“Hmm...”
The soft bedding touched her back. Amelia whimpered and lay on her side, her small face buried in the pure white pillow.
“You need to change your clothes.”
Ivan changed his clothes and, as he grew up, grabbed Amelia's shoulder and shook her gently. But when Amelia slapped his hand away, he easily gave up. He seemed to think he shouldn't wake her, since she was drunk.
Instead of waking the sleeping woman, Ivan began unbuttoning Amelia's shirt, one by one, as she buried her face in the pillow. If Amelia had been wearing her usual pajamas, there wouldn't have been much of a problem, and there was no need to change her clothes.
But the clothes she was wearing now were going-out clothes. Moreover, they were also the kind worn by men. If she left it like this, anyone who encountered Amelia in the morning would likely find her suspicious. Even a sane person like him seemed to think he had to clean up the mess.
“...”
At some point, a soft sigh escaped Ivan's lips. It was when he heard the sound of a button being undone and felt the area of pale skin being exposed expand. He couldn't shamelessly grope a sleeping woman, but he couldn't completely erase the urge, so he seemed at a loss.
But Ivan soon seemed to regain his composure. He stripped Amelia of her shirt and trousers and put on a pair of pajamas he'd draped carelessly over the back of a nearby chair. As the Emperor, he wasn't a man who would be around to serve anyone, so even this simple act took quite a while.
Ivan finally finished changing Amelia's clothes and raised her to her feet. He then left to ensure Amelia's comfortable sleep.
“...”
Amelia opened her eyes the moment Ivan closed the door to the side room, and all signs of life vanished. The room was silent, devoid of human noise. Her eyes, which had never actually slept, were dim.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Because I want to do that.”
What Amelia felt at Ivan's sudden gift was fear. It was something he normally wouldn't do.
“You won’t die.”
The man's promise that she would die to help her children, but now that he would not let her die, has become an object of fear.
He takes pity on her.
No matter how much she tried to pretend everything was fine and didn't cry, it was the same. To him, Amelia had become nothing more than an object of pity. This truth struck Amelia as unbearable.
“...”
She had given up the desire for Ivan to love her, believing he would marry another woman. So she didn't want to feel sorry for him. She didn't want that kind of affection to be the only thing she could receive from him. It was a final, desperate struggle, a final act of pride, of a woman who couldn't have Ivan.
So, all the way back, Amelia was carried on Ivan's back, her face buried in his arms, crying. But perhaps because her tears had dried up, there were no more tears left.
The night her last bit of pride was shattered. She just wanted to disappear from the world.
“This is the list of those selected as commoner knights.”
Rodan handed Ivan a list of names of those chosen as commoner knights. Ivan stared blankly down the list, each name without a surname, from beginning to end.
“Have you figured out who was a private soldier of a noble family?”
“Not yet. I’ve ordered a comprehensive background check.”
"They say all of Duke Russell's private soldiers have passed, so there won't be a large number. It's too risky to leave them all in Amelia's hands, so we need to move ahead."
Ivan relayed exactly what Amelia had told him. Rodan nodded, noting that it wasn't entirely unexpected, considering the significant increase in the number of commoner knights.
"First, get everyone out of the outer walls. If those they want can't stay inside the palace, they'll take action."
"Yes. We will investigate more carefully and weed out all suspicious individuals."
It was something that could have been solved with a little more care. The odds of filtering out multiple people were higher than with just a handful, so it shouldn't have been a problem.
“Do that.”
Perhaps because he knew this, Ivan's answer was also straightforward. He didn't ask any detailed questions about how he would find out.
"Ah."
In fact, it seemed like he was preoccupied with something else. But since he couldn't dare ask Ivan if he was thinking about something else, Rodan simply paid attention to what he was saying.
“When will the mansion be renovated?”
"I've found all the skilled repairmen. Should I get them started right away?"
The topic of conversation was again Amelia. But considering how often Ivan had brought up Amelia recently, it wasn't something Rodan should be embarrassed about.
“Exactly. I went there yesterday and it looked very worn.”
"All right."
Rodan decided to follow his words obediently.
“If we start repairs now, there won’t be any problems when she actually lives in the mansion.”
Rodan, like his master, was certain of Amelia's presence. Ivan had already decided to do so. Even if Amelia didn't want to live in the mansion as his mistress, everything would proceed as Ivan wished.
“And Lure Chandler?”
Ivan nodded slightly at Rodan's concise response. He then checked the progress of the proposal Lure Chandler had given him.
“Did you provide him with everything he needs?”
“Yes. We provided the ship, the captain, the crew, and even the food and supplies for use on board.”
Rodan pushed up his glasses and answered immediately. Like Amelia, Lure Chandler was no stranger to Rodan. It was difficult to understand why Ivan supported him so much.
“When does the voyage begin?”
"When I checked recently, they said they were almost ready. They said they would set sail three days later, at night, to avoid public view..."
To finish his speech, Rodan hastily recalled the last time he had shared a schedule with Lure Chandler.
“That was three days ago, so I guess we’ll be leaving tonight.”
“Are you ready?”
It was a dark night, with no one awake. Men crept onto the shore and began hurriedly loading the last of their cargo onto the boat.
“That’s it?”
“Shh, shh.”
It was when one of the sailors asked loudly for confirmation. A man, seemingly out of his element, covered his mouth with his index finger and repeatedly warned him to be quiet. The sailor clicked his tongue, saying that even though it was unusual, and turned away. He was a total braggart.
“I barely received the support, so why waste it?”
The one who had been making a fuss about the sailors' silence was Lure Chandler. As he had noticed, when the silence subsided, he looked around once more, squared his shoulders, and stepped onto the bridge connecting the ship. With each step, his vision, which had been gradually increasing, suddenly brightened.
“Ugh...”
Lure Chandler exclaimed in admiration at the sight before him. Despite the pitch-black night, all he could see was the ash-black sea and the moon above it. After all, he'd seen this thanks to meeting the Emperor. He felt proud of himself for having convinced him.
“Don’t let anyone know that I applied. Understood?”
Ivan instructed Lure Chandler to leave quietly, ensuring no one would know he had supported him. The ship remained anchored here for a while, but all movements were conducted secretly at night.
It was a tedious task. But in return, Ivan provided Lure Chandler with a substantial sum of money. He even found a captain, chief engineer, helmsman, and navigator to join him on his voyage to discover the New World. Since they wouldn't volunteer for Lure Chandler, he generously provided the money for those who would join him on the voyage.
So, in his quest to find the New World, all Lure Chandler had to do was board a perfectly good ship.
“I have confirmed the number of people who will board.”
“What about the stuff?”
“We also secured plenty of food and drink.”
“Then let’s go.”
What a comfortable and perfect start to a voyage!
Lure Chandler, pleased with his well-deserved patron, gravely raised his chin and commanded. The captain turned to obey his unwilling and untrustworthy master.
“We are about to set sail, so weigh anchor.”
"Yes!"
The anchor, lowered to anchor the ship, began to rise. And before long, the ship began to slowly move. Under the dark night sky, following only the direction indicated by the stars.
So by the time the sun rose, there was no trace of the ship ever having been there.
“Wasn’t there a big ship here?”
“Was there something like that? I guess he took a few days off and then left again.”
And people didn't pay much attention to the disappearance of a ship that had been anchored there for over a week. And so began a truly remarkable voyage.
The soft bedding touched her back. Amelia whimpered and lay on her side, her small face buried in the pure white pillow.
“You need to change your clothes.”
Ivan changed his clothes and, as he grew up, grabbed Amelia's shoulder and shook her gently. But when Amelia slapped his hand away, he easily gave up. He seemed to think he shouldn't wake her, since she was drunk.
Instead of waking the sleeping woman, Ivan began unbuttoning Amelia's shirt, one by one, as she buried her face in the pillow. If Amelia had been wearing her usual pajamas, there wouldn't have been much of a problem, and there was no need to change her clothes.
But the clothes she was wearing now were going-out clothes. Moreover, they were also the kind worn by men. If she left it like this, anyone who encountered Amelia in the morning would likely find her suspicious. Even a sane person like him seemed to think he had to clean up the mess.
“...”
At some point, a soft sigh escaped Ivan's lips. It was when he heard the sound of a button being undone and felt the area of pale skin being exposed expand. He couldn't shamelessly grope a sleeping woman, but he couldn't completely erase the urge, so he seemed at a loss.
But Ivan soon seemed to regain his composure. He stripped Amelia of her shirt and trousers and put on a pair of pajamas he'd draped carelessly over the back of a nearby chair. As the Emperor, he wasn't a man who would be around to serve anyone, so even this simple act took quite a while.
Ivan finally finished changing Amelia's clothes and raised her to her feet. He then left to ensure Amelia's comfortable sleep.
“...”
Amelia opened her eyes the moment Ivan closed the door to the side room, and all signs of life vanished. The room was silent, devoid of human noise. Her eyes, which had never actually slept, were dim.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Because I want to do that.”
What Amelia felt at Ivan's sudden gift was fear. It was something he normally wouldn't do.
“You won’t die.”
The man's promise that she would die to help her children, but now that he would not let her die, has become an object of fear.
He takes pity on her.
No matter how much she tried to pretend everything was fine and didn't cry, it was the same. To him, Amelia had become nothing more than an object of pity. This truth struck Amelia as unbearable.
“...”
She had given up the desire for Ivan to love her, believing he would marry another woman. So she didn't want to feel sorry for him. She didn't want that kind of affection to be the only thing she could receive from him. It was a final, desperate struggle, a final act of pride, of a woman who couldn't have Ivan.
So, all the way back, Amelia was carried on Ivan's back, her face buried in his arms, crying. But perhaps because her tears had dried up, there were no more tears left.
The night her last bit of pride was shattered. She just wanted to disappear from the world.
***
“This is the list of those selected as commoner knights.”
Rodan handed Ivan a list of names of those chosen as commoner knights. Ivan stared blankly down the list, each name without a surname, from beginning to end.
“Have you figured out who was a private soldier of a noble family?”
“Not yet. I’ve ordered a comprehensive background check.”
"They say all of Duke Russell's private soldiers have passed, so there won't be a large number. It's too risky to leave them all in Amelia's hands, so we need to move ahead."
Ivan relayed exactly what Amelia had told him. Rodan nodded, noting that it wasn't entirely unexpected, considering the significant increase in the number of commoner knights.
"First, get everyone out of the outer walls. If those they want can't stay inside the palace, they'll take action."
"Yes. We will investigate more carefully and weed out all suspicious individuals."
It was something that could have been solved with a little more care. The odds of filtering out multiple people were higher than with just a handful, so it shouldn't have been a problem.
“Do that.”
Perhaps because he knew this, Ivan's answer was also straightforward. He didn't ask any detailed questions about how he would find out.
"Ah."
In fact, it seemed like he was preoccupied with something else. But since he couldn't dare ask Ivan if he was thinking about something else, Rodan simply paid attention to what he was saying.
“When will the mansion be renovated?”
"I've found all the skilled repairmen. Should I get them started right away?"
The topic of conversation was again Amelia. But considering how often Ivan had brought up Amelia recently, it wasn't something Rodan should be embarrassed about.
“Exactly. I went there yesterday and it looked very worn.”
"All right."
Rodan decided to follow his words obediently.
“If we start repairs now, there won’t be any problems when she actually lives in the mansion.”
Rodan, like his master, was certain of Amelia's presence. Ivan had already decided to do so. Even if Amelia didn't want to live in the mansion as his mistress, everything would proceed as Ivan wished.
“And Lure Chandler?”
Ivan nodded slightly at Rodan's concise response. He then checked the progress of the proposal Lure Chandler had given him.
“Did you provide him with everything he needs?”
“Yes. We provided the ship, the captain, the crew, and even the food and supplies for use on board.”
Rodan pushed up his glasses and answered immediately. Like Amelia, Lure Chandler was no stranger to Rodan. It was difficult to understand why Ivan supported him so much.
“When does the voyage begin?”
"When I checked recently, they said they were almost ready. They said they would set sail three days later, at night, to avoid public view..."
To finish his speech, Rodan hastily recalled the last time he had shared a schedule with Lure Chandler.
“That was three days ago, so I guess we’ll be leaving tonight.”
***
“Are you ready?”
It was a dark night, with no one awake. Men crept onto the shore and began hurriedly loading the last of their cargo onto the boat.
“That’s it?”
“Shh, shh.”
It was when one of the sailors asked loudly for confirmation. A man, seemingly out of his element, covered his mouth with his index finger and repeatedly warned him to be quiet. The sailor clicked his tongue, saying that even though it was unusual, and turned away. He was a total braggart.
“I barely received the support, so why waste it?”
The one who had been making a fuss about the sailors' silence was Lure Chandler. As he had noticed, when the silence subsided, he looked around once more, squared his shoulders, and stepped onto the bridge connecting the ship. With each step, his vision, which had been gradually increasing, suddenly brightened.
“Ugh...”
Lure Chandler exclaimed in admiration at the sight before him. Despite the pitch-black night, all he could see was the ash-black sea and the moon above it. After all, he'd seen this thanks to meeting the Emperor. He felt proud of himself for having convinced him.
“Don’t let anyone know that I applied. Understood?”
Ivan instructed Lure Chandler to leave quietly, ensuring no one would know he had supported him. The ship remained anchored here for a while, but all movements were conducted secretly at night.
It was a tedious task. But in return, Ivan provided Lure Chandler with a substantial sum of money. He even found a captain, chief engineer, helmsman, and navigator to join him on his voyage to discover the New World. Since they wouldn't volunteer for Lure Chandler, he generously provided the money for those who would join him on the voyage.
So, in his quest to find the New World, all Lure Chandler had to do was board a perfectly good ship.
“I have confirmed the number of people who will board.”
“What about the stuff?”
“We also secured plenty of food and drink.”
“Then let’s go.”
What a comfortable and perfect start to a voyage!
Lure Chandler, pleased with his well-deserved patron, gravely raised his chin and commanded. The captain turned to obey his unwilling and untrustworthy master.
“We are about to set sail, so weigh anchor.”
"Yes!"
The anchor, lowered to anchor the ship, began to rise. And before long, the ship began to slowly move. Under the dark night sky, following only the direction indicated by the stars.
So by the time the sun rose, there was no trace of the ship ever having been there.
“Wasn’t there a big ship here?”
“Was there something like that? I guess he took a few days off and then left again.”
And people didn't pay much attention to the disappearance of a ship that had been anchored there for over a week. And so began a truly remarkable voyage.
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