Chapter 35: Nothing but trouble

After putting Adrian to bed, Evelyn tried to calm her heart.

‘It’s something that I was hoping for so much…… that I was mistaken.’

Fabian’s lonely voice lingered throughout. He said his last sentence quietly. Instead, all she did was make him stop talking.

“He said that he wanted it so much…?”

Evelyn couldn’t understand. It wasn’t in her memory. Was Fabian ever hoping for a child?

“Well, the Emperor must have a successor.”

It was a simple conclusion. Evelyn had decided not to think more about the man of her past.

“More than that, Adrian, today …… you’re really making my heart fall.”

Adrian was still young, but he was amazing. Fabian’s pressure was very hard for an adult to bear, but this child could cling to him, beat him, and even gave him an order.

“That’s exactly what I’ve been saying all along.”

Until now, Adrian was giving orders to everyone.

‘Me, hug!’

Even though he was his own son, but it didn’t make any sense at all. Typically the first things a child said were common words, like mom or dad, but why was this child giving command words?

“In a sense, you really are his son.”

Evelyn spat out a subdued smile when she saw Adrian fell asleep peacefully, and not realized anything about the big incidents that had just happened to him.

But there was also one good thing. Fabian hugged his son, and he didn’t realize it.

It was because Fabian was too straight. If they looked at the information about the time when Evelyn asked for a divorce, and the time when Adrian was born, which was known to the public, he would never be Fabian’s child.

“He’s always been a logical person.”

Evelyn was very familiar with Fabian’s character. That’s why she purposely announced the birth date of Adrian differently. It was because she was sure that, even if Fabian had hesitated for a moment, he would have cleared his doubts as soon as the details were published.

“Yes, that’s it.” Evelyn said calmly.

***

Fabian’s face was strange when he returned to his place. His close friend, Serus, also had a weird look on his face for the first time. He had no idea if it was unpleasant, embarrassing, or lonely expression.

“Your Majesty, you didn’t work…..?”

“No….” said Fabian calmly. “My arm hurts a little.”

“Don’t push yourself because there are still symptoms of paralysis.”

Serus hurried over and stretched Fabian’s arm. It seemed that his left hand was still numb.

“It seems a little swollen I told you not to use your left arm …”

“It’s done.”

Fabian cut off Serus’s worries. But, there was still a doubt expression on Fabian’s face who was sitting on the sofa.

“What’s wrong with you, your Majesty?”

“The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it was.”

“Yes?”

Fabian blinked slowly. It made him dumbfounded, no matter how much he thought about it.

“I think for the first time since I ascended the throne, I obeyed someone else’s orders.”

It was a fresh and new fact.

“What? How dare he…! I’m going to meet that person right now!”

“Just leave it. Your opponent is a one-year-old child.”

Serus soon realized who the opponent was. The only one-year-old child in the palace was the little prince.

“Have you met Prince Adrian?”

“Not just meeting…..he came to me alone, clinging to me, he even hit me.”

“What? Did he hit you?”

“Hold it!” stopped Serus. He seemed to run out of breath several times in this short conversation.

“How can a year old child be so cruel…”

Serus and Fabian, who had grown up in the Empire, couldn’t understand it. No matter how young they were, they had naturally mastered etiquette and obedience. Kids growing up in aristocrats usually knew how to behave since they were one year old.

“He had some spirit and the child didn’t feel scared at all when he looked into my eyes.”

Fabian didn’t have such an opponent, who was very brave and fearless, looked into the Emperor’s eyes.

“And I forgot something because of him.”

Fabian murmured, sadly. He had something to say when he saw Evelyn again, but that little rascal made him forget everything.

“If you give me an order, I’ll find out.”

“No, just go back.”

“Yes.”

After Serus stepped back, Fabian, who was left alone, took the note out of his pocket. It was a note full of trivial questions about Evelyn. He once ordered Serus to find out about her, but it seemed that something was incorrect, so Fabian took the note back.

“Hmm.”

Fabian looked at the note for a moment, then took out a pen and wrote something down.

“She likes drinking and she loves children.”

His elegant handwriting added a new sentence.

“She tends to be extremely aggressive when she drinks alcohol.”

The title at the top of the note was ‘Evelyn Felice.’ It was the name of a woman whom Fabian should know better than anyone else, but he didn’t know.

***

The Felice Palace was an environment where an unconventional culture was genuinely felt by the imperial army, including the Emperor.

Even though their territory was so close, and this kingdom was still part of the Imperial Federation, there was a huge difference in the manners and the way people thought.

“Your Majesty the King, Sir Serus, the Emperor’s aide, is asking for your presence.”

First of all, the Emperor was mentioned insignificantly from the start. Even the King’s attitude was very indifferent as he listened to it.

“Don’t you see I’m busy?”

If this were another country after receiving such notice, usually the royal leader would immediately rush off and have a formal discussion with the the Emperor’s aide. Even more so if the Emperor had stayed in his palace from the beginning.

“Adrian, you little brat. Say it again, Ah, I… hug me!”

But this King of Felice seemed didn’t even care about things like that.

“Now, try it out. Hug! Please!”

“Hug!”

“Yes, I mean try to say the next word. Hug,…. please!”

The King’s most important issue was to hear the words, ‘Please Hug me’ from this little prince.

“Listen, I’m the highest man in this kingdom. So your first word should be given to me.”

But Adrian blew his cheek to show he didn’t like it.

“Boo….”

“Come on, say …..’Please’!”

When Evelyn told him that Adrian had spoken his first words, Arthur broke down in grief. Why did he miss the first precious moment he wanted so much? So Arthur had decided. He should be the first person who deserved to get a word from Adrian.

“Adrian, come on, tell me.”

“Buruuuu….Boo!”

“Come on. Ask me to hug you.”

Adrian was sick of it. His eyes tired as he inflated his cheeks. He looked so bored as if he had lived in the whole world.

“No, give me a hug!”

Adrian was very depressed by Arthur, and it was not shocking that his perseverance and passion made him a King.

“······uh!” Adrian shouted, and he glared at Arthur.

“No!”

Arthur’s body stiffened at that moment. Arthur looked at Adrian, and then he looked at his servant.

“Have you heard it too?”

“Yes? Yes, ······” The servant replied reluctantly. Arthur stared back at Adrian with a hardened face full of surprise.

“Adrian, ·····” Then he rubbed Adrian’s fat cheeks with a beard. “Finally, you’ve opened your mouth to me!”

“······No!”

Adrian felt disgusted by his beard and frowned. But the sicker he got, the more joy flowed over Arthur’s face.

“Tell everyone! Adrian talked to me!”

“No!”

“Yes. That’s right! Say it again!”

Arthur kissed Adrian with happiness and rubbed his beard again. Adrian gathered all his energy and screamed out loud with his almost-crying-face.

“No!”

Adrian’s second word that would remain in the history of the Felice kingdom was ‘No.’

“Your Majesty, Sir Serus…”

“Tell him that, he can meet anyone instead of me. Now, Adrian, It’s time to do it.”

“No!”

Due to this important moment, Serus finally lost his chance to meet the King.

***

“Are you sure that you correctly conveyed the message that I would like to meet the King?”

Serus asked embarrassingly, but the palace-chief nodded quietly. Serus shook his head, it was just absurd how the Felice Kingdom’s law worked.

“Is it true that I have heard, I can’t meet the king because he’s playing with the prince?”

“Yes.” The Chief answered him quickly.

“Instead of him, can I meet someone else?”

After thinking for a moment about the word ‘Anyone’

that the King said, the Chief took Serus, who had a confused look, to the Queen’s place.

***

“Your Majesty the Queen, Princess, and Lady Akshire. Sir Serus is here.”

But the three women were absorbed in what they did without looking back.

“Your Majesty, you’re awesome! You already have a hundred victories!”

There, Rebecca’s voice was heard. The Queen, Evelyn, and Rebecca were spending a leisurely time with cards in their hands.

“So even the Marquis can’t write four things on the card, can they? Geez. Mother, please participate in the ballroom to be held in Akshire and press their noses.”

“Oh, shall we?”

The talk between the mother and the daughter heard from inside the room was very affectionate.

“More than that, I have an idea. Why don’t you put on the Marchioness’ blue fan instead of the stakes?”

Rebecca was the same thing. Seeing the three of them, they looked like three mothers and daughters instead of two.

“Yes, ma’am. Just take it away and burn it in front of you.”

“Is there any way to be more stimulating and humiliating?”

“Hmmm… I’ll think more, Your Majesty.”

Serus looked at the scene in front of his eyes with a confused look. His presence in this place seemed just like dust.

“Your Majesty the Queen, Princess, and Lady Akshire. Sir Serus is here.”

The chief repeated the same words like a machine. Just in time, their card game was over. Only then did the Queen look at Serus.

‘What a kingdom.’ said Serus in his heart. He still wondered why this kind of kingdom could have existed.

“What is it?”

The Queen opened her mouth. It was an atmosphere where Serus was not fully accepted by them.

“I’m here to deliver His Majesty’s message.”

The Queen shook her head. It’s a nuance that’s hard to say. Serus couldn’t believe that the Emperor stayed in this royal palace, and yet nobody cared about it.

“Please give me more servants, maids, and assistant for the Imperial Army.”

There was no answer, and Serus continued to talk, “We also need additional stables and staff who will manage the precious horses of the Imperial Army.”

Rather than seeing the woman’s three eyes in front of him, Serus preferred Fabian’s cold eyes. The atmosphere of the palace was physiologically incompatible with Serus.

“And, since His Majesty has recovered to some extent, so you must prepare a dinner.”

“Hu-uh” the Queen spat only two or three words. It wasn’t a matter of choice. Obviously, the Emperor’s order was something that had to be obeyed, but Serus did not know why such a voice came out of her mouth.

“That’s a good thing. Your Majesty has recovered, and the Imperial Army has recovered too.” said Evelyn, breaking the silence.

“Oh, then you’ll return to the Empire soon, so you don’t have to add any extra staff. That’s fortunate.” Rebecca said a word.

“Then we’ll have to hold a dinner to send off your Majesty and the Imperial Army.” Miriam’s word reached its peak.

“Wait, wait a minute.” Serus said quickly, but the three women have already gone to their own world.

“It must be a big dinner It’s a good-bye dinner for Your majesty. Can I be invited?”

“Of course, Duke Akshire and Lady Rebecca must take part. · · · No, I guess it would be a good idea for the competent Lady Rebecca to have dinner at this moment.”

“It’s a honor, Your Majesty. I’ll do my best. Oh, it would be great to replace my banquet!”

Only

“Yes, it is.”

Their gap was too far behind. Serus had to take a quick glance at Evelyn, who was once the empress. Even if they didn’t, Evelyn was someone who knew the rules of the Empire. Fortunately, Evelyn noticed his glance.

“I’ll help Lady Rebecca too.”

However, Evelyn was already out of the Empire.

“It’s a great pleasure to know that your Majesty can safely return to the Empire.”

Fresh, Evelyn smiled at Serus. Her smile meant to stop talking and deliver the congratulatory message to Fabian, his master.

In other words, he was told to convey the message that they were forced to leave this place immediately.