STP 08

Chapter 8

“S-sorry……!”

Theodora hurriedly apologized, her shoulders trembling violently.

Yet even after apologizing, she still had no idea what she had done wrong.

“Call the Imperial Physician at once!”

A moment later, the Imperial Physician hurried into the bedroom.

As though it were only natural that he should examine Raud’s condition, he approached him.

“Not me! I told you to look at the Consort!”

“Y-yes?”

“How could the Imperial Physician have failed to notice until my consort’s ankle was in that condition?!”

His thunderous voice crashed through the bedroom.

“Call Theodora’s personal maid!”

The Emperor’s palpable fury sent the palace servants scurrying about in haste.

Soon, Gentle was dragged into the room by several knights.

“Y-Your Majesty……!”

Startled, Theodora gathered her courage and approached him, but Raud, already consumed by anger, immediately began demanding answers from Gentle.

“Did you truly not know? Or did you disregard her simply because she was the princess of the kingdom I destroyed?!”

He pointed toward Theodora’s severely swollen ankle.

“Gasp!”

Gentle’s mouth fell open in shock. She truly had not known about Theodora’s injury.

“I really didn’t know. I have no excuse. I’m sorry, Your Majesty……!”

With the palace already in turmoil because of the Emperor’s injuries, Gentle had been unable to attend to Theodora’s bathing needs because she had been dispatched to various places on duty.

Because of that, she had never noticed the bandaged ankle hidden beneath Theodora’s dress.

“I entrusted her to you because I trusted you……!”

Raud snatched up the sword that had been resting beside the bed.

Black energy shimmered ominously around it. It was the Demon Sword passed down through generations of the Rasol Empire.

“Your Majesty……!”

Seeing that he looked ready to draw the sword at any moment, Theodora hurried toward him.

“I didn’t tell her…… I’m the one who didn’t tell her……!”

For the first time, she approached Raud of her own accord and hurriedly spoke.

She was terrified of him as he raged so fiercely that her hands and feet seemed ready to tremble apart, but she had no time to think of anything else.

She could not allow innocent people to be hurt because of her.

“Gentle and the Imperial Physician did nothing wrong. In the Kingdom of Selene, I was taught that even when you were sick or hurt, you were simply supposed to endure it…… I never even thought about telling anyone and getting treatment…….”

Large tears rolled down from Theodora’s eyes.

Only after saying those words did she realize what she had done wrong.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I was wrong…….”

She had allowed his spoils of war to be injured.

That was probably why Raud was this angry.

“I’ll tell you next time…… Please, don’t punish anyone else…….”

Theodora’s knees buckled beneath her, and she nearly collapsed before him.

She clasped her hands together and looked up at Raud imploringly.

“Who told you to kneel?!”

He was startled and immediately grabbed Theodora by both shoulders, pulling her upright.

“Your Majesty…….”

“Stand up straight!”

“Y-yes, yes…… Sniff…….”

She stood awkwardly, sniffling. Raud ran a hand irritably back through his hair and let out a sigh.

“Haa…….”

Then he pulled a clean handkerchief from inside his clothes and held it out to her.

“……I’m not angry.”

He furrowed his brow as though he were in pain. Then his lips moved, and he muttered so quietly that his voice was barely audible.

“Just a little more…….”

Theodora’s tear-filled eyes slowly turned toward Raud.

“Take better care…….”

The man who had been angrily shouting only moments ago now somehow looked as though he might cry at any moment.

“Gentle.”

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty.”

“Take the Consort back. There must never be another mistake like this.”

“……Yes, Your Majesty.”

Gentle approached Theodora, who was still staring blankly at Raud.

“Your Highness, I’ll take you back and treat your injury.”

“……Mm-hm.”

Only then did she tear her gaze away from him and follow Gentle out.

Her reluctant footsteps slowly crossed the threshold of the Emperor’s palace.

The moment they left the palace, Gentle, who had been wearing a dark expression the entire time, lowered her head deeply.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t believe I didn’t even know about the injury of the person I directly serve…… How did you get hurt?”

“It was the day His Majesty saved me. Everyone was so distracted that day. I fell when I was knocked over. It was my fault.”

“How could it be your fault, Your Highness?! I should have taken better care of you…….”

As they headed toward their residence, Gentle let out a deep sigh.

She had not told anyone even after her ankle had swollen that badly. Should she call that impressive, or foolish?

She pressed her lips together and glanced at Theodora.

“I’ll tell you next time…… Please, don’t punish anyone else…….”

Despite being utterly terrified, Theodora had rushed forward to stop the Emperor in case he harmed anyone. Honestly, Gentle found the sight a little moving.

Gentle stopped for a moment and clasped both of Theodora’s hands firmly.

“From now on, if you feel even the slightest bit of pain, please tell me. I’ll make sure to keep a better eye on you as well, Your Highness.”

“Mm-hm. Thank you, Gentle.”

Theodora gave her a small smile before they continued walking together.

On the way back to their residence, there was only one person occupying Theodora’s thoughts: Raud.

Until now, men who became angry and shouted had only ever frightened her.

But there had been something different about him today.

At first, she had cried because she was so frightened, but somehow……

“……By the way, Gentle. I’m asking because I don’t really know…….”

“Yes?”

“His Majesty…… Did he…… worry about me, even just a little?”

It had seemed as though he had been worried about her.

“……Your Highness.”

Startled by the unexpected question, Gentle blinked rapidly before adding,

“Of course he did.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve never seen His Majesty become angry on behalf of anyone. Ah, except for Her Majesty the Empress, of course.”

“Really……?”

Theodora, who had unknowingly tensed up, immediately asked again with a bright expression.

“Yes. It seemed as though His Majesty regarded you as someone very precious and important.”

“Hmm…… It’s probably because I’m his spoils of war…….”

An excessive hope raised its head inside her heart, but she desperately pushed it away and smiled awkwardly.

“Hmm, you may say that, but…….”

Gentle tilted her head with a meaningful expression. Then, as though she had suddenly thought of something wonderful, her face brightened.

“Oh, as it happens, His Majesty’s birthday is coming up soon.”

“Birthday?”

“Yes. On His Majesty’s birthday, it is customary for every woman, including Her Majesty the Empress, to prepare a gift.”

“A gift…….”

“At that time, it might be a good idea to give His Majesty something he would like.”

“Hmm…….”

Theodora pressed her lips together anxiously.

She had never once held a birthday party, nor had she ever attended one herself.

“You do know what you’re supposed to do on a birthday, right?”

Theodora’s expression seemed somewhat peculiar, so Gentle asked, just in case.

“Mm-hm. I know. It’s a day when you eat delicious food.”

She had never held a party for herself, but she knew quite well what other people did on their birthdays.

She had always watched from afar.

“Pardon?”

“When it was a princess’s or prince’s birthday, it was a little easier to get food. It was also more delicious than usual…….”

So even though no one would know when her own birthday passed, she remembered everyone else’s birthdays.

If she was lucky, she could sometimes get a little sweet pie on days like that.

‘The pie was delicious.’

There had been a maid who came at regular times to distribute meals, so she had not been starving all the time.

However, the quality was extremely poor, or the portions were very small, so she had always been left unsatisfied when eating from a young age.

“……I see. Anyway, you’ll need to prepare a gift as well, Your Highness. You should be able to use the allowance provided to the harem every week. You received yours last week too, didn’t you?”

“Mm-hm. You brought it to me, remember? Thank you.”

“Then go back to your residence and wait there for now. I’ll bring the medicine.”

“Okay. Thank you, Gentle.”

As Theodora’s bedroom came into view, Gentle bowed her head and left.

Left alone, Theodora entered the room, pondering what she should give as a birthday present.

‘Oh, come to think of it…… I left the medicine behind. I didn’t get to apply it…….’

It was only after sitting down on the bed that she remembered the medicine she had left in Raud’s bedroom.

‘I worked so hard to make it.’

Her blue eyes turned toward the desk, which was still a mess from the hours she had spent making the medicine overnight.

‘He’ll probably throw it away…….’

Theodora waited quietly for Gentle to bring her medicine, smiling bitterly.

“You said it was easier to get food on other people’s birthdays.”

“……Huh.”

“You also lack even basic knowledge. There are many things you do not know that an ordinary member of the royal family would naturally be expected to know. I have been teaching her, however.”

“……I suppose it was a good thing I killed them all after all.”

Gentle had returned to the Emperor’s palace and was reporting to Raud.

“Keep a close eye on her. Make sure nothing like what happened earlier ever happens again.”

“……I’ll correct the matter, Your Majesty. But, if I may say so…….”

“What?”

She moved her lips as though hesitating over whether to speak, then finally made up her mind.

“If you’re going to care this much about her anyway, couldn’t you treat her a little more kindly……?”

At Gentle’s words, his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

“……Don’t misunderstand me, Gentle.”

Then he clicked his tongue and raised the corner of his mouth as though the very suggestion were absurd.

“She is nothing more than my spoils of war. If she were truly a woman I cherished, would I have entrusted her to you, a former Imperial Guard knight?”

His red eyes slowly turned toward her.

Gentle flinched and dropped her head.

Raud was right. If Theodora were truly a woman he cherished, he would have chosen a noblewoman from a powerful family as her maid, rather than her—a knight who had retired due to injury.

“……Is that so.”

“Leave. And don’t say useless things.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Still wearing an expression that suggested she was not entirely convinced, Gentle left the Emperor’s chambers.

At last, alone, Raud slowly turned his gaze toward the window.

“Yes. She is merely…… my spoils of war…….”

As he muttered the words as though trying to brainwash himself, the medicine bottle Theodora had left behind was held tightly in his hand.