CH 128

Episode 128

Side Story 1: Summer Vacation (1)

“Thank you for your hard work.”

At the words of Clayton, his attendant who wore a monocle, Cassius sighed and fell on the desk.

‘It’s finally over.’

Cassius, who put his cheeks together on the cold desk, thought blankly.

Although it has already been several years since he stopped treason and ascended to the throne, he is still not used to the heavy work that increases every June.

“Sigh…….”

“You must be very tired?”

Clayton, a quick-witted man, said, putting a cup of tea and refreshments on the desk where Cassius was lying down.

“Have some of this, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Clayton.”

Cassius said as he got up from his desk.

His eyes were blackened by heavy work.

Nevertheless, the combination of slim fingers, sharp jawline, and the picturesque gold eye were like an artwork.

“But we’re going to have a little less work, for the time being, so you can relax until August.”

Clayton talked softly to Cassius, who was putting his mouth to the teacup.

As Clayton said, after the Foundation Ceremony in June, there were no big events in July other than small tasks.

He meant that he could live with ease for about a month.

“That’s right.”

Cassius, who put down the teacup, murmured in a small voice.

But Cassius’ expression was not bright at all.

His face, which was shadowed by fatigue, looked like a beautiful young man that could only come out from a story of a novel.

Besides, his jet black hair and a slight loss of weight added to the sharp jawline.

In the end, Clayton opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty, you can get some rest for a while.”

Clayton was worried about this unexpected response because he knew his master would be as happy as he could run when he finished his work.

He wanted to cheer him up somehow.

“You look so bad, do you have any other concerns……..”

Cassius opened his eyes wide as he saw Clayton carefully speaking out.

“Oh, concern, it wasn’t like that. Don’t worry.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Cassius hesitated to answer Clayton’s question for a moment.

Then he muttered, holding his hands with a sharper eye.

“I’m lack Yerine”

“What?”

Clayton was briefly dumbfounded by Cassius’s serious and grim expression as if he were discussing important foreign policy.

“I haven’t seen Yerine for three days.”

“Oh, Duke of Spade……..”

“Yeah.”

Clayton stepped back unknowingly, with Cassius’s eyes flashing as if he were mad.

“I can’t stand it anymore.”

Cassius had already been overworked for days and had often stayed up all night.

Already difficult to maintain his reason, he seemed to be out of his mind at the thought of not seeing his lover for a long time.

‘Oh, my God, the withdrawal phenomenon has come again.’

(T/N: Withdrawal is the combination of physical and mental effects that a person experiences after they stop using or reduce their intake of a substance such as alcohol and prescription or recreational drugs.)

Thinking Clayton was in trouble, Cassius, who couldn’t stand it, grabbed Clayton and asked.

“Clayton, Duke of Spade, Isn’t she in the Imperial Palace now?”

“Well, even though you didn’t see each other’s faces, you exchanged conversations through communication jewellery.”

“The voice alone, of course, is not enough.”

Already, Cassius, who slept for two to three hours for three days, was looking like a crazy person and he was about to go to Yerine Spade.

“Why don’t you get some sleep first and go see her?”

“I can go see her and sleep together.”

Looking at Cassius’s excited eyes, Clayton thought to himself.

‘Oh, my God, he’s so out of his mind.’

Inevitably, Clayton pulled out a white pearl and contacted the servant, who managed Yerine’s temporary room.

“Oh, it’s me, Trump-nim, do you think she’s busy? His Majesty has come with a withdrawal phenomenon.”

[Oh, His Majesty?]

“Oh, if Trump-nim is busy now, we can come in a few hours, but if she doesn’t look busy, can you please ask a little bit.”

[But the Duke left two hours ago.]

It was Cassius, not Clayton, who responded in a clear voice that resonated in the office first.

“What?”

The attendant, who mistook his voice for Clayton, continued to talk.

[Suddenly, Mandrake in the backyard is growing exponentially, so she’s going to take care of it. Trump-nim said it would take some time. She also has just a little work left, so she’s just going to take care of it at the Dukedom until the night.]

“Oh, yeah, I got it.”

When the light of the white pearl went out and the voice disappeared, Cassius looked blank as if the world had collapsed.

Clayton, who felt sorry for the appearance of his master, put Cassius in his office chair and offered words of consolation.

“Your Majesty, don’t be heartbroken. You’ll be able to meet the Duke tomorrow.”

Then he filled the empty cup with hot tea again and said.

“Don’t be so depressed, why don’t you go on vacation for a week or so?”

It seemed that special measures were needed to cheer up his master, who had become low-pressure.

“Vacation?”

“Yes, take the Duke.”

Clayton naturally dropped the teacup in front of Cassius and continued.

also said she didn’t have much work in July, so have a nice date.”

Cassius’s eyes were lit at once by the tempting words.

“And please, make some progress.”

“No, Clayton. That’s….”

“Your Majesty, you know that if Trump-nim makes up her mind, men will follow you in line, right?”

Clayton said, lifting the monocular glasses slightly with his fingers.

“I don’t know if she’ll be taken away in a moment.”

“Okay, okay.”

At Clayton’s urging, Cassius replied, frowning on his forehead and leaning against the chair.

‘A vacation.’

He didn’t think there was any problem with his vacation at the palace, but it was different with Yerine.

Under the pretext of vacation, they will not only be together all week, but they will also be able to have a date or outing that they haven’t been able to do.

‘I’ll never let you go this time.’

Cassius smiled and put his mouth on the teacup.

He decided that he would get more reward than what he felt regret for not being able to see each other often for a month.

***

“A vacation?”

“Yes.”

Cassius nodded as he looked at me, who opened my eyes wide in surprise.

“It was a little difficult this June. I think I need to change my mood.”

“Oh, right. But I’m a little surprised though.”

Perhaps because he had been so busy since his ascension, Cassius had never taken a particular vacation or trip.

He could have gone if he wanted to, but he seemed satisfied enough to rest in the palace.

“But if you’re bringing this up to me, you’re asking me to come with you, right?”

“Of course.”

Cassius grinned.

“If you’re not busy in July, I’d like you to come with me.”

His smiley face is very, very handsome.

Honestly, if that face wasn’t asking to go on vacation with me, but order me to lick his feet, I might do it all.

‘He knows he’s really handsome.’

Kicking my tongue inside, I held out my words.

After finding out that I liked his face, Cassius often uses his face to seduce me.

‘There is a saying that the face is probable, but isn’t he used too often?’

It’s good to have more confidence in his appearance than before.

Cassius’s eyes were twinkling as he waited for my answer.

His eyes looked as if he was asking, ‘Would you like to go?’.

Looking at his eyes with anticipation for some reason, I thought I wanted to tease him a little.

So I decided to pretend that I didn’t fall for Cassius’ temptation and pretend that I didn’t notice what his suggestion meant.

“Well, you’re going somewhere far, and I can’t help but be your bodyguard.”

I smiled at Cassius, who looked subtly stiff at my words.

“Oh, you know you have to pay extra, right?”

At the words, Cassius expressed his dissatisfaction with his expression that he didn’t like it.

“Yerine, you’re really.”

“Is there a problem, Your Majesty?”

Cassius squinted as he smiled with his mouth corners up.

“Are you serious about that?”

“Of course. You have to pay for labour.”

I raised my voice as I looked at the beautiful gold lining shining under the light of the fireplace.

“If you’re an emperor of the Great Tigris Empire, of course, you should do that, right?

When I spoke as if I were acting with an exaggerated gesture, Cassius got up from his seat and approached me.

His hair, standing against the fireplace emitting warm light, shook gently.

Cassius had already had a heavenly beauty during his time at the Academy, but now he was taller and had a better physique, boasting a very close-to-perfect appearance.

‘Wow, how do people really look like this?’

Eventually, I forgot what I was talking about and looked at his face.

Meanwhile, Cassius suddenly bent down and pushed his face close to me.

“So, you’re saying you’re not going without being paid?”

To be honest, I wanted to shake my head like crazy because his face was so handsome, but I managed to press the urge. And I smiled leisurely.

“Yes.”

“Seriously?”

“Of course. Why would I lie?”

Cassius eventually straightened his back and shook his head, expressing that he had raised both hands and feet.

“Okay, I’ll pay you, so come with me. That’s enough, right?

“Well, I’ll go if you give me a lot.”

Cassius didn’t lose and hit back.

“I’ll give you a lot. You don’t think I can do that for you?”

At Cassius’s expression, my voice burst into laughter.

I laughed out loud for a long time and asked Cassius who was staring at me.

“No, were you really going to give it to me?”

When I looked at his face turned slightly blank, the laughter continued to leak through my lips.

Perhaps he thought he had been hurt by me, Cassius replied with a pouting mouth as if he had a heartache.

“You said you wouldn’t go if I didn’t give it to you.”

“Your Majesty, of course, I was joking. You didn’t know?”

I barely calmed down and said to Cassius.

“You don’t have to pay.”

Seriously, he’s so cute even with his grumpy face.

“It’s better to go together as a couple, not as a guard.”

Cassius, who stood still as if he was surprised for a moment, soon smiled.

“The palace wizard is playing with the emperor. It’s hard for me to let it slide.”

A low voice came out between his lips.

“And I told you to call me Cassius when it’s only two of us.”

I smiled softly as I looked at the golden eyes that slowly radiated heat.

“I was going to play a joke.”

Cassius, who smiled at my words, bent his upper body with a look of excitement.

“This won’t do.”

He whispered to me in both arms.

A voice that seemed to melt the heat in my stomach seemed to stick to my ears.

“It’s your punishment, Yerine.”

Looking at the golden eyes coming closer and closer, I smiled and closed my eyes.

Soon, heat-bearing lips touched each other.

—————