IYAMD 158

IYAMD 158

Marsilia fell into deep thought.

The autumn harvest was nearing its end, and the monster hunting season was in full swing.

Unable to leave Jaha alone, Marsilia had been leading the monster hunting campaign with the Imperial Knights and the personal soldiers of the nobles, but his mind was troubled.

However, with the children having just been born, he couldn’t leave the palace either. What should he do?

If he discussed it with Jaha, he would surely urge him to join the hunting party immediately. Yet, he was also worried about Helios’ condition, which made him even more reluctant.

“What’s wrong?”

As they had a late meal after leaving the children’s room, Jaha asked, noticing that Marsilia hadn’t moved his hands for a while.

Only then did Marsilia lift his gaze and see Jaha leaning toward him, as if he were about to cross the table. Marsilia smiled faintly.

“I just had something to think about.”

“Is it because of Helios?”

Marsilia tore a piece of bread, gathered his thoughts, and answered honestly.

“That’s part of it, but I’m also wondering what to do about the hunting.”

Earlier in the year, Jaha had wanted to conduct a major hunting expedition during the summer. The number of monsters surged at this time due to the abundance of food, and he had suggested hunting them in advance several times.

However, this idea had been naturally postponed. Now, with the monster numbers still significant this autumn, the problem remained.

“Don’t you think you should go?”

Upon hearing Jaha’s words, which didn’t surprise him, Marsilia furrowed his brows and ate a piece of the torn bread. As he chewed the bread in dissatisfaction while staring at Jaha, Jaha opened his eyes slightly and said,

“I understand what you’re worried about.”

The following words were expected, but unlike his thoughts that Jaha wouldn’t hesitate, Jaha paused for a moment and then continued,

“Still… don’t you think you should go?”

Hearing a voice that lacked its usual certainty, Marsilia’s slightly stubborn feelings melted away.

Was he always this simple-minded?

Marsilia chuckled and shook his head. Perhaps interpreting his gesture as a refusal, Jaha began to nag.

“If you’re not there, someone might not return. Is that okay with you? These are people you’ve shared life and death with for so long.”

Marsilia raised his glass and swallowed the bread he was chewing with water. Jaha stared at him intently without any response, which seemed to annoy him, as Jaha’s eyes narrowed.

“Am I going to make him angry if I delay any longer?”

“You saw the autumn hunting last year too. The monsters that attack in large numbers are all low-level. They rely on numbers because they lack strength.”

Since they lacked power, the increase in their numbers led to a vicious cycle of attacking the stored crops and sheep in preparation for winter.

“My knights are not weak enough to lose to those kinds of monsters.”

The Imperial Knights had always been stronger than any other knight order in the empire. After Jaha joined the palace, the training regimen for the knights had increased exponentially.

Some knights voluntarily increased their training after seeing Jaha’s training intensity, and Marquis Pablo had changed the training policy based on something Jaha had casually mentioned.

“If you’re going to play, play. If you’re going to rest, rest. When are you going to train?”

If anyone else had said that, it would have seemed rude, but since it was Jaha, the knights blushed.

Even Marquis Pablo, who was present, had the same reaction, so the knights underwent tough training throughout the year.

After several months, the results began to show. General Des had become a Sword Master two months ago, and other knights had either already leveled up or were about to.

Therefore, leaving the autumn hunting to them was no longer a problem.

“Your words don’t match. If you were worried, you shouldn’t have said anything. Weren’t you hesitating because you’re worried about the knights?”

Marsilia raised the corners of his mouth and narrowed his eyes at his words.

“I’m just… a little uncomfortable because I’m missing out on something I’ve done every year. It’d be easier to have me around than not, I guess.”

“If you’re that worried, it’s better to go.”

Jaha said firmly and extended his hand. Marsilia glanced at his pale hand flapping on the table for a moment before placing his hand on top of it.

“Still, selfishly, I wish you were here. If the knights are enough, though.”

Marsilia widened his eyes, and Jaha smiled sheepishly. He hadn’t expected such words to come from him, so Marsilia couldn’t respond immediately.

“I didn’t know you’d say that.”

Marsilia, whose voice had unintentionally tightened, barely managed to speak, then pulled Jaha’s hand toward him and kissed it.

“I’m happy.”

Jaha had many rigid qualities. If something needed to be done, he was the type to get it done quickly rather than procrastinate, and as strict as he was with himself, he was just as strict with Marsilia.

The fact that Jaha, who held the belief that those in higher positions should set an example, said such words was something Marsilia had never experienced since meeting him. Even when he became overly sensitive during the early stages of pregnancy, he never once asked for him to stay by his side.

Marsilia had already known that Jaha was more fragile than he appeared, but when he advocated for a principle, he would act as though even a needle couldn’t draw a drop of blood from him. And now, to hear him say that he wanted to stay with him.

“I’ll stay with you and the children,” Marsilia said, unable to suppress his feelings, kissing the back of Jaha’s hand.

In the past, Jaha would have been embarrassed and unsure of how to react, but now he casually allowed Marsilia to hold his hand.

Suddenly, Marsilia realized that Jaha had changed quite a bit. There must have been many changes in himself as well, changes he hadn’t noticed. Whether these changes were for the better or the worse, he wasn’t sure, but looking at Jaha’s change, he felt that he hadn’t changed for the worse either.

“I want to be with you,” Marsilia said, and Jaha quietly bit his lip. Seeing his slightly flushed face and his eyes wavering, Marsilia couldn’t help but laugh. There was still more to change.

It had only been a year. The time ahead was still so long, close to infinite. During that time, something would continue to change between them. Marsilia looked forward to those changes.

Not all of them might be good changes, but as long as one thing remained unchanged, he was sure everything would be fine.

The most important thing would never change.

By the time the two of them finished their meal, they received word that the children’s feeding had ended. Jaha immediately stood up, urging Marsilia.

“Are you done eating?”

Marsilia leisurely wiped his mouth, looking up at Jaha who was holding out his hand.

“Already done eating?”

“Let’s go see the children.”

Earlier, the children had fallen back to sleep, so Jaha hadn’t had a chance to hold them, but now, he was eager to hold them during the brief time they would be awake. There was a sparkle in his eyes.

Marsilia smiled and, pretending he couldn’t resist, took Jaha’s hand. As soon as he did, Jaha started running, and Marsilia had to follow, being led by him.

Ashton’s sigh seemed to echo on his back, but knowing Jaha’s feelings, Ashton didn’t scold them and quietly let them go.

If it had been before, Ashton would have scolded them for their lack of decorum.

Marsilia, following Jaha down the hallway, burst into laughter. It had been so long since he had acted this way, not caring about the eyes of others.

Though the position of the Emperor seemed like one could act freely, the reality was quite different.

As the ruler of all, he was supposed to set an example.

Having been taught to be careful of his behavior from a young age, he had always had to move with grace and dignity inside the palace. He couldn’t remember the last time he had run like this in the palace, it had been so long.

However, seeing his long hair fluttering in the air, none of that seemed to matter. Looking back occasionally and smiling at him, urging him to run faster, Marsilia couldn’t help but feel that it didn’t matter at all.

As they passed the attendants standing guard outside the children’s room, Marsilia only chuckled. Tomorrow, the rumors would probably spread throughout the palace. That the Emperor had forgotten his dignity and ran down the hallway with the Empress.

He could almost hear whispers behind them, gossiping about how undignified it was.

In the past, he hadn’t paid any attention ​Read on​to such whispers. He knew that pressuring the nobles too much would only cause backlash.

As a half-hearted emperor who hadn’t yet found his soulmate and was burdened with too much state business, he didn’t have time or energy to care about those things.

It was undeniable that, when he ascended the throne at a young age, being overshadowed by his uncle made him seem laughable.

Before entering the children’s room, Marsilia exhaled slowly.

But now, things would be different.

He would not allow anyone to touch the man whose hand he was holding and the children in that room.

As he entered the room, he released Jaha’s hand and watched him run ahead, silently vowing to never let those things pass as a joke again.