EFMDAH~20

CHAPTER~20

Marriage Congratulation Delegation (4)

When Adania was around, at least there was some safe distance between us, but now our bodies were almost touching.

Just as the thick contact made my ears burn with embarrassment, his hand rose to my cheek.

Then Kallio’s thick-fingered hand slowly traced my lips.

“I know you dislike me.”

Kallio smiled gently, but his hand on my cheek and lips was cold.

“So I don’t care what you plan behind my back, but don’t do this again.”

Kallio’s hand slid down to my neck. It felt as if applying a little force could strangle me.

“…Y-You mean that?”

Why wasn’t the curse triggered even though Kallio seemed about to kill me?

The sudden crisis left me momentarily stunned.

Yet he didn’t attack.

“I mean, trying to attach another woman to me, or you clinging to another man.”

He gave a bitter smile and, after that last word, turned away.

Almost as if he had been hurt.

‘What…?’

Somehow, that image pricked a corner of my heart.

***

After the conversation in the garden,

I sent a sapphire necklace to Adania through my maid.

Later, I received a letter from Adania.

Whether the necklace appeased her anger or because of urgent financial matters, Adania replied that she would proceed as we had discussed.

‘At least the bank account issue has been resolved somehow.’

Even if it was another family, the royal finances were already tight, so I was concerned about the ongoing gambling.

But reporting it to the authorities wouldn’t do any good.

‘Later, I might have someone pretend to be sending money and act as a gambling addiction counselor.’

First, I burned the letters with a candle to leave no evidence.

Tap, tap, tap…

Meanwhile, I kept tapping my feet on the floor.

Aisha glanced at me and cautiously asked,

“Your expression hasn’t been well since talking to His Majesty, Empress. Is there something troubling you?”

“No?!”

Hearing the Emperor’s name, I raised my voice out of guilt.

Aisha wrinkled her nose at the loudness, but I deliberately smiled.

I’m fine, right?

I could even get through the bank account Kallio might be tracking. This situation might actually be better.

‘Trying to attach another woman to me, or you clinging to another man.’

I did nothing wrong, nothing…

But if Kallio really was hurt then…?

By modern standards, I was in the wrong.

I was about to introduce his wife to another man!

But in the Amir Empire, the Emperor could have multiple consorts and was quite free regarding remarriage.

Besides, Kallio seemed indifferent when meeting the “woman” in the tomb.

‘That woman was, after all, his father’s mistress. Not a formal consort, just someone from a private family.’

So I assumed Kallio would be indifferent to this matter…

Or was he secretly concerned?

Then it happened.

“Um, Empress. This isn’t important, but…”

Perhaps pitying me with my head in my hands, Aisha presented a small device.

“This is a kettle-like tool to brew tea easily.”

“Oh.”

“While making the cooling device you requested, I got stuck, so I made this for ventilation. I don’t know your exact troubles, but tea is said to relax the body…”

The small device looked like a regular kettle, but turning it revealed a delicate mechanism.

‘Drop Teemug.’

In modern terms, that’s what it’s called.

Pressing a button brews tea from leaves in a strainer with water.

Aisha replaced the button with a handle, but it was a unique invention in this world.

‘This Aisha really is a genius.’

“Aisha.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll give you lots of money from now on, so don’t leave my side, okay?”

I momentarily forgot Kallio and held Aisha’s hand tightly. Her face flared red.

“Ah, I will continue serving you well, Your Majesty.”

“No need to serve, just keep doing as you do now.”

“B-But…”

Yet even this clever squirrel couldn’t make every machine.

Previously, I had asked Aisha to make a cooling device. Even though common in modern Korea, it was difficult to make here.

Holding the tea mug she made, I pondered.

Could it be because of that?

I asked her to clarify.

“When you made that cooling device, what was difficult?”

“Ah, yes. I understood the overall structure, but using ice to cool the heat absorbed from outside caused it to melt too fast. A replacement is needed…”

There was a replacement: refrigerant.

Modern cooling devices use refrigerant to absorb heat, cool it inside, and expel it.

Ice doesn’t stay cold long, so it was understandable why she struggled.

In this world, the replacement could be a “cooling stone.”

“To make that device, we’ll need a cooling stone, a magical stone that cools heat… I’ll get it myself.”

“T-Thank you for worrying about that, Your Majesty.”

Cooling stone did not exist in the empire in the debut story. Likely imported from another country.

‘I vaguely recall someone from that country being in the envoy.’

Then, visiting the envoy would be convenient…

‘I can apologize to Kallio too.’

My goal was to escape from Kallio, not to betray human duty.

Sighing at the list of tasks in my mind, I left.

***

I headed alone to the outer palace without a maid.

The Amir Empire Palace is divided into the main gate, main hall, offices, and living quarters.

The outer palace includes offices and forward living spaces; the inner palace is behind, housing the Emperor’s consorts.

So I was going from the inner palace, where the Empress and consorts lived, to the outer palace, where the Emperor lived.

Guards blocked me several times along the way.

‘I’m used to walking alone, and I don’t want misunderstandings while apologizing.’

They didn’t expect the Empress to walk alone. Besides, ordinary guards wouldn’t recognize my face.

Thanks to my clothes with the tulip emblem and the veil only an Empress wears, I reached the inner depths of the outer palace.

Grumbling at the inconvenience, I stood before the Emperor’s study, holding Aisha’s tea mug.

For some reason, no guard was at the door.

But it’s Kallio.

No need to worry about a human weapon capable of clearing a hundred enemy soldiers alone.

‘Hmm…’

Would it be too much to bring tea as an apology?

“Should I just give the mug as a gift? The tea can be told to the servants…”

“What are you doing?”

The closed door suddenly swung open.

Kallio entered silently, staring at me.

…Caught.

We were only a few steps apart.

On top of that, Kallio wore a loose gown, revealing his terrifying chest.

Just seeing it made my eyes roll in embarrassment.

Finally, I managed to lift the mug to his eyes.

“I… brewed tea. Want to drink together?”

“…You?”

“Yes, well…”

“Not trying to poison me?”

No, this guy… I was about to scold him for saying that.

A small laugh escaped him.

Kallio pressed his hand against the corner of his mouth and said,

“Come in.”