IYAMD 180

“His Majesty is resting? Today? Why? Why today of all days….”

Jaha couldn’t find the words as he looked at the emperor’s aide, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

It wasn’t exactly surprising that Marsilia was busy. He always was.

Besides Serez was one of those people who was desperate to get Marsilia to do his work.

But he didn’t seem to have ever acted this emotionally before.

He wasn’t without his grumbling moments. Perhaps because the emperor always indulged him, Serez often complained.

However, this was the first time he’d looked like he was about to cry, which was a bit disconcerting.

As Jaha blinked, Serez rubbed his face vigorously. He buried his face in both palms before pulling them away. He spoke without caring that his face had turned red.

“Are you aware that a delegation is coming from Helga?”

“Yes.”

That was the reason Jaha had hurried back alone. Due to the sudden announcement of visitors, Jaha had to return earlier than usual. He had ordered the Red Knights, who had gone out on the expedition with him, to finish off the remaining monsters.

“We still have time.”

Even though they used portals to travel within the empire, crossing the border from Helga into the empire was no easy task.

It varied by region, but from Hibrein, where Helga’s sultan resided, to the empire’s border, one had to allow at least half a month. And that was assuming the journey went smoothly and they could focus solely on travel.

On days when they encountered monster herds or sandstorms, the distance was such that even a month might not be enough. Moreover, since it was an envoy’s party, the size of the group would likely be big. It wouldn’t be easy to save time by riding all day long.

This was because travel was difficult in Helga’s vast desert to begin with.

During the day, the sun scorched the skin, and the heat was intense; at night, it was so cold that one’s breath would freeze. The sand was also a problem.

It was difficult to ride horses or camels quickly across the sand. That’s why merchants traveling to and from Helga tended to move at a leisurely pace. This was because accidents, where horses or people got stuck in the sand, often occurred when they rushed unnecessarily.

Since horses capable of running on sand were rare and expensive, it was actually more profitable for merchants to invest more time in their journey.

Moreover, there were no set paths in the Helga Desert. They simply navigated by the sun during the day and the stars at night.

It was pointless to try to carve out a path in a place where sand dunes formed and vanished repeatedly, even several times a day.

So, given all these circumstances, he naturally assumed they wouldn’t arrive until next month.

Serez glanced briefly at Jaha, then flipped through the documents again and replied.

“It depends on the size of the visit our sitedelegation, but… they’ll probably arrive within ten days. And that’s the absolute maximum.”

“They’re coming that fast?”

“Yes. The delegation is being sent from Ziras.”

“Ziras?”

It was a free-trade city not far from the empire’s border. A city built on the last remaining grasslands at the entrance to Helga, just before the desert began.

It was a place so bustling with merchants that one could say the trade routes of Helga began there. Jaha had stopped by there before crossing into the empire, so he had a vague memory of it.

Serez scribbled something on the document he was looking at and set it aside on top of one of the piles of papers on his desk. Judging by the fact that he didn’t sign it, it appeared to be a rejected document.

“The mayor of Ziras is coming in person. His Majesty must know there’s so much to prepare.”

Jaha nodded nonchalantly at Serez, who was unfolding a new document.

“Yes. That’s why I’m here.”

When he suggested they spend the day together as soon as he opened his eyes that morning, Marsilia had looked flustered.

Judging by the sly smile that crossed his face, he probably wasn’t genuinely embarrassed. He was just pretending because, in situations like this, he hoped Jaha would take his side.

No matter how arrogant Serez might be, if the emperor was serious, there was no way he could win.

Even so, Marsilia often acted spoiled around Jaha. Rather than finding it annoying, Jaha actually found it endearing.

It was sometimes pitiful to think of a man who had lost his parents at a young age and, because of his position, couldn’t afford to act spoiled.

That aspect of him also stirred Jaha’s protective instincts. In that respect too, the two made a good match. One acted childish, and the other happily indulged him.

That was why Jaha sometimes thought the goddess had wanted to provide Marsilia with a partner who truly suited him. Though it was a thought he couldn’t share with Marsilia, for whom the goddess’s actions still remained a wound.

Perhaps the goddess had considered even such trivial details in order to find the perfect partner for her son.

A smile appeared on his face as he pictured the man having breakfast with the twins. Eager to return to his side as soon as possible, Jaha spoke firmly.

“It’s not like the emperor personally handles the preparations. So let him rest today. I heard he’s been giving up his summer vacations and going on campaigns ever since his coronation… Isn’t one day off better than taking an actual vacation?”

Serez raised his face, his expression indignant. He protested to Jaha.

“Why are you bringing up the past now? And it’s not just His Majesty who couldn’t take a vacation. Thanks to him, I couldn’t go either!”

“We haven’t had a break this year either. Didn’t the previous emperors go on vacation to the summer palace every summer? That’s why I’m asking you to let him rest for just one day. Is that so hard?”

Serez’s sigh echoed across the desk, but Jaha didn’t let his smug expression falter; instead, he crossed his arms. As he looked down at him with his legs crossed in the same defiant posture Marsilia often adopted, Serez’s voice softened.

“You must have preparations of your unauthorized copy own to make right now, Lord Jaha… I’m telling you, the arrival of a state guest isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

To be honest, he wasn’t entirely without the thought, “Who cares?” But he knew he couldn’t let it show. So Jaha gave the best answer he could muster.

“Gerald will handle it. That’s why we’re giving him all those advantages.”

Ever since Gerald became the empress’s aide, the Sonnet Guild had been thriving day by day.

The Sonnet Guild held the exclusive rights to supply goods to the empress’s palace and conduct trade with the Dandelion Territory, and the byproducts Jaha brought in were also being sold through Gerald.

More importantly, Jaha was extremely inept at desk work. At first, they thought it was due to language and writing difficulties, but it turned out he simply wasn’t cut out for paperwork to begin with.

Perhaps it was because he had devoted all his energy to training in martial arts since childhood. Or maybe he was just not very bright.

So, he increased Gerald’s salary and benefits and handed over most of the work to him. If you consider that utilizing talent in the right places is a skill, it wasn’t a bad decision.

After all, there were plenty of people out there who failed to make use of capable individuals. Compared to them, Jaha didn’t act out of some stubborn pride typical of superiors, and he had the magnanimity to listen to his subordinates.

Of course, he was aware of the concerns held by the ministers and Marsilia. When it came to important matters, Gerald naturally submitted reports, and he also scrutinized them thoroughly in his own way. Though it probably wasn’t much help.

Moreover, the imperial office conducted an audit of the empress’s palace every quarter. Apparently, this was unusual compared to audits of other departments, which were conducted on an annual basis.

This was only possible because Gerald had agreed to it. Jaha had told Gerald that he wouldn’t worry about embezzlement that didn’t get caught in the audit, but he had simply smiled and replied that he shouldn’t do that.

However, that was what Jaha had learned from his late father: [Read on]if you want to use people properly, you must promise them sufficient money. No matter how generously you provide for them, it might still feel insufficient from the recipient’s perspective.

After all, if you tighten the noose too much, people are bound to start thinking about other things.

Serez wore a pained expression. He deeply sympathized with Gerald’s situation. Jaha didn’t bother to pay attention to that look. He had no obligation to care, so he simply stated his case.

“Anyway, we’re taking the day off today. Me and Marsilia. Consider it settled. ”

With the sound of Serez inhaling as the last thing he heard, Jaha stepped onto the windowsill and jumped onto the roof.

“Ah, I told you to use the door!”

A complaint echoed from behind him, but Jaha was faster. Even Serez’s voice couldn’t keep up with him.

***

“I’m back.”

As he stepped onto the living room balcony, for some reason, the children were nowhere to be seen. Marsilia was drinking tea without a servant in sight.

“Where are the kids?”

As he approached the table where his meal had been set, Marsilia poured him a cup of warm tea and replied.

“They ran off to get ready for a picnic.”

“Without even eating breakfast?”

“They were so excited, they looked like they were going to knock the table over.”

Jaha raised his teacup and furrowed his brow.

“Still, you should have made them eat.”

“We can feed them when we get there. They’ll be taking plenty of snacks with them.”

Snacks and meals are two completely different things. When he noticed Jaha’s displeased expression, the man approached with a sunny smile and kissed his cheek.

“I told them to prepare enough so they can eat properly, so don’t look so upset. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and seeing you frown first thing in the morning makes my heart ache.”

The man interlaced his fingers with Jaha’s and kissed the back of his hand. That was the problem. Even when he wanted to be a little strict, his heart would melt the moment he met those green eyes.

He did this even though he knew Marsilia was deliberately acting all cute. Even though his scheme to keep him from getting angry was obvious, the moment their eyes met, Jaha would just let it slide and pretend he hadn’t been tricked.

It was because he was cute, big and bear-like on the outside, yet sly as a fox on the inside.

Jaha gently bit the tip of Marsilia’s finger and whispered.

“I really do like you. ​Read on​Judging by how these little tricks are starting to look cuter and cuter to me.”

Pfft. Marsilia’s face, lit up with laughter, drew closer again. A soft breath brushed over his forehead, brow bone, and down to his lips.

“That’s a relief. I thought I’d never get used to it, but I’ve gotten used to it faster than I expected. Keep finding me cute like this for the rest of your life.”

At first, this tone of voice had sounded nothing but irritating, but Jaha had definitely grown accustomed to it. So much so that he no longer found it irritating at all.

Jaha turned his head toward the man’s lips, which were trailing down his cheek, and replied.

“I will.”

His laughter filled his mouth. It melted slowly and gently seeped deep into his heart.

Jaha kissed Marsilia and pulled his head closer. He sucked on his tongue and bit his lips until he was breathless.

To make up for what they hadn’t been able to do last night, the two of them remained locked together for quite a long time.