The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 89】

 

Rianel pulled his hand away.

 

The sensation from where they had touched stood out vividly, making her scratch the back of her hand for no reason.

 

Asil’s smile became all the more languid.

 

He grasped Rianel’s fingers as if interlocking them, murmuring softly as if pleading with thirst.

 

“Master knows too little about me. You probably don’t know that every time you speak informally to me, all the hair on my body stands on end.”

 

It’s because I know you’re not someone who speaks informally to just anyone.

 

“Even at the Academy, you always spoke formally to other students, but you were the only one who spoke down to me.”

 

That specialness seemed to tell me that our relationship held private meaning.

 

There were nights I couldn’t sleep, overwhelmed just by the fact that I had entered your world.

 

“But the person who uniquely shattered that sense of security and entered into you was the Emperor.”

 

I spent nearly ten years of effort trying to hear informal speech from you.

 

But that bastard, for the single reason of being Emperor, exchanged a few words and completely snatched you away.

 

“Actually, I’m still anxious even now.”

 

I’m afraid that when I open my eyes, you’ll flutter away like a bluebird.

 

Rianel stared blankly at Asil.

 

To her, who had only seen him as a student, this would be like grasping at clouds.

 

So you don’t know that even that expression becomes a stimulant to me.

 

So.

 

“Please say it just once more.”

 

“Wh-what…?”

 

Feeling the approaching shadow and desire that touched like breath, Rianel backed away in alarm.

 

“Shameless bastard.”

 

“That’s too harsh. I’m only stretching my legs as far as Master gives me room.”

 

You say you dislike it, yet you don’t shake off my hand.

 

Even when you have a chance to run away, you stand there as if nailed to the spot.

 

Because you… are in front of me.

 

He knew it was an ugly excuse.

 

Perhaps he was nothing more than a base man who felt lust for Rianel.

 

But what could he do?

 

Rianel was like an incarnation that concentrated all his desires.

 

‘Even now… I’m barely holding back from wanting to touch you.’

 

Asil exhaled a long breath and pulled his upper body back.

 

The oppressive air loosened and cool air filled its place.

 

“So if you dislike me, run away.”

 

The breath brushing past her ear was low like a devil’s whisper.

 

“Condemn me as a shameless student, slap my cheek, kick me with your foot.”

 

It was a proposal made knowing she couldn’t do such things.

 

Because I have no choice but to hang my life on that small piece of mercy you give me…

 

“I’ll count to three—”

 

Before Asil could even pronounce “one.”

 

“!”

 

Rianel’s lips touched his cheek, then fell away lightly.

 

For a moment, Asil couldn’t grasp what had happened.

 

The student who had been driving his master into a corner like a hunting party to extract a fragment of emotion froze solid. Uncalculated bewilderment showed on his face.

 

The moment those lips touched was brief, but in that instant all plans and thoughts stopped.

 

Everything lost meaning before that simple kiss.

 

“…”

 

Rianel was more flustered by her own brief kiss.

 

She hastily pulled back her body, rolling her eyes awkwardly.

 

Her momentary courage was nowhere to be found, and her face was red as she realized her own misconduct.

 

“Haha…?”

 

Asil caressed his own cheek before lifting his head.

 

Rianel, who had grasped the situation faster than him, was heading out of the room.

 

“Oh my.”

 

He quickly but firmly closed the door that Rianel had opened.

 

With a click, her escape route was blocked and Rianel looked up in panic.

 

In addition to that gaze watching her so persistently, she saw the corners of his mouth raised as if greatly excited.

 

“Where are you going, Master?”

 

If you made someone’s heart flutter, you should take responsibility.

 

His usual composure was nowhere to be found, his voice hoarse with excitement.

 

“How, how dare you move such a wicked tongue.”

 

No matter how many times he heard it, it was a crude and blunt criticism. Asil somehow found it amusing.

 

She couldn’t even curse properly, only saying such things like old people grumbling.

 

Of course, I love you like that.

 

“You don’t dislike me either.”

 

Asil buried his nose in Rianel’s nape and deeply inhaled the scent that wasn’t his own.

 

So.

 

“If you want to blame me, that’s fine too.”

 

Because the atmosphere was like that, because I drove the situation in that direction—I’ll accept all of it…

 

“Let me know you, Master.”

 

Let me know that your heart is with me.

 

Not with the Emperor, but with me.

 

This was Asil’s wheedling, petty jealousy, and scheming.

 

“Bad boy.”

 

“Yes, I’m very bad.”

 

“Cunning.”

 

“That’s a compliment.”

 

“Always climbing up.”

 

“That’s because I want to hold onto Master.”

 

Having run out of curses, Rianel opened and closed her mouth.

 

But seeing the approaching breath, she accepted the situation.

 

‘Certainly, I don’t dislike this boy.’

 

As someone who disliked uncertainty, nothing was more frustrating and uncomfortable for Rianel than being unable to reach an answer.

 

However, Rianel decided to accept that disorder.

 

Because having one’s heart drawn to someone is originally like that.

 

Rianel closed her eyes.

 

Just as her student was about to capture her lips.

 

‘Come to think of it.’

 

She paused at a passing thought.

 

The Emperor’s letter had been full of long-winded, useless words.

 

But even in that letter, there were words that remained in her memory.

 

‘What was he referring to when he said it couldn’t be helped?’

 

It seemed like he was saying he tried to prevent something but failed.

 

‘Well, it’s probably nothing important.’

 

The brief thought scattered like dissolving in the night’s energy.

 

* * *

 

The Tax Bureau staff who came to work after the weekend were.

 

“What? Why is our Team Leader missing again?”

 

They thought they had finally gotten their Team Leader back from those Ministry of Foreign Affairs bastards.

 

But when they saw Rianel’s empty seat, they burst out in frustration.

 

“Don’t tell me those Ministry of Foreign Affairs bastards are hiding her somewhere?”

 

Just as they were doing warm-up exercises to storm into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Asil, who had arrived at work, delivered the news.

 

“Team Leader Vincenheim is on sick leave today.”

 

“Why do I feel like I’m experiencing déjà vu?”

 

Didn’t we hear something similar before?

 

“She’ll be back to work normally tomorrow.”

 

That was at least somewhat reassuring, but….

 

“But how do you know that, Bureau Director?”

 

It felt like he was conveying information he had confirmed directly, not something he heard from a third party.

 

Before long, they learned the whole story.

 

“Don’t tell me Team Leader is still staying at the Bureau Director’s residence?”

 

Wilbrin was shocked, and Mel recalled a rumor he had heard before.

 

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t there a rumor going around that Team Leader and the Bureau Director were going to get married?’

 

When he had stopped by Asil’s mansion to confirm the rumor, the atmosphere didn’t seem right at all, so he had dismissed it as a false rumor.

 

When Mel muttered this, Wilbrin’s eyes widened.

 

“A marriage rumor? This is the first I’m hearing of it?”

 

“It was a rumor that spread mainly around Novantium Territory.”

 

Just then, Asil, who had seemed to be heading into the Bureau Director’s Office, returned.

 

“What were you discussing?”

 

“Oh, well.”

 

Since they had somehow ended up talking about Asil behind his back, they were avoiding eye contact when.

 

“I’ll ask directly – are you and Team Leader in a romantic relationship, Bureau Director?”

 

Wilbrin asked.

 

She became brave when it came to anything related to Rianel.

 

It wasn’t just a probing question.

 

She was certain after seeing how Asil had looked after Rianel at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dinner, and the subtle atmosphere flowing between the two.

 

“Yes, we are dating while positively considering our future together.”

 

“Holy shit.”

 

“Wait, why is this actually true?”

 

Not long ago, when Wilbrin said she was suspicious about the relationship between those two, Til, who had criticized her saying she thought any man and woman together were dating, coughed awkwardly in embarrassment.

 

Mel asked cautiously.

 

“Then is the rumor that you proposed to Team Leader also true, Bureau Director?”

 

“I did personally have such a dream.”

 

“A dream?”

 

Wilbrin was puzzled.

 

The other Tax Bureau staff felt the same way.

 

Asil had an Academy graduate’s scholarly atmosphere, disliking idle chatter and only dealing with proper discourse.

 

So it was unexpected when he suddenly mentioned something dreamlike with that composed face.

 

“I was going to propose in the dream, but I thought she would refuse if I just gave her a ring. Team Leader Vincenheim is concerned about anti-graft laws, isn’t she? So I was going to prepare a 9.99 Gold Ring.”

 

“Ah?”

 

It was even unnecessarily plausible.

 

“So what happened?”

 

“It was an imported item, so customs duties were added and it exceeded 10 gold. Unfortunately, I couldn’t deliver the ring, so I wasn’t able to propose.”

 

“Oh no!”

 

The Tax Bureau staff sighed deeply.

 

It was truly a sad story.

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