The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 134

I Might Even Get Jealous of the Stars

By the time the painter was finishing the sketch, Herhan unexpectedly asked if she would like to have dinner with a guest that evening.

“A guest? Who is it?”

“You’ll like them.”

He was right.

The moment Riela recognized who was sitting neatly in the banquet hall waiting for her, her face lit up with a bright smile.

“Duke Brenike!”

“I greet Her Majesty the Empress, the incarnation of Antu.”

As soon as they exchanged formal greetings, Riela quickly took the duke’s hands.

“Have you been well? Is the kingdom at peace? I mean… the people of Riota…”

So many words got stuck in her throat and couldn’t come out.

The biggest of them was her worry and guilt toward the people of Riota.

Greta deserved harsh punishment—

but the people who suffered alongside her had done nothing wrong.

“There is nothing for Your Majesty to worry about. The people of the kingdom are all doing well. They are relieved that order has finally been restored and that Your Majesty the Empress has regained peace.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Truly.

It’s such a relief.

It felt like a tight knot that had been binding her chest all this time had finally come undone.

“Would you like to take a walk together after the meal? I’ll show you around the imperial palace.”

After dinner, Riela walked through the palace garden with Duke Brenike, chatting softly together.

“By the way, you seem to have become more composed in such a short time.”

“Really? Maybe it’s because I’ve been so focused all day on having my portrait painted.”

“Not just because of that.”

Duke Brenike stopped walking and looked at Riela.

Her gaze was warm, filled with the colors of the sunset.

“There is a light shining from Your Majesty.”

It was something she had heard all day—

from the painter brushing his canvas,
from the maids who brushed her hair and held up mirrors for her.

Yet hearing it now felt different.

For some reason, Riela’s chest swelled with emotion.

As if she was finally being acknowledged as a true Empress.

With eyes as warm as the duke’s, she lifted her head straight and answered,

“Thank you.”

And Riela smiled—

more confident and more beautiful than the carefully practiced expression she had held for the portrait.

* * *

“Sometimes, it feels like you like other people more than me.”

Just before going to bed, wrapped in his robe, Herhan suddenly said this.

Riela blinked in confusion, then realized he was talking about Duke Brenike.

“What? Pfft—haha!”

Her laughter was so loud that even the maids waiting outside stirred, wondering what had happened.

But Herhan showed no embarrassment, only a slightly wronged expression.

“Goodness. At this rate, Your Majesty might even get jealous of the stars I look up at in the night sky.”

“Didn’t you know? I’ve already been jealous of those for a long time.”

“What? Your Majesty!”

Still laughing, Riela climbed onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Herhan kept his sulky expression, but his hands naturally settled around her waist.

“It’s just because I was happy to see her after so long. Duke Brenike is from my hometown, someone I respect, and she feels like a mother to me… Wait. Why am I even explaining this?”

Even so, there should be limits to what one gets jealous of.

Riela found herself funny for explaining so seriously.

“Isn’t it a good thing to have many people around you who are worth loving? I like many people.”

“Many people? Who?”

Herhan narrowed his eyes.

“I like Lou, and I like the birds and the sheep. I like Count Delcour, and Commander Asion too. Ah, and Sir Jess……”

 

Just as she was about to generously include Jes among the people she “liked,”

 

Herhan’s lips suddenly covered her chattering red lips.

 

At first, it was a playful kiss.

 

Like a cute “match” between someone teasing and someone boldly playing along.

 

But as their breaths slowly tangled deeper, the playfulness faded, replaced by heat and desire on both their faces.

 

Even though the air was cold, their bodies burned from within.

 

Riela pulled Herhan closer.

 

Thanks to the thin robe, she could feel every movement of his tense body.

 

“So I have quite a few people to be jealous of?”

 

“Ah—Your Majesty……”

 

Whether Riela felt shy or not, Herhan’s deep gaze slowly traced every part of her—

 

her soft, rounded, beautiful form with nothing to discard.

 

“I want to keep all of this just for my eyes.”

 

“Th-that’s such an obvious thing to say……!”

 

Riela suddenly remembered how he had asked that morning if she was still shy around him.

 

Back then, she had brushed it off—

 

but the truth was, he was right.

 

She was still shy around him.

 

It was embarrassing to show herself to him.

 

Embarrassing to meet those burning eyes that seemed ready to consume her,

 

and embarrassing how her mind went blank every time she melted into his embrace.

 

Whenever his red lips touched her body, it felt like that place was burning—

 

just like now.

 

“Y-Your Majesty…… that tickles.”

 

“It’s not just tickling.”

 

Her heart felt like it would burst.

 

“No matter how many people I like, the only one I show this side of myself to… is you, Your Majesty.”

 

Riela’s smooth back glowed softly under the moonlight.

 

Herhan’s hand, resting on her shoulder, slowly moved down her pale back, holding back his urgency.

 

Riela shivered and instinctively curled in, leaning into him.

 

Resting her heated forehead against his chest—

 

it meant that from now on, she would let him do as he wished.

 

“I feel a little sorry for Duke Brenike, but I guess it can’t be helped.”

 

Herhan’s voice burned.

 

“I’ll be late again tomorrow. I’ve already decided that now—and since it’s the Emperor’s will, you can’t stop me.”

* * *

After being thoroughly worn out by Herhan all night, Riela fell asleep as if she had fainted.

 

Resting his chin on his hand, Herhan watched her from beside.

 

The way she lay there, breathing softly, looked like a masterpiece statue of a goddess.

 

He wanted to keep watching her forever, but the night air was too cold.

 

And she had sweated a lot.

 

Leaving the thin slip scattered on the floor as it was, Herhan brought a thicker robe and gently dressed her in it.

 

At dawn, he left the bedroom early.

 

He instructed the maids not to wake Riela until she woke on her own, and not to open the inner curtains.

 

“Your Majesty. Did you sleep well? Where is Her Majesty the Empress—”

 

Jes, who had come for the morning checkup, quickly understood the situation and turned away without even opening the bedroom door.

 

Even though he grumbled about always seeing things he shouldn’t, the fact that he still showed up every morning proved he was a capable aide.

 

“That’s enough. Come with me—and call Duke Brenike as well.”

 

Herhan stopped him.

 

“We’ll hear the investigation report before Riela wakes up.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

* * *

 

“I had already been looking further into the Parlante family, actually.”

 

Duke Brenike said this.

 

Since the Emperor had previously ordered an investigation, she had kept the name “Parlante” in mind ever since.

 

At first, she had suspected they might be a noble house that opposed the imperial family.

 

But after investigating, they turned out to be a very suspicious family in many ways.

 

“They weren’t counts, but barons. About 50 years ago, they donated a large sum to the royal treasury and received a temporary title—but it seems it was revoked not long after.”

 

“Their title was revoked?”

 

“Yes. In regions far from the royal court’s reach, they impersonated high-ranking nobles, pulled in all sorts of funds, and traded stolen goods.”

 

“In simple terms, they were frauds.”

 

Jes summed it up in one line.

 

Herhan wasn’t particularly surprised.

 

Even from the brief glimpse he had seen through Hank’s memories, the Parlante family had seemed suspicious in many ways.

 

“It seems they continued their fraud even after losing their title. There is a record that the royal family sent soldiers to arrest them, but…”

 

The document Duke Brenike handed over was abruptly cut off.

 

There was only a record that the dispatched soldiers returned to the palace empty-handed— there was no information about why, or about the whereabouts of the Parlante family.

 

“When did this happen?”

 

The point where the Parlante family’s trail suddenly ended.

 

“According to the documents, 14 years ago.”

 

That was around the time young Riela had met young Kyle Parlante.

 

In other words, that had been the family’s last known trace.

 

‘What happened after that…?’

 

How the young Kyle Parlante, who had disappeared without a trace, ended up leading the Alliance—

 

When he had started watching both Riela and himself—

 

There were many unanswered questions, but those weren’t the most important thing right now.

 

“What will you do, Your Majesty? About telling Her Majesty the Empress…”

 

“I should tell her.”

 

The most important thing was Riela’s safety.

 

“Do you only know how to hide behind others and fight? Next time, instead of something so cowardly, why don’t you show your real self?”

 

Kyle had already sent puppets to the imperial palace several times, and Riela had even provoked him, calling him a coward.

 

“The palace security is stricter than ever. As long as Her Majesty remains inside, there will be absolutely no harm to her.”

 

Asion spoke with confidence, but Herhan shook his head.

 

“Still, I have to tell Riela. I’ll tell her myself today. So don’t act like you know anything. Be especially careful about the necklace Kyle took and her family’s belongings.”

 

* *  *

 

When Herhan returned to the bedroom, his lovely Riela was still buried in bed, fast asleep.

 

‘She always nags me about oversleeping and being late.’

 

But in truth, Herhan had never overslept.

 

He had simply stayed by her side, protecting her peace until she woke.

 

Today was no different.

 

In the quiet stillness, he gently brushed Riela’s forehead and hair.

 

She looked so pure and beautiful like that, he didn’t want to wake her at all.

 

That was also why he had kept putting off talking about Kyle Parlante.

 

‘But I should tell her today. Riela… among all the people you say you like, I hope that boy from your childhood isn’t one of them.’

 

As if sensing his presence, Riela slowly woke.

 

The moment her eyelids lifted, it felt as if curtains had opened—Herhan’s world suddenly brightened.

 

It was strange how just one person’s gaze could create such a miracle.

 

“Your Majesty, are you late again today—”

 

“Pfft. No, I’m not.”

 

Still half-asleep, and the first thing she did after opening her eyes was nag.

 

Herhan pressed a quick kiss onto her soft cheek, still warm with sleep.

 

“So you’re awake. Your Majesty, you’re nicely dressed.”

 

“Yeah. I had an early meeting.”

 

“Did it go well?”

 

After nodding, Herhan hesitated for a moment before speaking.

 

“Riela, there’s something I need to tell you.”

 

He found himself drawn to the clear eyes looking up at him.

 

It hadn’t been long since everything with Greta had ended.

 

Maybe… could he delay it just a little longer?

 

“…I’m hungry.”

 

“The thing you wanted to say… is that you’re hungry?”

 

“Yeah. Get up, Riela. Let’s eat together.”

 

After that, Herhan spent the rest of the time beside Riela, sharing small, ordinary moments.

 

In the afternoon, the painter from yesterday returned to continue working on Riela’s portrait, and Herhan stayed right beside her again—this time teasing the painter with a slightly different version of the same question as before.

 

“Painter, do you think your brush can fully capture the loveliness of my Empress?”

 

* * *