Chapter 17: The Emperor’s Unexpected Morning

Owen felt unusually refreshed as he listened to the birds chirping outside the window. After days of being bedridden and drenched in sweat, his body felt unbelievably light. The headache that had weighed on him and the unpleasant fever had completely vanished.

What day was it today? During the days he had been ill, a great deal of state affairs must have piled up. Byron and the chamberlain would have shielded him as much as they could, but important matters ultimately had to be handled by Owen himself.

There was no more time to delay.

‘What is this?’

Raising his upper body from the bed, Owen looked down in confusion at the figure collapsed at his feet. It wasn’t the chamberlain. Byron? No, that couldn’t be.

The place Owen had been lying in was not the official imperial bedroom. It was merely a narrow refuge built generations ago by a former emperor to prepare for assassination attempts.

Disliking the luxurious bedroom inherited from his grandfather, Owen had moved his own furniture here even before ascending the throne. It was a place known only to him and the chamberlain.

Every night, Owen would walk into what was known as the emperor’s bedroom, pass through several inner chambers, and arrive at this small sanctuary. Every morning, he would return to the grand bedroom and receive the attendants’ service.

Even his cousin Byron did not know of this room. The chamberlain would never allow anyone inside, no matter how skilled a physician they might be.

‘Blond hair…’

The man lying face down with his head buried in his arms had golden hair. Not a woman, but a man with blond hair. As far as Owen knew, there was only one such person in the palace, his insolent male consort.

‘The chamberlain has done something unnecessary.’

‘Did he assign him to nurse me? That man?’

Looking down at the sleeping figure, Owen scoffed as he imagined the consort’s sullen expression, forced into playing nurse against his will. The sight of him asleep with his face buried near the bed looked oddly convincing.

Normally, Owen would have woken him immediately and sent him back to the consorts’ quarters, but this morning he felt unusually good and didn’t want to ruin it with an argument.

‘I’ll have the chamberlain deal with it.’

Deciding to show leniency and overlook the consort’s impropriety, Owen carefully got out of bed so as not to wake him. A basin and towel lay near the consort’s feet. Had he really stayed by Owen’s side all night? Like a truly devoted lover?

As if answering the question, the man’s upper body, precariously balanced, began to slip downward. If he moved even slightly, he would fall to the floor. Watching this, Owen frowned. After a moment, deciding to be just a bit more lenient, he approached.

‘What a mess.’

Up close, Owen frowned further at the state of the consort. He reached out and touched the back of his neck. There was a cut, likely from a blade, still marked there. It wasn’t deep, but the red line stood out against his pale skin, looking painful.

That wasn’t all. His face was smudged with soot, his plain clothes were dirty and worn, and he was barefoot. And why on earth did he have a flower tucked behind his ear?

Recalling how he had seen him in the garden days ago, wearing a flower crown and smiling foolishly, Owen nodded as if understanding. He really likes this sort of thing. Supporting the nearly collapsing body, Owen lifted him onto the bed and turned him onto his back.

Freed from the uncomfortable position, the man stirred in his sleep and kicked off the blanket. After a brief hesitation, Owen pulled it back over him. Watching the sleeping figure with an uneasy expression, he then left the room.

****

“Your Majesty! You’re awake.”

The chamberlain rushed over, face filled with emotion.

“How is your fever? Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“Why did you do something so unnecessary?”

“I’m not sure what you mean, Your Majesty.”

Though he clearly knew, the chamberlain feigned ignorance. Irritated by the obvious act, Owen continued sharply.

“You’re the one who brought that man here.”

“You mean Lord Fria? Now that you mention it, wasn’t he there with you?”

He personally nursed Your Majesty through the night. It’s thanks to Lord Fria’s care that you’ve recovered so well. They say men gain strength when cared for by their beloved, after all.

Speaking of which, the late emperor was terribly dramatic, whenever he caught even a slight cold, he summoned all his consorts to the main palace. Each brought their own physi’cian, and the conflicting opinions made it a nightmare to manage.

‘I lost handfuls of hair back then.

Ignoring the chamberlain’s chatter, Owen turned away and gestured toward Judith, who was sprawled on the sofa.

“Did that child come along as well?”

Only then did the chamberlain remember the maid and rush to wake her.

“How dare you behave so rudely! Wake up at once!”

Judith had been pestering him all night, ever since Fria disappeared into the inner chambers.

“Take me with you, Chamberlain! I must stay by Lord Fria’s side and attend him!”

After whining like that, she had curled up on the sofa near dawn and fallen asleep while the chamberlain dozed off as well.

“Let her sleep.”

‘Like master, like servant, both equally careless even in their sleep.’

Stopping the chamberlain, Owen removed his robe and let it fall. The attendants immediately rushed in to assist him. As they followed him into the bath, the chamberlain stretched his stiff joints.

“Oh, my old bones.”

A quick-witted young attendant began massaging his shoulders. After enjoying it for a while, the chamberlain suddenly straightened.

“Oh dear, what am I doing.”

He hurried into the bath and bowed.

“Your Majesty, shall I inform Lord Fria to see you before he leaves?”

Soaking in warm water with his eyes closed, Owen replied,

“No need… Actually, have him washed and sent off.”

The chamberlain misunderstood this as an order to prepare and bring Fria to the emperor’s chamber, rather than sending him back. Delighted by Owen’s swift recovery, he cheerfully obeyed.

****

An unfamiliar ceiling. Fria blinked slowly, his gaze drifting to the bedpost adorned with laurel patterns. There were no curtains to block the sunlight, and it poured directly into the room.

“…Ah.”

He remembered coming to the main palace last night at the chamberlain’s summons. The emperor was nowhere to be seen. There had only been one bed in the room. If Owen had left on his own, it meant he had recovered enough to walk. Then why was Fria lying here?

Possibility one: he had, half-asleep, crawled into the emperor’s bed.
Possibility two: the emperor had moved him.
Possibility three: after the emperor left, he had taken the empty bed himself.

If it were the first, that ill-tempered man would never have let him off. The second was even less likely. That left only one explanation: he must have collapsed onto the bed after Owen left and slept until now.

Still, a question remained. Why hadn’t he been thrown out immediately? Was the emperor moved by his care? Unlikely. Shaking his head, Fria dismissed the thought.

Though small for an emperor’s chamber, the room was furnished with high-quality pieces placed with precision. The restrained design emphasized the natural texture of the materials, reflecting a firm and unyielding personality.

The polished mahogany desk and the large glass-fronted bookshelf would tempt any book lover.

In contrast, Fria’s quarters in the consorts’ palace were filled with delicate, charming decorations chosen by Judith, who prided herself on her taste. Forced to sleep among lace and frills every night, Fria felt a refreshing sense of relief in this more refined space.

Even the bedding was different. Without a single frill, the blue silk with silver embroidery looked far more elegant. The cushions were so firm that no matter how he rolled around, they didn’t sink.

“I wish this were my room.”

Muttering wistfully, Fria suddenly noticed a shadow falling over his face.

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