Chapter 6: An Illness of the Heart

A sense of stillness lingered between the Emperor and me.

The atmosphere was piercingly sharp, so even my footsteps were cautious lest I provoke her.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

After leaving my house.

The Emperor had been in this state the whole time.

It seemed her anger hadn’t subsided even after slapping Ariella.

It was a passage that showed how utterly terrible her mood was.

‘She’s beautiful, though.’

I let out a small sigh that she couldn’t hear and subtly lifted my head.

The robe that fluttered magnificently every time she walked.

The perfectly fitted black suit clearly showed the line of her long legs.

And her chest, which couldn’t be hidden despite wearing a tight uniform, showed off its presence through the shirt that seemed about to tear.

‘Beautiful.’

If Ariella was a cunning fox, Ragrasha was a thorny rose.

The problem was…

‘In this life, I have a rose allergy.’

It developed later.

Because she kept tormenting me.

That beautiful appearance and a personality that didn’t match it.

She probably didn’t know what I had gone through for the past three years.

‘It was too difficult.’

Look now.

She slapped Ariella on the cheek just for being late.

When I saw her, not only did my teeth chatter, but anger surged within me.

‘If I only had the power, I would just..!’

I clenched my fists tightly towards her back, which was walking ahead.

It was at that moment.

“Iris.”

“Yes, yes..!”

I started abruptly and hastily replied to the Emperor’s words.

My small heart pounded from surprise.

I must have thought it internally.

The moment she called my name, I unconsciously wondered if I had made a mistake.

‘Calm down. There’s no way.’

I shook my head deliberately and waited for the Emperor to continue.

White teeth were revealed between my lips, which were slightly parted to reply quickly.

“…”

But it was strange.

The Emperor who called me wasn’t saying anything.

‘Is this a new form of torment?’

As a servant, it shouldn’t take me more than 5 seconds to hear her words, think, and reply.

That’s why I always had to be prepared…

‘She must be doing this on purpose.’

Perhaps she was taking out the anger she felt about the tardiness this way.

‘She’s truly malicious.’

Still with my lips slightly parted, I shifted my attention to my wings.

Because I felt like I had to do something while waiting.

However.

‘Maybe the recovery will be faster than a year.’

Was I too absorbed in the sensation of fluttering my wings?

“Gasp..!”

I noticed the Emperor, who had stopped walking, too late.

[Screech!]

If it were a car, that’s probably the sound it would have made.

By the time I came to my senses, the Emperor’s back already filled my vision.

I didn’t know what kind of humiliation I would face if I bumped into her.

That thought filled my head, and I stopped my body with all my might.

[Flap flap!]

Even my small wings fluttered continuously to stop my body.

As a result.

I succeeded in stopping before bumping into the Emperor.

‘Phew..!’

A sigh of relief escaped involuntarily.

Of course, anger surged along with it.

‘She did this on purpose to find a reason to torment me, didn’t she?’

She knew I was following her.

She must have known that I would bump into her if she stopped like this.

My eyes widened with anger.

In that instant.

“…!”

The Emperor turned around.

Then, soon, my eyes widened beautifully.

“Iris.”

“Yes, yes. Did you call?”

My voice was full of panic.

The Emperor stared at me intently.

Then she suddenly said to me.

“Smile for me.”

“…?”

For a moment, my face was dumbfounded.

You know that feeling, don’t you?

When your brain can’t keep up with the situation.

It was like that now.

My mind couldn’t understand the Emperor’s words.

No, perhaps I didn’t want to understand.

Understandably so, asking me to suddenly smile.

What could be a more ridiculous command than this?

However.

The Emperor gave that ridiculous command.

“Iris. I told you to smile right now.”

She even drove a wedge into my chest, which was trying to deny reality.

“…Yes.”

Since she had spoken twice, I could no longer ignore it.

‘I just need to pretend to smile, right?’

I slowly pulled up the corners of my lips, which were stiff with panic.

“Heh, hehe…”

A foolish sound flowed from my mouth.

Why were the corners of my mouth so heavy?

As I forced them up, feeling as if a heavy weight was attached to them, the corners of my mouth trembled.

“Hmm…”

The Emperor, watching me, let out a hum.

“This isn’t it.”

‘Then what is it?’

I cursed internally.

Unlike my internal thoughts, the reality of smiling foolishly in front of Ragrasha made my stomach ache.

‘I will find a way.’

One year is too long.

I will pour divine power into my wings and fix them faster, no matter what.

It was when I was grinding my teeth in my mind.

The Emperor reached out her hand.

“Like this… smile brighter.”

“Ugh, ugh…!”

She put her hand into my mouth.

And then she stretched the corners of my mouth open.

It didn’t hurt.

However.

Shame.

This humiliation.

It flowed out as a single tear from the corner of my eye.

‘Why, why are you doing this?’

Did I do something wrong?

This kind of torment was new.

Not knowing my feelings, she said to me with a disappointed face.

“Why won’t you smile for me?”

Saying that, she took her hand out of my mouth, which she had forcibly held open.

Transparent saliva was on her hand, and as it moved away, it formed a thin thread that snapped.

“Smile brighter for me. Happily. Vigorously.”

“…”

Saying that now, as if it were a normal thing.

My eyes widened with uncontrollable anger.

My pale cheeks flushed red with shame.

My tightly closed lips were pressed by my teeth, distorted unattractively.

“I cannot understand this emotion.”

Leaving me, trembling with anger, Ragrasha muttered to herself.

She didn’t even seem to notice me.

Yes.

Originally, this was normal.

It was an unchanging truth that hadn’t changed until now.

It was strange that I was getting hurt again.

Because I was a s*ave.

But.

‘I was a modern person.’

An egalitarian society.

There was no way I, who had lived in South Korea, could withstand this kind of torment.

Enduring for three years was closer to a miracle.

“It’s confusing.”

Watching the Emperor take a handkerchief from her pocket and wipe her hand, I strongly bit my lip.

[Drip.]

My pretty lips burst, and blood flowed out.

A sharp pain shot up my spine and pierced my brain.

It felt like fireworks exploded in my head.

No, it was a signal for advance.

‘By any means necessary, I will fix my wings within this month.’

After that, it’s goodbye to that bich Emperor forever.

My eyes gleamed fiercely.

It was at that moment.

“Hmm…?”

A puzzled expression flickered in the Emperor’s eyes.

Judging by her gaze, she probably saw my burst lip.

‘Let’s just keep a low profile for now.’

I quickly licked my lips with my tongue.

It was then.

“…It’s bleeding.”

The Emperor grasped my lip with her thumb and index finger.

“Ugh…!”

A stinging pain was felt as her hand touched the torn wound.

Disregarding that, the Emperor began to rub her thumb against my lip.

“Ugh, ugh..!”

Tears welled up from the stinging pain.

But the Emperor was the type of person who would stubbornly do her job even if I was in pain.

As if to prove that thought correct.

The Emperor pressed harder on my lip.

“Aaah!!!”

My vision flashed with terrible pain.

I resisted the Emperor’s touch with that indescribable pain.

Because it was so painful.

My body involuntarily recoiled.

“…”

Ragrasha looked at me, who had retreated far away.

[Drip.]

My face, streaming with tears, was reflected in her eyes.

She opened her mouth.

“…The bleeding hasn’t stopped. In that case, it can’t be helped. You may go in and rest for today. I will start having you work as a professor in earnest tomorrow.”

“…”

My spirit was already completely exhausted.

I wanted to curse at her right now.

However.

Suppressing that, I bowed my head.

“…Yes.”

[Trudge trudge.]

Iris disappeared into the distance.

She seemed utterly drained of energy.

Seeing her listless figure, an unknown emotion stirred in Ragrasha’s heart.

“…”

To identify that emotion, Ragrasha recalled various thoughts.

But no matter how hard she tried.

She couldn’t identify that emotion.

‘What on earth is it?’

This ticklish yet stifling emotion.

It felt like a hot lump of iron had fallen into her chest.

“I cannot understand it.”

Ragrasha muttered to herself once again.

Then, suddenly feeling a warm touch, she shifted her gaze to her hand.

There was blood there.

Bright red blood.

‘It’s Iris’s.’

She usually had severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.

That’s why she was sensitive to small noises.

Getting angry when the door made a sound upon closing was because of that.

But then.

It should have been like that.

For some reason, this blood didn’t feel dirty.

It looked sweet instead.

Like sweet juice had gotten on her hand, it captivated her gaze.

“…”

If juice splashed on your hand, you usually suck it off.

Ragrasha, with her obsessive-compulsive disorder, was no different.

Her finger slowly approached her mouth.

And then.

[Suck…]

It went into her mouth.

Naturally, the blood had no taste.

But.

[Thump thump.]

Why was her heart pounding so fiercely?

She only wanted to torment her, clearly.

She just wanted to make Iris, who resembled her older sister, submit.

‘Do I have other feelings?’

If so, what are those feelings?

What on earth…

“Oh? Your Majesty!”

“…!”

A refreshing voice was heard from behind her.

At that, Ragrasha quickly pulled the finger out of her mouth.

Then, she composed her expression and turned around.

Then a girl came into view.

Light green hair like a blue meadow.

Green eyes like looking at the outer surface of a fresh lime.

Just shorter than the Emperor, displaying a chest that couldn’t be hidden between her loose white robes, her name was Serina.

More precisely, Serina Korinne.

She was the doctor at this academy.

“Long time no see. Have you been well?”

“I have been well, but I am busy now. So—”

“Oh? But Your Majesty. Your face is a little red!”

Her eyes, which had been smiling brightly with a harmless face, widened.

And then Serina quickly approached the Emperor’s side.

“Your heartbeat is fast too… Did you perhaps eat poisonous herbs?”

“…No. It is not that I ate poisonous herbs, nor that I am afflicted with a deadly illness, so keep your distance.”

“What?! But… Ah! Did you perhaps press down on your wound hard again? I told you to break that habit. It doesn’t heal the wound or anything!”

“Did I not say it is not?”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“It is not a lie.”

“……..”

Serina glared at the Emperor.

But that was only for a moment.

Soon, realizing she couldn’t win against the other person, she let out a deep sigh and said.

“I’ll believe you just this once.”

At that, Ragrasha sighed with relief inwardly.

She wanted to quickly break this uncomfortable atmosphere and think more deeply about this unknown emotion.

She began her sentence to end the conversation.

“Thank you for believing me. Then, I am busy and shall take my leave.”

“Ah, yes! Please go!”

Then Serina waved her hand, giving her regards.

At that, the Emperor turned and headed towards her office.

It was right at that moment.

[Stop.]

The Emperor stopped walking.

And then she turned around frighteningly quickly.

“Uh… Your Majesty?”

Serina, who had been seeing her off, tilted her head in confusion.

“There is something I wish to ask you.”

But that was only for a moment.

At the Emperor’s words that she had a question, Serina smiled brightly.

“Yes! Please ask! I’ll answer as much as I know.”

“Good. This is a concern of an old friend of mine.”

“Gasp..! Really?”

“I’ll have to give it my best!”

Saying that, Serina clenched her fists.

Watching her, the Emperor spoke.

“Whenever she sees a certain person, her chest feels stifled and also ticklish. She feels anxious if that person is not by her side for even a moment and wants to keep them tied down if necessary.”

“…”

“Also, she wants that person to smile only at her and dislikes them being by anyone else’s side.”

Ragrasha took a breath and continued.

“What kind of illness has my friend contracted?”

“Hmm… That’s quite a difficult question. Can I think for a moment?”

“Of course. You may take your time thinking.”

“Thank you.”

Bowing her head, Serina let out a hum.

She grasped her chin with her pure white hand and began to ponder deeply for a long time.

[Gulp.]

Ragrasha, watching her, swallowed dry saliva.

The waiting time was long.

She tapped the floor with her shoe heels out of an unknown anxiety.

[Tap tap tap! Tap..!]

“The diagnosis has been confirmed!”

“…!”

At Serina’s words, Ragrasha straightened up.

“Actually, it’s hard to even call it a diagnosis. This is… yes. It’s an illness of the heart!”

“An illness of the heart?”

“Yes. It’s a very difficult and potent illness.”

‘I’ve contracted such an illness?’

Ragrasha’s face began to darken.

However, at the same time, she felt a sense of anticipation, thinking she might understand this unknown emotion.

Therefore, Ragrasha focused on Serina’s words that would follow.

Serina slowly opened her mouth.

“This illness, you see. It’s… perhaps you could call it love? Hehehe.”

“What?”

It felt like cold water was thrown on her burning anticipation.

Ragrasha’s face rapidly cooled.

However.

Unaware of this, Serina chattered excitedly.

“Wanting to always be together… Disliking it when my man shows interest in other women! If this isn’t love, then what is it! It’s clear that Your Majesty’s friend has fallen in love.”

“…”

Ragrasha’s eyes wavered after hearing her to the end.

“Surely… a man has appeared who likes Your Majesty?!”

The oblivious Serina kept chattering excitedly upon seeing Ragrasha.

Amidst that noise, Ragrasha thought.

‘I… I love Iris?’