Audrey refused to visit the hot springs for a long time and even forbid the household from visiting. The twins were pleasantly surprised as she informed everyone to avoid the area for the time being.
Usually, Audrey remained in her mansion all day long and spent the rest of the afternoon in the hot springs. Now that she had extra time to spare, she was growing restless by the hour.
“Why is time so slow?” She muttered.
Audrey decided to finally visit the hot springs, convinced that the emperor wouldn’t be there again. She hurried her steps and couldn’t keep her heart from beating quickly. What if he was actually there? When she arrived to the scene and scanned her surroundings, she felt slightly disappointed to see the area empty.
She laughed at herself, ridiculing the expectation she had just felt.
After her bath, she took her time walking back. As she passed a lush forest, Audrey was shocked to see a military base near the mansion. Men seemed to be physically training and practicing their target on animals.
Each of the warriors wore a top knot, displaying their rough features as they yelled out. They wore a wide, sleeveless coat over their kimonos, resembling the traditional clothes of samurais.
Audrey was astounded to witness a scene from her history books. She was suddenly afraid to be caught and hid herself, mentally rerouting her path home.
When she turned away from the training site, a sword was pressed against her neck. Audrey squeezed her eyes shut, and her heart was nearly caught in her throat.
How many near-death experiences am I going to have!
Suddenly, the pressure disappeared. Audrey slowly opened her eyes to find herself face to face with a tall, familiar figure.
“I saw you in the market, deep within this mountain, even in the sky, and now the forest? What’s next, my bedroom? Oh wait. . . Many years ago, you’ve been there too.” Kohtaro smirked at the startled woman.
Audrey rolled her eyes at his snarky comment, quickly recollecting herself from the shock.
“This happened to be my path home.” She also couldn’t believe Kohtaro was before her again. The mountain range was a vast area with many forests, yet why did the emperor decide to train his men here out of all the other places? And right next to her property? She narrowed her eyes. Was it really a coincidence?
“So you do live around here. . .” He commented, and Audrey blinked.
“Was your majesty curious over my whereabouts?”
“Yes. I have taken an interest in you.” Kohtaro replied casually, although his words implied a much deeper meaning than what his indifferent eyes exhibited.
Audrey had no words to express how stupefied she felt by the casual confession. Is he interested in me as a woman? Or interested because I claimed that I was part of his life, which he doesn’t remember? She was troubled by the many implications his words could possibly have meant, especially now that she knew of his past feelings towards her. Wasn’t he trying to kill her every time they meet? What’s he going on about? Does he still feel attracted to me?
She finally let out an exasperated sigh and gave up on analyzing his phrase after seeing Kohtaro’s smile grow. “Well. . . stop.”
“Your answer is too heartless.” He laughed, earning a few odd looks from his own men.
“Look! Our emperor is laughing for the first time!” A young soldier pointed towards the two, and Audrey instinctively hid behind Kohtaro.
“Wow, he looks handsome and charming!”
The men erupted into laughter, and the emperor’s smile was soon replaced with a frown. His presence immediately became menacing, and the men returned towards their training, although the mood was still visibly lightened.
The emperor surveyed his men for a few more minutes and pointed out tasks to finish.
Meanwhile, Audrey acknowledged Kohtaro’s leadership with his men as she observed the dynamics between them. She was glad that he didn’t reign with fear, and that he was kind enough to allow his men to casually joke with their leader. It showed that Kohtaro was an emperor who loved his people and served the country well. Audrey slowly backed away, knowing that her presence truly wasn’t needed anymore.
I raised you well.
When Emperor Kohtaro finally reverted his attention back to Audrey again, she was already gone.
****
“Have you returned from the hot springs?”
The twin’s mother called from the kitchen as Audrey walked inside.
“Yes. I wanted to see if it was safe, but the emperor’s men are training nearby. Make sure to inform everyone to avoid the forest for the time being.” She stepped into the kitchen and found the woman cleaning a pot full of vegetables from the garden. “How did you manage to carry all this?”
“Agh. . . I overestimated my abilities and spent the entire day dragging these pots to the kitchen. I am exhausted, but I must pick up the children soon!” The mother winced in pain, complaining about the pile of work she still had left.
Audrey frowned as she felt guilty for allowing this older woman to take care of the housework as she lazily bathed in the mountains. She embraced the small woman lovingly and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Don’t exhaust yourself, I’ll pick up the children. You should stay and rest. I’ll help you clean when I get back too, mother.”
“Will you do that for me? That makes me feel better already. ” Zakai’s mother smiled in relief.
“Of course, I’ll be back soon!” Audrey wrapped her arms around the mother and smiled warmly. During the past few years, Audrey began to consider this woman as her mother. She clung to her side and even helped wash the vegetables until it was time to pick up the twins.
****
As soon as Audrey picked up the children, she realized that the mother had schemed for this moment. In fact, the mother had waited for the day Caleb would be busy with work while Hala and Zakai were out for a date.
She stood before the twin’s teacher, who was a handsome man with delicate features.
“Hello Audrey, I am Daizo.” He strode towards her confidently, although his walk was slightly awkward.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Ichika and Eiji’s mother.” He smiled earnestly as the twins raced into Audrey’s arms.
“Oh. . Thank you.” Audrey laughed awkwardly.
“If you are free, would you like to meet tomorrow?” He held out a small flower, giving her his most charming smile.
“. . . Sure.” She nodded, and the twins looked up in surprise. Even the teacher was slightly shocked by her eagerness.
“Then, could we meet tomorrow at noon?” The handsome man asked.
“Of course. It would be my pleasure.” She grinned.
***
Later that night, the twin’s mother widened her eyes at her unexpected success.
“You actually said yes?” She clapped her hands together in astonishment.
Audrey only shrugged in response. “Why wouldn’t I say no? He is handsome, works well, and I would also enjoy a casual date. Plus, you were probably eyeing him for a long time so he shouldn’t be a bad person.”
“Y-yes, that’s right!” She exclaimed. “He is a good man, and I spent a lot of time observing him, making sure her was perfectly competent.”
“I’m sure he is.” Audrey shrugged again and continued to eat her meal.