Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 50
‘Finally, have I been abandoned?’
It seemed like he had leaned against the cave wall and fallen asleep. When I opened my eyes, there was no one in the place where Lecan had been. Even though we hadn’t been together for long, suddenly my heart felt empty.
I closed my eyes again. I had been overloaded with work and was becoming less and less efficient. It was an unavoidable situation, but thinking that I had now obtained some rest, my heart felt lighter. As a meticulous manager even within my own mind, I allowed myself to sleep.
‘Now, I can rest without thinking about work. I’ve been through a major accident, got injured all over, and even have a fever. So, it’s okay to relax and sleep a bit.’
Trying to fall asleep again, I suddenly sensed a presence. When I opened my eyes, Lecan was approaching with something in his arms.
‘Not abandoned yet.’
I didn’t know when Lecan had gathered firewood, but he casually lit a fire with mana and began grilling the meat he had in his hands. When I couldn’t see the food, I didn’t realize it, but the aroma tempted me, and suddenly, I felt hungry.
I absentmindedly watched him grilling the meat, and when it was cooked just right, Lecan walked into the cave with a lively step.
He held the food up to my mouth, and I dumbly opened my mouth and ate it.
“I’m hungry, so I will eat, but…”
I mumbled while eating. I was indeed quite hungry. It had been several hours since I last ate. I couldn’t remember exactly. My lifestyle was irregular to begin with. I realized that I hadn’t eaten for a longer time than I thought, probably because the food was so delicious.
“What kind of meat is this? It’s really good.”
In any case, Lecan didn’t seem to have any intention of killing me right now, unlike me who was looking for every opportunity to kill him. I wasn’t the type to accept favors I couldn’t return, however, so perhaps it was best to think about how to get rid of him some other time…
Lecan watched me eat for a while, then continued to feed me until my stomach was comfortably full.
“…Our conversation is over. I cleanly refused without giving you any chance.”
Feeling uneasy that maybe he expected me to become subservient just because I ate some meat, I tried to confirm. Lecan, who had been silent until now, asked me.
“Why do you think there’s no chance?”
“…?”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’ll draw water, so wash your body. On nights with a full moon, monsters and wild animals alike become more vicious, so I’ll take you out after the sun rises.”
“…Why do you want me to wash?”
“You’re dirty.”
Lecan looked directly into my eyes and said, “You stink.”
“…”
I had mentioned before that I had no talent for seduction, but apparently, Lecan was no different. He probably didn’t speak to others in the same way he spoke to me. Why did noble young ladies become infatuated with Lecan at the mere sight of him? Lecan was unyielding in everything.
“I don’t know why you think you’re the only one who can call me careless. You’re just as socially inept as I am.”
“Excuse me…”
Lecan said as he placed his palm on my cheek. It was absurd, but I couldn’t finish my protest because Lecan’s lips were getting closer. If he moved a little more, they would touch. Suddenly, my heart pounded. This man was dangerous.
He was attractive enough to make me think that controlling my own mind was a priority rather than worrying about whether the Empress would make eye contact with a man outside of her family.
Whether Lecan could see the anxiety in my eyes or felt my erratic breath, he fell silent for a moment.
“Get some sleep.”
He pulled away from me again, but I was frozen in place, caught in the lingering aftermath.
Thump.
‘Am I going crazy?’
I retracted my earlier thought that Lecan had no talent for seduction. My heart was definitely racing.
