IYAMD 120
Marsilia was pleased by Jaha’s gaze, fixed intently on him. Among so many people, he felt a sense of satisfaction that he could have his attention entirely.
He was happy about the change in him, how he would naturally offer his hand when Marsilia extended his. Marsilia drew Jaha’s hand to his lips, gently kissing the back of his hand as he smiled softly.
Jaha, who had been quietly observing, let out a faint sigh and whispered, “I think I understand a little about how you’ve lived.” His expression seemed quite complicated. Marsilia, meeting his gaze, leaned closer to him.
“I want to kiss you.”
Jaha furrowed his brows, seemingly troubled, and muttered, “People are watching.”
Marsilia chuckled softly and whispered into his ear, “Exactly.”
The fact that people were watching made him want to kiss him more. He wanted everyone to know that Jaha was entirely his.
Jaha frowned more deeply and quietly lowered his gaze. Realizing this was his own form of concession, Marsilia grinned, as he leaned in closer to him. Tilting his head, he pressed his lips to his, and Jaha quietly lifted his chin. Marsilia kissed him lightly before pressing their noses together.
“I love you, Jaha.”
With him, the world still felt worth living in. Even though memories of times when his life had been disregarded still lingered, looking into his tender golden eyes brought peace to his heart. Despite the emotions that made it hard to control his expression, he could remain calm, knowing he was by his side.
“I’m happy you’re by my side.”
When he thought of his parents, when he thought of his father’s last moments, Marsilia felt like he might go mad. But holding his hand, he found himself able to breathe properly again.
Marsilia held Jaha’s hand with both of his and pressed it to his lips. Jaha’s eyes reddened slightly, and he pouted.
“I’m so embarrassed,” he muttered.
His face grew redder, his eyes shifted nervously, and his slightly puffed cheeks revealed his discomfort.
“It’s alright. You’re more lovable than anyone else. You’ll enjoy this attention eventually.”
“That will never happen.”
Even while answering in a gruff manner, he still quietly offered his hand. It was so endearing.
Marsilia smiled as if he were melting and leaned in to kiss him briefly again.
The eyes of the people in the banquet hall were fixed on the emperor and his companion. The women who saw the emperor’s face, sweetly smiling as he kissed his companion, let out sighs of admiration.
“My goodness, he really looks like someone in love.”
“Yes, I’ve never seen His Majesty smile like that before.”
Though he wasn’t one to actively engage at banquets, today,the emperor was even more withdrawn. Sitting on the elevated chair, he turned not a single glance elsewhere, half-rising from his seat to focus entirely on his companion.
His eyes sparkled, and the smile that never left his face was blinding. To think that the emperor, who usually wore a cold smile, could smile like sunlight.
“Love is truly remarkable,” someone sighed, covering their face with a fan and muttering. Many had entered into political marriages and had never known the kind of public display of affection they were witnessing now, making the emperor’s smile all the more dazzling.
The man, who seemed completely unaffected by the gazes of others, caused even the women with lovers or those who had no bad relationship with their husbands to truly envy his companion.
“But, well…”
Someone, fanning themselves, spoke up.
“Love isn’t eternal, after all.”
A quiet laugh escaped from the women, and knowing glances were exchanged between them.
“That’s true.”
The words were echoed by another, and someone who had been listening closely nodded in quiet agreement. They all had a quiet hope that such affection might someday pass through them as well. After all, even if they were blinded by love now, with time, the fire would die down, and something else would inevitably come to light. They silently agreed to wait for that moment to come.
“By the way, Lord Dandelion, the emperor’s companion, has changed quite a bit, hasn’t he?” Once looking like a scrawny donkey, he now carried a different kind of beauty. It was that delicate balance between adulthood and youth.
His youthful face and the way his eyes slightly tilted upward fit perfectly together, and his soft, smooth cheeks enhanced his attractiveness. His height also scored points among the women. Though he appeared small and delicate beside the emperor, that was because the emperor was so tall. They’d heard men from the Eastern continent were short, but that wasn’t the case for him.
“They say he is quite remarkable, don’t they?”
“With Marquis Yoncen Pablo saying that, it must not just be a rumor.”
“They said he was amazing in the last battle too. I even heard witnesses talking about it near the marketplace.”
Some whispered about having heard the rumors in the marketplace.
“I don’t like it when they’re too rugged.”
Just as some preferred a more manly charm, others liked delicate, pretty boys as their partners. The women split into groups, chatting with subtle smiles.
They weren’t necessarily trying to trip anyone up, but enjoyed the small gossip. However, when some of them glanced at their husbands or fiancés, deep sighs escaped them. How unlucky it was to be with a man who only knew how to flaunt.
The women’s hands became busy again, and the sound of fans fluttering could be heard as they tried to cool their growing discomfort.
But not everyone was envious. Among the men, some voiced doubts about Jaha’s legitimacy.
However, their opinions were quickly dismissed when the knights pointed out that the name on the emperor’s left chest was written in Eastern Continent characters.
Marquis Yoncen Pablo, too, did not stand idly by.
“How dare you question the temple’s confirmation and His Majesty’s sincerity?”
Even in his 50s, the commander of the Black Knights still stood strong, showing no signs of slowing down. Among the nobles, few could match his strength. Though he wasn’t yet a sword master, the Marquis had fought alongside three emperors, battling monstrous creatures in the front lines.
Under the pressure of his presence, the nobles were quickly silenced. They gathered around the knights, eager to hear the emperor’s heroic deeds in the recent campaign.
The story, which is both fun and fascinating, is something that remains enjoyable no matter how many times it’s heard. To the listeners, most of the stories seemed somewhat exaggerated, but they were more than enough to entertain.
However, the idea of people flying was one thing, but now swords were said to fly too. Some dismissed it as an absurd, unbelievable tale and turned away, unaware that the day they would see it for themselves was drawing near.
By the time the banquet reached its peak, Jaha, seated and sipping a little wine, felt the heat rising in his body and fanned himself with a hand fan. Marsilia subtly pushed Jaha’s hair aside noticed the sweat beginning to form and quietly whispered, “Shall we go for a walk?”
“Yeah. It’s too hot in here.”
The banquet hall grew progressively warmer, perhaps because of the large crowd. Despite the high ceiling and open windows allowing good ventilation, the increasing number of people made the air stuffy and uncomfortable.
Jaha, together with Marsilia, headed through the terrace to the garden at the back. As they breathed in the cool breeze, Jaha felt his breath clear up.
“Ah, this feels nice.”
When Jaha sighed and lifted his head, Marsilia chuckled softly.
“Weren’t you hot?”
Jaha felt suffocated in his ceremonial outfit, which was both tight and hot.
Wearing a shirt and vest, with the jacket’s buttons fastened all the way up to his neck, breathing had become difficult.
As Jaha continued to fan himself, Marsilia turned to him.
“I’ll loosen a button for you. If you’re too hot, you can take it off for a while.”
Marsilia unbuttoned the ceremonial outfit one by one, and Jaha, watching his hands go lower, let out a small chuckle.
“To think I’m being served like this by the emperor.”
Marsilia burst into a peculiar laugh as he undid the last button and gently cupped Jaha’s cheek.
“If you want, I can serve you in other ways too.”
He briefly kissed Jaha’s cheek and lips. Jaha waited for him to pull away before asking,
“What kind of service?”
Marsilia, who had already loosened the lace around Jaha’s neck, reached out again. After a brief pause, he looked slightly thoughtful before continuing the conversation.
“Hmm… I could wash your feet, clean your body, strip off all your clothes, or something like that?”
“Somehow, I don’t like that.”
At Jaha’s joke, Marsilia scrunched up his nose and looked away.
“You don’t like it?”
“Yeah. I don’t think you’d just serve me quietly.”
“I’ve served you, so I should get something in return. Isn’t it only natural to be paid for my hard work?”
“I said I wouldn’t accept anything.”
Marsilia sighed as if disappointed. He raised an eyebrow and muttered softly.
“Just take it, will you?”
“I don’t want to.”
At Jaha’s firm response, Marsilia silently turned away. As they walked for some time, they came upon a large fountain. The sound of the trickling water and the refreshing breeze were quite pleasant.
“It’s autumn now.”
Jaha looked around the garden and asked Marsilia,
“Does it snow here in winter?”
“Yeah. Since the capital is near the north, it snows quite a bit. Was the place where you lived like that too?”
“It didn’t snow much where I lived; it wasn’t that cold. But the mountain where I trained with my master had a lot of snow. I first realized snow could pile up to a person’s waist when I was 12.”
Marsilia laughed.
“It doesn’t snow that much here.”
“Yeah. That’s a relief.”
Marsilia’s expression turned a bit more serious as he whispered cautiously, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“There’s something I couldn’t tell you.”
Jaha looked at him silently, then responded. He knew Marsilia wasn’t referring to the banquet. It was likely about the condition he had been in after meeting the goddess.
“I know.”
Marsilia pulled Jaha’s hand, kissed it, and sighed quietly.
“It’s not that I’m trying to hide or deceive you. It’s just that it’s difficult to say.”
“I know that too.”
Jaha intertwined his fingers with Marsilia’s, whispering,
“I can wait for that. What makes me upset is that you don’t discuss the things you need to do with me.”
Marsilia slowly nodded.
“I see.”
After realizing something, the man continued walking, gently leading Jaha along. Their hands, intertwined, swayed with every step.
Marsilia had spent quite a while contemplating, and because of that, the two of them walked around the garden for a long time. They spent time casually chatting about small things, enjoying the evening.
As the night deepened, the gazes and smiles they exchanged grew more profound, and they both felt it unmistakably.
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