Chapter 61

Ejed’s complexion was pale as he sat on the desk. His hand stamped the papers like a clockwork doll.

The day before, he returned to the Imperial Palace following Doher’s advice that it would be better to talk after sobering up.

But when the morning came, his worries grew. The moment Annie looked at him with her contemptuous eyes was vivid.

[Don’t come near me!]

Doher ordered a separate soup for a hangover, but Ejed couldn’t even put it in his mouth. Now he really didn’t want to eat anything.

Even the brown papers seemed to stare at him with contempt.

‘… Let’s concentrate.’

Now Ejed tried to find his composure by fixing his glasses. Even though he looked like he was going to die, he eagerly examined the papers.

The expressions of the two aides guarding the door of the office were also bad. They glanced at Ejed’s eyes. They were told to stay out, but they couldn’t follow it.

This was even more so in Doher’s case. This Ejed’s appearance was similar to the day after his youngest brother was dumped.

‘Ah… I’m going crazy.’

Doher held back the sigh that had risen to his throat and fell in thought. It was a problem because Annie’s reaction was not as good as he thought.

Also, it was more of a problem because Ejed was too considerate of Annie.  He was still holding on to the fact that she might be uncomfortable about him visiting and explaining to her.

‘If so… I should prepare some excuses and put them together.’

“Your Majesty.”

“…”

“Yesterday, I mean.”

His hand, raising the seal, stopped in the air.

‘You were also very concerned about it.’

The cold gaze touched his cheeks, but Doher didn’t tremble as before. Already, Ejed was like his youngest brother.

He pretended to be resolute and pulled up with a secret plan.

“It is believed that the rush to leave yesterday could be misunderstood by Lady Dsev. Building intimacy with her will make it easier for her to be scouted, so why not resolve her misunderstandings?”

“Yes! I think the same way!”

He didn’t expect Fizz would help. The loud answer hurt his ears, but it definitely worked.

Now, as Ejed’s red eyes shook, Doher gave strength to his neck.

“I wonder what if we set up a space.”

Doher smiled with a trustworthy smile.

*

Annie, sitting in the garden, put her hand on her chin.

Her mouth was sweet from the jam she ate in the morning. Strawberry jam made from strawberries harvested hard by the innocent young man’s sweating hand.

Until yesterday, she talked about the young man with her family and ate so deliciously. She didn’t know why it tasted so bitter this morning.

‘…’

[Hiccup! Hiccup!]

She couldn’t help but notice the young man covering his hiccuping mouth with his hands.

Annie muttered without knowing.

“In my whole life… I’ve never seen a tyrant hiccup…”

Who would trust her even if she said it? Annie, who frowned between her eyebrows, drowned in her thoughts.

Yesterday she was drinking, and she was nervous, so she couldn’t judge properly. But looking back, Ejed didn’t seem to be malicious, albeit scary.

Of course, she was still reluctant to approach him intentionally. However, a lot of Annie’s anger melted in the sincerity in the letter.

She struggled all night and she was rather sad and salty. Had he been chasing her for a long time?

‘Tyrants or anyone… all the same for being weak in love.’

It seemed that he had been trying to learn to date her from the beginning. So he seemed to have used a polite word. Porcaus had used honorific words for the emperor and his teacher since ancient times.

In addition, unlike the stories of the nobles, he didn’t speak informally, let alone swear. He seemed very conscious of himself.

[Miss Annie, I have something to tell you.]

As she recalled his nervous face, she felt more uncomfortable. He did not try to force herself using his power.

What was he going to ask for in the first place?

‘Ah… I don’t feel comfortable. I should’ve heard it right… because I drank too much.’

If she were correct-minded, she may have made a more rational judgment.

‘After all, the law on the ban on drinking alcohol for coachmen had not been set for nothing.’

Annie, who covered her face with her hand, took a breath, and Carla quietly approached. Carla asked Annie, putting her hands on her little shoulder.

“My Lady, what are you worrying about?”

“Nothing.”

Something’s wrong. Carla read through her master’s lies.

“I should have come in with you yesterday. Maybe it didn’t work out… That blind-eyed bastard…”

Carla, who cursed the man in the white mask, sat down next to her and asked.

“I heard that the tyrant came to the ballroom yesterday.”

“…”

“Oh God. I don’t know why the tyrant is running around like that these days. You didn’t bump into him again, did you?”

If she told the truth, it was obvious that Carla would be worried, so Annie kept her mouth.

“Hoo. He should just invade other enemies like he always did. Why did he come so far…”

Instead of responding, Annie glanced at Lang walking leisurely in the garden.

The young man who avoided the dog and picked strawberries stood out in her eyes. He was careful that he might step on her tail.

‘… While there are rumors that he was killing humans, there are no rumors of killing animals. Do you hate humans and cherish animals and insects?’

The appearance of him in the abandoned dog

shelter also came to mind.

Annie defended him without knowing.

‘You may be a better person than the rumors. The dogs love you… You hid your identity and kept donating.’

Even if you could do it once, it was not easy to do so consistently for years or more. After sobering up, Annie’s rational side tried to make him into a normal person.