The Emperor brought a newborn baby.
The Emperor, who had no children, no fiancée, and no wife, was bringing a child? The servants were in an uproar at the sudden news. They were walking quite a distance away, in case Ivan saw them and scolded them.
“Where is the child?”
The maid, who had been pretending to be a squealer, cautiously whispered to her colleague next to her. Indeed, the man walking briskly in front had empty hands.
“Over there, behind.”
But there was something awkwardly held in Rodan's arms.
“It’s a real baby.”
“That’s true.”
The general opinion was that he had picked up a dog or cat and must have seen something strange. However, there was indeed a baby in Rodan's arms as he followed Ivan.
“His Majesty is not the type of person who would bring a child just because he feels sorry for him.”
Ivan's reputation in the palace was rather cold, but it was not out of character, for Ivan was not particularly generous to the young and the small.
“What are you saying?”
Ivan stopped for a moment and gave Rodan some orders. Then, without even looking at the child, he went on his way. Rodan, as if he had expected this, picked up the child and looked around.
“Are you calling us?”
Rodan waved his hand as if to tell the maids to come closer. Eventually, the two maids who had been observing them from a distance reluctantly started walking.
“I want you to clean the guest room in the West Palace right now, and then you go and bring Mrs. Warner to the West Palace.”
“Yes. But by any chance, the child...”
The maids couldn't hold back their curiosity and started talking. Rodan was Ivan's closest aide, but he wasn't as cold-hearted as his master. The fact that he waited for them to finish talking was proof of that.
“Is he Lord Rodan’s child?”
It seemed like she had misunderstood. The maid looked down with a stinging face as she noticed Rodan’s distorted face.
“He is a guest sent by the temple to prove friendly relations with the imperial family, so don’t talk nonsense.”
Ah. The maids sighed softly. It seemed as if the sound of all the fantasies spinning in their heads was being shattered.
“Hurry up and do what I told you to do.”
Rodan warned softly. The maids who had been secretly scanning the child’s face only then quickly dispersed to carry out the tasks they had been ordered to do. Left alone, Rodan carried the child and headed to the West Palace, where the guest rooms were gathered.
And although it wasn't particularly dirty, Rodan passed the maids who were cleaning again because it was what he had asked them to do, and laid the child on the bed. Even though his face was awake, Ian didn't cry.
“It’s because you have no sense of caution.”
In terms of personality, he resembles a Priestess. Rodan tapped the tip of the child's nose.
“Lord Rodan.”
At that moment, a voice called Rodan from behind. It was Mrs. Warner, who had recently usurped the position of the former head maid, thanks to her quick grasp of the situation and her heavy mouth, which had earned her Ivan's trust.
“I heard you called.”
“I think I should ask the maids to keep their mouths shut.”
Rodan straightened his back, which had been bent toward Ian, and told Mrs. Warner the reason he had called her.
“Ian, he is a guest of the temple, but as you know, the presence of a baby is likely to cause misunderstandings.”
Mrs. Warner's gaze turned to Ian, who was writhing on the bed. Her gaze rested on Ian's brilliantly shining hair, but only for a moment.
“I will do that.”
Doubt is nothing but poison. Mrs. Warner, having finished thinking, quietly turned her head away.
The Duke of Russell visited the temple. He was also a devout servant of God, so his visit was nothing special. However, his impression was particularly cold, and the hem of his cloak fluttering wildly with every step was different from usual. The fact that everyone was walking slowly away from his radius was proof of this.
“Where is the High Priest?”
“After meeting the Priestess and returning, he stayed in his room.”
The priest, who was overwhelmed by the sudden appearance, answered stammeringly. Duke Russell passed him by and headed toward Aaron’s room. To be exact, it was more like barging in.
“Aaron Skipper.”
Aaron, who had been sitting quietly, stood up and greeted the Duke of Russell. At the same time, a large palm slapped his cheek. The door was closed gently, but the sound was loud enough to make one wonder if it had been heard outside.
“This stupid kid.”
The sharp accusation fell on Aaron's head. But Aaron couldn't even refute it. He had failed in his duty to watch over Amelia. That was true.
"Sorry."
So, there was no choice but to apologize. However, the Duke of Russell could not hide his anger even after hearing the apology. He was so angry that the plan he thought was going well was ruined.
“How could you have been fooled so easily?”
“...”
“You didn’t even check the hair color? You didn’t even think about finding out the gender?”
The Duke of Russell's chest rose and fell roughly as he swept his hair back. Aaron did not try to make a cowardly excuse. Amelia had been in despair for a while after losing her lover and had neglected herself. She had also followed Aaron's orders obediently. It was clearly his mistake to let his guard down at that sight.
“That’s okay. What’s done is done. It would have been hard to imagine that the woman who had been turned into a woman would have already spent the night with a man and had a child.”
“...”
“But I can’t tolerate two mistakes.”
Duke Russell, who had been pacing around the room for a while, stopped and gave a warning to Aaron. He meant that no matter how loyal Aaron had been, he could be abandoned and replaced at any time.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Aaron answered calmly. The lack of any resistance or active attempt at explanation from him somewhat calmed the Duke of Russell's excitement.
“Did the Emperor take only the child?”
Finally, the Duke of Russell sat down with a low sigh. After all, it was a place where people could come and go and make loud noises. It would not be good for either Aaron or the Duke of Russell to become overly excited and raise their voices.
“Yes. He just took that child.”
“He came unexpectedly and rudely and took the child away...”
Rather than that, it was more important to find out the intention behind Ivan's sudden actions and to deal with them. After all, his actions were suspicious.
Ivan was a man who had never hesitated to oppose the temple. He was not the type of person to talk about friendly relations with the temple.
“It’s fortunate that he’s a useless guy.”
The Duke of Russell muttered, rubbing his chin. If nothing else, the blond boy was of little use here.
“Because the child’s eyes are black?”
From Ivan's perspective, the only thing useful about the child was his black eyes. Just as black hair does not exist in Escliff, black eyes do not exist either.
“...”
Of course, that fact alone was not enough to pressure the temple. So it was even more difficult to figure out Ivan's true intentions.
“Just kill them.”
Now he was too lazy to think about it anymore. But he didn't want to leave any cause for trouble. So the only way Duke Russell could choose was the simplest and most obvious one.
“There is a written oath that the Emperor wrote in private with the Priestess.”
Aaron objected to the Duke of Russell's words. If they kill the child and hold the royal family responsible, they will have to offer Amelia to them.
“If you don’t hold the royal family accountable, that’s the end of it.”
Of course, it would be nice if the royal family could hold the Priestess accountable for coercing her and taking her child, but in this case, it was unavoidable.
“Anyway, I was just going to kill him. The default is that there’s no special benefit.”
If the child that was born could not replace Amelia, she would have died and disappeared. Without even knowing that she existed in the world. So it was contradictory to give that life a special purpose.
“First, I’ll go and have a private conversation with the Emperor and figure out what he’s thinking, and then deal with it. It could be a trap.”
"All right."
Aaron answered immediately. He also had no intention of leaving the consequences of his negligence behind.
“Aside from that... I think it would be a good idea to educate this girl a bit.”
The Duke of Russell quietly added to that obedient attitude.
“I don’t want to experience any more embarrassing situations in the future. But if she keeps acting like a brat, I think she’ll cause another accident, even if it’s not the same thing.”
Those who know the secret must be few. Under that conventional rule, the only woman with black hair and black eyes was Amelia.
“Because it can’t be killed as easily as the others.”
He thought it was better than managing several people for no reason, but now that was the thing that bothered Duke Russell the most. If he could have had several people and replaced them, he would have replaced Amelia, who was just leaving, with someone else a long time ago.
“The ankle is not very visible, so it wouldn’t be a big deal even if there is a scar or two. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
But things had come to this point, and no one could replace Amelia now, so it was something that had to be endured.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
So there is only one thing he can do now. He has to put the rest of his life completely in his hands.
The Emperor, who had no children, no fiancée, and no wife, was bringing a child? The servants were in an uproar at the sudden news. They were walking quite a distance away, in case Ivan saw them and scolded them.
“Where is the child?”
The maid, who had been pretending to be a squealer, cautiously whispered to her colleague next to her. Indeed, the man walking briskly in front had empty hands.
“Over there, behind.”
But there was something awkwardly held in Rodan's arms.
“It’s a real baby.”
“That’s true.”
The general opinion was that he had picked up a dog or cat and must have seen something strange. However, there was indeed a baby in Rodan's arms as he followed Ivan.
“His Majesty is not the type of person who would bring a child just because he feels sorry for him.”
Ivan's reputation in the palace was rather cold, but it was not out of character, for Ivan was not particularly generous to the young and the small.
“What are you saying?”
Ivan stopped for a moment and gave Rodan some orders. Then, without even looking at the child, he went on his way. Rodan, as if he had expected this, picked up the child and looked around.
“Are you calling us?”
Rodan waved his hand as if to tell the maids to come closer. Eventually, the two maids who had been observing them from a distance reluctantly started walking.
“I want you to clean the guest room in the West Palace right now, and then you go and bring Mrs. Warner to the West Palace.”
“Yes. But by any chance, the child...”
The maids couldn't hold back their curiosity and started talking. Rodan was Ivan's closest aide, but he wasn't as cold-hearted as his master. The fact that he waited for them to finish talking was proof of that.
“Is he Lord Rodan’s child?”
It seemed like she had misunderstood. The maid looked down with a stinging face as she noticed Rodan’s distorted face.
“He is a guest sent by the temple to prove friendly relations with the imperial family, so don’t talk nonsense.”
Ah. The maids sighed softly. It seemed as if the sound of all the fantasies spinning in their heads was being shattered.
“Hurry up and do what I told you to do.”
Rodan warned softly. The maids who had been secretly scanning the child’s face only then quickly dispersed to carry out the tasks they had been ordered to do. Left alone, Rodan carried the child and headed to the West Palace, where the guest rooms were gathered.
And although it wasn't particularly dirty, Rodan passed the maids who were cleaning again because it was what he had asked them to do, and laid the child on the bed. Even though his face was awake, Ian didn't cry.
“It’s because you have no sense of caution.”
In terms of personality, he resembles a Priestess. Rodan tapped the tip of the child's nose.
“Lord Rodan.”
At that moment, a voice called Rodan from behind. It was Mrs. Warner, who had recently usurped the position of the former head maid, thanks to her quick grasp of the situation and her heavy mouth, which had earned her Ivan's trust.
“I heard you called.”
“I think I should ask the maids to keep their mouths shut.”
Rodan straightened his back, which had been bent toward Ian, and told Mrs. Warner the reason he had called her.
“Ian, he is a guest of the temple, but as you know, the presence of a baby is likely to cause misunderstandings.”
Mrs. Warner's gaze turned to Ian, who was writhing on the bed. Her gaze rested on Ian's brilliantly shining hair, but only for a moment.
“I will do that.”
Doubt is nothing but poison. Mrs. Warner, having finished thinking, quietly turned her head away.
***
The Duke of Russell visited the temple. He was also a devout servant of God, so his visit was nothing special. However, his impression was particularly cold, and the hem of his cloak fluttering wildly with every step was different from usual. The fact that everyone was walking slowly away from his radius was proof of this.
“Where is the High Priest?”
“After meeting the Priestess and returning, he stayed in his room.”
The priest, who was overwhelmed by the sudden appearance, answered stammeringly. Duke Russell passed him by and headed toward Aaron’s room. To be exact, it was more like barging in.
“Aaron Skipper.”
Aaron, who had been sitting quietly, stood up and greeted the Duke of Russell. At the same time, a large palm slapped his cheek. The door was closed gently, but the sound was loud enough to make one wonder if it had been heard outside.
“This stupid kid.”
The sharp accusation fell on Aaron's head. But Aaron couldn't even refute it. He had failed in his duty to watch over Amelia. That was true.
"Sorry."
So, there was no choice but to apologize. However, the Duke of Russell could not hide his anger even after hearing the apology. He was so angry that the plan he thought was going well was ruined.
“How could you have been fooled so easily?”
“...”
“You didn’t even check the hair color? You didn’t even think about finding out the gender?”
The Duke of Russell's chest rose and fell roughly as he swept his hair back. Aaron did not try to make a cowardly excuse. Amelia had been in despair for a while after losing her lover and had neglected herself. She had also followed Aaron's orders obediently. It was clearly his mistake to let his guard down at that sight.
“That’s okay. What’s done is done. It would have been hard to imagine that the woman who had been turned into a woman would have already spent the night with a man and had a child.”
“...”
“But I can’t tolerate two mistakes.”
Duke Russell, who had been pacing around the room for a while, stopped and gave a warning to Aaron. He meant that no matter how loyal Aaron had been, he could be abandoned and replaced at any time.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Aaron answered calmly. The lack of any resistance or active attempt at explanation from him somewhat calmed the Duke of Russell's excitement.
“Did the Emperor take only the child?”
Finally, the Duke of Russell sat down with a low sigh. After all, it was a place where people could come and go and make loud noises. It would not be good for either Aaron or the Duke of Russell to become overly excited and raise their voices.
“Yes. He just took that child.”
“He came unexpectedly and rudely and took the child away...”
Rather than that, it was more important to find out the intention behind Ivan's sudden actions and to deal with them. After all, his actions were suspicious.
Ivan was a man who had never hesitated to oppose the temple. He was not the type of person to talk about friendly relations with the temple.
“It’s fortunate that he’s a useless guy.”
The Duke of Russell muttered, rubbing his chin. If nothing else, the blond boy was of little use here.
“Because the child’s eyes are black?”
From Ivan's perspective, the only thing useful about the child was his black eyes. Just as black hair does not exist in Escliff, black eyes do not exist either.
“...”
Of course, that fact alone was not enough to pressure the temple. So it was even more difficult to figure out Ivan's true intentions.
“Just kill them.”
Now he was too lazy to think about it anymore. But he didn't want to leave any cause for trouble. So the only way Duke Russell could choose was the simplest and most obvious one.
“There is a written oath that the Emperor wrote in private with the Priestess.”
Aaron objected to the Duke of Russell's words. If they kill the child and hold the royal family responsible, they will have to offer Amelia to them.
“If you don’t hold the royal family accountable, that’s the end of it.”
Of course, it would be nice if the royal family could hold the Priestess accountable for coercing her and taking her child, but in this case, it was unavoidable.
“Anyway, I was just going to kill him. The default is that there’s no special benefit.”
If the child that was born could not replace Amelia, she would have died and disappeared. Without even knowing that she existed in the world. So it was contradictory to give that life a special purpose.
“First, I’ll go and have a private conversation with the Emperor and figure out what he’s thinking, and then deal with it. It could be a trap.”
"All right."
Aaron answered immediately. He also had no intention of leaving the consequences of his negligence behind.
“Aside from that... I think it would be a good idea to educate this girl a bit.”
The Duke of Russell quietly added to that obedient attitude.
“I don’t want to experience any more embarrassing situations in the future. But if she keeps acting like a brat, I think she’ll cause another accident, even if it’s not the same thing.”
Those who know the secret must be few. Under that conventional rule, the only woman with black hair and black eyes was Amelia.
“Because it can’t be killed as easily as the others.”
He thought it was better than managing several people for no reason, but now that was the thing that bothered Duke Russell the most. If he could have had several people and replaced them, he would have replaced Amelia, who was just leaving, with someone else a long time ago.
“The ankle is not very visible, so it wouldn’t be a big deal even if there is a scar or two. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
But things had come to this point, and no one could replace Amelia now, so it was something that had to be endured.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
So there is only one thing he can do now. He has to put the rest of his life completely in his hands.
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