IYAMD 105
“We already… did that.”
“Did what?”
Marsilia naturally assumed Jaha was talking about their intimacy and asked with a sly tone. But what came out of Jaha’s mouth was something completely unexpected.
“We shared a drink.”
“A drink?”
Marsilia tilted his head, failing to grasp the significance of Jaha’s words. The alcohol they drank on the first night—was that supposed to mean something?
“I shared a drink with you. It wasn’t flower wine, which is a shame, but at least we followed the proper procedure.”
“What… is that?”
Jaha’s face turned even redder.
“I’m not telling you.”
His expression became increasingly prim, and Marsilia couldn’t help but burst into laughter. As his loud laughter echoed, Jaha scowled, his upturned eyes flashing in irritation.
Marsilia barely managed to suppress his laughter and held out a hand to him. Even though Jaha refused to take it in his irritation, the smile didn’t leave Marsilia’s face.
“I’ll ask Gerald about it later. So don’t be mad.”
At the mention of Gerald’s name, Ashton, who had been waiting in the background, cleared his throat.
“Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty, but Gerald Sonnet has been waiting in the office for some time now.”
“Is it that late already?”
Marsilia let go of his lingering amusement and rose from his seat. He walked around the table toward Jaha, who lifted his head as he approached. Leaning down, Marsilia pressed a kiss on his cheek and asked,
“You’ll have lunch with me, right?”
“I have training, so I’m not sure. If I don’t make it back in time, just eat without me.”
“Where will you be training?”
“Somewhere out of sight?”
Marsilia pondered for a moment before nodding.
“If possible, don’t go too far.”
Would Jaha be disappointed in him if he realized Marsilia was still afraid he might leave? Marsilia swallowed the words he truly wanted to say—Stay here until I return—and forced a smile.
“Okay.”
Jaha nodded lightly, smiling as if he were oblivious to Marsilia’s concerns.
Leaving Jaha behind in the dining hall, Marsilia let out a quiet sigh as soon as he stepped outside. He felt unbearably foolish and pathetic.
He kept telling himself to trust in Jaha’s feelings, but it wasn’t easy. When would this anxiety finally disappear?
With a heavy breath, Marsilia slowly walked away. Even after sighing multiple times, the weight pressing down on his chest didn’t lighten in the slightest.
He knew exactly what it was. Distrust and doubt. Emotions he couldn’t afford to let Jaha see, even if he had already noticed them.
And yet, Marsilia kept finding himself wanting to expose those feelings, and he resented himself for it.
Don’t act like a child.
Don’t cling to his kindness and seek comfort like a spoiled brat.
He knew all this, but that didn’t make it any easier.
Jaha’s easy acceptance, the way he spread his arms as if to say there’s nothing to worry about, had already seeped into him like poison. A sweet toxin that not even his divine power could purify.
With reluctant steps, Marsilia finally reached his office. Inside, he found not only Serez and Emileo but also Gerald, waiting with a report on the byproducts of dragons.
“The bipa will be difficult to obtain, Your Majesty,” Gerald reported.
Marsilia had previously requested them because Jaha had once mentioned wanting to eat them. But since the fruit was out of season, it was impossible to acquire.
“The timing isn’t right, so there’s nothing we can do about that. Can you get a few bipa trees instead?”
“The trees should be obtainable. However, if you want to see them bear fruit, you’ll need to plant them in a greenhouse.”
“Then prepare a place for them in the imperial greenhouse. Get them as soon as possible. And… what about the matter of Jaha’s homeland?”
Gerald lowered his head apologetically.
“As I mentioned before, it’s difficult for our guild to move freely on the Eastern Continent. We have people investigating, so we should receive news within a month or two.”
“That will take quite some time.”
“Traveling by ship takes a while, so it can’t be helped.”
Marsilia nodded, then suddenly recalled the conversation he’d had with Jaha during breakfast.
“What does sharing a drink mean in the Eastern Continent? I heard it’s usually done with a cup of flower wine.”
Gerald covered his mouth and chuckled quietly.
“You must be referring to pyebaek?”
“That pronunciation sounds about right.”
Something about the deepening amusement in Gerald’s smile gave Marsilia an odd feeling. And when Gerald spoke again, he forgot to breathe for a moment.
“It’s a wedding tradition. The bride and groom share a cup of wine during the ceremony. Typically, it’s plum wine. I’ve heard it symbolizes a vow to live together for a long time, but I don’t know much beyond that.”
Marsilia exhaled a long breath and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
“Damn it.”
What on earth was that man thinking? How could he keep something so important to himself without telling me?
Marsilia tightly shut his eyes. Jaha’s decision suddenly felt overwhelming.
When he thought about how much Jaha must have agonized before making that choice, his eyes grew hot. Marsilia let out a sigh, pressing his palm to his eyelids.
Serez quietly asked, “Your Majesty, surely… you’re not crying, are you? Oh, please. Tell me I’m seeing things.” His grumbling, as if he had witnessed something horrific, snapped Marsilia back to his senses. He opened his eyes and glared at Serez.
“Hmph.”
Serez fell silent and stepped aside after catching sight of his reddened eyes. Marsilia blinked a few times to clear his vision, then steadied his voice, which had dropped to a low murmur.
“Ahem. I owe quite a debt to the Sonnet. You’ve worked hard all this time, Gerald Sonnet. So, I’ve decided to entrust your family with handling the dragon byproducts. Process everything except for the scales and horns as you see fit. If you create high-quality goods, the imperial family will purchase them at a fair price. In return, can you find a craftsman skilled in working with scales?”
“I know of a skilled artisan in Helga. I’ll make inquiries there. If that’s not enough, I’ll seek out craftsmen from the Eastern Continent. Many renowned artisans reside there as well.”
“Do so.”
Marsilia was about to dismiss Gerald but stopped him mid-step.
“Gerald, if you ever feel inclined to work in the Treasury Department, come see me anytime.”
Gerald’s eyes widened in surprise. “Pardon?”
“I need capable people to replace those who participated in the rebellion. While it’s fine if you wish to inherit the Sonnet title and business, I would prefer for you to serve at the palace. Of course, I will grant you a title befitting your position.”
Seeing Gerald rendered speechless, Marsilia gave him a warm smile.
“You’ll need trustworthy people by your side as well. If you accept my offer, I will also grant you the authority to appoint personnel.”
“But I’m still too young… And I come from a lowly viscount’s family. If Your Majesty gives me such authority, there will be significant opposition.”
“I personally witnessed your abilities during the recent subjugation. That’s enough for me. No matter what anyone says, I intend to appoint you. Of course, the decision is ultimately yours.”
Gerald clasped his trembling hands together and lowered his head.
“Please allow me some time to consider, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll give you a week. Make your decision by then.”
“…Understood.”
After sending the still-bewildered Gerald away, Marsilia turned to discuss matters with Serez.
“The remaining sorcerers are likely insignificant. What about that elusive sorcerer? Have we still not found them?”
“The Merchant Guild is currently tracking their whereabouts.”
“The Merchant Guild?”
Not the back alleys? Marsilia’s skepticism showed in his question. Serez clicked his tongue and replied, “We don’t have enough people to infiltrate the underworld. So, we disguised it as a noble family’s request and asked the guild to investigate. It should be fine. We threw in a generous down payment, and they didn’t even bother asking who was behind the request. We should have results by tomorrow or the day after.”
“Then let’s leave that for now. What about the holy relic? Search every area the High Priest visited. Also, where exactly did the Archduke reside while he was at the palace?”
Serez tilted his head. “They say he never left the main palace.”
“Then there’s a high chance the relic is still here. We need to search the main palace.”
Recalling the palace’s secret passageways, Marsilia rose from his seat.
“I’ll check the passage connected to the main hall.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please take care.”
Since the secret passageways of the imperial palace were only passed down to the emperor and their heir, Serez did not insist on following.
“I’m fortunate to have such a considerate aide.”
Marsilia’s remark made Serez snort. “A considerate aide, yet you still cut my salary for half a year.”
“Half a year’s cut is quite lenient.”
Serez’s eyes welled up as if he might actually cry, but he said nothing more.
After reassuring him, Marsilia stepped into the main hall. Behind the now-cleansed imperial throne, he touched the intricate carving on the chair’s backrest.
Click. Thud, thud, thud.
The throne shifted with a heavy sound, revealing a stone staircase beneath it.
Marsilia took a step forward, about to enter, when he suddenly furrowed his brow.
This passage should have been covered in dust from inactivity, yet faint footprints were scattered across the floor.
And from deep within, a faint stench of decay wafted out.
“Ha… Damn it.”
Marsilia knew exactly what was causing that smell.
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