Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 52
Leyesha closed her eyes again and began to speak softly. It was a warm and soothing tone, like someone reading a story to a child in hopes of lulling them to sleep.
“…If Your Excellency stages a rebellion, I will probably be the first to know, for I am always awake at dawn, when people are asleep. And revolutions in history always start with a surprise at dawn.”
“And you. How will you respond?”
“I will be the first to recognize treason, and the first to lose my life.”
“…”
“Because I will be the first to strike the sword aimed at the Emperor.”
Lecan fell silent. He genuinely wondered what made Leyesha so loyal. Someone who would sacrifice their life for their lord… He had known since the proxy exams, where she wholeheartedly dedicated herself to Teiles II, even when nobody recognized her efforts.
‘Even now, putting such words on the table, was she genuinely asking me to give up on her as my subordinate?’
It was a waste of talent, skill, and character. Leyesha was too brilliant to be placed under an Emperor who couldn’t appreciate her value.
He watched Leyesha breathe, still and unmoving. He absentmindedly ran his gaze down her legs, noting how smooth her calves were compared to the wounds on the rest of her body.
Even when he turned away, the visual image lingered like an afterimage on his retinas. A skirt that curled up a little to her thighs and bare feet. White and hot.
‘Am I going mad?’
Lecan cut off the fantasy before it could run any deeper. He had been abstinent for so long. It was almost shameful because he had been so adamant how impervious he was to any beauty or temptation.
However, he didn’t want any misunderstanding with Leyesha. He hoped she would understand his genuine respect and desire for her as his subordinate.
She had probably never received proper recognition from the lord she served. He didn’t want to be seen as the same kind of man as the Emperor. He wanted to be seen as a lord who recognized her inner worth. This made him more careful about acting too rashly.
But once his body reacted, his blood started flowing with an embarrassing honesty.
“So…” she continued.
“Enough.”
“…”
“I understand your loyalty to the lord well enough. Stop now.”
Lecan didn’t need to touch her to know how hot her softly uttered breath was. Judging by her inexperience, she probably had no experience in s*xual matters either.
He pushed himself to his feet and stalked out of the cave. He couldn’t bring himself to fall asleep in there. Even if Lecan were to reach out and embrace her, she would likely reject it, citing her status as a beauty in the Empress’s service.
No matter how ascetic Lecan tried to be, he was not without a libido that would allow him to sleep with a beautiful woman at his side. On the contrary, he had an abundance of it. He channeled all his boiling desires into his ambitions, dedicating himself to work and training to relieve the pressure.
He purposely walked farther and farther away from the cave, afraid he would do something irreparable.Though creatures growled and appeared one by one in front of Lecan, it seemed like a small price to pay for avoiding a potentially regrettable event.
“…Looks like I’m staying up until dawn.”
No matter how much he looked at the moon in the sky, Lecan found it difficult to understand why Leyesha only liked the time when the moon was rising. He had always led a disciplined routine with a consistent sleep schedule.
Leyesha was a presence that disrupted that routine. She piqued his interest endlessly, forced him to spend time and energy on things he doesn’t enjoy, and left him scrambling to win someone’s heart when he has never tried to do so in his life.
‘How can I make her my subordinate?’
Lecan mulled over the question that never returned an answer no matter how many times he asked it. He wondered if the people around him were as frustrated as he was now whenever he refused to give them an answer to whether he was interested in the throne.
He wanted her. Lecan thought decisively as he raised his sword towards the approaching monsters.
He wanted to take Leyesha away from the Emperor.
***
“I’m glad you’re unharmed. I was worried, Leyesha.”
The Empress’s arms were warm as she pulled me instantly into a hug. There were a lot of words that immediately came to mind, but I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d been in the arms of someone I so casually regarded as a protector…
I blinked, holding still in her embrace.
“But how did you survive?”
Behind the kind tone, the Empress stepped back, holding me at arm’s length to study my expression. I swallowed hard, but didn’t break my composure.
This was a night I could not afford to reveal to anyone.
