Chapter 96

We settled on the low seat beneath the lavish canopy. The emperor waved his hand in a signal, prompting the boatman to grab the paddles and start rowing. As the boat moved across the beautiful waters, the summer breeze kissed my cheeks and chilled it slightly.

At that moment, only the sound of the soft ripple of the lake splashing gently against the boat could be heard around us. The combination of the warm breeze and glistening waters was no less than perfect, and I couldn’t think of anything more beautiful. This was made possible because of the emperor’s generosity. Being in the midst of such a serene atmosphere somehow made the agonizing three months feel like it was a long time ago.

I turned my head and caught the emperor looking at me. I averted my eyes just as hastily.

Why was he looking at me like that? His warm and ardent gaze had my heart pounding a little bit faster.

“I suppose you aren’t feeling seasick?” The emperor remarked.

Is that what he’s worried about? Flustered, I sheepishly fiddled with the sleeves of my dress, “I’m okay. As a matter of fact, it’s my first time being on a boat. It’s an interesting experience.” I told him truthfully. It was more enjoyable than I expected.

Hearing me express my admiration, the emperor smirked triumphantly. “I’ll take you to a much larger ship next time. I’m sure you’ll find that just as pleasant, if not more.”

The kindness bestowed by the emperor still appeared strange to me, especially when it was directed at me, not as Liliana’s stand-in and honestly, I was kind of afraid of what that meant. Good thing the spectacular view of the lake soothed my worries and lifted the tension off my shoulders.

Maybe I should just enjoy this moment and think of nothing else. I glanced down the rippling waters we’re treading through, seeing our reflection and the beautiful skies above perfectly mirrored upon its surface. The sight of it reminded me of the decorative cloth Lina had made for the prayer festival.

The lake was luring me in. Without thinking, I took off my lace gloves and dipped one hand onto the waters. It was cold since it was only the beginning of summer, but it was comforting nonetheless.

Splash!

I let out a small gasp. As the boat shifted, a small, silvery fish leapt out of the surface and dropped back to the waters just as quickly, splashing water droplets everywhere. It swam away at a frantic speed until we couldn’t see it anymore.

The splash reached the sleeve of my dress. I needed to dry it as quickly as possible since this was made from expensive fabric. Panicking slightly, I looked around to reach for my handkerchief when a gust of wind blew from all directions, and the only thing I could think about at this very moment was my handkerchief which was about to fall into the lake. I hurriedly got up from my seat, rocking the boat as I lost my balance.

“Oh no!” Thankfully the boat wasn’t a small one, so I don’t think it would tip over easily, but then it still wasn’t made to accommodate sudden, abrupt movements.

“Iona!” The emperor called. I shut my eyes as I braced myself from the impact of falling right into the cold waters. I had just recovered from my brief coma and yet here I am, about to fall sick once again. I felt sorry for Dr. Berman, for he would be paying me a second visit anytime soon.

Then, I felt a strong grip grabbing hold of my entire body.

“Are you okay?”

The impact never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw the emperor’s face close to mine as our eyes met and held, no space between us. He looked concerned, and my startled expression was reflected in his jewel, golden eyes.

‘Ahhhhh!’ I internally screamed. I found myself wrapped in the emperor’s tight embrace. Feeling myself growing red, my voice came out stuttering, “E-emperor? I-I mean… my Lord?”

“If you want to play in the water, you would have to wait a little bit longer.”

What? “Sorry? N-no. It’s not that. I, I…” I didn’t know what to say. The emperor looking at me with a playful grin on his lips rendered me speechless. His grin fell, however, when he noticed the handkerchief I was holding onto tightly.

“Did you really risk falling into the waters just for this handkerchief?”

Having collected myself, I gently pulled away from the emperor’s embrace and rebutted, “Just a handkerchief? This is the handkerchief you gave me. I don’t want to be punished should I lose it.”

Upon realization of what I just said, I immediately covered my mouth. Oh no. Can he just please forget about it?

Why isn’t there a rewind button? I should’ve thought my words more carefully before saying it out loud.

Hearing my sudden exclamation, his eyes darted between me and the handkerchief. Without much expression on his face, he snatched the handkerchief from my hand and threw it overboard without warning.

What did he just do!? It’s a perfectly good handkerchief!

The white handkerchief drifted through the air before it dived through the waters. A handkerchief was taken from me yet again, and I am no less than devastated.

“Don’t be too bothered with these things. I’ll give you hundreds, thousands more if you want.” He said flatly before escorting me back to the seat beneath the canopy. Sitting under the shade, I studied the emperor’s fluctuating mood. His expression was hard, but he didn’t say anything more. I also noticed the tips of his ears appeared to be a little red from the sun.

He wouldn’t really send me hundreds of handkerchiefs, would he? I couldn’t help but worry since I know he’s a man of his word.

I blinked a couple of times. Why do I feel like I have forgotten something? The recent mishap had somehow messed up my thinking process. There really was something I needed to check with the emperor. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

Consumed with the strange feeling, I didn’t realize we had finally reached our destination.

“We’re here.” The boatman spoke as he docked the boat at the side of a small pier beside the pavilion. “If you’d like to return, just wave this flag and I will come for you quickly.” He bowed as the emperor and I alighted the boat.