WTSP - 23

“Ah, my head...”

I pried open my heavy eyelids, feeling as though someone had been hammering away at my forehead.

Why was this headache so severe? Every inch of my head—from my temples to the back of my skull—throbbed painfully. My stomach churned, and the nausea showed no sign of subsiding.

“My throat is so dry...”

It felt like I hadn’t had a drop of water in three days. Despite believing I hadn’t slept for long, my entire body felt unbearably heavy.

With the back of my hand pressed against my forehead, I let out a groan.

I didn’t even have the strength to call Lena for a glass of water. It was as if the sudden burst of stamina I’d gained under mysterious circumstances had completely evaporated.

Blinking repeatedly, I forced my eyes open and stared up at the ceiling.

The towering ceiling, easily four meters high, still felt unfamiliar. If this were Seoul, someone would’ve lowered it to squeeze in an extra floor for profit.

“Lena... Are you there?”

My voice croaked like a dehydrated cactus in the desert.

There was no way she could hear me in this state. To shake off the fog clouding my mind, I slapped my cheeks lightly with my palms.

“Earlier this morning, I trained with Sir Rovair... and then what? Oh, right. I remember talking to Lena after returning to my room.”

It seemed I had overexerted myself too quickly, shocking my muscles. Improving physical endurance overnight wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

Memories began piecing themselves together like fragments of a shattered puzzle slowly coming back into place.

Ah yes—I had delivered wine to Serdel.

And then?

Frowning deeply, I tilted my head to the left, trying to recall more.

I vaguely remembered clinking glasses and taking a sip, but everything after that was a complete blackout.

The most logical conclusion was that I had fallen asleep after drinking a few glasses with him.

“So this is a hangover... I’ve never experienced one before, and now it hits me out of nowhere.”

Before being thrust into this world, I had lived twenty-four years without ever suffering from a hangover.

Perhaps it was thanks to inheriting strong liver enzymes and alcohol tolerance from my parents. Even after surpassing my limit, mornings weren’t usually this painful.

As a result, comforting hungover friends had naturally become my responsibility.

Now that my body had changed, it made sense that my constitution might have shifted too. I nodded to myself, accepting this reasoning.

Clearly, Ophelia Meredith wasn’t built for drinking.

Too lazy to filter my thoughts, I muttered aloud.

“So that’s why my memory cut out. This body can’t handle alcohol at all.”

“Are you always this talkative when alone?”

“...Huh?”

The deep baritone pierced through my ears, startling me. I turned my head instinctively, half-convinced I was still dreaming.

Serdel stood there, arms crossed, gazing at me intently.

Convinced I’d been alone, I could only gape in disbelief.

Why are you here?

Ding, ding, ding. Three crystalline chimes rang in my head, snapping me back to reality. I finally took stock of my surroundings.

An unfamiliar bedroom layout, an unknown bedside table... and most importantly, Serdellius Carlot sitting comfortably as if he owned the place.

“Surely this isn’t Your Majesty’s room?”

“If by ‘Your Majesty’ you mean me, then yes, it is.”

“I must be losing my mind. So, I slept here?”

A chill ran down my neck. If I had indeed gotten drunk with him, had I said anything embarrassing?

If only I could wring my brain dry like a dishrag. Come on, Yeon-hee Seo, remember something!

Noticing the panic etched on my face, Serdel turned his attention back to his documents.

“One glass.”

“Huh?”

“Barely more than a sip.”

He spoke nonchalantly while flipping through dozens of pages. His words triggered an involuntary laugh from me. That first glass really had been my last.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I realized just how disastrous this situation was.

“But did I really sleep in this bed?”

I hastily turned my head to check the view outside through the curtains. The sun had set, signaling evening.

So I’d been knocked out since morning?

It felt like someone had sucked my soul out through a straw. Was this the moment people joked about wanting to bite their tongues and die?

“Nothing unusual happened, right...?”

I racked my brain but couldn’t recall any specific incidents—just that I’d examined his face far too closely.

“Wait, what? Did I seriously get that close?”

Slapping my cheeks again to regain composure, I hesitantly asked him,

“Um, Your Majesty. Nothing strange happened after I got drunk, did it?”

“What do you consider ‘strange’?”

“You know... Did I act unusually? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Without changing his expression, Serdel set the document down on the table.

After a brief moment of reflection, as though recalling the events from a few hours prior, he finally spoke.

“If you’re referring to strange behavior, there was indeed one thing.”

I braced myself for his next words. Was this it? Would I be executed for lèse-majesté?

In my next life, please let me reincarnate into a calm romance fantasy novel...

With a dazed expression and blinking eyes, I eventually blurted out what was on my mind.

It’s better to take the punishment upfront. Maybe confessing would be the way to go...

“I’m sorry. If I kissed Your Majesty, it was purely because I was drunk...”

“Something about needing to hire an illustrator, then banging your forehead against the table while muttering nonsense… Kiss?”

Serdel tilted his head slightly, raising his chin. His expression suggested he thought I was talking nonsense.

It seems Korean impulsiveness is scientifically proven after all. Had I waited just five more seconds, this could’ve been avoided. But like spilled water, once words are spoken, they can’t be taken back.

Ah... Looks like I’ll be kicking myself under the covers tonight.

Should I ask him to forget it? Or should I brazenly play it off?

The whispers of both an angel and a devil coexisted within me, but distinguishing which was right wasn’t easy.

Pulling the rustling sheets up to my chest, I bowed my head deeply.

I should’ve only said things I could handle...!

Humans repeatedly make the same mistakes and regret them later.

“I had no idea the Empress entertained such fantasies.”

His voice carried a faint trace of amusement. If his tone felt softer than usual, was it because I was still under the influence?

“Perhaps I’m still tipsy. Please disregard everything I said today as nonsense.”

I let out a hollow laugh, trying to steady my breathing.

Regaining composure after losing control wasn’t easy.

I’d already seen Serdel’s face—the handsome face I might never see again after today. What a pity.

“By the way, have you been here all day? In the bedroom?”

“Fortunately, there were no meetings scheduled for today.”

“Guess no one decided to stage a rebellion... How peaceful, of all days.”

“As long as fear hasn’t abandoned them, they wouldn’t dare dream of it. Remember, yesterday morning, over a dozen nobles were sentenced to death.”

Timing, huh?

Leaning back against the headboard, I slowly tilted my head back.

Since things had come to this, I resolved to say whatever needed saying and live with the consequences.

Though the hangover-induced headache was gone, another kind of throbbing lingered in its place.

That’s when it happened.

The chamber door, seemingly sealed shut forever, creaked open. A woman in a simple dress stepped inside.

I couldn’t help but gape once more.

One shocking surprise per day was more than enough, yet here we were.

“...Your Majesty?”

Without knocking or making her presence known, Brilline appeared, casting alternating glances between me and Serdel. Her expression betrayed disbelief at the scene before her.

I, too, struggled to find the right words.

This was straight out of a chaotic morning drama plotline, unfolding right in front of me.

“Brilline.”

Serdel called her name.

Though nothing improper had occurred, knowing Brilline’s jealousy left me uneasy.

While I was visibly flustered, Serdel remained composed.

Even as he addressed her, Brilline stayed silent, her gaze fixed intently on me.

...This definitely feels like a massive misunderstanding.

Why did I feel guilty despite doing nothing wrong?

Serdel rose silently from his seat and took a step toward Brilline. She continued to stare at me, taking small backward steps.

Soon, Brilline tightly closed her lips, opened the chamber door, and disappeared without another word.

Until the very end, she never broke eye contact with me.

What emotion lay hidden in those copper-colored eyes? Jealousy? Resentment?

No... It wasn’t negative emotion like that.

If she had openly displayed jealousy toward Serdel and me, it might’ve been easier to process.

But her feelings seemed far more enigmatic—almost as if she were sending me some private signal meant only for us.

Lost in deep confusion, I heard Serdel exhale a soft sigh before addressing me.

“I need to speak with the Empress. Excuse me for now. Rest well.”

Despite being a writer, I couldn’t even begin to guess what they might discuss.

Why did Brilline look at me with that expression?

Sitting alone on the bed, now devoid of its owner, I felt my temples throb once more.

Tonight, my thoughts would undoubtedly keep me awake.