The Tyrant Couldn’t Fall Asleep

Izaya told Melanie about her future plans and the fact that one of the knights was a spy from the Duke of Lauchen.

Then Melanie asked with a surprised face.

“So, escort Sir Gail…”

"Yeah, he's my father's spy."

Gail, because of his good demeanor and his outstanding skills, he had a very good reputation among knights, so he was appointed as the captain of the empress's escort.

However, in Izaya's memory, he was the one who took control of the Imperial Knights as soon as Grehen disappeared.

'Because of that, he was hardly on Ern’s side even in the Imperial Palace. Furthermore… They ended up trying to kill Ern.’

Unless she had hallucinations before she died, it was Gail and his men who discovered the secret passage then.

So Izaya chose all those who followed Gail at that time as her escorts.

So that they never betray Ern again.

“It’s hard to let go of a spy so close because the duke will send a new person.”

At Melanie's words, Izaya smirked.

"Okay. If we can’t throw it out anyway, we can use it.”

“Use? But how...”

Izaya turned.

"You’ll hear more about it later, and you'd better take a break for today, for your recovery.”

As soon as Izaya got up, Melanie looked at her and cautiously opened her mouth.

“I… Your Majesty the Empress. There's something I'd like to ask you...”

Then Izaya glanced and said,

"If it's about your brother Jade, don't worry. As soon as a hiding place is established, I will send him out of prison.”

“A hideout?”

“Yes. It would be safe for your uncle there too, so don't worry and just focus on your recovery."

Melanie then nodded her head, holding back her tears.

"Thank you."

* * *

Ern looked at Izaya from afar and crumpled his forehead.

‘What kind of maid is like that...’

It was unexpected even for Ern that the assassin dressed up as a maid.

However, the assassin did not seem willing to attack Izaya and tried to attack the other maid, so Ern didn't feel the need to step in.

Suddenly, however, Izaya changed the target to by stimulating the assassin.

‘Why are you so reckless? Why are you trying to negotiate with an assassin…?’

At that time, extreme fatigue suddenly came.

‘Is it starting again?’

Perhaps because he couldn't sleep at all after using separate rooms, his body was gradually reaching its limit.

However, despite the terrible fatigue, Ern's eyes were on Izaya leaving the room.

‘She's finally coming out.’

It was obvious where Izaya would go.

Ern quickly moved to a place where he could see her best without knowing that fatigue is eating more and more of his body.

* * *

After a while, Izaya, who returned to the Imperial Palace, received surprising news.

"His Majesty is gone?"

"That's right."

In nervousness, Izaya bit her lips.

Although it was seemingly peaceful, today the imperial palace had an assassin.

Perhaps not as an adult, the Ern of this period was only a beginner in swordsmanship.

If an assassin tries to attack Ern, he will be stuck.

Izaya opened her mouth, controlling her anxious chest.

"Search the empress' palace and its surroundings.”

After saying that, Izaya headed somewhere.

‘He’s not here either!’

When she chased Ern, she looked for a place where he hid from Izaya.

However, she couldn't see her husband anywhere.

‘Where did you go?’

She felt like her blood was drying up.

‘I decided to give up everything to protect you... What should I do if it gets dangerous like this?’

The moment when regret and desperation were gradually eroding into anxiety.

Crunch.

It was so faint that she thought she heard it wrong again this time.

However, Izaya headed to the place where the sound came from.

And under a large tree not far from the Empress Palace, he was seen sleeping.

Izaya sat down next to him and looked around.

'I'm so glad you were safe.’

She was relieved for a while.

'I can't leave him like this. I'll call someone.’

At the time when Izaya was getting up, a faint voice was heard.

"Don't..."

"Ern?”

His complexion was not good. His eyes were dark, and his lips were pale.

"Are you sick?"

Izaya noticed that Ern had a slight fever.

'No can do. I need to get a doctor.’

As soon as she thought of that, she took off Ern's hand that was holding onto the sleeve of her clothes.

"Wait. I'll go and call someone..."

At that moment, Ern held Izaya's hand.

"Don't go."

Izaya's eyes shook.

The small voice was pathetic, and his thin face was pitiful.

Izaya felt her heart getting heavy.

‘I thought you'd be fine without me...’

If it hurt so much, would he have held her not to go?

In the end, Izaya couldn't shake his hand and held it.

"Okay. I'll be with you until you get better."

‘I guess it really hurt.’

Seeing Ern, who has always been expressionless, smiling so brightly.

As Izaya stared blankly at his face, Ern's body collapsed to the side.

"Ern, are you okay?"

She called him several times out of concern, but there was no answer, perhaps because he was unconscious.

Her anxious chest soon fell.

"Ern, please...”

It was then that she felt a faint twitch.

Only then did Izaya realize that he did not faint, but that he was asleep.

"That's a relief."

Izaya looked down at him and smiled, and soon stared at his hand.

Soon a bitter smile came up around her mouth.

However, thanks to that, she could see the fact that she cannot turn a blind eye to this lovely boy.

‘Yeah, until you're okay...’

Izaya looked at her husband affectionately.

* * *

Ern opened his eyes slowly, his forehead crumpling with the familiar room scenery

‘Crazy. I can't believe I fell asleep like that. And that dream...’

He thought he would turn a blind eye to it, but in his dream, he grabbed Izaya. He even begged her not to go.

'I couldn't have done that. Such a weak…’

At that moment, Ern stiffened and stared next to him.

Izaya was asleep lying down at the bedside.

‘Why are you here...?’

Soon after he saw something, his forehead crumpled mercilessly.

'That's...'

As if to prove that they were in the garden, grass was on Izaya's skirt.

The moment he learned that what he thought was a dream was reality, Ern felt angry.

‘Oh my god.’

He couldn't allow himself to act so weakly.

But after a while, the anger that was boiling inside the Ern quickly evaporated.

"Hmm."

It was because the moment he saw her fall asleep again with a slight frown on her brow, other emotions ironically overturned his whole body.

‘Why?’

Looking at Izaya made him feel unfamiliar. Ern defined it like this:

"Strange."

A girl who suddenly became his bride. At first, he was surprised by her gorgeous appearance, but that was all.

Ern thought he would not deal with her, the opponent of a political marriage.

But the girl persistently chased him around, whom everyone avoided and feared.

She greeted him as if she were treating an ordinary person, and smiled at him without hesitation.

However, Ern thought that her heart for him was not sincere.

Until she saved him from the falling pot that flew on top of him.

And after that day, Ern became strangely anxious when the girl was not visible.

"Ern..."

Izaya muttered his name, perhaps in her sleep.

Soon, the confused eyes of Ern became clear.

He reached out carefully. His fingertips gently smoothed her black hair.

Then there was a tingling pain in the heart.

‘As expected, it's weird.’

The gaze at Izaya contained a dark obsession that he did not even notice.

* * *

"Hoho…There are days when the kid helps.”

Gail spoke cautiously as he saw the Duke delighted by the news that the emperor and empress would be united in one room again.

"But there's a problem."

"Problem? What is it?"

Gail soon sighed and opened his mouth.

"Do you remember that maid? Melanie Walder...”

"Oh, yeah. What's wrong with that useless girl?"

"The sister of the girl, Jade Walder, disappeared from prison. So I looked at the records and found that he was exonerated.”

To exonerate a criminal was a special privilege of the emperor and the empress.

‘No way. Is it Izaya?’

At the time when he was guessing his daughter's intentions, Gail continued.

"In fact, Melanie Walder collapsed in front of Her Majesty, and later she was called to the room, and she came out a long time later, and her eyes were swollen as if she cried. I think at that time, the empress' sympathy was gained.”

The duke gritted his teeth.

"That clumsy girl!"

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