“Lady Howard, His Majesty the Emperor is eating.”
Mrs. Howard was at a loss as to what to do when she noticed Amelia's depressed mood. Then came the knocking and the news that Ivan had come to see Ian.
“Your Majesty. Why all of a sudden...”
“Now I’m going to go check if the child is okay.”
Mrs. Howard got up from her seat and hurriedly opened the door to greet him. Ivan, who had come to keep his promise to spend time with him every day, seemed not to expect Amelia to be there. He cocked one eyebrow and looked down at Amelia.
“Please forgive me for daring to sit down and greet you.”
Amelia spoke while looking at Ian in her arms. Ivan seemed to be okay with that kind of thing and did not criticize Amelia for not being polite to the Emperor.
“I will stay in the side room for a while.”
Mrs. Howard had moved into the small room next to Ian's bedroom, leaving only Ivan and Amelia in Ian's bedroom.
“I heard Aaron Skipper was there.”
“Yes. I called him in under the pretense of Ian being sick.”
Amelia answered obediently.
“He didn’t believe me when I said Your Majesty was trying to kill Ian. He knew right away that it was me who planned it.”
“...”
“That’s why I pretended to be a crazy woman. I wanted you so badly, but I couldn’t, so I pretended to be crazy.”
“Does he believe you when you say it with that face?”
Perhaps because of his overly indifferent expression, Ivan asked if Aaron had really been fooled by such ridiculous acting skills. He seemed to not believe it.
“He believed me when I said I was sincere enough to sleep with someone I despised so much.”
So she had no choice but to explain in detail. She had decided to share everything in detail with Ivan anyway.
“He's so good at understanding the subject that he can’t even let it show, even though he likes me, so he knows how much I hate you.”
There was silence in the room for a moment. It seemed like Ivan was in a good mood because he had heard useless information about Aaron Skipper.
“He said he would try to persuade the Duke. He will bring me news about the Duke of Russell soon.”
It was just a harvest. Amelia reported the meager results and turned her gaze to Ian. Silence fell in the room. But Ivan did not leave Ian's bedroom.
“...It seems that Lady Clarke likes children.”
Finally, Amelia, who could no longer bear the discomfort, opened her mouth again. Ivan frowned slightly at the name that suddenly came out. It seemed that Amelia had privately mentioned the person who would become his wife.
“Mrs. Howard said she sent Ian a present, and he often plays with it.”
Amelia spoke, shaking the toy in her hand gently. Ivan stared uncomfortably at the toy, which was covered in the child's spit and was dirty.
“I heard she likes children and animals.”
Amelia nodded at Ivan's words.
“That’s fortunate.”
And she replied that it was fortunate that Jane Clarke did not hate Ian, because Jane would one day become Ian's mother.
“...”
Mrs. Howard had taken the time to leave the room so they could have a more comfortable conversation, but after that, the conversation stopped. Amelia didn't say anything, and Ivan didn't open his mouth either, so that was natural.
“Is that all?”
After a long time, Ivan asked a question.
"What..."
It was a question that was difficult to understand. If his question was about the person who would become his wife, she didn't really want to answer. Amelia had no questions about Jane Clarke, and she didn't want to be curious. She wanted to end up not even seeing her face until the end, and just be a stranger.
“There must be a reason why you chose her.”
Where Ivan listened to the reason and said it was not reasonable, what kind of person would she be? She thought he would have chosen it because he thought it was right, so it was difficult to understand why he would ask such a thing.
“Your Majesty, it would be better if I did not ask any questions.”
Moreover, if Amelia, of all people, were to challenge his decision, Ivan would be even more reluctant. He would probably think that she was still trying to get him to stay by her side.
If he wasn't trying to tear her heart apart, it was a strange question, and if he was trying to tear her heart apart, it was bad taste. Amelia thought so and kept her mouth shut. She had nothing more to say to Ivan. Then, Ivan, who had been staring at Amelia as if he had more to say, turned away first.
“Ma! Muah!”
Ian roared like a young animal. Amelia gave Ian a squeaky smile and kissed his forehead.
Even though the uncomfortable silence was gone, the feeling of a corner of her chest being blocked did not go away.
Ivan's mood is bad. Rodan noticed it right away. However, the only place he visited before his mood started to get bad was the West Palace, where Ian was staying, so the cause is unknown. After all, there's no way a child who's just trying to get a belly button would hurt Ivan's mood.
“Did Lady Clarke send Ian a gift?”
As Rodan was pondering why things had become like this, a question suddenly came out of Ivan's mouth. Rodan flinched in surprise, but tried his best not to show it.
“Yes. She sent Ian some toys.”
“...”
“I relayed it because it was not a food ingredient, and it had already been confirmed that it was not dangerous.”
Was that the problem? But after inspecting the gift himself several times, it didn't seem like it would be a problem.
“I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get close to her since she’ll soon be the Empress. But if there’s any problem...”
Then Rodan guessed that Ian might be sick again. If that was the case, he could understand why Ivan was upset. He said that he would spare his life because he was his child. Even though Rodan burned the contract between them, the contents were clear.
“Amelia Escliffe is still staying at the palace, so do not deliver Lady Clarke’s gifts without caution.”
Rodan nodded immediately. It wasn't a big deal that he didn't give Ian the gift he had received. In fact, it was a good thing that he had to inspect the gift.
However, Rodan was a little puzzled. Was the underlying concern for Amelia's feelings being hurt?
“Get out.”
But before he could ask that, Ivan pushed Rodan's back and told him to leave. Rodan quietly left, considering Ivan's feelings.
“...”
Ivan didn't even notice that Rodan was leaving. His mind was busy replaying the conversation he had with Amelia.
“He believed me when I said I was sincere enough to sleep with someone I hated so much.”
The fact that she had spoken so earnestly that she could sleep with Aaron Skipper lingered in his mind.
“He's so good at understanding the subject that I can’t even let it show, even though he likes me, so he knows how much I hate you.”
The fact that Aaron Skipper was sitting in the position of the High Priest and secretly liked Amelia. If it was true that Aaron was in love with Amelia, as he had heard, then there was no way he would have missed his chance.
“Is that all?”
In that situation, if Aaron trusted Amelia's words and left, does that mean he had sex with her?
Amelia didn't say anything more to Ivan's questioning. She simply changed the subject to Jane Clarke and covered her mouth with a sad expression.
“...”
So you slept with him?
The words he couldn't ask properly were stuck in his throat. Whether Amelia slept with Aaron or not, what did it matter to him? Even as he thought that, his thoughts wouldn't stop.
Because he already knows what that woman looks like on the bed.
Black hair disheveled like bed sheets, pitch-black eyes sparkling with tears, slightly open and red lips, soft flesh squishing under his solid chest, smooth and soft skin, and body temperature wrapping around his shoulders.
Even though it had been over a year, the image of Amelia in his memory had not faded at all. His throat burned as the memory came to mind naturally. It was hard to believe that it was only recently that he had rejected Amelia, who was trying to seduce him on the bed.
“Stop worrying, Ivan Wade Escliffe.”
Ivan let out a sigh as he loosened the tie around his neck. He then threw a sharp rebuke at himself for not being able to control his complicated feelings. Then, his mind gradually became quiet.
It wouldn't be a big deal if the woman he had entangled with once rolled around in bed with another man. He might feel bad about sharing what he had once cherished with someone else. But that was the extent of his feelings.
Amelia was not even a woman he could be.
Mrs. Howard was at a loss as to what to do when she noticed Amelia's depressed mood. Then came the knocking and the news that Ivan had come to see Ian.
“Your Majesty. Why all of a sudden...”
“Now I’m going to go check if the child is okay.”
Mrs. Howard got up from her seat and hurriedly opened the door to greet him. Ivan, who had come to keep his promise to spend time with him every day, seemed not to expect Amelia to be there. He cocked one eyebrow and looked down at Amelia.
“Please forgive me for daring to sit down and greet you.”
Amelia spoke while looking at Ian in her arms. Ivan seemed to be okay with that kind of thing and did not criticize Amelia for not being polite to the Emperor.
“I will stay in the side room for a while.”
Mrs. Howard had moved into the small room next to Ian's bedroom, leaving only Ivan and Amelia in Ian's bedroom.
“I heard Aaron Skipper was there.”
“Yes. I called him in under the pretense of Ian being sick.”
Amelia answered obediently.
“He didn’t believe me when I said Your Majesty was trying to kill Ian. He knew right away that it was me who planned it.”
“...”
“That’s why I pretended to be a crazy woman. I wanted you so badly, but I couldn’t, so I pretended to be crazy.”
“Does he believe you when you say it with that face?”
Perhaps because of his overly indifferent expression, Ivan asked if Aaron had really been fooled by such ridiculous acting skills. He seemed to not believe it.
“He believed me when I said I was sincere enough to sleep with someone I despised so much.”
So she had no choice but to explain in detail. She had decided to share everything in detail with Ivan anyway.
“He's so good at understanding the subject that he can’t even let it show, even though he likes me, so he knows how much I hate you.”
There was silence in the room for a moment. It seemed like Ivan was in a good mood because he had heard useless information about Aaron Skipper.
“He said he would try to persuade the Duke. He will bring me news about the Duke of Russell soon.”
It was just a harvest. Amelia reported the meager results and turned her gaze to Ian. Silence fell in the room. But Ivan did not leave Ian's bedroom.
“...It seems that Lady Clarke likes children.”
Finally, Amelia, who could no longer bear the discomfort, opened her mouth again. Ivan frowned slightly at the name that suddenly came out. It seemed that Amelia had privately mentioned the person who would become his wife.
“Mrs. Howard said she sent Ian a present, and he often plays with it.”
Amelia spoke, shaking the toy in her hand gently. Ivan stared uncomfortably at the toy, which was covered in the child's spit and was dirty.
“I heard she likes children and animals.”
Amelia nodded at Ivan's words.
“That’s fortunate.”
And she replied that it was fortunate that Jane Clarke did not hate Ian, because Jane would one day become Ian's mother.
“...”
Mrs. Howard had taken the time to leave the room so they could have a more comfortable conversation, but after that, the conversation stopped. Amelia didn't say anything, and Ivan didn't open his mouth either, so that was natural.
“Is that all?”
After a long time, Ivan asked a question.
"What..."
It was a question that was difficult to understand. If his question was about the person who would become his wife, she didn't really want to answer. Amelia had no questions about Jane Clarke, and she didn't want to be curious. She wanted to end up not even seeing her face until the end, and just be a stranger.
“There must be a reason why you chose her.”
Where Ivan listened to the reason and said it was not reasonable, what kind of person would she be? She thought he would have chosen it because he thought it was right, so it was difficult to understand why he would ask such a thing.
“Your Majesty, it would be better if I did not ask any questions.”
Moreover, if Amelia, of all people, were to challenge his decision, Ivan would be even more reluctant. He would probably think that she was still trying to get him to stay by her side.
If he wasn't trying to tear her heart apart, it was a strange question, and if he was trying to tear her heart apart, it was bad taste. Amelia thought so and kept her mouth shut. She had nothing more to say to Ivan. Then, Ivan, who had been staring at Amelia as if he had more to say, turned away first.
“Ma! Muah!”
Ian roared like a young animal. Amelia gave Ian a squeaky smile and kissed his forehead.
Even though the uncomfortable silence was gone, the feeling of a corner of her chest being blocked did not go away.
***
Ivan's mood is bad. Rodan noticed it right away. However, the only place he visited before his mood started to get bad was the West Palace, where Ian was staying, so the cause is unknown. After all, there's no way a child who's just trying to get a belly button would hurt Ivan's mood.
“Did Lady Clarke send Ian a gift?”
As Rodan was pondering why things had become like this, a question suddenly came out of Ivan's mouth. Rodan flinched in surprise, but tried his best not to show it.
“Yes. She sent Ian some toys.”
“...”
“I relayed it because it was not a food ingredient, and it had already been confirmed that it was not dangerous.”
Was that the problem? But after inspecting the gift himself several times, it didn't seem like it would be a problem.
“I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get close to her since she’ll soon be the Empress. But if there’s any problem...”
Then Rodan guessed that Ian might be sick again. If that was the case, he could understand why Ivan was upset. He said that he would spare his life because he was his child. Even though Rodan burned the contract between them, the contents were clear.
“Amelia Escliffe is still staying at the palace, so do not deliver Lady Clarke’s gifts without caution.”
Rodan nodded immediately. It wasn't a big deal that he didn't give Ian the gift he had received. In fact, it was a good thing that he had to inspect the gift.
However, Rodan was a little puzzled. Was the underlying concern for Amelia's feelings being hurt?
“Get out.”
But before he could ask that, Ivan pushed Rodan's back and told him to leave. Rodan quietly left, considering Ivan's feelings.
“...”
Ivan didn't even notice that Rodan was leaving. His mind was busy replaying the conversation he had with Amelia.
“He believed me when I said I was sincere enough to sleep with someone I hated so much.”
The fact that she had spoken so earnestly that she could sleep with Aaron Skipper lingered in his mind.
“He's so good at understanding the subject that I can’t even let it show, even though he likes me, so he knows how much I hate you.”
The fact that Aaron Skipper was sitting in the position of the High Priest and secretly liked Amelia. If it was true that Aaron was in love with Amelia, as he had heard, then there was no way he would have missed his chance.
“Is that all?”
In that situation, if Aaron trusted Amelia's words and left, does that mean he had sex with her?
Amelia didn't say anything more to Ivan's questioning. She simply changed the subject to Jane Clarke and covered her mouth with a sad expression.
“...”
So you slept with him?
The words he couldn't ask properly were stuck in his throat. Whether Amelia slept with Aaron or not, what did it matter to him? Even as he thought that, his thoughts wouldn't stop.
Because he already knows what that woman looks like on the bed.
Black hair disheveled like bed sheets, pitch-black eyes sparkling with tears, slightly open and red lips, soft flesh squishing under his solid chest, smooth and soft skin, and body temperature wrapping around his shoulders.
Even though it had been over a year, the image of Amelia in his memory had not faded at all. His throat burned as the memory came to mind naturally. It was hard to believe that it was only recently that he had rejected Amelia, who was trying to seduce him on the bed.
“Stop worrying, Ivan Wade Escliffe.”
Ivan let out a sigh as he loosened the tie around his neck. He then threw a sharp rebuke at himself for not being able to control his complicated feelings. Then, his mind gradually became quiet.
It wouldn't be a big deal if the woman he had entangled with once rolled around in bed with another man. He might feel bad about sharing what he had once cherished with someone else. But that was the extent of his feelings.
Amelia was not even a woman he could be.
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