The Abandoned Empress Will Not Return

dden she was worried about him?

 

Who the hell should worry about who?

 

Shouldn’t you worry about yourself first? Cerdian’s gaze turned to Rodelia’s feet.

 

Even from a distance, her limp gait was noticeably annoying.
She walked with such a pained expression then hid it and worried about others.

 

Does this woman not know how to take care of herself ? Otherwise, what kind of life has she been living?

 

Cerdian’s forehead narrowed with unexplained displeasure.

 

“Is now the time to worry about me?”

 

Perhaps the situation inside her boots would be dire.
It must have been like this for quite some time, but it was fortunate that she didn’t get frostbite in this weather.

 

“You are hurt.”

 

But Rodelia did not answer and was still worried about him.

 

Her fingertips went over his cheek.

 

Cerdian felt a stinging pain at that moment.  It must have been the fragments that splattered from the hunting grounds a while ago.

 

What’s the big deal?

 

A small scratch like this was no problem.

 

“…This is nothing.”

 

“Are other places okay?”

 

If he hit the hand on his cheek right now.
Then it would be.

 

His body was stiff and motionless, as if he had lost his will.
Rodelia’s unique body scent and her sweet voice felt exceptionally thick today.

 

It’s dangerous.

 

Cerdian unknowingly chewed the flesh inside his mouth.
He struggled to suppress the moan that was trying to come out through his teeth.

 

He was powerless as he looked through this woman’s deep eyes.
Facing his pathetic situation, Cerdian admitted.

 

He rationalized that he wouldn’t offend her as he was just a person welcoming his own companion, and knew that he could never treat this woman badly.
Things that he thought were going to go his way are slowly changing.

 

He still didn’t know the essence of this feeling, but….

 

“I….”

 

To Rodelia, it was completely dried up.

 

***

 

Rodelia sat on the sofa and looked at Cerdian silently.
To be precise, Cerdian was kneeling in front of her and was gently stroking her feet.

 

It was a really embarrassing situation.

 

In Thebes, even between married couples, it is uncommon to show bare feet.
How much worse would it have been if her feet were messed up by frostbite?

 

She refused, but he insisted that it was okay and sat her down on the sofa.  Rodelia bit her lip as she looked at Cerdian’s large hands that were clasping her frozen feet.

 

“Truly, I’m fine now….”

 

“It’s not fine.”

 

Cerdian said indifferently and applied ointment to Rodelia’s feet.

 

The hand was meticulous and clumsy, and it was the first warm touch she had ever received, so her heart ached.

 

“It’s ugly…”

 

When she said that she just needed hot water, he flatly refused.
It was in the hopes that Cerdian would leave soon.

 

“It’s not ugly at all.”

 

But he sat himself down and took off her leather boots.
And just like that, he spit out words that shook her heart again.

 

Without knowing how much her heart fluttered or how she felt whenever she heard these words.

 

“It must have been painful, but you didn’t get any help; why did you come alone?”

 

I am the Empress of Thebes.
I always have to look perfect.

 

Rodelia repeated the words that she couldn’t get out of her mouth, in her mind.

 

“You can’t show your pain, and it’s something that the Empress must do?”

 

But Cerdian always sees through her.  With a worried expression on his face like this, her heart swelled.

 

“I wish you could say that it hurts rather than holding the pain in.”

 

He said to Rodelia who had no answer.
His gaze was still on her feet.

 

“When you want to cry, just cry.”

 

“I…”

 

Rodelia’s hoarse voice made Cerdian raise his bowed head.
Then his red eyes, hidden under his silver hair, turned to her.

 

“I thought something had gone wrong because of the handkerchief I gave you….”

 

“So you were worried?”

 

Cerdian’s low voice mixed with laughter broke the still air.

 

He thought she would say, ‘No,’ with a smirk, but Rodelia nodded her head slightly.

 

Have you become honest? Or are you starting to get more and more concerned now?

 

He didn’t know which of the two, but it didn’t feel bad.  Cerdian chuckled.

 

“Is it because it symbolizes death?  It’s all superstition…”

 

“….”

 

“It’s like a talisman for me, so that’s okay.  By the way, it feels good to hear that the Empress was worried, but I wonder why your feet are like this.”

 

“Oh that…”

 

“Can you tell me?”

 

Why was Rodelia Florence, who hardly showed any gaps, so drenched?

 

Cerdian waited for her answer as he looked into her eyes.
And the truth that came out of her mouth made his mood plop to the ground again.

 

“When I heard the news that His Majesty was injured, I ran…”

 

This woman, who smiled bitterly and revealed her secrets, and him wanting to get closer but being blocked by the man named Kane again, as well his emotions drowning in the gutter…

 

Cerdian couldn’t understand it all.