I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 8

In the end, I couldn’t clear up the misunderstanding with the three of them. No matter what I said, Luna and the knight only cried, and Schrein avoided looking at me altogether.

When I pounded my chest in frustration, Luna and Schrein both clung to my arms, begging me not to harm myself. By that point, I didn’t even have the energy to feel annoyed.

I figured it was better not to see them, so I sent Schrein away and asked Luna to help me freshen up. Now, here I was, lying in bed, clean once again. With Luna’s tearful sniffles behind me, I sent her out of the room, leaving the space blissfully quiet.

“Am I the strange one here?”

I had thought I was being clear in my responses, yet the misunderstandings kept piling up. Even before I was confined to the northern palace, the more I denied things, the more out of hand everything became.

Back then, I always thought the people around me were the strange ones, but now I was starting to wonder if I was the problem. I had been so firm in my words, but maybe, to others, it had come off as vague.

“Still, when I say I’m not sick, what’s so vague about that?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I remained dissatisfied. I worried about how I would ever clear up the misunderstandings, finish reading that encyclopedia-sized contract, and deal with Laroche’s matter. At this rate, maybe it was better not to say anything at all to avoid making things worse.

Maybe it was time to just stay quiet.

“First, I need to get out of here.”

While leaving the northern palace entirely might be too much to hope for, I at least needed to regain the freedom to move around. I would read the contract little by little, but given its volume, I couldn’t place all my hopes on it.

Ultimately, I needed to confront Sionel.

After the emotional shock of today, I decided to postpone my actions until tomorrow. If I were to face Sionel, I needed to rest well and eat properly to clear my mind.

First, I needed to eat.

I opened the door and asked Luna, who was waiting outside, to bring me a meal. Luna’s face lit up with joy—it was the first time I had requested food. Luna was a kind girl, though the misunderstandings she had about me were a problem.

But when she came back, it was with yet another bland patient’s meal, devoid of any flavor.

“No duck soup left?”

“The priest said that meat broths are too greasy for your condition. Apparently, the chef got scolded for sending it up last time.”

So the priest was to blame. The duck soup I hadn’t even tasted was now out of my reach. Still, there was hope. If duck soup was too much, I could at least get a regular meal with some seasoning.

“Then at least bring me some salt!”

“You can’t add salt, Lindel. Your stomach is still sensitive, and eating anything too stimulating could make things worse later. I know it doesn’t taste great, but you need to stick to this diet.”

And so, I had to begin my meal with a heavy heart, having gained nothing. The taste remained just as terrible.

In the end, I sent the meal back, clutching my hungry stomach. Luna looked so disappointed that I wanted to cry as much as she did.

***

Unable to sleep due to hunger, I spent most of the night reading through the contract. As a result, when I looked in the mirror the next morning, my face appeared gaunt and tired.

I wondered if it was a good idea to go see Sionel like this, but I couldn’t delay any longer. The issue of the empress needed to be resolved quickly.

In the past, when I was at my busiest, I had endured far worse. During national events, I often stayed up all night managing security and directing personnel. Compared to those times, this was nothing.

“It’ll be fine.”

Just then, Luna entered the room to prepare for the day.

I stopped looking in the mirror and greeted her.

“Luna, you’re here?”

“Miss Lindel! Did you sleep well? You’re up early today.”

Luna, who had entered cheerfully, froze in place as soon as she got a good look at me. Her crescent-moon-shaped eyes widened until they were round with shock.

“Oh my goodness! What happened to your complexion? Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep at all?”

“I was just busy with something.”

“You’ve got nothing to do, so what were you busy with? Your face is a mess!”

“……”

I was starting to wonder if Luna secretly disliked me.

She was right—I didn’t have much to do, but hearing her say my face was a “mess” hurt my feelings. I must have looked rather sullen because Luna’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Oh no! You couldn’t sleep because you’re in pain, right? This is all my fault. I should have stayed by your side, even if you told me to leave. I should have watched over you!”

Luna began sniffling again. The last thing I wanted was to deal with more tears this morning. Afraid she might burst into sobs like yesterday, I quickly shook my head.

“No, no, that’s not it. I just slept too much, so I wasn’t tired.”

“You’re always so kind, but I already know the truth. You don’t have to hold back with me. Just be honest, okay?”

Even while crying, Luna wore a determined expression, but her words drained the last bit of my energy.

Maybe it really was better not to say anything at all.

I decided I would just nod along quietly from now on to avoid making things worse.

When I nodded, Luna seemed satisfied and said nothing more.

“Let me help you.”

Her gaze felt more intense than usual, but I hoped it was just my imagination. It had to be.

With Luna’s help, I got dressed and left the room for the first time. I had been so well-behaved since being confined to the northern palace that this was my first time openly stepping outside.

The knights standing guard looked startled to see me. I was equally surprised to see that there was a new knight among them.

“Is something going on?”

“The number of guards has increased.”

I pointed to the new knight, and the guards exchanged awkward glances. The answer came from Luna behind me.

“His Majesty was furious after Sir Empester’s visit yesterday. Security around the northern palace has been tightened, and more knights have been posted outside.”

So Schrein had defied Sionel’s orders by visiting me yesterday. Given that most of the knights admired Schrein, a sword master, it would have been difficult for them to stop him.

It had probably been impossible to stop him by force anyway.

“From today, even Captain Empester won’t be able to get in. Is there something wrong? If you’re feeling unwell, I can call a priest immediately.”

The senior knight blocked my path with a stern expression, as if all the crying he had done yesterday had never happened.

“There’s no need for a priest. I’m on my way to see His Majesty.”

“I’m afraid that’s not allowed. Please return to your room.”

“I have something I need to say to the emperor. Move aside.”

“I cannot allow that. Please return inside.”

It was clear we were going to keep repeating the same conversation.

Luna and the new knight watched our standoff nervously.

But I wasn’t about to back down.

Not wanting to argue with an innocent knight, I decided to play my trump card.

“Oh no!”

Clutching my chest, I collapsed to the floor.

“Miss Lindel!”

Luna rushed to my side, but I didn’t move from where I was crouched on the floor. The knight, also startled, knelt down beside me.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh no! It’s my heart! Suddenly, it hurts so much! Oh no!”

I dramatically cried out in pain. I had to fake being sick to get past them. It wasn’t the best acting, but thankfully, they bought it.

‘Found an opening!’

As soon as they were distracted, I sprang to my feet and dashed forward. They had been so caught off guard that they reacted a beat too late. I could hear their frantic shouts behind me.

“Miss Lindel!”

“Catch her!”

Though I was technically fleeing, I couldn’t help but feel exhilarated at being outside for the first time in a while. I had always lived a busy life, so rest was nice, but only for a day or two. The fresh outdoor air and the wide, open view made my heart race with excitement.

As I turned a corner at the end of the hall, I glanced behind me to check on the pursuing knights. But because of that, I didn’t notice the person directly in front of me.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

I ran straight into someone, hitting them hard. It felt like crashing into a wall. As I stumbled backward from the impact, the person I had collided with caught me, pulling me into their arms.

“Who the hell is—!”

I was still disoriented from the collision when a familiar voice roared from behind the person who was holding me.

I recognized the voice immediately, but before I could figure out who it was, the person holding me spoke in a stunned voice.

“Lindel?”

“…Your Majesty.”

It was Sionel.

He was holding me, his eyes wide with surprise. As we stared at each other in shock, his expression gradually hardened. Unlike the way he had called my name a moment ago, his voice now turned cold.

“What are you doing here? I’m sure I told you to stay in your room.”

Though he directed the question at me, his gaze shifted to look behind me, glaring at the knights who had been chasing me. The air around us grew tense.

“Did my orders not mean anything?”

Sensing the growing tension, I tried to wriggle free from his arms.

To be honest, it wasn’t just the atmosphere that made me want to escape—it was also the fact that I could see several ministers standing behind Sionel, staring at me in shock.

I must have looked insane, running into the emperor’s arms like that.

The elderly ministers were all staring at me, wide-eyed. The man standing at the front was none other than the general, a prominent figure of the emperor’s faction. His voice sounded familiar, and it clicked that the loud roar from earlier had been his. The general and I were actually quite close.

I could see his pupils trembling wildly.

‘This is so embarrassing!’

I tried to slip away from Sionel’s grasp, but his arms tightened around my waist, pulling me closer.

He didn’t seem inclined to let me go.

“Answer me. Why is Lindel here?”

“Your Majesty, I—”

“Sionel!”

I heard the knight cry out valiantly as he knelt. Wanting to avoid the situation escalating further, I quickly cut him off and spoke up. I couldn’t let an innocent person be punished because of me.

The moment I recklessly shouted the emperor’s name, everyone gasped. Sionel’s eyes snapped back to me.

“Did you just call me—”

“I was on my way to see you.”

Sionel’s expression momentarily flickered with surprise before hardening again. His eyes narrowed in disbelief.

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

‘Has he spent his whole life being lied to?’

I was starting to worry that this might end badly. Not only for me, but also for the knights and Luna. Somehow, I had to defuse the situation.

And I really had been on my way to see him. That wasn’t a lie, so I could act confidently.

Though I was uncomfortable in his embrace, I decided to act on impulse. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close.

“I missed you, Your Majesty. You left without a word yesterday and didn’t come back.”

I pressed my cheek to his chest, pretending to pout. Of course, there was a little bit of genuine affection mixed in.

But something felt off. Sionel remained silent. I had expected him to say something like “Is that so?” or “What’s this sudden act?”—anything. Yet, he said nothing and didn’t push me away either.

Growing uneasy, I finally lifted my head to check. If I had upset him, it could affect the conversation we would have later.

“……!”

But my fears were unfounded.

Sionel’s face was flushed, and he was looking down at me with a bright red face.

‘Is he… enjoying this?’

He looked absolutely delighted.