Simon, who had just finished comforting Belinda, stood up, only to have his hand grabbed.
“Are you going back to see the Empress?”
Belinda asked Simon.
“The Empress’s condition is strange today. She needs me to stay with her.”
Simon turned around, nodded, and replied.
Alexia could only sleep peacefully when he was there.
Right now, it was clear she needed rest.
If he didn’t go back and tomorrow’s court session came, he would definitely be punished.
“Then… I…”
Belinda was about to let go of his hand, but suddenly took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage.
“Am I going to be left here alone again? All by myself?”
“Are you really that at ease with me? After bringing me back, you didn’t even assign anyone to watch me.”
At this moment, she no longer had the look of someone who had just threatened to kill Simon.
“Scared?”
Simon looked at her, thinking she was worried about her own safety.
“Don’t worry. My estate only looks deserted, but your safety is guaranteed.”
Belinda shook her head.
“That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s…”
What she truly wanted to say was: could you stay with me for a while?
Since Simon brought her back, he hadn’t spent more than an hour with her.
He’d just show up, say a few things, and leave.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say this.
They weren’t friends, much less family.
There was no way Simon would agree to such a thing.
From Simon’s attitude, she could tell he wasn’t a difficult person, but she didn’t know how to express herself to him.
Simon guessed her thoughts from her words and hesitation.
He chuckled softly, shook his head, and bent down to lift her up.
“Forget it. Tomorrow I’ll just go to the Empress and accept punishment directly. She never explicitly said I had to stand guard for her all night, anyway.”
If it wasn’t clearly stated, then it could just be treated as if it didn’t exist.
“Next time you want me to keep you company, just say it directly. I have a lot to deal with every day and many things to think about. It’s easy for me to get overloaded and miss things.”
As the Imperial Knight Captain, Simon was responsible not only for Alexia’s safety but also for maintaining order throughout the Imperial Capital.
Especially when tricky problems arose, he needed to respond immediately.
If Alexia hadn’t sent him to investigate the Ministry of Justice’s affairs earlier, the matter with Madam Pandas should have been handled by him the moment it was discovered.
“Mm…”
Belinda responded, then said directly,
“So… can you put me down? Your armor is too cold.”
Though she liked the feeling of being held like this, the armor was genuinely cold.
Simon froze, then set her down from his arms, embarrassed.
“I did it out of habit. Sorry, I forgot.”
“By the way, did you eat dinner tonight?”
Belinda replied,
“I already had dinner. Every meal time, someone comes from outside, knocks a few times on the door, and leaves. I see it whenever I go downstairs.”
“But I wouldn’t mind having another late-night snack.”
Simon shrugged slightly.
“Then let’s keep it simple. I’ll take off my armor first and then make something.”
“Ah?”
Belinda was stunned when she heard Simon would be cooking.
“You’ll cook?”
As Simon walked toward his bedroom, he looked puzzled.
“What? Can’t I cook?”
Belinda looked at Simon as if he were a monster.
“It’s not that you can’t, it’s just hard to believe. You have such a huge estate, and there are people delivering food for me. Even if it’s late, I believe if you said a word, someone would cook for you.”
Even her father had never set foot in the kitchen.
Her mother would occasionally make desserts, but the daily meals were always prepared by servants.
So to her, Simon had no reason to cook for himself.
“It’s something that can’t be helped. Our Empress is a picky eater.”
At first, Simon could only cook simple things.
Until one day, Alexia fell ill and couldn’t eat anything.
He was forced to cook for her.
Compared to others, she trusted him a bit more, even if it was just bland porridge.
After that, the number of dishes he could make gradually increased.
Although Alexia’s meals were usually not prepared by him, if she wanted an extra dish and he happened to be free, he had to do it.
“The Empress again…”
Belinda was speechless for a moment, a hint of envy on her face.
“You’re really good to her.”
It seemed as if everything Simon did was for that lofty Alexia.
“For me, it might not even be enough.”
Simon still hadn’t forgotten what Alexia said to her today.
“If this kindness can make her feel she’s not alone, then I think it’s worth it.”
No matter how many people in the Empire opposed Alexia, at least he would always stand before her, shielding her from all storms.
After a simple late-night snack.
“By the way, Simon, I finished reading the book you recommended.”
Belinda said, her head slightly tilted upward, looking at Simon expectantly.
“You finished it?”
Simon was a little surprised.
“If you skimmed through it all at once, I suggest reading it again more carefully.”
He truly hadn’t expected Belinda to finish in a single day.
It wasn’t a children’s book, nor was it easy to understand.
The entire text was an analysis of the current political situation.
Logically, such a book should be impossible to finish so quickly.
Even in the game, when he controlled Belinda to do this, it took three whole days to get through it.
Instead of receiving praise as she expected, Belinda was doubted, and she pouted in displeasure.
“Am I really that bad in your eyes?”
“Just because I don’t usually delve into this area doesn’t mean I haven’t heard my father and others discuss it. I just used to treat it as a joke.”
“But after reading the book, I finally realized what my father and the others had been talking about.”
Before Simon came to her house, Belinda always believed her father was one of the Empire’s best officials, a great person.
Now, she finally understood what her father was really doing.
“At the same time, I realized how extreme the current Empress’s methods are—she almost obsessively seized all Imperial power for herself.”
Belinda spoke with heartfelt emotion about her most direct impression of Alexia.
“In everyone’s eyes, she would stop at nothing to consolidate her rule and defend her authority. Even if you, Simon, left the palace, it would bring bloodshed and turmoil beyond question.”
“I don’t like the Empress. I hate her. I hate her very, very much, but she truly prevented the Empire, already torn apart by the late king, from collapsing completely.”