DYBAR - Chapter 65 < The Aspirations of the First King of Vikander >
Do Your Best And Regret
At his son's words, the former Grand Duke's eyes became distant for a moment.
Monarch.
A title that was his, but wasn't his from the moment he opened his eyes again. All the things that had changed and the times he could never get back that he loved dearly came to mind sequentially.
But the former Grand Duke shrugged his shoulders once. Everything was something he had to endure. He's not looking past the current era, the era of his shining son.
But the former Grand Duke shrugged his shoulders once. Everything was something he had to endure. He's not looking past the current era, the era of his shining son.
So, as a father, there was only one thing he had to say.
“That’s too much praise. You are the one who made Vikander grow stronger than me...”
But he couldn't finish what he started smoothly. He could feel his son's eyes looking at him as if waiting for his next words, but the former Grand Duke couldn't say anything other than licking his lips.
The words he said to emphasize that it was his son's era pierced his heart deeply.
The son, a great leader, raised Vikander for only ten years. During a time that must have been overwhelming for him to grow up alone, Edwin traveled from battlefield to battlefield, protecting Vikander and helping it grow.
He couldn't bear to look at his son, who must have been able to bear that massive weight on his own, so he forcefully tightened his fists.
He shouldn't have left the Emperor, that bastard who would tear him to death...!
It was a time when pain, suffering, and regret passed over his trembling face. A great warmth came over the former Grand Duke's hand.
“Don’t make that face, Dad. Of course, when I became the leader of Vikander, I was an unprepared monarch....”
An unprepared monarch. Edwin dismissed that grueling time and narrowed his eyes.
“Thanks to you, I learned a lot first-hand. With the great Vikander Gasols.”
The former Grand Duke followed his son’s gaze as he looked back. And then he faced many people standing there.
These people, whose eyes were sparkling with tension and anticipation, had a pride that no one could dare to imitate.
It was Edwin who put pride in those eyes. The Grand Duke gathered his thoughts and looked at his son. But Edwin was one step faster.
“But there is still so much to learn. The first example is what my father has shown me over the past few days.”
“Is it all about age? Or is it really that His Majesty was such a wise person?”
Because his father was always like that to him. But the father he saw from a step away was different.
From comforting Olivia to lifting up Sobel, who was sagging, to reminding Bethanny of her original place, he also memorized the names of each and every one of the vassals, knights, and servants.
His father quietly resolved the confusion amidst all these changes and then covered it up as if nothing had happened.
The former Grand Duke's red eyes sank as if he understood his implied words. Edwin shrugged his shoulders. Even though the words were prepared, he was hesitant to say them out loud, so he lightly scratched his cheek with his index finger.
“It’s a very childish feeling, though.”
“...”
“I want to do it too. I learned directly from my father.”
Laying the foundation, establishing a foundation, and becoming a great ruler. At the beginning of the time he gritted his teeth and kept it was always filled with the same wind.
If his father had been there, wouldn't he have been able to do it more perfectly? Couldn't he have protected Vikander more strongly?
So Edwin couldn't miss this moment.
“...I think the title of first Queen would suit my mother better than the title of Vikander’s last Grand Duchess.”
Only at those words did the father look at his son with wide eyes. Edwin shrugged his shoulders and laughed humorlessly.
“I also want to become a Prince once. I’m waiting for the throne to be passed on to my father.”
It was an absolutely perfect move. The former Grand Duke wanted to laugh loudly, but every time he opened his lips, all that came out was a trembling breath. The inside of his throat felt hot as if he had swallowed a fireball. His eyes kept turning red.
He cleared his throat loudly several times to see how much his son's perfect move meant for him. There was so much he wanted to say, but there was only one thing he wanted to say at this moment.
“As you said, she is revered as the Grand Duchess of the last Vikander and also the first Queen of Vikander...”
He paused for a moment, then slowly raised the corners of his lips and smiled.
“...I think honoring her would be a much more appropriate place for my memory.”
At that moment, an elastic syllable came out from among the knights. The turbulent forces were already aware of the Grand Duke's tilted mind.
But Edwin was different. Even though his son, who resembled his wife, had a bright smile on his face, he was not quick to be happy. Instead, his son's shining eyes were boldly demanding of him.
He asked for a clearer and more definite answer, so he stood up. With an irresistible majesty dominating the space, he declared in a heavy voice.
“So, yeah. I think I am worthy of being the first King of Vikander.”
“Infinite glory to the King of the New Age!”
Edwin shouted, kneeling down on one knee as if he had been waiting. The voice announcing the end of the long wait spread quickly.
“Infinite glory to the King of the New Age!”
“Infinite glory to the King of the New Age!”
The same was true for Olivia and the knights who were waiting anxiously. Olivia's shout, offering her obeisance with all her heart, and the quickly prostrating knights' oaths resounded throughout the mansion.
Meanwhile, Vikander's first King, Carlos Vikander, slowly looked at them.
Shining single gazes and supremely noble loyalties.
Everything he had tried to forget was welcoming him. Carlos, who fully accepted that brilliant sincerity, smiled and held out his hand to his son.
Amid thunderous cheers, he smiled brightly and whispered to his son, who stood up.
“But you must win and wear the crown of glory yourself.”
“... !”
A smile as flashy as a rose in full bloom suddenly hardened. Winster, Howard, and even Olivia, who were behind Edwin, were all looking at Carlos, unable to hide their surprise.
Carlos narrowed one of his eyes.
It seems impossible to say that he will take over the position obediently.
As the Princess's son and Vikander's successor, Edwin had to earn it, not inherit it.
That was the first step that a father could teach his son who asked to learn.
The teachings did not follow immediately. Even as the night passed, the enthusiasm for the new era did not cool down.
Thanks to this, it was when dawn broke that Edwin returned to the King's bedroom with Olivia, Winster, and Howard.
***
When he first found his father's room, Edwin thought he must have misheard what his father said earlier.
But that was a misjudgment. If the previous time was Edwin's fierce attack, this time it was Carlos' turn.
“In this situation, where Vikander took over the northern part of the continent and Franz took over the southern part, Olivia became the new owner of the southwest.”
The crowned monarch, Carlos Vikander, was by no means a formidable opponent.
He doesn't know when it was prepared, but on the map of the continent spread out on the table, the owners of the territory that had changed after this negotiation were written in detail.
The continent was divided into two, with Vikander in the north and the Empire in the south, and the place connecting the two was Olivia's territory.
Putting aside the fact that Vikander, which divided the continent, was larger than the empire's territory and that its military and economic power were far superior, the King smiled kindly.
“At least when Olivia tours the territory as a Lord, shouldn’t the entire area around it be safely owned by Vikander?”
In other words, he was to restore everything around him and become the new Emperor of the empire. It was an extremely forward-thinking statement to make the day after he declared that he would sit on the throne.
Edwin, who was reflecting on his father's words once again, shrugged his shoulders and laughed helplessly.
"Father. Didn’t you say that you felt bad for losing time with me and that you wanted to embrace me more?”
That was true. Carlos grinned and nodded his head.
“You were the one who wanted to learn from me. If I were you...”
Eventually, Carlos slowly leaned toward Edwin. And he spoke in a voice so low that it could only reach him.
“...I would like to raise my beloved wife to the most honorable and glorious position on the continent.”
At that moment, Edwin only saw Olivia. If his Young Lady, whose eyes sparkle as if curious about what he's talking about, ascends to the most honorable and glorious position...
Just by imagining it, a deep smile was engraved on his lips. Even after seeing this, Carlos pretended not to notice and continued talking.
“I am laying the foundation for becoming an Empire. So after the coronation, you must first come up with a plan to tour and restore the territory at the same time.”
“...Truly, you are giving an order that cannot be refused, father."
“I knew you wanted it too.”
A voice full of affection continued. Carlos suppressed a lump in his throat as he looked at his son who looked just like him.
“...You look like me.”
So they were able to tell each other’s driving force at once.
Edwin pouted his lips for a moment. While the father was suddenly at a loss for words at the sight of his son's baby's appearance, which was still visible even after he became a fully grown man, Edwin added a word as if to distract him.
“people said I looked like my mother.”
“That is correct. When you fall in love, you resemble each other.”
“...No matter what I say, I can’t defeat my father.”
Edwin raised his palm.
At this clear sign of surrender, even Winster, Howard, and Olivia, who had been holding their breath up to this point, smiled brightly.
As soon as a new era opens, they start preparing for a new era again...! A vague excitement arose.
Meanwhile, Carlos discovered something and narrowed his green eyes. Among the countless stories he heard from Bethanny, there was no mention of those two sparkling rings on Olivia's hands.
"Miss, I have something to tell you about today’s meal. Is this a good time for you?”
When he heard someone asking Olivia for help, Carlos realized that now was the right time. And the moment Olivia left her seat for a moment, she looked back at his son and smiled.
“Anyway, you did propose properly, right? Whether you look like me or my wife, that marriage proposal would have been pretty great.”
Edwin, who was nervous on the inside, wondered what else he was going to say, but smiled. He then remembered the two rings on Olivia's left hand and made him nod.
"Sure. I made sure to propose and even give a gift.”
“... I may be presumptuous, but my Prince, I think you left out the most important thing.”
It was Howard who suddenly joined the warm conversation. He spoke with a serious expression on his face as if he was concerned.
“With all my heart, I have no idea whether the marriage proposal made in front of the Emperor can really be called a marriage proposal.”
“I will propose to the Young Lady with the wish given by the Emperor.”
Edwin was startled by the scene from the past that suddenly came to mind. But he soon opened his mouth and smiled.
"Haha. Sir Interfield. Other than that, I definitely proposed marriage.”
“I’m sorry, but did you exactly ask the Young Lady to ‘marry’?”
However, Edwin's smile slowly hardened at the question that followed again. Howard blinked his eyes and spoke in a tone that couldn't hide his embarrassment.
“Have you forgotten the story of Miss Daisy Szellin, Dean’s older sister? They say that in the process of getting married, a marriage proposal is an important thing that should never be missed, no matter what.”
“Finally, this ring is back in its rightful place.”
“If only My Lady would put the same ring on me.”
In all those moments when they shared the wedding ring and the gift ring, Edwin recalled the words he had said.
But... It seemed like it wasn't there.
These are not words that implicitly give permission to each other, but words that rawly propose marriage.
While Edwin's face turned white as he realized his mistake, Winster swallowed his mischief and erased his laughter. Oh my God. He thought the saying that being in love makes you a fool didn't apply to that person.
They looked at each other so affectionately and gave the Lady two rings, but he never thought Edwin would be so shaken by Howard's words.
Meanwhile, the King's eyes met his.
“Winster, what does that mean?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. That is...”
Winster, who read the mischievous look in the King's eyes, spoke quickly.
“Actually, the Prince is less talkative than you think.”
“What is that...!”
“I heard everything from Bethanny, so you don’t have to be too embarrassed, Prince. On the day when the Prince presented the girl with a bunch of jewels, you stood in front of the girl wearing them and said she was beautiful without even being able to say one word...”
“Winster!”
“Did you call me, Respected Prince?"
Winster quickly bowed down and showed respect. Mischievousness was boiling over the brown eyes that looked up at Edwin.
Edwin looked at Winster, gritting his teeth, and then at Howard, who was avoiding his gaze.
The King, who was laughing with interest, just smiled and watched his son.
“Father, it’s not like that...”
Edwin swallowed dryly. Indeed, the proposal he made did not specifically ask for his hand in marriage. But is there even the slightest chance that Olivia didn't understand his intentions?
“I asked her to become the most precious person. We also shared a proposal ring and a gift ring. Is there a more certain marriage proposal than that?”
Edwin looked at his father with desperate eyes. He wanted confirmation. What he did was a clear marriage proposal.
"Well. But..."
His father shrugged his shoulders and smiled, avoiding his gaze as if he was embarrassed.
“I guess it’s important to say words that convey your feelings clearly, right?”
Edwin became dizzy in front of the neatly drawn line.
The King burst into laughter at the sight of his son, who was the most youthful person he had ever seen. It was a smile as bright and bright as the dawn breaking in the distance.
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