Ivan crossed the threshold of the entrance to the West Palace. What if something bad happened today? The chamberlain followed Ivan with a face that could not hide its worry. He sent a servant to Rodan to inform him that Ivan was going to the West Palace and to come immediately.
"Your Majesty?"
Suddenly, Ivan's steps stopped. The chamberlain looked up at him with a puzzled face.
“Is the child’s bedroom the first room on the west side of the second floor?”
“Yes, yes. I know that.”
The chamberlain answered Ivan's question while observing the servants' reactions. In fact, the chamberlain was not interested in Ian, just as Ivan was not interested in the child.
“...”
In fact, Ivan already knew where Ian's room was. It wasn't hard to guess when he remembered where Amelia and he had met eyes. He asked the chamberlain about the room's location to see if there had been any changes.
Ivan stood still, staring blankly at the window of what was presumed to be Ian’s room. The window leading to the terrace was tightly shut. A soft light was also streaming through the tightly closed curtains.
But something was nagging at his intuition.
“Everyone, stay still.”
Ivan gave the order. He had never told them to keep quiet, but they all stood still, even keeping their voices quiet. Ivan left the servants behind and glanced at Ian's bedroom terrace.
There was no sign of life. It was impossible for a young child who couldn't even move to be left alone.
It was strange, Ivan thought, and listened as the wind brushed past his ears. He heard the sound of dry leaves being stepped on somewhere. It was near the garden behind the West Palace, where an artificial pond had been dug and a pavilion had been built so that people could rest near the pond.
Ivan took a step without hesitation. However, his steps were somewhat cautious, despite their lack of hesitation. They were quiet and made no sound.
“You should also be quiet.”
When they arrived at the garden, they saw the maid who had been assigned to Amelia. In her arms was a doll-sized lump, which seemed to be Ian. That was also nothing special.
If the person Ivan entrusted Ian to wasn't Mrs. Howard.
“...”
Mrs. Howard never left the child in her care. Even when she did, it was usually only for a moment, and she never allowed her maid to take the child away. He knew she was that kind of person, so he trusted Ian with her.
“You have to keep sleeping.”
Ivan hid in the shadows and watched the maid do her thing. She sat on the pavilion railing and kissed Ian on the forehead.
And then she let go of the hand that was holding the small body.
“...!”
Ian's body fell in an instant. Ivan ran out of the shadows without even thinking.
“Whoa!”
The maid saw Ivan and screamed in surprise. The servants who had been following Ivan came running in a hurry at the loud noise. Ivan instinctively jumped in, even though he knew that the water in the pond was not very clean. He forgot to order the maid to hold on and quickly picked up his son’s body from the water.
The water in the artificial pond was deep enough to reach the shoulders of an adult male at its deepest point. It was deep enough for a woman to easily escape if she could swim. However, it was enough to drown a young child who couldn't even protect himself or herself. Furthermore, since he was wrapped in a sling, he couldn't even struggle.
“Ian.”
Ian was so shocked that he forgot to even burst into tears, and his face was blank, and he couldn't even blink. Did he hit his head when he fell? Did water get into his head? Ivan called the child's name with a strangely anxious heart. It was the first time.
Ugh, ugh...
Only then did Ian's face turn red, and he burst into tears. The sound of his sobs, which came after he vomited water and then burst out, was sharp, as if expressing his shock.
"It's okay."
Ivan clumsily crawled out of the pond, his small body squeezing. His white shirt and pants were dirty with dirt, and water dripped down wherever he walked. His anger toward the servants who couldn't protect the child, who couldn't move properly, was equally fierce.
“Your Majesty, the woman has been detained.”
The maid, who had been unable to escape as the chief steward had ordered, was caught and was forced to kneel.
“The baby...”
“The child is wet, so bring a blanket.”
Ian was still crying, as if he wanted his father to know how scared he was. Maybe that was why Ivan couldn't let his son out of his arms.
“Your Majesty, the blanket...”
“Ian!”
It was when the maid who had rushed in with the blankets appeared. A woman who looked closer to despair than this evening came running. It was Amelia.
“Oh my god...”
Amelia's face turned pale as she looked at Ian, who was still crying in Ivan's arms, and she trembled. Her trembling hands hovered in the air without even touching Ian's body.
“Change the baby’s clothes first. I think it would be better to do the crying later.”
Ivan, who was watching the scene, spoke with a low sigh. Amelia took off Ian's wet clothes and wrapped the child's body in a warm blanket. All the while, Amelia's face was as pale as a corpse.
“...”
It was to the point where he thought she might suffocate soon.
“Call the palace doctor. Have him examine the child’s condition.”
Ivan looked around at his servants and gave an order. The fastest servant hurried out of the West Palace.
“You too, stop crying and go inside to wait for the imperial palace.”
Ivan, who had been watching, gave orders to Amelia without looking back. There was no answer from Amelia, but he could tell that she had heard him because he could hear her footsteps slowly moving away from him.
Now Ivan's gaze turned to the maid kneeling on the floor. The maid's eyes were shaking incessantly, as if Ivan's sudden visit was unexpected.
“Your courage is admirable.”
Ivan quietly took off the jacket he was wearing. The fabric was suitable for the cold weather, and the jacket was damp and heavy. The servant reached out to take it.
“...?”
But Ivan's hand holding the jacket was not directed at the servant's hand, but at the maid's mouth. Ivan lowered his body and stuffed his jacket into the maid's mouth. He didn't seem to care at all about the reflexive groaning.
“You dare to harm the guest I protect within my walls?”
Ivan smiled. He didn't look angry. But that was actually how Ivan acted when he was angry. He wasn't the kind of person who used smiles to be kind and gentle.
“I can't hear what you're saying.”
The maid moved her mouth as if to make an excuse, but her mouth was blocked by the jacket.
“How can you be so mean, not even answering the questions your master asks?”
Not surprisingly, Ivan acted as if the maid was voluntarily refusing to answer his questions.
“Shall I hang your head on the wall?”
"...”
“Or should I just light it on fire and let it burn from the feet up? No. It wouldn’t be so bad to drown it in water like a child.”
Ivan whispered with a worried look on his face. Then he patted the maid's cheek with his hand. It didn't seem strange that he could slap her cheek at any moment with force.
“It was a kind gesture on my part, but I can’t help it since I haven’t received a response. I’ll decide later what to do about it.”
It was a voice that made you wonder if a servant of God could be so kind and affectionate. It was enough to make you forget how cruel and cold-hearted each word Ivan spoke was.
“Take her and lock her in the dungeon. After you lock her in the dungeon, gag her so she can’t bite her tongue.”
Ivan got up and gave the order. He had thought from the beginning that she might bite her tongue, so he put the cloth in her mouth. By the time the chamberlain realized Ivan’s intention, the guards were dragging the maid away like a piece of luggage.
“Your Majesty, please go and change your clothes. You might catch a cold...”
“Have you heard about the palace?”
The chamberlain tried to urge Ivan to change his clothes. However, he could not finish his words properly. As soon as Ivan heard that the imperial doctor had come, he turned around and walked towards the West Palace. His brisk steps quickly took him away from the servants.
When he came from the main palace to the western palace, the chamberlain hurriedly followed him.
“Ha, really. What is all this...”
But there was no way he could just barge into Ian’s room. The chamberlain bowed his head in front of the closed door, mulling over the absurd events of the day. The floor was wet. There was no need to ask where it came from.
“First, go and bring some clothes for His Majesty to change into.”
The chamberlain sighed and gave an order. The maid walked briskly. The chamberlain’s eyes followed her steps and scanned the floor once more.
“You clean the floor.”
A line of water droplets, clearly from Ivan's body, stretched from the entrance all the way to Ian's room.
"Your Majesty?"
Suddenly, Ivan's steps stopped. The chamberlain looked up at him with a puzzled face.
“Is the child’s bedroom the first room on the west side of the second floor?”
“Yes, yes. I know that.”
The chamberlain answered Ivan's question while observing the servants' reactions. In fact, the chamberlain was not interested in Ian, just as Ivan was not interested in the child.
“...”
In fact, Ivan already knew where Ian's room was. It wasn't hard to guess when he remembered where Amelia and he had met eyes. He asked the chamberlain about the room's location to see if there had been any changes.
Ivan stood still, staring blankly at the window of what was presumed to be Ian’s room. The window leading to the terrace was tightly shut. A soft light was also streaming through the tightly closed curtains.
But something was nagging at his intuition.
“Everyone, stay still.”
Ivan gave the order. He had never told them to keep quiet, but they all stood still, even keeping their voices quiet. Ivan left the servants behind and glanced at Ian's bedroom terrace.
There was no sign of life. It was impossible for a young child who couldn't even move to be left alone.
It was strange, Ivan thought, and listened as the wind brushed past his ears. He heard the sound of dry leaves being stepped on somewhere. It was near the garden behind the West Palace, where an artificial pond had been dug and a pavilion had been built so that people could rest near the pond.
Ivan took a step without hesitation. However, his steps were somewhat cautious, despite their lack of hesitation. They were quiet and made no sound.
“You should also be quiet.”
When they arrived at the garden, they saw the maid who had been assigned to Amelia. In her arms was a doll-sized lump, which seemed to be Ian. That was also nothing special.
If the person Ivan entrusted Ian to wasn't Mrs. Howard.
“...”
Mrs. Howard never left the child in her care. Even when she did, it was usually only for a moment, and she never allowed her maid to take the child away. He knew she was that kind of person, so he trusted Ian with her.
“You have to keep sleeping.”
Ivan hid in the shadows and watched the maid do her thing. She sat on the pavilion railing and kissed Ian on the forehead.
And then she let go of the hand that was holding the small body.
“...!”
Ian's body fell in an instant. Ivan ran out of the shadows without even thinking.
“Whoa!”
The maid saw Ivan and screamed in surprise. The servants who had been following Ivan came running in a hurry at the loud noise. Ivan instinctively jumped in, even though he knew that the water in the pond was not very clean. He forgot to order the maid to hold on and quickly picked up his son’s body from the water.
The water in the artificial pond was deep enough to reach the shoulders of an adult male at its deepest point. It was deep enough for a woman to easily escape if she could swim. However, it was enough to drown a young child who couldn't even protect himself or herself. Furthermore, since he was wrapped in a sling, he couldn't even struggle.
“Ian.”
Ian was so shocked that he forgot to even burst into tears, and his face was blank, and he couldn't even blink. Did he hit his head when he fell? Did water get into his head? Ivan called the child's name with a strangely anxious heart. It was the first time.
Ugh, ugh...
Only then did Ian's face turn red, and he burst into tears. The sound of his sobs, which came after he vomited water and then burst out, was sharp, as if expressing his shock.
"It's okay."
Ivan clumsily crawled out of the pond, his small body squeezing. His white shirt and pants were dirty with dirt, and water dripped down wherever he walked. His anger toward the servants who couldn't protect the child, who couldn't move properly, was equally fierce.
“Your Majesty, the woman has been detained.”
The maid, who had been unable to escape as the chief steward had ordered, was caught and was forced to kneel.
“The baby...”
“The child is wet, so bring a blanket.”
Ian was still crying, as if he wanted his father to know how scared he was. Maybe that was why Ivan couldn't let his son out of his arms.
“Your Majesty, the blanket...”
“Ian!”
It was when the maid who had rushed in with the blankets appeared. A woman who looked closer to despair than this evening came running. It was Amelia.
“Oh my god...”
Amelia's face turned pale as she looked at Ian, who was still crying in Ivan's arms, and she trembled. Her trembling hands hovered in the air without even touching Ian's body.
“Change the baby’s clothes first. I think it would be better to do the crying later.”
Ivan, who was watching the scene, spoke with a low sigh. Amelia took off Ian's wet clothes and wrapped the child's body in a warm blanket. All the while, Amelia's face was as pale as a corpse.
“...”
It was to the point where he thought she might suffocate soon.
“Call the palace doctor. Have him examine the child’s condition.”
Ivan looked around at his servants and gave an order. The fastest servant hurried out of the West Palace.
“You too, stop crying and go inside to wait for the imperial palace.”
Ivan, who had been watching, gave orders to Amelia without looking back. There was no answer from Amelia, but he could tell that she had heard him because he could hear her footsteps slowly moving away from him.
Now Ivan's gaze turned to the maid kneeling on the floor. The maid's eyes were shaking incessantly, as if Ivan's sudden visit was unexpected.
“Your courage is admirable.”
Ivan quietly took off the jacket he was wearing. The fabric was suitable for the cold weather, and the jacket was damp and heavy. The servant reached out to take it.
“...?”
But Ivan's hand holding the jacket was not directed at the servant's hand, but at the maid's mouth. Ivan lowered his body and stuffed his jacket into the maid's mouth. He didn't seem to care at all about the reflexive groaning.
“You dare to harm the guest I protect within my walls?”
Ivan smiled. He didn't look angry. But that was actually how Ivan acted when he was angry. He wasn't the kind of person who used smiles to be kind and gentle.
“I can't hear what you're saying.”
The maid moved her mouth as if to make an excuse, but her mouth was blocked by the jacket.
“How can you be so mean, not even answering the questions your master asks?”
Not surprisingly, Ivan acted as if the maid was voluntarily refusing to answer his questions.
“Shall I hang your head on the wall?”
"...”
“Or should I just light it on fire and let it burn from the feet up? No. It wouldn’t be so bad to drown it in water like a child.”
Ivan whispered with a worried look on his face. Then he patted the maid's cheek with his hand. It didn't seem strange that he could slap her cheek at any moment with force.
“It was a kind gesture on my part, but I can’t help it since I haven’t received a response. I’ll decide later what to do about it.”
It was a voice that made you wonder if a servant of God could be so kind and affectionate. It was enough to make you forget how cruel and cold-hearted each word Ivan spoke was.
“Take her and lock her in the dungeon. After you lock her in the dungeon, gag her so she can’t bite her tongue.”
Ivan got up and gave the order. He had thought from the beginning that she might bite her tongue, so he put the cloth in her mouth. By the time the chamberlain realized Ivan’s intention, the guards were dragging the maid away like a piece of luggage.
“Your Majesty, please go and change your clothes. You might catch a cold...”
“Have you heard about the palace?”
The chamberlain tried to urge Ivan to change his clothes. However, he could not finish his words properly. As soon as Ivan heard that the imperial doctor had come, he turned around and walked towards the West Palace. His brisk steps quickly took him away from the servants.
When he came from the main palace to the western palace, the chamberlain hurriedly followed him.
“Ha, really. What is all this...”
But there was no way he could just barge into Ian’s room. The chamberlain bowed his head in front of the closed door, mulling over the absurd events of the day. The floor was wet. There was no need to ask where it came from.
“First, go and bring some clothes for His Majesty to change into.”
The chamberlain sighed and gave an order. The maid walked briskly. The chamberlain’s eyes followed her steps and scanned the floor once more.
“You clean the floor.”
A line of water droplets, clearly from Ivan's body, stretched from the entrance all the way to Ian's room.
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