Alcohol (1)

I didn't know what came over me. After leaving Adilun's room and returning to my own, I grabbed my head with my hand and squeezed it tightly.

'Crazy. What crazy thing I just did.'

Normal people wouldn't grab someone's wrist tightly and asked if it was okay to attack them.

If I hadn't calmed my mind with extreme patience, I would have already attacked Adilun. And our relationship would have been ruined.

I was glad I was able to hold back.

I already love her deeply, so if she looked at me with contemptuous eyes again, I couldn't have endured it any longer.

In my head, I kept picturing Adilun coming out of the bath with her reddened shoulders and face.

The sight of her wet hair slightly clinging to her skin was even more alluring than usual… …Captivated by that enchanting figure, I had no choice but to keep following it in my head.

If anyone saw me, they would have no words for my lewd and obscene behavior. I was ashamed to face Adilun.

After barely calming down my agitated mind and body, I began to think about tomorrow's schedule. Since the tea time of the princesses was scheduled, the men would have no choice but to play around.

So there was no need for me to go out. If I encountered anyone casting dirty eyes toward Adilun, there would be another accident.

Anyway, I had shown my face enough at the social gathering, and since I could mostly grasp what the female nobles thought of Adilun, I had no intention of getting involved with them for the time being.

I would just lock myself in my room with the excuse that I wasn't feeling well… … And as soon as Adilun's tea time was over, I would go into her room and confess my sins.

After organizing my thoughts, a mental blankness came over me.

'I should just go to sleep. If I think too much about Adilun again, there was a high chance that the lie of not feeling well would become the truth.'

* * *

[Adilun's POV]

Last night, I couldn't sleep properly because I kept tossing and turning, so I participated in tea time with a hazy mind.

Selina Idenea, who had been manipulating Physis, began to stare at me with an annoyed expression, and I also glared back at her with a displeased expression.

The atmosphere of tea time was not very pleasant because of me and her.

I just quietly watched the flow of conversation during tea time with sharp eyes, and as I continued to sit in my seat, the princesses began to cautiously watch me.

Even with a hazy mind last night, I was able to determine which princess was friendly to me and which ones were not, thanks to the magic tool Physis gave me.

However, it would be better to save that information for later instead of revealing it now.

Last night was honestly a series of embarrassing incidents.

I acted irrationally toward Selina Idenea, and I regretted that I couldn't have been more rational at the time and dealt a bigger blow to her.

While it was inevitable that I got hot-headed due to Physis constantly pushing my limits, at the very least, I should have maintained a rational attitude in that situation.

There won't be another incident like last time in the future.

The tea time eventually ended on an uncomfortable note, although I didn't feel that I had intentionally created that atmosphere.

I did not say anything to them, but gave them a warning, scanning them with my sharp eyes.

'Don't go against my intentions.'

It was the Rodenov who still had the greatest power in the north, and they could not escape its influence.

As the emperor was swayed by the prime minister, local nobles who were supposed to swear allegiance to the emperor eventually chose to pay taxes among themselves.

So was Ortaire in the east, and so was Rodenov in the north.

It would have been unimaginable if the emperor was in good health… …But for some reason, the emperor did not show any interest in the local nobles raising their troops and taxes. He was only busy with pleasure in the center.

'What does the emperor really want? Why did he ruin his decades-long reign so futilely?'

These were the questions swirling in my head, but I pushed them aside. 

It wasn't the time to look in that direction, and stabilizing the internal affairs was urgent. I raised my teacup and took a sip, then spoke for the first time since joining the tea time.

"I'll take my leave now. I'm not feeling well today."

"Ah, is that so?"

"Yes. There's no need for anyone else to get up. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Rest well, Princess Rodenov."

The princesses who saw me off began to smile. After all, I had been making the atmosphere heavy, so it must have been uncomfortable to carry on with the conversations. 

Moreover, I wasn't sure where their interests were currently directed. If I disappeared, they would undoubtedly start telling stories about Physis.

It wasn't just because I had fallen in love with him... This was because Physis was an excellent husband-to-be for any princess in Enadeim. 

His physical strength was good, and his appearance was handsome. Besides, he wasn't as violent or rude as before.

Even the family of Ortaire had the most influence in the East. So which princess would reject such a person?

Just thinking about it made me irritated, but I forced myself to suppress that annoyance. They were like fawning cats.

Of course, not all the princesses were like that. Some were undoubtedly disappointed that I was leaving, including Isla and the princesses around her.

I wondered what aspect of me they admired. Well, I could invite them to Rodenov later to find out.

Now that I had shed my scales, I could have normal interactions with other princesses.

Exhausted with thoughts, I immediately returned to my room and threw myself on the bed. As I lay down on the bed, thoughts of Physis began to invade my mind.

My recent thought patterns had always been the same: Physis, Physis, Physis.

Especially since I became aware of my own feelings, it had gotten worse... ...I felt like I had become a fool.

But it wasn't that I didn't like it. Being able to pour my heart out to someone was very exciting.

Come to think of it, what was Physis doing right now? There were rumors that the men were gathering separately and had a drinking party… … Was he drinking too?

When I thought of alcohol, I remembered the embarrassing sight I showed him, and heat rushed to my face.

But when I think back to that moment...I remembered him treating me very kindly.

I was definitely held in his arms and looked at the stars.

The stars that embroidered the sky were so beautiful, and even though I couldn't say it to him, it felt like the stars were falling in the winter garden...so I asked him to dance.

'Alcohol...'

If I drank alcohol again, would he be nice to me again? Would he understand if I forcefully closed the distance with him?

It was impossible to know, but it was worth testing.

'Yes. Let's have a drink.'

'Maybe, just maybe...'

I might be able to tell him my honest feelings, and he might also tell me his own honest feelings.

I grabbed the wine in my room...and just like that, I drank it all in one go.

The hot and sweet alcohol flowed down my throat, and the heat gradually spread throughout my body. It felt like a fire was burning inside me, and my vision began to waver.

The proper line was important. I had planned to secretly visit his room. I had to keep a minimal amount of rationality to use the transparency magic to find his room.

Around the time the shaking of my vision got worse, I immediately cast the invisibility magic and went straight to Physis's room.

I was able to arrive at his room by the time my rationality, which had been shaking little by little, gradually collapsed completely. My vision gradually spun around, and a smile began to spread across my lips.

Confirming that there was no one in the hallway, I cautiously opened Physis's door hoping that he would be inside.

Fortunately, Physis was inside. It seemed that he didn't like being involved with nobles for nothing.

"Adilun?"

I hear his low, alluring voice. Enchanted by his pleasant voice, I immediately released the transparency spell... and gave in to the impulse that was urging me from within.

So I ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"Uh, huh? Adilun? Why? Did the princesses say anything nonsense to you?"

I liked his perplexed tone. I was glad that he was worried about what had happened to me. I emptied my thoughts and surrendered to my instincts.

* * *

[Physis' POV]

I couldn't help but be surprised. Suddenly, Adliun came to my room, and before long I was hugged by her.

As I was confused about what was going on, the sweet aroma of wine emanated from her body.

"Hehe, Physis, Physis."

She hugged me tightly and started calling my name over and over again.

"Alcohol? Adilun. Did you drink alcohol?"

"Yes."

"Why, why? Did the princesses say anything nonsense to you?"

"Oh, no. I just… … thought about the last time I drank… … I drink im-impulsively."

Her tongue twisted suddenly as she uttered the final words.

It seemed like she was slowly letting go of the strings of reason, so I felt a headache for no reason.

Why was Adilun suddenly like this? Surely she must have had some difficult emotional issues. So she probably borrowed the power of alcohol... She must have come to me because she remembers the last time I pampered her. Perhaps she came to vent her frustrations comfortably.

I decided to just think that way. There was no way she came to see me just because she wanted to.

"It's one thing to drink alcohol, but why did you come to see me?"

"Can't I come to see you?"

"No, it's not that you can't... but there must be a reason, right?"

"I came to see you!"

Seeing her smiling broadly at me, the thoughts I had just before were shattered in an instant. 

Did I hear her correctly? She came to see me because she wanted to? No way.

She pulled me closer and looked up at me, holding me tighter.

A reddish face and loose golden eyes. My heart started beating fast at the same appearance as last time. Even though something happened between us yesterday, was she doing this because I gave her my trust?

"Can I complain to you?"

"Complain?"

"Yes, complain."

"Sure, go ahead. We have plenty of time today anyway."

"Hehe. Then... ...let's start with that damn bi*ch Selena."

"Yes?"

I doubted my ears for a moment. It was because unbelievably extreme words came out of her mouth.