I Became the Emperor’s Sleeping Pill - Chapter 18

Schedule: Tuesday and Friday

The original novel didn’t explain how the Empress knew that Lysei was an Omega, so I couldn’t figure that part out. But, for now, the Empress seemed completely unaware, or so I thought, until she summoned me.

* * *

I wore a high-necked, suffocating dress to hide the kiss marks Edin had left all over my body. I longed for the comfort of shorts and a loose white t-shirt.

I fantasized about making myself those very clothes once I left the palace and returned to Davine after my duties as a Nyxna were complete. Lost in these pleasant thoughts, I headed towards the Empress’s chambers.

“I’ve heard strange rumors.”

The Empress arched an eyebrow the moment she saw me.

“Strange… rumors?” My voice was noticeably hoarse from a night of breathless moans, but I forced the words out. The Empress’s gaze sharpened, her tone accusatory.

“You’re staying in the Emperor’s chambers, aren’t you?”

‘Oh, that?’

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is by the Emperor’s command.”

“Could it be that His Majesty favors you?”

‘Yes, that seems to be the case. And it’s making me quite uneasy. I have this ominous feeling, like he’s about to start treating me the way that obsessive, possessive maniac treated the heroine.’

But I couldn’t exactly tell the Empress that. She loved the Emperor, and he hadn’t touched her, claiming his insomnia as an excuse, knowing she was an Omega.

Even if I generously assumed both Nyxna and I were Betas, the Empress was determined to bear the Emperor’s heir. I wasn’t foolish enough to tell her the Emperor was fixated on me.

“That’s not it, Your Majesty.”

“Then why won’t His Majesty let you leave his chambers?”

I was a little annoyed that the Empress was directing her questions at powerless Nyxna, when they should be aimed at the Emperor. Still, I could understand her reluctance to be disliked by her beloved, and I felt a pang of sympathy for her.

I searched for an excuse, and a sudden memory sparked an idea. Lowering my head, I said, “It’s because of my scent.”

“…Your scent?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that my scent helps the Emperor’s insomnia more than other Nyxnas.”

The Empress considered this for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“Yes, I heard His Majesty slept for half a day thanks to your scent.”

“That is correct.”

“And how does that relate to you staying in His Majesty’s chambers?”

“The Emperor finds it extremely unpleasant when my scent mixes with others’. Therefore, he wishes to keep me from coming into contact with anyone.”

The Empress’s face visibly hardened.

The heroine, Luigia Tione, had been summoned by the Empress for the same reason, early in her time as a Nyxna. With the help of Zerga, the Emperor’s aide, she’d used a similar excuse to avoid the Empress’s wrath.

‘I feel a little guilty using the solution to one of the heroine’s major trials, but Zerga, that brilliant aide, will surely come up with another solution to help her. Besides, as much as I care about the heroine, I need to survive first. It’s bad enough that my next life isn’t a new beginning but an extra’s life in a book. If the Empress takes a dislike to me and has me beheaded, who will avenge my unjust fate?’

“Is that so?”

A flicker of confusion crossed the Empress’s face.

I pressed my advantage. “I will bathe and apply scented oils as soon as I return. I will never breathe a word of today’s meeting, nor will I allow His Majesty to find out.”

The Empress had summoned me to her chambers despite the Emperor’s order to confine me. This implied secrecy, so my explanation naturally flustered her. If the Emperor noticed her scent had changed from our meeting, he would surely reprimand her.

By reassuring her, I earned points with the Empress and ensured she wouldn’t summon me again—two birds with one stone.

***

‘Ugh, who’s this now?’ Back in the Emperor’s room, I inwardly groaned at the sight of Theor lounging on the sofa.

‘What’s he doing here? I just climbed one mountain, the Empress, and now I have to deal with this pesky pebble.’

Well, it was nice to see that handsome face again, but I was exhausted. Dealing with the Empress had drained me, and two consecutive days of… activities… with the Emperor had taken their toll.

Theor gestured for me to join him on the sofa. I sighed and sat opposite him.

Yes, at this point, I still considered Theor nothing more than a small, annoying pebble. I had no idea how much of a mountain he would become.

“Why are you here?”

“Where have you been?”

“….”

“Edin specifically forbade you from leaving this room.”

“Are you allowed to speak so casually about His Majesty?”

“It’s permissible here. And, well, everywhere else, too.”

His blatant flaunting of their friendship was a little pathetic, but I didn’t let it show. As the Empire’s sole Duke, he wouldn’t need to boast about being the Emperor’s friend. He had more than enough to brag about already.

“So, where were you?”