I Won't Accept Your Regrets

Chapter 144

The metropolitan nobility was hungry for lavish receptions after a whole series of misadventures, so that the banquet did not stop until late at night.

If it was a person accustomed to feasts and libations, he would still be on his feet. But I'm tired for a long time.

After changing my clothes, I headed to Carlisle's room and ran into Raymond at the door.

The banquet dragged on until late at night, and Carlisle was already asleep in the common room.

So, then Raymond took Carlisle and was already leaving.

"Carlisle fell asleep?"

"He is fast asleep. I think we'd better not wake up. Yes, and you are probably tired for today. In that case, I'll leave you."

He walked away without waiting for an answer.

I stopped in my steps and turned to him.

It was dark already well past midnight.

It was too late for the Emperor to return to his personal palace.

He and I would not have become an ordinary couple, so a separate life was completely fine with me. But what I heard at the reception spoiled my nerves.

The nobility wondered why the emperor and the empress were postponing the first night.

The servants and officials of the palace will surely spread even more gossip.

My previous mistake was that I missed the gaze of others while chasing Lisa and Carlisle's name.

Whatever the circumstances of our life with Raymond, at least for strangers, our relationship should be ideal.

Sighing in my hearts, I called him back.

"Sire."

He turned at my call.

"It's too late... Stay."

At that moment, Raymond's eyes widened. As if he didn't believe what was happening, a storm rose in his eyes.

I don't know if he got it right.

"Are you serious?"

Instead of answering, I nodded my head towards the courtiers.

After reading my gaze, he looked at me now with a completely different expression on his face.

He seemed to understand what I mean.

He looked a little bit angry as he spoke:

"It's really too late."

"Then let's go to my room."

Casting a condemning glance at the eavesdropping courtiers, I went to the bedroom with Raymond.

"Have a good time, Your Majesty."

"Of course."

The maids who were arranging the bedroom left the room, and we were the only ones left in the room.

I invited him here for show, but why am I so uncomfortable?

If you look like that, this is not the first time I have shared a bedroom with him.

In a strange mood, I threw the shawl over my pajamas. And then he spoke.

"Why did the courtiers' gaze suddenly bother you?"

Frowning slightly, he continued.

"Someone says something bad?"

"At the reception, the following story was heard about our union with you. In fact, this problem should have been settled well in advance. I was stupid, thinking it would be easy to do, and I had many other problems on my hands."

"You mean you're really going to set a reunion date?"

"Until Carlisle becomes a full-fledged prince... The relationship between his majesty and me must be perfect. And we, as a good couple, are often supposed to "join forces"."

I added right away so that he would not misunderstand me.

"Of course we will set a date, but that does not mean that your Majesty and I will lie down together. It's all about pretending to be the perfect couple."

"Yes, everything is clear. So don't worry if I misunderstand you."

With a light sigh, Raymond unbuttoned his shirt one by one. Embarrassed by this action, I pulled away.

"What are you doing, you said yourself just now that you won't get me wrong."

His hand froze on the button. He looked at me in surprise and asked:

"Do I have to sit in a tailcoat until tomorrow morning? Changing clothes will add naturalness to our scene."

Unlike me, who was wearing my pajamas, he was still embarrassed by his tailcoat.

And on the table lay a set of pajamas that the maids had prepared.

Obviously, my reaction was overkill.

I even forgot that he hadn't changed.

I was so tired that my head stopped working when we were the only one left in the bedroom.

"Is it confusing to you?" the emperor said to me, bowing his head.

"Please change in the dressing room."

Fortunately, Raymond silently went straight to the dressing room.

When the door closed, I felt the heat from my cheeks.

"Eh."

There was no need to react like that.

It was embarrassing and I was very sorry, but it was too late. The emperor will return, but tomorrow the news will spread around the palace that a marital quarrel has taken place between the emperor and the empress.

It will be said that the emperor was expelled by the empress at dawn.

If you fall asleep, time will fly by faster.

"I'll have to sleep on the couch."

If you do not heed my hatred of him, forcing the emperor of my country to sleep on the couch would not be very good.

This is my first time sleeping on the couch, but it's so spacious and fluffy ... It would be nice to succumb to it for one night.

The locker room door opened and Raymond entered, dressed in pajamas.

"You are still awake. Will you sit with me like this until the morning, then take me to work?"

Unlike me, tense from all this fuss, Raymond was calm.

He even had the mood to joke. Oddly enough, he was now like a fish in water.

Naturally, he was now comfortable.

However, I didn't want to flirt with him and tell stories.

I answered bluntly, with a face devoid of emotion.

"That won't happen."

"Then I go to bed."

"Sire?"

I tried to say that I had left the bed for him.

But Raymond made his way to the couch as a matter of course, pillow in hand.

Although it was a long and wide sofa, it could not accommodate his entire figure.

I walked over to him, looking at the long legs hanging from the edge.

"Your Majesty, please go to bed."

Raymond opened his eyes closed.

"Where then will you sleep if I am in bed? Do you want me to make you sleep on the couch?"

"Everything is fine. Your Majesty is so uncomfortable."

"You, too. You couldn't even sleep here."

He looked stubborn.

"Sire..."

"You are uncomfortable and I am uncomfortable, so should we both sleep in the same bed?"

His question left me speechless.

Sleep together?

I would never have shared a bed with him.

"Well, really pipes. Your Majesty's sofa is so comfortable that I give it to you. Ha, please, sweet dreams."

Turning around without regret, I heard a childish giggle behind me.

I pretended not to hear and went to bed. All the bright lights were extinguished, and only one large candle remained.

The two legs sticking out of the sofa irritated me strangely.

However, it doesn't matter. I have nothing to worry about about trifles.

It was he who refused my offer.

Forgetting that he was in the same room with me, I dissolved into bed and fell asleep.

When the room became quiet and Ellie's breathing evened out, Raymond opened his eyes.

"Goodnight."

His low voice, close to a whisper, swept through the room.

Ellie fell asleep almost as soon as she went to bed. Just like in their shared past.

Raymond felt exhausted, but managed to squeeze out a slight chuckle.

It seems that it is he, and not her, who will have a sleepless night.

He pretended to be all right, but inside he was more nervous than she was.

How many nights he spent with Ellie in years past, but the weight of emotion between the past and the present was completely different.

And this was a situation to be approached lightly.

He was only nervous because there were only two of them in the same room.

"Maybe I was wrong?"

"Did I inconvenience her?"

His heart is beating wildly, and irresistibly attracts him to her.

Raymond stood up cautiously. He didn't believe that he could fall asleep that night while he was in this room.

He leaned back on the couch with a deep breath.

He scanned the familiar ceiling, listening for Ellie's breathing.

He tried to distract himself, but now nothing came to his mind except Ellie.

This moment with her captured his entire mind.

"The night will be long."

Raymond turned and looked out the window.

Even the silver full moon in the sky reminded him of Ellie. Oh, what a mockery of the emperor.

He stayed there a long night, alone with Ellie's even breathing, until the silver moon disappeared.