The Empress Tames the Tyrant - Chapter 27

Alicia received three more “punishment” drinks, which left her pale face flushed a deep crimson. Cayenne, too, had been pleasantly imbibing, and the wine had made him appear far more generous and cheerful than usual.

“I can’t hold it in any longer.”

“Pardon?”

“Look in the mirror.”

Alicia’s hands were clumsy as she picked up the hand mirror resting on the table. When she saw her reflection, she noticed a long, red wine stain tracing the corner of her mouth.

“Oh my!”

She hurriedly set the mirror down and wiped her lips with a handkerchief, her face burning even redder with embarrassment. Seeing this, Cayenne burst into a hearty, delighted laugh.

“Haha! I was having fun watching you in secret, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing anymore, so I had to tell you.”

Did Cayenne always have such a mischievous side? Alicia thought, continuing to rub her crimson face.

“You are too much, Your Majesty. You visit the Empress’s Palace at this late hour, force me to drink punishments, and then tease me like this.”

Perhaps it was the courage granted by the alcohol, or perhaps it was Cayenne’s unusually friendly demeanor, but Alicia’s words were bolder than ever.

“Life has no flavor without a few minor jests.”

The flavor of life. Coming from Cayenne, it sounded like an entirely foreign concept.

“Then what is your flavor of life, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm… generally, the life of an Emperor is quite tasteless.”

“Still, if you had to pick something?”

The wine and the narrow space between the sofas were drawing them closer than usual. Both were leaning forward in the exact same posture to hear each other more clearly.

“There are times I feel a sense of accomplishment. For instance, when the lives of the people in Rubeo improve.”

“That is accomplishment, not fun.”

“If we are talking about fun… it was right in front of my eyes until a moment ago.”

Cayenne flashed a wicked grin, clearly referring to the wine stain on Alicia’s lip.

“Specifically, your reaction when you looked in the mirror was quite entertaining.”

“Does teasing me bring you such joy?”

“Today, it does.”

Alicia gave him a playful glare as he burst into laughter again.

“You are no gentleman, Your Majesty.”

The words slipped out in the heat of the moment. Even in her drunken state, Alicia immediately froze, realizing what she’d said. However, not a shadow of offense crossed Cayenne’s face.

“Are you afraid of me? You were smiling so well just now; why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

When she bit her lip, unable to answer, Cayenne offered a gentle smile.

“I know why. If anyone else had questioned my status as a gentleman, I would have been greatly displeased. But because I know your heart, I am not offended in the least.”

“I see…”

“It means you have no reason to fear me for such things.”

Cayenne had his flaws, but he was a dignified, powerful, and exceptionally brilliant man. He could not fail to notice that the Empress—who had completely discarded the rigid teachings of Lucan—now sincerely cared for him.

“In fact, I believe I am becoming more of a gentleman thanks to the Empress. What do you think?”

“As long as you stop teasing me, you are gentlemanly enough.”

At that, Cayenne let out another boisterous laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so loudly, regardless of the setting.

“Then I suppose I’ll never be a gentleman. I realized just now that teasing you is more fun than teasing anyone else.”

Alicia glared at him as if indignant, but to Cayenne, she simply looked lovely with her flushed cheeks.

“I never realized it before, but you are quite the beauty.”

“…Pardon?”

The sudden confession—or compliment—left Alicia stammering.

“I never looked at your face closely before, so I didn’t know.”

With her flowing platinum hair, eyes bluer than jewels, fair skin, and delicate yet elegant posture, her beauty was something even those who mocked her could not deny. In this entire palace, Cayenne was likely the only one who had just now noticed it.

“Why didn’t I know? Your voice is also calm and pleasant to listen to, unlike other women.”

In her previous life, Cayenne had never realized this. No matter how beautiful her voice was, the moment she began reciting the dogmatic teachings of Lucan, it became grating to him.

“Now that I’ve said it, it feels strange. Did we not have a wedding?”

“We did.”

“I should have taken the vows and lifted your veil then. I don’t know why the memory is so blurred.”

Alicia allowed herself a bitter smile.

“Because you didn’t look at me, Your Majesty.”

“Is there not a procedure where we face each other? Lifting the veil and sharing a kiss?”

Cayenne didn’t even realize how indifferent a husband he had been.

“At the time, Your Majesty called the wedding a nuisance and shortened the ceremony. We faced each other, but you had no interest in me.”

Alicia spoke calmly.

“And instead of my lips, you touched your lips to my cheek for a brief second before pulling away.”

Cayenne blinked. He had no memory of this.

“I did?”

“Yes.”

“Was that truly all? Our wedding?”

To be asked such a thing by the very person who had ruined the wedding stirred a whirlwind of emotions. She felt a flicker of resentment, but it also reminded her once again how meaningless the Empress had been to him.

“Your Majesty skipped the reception and made preparations to leave for Rubeo that very night.”

Cayenne narrowed his eyes, trying to drag up the memory.

“I stood behind you while you gave orders to pack, and I recited the teachings of Lucan… I believe that is what made you angry.”

Alicia spoke truthfully.

“I got angry?”

“That is how I remember it. And…”

Cayenne urged her with his eyes to continue.

“You told me not to expect anything from you.”

This time, Cayenne’s brow furrowed. He didn’t remember being that cold, but hearing it from Alicia’s perspective, he realized he had been truly heartless.

“And then?”

“You left for Rubeo, and I stayed here in the Empress’s Palace until, as you know, I barely survived that high fever recently.”

“…Right. That is what happened. And then you changed.”

Cayenne spoke as if reminding himself.

“You must have resented me.”

“I’m not sure. My memories are a bit hazy since the fever.”

Alicia fabricated a convenient excuse. A look of solemnity entered Cayenne’s dark eyes.

“May I retract it now?”

“Pardon?”

“The statement that you should expect nothing from me. I am retracting it now.”

Alicia wondered what this could mean. Looking into Cayenne’s eyes as he stared straight at her, she gave a slow nod.

“Back then, I think I viewed you as a spy sent by the alliance of Lucan and the nobles. It was… a truly foolish suspicion.”

Actually, that suspicion had been correct. That was supposed to be Alicia’s role. It was only because she had failed to fulfill it, died a sorrowful death ignored by the Emperor, and returned to her twenty-year-old self that everything had changed.

“If I hurt you because of my foolish judgment, I wish to apologize.”

She had always thought of Cayenne as an arrogant man, but seeing him speak so candidly now felt both strange and tender.

“No… I don’t remember much before the fever anyway.”

The present was different from her previous life. Alicia was going to live this “twenty” differently.

“Then, may I look forward to it?”

“To what?”

His coal-black eyes gazed at her intently.

“Not being awkward strangers who don’t know each other, but becoming… a pair who can share moments like this often.”

“Are you asking to be friends?”

“Hardly. We have already taken wedding vows.”

Alicia froze at his unexpected words. Cayenne, having blurted out something he’d never said in his life, felt his own face grow warm.

“Of course, we could start as friends.”

“Yes, let’s… let’s do that,” Alicia answered quickly, eager to escape the awkward topic. “Um… when do you return to Rubeo?”

“Why? Do you want me to leave?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that you are usually always in Rubeo.”

Cayenne nodded.

“I plan to stay at the Imperial Palace a bit longer this time.”

It was a plan he had made just this second.

“I see.”

“Unless something urgent comes up, I would like to have dinner at the Empress’s Palace until then.”

Seeing Cayenne speak as if tentatively checking her reaction, Alicia felt her efforts hadn’t been in vain.

“You are always welcome.”

Alicia’s wine-red lips curved into a beautiful smile.

“If you wish, I was thinking of making a book so that you can enjoy the same food in Rubeo.”

“Hmm… it would be good to eat like this in Rubeo.” Cayenne finished another glass. “A book… rather than that, couldn’t the Empress just come with me?”

The more her blue eyes widened, the more beautiful their sparkle became.

“Then again, the Empress wouldn’t want to go to a place like that.”

“No, I want to go.”

Once she left the Imperial Palace, everything else would be easier. But to Cayenne, who didn’t know her inner thoughts, it sounded like she was willing to give up her luxurious life to follow him to a harsh land.

“Is that true? Unlike the palace, everything in Rubeo is uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine. If you allow it, I want to go with you.”

Her blue eyes were filled with sincerity. For the first time since the Count Hyer and his son, Cayenne looked at someone who actually wanted to follow him to Rubeo.

“So that’s how it is.”

It was a beautiful, warm light.

“Yes. Take me with you anytime.”

The light that had always been by his side, yet remained unnoticed, was now wearing a lovely smile just for him.

“Empress.”

No, that title wasn’t enough.

“May I call you by your name?”

“Yes… as much as you like.”

As Alicia nodded shyly, he found her truly lovely for the first time.

“Alicia.”

“…Yes.”

Hearing her name pronounced in Cayenne’s low voice felt so strange and new that Alicia could only nod repeatedly.

“It was too beautiful a name to just call you ‘Empress’.”

Cayenne’s face, sporting a faint smile, looked incredibly kind. To an outsider, they would have looked like a deeply intimate couple.

“It suits you well.”

Alicia’s cheeks heated up for a reason entirely unrelated to the wine. She, too, was inwardly startled by how handsome Cayenne looked when he wasn’t being cold. To find that Cayenne felt similarly was even more surprising.

“Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I am hon—”

Oops. The moment Alicia cut herself off, Cayenne flashed that mischievous grin again.

It seemed tonight was going to be a very long night.