It was somehow unpleasant. It didn't change the fact that he was Ian's biological father, but it seemed like Amelia was trying to deny it somehow. That's why Ivan impulsively told her to hand over Ian. Amelia, who was half-turned, looked up at Ivan with confused eyes.
“Didn’t you hug him tightly when there were so many eyes on you earlier?”
“That’s just for show…...”
Amelia made excuses, trailing off. Meanwhile, Ivan pulled Ian out of Amelia’s arms as if he were pulling out a tree. The warmth that had disappeared from her chest instantly became empty.
“...”
He snatched it away without even giving it to her. Amelia sighed as she looked at Ivan, who was holding Ian's armpit with his hand.
“If you hold the baby like that, it will be uncomfortable.”
And she corrected Ivan's posture. Ian, whose expression became much more relaxed, buried his face in Ivan's broad shoulder and rubbed it roughly. His soft, chubby cheeks were squished roughly.
“Ian seems to like Your Majesty.”
Amelia, who had been quietly watching the scene, muttered. Regardless of what kind of feelings Amelia had for Ivan, she could not help but acknowledge that fact. Whether he knew that he was a man whose life was tied to his own or that he was his biological father, Ian kept hitting Ivan.
Perhaps he had already realized that his mother would no longer be around when he grew up. The bitterness lasted only a moment. It would have been better if the child had really thought that way.
“Let me say this again, the reason I asked you to come is because I have some questions to ask you.”
Amelia, who had been watching their reunion for a while, first recalled the reason why she had requested to meet him today. Ivan’s gaze, which had been staring at the child in his arms, clenching and unclenching his fists, flowed towards Amelia.
“Things related to noble families.”
“...”
“I don’t know much about them, except for the Duke of Russell. I was wondering if there were any others Your Majesty was wary of.”
Ivan nodded in agreement with Amelia's question.
“The Count of Skipper and the Viscount Brown are both collateral branches of the Duke of Russell. The Count of Skipper was founded by the second son of the first Duke of Russell, while the Viscount Brown was founded by the younger brother of the first Duke of Russell.”
Ivan's explanation was quite detailed. Unlike Amelia, who only knew their faces, names, and positions. It was natural. He saw their faces every day and gnashed his teeth.
“It’s only natural that they would become great nobles since they’ve been a family that’s been with Escliffe since its beginnings. After all, they share the same bloodline, so they even have a special bond with each other.”
They grew into a family that even the imperial family thought was funny. They enjoyed interfering with the affairs of the past Emperors and reminding them of their superiority. It was as if they were gods who looked down on the imperial family.
“Why are the priestesses and the royal family so unfriendly?”
“It was only natural, since the first thing the Priestess did upon her appearance was to soften the imperial decision.”
Ivan answered nonchalantly. Then Ian patted Ivan on the shoulder with his soft palm as if to kindly ask him to explain.
“The Seventh Emperor of Escliffe wanted to reclaim the lands bordering the sea from the Russells.”
The dukedom of Russell was located at the westernmost part of Escliff, close to the neighboring continent. They could trade with them by sailing a ship, and the dukedom of Russell made huge profits on the goods they purchased from them. This was the same even if they were the imperial family. The Emperor, who was indignant at this, tried to take away the dukedom by picking a quarrel with the dukedom of Russell. At that time, drought and epidemics blew into the dukedom of Russell.
Rumors spread that the Emperor was too greedy and that God was angry. The Emperor reluctantly withdrew from the Duke of Russell's lands. In fact, he would not have been very happy to be in an area where the plague was spreading.
The one who appeared at that time was a Priestess with black hair and black eyes. The woman who suddenly appeared from the sea made food out of ingredients that no one knew were ingredients, and was revered by the poor. She washed and isolated those who were dying from the contagious disease, and managed to prevent the disease from spreading further.
A goddess who will save Escliffe from danger. As word of this title spread, the woman smiled affectionately and said that she was not a goddess.
“I am only a representative of God, not a goddess or anything like that.”
The people criticized the Duke of Russell for not being able to prevent even one epidemic. Instead of making excuses, the Duke of Russell went to see a Priestess, knelt down, and kissed her feet.
“I came to this land to fulfill your earnest prayer to save the people of the territory.”
The Priestess kindly defended the Duke of Russell. The Duke of Russell swore that he and all his descendants would faithfully believe in and follow God and the Priestess. That was why they became the closest person to the Priestess.
“And the Priestess did anything for the Russell family, who worshipped her as a god.”
“...”
“First of all, they solidified the lord’s rights as an inviolable territory. So that the Emperor would not come forward to seize the land again.”
After that, the Duke of Russell reduced the taxes paid to the imperial court. He said that it was a temporary measure to support the livelihood of the people of the domain due to the famine, but the taxes were never increased again. Instead, since the imperial budget was reduced, he said that he would increase the number of private soldiers at his own expense so that they could be used as the Emperor's army at any time.
But that's not all. They were busy trying to terminate the royal family's monopoly on business rights by coming up with plausible reasons. They were reducing the royal family's authority again and again.
“To do that, of course, they had to confront the royal family on every issue.”
It was a bad relationship that had lasted for generations. So, it was inevitable that they would not be on good terms.
“Can a Priestess who only protects her authority really be considered a representative of God?”
Of course, they often do good deeds like donating or running orphanages, but that is just superficial. Everything they do is geared towards protecting the interests of the noble families.
“But after 200 years, everyone started to believe it was real. It’s surprising.”
Ivan lamented that the power of brainwashing was so great. He also had a look of resentment on his ancestors who had failed to get rid of the Priestess when she was nothing special.
“...”
But Amelia's face darkened with a resentment of a different meaning. 200 years. Her bloodline has been at the mercy of someone for such a long time.
Did her ancestors, who were first called Priestesses, really have special powers? Did they know why and use them? Did they know that even their descendants would be forced to live under their control?
Probably not. Just as Amelia had made countless foolish choices, they too would have realized the truth only after time had passed.
“Are they all the noble families?”
“There are more, but the temples and the extraordinary ones are the most representative. If they disappear, the rest will be nothing more than a rabble.”
Even among the nobles, these three families were the ones who held the most power and prestige. They were clearly the highest class, with the loudest voices.
“If only they would disappear...”
“We’ll find our way back to normal.”
Ivan answered indifferently. His gaze was fixed on the young boy, who suddenly lost his energy and began to stare at his eyes.
“I know what you mean.”
Amelia answered as she reached out to Ivan. It seemed as if she was going to take Ian, who was starting to feel sleepy. Ivan picked up Ian and handed him to Amelia.
“...”
Their hands touched.
“I’ll make sure to meet them all someday.”
It was a body that he had once held in his arms and felt. However, the body temperature that he had touched after such a long time felt unfamiliar. Ivan felt the skin on his fingertips tingle. However, Amelia, who was holding Ian in her arms and comforting him, did not feel even a moment of discomfort.
“But even if I meet them, I don’t know how to leave any evidence.”
Ian closed his eyes gently in his mother's arms, where he felt most secure. Ivan watched his peaceful appearance blankly.
“I’ve never corresponded with Aaron either.”
They left no evidence, as was their custom. The main reason the Priestess's bloodline was cut off from the past was because she was locked up inside a wall, but there was clearly a reason for that as well.
“Jane Clarke will be entering the palace soon. Use that as an opportunity to call them to the palace. I’ll allow you to do so.”
“...”
“No matter how much you try to block people from hearing your conversation, the employees will still remember who is coming.”
Ivan gave a neat solution.
“And keep a record of every day. Who came, what they talked about, and what you should do next.”
The consistent records left by the executor of the plan they had devised were bound to serve as evidence.
“I guess I can confirm what you said to them through those records.”
It meant that he couldn't trust her even though she had already promised in writing. Ivan already had a deep distrust of Amelia.
“I don’t need to emphasize this enough. I’m not going to lie, I’m risking Ian’s life.”
Amelia was the one who could not trust Ivan. Wasn't he the one who approached her first to use her and then deceived her with lies?
“At least you can tell me what’s strange.”
But she couldn't blame Ivan completely. It's funny, but Amelia was relying on him the most right now. He was the only person she could trust among all the untrustworthy people. And between them was her child. Ivan had said that he didn't want to kill the child.
“...”
Their eyes met. Eyes like grass eaten by the night's energy were staring straight at Amelia. Just like the eyes that had been revealed under the helmet.
“I’ll do it. Anything, as long as you don’t hate Ian.”
The man came to mind, and the resentment suddenly raised its head. Reflexively, it tightened its grip. However, Amelia consciously relaxed her grip. Resentment also lowered its head. Knowing that resentment only dragged her heart deeper and lower, it could not change anything. Knowing that the Emperor in front of her was not the man she had loved.
Now he wasn't even angry at Ivan. He had to be.
“Didn’t you hug him tightly when there were so many eyes on you earlier?”
“That’s just for show…...”
Amelia made excuses, trailing off. Meanwhile, Ivan pulled Ian out of Amelia’s arms as if he were pulling out a tree. The warmth that had disappeared from her chest instantly became empty.
“...”
He snatched it away without even giving it to her. Amelia sighed as she looked at Ivan, who was holding Ian's armpit with his hand.
“If you hold the baby like that, it will be uncomfortable.”
And she corrected Ivan's posture. Ian, whose expression became much more relaxed, buried his face in Ivan's broad shoulder and rubbed it roughly. His soft, chubby cheeks were squished roughly.
“Ian seems to like Your Majesty.”
Amelia, who had been quietly watching the scene, muttered. Regardless of what kind of feelings Amelia had for Ivan, she could not help but acknowledge that fact. Whether he knew that he was a man whose life was tied to his own or that he was his biological father, Ian kept hitting Ivan.
Perhaps he had already realized that his mother would no longer be around when he grew up. The bitterness lasted only a moment. It would have been better if the child had really thought that way.
“Let me say this again, the reason I asked you to come is because I have some questions to ask you.”
Amelia, who had been watching their reunion for a while, first recalled the reason why she had requested to meet him today. Ivan’s gaze, which had been staring at the child in his arms, clenching and unclenching his fists, flowed towards Amelia.
“Things related to noble families.”
“...”
“I don’t know much about them, except for the Duke of Russell. I was wondering if there were any others Your Majesty was wary of.”
Ivan nodded in agreement with Amelia's question.
“The Count of Skipper and the Viscount Brown are both collateral branches of the Duke of Russell. The Count of Skipper was founded by the second son of the first Duke of Russell, while the Viscount Brown was founded by the younger brother of the first Duke of Russell.”
Ivan's explanation was quite detailed. Unlike Amelia, who only knew their faces, names, and positions. It was natural. He saw their faces every day and gnashed his teeth.
“It’s only natural that they would become great nobles since they’ve been a family that’s been with Escliffe since its beginnings. After all, they share the same bloodline, so they even have a special bond with each other.”
They grew into a family that even the imperial family thought was funny. They enjoyed interfering with the affairs of the past Emperors and reminding them of their superiority. It was as if they were gods who looked down on the imperial family.
“Why are the priestesses and the royal family so unfriendly?”
“It was only natural, since the first thing the Priestess did upon her appearance was to soften the imperial decision.”
Ivan answered nonchalantly. Then Ian patted Ivan on the shoulder with his soft palm as if to kindly ask him to explain.
“The Seventh Emperor of Escliffe wanted to reclaim the lands bordering the sea from the Russells.”
The dukedom of Russell was located at the westernmost part of Escliff, close to the neighboring continent. They could trade with them by sailing a ship, and the dukedom of Russell made huge profits on the goods they purchased from them. This was the same even if they were the imperial family. The Emperor, who was indignant at this, tried to take away the dukedom by picking a quarrel with the dukedom of Russell. At that time, drought and epidemics blew into the dukedom of Russell.
Rumors spread that the Emperor was too greedy and that God was angry. The Emperor reluctantly withdrew from the Duke of Russell's lands. In fact, he would not have been very happy to be in an area where the plague was spreading.
The one who appeared at that time was a Priestess with black hair and black eyes. The woman who suddenly appeared from the sea made food out of ingredients that no one knew were ingredients, and was revered by the poor. She washed and isolated those who were dying from the contagious disease, and managed to prevent the disease from spreading further.
A goddess who will save Escliffe from danger. As word of this title spread, the woman smiled affectionately and said that she was not a goddess.
“I am only a representative of God, not a goddess or anything like that.”
The people criticized the Duke of Russell for not being able to prevent even one epidemic. Instead of making excuses, the Duke of Russell went to see a Priestess, knelt down, and kissed her feet.
“I came to this land to fulfill your earnest prayer to save the people of the territory.”
The Priestess kindly defended the Duke of Russell. The Duke of Russell swore that he and all his descendants would faithfully believe in and follow God and the Priestess. That was why they became the closest person to the Priestess.
“And the Priestess did anything for the Russell family, who worshipped her as a god.”
“...”
“First of all, they solidified the lord’s rights as an inviolable territory. So that the Emperor would not come forward to seize the land again.”
After that, the Duke of Russell reduced the taxes paid to the imperial court. He said that it was a temporary measure to support the livelihood of the people of the domain due to the famine, but the taxes were never increased again. Instead, since the imperial budget was reduced, he said that he would increase the number of private soldiers at his own expense so that they could be used as the Emperor's army at any time.
But that's not all. They were busy trying to terminate the royal family's monopoly on business rights by coming up with plausible reasons. They were reducing the royal family's authority again and again.
“To do that, of course, they had to confront the royal family on every issue.”
It was a bad relationship that had lasted for generations. So, it was inevitable that they would not be on good terms.
“Can a Priestess who only protects her authority really be considered a representative of God?”
Of course, they often do good deeds like donating or running orphanages, but that is just superficial. Everything they do is geared towards protecting the interests of the noble families.
“But after 200 years, everyone started to believe it was real. It’s surprising.”
Ivan lamented that the power of brainwashing was so great. He also had a look of resentment on his ancestors who had failed to get rid of the Priestess when she was nothing special.
“...”
But Amelia's face darkened with a resentment of a different meaning. 200 years. Her bloodline has been at the mercy of someone for such a long time.
Did her ancestors, who were first called Priestesses, really have special powers? Did they know why and use them? Did they know that even their descendants would be forced to live under their control?
Probably not. Just as Amelia had made countless foolish choices, they too would have realized the truth only after time had passed.
“Are they all the noble families?”
“There are more, but the temples and the extraordinary ones are the most representative. If they disappear, the rest will be nothing more than a rabble.”
Even among the nobles, these three families were the ones who held the most power and prestige. They were clearly the highest class, with the loudest voices.
“If only they would disappear...”
“We’ll find our way back to normal.”
Ivan answered indifferently. His gaze was fixed on the young boy, who suddenly lost his energy and began to stare at his eyes.
“I know what you mean.”
Amelia answered as she reached out to Ivan. It seemed as if she was going to take Ian, who was starting to feel sleepy. Ivan picked up Ian and handed him to Amelia.
“...”
Their hands touched.
“I’ll make sure to meet them all someday.”
It was a body that he had once held in his arms and felt. However, the body temperature that he had touched after such a long time felt unfamiliar. Ivan felt the skin on his fingertips tingle. However, Amelia, who was holding Ian in her arms and comforting him, did not feel even a moment of discomfort.
“But even if I meet them, I don’t know how to leave any evidence.”
Ian closed his eyes gently in his mother's arms, where he felt most secure. Ivan watched his peaceful appearance blankly.
“I’ve never corresponded with Aaron either.”
They left no evidence, as was their custom. The main reason the Priestess's bloodline was cut off from the past was because she was locked up inside a wall, but there was clearly a reason for that as well.
“Jane Clarke will be entering the palace soon. Use that as an opportunity to call them to the palace. I’ll allow you to do so.”
“...”
“No matter how much you try to block people from hearing your conversation, the employees will still remember who is coming.”
Ivan gave a neat solution.
“And keep a record of every day. Who came, what they talked about, and what you should do next.”
The consistent records left by the executor of the plan they had devised were bound to serve as evidence.
“I guess I can confirm what you said to them through those records.”
It meant that he couldn't trust her even though she had already promised in writing. Ivan already had a deep distrust of Amelia.
“I don’t need to emphasize this enough. I’m not going to lie, I’m risking Ian’s life.”
Amelia was the one who could not trust Ivan. Wasn't he the one who approached her first to use her and then deceived her with lies?
“At least you can tell me what’s strange.”
But she couldn't blame Ivan completely. It's funny, but Amelia was relying on him the most right now. He was the only person she could trust among all the untrustworthy people. And between them was her child. Ivan had said that he didn't want to kill the child.
“...”
Their eyes met. Eyes like grass eaten by the night's energy were staring straight at Amelia. Just like the eyes that had been revealed under the helmet.
“I’ll do it. Anything, as long as you don’t hate Ian.”
The man came to mind, and the resentment suddenly raised its head. Reflexively, it tightened its grip. However, Amelia consciously relaxed her grip. Resentment also lowered its head. Knowing that resentment only dragged her heart deeper and lower, it could not change anything. Knowing that the Emperor in front of her was not the man she had loved.
Now he wasn't even angry at Ivan. He had to be.
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