IYAMD 133
Jaha was galloping toward the orc settlement located in the western mountain range of the Doton territory. Having camped out for over a month, the party looked utterly disheveled, but their expressions remained full of confidence.
The priests, unaccustomed to long expeditions, occasionally wore expressions as if they were about to faint, muttering prayers. However, since there weren’t many occasions requiring the use of divine power, they managed to endure.
After a long ride, Jaha arrived at the mountain range and joined up with Baron Odette Hill’s troops, who had been waiting. The man, whom Zaha hadn’t seen in a long time, looked noticeably relieved, as if he had shed a heavy burden.
“It’s been a while, Sir Jaha.”
“Yeah, you look well.”
Odette Hill brushed his thick beard with an awkward smile.
“Do I? Perhaps because I feel at ease.”
“Because the Archduke isn’t around?”
At Jaha’s direct question, Odette’s eyes darkened slightly.
“It’s complicated, but no knight regrets choosing his lord. Dedicating our lives to our lord’s will is our pride.”
He sighed, gazing wistfully toward the mountain ridge.
“I still don’t regret serving the Archduke. However, I can’t deny that if he had succeeded in his rebellion, living in Arhen would have become unbearable.”
“That is complicated. As an imperial citizen, it’s natural to swear loyalty to the emperor, but I don’t understand why a knight’s lord would be someone other than the emperor.”
Odette didn’t answer his remark, simply lowering his head with a complicated expression. Since Jaha had no intention of condemning him, he pushed aside his own doubts.
He would ask Marsilia when he returned to the palace.
“Different cultures can be difficult to grasp. Even with an explanation, there are too many things I still don’t understand.”
Jaha muttered in frustration, prompting Odette to finally chuckle softly.
After a long journey, the group decided to rest early that day and set out for the mountains the next morning. Since Odette had warned that the terrain was rough, some of the priests and knights remained behind to guard the campsite.
Odette’s unit had sustained relatively few casualties, so about 150 knights climbed the mountain. Spreading out widely to search, they finally discovered the orcs’ cave the next afternoon.
The cave entrance was quite wide, but the interior was as complex as an ant nest. Odette divided the troops into smaller units and ordered them to infiltrate. Jaha also joined one of the groups heading inside.
The orc cave was far larger than the goblin lairs Jaha had previously raided. Each passage led to large open spaces, and from those spaces, multiple paths branched off in different directions.
As a result, some groups unexpectedly ran into each other after splitting up, while others reunited at intersections after taking separate routes.
“How long have we been in here?”
Battling and navigating underground had dulled Jaha’s sense of time. If he had known this would take so long, he would have at least stopped by the palace to see Marsilia’s face.
“About ten days.”
The number of orcs Jaha alone had slain easily exceeded several hundred, yet their forces showed no sign of diminishing. Their reproduction rate was supposedly even greater than goblins’.
Initially, the orcs had rushed at the intruders, but as time passed, they retreated deeper into the caves, prolonging the battle further.
Following a knight holding a torch, Jaha let out a heavy sigh.
…
Meanwhile, in the capital, the Harvest Festival had begun. Held for about a week in mid-October, it was one of the empire’s two biggest annual events, alongside the Spring Goddess Festival.
Every night, grand balls were held in the palace, while the streets of the capital bustled with people from all over the empire.
As tax collection also took place during this season, the imperial family released a large budget to provide abundant food and entertainment.
Since this was the time when the capital was most crowded, both the palace and the city guards were heavily focused on maintaining public order.
Marsilia, however, was disinterested in attending the balls without Jaha. The sight of noblewomen twirling in dazzling dresses failed to capture his attention, and the lively conversations and music barely registered in his ears.
As the emperor idly sipped wine, Serez stood by with a sullen expression, grumbling.
“Tonight is the last ball of the Harvest Festival. Shouldn’t Your Majesty at least get up? Why not invite a lady to dance? With you sitting here like this, the nobles are so on edge that their anxious glances are louder than the music.”
Marsilia lazily waved a hand at him.
“Stop nagging and go enjoy yourself. Can’t you find a lady to dance with? Is that why you’re sulking here?”
At Marsilia’s question, Serez straightened up and shook his head indignantly.
“How could you say such a thing? I knew Your Majesty would be sitting here alone, so I had to turn down numerous invitations with tears in my eyes.”
“What nonsense.”
“I swear it’s the truth!”
Just as Serez was muttering indignantly, the ballroom doors burst open with a loud noise, drawing all eyes toward them. Since all the guests had already entered, the nobles turned their attention to see if something had happened.
As murmurs spread through the hall, the chamberlain’s voice rang out.
“Sir Sable Dandelion has arrived.”
Marsilia, caught completely off guard, sprang to his feet.
Standing at the top of the grand staircase was a man covered in dust and grime.
The white uniform he had left in was now so stained it was unrecognizable, and his black hair was so coated in dirt that it appeared gray.
As Jaha stepped inside, his gaze locked onto Marsilia on the dais, and he broke into a wide grin.
Marsilia barely managed to plaster a crumpled smile on his face as he hesitantly descended the stairs.
The moment he opened his arms, Jaha kicked off the ornate marble railing and leapt forward. His billowing cape filled Marsilia’s vision as Jaha’s golden eyes drew ever closer.
Marsilia staggered under the sudden impact of the man crashing into his arms.
Forced down to one knee, Marsilia felt Jaha’s tight embrace pulling him close.
Just like in a dream from long ago, Marsilia tightly embraced the man, who carried the musty scent of dust, and let out a ragged breath.
“Jaha, how…?”
His voice caught in his throat, halting his words, and Jaha, who had buried his face in Marsilia’s chest, lifted his head.
“I flew here because I missed you.”
That he had truly flown here didn’t sound like a mere joke—Marsilia knew Jaha well enough to believe he would.
Marsilia touched Jaha’s dirt-smudged face and let out a breathy laugh. A sigh, both heavy and warm, spread into a smile.
“Sorry for being late.”
Jaha’s golden eyes darted across Marsilia’s face, carefully tracing every feature. Only when he met that concerned gaze did Marsilia feel certain—this wasn’t a dream.
“Did you wait long?”
Marsilia couldn’t find his voice and simply nodded. Jaha tilted his head at the touch of Marsilia’s cold hands, his eyes narrowing as he grumbled.
“I tried to come sooner, but the orc den was too deep. We got lost several times, so it took longer…”
As Jaha hesitated, gauging Marsilia’s reaction, Marsilia cupped his face and asked quietly,
“Did you miss me too?”
“Yeah, I missed you so much. What about you? Have you been eating well? Sleeping okay?”
Marsilia chuckled at the unexpected questions. He pressed a kiss to the bridge of Jaha’s nose before nodding with effort.
“The bed was too cold without you.”
As Marsilia whispered into his ear and kissed his cheek, Jaha flinched slightly. He turned his head, pressing his lips against Marsilia’s ear, and whispered back,
“So was mine.”
A discreet cough sounded from behind them.
Then came Serez’s voice, heavy with sighs.
“Your Majesty… Forgive my intrusion, but might I suggest relocating this conversation elsewhere? I find myself drowning in secondhand embarrassment.”
His last words were muttered just quietly enough for only the two of them to hear. Jaha was the first to pull away, leaving Marsilia’s arms momentarily empty before pulling him up and scooping him into his embrace.
The ballroom, packed with nobles, erupted into murmurs and hushed exclamations.
“Do you need to stay here?”
“No.”
Before Marsilia could even finish his response, Jaha leaped through the open window.
With a burst of laughter, he soared onto the rooftops. Moving swiftly across them, he whispered to Marsilia,
“I did a lot of thinking while we were apart.”
“About what?”
Jaha didn’t answer immediately. As he landed on the balcony of Marsilia’s bedchamber, he finally spoke.
“Too many things…”
Trailing off, he set Marsilia down, a sheepish grin on his face.
“I’ll tell you the rest later, but… if I had to say just one thing.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I realized just how much I love you. And so…”
Jaha hesitated, then shrank his neck slightly, grinning playfully.
“I want to have a child.”
His golden eyes locked onto Marsilia’s wide gaze. As Marsilia stared up at him, his throat tightened, swallowing back a wave of heat.
“When I decided to become your partner, I thought I had considered everything. But, deep down, I didn’t really believe a man could bear a child. Even when the Soul Mark, it still didn’t feel real to me. Since I couldn’t fully understand that pain, seeing you suffer only made me frustrated rather than allowing me to share in your sorrow.”
Jaha lifted his chin, pressing a kiss to Marsilia’s lips before whispering,
“Being apart from you made me realize what we need the most. Let’s have a child—let’s build a family together. That way, even if we’re separated for a while because of our duties, we won’t be lonely.”
His gaze was steady, unwavering—like he had already made up his mind. And then, with that same look, he smiled.
“We can still have a child even without the Soul Mark, right? Then I’ll carry the baby. Let’s love them, cherish them, and raise them to be a good person. What do you think?”
Jaha’s golden eyes sparkled, playful and bright, even in the dim light of the balcony. He looked straight at Marsilia, waiting.
When no response came, Jaha frowned slightly.
“Do you not want to?”
Marsilia silently shook his head. He wanted to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.
So instead, he pulled Jaha into his arms and held him tight.
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