IYAMD 152

IYAMD 152

Two days after Marsilia left, a messenger hawk flew into the palace.

While studying literature in his chambers, Jaha perked up at the faint sound coming from the window. Outside, on the railing beyond the glass, sat a sleek, glossy-feathered hawk staring directly at him.

It almost felt like he could hear a voice urging him to open the window. As Jaha dashed toward it, Malek belatedly rushed after him, but Jaha was a step ahead and had already unlatched the window.

With a flap of its wings, the hawk flew inside, circled low around Jaha, and then settled back on the railing. Jaha spotted the small message tube tied to its leg and grinned so widely his face could have touched the ground.

“You brought me a letter?”

His voice was soft as he spoke to the bird, even though he knew it couldn’t understand him. It sounded almost embarrassingly sweet to his own ears.

Opening the message tube, he found a note wrapped around a slightly dried green barley sprout.

「This is the young barley you mentioned a few times.」

Jaha carefully ran his fingers over the slightly uneven Eastern Continent script.

He could almost picture Marsilia stopping his horse mid-ride to write this note for him. As the spring breeze, now much warmer, swept through, the young barley sprout lifted into the air.

It was as if he could hear the rustling melody of green barley fields swaying in the wind.

Resting his hands on the railing, Jaha closed his eyes, letting the gentle breeze brush against him. His hair, left untied, fluttered in the wind, strands rising slightly with the movement.

It felt as though the wind itself carried the scent of Marsilia, tracing over him like a familiar touch. If he closed his eyes, he could almost feel his hand.

Only now did Jaha truly understand how Marsilia must have felt when he had left him alone in the palace that bright autumn day.

Had Marsilia longed for him this much? Had he, too, seen Jaha’s image so vividly every time he closed his eyes?

For a while, Jaha stood there with his eyes shut, embracing the wind. The growing ache of longing made him want to take off and fly straight to Marsilia.

Before he knew it, he was leaping toward the palace rooftop.

“Your Majesty!”

Malek’s alarmed voice rang out, almost desperate, but Jaha had no time to respond.

With a single bound, he soared to the highest spire of the palace and gazed out over the distant plains, searching for Marsilia’s figure.

Of course, he wouldn’t be able to see him. And yet, between the endless fields of newly sprouted greenery, it felt as though Marsilia’s presence lingered there.

…

For the next month, Marsilia frequently left the palace. He would stay for three or four days before departing again with his knights to subjugate monsters.

Jaha no longer insisted on following him. He understood now.

And because he still cherished and loved him just as much upon his return, even the time spent apart felt precious.

During that time, Jaha’s condition entered a stable phase. Then, one day, the court physician delivered an unexpected piece of news with a warm smile.

“There are two heartbeats, Your Majesty.”

Jaha blinked. “Well, of course.”

Wasn’t it normal to hear both his and the child’s heartbeats?

The physician chuckled so hard that his eyes disappeared behind his smile.

“No, I mean there are two heartbeats coming from your womb. You are carrying twins. This is a great blessing for the Empire.”

Jaha stared at him, stunned, before furrowing his brows.

“If there are two children, then… how does succession work?”

Was he being too calculating to think of such matters already? But after all that Marsilia had endured because of the Archduke, how could he not worry?

Watching him quietly, Malek stepped closer and murmured, “If Your Majesty worries too much already, the little ones might get startled. Please, take it easy and focus on the birth for now.”

That was true, but… why twins?

Jaha suddenly recalled the single peach that Jaryeon had given him and found it puzzling. Then, another thought struck him—the divine gift that had been given to Marsilia.

Did the goddess grant one blessing to each of them?

Too overwhelmed to even process joy, Jaha turned to Malek with a bewildered expression.

“You can simply be happy about this, Your Majesty,” Malek said unauthorized copy with a knowing smile. “The future is still far ahead.”

Jaha hesitated but then turned toward the window.

Would Marsilia be happy when he found out?

The thought that he might be made Jaha realize something—he was happy about the twins, too.

His heart was too tangled to settle just yet.

A few days later, as soon as Marsilia returned from his latest campaign, Jaha told him immediately.

“They’re twins.”

“…What?”

Marsilia looked utterly baffled, his emerald eyes widening as his mouth fell open.

“Our child,” Jaha said, gazing up at him. “There are two.”

Marsilia’s eyes grew impossibly [stolen content]round. His lips, still parted in shock, trembled slightly as he muttered a short prayer.

“Oh, goddess who watches over all things…”

Then, as if suddenly snapping into action, he scooped Jaha up in his arms.

“You shouldn’t be out here, Jaha. It’s still too cold.” He barked rapid instructions. “Malek! Light the fireplace in the bedroom! Prepare warm blankets! And… and what else do we need?”

Halfway through hurrying back inside, Marsilia abruptly halted and turned to stare at Jaha.

Jaha met his dazed gaze and asked, “What?”

“Happy?”

“Of course. Can’t you hear it? My heart is beating like it’s about to burst.”

When he pressed his ear against Marsilia’s chest, he finally realized that the man’s heart was beating faster and stronger than usual. Jaha burst into laughter at the growing sound and wrapped his arms around Marsilia’s shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Of course I’m happy. Our family, which we thought was three, has suddenly become four.”

Marsilia stood still, holding Jaha tightly, pressing their foreheads together as he let out a sigh.

“I’m so happy that I don’t even know what to do. We need to name them immediately, don’t we? Two names for sons, two names for daughters. We’ll need four in total.”

“Why are you in such a rush?”

When Jaha laughed out loud, Marsilia finally started walking again, responding as he moved.

“I’m just excited. I wish the children could be born tomorrow.”

As he practically ran up the stairs, he called out to Ashton, who was following behind.

“Ashton, tell Serez that this year’s Spring Festival needs to be even grander. Have him start preparations immediately.”

“The Spring Festival?”

“Every May, we hold the Goddess Festival. But we’ll have to move it up a little this time.”

“Isn’t that moving it up too much?”

It was barely the end of March.

“Once preparations start, a month will fly by.”

Seeing the man unable to hide his excitement, Jaha couldn’t suppress his laughter. He suddenly recalled himself when he received his first sword from his father.

It was before he left home with his master, and he was supposed to get a good night’s sleep, but he had been so thrilled that he couldn’t sleep, keeping the sword by his bedside.

Jaha had been twelve years old at the time, and now, this twenty-six-year-old man was acting just as childishly.

It should have been ridiculous, yet all Jaha could think was how adorable he was.

Oblivious to Jaha’s thoughts, Marsilia had already started talking about building a new palace for the twins.

“Take it easy. You’re acting like a fool.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re being ridiculous.”

As they reached the top of the stairs, Marsilia responded nonchalantly with a laugh.

“You call me a fool all the time. This is nothing new.”

“That’s true.”

The attendant standing by the door hurriedly opened it upon spotting the emperor. Marsilia stepped inside with a graceful twirl, sweeping Jaha along as if they were dancing.

Jaha burst into laughter, caught in the arms of the man who moved as if he were waltzing. Marsilia, too, beamed with joy, his eyes sparkling.

Their gazes remained locked as they danced across the grand chamber. Marsilia hummed a melody as he swayed, completely lost in the moment.

“You’re truly adorable.”

The man’s radiant smile was utterly endearing. Jaha couldn’t get enough of the way Marsilia showed such boyish excitement, a side he revealed only to him.

The news that the empress was carrying twins spread across the empire. Everywhere Jaha went in the palace, people offered their congratulations. Meanwhile, rumors circulated that every night in the main palace, the emperor’s chief aide could be heard wailing in despair.

“Didn’t you go overboard with the festival preparations?”

Jaha asked Marsilia when he came for lunch. The man merely shrugged, looking entirely unbothered.

“It’s fine. I promised Serez a bonus.”

“A bonus?”

“Yes, the honor of being the child’s godfather.”

Jaha, unfamiliar with the concept of a godparent, simply nodded. Marsilia, noticing his confusion, kindly explained.

“It’s the person who will act as the child’s closest guardian after the parents.”

“Why did you decide that on your own?”

That seemed like an incredibly important decision for their children.

Marsilia looked momentarily surprised by Jaha’s reaction but quickly composed himself.

“There are two, so you can choose one as well.”

Jaha narrowed his eyes at Marsilia’s shamelessness before shaking his head.

“I don’t know anyone well enough, so I’ll pass.”

“What do you mean? There’s Ashton, Marquis Pablo, and even Darren or Sasha. Noble families typically prefer high-ranking godparents, but in the imperial family, we choose based on who would be the best influence on the children.”

His words brought an unexpected dilemma. Jaha fell into deep thought before hesitantly asking.

“Should we decide before knowing what they like?”

If the child liked swords, then Darren or Marquis Pablo would be good choices. But what if they had no interest in martial arts?

Marsilia, clearly unconcerned about Jaha’s deliberations, simply watched him with an amused smile—one that was infuriatingly smug.