Beguiling the Enemy’s Patriarch - Chapter 60

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 60
Though his tone seemed playful on the surface, I felt the color drain from my face. This man had an uncanny knack for sensing things in the most inconvenient moments!
Still, I denied it anyway.
“That’s not true. Why would I avoid you? Your Majesty was simply busy.”
“Is that so? Yet whenever you spotted me at the end of the corridor, you’d slip right back into your room. Multiple times, in fact.”
“….”
And predictably, my denial failed. But even if I died and came back to life, I could never confess that my heart raced whenever I saw him—so I continued denying it shamelessly to the bitter end.
“When did that happen? You must have been mistaken.”
“Fine, then. Let’s leave it at that.”
Auredhian Belgot gave a light shrug. The sharp, sensitive expression he’d worn that night a week ago—the one tinged with something bittersweet—had vanished without a trace. He was exactly as he always was, making me feel embarrassed for having agonized over it so much. He asked with an air of ease.
“Have you had lunch?”
“…Yes, I have.”
“Tea?”
“Tea….”
I felt oddly wronged. He’d left me in such a strange state of emotion that night, yet here he was, perfectly composed. Fine then—I’d act just as unbothered! I resolved firmly and broke into a bright smile.
“If I haven’t had tea yet, would you perhaps invite me to afternoon tea time?”
Auredhian Belgot, who had maintained his composure from the moment he spotted me, faltered for the first time. His neat brows rose slightly, and a spark of something flickered in his violet eyes. I smiled sweetly while desperately praying my ears weren’t turning red.
After a moment, his answer came.
“Yes.”
“What?”
I was the one surprised by his unexpectedly straightforward reply. Auredhian Belgot’s lips curved upward.
“Have tea before you go.”
My ears burned again at his calm expression and leisurely tone. I barely managed to nod, my gaze slipping to the second button of his shirt.
It felt unfair that only I was reacting so sensitively…!
Of course, whether I complained alone or beat a drum or played a janggu, nothing changed. Before I could even protest, I found myself inside the Emperor’s office.
“Wow….”
This was my first time entering Auredhian Belgot’s office. His bedroom, befitting the Emperor’s most private space, had been ornate and filled with vibrant colors, but his office was the complete opposite. The walls and ceiling bore no elaborate decorations, and there wasn’t a single sculpture or luxury item in sight. The pristine ivory space was remarkably austere. I wandered around the office, murmuring to myself.
“So this is where you work.”
“Ah. Is this your first time seeing it?”
Auredhian Belgot seemed to have only just realized this fact. He turned to me with a slightly startled expression while organizing the desk in front of the window. I tilted my head in confusion.
“It is. Though I’ve been to the bedroom before….”
The moment I said it, the phrasing felt odd. I blinked very unnaturally and rapidly. No, wait. There’s nothing odd about it. Stop overthinking it…!
“Besides, I haven’t explored much of the Main Palace anyway.”
After considerable effort, I managed to respond in my usual manner. Auredhian Belgot seemed to search his memory for a moment before nodding as if he’d remembered.
“I see.”
“Indeed.”
“But why does it feel like the Imperial Palace has been taken over?”
“Pardon?”
I asked in bewilderment. Auredhian Belgot glanced out at the garden beyond the window, then let out a hollow laugh and gestured for me to sit.
“It’s nothing. Sit there. I’ll have tea brought.”
How bland. I settled onto the sofa in front of the table near the right bookshelf, positioned centrally in the room. Auredhian touched the window latch, opened only one pane, then came to sit across from me. I watched as he loosened his cravat with habitual ease before I opened my mouth.
“It’s somewhat different from what I imagined.”
“Different how?”
“Your office. I thought it would feel more comfortable.”
I’d vaguely assumed that a man with such a perpetually indolent demeanor would work in a space reflecting that nature. Of course, my premise was flawed from the start. He only appeared relaxed on the surface; in truth, he maintained his boundaries with unwavering firmness and cold precision. In that sense, this space suited him perfectly. Though it certainly wasn’t to my taste. I smiled ambiguously.
“It feels rather suffocating, actually.”
“Does it?”
Auredhian fell silent for a moment. A flicker of something unusual crossed his reddish eyes. Then, faintly, a wry smile touched his handsome features.
“That’s how it appears to you, then.”
“Yes. A little.”
At least the window was open; had it been sealed shut, I truly would have felt stifled. This was a space where rest and leisure had been entirely eliminated. I examined Auredhian’s face carefully. There was no obvious sign of exhaustion or irritability, yet somehow… subtly…
“Overwork isn’t good for you.”
I’m not sure why that slipped out. His expression didn’t particularly suggest busyness or lack of leisure, yet something about this suffocating office atmosphere made me say it. He seemed to carry heavier shoulders today than usual.
I shrugged.
“If we mixed Your Majesty and me in equal parts, it would be ideal.”
“What?”
“My life has become rather indolent lately. Beyond mere leisure, I’m growing lazy.”
Knock, knock. I stopped speaking at the sound that came precisely on cue.
“Come in.”
At Auredhian’s permission, the door opened. An attendant entered, pulling a tray laden with a teapot, teacups, and simple refreshments.
“Set it down and leave.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Have a pleasant time, Princess.”
Auredhian dismissed the attendant with a casual gesture. I, who had been waiting for him to pour the tea, felt somewhat taken aback. He reached for the teapot. The warm liquid poured smoothly into the cup. The fragrant aroma bloomed through the air.
I watched with slight bewilderment. A man whose very appearance seemed to brighten the world pouring tea with such perfect grace was a sight almost too beautiful to witness, and it was genuinely extraordinary.
I murmured awkwardly.
“I could have done that…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
And so I became someone who drank tea poured directly by the master of Belgot. How many people in the empire had received tea directly from the Emperor?
“…Thank you.”
A brief silence fell. Auredhian took merely a single sip before setting his cup down on the table. I watched his hand move unconsciously toward his loosened cravat.
Just as I thought. My instincts weren’t wrong. This man, for all his outward appearance of effortlessly commanding the entire continent, surely harbored complex turmoil within. Was that the expression that emerged when his composure twisted further? That distant, cold expression so difficult to approach.
I remembered how sharp those eyes could become, eyes that now seemed only tender. Auredhian quickly noticed my persistent scrutiny. His reddish-violet eyes, which had been cast downward, turned toward me. Apparently misinterpreting my serious expression, he let out a soft laugh and asked.
“What do you mean by ‘grown lazy’?”
“Well… my activity level has dropped dramatically.”
“Activity level.”
“Raulus has been calling me something like a grub lately.”
“A grub?”
I thoughtlessly blurted out the nickname Raulus had been teasing me with recently, then caught myself. I saw Auredhian’s eyebrows shoot up. He tapped his fingers against the sofa’s armrest, speaking almost to himself.
“Your manner of speech leaves something to be desired. Who exactly speaks like that?”
“Well. My second self within?”
That was the best excuse I could muster. I smiled sheepishly to gloss over my mistake.
“I just meant, well, I thought I might do some exercise in the room. After more than a week cooped up, I’m getting restless, that’s all.”
“….”
“Not that I’m complaining or anything.”
I added hastily, and Auredhian Belgot let out a laugh that sounded almost like a sigh.
“When you say things like that, it makes me feel guilty.”
“That wasn’t my intention. Come on, you know that….”
“I suppose….”
He trailed off, loosening the deep blue cravat around his neck and unfastening the topmost button of his collar, muttering almost to himself.
“I once declared that there would be nothing in this land for you to hesitate over. But looking back, I’m not exactly a man who keeps his promises well.”
“I didn’t mean for you to take it so seriously….”
I fidgeted with my teacup, studying his expression. Was it time to shift the mood? I quickly changed my face and smiled brightly.
“Oh, that reminds me. There is something Your Majesty could do for me.”
“…?”
Curiosity flickered in his crimson eyes. I set down my teacup and leaned toward him. The sofas were positioned quite far apart, so the distance between us remained considerable. I bent forward just enough to keep my ears from burning red, and whispered softly.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes.”
Auredhian Belgot answered readily, waiting quietly to hear what I would say next. I asked, barely containing my anticipation.
“Would you… call me by my name now?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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