“Come in.”
Amelia meekly stepped into the prison. As someone who had dared to assassinate the Emperor, the conditions given to her were absolutely dire. Not only was the damp, moss-covered space covered in moss, but rats scurried between the bars.
Well, she was going to die anyway, so what if there were rats or not? Amelia wasn't afraid of this.
“Would you please tell them not to forget Louis, whom I brought as a maid?”
Amelia, who had finished reporting Louis, sat down on the floor with a calm expression, not caring about cleanliness. Even in summer, the chilly air on her skin sent goosebumps down her spine.
“...”
But rather than a sense of rejection or fear, the relief that it was all over was greater. Whatever the circumstances, the Duke of Russell and Aaron were caught in this shabby play. And they were arrested and imprisoned alongside Amelia and the private soldiers, caught red-handed.
That alone would be enough. There's plenty of evidence to conclude the case. The private soldiers lurking around the palace, the castle built on cursed land, and the black-haired humans hidden beneath it, the diary of the second Amelia, handed over by Amelia, the countless records of treason left behind by Amelia herself. Things like that.
Ian suddenly lost his mother one day, and she felt a sense of guilt. But at the same time, she felt a sense of relief, a sense of endless relief.
With the joy of having been allowed to live, even if only for a brief moment, as her true self.
Ivan opened his eyes. His vision was as blurry as before he lost consciousness, and he almost closed them again, but the impulse was fleeting.
“...”
Ivan sat up, as if he'd forgotten he'd collapsed and been lying there all along. He then shook the rope next to the bed roughly.
"Your Majesty!"
As if he had been waiting, Rodan rushed in. Ivan slid his feet under the bed and ran a hand through his throbbing hair.
“What the hell happened?”
Yet, he didn't forget to order him to sort out the situation and explain it. A momentary look of embarrassment crossed Rodan's face. However, Ivan, still not fully awake, easily missed the ambiguous expression of emotion.
“Amelia? What on earth did she feed me?”
And so his questions continued. Ivan rubbed his temples, then turned his gaze back to Rodan. Only then, as if sensing something strange in Rodan, did he close his mouth.
"I ordered an investigation into the last wine Your Majesty drank. Apparently, it contained a piece of that strange fruit you mentioned last time."
Rodan began to speak slowly and in detail. Ivan stroked his throbbing head. He simply disliked the strange fruit, not the kind that would kill him if eaten. That kind of supplementation wouldn't cause any harm to his health.
“So, after I collapsed.”
Ivan didn't doubt it either. He drank the entire glass Amelia offered him. She could have killed him if she wanted, but she didn't. Besides, seeing as he was perfectly fine, with no signs of pain, he couldn't have been poisoned. So, what mattered was what happened after that. Ivan had no memory.
“She declared that the true will of God was to kill the Emperor.”
Since it was nothing to hide, Rodan calmly recited the story Amelia had told him.
“And the Duke of Russell’s private soldiers tried to protect the Priestess, but were subdued by the Imperial Knights we had hidden.”
But he hesitated to tell Ivan directly about Amelia. He still hadn't grasped her motives for such a conspicuous act.
“After that?”
Above all, he wanted to prevent Ivan from being overly sensitive about Amelia's affairs, or rather, from acting rashly. However, Ivan, as if he could read Rodan's inner thoughts, urged him again to reveal what he had been hiding.
“...She shouted that she had actually ordered everything done by the Duke of Russell and the temple, or she would kill herself. Then she was dragged off to prison.”
Ivan remained silent for a moment, as if he couldn't grasp the situation summarized in a few sentences.
“That was it?”
"Yes?"
Rodan didn't immediately understand Ivan's question and asked back.
“It would have been enough to expose the collusion between the temple and the nobles and ask for help, but she even went so far as to feed me sleeping pills or anesthetics.”
Ivan muttered. Rodan listened quietly.
“She didn’t reveal that she was my secret woman, or that Ian was our child?”
Rodan's thoughts suddenly snapped. Ivan's thoughts were valid. He hadn't intended to silence her from revealing the truth, so why had she caused him to collapse? Why had she made it seem like he was dead, so everyone would misunderstand?
“...as if she wanted to dig into that place where she would die.”
Just like someone who wanted to strangle themselves to death because of that misunderstanding.
Rodan couldn't bring himself to reveal his guess, fearing Ivan's wrath. But Ivan blurted out his thoughts without hesitation.
“...”
And then silence fell. More than anything, his silence was terrifying. Rodan stuck out his tongue and moistened his dry lips.
“Is she trying to die?”
Ivan, frozen like a statue for a long moment, muttered. Since there was no other explanation for Amelia's actions, Rodan decided to remain silent.
“She said she was trying to kill herself?”
Suddenly, Ivan burst out laughing and jumped out of bed.
"Your Majesty!"
He looked ready to rush to prison at any moment. Startled by the menacing aura, Rodan quickly stood in front of Ivan.
"It hasn't even been a day. There are still many ears listening and eyes watching. Your Majesty has escaped a near-death experience, and yet it's so soon..."
Moreover, nothing was in order. Even Amelia and Ivan's situation was like that. In the midst of all this, there was no need for them to spend much time face-to-face.
"So?"
But Ivan's reply was cold. His voice, as if asking what the big deal was, was simply chilling.
“Get out of the way.”
Ivan commanded. He had a fierce expression on his face, one he rarely showed to Rodan, who had been raised with the same milk. Ultimately, Rodan instinctively realized he couldn't stop Ivan.
“I will follow.”
In that case, rather than trying to stop him, persuade him, and waste time, it would have been better to follow him and secretly sort things out.
“See the sun of Escliffe!”
When Ivan reached the main palace lobby, the servants greeted him with a more formal greeting than usual. Ivan ignored them and strode forward.
The midsummer sun had long since disappeared, as if he'd been asleep for too long. It wasn't a cold day, but Ivan felt a chill in his chest as he headed toward the prison where Amelia was staying.
“...”
Are you trying to die? You said you were trying to die?
All that came to mind were questions that didn't even seem like questions.
“Escliff’s...”
Finally arriving at the prison where the most vicious criminals were kept, Ivan stepped inside without even being properly greeted.
“Everyone, please step aside. Let nothing His Majesty says get out.”
In any case, there was only one person on the floor of the prison where Amelia was staying. There was no need to ask where she was staying. Therefore, Ivan didn't turn around or pay any attention, even though he knew Rodan was refusing to greet him and dismissing the patrols.
That wasn't the important thing.
“...”
Yes. The important thing was nothing else but this woman who had fallen asleep with her head uncomfortably leaning against the wall, then opened her eyes when she sensed someone.
“What were you thinking?”
Ivan suddenly asked a question. Amelia heard a familiar voice and raised a hand to rub her blurry eyes. It was dark, and with only a single lamp hanging in the hallway, Amelia's profile was blurred. Even more so than what she'd seen from her usual hidden bedroom.
“Why did you do something I didn’t ask you to do?”
“...”
“Are you thinking of dying?”
It all seemed like the thoughts Amelia who he had missed.
"Yes?"
So, even though there was no answer, he kept asking questions in a hurry.
“I won’t kill you.”
“...”
“I told you I would protect you.”
Keeping Amelia alive, who had been living as a puppet of the Duke of Russell, wouldn't greatly benefit his honor or accomplishments, but he decided to keep her by his side. Ivan had to think long and hard about it, but he decided to do it.
“What were you complaining about? If you have a mouth, speak up.”
But Amelia had kicked that opportunity away. When he realized that, he was unbearably angry. It felt like she was saying she wouldn't stay by his side. It felt like she was declaring she'd never intended to.
“Amelia Escliff!”
...It seems like the anxiety he has been feeling since some point is gradually revealing itself.
Amelia meekly stepped into the prison. As someone who had dared to assassinate the Emperor, the conditions given to her were absolutely dire. Not only was the damp, moss-covered space covered in moss, but rats scurried between the bars.
Well, she was going to die anyway, so what if there were rats or not? Amelia wasn't afraid of this.
“Would you please tell them not to forget Louis, whom I brought as a maid?”
Amelia, who had finished reporting Louis, sat down on the floor with a calm expression, not caring about cleanliness. Even in summer, the chilly air on her skin sent goosebumps down her spine.
“...”
But rather than a sense of rejection or fear, the relief that it was all over was greater. Whatever the circumstances, the Duke of Russell and Aaron were caught in this shabby play. And they were arrested and imprisoned alongside Amelia and the private soldiers, caught red-handed.
That alone would be enough. There's plenty of evidence to conclude the case. The private soldiers lurking around the palace, the castle built on cursed land, and the black-haired humans hidden beneath it, the diary of the second Amelia, handed over by Amelia, the countless records of treason left behind by Amelia herself. Things like that.
Ian suddenly lost his mother one day, and she felt a sense of guilt. But at the same time, she felt a sense of relief, a sense of endless relief.
With the joy of having been allowed to live, even if only for a brief moment, as her true self.
***
Ivan opened his eyes. His vision was as blurry as before he lost consciousness, and he almost closed them again, but the impulse was fleeting.
“...”
Ivan sat up, as if he'd forgotten he'd collapsed and been lying there all along. He then shook the rope next to the bed roughly.
"Your Majesty!"
As if he had been waiting, Rodan rushed in. Ivan slid his feet under the bed and ran a hand through his throbbing hair.
“What the hell happened?”
Yet, he didn't forget to order him to sort out the situation and explain it. A momentary look of embarrassment crossed Rodan's face. However, Ivan, still not fully awake, easily missed the ambiguous expression of emotion.
“Amelia? What on earth did she feed me?”
And so his questions continued. Ivan rubbed his temples, then turned his gaze back to Rodan. Only then, as if sensing something strange in Rodan, did he close his mouth.
"I ordered an investigation into the last wine Your Majesty drank. Apparently, it contained a piece of that strange fruit you mentioned last time."
Rodan began to speak slowly and in detail. Ivan stroked his throbbing head. He simply disliked the strange fruit, not the kind that would kill him if eaten. That kind of supplementation wouldn't cause any harm to his health.
“So, after I collapsed.”
Ivan didn't doubt it either. He drank the entire glass Amelia offered him. She could have killed him if she wanted, but she didn't. Besides, seeing as he was perfectly fine, with no signs of pain, he couldn't have been poisoned. So, what mattered was what happened after that. Ivan had no memory.
“She declared that the true will of God was to kill the Emperor.”
Since it was nothing to hide, Rodan calmly recited the story Amelia had told him.
“And the Duke of Russell’s private soldiers tried to protect the Priestess, but were subdued by the Imperial Knights we had hidden.”
But he hesitated to tell Ivan directly about Amelia. He still hadn't grasped her motives for such a conspicuous act.
“After that?”
Above all, he wanted to prevent Ivan from being overly sensitive about Amelia's affairs, or rather, from acting rashly. However, Ivan, as if he could read Rodan's inner thoughts, urged him again to reveal what he had been hiding.
“...She shouted that she had actually ordered everything done by the Duke of Russell and the temple, or she would kill herself. Then she was dragged off to prison.”
Ivan remained silent for a moment, as if he couldn't grasp the situation summarized in a few sentences.
“That was it?”
"Yes?"
Rodan didn't immediately understand Ivan's question and asked back.
“It would have been enough to expose the collusion between the temple and the nobles and ask for help, but she even went so far as to feed me sleeping pills or anesthetics.”
Ivan muttered. Rodan listened quietly.
“She didn’t reveal that she was my secret woman, or that Ian was our child?”
Rodan's thoughts suddenly snapped. Ivan's thoughts were valid. He hadn't intended to silence her from revealing the truth, so why had she caused him to collapse? Why had she made it seem like he was dead, so everyone would misunderstand?
“...as if she wanted to dig into that place where she would die.”
Just like someone who wanted to strangle themselves to death because of that misunderstanding.
Rodan couldn't bring himself to reveal his guess, fearing Ivan's wrath. But Ivan blurted out his thoughts without hesitation.
“...”
And then silence fell. More than anything, his silence was terrifying. Rodan stuck out his tongue and moistened his dry lips.
“Is she trying to die?”
Ivan, frozen like a statue for a long moment, muttered. Since there was no other explanation for Amelia's actions, Rodan decided to remain silent.
“She said she was trying to kill herself?”
Suddenly, Ivan burst out laughing and jumped out of bed.
"Your Majesty!"
He looked ready to rush to prison at any moment. Startled by the menacing aura, Rodan quickly stood in front of Ivan.
"It hasn't even been a day. There are still many ears listening and eyes watching. Your Majesty has escaped a near-death experience, and yet it's so soon..."
Moreover, nothing was in order. Even Amelia and Ivan's situation was like that. In the midst of all this, there was no need for them to spend much time face-to-face.
"So?"
But Ivan's reply was cold. His voice, as if asking what the big deal was, was simply chilling.
“Get out of the way.”
Ivan commanded. He had a fierce expression on his face, one he rarely showed to Rodan, who had been raised with the same milk. Ultimately, Rodan instinctively realized he couldn't stop Ivan.
“I will follow.”
In that case, rather than trying to stop him, persuade him, and waste time, it would have been better to follow him and secretly sort things out.
“See the sun of Escliffe!”
When Ivan reached the main palace lobby, the servants greeted him with a more formal greeting than usual. Ivan ignored them and strode forward.
The midsummer sun had long since disappeared, as if he'd been asleep for too long. It wasn't a cold day, but Ivan felt a chill in his chest as he headed toward the prison where Amelia was staying.
“...”
Are you trying to die? You said you were trying to die?
All that came to mind were questions that didn't even seem like questions.
“Escliff’s...”
Finally arriving at the prison where the most vicious criminals were kept, Ivan stepped inside without even being properly greeted.
“Everyone, please step aside. Let nothing His Majesty says get out.”
In any case, there was only one person on the floor of the prison where Amelia was staying. There was no need to ask where she was staying. Therefore, Ivan didn't turn around or pay any attention, even though he knew Rodan was refusing to greet him and dismissing the patrols.
That wasn't the important thing.
“...”
Yes. The important thing was nothing else but this woman who had fallen asleep with her head uncomfortably leaning against the wall, then opened her eyes when she sensed someone.
“What were you thinking?”
Ivan suddenly asked a question. Amelia heard a familiar voice and raised a hand to rub her blurry eyes. It was dark, and with only a single lamp hanging in the hallway, Amelia's profile was blurred. Even more so than what she'd seen from her usual hidden bedroom.
“Why did you do something I didn’t ask you to do?”
“...”
“Are you thinking of dying?”
It all seemed like the thoughts Amelia who he had missed.
"Yes?"
So, even though there was no answer, he kept asking questions in a hurry.
“I won’t kill you.”
“...”
“I told you I would protect you.”
Keeping Amelia alive, who had been living as a puppet of the Duke of Russell, wouldn't greatly benefit his honor or accomplishments, but he decided to keep her by his side. Ivan had to think long and hard about it, but he decided to do it.
“What were you complaining about? If you have a mouth, speak up.”
But Amelia had kicked that opportunity away. When he realized that, he was unbearably angry. It felt like she was saying she wouldn't stay by his side. It felt like she was declaring she'd never intended to.
“Amelia Escliff!”
...It seems like the anxiety he has been feeling since some point is gradually revealing itself.
Comments
Post a Comment