CH 1

Night descended upon the Imperial Palace.

The noise of the day had died down, leaving only the rhythmic footsteps of those still working and the guards on patrol.

This quietude was soon broken by hurried sounds.

At the sign of someone entering the main palace, everyone nearby lowered their heads in deference.

There was no need to look closely to identify who it was.

A tall and broad-shouldered man with striking features illuminated by the flickering lights—a man who was none other than Hyperion, the master of this palace.

Hyperion swiftly passed through the people bowing their heads to him.

It was only after the sound of his footsteps had completely faded that the maids exhaled their held breaths and slowly lifted their heads.

They whispered as they watched the receding figure of Hyperion, who had already entered the palace.

“He returned to the main palace again tonight.”

“Indeed. His Majesty must be so busy with all the meetings.”

Since last week, the great lords from various regions had started visiting the palace one after another.

It was an important occasion for them to personally meet the newly crowned emperor and swear their fealty. During this period, it was customary for the emperor to remain in the Imperial Palace.

However, unlike his predecessors, Hyperion always returned to the main palace after each meeting.

One of the maids, staring blankly at the now-empty spot where the emperor had disappeared, murmured.

“The empress must be truly blessed.”

“Indeed…”

Anyone residing in the main palace knew it.

The newly crowned emperor and empress shared their marital chamber every night.

Of course, those working in the palace could neither speak of nor spread what they saw and heard. After all, wasn’t it the golden rule for palace workers to live as if they had no eyes, ears, or mouth?

But even without saying a word, the elderly maids in charge of the bedroom gave away the truth, quickly carrying away the tightly rolled-up bed sheets to the laundry every morning.

In fact, this was a cause for celebration in the empire.

With the imperial couple’s harmonious relationship, news of an heir was bound to come soon.

Blushing, the maids hurried off, thinking that the emperor and empress were likely working toward that very goal tonight as well.

* * *

The steady sound of footsteps echoed softly through the corridor. Hyperion, suddenly conscious of the noise, gave a wry smile.

Even he thought his steps were unusually quick—so quick that, had someone been beside him, they might have asked what he was in such a hurry for.

Despite being aware of this, he couldn’t bring himself to slow down.

The maids responsible for maintaining the bedchamber lowered their heads as Hyperion approached.

“The empress?”

“She retired to the bedroom right after her meal.”

At the maid’s reply, Hyperion’s lips curved slightly.

But as everyone had their heads bowed, no one noticed. Not even Hyperion himself.

“Leave.”

At the emperor’s command, the maids bowed deeply once more and hurriedly left, descending the stairs. Now that he had arrived, no one else would remain on this floor.

When Hyperion had first issued such an order, the chamberlain had voiced concerns about safety.

“Your Majesty, if we do so, it could pose a security risk…”

“I believe I can manage to protect the empress on my own. Everyone else can stay below.”

Hyperion had responded curtly.

Realizing his misstep, the chamberlain had bowed his head in shame. If an enemy existed that Hyperion couldn’t fend off, the other knights of the palace wouldn’t stand a chance either.

From that point on, no one was assigned to guard the bedroom door.

Hyperion opened the door to the bedchamber. The warm air inside, mixed with the scent of aged wood, the freshness of well-dried linens, and an indescribably sweet fragrance, enveloped him all at once.

Among these, Hyperion focused on the last scent.

It was the fragrance that lingered most strongly in his arms each morning when he woke.

“Lania.”

He stepped inside and softly called his wife’s name.

Her full name was Laniakea, but not long ago, he had started calling her by the shorter version.

It was a pet name that only he used within the palace. That exclusivity made the name even more endearing.

“Lania?”

After passing through several doors and entering the bedroom, he looked at the empty room and called his wife’s name again, seemingly taken aback.

Whenever he arrived, Laniakea would always come out to greet him personally.

But now, she was nowhere to be seen in the room.

She had supposedly finished her meal and gone to the bedroom…

Just as an unsettling thought crossed his mind, he noticed the door to the study connected to the bedroom was ajar.

The lights inside were brightly lit as well.

Hurrying over, he saw Laniakea seated at the desk in the study.

Seeing her, Hyperion exhaled a faint sigh of relief and approached her.

“Lania? What are you doing here?”

He thought she would notice him and rise in surprise when he called her name like that.

Contrary to his expectation, however, she merely lifted her head to look at him, without even offering a greeting to acknowledge his arrival.

Instead, she suddenly stood up and spoke.

“I… have something I need to tell you.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Laniakea clenched her fists as she noticed Hyperion’s expression stiffen slightly at her words.

‘I can do this. I must do this!’

Hadn’t she resolved herself countless times before he arrived?

Yet, seeing that stern look on his face caused her courage to falter slightly once again.

‘But I can’t let this continue.’

For a long time, she had felt she needed to say something, but every time, his concerned expression stopped her before she could begin.

But now, she had reached her limit.

Today, she had to tell him everything she had been thinking.

“You have something to say? What is it?”

His voice was polite, yet it made Laniakea shrink back even more.

Because she knew just how important her words would be to him.

As she hesitated, Hyperion let out a short sigh and stepped forward, standing directly in front of her.

Then he spoke first.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Pardon?”

“I wanted to have lunch with you today, but the documents Marquis Sorrel brought were riddled with errors, and I had to have a lengthy discussion with him about them. Tomorrow, I will make sure to have lunch with you.”

“Oh… I see…”

Now that she thought about it, it was true that they hadn’t been able to eat lunch together today.

Hyperion, as though considering it a grave mistake, even looked slightly despondent.

“Thank you for understanding. Let’s return to the bedroom now. I’ll take a quick wash and be back.”

As he said this, Hyperion began quickly undoing the buttons of his shirt.

Hearing the soft popping of buttons, Laniakea snapped out of her daze and hurriedly spoke again.

“No, that’s not what I wanted to say, Your Majesty.”

“’Your Majesty’?”

At the formal address, Hyperion’s hands paused. Lowering his head to meet Laniakea’s gaze, he softly murmured.

“Didn’t we agree yesterday, Lania?”

He emphasized her name, and Laniakea hesitated before replying with difficulty.

“Y-yes… R…Rion.”

When the name “Rion” escaped her lips, the stiffness in Hyperion’s expression eased.

But unlike him, Laniakea turned beet red, unable to lift her head.

Calling him “Rion” had brought back vivid memories of yesterday, ones she had been desperately suppressing all day.

“U-Um! I called you Rion, but why do you keep licking—ah, agh!”

The mere thought of what Hyperion had done to make her say “Rion” was enough to send a wave of heat through her body, pooling between her legs.

“I’ll be quick.”

Hyperion, as if understanding, gently ran his large hand down her back. The sensation spread like lightning through her entire body.

If this continued, it would be the same as always.

He would return after washing up, and they would climb into bed together, fulfilling their marital duties.

Duties that, no matter how much she tried to rationalize as necessary for the empire and the emperor’s heir, always left her mortified.

The same endless nights, until dawn broke.

‘I can’t let that happen!’

Laniakea bit her lip hard. She couldn’t back down any longer. Today, she had to speak up.

She stepped away from his embrace, where she had almost instinctively sought comfort.

Then, she picked up a paper from the desk, the one she had been staring at all day before Hyperion arrived, and held it out to him.

“This is…”

Hyperion’s eyes widened as he realized what Laniakea was handing him.

At the same time, she shouted.

“L-Let’s rewrite this!”

Even though she had practiced countless times throughout the day, her voice trembled terribly.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Laniakea shouted again.

“Let’s rewrite our marriage contract! Starting with this clause!”

The place she was pointing to read:

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