chapter_0231

230 – The Emperor’s Resolute Determination

230 – The Emperor’s Resolute Determination

It was the moment Selvia was reborn as the true Emperor, yet Daniel quietly chuckled.

Watching Daniel, Selvia frowned slightly.

“…Why are you laughing?”

Thinking he had crossed a line, Daniel quickly stifled his laughter.

“I apologize. It’s just that hearing Your Majesty refer to me so clearly as ‘my person’ has filled me with joy, and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.”

“You’re happy right now…”

Selvia, who had unconsciously brightened at his words, cleared her throat.

She thought she shouldn’t get caught up in Daniel’s way of speaking.

“More importantly, I brought out the Eclair that Major Daniel likes. Why haven’t you taken a bite?”

“Oh. I forgot to taste it while listening to your story. Now that you mention it, I’ll give it a try.”

Daniel picked up the Eclair and brought it to his mouth.

Seeing this, Selvia swallowed hard and her eyes sparkled.

Thanks to that, Daniel could tell who had made this Eclair.

‘It seems like Selvia made it herself…’

Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Daniel bit into the Eclair.

The texture he experienced was disheartening.

It should have been crispy yet soft, but this Eclair was soggy and dense.

‘It seems like the oven was opened midway. And with a bit of an eggy smell, it looks like the flour mixture was a failure too…’

Swallowing the Eclair, Daniel picked up a napkin from the table to wipe his mouth.

Watching him, Selvia cautiously asked, “…How is it?”

He had to say it was delicious, of course.

He couldn’t speak ill in front of the Emperor.

“It’s the worst.”

However, Daniel’s ego wouldn’t allow him to lie, at least when it came to desserts.

“To be honest, the Eclair I just had seems like something made by a beginner who is all show and no skill. Frankly, if this were sold in a shop, it would only receive scorn.”

As a result, Selvia’s expression hardened.

Her face, engulfed in despair, seemed to bear the mark of ‘shock.’

“However.”

Daniel continued without caring.

“Making an Eclair is quite a cumbersome process. Still, if someone has decided to make one to serve to someone else, they deserve respect.”

This was sincere.

“Though it didn’t taste good, I personally find it satisfying. I believe I’ve tasted the effort of the person who made this Eclair. From that perspective, I can confidently say this is more valuable than the Eclairs that are commonly found.”

Hearing Daniel’s words, Selvia let out a hollow laugh.

It was like a flowing river.

Listening to him, it felt as if she could forgive even the most rude actions.

Shaking her head, Selvia stood up.

“Alright. I think we’ve had enough of the dessert tasting, so shall we take a walk to digest?”

“A walk, huh? I don’t mind that.”

Accepting Selvia’s suggestion, Daniel also stood up.

Thus, the two strolled through the garden of the Imperial Palace, chatting lightly.

“…I met a child in Penbarch. His name is Namerias, and he’s quite a bold one. Even when they said they would send him back to the Allied Nations, he refused. I was so flustered when I heard him throwing a tantrum about wanting to stay with my subordinate.”

During the walk, it was mainly Daniel who spoke.

Selvia had asked him to share what had happened in Penbarch.

However, at that moment, Selvia couldn’t focus on Daniel’s words.

She was only recalling the advice her mother had given her.

─ My dear, if you want to get closer, you need to initiate physical contact. If you start to take the lead and do it naturally, Daniel’s heart will gradually lean towards you, won’t it? People naturally get flustered by physical contact with the opposite sex.

Physical contact! In short, it meant the touching of skin.

At first, Selvia thought her mother’s words were easy to follow.

But when she actually tried to initiate physical contact, she found herself more nervous than she had anticipated.

Even with Daniel right next to her, she couldn’t even hold his hand properly.

“And General Heinrich is still the same. Every time I see him, it seems like his muscle mass increases a little, which is somewhat frightening. Oh! When I was in Penbarch, he encouraged me to exercise, saying a healthy body houses a healthy mind, and he gave me a long speech…”

While pretending to listen to the story, Selvia gradually closed the distance between them.

As a result, Daniel’s hand and Selvia’s hand were now precariously close, just about 1 cm apart.

With just a little courage, she could hold Daniel’s hand!

However, our Emperor was hesitating to muster that little bit of courage.

‘I can’t do it…! What if I hold his hand and he thinks I’m strange?’

He was considering the possibility that Daniel might pull away in surprise.

Though they had already hugged, for Selvia, holding hands and walking side by side felt much more difficult than an unexpected embrace.

The fear that Daniel might come to dislike her kept causing her inner turmoil.

The deeper the conflict grew, the more her face flushed.

‘But if I don’t do anything, this walk will soon end.’

After the walk, she would have to send Daniel back.

Then she wouldn’t know when she would have the chance to face him and talk again.

Selvia thought that now was the time to act, and she gathered her courage to look back at Daniel.

Thud—

Her foot caught on a stone, and her body began to tilt to one side.

‘…Oh.’

Thinking she would fall like this made her break out in a cold sweat.

At that moment, Selvia closed her eyes, fearing she would show Daniel an embarrassing sight.

“Your Majesty!”

She heard a startled voice, and then her body stopped in the same position it was about to fall.

A warm, strong arm caught Selvia, stabilizing her.

Thanks to that, Selvia realized she hadn’t fallen and slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was Daniel’s face looking down at her.

They were so close she could hear his breathing.

As Selvia gasped in surprise, Daniel let out a sigh of relief.

“I was surprised, thinking you might get hurt. You need to watch your step.”

“Ah. Th-that…”

Her voice trembled uncontrollably, making it hard to continue speaking.

Moreover, she could clearly feel Daniel’s hand resting on her shoulder, which made her even more embarrassed.

With her face flushed, Selvia, unsure of what to do, averted her gaze.

Her breathing was rapid.

Her heart was pounding as if it would burst, and her mind was going blank.

‘…My mother was right.’

She fully understood that people naturally get flustered by physical contact with the opposite sex.

With her hand resting on her chest, Selvia took a moment to catch her breath before subtly glancing back at Daniel.

“…I think I’ve become more certain today. So, Major Daniel? Please convey this to your subordinate.”

Though her breathing had calmed, her face was still red, making her look somewhat strange.

A strand of hair stuck to her lips, adding to her defenseless appearance.

She was far from composed.

Unbeknownst to her, Selvia seemed to be excited, but Daniel didn’t point it out and instead asked back.

“…What are you talking about?”

After a moment of hesitation, Selvia gathered her courage and parted her lips.

“I remember what you said in the conference hall. I was uncertain back then, but…”

Selvia’s hand resting on her chest trembled slightly.

“Now, I think I can do it too.”

Looking up, Selvia met Daniel’s gaze.

Feeling embarrassed, her eyes glistened with tears, but she didn’t back down.

“Daniel. If you want it.”

Of course, Daniel had no idea what she was talking about.

–

“Subordinate. What on earth did you and His Majesty talk about in the conference hall?”

At Daniel’s question outside the Imperial Palace, Lucy tilted her head in confusion.

“What conversation are you referring to?”

“His Majesty asked me to relay a message to you. He said he remembers what was said in the conference hall. And now he says he can do it too…”

Lucy, who was walking alongside Daniel, suddenly froze.

─ I am prepared to take Kelly’s place for Major Daniel. Is His Majesty ready for that?

It was undoubtedly a statement born from numerous misunderstandings.

The problem was that she hadn’t had a chance to meet Selvia since then, so there was no way to clarify.

Lucy’s eyes, which were falling into confusion in real-time, trembled unusually.

“There was a misunderstanding. It’s clearly my fault. Someday…”

With her eyes tightly shut, Lucy continued in a trembling voice.

“I will explain to His Majesty and seek forgiveness.”

Though Daniel had no idea what was going on, he nodded reluctantly.

‘It probably doesn’t concern me much.’

Daniel merely hoped that the relationship between the two would be resolved amicably.

A word from the author (Author’s note)

Thank you for reading today!

I hope to see you again tomorrow!

Take care of the heat and have a cool day!