Ines snickers at the playful words. Since it is located in the central part of the empire, the winter in the capital was milder than in other territories. The flowers that were still in bloom made the change of seasons seem insignificant.
The beautiful garden outside the window and her were like a painting.
The static yet lively scene strangely made his heart race.
“What’s wrong?”
Green eyes, filled with laughter, finally turned to him. He shrugged.
Carson pretended not to care, but he was out of breath the whole time. Even at this moment, as they continued their idle conversation.
“Well, maybe time doesn’t pass by well.”
The work was within arm’s reach, but the fact that it couldn’t be touched was the same for the painting and Ines.
The capital was soon going to be in an uproar over the issue of the Swenden family becoming the Lord of Landhill. The meeting held today would definitely be about that agenda. The thought of being tormented for hours already gave him a headache.
“Ines.”
“Yes?”
When he called her seriously, she completely looked away from her papers and looked at Carson. The moment their eyes met, their hearts raced as if they were competing against each other.
Ines took a deep breath. And she began to seriously consider whether she should find a separate place to work.
Although Carson acted like he was free for a while now, he had been busy the whole time. He had been so busy with work that he had not been able to sleep properly for several days since moving to the imperial palace. The more this happened, the more Ines became obsessed with work. It was because she wanted to be of some help to him.
However, in the middle of her work, Ines kept losing track of what she was doing.
Sometimes it was unbelievable to see him so absorbed in something. She felt like her heart would not last.
“If you... someone were to hold your hand and run.”
“You’d hold my hand and run? Who?”
“I’m just making assumptions.”
Ines nodded.
“Anyway, imagine that you’re not good at running. But what would happen if that person suddenly grabbed your arm and ran with you?”
“Of course...”
“Of course?”
Carson swallowed the dry saliva that was coming out of his mouth without realizing it and stared at Ines.
“I’d let go of his hand.”
“Why?”
“That person would fall because of me. I don’t want that.”
Carson glared at Ines for a moment, almost as if he was mistaken.
“What’s so easy about Swenden Young Lady?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you want to run with me?”
“First of all, I said I’m not good at running. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me. And I don’t want to be unable to run far because of my incompetence.”
It was a truly Ines-like decision.
“What if that were me?”
“The person holding my hand?”
“Yes, what if I asked you to go with me?”
Ines suddenly began to worry seriously about something that hadn’t even happened. She felt anxious as she thought about what would happen if Carson just left her hand.
“Then... We’ll start practicing today, okay?”
“What?”
“How to run. No matter what, we’ll run together.”
“You want me to wait again?”
“Yes, so don’t leave me alone until I get faster.”
Carson was speechless when Ines laughed brightly. It wasn’t even her acting cute, but his heart fluttered. She really was good at telling him to wait while smiling so dazzlingly.
“Don’t you want to just hold my hand and roll around in the mud or something?”
“I’m fine, but Your Majesty can’t roll around in the mud.”
Carson rubbed his face with his dry hands as he watched Ines, who was consistently complaining.
The nobles’ movements were unusual. He couldn’t act rashly since he held military power, but the old foxes were always beyond imagination. It was natural to think that Viscount Swenden becoming the Lord of Landhill was the foundation for making Ines Swenden the Empress.
The more wealthy a nobleman is, the less interested he is in the affairs of the state and only looks after his own safety and interests. As if he had made a promise.
As he grew older, he became so quick-witted.
For Viscount Swenden to become a Count, his name had to be registered in the temple. After that, a temporary organization would be formed to elect the Empress.
Since Carson would have influence, Ines would naturally be a candidate.
However, from Carson’s perspective, that too would take a very long time.
So if she was ready to roll in the mud with him, Carson could just take Ines to his side first, whether as a concubine or not. She wouldn’t be crowned Empress right away, but if she had a child, things could happen sooner than planned.
Carson felt his patience fading away.
Now that he had no more room to climb, there were no variables. If time passed like this, Ines would become his wife.
Her status as a criminal? The fact that her father was a Viscount?
Nothing could get in the way of what he wanted to do.
Time, that damn time, was always the problem.
“Ugh....”
“Are you feeling frustrated?”
“I don’t think that’s something you should be asking about.”
He answered gruffly and picked up the newspaper. After reading the newspaper for a while, he asked indifferently.
“But why did it have to be ten steps?”
“Huh?”
“You read me a Bible verse at Landhill before.”
“Ah...”
At Carson’s question, Ines put down the pen she was holding and smiled broadly. When she recalled that day, a smile spread across her face.
The temperature at that time, the sweet smell, and even the wind that cooled her heart were all vividly remembered. And even his beautiful face, tilting his head while holding his portrait.
At that time, Ines was walking along a terrible, lonely road with only cliffs. What kind of expression would Carson make if she told him that he was the only one who told her to walk with him?
“Ten steps is too easy.”
When he asked, looking blankly, Ines laughed heartlessly.
“No, no. When the Bible was written, the concept of numbers in that world was only ten. They only had ten fingers. They couldn’t imagine any more than that.”
“Really?”
Carson flipped through the newspaper with a face that seemed to be not easily understood. Ines felt her heart fill up as she watched him. It was because she had never thought that he would give her time to understand her blindness.
“Yes, so that number ten means perfection.”
It was the same for Ines. The number ten that Carson had been talking about meant complete safety.
“Let’s walk ten steps together means we’ll be together forever. Holding hands also means we’ll go anywhere together. Even if it’s the end of the world. Even if it’s the gates of hell.”
Ines felt a little out of breath.
When they first met again in time, Carson had held Ines’ hand in the water. It was the same in Piazza Conero. He ran to her, bleeding and collapsed, and he reached out to her without hesitation.
And every time, she held Carson’s hand. She was always ready to follow him, no matter where.
“It’s a little strange.”
“What is it?”
“It’s kind of romantic.”
“It’s a war story...”
He trailed off, folded the newspaper he was reading, and looked at Ines. When their eyes met in the air, Carson smiled softly.
“You could think so. But never use it when you propose.”
“Why?”
Carson furrowed his brow this time. Ines felt it was so strange every time a wrinkle appeared on his handsome face.
“The next sentence is a bit... unsuitable.”
“Really?”
He put the newspaper down with a thud and got up from his seat. He twisted his large shoulders to put on the clothes that the servant standing next to him was giving him. He turned the clothes that were neatly placed once and smiled at Ines before walking to the door.
Since he had told her not to see him off, Ines simply got up from her seat and bowed her head slightly.
“I’ll be back.”
The man walking away was perfect, even from behind. The aura of Carson von Raymond, who followed him and illuminated only him, was still there.
Watching the perfect man’s back disappear through the closed door, Ines’s eyes were indifferent. And she quietly repeated the next sentence that he had not asked her.
“He who wants too much will eventually go away empty-handed. He who wants too much will eventually go away... empty-handed.”
As soon as Carson entered the conference room, he took off his jacket. Today's meeting was sure to be a thorn in the flesh.
There were only two items on the agenda, both of which concerned the Swenden Viscounts.
The old foxes seemed to accept that Swenden had become a vassal and a Count. However, they were vehemently opposed to Swenden becoming Lord of Landhill. They made it sound like they wanted it since it was the wealthiest land in the empire.
Moreover, the Emperor’s blatant intention was nothing but a spur to the nobles’ ire. Although he had not yet openly declared that he would make Ines Swenden the Empress, the ministers and the great nobles rushed to him with burning eyes.
“This is something that undermines the order of the nobility.”
“Is that so?”
Carson’s attitude was indifferent throughout. He simply glanced at the Duke of Manisut. Manisut, who was clearly the de facto representative of this meeting, had been quiet throughout the meeting.
Manisut was a collateral blood relative of the former Emperor.
The Dukes in this country were divided into those who had become Dukes and those who had not. He was the head of one of the two ducal families of the royal family that had supported the Keynes Empire for generations.
It was rumored that even a single word from him could bring down a bird, so his influence surpassed that of the imperial family.
Emperors changed, but Manisut never changed.
The Duke had been a self-proclaimed imperialist for generations, but he was one of the central figures of the Empress, who was the real power.
Although he did not openly support the Empress as a collateral blood relative of the former Emperor, there was no disagreement that he supported her and grew together with her.
Therefore, Manisut was the biggest mountain that Carson had to overcome. When Manisut, who had been silent, pushed his chair back a little, Count Sebinon, who had been speaking passionately, closed his mouth.
Carson thought that was really funny.
“You could think so. But never use it when you propose.”
“Why?”
Carson furrowed his brow this time. Ines felt it was so strange every time a wrinkle appeared on his handsome face.
“The next sentence is a bit... unsuitable.”
“Really?”
He put the newspaper down with a thud and got up from his seat. He twisted his large shoulders to put on the clothes that the servant standing next to him was giving him. He turned the clothes that were neatly placed once and smiled at Ines before walking to the door.
Since he had told her not to see him off, Ines simply got up from her seat and bowed her head slightly.
“I’ll be back.”
The man walking away was perfect, even from behind. The aura of Carson von Raymond, who followed him and illuminated only him, was still there.
Watching the perfect man’s back disappear through the closed door, Ines’s eyes were indifferent. And she quietly repeated the next sentence that he had not asked her.
“He who wants too much will eventually go away empty-handed. He who wants too much will eventually go away... empty-handed.”
***
As soon as Carson entered the conference room, he took off his jacket. Today's meeting was sure to be a thorn in the flesh.
There were only two items on the agenda, both of which concerned the Swenden Viscounts.
The old foxes seemed to accept that Swenden had become a vassal and a Count. However, they were vehemently opposed to Swenden becoming Lord of Landhill. They made it sound like they wanted it since it was the wealthiest land in the empire.
Moreover, the Emperor’s blatant intention was nothing but a spur to the nobles’ ire. Although he had not yet openly declared that he would make Ines Swenden the Empress, the ministers and the great nobles rushed to him with burning eyes.
“This is something that undermines the order of the nobility.”
“Is that so?”
Carson’s attitude was indifferent throughout. He simply glanced at the Duke of Manisut. Manisut, who was clearly the de facto representative of this meeting, had been quiet throughout the meeting.
Manisut was a collateral blood relative of the former Emperor.
The Dukes in this country were divided into those who had become Dukes and those who had not. He was the head of one of the two ducal families of the royal family that had supported the Keynes Empire for generations.
It was rumored that even a single word from him could bring down a bird, so his influence surpassed that of the imperial family.
Emperors changed, but Manisut never changed.
The Duke had been a self-proclaimed imperialist for generations, but he was one of the central figures of the Empress, who was the real power.
Although he did not openly support the Empress as a collateral blood relative of the former Emperor, there was no disagreement that he supported her and grew together with her.
Therefore, Manisut was the biggest mountain that Carson had to overcome. When Manisut, who had been silent, pushed his chair back a little, Count Sebinon, who had been speaking passionately, closed his mouth.
Carson thought that was really funny.
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