How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Forty-seven: A discovered petty side

Light streamed into the room through the thin crack of the curtains as I woke up, this time feeling refreshed. I stretched as I noticed something missing, which was Alaric.

I glanced around the room but it was empty so I stood up, grabbing a shawl before opening the door to the hallway. 

"Celestia." 

I jumped a little as Kimbra's voice surprises me as I stepped out.

"Good morning Kimbra." I smiled at her as I closed the door behind me. 

"I am glad to see you feeling better." Kimbra falls in besides me, keeping with my pace. "Although it is actually 'Good afternoon'." 

"Oh." I was kind of surprised that I had slept until the afternoon considering I was used to waking up early to take care of my shop- I paused at that train of thought. 

My shop.

I sighed, I had forgotten about it in the reappearance of Alaric and the battle against the creatures and Demon King Radna. I ended up shuddering a little at the memory of Radna which causes Kimbra to look at me with concern.

"Are you cold? Do you need to lie down?"

 "I'm fine." I laughed and shook my head. Kimbra was actually a worry-wart,  but this was on a whole new level. I think that Alaric was rubbing off her at bit, though it didn't help that I had made her forget as well...

Kimbra continued to fuss over me until we entered the grand hall and saw Alaric standing there with Valerie. He looked up at me and smiled before his eyes drifted behind me to Kimbra then narrow.

Alaric marches up the stairs and scoops me up before I was even halfway down.

"Hey!" I looked at him with surprise. "I don't need to be carried everywhere Alaric." I scolded him, not noticing Lady Laila's entrance until she stood in front of us. Of course, she was immaculately dressed in a forest green dress which brought out the green in her hazel eyes and her lips shimmered in the light.

"Are you feeling better Lady Celestia?" She asks, holding a fan and opening it with a small snap. "Oh dear, you are not even wearing slippers!"

 I glanced down at my bare feet and realized that was why Alaric had picked me up. He didn't want my feet to become cold from the marble floor.

Walking around with my bare feet didn't bother me since I would do it all that time both in this life and my past one. I actually prefer to not wear shoes, but restrict myself to not wearing them at home only. 

I was whisked into the dinning room with Kimbra, Valerie, and Lady Laila following behind us and gently set down at my seat. Alaric straighten up before snapping his fingers causing servants to enter the room.

One maid stops besides Alaric and hands him a pair of slippers as another sets down a bowl of soup. 

"Thank you." I smile at the maid, not noticing at first that Alaric was kneeling before me. "I can put on my own slippers." I protested once I did as he carefully lifted and placed the slipper on my foot; reminding me of the scene from C*nderella.

 Alaric ignores my protests and places the other slipper on my foot before taking his seat next to mine.

Lady Laila sits across from me, her fan hiding the lower half of her face for a few moments until she lowers it to reveal a smile. She did not say a word to the maid who set down her plate of cooked meat with vegetables before starting a conversation with Alaric.

Alaric who was between the two of us, would try to say something to me but would be interrupted by Lady Laila each time. Kimbra seemed to notice her behavior as well, but couldn't do much about it other then try to distract me.

To be honest; I was really thrown off by the Female Lead's actions. My impression from the novel was that she was the typical sweet and kind heroine who was also like an impenetrable fortress at the same time.

But it was like she was acting sweet and kind. It felt calculated and I wasn't sure why. Hopefully, it was just me overthinking but at the same time: I wanted to tell her to keep her hands off of Alaric.

I accidentally bit the spoon inside my mouth as I watched her reach over and touch Alaric's hand and tried to hold it. 

"Alaric?" I say lightly, my fist clenched beneath the table. "Do you mind carrying me back to our room?" I put an emphasis on the word 'our'. "I'm still not feeling too well."

"Of course." He gets up and takes me into his arms. I looked over his shoulder at Lady Laila and wrapped my arms around his neck. 

It seems that I have a possessive and petty side.