactly the best place for Elliot Dark right now.

Wouldn’t it be better to bring the author to the Empire, where he could write in peace?

It hadn’t been his intention…

But the ban on Elliot Dark’s books and the trouble the author had fallen into were, to some extent, consequences of his own actions.

Had Harriet heard his thoughts, she would have screamed for him to leave her alone.

Kallis, however, lightly justified his selfish desire as nothing more than the devotion of an enthusiastic fan.

After reading perhaps ten pages, his eyelids slowly drifted shut.

Elvin smiled helplessly as he watched the Emperor asleep on the sofa.

Without waking him, he quietly draped a blanket over him.

* * *

The sun had already set when one of the attendants woke him.

“Your Majesty, forgive this humble servant, but it is nearly time for the banquet.”

Only after being called several more times did Kallis finally wake.

Whenever he fell asleep while reading Elliot Dark’s books, waking up became incredibly difficult.

It was almost as though the words themselves had been enchanted to weigh down his eyelids.

“…Tell them I have a headache and will be unable to attend.”

Still half asleep, Kallis answered without even opening his eyes.

Elvin couldn’t suppress a smile.

The welcoming banquet had been arranged for the Emperor and his younger sister…

…and the Emperor had just calmly announced he would skip it.

“Her Imperial Highness is waiting for you.”

“My sister often suffers from headaches herself. If we totaled all the hours I’ve spent waiting for her because of them, it’d amount to over three months. Tell her I, too, have finally collapsed from a headache.”

“Your Majesty…”

Kallis rubbed his temples.

Oddly enough, they truly were beginning to ache.

Perhaps constantly claiming to be tired and suffering headaches had made them real.

At last he forced open his heavy eyes.

“I can no longer tell whether I came here to rest or to work.”

“Officially, Your Majesty came to attend Her Highness’s wedding, so technically you came to work. As for resting… if I may be so bold, you’ve already enjoyed three uninterrupted hours of leisure.”

“I slept for three hours?”

“If Your Majesty wishes to vent your disappointment at finally getting proper sleep, I suppose I can hardly stop you.”

“You have quite the talent for condemning me with nothing but facts.”

Ignoring Elvin’s humble claim that it was praise rather than criticism, Kallis finally stood.

The attendant carefully accepted the book the Emperor had clutched to his chest throughout his sleep.

He returned it gently to its original place.

It was one of the Emperor’s greatest treasures.

The Emperor himself could be harmed…

But the book absolutely could not.

With a sigh, Kallis said,

“Prepare everything. Tell Richella I’ll be there shortly.”

“As you command.”

* * *

Displaying the dignity of the ruler of the greatest empire on the continent usually required hours of elaborate preparation.

Kallis, however, used his headache and the fatigue of the long journey as excuses to simplify everything.

Claiming he had come in the spirit of friendship, he refused to wear his military uniform and instead chose a formal suit.

His hair was only lightly styled.

Yet despite the simplicity, nothing about his appearance was ordinary.

The suit was woven from lustrous silk produced exclusively for the Emperor.

His cufflinks contained gemstones that had recently been declared the most beautiful in the Empire—cut solely for him.

The Imperial Princess, Richella, recognized all of this the moment she saw her brother arrive to escort her.

Looping her arm through his, she whispered,

“What are you trying to do? The guest looks more dazzling than the bride and groom.”

“What can I do? I was born this way.”

“How insufferable.”

It was an astonishingly disrespectful thing to say to the Emperor of the Empire.

Kallis merely snorted.

When they were children, they had affectionately pulled each other’s hair during endless fights.

Now his younger sister had matured enough to limit herself to verbal attacks in appropriate settings.

He found that almost touching.

“Watch your tongue and mind your manners. Every influential noble in Chelling will be there.”

“Do you really think I’ll be the center of their attention? Listen to my plan. First, I’ll smile mysteriously. Then I’ll smirk just enough not to seem easy to manipulate. After that, I’ll smile kindly so I don’t appear cold. Finally… I’ll raise the corners of my lips elegantly, like the perfect future queen.”

“So… you’re planning to keep your mouth shut.”

“Exactly.”

“Then I’ll do the same. I’ll stand beside you like a silent decorative doll.”

The most noble brother and sister on the continent cheerfully traded insults all the way to the banquet hall.

The moment they entered…

…they both fell completely silent.

The banquet unfolded exactly as they had expected.

“It is an honor that Your Majesty attended despite your fatigue.”

“Thank you for such a warm welcome.”

The King of Chelling did not humble himself before the Emperor.

Neither was he discourteous.

He greeted both his future wife and her brother with perfect etiquette.

Every noble concealed their true intentions behind honeyed words and courteous smiles.

The imperial nobles had already mingled with the Kingdom’s ministers, chatting politely.

Every word exchanged there would eventually find its way to Kallis’s ears.

Only after the Emperor and Princess arrived did the wine begin flowing freely.

Soon they’ll all be drunk.

And once that happened…

Some of them would behave like complete fools.

After the royal family withdrew, the banquet would likely descend into chaos.

Kallis merely hoped none of the Imperial nobles who had accompanied him would be among those embarrassing themselves.

Taking another sip of wine, he calmly cut into his steak.

Several people repeatedly looked as though they wanted to speak with him.

Kallis effortlessly ignored every one of them by continuing to eat.

He made sure there was never a moment when his mouth was empty.

After all, no one interrupted someone who was chewing.

He ignored almost every attempt at conversation and even finished his dessert before finally setting down his fork.

Although he barely spoke, he quietly listened to everything happening around him.

“Was your journey very tiring, Your Majesty?”

“Not particularly.”

“It’s fortunate that our two nations aren’t too far apart.”

“Indeed.”

Just as she had promised earlier, Princess Richella spoke as little as possible.

A short answer.

Then an elegant smile.

Seeing the warmth and affection hidden behind that graceful expression irritated Kallis enough that he deliberately avoided looking in her direction.

The princess, who had stubbornly fought for months to marry for love, and the king of a small kingdom seemed perfectly content simply gazing at each other.

Sometimes…

Eyes said far more than words ever could.