“Because he ordered me to come in right away when Lure Chandler comes...”
News of Lure Chandler's visit soon reached Ivan, thanks to Rodan's immediate delivery. Rodan still viewed Lure Chandler as a petty thief who had stolen royal property, but he faithfully followed Ivan's orders.
“Next time, Rodan.”
In fact, Ivan had tried to refuse to meet Lure Chandler. With his heart burning to a crisp, he had no time to meet anyone. To be precise, he couldn't even remember who Lure Chandler was.
"Well, there was no mention of the discovery of the New World he spoke of. I'll tell him to wait until Your Majesty finds it."
But a sudden thought caught Rodan's attention.
Amelia had previously wondered about the land where her ancestors were born. That was precisely why Ivan had volunteered for Lure Chandler's adventure.
So if he had indeed discovered the land where Amelia's ancestors lived, if he could sail back there again.
“Open it.”
At Ivan's command, the double doors swung open. As soon as he heard the door open, Lure Chandler, who had been waiting anxiously for Ivan in the audience room, jumped to his feet.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor of Escliffe. Glory to the heavens...”
“Let’s skip the useless greetings and get to the point.”
He's been offering hospitality before, perhaps even a touch of hospitality, but the judging wasn't quite right, so he couldn't do that this time. Ivan cut off Lure Chandler, who was trying to sycophantically greet him, and took his place at the head of the table first.
“Oh, yes.”
Lure Chandler briefly looked embarrassed. The fall of the temple and the nobles should have been cause for celebration, but he was taken aback by Ivan's apparent lack of joy. Of course, it wasn't long before his expression shifted into a perfectly composed smile.
“Have you seen anyone who resembles Amelia Escliff’s blood relatives?”
"That is..."
When Ivan asked the question without beating around the bush, Lure Chandler cautiously opened his mouth, watching his expression.
“In fact, for a month and a half after sailing, it was just a vast ocean, with no human sights except for uninhabited islands.”
Did that mean failure? Even his last hopes seemed to have been dashed. Ivan half-dipped his eyes, thinking he'd come this far with vain hopes. Instead of expressing his disappointment to the wanderer who lay down and fell asleep within earshot, he swallowed his troubled feelings with a low sigh.
“...”
Lure Chandler's eyes quickly turned as he heard Ivan's sigh.
“But on the second month.”
Lure Chandler's mouth opened again. Ivan stared at him with eyes devoid of expectation.
“For the first time, I discovered an island inhabited by other humans.”
Lure Chandler whispered exaggeratedly, like an actor delivering a line, as if trying to lower his expectations and maximize his pleasure.
This would have been an outrageous move for the usual Ivan. He hated having himself toyed with in such a way. If Lure Chandler had met the old Ivan, he would have been kicked in the butt and kicked out.
"In truth, I was also very skeptical. I wondered if the ancient books of the Durum Kingdom were false, and if I dared to tell a lie to Your Majesty..."
“Just the main point.”
But now, his words were so enticing that he couldn't stand them. Like a child absorbed in a play.
“It was an island inhabited by people with black hair and black eyes, Your Majesty.”
Ivan realized that someone like Lure Chandler had dared to treat him like a child, but he wasn't angry. If it brought about the result he wanted, he'd be happy about it anyway.
“Do you have a navigation map?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Lure Chandler hurriedly pulled the navigation log from his bosom and handed it to him. Ivan flipped through the pages with quick fingers, reading every word as if he were memorizing it in his head.
“Maybe you can go again?”
"Yes?"
As the last chapter was finally closed, Ivan asked a question. Lure Chandler rolled his eyes in confusion.
“I asked if you could go there again.”
Ivan asked again. His voice was flat, but he hinted that he wouldn't let him off easy if he was asked one more question.
“Yes, yes. Of course. It’s possible.”
“Get ready to set sail again.”
“Right away?”
Now, even Lure Chandler couldn't hide his embarrassment. His voice trembled slightly as he asked the question.
“Your Majesty, that place is...”
“Let people settle there. If you return to that land, I will give you another boat.”
“...”
“Without compensation, support is also included.”
Lure Chandler's eyes flashed whitely.
It felt like she had slept all day. Amelia blinked, her eyes hazy. She couldn't even tell how many days had passed since she'd met Ian. All she could tell was that it was night, the darkness of her vision.
“I kept thinking about it.”
And she could just notice that there was a man who was always by her side and then disappeared.
“Ivan.”
“I know you don’t believe me.”
Dawn light slanted into the bedroom. Amelia blinked slowly. Ivan's expressionless face was half-revealed in the moonlight.
“I also think that you don’t like being next to me.”
Amelia didn't deny it. It was difficult to find any justification. Amelia's only reason to live was Ian, but Ian had a father who was a respectable and powerful man. The lack of parents was the only drawback, but that would be resolved once Ivan married.
“Because of what I did to you.”
Ivan humbly admitted his sins.
“So, if you were going to die only because you hated me and couldn’t forgive me, then you might as well just go far away.”
At one point, Ivan didn't hesitate to hurt Amelia. He didn't hesitate to verbally abuse her, and he forced her to embrace him, forcing her to cry. Cowardly, he was content with that.
You have to be me.
Because that low-quality satisfaction feels so good.
“You’re just tired and worn out right now, so you don’t have time to think.”
“...”
“As you said, it’s better to live a new life in a new world with a new name than to be trapped in someone else’s name and live a life of shame even after death.”
But Ivan couldn't repeat the same mistake. He couldn't repeat the same mistake he'd made countless times. He couldn't force someone to do something they didn't want to do.
"...Where?"
Amelia asked, as if she'd just heard something strange. Even if more black-haired humans had been discovered than her, they were few and far between. Rather, if they were distinguished by numbers, it would be easy to distinguish Amelia if she were alive. That was also why Amelia hadn't considered life in Escliff in the first place.
“Into a world where you are no longer a stranger.”
“...”
"Lure Chandler said he discovered a land where people similar to you live. Go there and mingle with those found in the castle's basement. I'll make it happen."
Ivan spoke calmly. He hoped that the life she'd lived, imprisoned and tormented because of his appearance, and the sadness of wandering around like a stranger, would never be repeated.
“This is the best I can do.”
If he couldn't save Amelia, the best thing to do was to let her escape from him. Ivan was whispering this. Amelia sat up. Her eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, found his and looked straight into his eyes.
“Are you serious?”
And she asked him questions, trying to see if there was any sense of discomfort in his words.
"Yes."
But there was no lie in what he said. Everything was sincere, so there was nothing to fear. Ivan answered without hesitation.
“Can I really leave?”
“...”
“Even if I say I’ll never come back?”
“If you want.”
It would be a lie if there wasn't a moment of hesitation. But after a moment of hesitation, his answer came out quite clearly. You can go. You don't have to come back. As long as you don't die. Ivan's answer would remain the same no matter how many times she asked him. He wasn't one to dare make decisions; he was one awaiting punishment.
“I know that when you were imprisoned in the temple, what you truly wanted was freedom.”
Looking back now, there were things he always wanted to deny. What Amelia truly wanted wasn't a disaster like him, but only freedom and peace. And he suspected it was he who drove her away from those things.
“Not a man who causes you pain like me.”
Perhaps he knew it was all true, so he pushed harder and turned away from the truth. "I didn't ruin you." Perhaps he wanted to assert that, to put himself in a more powerful position. He hid behind the excuse that that was just how the Emperor was. A series of belated realizations struck Ivan in the head.
"Sorry."
Ivan apologized again. But it wasn't a genuine apology for his wrongdoing, but more of an apology for not regretting meeting Amelia despite it all.
“There’s not much time left. So please, leave before my foolish past self kills you.”
It was Ivan-like. So, Amelia alone could understand why this man, more accustomed to being held, was letting her go.
News of Lure Chandler's visit soon reached Ivan, thanks to Rodan's immediate delivery. Rodan still viewed Lure Chandler as a petty thief who had stolen royal property, but he faithfully followed Ivan's orders.
“Next time, Rodan.”
In fact, Ivan had tried to refuse to meet Lure Chandler. With his heart burning to a crisp, he had no time to meet anyone. To be precise, he couldn't even remember who Lure Chandler was.
"Well, there was no mention of the discovery of the New World he spoke of. I'll tell him to wait until Your Majesty finds it."
But a sudden thought caught Rodan's attention.
Amelia had previously wondered about the land where her ancestors were born. That was precisely why Ivan had volunteered for Lure Chandler's adventure.
So if he had indeed discovered the land where Amelia's ancestors lived, if he could sail back there again.
“Open it.”
At Ivan's command, the double doors swung open. As soon as he heard the door open, Lure Chandler, who had been waiting anxiously for Ivan in the audience room, jumped to his feet.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor of Escliffe. Glory to the heavens...”
“Let’s skip the useless greetings and get to the point.”
He's been offering hospitality before, perhaps even a touch of hospitality, but the judging wasn't quite right, so he couldn't do that this time. Ivan cut off Lure Chandler, who was trying to sycophantically greet him, and took his place at the head of the table first.
“Oh, yes.”
Lure Chandler briefly looked embarrassed. The fall of the temple and the nobles should have been cause for celebration, but he was taken aback by Ivan's apparent lack of joy. Of course, it wasn't long before his expression shifted into a perfectly composed smile.
“Have you seen anyone who resembles Amelia Escliff’s blood relatives?”
"That is..."
When Ivan asked the question without beating around the bush, Lure Chandler cautiously opened his mouth, watching his expression.
“In fact, for a month and a half after sailing, it was just a vast ocean, with no human sights except for uninhabited islands.”
Did that mean failure? Even his last hopes seemed to have been dashed. Ivan half-dipped his eyes, thinking he'd come this far with vain hopes. Instead of expressing his disappointment to the wanderer who lay down and fell asleep within earshot, he swallowed his troubled feelings with a low sigh.
“...”
Lure Chandler's eyes quickly turned as he heard Ivan's sigh.
“But on the second month.”
Lure Chandler's mouth opened again. Ivan stared at him with eyes devoid of expectation.
“For the first time, I discovered an island inhabited by other humans.”
Lure Chandler whispered exaggeratedly, like an actor delivering a line, as if trying to lower his expectations and maximize his pleasure.
This would have been an outrageous move for the usual Ivan. He hated having himself toyed with in such a way. If Lure Chandler had met the old Ivan, he would have been kicked in the butt and kicked out.
"In truth, I was also very skeptical. I wondered if the ancient books of the Durum Kingdom were false, and if I dared to tell a lie to Your Majesty..."
“Just the main point.”
But now, his words were so enticing that he couldn't stand them. Like a child absorbed in a play.
“It was an island inhabited by people with black hair and black eyes, Your Majesty.”
Ivan realized that someone like Lure Chandler had dared to treat him like a child, but he wasn't angry. If it brought about the result he wanted, he'd be happy about it anyway.
“Do you have a navigation map?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Lure Chandler hurriedly pulled the navigation log from his bosom and handed it to him. Ivan flipped through the pages with quick fingers, reading every word as if he were memorizing it in his head.
“Maybe you can go again?”
"Yes?"
As the last chapter was finally closed, Ivan asked a question. Lure Chandler rolled his eyes in confusion.
“I asked if you could go there again.”
Ivan asked again. His voice was flat, but he hinted that he wouldn't let him off easy if he was asked one more question.
“Yes, yes. Of course. It’s possible.”
“Get ready to set sail again.”
“Right away?”
Now, even Lure Chandler couldn't hide his embarrassment. His voice trembled slightly as he asked the question.
“Your Majesty, that place is...”
“Let people settle there. If you return to that land, I will give you another boat.”
“...”
“Without compensation, support is also included.”
Lure Chandler's eyes flashed whitely.
***
It felt like she had slept all day. Amelia blinked, her eyes hazy. She couldn't even tell how many days had passed since she'd met Ian. All she could tell was that it was night, the darkness of her vision.
“I kept thinking about it.”
And she could just notice that there was a man who was always by her side and then disappeared.
“Ivan.”
“I know you don’t believe me.”
Dawn light slanted into the bedroom. Amelia blinked slowly. Ivan's expressionless face was half-revealed in the moonlight.
“I also think that you don’t like being next to me.”
Amelia didn't deny it. It was difficult to find any justification. Amelia's only reason to live was Ian, but Ian had a father who was a respectable and powerful man. The lack of parents was the only drawback, but that would be resolved once Ivan married.
“Because of what I did to you.”
Ivan humbly admitted his sins.
“So, if you were going to die only because you hated me and couldn’t forgive me, then you might as well just go far away.”
At one point, Ivan didn't hesitate to hurt Amelia. He didn't hesitate to verbally abuse her, and he forced her to embrace him, forcing her to cry. Cowardly, he was content with that.
You have to be me.
Because that low-quality satisfaction feels so good.
“You’re just tired and worn out right now, so you don’t have time to think.”
“...”
“As you said, it’s better to live a new life in a new world with a new name than to be trapped in someone else’s name and live a life of shame even after death.”
But Ivan couldn't repeat the same mistake. He couldn't repeat the same mistake he'd made countless times. He couldn't force someone to do something they didn't want to do.
"...Where?"
Amelia asked, as if she'd just heard something strange. Even if more black-haired humans had been discovered than her, they were few and far between. Rather, if they were distinguished by numbers, it would be easy to distinguish Amelia if she were alive. That was also why Amelia hadn't considered life in Escliff in the first place.
“Into a world where you are no longer a stranger.”
“...”
"Lure Chandler said he discovered a land where people similar to you live. Go there and mingle with those found in the castle's basement. I'll make it happen."
Ivan spoke calmly. He hoped that the life she'd lived, imprisoned and tormented because of his appearance, and the sadness of wandering around like a stranger, would never be repeated.
“This is the best I can do.”
If he couldn't save Amelia, the best thing to do was to let her escape from him. Ivan was whispering this. Amelia sat up. Her eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, found his and looked straight into his eyes.
“Are you serious?”
And she asked him questions, trying to see if there was any sense of discomfort in his words.
"Yes."
But there was no lie in what he said. Everything was sincere, so there was nothing to fear. Ivan answered without hesitation.
“Can I really leave?”
“...”
“Even if I say I’ll never come back?”
“If you want.”
It would be a lie if there wasn't a moment of hesitation. But after a moment of hesitation, his answer came out quite clearly. You can go. You don't have to come back. As long as you don't die. Ivan's answer would remain the same no matter how many times she asked him. He wasn't one to dare make decisions; he was one awaiting punishment.
“I know that when you were imprisoned in the temple, what you truly wanted was freedom.”
Looking back now, there were things he always wanted to deny. What Amelia truly wanted wasn't a disaster like him, but only freedom and peace. And he suspected it was he who drove her away from those things.
“Not a man who causes you pain like me.”
Perhaps he knew it was all true, so he pushed harder and turned away from the truth. "I didn't ruin you." Perhaps he wanted to assert that, to put himself in a more powerful position. He hid behind the excuse that that was just how the Emperor was. A series of belated realizations struck Ivan in the head.
"Sorry."
Ivan apologized again. But it wasn't a genuine apology for his wrongdoing, but more of an apology for not regretting meeting Amelia despite it all.
“There’s not much time left. So please, leave before my foolish past self kills you.”
It was Ivan-like. So, Amelia alone could understand why this man, more accustomed to being held, was letting her go.
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