IYAMD 147
The vice-captain, Allen, spoke up, seemingly on behalf of the knights who were hesitating.
“I heard that when His Majesty tried to take the captain’s life, Your Majesty saved him. Thanks to that, all of us in the knight order were able to survive. That’s why we’ve already agreed to dedicate our lives to you. So please trust us.”
What was he saying? Jaha blinked in confusion and turned to Odette. Seeing the warm expression on his face, Jaha finally realized that Odette had misunderstood his actions when Marsilia had tried to kill him.
He had only stepped in because he didn’t want the blood of imperial citizens on Marsilia’s hands. Jaha averted his gaze from Odette, feeling awkward.
What should he do? If he simply kept quiet, he might easily gain their loyalty. But even if he built their devotion on a lie, how long could such a foundation last?
Resolving himself, Jaha decided he had to tell the truth and opened his mouth.
“To clear up any misunderstandings… I was being sincere back then. I really intended to kill Captain Odette in Marsilia’s place.”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
“So I don’t think I have the right to accept your loyalty.”
As Jaha calmly finished speaking, Odette let out a hearty laugh after a brief silence.
“Well, in the end, it’s still true that we were all saved thanks to Your Majesty. Hahahaha.”
The man’s rough laughter rang out, but his eyes wavered. Jaha, watching Odette’s flustered expression with pity, turned to face the knights.
“I’m sorry if this disappoints you, but the truth shouldn’t be hidden. You were spared because of His Majesty’s judgment, not because of me. Mar saw your battle and decided it would be a waste to kill you. So if you must risk your lives, it should be for him, not me.”
Feeling increasingly burdened by his own words, Jaha finally concluded.
“The knights attending the banquet, I’ll take that as your choice to stay. There’s still some time before the banquet, so make your decisions freely.”
With that, Jaha stepped down from the platform. Feeling awkward, he wanted to disappear as quickly as possible, so he used his qinggong to leave the training grounds in an instant.
After he vanished, murmurs spread through the knight order. Some asked Odette what he would do, while others marveled at Jaha’s movement technique, clicking their tongues in amazement.
“Alright, quiet down. As His Majesty said, the choice is yours to make.”
Odette silenced the knights before sharing his thoughts.
“In that battle, we survived after countless brushes with death. I was no exception. I used to believe that dying in battle for my lord was the greatest honor for a knight, but after surviving, I realized that living is better. So you lot should make your own choices. You’re not children; you can weigh the value of life and honor for yourselves.”
Scanning the now-quiet training grounds, Odette let out a deep sigh before making his final remark.
“The important thing is that both of them—our new lords—know how to value the lives of the knights who serve them. You’ve all seen it for yourselves. If you ever find yourselves on the brink of death, they will be there for you. That much, we know from experience. And that’s reason enough to follow them. They told me to survive, so I swore that the life I have left would be theirs to use.”
There was no need to say more. Having survived that long, brutal summer battle together, the knights understood Odette’s words easily.
Still, there was one concern. Their new lord, Jaha, was nothing like the nobles they had seen before. Even if he didn’t truly care for them, he should at least say so—pretend to cherish them and lift their spirits. But instead, he had ripped that support out from the root and fled.
It was clear this wouldn’t be the last time something like this happened. The future suddenly seemed uncertain.
…
On his way back to Marsilia, Jaha was stopped at the main building by the head steward. After reporting on the banquet preparations, the steward informed Jaha that the lord’s proxy was waiting for him.
Jaha frowned in frustration and asked, “Who’s attending the banquet?”
“There are no vassals present, so it will just be those staying in the estate.”
Only the lord’s proxies, the knight order, and the emperor’s entourage. Jaha nodded.
“What about the servants?”
“Pardon?”
The elderly butler blinked in surprise. Jaha hesitated, wondering how to explain, before speaking carefully.
“In my homeland, when there was something to celebrate, everyone gathered for a feast together. The servants ate at the same table and shared in the joy as one.”
The butler firmly refused, saying such a thing was unthinkable. Jaha, who had come to understand the class system little by little, had expected this and took it lightly.
“Then, what about holding a feast for the servants after the banquet?”
“We planned for them to eat the leftover food.”
“Sebastian, ask the head chef on my behalf. Tell him to prepare additional dishes for the servants, separate from the banquet meals. And let everyone know that today, they should enjoy the feast without worry. I’ll make sure the banquet ends early.”
“But…”
Before Sebastian could continue, Jaha shook his head.
“I know this place has its own rules. But I still want to do this. Just for one day—surely that’s fine?”
Jaha’s father had never been stingy when it came to sharing food. Whenever there was a celebration in the household, everyone in the estate would gather for a feast, and he made sure no guest ever went hungry.
He believed that bonds between people were strengthened through shared meals. Those drawn to his generosity had helped the escort guild flourish, and until the time Jaha had left home, the estate had always been a place full of life and human warmth.
Jaha knew he wasn’t as meticulous as his father, so he could never be exactly the same. But even so, he wanted to carry on his father���s spirit in whatever way he could.
Wasn’t it natural for a child to continue the life their parent had lived?
Seeing Jaha’s determination, Sebastian had no choice but to nod in reluctant agreement and step back. Instead of heading to the office where the deputy lord was waiting, Jaha decided to take a look around the castle.
He felt a little guilty toward Marsilia, but this was important too. He would surely understand. Besides, if Jaha took care of everything properly today, he could devote the rest of his time entirely to him.
Moving quietly to suppress his presence, Jaha observed the servants’ atmosphere. Since most of the previous staff had been replaced with new hires, the environment still felt somewhat unsettled.
But overall, the mood wasn’t bad. People seemed cheerful, and most of the conversations he overheard were innocent chatter—quite different from those in the capital.
After thoroughly surveying the castle, Jaha finally returned to Marsilia.
The man was lounging in bed, idly passing the time. At the sight of Jaha, he smirked and let out a snort.
“I told you to go, but I didn’t mean for you to make me wait this long.”
Jaha approached the man, leaning over him and burying his face against his chest.
Taking in the familiar scent deeply, Jaha smiled faintly and murmured,
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be with you and you alone.”
“Sure you will.”
“I mean it.”
Resting his ear against the slow, steady heartbeat, Jaha closed his eyes. The banquet was approaching, and people would be barging in soon. But at least until then, he wanted to bask in Marsilia’s warmth.
Marsilia let out a soft chuckle, stroking Jaha’s hair as he asked,
“What have you been up to?”
“People-watching.”
“Watching?”
“I took a look around, observed how people were working, and checked on a few things.”
They would only be staying here for a month. Jaha needed to wrap things up cleanly before leaving so he could settle in the capital without worries.
Marsilia had already made it clear that he wouldn’t interfere in territorial affairs, so Jaha intended to handle as much as he could on his own. If he planned things properly, he wouldn’t have to return until next autumn.
That autumn, he would have to come back to prepare for the monster attacks. Right now, the knights’ numbers were only about half of what they used to be, and the private forces had also dwindled.
That meant he had to replenish the knights and soldiers before then. If he happened to conceive a child, traveling back in the fall might be difficult, so he had to prepare for that possibility as well.
As his mind grew cluttered with concerns, Jaha let out a sigh. Marsilia chuckled silently at that.
Jaha lifted his head to look at him, only to find Marsilia smiling gently.
“You look so preoccupied… Seems like I’ll be quite lonely.”
Though his tone was lighthearted and his expression was warm, the words themselves made his smile seem almost bitter.
Jaha reached out and caressed his cheek.
“I won’t let you be lonely.”
Marsilia’s narrowed eyes and teasing smile were as infuriating as ever, but Jaha truly didn’t want to leave him feeling alone.
What would it take for Marsilia to finally believe that, no matter what, he would always come first?
How could he make him understand that the reason Jaha cared so much… was because he was the emperor?
“…Idiot.”
Jaha muttered petulantly, pressing his face into Marsilia’s chest again.
Marsilia laughed uncontrollably at the word, his chest shaking so much that Jaha’s head bounced slightly. But Jaha didn’t move.
He simply took in Marsilia’s scent, felt his warmth, and reaffirmed a truth that had become undeniable.
He didn’t want to be apart from him either.
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!