The Princess' Bedroom Doll

Duke Winston’s body gradually stiffened. Karzen’s mood was unusual. He wasn’t just talking. Only then did Duke Winston finally realize. Karzen had already been seething with rage before he arrived.

If he had been a low-ranking noble instead of a duke, he would have been decapitated by Karzen’s hand today. That was how unusual Karzen’s eyes were.

Karzen got up from his seat.  He slammed the sword he was wearing into the ground.

A roar of stone slabs cracking. Karzen’s treasure sword crumbled the ground and stuck into it. Duke Winston closed his eyes tightly. A cold sweat began to form on his back. Karzen had just chosen to shatter the marble instead of inserting his sword into Duke Winston’s neck.

Karzen slumped back into his seat.

“Duke Winston.”

“Yes. Yes. ……. Your Majesty.”

“There’s a certain degree that Winston wants to control me.”

“…….”

“The emperor’s father-in-law? Don’t the other dukes have daughters?”

“…… Your Majesty.”

“How far would Duke Winston protest if I were to invite one of them into my bedchamber today and made her Empress? All I have to do is get her pregnant.”

“Your Majesty ……! What…!”

“I lost my second-in-command today, and I can’t get angry at anyone. Should I take it out on the wise men or Raha? Or Duke Esther?

Karzen had long ago unleashed all kinds of anger with blood and war since he was crown prince. Unable to have the blue eyes of the heir, his legitimacy was shaken, and when he heard the news of a frontier Count supporting Raha as emperor…

The same was true of the method of consolidating his position. The sudden action of Severo dealt a severe blow to Karzen’s position. Therefore, Karzen would renew his position with the method he had always adhered to.

Since war was difficult to wage immediately in anticipation of the national wedding, he would feel better if his hands stained with blood. That meant…

“The Winstons are forbidden to enter the palace for four days. Go back and do not step out of the mansion.”

“……!”

“In four days half of the Winstons  will be gone, so why don’t you take some time to pray with my fiancée?”

Duke Winston’s eyes widened. But Karzen’s still contained only clear arsenic. A momentary dark smile flashed in his eyes, which held only death, Karzen was like a different person.

“Ah, come to think of it.”

“…….”

“It’s been a long time since I gave Raha slaves. Wouldn’t it be a bad idea to give her a slave as a gift to apologize for my lieutenant’s wrongdoing?”

Kaazen tilted his chin at an angle and looked at the frozen Duke Winston.

“I wonder how many of Winston’s beautiful young men are in your family, Duke.”

* * *

Shed watched Raha as she was  sound asleep, and reached out his hand.

Her cheeks were red with rosy heat, thanks to Oliver’s firm warmth over Raha’s body. It was not winter and the bedroom was full of heat. Raha tossed and turned as if she was hot. Shed removed the sheet that covered her entire body.

When the cool air touched her exposed legs, Raha stopped turning.

It was quiet. It was peaceful to see Rach sleeping with her eyes closed. She often had difficult nights. Such times when he would lie long on his side with his hand on her cheek, staring at her, while Raha slept.

And it was moments like now that Shed wanted to take her to Hildes more fiercely than ever.

Shed picked up Raha’s hair and buried his lips in it. Only when she was asleep did he stare at the peace that finally came to her face. The atmosphere in the main palace was said to be unusual, but here it was beautiful and quiet. An otherworldly and silent palace.

How much time had passed? Sunlight filtered through the thick drawn curtains.

Shed, who was watching Raha sleeping soundly, quickly kissed her forehead and got up from the bed.

Shortly after stepping outside, Shed saw Branden running frantically.

“My lord! Did you hear? Rumors are spreading that he tried to kidnap the Princess!”

“Kidnap?”

“Yes, sir! It’s a big fuss! I heard the man committed suicide because of it?”

“Looks like you’ve listened well.”

“Didn’t you bring me here to use me for that purpose?”

Shed glanced at Branden.

“It looks like it.”

Shed answered shortly and got to his feet. Branden continued his story as he hurried along. All of the stories was what he had heard from the nobles with whom he had interacted quite a bit in Delo.

This lord was well aware of the desires of the Delo imperial nobility who flocked to him. It was a wonder that he did not know about it, since he was a man who had received such desires to the fullest extent in the Kingdom of Hildes.

The nobles of the Delo Empire took a great interest in Shed Hildes, a war hero and the brother of the king of Hildes. They wanted to build a relationship with him, but it was difficult. Shed Hildes only stayed with the princess and never left her palace.

While they were trying to devise a way to get close to him, Branden walked around the palace with Oliver. If he had been walking around alone, though, Oliver had a very special status. He was a boy who was basically exceptionally well-liked by people because he was a disciple of a wise man.

Thanks to this, the nobles who approached him blatantly were cut off, and the more moderate and curious nobles approached Branden and greeted him kindly.

Always a good-natured person, Branden quickly became friends with them. It seemed as if She’d had brought him to this imperial palace for such a purpose in the first place…… but he got a little suspicious.

This was the Delo Empire, and even if he had appropriate exchanges with the nobles, there should not be the same tragedy as before…. The flock that ousted the mute King of Hildes and whispered to Shed to take the throne should not be in the Delo empire.

Why?

Was socializing that much trouble?

Branden’s doubts were unraveled as he followed Oliver around.

His lord saved all the time for the Princess. So, such trivial things were blamed on him (Branden). 

‘Oh dear.’

He thought it would be nice if the imperial princess loved his lord a little just because his lord was addicted to the imperial princess…

If she couldn’t, well, he would figure out how to help. Still, from time to time he watched the princess from a distance with Oliver, he noticed that the princess smiled whenever she saw his lord.

He remembered Oliver telling him how perplexed he was, with a serious look on his face.

“Lord Branden. Do you see? Our Princess is not the one who smiles like that.”

She didn’t smile very often….

“It seems that the imperial princess likes the royal lord. Good.”

Listening to Oliver’s words, Branden said in a serious voice.

“Sir Oliver. My lord is now…Doesn’t he seem insane?”

Oliver chuckled.

That young palace doctor, who had secretly seemed to not like the his lord since their first meeting, had suddenly changed his demeanor the other day. 

Oliver was young but firm. He treated everyone kindly, but he seemed to draw the line, placing his own personal standards firmly in place.

From Branden’s point of view, Oliver seemed to have liked only the princess.

Branden himself got along well with Oliver, and he had been tightly attached to Oliver since he came to Delo…..how could he get into that line? The odds of the royal lord coming within the line seemed distant.

One day, however, Oliver suddenly had some kind of enlightenment and his hostility toward the royal lord subsided at once. Branden did not know why. He thought that his lord had secretly bribed Oliver…it didn’t feel that way, though.

Anyway, Branden was reasonably at ease. Until the Imperial Palace was turned upside down by the story that an aide called Severo Crassus or something tried to kill or kidnap the Imperial Princess.

Oh …… there was one more thing.

Until the visit of the emperor’s chamberlain.

“My lord, how were you last night?”

The chief chamberlain, who politely inquired about his well-being, soon relayed the news.

“His Majesty insists on a cup of tea.”

Branden frowned. In fact, Shed’s expression was indifferent.

“All right.”

“Yes, my lord. I have prepared a carriage for you.”

The chamberlain, who spoke in a refined tone, carried the steps. As Shed strode away, a bewildered Branden hurriedly followed. When they got into the carriage, Branden asked Shed.

“Why would the emperor want to meet you?”

“You’ll find out when you get there.”

“My Lord. My heart feels like it’s going to burst.”

“……?”

Shed tilted his chin lightly.

“Well, go home, then.”

“No, I must assist. You didn’t go to Delo’s main palace much.”

That …….

Because he was faithfully fulfilling the role of the Princess’s chamber slave.

So Branden was very nervous.

But Shed had a relaxed expression on his face. Knowing this, the emperor’s chief chamberlain must have smiled the same smile as usual when he saw Shed. Of course, Branden knew Shed didn’t show much emotion. He was like that in Hildes and more so in other countries’ imperial palaces.

However, Branden had been with Shed for a very long time.

‘He seems to be very angry right now…’

That was true. Branden’s head was full of thoughts that the other one (Karzen) must be very angry too.

* * *

”Have a seat, my lord.”

Karzen was not alone. Next to him was a palace courtier, who stood up when Shed entered.

With a gentle smile and a light silent bow, the courtier retired to her proper seat as per imperial etiquette.

As soon as Shed sat down across from him, Karzen began his business.

“Now, the royal lord has to shed your ridiculous identity as a bedroom slave. It has been bothering me for a long time. I thought the mischief was too much, since I had given a lowly position to a royalty.”

“It was nothing.”

Shed continued.

“I never felt it was a lowly position. I rather enjoyed it.”