"Is there a place I can't go?"

Lyle gave a curt retort and peered at her with disdain.

Medea almost lost her temper but then remembered he was the Emperor.

"I greet your Majesty, the Emperor."

"Okay."

Medea forced herself to say the opposite of what was in her heart and give a polite greeting as she glared at Lyle.

"Aren't you always busy with political affairs?"

"You're rather busy with political affairs, aren't you?"

"I was busy."

He was very idle now because he had postponed union night with all his work. He even managed to do what he had to do in the future.

Lyle, Sid, and Lyle's staff were all competent, so the work was not late. And it had primarily to do with Lyle completing all his work so he could arrive late on joint nights.

"I had all the urgent work done yesterday so that I can afford it."

He couldn't hold up until the night.

'No, I came for lunch on the pretext that if I came to the palace at night, I would surely carry Medea straight to the bedroom.'

—Because Medea is the Empress, and you can have lunch with the Empress.

Lyle had laughed deeply when he heard that Medea couldn't leave the house in the aftermath of their tryst.

He was embarrassed when he caught himself daydreaming—wanting to go to her bedroom where Medea was lying down, teasing her, and kissing her.

Medea glared at her maid-in-waiting. Why wasn't she told Lyle had arrived?

'I would have hid in my room and said I was sick!'

Medea had several exclusive maids, but her maid-in-waiting was openly watching her because of her recent amnesia and unusual behavior.

"I told them not to deliver the news that I arrived. I thought the Empress would get 'lost' again if she knew I was here."

Indeed, Medea looked at Lyle like she wanted to go back to the bedroom and lock the door, and Lyle couldn't help but hide his amused chuckle in his heart.

'If I go into the bedroom right now, I really won't be able to get out of bed...'

"Come on and sit down. I heard that the Empress prepared foods according to your preferences."

Lyle was a little surprised by the menu.

The former Medea had eaten only grass while today's Medea prefers meat to the point of being a carnivore. The only vegetables present happened to be a part of the meat dishes.

Medea, who could not hide her unpleasant expression, dragged her feet to the table.

Lyle sat down at the head of the table, suppressing his desire to snatch the sulking Medea.

As she sat across from Lyle, the food was transferred to the table. Her uneven expression melted when she saw the food.

'Huh. You like food more than me?'

It was a drastic change from the pre-amnesia Medea, so Lyle felt a bizarre sensation. The feeling of unfairness and jealousy squeezed his heart.

'I deliberately took time to see you, but what is this attitude?'

'I thought we liked each other last night.'

Lyle stared at the plate of food in front of him, feeling betrayed by the current Medea. Steak, it was one of Medea's favorite foods now.

"... It seems like I've come for nothing."

All of the maids and servants were embarrassed by Lyle, who suddenly got up with a frown.

Medea was the only one who looked puzzled, a little surprised, but that's all.

"Aren't you going?"

"I'm happy to leave quickly."

Lyle crumpled his face, turned around, and left the room.

"Oh, yeah!"

Medea lifted her utensils, ready to dig in.

"Your Majesty, Empress! Won't you hold onto him? His Majesty has come all the way here!"

"Oh. Maybe something urgent has happened. Doesn't he always have an emergency when he sees my face?"

Medea said in a peaceful and relaxed manner, teasing her fork and putting the braised beef ribs into her mouth.

The imperial chef's skill was so high that it touched the sky, so the meat melted in her mouth.

"Wow, it's so delicious! The best taste!"

Meanwhile, Lyle, who had enhanced senses since he was a Sword Master, was able to listen to the whole exchange.

His feverish temper had surged for a moment, and he had left in a fit, but he could not go back.

Besides, Lyle indeed acted that way whenever he had met Medea.....

'I won't look for you again!'

With his face dyed with rage and humiliation, Lyle stomped out of the palace.

He wasn't even fighting with Medea. So why does he feel so utterly defeated?

***

'I want to touch her... ...'

'I wanted to embrace her, suck those soft lips, and covet her until she looked up at me with wet eyes, panting.'

'Am I really crazy?'

He couldn't believe he was so voracious for Medea. This couldn't be happening if he wasn't insane.

But now Lyle's throat is sore and parched just by hearing Medea's name.

'I want to hold her in my arms. I want to caress and kiss her.'

"Did you not eat together?"

Sid asked in a dull tone. He didn't even bring out the 'M' of Medea's name, but they both knew who he was referring to.

Lyle turned his head because he didn't even want to respond.

As he looked at the papers spread out on his desk, Sid clicked his tongue mentally.

If it were like before, there would be liberation after the Emperor's joining day.

All the other employees returned home except Sid.

"Oh, why? What else is wrong? What happened to the atmosphere that caused you to be late to that important political meeting today?"

Lyle delaying a meeting had never occurred since he ascended as Emperor.

Thanks to this fact, and the fact he was five hours late the morning after his union day with the Empress, rumors already abounded.

"You talk too much, Sid. Are there any other documents to report?"

"Of course not. Didn't you take care of everything, even the items you didn't have to do, because of last night? Thanks to that kind of work ethic, everyone knows that our Majesty even cares about the small towns in distant provinces, and people say the Emperor's eyes won't miss a thing in the imperial country."

"Damn it."

"For eight years, you've been cleaning out the wounds of this nation and treating its blood and pus quite often. There's no more to do; it will come in only four days."

Lyle pushed the documents to one side and deeply sighed.

"Why does work have an end?"

"Because we have human rights?"

Sid retorted, hoping he would get the hint.

Lyle glanced at Sid and shook her head to erase the indelible image of a limp Medea that had been suffering under Lyle.

"Why don't you go and meet her Majesty the Empress?"

"Why should I?"

'I can see who you were thinking with your cheeks dyed just now.'

Sid looked pitifully at a withering Lyle, who had turned his head with a sour expression.

"You should use this chance. Since her Majesty was exhausted after having a hard night with his Majesty, isn't this a good excuse to comfort her?"

"Isn't the Empress's duty to comfort me?"

"The rumors spread that you did it hard enough to be five hours late for the political meeting."

"......."