SOP 05

🌷༺❀༻🌷༺❀༻🌷 Chapter 5 🌷༺❀༻🌷༺❀༻🌷

His voice came out heavily, as if he were trying to endure some kind of pain.

Strangely, it even sounded as if he was afraid.

But before Shiodor could think deeply about it, Raud’s eyes moved toward something behind her.

What is he looking at?

Shiodor followed his gaze and secretly looked behind herself.

But there was nothing there.

Confused, she opened her mouth, wanting to say something to calm his anger.

“I-I…”

“Come with me.”

But Raud was no longer looking at her.

He grabbed Shiodor’s wrist and left the room.

Am I going to die this time?

Even though she had lived with the fear of death since she was young, she could never get used to it.

Her body trembled as she lowered her head.

After they walked only a short distance, a different atmosphere touched her.

“Raise your head.”

At Raud’s command, Shiodor slowly raised her head.

He had the look of someone taking her to an execution ground.

But the place they entered was simply another clean room inside the palace.

“This place is…”

“Do you plan to sleep in a room covered in blood?”

“Ah… No, but…”

Her trembling eyes looked at him.

She really could not understand him.

Maybe it was because she had not received much education, but Raud’s thoughts were far too difficult for her to understand.

Sometimes, he acted as if she were worthless.

But his hands were incredibly warm.

Sometimes, he even seemed worried about her.

That can’t be true.

She pressed her lips together with her teeth, trying to push away such an impossible thought.

“Your lips.”

Raud gently lifted her chin.

He looked displeased.

“I told you not to bite them. It is a habit that makes you look like someone of a low status.”

“…Ah, yes, Your Majesty.”

“And.”

“Yes…?”

“Starting tomorrow, learn some self-defense.”

“Self-defense…?”

“Do you plan to keep crying and letting people hurt you every time?”

Raud’s forehead wrinkled deeply as their eyes met.

For a moment, it seemed like he was looking at the blood on Shiodor’s cheek.

“Even if I give you one hundred guards, or one thousand, they cannot save you every time. Even if it is—”

He raised his voice angrily, as if something was making him extremely angry.

But then he tightly clenched his fist and muttered,

“…Even if it is me.”

Shiodor’s blue eyes blinked quickly.

Tears had filled her eyes because she was frightened.

Every time she blinked, tears fell down her cheeks.

She swallowed nervously.

Did I hear him correctly?

For some reason, Raud’s words sounded as if he wanted to protect her.

“Crying will not solve anything.”

Shiodor quickly wiped away her tears.

“If someone insults you, grab them by the hair.”

Even while giving her such a harsh command, Raud held out a clean handkerchief toward her.

Shiodor took it with trembling hands.

She gently wiped the tears around her eyes.

A small hope appeared inside her heart.

Maybe he doesn’t actually hate me.

“Always be careful.”

Raud continued.

“So you won’t be eaten.”

But strangely, his eyes once again moved toward the space behind Shiodor.

The handkerchief had a fresh forest-like scent.

The pleasant smell made her feel calmer, and her tears slowly stopped.

“Answer me.”

“Y-Yes…”

Raud’s habit of looking behind her since their first meeting was strange.

But Shiodor quickly answered.

“Go wash yourself. There is blood on you.”

“Yes…”

She answered, but she still stood there awkwardly.

She looked at Raud as if asking whether she was really allowed to leave.

Raud gave a small laugh.

“Should I wash you?”

“Ah! No, Your Majesty!”

Shiodor’s shoulders jumped.

She quickly left the room.

Through the slowly closing door, she could see Raud getting onto the bed.

Is he going to sleep here again today?

Raud was still frightening.

He became angry with her and sometimes showed strange anger that she could not understand.

But she did not dislike him.

At least, he did not seem like someone who would kill her.

No…

Rather…

I think… he might protect me.

Just knowing that Raud was beside her gave her a strange feeling of relief.

As she walked toward the bath, Shiodor smiled quietly.

“How shameless.”

“Seriously. Does she really want to walk around showing that face?”

The women of the harem continued talking badly about Shiodor.

Today was an imperial charity event.

The Emperor, Empress, concubines, and the women of the harem were all putting their precious belongings up for auction.

The money from the auction would be donated to an orphanage and poor-relief center.

Strictly speaking, the women of the harem were not officially part of the Imperial Family.

However, they had asked to participate together, and the Empress had allowed them to come.

They arrived in a large group like a pack of wolves and immediately took seats near the front.

Then, when Shiodor arrived later, they intentionally raised their voices so she could hear them.

“I heard she lived locked inside a tower in the Selene Kingdom.”

“But she walks around freely here.”

“Does she really believe His Majesty’s favor is still with her?”

The women’s jealousy had become even stronger after hearing that the Emperor had stayed in Shiodor’s palace for several days.

Another reason was Shiodor’s changing appearance.

Thanks to the ointment Raud had given her and Gentlet’s careful care, Shiodor was becoming more beautiful than before.

Shiodor ignored all their comments.

She quietly walked toward the seat reserved for her.

It was the seat directly after the Emperor and Empress.

She finally reached the seat in front of Lady Emmanuel.

But Emmanuel was sitting there.

Even though she knew it was not her seat, Emmanuel had a determined expression that clearly said she had no intention of moving.

Shiodor looked at her for a moment.

Then she spoke.

“His Majesty said…”

Her voice was still a little nervous.

“If someone insults me…”

She continued.

“He told me to grab that person’s hair.”

“What… What are you saying?!”

The women immediately became noisy.

Shiodor was still trembling slightly.

But there was something different in her voice now.

There was a strange confidence.

“I cannot disobey His Majesty’s order.”

She looked at them innocently.

“So whose hair should I grab first…?”

They had thought that Shiodor would be easy to intimidate because of her weak first impression.

But if the rumors about the Emperor favoring her were true, then Shiodor was clearly changing.

“Ha…! Grab someone’s hair?!”

Emmanuel’s voice trembled.

“Y-You could just talk to us!”

In the end, Emmanuel quickly left the seat.

This was very different from insulting Shiodor at a private tea party.

Shiodor’s request was completely reasonable.

And there were too many people watching.

Emmanuel could not openly fight with an official concubine in front of everyone.

“…Thank you.”

Shiodor did not really need to thank her.

But even now, she could not bring herself to be cruel.

She sat down with a small, proud smile.

Her heart was beating like crazy.

But at the same time, she felt proud and excited.

For once, she had spoken up for herself instead of being ignored.

Then—

“Shiodor.”

A soft and gentle voice made Shiodor slowly turn her head.

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“The Empress!”

Shiodor’s face immediately brightened.

“Ah, greetings to Her Imperial Majesty, the most noble Empress of the Raud Empire.”

She had almost spoken casually because she was happy to see Secrita.

But she quickly corrected herself and bowed politely.

Secrita smiled gently, finding Shiodor’s behavior cute.

But then a dark shadow appeared behind them.

“Does the concubine not even see the Emperor?”

“Huh?!”

Shiodor jumped in surprise.

“S-Sorry… The glory of the Raud Empire…”

The voice sounded like a growling beast.

Shiodor quickly lowered her head again.

Her cheeks, which had become red when she saw the Empress, were now completely pale.

“Enough.”

Raud frowned deeply, as if he disliked seeing Shiodor so frightened.

“The burn marks have become much lighter.”

He looked at her face.

“They will disappear soon.”

“Because of the ointment Your Majesty gave me…”

“Though you are still ugly.”

Raud’s words went from praise to insult so quickly that Shiodor did not know how to react.

She slowly raised her head.

He told me to grab the hair of anyone who insults me.

Then… am I allowed to grab the Emperor’s hair too?

She imagined it for a moment.

I would probably be executed.

Shiodor quickly pushed the thought out of her mind and lowered her head again.

Then someone suddenly shouted in excitement.

“Wow! What a beautiful horse!”

“Look at its fur! How can it be such a bright red?”

Shiodor naturally turned toward the sound.

There stood a horse with bright red fur.

Its smooth, muscular body looked incredibly strong.

“I heard it was presented to His Majesty by the Prancitz Ducal Family.”

“They raised it from when it was young.”

“I heard it is now at the peak of its strength.”

“No wonder His Majesty treasures it so much.”

Shiodor also looked at the horse with curiosity.

Strangely, she felt as if the horse was looking directly at her too.

And then—

“Ah! No!”

The horse suddenly became extremely excited.

It began kicking and moving wildly.

The person holding its reins was thrown to the ground.

Then the horse suddenly started running wildly toward somewhere.

Its path was heading directly toward Shiodor.

My feet…

I can’t move.

Even though the horse was running straight toward her, Shiodor’s body would not move.

It felt as if someone was holding both of her legs tightly from below.

“AHHH!”

The women screamed and ran away.

The Imperial Knights were busy protecting the Emperor and Empress.

Shiodor had nowhere to go.

She could not move.

She tightly closed her eyes.

The horse was just about to crash into the completely helpless Shiodor—

“Shiodor!”

At the exact moment the horse’s head was about to hit her, Raud suddenly broke through the Imperial Knights.

He rushed toward her and pulled Shiodor tightly into his arms.

🌷༺❀༻🌷༺❀༻🌷🌷༺❀༻🌷༺❀༻🌷