The Taste of Moonlight

Around the time when the western sky began to turn blue after sunset, a foreign man entered the front gate of the Lake Palace.

“I represent the delegation from the Duchy of Schuten. If it would not be rude, may I briefly see His Majesty?”

“What is your business?”

“His Majesty said the dinner scheduled with our delegation today would be postponed, but we were not informed of the exact time. I came to ask about the schedule.”

Standing motionless at the gate and delivering a cold dismissal was Eel.

“If you return, I will ask His Majesty and deliver the answer separately.”

“It would be nice if I could receive the answer right now…”

When El shot him a sharp glare, the representative forced an awkward smile.

“Ahaha. My apologies. Our Grand Duke has been eagerly anticipating meeting His Majesty…”

“His Majesty is currently in an emergency meeting regarding a dangerous fugitive. If arranging your dinner schedule is more important than capturing the criminal who attempted to assassinate the Emperor, would you like to go inside and arrange it yourself?”

“N-No, of course not!”

The representative quickly waved his hands and retreated, unable to cross the threshold of the gate.

El sighed.

This was not the first person he had driven away like this.

Two had already come and gone, and who knew how many more would appear.

In other words, he would have to stand here all night guarding the gate and turning visitors away.

When I think about it… I’ve ended up in a rather ridiculous situation.

El smiled bitterly, but he did not dare look toward the inside of the Lake Palace.

He tried not to think about what exactly he was guarding.

His quiet breath scattered into the empty air.

* * *

On the white, soft sheets, Riela’s long hair spread out like spilled water.

“Your Majesty…!”

Under Herhan’s endless kisses, Riela squeezed her eyes shut.

She had spent countless nights in his arms by now, yet her heart still raced as if it were always the first time.

Herhan’s body looked like a sculpture.

Maybe it was because he stood with the moonlight behind him.

The shadows across his body made every line of his form even clearer tonight.

What would it feel like, she wondered,

to touch your body covered in moonlight?

With her slender fingertips, Riela traced the pale light resting across him.

His wide, firm shoulders.

The hollow above his collarbone.

The hard bone beneath it.

And below that, his solid chest.

“Your Majesty… you’re beautiful.”

In response, Herhan sat up fully, revealing even more of his body.

As if telling her to touch as much as she wanted.

Each time he tilted his head while watching her, his golden hair bounced lightly above his brows.

Riela gently explored every part of him.

But when her white fingers reached his firm abs, Herhan suddenly grabbed her hand.

Pulling it closer, he covered her palm with deep, lingering kisses.

“You’re the more beautiful one, Riela.”

He spoke with his lips still against her hand.

The soft sensation in the center of her palm tickled unbearably.

Riela curled up slightly and pulled the blanket toward herself.

Herhan immediately snatched it away and tossed it aside.

“Ah! Your Majesty!”

“You can’t hide. You looked at me as much as you liked—so only you get to hide?”

When she tried to pull the blanket back again, Herhan intertwined their fingers, trapping her hands.

Suddenly held like a prisoner, Riela lifted her face shyly.

“Now it’s my turn.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“Where did you touch me earlier? My shoulders? My chest?”

“…!”

Riela tried to make an excuse but gasped instead, biting her lip.

Herhan had suddenly taken a bold bite at the back of her neck with his red lips.

“I only touched you with my hands! Why are you—!”

He had said they should take turns.

But despite his smooth words, Herhan was always far too greedy.

Tonight was no different.

She had been the one to call him to the Lake Palace, yet somehow she had ended up trapped like this again.

Once again unable to move, he led her.

“…I hate you.”

At Riela’s murmured words, Herhan let out a hearty laugh that brushed against her ears.

“Can’t be helped. I want you far too much.”

As if proving it, Herhan leaned down, breathing warmly against her.

Holding her close, he whispered,

“I want you unbearably. I want all of you, Riela.”

His heavy strength pressed down on her.

After clinging to him for a while, when she finally opened her eyes again, she saw the quiet lake over his shoulder.

It was a familiar sight.

And suddenly she understood why this moment felt so thrilling and distant.

Because this very spot— was where she had first been held by Herhan.

It had been a day when she had a slight fever and her body felt unusually hot.

The day Herhan, who had been practically confined to his bedroom for health examinations, suddenly appeared through the secret passage.

Thinking about it now, it was just like today.

Just as Herhan had come to her unexpectedly that day, today she had run into his arms because she could no longer endure the suffocating feeling.

Back then, Riela knew nothing complicated.

She didn’t know who she truly was or what power she had.

That night, when she embraced Herhan worrying only about whether he would live or die, she instinctively knew.

That this was how she would be completed.

Now Riela had become Herhan’s Empress.

She had become his savior—and his master.

Many things had changed.

But the fact that she was the one absolute person to him had not changed since that hot summer night in the Lake Palace.

* * *

The moonlight was bright.

Perhaps it was because tonight’s sky was cloudless.

Or because it had been a long time since they spent a night in the Lake Palace.

Or perhaps nights spent sharing breath together were always this bright.

Riela lay on her side, looking out at the lake through the window.

Behind her, Herhan held her tightly, his arms wrapped around her white back as he looked in the same direction.

Even though the night had seemed tiring, sleep would not come.

This moment pressed close to him felt too precious to waste on sleep.

“But Your Majesty should get some rest. You’ll be busy again tomorrow.”

“No. I’d rather stay like this than fall asleep.”

“Because you want to stay close to me a little longer?”

“No.”

There was no need to tilt her head in confusion.

His lazy voice was already full of teasing.

“I meant it feels good receiving your purification power.”

Just as she expected.

Riela turned around angrily.

The lake shining in the moonlight disappeared from her view, replaced entirely by Herhan.

Beautiful, blue, and shining—there wasn’t much difference.

“I’m joking, Riela.”

“If you keep saying things like that, maybe I won’t give you any purification power at all.”

“As if you could.”

Herhan pulled the suddenly upright Riela back into his arms.

Riela buried her face in his sweet-smelling chest and complained softly.

Herhan responded by biting her round shoulder as if punishing her.

“Ah!”

A hot kiss fell just below her shoulder blade.

Every place Herhan touched bloomed with red marks.

I have to change into dozens of dresses again tomorrow.

Riela thought that, yet she didn’t push him away.

Instead she simply closed her eyes as she always did.

“Speaking of which.”

Suddenly Herhan pulled back slightly and began speaking with a serious expression.

“There’s someone else you purified. Not me.”

“Fabian?”

“No.”

Frowning as if he hated even hearing that name, Herhan furrowed his brows more deeply.

“When you were very young. You followed Hank to a certain estate a few times. You became friends with some young noble boy.”

“A noble boy? A friend? Hmm… Did you see it through Hank’s memories? I’m not sure.”

“He was a boy about your height. Around here tall. Light sky-colored hair.”

“Hm. Maybe I remember…”

Her memory was hazy.

If it was as Herhan described, it would have been when she was about ten.

It was no wonder she didn’t remember clearly.

“You two were holding hands.”

“Me? With that boy?”

Herhan sat up slightly, looking stunned by her casual response.

His sculpted body was revealed again.

Even though it was obvious he still wanted her, Herhan looked annoyed enough that he had to express it first.

“‘I see’? That’s all?”

“What else should it be? It happened when I was ten. Are you seriously jealous of that?”

“You were holding hands. Those cute little hands.”

Pretty and chubby like smooth pebbles.

Hands he himself had never held when she was that small.

“So? Was that young noble also a descendant of Enril?”

“I think so… But that’s not the point, Riela.”

“Wow. Maybe I saved more people than I realized.”

She spoke deliberately as if teasing him.

Herhan gritted his teeth.

He’ll hug me again now, Riela thought.

And she was right.

“Come here. You won’t sleep a minute tonight.”

Grinding his teeth, Herhan pulled her back to him.

The sweat from earlier hadn’t even cooled yet.

He brushed the damp strands of hair away from her face.

Riela slipped into his arms again and traced her fingers across his chest.

“Instead of those cute hands, what do you think of these pretty hands that are tempting Your Majesty like this?”

* *  *

“Your Majesty…”

—Tok Tok

“Your Majesty…”

Knock.

Knock knock.

“Your Majesty? Ahh… please…”

Knock knock knock knock knock.

By the time the chaotic knocking woke Riela, bright sunlight had already entered through the window.

How long had the night been?

No—

had she still been in Herhan’s arms even after dawn arrived?

In a sleepy voice, Riela answered toward the door.

“Captain Asion?”

“Ahhh! Yes! Have you finally woken up?”

“Yes… I finally woke up, but…”

She wanted to sleep a little longer.

Maybe even stay like this for a few more days.

Ignoring whether Asion cried outside the door or not, Riela buried her forehead again into Herhan’s chest, using it like a pillow.

Then Asion shouted desperately from outside.

“Please wake His Majesty immediately! And Lady Riela, hurry back to the main palace through the secret passage! Do you even know what happened overnight?”

Riela had thought it didn’t matter if Asion cried.

But listening closely— it really did sound like he was crying.

* * *