Empress of Another World

Thirty Six

I woke up abruptly from a feeling of falling.

I was confused. I couldn’t understand what has happened or where I was.

It felt like I escaped from a dark muddy cave. Barely.

I had no strength. I was wet with my own sweat as I laid on the bed. I looked at the ceiling blankly.

It took a while for my mind to start working again. I counted the patterns on the ceiling. By the time I counted to fifteen, I was able to remember bits and pieces.

The last thing I remembered was the emperor holding the cup filled with water. I remembered him whispering to me.

It wouldn’t kill me.

What happened was so bad I found it a little funny. I was about to trust him a little when he did this to me.

I wanted to swear, but I didn’t have the energy. My body felt heavy like a piece of wet cotton. My head felt like it was filled with fog.

I started to get annoyed.

This whole situation was beyond frustrating.

I tried to get up. When I tried to push myself up with my arm, I felt a sudden headache.

“Ouch…!”

It was painful. It felt like someone picked me up and spun me around several times.

I heard someone enter. They must have heard me groan.

I assumed it was either Samantha or one of the sisters, Luis or Elza. I wanted to say something, but my throat was so dry no sound came out of my mouth.

Then suddenly, I heard a voice that made me forget anything.

“You’re awake.”

I was wide awake now. Despite the aches and dizziness, I raised my head. The room spun around me, but I managed to see clearly.

It was the same face I saw right before losing my consciousness.

He was looking down at me with a strange expression. His face looked a little tired.

Why?

He helped me sit up. He arranged large cushions behind my back so I can lean back comfortably. His behavior was caring. When I thought about it, his words were always sharp and sometimes hurtful, but he always acted with gentleness.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry, and I had no spit to swallow. It felt sore and sharp.

He seemed confused at my pained expression but quickly figured it out. He poured me a cup of water and handed it to me.

Last time he gave me water, it was in a white ceramic cup. This time, he handed me a silver cup. The water looked clear and cool, but the man holding it couldn’t be trusted.

I looked up at him with clear distrust. He grinned and took a sip from it himself. After I saw him swallow, I raised my hand to accept the cup.

“Hmm…!”

He watched me as I struggled to hold the cup, but because I was so weak, I almost dropped it. He quickly took the cup away from me and got it to my lips.

“…”

I was annoyed, but my thirst was greater than my distrust of him.

I hated him and this situation, but I drank it desperately with his help. It tasted sweet and cool. I emptied the whole cup quickly.

How long have I been out? As I wondered, he took the cup away and laid me down on the cushions.

How kind my husband was!