Chapter 1328: 86. A Warning

"That time, for you, it really was too sudden."

"And for me, I really was far too impatient."

The pure-white hospital bed was spotless. Special magic kept this place in the cleanest possible state at all times, and as sunlight passed through the swaying bed curtains, it scattered sacred light and shadow throughout the entire room like the descent of an angel.

Celicia sat there upright. Her beautiful face still carried its usual cool composure, yet her words, much like the sunlight filtered through layer after layer, gave Muen an unreal feeling.

Was he dreaming?

Muen pinched himself hard.

Hiss......that hurt.

Not a dream!

"Why are you suddenly talking about this?"

Although he had confirmed that he wasn't dreaming and that there wasn't anything wrong with his head, Muen remained wary of this completely unexpected development, ready to flee at any moment.

"Weren't you still thinking about punishing me before? Could it be......this is some new form of punishment? You're planning to do something extremely terrifying to me while my guard is down?"

"Punishment and apology do not conflict."

Celicia said calmly:

"I punish you because you go around flirting with women everywhere, which makes me very angry. And I'm apologizing to you because I'm not someone incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. There are some things where I truly did go too far."

"......"

"Still don't understand?"

"No, no, no......I understand perfectly."

Muen nodded vigorously.

That was true.

Celicia hadn't been affected by anything strange, and the person before him really was the genuine her.

She understood others clearly, understood herself clearly, and remained calm and rational at all times......aside from certain special circumstances involving alcohol.

This was who she was.

The Emperor of the Empire.

The wise ruler whom countless Imperial citizens placed their hopes in and looked favorably upon, believing that in terms of achievements alone, she had already surpassed the previous three Emperors.

Celicia Leopold.

If anything, perhaps his own reaction had simply been too extreme.

"Actually......I didn't care about it that much."

Thinking this, Muen temporarily lowered all his defenses and smiled as well.

"Although that incident really was pretty frightening, I can understand it......and besides, it's not as if you people haven't done plenty of terrifying things already. One more hardly makes a difference."

"That makes it sound as though we've done so many bad things that one or two more don't matter."

The chill began spreading again.

"No, no, no......"

Muen shuddered and hurriedly waved his hands.

"What I mean is, if you're going to do something like that again in the future, it would still be better to discuss it with me first. At least......give me some time to prepare myself mentally."

"If I discuss it with you, will I receive a definite answer?"

Celicia stared straight into Muen's eyes.

"......"

Muen's expression froze.

Wait, wait, wait......

How had the conversation suddenly gotten dragged in this direction?

He hurriedly looked around.

Although there was no one else in the room besides him and Celicia, his mind was still buzzing.

Alarm alarm alarm alarm......

"Hm?"

"Th-This sort of thing......needs a little consideration......a little thought......and then......"

"Forget it. I was only joking. Leaving aside whether you're even capable of giving an answer, even if you really could, it probably wouldn't matter much. The other few wouldn't care about any of that."

Celicia suddenly closed her eyes.

"Things have already reached this point. When it comes to matters like this, those women won't care about your attitude......just like me."

"......"

The corner of Muen's mouth twitched.

Was my will......really that weak and powerless?

Damn it.

Have I been indulging you people too much?

Even now, you still don't know who the real master of this household is?

Smack!

Muen immediately slapped the hospital bed.

Under Celicia's suddenly opened cold blue eyes, he said with incomparable seriousness:

"Stop talking nonsense. At the very least......when it comes to holding a wedding, I still have the right to decide!"

"Oh? Decide what?"

"Decide......that all of you must wear black stockings that day. No other kind of stockings allowed!"

"......"

"Well? Pretty domineering, right?"

"......That's it?"

Celicia's lips curved into a cold sneer.

"I thought you were going to make some outrageous demand."

"Is......isn't that enough?"

Muen's supply of mighty masculine courage instantly ran dry.

He cautiously said:

"Then......they also have to be one-piece?"

"Little brother, that's all the courage you have?"

Celicia's gaze was full of contempt.

Then she suddenly leaned close to Muen's ear and said meaningfully:

"Then guess what's hidden beneath the wedding dress I haven't worn yet."

"......"

Muen's eyes instantly widened.

Hidden beneath it?

What could possibly be hidden beneath a wedding dress?

Don't tell me......

"Leopard print?"

"......"

Celicia gave him a speechless look that clearly said his sense of aesthetics was beyond saving, then straightened up again.

"In any case, this time I really was wrong. I'll do my best to make up for the consequences......including the injuries you're suffering now. Part of the responsibility is mine, and I won't shirk it."

"No need, no need. What's the relationship between the two of us? If you did something wrong, isn't that basically the same as me doing something wrong?"

"You did do something wrong."

"......"

Muen's cheek stiffened again.

No, wait.

He'd only said that to comfort her......

"If you hadn't gone around flirting with women like this, would I have needed to do any of those things?"

Celicia's voice turned icy.

"I......when have I ever gone around flirting with women? I only......"

"Enough. I don't want to hear you being smooth-tongued here again. In any case, this is the last time. If you keep flirting with women after this......"

Celicia narrowed her beautiful eyes and swept her gaze from Muen's head to his feet.

This time, the look in her eyes was genuinely terrifyingly cold.

"I heard you know someone in the Kingdom who sells coffins. If there is a next time, remember to order several from him in advance."

"......"

So in the end, his ultimate fate was still to be chopped into pieces by a jealous woman?

Was the foreshadowing of him knowing that bastard priest really just so he could buy several coffins at once and get a discount?

An ending like that was simply......

No!

Muen shuddered.

Why was he already admitting that he was fickle?

It was a misunderstanding!

An absolute misunderstanding!

Just like Pink Bear's scandalous gossip, it was pure slander, a misunderstanding the world had about him!

"There absolutely won't be a next time. I promise!"

Muen hurriedly raised four fingers toward the sky, displaying his determination:

"As a gentleman, and as Belrand's number one good man, devotion is my medal, and true love is my epitaph. I swear to you, whether in the past, present, or future, I have never flirted around, and I have never......"

"Enough."

Celicia directly interrupted Muen and enunciated each word clearly:

"No matter what, I hope those words of yours will at least have some credibility from now on. Otherwise......I may really have to write your epitaph personally."

As she spoke, Celicia brushed her palm over the chair beside her, the one An had been sitting on earlier.

She didn't use her ice power.

Instead, seemingly to deliberately demonstrate it for Muen, several faint flashes of light appeared as her fingertips moved gently.

And then the chair......

Just like that, it became several perfectly standard components.

Neatly arranged.

"......"

Muen said nothing more.

He simply silently wrapped himself back up in the warm blanket and trembled.

It definitely wasn't because he thought that scene might happen to him and was therefore frightened.

He merely felt that it was a little too brutal.

The chair was so cute. Why would she treat it like that?

How cruel.

This world was such a beautiful place.

Wouldn't it be better if everyone simply got along peacefully?

"In any case, that's all I have to say. The Empire has piles of trivial matters for me to deal with, so I can't stay here with you for long. As for compensation for my apology......"

Celicia thought for a moment before saying:

"Let's call all those disrespectful things you did to me before even. How does that sound?"

"Mhm, mhm!"

What else could Muen do?

He could only nod.

Although he somehow felt as though he was getting the short end of the deal, at least he wouldn't have his head chopped off a dozen times for the crime of humiliating the Emperor......

A little impatience could ruin a great plan.

They had plenty of time ahead of them!

"And one more thing. Although I've apologized, and there are indeed some things I did wrong, I won't change."

Before leaving, Celicia gave Muen one final look.

Her pure-white chin lifted slightly, just like an Emperor issuing a decree to her subject:

"Remember. If I get the opportunity, I'll still do the same thing."

"......I-Is that so?"

"Yes."

Celicia answered with absolute certainty.

It wasn't "like" an imperial decree.

This was her decree.

And her determination.

Compared with this guy going around flirting with women, there was something she could tolerate even less......

Some seductive bitch who appeared out of nowhere thinking she could step over her head.

Whether it was a natural disaster or anything else.

Absolutely not.