I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 17

I couldn’t understand why I was in Lute’s temple.

I thought hard, trying to piece together the situation, and finally remembered my last memory.

Before I fainted—before I had that dream—the last place I had been was the Imperial Palace. Ascal had been with me, so I must have been moved here right after I collapsed. But now, there was no sign of Ascal, and even the priest who was always by my side was gone.

While the priest’s absence brought me some relief, it was also quite odd.

The priests who were responsible for healing belonged to the Temple of Ursilla, the god of life. The white-robed priests in front of me were clearly from Ursilla’s temple. But this place was Lute’s temple, not Ursilla’s.

Lute’s temple wasn’t like the others. Lute, unlike Ursilla, was the god who presided over death.

“Why am I here?”

Despite the confusion written all over my face, the people around me remained silent, bowing their heads.

Sionel’s hand, which held mine, trembled slightly.

“Listen carefully.”

His voice had dropped to a somber tone.

As I studied his face more closely, I saw just how tired and rough he looked, as though he hadn’t slept for days. Dark circles shaded his eyes, and his chapped lips didn’t suit him at all.

Something was definitely wrong.

After hesitating for a while, Sionel finally spoke, “You stopped breathing.”

“What?”

What did he just say?

My eyes widened, and Sionel’s expression twisted as though the words were painful for him to speak. His lips quivered.

“You… you weren’t breathing.”

I bolted upright from the bed, but the sudden movement made my head spin, and I wobbled.

Sionel immediately caught me and held me steady.

When I instinctively pushed against his chest, Sionel only hugged me tighter. He pressed his lips close to my ear and whispered in a sorrowful voice, “Please. Please calm down. It’s alright, Lindel. Everything’s fine.”

But there was no way I could calm down. How could I? I was clearly alive, yet he was telling me that I had stopped breathing? It didn’t make sense.

Seeing how shaken I still was, one of the priests who had been quietly standing behind Sionel stepped forward.

“Your soul has only just settled. Moving too suddenly could overwhelm you. Please calm down.”

I recoiled at the mention of my soul.

First, Sionel said I had stopped breathing, and now this priest was bringing up my soul?

I immediately assumed this was the work of that troublesome priest again.

“Was it the priest? Did that priest say this?!” I shouted in a high-pitched voice, and Sionel gently rubbed my back, trying to calm me down.

“No, it wasn’t him. The priest said there was nothing he could do for you.”

“Then who? Who’s the one talking nonsense about my soul this time?!”

I was sick and tired of hearing about my soul. I still didn’t understand what had happened with my breathing, but I was ready to argue about the soul talk.

My breathing became labored as I grew more upset, and everyone around me watched with worry.

Sionel in particular hugged me tightly and began to comfort me, telling me to calm down. He was being more cautious than I’d ever seen him before.

It was as if he didn’t know what to do with me, afraid that I might break at any moment.

“I understand that you were worried because I stopped breathing briefly, but bringing me all the way to Lute’s temple over something as absurd as a soul issue is too much.”

I thought my reasoning was sound, but Sionel’s expression instantly changed. His face turned cold as he stared at me, and I flinched.

“Briefly?”

The arms holding me tightened. It didn’t hurt, but his grip was firm.

“You stopped breathing for three days,” he said through gritted teeth. “It’s been three days since you last breathed.”

I gaped at him, speechless.

“What was I supposed to do in that situation?”

His eyes were bloodshot, and tears welled up in them.

‘Three days without breathing?!’

I was horrified.

How could anyone survive without breathing for three days? Even three minutes seemed impossible.

Feeling completely stupid, I asked in disbelief, “You weren’t preparing for my funeral, were you?”

Sionel’s eyes flashed with anger.

“That was a mistake,” I quickly backtracked. But it was too late to take back what I’d said.

Sionel’s grip tightened painfully, and he buried his face in my shoulder, holding me close.

“Don’t even joke about that.”

The atmosphere grew tense.

I could feel the priests glaring at me in disapproval.

I knew I had made a mistake. Given Sionel’s sensitive reaction, I had no excuse for my words.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine. You don’t need to apologize,” Sionel murmured, his voice still heavy with emotion. The sharpness in his tone had softened, but he still looked deeply unsettled.

“Thank you… for waking up,” he whispered softly. I could feel the sincerity in his words.

I couldn’t begin to imagine what he must have felt during the three days I was unconscious.

Seeing him like this filled me with guilt. His concern for me wasn’t something I could feel happy about—it was painful.

Awkwardly, I reached out and hugged him back. We stayed like that, embracing in silence.

Before, I would have been self-conscious about what others might think, but in that moment, none of it mattered.

I didn’t know how to comfort him or ease the anxiety I had caused, so I just held on to him tightly, the way he was holding me.

Even though I was trying to keep it together, I was still shaken by the revelation that I had been in such a dangerous state just moments before.

As we stayed like that, the door in the distance opened.

The door, painted white like everything else in this place, blended in so much that it was almost unsettling.

Against the overwhelming whiteness of the room, the figure that entered stood out even more. The man was dressed head to toe in black, his face partially hidden by the hood of his robe.

Even though half of his face was covered, I knew he was staring straight at me.

“You’ve finally woken up,” the man said, his voice unexpectedly bright and clear.

His voice didn’t match the gloomy atmosphere created by his dark attire.

As I looked at him, Sionel loosened his hold on me. Keeping his arm around my shoulders, he turned to face the man behind him.

‘Who is this?’

Before I could even fully process my question, the man walked toward us with confident strides.

Strangely, the priests parted to let him through, as if avoiding something unclean. They looked like they were afraid to even brush against him.

My curiosity about the man grew even stronger.

As I watched him approach, I suddenly felt a strong pull. Sionel tightened his hold on me, as if to shield me from the man’s gaze.

“I’ll make sure you’re generously rewarded for this,” Sionel said, his voice now cold.

His tone had shifted from sorrowful to businesslike in an instant. This felt more like the Sionel I knew—his usual calm and composed self.

His words intrigued me more than his change in tone.

‘A reward?’

The man in black stopped in his tracks.

“To be rewarded by Your Majesty the Emperor himself—what an honor,” the man said, his tone exaggerated and dramatic.

His theatrical gestures made him seem odd, and even the priests frowned at his behavior.

The man continued, his voice smooth and mocking, “But, Your Majesty, don’t you think you’re being a bit stingy with your gratitude? After all, I did save this young lady’s life.”

I stiffened.

His unexpected words made my whole body freeze, and a large hand pressed down on my head, preventing me from turning to look at him.

“It’s a shame you don’t trust me. Did I do something wrong?”

His tone was so arrogant, it was hard to believe he was speaking to the emperor of the entire empire.

I braced myself, expecting Sionel to lash out at him for his insolence, but instead, Sionel responded in an eerily calm tone.

“You saved my woman’s life, which is the only reason your head is still attached to your body. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

The flatness in his voice only made it clear how serious he was.

I was startled by the man’s claim that he had saved me.

Though I felt uneasy in Sionel’s arms, I managed to peek around at the man.

He stood out sharply against the white background, his black attire impossible to miss. As I studied him more closely, I noticed the smooth line of his jaw beneath his hood.

Even from a distance, it was clear that his features were strikingly handsome.

At that moment, I felt his gaze on me.

The man lifted his hand and removed his hood, letting long black hair spill over his shoulders, revealing his exquisitely beautiful face.

I couldn’t help but gasp.

While his beauty was startling enough, what truly shocked me were his eyes.

For the first time in my life, I saw eyes that looked like gemstones, and they were staring right at me.

“Well, it seems I’ve overstepped,” the man muttered, though it felt like he was speaking more to me than to Sionel. His lips moved slowly, forming a deliberate smile.

“Such a pity.”

As I stared at him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this man had the unmistakable air of a madman.