Conquering the Emperor

Chapter 181: I’ll Miss You

Ren sent word for me to have dinner without him although he would be spending the night with me. He must be very busy with the preparations for war. As for me, I was quite relieved that he would arrive a little later than expected because that meant that I had some time to pack the things that I needed for my journey. Of course, I had to keep this all a secret from Ren.

Tomorrow, we’ll set out to my hometown. I couldn’t even begin to count the times that I’ve prayed to return to my hometown. However, I never expected to be returning under these circumstances. A frown creased my eyebrows, and my head began to ache a little when I started questioning why my town had started an uprising against the empire. No matter what, I just couldn’t understand it. freёwebnovel.com

Did the elders honestly think that their efforts would be successful despite what they may believe? In the battle that I had witnessed before, there was no hope for my town to win at all. The best that we could do was to surrender and limit the number of casualties. So, why are things different now?

I sighed loudly in frustration as my hands continued to reach for things that I may need, stuffing them into a small luggage. Truthfully, I had almost no detail regarding this venture. I didn’t know how long we would be gone for. I didn’t know how bad the battle had gotten. All I could do was mentally prepare myself for the worst.

While I was lost in thought, the door to my room suddenly slid open. It must be Ren. Quickly, I shielded the clothes that I had been packing with my body before moving it out of the way. Hopefully, Ren did not see any of that. I turned to greet Ren as I tried to act normal.

“You’re here earlier than I thought...” I said before smiling at him.

“Work got busy, but I managed to clear it earlier than I expected...” Ren replied.

“I see. Anything that I can help out with?” I asked, sounding hopeful although I knew that Ren wouldn’t let me help out with anything.

“No. There’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m leaving tomorrow. You stay here and behave yourself, ok?” Ren spoke to me as if I was a little child.

“Ok. When do you think you’ll be back?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ren replied truthfully.

“I see. I hope you won’t be gone for too long,” I said in a small voice.

“Will you miss me?” Ren asked before he smiled teasingly at me.

“Of course...” I said as I nodded shyly at him.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Ren said, and it sounded like a promise.

“Would you like to take a bath?” I suggested brightly as I tried to keep the mood light.

“Sure, and you can help rub my back. It really has been a while...” Ren suggest.

“I’ll prepare the bath for you,” I readily agreed.

...

After preparing the warm water for Ren with the help of various maids, I called him in. Ren seemed pleased although he looked quite tired from his long day at work. Hopefully, soaking in the warm water will help make him feel better.

Ren took off his robe and got into the bathtub. I watched as the muscles of his back flexed gracefully as he moved about. Ren let out a long sigh when he felt the warm water envelop his body.

“Does it feel good? You must be tired...” I asked as I stood behind him.

“Yes...” Ren replied.

“I’ll wash your back,” I said before doing just that.

While I washed his back with a sponge, I couldn’t help but think of how Ren would react when he found out that I’m going on the trip with him. It was quite obvious that he wouldn’t be pleased. He would probably be very angry that Shin and I had devised a plan to deceive him. I wondered how I should handle him when that happens. It was probably the only part of this plan that I wasn’t looking forward to.

“What are you thinking?” Ren asked softly.

I had been silent for a while when I was wrapped up in my own thoughts. He must have realized that I was thinking about something.

“Sorry. I’m just worried that you’re going to war,” I replied quite honestly.

“There’s nothing for you to be worried about,” Ren repeated that same sentence again.

I knew that he was trying to reassure me, but the truth was that there were countless things that I was worried about.

“I can’t stop myself from worrying. You could get hurt...” I whispered.

“I’ll be careful,” Ren replied calmly.

“Will you fight?” I asked.

Ren turned his head around to look directly at me. There was an unreadable expression on his face. Unconsciously I bit my lower lip as I started to feel nervous in the presence of his intimidating stare.

“I will fight,” Ren replied curtly before he got up from the bath.

Clearly Ren no longer wanted to continue with our conversation. With where the conversation was going, I didn’t want to continue down that path either. Instead, I grabbed a towel for Ren and started helping him dry off his body.

Ren wrapped the towel around his waist before walking out from the bathroom back into my bedroom. I watched his broad back until he had disappeared from my line of sight. I threw my head back and breath out in frustration. Tonight’s supposed to be our last night together before he departs tomorrow. The last thing that Ren needed was an argument with me.

I sucked in a deep breath as I thought about how to turn the situation around. When I returned to the bedroom, Ren was already sitting on the side of the bed. I guess I should apologize after all. Slowly, I approached the bed and sat down next to him. My shoulder brushed against his arm, and I could feel the heat from his thigh against my leg.

“I’m sorry for what I said back there. I was just so worried for your safety,” I apologized softly.

“I understand...” Ren said.

The way his eyes looked at me felt like he was asking me if I understood him. I believed that I did. I knew that it was his responsibility just like he had told me countless times before; however, that couldn’t stop me from worrying.

“I’ll miss you...” I said softly as I leaned my head against his arm. freёwebnoѵel.com

--To be continued...