The Reserved Daughter Of a Duke And The Cold-Headed Emperor

Translated by TrinityVox

Edited by Schwarzel

“You don’t seem to have an appetite, are you alright?”

(Ham-chan is so kind-pe. Ham-chan is Ham-chan­-dabe. He had to make that stern expression before since he’s the emperor-dabe. Sorry, I’m so stupid Ham-chan. I like you no matter how you change Ham-chan-pe.)

“…”

Eleonora felt her voice was caught in her throat and she could cry at any moment.

In order not to cry, Eleonora looked down at Alexei’s hand and noticed that his gestures were the same as Ham-chan’s. Naturally, they didn’t have real forks and knives in the forest. They ate using the wooden cutlery Eleonora made.

(Even though he was so young, he still ate so elegantly. When I told him I wanted to eat like that too, he taught me. I never seemed to improve though-be. But Ham-chan never got mad at me even once. The tutor they hired for me often got angry-pe.)

“Like I thought, are you not feeling well? You don’t seem to be eating much.”

Alexei was Alexei and he couldn’t help but worry about her. The Ham-chan Eleonora believed in wasn’t a cold and ruthless emperor like himself. He wanted to avoid her becoming disillusioned after finding out that he was Ham-chan. He wouldn’t ask to be liked, but he just didn’t want to be hated.

The two became silent and the dinner ended with a gloomy atmosphere.

“If you’d like, how about joining me for tea or a drink in the reception room?” asked Alexei nervously. Since no one was waiting for her at home, she nodded in agreement.

After moving to the reception room, Alexei asked for wine and Eleonora asked for black tea.

“Since earlier you look like you haven’t been feeling well, is something bothering you?”

Eleonora looked down.

(I hurt Ham-chan-pe. I-I…I like Ham-chan no matter what-pe.)

“I will send out the servants and set up the sound barrier.”

To let her speak freely, Alexei emptied the room and cast the barrier.

“Now you can say anything Pie.”

Eleonora’s tears finally fell.

“What’s wrong Pie?”

Alexei helplessly handed a handkerchief over to Eleonora.

“I-I-m so s-sorry, Ham-chan.”

“What, I’m not Ham-ch——”

With tears flowing down, Eleonora looked up.

“You are Ham-chan-pe. I’ll love you no matter how you change-pe.”

Without the slightest movement, Alexei’s eyes widened.

“You might be a scary person, but I know you have to be scary to be the emperor-be. But I thought too hastily, wrapped up in the memory of the young Ham-chan and couldn’t see you for who you are.”

After wiping her tears with the handkerchief, Eleonora looked straight at Alexei.

“Ham-chan, I’m sorry. I’m embarrassed-pe. Ham-chan, no matter what you are, no matter what you do, you are Ham-chan-pe. You’ve grown, Ham-chan…”

She looked at him affectionately, but he averted his eyes.

“Pie…I killed a lot of people. I’m not the person you think I am. I’m a cruel person.”

With tears still streaming endlessly down her face, she tilted her head.

“Ham-chan is Ham-chan-pe. You surely had a reason-dabe. No, even if you didn’t have a reason, I still like you nonetheless-pe.”

The next moment, Alexei hugged her with all his might.

“Pie…!”

Eleonora was shocked speechless by his embrace.

“Ham-chan, even though you’ve grown up you’re still spoiled aren’t you-pe.”

The words that finally came out of her were words of consolation for Ham-chan. After Eleonora spoke these words into his chest, Alexei opened his arms.

“I missed you…! After you died, Pie, I could only live by resenting people. You died because I was weak. If only I was stronger, then you wouldn’t have died.”

“You’re wrong-pe. That’s not right Ham-chan. What can a nine-year-old child do-pe? I should sew up the mouth of whichever adult said that! You were a child so don’t worry about it-pe.”

Alexei was thankful her soul could still be beside him today.

“Even so, you’ve become even bigger than when I was Pie.”

His arms hugging her, and his hands were extremely big, even his chest was very broad. She looked up at him from below.

“You’re even more of an adult now Ham-chan-pe…”

Eleonora blushed as she realized this.

“I-It’s not r-right to hug someone like this! Y-You and I are adults now Ham-chan-pe! You c-can’t do this-dabe!”

Eleonora was flustered and her heart was racing. She wasn’t conscious of him as Ham-chan but as a man and couldn’t bear to face him