“If I can’t have it, you can’t have it.”
A soft voice seemed to have caught Ivan's ear. It wasn't a loud voice, so as not to wake Ian, but Ivan seemed to be listening intently so as not to miss even a single whisper.
Amelia lowered her feet under the bed. It was not intentional, but the hem of her nightgown skirt had risen, revealing her smooth legs through the cracked canopy. Ivan's eyes turned to her legs. It was natural. It was the place where he had once stroked her and kissed her softly.
“...”
But it seemed difficult to sense any impulse from him, who quickly took his eyes off the bridge. Ivan simply loosened the tie around his neck a little, as if he was feeling suffocated.
“You cannot be happy because you did not accept me.”
Amelia stood up, walked closer to Ivan, and placed her hand on his strong chin, whispering. She felt a little warmth at her fingertips, and her eyes met Ivan’s.
“I think that would be okay.”
“...”
“Isn’t it?”
Amelia asked him without avoiding his gaze. She was asking for his thoughts because she couldn't tell if his thoughts were reasonable, but he couldn't tell if she looked like a crazy woman.
“Do as you wish.”
Ivan replied in a grave voice, grabbing Amelia's hand and pulling her down, as if he couldn't stand even the slightest touch.
“I’ll make sure to send the proposal as soon as possible.”
“Please do so.”
Ivan hates himself. It's funny how long it's been that way. So even though he was proposing to someone and they were going to get married, he wasn't too shaken up.
“If you see anything suspicious, you should report it immediately.”
“You don’t have to worry, since what we have in our contract is Ian’s life, I will definitely keep it.”
Amelia answered with certainty. Ivan tilted his head slightly to the side and stared intently at Amelia's face.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
As if he had more to say, as if he wanted to find something in Amelia's face, whether it was sincere or not.
"No."
But that was only a moment. Ivan answered briefly and passed Amelia without a second thought. Amelia, who was across from Ivan, quietly traced the edge of the table he was leaning against with her fingers.
“If I can’t have it, you can’t have it.”
“If you don’t accept me, you can’t be happy either.”
The words that she had said as if she were acting came to mind. Amelia wondered if they had been completely false. If she hadn't made a promise to Ivan and Ian, it might have been sincere, not acting. When Amelia thought about that, she laughed a little because it was funny.
Even the sounds of life in the side room had completely disappeared. Even the lukewarm body heat that had remained on the edge of the table. Now, there was no more noise from Ivan left in Amelia's world.
Three days later, Ivan officially declared that Ian would be crowned Crown Prince when hr turned two. The Templar announced that the Emperor had gladly accepted God's wishes.
Instead, the temple set a condition: accepting Ian as the Crown Prince meant accepting him as their son, so they had to spend some time together once a day so that they could bond.
Ivan readily accepted the offer.
“You sent all of these as gifts?”
And soon, Ivan's gifts poured into the West Palace. Amelia stared blankly at the objects that filled the empty space in front of her bed.
“His Majesty the Emperor?”
Louis nodded at the voice that said she couldn't believe it. Louis also looked bewildered because it was something she hadn't expected.
“All this, why?”
“I don’t know either.”
“...”
“Oh my, there’s a dress included too.”
It wasn't just a dress that was sent. The gift list also included fabric and lace to make a dress according to one's taste, as well as precious jewelry that would be nice to see in passing.
"Oh my god..."
Louis's eyes sparkled with a secret greed. As Amelia had to show off her frugal lifestyle, Louis also avoided dressing up in overly flashy attire. Considering that young ladies of that age liked to follow trends and couldn't stand pretty things, Louis's reaction was natural.
“The color is really pretty. It feels good too.”
Amelia admired the fabric she had received as a gift, gently running her hand over it as if teasing Louis.
“I used to get a little self-conscious about wearing only plain dresses every day.”
Amelia looked down at the dress she was wearing as if embarrassed, muttering, as if she had encountered a new world and gained an eye for what was good, but was lamenting the moment she could not enjoy it. Louis could not help but read that from Amelia, who was reacting similarly to her.
“But he is sending me such a precious item... Didn’t His Majesty ask you to convey something separately?”
This time, Amelia, who had been fiddling with her dress, turned to Rodan, who had brought her a gift, and asked. He straightened his back, grateful that Amelia had shown interest in him even then.
“He said that since you came in a hurry because of Ian, you didn’t bring enough things, so he sent you a dress and some accessories as gifts.”
Although he said it indirectly, it was like scolding her to get things right because what she had and what she was wearing was really shabby.
“If the dress doesn’t fit, we’ll call a tailor to alter it, and if you have a design in mind, we can have the dress made with fabric.”
He was very good at pretending to care and speaking indirectly. Louis was impressed by Rodan's worldly wisdom.
“I will do so. Please be sure to tell His Majesty that I appreciate his consideration, Lord Rodan.”
“Yes, then I will go and deliver the gift to Ian as well.”
Rodan bowed deeply in response to Amelia's thanks and stepped aside.
“I want to change my clothes.”
“Let me help you. You’ll need hands to put on a dress like this.”
At Amelia's words, several maids hurried over. While Mrs. Warner took charge of sorting out the piled-up presents, they helped Amelia change into the blue dress she had chosen.
"Pretty..."
Amelia awkwardly received their help, changed into a dress, and stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in amazement. Hearing that reaction, Louis turned her head for a moment to see how amazing it was, but a faint look of surprise crossed her eyes.
“You look really good together.”
The maids also did not miss the opportunity to praise Amelia.
“Would you like me to do your hair again?”
“I think these sapphires would go well with earrings.”
The maids were trembling and flattering Amelia. Louis was watching them from behind with a look of disgust on her face.
“His Majesty sent only the items that would suit the Priestess well.”
“That’s right. I think he sent it to me knowing that it would suit me well. Was he watching?”
Amelia smiled bashfully, as if in a good mood. Louis' expression became somewhat mysterious. It was as if Amelia was having a strange illusion.
“It’s done now. Thank you all.”
“If you need anything else, please call me.”
The maids quietly retreated. As soon as they left, Amelia showed off her outfit to Louis. Louis looked flustered.
“I won in the end.”
"Yes?"
You win with just a gift? Louis asked in a puzzled voice.
“Actually, I liked him. Even before Aaron ordered me to seduce the Emperor. From the moment he saved Ian.”
Amelia spoke in a whisper. It was a voice that did not sound as nervous or harsh as usual, so it sounded somewhat unfamiliar to Louis.
“But he said he had no intention of accepting me.”
“Oh, when on earth did you confess to the Emperor?”
“When you weren’t around. The day we met at the library.”
Louis tried hard, but she couldn't always follow Amelia around. She could just pretend that she was using her free time.
“The Duke of Russell and Aaron once told me that if I seduced him, it would be an opportunity for a holy war, so I tried not to get caught for fear of being a danger to him.”
“...”
“But he rejected me. Even though he held my hand without hesitation.”
A clear expression of discomfort appeared on Amelia's face as if she was recalling the memory of that day. Louis quietly moved her lips. She was clearly embarrassed by Amelia's sudden confession.
“I made the fake oracle because I was so sad and resentful. No, actually, I was angry. That’s why I tried to kill Ian. So I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to kill him for not responding to the oracle.”
“...”
“I also thought that Ian would be safe from Aaron’s clutches once he became the Crown Prince, so there was no need to hesitate.”
Louis's gaze suddenly returned to her, as if asking if that was the cause of her moving around on her own.
“But look at this. In the end, he accepted Ian. And then he sent me and Ian a gift like this.”
Amelia smiled without avoiding her gaze.
“That means he lost. He’s apologizing for making me mad.”
“...”
“I feel refreshed.”
It was a refreshing attitude, as if a toothache had fallen out. Louis wondered for a moment if Amelia had always had this kind of personality. However, considering her usual impulsiveness and her temperamental nature of not backing down and having to take back what Louis or Aaron said, it wasn't impossible.
“Now that I think about it, it’s almost time for Ian to meet His Majesty the Emperor. I should go and say thank you, too.”
Amelia took a swaying step, holding onto the hem of her skirt. It seemed as if her body was trembling because she wanted to tease the Emperor, who had been defeated by her.
A soft voice seemed to have caught Ivan's ear. It wasn't a loud voice, so as not to wake Ian, but Ivan seemed to be listening intently so as not to miss even a single whisper.
Amelia lowered her feet under the bed. It was not intentional, but the hem of her nightgown skirt had risen, revealing her smooth legs through the cracked canopy. Ivan's eyes turned to her legs. It was natural. It was the place where he had once stroked her and kissed her softly.
“...”
But it seemed difficult to sense any impulse from him, who quickly took his eyes off the bridge. Ivan simply loosened the tie around his neck a little, as if he was feeling suffocated.
“You cannot be happy because you did not accept me.”
Amelia stood up, walked closer to Ivan, and placed her hand on his strong chin, whispering. She felt a little warmth at her fingertips, and her eyes met Ivan’s.
“I think that would be okay.”
“...”
“Isn’t it?”
Amelia asked him without avoiding his gaze. She was asking for his thoughts because she couldn't tell if his thoughts were reasonable, but he couldn't tell if she looked like a crazy woman.
“Do as you wish.”
Ivan replied in a grave voice, grabbing Amelia's hand and pulling her down, as if he couldn't stand even the slightest touch.
“I’ll make sure to send the proposal as soon as possible.”
“Please do so.”
Ivan hates himself. It's funny how long it's been that way. So even though he was proposing to someone and they were going to get married, he wasn't too shaken up.
“If you see anything suspicious, you should report it immediately.”
“You don’t have to worry, since what we have in our contract is Ian’s life, I will definitely keep it.”
Amelia answered with certainty. Ivan tilted his head slightly to the side and stared intently at Amelia's face.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
As if he had more to say, as if he wanted to find something in Amelia's face, whether it was sincere or not.
"No."
But that was only a moment. Ivan answered briefly and passed Amelia without a second thought. Amelia, who was across from Ivan, quietly traced the edge of the table he was leaning against with her fingers.
“If I can’t have it, you can’t have it.”
“If you don’t accept me, you can’t be happy either.”
The words that she had said as if she were acting came to mind. Amelia wondered if they had been completely false. If she hadn't made a promise to Ivan and Ian, it might have been sincere, not acting. When Amelia thought about that, she laughed a little because it was funny.
Even the sounds of life in the side room had completely disappeared. Even the lukewarm body heat that had remained on the edge of the table. Now, there was no more noise from Ivan left in Amelia's world.
***
Three days later, Ivan officially declared that Ian would be crowned Crown Prince when hr turned two. The Templar announced that the Emperor had gladly accepted God's wishes.
Instead, the temple set a condition: accepting Ian as the Crown Prince meant accepting him as their son, so they had to spend some time together once a day so that they could bond.
Ivan readily accepted the offer.
“You sent all of these as gifts?”
And soon, Ivan's gifts poured into the West Palace. Amelia stared blankly at the objects that filled the empty space in front of her bed.
“His Majesty the Emperor?”
Louis nodded at the voice that said she couldn't believe it. Louis also looked bewildered because it was something she hadn't expected.
“All this, why?”
“I don’t know either.”
“...”
“Oh my, there’s a dress included too.”
It wasn't just a dress that was sent. The gift list also included fabric and lace to make a dress according to one's taste, as well as precious jewelry that would be nice to see in passing.
"Oh my god..."
Louis's eyes sparkled with a secret greed. As Amelia had to show off her frugal lifestyle, Louis also avoided dressing up in overly flashy attire. Considering that young ladies of that age liked to follow trends and couldn't stand pretty things, Louis's reaction was natural.
“The color is really pretty. It feels good too.”
Amelia admired the fabric she had received as a gift, gently running her hand over it as if teasing Louis.
“I used to get a little self-conscious about wearing only plain dresses every day.”
Amelia looked down at the dress she was wearing as if embarrassed, muttering, as if she had encountered a new world and gained an eye for what was good, but was lamenting the moment she could not enjoy it. Louis could not help but read that from Amelia, who was reacting similarly to her.
“But he is sending me such a precious item... Didn’t His Majesty ask you to convey something separately?”
This time, Amelia, who had been fiddling with her dress, turned to Rodan, who had brought her a gift, and asked. He straightened his back, grateful that Amelia had shown interest in him even then.
“He said that since you came in a hurry because of Ian, you didn’t bring enough things, so he sent you a dress and some accessories as gifts.”
Although he said it indirectly, it was like scolding her to get things right because what she had and what she was wearing was really shabby.
“If the dress doesn’t fit, we’ll call a tailor to alter it, and if you have a design in mind, we can have the dress made with fabric.”
He was very good at pretending to care and speaking indirectly. Louis was impressed by Rodan's worldly wisdom.
“I will do so. Please be sure to tell His Majesty that I appreciate his consideration, Lord Rodan.”
“Yes, then I will go and deliver the gift to Ian as well.”
Rodan bowed deeply in response to Amelia's thanks and stepped aside.
“I want to change my clothes.”
“Let me help you. You’ll need hands to put on a dress like this.”
At Amelia's words, several maids hurried over. While Mrs. Warner took charge of sorting out the piled-up presents, they helped Amelia change into the blue dress she had chosen.
"Pretty..."
Amelia awkwardly received their help, changed into a dress, and stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in amazement. Hearing that reaction, Louis turned her head for a moment to see how amazing it was, but a faint look of surprise crossed her eyes.
“You look really good together.”
The maids also did not miss the opportunity to praise Amelia.
“Would you like me to do your hair again?”
“I think these sapphires would go well with earrings.”
The maids were trembling and flattering Amelia. Louis was watching them from behind with a look of disgust on her face.
“His Majesty sent only the items that would suit the Priestess well.”
“That’s right. I think he sent it to me knowing that it would suit me well. Was he watching?”
Amelia smiled bashfully, as if in a good mood. Louis' expression became somewhat mysterious. It was as if Amelia was having a strange illusion.
“It’s done now. Thank you all.”
“If you need anything else, please call me.”
The maids quietly retreated. As soon as they left, Amelia showed off her outfit to Louis. Louis looked flustered.
“I won in the end.”
"Yes?"
You win with just a gift? Louis asked in a puzzled voice.
“Actually, I liked him. Even before Aaron ordered me to seduce the Emperor. From the moment he saved Ian.”
Amelia spoke in a whisper. It was a voice that did not sound as nervous or harsh as usual, so it sounded somewhat unfamiliar to Louis.
“But he said he had no intention of accepting me.”
“Oh, when on earth did you confess to the Emperor?”
“When you weren’t around. The day we met at the library.”
Louis tried hard, but she couldn't always follow Amelia around. She could just pretend that she was using her free time.
“The Duke of Russell and Aaron once told me that if I seduced him, it would be an opportunity for a holy war, so I tried not to get caught for fear of being a danger to him.”
“...”
“But he rejected me. Even though he held my hand without hesitation.”
A clear expression of discomfort appeared on Amelia's face as if she was recalling the memory of that day. Louis quietly moved her lips. She was clearly embarrassed by Amelia's sudden confession.
“I made the fake oracle because I was so sad and resentful. No, actually, I was angry. That’s why I tried to kill Ian. So I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to kill him for not responding to the oracle.”
“...”
“I also thought that Ian would be safe from Aaron’s clutches once he became the Crown Prince, so there was no need to hesitate.”
Louis's gaze suddenly returned to her, as if asking if that was the cause of her moving around on her own.
“But look at this. In the end, he accepted Ian. And then he sent me and Ian a gift like this.”
Amelia smiled without avoiding her gaze.
“That means he lost. He’s apologizing for making me mad.”
“...”
“I feel refreshed.”
It was a refreshing attitude, as if a toothache had fallen out. Louis wondered for a moment if Amelia had always had this kind of personality. However, considering her usual impulsiveness and her temperamental nature of not backing down and having to take back what Louis or Aaron said, it wasn't impossible.
“Now that I think about it, it’s almost time for Ian to meet His Majesty the Emperor. I should go and say thank you, too.”
Amelia took a swaying step, holding onto the hem of her skirt. It seemed as if her body was trembling because she wanted to tease the Emperor, who had been defeated by her.
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