I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 48

“His Imperial Majesty arrives!”

The thunderous shout quickly subdued the commotion. Even those who had been screaming in the chaos could not ignore the emperor’s arrival, and they finally moved away from me.

Feeling drained, I swayed slightly, but soon straightened up like everyone else. One had to show respect when the emperor arrived.

Everyone present, without exception, bowed toward the entrance. Since I couldn’t see, the sounds reached me all the more clearly.

Sionel, who normally made no noise when he walked, let his heavy footsteps announce his presence today, as if to make his authority known. Amid the silence, the sound grew closer, and it wasn’t hard for me to realize that his destination was me.

“Raise your heads.”

The languid tone of his voice sounded sweet. I lifted my head at his command, and as I had expected, Sionel stood right in front of me. Yet all I could do was gape at him in bewilderment.

The Sionel before me was dressed similarly to myself.

“Oh my!”

One by one, others realized this as well and let out exclamations of awe. The white uniform, the golden dragon, and the gold tassels on his shoulder—all of it matched mine, except for the blue cloak. It was clearly designed to pair with mine.

As I stared at him in disbelief, Sionel smiled broadly. “You look beautiful, Lindel.”

Whether it was because I’d heard nothing but how impressive I looked all day, or because it was Sionel saying it, a sudden rush of embarrassment flooded over me.

“…Did Lady Julia make it?”

“Indeed. I made a special request. What do you think? Does it suit me as well as it does you?” Sionel spread his arms slightly.

To be honest, the words “it suits you” couldn’t even begin to describe how he looked. His golden hair and blue eyes perfectly complemented the white uniform. The usual coldness in his demeanor had softened into something as gentle as a spring breeze. Judging by the murmurs around us, it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

“Shall we go?”

When I took his outstretched hand, the banquet officially began. I busied myself transporting food onto the plate that Sionel had brought over for me. Having had a late start with my preparations, my hunger had only grown after the earlier exertion. I stabbed a large piece of meat with my fork, and juice mixed with sauce spilled out.

“Hmm?”

I was about to put it in my mouth when I heard a soft chuckle beside me. Sionel was watching me eat, laughing.

“What?”

“You’re cute.”

Wondering what was cute, I rolled my eyes. I caught sight of Utilia mouthing words at me from a distance.

‘Not the meat! Eat dessert instead!’

She was frantically pointing around, and when I followed her gesture, I saw the other nobles. Most were sipping champagne or nibbling on light finger foods. I was the only one holding a plate and digging into a full meal.

“Ah.”

I alternated my gaze between my plate and the other nobles. They were all pretending not to notice me but were clearly paying attention. I briefly hesitated, glancing at Utilia, who looked horrified.

Chew, chew.

But the meat in my mouth was too delicious to give up. Ignoring the stares, I resumed eating, and Utilia clutched her forehead in dismay.

Sorry, but this is just who I am.

After quickly finishing my first plate, I picked up a second one. Sionel offered me champagne, urging me to eat more slowly, but to eat as much as possible, I couldn’t afford to fill up on drinks.

I politely declined the champagne and said to Sionel, “Shouldn’t you stay in your seat? It’s not right for you to keep following me.”

The emperor had a designated seat at the banquet. On the highest platform, atop a red carpet, a splendid golden throne awaited.

The emperor’s role was to sit up there, gazing down indifferently at his subjects. Yet here he was, trailing behind me at the food table. Nobles who wanted to approach Sionel to pay their respects didn’t know what to do.

But Sionel remained adamant. “Are you going to sit with me?”

He pointed with his chin to the seat next to the emperor’s. Where once there had been only one chair, there were now two. It was obviously a seat for the empress.

“…No.”

“Then I have no choice but to stay here.”

I wanted to ask why it was “no choice,” but at the same time, his sly attitude was oddly charming. Love was truly blinding.

Just then, a man emerged from among the hesitant nobles. Pushing through, or rather, being allowed through, he approached us confidently—a man we knew well. As Sionel and I turned our gaze to him, he smiled.

“Greetings to the Empire’s one and only sun.”

“Ah.”

Sionel’s indifferent response was in stark contrast to how he spoke to me, but the man’s smile didn’t falter. His attire was refined, and his smile captivating, yet somehow, I found my appetite fading.

“It’s been a while.”

The man’s purple eyes met mine. The color that symbolized the House of Giadel was as eerie as ever.

“Greetings, Duke Giadel.”

Lexus Giadel—the head of House Giadel and leader of the noble faction.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve attended an official event. Are you well now?”

On the surface, there was no open hostility between Lexus and me. But only on the surface. The relationship between the emperor’s faction and the nobles’ faction was never genuinely amicable.

“Thanks to your concern, I am well. I apologize for any worry I caused.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

We exchanged courteous smiles, but the coldness between us couldn’t be hidden. My pleasant meal had been interrupted, and I was in no mood to be polite.

Sionel’s languid voice cut through the tension. “Enough with the dull pleasantries. You may leave now.”

It was a dismissal thinly veiled as permission. Despite the rudeness, Lexus maintained his smile. Cassius also often wore a mysterious smile, but Lexus’s was different—it was unsettling.

“Then, I shall take my leave. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”

As he turned away, our eyes briefly met. It lasted only a moment, but I saw the smile vanish from Lexus’s face the instant our eyes locked.

“Stay away from him.”

As I watched his red hair retreat, Sionel’s gentle voice reached my ear. I nodded without argument.

“Now, let me finish eating—”

“Jubia Shieldrom! Greetings to the Empire’s one and only sun!”

Sionel’s attempt to slip an arm around my waist was interrupted by a booming proclamation. The nobles who had been discreetly glancing our way openly turned to look.

“Greetings to the Empire’s one and only sun.”

Another noble stepped forward to greet Sionel. Soon, more and more nobles gathered, taking their cue from Lexus’s example.

“Damn it.”

Sionel cursed under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear, his face twisting in annoyance.

As burly men with beards rushed toward him, I took a step away from Sionel. He scowled, realizing I was trying to escape, but he couldn’t immediately reach for me due to the nobles crowding around.

Watching Sionel’s face twist in frustration was oddly amusing.

***

“S-save me.”

A man with a sickly yellow complexion mumbled in a voice tinged with metallic undertones.

“N-no. No!”

He clawed at his own arm violently, scratching his fragile skin until it was raw, seemingly unaware that he was injuring himself.

“I said no! Get away!”

His unfocused eyes darted around frantically. Though nothing was in front of him, he screamed at something unseen, like a man plagued by hallucinations. His unsteady footsteps took him in a random direction.

“Ugh, arghhhh!”

A scream, like that of a wounded beast, escaped his lips. And from behind, a pair of golden eyes observed him.

“Go on, cause chaos for me.”

The eyes curved into a sadistic smile.

***

“Wow, it’s even more crowded now.”

“Good thing we escaped early. But what got everyone so excited?”

Seeing the increasing number of people around Sionel, Utilia and I whispered in awe. Unlike when he usually sat on the emperor’s throne, the closer proximity seemed to have emboldened everyone.

“He’s been much more approachable lately. Thanks to someone in particular,” Utilia said, glancing at Sionel’s grimace.

I quickly acknowledged that Sionel had indeed softened. “True, back then he wouldn’t just frown; he’d give an icy stare without any expression.”

Sionel had always been expressionless since childhood. When he cast a cold gaze with his doll-like face, no one could maintain their composure. It was a terrifying memory that made us shudder lightly.

“I guess now he’s approachable.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

A bond formed quickly among those who had experienced it firsthand. While we were exchanging trivial chatter, a loud noise came from afar.

-Thud!

The sound drew everyone’s gaze. Utilia and I also stopped chatting and turned to look. The source was the tightly shut door of the banquet hall. As people stared at the large door, another loud thud echoed.

-Thud! Thud!

“What… what’s going on?”

As the noise grew more frequent, the nobles near the door grew anxious, prompting the guard at the entrance to approach the door.

Each time the thick door made a sound, it vibrated slightly. It seemed like something was pounding, or rather crashing into the door.

“What’s happening out—”

-Bang!

Before the guard could finish, the door burst open. A crimson figure was flung inside, crashing into the people. A guard caught the figure with his whole body, stumbling backward.

“Wh-what…”

The guard, who belatedly regained his senses, realized what he was holding.

“Aaaagh!”

His scream set off a chain reaction of screams from the crowd. The red figure thrown at the guard was a person—or rather, something that used to be a person.