Episode 14. First, take off your clothes.
How should I even begin to explain this situation?
“I’m sorry.”
I looked down at the man kneeling before me.
He stood with his back to the window, bathed in moonlight.
Silvery hair that seemed to absorb the soft glow of the moon.
A white mask partially obscuring his face.
Golden eyes that shimmered, even in the darkness.
Yes, this uninvited guest had been the one covering my mouth mere moments ago.
“I’m sorry. Truly, I am sorry.”
Clasping his hands tightly, he repeatedly bowed his head, apologizing profusely.
With each bow, the earring on his ear caught the light, glinting faintly.
I looked down at him as he crouched under my bed, astonished.
Though I was no longer being restrained by the intruder, my heart continued to pound furiously.
“What on earth is…”
“I understand. It’s late, and I barged in unannounced, even covering your mouth. You must have been terrified.”
Who is this man?
His sincere gaze and polite tone made my tension ease almost instantly.
I even found myself growing curious.
If he truly meant me harm, he wouldn’t be acting this way.
“What’s your reason?”
“Pardon?”
“For acting this way, even knowing it’s wrong. There must be a reason.”
The man lowered his head deeply.
“I had… an unavoidable circumstance.”
“What kind of pressing matter could possibly justify sneaking into the Empress’ Palace?”
“This is the Empress’ Palace?!”
His face turned pale.
“Don’t tell me you entered without even knowing where you were?”
“I was in such a rush. I was running around blindly and didn’t have the presence of mind to check.”
From his flustered expression, it didn’t seem like a lie.
A thought crossed my mind.
If he reacted like this to hearing it was the Empress’ Palace… wouldn’t he faint if he knew this was the Empress’ room?
“Surely this isn’t…”
My suspicion was quickly confirmed.
“…the room of someone important or anything like that, right?”
He’s definitely going to faint.
It was clear he had no idea I was the Empress.
“Don’t worry. This place is safe.”
I deliberately shifted the subject.
If he fainted upon learning the truth, it would only make things worse.
“Oh, I see. That’s a relief.”
He sighed in apparent relief.
Oh dear. It’s far too soon to relax.
This is, in fact, the room of the most important person in the Empress’ Palace.
And yes, I am the Empress, ha-ha-ha.
It’s fine. Anyone would be surprised. I understand.
But just between us, sometimes even I get startled seeing myself in the mirror.
“So, what brought you into the palace?”
“There was something I desperately wanted to see.”
“What was so important that you had to sneak into the palace to see it?”
“Something that can only be seen in the palace on a dark night like this…”
His cautious tone made my ears perk up.
“Someone? A lover, perhaps?”
No way! Could it be?
My eyes sparkled with excitement.
A forbidden love hidden within the palace.
But I am of lowly status, unworthy of her.
Yet, unable to suppress my feelings, I cross the walls and risk my life for a fleeting moment with her…
“Flowers.”
“Flowers?”
“Yes. Flowers.”
Unfortunately, the wings of my imagination were clipped by a single bloom.
“You’re telling me you snuck into the palace… for flowers?”
“…”
His expression suggested I’d hit the mark.
Good grief, this man.
“Do you even realize the risks of entering the palace for something like that?”
The memory of the knight commander coldly wielding his sword against intruders flashed through my mind.
Could this man even comprehend that he might have lost his life for such a trivial reason?
“This doesn’t happen often, does it?”
“I did find it odd. Normally, security isn’t this tight…”
Wait. Did he just admit to being here before?
A habitual offender?
I sighed, pressing a hand to my forehead.
I had asked half-jokingly, only to reel in a big one.
“I assure you, I’ve never had bad intentions. I’ve never done anything wrong. I simply admired the flowers quietly before leaving.”
“If it’s just flowers, was there really a need to come to the palace?”
Especially since he didn’t even intend to pick them—just look at them.
In response, he offered a sheepish smile.
“There are rare flowers here that can’t be found anywhere else.”
“So, you’ve risked your life sneaking into the palace just to look at flowers?”
“Yes.”
“How often?”
“…About three years.”
Three years?!
“You’ve… been lucky not to get caught.”
“Yes. Until now, everything went smoothly. But tonight, security was unusually tight.”
No wonder.
A few days ago, a group of intruders had scaled the palace walls.
To make matters worse, they had targeted the Imperial Consort’s Palace, leaving the Emperor in a foul mood.
And tomorrow was the Emperor’s birthday banquet, an event sure to increase security even further.
“That makes sense. There’s been quite a commotion in the palace lately. But how did you manage to avoid getting caught by the knights?”
“I’m quite familiar with the layout of the palace. Though, given the heightened security, sneaking around was more challenging than usual.”
His clumsy manner of speaking and shy demeanor convinced me.
If he had malicious intent, he wouldn’t have come up with such a bizarre excuse about flowers.
“Fine. So, how do you plan to leave?”
“I thought I’d hide somewhere secluded until the guards loosen up and then slip out the way I came in.”
I glanced at his attire and asked, “Wearing that?”
“Is there something wrong with my outfit?”
“Absolutely. Plenty.”
I glanced at him, dressed in sleek black from head to toe.
“That outfit is precisely the problem.”
“If you try leaving the palace in that, the knights will be after you again.”
“Does my clothing have some kind of mark on it?”
“No, but it looks very similar to what those who previously infiltrated the palace wore. A couple’s look, no—matching outfits, perhaps?”
“Something like that happened?”
“Yes. So, leaving the palace dressed like that will be difficult. And for now, the guards won’t be relaxing their vigilance. We’re celebrating the Emperor’s birthday for the next week.”
“Then… what should I do?”
He looked visibly flustered.
What should I do with this naïve man?
It wasn’t really my problem. Should I just call the knights?
After all, regardless of his reasons, he did trespass in the palace.
But I shook my head.
Based on Helena’s memories, the laws here were far stricter than in the world I came from.
If I called the knights, this man would almost certainly be executed.
I couldn’t just stand by and let a man who trespassed merely to see flowers be put to death.
Was there another solution?
As I pondered, a good idea suddenly came to mind.
I smiled brightly and said to him, “I’ll help you leave safely.”
“Really?”
“Of course. But… can you do anything?”
“Anything… you say?”
His eyes wavered.
After a brief hesitation, he nodded slowly, as if he had made a decision.
“If you help me, I’ll do anything.”
What on earth was he imagining?
There was a strange resolve in his expression.
“Then, first…”
The smile on my face grew wider.
“Take off your clothes.”
“…!”
***
“Y-Your Majesty, the Empress!”
The knights guarding the palace gates stiffened and bowed hurriedly.
I nodded lightly, acknowledging their greeting.
“You’re working hard.”
“Is there something that brings you here this late at night?”
“I just wanted to get some fresh air.”
“Oh, I see.”
“And the person behind you…?”
One of the knights glanced curiously at the figure behind me.
“Oh, that’s one of my maids.”
Taking a step forward, I blocked the knights’ view of him.
I maintained a calm expression, but inwardly, I was panicking.
‘They mustn’t realize.’
The overly tall “maid” would undoubtedly look suspicious to anyone.
“I see.”
Fortunately, the knights didn’t seem particularly suspicious.
Perhaps it was because they didn’t dare question the Empress herself.
“Do you have no escort with you, Your Majesty? Shall we accompany you to wherever you’re headed?”
“I’m just out for a short walk. I’d prefer to be alone. Could you step aside for a moment?”
“As you wish.”
The knights bowed and moved aside.
Only when their presence completely disappeared did I release the breath I had been holding.
Phew. I thought I’d been caught for sure.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of accomplishment at successfully completing this “mission.”
I turned around with a satisfied smile.
The unusually tall “maid” stood there.
The soft blue hue of the dress suited him surprisingly well.
The only odd detail was the white mask he’d barely hidden with his long hair.
“Well? Didn’t I tell you? Everyone thinks you’re a real maid.”
There was no response.
His expression had stiffened.
“…Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you’re the Empress.”
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
“Does that matter? The important thing was getting out safely.”
I smiled and added sternly, “I understand your love for flowers, but you mustn’t do something so reckless again.”
His golden eyes wavered.
Was he seriously contemplating doing this again after all that?
This won’t do. I need a firm promise.
“Come on, promise me.”
I held out my pinky finger.
He raised an eyebrow at the gesture.
“What’s this?”
Ah, they don’t have this custom here, do they?
Taking his right hand, I explained, “You hook your fingers together like this to make a promise. Once you do this, you absolutely must not break it.”
“Oh.”
With a small exclamation, he nodded, as if he understood.
“Then it’s a promise.”
“Yes. A promise.”
“If this happens again, I won’t be able to help you next time.”
“It won’t happen again.”
He lifted our interlocked fingers cautiously.
“A promise… is a promise.”
***
I wonder if he’s making it out safely.
As I made my way back to the Empress’ Palace, I found myself lost in thought.
Well, I brought him to the gates. He’ll figure out the rest on his own.
To think someone would sneak into the palace just to see flowers.
In a way, it was impressive.
Not that I expect to see him again.
Ugh, I should hurry back and get some rest.
It’s been such a long day.
I quickened my pace, but suddenly, a deep voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Ah, just what I needed. How fortunate.”
Turning my head, I saw a shadowy figure under the wisteria.
A tall man with crimson hair emerged from the shadows.
Who is this man now…?
—
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