CH 139

Chapter 139

Translator: Yonnee

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“Mmmh.”

The sunlight slipping through the curtains wasn’t enough to brighten the room, but one ray was shining over Sera’s face.

As the bright illumination poured down on her, Sera couldn’t help but scrunch her eyes and soon open them.

For as much as she was tired out yesterday, her body was so stiff. She then stretched out her arms, but as she did, she saw the unfamiliar landscape in front of her. This wasn’t her room.

‘Now that I think about it, I don’t remember riding a carriage.’

“Ah…”

While waiting for a carriage in His Majesty’s office in the wee hours of the morning, she remembered drinking tea. It was only then that Sera realized she wasn’t in her house.

She looked at the clock and saw it was ten in the morning. It was way past the time for the imperial palace’s carriage to fetch her.

And the person in front of her caught her eye. She was wondering why His Majesty didn’t wake her up, but now she knew.

Sitting with his long legs crossed and with his chin on the back of one hand, the perfect Helios looked like a Greek sculpture as he was sleeping.

Instead of the elaborate formal suit he was wearing yesterday, he was now wearing a light shirt.

‘I guess we both fell asleep. His Majesty must have been so exhausted after preparing for the banquet.’

Sera glanced at him for a moment, then she carefully put on her shoes.

She expected her feet to hurt again after last night, but when she didn’t feel any pain, she took off her shoes again.

Looking down at her feet, she saw that they were fine and without any wounds.

‘Did His Majesty heal me?’

There was a grateful smile on her lips as she looked over his way.

However, the back of her neck went stiff. She suddenly realized that she didn’t get to wash her feet last night, but he saw them.

Ah. It was a scene that she never wanted to think about ever again.

But she didn’t have any control over any of that.

Sera set aside her shameful thoughts and put on her shoes again carefully.

Then, she slowly sat up on her chair and leaned closer towards him. His breathing was even while he was snoozing.

“Your Majesty, please wake up.”

Sera tried to wake Helios up with a small voice.

“Your Majesty.”

His fingers seemed to twitch slightly, but other than that, there were no other movements from him. Sera drew closer.

Looking at him from a close distance, her heart skipped a beat again as she gazed upon his face, which resembled a masterpiece.

Seeing his features was really bad for her heart.

“Your Majesty.”

She called him with a bit of a louder voice this time.

“Yes, Miss Popo.”

He soon replied, his voice soft and his languid expression showing a smile to her as he slowly opened his eyes.

Surprised, Sera hurriedly pulled back because of that deadly smile right in front of her.

However, due to her fluttering heart, she couldn’t hide her own emotions on her countenance.

“I believe we both dozed off.”

Sera replied with a tone as soft as the late morning.

“I guess so. What time is it, Miss Popo?”

“It’s already ten o’clock, Your Majesty.”

“Hm?”

Shocked, Helios’ eyes grew wide and he glanced at the clock. But soon enough, a chuckle spilled through his shapely lips.

“I told myself I’d only close my eyes for a minute, but that turned into six hours.”

Sweeping up his silver hair, Helios smiled bashfully. Then, he got up.

When Sera tried to stand up as well, Helios just said that she didn’t have to and urged her to keep sitting.

“How are your feet?”

Helios asked as he approached the windows. He reached out and pulled aside the thick curtains, letting in the sunlight.

When he opened the window, a refreshing morning breeze blew in.

“You healed me, didn’t you, Your Majesty? Thank you.”

“I noticed that you were a bit uncomfortable while you were walking, but I didn’t know it was that bad. It must have hurt a lot, you didn’t even say anything.”

Sera shook her head.

“I was only a little uncomfortable, and I only found out how bad it was later when I took off my shoes. I’m sorry for always inconveniencing you with such minor injuries, Your Majesty.”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

Helios shook his head, saying that it was no big deal. When he smiled, Sera smiled as well in response.

They gazed upon each other for a long time as they smiled, but since they had nothing else to talk about, they soon turned their heads away awkwardly.

Then, Sera came to a realization—they spent the night together. This made her blush furiously.

Perhaps her thoughts were obvious on her countenance because Helios let out a low chuckle.

“Yesterday I… Oh, well this morning. I couldn’t give these to you earlier.”

Helios approached her first and then held out a change of clothes and shoes.

Why was he giving this to her? Tilting her head to the side, Sera then remembered her request from earlier. Then she smiled brightly as she accepted the clothes and shoes.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Please go ahead and change, you must be uncomfortable.”

“Pardon?”

Instead of replying he walked towards the right side of his office and opened a discreet door there.

Sera came to his office often before, but she was surprised to see a door in such a place.

“It’s a secret door. Beyond this is a space for emperors to retire to when work goes on for a longer time than usual. You may change inside.”

Sera nodded. After entering the inner room with the dress and the shoes in her hands, she closed the door shut.

* * *

The head maid, Rosé, a knight who was carrying the groaning Ferre, and another knight tasked to escort them to this place.

They were standing in front of the emperor’s office now.

The face of the Star Palace’s head maid turned red and blue because they rushed here in such a hurry. However, they couldn’t open the door right away.

“How can you not open the door?!”

“But…”

Despite the head maid’s exclamation, the handmaid and the knights guarding the office’s door could not easily answer.

Their confused gazes all headed towards Ferre.

“Uuuuuugh. My tummy… hurts so much…”

Ferre weakly clung to the knight as he was sweating profusely. It was obvious enough from just his groans that he was in so much pain.

Even so, this was the first time this was happening, so they couldn’t easily decide on what to do.

“Why? Why can’t you open it! Why aren’t you doing anything when Ferre is so sick?!”

Watching from the side, Rosé stomped her feet and shouted in frustration.

Her eyes were red and swollen from all the tears she shed in concern for her younger twin brother.

The handmaid of the imperial palace felt very conflicted. She glanced back towards the door, then she closed her eyes tightly.

As though determined, she gulped for a moment, then she whispered into the head maid’s ear.

“His Majesty entered with Miss Sera at dawn, and when we knocked, there was no answer. We tried to call His Majesty several times, but there really was no response… So we were wondering if…”