Who Stole The Empress - Chapter 181: Side story 10. Return

Chapter 181: Side story 10. Return

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‘Ronasso Bashel!’

It felt like fireworks had gone off in Theoransha’s head.

She stared intently at Ronasso’s hands, which were holding her two arms, with very curious eyes.

Ronasso was the only person in this kingdom who captured her like this, yet did not offend her.

Although Tamon was the same, she would feel strange if this happened with Tamon.

However, it was different with Ronasso, who had a similar time to Tamon and had gone through similar adversity and hardships.

Theo was tolerant of Ronasso, but of course Ronasso may not feel that way.

Last time, she asked him to dig up Tamon’s secret.

Prior to being a close friend, she asked him to find out the behind the dubious diplomat, but Ronasso brought only the absurd secrets of Tamon’s peach allergy and something about his toes.

If she was a tyrant, she would have Ronasso exiled and he would have nothing to say about it.

But Ronasso was now without any damage.

However, wasn’t it a blasphemy to bind the king like this?

All in all, it was a very strange thing.

Even if she wasn’t a tyrant or a holy king, Theo didn’t show this openness to anyone. She was arrogant and had a strong will.

But, why the hell was she being so generous with Ronasso?

‘Is it a matter of trust?’

As if he had sensed something in Theo’s staring eyes, Ronasso said in amazement.

“Why? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Theoransha laughed softly and called out Ronasso’s name.

“Ronaso Bashel.”

“……why are you being so scary?”

Ronasso slowly released her arms and tried to step back from her.

At that very moment, Theo quickly grabbed him by the neck and turned around.

“Ugh!”

With a thump, Ronasso’s broad back pounded on the floor.

Theo, who had crushed him without mercy, bound him with her whole body to prevent Ronasso from moving. The two bodies grew closer.

“Your Majesty.”

Ronasso did not look directly at Theo’s face and quickly turned his head away.

Without clenching or pushing the king’s wet skin, he clenched and opened his fists wet in cold sweat and exhaled heavily.

“I just had a thought that you would be a good opponent too. What do we do?”

….No, is this person really crazy?

Surprised Ronasso looked straight at Theo without realizing it, and then quickly turned his head.

Seeing him blushing in embarrassment, Theo felt a refreshing sensation in her stomach.

It was always fun to make fun of Ronasso.

Ronasso, who dared to deceive the king, deserved punishment.

Theo’s eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

She grabbed his collar and pulled him up close to her face.

“You’re strong enough to protect me even in bed if the need arises. Your only friend is the general diplomat and your personal life is so clean…”

“Ji, ji, ji, now m, m, what–“

 “How about it, Ronasso?”

“What, what, what… … ..”

“Are you gay?”

Ahhhhh!

As soon as Theo finished speaking, Ronasso let out a silent scream and struggled with his whole body. He floundered in the air without active resistance, lest he even dare touch her.

Theo pressed down on the struggling ronasso with a happy face.

The more they did, the closer their bodies became, and cold sweat dripped down Ronasso’s red face.

 “Ha, you can’t do this, Your Majesty.”

His trembling voice was even cute.

Theo leaned leisurely on Ronasso’s thick upper body and smiled wryly.

‘I’m teasing you.’

Theo could feel Ronasso’s heart pounding under her almost bare chest.

“I was wrong, Your Majesty. Please come down quickly. Please.”

It was a very weak voice, not like a top-notch knight who commanded the battlefield with Tamon.

Ronasso’s face, almost pleading, was very attractive.

“Are you going to disobey the king’s orders?”

“Was that a command, an order?”

“It could be an order or it could be a suggestion. Well, it’s up to you.”

“No, what a coercion!”

“It hurts my ears. Don’t shout. Do you hate it that much?”

“It’s not that I hate it, it’s that you’re making fun of me with nonsense!”

“Why not? Anyway, we just have to get married, right? The candidates offered by the nobles did not satisfy my heart, you’re the only person who does. So, doesn’t this make sense?”

“The Bashel family has fallen!”

“Yes, it fell, but the stigma of treason was gone and it was reinstated.”

“But…!”

“What is it? Even now, you hold an important position as the king’s escort. Unless… Do you have another woman you wish to marry?” 

Ronasso shook his head immediately, saying no. But he soon regretted his decision. It would have been better to lie that he had someone in his heart, but it was too late.

“Then why don’t you like it? If it was someone else, they already said thank you…… What, you don’t like me?”

 “Ha, how do you say that?”

At Ronasso’s answer, Theo’s stubborn eyes glinted sharply.

‘So you have me in your heart?’

At this point, Ronasso felt like Theo was about to get up.

However, she stared intently at him in a relaxed position with her arms around his chest and her chin resting on top of it.

He was a bit small compared to Tamon, but Ronasso was still much bigger than most males, still, Theo could easily climb on him.

 Ronasso, who was restless and uncomfortable, grabbed Theoransha’s shoulders as if he had made up his mind, but at that moment….

“But then, why did you steal someone’s lips?”

“….!”

“Sneaking is stealing.”

Ronasso’s eyes grew so large that they couldn’t get any bigger. Theo smiled and tapped her fingertip on his cheek that had hardened as if he couldn’t even breathe.

“That too dares to steal the princess’ lips.”  (*Theo was a Princess back then.)

“Uh, uh, uh, how……”

Ronasso, who was now red and white, opened his trembling lips, but the sentence was not complete.

Not because his tongue was as hard as stone, but it was because the door of the training hall opened with haste and the king’s attendant rushed in.

“Huh! Your Majesty!”

The attendant, who had rushed in, was startled by Theo and Ronasso’s posture and stopped without realizing it.

Unlike Ronasso, who had been completely turned to stone, Theoransha, with a relaxed attitude, leaned her arms on Ronasso’s chest, and asked the attendant.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Ah, that, that…”

“Tell me, Lucy.”

At Theo’s slow urging, Lucy quickly came to her senses and opened her mouth as if she had never seen anything. 

“Last night, there came a message from general diplomat

Tamon Krasis that he had crossed the border, Your Majesty.”

At the news, Theo and Ronasso both jumped up from their tangled positions at the same time.

**

After running for a full twenty days, they finally arrived at Amor.

Asha opened the window of her carriage slightly and breathed in the different air.

The smell of warm earth embracing the warmth of sunlight passed through her nose and filled her lungs.

The corners of Asha’s lips rose slightly at the moisture of the sea in the air.

‘I’m really back.’

Her heart raced at the thought that she had returned to Amor anew.

‘At that time, I couldn’t say that I would come back…’

She didn’t respond to the twins’ question if she would come back, nor to Satin’s promise that he would wait.

All she could say was that she would follow the divine grace.

Suddenly, Asha remembered their voices tickling her ears. When she closed her eyes, their voices danced vividly in her ears, but it wasn’t realistic.

It was like a vague dream, maybe even a very plausible fantasy.

But she knew better than anyone that it was neither a dream nor a fantasy.

A terrible July, stained with holy relics and supernatural powers, monsters and blood.

After all that intense July had passed, November was just around the corner.

Asha stroked her plump, raised belly that only she knew.

Just over 5 months now.

She had never felt it properly yet, but she was just amazed and proud of the small life that was growing hard in this flat belly.

‘Are you growing well, child?’

Asha habitually rubbed her tummy and inwardly asked how the baby was doing.

She was always worried that her flat stomach would be uncomfortable for the baby.

The baby was proudly growing well without causing any inconvenience to the mother except for the early morning sickness.

“……ha.”

…Of course, this baby’s father was a little different.

Asha, who moved away from the window and leaned her head against the wall of the carriage, asked Tamon anxiously.

“Still very bad?”

At Asha’s question, Tamon swallowed dry saliva and quietly opened his eyes. He, who had become very thin in about 20 days, had a sharp complexion.

His red sunken eyes looked at Asha and smiled.

His eyes were redder than usual because of the rupture of the blood vessels.

“Don’t worry. I can bear it.”

….lie.

Asha stroked Tamon’s forehead as he was sweating in a cold sweat. Tamon’s pale hand grabbed Asha’s hand and kissed it.

“Really.”

He smiled at Asha with his eyes wide open.

The smile on his face trying to reassure her again was just pitiful.

Asha left the carriage’s window open wider for Tamon.

She knew well that even the wind outside would make him feel better.

‘….It’s surprising. Can a man have morning sickness?’