TTCS Chapter 27

Izaya reflexively flinched and let out a small sigh.

Ern was knocking on the window.

“Why don’t you come through the door?”

When I asked the question while opening the window, Ern frowned and answered softly.

"It’s annoying."

After saying that, Ern jumped through the window and reached out to Izaya.

“Let’s dance.”

He reluctantly asked to dance, but Izaya couldn't refuse and grabbed his hand.

Izaya, who was dancing while leading Ern, immediately stared at him as if in surprise.

'Still, his skills are better than before. It's a little creaky, though.'

With her husband's perfectionist nature, it's obvious that he'll try to dance to satisfaction.

It was necessary to satisfy a sense of achievement to some extent.

Soon Izaya opened her mouth.

“You have improved a lot.”

Ern did not respond to Izaya's praise. Izaya added, wondering if he was lacking.

“If this is enough, dancing with other people won’t be too much of a problem.”

At that moment, Ern suddenly groaned and lost balance. Surprised, Izaya hurriedly grabbed him.

“Ern, are you okay? Why all of a sudden…”

“Dancing with other people?”

Izaya thought about it from his bewildered voice.

‘Hmm, is it burdensome to dance with other people because your personality is so introverted?’

But she couldn’t leave him like that.

As an emperor, he had to learn how to make friends not only with her, but with other people as well.

“Yes, because there are a lot of people who want to dance to make friends.”

Izaya explained to him to understand. Then Ern looked at her fiercely and asked.

“Are you going to dance with someone else too?”

'Huh? Why are you asking me all of a sudden?’

She was puzzled, but Izaya answered honestly.

"It’ll depend on the situation, but maybe? As the Empress, I shouldn’t impress the nobles in a bad way.”

Izaya then felt him twist and asked with concern.

“You didn’t sprain your ankle, did you?”

"Nope."

For some reason, his voice was low.

Izaya kept asking, but Ern kept his mouth shut and turned his head in dissatisfaction.

‘Why the hell?’

Izaya sighed and looked at the clock and was startled.

They have been dancing for an hour or so.

“Let’s stop the practice for today.”

Having said that, Izaya tried to pull Ern's hand out.

But he held her hand so tightly that he wouldn't let it go.

“Ern?”

Seeing her puzzled, Ern remembered the nasty dream he had today.

Izaya was dancing under the colorful lights with a romantic melody.

She was so beautiful that he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

The problem was that she was dancing the dance with a man other than himself.

Soon he clenched his teeth.

'It was just a dream...'

“I will go.”

Having said that, he turned around. Izaya looked at him puzzledly and said,

"Okay. Then goodbye."

After leaving Izaya's room, Ern quickly walked as if running.

How long did he walk like that?

When he felt he had come too far to return, Ern looked at the empress's palace in the distance.

“Goodbye?”

It was just an ordinary greeting. But somehow, he felt like she was letting go of him without any regrets, and he felt frustrated.

* * *

Louisa looked at the gossip paper with trembling hands and then tore it to pieces.

“Aaaaah! Do you think you could do something like this to me and still be okay?”

In the gossip paper, along with the deeds that Louisa had committed so far, there was written a sarcasm about whether it really suited the flower of the social world.

But that wasn't the only thing that upsetted Louisa.

'Besides…are you looking forward to the banquet and the dress of the Empress, advised by leads in social circles?’

She was reminded of the embarrassment she experienced a while ago. That's right...

"I can't help it because the dress has already been fitted, but I gave up the accessories for father…"

He had to re-sell the blue diamond necklace that had been ordered because there was no money.

‘Going to a banquet is cheap and out of fashion! Will everyone laugh at me?’

She’ll be covered in mud, and Izaya would be under the flashy lights.

Her heart shivered.

‘Yeah, I can’t stay still. If I can’t climb up, I’ll drag you down.’

* * *

Time passed, and the banquet was a week away.

Her head maid, Melanie, was doing her best to keep an eye on everything to make sure the banquet was not disrupted.

“Are you taking good care of your dress?”

“Yes, no problem.”

“Then I will go to the Imperial Palace and look after His Majesty’s clothes.”

"Okay."

Looking at Melanie, who looked a little tired, Izaya patted her on the shoulder.

“I think you haven’t slept well lately, so don’t overdo it.”

But even to Izaya's words, Melanie couldn't answer that.

‘It’s been a while now, but we can’t relax anymore.’

There may be people who ruin the dress or leak the design and try to imitate it.

So Melanie alone was managing the dress, locking the closet where her dress was, and keeping her eyes on guarding the dress.

And someone else was watching her carefully.

‘I just need to check the dress…'

“Check the dress and let me know. Or you can ruin the dress.”

Recalling Louisa's words, the maid swallowed dry saliva.

‘If I ruin that dress, I can make a lot of money.’

The maid thought as she stared at Melanie.

‘It's okay. There are many other maids besides me, so I won't get caught. Let's see when Melanie’s away.'

* * *

As the banquet was nearing, the imperial palace was bustling.

Even the quiet Imperial Palace was preparing for a banquet.

“Your Majesty, the repairs are complete. Please check it out.”

Soon after Ern came out in his clothes, the seamstress let out a voice of admiration.

“After all, it is just right!”

Hearing that it fit well, Ern showed a displeased expression.

But the ignorant seamstress continued to chatter.

“I am sure there is no young man who shines more brightly than His Majesty the Emperor at the banquet!”

At that compliment, Ern felt his heart grow cold.

‘Another word from her mouth.’

When he was still the prince, Ern received fearful glances and contempt at the same time, far from being praised.

However, from the moment he ascended to the throne, praise was always heard in his ears.

‘It’s boring.’

Just when Ern's eyes became so cold, a warm voice intervened.

“Yeah, it suits you very well, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Izaya, who had her hair braided to one side differently than usual, was looking at Ern with a smile.

The moment he heard Izaya's praise, an unknown heat filled his chest.

His heart, which had been quiet all of a sudden, was pulsating loudly.

Ern hardened his face and hurriedly turned his head at that strange sensation of warmth and tickling.

‘What, why all of a sudden…'

And watching Ern's reaction, Izaya sighed.

‘You’re hardening your face, what else do you dislike?’

Then, the seamstress smiled and said,

“Special care was taken to match the dress of the Empress.”

As the seamstress said, Ern's clothes were similar in point to Izaya's dress, so it had a couple look.

And this was unexpectedly excessive consideration.

It took a while for him to sigh like that, and Izaya immediately shook her head.

'No. Ern’s expression looks dissatisfying, so he might wear a different outfit.’

With such hope, Izaya waited for Ern's reply.

But the answer that came from him was completely beyond Izaya's expectations.

“Well, then it’s done. I will continue to order from you now on.”

At Ern's words, Izaya frowned.

‘A little while ago, he was displeased, but his mood now…'

It was then. When their eyes met, she shook her head again.

‘Yeah, he’s a teenager, so it must be very fickle and demanding.’

Izaya sighed in surprise. It was because of the dark corners of Ern's eyes.

‘I heard that these days it’s not too much, but why the hell…'

Just in case, Izaya asked Hans.

“His Majesty looks tired, is he sleeping well?”

Then Hans shook his head and answered.

“He’s taking medications that are good for sleep. It’s better than before, but he doesn’t sleep very long.”

'You can’t sleep for long even with the power of drugs? What could be the cause?’

Before returning, he had never had trouble sleeping.

'If he falls over like that, it's a big deal…'

That was when she was looking at him with worried eyes.

'Her hair is pretty...'

Ern looked at Izaya, then turned his head away.

'What am I thinking?’

The moment when Izaya, who felt puzzled, was about to ask him a question.

“Your Majesty the Empress, I have received an urgent call from the Empress’s palace. I think you should go.”

Izaya sighed at the announcement from the attendant.

'I'll ask him later. Let's go back to the Empress's Palace first.'

Upon arriving at the Empress's Palace, Melanie met Izaya urgently.

“Ah! Your Majesty the Empress!”

Note: Advance chapters are available on patreon :)