I’m the Only One Who Can Put the Tyrant To Sleep Chapter 113

Jealousy?

The very thought made my face flush red in an instant.

“Deputy Lady-in-Waiting? Are you alright?”

Perhaps I seemed strange, standing frozen in place, because Lunavel came closer to me.

“Ah, I….”

I hastily covered my face with one hand. Then, seizing the chance, I stopped a passing palace maid and handed Lunavel over to her.

“Please escort this lady out of the palace gates. I—I suddenly have urgent business. I’m so sorry.”

When the maid nodded, I apologized to Lunavel and hurried back to my quarters.

Even after I sat on my bed, the turmoil in my heart would not settle.

Jealousy? At whom, and why…?

There was no use pretending otherwise. There was no need to think any deeper. The feelings that had surged forth were already far too obvious.

From the very moment I thought I could never give up the place at Caesar’s side—not as Empress, but as his beloved—that truth could no longer be denied.

So then… I love Caesar…

I buried my face deep in the pillow. My chest fluttered, my fingertips trembled. I had no idea what to do.

 

****

 

 

 

Whatever my heart might be, I was still the Deputy Lady-in-Waiting of the Imperial Palace. I had to report for duty every day.

Which meant I had to face Caesar every single day.

Dragging my unwilling legs, I made my way toward the palace. I hadn’t slept properly all night with my mind in such chaos.

My body felt heavy, but my mind only grew sharper, driven by the pounding of my heart as though I had just finished a run.

I stopped before the Emperor’s chamber door and took a deep breath. Something I had done countless times before suddenly felt unbearably difficult.

“Lady?”

While I stood there hesitating, someone tapped my shoulder and spoke.

“…Sir Alvin!”

“What are you doing here? Why not go in?”

“I was just… about to! Let’s go in together.”

Without giving him a choice, I pushed Alvin ahead. If he was with me, it would be less embarrassing than being alone with Caesar.

Though he looked puzzled, Alvin obediently opened the door.

“Your Majesty.”

“You’re here. Today it’s… Eve?”

Caesar, expecting Alvin alone, looked slightly surprised when he saw me.

“You two came together?”

“We happened to meet.”

“Ah…”

I hid behind Alvin, lowering my gaze. To see Caesar’s face, to meet his eyes, felt unbearably embarrassing.

“Eve?”

“Yes?”

“What are you doing there, not sitting?”

He looked at me with puzzled eyes. Normally I would have sat at the table the moment I entered.

“Ah, yes.”

I forced my stiff body to move as though nothing were amiss and sat at the table. Then, avoiding Caesar’s gaze, I stared intently at the flowers arranged there.

“Your Majesty, I have a report.”

Thankfully, Alvin stepped in between us and began talking business. Taking advantage of the moment, I shuffled through the documents in front of me, using them as an excuse to avoid Caesar’s eyes.

But Alvin’s report ended all too quickly.

“Then I’ll be off. Please come out once you’re ready.”

“Very well.”

The moment Alvin left the room, Caesar’s gaze fixed squarely on me again.

“Eve.”

“Yes?”

“Did something happen?”

“No?”

I kept flipping through the documents I had already reviewed countless times, pretending to study them while ignoring the heat of his gaze burning into my cheek.

“…You’re acting strange.”

“Not at all! Nothing strange here!”

The sound of Caesar’s chair scraping against the floor made my heart lurch. I kept my eyes glued to the papers.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stride toward me. My heartbeat quickened to match his steps.

“Hm…”

My eyes stayed on the documents, but the words no longer made sense. Every sense of mine was trained on Caesar.

His presence drew closer. Nearer, nearer still…

“Ah!”

Startled, I snapped my head up. Caesar had leaned down, his face suddenly right in front of mine.

“W-why? What is it?”

Trying to ignore my pounding heart, I asked, and Caesar frowned.

“Why won’t you look me in the eye?”

“…I-I am! I am looking at you.”

So I fixed my gaze stubbornly on the bridge of his nose, his cheek, his philtrum, his brow, the edge of his eyebrow—anywhere but his eyes.

“Eve.”

Caesar chuckled in disbelief, then leaned even closer. At a distance far too close.

I could see his blue eyes. His long lashes fluttered once—

“Kyaa!”

I yelped and jerked backward, hastily covering my face with the stack of documents in my hands.

“…That’s what you call ‘looking me in the eye’?”

There was no way to excuse myself. I pressed my lips shut and stayed silent.

How is this possible?

I couldn’t believe it myself. Just yesterday I had been fine—yet the moment I realized my feelings, everything changed. It wasn’t as though our relationship itself had changed.

“Eve.”

At the sigh-like call of my name, I finally lowered the papers and met Caesar’s gaze.

He gently took the documents from my hands and set them on the table. Then, as if it were the most natural thing, he held my hand.

“Ah…”

From the point where his hand touched mine, a burning heat spread across my skin. A hand I had held dozens, hundreds of times before—yet now it felt utterly different.

“I-I—!”

“Yes?”

I shot up from my seat, flinging his hand away.

“Eve?”

“S-something urgent came up!”

And with that unbelievable excuse—for the second time—I hurriedly fled the room.

 

 

****

 

 

 

After Evelyn stormed out, Caesar remained alone in the chamber, frozen stiff, not moving a muscle.

‘Why is she suddenly acting like that? Did I do something wrong?’

Never once had Evelyn behaved in such a way, no matter the circumstance. Caesar stared at the hand she had slapped away, then called Alvin in a low voice.

There was a knock, and Alvin, who had been waiting outside the chamber, entered.

“You called for me, Your Majesty?”

“What did you and Eve talk about outside earlier?”

“…Pardon?”

At the sudden question, Alvin’s face went blank.

“You’ve never come in together before. Why today, of all times?”

“Nothing special, Your Majesty. We just happened to meet at the door.”

“Nothing unusual at all?”

“Well…”

After thinking for a moment, Alvin answered.

“If I had to point out something… it seemed as though the lady was hesitating.”

“Hesitating? About what?”

“About entering this chamber.”

Caesar’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Is she truly avoiding me?

“Of course, it could just be my mistake—”

“Alvin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Startled at the sharp tone, Alvin hastily straightened.

“Find out what happened with Eve.”

“…Your Majesty? The lady?”

“Yes. Something must have happened. Up until yesterday she was her usual self…”

Caesar recalled yesterday’s luncheon with the young count’s daughter. Evelyn had seemed normal then.

The only difference was… instead of returning to the reception room after escorting the lady out of the palace gates, Evelyn had claimed she was busy and never came back.

Did something happen then?

“Look into her movements after yesterday’s luncheon.”

“At once, Your Majesty.”

Alvin bowed deeply and withdrew. Caesar sat down at the table, still carrying Evelyn’s lingering warmth, and sank into thought.

Surely Ian or the noble faction didn’t do anything to her…

The worry rose naturally, though nothing in particular stood out. And if that were the case, Evelyn would have had no reason to avoid him.

For now, there was still a mountain of work to attend to. Caesar sighed and rose from his seat.

That evening, Alvin returned swiftly with the results of his inquiry.

By then, Caesar had still not managed to properly meet Evelyn’s eyes, and his mood had soured considerably. Sitting at his office desk, he asked:

“Well? Did you find anything unusual?”

“There was a palace maid’s account. She said that yesterday evening, while escorting Lady Lunavel outside the palace, the deputy lady-in-waiting suddenly claimed an urgent matter had arisen.”

“Lunavel?”

“The young count’s daughter who dined with Your Majesty yesterday.”

“Ah…”

Caesar tried to recall the luncheon, but failed. The girl’s face, her name—they had already vanished from his mind.

“And before that, nothing else?”

“No, sire. The maid said she was simply walking the corridor as usual.”

Then did that woman do something?

All he could remember was the conversation, and nothing malicious had come to mind. Of course, it was possible she had worn a mask of politeness in front of him.

“Lunavel, was it…”

“Shall I investigate her?”

At Alvin’s suggestion, Caesar’s gaze shifted, not to him but to the pile of letters scattered across the desk.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“…Your Majesty?”

“I’ll meet her myself.”

Lifting one of the envelopes, Caesar spoke. On its surface, the name Lunavel was neatly written.