Amelia was nothing more than Ian's mother or mistress to Ivan. She couldn't be anything more, and she shouldn't be. But isn't it almost as if he's begging Amelia to be more than that?
Lately, since he's always been by her side, it seems like his head has been thinking that Amelia and he are really playing a romantic game.
“...”
Is it really possible to be this lost in thought?
“Ivan.”
Ivan was ruminating on his own foolishness when a gentle hand grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. Her pitch-black eyes stared intently at him.
“Since there aren’t many days left anyway, how about going on an outing with Ian?”
He seemed nervous, as he was about to face a big event. Intellectually, he understood this and knew it was right to keep pace.
“I think it might be a bit difficult.”
But Ivan, who had just realized that the kindness and attention he had shown Amelia was excessive, could not agree with this.
“...Is it difficult?”
A faint disappointment flashed across Amelia's round eyes. Disappointment over such a vague rejection? Ivan was struck by how easily he had responded to Amelia's demands.
“There’s not much work left, so I can’t afford to have anything that might arouse suspicion.”
“...”
“You two go. I’ll go after everything is finished.”
"Then there won't be anyone arguing with you, and you'll be able to enjoy your outings in peace," Ivan added.
But that wasn't really his intention. Ivan simply felt he needed to distance himself from Amelia, even if only for a while. There was no need, but her constant presence in this bedroom seemed to be playing tricks on him.
"Yes."
Amelia's face still held a hint of resentment, but she quickly gave up. It was as if she hadn't even expected him to show her any kindness. She should have praised him, but strangely, even that felt unpleasant.
His emotions surged like raging waves. At unexpected moments, in unexpected situations, he was uncontrollable. Like the impulsiveness of a fifteen-year-old child.
“...”
Fuck.
Ivan's throat rose and fell loudly, following the urge to say, "Let's do as you wish," and the curses he suppressed.
“Your Ladyship, I hear that preparations are complete.”
Amelia, who had been sitting on her chair, fidgeting with her hands, raised her head. Louis, who had been reading peacefully, also looked beyond the book and toward Amelia.
“Really? What about Ian?”
“Mrs. Howard said she was ready too.”
“Then we can set off.”
Amelia stood up and put the thing she had been fiddling with into the basket on the table.
“What were you making?”
“I was embroidering on a handkerchief.”
Louis asked, as if she'd always been curious. Amelia revealed a trivial secret. It was so trivial that Louis felt embarrassed.
“Haven’t you already made fifteen?”
“The more, the better. Ian uses a lot of handkerchiefs.”
Amelia replied calmly. The comment that the child drooled so much, it was only natural that he needed so many handkerchiefs, flowed naturally. Come to think of it, at some point Amelia had gained the upper hand over Louis in that way. Louis furrowed her brow in a strange discomfort.
“His Majesty the Emperor has specifically ordered that the entrance to the forest behind the North Gate be opened, so the servants will escort you there.”
The maid bowed low and announced the destination. Amelia nodded and followed the servants. Harry and Louis, who had become Amelia's knights a few days earlier, followed behind.
“The weather is nice.”
“Yeah. I guess they know there’s an event coming up soon.”
Louis looked up at the clear blue sky and muttered about how nice the weather was. Amelia agreed. The light sparkling through the leaves was as beautiful as the facets of a beautifully polished jewel.
“...”
It would have been nice if Ivan had been there too. Perhaps it was because the weather was so nice, Amelia thought for a moment.
“I will have to thank His Majesty later for introducing me to such a wonderful place.”
The picnic area, where Ian could crawl and play, was quiet and secluded, yet well-kept. Naturally, it didn't seem likely that any wild animals would suddenly appear and threaten them.
“Ian, too, right?”
Mrs. Howard, who had arrived before she knew it, found Ian in her arms. Amelia, with a bright smile, lifted Ian into her arms. Ian, who had grown so much by the day, smiled brightly, as if he was enjoying floating through the air.
"It was hard getting here, Mrs. Howard. I know it must have been a hassle for you to have to move so suddenly."
“This is a road I often took with His Majesty, so it wasn’t difficult at all.”
“Does His Majesty come here often?”
Mrs. Howard nodded.
“His Majesty was also a very active person.”
It meant that simply wandering around the palace wasn't enough to keep Ivan busy. Thinking of that nobleman's face now, it was hard to connect with his mischievous childhood.
“It’s fortunate that Ian can’t run around yet.”
She said that once boys start running around, they're hard to control. Mrs. Howard didn't look particularly pleased as she spoke, perhaps recalling Rodan and Ivan's childhood.
“Your Ladyship.”
"Yes?"
“The High Priest came to see you...”
Amelia was giving Ian a lock of her hair and talking to Mrs. Howard, when the maid told her that Aaron had come to visit.
“Please bring him here.”
At Amelia's words, the maid nodded and ran out. Soon after, she reappeared with Aaron. Since Ian's appointment as Crown Prince was a significant event for the temple, Aaron was also planning to stay at the palace for a few days.
“I meet the Priestess.”
“Long time no see, Aaron.”
Amelia gave a small greeting. Aaron bowed and stood at the table where Amelia was sitting.
“Sit down. Don’t make me look up like that.”
Then, as if she felt uncomfortable looking up at him, Amelia ordered Aaron to sit down. He was as tall as Ivan, so sitting up and looking up was definitely straining his neck.
“I brought what you asked for.”
“Ah, Mandarake.”
Amelia casually mentioned Mandarake. While the surveillance had eased somewhat, Aaron's movements always required a justification for a visit.
"Thank you. I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I've heard that boiling it in water and drinking the resulting tea helps with sleep. I'll give it a try."
Moreover, mandarake was a plant known to help relax muscles and promote mental stability. This in itself was not particularly suspicious.
But of course, Amelia's mention of Aaron bringing Mandarake wasn't intended to make her encounter with him seem more believable. It was simply to leave a note of his suspicious behavior in case he was investigated someday.
"Mama!"
Amelia handed the basket Aaron had given her to the maid. Meanwhile, Ian, who had been crawling on the mat, grabbed Aaron's leg and stood up briskly. He'd been bracing himself with every move he'd made, and now he'd rush to anything he could find.
“Ian, Aaron is not Mama.”
However, there was a slight problem with the language. Since Ivan wasn't officially Ian's father, the child wasn't familiar with the word "dad." So, even though he knew Aaron and Amelia had a different body type, he kept calling him "mom."
"Ipt's okay."
Aaron stopped Amelia's attempts to stop her with a reassuring smile, then locked eyes with Ian. His jet-black eyes, like Amelia's, sparkled innocently. Just like Amelia, when she first met Aaron when she was still small.
Aaron unconsciously tapped Ian's chubby cheek with his index finger. Perhaps he thought it was a joke, as Ian chuckled. The child's carefree laughter was bright and cheerful.
“...”
Another fragment of the woman he loved. Whenever he looked at Ian, he was reminded of the little girl who, without knowing anything, had called him "brother" and followed him around. Perhaps because she only saw her mother once a year or so, she was a child who would become attached to anyone around her.
Of course, it was now irreversible. It was nothing more than a distant, faded memory. Aaron didn't even regret anything he did to Amelia. It was something he should have done in his place, and he felt it was better for him to do it than for someone else to do it.
“If Ian becomes the Crown Prince, will you return?”
“...That’s how it should be.”
“I will go with you when you return.”
Amelia's death was no different. Amelia was always a flower he held dear, nurtured, and cared for. Therefore, it was Aaron's right to take Amelia's final moments.
Aaron Skipper believed that. It was a strange belief.
Lately, since he's always been by her side, it seems like his head has been thinking that Amelia and he are really playing a romantic game.
“...”
Is it really possible to be this lost in thought?
“Ivan.”
Ivan was ruminating on his own foolishness when a gentle hand grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. Her pitch-black eyes stared intently at him.
“Since there aren’t many days left anyway, how about going on an outing with Ian?”
He seemed nervous, as he was about to face a big event. Intellectually, he understood this and knew it was right to keep pace.
“I think it might be a bit difficult.”
But Ivan, who had just realized that the kindness and attention he had shown Amelia was excessive, could not agree with this.
“...Is it difficult?”
A faint disappointment flashed across Amelia's round eyes. Disappointment over such a vague rejection? Ivan was struck by how easily he had responded to Amelia's demands.
“There’s not much work left, so I can’t afford to have anything that might arouse suspicion.”
“...”
“You two go. I’ll go after everything is finished.”
"Then there won't be anyone arguing with you, and you'll be able to enjoy your outings in peace," Ivan added.
But that wasn't really his intention. Ivan simply felt he needed to distance himself from Amelia, even if only for a while. There was no need, but her constant presence in this bedroom seemed to be playing tricks on him.
"Yes."
Amelia's face still held a hint of resentment, but she quickly gave up. It was as if she hadn't even expected him to show her any kindness. She should have praised him, but strangely, even that felt unpleasant.
His emotions surged like raging waves. At unexpected moments, in unexpected situations, he was uncontrollable. Like the impulsiveness of a fifteen-year-old child.
“...”
Fuck.
Ivan's throat rose and fell loudly, following the urge to say, "Let's do as you wish," and the curses he suppressed.
***
“Your Ladyship, I hear that preparations are complete.”
Amelia, who had been sitting on her chair, fidgeting with her hands, raised her head. Louis, who had been reading peacefully, also looked beyond the book and toward Amelia.
“Really? What about Ian?”
“Mrs. Howard said she was ready too.”
“Then we can set off.”
Amelia stood up and put the thing she had been fiddling with into the basket on the table.
“What were you making?”
“I was embroidering on a handkerchief.”
Louis asked, as if she'd always been curious. Amelia revealed a trivial secret. It was so trivial that Louis felt embarrassed.
“Haven’t you already made fifteen?”
“The more, the better. Ian uses a lot of handkerchiefs.”
Amelia replied calmly. The comment that the child drooled so much, it was only natural that he needed so many handkerchiefs, flowed naturally. Come to think of it, at some point Amelia had gained the upper hand over Louis in that way. Louis furrowed her brow in a strange discomfort.
“His Majesty the Emperor has specifically ordered that the entrance to the forest behind the North Gate be opened, so the servants will escort you there.”
The maid bowed low and announced the destination. Amelia nodded and followed the servants. Harry and Louis, who had become Amelia's knights a few days earlier, followed behind.
“The weather is nice.”
“Yeah. I guess they know there’s an event coming up soon.”
Louis looked up at the clear blue sky and muttered about how nice the weather was. Amelia agreed. The light sparkling through the leaves was as beautiful as the facets of a beautifully polished jewel.
“...”
It would have been nice if Ivan had been there too. Perhaps it was because the weather was so nice, Amelia thought for a moment.
“I will have to thank His Majesty later for introducing me to such a wonderful place.”
The picnic area, where Ian could crawl and play, was quiet and secluded, yet well-kept. Naturally, it didn't seem likely that any wild animals would suddenly appear and threaten them.
“Ian, too, right?”
Mrs. Howard, who had arrived before she knew it, found Ian in her arms. Amelia, with a bright smile, lifted Ian into her arms. Ian, who had grown so much by the day, smiled brightly, as if he was enjoying floating through the air.
"It was hard getting here, Mrs. Howard. I know it must have been a hassle for you to have to move so suddenly."
“This is a road I often took with His Majesty, so it wasn’t difficult at all.”
“Does His Majesty come here often?”
Mrs. Howard nodded.
“His Majesty was also a very active person.”
It meant that simply wandering around the palace wasn't enough to keep Ivan busy. Thinking of that nobleman's face now, it was hard to connect with his mischievous childhood.
“It’s fortunate that Ian can’t run around yet.”
She said that once boys start running around, they're hard to control. Mrs. Howard didn't look particularly pleased as she spoke, perhaps recalling Rodan and Ivan's childhood.
“Your Ladyship.”
"Yes?"
“The High Priest came to see you...”
Amelia was giving Ian a lock of her hair and talking to Mrs. Howard, when the maid told her that Aaron had come to visit.
“Please bring him here.”
At Amelia's words, the maid nodded and ran out. Soon after, she reappeared with Aaron. Since Ian's appointment as Crown Prince was a significant event for the temple, Aaron was also planning to stay at the palace for a few days.
“I meet the Priestess.”
“Long time no see, Aaron.”
Amelia gave a small greeting. Aaron bowed and stood at the table where Amelia was sitting.
“Sit down. Don’t make me look up like that.”
Then, as if she felt uncomfortable looking up at him, Amelia ordered Aaron to sit down. He was as tall as Ivan, so sitting up and looking up was definitely straining his neck.
“I brought what you asked for.”
“Ah, Mandarake.”
Amelia casually mentioned Mandarake. While the surveillance had eased somewhat, Aaron's movements always required a justification for a visit.
"Thank you. I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I've heard that boiling it in water and drinking the resulting tea helps with sleep. I'll give it a try."
Moreover, mandarake was a plant known to help relax muscles and promote mental stability. This in itself was not particularly suspicious.
But of course, Amelia's mention of Aaron bringing Mandarake wasn't intended to make her encounter with him seem more believable. It was simply to leave a note of his suspicious behavior in case he was investigated someday.
"Mama!"
Amelia handed the basket Aaron had given her to the maid. Meanwhile, Ian, who had been crawling on the mat, grabbed Aaron's leg and stood up briskly. He'd been bracing himself with every move he'd made, and now he'd rush to anything he could find.
“Ian, Aaron is not Mama.”
However, there was a slight problem with the language. Since Ivan wasn't officially Ian's father, the child wasn't familiar with the word "dad." So, even though he knew Aaron and Amelia had a different body type, he kept calling him "mom."
"Ipt's okay."
Aaron stopped Amelia's attempts to stop her with a reassuring smile, then locked eyes with Ian. His jet-black eyes, like Amelia's, sparkled innocently. Just like Amelia, when she first met Aaron when she was still small.
Aaron unconsciously tapped Ian's chubby cheek with his index finger. Perhaps he thought it was a joke, as Ian chuckled. The child's carefree laughter was bright and cheerful.
“...”
Another fragment of the woman he loved. Whenever he looked at Ian, he was reminded of the little girl who, without knowing anything, had called him "brother" and followed him around. Perhaps because she only saw her mother once a year or so, she was a child who would become attached to anyone around her.
Of course, it was now irreversible. It was nothing more than a distant, faded memory. Aaron didn't even regret anything he did to Amelia. It was something he should have done in his place, and he felt it was better for him to do it than for someone else to do it.
“If Ian becomes the Crown Prince, will you return?”
“...That’s how it should be.”
“I will go with you when you return.”
Amelia's death was no different. Amelia was always a flower he held dear, nurtured, and cared for. Therefore, it was Aaron's right to take Amelia's final moments.
Aaron Skipper believed that. It was a strange belief.
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