I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 33

The path to the greenhouse was quiet.

The people following us weren’t making any noise, but the overwhelming silence was mostly thanks to Sionel. The one who had been teasing me moments ago was now strangely silent. I, too, found myself keeping quiet as a result.

“Should we send the others away and be alone?” Sionel whispered in my ear, like a mischievous child planning some prank.

I looked up at him, puzzled, and saw a faint smile on his face. “I thought you seemed bothered,” he said.

At this point, I was seriously beginning to wonder if the man beside me was truly Sionel. His behavior had changed so much since that morning. I couldn’t get used to it.

“And besides, dates are best enjoyed with just the two of us.”

“D-Date?!”

The surprise attack caught me off guard, and I couldn’t help but raise my voice. As a result, the people behind us began murmuring again.

Date!

Though they were whispering, the single word spread like wildfire, causing a commotion. While I stood frozen in shock, overwhelmed by the word “date,” Sionel didn’t wait for me to answer. He simply dismissed the entourage, and within moments, the people turned back the way we had come, leaving us alone.

Only after the area had cleared did I finally regain my senses.

“You’re acting like a different person.”

“Am I?”

It was an ambiguous answer. I had expected him to tease me, but instead, Sionel nodded nonchalantly. This version of Sionel was hard to predict.

In truth, ever since his confession, I had found it increasingly difficult to read him.

“So, do you dislike it?”

Sionel mimicked the question I had once asked Cassius at dawn. His playful, smiling eyes captivated me, and I found it hard to look away.

I was hopelessly weak when it came to his face.

“No, I like it as it is.”

“You don’t seem very energetic for someone who likes it.”

“That’s because I’ve realized how weak I am in the face of visual appeal.”

I should have grown accustomed to his face by now, but every time he smiled at me, I lost my composure.

“Then why were you so quiet on the way here?”

“Because I enjoyed walking while holding your hand.”

“…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

I thought he was teasing me, but Sionel just smiled gently.

“No, I wasn’t teasing you. I genuinely like this. I should’ve done this sooner, instead of being so stubborn.”

Sionel looked ahead with an unusually mature expression. He was silent for a while, then tightened his grip on my hand before releasing it, leaning forward playfully.

“Since I’m cute, can’t you tolerate it?”

“Stop teasing me!”

As we exchanged light banter, we finally arrived at the greenhouse. The refreshing, earthy scent peculiar to greenhouses instantly lifted my spirits. All around us were the most expensive plants in the empire, blooming in their most beautiful forms, and it was a feast for the eyes.

Following Sionel into the greenhouse, I asked, “Why did we suddenly come to the greenhouse?”

“Because you like flowers.”

“I like flowers?”

I stopped walking, my voice bewildered as I looked at him. Sionel nodded without hesitation.

This was news to me. I had never once considered myself someone who liked flowers. In fact, I preferred receiving sausages in a bundle over flowers that couldn’t be eaten. I wondered if he had mistaken me for someone else, but that seemed unlikely. Sionel didn’t strike me as the type to remember such trivial details about other people.

Then he said something even more surprising.

“You prefer flowers with subtle fragrances and delicate blooms over those with overpowering scents and vibrant colors.”

Sionel stopped walking and pointed to a small flower hidden among the larger, more flamboyant leaves. He reached out as if to pick it but didn’t. Instead, he gently touched the petals, careful not to damage them, then turned to look at me.

His gaze seemed to ask if I liked the flower. I stared at it carefully. The flower was a blend of white and blue, a mesmerizing combination that captured my attention. Despite the more vibrant flowers around it, I found it to be the most beautiful of all.

‘Could he read my mind?’

Was mind-reading the ability to understand feelings even their owners didn’t know they had? I shuddered a little and looked at Sionel with wide eyes. Oddly enough, he frowned as if displeased.

“You’re thinking something strange again.”

“Um, not exactly.”

“It’s not something like mind-reading, is it?”

“……”

Oh no.

As my suspicion deepened, Sionel’s face crumpled. He sighed briefly, leaving me feeling unjustly accused.

“Mind-reading is a bit too much.”

“How did you know I was thinking about mind-reading?”

“Because your face shows it clearly when you’re having ridiculous thoughts.”

“Then how do you know my preferences when even I don’t?”

We stared at each other like two people sizing up a stranger. Our “first date” was starting off awkwardly.

I pursed my lips and asked, “So, do you dislike me for having strange thoughts?”

I returned the question he had once asked me. With an openly pouty face, I watched Sionel shake his head firmly.

“No.”

I couldn’t help but feel my lips twitch into a smile. The sharp words I had been about to throw at him melted away. Trying to hide my smile, I raised my hand and pretended to smooth my lips.

“Of course not.”

Sionel reaffirmed his answer once more. I could feel my mood lift completely. Is that how people act when they go on dates, or am I just immature? I laughed at the thought of him saying “I don’t dislike you” with such a sulky expression.

“At the banquets, you always seemed indifferent to the grand bouquets you were given, setting them aside right away,” Sionel said, continuing with the same pouty face.

At first, I didn’t understand what he meant, but then I realized he was answering my question about how he knew my flower preferences.

“And yet, when you found a wildflower by the roadside, you’d crouch down and stare at it for a long time.”

Whenever I found a wildflower that had grown in an unexpected spot, I would quietly observe it. It always amazed me to see something bloom despite the odds.

I had never imagined that Sionel was aware of such moments.

“You saw all that?”

“Because I like you.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I simply gaped at him.

“I didn’t mean to, but my eyes always found you.”

Sionel spoke as if it were no big deal. After a brief pause, he bit his lip, then frowned slightly and muttered, “No, I misspoke.”

Avoiding my gaze, he continued, “My eyes just naturally followed you. That’s how I noticed.”

His confession was so casual that I struggled to keep up. This was the same man who used to walk right past me without a second glance when I crouched down by the roadside.

But apparently, that wasn’t the case at all.

My whole body suddenly felt warm. I waved my hand in front of my face, blaming the greenhouse’s heat for my flustered state.

Then I heard a grumbling voice beside me.

“From now on, ‘So do you dislike me?’ is banned.”

“Why?”

“Because the answer will always be the same.”

I burst into laughter.

I wasn’t the only immature one. We were both acting childish.

Sionel ran his hand over his face, his palm revealing a slight flush. I pretended not to notice, as I wasn’t in a position to tease him.

“Well, should we get back to exploring?”

Our “date” resumed, and we headed deeper into the greenhouse. Sionel, having regained his usual composure, walked at a leisurely pace while I strolled beside him, admiring the blooms. The air was warm and humid, but neither of us let go of each other’s hand. This made me realize that what we were doing was truly a date.

“Huh?”

As I walked, smiling with excitement, I noticed a white door up ahead. I hadn’t known such a door existed in the greenhouse, so I glanced at Sionel curiously. He led me toward the door as if it were his destination all along.

“I’ve never seen that door before.”

“No one comes near it, so it’s understandable. Only Carl knows about it.”

Carl was the name of the chamberlain who had served Sionel for a long time. More precisely, his full name was Carlos, an elderly man with an impressive white beard, who had recently completed his term and retired from his position as chamberlain.

I gazed at the mysterious white door with renewed interest, wondering what could be behind it that Sionel had kept so secret.

“You’ll like it,” Sionel said confidently.

At the same time, he used his free hand to open the door. It swung open without a sound, revealing a sight so incredible that I couldn’t help but gasp.

It was a breathtaking view.

“Oh my goodness!”

My jaw dropped, and I couldn’t close it as I stared in awe. Sionel, satisfied with my reaction, smiled down at me with a look of excitement.

But for once, Sionel’s smile wasn’t the most captivating thing in the room. My attention was entirely focused on what lay before me.

“Do you like it?”

“I-I don’t know if I ‘like’ it, but…”

I pointed with a trembling finger at the unbelievable sight before me. Now I understood why Sionel had kept this place hidden.

“You… you’re raising a dragon?”

“Beautiful, wha—?”

Sionel trailed off, turning his head quickly in the same direction as my gaze. There, amidst the picturesque scenery, was a small, black creature staring at us with wide eyes.

“Uh, hello?”

A short dragon awkwardly greeted us.

A dragon!

Sionel had been secretly raising a dragon!

While I stood frozen in shock, processing this incredible revelation, a menacing voice growled beside me.

“That bastard…!”

Wait a minute. Was the dragon not what Sionel intended to show me?