Chaise a la ReineChapter 48

The weight of the heavy cloth touched the outstretched fingertips. A faint silhouette was reflected through the translucent muslin as the delicate silvery-green brocade canopy, draped to his feet, quietly lifted up with white petals woven prominently with daffodils with golden stamens.

He didn’t even know who the person in the bed was. Judging by the long hair covering the back and the soft curves of the body, they appeared to be a woman, but that alone was too vague. Y8 LfB

He walked slowly through the canopy and approached the silhouette lying on the bed. Feeling the presence, she raised her head and looked at him.

It was quite strange. Even though she was clearly looking at him, her face was not visible, as if he had squashed a half-dried oil painting with his fingertips. Everything was hazy and vague. He felt like he was drunk or high.

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Not particularly inclined, but in a sense of obligation to do so, he grabbed his partner’s slender wrist and slipped his lips onto the soft skin. The woman shied away slightly as his lips tickled her with clear intentions. The gesture of shrinking her shoulders and slightly withdrawing her hand as though embarrassed was faint but very coquettish.

As she raised her small chin and kissed him, the faceless woman gently wrapped her arms around his neck and held him, as if she were acting cutesy. He put his weight on top of her like it was natural, touching her soft body that seemed to melt. MbZsa

The texture of the skin on his fingertips was smoother than silk. The warm body temperature moderately heated up the body, and the breasts were white and plump like a well-inflated meringue…

The woman’s body was sweet all over. Just like a cookie made with only sugar and egg whites, it was so sweet that it seemed like it would disappear if it were put in one’s mouth.

If one’s used to it, it’s a familiar feeling. All the women he’s ever been with have been like this.

But today something was different. Even as he held the woman in his arms, he felt an unknown emptiness. An indescribable hunger, which could not be satisfied with just a sense of sweetness to the point of it being overwhelming, disturbed his desire.

White thighs wrapped around his waist, which were so delicate that he would’ve left a mark on them were he to grab them hard. He lowered his head and kissed her knee, but faintly recalled the two legs, which were much heavier and stiffer, that could not be easily opened by forcible means.

It was somehow disappointing to hear the faint sound of breathing as fragile as that of a bird every time they kissed. What if it had been a lower, suppressed moan? If he could experience hearing that moan that could not be swallowed in his throat and raspily leaked out through his teeth…

While holding the best woman in his arms, what he wanted was a completely different sensation from her.

He wanted stronger shoulders and strong arms that could push him away if he wanted to. He wanted to feel a rough skin texture that would be more suitable to compare to canvas rather than silk, and a firm mouth that did not open easily no matter how many kisses were poured. As he recalled the stubborn eyes that endured to the end, even though violence could have been used to express his refusal, his thirst became stronger. He embodied the imagination in his head as he struggled like a shipwreck in the middle of the desert. jiDnQh

When he forcibly kissed him, his austere, well-groomed eyes turned red with embarrassment, and his eyelashes, soaked with water or sweat, trembled for the first time. When he swept his lips, stiffened with tension, with his tongue, the man’s hard neck trembled as he swallowed a moan. The man would never know what kind of emotion the sight of silver-gray eyes surrounded by dark gray eyebrows looking up in confusion aroused in the other person.

The more he recalled the memories, the more thirsty he felt. The traces of longing that ran hot like lava down the esophagus were drenched deep in the lower abdomen. As he closed his eyes to search for the memories in his head, he felt that his empty arms were being filled with gravity.

A firm curve arose over the body that had only been smooth. Muscles were attached to the weak bones, and the delicate fingers gradually gained strength. The faceless woman was no longer a woman. She had become that man at some point.

The two arms that were hanging around his neck grabbed his shoulders. The feel of his grip on his shoulders was exactly what he had longed for, but as he had hoped, the man’s hands did not embrace him, but gently but firmly pushed him away. a1OXPZ

He opened his closed eyes and looked down at the person lying below him. A familiar face came into view. The silver eyes that quietly faced him were as cold and clear as if they had been washed in water.

No, Your Majesty.

The man rejected him with indifference, not even showing contempt.

*** Jv1wSg

“Ugh.”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Ebroin V opened his eyes with a groan.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

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He looked up at the ceiling, controlling his uneven breathing. Through the gloomy darkness, the familiar religious painting of Saint Regire looked at him kindly. YKeNIV

In the midst of the hazy consciousness, the contents of the dream began to emerge one by one. The fragments of the passing dream were as chaotic as the floats of a wrecked ship.

… I have lost my mind.

Ebroin V remembered what he was dreaming of late, shook his head as he felt ridiculous, and got up from his place. It was still dawn outside. The silver-green canopy that had appeared in his dreams was pulled back and when he went outside, the attendant who was on watch came running to him in surprise.

“Your Majesty, have you already woken up?” 54w8im

“Dreams truly are something. Bring Us vin chaud.”

The Emperor sat casually in an armchair, dressed only in a light gown.

Summer was over, but the early morning air was still chilly. One of the attendants, concerned about this, brought the Emperor a velvet bedroom gown.

He let out a low sigh and rubbed his temples which were heavy from lack of sleep. The problem seemed to be that he did not visit any of his concubines recently because he simply couldn’t be bothered enough to comfort them. baugq

There are all sorts of weird things about having wet dreams like young boys at the age of over thirty. It was fortunate that he did not climax. If he had, he would not have been able to bear it because of how pathetic he would’ve felt later on.

I mean, I had such a dream about Baron Amieux of all…

The more he kept thinking about it, the more ridiculously shameful it felt to the point that he forced out a laugh. However, the deep sensation lingering on his fingertips made it impossible to completely deny the memories of last night.

The warmth of his skin came to mind as vividly as if it were sealed on his palm. A man’s body that was trained like a well-forged blade, not for beauty but for combat. He felt a deep desire for the body, not only in his dreams but also in reality. bemdsG

Even he didn’t know that something that was done purely out of necessity would end up having such an outcome. As he dragged Baron Amieux into the bathroom, all he thought was that he had to buy some time somehow before this foolish man was politically murdered.

Unable to find a suitable reason to excuse his absence, he held him in his arms, but the Emperor never imagined what meaning he would attach to it.

This is quite frustrating. 

Ebroin V was lost in thought, holding the hot tin cup brought by his attendant with both hands. Ebroin V was already an Emperor before his maturity and was not accustomed to denying his desires. He always did what he wanted to do, and he always had what he wanted to have. But no matter how much he thought about it, there was no answer at all this time. lhsdft

Fine. Let’s say that he did feel a physical desire for him for some irrational and incomprehensible reason, unwillingly so. But then what of it?

Ebroin V didn’t bring the man all the way here to warm up the bed at best. Eugène was essential for a bigger plan, and the Emperor had no intention to put his hard-earned loyalty to the test in vain.

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“Your Majesty, you are awake?”

While the attendants, who were busy with the Emperor’s early rise, quietly left the room, Baron Bouilhet, who heard the news, hurried in and greeted the Emperor in the morning. xFKYJU

Ebroin V, who had wet his parched mouth with hot wine filled with cinnamon, glanced back at the clock and had a puzzled expression on his face. It it not even six in the morning, yet you are already here? Baron Bouilhet also had a room allotted to him in the court, but the Baron’s attire seemed too neat for someone who rushed over after hearing the news that he woke up.

“What happened so early? There is still time until the official rising hour, you know?”

The Emperor asked curiously.

“Late last night an important letter arrived from the Tuler Territory. From what I have checked separately, it is a letter that Your Majesty must see for yourself.” wNinRc

Baron Bouilhet spoke politely and held out the silver tray he had brought for the Emperor. The Emperor took a paper knife that had been prepared in advance on the tray and tore open the top of the wax-sealed envelope and took out the letter. The first thing that caught his eye was the decorative handwriting characteristic of the monks when unfolding the traditionally folded parchment.

The local monastery sent a letter directly to Us? Also in the Eastern Territory that has just been restored?

He was intrigued because of the unusual occurrence. The Emperor began to read the contents of the letter with calm eyes.

As time passed, the indifferent eyes of the Emperor gradually subsided. His momentum, which was getting heavier and heavier, made even the viewer feel serious mental pressure. h4M61O

How much time must have passed?

The Emperor finally took his eyes off the letter and suppressed the surging emotions with a stern and hardened expression. Baron Bouilhet silently bowed his head and waited for the Emperor’s command.

“How did this letter come in?”

“We formally proceeded with a local judge as a notary. This is a formal petition, Your Majesty.” 940moD

“Is that so?”

Ebroin V repeated those words with a low smirk. Then he suddenly became impatient and threw away the tin cup he was holding.

There was a clattering sound and the tin cup that hit the fireplace collapsed all over the floor. Traces of red, blood-like wine spread ominously on the splendid carpet from the Eastern Continent.

*** s 68WR

Two days after visiting the salon of Viscountess Gagnon, Eugène was called by the Emperor. This was the first time since ‘that incident’ took place—a period of 15 days since.

Eugène followed the guidance of the attendant and headed for Petit Apartment. Petit Apartment was a place similar to that of the Emperor’s private chamber that he had been invited to before, except that it was large enough to be given a name and was beautifully decorated. It was one of the few places within the court where the Emperor could spend his personal time.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Your Majesty, who normally never changes his official schedule, what could be the reason?

Since it doesn’t happen often, he was quite perplexed. Regardless of what he imagined, the Emperor always did more than what he expected, so he was worried about what would happen again this time, but Eugène felt uncomfortable because his guilt far exceeded his worry. Id5T6J

The temperament of the fallen nobility, which held out with pride even if they had nothing, was a characteristic that Eugène also had intact. The only difference was that, unlike others, his pride was set on himself, not on others. To be strict with oneself and strict with others is probably speaking of someone like Eugène.

As if it was not enough for such a person to have the master of his own choice take care of the mistake he had committed, he even had him listen to unnecessary gossip, so the sense of debt was indescribable.

“Baron Amieux has arrived.”

With the exclamation of the ceremonial officer, Eugène entered the Emperor’s private place that he could not step into unless invited. HXtnTF

On one wall, beautifully decorated arched windows opened towards the garden. A warm wind shook the tufts of the draped curtains. The late afternoon sunlight filled the room with a faint sepia color.

The Emperor stood by the window wearing a long cloak that looked too heavy to wear in this season. He could see a beautiful and high-quality crimson-red velvet cloak covered with perfectly white sable fur, flowing down to the floor.

The Emperor, who was holding a scepter in one hand while the other was on his waist, looking down at his feet sullenly, heard the ceremonial officer’s voice and turned in Eugène’s direction. As he raised his head, his dazzling blonde hair gleamed brightly under the sunlight like molten gold. Eugène, who saw the Emperor in such a proper manner, widened his eyes as if surprised, and then he bowed his head deeply.

“Baron Amieux sees His Majesty the Emperor, Lord of Ardi, Kleman and Nervoge, Ruler of the Neutel and Salpine Rivers, and Protector of Lex Ardica. May Your Majesty reign forever.” lF62zI

The Emperor bitterly nodded his head to greet him and then turned his eyes back to his feet. Eugène followed his gaze, wanting to do something.

Then he saw a man sitting near the Emperor’s lower body. At first glance, he didn’t seem to be wearing an attendant’s uniform, so he wondered who it was; when he saw the assistant standing next to him diligently holding the dressmaker pins, he had a rough idea.

“Is it still a long way off?”

The Emperor asked in a dull tone. However, this was not a problem that could be solved by grilling the tailor. It was not an everyday outfit, simply the work of making the Emperor’s robe, so even though he was taking the final measurements, he had no choice but to put his heart and soul into it. The imperial tailor, who heard the Emperor’s comment, nodded, bowed his head, and replied very apologetically. T IOUL

“Pardon? Yes, Your Majesty, yes. Please wait a little longer.”

The tailor, urged by the Emperor, inserted the dressmaker pins with much faster motions than before. Everyone who was watching the scene was anxious that he might end up stabbing the His Majesty’s body with the dressmaker pins, but fortunately or unfortunately, such an accident did not occur.

“Baron Amieux.”

The Emperor could not hide his bored expression, as he was unable to move around until the tailor had finished his job. He smacked his lips for a moment, then lifted his finger and called for Eugène. Eugène approached him upon hearing the call, and the Emperor suddenly opened his mouth. 7GZr0f

“How would you feel if you worked in the court for a while?”

“Pardon? What does that mean?”

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Eugène was puzzled, wondering what this was all about.

“We are going to appoint you to the position of custodian of the imperial scepter. It is for a short term, but We want you to do your best.” O2hdBe

The Emperor said as he offered one of the highest honorary posts in the court, even though it held no real power as if he were making him run an errand. Eugène was taken aback for a moment, but when he saw that the scepter was held in the hand of the Emperor, he understood what his master meant.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He politely bowed his head and accepted the symbol of imperial power. Although the position was overly generous, if one were to look into it closely, it wasn’t that it was similar to running an errand, it actually was an errand.

According to his knowledge, the imperial scepter, which symbolized the supremacy of the imperial throne and respect for the sovereignty at the same time, was a precious sacred object that only the custodians of the imperial scepter could touch, except for the cardinal and the Emperor himself at the time of the coronation ceremony. S7X3V

What that meant was that if Baron Bouilhet, the current custodian of the imperial scepter, was not present, the Emperor would have no choice but to hold the scepter in his own hand until the end.