I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 30

“Lady Bodebachne has arrived.”

Even after I was announced, there was no response from inside. As silence filled the room, I glanced around. The knights who had accompanied me were all looking at me with uneasy expressions.

I shrugged lightly and addressed them. “Don’t worry. Do you remember what I said earlier?”

My calm demeanor seemed to ease their tension a little. At that moment, the sound of angry footsteps echoed from inside.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

The knight who had peeked his head in suddenly stumbled, and the door swung open violently. Of course, the person who appeared with a sharp expression was none other than Sionel.

“Hello?”

Even though Sionel’s gaze sharply swept over me, I didn’t flinch at all. I tried to walk through the open door, but then I noticed a familiar face inside.

It was Cassius.

‘Why is the Duke of Areta here?’

It was still early, not even fully light outside, so seeing Cassius in the emperor’s office at this hour was unexpected. He, too, looked surprised when he saw me.

‘He must have been that busy.’

If Cassius had to meet with the emperor alone at such an early hour, it made sense why he had acted the way he did the previous day.

When I looked at Cassius with pity, he frowned slightly. Just as I was about to acknowledge Cassius, Sionel’s stern voice fell over me like a hammer.

“Why is she here?”

The question wasn’t directed at me but at the knights around us. Since Sionel was extremely sensitive about my movements, it seemed he was ready to hold the knights accountable for the current situation.

‘Oh dear, how scary.’

Sionel was emitting such an intense aura that it was almost frightening to face him this early in the morning. As a result, the knights around me had frozen like statues, looking terribly pitiful.

Of course, they weren’t at fault. I was the one who had run off to see Sionel at dawn.

“Don’t blame the innocent.”

My voice rang out clearly in the frozen atmosphere. Though it didn’t quite match the tension in the room, I had no intention of lowering my voice to match the mood.

“Shouldn’t you greet me first?”

I boldly raised my chin and met Sionel’s gaze. I was sure I had a very brazen expression on my face.

“Did you sleep well, Sionel?”

Despite the sharp look he was giving me, I smiled brightly at him.

The room became even quieter. Everyone had started holding their breath, watching both Sionel and me. While they were nervously trying to gauge my mood, I realized how reckless I had been lately.

“Hmm. You don’t look like you’ve slept at all.”

“Gasp!”

I reached out and gently touched Sionel’s cheek, causing everyone around me to audibly gasp. I ignored all of the startled reactions.

I could feel the rough texture of Sionel’s skin beneath my fingertips. His perfect features had distracted me from noticing earlier, but now I could see the dark circles under his eyes.

“Have you been very busy?”

I knew he had been juggling state affairs and looking after me, but I hadn’t realized it was this bad. As I felt sorry for Sionel, he grabbed my wrist.

His expression suggested he might violently throw my hand away, but he didn’t. Instead, after staring into my eyes for a moment, he gently removed my hand from his cheek.

His actions were in stark contrast to his fierce gaze, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It was only natural that his eyes became even sharper in response.

“I’ve told you multiple times that wandering around alone is dangerous.”

“Alone? Doesn’t it look like I have plenty of people around me?”

I playfully gestured to the knights standing nearby. There was no denying that a sizable group had accompanied me all the way here.

“For such a large group to fail to stop you, they seem useless.”

The knights around us became visibly more nervous.

“You can’t say that after telling them not to lay a hand on me. Besides, do we really have to keep standing here to talk?”

At my cheerful question, Sionel sighed lightly and finally softened his gaze. He removed his cloak and draped it over my shoulders.

Wait, a cloak?

“Where did you go?”

“I took a walk.”

Sionel answered casually, adjusting the cloak around me with care. His hands were gentle, even though his words were sharp.

Finally, I was allowed to enter the office.

“Greetings, Miss Lindel.”

Though Cassius and I had already made eye contact earlier, we were only now exchanging proper greetings. Normally, I would have been awkward and uneasy in Cassius’s presence, but today was different.

Cassius, too, seemed to sense the change in me, looking at me curiously.

“I came to speak with Sionel, but I didn’t expect to find you here, Duke.”

“I’ve been quite busy.”

Cassius briefly glanced at Sionel before rising from his seat, seemingly ready to leave. It appeared he was trying to give us some privacy.

I hesitated for a moment, then addressed him. “Thank you for yesterday.”

Cassius turned back toward me at my unexpected words. I could also feel Sionel’s gaze shift toward me.

“Please convey my gratitude to Lady Areta as well. Thanks to both of you, I’ve realized many things.”

Cassius looked at me with a serious expression, as if trying to figure out why I was saying this now.

“I’m grateful, though I feel we may have been out of line.”

I paused for a moment, as if about to say something important. Cassius, being perceptive, didn’t leave but waited for me to continue.

“If you haven’t forgotten your offer to help me, could you give me your support now?”

Cassius seemed surprised that I was bringing this up now, but he quickly recovered and sat back down.

“Of course.”

As expected, he was quick to catch on.

“What are you talking about?”

Sionel’s cold voice cut in. He clearly didn’t like being left out of the conversation.

“Since I’m about to challenge Your Majesty, I feel more at ease with a two-on-one advantage.”

“A challenge?”

“Yes. I don’t want to be confined anymore.”

Sionel’s expression hardened. “Are you leaving?”

Though his voice was low and tense, I wasn’t afraid. Even as he scowled, Sionel carefully held my hand, wrapping the cloak around me tighter.

Before glaring at me, he made sure I wasn’t hurt. There was no reason for me to be afraid of this man.

“Why does asking for freedom automatically mean I’m leaving?”

“No.”

“Why are you saying no without even hearing me out?”

“Because that’s what you’re planning to do.”

“Alright, I see your trust in me is nonexistent. Thanks for confirming that.”

With a smile, I brightly thanked him. I knew he wouldn’t accept my words easily, but I had to say them anyway.

“You’re so stubborn. But since I find it endearing, I’ll let it slide.”

“……”

Sionel’s hardened expression softened into something more ambiguous.

“You’re—”

“Yes?”

“No, nothing.”

He trailed off, then asked me, “Have you been feeling very stifled?”

“It’s suffocating. Keeping a knight cooped up indoors? That’s torture.”

I shook my head dramatically as if this were a great tragedy.

“If the Captain had locked me up, he would have confined me to the training grounds. To straighten me out, he would have made me run 100 laps at least—”

I imagined Sir Schrein, wielding a large sword, commanding me to run.

Ah, no, that’s not it.

“I made a mistake. That’s worse.”

“……”

“Anyway, being stuck in the bedroom is unbearable. No matter how hard you glare at me, that won’t change.”

The more shamelessly I spoke, the more Sionel’s expression shifted.

“Excuse me.”

Cassius, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up. When I looked at him, I noticed that, like Sionel, he was giving me a strange look.

“You seem more like your old self, Miss Lindel.”

Hearing those words, I smiled widely. That was exactly what I wanted.

Even the people of the empire had always known how much I loved the emperor, because I had never hidden it. I had always worn my heart on my sleeve, showing my feelings through my eyes, my words—everything.

“So, do you dislike it?”

“No, I’m glad to see you so lively again.” Cassius quickly denied it and gave me a small smile.

Since signing the contract with Laroche, I had spent all my time avoiding Sionel’s gaze. After my health deteriorated, I had stopped talking altogether, weakened and withdrawn. That wasn’t like me at all.

And perhaps my uncharacteristic behavior had only made them more anxious. But if that was the case, then all I had to do now was be myself again.

“Why did you come to see me at this hour?”

Sionel couldn’t wait any longer and interrupted my conversation with Cassius. Even though his tone was sharp, I wasn’t bothered.

“I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not going to die.”

The air grew tense again.

“Lindel.”

“I’m sorry for not explaining anything. Of course, you’ve been angry, worried, and frustrated. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Even though I had realized my mistake and regretted it, there was nothing I could do to fix it immediately.

I couldn’t reveal everything. But at the very least, I wanted to reassure him so he wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore.

“But I promise, I won’t die.”

Sionel stared at me in silence.

“It was a lie when I said I didn’t need to stay by your side anymore. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with you forever.”

I smiled brightly, unashamed.

“I like you very much, Sionel. That’s why I won’t die.”