The Empress Wears Gucci

05

        I need to rant to Jaxon soon.

        My cheek stopped stinging, but the lingering effects of it still frustrated me. I took that slap like a champ. The next time she tries me, I will be sure to snap back at her.

        "What's on your mind?" the Emperor asked as we headed out.

        "How did you and the Empress meet?" I asked quickly, perhaps a little bit too fast.

        It was a simple, curious question that has crossed my mind for a while. They most likely had chemistry at first, but soon faded after their marriage. It seemed like it, yet I always see the pure happiness of the Empress whenever the Emperor arrives or shows her affection. I almost felt sorry for the Empress. It truly is hard to watch someone you love giving their love to other women.

        The Emperor laughed and paused for a bit. "That's a straightforward question to ask. A concubine has never asked me that before."

        "I apologize—"

        "You don't have to," he said, smiling to himself. "We were children, her mother was friends with mine. She was just a peasant, but a peasant that caught my eye. We played together for hours. At first, my mother didn't approve of the interaction, which led to an argument with the Empress's mother. But, later on, everything went well. I guess it just happened... There isn't much to say."

        "Interesting," I mumbled as I was too caught up in the scenery. There was still doubt I had in the story. It seemed too... cliché. The Imperial family would never let the Emperor date a peasant that wasn't in the harem at first. Indeed, things did not match up. However, I did not pry any further. "What a beautiful love story, Your Majesty."

        I hope he didn't catch on my sarcasm. He glanced at me, narrowing his eyes in thought before looking straight ahead. There were thoughts lingering, for both me and him. But we never talked about it.

        "Now, I feel like I've been drifting away from her," he paused for a moment, then clearing his throat. We both turned to face each other. "I'm busy. I've been busy. The Empress whines sometimes about my unavailability at times. I still love her, very much, but—"

        "Not that much as before," we both said simultaneously.

        There was a calm silence between us. He stopped walking, and so I followed. There was an unusual atmosphere surrounding us. It was strangely heartwarming and it was a feeling that I couldn't explain. Even as different people, I feel like we could be connected. He was the ruler of an empire, and I was just a normal citizen from the year 2018, or in other words, a peasant. It was weird, really weird, but I sort of liked it. He also opened up to me fast. The Emperor caressed the top of my head. We both looked at each other without the need for words coming out of our lips. "Ying Yue, have you ever fell in love?"

        As much as I wanted him to stop petting me like a dog, I knew he was in a vulnerable state, so I let him. I kept my emotions aligned and looked away from him. "Of course I did, Your Majesty. We were both young and in love that time. As time went by, we distanced from each other... It was heartbreaking but we decided to..."

        "Your Majesty! I have urgent news!" a eunuch shouted, a few metres away from us. He was soon out of breath, trying to catch up to us.

        Can I ever get peace with him in this place?

        "What is it?" the Emperor asked with irritation in his tone. His jaw clenched.

        "The Empress's mother has fallen sick." the messenger informed, catching his breath as he panted, bending down with his hands on his knees.