<h4>Chapter 278. Eyes and Ears (1)</h4>


    Trantor: Aura / Editor: SaWarren


    Since it was raining, I went out into the garden next to Heinley with an umbre.


    Hearing the sound of the rain as we took a walk reminded me of my brother, so I asked,


    “Do you think Miss Mastas has already met my brother?”


    Heinley replied, “Probably,” and pulled my shoulder toward him.


    “Come closer, My Queen. You’ll get wet.”


    “Wouldn’t it have been better to each use an umbre?…”


    Is it necessary to be stuck to each other to share an umbre?


    “By the way, My Queen. Does Brother Koshar have no intention of getting married? As a nobleman, it seems that he is taking a long time to get married. I haven’t even heard of a fiancée.”


    “My brother is not interested in anything but fighting and swords.”


    That said, the rumors aren’t good for a political marriage either…


    As much as a political marriage was a marriage between noble families, no father would want to marry his daughter to a ruthless man.


    “It always amazes me how different My Queen and Brother Koshar’s personalities are.”


    “Really? But you also—”


    ‘have a different personality than your brother,’ I quickly swallowed thesest words.


    It hadn’t been long since Christa’s incident ended. I’d rather not say that.


    I quickly changed my words.


    “Ah, your birthday ising up. Is there anything you’d like to have, Heinley?”


    “No, nothing.”


    I thought so.


    “But there is something I want to do.”


    After Heinley finished speaking, he stopped and suddenly hugged me from behind.


    When I looked up, I realized that he was watching me with a strange expression.


    It was definitely a racy request. I could tell by his expression. Because of that, I couldn’t help but swallow hard.


    I was embarrassed by the loud sound caused, but I spoke calmly as if nothing had happened,


    “I’ll consider it if it’s not far-fetched.”


    “What do you mean by far-fetched?”


    “!”


    He didn’t want the ‘kind’ of gift I thought?


    My eyes widened, even more embarrassed.


    “I mean don’t ask for a gift that’s hard to get.”


    But that wasn’t a good excuse either. As soon as I spoke, I felt a wave of remorse.


    It was stupid! How could I make such a cold excuse?!


    It was his first birthday we would celebrate together, but I didn’t want him to ask for a gift that was hard to get!


    I felt deeply regretful. I moved a little closer to him and grabbed his free hand.


    Heinley tensed. It wasn’t long before I felt a deep sigh go down my neck.


    “My Queen, what are you going to do by having me in your palm?”


    “In my palm?”


    “You control me just by holding my hand.”


    Heinley held our intertwined hands tighter.Then he raised my hand, along with his, and lightly kissed the back of it.


    “I did it… because my words were much colder than I thought.”


    I confessed sincerely and gently withdrew my hand.


    His lips on the back of my hand felt soft and pleasant, but there was no need to do this outside, right?


    While it was good that the emperor and empress were a happily married couple, that did not mean that we had to be affectionate everywhere.


    Heinley pulled me even closer to his chest and adjusted the position of the umbre.


    As time went on the rain decreased, it seemed that it would soon stop.


    When I reached a hand out from the umbre to feel the rain, Heinley whispered as he looked at me.


    “Hmm… actually, I’d like to take a bath together.”


    I was enjoying the cold raindrops falling on my palm, but I quickly withdrew my hand in surprise.


    “As a birthday present, let’s take a bath together.”


    “… You’re sly.”


    Heinley didn’t deny it.


    I hesitated and said to get out of the situation,


    “I’ll think about it.”


    His birthday was still a few months away.


    “If you don’t want to take a bath together, let’s at least enjoy a day just for the two of us, My Queen. With no one else.”


    I nodded and asked,


    “Why are you so obsessed with taking a bath together?”


    In truth, he wasn’t so insistent on it as to consider it an obsession. Still, I couldn’t believe he wanted this out of so many possible gifts.


    Didn’t he also say he wanted to take a bath with me while pretending to be scared during the ghostmotion? I was naturally puzzled.


    Heinley calmly replied.


    “I’d also like to see My Queen soaking wet.”


    As I was about to say, ‘That’s the only reason?’ A scene came to mind.


    The scene where Heinley changed from bird to his human form at the fountain. He certainly looked very handsome soaking wet under the moonlight, tossing his hair back.


    “That’s right. You looked very handsome soaking wet Heinley.”


    When I quietly admitted it, Heinley smiled with his eyes as if to say, ‘You finally recognize it?’


    But he immediately raised his eyebrows and stared at me.


    The rain had just stopped, so I stepped out of the umbre and walked forward with quick steps.


    ***