IYAMD 167

IYAMD 167

Time passed quickly. Autumn swept by with a brief gust of wind, and soon, the bitter cold of winter arrived.

Marsilia had been so busy day after day that he always returned to the bedchamber late. The first thing he did upon returning was head to the twins’ room, but every time he rubbed his cold cheeks against theirs, the twins would shriek in fright and burst into tears.

If Jaha, who was in the bedroom, rushed over at the sound of crying, he would find Marsilia looking exhausted and flustered.

“I told you to wash up first.”

Jaha would always drag him to the bath and warm him up before they visited the twins together. Only after that would the children finally giggle, and for a brief moment, the fatigue on Marsilia’s face would ease.

“Aren’t you overworking yourself?”

“If I want to free up time at the beginning of the year, there’s no other choice.”

The end of the year and the beginning of the new one were particularly busy times. As Jaha gradually became more familiar with the Empress’s duties, he was beginning to understand Marsilia’s struggles.

“If you’re that busy, I can go alone.”

The moment he said something he didn’t truly mean, Marsilia snorted in amusement.

“Weren’t you the one who once said you couldn’t live without me?”

Jaha had never actually said that, but since the sentiment wasn’t entirely wrong, he didn’t bother refuting it.

“I’m just worried you’ll collapse from exhaustion before we go on our trip.”

“I’m not so weak that I’d collapse from this.”

“Then why do you look so tired?”

When Jaha asked, Marsilia flinched slightly.

“Well… because when I look tired, you take even better care of me.”

That was just asking to get hit. Seeing Jaha’s eyes narrow, Marsilia quickly let out a soft chuckle and scooped him up in his arms.

“Put me down, you fool.”

Though Jaha protested, his body was honest. As he wrapped his arms around Marsilia’s shoulders, the smile on Marsilia’s face deepened.

“Now that you’re holding on, I can’t exactly put you down.”

The nannies, who had been laying the twins in their cradles, stifled their laughter. Jaha, his face burning red, muttered under his breath.

“This is so embarrassing.”

“Then shall we hurry along?”

At Marsilia’s words, a maid opened the door as if on cue. Before the two disappeared from view, everyone in the room knelt in unison.

“May you have a pleasant night.”

Jaha buried his flushed face into Marsilia’s shoulder.

“I really hate that phrase.”

It was obvious that wasn’t just a simple “good night.” Yet Marsilia, shameless as ever, merely chuckled.

“They really do mean good night.”

But even as they walked down the hallway, the attendants they passed all bowed with similarly knowing expressions—or at least, that was how it seemed to Jaha.

Marsilia pointed it out.

“It’s only because you think that way. They truly are just wishing us a good night.”

“And what exactly am I thinking?”

As they neared the bedchamber, Marsilia’s smile grew playful.

“That you’re a hopeless libertine.”

Without thinking, Jaha grabbed a fistful of Marsilia’s hair and yanked. Then, as Marsilia’s head tilted toward him, he bit his ear—hard.

“Ow, that hurts!”

“You’re so annoying.”

Still, Jaha soon released his grip and gently rubbed the spot he had tugged on. No matter what, his resolve always softened too quickly when it came to this man.

And Marsilia, fully aware of this, feigned even more pain as he leaned his head against Jaha.

“It really hurt, you know.”

Oh, please. Jaha sighed, pulling Marsilia’s head into his arms unauthorized copyand pressing a soft kiss to the so-called injured spot.

At some point, an attendant had opened the door for them. By the time Jaha lifted his head, the door had already shut behind them.

By the end of the year, the twins had started holding up their heads and rolling over. The nannies were amazed, saying that such progress usually took at least three months, but to Jaha, they were still just tiny, wriggling creatures.

Since they had also reached the stage of recognizing voices, Jaha made an effort to visit them as often as possible. However, since Marsilia, who was even busier, felt left out, Jaha was careful not to show it.

Perhaps because he saw them so frequently, Jaha was beginning to notice the twins’ personalities.

Once so quiet, they now constantly babbled or cried when they weren’t sleeping. Jaha could even distinguish their temperaments just from the sounds they made.

Helios was a child who cried easily. The upside was that his cries weren’t particularly loud. His babbling was also soft and gentle, suggesting he had a rather reserved nature.

Lotis, on the other hand, was different. Though she didn’t cry as often, when she did, he wailed loudly enough to be called a future general.

Moreover, she was far more talkative than Helios. If she wasn’t sleeping, she was constantly chattering away—mostly, it seemed, to Helios.

The two children constantly babbled while looking at each other. When Helios smiled, Lotis would smile back, showing just how close they were. Watching from the side, Jaha sometimes felt a sense of exclusion.

Well, even when they were born, they would cry uncontrollably if separated from each other.

It was certainly much better than being like the previous emperor and the archduke, who were obsessed with killing their own siblings.

“Loti, Heli, let Dad join too.”

Only after hearing Jaha’s voice did the twins seem to remember that he was there as well. Their round eyes turned toward him, making him feel like an intruder.

“Uh… sorry, go on.”

Jaha awkwardly apologized, and the nanny beside him quickly covered her face, clearly suppressing laughter. That only made him feel more embarrassed.

As he debated whether he should leave, Viscountess Felton stepped in to help him.

She clapped her hands, drawing the twins’ attention, and as soon as she had their focus, she blinked and smiled widely.

“Peekaboo.”

As the twins flailed their arms and giggled, she turned to Jaha.

“Your Majesty, why don’t you try it too? A big smile is important. And the more you talk to them, the faster they will learn.”

“But… it’s embarrassing.”

Jaha’s single remark sent waves of laughter through the room.

“His Majesty seems quite natural at it, actually. Just a little more effort, Your Majesty.”

Indeed, Marsilia was bold, and he had no trouble talking to them. Jaha, on the other hand, knew his own personality well enough to accept that he could never match that man’s shameless ease.

Viscountess Felton encouraged him a few more times, but it only made him feel more uncomfortable. Seeing his distress, she finally backed off with a regretful look.

“I’ve heard that Eastern Continent people tend to be shy. Growing up in a more conservative atmosphere makes it harder to express oneself.”

Madam Ilang, who was checking if Helios’ diaper was wet, chimed in as well.

“But you should still try often, Your Majesty. There will be plenty of times in the future when you’ll have to say you like something even if you don’t, and moments when you’ll need to flatter others.”

“I heard you want to start participating in social activities. Since Your Majesty will be interacting with many women, it would be helpful to learn to speak a little more gently.”

“Like the ladies do?”

Their way of speaking had a sing-song rhythm to it. Sometimes, even Marsilia and the men around him spoke that way—so it must have been a speech style that worked in high society.

To Jaha, it felt overly delicate. Almost like an insect crawling on his skin—not unpleasant, but not exactly comfortable either. Even after more than a year of hearing it, he still wasn’t used to it. But now, he would have to consciously make an effort to adapt.

“I don’t even know how to do it.”

Having spent most of his life in the Eastern Continent, Jaha was already struggling with the Western Continent’s language. His pronunciation must have been noticeably different from the others.

The same went for his intonation. He figured that was why Marsilia sometimes found his way of speaking overly stiff.

And now, he had to try and imitate that gentle, refined tone?

If change was possible, he wanted to change. If it was a necessary part of the choice he had made to stay with Marsilia, then he wanted to do it well.

“I heard you’re considering Widow Amarante for the position of head lady-in-waiting. I think that’s an excellent choice. If you can bring her here, she will be of great help to you, Your Majesty.”

“But… it’s been a long time since Lady Amarante last came to the capital. I’m worried about whether she’ll accept the position.”

Perhaps because he had spent months in the emperor’s bedchamber, Jaha was starting to get a feel for palace affairs. Even though the nannies spent most of their time in the twins’ room, they were surprisingly well-informed about the latest court news.

Jaha was beginning to understand that this was the kind of thing he needed to be involved in.

“Why not bring her a gift of things she likes?”

“She used to love Chocolo’s whiskey bonbons and apricot bonbons. Since those are hard to find outside the capital, she’s probably missed them.”

“Oh, and she was quite fond of Eastern Continent tea as well. If you ask the tea shop run by the Sonnet family, they can tell you which varieties she frequently purchased.”

They spoke in gentle tones, casually exchanging tidbits of information as if making small talk.

So this was how it worked. Since he had always been reserved, it must have been difficult for them to approach him. That was why he was only hearing these things now.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jaha asked if they would be available tomorrow.

“I’d like to invite you all to a tea time tomorrow afternoon. Would that be okay?”

The nannies’ smiles brightened as they nodded.

“Of course, Your Majesty. We’ve been waiting for an invitation.”

“Why not have a light picnic in the greenhouse with the young masters?”

Jaha returned their warm smiles and nodded.

“I’d like that.”

The nannies looked surprised at his expression, but as always, Jaha didn’t pay it any mind.