Empress of Another World

Short Stories 4.4

Just then.

“His highness has arrived.”

A loud announcement resonated from all over the place. Everyone around her moved quickly to make preparation. Bina was used to this; except when he had to work, he spent the rest of his time with Bina at her wing.

The golden-haired emperor Lucretius approached them. Excluding Bina, everyone kneeled to show their respect.

“Greetings to your highness the emperor.”

Lucretius walked quickly towards his wife. “Bina.”

The empress smiled gently and took a step towards her husband. “Your highness.”

Lucretius smiled like the sun and started to make corny comments again. “How is it that you became even more beautiful since I saw you only this morning?”

Bina grinned. “It isn’t even lunch time yet.”

“I know! It’s the darnedest thing.”

When Bina first became his wife, these comments used to make her feel uncomfortable. Now, she could just laugh at him. As a matter of fact, Bina felt like if he stopped saying these things, she might feel disappointed.

When she realized this, she started to laugh out loud.

Lucretius’ green eyes widened. “What? Did I say something stupid?”

Bina shook her head and whispered, “I just realized that I am now used to your corny comments.”

Lucretius grinned, too, as he took her hand gently. He took the clean wet towel from the servant and started to wipe Bina’s hand clean. When he was done, he looked satisfied as he kissed the back of her hand soundly.

This was Lucretius’ habit. It was like marking his territory; he was even jealous of the horse for licking his wife’s hand.

When Lucretius looked pleased with himself, Bina said to him, “You are the one who gave me Lorelai as a gift, yet you get jealous of her just because I pat her a few times?”

Lucretius continued to grin naughtily. “Are you telling me you don’t like it when I act jealous?”

Bina couldn’t lie to him.

“… No.”

Lucretius confidently held her hand and kissed it again.

He lightly caressed the inside of her hand with his finger. Bina felt a jolt of pleasure as he kissed her hand again.

She realized it then.

He was openly and blatantly showing his affection, but she liked it. It made sense because he was the man she chose. It couldn’t compare to the brief contact she had with that man, which was incredibly atrocious.

***

Roberto drank the cheap watered-down red wine he prepared for himself and remembered the woman.

‘I have never seen hair like hers. It looked like a beautiful night sky.’

She wasn’t as beautiful as the rumor claimed, but she was definitely lively and attractive.

Roberto loved all the women in the world. In his own way at least.

What interested him was her attitude. He could understand if she was just proud and conceited. She was an empress after all, so she deserved to behave arrogantly. Katleyanira was like that, so was his own mother Duchess Lonensia.

However, there was something different about Empress Sa Bina. He had never seen a woman exactly like her. It was very hard to describe it, but she was definitely unique.