Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 49
Lecan’s gaze as he looked at me was unsettling. He lets out a short laugh at the absurdity of it all. But I wasn’t about to let it slide like a joke. I glared at him, and his expression hardened.
“In such a narrow cave, in the middle of the night, it’s not the most appropriate question to throw around.”
“Why not? If I were to seduce you… would you resist?”
“…”
“Looking at it this way, would you kiss me?”
The last words were delivered with a slightly warmer tone. The warm breath escaping was not intentional; it was simply a natural bodily response to the chilly night and the heat of my own body.
Lecan slowly withdrew his hand. His eyes casually lingered on the long sword at his waist. Surprisingly, the blood on the blade was a vivid red. Did he come all the way here not only killing monsters but also slaying wild animals?
“Your Excellency.”
“Well then, I have a question too.”
Lecan distanced himself from me a bit and comfortably sat down. Although the cave was narrow, he was still quite close.
“I understand that you are a devoted servant to Teiles II, but has he ever forced himself upon you on nights like this?”
“…”
It was an unexpected question, but considering the scene we both witnessed with Teiles II, I understood. Regardless of who heard it, he openly teased a maid in the office with his fingers, not even bothering when someone entered.
“Fortunately,” I said, breathless. “He hasn’t touched me yet.”
“…Yet?”
“I’ve thought about it since I was young. When he ascends to the throne, he might try to do whatever he wants with me. Now that I’ve answered, it’s your turn. Your Excellency, please answer my question.”
As if truly astonished, Lecan let out a hollow laugh. The look on his face was intriguing, as if something was boiling inside him or he was slightly angry. Furrowing his eyebrows, Lecan, deep in thought, lowered his chin slightly and fell silent for a moment. Under the moonlight, he seemed different than how he was during the day.
His high nose was more pronounced in the shadows, accentuating his flawless appearance. Even the Empress, who was happy to choose only the most handsome men, couldn’t deny Lecan’s exceptional looks. Generally, the higher the status, the less handsome the man, but Lecan unfairly possessed both.
“Well then.”
“…”
“If it turns out that I like you, what will you do?”
“I didn’t intend for that, but if you prove foolish enough to fall for my charms, I plan to use that wisely.”
“You’d openly seduce me? How can a lady’s behavior be this…”
Lecan faltered, searching for the right words, and finally spat it out.
“Careless.”
“Chauvinist…”
I left my statement unfinished. Lecan sighed, looking into the air with an expression as if he had been hit on the back of the head multiple times. He pulled out the participant’s badge from his pocket and laid it on the ground. Then, he rummaged through his pocket again, found a cigar, and put it in his mouth as if determined to smoke. He lightly lit it with mana, creating smoke.
‘I hate cigar smoke.’
I failed to hide the irritation on my face. Could it be that I truly have no talent in acting, as Lecan claimed? Lecan, as if to emphasize, pointed out how inept I was.
“You’re too clumsy.”
“…What do you mean?”
“As you said, you seem to have absolutely no training in this kind of thing.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“Hah, what am I supposed to do with you now, little one?”
I despised being treated like a child, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. I have no social life to speak of, having been deprived of any interaction with my peers, so I was bound to act differently from the average 24-year-old.
Watching him light up a cigarette, I realized that while the smoke is annoying, the burning glow it emanated was quite enchanting. People who like to spread stories about others often cite it as his most handsome moment, and I can understand why.
“Now, what…”
I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the pain in my ankle. My body staggered, but I slowly made my way over to Lecan. Despite looking surprised, he didn’t move. I knelt in front of him, placing my hands on his fingers, which held the cigar. I casually took the cigar from him and stubbed it out on the cave floor. It was damp, the sound of water droplets falling echoing through the cave.
Partly because I dislike cigar smoke, and partly because I didn’t want Lecan to have anything on his lips. If I tilted my head just a little higher, I could have kissed him right on the lips.
‘If only I could wield a sword, I would have slit his throat and killed him right here.’
But I was afraid of even a dagger.
Well, I should have learned.
“I want to be your lord…not your lover.”
Lecan looked down at me and spoke slowly. Even in the silence, his breathing remained hot and ragged.
The hunt had ended in disgrace. If Lecan testified that he attended and narrowly escaped death, regardless of whether he sided with the ‘elites’ or the ‘neutrals’, trouble would likely arise. The only one who could quell the dissatisfaction of the nobles was Lecan, who was directly involved.
A word of reassurance from him, stating that there was no need to make a fuss, could have easily swept the Empress’s accident under the rug.
“If I were to become your subordinate, what would you do if I end up acting as the Emperor’s spy?”
“…Then we’ll make you a double agent.”
“Why does Your Excellency reveal his true intentions so easily?”
“Your pretense won’t work on me, just as mine won’t work on you.”
Lecan crouched down and forcefully pushed my forehead back with his index finger. The backside of my maid’s attire got damp. It wasn’t unpleasant; it was just damp, and I didn’t have a spare to change into. I found myself in a predicament.
“I told you not to fake it. I want to know who you really are.”
“…If you want to be my lord, you would have the whole world at your beck and call.”
While still pushed back, I looked into the air and spoke.
“I will never willingly serve a lord who is not the best.”
I locked eyes with him.
“There is no way in my life that I would voluntarily serve you, Lecan.”
“…”
Unless Lecan rebels, my lord will forever be Teiles II. From my perspective, this was the most straightforward and firm rejection possible.
Even if Lecan desperately wanted to take me as his subordinate, like the emperor of old who visited the librarian three times to ask for their fealty…
‘I guess that’s it now.’
There would no longer be any reason for Lecan to come to me again.
