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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: A Strange Proposal
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“What?”
I nearly stumbled and fell off the bed, but I managed to steady myself, sitting up straight to regain my balance.
“You wanted to see… m-m-me?”
It was a good thing the room was dim.
How embarrassing would it have been if he’d seen my frantic, darting eyes on top of my stammering?
Enoch would have surely teased me, asking what I was thinking.
And just as I expected, a voice laced with amusement came from Enoch.
“Oh, dear. It seems your speech has grown quite clumsy since we last saw each other.”
“N-no, that’s just because you suddenly said something so strange.”
*Pfft.*
Along with a light laugh, the large hand that had been on my forehead pulled away.
“Actually, I’m on my way back from the temple.”
*Of course.*
Only then did I realize I’d been making a fuss over a simple joke, and I fanned my flushing face.
“You should have just said so instead of teasing me… So, what happened? Did you find the records?”
“No. They weren’t there. Not just yours, but the Duke’s Daughter’s manifestation records as well.”
“I see.”
“Aren’t you surprised?”
“Mm… I just… I sort of expected that might be the case.”
Recalling how Riana’s belongings had been strangely, spotlessly organized, I slipped my feet into the slippers I could faintly see in the gloom.
“Have a seat somewhere. Just a moment, it’s a bit dark in here.”
I turned the half-dimmed light back up and spun around, crying out in surprise.
“Good heavens! Enoch, what on earth happened to you!”
No wonder it sounded like rain was falling inside the room, not just outside.
Now clearly visible, Enoch was drenched, looking as if he’d just been pulled from the water.
“Ah. It’s raining quite heavily outside.”
“Of course it’s raining heavily! It’s been pouring since this morning!”
His already pale face was even more ashen, perhaps because his body temperature had dropped from being in the rain.
Stunned by how he looked ready to collapse at the slightest touch, I hastily grabbed the nearest towel and draped it over his face.
“Here, dry yourself off—”
“It’s damp, Riana.”
“Huh? Ah! Th-this is the one I was just using…!”
Of all things, I had grabbed the towel I’d been using to dry my hair, so it wasn’t much help.
“A new towel, I’ll get a new towel! Dane, bring some warm tea in here!”
***
*Crack. Crack.*
The sound of firewood crackling in the hearth echoed through the warm room.
“You’re so reckless. Why were you walking around in the rain? What if you catch a cold?”
“My cloak is waterproof, so it’s fine.”
“What good is that? You’re soaked.”
“Ow. That hurts.”
He’d scared me half to death looking like a drowned ghost, and he still wouldn’t concede a single point.
Feeling a little vexed, I applied more pressure as I dried his hair, and Enoch let out a faint groan.
“I heard you were so busy you were skipping meals. Are you even sleeping properly?”
“Mm…”
“Look at the dark circles under your eyes. When did you last sleep?”
Enoch stared into space for a long moment as if thinking about my question, then shrugged.
“About three days ago, I think?”
“What?”
“…I’m joking. I’m sleeping just fine, on time. And…”
As if my words had bothered him, Enoch pressed the skin beneath his eyes.
“This is just because there’s been a lot of work lately, including the mana stone contract with Gamel.”
“Hmm. Really?”
“Of course. Anyway, give that to me. I’ll do it myself now.”
I clutched the soft cloth tightly, shaking my head at his attempt to take the towel.
“No.”
“Riana.”
“Don’t look at me like that. You’re always doing as you please, Your Majesty. Today, I’m going to do as I please.”
Biting my lip, I placed a mug in the large hand that was hovering in the air.
“Drink this while you wait. I’ll be done drying your hair in a moment.”
“Well, now…”
Enoch looked down at the steaming milk with a troubled expression.
“I’m not a child.”
“Just drink it. There’s nothing better at night. It helps you sleep, too.”
“Is there any basis for that?”
“Oh, come on. Just drink it.”
“Alright.”
In the end, after I gave his broad back a light swat, Enoch obediently tilted the mug.
I watched him for a moment before turning my focus back to drying his rain-soaked black hair.
“By the way, I heard it was impossible to enter the temple because of the High Priest’s dismissal. Has that been resolved already?”
“…”
“?”
At Enoch’s sudden silence, I tilted my head to match his seated height.
“Enoch?”
“…”
*What’s this? Why is he avoiding my gaze? And why is he suddenly so focused on drinking his milk?*
His less-than-satisfactory reaction made my eyes narrow.
“Your Majesty?”
“Oh, ahem. Today.”
Clearing his throat as if he’d choked, Enoch fidgeted with the mug.
“There was… an incident at the temple today.”
“What kind of incident?”
“The dismissed High Priest fled with everything of value. There was a commotion while they tried to catch him. So.”
Enoch rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“I slipped in while the guards were away from their posts.”
“What? Is that alright?”
The Primeval Temple was once under the emperor’s authority, but after becoming a victim in several struggles for the throne, it had maintained an independent position, free from external influence.
A kind of inviolable territory.
Therefore, even for Enoch, the emperor, entering without the temple’s consent was no easy task.
He could get caught up in some troublesome affair if they found a reason to nitpick.
While it maintained neutrality, it was also a place that loved to exploit any opportunity that arose.
“If you get caught…”
As if he knew what I was thinking, Enoch shook his tousled hair and replied nonchalantly.
“I wasn’t caught. There’s no need to worry.”
“Well, if you say so… Come here. You’re messing it up again.”
I toyed with Enoch’s now mostly dry hair, my eyes rolling thoughtfully.
“Still, it’s surprising. Forget about me, but for Elisha’s manifestation record to be gone too… Could someone have removed it on purpose?”
“I believe that’s highly likely.”
“But who…? I suppose it must be related to what Elisha said.”
“It seems so.”
“Hmm… Oh, right. Enoch. I have something to tell you, too.”
“What is it?”
I set aside the used towel and sat down, pressing a hand to my head where a faint headache lingered.
“It’s about Prince Karhel. I think you really should be careful.”
“?”
His gray eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected to hear that name.
“I’m always keeping an eye on him, but did something happen?”
“Actually, the prince came here this afternoon, and he seemed to know that you can’t touch others.”
“He did?”
I gave a small nod in response to his question.
“Yes. He didn’t seem to know about the rampages, just…”
I paused, choosing a more ambiguous phrasing than what Karhel had actually said.
“…he implied it had something to do with an emotional issue, but…”
“So it left a bad taste in your mouth.”
“Exactly. I felt like he wasn’t telling me everything… Just in case, please be careful.”
“I understand. The contract is finalized anyway, and he’ll be leaving the empire soon, so don’t worry too much.”
“…Okay.”
I hoped that, just as Enoch said, no problems would arise before Karhel left the empire.
As I rubbed a scratch on the table, wishing this lingering unease was just my imagination, Enoch raised an eyebrow.
“But did that Karhel fellow come all this way just to say that?”
“No, that wasn’t all. He just showed up with a bouquet of flowers and spouted all sorts of nonsense before he left.”
“Nonsense?”
“Yes. He talked about the national marriage between you and Elisha, and then he said something strange, asking if I would marry him—”
“…What?”
“Hm?”
“No, what did you just say?”
“Just now? Um… Ah! The part about the national marriage?”
“Besides that.”
*Besides that? What did I say?*
I’d been rambling without much thought, so I tried to recall my words and then clapped my hands together.
“Ah! The part where Prince Karhel asked me to marry him?”
“…That bastard asked you to marry him?”
“Yes.”
“…I hadn’t heard that the Prince of Gamel was insane.”
“I know, right? It doesn’t sound sane to you either, does it, Enoch? Something about how I can’t become empress, so I should marry him instead. Honestly.”
“Ha. Hahaha.”
A dry laugh escaped him as he swept a hand through his hair, a vein bulging on his forehead.
“So, are you going to do it?”
“Do what? Don’t tell me you mean the marriage? Are you crazy? Absolutely not!”
“Why not? That Karhel fellow seems like quite the catch. The ministers are desperate to marry their daughters off to him.”
“Ugh… are you serious, Your Majesty?”
The extremely formal title slipped out, as I couldn’t agree with him in the slightest.
“His face is also quite handsome, enough to be popular with the young ladies, isn’t it?”
Was it just my imagination, or did he seem to be speaking through gritted teeth?
I looked at the tense muscle in his jaw and waved my hand dismissively.
“No matter how handsome others say he is, to my eyes, which see your face every day, Enoch, he’s just average.”
“…My face, you mean?”
“Yes. You could search the whole world and never find anyone as handsome as you. I’ve grown so accustomed to a face like that, Prince Karhel is, how should I put it… like an acorn rolling around on the hill behind my house?”
“…Pfft.”
*What’s with him? Why is he acting like that?*
He seemed upset just a moment ago, so why is he suddenly in a good mood?
I watched Enoch clear his throat with a fist to his mouth, puzzled, then crossed my arms firmly.
“And besides his looks, we’re just not compatible in any way. I’d rather live alone, ugh. Besides, I doubt he was being serious anyway.”
“Then what about me.”
“Pardon?”
“How about me?”
