Chapter 77

Chapter 77

“Are you bored?”

Amelie nodded. Serwin stroked Amelie with his finger.

“What should I do to make you not bored?”

‘Going home! Let me go home!’

Amelie struggled with her short arms. When her arms were lifted, her body got longer. It was cute again, so Serwin burst into laughter.

‘…Your Majesty must be crazy.’

‘He’s talking to a hamster—’

The aides glanced at Serwin. From their position, only the back view of the hamster was seen. The fluffy pink hair and round ears somehow resembled Amelie.

‘Is he even doing that just because that animal looks like Amelie?’

The aides thought Serwin must be crazy.

“Your Majesty, Sir Ethan is here.”

“Come in.”

When Serwin’s permission was granted, Ethan entered the room.

‘Sir Ethan!’

When Amelie waved her arm gladly, Ethan recognized Amelie and bowed.

‘You always transform into a chubby thing.’

“What’s the matter?”

“The schedule for the Hunting Day’s hunting competition has been set. As in the previous year, the sinners—”

“Stop.”

Serwin hurriedly blocked Ethan’s words and glanced at Amelie.

Amelie tilted her head.

‘Is it something I shouldn’t hear? It’s about a hunting competition.’

Amelie used to listen to more important and confidential reports while working with Serwin, so Serwin’s attitude of being cautious was strange.

“Let’s talk about it later”.

“Yes. I apologize.”

Ethan bent down and left the room with the documents he had brought.

‘What is it? Is there anything Sir Ethan prepares before the hunting day?’

Curious, Amelie grabbed Serwin’s finger and asked, but Serwin shook his head and didn’t say anything else.

‘I guess it’s something I shouldn’t know, right?’

Amelie didn’t ask any more. She didn’t need to know everything related to Serwin.

But after Ethan left, Serwin started to get stranger. He never joked with Amelie, and was often lost in thought while looking at the papers.

‘It’s strange.’

Serwin was usually strange, but today he was exceptionally strange.

******

A deep night.

Even though it was time for everyone to fall asleep, Serwin couldn’t sleep. He only looked down at Amelie’s face as she fell asleep. The gloomy face was surprisingly calm. The good scent from Amelie seduced him into sleep, but he couldn’t sleep.

Since meeting Lira, Serwin has suffered from insomnia. Usually, all he did was stay up all night with open eyes, and only when the sun was about to rise, he slept like he had fainted for a moment.

‘I almost missed her.’

Serwin hugged Amelie tighter. The feeling of his heart pounding was still vivid as an unknown power drew nearer to her. If he hadn’t been holding Amelie’s hand then, she would have been dragged along by Lira.

After the incident, he felt uneasy even if he was holding her in his arms. He couldn’t stand the anxiety of not seeing her nearby. No matter how much he endured, he could always feel the distance between them.

Of course, he knew that this was nothing to worry about. So he tried to not think about it, but the results were disastrous for him. It was so painful that he couldn’t even remember how he spent the whole day.

Clearly, until recently, she was the one who gave him rest. However, from that day onwards, that specialness turned into obsession and pain. Is it because he likes her that much?

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Serwin didn’t understand his condition. Even though the imperial palace is safe, and she also has the power to protect herself, he still worried she’d be taken away.

‘But I can’t sleep.’

Serwin was depressed, fiddling with Amelie’s hair. At that moment, he could feel a presence outside the room. He got up carefully so as not to wake Amelie and opened the door to the room. Ethan was standing outside.

“Your Majesty, I brought you the data I couldn’t give you earlier. This is a list of sinners to be dealt with on hunting day’s night. They are prisoners of death from all over the country like in previous years. They’re all felons, and their crimes are listed next to them, so you can refer to it.”

“….”

Serwin looked at the files without receiving the list. Ethan noticed that he was hesitating.

“Why don’t you spend a normal hunting day like everyone else this year?”

For Ethan, who assists Serwin, the night of the hunting festival was just as painful as it was for Serwin.

“Isn’t Miss Amelie here? You don’t have to force yourself to comply with the demands of the disaster.”

“—And what if disaster comes up? You know what he’s going to do. He’ll do worse because I broke the promise.”

“That may be, but it may not appear on the other hand, right?”

“….”

Serwin hesitated. He, too, had a painful and terrible night every Hunting Day. However, the atrocities of Hunting Day were necessary to control the disaster. If the promise made to disaster was broken, a terrible thing could happen instead. Therefore, he couldn’t quit even though he regrets it every year.

“I can’t take a risk on the fate of the Empire. Prepare it like last year.”

“Yes. I understand.”

When Ethan left the room after greeting, Serwin wandered around the room for a while. He couldn’t bear to lie next to her.

‘What do you mean the fate of the Empire, huh? When did I care about that?’

It was just a plausible reason. In fact, he is just afraid of Amelie knowing the truth.

‘If she finds out who I really am— will she care for me like she does now?’

Serwin was skeptical. Amelie had a personality that couldn’t overlook the suffering of others. So even though she always knew that she would have a hard time, she didn’t hesitate at all to get into someone else’s business.

Moreover, he didn’t want to tell her such a dark, self-disgracing story. He showed his darkest past and was also afraid of being rejected.

The room was dark and quiet, and the sound of Amelie’s breathing was all that could be heard. There was an illusion that only she and himself remained in the world. Amelie, who fell asleep, looked so comfortable that his heart ached.

‘Even though it’s painful, I don’t want to lose her.’

Let’s hide it thoroughly.

He might give up everything if even Amelie saw him as a monster. Regardless of whether the world perishes or not.

******

A few days later, Amelie was visited by Marchioness Lewin’s maid. She delivered Marchioness Lewin’s letter and went back.

It was after Amelie, who followed Serwin to the office, opened the letter and was ready to sleep.

The letter said thank you and wanted to meet and greet her in person.

“Do you think I should go?”

Amelie asked Mrs. Enard.

“It’s good to take this opportunity to make friends with the Marchioness.”

Mrs. Enard was positive.

“Is that so? Well, but the Marquis has a bad relationship with His Majesty, right? His Majesty was telling me to be careful of Marquis Lewin, didn’t he?”

“But you don’t have to have a bad relationship with the Marchioness. I think it’s better to get along with the Marchioness, because His Majesty has a bad relationship with the Marquis.”

Mrs. Enard’s words were also convincing.

“Besides, the Marchioness is quiet and doesn’t like trouble, so she’ll get along well with Miss Amelie.”

“I think it would be good to see her once, after hearing that story.”

“If it’s too much for the two of you to meet alone, how about inviting her to the Imperial Palace?”

“That sounds good, too.”

Amelie decided to do as Mrs. Enard said, and replied to Marchioness’ letter.

Meanwhile, Serwin changed into pajamas and entered the room.

“Your Majesty! I got a letter from Marchioness Lewin.”

“Did she say she wanted to meet you because she wanted to say thank you?”

“How did you know that? Did you read the letter?”

Amelie blinked in surprise. Serwin smiled and laughed.

“It’s obvious.”

“Is that so? Anyway, I wondered if I could invite her here. Going to the Marquis mansion is burdensome for me.”

“Okay.”

Serwin unexpectedly allowed it pleasantly.

“When do you plan to meet? It’s difficult if the meeting overlaps.”

“Am I going with Your Majesty?”

“Of course. Where else would I go?”

“Hmm, will it be okay? If Your Majesty was there, everyone would just be looking around. I want them to say what they want to say.”

“If they can’t say it because I’m there, it won’t be possible for them to say it to you either.”

Serwin didn’t back down. He stayed up all night with his eyes wide open because he didn’t want Amelie to disappear from sight. But she wants to be alone while meeting with Marchioness Lewin? That was impossible.

“Uhm—”

Suddenly Amelie came up with something interesting.

“Then, would you like to transform into an animal, Your Majesty?”

“Transform?”

Amelie nodded her head. Serwin had a questionable expression on his face.

“You say that you are still inexperienced in transformation?”

“But I’ve never failed to transform others. If you promise to turn into an animal and stay still, I’ll take you to meet the Marchioness.”

Ameli expected Serwin to refuse, but contrary to her expectations, Serwin began to think seriously.

“Hmm.”

‘If I transform into a small animal, it will be easier to follow Amelie in the future.’

Just as he puts Amelie in his jacket pocket and goes to work in the office, he will be able to follow Amelie comfortably.

“Okay.”

“Uh, really? If I don’t cancel the transformation you can’t turn back into a human, you know that right?”

“You’re going to cancel it, aren’t you?”

“That’s, of course—”

But isn’t he allowing it too easily?

When Serwin was too willing to give permission, Amelie was stunned.

“…What kind of animal do you want to transform into?”

“It would be better to be on the smaller side for me to hide. Just like you, like a bird.”

Serwin, who had mistakenly transformed into a bird, came to mind for Amelie. Only his eyes sparkled, and his entire body was black.

A bird. It will be visible even from a distance.

‘Hmm, that’s not right.’

“Let’s just do a dog. It’s okay if dogs are a little scary.”

“Dog is fine.”

Serwin was also convinced. If it was a dog, it wouldn’t be awkward to follow her, and it’s not bad because he can attack if he wants.

“Then did you give me permission? Do I really do it?”

“Do it.”

However, Amelie hesitated because she was nervous to do it.

“Are you sure it’s really okay?”

“Are you not confident?”

When Serwin smiled and asked back, Amelie shouted.

“No! I can do it! I’ll show you my magic skills right now.”

Amelie grabbed Serwin’s wrist, put him in bed, and stood in front of him.

‘This way, even if I fail, he will be less hurt.’

She took a light and deep breath.