A few days later.

The harem was completely shut down, and the luxuries that had been painted with gold and jewels were organized and brought into my safe with large sums of money.

When I looked at the ledger of my wealth, it seemed that the budget of the Empress Dowager was quite large.

Fufu, I’m glad I can pay the academy tuition!

From what I heard from the maids, even among the aristocrats, the closing of the harem was unexpected but positive.

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t completely organized, but it’s good, isn’t it?

My safety is getting fuller, and my image is getting better.

If I had to say that the person who would be known for changing the harem into servants, would it be the Emperor who was the owner of the imperial castle?

Still, there wouldn’t be any problems. At the very least, I think I’m going to be capricious again.

‘After all, the Emperor doesn’t even care about my harem, well.’

I smiled proudly and left to ask the Emperor to eat together today.

* * *

“Hello, Your Majesty! You look good today.”

I poked my head into the conference room and smiled.

“Greetings the Empress.”

Now, the servants who barely noticed the timing fell away, and the Emperor automatically rose from his seat and made a terrifying expression.

‘Fufu.’

I managed to swallow a laugh. It’s just, that she got used to it and he reacted unconsciously to it, but it was a face she realized later.

It’s okay, Male lead. That’s how you get used to it.

“Have a nice meal!”

The servants did not even know that and greeted them loudly.

“Come on, Your Majesty!”

I pushed the door wide open. The Emperor raised his eyebrows, but in the end, he quietly went to the dining room with me.

Crackle, clack.

“Your Majesty, did you come at dawn yesterday? It seems like you sleep too late every day. Going to bed early and waking up early is good for your health.”

I sat facing each other at the long table and chimed in. Giving out a daily routine plan that I had asked my doctor for.

But the Emperor started eating first without even looking at me.

Chi, I knew this. But he said that it has already been two weeks since I got used to the silent Emperor!

I grinned and chuckled at him again.

“Hey, your Majesty, you don’t sleep much. Even if you sleep well, if fatigue builds up, you get tired easily.”

I decided to work as a full-fledged caretaker for the Emperor. And for my health, I was going to force the 7 hours of sleep recommended by the doctor.

No matter how many times I listen to ASMR, it makes sense that I sleep 4 hours a day? He’s tired and dying!

“Your Majesty, can you come a little earlier tonight?”

When I talked to him, he used the aroma oil that Lindo made for good sleep.

“Why do you care?”

A low voice was heard. It was the first answer in two weeks!

I smiled happily, then realized the meaning of the words and pouted my mouth.

“What are you talking about? Knowing well that I work hard every day to repay your Majesty.”

“Isn’t that why we eat together every day?”

That’s true. I put on a prickly look on my face.

“All right. Then, from now on, I will make sure you eat well with me.”

“Why do you care?”

“…Can’t you just tell me that you knew it just once?”

It’s like a tricky black panther. 

I vomited in my constant bluntness, shut my mouth tightly, and ate the salad thoroughly.

For that reason, I didn’t even notice that the golden eyes on the other side were watching me one by one as if staring at his prey.

* * *

The mealtime of one day that we are now accustomed to.

Xi’an has completely turned off the Empress for the past few days. However, since they are a married couple, it was the Empress’s action to automatically find out even if they weren’t interested.

It had been reported the same way in the past, but I don’t know why it stands out so much now.

Anyway, surprisingly, from the day Xi’an stopped paying attention to the present, for quite some time, the Empress only stayed at the Empress’s Palace.

What else are you up to?

A curiosity arose. Xi’an tried to ignore it, but the Empress was still bubbly and playful with the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, can you come a little earlier tonight?”

… Have you ever repented of yourself?

It seemed so. Wasn’t it originally said that the Empress had a fickle personality?

The forceful forehead loosened. Of course, he wasn’t aware of himself.

In the end, Xi’an, who was alone in the Cold War and solved by himself, asked abruptly.

“Why do you care?”

Why are you so interested in me? What will be the benefit to you if you take care of me? Xian was curious.

Although his voice was cold because he was not friendly since kid, it was a straightforward and pure question.

But for some reason, the Empress had a pitiful expression on her face.

“What do you mean by that?”

I was just asking. Was it too stiff?

Xi’an thought for a moment, then changed his tone a little and asked.

“Why do you care?”

“…Can’t you just tell me that you knew it just once?”

But for some reason, the Empress became more and more nauseous.

“Your Majesty, eat first. Aren’t you going to eat dessert anyway? I’m going to eat it all.”

Xi’an thought as she left the Empress, who didn’t chatter as usual and ate and drank.

‘I’ll have to ask the maid in the Empress Palace.’

When did you become interested in me from that moment on?

If he finds out, Xi’an thought that he might be able to escape from the sweet voice of the Empress who keeps controlling him.

And Xi’an ended the evening meeting early, and she called Lady Lauren to question her.

“The Empress is by nature a very capricious person. She seems to have cleared the harem and found new interests.”

So you don’t have to worry, the maid politely reported.

The Emperor’s health seemed to be treated as a hobby of the Empress, but Xi’an somehow felt a little better.

“Is it true that the harem is completely closed?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He felt better.

“Good.”

“Yes?”

Xi’an didn’t even know why he said it. He was so focused on the fact that she closed her harem, that she even fired the men in the harem, whom she had left behind.

Xi’an, who didn’t even look at Lauren’s stunned eyes, gave her instructions bluntly.

“From now on, let the harem take no interest in her.”

Is it because of budget issues? Lauren reported faithfully to take the side of the Empress.

“Yes, His Majesty the Emperor. Even so, it seems that these days, growing plants is an Empress’ new hobby. The men in the harem, she brought in as a servant, will have plow the field…”

“What are you saying?”

Lauren was startled by the cold voice that seemed to freeze the air.

“The men in the harem, are they staying at the empress’s palace?”

The sharp golden eyes were as close as those of a wild beast.

* * *

“Oh, it’s muscle pain.”

A handsome man with green-tailed hair rubbed his shoulder. A handsome man with a pointy chin, taking off his top, wiped the sweat and patted him.

“Thanks to the Empress, I almost went to the bar, but I stayed in the Imperial Castle.”

“Taylor is right. The only thing I’m good at is face and writing, where did I get a job that paid me a full paycheck in a recession like these days?”

Saint, who was writing poetry on a napkin even during breaks, laughed softly.

“Yeah, right. I was forced to come because of the harem and money. It makes me feel comfortable and really good because I can make money with this kind of fair work.”

The past is buried in darkness, and now three men are born as the most reliable servants.

Heid, Taylor, and Saint looked at each other and laughed hahaha.

“By the way, Her Majesty, don’t you think she has changed? She is very kind these days.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t even drink!”

“That’s right. Besides, Lindo begged that he wanted to study, so she let him stay at the Empress’s Palace…”

Bang!

Suddenly, the door in the restroom swung open as if it was about to fall off. The three men stood up in surprise.

“H-His Majesty the Emperor!”

Then he found a man with black hair and gold eyes, who was the owner of the Empire, they all bowed to his back.

“I see your Majesty!”

“… Among you.”

A cold low tone pierced the three of them. The handsome men who had only a good face and had never fought a fight or battle began to tremble.

“Yes!, Your Majesty!”

What did we do wrong? I don’t know, maybe you rested too long?!

“Who has listened to the Empress?”

The three handsome boys ceased to be distant.

The problem here.

When the husband of the owner suddenly came in and questioned him. Should I say I slept? Am I supposed to tell the truth that I didn’t sleep?

The three handsome boys trembled and pondered.

Naturally, common sense was that the Emperor, the owner of the empire, was higher than their master, the empress. So they had to tell the truth.

However, there was a treaty of secrecy they made while they became the Empress’s servants.

‘From now on, do not disclose your private life to anyone other than me. Everything I did for you was my order. Never without my permission.’

‘Hey, should I keep my mouth shut since this is also private?’

But what if I shut up and the emperor’s wrath? But what if the Empress is angry?

Whichever one they chose, they felt like his neck was dangling. So the three men fell to their knees in front of the emperor one by one in a panic.

“If you keep your mouth shut, I will strike you in the neck from the left.”

The Emperor raised the three jaws one by one with his sword.

“!”

The handsome men were all drenched in blood. Then, the Emperor asked with cool eyes.

“Something the Empress whispered to you. Tell me everything.”

For a husband who came to visit his wife’s concubine, the question was somewhat strange.

However, the handsome men were terrified and did not know it was strange.

I-I don’t know! Let’s live for now!

“S-She told me to pay for the meal!”

When the handsome boys met the Empress recently, they picked up every single word that the Empress had made her mouth worn out and served them.

“He who does not work, there is no money!”

“You have lived on your face for so long, now eat and live with your labor!”

Shouts echoed everywhere. It was a truly gruesome sight.

The weak handsome men gasped as if they were going to pass at any moment, and the maids and escorts trembled, not knowing how the unpredictable tyrant could run wild.

“…….”

In the suffocating silence. The Emperor’s forehead narrowed slightly, and another question flew in.

“What the Empress does while sleeping.”

“Yes? Uh, she frowned…”

“Swearing…”

“Yawning!”

… We are doomed.

The three responded at the same time like a conditional reflex. But all three had different answers.

I’ve seen her fall asleep drunk in a harem. But the drunken Empress liked to sleep alone, so no one had ever shared a bed with her.

Therefore, no one knew exactly what the sleeping Empress looked like.

‘Haah’

Those around them snorted inwardly. All three have different answers, so bethink someone is lying.

‘Obviously, someone puts up the water and lies because they don’t want to die.’

The guards and maids, who were once envious of handsome boys, all prayed for a peaceful life.

‘It was said to live with your head on grass.’

Please, in my next life, I hope I have a good life.

-to be continued