Chapter 33
The imperial physician, who had been counting breaths, cautiously broached the subject.
“Could it be that the royal princess has caught Your Majesty’s interest?”
“No, it was just… my body suddenly reacted. I don’t think it’s because of the medicine either.”
“Did the princess perhaps use an aphrodisiac of some kind?”
“That’s not it either.”
“Hmm…”
The imperial physician fell into thought. There was nothing in the new prescription that would cause sudden arousal. Nor would his sovereign ever lie.
‘Then what could be the cause?’
As he pondered deeply, the imperial physician made a suggestion.
“Then how about meeting the princess without taking the medicine?”
“The princess?”
“Yes. I believe it would be best to eliminate each variable from the day the coupling occurred to identify the cause. Let’s start by not taking the medicine today, as you suggested, Your Majesty.”
“It’s a good idea, but…”
Killian looked troubled. He had no plans to meet Rachel, and meeting her again without any real reason would make it seem as though they were lovers.
On top of that, the king was constantly watching for an opportunity to tie the royal princess to Killian. Officially, they were here on summer holiday and to search for a future empress, so he had to be cautious with his actions.
‘I should be careful… but treating the illness takes priority.’
He despised the situation he was in, but the cause needed to be found. The imperial physician’s suggestion had also been reasonable. Killian considered his options with a complicated expression.
What reason could he use to spend time with her—one that wouldn’t make them seem like lovers, but would justify them being together?
…He would have to use the king.
Recalling how generously the king had offered up a fertile grain-producing region, a method came to mind almost immediately.
“Tell the king to arrange someone to give me a tour of the palace.”
“Why would you tell that to the king instead of the princess?”
“If I tell the king, the princess will come.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll deliver the message right away.”
The imperial physician stood, gave Killian a respectful bow, and quickly exited the room.
Left alone in the now quiet room, Killian let out a small sigh. Perhaps it was because he was thinking about seeing Rachel again—his throat felt dry, so he reached for his teacup.
As the pale pink tea passed his lips and warmed his insides,
‘Sweet, as expected.’
He took another sip to quench his thirst and turned his gaze toward the window. The approaching summer was—
As if to announce it, the bright early summer sunlight was streaming through the glass windows.
‘…The weather’s nice.’
It was the perfect day for a walk through the royal palace.
***
The warm sunlight lit up the palace walls.
The rays, reflected from the highest-quality white walls, seeped into every corridor, signaling the beginning of summer.
Though summer came every year, the sunlight felt especially intense this time. Rachel looked up at the sky, chasing the warmth.
‘It’s warm…’
The sun up there was certainly warm.
Then she, bathed in that sunlight, should feel warm too.
So why did her body and heart feel so cold?
Rachel sighed inwardly and turned her gaze back.
The familiar corridors of the royal palace came into view.
If she continued straight, she’d reach the knights’ quarters. If she turned, the stables would come into view.
And standing right beside her was the Emperor.
‘He’s cold again today. I’d believe it if someone told me he was a snowman.’
About an hour ago, when her father had ordered her to guide the Emperor through the royal palace, she had been quite pleased—
She rushed to the Emperor’s quarters with light, hurried steps.
She had even imagined having s*x with him the moment they met. But when she actually faced him, he was like the spirit of winter itself. With an expression stiff and emotionless, he stepped back every time their bodies came close to touching.
Even their conversation flowed in a dry, dispassionate manner. Rachel recalled the exchange they had just had.
“Hello, Your Majesty.”
“A good morning.”
Their greetings ended in just those two lines. The silence that followed felt so oppressive that Rachel ended up bringing up the history of the royal palace.
Starting from its origin 880 years ago, the story traced back to an event 680 years in the past. Rachel, walking almost mechanically, rambled on about the incident from 680 years ago.
“So, 680 years ago, His Highness Porhen III, who was king at the time, apparently had a talent for architecture.”
“I see.”
“Yes. That’s when the basic framework of the palace began to take shape.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. It seems His Highness Porhen III didn’t like the dull yellow-brown bricks. So he developed the current grayish-white ones and rebuilt the palace using those.”
“How impressive.”
“Yes. Now… I suppose it’s time to talk about what happened 679 years ago?”
“I suppose so.”
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