The emperor's eyes narrowed. "Do you really want to know?"
Julian's smile widened. "Yes, because seeing you like this is quite unusual, Your Majesty."
"Are you provoking me?"
Julian's smile widened. He looked at the emperor innocently. "Nope. Who am I to provoke Your Majesty? You're my brother, but we're different. We're both royals, but I'm just a lowly dragon with no right to provoke you."
Aira could feel the sudden chill in the air. It was as if Julian's words were the complete opposite of his actions. For a moment, neither brother moved. The courtyard suddenly felt several degrees colder. Aira looked between them. The emperor's golden eyes became even colder, while Julian's smile only grew wider.
Aira slowly took a step backward.
Uh-oh.
This was beginning to feel like she had accidentally walked into a family argument that had existed for decades. And judging by the expressions of the surrounding guards, none of them wanted to be involved.
Not even a little.
Julian folded his arms. "You've changed, Brother."
"I haven't. Don't say nonsensical things." The emperor's expression remained emotionless.
Julian glanced toward Aira. "Usually, you don't care who speaks to you or who approaches you. But now--"
"Enough."
The single word silenced him.
Aira blinked.
Then Julian's gaze shifted toward her. His eyes fell on the sapphire necklace around her neck, and something in his expression changed.
Aira noticed the change in Julian's gaze as his eyes briefly turned golden before he stepped toward her.
Why is he looking at my necklace? Aira stepped back in confusion.
Julian suddenly reached toward her necklace, as if he intended to pull it off. But before he could touch it, the emperor immediately stepped between them. His eyes were now blazing as he grabbed Julian's hand and roughly slapped it away.
Aira blinked.
"What do you think you're doing, you lowly dragon? Are you trying to touch what's mine?" The emperor's cold voice echoed through the courtyard.
Julian seemed to come to his senses. The striking golden color faded from his eyes, and his innocent expression immediately returned. A dangerous silence followed.
Julian smiled.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. This lowly brother of yours has made a grave mistake. I have no intention of provoking you or starting a war with you. I shall leave the palace for now and reflect upon my sin of trying to touch what belongs to you." He bowed before quickly turning around and walking away.
The emperor said nothing. He simply watched Julian coldly, his jaw tightening. Then he reached for Aira's wrist.
"Come."
"Huh?"
Aira barely had time to react before the emperor pulled her toward him. "Wait! Your Majesty, where are we going?"
"Your chamber."
"But we just arrived!"
"You have caused enough trouble for now"
"..What?"
The emperor continued walking without slowing down. Aira stumbled after him. The emperor's grip tightened slightly. Aira looked up at him.
"...Are you jealous?"
She immediately covered her mouth after realizing that she had said her thoughts out loud.
The emperor stopped. Aira immediately regretted asking as he slowly turned his head toward her.
"No."
"Then why are you holding my wrist like you're afraid I'll run away?"
The emperor stared at her. "You were reckless."
"What?"
"You spoke to a wolf, and now you're talking to a lowly dragon. You really are troublesome."
"W-what?"
Aira's mouth opened. Then closed. Before she could think too deeply about it, the emperor resumed walking, still dragging her along. Aira sighed and followed him, knowing there was no point in resisting the firm grip around her wrist.
Behind them, Julian suddenly stopped walking. He turned around and watched them disappear through the palace doors. Julian's expression instantly became cold.
One of the knights following Julian swallowed. He was one of Julian's closest shadow subordinates. His name was Gregory, a noble by birth who had chosen to follow Julian instead of the ruthless emperor.
"Your Highness..."
Julian glanced at him. "Yes?"
"Are you just going to leave after waiting so long to meet the Woman of the Prophecy?"
Julian shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'm only leaving today because I was reckless, but I won't be reckless next time. It's best to retreat for now because I value my life, and I don't want to anger my brother just yet."
Gregory stared at him.
"Yeah, it's probably best to do that, Your Highness. That sounds reasonable. And don't be so reckless with your actions."
Julian slowly looked at him. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, Your Highness."
~~~~~~
On the other hand, the doors to Aira's chamber opened. Aira barely had time to step inside before the emperor followed. The doors closed behind them with a heavy sound.
Click.
Aira turned around. "...Your Majesty?"
The emperor didn't answer. He walked toward her.
One step. Two. Three.
Aira instinctively stepped backward. "Why are you walking toward me like that?" But he continued. Aira stepped back again.
"Your Majesty?"
Another step. Her back suddenly met the wall.
Thud.
Aira froze. The emperor stopped directly in front of her. She stared up at him.
"..."
He stared down at her.
"..."
Aira's mind completely stopped working. What is happening?
A moment ago, she had been standing in the courtyard, watching the silent tension between him and his brother. Then she was being dragged through the palace. And now--
She was against the wall. With the emperor standing directly in front of her.
"Your Majesty..."
His crimson eyes remained fixed on hers. "You shouldn't have allowed him to see you."
Aira blinked. "See me?" She touched the sapphire necklace. "He could see through my disguise?"
The emperor's jaw tightened.
"He's your brother. What's wrong with that?"
The emperor didn't answer. Instead, his hand moved toward the necklace.
Aira's eyes widened. "Wait."
His fingers touched the sapphire. The magical jewel shimmered faintly. Aira felt a strange warmth spread across her skin.
"Your Majesty, what are you--"
The necklace suddenly loosened. Light swept across her body. The wrinkled face of the elderly man disappeared. Her gray hair returned to its natural color. Her features returned to normal. The illusion faded completely.
Aira blinked. She looked at herself in the mirror across the room, then back at him. "Why did you remove it?"
The emperor didn't answer. He was staring at her. His crimson eyes had changed. The coldness was still there. But something else had replaced it. Something much more intense.
Aira's smile slowly disappeared. "...Your Majesty?"
He reached for her waist. Aira's breath caught.
"Wait—"
Before she could finish, he leaned down. His lips met hers that made Aira froze completely. Her mind went blank. For a moment, she couldn't even understand what had happened.
The emperor was kissing her. Again. But unlike the brief, controlled kisses she remembered, this one carried all the frustration he had been suppressing since earlier.
Aira's hands instinctively pressed against his chest, but instead of pushing him away, the contact only seemed to deepen the kiss.
Her heart pounded violently.
Wait.
Why is he kissing me like this?!
She tried to process what was happening, but every coherent thought seemed to disappear the moment his lips met hers again. His hand remained firmly around her waist, keeping her close as though he had no intention of letting her slip away.
Aira's face burned.
This is the emperor. The walking iceberg. The man who barely showed emotion. And now he was kissing her as though he had spent the entire afternoon forcing himself not to.
His lips moved against hers with a warmth and intensity that left her completely flustered. Aira's fingers curled slightly against his chest. She could feel his breath against her cheek whenever their lips parted for the briefest moment.
Her thoughts became increasingly incoherent.
This isn't fair. How is someone supposed to think when they're being kissed like this?!
Why is it hot, and why does she like it? Wait, what? She's supposed to not like it in the first place. What is she thinking?
The kiss lingered, stretching several heartbeats longer than Aira expected. The longer it lasted, the more difficult it became for her to remember why she had been kissing him back in the first place.
Then, his hand shifted.
Aira suddenly jolted. Her eyes widened as the emperor's hand moved higher, resting against her upper chest. His palm remained there for a moment, and before she could fully process what he was doing, his fingers gently pressed against her, causing her breath to catch.
The unexpected touch sent a sudden jolt through her, snapping her completely back to reality. Aira immediately pushed him away.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
The emperor stopped.
Aira stumbled backward, one hand flying to her chest. Her face was bright red.
"You--" She pointed accusingly at him. "Why did you..."
She couldn't even finish.
The emperor simply stared at her. His expression was genuinely confused.
"...What?"
"You--" She pointed toward her chest again.
"Why did you touch me... there?!"
The emperor looked at where she was pointing. Then back at her. His crimson eyes narrowed slightly. "What is wrong?"
"What is wrong?!" Aira's voice jumped several octaves. "You touched me!"
"Yes, I touched you."
"Then why are you asking what's wrong?!"
The emperor looked genuinely puzzled. "Why are you overly sensitive?"
"Overly sensitive?!" Aira's face became even redder.
She hugged herself defensively. "You touched my--" She stopped. She couldn't say the word.
The emperor waited.
"My... chest!"