CH 145

That night, Sera tucked the kids into bed early.

Before going to bed, Rosé and Ferre were very disappointed because Helios couldn’t come to kiss them on their foreheads, like he always did, but they couldn’t win against their heavy eyelids.

Still though, he never failed to stop by the Star Palace to see his younger siblings, so they still received their forehead kisses while they were in their dreamland.

Led by a knight she had never met before, Sera arrived in front of Helios’ office. In front of the door, she saw the same handmaid she met last weekend.

As their eyes met, both Sera and the maid smiled awkwardly.

Sera herself was embarrassed because she was a person directly involved in an imaginary scenario that could never ever possibly happen, while the handmaid herself was very ashamed because she had imagined that same false scenario between the emperor and the imperial tutor.

“Just a moment,” the handmaid said, and Sera nodded.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, Lady Popo has arrived.”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Sera entered the office. Helios’ warm smile greeted her right there.

He was wearing a neat cravat as he usually did now, but the image of him in those comfortable clothes last weekend suddenly popped up in her mind.

With a gentle smile, he stood up and offered Sera a seat.

Sighing a little as she received his kind, yet always excessive consideration, Sera sat in the chair he had pulled out for her.

“Why are you sighing?”

After he returned to his seat, Helios met her gaze as he asked. His gaze was ever so gentle.

‘I wonder if His Majesty really doesn’t know.’

Sera shook her head and didn’t answer.

Even so, she was still thrilled to see the person she liked. So, apart from the frustration she was feeling deep inside her, a bright smile appeared on her face.

Sera resisted the urge to utter the words she couldn’t say. Instead, she pointed at the map on his desk.

“Your Majesty was looking at a map?”

“Ah, this.”

Helios unfolded the rest of the folded map. It depicted the Adelio Empire and its surrounding countries.

However, it’s impossible to guess why exactly he was looking at it.

Noticing the curiosity on Sera’s features, Helios smiled briefly and explained.

“I’m thinking about going on a summer trip with my siblings.”

“A summer trip?”

“Every year, I leave the capital and go to the provinces to inspect the state’s affairs. It’s a politically significant trip to assure the people that the Emperor does not neglect any place within the vast Empire. Still, it’s considered as a vacation trip as well, so I’m thinking about which place to go this year.”

“Is there a particular place you have in mind?”

Glancing over to Sera, who was looking closely at the map, Helios nodded.

“I always go on a certain pattern. North, east, south and west. I need to be balanced about the region to go to so that there aren’t any biases.”

“Where will you be going this year?”

“The south this year, and there’s a good chance that I’ll be going to the Imperial villa in the southern region.”

Sera lowered her gaze and stared at the south of the map. She had never been there, but she knew that it was the only region of the empire where the sea could be visited.

Because of its geographical characteristics, the southern part of the Adelio Empire was also a popular tourist destination, and it was considered to be a dream resort for all the nobles and all the commoners of the country.

She wondered how the twins would be if they’d go to the beach. Sear suddenly had the mental image of the cute children in swimsuits and with huge inflatables.

For some reason, Rosé seemed to like water, but Ferre said that he wouldn’t be able to take even one step in because he was scared.

After she imagined the twins, Sera couldn’t stop her mind from imagining Helios next to them— but she quickly banished the thought.

“Then, will Their Highnesses go to the villa with Your Majesty as well?”

“We always go there as a family trip every year, so yes, I’m planning to go with them again this time.”

“They’re going to like it a lot. I think Their Highnesses will enjoy going to whichever place as long as Your Majesty is with them.”

Sera added with a murmur that anywhere would be good.

Helios watched her as she smiled brightly. Somehow, he felt a tickle in his heart.

He folded the map neatly and placed it in his drawer. Then, with a calm voice, he called her name.

“Miss Popo.”

That smile turned to him.

“Do you remember the first contract we made?”

“Ah.”

Her small lips parted, and soon, a sigh came out. But she nodded calmly and waited for what he was going to say.

“Yes, Your Majesty. The contract states that I shall be Their Highnesses’ tutor and have class with them three times a week for six months.”

Her blue eyes were tinged with regret. The corners of her lips had risen beautifully just a moment ago, but they went down once more. No, he also imagined how his younger siblings would look much more disappointed than her.

Helios knew that it was time to ask her something that he’d been thinking about for quite a while now.

While it was also to resume her regular reports, since he had to be more considerate of Miss Popo’s position with what was going on before, there’s another reason as to why he called her today.

“Miss Popo, I asked to meet you today because I would like to ask if we can extend the contract a little longer.”

“How much longer…?”

“One year or so. Longer, if that’s alright with you.”

“Ah… One year…”

Sera murmured with a low voice. He could hear the hesitation in her voice—that it was difficult for her to answer right away.

He wasn’t expecting her to accept it right away, but neither was he expecting her to look so conflicted.

“By any chance, would it be difficult?”

Helios asked softly. He suddenly got worried, that maybe she was just enduring it all this time, it just didn’t look like it because she wasn’t the type of person who’d show it to anyone.

“Oh, it’s not like that, Your Majesty. It won’t be difficult at all…”

Sera hastily denied it. However, Helios had already started to think that that wasn’t the case, and he tried to observe her reaction for any indication of the reason.

‘It was never because it was difficult. It’s just… Staying by His Majesty’s side is a little…’

She wasn’t sure about her wavering conviction.

If she were given the chance to be by his side more after this, her heart would just keep wavering further and further. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to continue holding it in.

She still had the same mindset she had back when she was a Korean in the 21st century, where a clear hierarchical class system did not exist.

If it was someone else in her situation, would they have still pursued Helios even though he was impossible to reach?

Sera was sure that she herself wouldn’t. As she stopped being so invested as a fan of TV actors before, she didn’t feel that it was anything sincere.

Above all, she didn’t want to see the person she liked having feelings for someone else.

If she was perfectly honest, she really wanted to decline Helios’ offer!

But on the other hand, she couldn’t easily say no. It wasn’t because the person who asked was the country’s emperor.

And since it’s Helios, she knew that he wouldn’t force her.

Rather, it’s because she was thinking of Rosé and Ferre, who would surely cling to her ankles. Certainly enough, if she was thinking about just those two, she definitely wanted to keep her job.

This was a priceless opportunity to share more precious moments with Rosé and Ferre—to be there to see them grow up.

“Um… Your Majesty.”

After a moment of silence, Sera carefully opened her tightly shut lips.

“Can you give me some time to think about it?”