IYAMD 148
When Jaha entered the banquet hall, he realized that the number of knights had hardly decreased. He only glanced around, but it seemed that nearly all of them had gathered.
Since they had been openly told to leave, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they had. And yet, many remained. He couldn’t trust them all completely. However, that didn’t mean he was any less grateful.
Jaha offered them a faint smile before heading to his seat.
At the head of the hall, a large table was placed horizontally, where his companions, representatives, and the leaders of the knight order were seated.
Jaha and Marsilia’s seats were at the center of the table. As he made his way there, he felt nearly five hundred pairs of eyes following his every step.
Just as he was about to sit down, Marsilia let out a small cough. Jaha hesitated awkwardly, and one of the representatives spoke up discreetly.
“Please say a few words. It is our first gathering, after all.”
Right on cue, the butler filled Jaha and Marsilia’s glasses with wine.
Marsilia had already hinted at this beforehand, and Jaha had observed enough to expect it. Even so, it was still difficult and unfamiliar to him. Ignoring the slight heat rising in his face, he steadied his voice.
He raised his glass toward the crowd that filled about half the banquet hall.
“In the Eastern Continent, there’s a word called ‘shikgu.’ It means people who live together and share meals—a bond as close as family. After today’s meal, all of us here will become one ‘shikgu.’ I hope we will help, understand, and cherish each other for a long time to come.”
It was a lesson he’d learned from his father since childhood. His father had run the escort guild that way, and everyone in it had lived like a family.
His chest swelled with emotion. His eyes burned slightly. Though true bonds had yet to form, it felt like he had regained something he had lost.
Jaha let out a deep breath, then smiled shyly and raised his glass.
“Thank you for becoming my ‘shikgu.’”
With a quiet smile, he clinked his glass against Marsilia’s. As he exchanged toasts with those seated nearby, he caught sight of the knights lifting their glasses in perfect unison.
Usually, in such moments, someone would lead a chant before drinking, but today, the hall was silent. The knights simply emptied their glasses, each wearing a soft expression.
Some looked sorrowful, as if remembering what they had lost. Others let out small sighs.
Were they those who had lost their families in the rebellion? Jaha finished his drink and looked at them, silently hoping that this place could also become somewhere they could regain what they had lost.
He wanted to make that happen.
As the banquet progressed, Jaha was kept busy answering questions from the representatives. Whenever he found a brief moment to glance at Marsilia, he noticed the man watching him with an enigmatic smile.
“Aren’t you bored?”
Worried that Marsilia might be too quiet, he asked, but the man simply shook his head slowly.
“I’m enjoying myself.”
“Enjoying what?”
“Watching you be so lively.”
Marsilia lightly brushed Jaha’s cheek before continuing.
“I like seeing you take the affairs of the territory seriously. Even when struggling with things you don’t fully understand. As I watch you, I can’t help but admire the partner I’ve chosen.”
Jaha met his gaze before replying.
“I’m dealing with monsters and paying attention to the territory’s matters… because I want you to be happy.”
Marsilia’s softly curved eyes widened.
“The empire must be at peace for you to be happy, after all.”
The green of his irises gleamed under the chandelier light. He stared at Jaha, then smiled with an expression that looked almost on the verge of tears.
“I can’t win against you.”
“What?”
Murmuring quietly, Marsilia tilted his head and whispered into Jaha’s ear.
“You won’t even let me pout about being left alone.”
A warm breath tickled his earlobe as lips barely brushed against it. Jaha covered his ear and rubbed it, making Marsilia chuckle softly as he leaned back.
“The most pressing issue right now is recruiting knights and soldiers. If we want them properly trained by next autumn, we need to start recruitment immediately…”
The conversation from beside him forced Jaha to turn his attention away. Though the side of his face still felt warm under Marsilia’s gaze, he answered calmly.
“Start recruiting right away. As for the knights, they won’t be easy to find. If necessary, either I or the Crimson Knights will provide support for the time being.”
The Crimson Knights’ assistance had already been arranged with Marsilia and General Des. Due to the recent rebellion, many noble houses had lost a significant portion of their knight orders. As a result, the imperial knight order was going to be much busier for the foreseeable future.
That was also why Jaha and Marsilia were hurrying to establish the academy. They couldn’t train knights in a short period, but that was precisely why they needed to move faster.
“For the time being, aside from the taxes we owe the imperial family, most of our funds will be used within the territory. Recruiting more knights is one issue, but we also need to provide equipment and improve the living conditions of the remaining knights. So if there’s anything necessary, talk to the finance officer and make sure to secure enough budget.”
As soon as Jaha finished speaking, Odette’s lips curled into a warm smile. He clumsily cupped his hands in a salute before bowing his head in respect.
“Thank you, Lord Jaha.”
The title of “Your Majesty” felt too ticklish in his ears, so he had told them to simply call him by name. Odette, being used to such familiarity, was the only one who called him properly. The other representatives were still cautiously observing the situation, seemingly needing more time to adjust. Jaha thought that, indeed, martial officials tended to be more straightforward about such matters than civil ones.
The banquet ended in less than three hours, and everyone dispersed early.
“You go ahead to the bedroom first. I’ll join you soon.”
Jaha wanted to take care of as many matters as possible today, so he asked Marsilia for understanding, mentioning that he had something to discuss with the servants.
“Don’t be too late.”
“I won’t. I’ll be there soon.”
Jaha gathered the staff responsible for cleaning up the banquet hall. If he waited for the servants’ own feast to begin, Marsilia might have to wait too long.
Once everyone had assembled, Jaha gave a few instructions to the head butler and the head maid. During his afternoon tour of the castle, he had taken note of those who were working diligently or seemed to have an excessive workload.
“Double the salary of the stable hands who take care of the knights’ horses. I saw just the two of them managing all those horses. Why haven’t they increased the staff?”
Even though most of the horses raised by the grand duke had been taken by the imperial family, around 200 horses used by the knights remained.
It was significantly fewer than before, but still far too many for just two people to manage.
While each knight had their own squire, it didn’t seem like the squires were taking meticulous care of the horses themselves.
“Increase the wages of the kitchen servants in the knights’ quarters as well. Also, transfer about half of the main building’s kitchen staff there. The main building will be almost empty for a while anyway.”
Jaha chose to announce these decisions in front of the assembled staff because he wasn’t yet sure of the reliability of the head butler and the head maid. If he left it solely in their hands, there was no guarantee the orders wouldn’t quietly disappear without a trace.
Thus, Jaha raised the salaries of all those who were working hard in front of everyone. Once the discussion was over, he addressed the gathered servants.
“For now, we won’t be hiring any additional staff. That means all of you here will need to help each other out. In return, if the workload increases, so will your wages. As I said earlier, you are all my ‘family’ too. I’ll do my best to treat you well. I’m counting on you.”
Considering the size of the castle, they probably needed at least 200 servants, but the current number wasn’t even 100. Even if he doubled their wages, it would still cost less than when they had 200 staff members.
That was why Jaha was considering doubling everyone’s salary. However, there was no reason to give the same raise to those who worked a lot and those who did little.
Since the head butler and head maid were also newcomers, he planned to observe them a little longer before gradually increasing their pay.
When Jaha finished speaking, the servants’ eyes sparkled. Those who had received raises looked deeply moved, while the others had mixed expressions—some with a hint of envy.
If even those envious ones developed a sense of ambition, they might be able to manage just fine without hiring more staff.
After all, there wouldn’t be any banquets or noble guests visiting, so as long as they managed the place well among themselves, it would be sufficient.
Having finished his speech, Jaha turned away from the servants’ gazes and hurried toward the bedroom.
He dashed up the spiral staircase, nearly flying, and arrived on the third floor. When he threw open the bedroom door, the man sprawled in front of the fireplace lifted his head.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah.”
“Then come here, Jaha.”
As Jaha approached the man, who was slouched deep into a red single-seater sofa, he felt himself being pulled by the waist.
Jaha ended up sitting sideways on Marsilia’s lap, looking down at the languidly sprawled man.
“Did you wait long?”
“Yeah.”
Marsilia nodded without hesitation. Had he drunk too much at the banquet? He looked more relaxed than usual, smiling foolishly with his eyes half-closed.
Seeing his chin slowly tilt upward as if asking for a kiss, Jaha cradled his face and chuckled softly.
“Sorry for making you feel lonely, Mar.”
Chuu. A brief kiss landed on his lips, and Marsilia let out a drowsy sigh.
“You made me lonely, so now you have to comfort me, Jaha.”
One of Jaha’s eyebrows arched slightly before settling back down. He chuckled at the spoiled and endearing demand, then leaned in closer.
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