I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 45

Fortunately, the quarrel between Sionel and Melaine ended quickly. I had to intervene urgently as I sensed someone approaching from afar, and luckily, they listened. If only they were this cooperative from the start, perhaps I wouldn’t need to stop their fights at all, but it seemed that such progress was still a long way off.

Anyway, just as the tension between the two men had been escalating day by day, the situation took an unexpected turn.

“You’re saying that magic tool was made by a dwarf?”

“Yes, Melaine confirmed it. I’m almost certain.”

Crunch!

I stared at Sionel in wide-eyed shock as I bit into the cookie in front of me. However, seeing him nod at me confirmed I hadn’t misheard.

I recalled the black magic tool I had briefly seen before. On the day of the mana rampage, one of the seven magic tools found near the Empress’s Palace was of an unknown type, even to the experts.

While the Mage Tower was conducting additional analysis, Sionel had shown it to Melaine. The answer Melaine had given was shocking.

‘A dwarven magic tool, even enhanced with dragon’s mana!’

The origin of the unfamiliar object was beyond anything we could have imagined. Though the other six magic tools were impressively powerful and expensive, they weren’t capable of breaking through the palace’s defensive barriers, even for a moment. The only one capable of disturbing the barrier had to be the mysterious seventh magic tool, and according to Melaine, only a dwarf could have created something of that caliber.

“But still, a dwarven magic tool?”

And where on earth did they even acquire a dragon’s mana?

Crunch!

I chewed another cookie aggressively, expressing my dissatisfaction. A large hand reached over and brushed away the crumbs from my mouth. I accepted the gesture naturally as I muttered seriously.

“This makes it even harder to figure out who’s behind all this.”

We still didn’t know who was responsible, but I couldn’t help but think they were remarkable in their audacity. They had gone to the lengths of acquiring something that seemed straight out of a storybook just to provoke us. Where they’d managed to find it—or how—was beyond me, making the whole situation even more absurd.

“Why does it matter?”

I was holding my aching head when Sionel’s voice, dripping with mockery, reached my ears. His lips, curving upward as if he found it amusing, formed a graceful arc, yet his demeanor remained dark.

Locking eyes with me, he whispered sweetly, “We can just wipe out anyone we suspect. There’s no need for complicated thinking, Lindel.”

Sionel had a knack for saying terrifying things in the most gentle way. But instead of reacting in my usual exaggerated manner, I simply smirked mischievously, mirroring Sionel. If it was about our enemies, I wasn’t hesitant either. After all, I wasn’t called the emperor’s left hand for nothing.

I would pay them back in kind. Once we identified our enemy, I intended to make sure they understood exactly whom they had dared to cross.

When I finished chewing the last of my cookies, a teacup was held out in front of me. Without lifting a finger, I accepted it, sipping from the cup, when I felt a heated gaze beside me.

I turned my head toward the source and found several pairs of eyes meeting mine before they quickly scattered.

The maids, standing a little distance from us, hurriedly pretended to be distracted when they met my eyes.

“What are they looking at so intently?”

Sionel reached out to tousle my hair when I gave the maids a sidelong glance. I answered with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

“I can feed myself, you know. So, um, it’s alright if you stop feeding me now.”

“Ah, is that so.”

I rolled my eyes to signal to Sionel that people were watching us, but he didn’t seem to care. He glanced at them briefly, then suddenly smiled radiantly.

Gasp!

I could hear the sound of someone catching their breath among the onlookers. Where on earth was he practicing, to make his charms seem so effortless?

“Let them watch.”

Sionel leaned in closer to me, deliberately putting on a show. His sudden proximity startled me, and just as I thought he might kiss me, he only brushed away the crumbs from my lips with his hand before pulling back.

Seeing my reaction, he laughed contentedly, forcing me to speak seriously to him.

This shameless man had no idea how dangerous his actions were.

“Please refrain from suddenly leaning in so close.”

“Why?”

“I might die.”

At my firm voice, he blinked a few times before bursting into laughter. The sight of the emperor laughing heartily was unbelievable, and I heard more gasps from the people around us.

‘Calm down, heart.’

Regardless of their reactions, I tried to keep my pounding heart steady.

Phew, that was close. Phew!

“That’s such a cute thing to say.”

Judging by his amused expression, Sionel was clearly enjoying my reaction.

“Anyway, I’ll handle my own food from now on.”

“Why?”

Sionel seemed disinclined to give up the “privilege” of feeding me himself. It was amusing to be having such a petty dispute, but it didn’t mean I could just let him feed me like a baby, especially with people watching.

I glanced toward the maids again, making it clear I was aware of their presence.

“It’s just that, well, you feeding me and petting me like this—it kind of…”

“Kind of?”

Sionel’s face showed a hint of anticipation.

“Makes me look like a dog, doesn’t it?”

When I replied with a worried expression, Sionel’s hopeful look quickly vanished.

“…A dog?”

“Yes. Doesn’t it make me look like one?”

“…I thought it looked like a romantic moment between lovers, but you were worried you looked like a dog? Even I’m a bit taken aback.”

“Oh…!”

I let out an exclamation as if I had just realized something, and Sionel looked at me in disbelief.

“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t! So, it doesn’t look like a master and their dog, but like a couple on a date!”

I had been feeling uneasy, thinking it seemed like feeding treats to a pet, but apparently, it looked more like an affectionate moment between a couple. Only then could I smile brightly.

If we looked like a real couple, that was a pleasant thought.

“You could’ve said so sooner!”

“Who would’ve thought you’d see it that way.”

Seeing me happily open my mouth, asking for another cookie, Sionel looked exasperated. But my mood was already too good for his reaction to dampen it.

“What are you waiting for? Come on, ah!”

“Fine. I’m glad you finally understand.”

Shaking his head, he picked up another cookie. Clearing up the misunderstanding made this moment all the more satisfying.

Just then, Sionel pointed a finger behind me.

“The real dog is coming now.”

I turned my head in the direction he was pointing. A man had just rounded the corner of the garden and was charging toward us at full speed. I wanted to tell Sionel not to call a person that, but the man truly approached us like a hunting dog.

“Your Majesty!”

“Who—oh?”

I finally recognized the man, whose unusual appearance made it hard to identify him at first. It was Cassius.

As Cassius approached us, his face haggard, I looked at Sionel in shock.

“What on earth did you do to him?”

In just a few days, Cassius had transformed dramatically. He was always impeccably neat, so seeing him in such disarray was startling. Most notably, his hollow cheeks and fierce eyes made him look like he was ready to devour Sionel alive.

While I was taken aback by Cassius’s appearance, Sionel seemed utterly indifferent.

Cassius, having reached us, pointed an accusing finger at the emperor. “Your Majesty!”

“You are being loud, Chancellor.”

Sionel’s calm voice only made Cassius’s face twist in anger.

“Loud? Did you just call me loud?”

“I told you not to interrupt, yet you fail to understand simple instructions,” Sionel replied, his irritation evident. Despite clearly being at fault, he was shockingly confident.

“…Interrupt?”

An illusion of flames seemed to flare around Cassius. “You’ve dumped all your work on me, yet here you are! And you call me an interruption?”

Leaning back against the chair with his legs crossed, Sionel looked entirely unconcerned, as if to say, “And what are you going to do about it?” His arrogance was infuriating.

Cassius let out a bitter laugh before suddenly turning to look at me.

Why me?!

“I apologize for the delay in greeting you. It’s been a long time, Lady Lindel.”

“O-oh, yes, it has been.”

“I’ve been far too busy to visit, but I wanted to express my deep gratitude for saving my younger sister the last time we met. I’m terribly late, but thank you.”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

The conversation was going more smoothly than expected, but alarm bells were ringing in my head.

“But tell me, Lady Lindel, do you remember the conversation my sister and I had with you?”

“Uh… what conversation do you mean?”

“We asked if you’d ever considered becoming emperor.”

“Ah, that… Yes?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I blinked, looking around to see everyone else with their mouths agape, just as stunned as I was.

“Ha, haha, hahahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

Feigning that I had taken it as a joke, I started laughing, and Cassius followed suit.

Seeing him laugh with me, I guessed it must have been an impulsive joke. As we laughed, others around us began to chuckle awkwardly as well.

So the chancellor has a mischievous side, huh!

Everyone except for Sionel laughed, albeit awkwardly.

“Anyway, as for that joke—”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

I tried to brush it off lightly, but Cassius’s response was firm. I could feel cold sweat running down my back.

“I-I must have misheard?”

“You heard correctly.”

Sweat started to bead on my forehead. The awkward laughter that had filled the air abruptly stopped, replaced by a chilling silence.

The seeds of treason were being sown right before my eyes. I wished he wouldn’t drag an innocent person like me down with him.

“Can’t you just say it was a joke?”

My voice was as quiet as possible, but the silence around us made it perfectly audible.

“You know it’s not.”

Cassius’s voice was gentle.

“Whether I die from overwork or get executed for treason, I’m going to die anyway. What’s there to hold back? It’s just a matter of whether I die sooner or later.”

Cassius laughed loudly, as if he found his words amusing. There was a hint of madness in his laughter.