As Ivan was watching Amelia with inexplicable emotions, Amelia, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, opened her eyes with a start. It was such a sudden event that even Ivan was surprised for a moment.
"Why?"
Ivan also sat up, following Amelia, who was sitting with blank eyes.
“...Ian.”
Ian? What's wrong with a sleeping baby?
A look of confusion crossed Ivan's face as he failed to understand the meaning of Amelia's mumbling. The slight frown was proof of this.
“He's crying.”
Amelia's eyes slowly returned to the gun. Before Ivan could stop her, Amelia fixed her flowing gown and ran out of the bedroom.
“...”
Ivan, who was left alone in the bedroom, lightly rubbed the back of his neck and got out of bed. He was going to leave anyway. He didn't plan on showing the others that he was in the same bed with Amelia until morning. It wasn't time to reveal his relationship with Amelia yet.
When Ivan opened the door to Amelia's bedroom, a small room was revealed. Ivan stopped where the large portrait of the late Empress was hanging. It looked like a wall. However, Ivan ignored it and pushed the portrait aside. Under the diagonally tilted painting, Ivan felt the wall as if he were estimating the location. In an instant, the wall gaped open, revealing a hidden space. It was a path leading to the basement.
The faint sound of a baby crying could be heard inside.
“It seems like a mother is a mother.”
It was only now that he had woken up from his sleep to the sound he could barely hear. It was probably because her ears were open only for her child. Thinking so, Ivan stepped inside without hesitation.
The door closed, and the tilted picture returned to its original position. Only the curtain hanging next to the portrait fluttered faintly. It was as if no one had ever been there before.
“What is the Priestess doing this late at night...?”
Both Mrs. Howard and the wet nurse looked startled at the sight of the Priestess barging in in the middle of the night. However, Amelia paid no attention and approached, taking the little one in her arms as he cried loudly.
“Ian, it’s okay.”
And then she started to soothe the baby by rocking him. Then, the baby's breathing calmed down, and his crying gradually stopped.
"Oh..."
Karen, the wet nurse, covered her mouth with one hand and exclaimed in admiration. Since coming to the palace, Ian has not slept properly at night and has made people tired. Ian must have been tired because he couldn't sleep, but Mrs. Howard and Karen, who had to take care of the baby, were on the verge of death from misery.
Why on earth was she crying? Why on earth wasn't he sleeping? He wasn't hungry, he wasn't in pain, and he wasn't crying for a diaper change. It was crazy and made them jump for joy.
"Oh my god."
But, being held in the arms of a Priestess who came running in the middle of the night, he was able to calm down so easily. They couldn't believe what they were seeing with their own eyes, so they just blinked.
“You fall asleep so easily.”
Mrs. Howard seemed to feel the same way, muttering in despair.
“Did Ian cry this often at night?”
Mrs. Howard nodded at Amelia's words.
“He used to sleep in at night a lot. You must have had a hard time.”
Amelia spoke with an apologetic look on her face. Her hand was regularly patting Ian's back as he slept.
As if she were the child's mother.
But it was something that could never be said out loud, even as a joke. A Priestess was the purest and cleanest person in the world, so it was something that should not even be suspected.
“Would it be better for me to take him to sleep while I stay at the palace?”
“Oh, but Ian needs to breastfeed every two or three hours.”
The wet nurse rubbed her temples with an embarrassed expression. She could just wake up and breastfeed her baby since she had enough milk, but Amelia couldn't do that.
“It’s not something I can afford to take up someone’s precious time for.”
Mrs. Howard also took a strong stance. Amelia had suggested it lightly, thinking that she could breastfeed her child, but she realized later that it would not be seen that way by others.
“Well, if Ian won’t sleep and keeps whining, you can come see me any time.”
Mrs. Howard and the wet nurse nodded.
“I will do so. Now give it to me.”
Mrs. Howard cautiously held out her hand. Amelia felt the warmth of her hand and looked into the child's face with longing.
“You can come anytime.”
"Yes."
Mrs. Howard answered meekly. Amelia realized that Mrs. Howard would not come easily. However, Ian had also calmed down, and there was nothing more she could do without revealing that she was Ian's mother. Amelia had no choice but to leave Ian and return to her bedroom.
“...”
The bedroom he returned to was empty. It seemed like Ivan had already returned, and the bed they had slept on together was also empty. Amelia swept the spot where Ivan had been with her palm. It was cold.
Amelia felt lonely. No, maybe it was anxiety. She curled up like a fetus in her stomach and closed her eyes.
She couldn't sleep.
Aaron took off the hood he had been wearing. The candlelight cast a warm glow on his platinum hair. It was a funny contrast, considering his temperament was not so gentle. The Duke of Russell thought so.
“I said I would see.”
But it was the Duke of Russell who raised him that way. He had no intention of pointing out his inconsistencies again.
“Yes. I just don’t understand the orders you gave me.”
Aaron answered honestly.
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
If it were normal, he would have said that he was arrogant. However, since he could understand what Aaron was saying now, the Duke of Russell nodded obediently.
“Seduce the Emperor?”
It was only natural. The order he gave to Aaron when he brought Amelia into the palace was completely different from his previous tone.
“This time, Amelia is desperate to escape at any cost. What will you do if she ends up joining the Emperor?”
Aaron's concerns were certainly justified. It was something that the Duke of Russell had thought about before.
“I saw the son that woman had, Aaron.”
The Duke of Russell opened the bottle on the table. As he poured the drink into a glass, the strong smell of the drink tickled Aaron's nose.
“His blond hair is so bright and vivid, I would believe he were the Emperor’s illegitimate child.”
“He is not of the Emperor’s blood.”
“I know, and I know you can't ask the Emperor to recognize him as a child.”
"Why?"
Ivan also sat up, following Amelia, who was sitting with blank eyes.
“...Ian.”
Ian? What's wrong with a sleeping baby?
A look of confusion crossed Ivan's face as he failed to understand the meaning of Amelia's mumbling. The slight frown was proof of this.
“He's crying.”
Amelia's eyes slowly returned to the gun. Before Ivan could stop her, Amelia fixed her flowing gown and ran out of the bedroom.
“...”
Ivan, who was left alone in the bedroom, lightly rubbed the back of his neck and got out of bed. He was going to leave anyway. He didn't plan on showing the others that he was in the same bed with Amelia until morning. It wasn't time to reveal his relationship with Amelia yet.
When Ivan opened the door to Amelia's bedroom, a small room was revealed. Ivan stopped where the large portrait of the late Empress was hanging. It looked like a wall. However, Ivan ignored it and pushed the portrait aside. Under the diagonally tilted painting, Ivan felt the wall as if he were estimating the location. In an instant, the wall gaped open, revealing a hidden space. It was a path leading to the basement.
The faint sound of a baby crying could be heard inside.
“It seems like a mother is a mother.”
It was only now that he had woken up from his sleep to the sound he could barely hear. It was probably because her ears were open only for her child. Thinking so, Ivan stepped inside without hesitation.
The door closed, and the tilted picture returned to its original position. Only the curtain hanging next to the portrait fluttered faintly. It was as if no one had ever been there before.
***
“What is the Priestess doing this late at night...?”
Both Mrs. Howard and the wet nurse looked startled at the sight of the Priestess barging in in the middle of the night. However, Amelia paid no attention and approached, taking the little one in her arms as he cried loudly.
“Ian, it’s okay.”
And then she started to soothe the baby by rocking him. Then, the baby's breathing calmed down, and his crying gradually stopped.
"Oh..."
Karen, the wet nurse, covered her mouth with one hand and exclaimed in admiration. Since coming to the palace, Ian has not slept properly at night and has made people tired. Ian must have been tired because he couldn't sleep, but Mrs. Howard and Karen, who had to take care of the baby, were on the verge of death from misery.
Why on earth was she crying? Why on earth wasn't he sleeping? He wasn't hungry, he wasn't in pain, and he wasn't crying for a diaper change. It was crazy and made them jump for joy.
"Oh my god."
But, being held in the arms of a Priestess who came running in the middle of the night, he was able to calm down so easily. They couldn't believe what they were seeing with their own eyes, so they just blinked.
“You fall asleep so easily.”
Mrs. Howard seemed to feel the same way, muttering in despair.
“Did Ian cry this often at night?”
Mrs. Howard nodded at Amelia's words.
“He used to sleep in at night a lot. You must have had a hard time.”
Amelia spoke with an apologetic look on her face. Her hand was regularly patting Ian's back as he slept.
As if she were the child's mother.
But it was something that could never be said out loud, even as a joke. A Priestess was the purest and cleanest person in the world, so it was something that should not even be suspected.
“Would it be better for me to take him to sleep while I stay at the palace?”
“Oh, but Ian needs to breastfeed every two or three hours.”
The wet nurse rubbed her temples with an embarrassed expression. She could just wake up and breastfeed her baby since she had enough milk, but Amelia couldn't do that.
“It’s not something I can afford to take up someone’s precious time for.”
Mrs. Howard also took a strong stance. Amelia had suggested it lightly, thinking that she could breastfeed her child, but she realized later that it would not be seen that way by others.
“Well, if Ian won’t sleep and keeps whining, you can come see me any time.”
Mrs. Howard and the wet nurse nodded.
“I will do so. Now give it to me.”
Mrs. Howard cautiously held out her hand. Amelia felt the warmth of her hand and looked into the child's face with longing.
“You can come anytime.”
"Yes."
Mrs. Howard answered meekly. Amelia realized that Mrs. Howard would not come easily. However, Ian had also calmed down, and there was nothing more she could do without revealing that she was Ian's mother. Amelia had no choice but to leave Ian and return to her bedroom.
“...”
The bedroom he returned to was empty. It seemed like Ivan had already returned, and the bed they had slept on together was also empty. Amelia swept the spot where Ivan had been with her palm. It was cold.
Amelia felt lonely. No, maybe it was anxiety. She curled up like a fetus in her stomach and closed her eyes.
She couldn't sleep.
***
Aaron took off the hood he had been wearing. The candlelight cast a warm glow on his platinum hair. It was a funny contrast, considering his temperament was not so gentle. The Duke of Russell thought so.
“I said I would see.”
But it was the Duke of Russell who raised him that way. He had no intention of pointing out his inconsistencies again.
“Yes. I just don’t understand the orders you gave me.”
Aaron answered honestly.
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
If it were normal, he would have said that he was arrogant. However, since he could understand what Aaron was saying now, the Duke of Russell nodded obediently.
“Seduce the Emperor?”
It was only natural. The order he gave to Aaron when he brought Amelia into the palace was completely different from his previous tone.
“This time, Amelia is desperate to escape at any cost. What will you do if she ends up joining the Emperor?”
Aaron's concerns were certainly justified. It was something that the Duke of Russell had thought about before.
“I saw the son that woman had, Aaron.”
The Duke of Russell opened the bottle on the table. As he poured the drink into a glass, the strong smell of the drink tickled Aaron's nose.
“His blond hair is so bright and vivid, I would believe he were the Emperor’s illegitimate child.”
“He is not of the Emperor’s blood.”
“I know, and I know you can't ask the Emperor to recognize him as a child.”
The Duke of Russell took a sip of his drink from a clear crystal goblet. Aaron felt queasy at the sight of the Duke of Russell seemingly enjoying his drink in this situation.
"My Lord."
“But then suddenly this thought occurred to me.”
“...”
“What if the Priestess really does conceive the Emperor’s illegitimate child?”
Aaron remained silent in response to the Duke of Russell's question. The temple had always been at odds with the royal family, so such a hypothesis was something he had never considered.
“He will definitely become the Crown Prince. And one day he will become the Emperor. It won’t be a big deal for me to take the throne from him.”
“What if she betrays you before then? What if she whispers to the Emperor and asks for help...?”
The Duke of Russell smiled at Aaron's reasonable point.
“Yeah. That’s a wild guess.”
“...”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay for just one night?”
The Duke of Russell leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together on his crossed legs.
“Don’t you know how much the Emperor hates Priestesses? There’s no way he would embrace Amelia.”
“Aaron.”
When Aaron objected, the Duke of Russell burst into hearty laughter. Aaron paused, his words trailing off.
“You still don’t know anything.”
“...”
“All men are the same. The more they hate and despise her, the more they want to conquer her and gain the upper hand.”
And then he looked at Aaron with a generous face, as if he was teaching him the ways of the world.
“The Emperor will embrace the Priestess. Whether she is a Priestess or not, he will ultimately want to be certain that she is a woman who cries under him.”
And finally, he would be intoxicated with the feeling of victory, the Duke of Russell was sure.
“That’s the moment we’re aiming for.”
The smile completely disappeared from the Duke of Russell's face.
“Originally, a Priestess was a pure being who dedicated her body and mind to the gods.”
That's why he killed all the men who had spent the night with Amelia, and also disposed of all the guards who knew about it.
“But what if you become corrupted simply because of the Emperor’s vengeance? What if you cry and beg that you can no longer hear the voice of God? What if you become an ordinary human because of that?”
Aaron kept his mouth shut. It was obvious what would happen next. The nobles, led by the Duke of Russell, would bring down the Emperor who ruined the fortunes of Escliffe.
“Even if the Emperor finds out the Priestess’s secret, it would be of no use.”
“...”
“That’s what I wanted, Aaron.”
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