"These were reviewed in advance by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, so you only need to stamp them with your seal."
One of the nobles demanded a signature without even explaining what the documents contained.
Velkirei asked in response,
"Even so, should I not at least know what they contain?"
"Are you saying that you cannot trust Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?"
"...Very well."
Velkirei had no choice but to stamp the documents without even knowing their contents.
"Wait, is the Emperor of the Owen Empire Velkirei or Hera?"
Eliana found herself growing indignant instead.
The situation in which so many people subtly disregarded Velkirei reminded Eliana of her own past.
Perhaps that was why.
Already standing closely beside him like a loyal retainer, Eliana had begun to empathize with Velkirei before she even realized it.
Being forced to endure something when you could clearly see the opponent's moves was enough to make one's blood boil.
As Eliana replayed the proceedings of the imperial council in her mind, she closed her eyes to sleep.
"Thinking about it again, Velkirei is impressive for just sitting there and enduring it."
What would happen if Hera did not fall like she did in the original story?
A sudden unease washed over her.
She could not judge whether Velkirei would truly be able to imprison Hera as he had in the original work.
From what she could see, Hera overwhelmingly held the advantage.
Even though the noble faction kept Hera in check, they were not supporting Velkirei either.
They supported the Grand Duke Crombell who governed the frontier.
In other words, Velkirei had no faction of his own at all.
Seeing how he suffered every night, it seemed certain that he had made a Demonic Contract, yet she could not help worrying that he might die like this.
Of course, if he died she could simply attach herself to Hera instead... but after caring for him this long, she still hoped he would live.
While muttering to herself like that, Eliana eventually fell asleep.
Then, at dawn, she suddenly bolted upright at the unexpected ringing of a bell.
Velkirei had never rung the bell even once when he suffered his seizures.
A sudden sense of foreboding struck her.
Still in her nightclothes, Eliana rushed toward the bedroom.
"Your Majesty!"
Eliana shouted when she saw Velkirei collapsed on the floor.
He had fallen beside the bed and was gasping for breath, while the bell rolled across the floor.
It seemed he had dropped it while collapsing.
Even though he sensed Eliana entering the bedroom, Velkirei could not react at all under the agony that felt as if his breathing might stop at any moment.
He could not breathe properly, as if an asthma attack had suddenly struck him.
With choking groans, Velkirei's face grew pale.
Eliana immediately searched for something like a bag that might help him breathe, but there was no such thing in the emperor's bedroom.
Because Velkirei was blind, there was not even a single book in the bedroom.
After pacing helplessly for a moment, Eliana finally moved closer to him.
"Your Majesty! Try taking deep breaths with me! Like this, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale!"
"Cough!"
At that moment Velkirei suddenly grabbed Eliana's arm with brutal strength.
His breathing looked so unstable that it seemed it might stop at any moment.
If she left him like this, he might die.
No, in truth she already knew that he would not die.
A body that had made a Demonic Contract belonged to the demon.
Until the terms of the contract were fulfilled, he could not die.
Feeling the pain yet being unable to die was not a blessing but something closer to a curse.
Eliana took a deep breath as if making up her mind.
"If he dies and then comes back to life right in front of me, Velkirei might kill me."
She could not let him die like this.
Eliana spoke firmly.
"Your Majesty, please excuse me!"
Even at her shout, Velkirei continued gasping in confusion.
His body trembled as he clung to Eliana's arm like a lifeline.
Eliana covered his nose with one hand to secure his airway and began artificial respiration.
"Mmph!"
Velkirei struggled as if shocked by the sudden contact of their lips.
Eliana held onto the struggling Velkirei and continued blowing breath into him.
Their lips touched and separated several times like an awkward kiss.
His lips were as cold as his hands.
Before long Velkirei sagged against her as if relying on her, accepting the breath she gave him.
Eventually, like a baby bird receiving food from its mother, Velkirei parted his lips quietly while clutching the back of Eliana's neck.
After several repetitions like that, Velkirei's breathing gradually returned to normal.
Just as Eliana was about to pull away after giving the final breath, she saw his eyes turn red before shifting back to blue.
But she calmly wiped her lips as if she had seen nothing.
"In the original story it said that Velkirei's blue eyes turned red whenever he used his power."
His change was more welcome than anything.
Confirming that Velkirei truly had made a Demonic Contract, Eliana smiled secretly.
It seemed that attaching herself to this side was definitely the golden rope.
Eliana carefully helped Velkirei sit up.
Velkirei's eyes trembled faintly.
He looked confused. Though his unfocused eyes remained the same, she could sense his agitation.
After a moment of silence, he spoke in a dazed voice.
"W what just..."
"Ah... you were having trouble breathing, so I performed artificial respiration..."
"..."
"Were you uncomfortable? I'm sorry."
Seeing how shaken he appeared, Eliana deliberately muttered in a timid voice.
Although she had called it artificial respiration, toward the end it had been almost indistinguishable from a kiss.
If she had not pulled away when she did, it might have turned into a real kiss.
Velkirei did not answer her apology.
Since she had spoken expecting him to say it was not the case, his silence made her feel awkward.
Well, from Velkirei's perspective, it might feel like he had suddenly been kissed.
The situation had been urgent, but now that her mind had cleared a little, Eliana also felt embarrassed.
"But it is still better than watching him die right in front of me..."
While Eliana was trying to convince herself of that, Velkirei spoke in a low voice.
"I was not... uncomfortable."
"Ah, yes. I'm sorry for making you uncomforta... what?"
"Rather, my mind feels clearer."
At Velkirei's words, Eliana stared blankly at him.
Velkirei was smiling more peacefully than ever before.
The sight was so beautiful that Eliana nearly lost herself staring before she hurriedly shook her head.
His answer felt strange.
A man saying that his mind felt clearer after something that had practically been a kiss, even if it was artificial respiration.
Is this a green light?
Eliana seriously pondered how to interpret Velkirei's words.
Could it be... could it possibly be?
"He doesn't like me, does he?"
That was where her endless chain of thoughts finally led.
But Eliana immediately erased that ridiculous guess. She rolled her eyes and quickly corrected herself.
There was no way Velkirei liked her.
She had not done anything yet.
She had been sincerely trying to treat him well so that they could get along, but he was not such a careless mastermind that he would fall for something like this.
Her face suddenly grew hot.
Because his face looked so unreal, she felt as if she might be getting swept away by it.
Eliana touched her lips. The cool sensation still seemed to linger.
The feeling of something soft touching them was so vivid that she shuddered and quickly withdrew her hand.
"Honestly, saying something like that and making people overthink it."
Eliana glanced sideways at Velkirei.
He was still smiling. That smile somehow looked strangely bewitching.
When Eliana flinched and stepped back, Velkirei spoke again.
"Now I am certain."
"Pardon? Certain of what?"
"Eliana, you may return now."
No answer came to Eliana's question.
Velkirei merely waved his hand.
"Wait, excuse me? Certain of what? Am I the only one curious about that?"
Eliana stared at him blankly, but Velkirei remained unmoved and once again ordered her to leave.
In the end, Eliana headed back to her room with a gloomy expression.
For some reason, his atmosphere felt quite different from usual.
It felt like she should not ask any further questions.
As soon as Eliana disappeared from the bedroom, Velkirei's eyes turned red again.
Staring toward the door through which Eliana had left, he said coldly,
"Just in time. The gods have given me a gift."
After performing artificial respiration on Velkirei, his attitude began to change little by little.
Before, it had felt as though he deliberately kept a certain distance from her because she was someone Hera had placed beside him.
But now his behavior was completely different.
It was as if he had suddenly become noticeably more affectionate.
Eliana had been the one who wanted to grow closer to Velkirei, yet strangely it felt as though Velkirei was now the one trying to get closer first.
"His subtle behavior is strangely confusing."
Eliana was lost in thought when she suddenly felt someone tug on her sleeve.
She lowered her head.
Long, slender fingers were gently gripping her sleeve.
It was Velkirei.
"Your Majesty?"
Eliana tilted her head as she looked at Velkirei tugging on her sleeve.
Since she had been standing beside him waiting on him, she was naturally looking down.
Velkirei, who had been resting beneath a parasol, smiled beautifully and said,
"You must be hot as well. Sit beside me."
He went out for walks at least once and sometimes three times a day.
Although he was the emperor, he stayed not in the main palace but in a secondary palace, so there were quite a few walking paths.
The secondary palace was also called the Seasonal Palace.
Around the central palace were four palaces themed after spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Velkirei had grown so familiar with the geography of the Seasonal Palace gardens that he enjoyed walking there alone.
At that moment Eliana, who had been sweating under the blazing sun, readily accepted the offer.
"Ah, shall I?"
The parasol was not large, so it only created shade for about half the space, but it was still better than nothing.
Just then Velkirei placed a hand on Eliana's shoulder and pulled her close.