Bang!
Augustus was currently reading the latest documents when the door slammed open. He swiftly turned to look at who just arrived. Apparently, it was her wife who looks... a little bit disheveled and worried?
"August? Drop what you're holding right now!" I quickly rushed to August and snatched the documents.
"Huh? Why? What's wrong?" He was genuinely confused as he tried to take back the documents again.
"I heard you fainted. How could you be working again when you should be resting right now?"
August raised an eyebrow, "But that was yesterday though?" An amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I appreciate that you're concerned about me but I'm fine, Rina. There's no need to worry."
I stopped talking and looked back to the door where Javier and Eliana was peeking, once they saw me glaring at them they gave me an apologetic smile as they hurriedly close the door.
'Those troublemakers. Making me worry over nothing. But it's better to let him rest than overworking himself again.'
Still holding the documents, I narrowed my eyes at him. "No, even if it was yesterday, you still need to rest. How could you rule a nation if you're sick?"
A chuckle escaped him, "That work will be due tomorrow. As soon as I complete that I promise to sleep early by then."
I didn't believe him, "I want you to rest. NOW," I grabbed his hand and pulled him up while I let him lay down on the sofa "I want you to rest now. even if it's only for two hours. Health is more important than your work."
"Promise me you'll wake me up in 4 hours?" I only nodded at him while watching him close his eyes. but I decided not to wake him up.
Once he was sound asleep, I tied my hair into a ponytail as I quietly called out to Javier and Eliana. I'll be needing Javier's guidance as I will be finishing his workload.
I took a deep breath and addressed them. "Since August is resting, I'll handle his workload for now. Javier, I'll need your guidance to ensure everything is done correctly. Eliana, please assist with anything else that comes up."
Javier nodded, visibly relieved. "Of course, Your Majesty. I'll explain everything you need to know."
I organized the documents first, I placed aside the documents regarding about diplomatic missions, treaties with neighboring kingdoms to trade agreements with foreign merchants. While I handled reports from the provinces, detailing the latest crop yields and taxation rates, petitions from the people, asking for favors and seeking justice. And there were official decrees, outlining new laws and regulations for the empire.
Since I'm the Empress, I'll soon participate in managing the state of affairs so I might as well do it now. August won't let me work so I'll be using this time to help him. I don't want to be a burden to him. I was determined to make sure August could rest peacefully without worrying about his duties.
With Javier's help, I quickly got up to speed on the paperwork and began tackling the tasks at hand. Eliana brought refreshments and Ember in the office since he was whining when he didn't saw me but as soon as he entered the room, he went to sleep on top of the sleeping August. I got hurt a little but smiled since Ember hasn't seen August these past few days.
'Ember must've missed him.'
As I continued working late into the night, the room became quiet, with only the soft sounds of August's breathing and the occasional rustling of papers breaking the silence. Eliana and Javier had left her to handle the rest, confident that she was more than capable of finishing the tasks. The documents seemed endless, but I pushed through, determined to ease some of August's burdens.
At some point, exhaustion crept in. Without realizing it, my head slowly drooped, eyes fluttering shut as I slumped over the desk, my hand still loosely holding a pen.
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It was already late at night when Augustus woke up to find out that Ember was sleeping on top of his stomach. He slowly stood up from the sofa, being careful not to wake Ember as he placed the small fox gently on the cushions.
Stretching his stiff muscles, he muttered, "Rina, why didn't you wake me—" But his words were cut off when his gaze landed on her.
There she was, slumped over the desk, her cheek resting against the stack of papers she had been working on, fast asleep. The faint rise and fall of her chest and the peaceful look on her face made him pause. His heart softened as he realized she must have worked through the night to help him with his duties.
Walking quietly over to her, he knelt beside her chair, his eyes filled with tenderness. He reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "You always do things that stir up my heart," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he admired her dedication.
Instead of waking her up, August carefully scooped Nerina into his arms, ensuring not to wake her up. Her head rested softly against his chest as he held her close, moving silently through the room. With a quick glance back at the peacefully sleeping Ember, he walked to the far side of his office and quietly opened the door that led to his room.
The room was dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the curtains. He stepped inside, the door closing with a faint click behind him. His chamber was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the formal atmosphere of his office. Gently, he laid her down on the large bed, adjusting the pillows to support her head comfortably.
For a moment, he stood by the bedside, watching her as she shifted slightly but didn't wake. He reached down, brushing his fingers across her cheek in a tender gesture before before walking back to the office to finish the remaining tasks she had started.
When Augustus returned to his desk, he noticed that the once chaotic stack of papers was now neatly arranged into two piles: finished and unfinished documents. Picking up the finished ones, he scanned through her work, and a smile tugged at his lips. She had not only completed the documents but had done so with a level of precision and clarity that made everything more understandable. Her way of writing, especially in sorting out the taxes, was efficient and insightful.
"Impressive," he muttered under his breath, amused by her meticulousness. Her handwriting flowed elegantly across the pages, and her organization of the state's financial matters was even better than some of his top advisors.
Augustus leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "She's truly something else," he mused, both proud and a bit surprised at how capable his Empress was in matters of state.
He decided to approve the documents she had worked on, making mental notes to compliment her when she wakes up.