Why did I have to insist on hearing about it? I blamed myself for all this as I laid down on my bed in the dark.
I murmured.
“[Why… I’m so stupid.]”
I was alone in the room. I kept telling myself it was okay. In the next room were at least two maids who would come if I called. I wasn’t alone.
… I couldn’t ask them here because I was scared of ghosts. That would be too embarrassing. I promised myself to become a regal and generous monarch. Begging them to sleep in the same room because I feared the darkness was a bad idea.
I was okay. I had to be okay. I’m o…
“Gyaaa!”
I thought I saw something white out of the corner of my eye. I raised myself up with a shout. When I looked closely, I realized it was just a white curtain dancing against the blowing wind.
I felt a sudden relief followed by mortification. I buried my head underneath the blanket and murmured.
“[I’m such an idiot…]”
Trembling in the dark… This was embarrassing.
I had always been a wimp. I had never been able to watch a horror movie. Why did I insist on hearing the ghost story?
I was so stupid. I wished out loud.
“[I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish he was here.]”
Just then!
“What a strange language!”
Something appeared in front of me.
I screamed immediately before checking to see who or what it was.
“Gyaaaaaa!!!!”
Slam!
My scream was deafening. The maids and servants stormed.
“Your Highness!”
“What’s wrong! Your Highness!”
“Are you okay?!”
The guards couldn’t enter the female quarters, especially the emperor’s wife’s bedroom. However, I could hear them outside my window ready to help if necessary.
“…”
“…”
This was too embarrassing. When the maids came in, what they found were me screaming and the emperor in his night clothes. The room became silent. I wanted to just disappear.
However, it was his fault! He was the one who sneaked into my room without a warning! Of course, I would be frightened! This wasn’t my fault!
The emperor waved his hand for everyone to leave. I hid my face in embarrassment. The maids and the servants tried to hide their smile as they left the room politely.
They must have told the guards outside about what happened. After a few minutes, it became very quiet outside.
I felt like I would die from humiliation. I prayed that the emperor would leave the room and let me be.
However, he didn’t leave. I had my hands covering my face, so I couldn’t see, but I felt his weight on the bed as he sat down near me.
The emperor didn’t like me hiding my face. He forced my red face to be revealed and laughed at me.
“Hahaha!”
“Don’t laugh!”
“Your ugly face looks like it’s on fire!”
How dare he!
“If you hate my face so much, why are you still here! Go back to the castle!”
He smiled and got his face close to mine.
“Are you sure you want me to leave?”
“Why would I lie?”
“I saw the truth though. I saw how my lovely wife missed me.”
“What the heck are you talking about?”
“You exclaimed in happiness when you saw me. Everyone in this wing heard it.”
“…”
This guy was crazy. He lost his mind.
Then, I was no better. I actually wanted him here because I was afraid of a ghost!
I glared at him and asked, “Why would you think I am happy to see you?”
“Really? Then were you happy because you thought it was another man? You do know that adultery is treason, right? If you were expecting another man here, then I must suspect you are having an affair behind my back.”
“…”
Lucretius continued to grin widely. He knew he was being ridiculous.
I was so tired. I had no energy left for this game. I decided to let it go.
He asked again, “So you admit that you were missing me?”
“Think whatever you want.” I laid down on the bed and asked, “So how did you sneak in here?”
“This is part of the castle, which means it’s mine. As a matter of fact, there is nowhere in this kingdom I can’t go. I am the emperor after all.”
“Sure, sure…”
Whatever. He thought he was SO great. That was just the way he was.
Suddenly, I remembered what Elza said to me.
This was the favorite place of the former Empress Beatrice.
His birthmother who was executed.
A ghost.
Perhaps it was Empress Beatrice who became a ghost because she couldn’t accept her fate.
I remembered what the dowager empress said during the meeting after the former emperor’s murder.
Empress Beatrice was the empress who was executed for adultery.
Here was her son who killed his own father to become the emperor.
Without thinking, I asked him, “… How would you feel if you saw a ghost here? A ghost of someone who died here.”
The room became silent. This silence felt different. Usually, Lucretius was quick in his words. He was a smartass.
This stillness was different.
… I was the idiot who said the wrongs thing. I didn’t know the details, but I knew enough. His father killed his own mother. This was definitely something I shouldn’t have asked.
While I regretted my foolishness, he finally said to me in a chillingly calm voice, “Well, I don’t know.”
I wasn’t looking at his face, so I didn’t know what kind of expression he had. For once, I didn’t know what to say to him.
After a few seconds of silence, which felt like an eternity, he continued, “But there is no such a thing as a ghost, so I guess I don’t have to worry about what to say or how to feel about seeing a ghost.”
When I looked up, his face had his usual confident smirk.
He was the worst. Probably one of the strongest men I had ever met.
He asked, “By the way… I didn’t expect my wife to miss me so terribly. It has only been four days! I should have visited you earlier.”
“Well, I’ve seen you now so it’s all good. You may go now.”
I waved at him goodbye.
“My only wife is so shy. She always says the opposite of what she really feels.” He goaded me as he got in underneath the blanket.
There was nothing I could do. Officially, we were husband and wife. Lucretius was being a good husband who visited his sick wife. He was also the emperor. I couldn’t kick him out of the room or else, it would make me look bad.
He hugged me tightly underneath the blanket. I felt a sudden chill.
This man was like a snake. His body temperature was shockingly low, and that was why he liked to hold me. It was for warmth.
I thought about complaining like I usually did but decided against it. If there really was a ghost of Empress Beatrice here, then perhaps she would be kinder to me knowing I kept her son warm.
Of course, there was no appearance of any ghosts during the next two days.
Lonez remained as peaceful as ever. I was officially here because of my health, so everyone around me was careful not to make loud noises or excitements.
The only annoying thing was the emperor sneaking into my bedroom at night on the fourth and fifth day, but it wasn’t so bad.
However, then, it finally happened.
In the early morning of the fifth day, I woke up to a woman’s piercing scream.
“Gyaaaaaaaa!”
