The Tyrant Couldn’t Fall Asleep

The chief of staff, the commander of the bodyguard, and two of the emperor's closest aides disappeared due to an unexpected accident.

She tried to comfort Ern, who must have been sad, but...

“I don’t need it, so don’t come near me in the future.”

From then on, Ern started avoiding Izaya again.

She asked the reason in frustration, but there was no answer.

‘Why the hell are you doing this?’

Izaya was tormented by frustration and sadness.

While struggling, Izaya could hear the reason through her father's henchman.

“Your father was the one who got rid of all the people of the emperor, including the chief.”

After her mother passed away, her father was the only one she trusted.

That's why Izaya didn't want to believe it.

But she affirmed through her father when she returned.

"Yeah, I told that girl such useless things. I've kept her in my league so much."

At that moment, she felt as if her whole body had been thrown into a gutter.

‘Did you even think of me as a daughter?’

Instead of resenting her father, Izaya smiled broadly like a flower in full bloom.

"Do not worry. Because the emperor didn't seem to notice."

Even if it is to pretend to be a villain.

Even though she knew he would hate her.

Izaya persevered.

Because she had to protect her young husband who had nowhere to turn from her father.

But the result was a failure.

'I made the decision to leave you too late. I should have gone farther away... Because of my greed.’

The moment she regretted it, her consciousness darkened.

Then Izaya opened her eyes in surprise.

‘Did I come to hell?’

Looking around her, her expression hardened.

‘Wait, this is…'

A white marble floor, decorated with gold everywhere.

It was too luxurious for a landscape of hell. And it was a familiar place to Izaya.

'Why…? I must have died.’

But to say that she was dead, all her senses were vivid. The subtle scent that comes through her nose, the gorgeous scenery in front of her, and the fatigue that weighs heavily on her body.

‘Is it possible that someone cured me?’

Then, someone tapped her shoulder. Izaya, who confirmed the culprit, was astonished.

'You…!’

His silver hair shone brilliantly in the sunlight. The eyebrows above the amethyst-like eyes were slightly wrinkled.

14 years old? Was he around 15 years old?

His youthful face, which looked 10 years younger than before she broke up, was staring at her.

‘How did you become young? No way…'

“Izaya, I have a question for you…”

The young husband who reached out for the first time and became the only family member.

She missed him so much, and she was the one who remained with regrets.

'If I'm really back in the past...'

Izaya once called her husband's nickname she had given him.

“Ern.”

Before returning, she couldn't call her husband like that.

After the death of the generals, including the captain of the bodyguard.

This was because she was harsh on her husband in order to deceive the Duke Lauchen's attention, and her husband also looked down on her with contempt.

But…

"What?"

Now, the answer came back, bluntly. Just like when they were good friends.

‘Am I really back?’

At the moment of her death, her heart was torn apart, that she can't be with Ern forever.

And she regretted it and resented it. It was her own stupidity that she did not find complete happiness in him.

'But… I can change it now.’

Overwhelmed by emotion, Izaya impulsively hugged him tightly.

‘This time, I will definitely protect you and your loved ones. therefore…'

At that moment, Ern hurriedly backed away from her.

“Hey, what are you doing now?”

'What?'

Ern was staring at her like a criminal.

Izaya finally realized what she had done and smiled awkwardly.

Although they were not close enough to call each other by nicknames now, there was a line between Ern and Izaya.

Because he was still young, Izaya also considered him like a little brother then.

In other words, they were more like a brother and sister than a couple, so it was natural for him to hate her.

“Sorry, I made a mistake a while ago.”

She thought that her apology would make him feel better, but somehow Ern's face got worse.

"Mistake?"

"Yes."

“Why is that…?”

Izaya thought about Ern's low voice as if asking questions.

‘You must have been really upset.’

Now that this has happened, Izaya swallowed dry saliva and answered.

“Well, I had a terrible nightmare.”

“What kind of nightmare?”

At Ern's question, Izaya lowered her eyes.

Soon, Ern will lose his entourage and support, and his rulership will be usurped by the Duke of Lauchen and other nobles on the grounds of inexperienced state management.

When the emperor came of age, he handed over the rulership again as promised, but it was after the nobles had already seized all the real power.

In this way, the emperor becomes a scarecrow with only a phantom left.

‘There is no need to speak of that unfortunate future for nothing. Because I will make sure that never happens.’

Soon, Izaya's red lips opened.

“That, I don’t remember.”

"What?"

There was a reply saying that it was absurd, but Izaya turned away.

“Isn’t it time to go see the government affairs? You will be late.”

As she spoke, Ern sighed softly and said.

“Help me change then.”

Soon, Izaya helped Ern change into his uniform.

‘By the way, when is this now?’

At that moment, Ern asked abruptly.

“Is there anything you want?”

‘Well, what do I want out of the blue?’

It was when Izaya looked at him with a puzzled face.

“You are coming of age soon, so ask for a present.”

'It's coming of age...?'

Then, a scene suddenly popped up in her mind.

“Dad, did you have a good inspection?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s because you prayed for my safety.”

“I am glad that my prayers worked.”

“My wonderful daughter, I am curious about your news, so why not tell father what happened?”

“Ah, the Emperor recently asked me if I would like to have something for a coming-of-age present.”

Her past self was so stupid.

Enough to meekly believe that a father's interest in spying is his affection for his daughter.

So she did not hesitate to tell him what Ern was doing.

‘It will be difficult in the future, but we have to change the wrong things one by one. And the first thing to change is…'

Izaya soon opened her mouth.

“Then can you promise me one thing? You will never neglect the state affairs.”

Ern wriggled his eyebrows, then nodded his head.

"What? It’s only natural, because you’re talking about a gift.”

Then Izaya hesitated and said,

“Are you really going to give me anything I want?”

At the question mixed with a little doubt, Ern frowned. Soon his characteristic arrogant tone of voice was heard.

“What do you see me as? As emperor, there is nothing I cannot do in this empire.”

It was a date that Izaya had originally requested from Ern as a coming-of-age gift.

But this time, she was going to ask for a different gift than then.

“Then I hope you will allow me to use the Moon Palace from today.”

"What?"

He wondered if he had heard the wrong thing because he was thinking about something different. Because sometimes it was like that.

So Izaya spoke in a way that was easy to understand.

"Let's use our own rooms starting today."

Then Ern looked at Izaya with subdued eyes and asked.

“Why is that…what you want as a present?”

“You said before that it was uncomfortable to sleep in the same room as me.”

Ern bit his lip for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“Why, is that all?”

"Come to think of it, emperors and empresses used separate rooms, so it was definitely strange for us to continue to merge."

Originally, the two would have used their own rooms after their wedding.

Although monogamy, many emperors welcomed mistresses, so it was common to separate the emperor from the empress.

Nevertheless, the reason why the two continued to share a room was because of the Duke of Lauchen's influence.

"Your Majesty is still young, so you need someone to take care of. Therefore, it would be better to share a room with Her Majesty."

To protect the emperor, it was quite a plausible cause. But there was a reason hidden inside.

‘It was to exert influence on the imperial palace under the pretext of me and spy on the emperor through me.’

Izaya clenched her fist without realizing it.

When she knew nothing, Duke Lauchen used her to kill the emperor's aides and take power.

'In the end, all of this happened when we joined forces. So...'

This time, they must use different rooms.

Soon Izaya smiled as if nothing had happened and told Ern.

"You're okay now that you've grown up, right? It will be more comfortable to use a room alone."

“…”

"Ern?"

When he was called, purple eyes stared at her resentfully. And he replied after pouting his lips as if he were sulking.

"Let's talk about it later."

Bang!

Ern kicked the door to walk out.

Izaya was puzzled by the appearance of him being somewhat angry.

‘Why are you angry? I thought you'd like it…’

She sighed for a moment at an incomprehensible reaction.

Soon, Izaya's eyes sank coldly.

'I don't care what he answers. My heart has already hardened.’

Soon her father will be back. So she'll have to move.

To prevent the death of those who stood on the side of the emperor.