Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Calix let out a shallow breath, just as I had, steadying his breath in sync with mine. But our lips were still so close, barely a finger’s width apart, that our breaths continued to intertwine.

“Ariel…”

His voice, lower and more subdued than usual, called my name. The burning intensity in his gaze made it clear: he wanted something from me. So unmistakably, in fact, that even someone completely oblivious wouldn’t have been able to ignore it.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.

No matter how caught up I’d been in the emotions and atmosphere, we had kissed. But did that mean I had to accept anything more than that?

But…

If I backed away now, after all this, wouldn’t that only raise suspicion? What would the real Ariel have done?

To succeed with the plan ahead, there was no room, or meaning, for my personal opinions or feelings. I had to act entirely from Ariel’s perspective, not mine.

And if that was the case…

She would never have rejected him. So I couldn’t either.

‘For the future.’

Yes. Everything was for the future.

For what lies ahead, for the life I needed to build, I had no other choice.

Only after I repeated that reason to myself, over and over, did I finally steel my resolve. Meeting his intense gaze without flinching, I reached out and wrapped my arms firmly around his neck.

“Calix…”

The moment I whispered his name, he suddenly swept me up into his arms.

“Calix?”

Startled, I called out to him with a bewildered expression, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he strode purposefully toward the entrance of the library on his long legs.

“Calix!”

Realizing where he was headed, I quickly called out in alarm.

“I can walk! I really can…!”

I squirmed in his arms, trying to break free, but he didn’t budge.

“Calix…!”

I wasn’t even sure how many times I’d called his name at this point. But he kept ignoring my desperate pleas, until suddenly, he stopped in front of the door.

“Please put me down.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he’d finally relented, and asked again, more gently. But that was a huge mistake.

Instead of setting me down, he flung open the door and stepped outside.

“Cali—Your Majesty!”

As we exited the library, the nursemaids, handmaidens, and attendants, including the chief servant who had accompanied Calix, all looked at us in shock. Seeing them, I hastily corrected my tone, addressing him formally, and, face burning with embarrassment, burrowed even deeper into his chest.

“Please put me down. I’m begging you… everyone is staring…”

I pleaded with him, whispering desperately into his ear.

“No.”

His answer came back firm and unwavering.

“Your Majesty…!”

“You’re not in full health. I need to preserve your strength, even if it means carrying you like this.”

“…What?”

What was he saying? Was he implying that I hadn’t recovered yet? That I was too weak to walk, and needed to conserve my energy?

I blinked in confusion, trying to decipher his words, when I suddenly heard a soft chuckle.

‘No way…’

A terrible suspicion crept into my mind, and the heat of embarrassment surged again. I squirmed harder in his arms, trying to escape.

“Your Majesty. Please put me down.”

“Ariel. Stay still.”

“If you’re worried about my strength, we could just summon a carriage! There’s no need for this.”

“If we summon a carriage, we’d have to wait for it to arrive. Walking is faster. And at my pace, we’ll reach your palace in no time, so just behave.”

He said this as he continued striding forward, still holding me close. 

And he wasn’t wrong. His steps were long and quick. Yet my body barely shifted in his arms, which meant he was holding me with great care.

‘This is insane.’

I thought I might actually die from embarrassment.

Curious how far we’d gone, I peeked up, only to catch several onlookers staring at us with expressions as if they’d seen something outrageous. Of course, looking directly at a member of the royal family was a serious offense, so they quickly averted their gazes.

But that didn’t make the shame disappear.

“Your Majesty. Please. I really can walk.”

I pleaded again. This time, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

“Thank y—”

Sensing a chance to finally break free, I began to thank him, moving to get down. But his arms held me just as tightly as before.

What? He’s not putting me down? Was I wrong again?

“Your Majesty?”

I looked up at him in confusion and saw a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

‘Huh?’

That expression… Could he even make a face like that?

I hadn’t known him for long, but the sight was so unfamiliar I actually blinked to check I wasn’t imagining things.

“Want me to put you down?”

Why did he sound like he was doing me a favor?

His smug tone almost annoyed me, but this wasn’t the time to argue.

“Yes, please…! Put me down!”

Sensing this might be my only chance, I nodded eagerly and answered in the brightest voice I could muster.

“Hmm…”

But instead of setting me down, he only tightened his hold on me again.

“Your Majesty?”

“There’s one thing you have to do for me.”

“…What is it?”

A sense of dread washed over me. Even before he said it, I had a bad feeling. I was almost certain whatever came next would be ridiculous.

“If you kiss me right here, right now, I’ll put you down.”

“I’ll stay still!”

My instincts were dead-on.

The second I heard the word kiss, I cut him off before he could finish. Then I resolved to stay utterly still until we reached the palace, burying my face even deeper into his chest to avoid being seen.

Above me, I heard the sound of his amused laughter. Someone was dying of embarrassment, and someone else was clearly enjoying every second of it.

That mischievous look I’d seen wasn’t a mistake. But there was nothing I could do about it now. Silently grumbling to myself, I stayed quiet until we arrived at my palace quarters.

Only once we were inside my room did he finally set me down.

I gave him a sideways glance and said “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Enjoying what? Me?”

“You’re totally messing with me. You clearly enjoy seeing me squirm, Your Majesty.”

“Not at all.”

He denied it with an impeccably serious expression. But somehow, no matter what I said, it felt like I was always the one losing.

Sensing that continuing would only lead to a pointless argument, I shut my mouth. I turned around, ready to walk away, but before I could take a step, I felt Calix’s arms wrap around me from behind.

“…Are you mad?”

His voice was gentle and cautious, completely different from his earlier teasing.

“Mad? How could I possibly be mad at Your Majesty?”

And I wasn’t. Not really. I just didn’t want to exhaust myself fretting over things I couldn’t control.

So I answered casually, as if it were nothing.

“It’s okay to be mad.”

His unexpected words stopped me in my tracks.

“If you’re happy, show me you’re happy. If you’re angry, show me your anger. I never want to see you sad, but if you are, then don’t hold it in. Be as sad as you need to be.”

But only in front of me.

He whispered the last part softly, pressing his face into the curve of my neck.

“I can never tell what you’re thinking. Maybe because I saw your expressions change today… I ended up taking the teasing too far.”

His words were, in many ways, incredibly sweet.

For someone like Ariel, who never revealed her emotions to anyone, it was an earnest encouragement to express herself. But as soon as I heard them, my mind went blank, and my entire body froze.

‘He noticed that Ariel changed.’

He figured it out. That brief moment was enough for him to sense something had shifted.

Of course. He was the Emperor. The man who had emerged victorious from a brutal struggle for the throne.

There was no way someone like him wouldn’t notice if the woman he loved had changed.