Chapter 45: On The White Tower

The departure of the troublesome Emperor brightened up the royal palace’s atmosphere, and the joy didn’t stop there.

“Again, say it again!”

The King, who had left his throne with passionate eyes that shone and filled with excitement, had become a common view in Felice Palace.

“Say to me!”

Arthur, who had forgotten his kingly status, lying down on the carpet. As if he had a flower blooming on his face, he was still struggling with the bitter unrequited love of his life.

“Ah! Au!”

The cute little thief, who stole the hearts of Arthur and everyone else, struggled with his wobbly footsteps.

“That’s not it. It’s not what you said earlier.”

But the person Arthur loved so much was very arrogant. No matter how much Arthur begged, Adrian only swung the silver toy without even looking at him. It was a completely one-sided love story.

“Adrian!”

“Buuu! Me, buuu!”

“Say something else! Didn’t you just tell me a while ago? Did you?”

“No!”

Today Adrian fiercely rejected Arthur and headed towards Evelyn with bold steps. Arthur’s eyes filled with sorrow and immediately turned into jealousy towards Evelyn.

“Me, hug!”

“Adrian, that violates etiquette. And stop it, Dad. He’s really going to be spoiled.”

“Hung! You don’t know! You don’t know that my heart is broken!”

“Hug!Hug! Me, hug!”

“What’s so good about that cold guy····, I’m even gave you a ride on the horse! Adrian, what do you like so much about him?” asked Arthur bitterly.

When Miriam had been away for a moment, parenting felt so difficult. Mostly, when Miriam’s fierce eyes disappeared, Evelyn felt like her child would increase to two. Even Arthur got jealous of Adrian.

A sigh came out, “Father, what are you going to do if Adrian grows up as a child who doesn’t even know manners?”

“My Adrian won’t be like that.” said Arthur. He got up slowly and brushed his clothes from dirt and dust. It was a sign that Adrian was already in Evelyn’s arms, and he was no longer needed.

“And obviously, a little while ago, he tried to say a new word to me.”

“It’s natural that his vocabulary increases. You shouldn’t react like that every time Adrian learns a new word.” Evelyn said.

“Are you teaching me now?”

“Father, why do you think Adrian could only say ‘Hug’ and ‘No’?”

“It’s because he only has five, or six teeth now!”

It was not wrong. But there were a few children of the same age who could say more words. Adrian was already able to speak, so he was supposed to learn a new word.

“Because he could do everything, just say two words, so he doesn’t feel the need to speak.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

In fact, Adrian lived his life to the fullest with just two words. And Arthur wasn’t able to hide his shocked face.

“And I’m just wondering if you’re going too far. Try for a bit to be cold-hearted man. Then Adrian will go and hug you first.”

“……really? So it’s not because I’m annoying?”

“I’m serious. Put up with it for two days, just act as cold as possible.”

“Adrian really would come first to me then?”

It was a tempting offer to Arthur, who had been in unrequited love only recently.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Arthur stood in his place for a long time, as if he had made a big decision.

“Okay. I’m also the King of this Kingdom…I can endure such a trial.” Arthur looked determined as if he were going to the battlefield. Evelyn looked calm when she heard her father’s silly words. Now she was used to it until she was tired of it.

“Adrian.” Arthur stared pitifully at Adrian.

“Wait a minute, it’s goodbye.” After saying that, Arthur hesitated for a while, and then stormed out of the door.

Evelyn sighed and put Adrian down to sit. She couldn’t take her eyes off for a moment because Adrian now knew how to walk.

Evelyn was tired, and even Arthur, who didn’t help her, made her crazy as well.

“Hug!Hug!”

Recently, Adrian got a big hand. He got bigger and heavier each day, and if they put him down like this for a moment, he quickly asked for a hug.

“Hug ? Isn’t it more nice to sit down, huh?”

When someone heard it, Evelyn’s voice sounded like snorting.

“Hug me, hug me!”

Then, Evelyn hugged Adrian, and she looked at his face.

“What the hell are you thinking…..?”

Evelyn’s heart still throbbed when she thought of Adrian, who approached Fabian and waved his fluffy fist like a cotton bat. And Adrian even went so far as he gave orders to the Emperor in clear pronunciation.

It was ‘Hug!’

“Abu-bu-bu, ah!

“Yes, of course it could be because you’re a baby.”

What Evelyn couldn’t understand was Fabian’s reaction. Fabian froze at the moment as if the little baby were a demon. Besides, he went so far as to hugged Adrian gently as his order.

“You’re the only one who can order the Imperial Majesty. I don’t know why he listened to you…..”

Evelyn laughed a little when she remembered Fabian’s awkwardness. His figure had remained in her mind. Fabian’s stiff face, who was holding Adrian as if he were holding a bomb, always appeared in her head.

Although he looked very awkward, she thought that when he held Adrian, Fabian looked exactly like him. It was also the view that Evelyn wanted to see so much in the past.

“Buuu, buuu!”

Adrian began to shake his hands, and her imagination stopped. It seemed that the tears were almost falling without realizing it.

Adrian slapped Evelyn’s cheek as if he wanted to say, “I don’t like it when you think about him.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to be sad anymore.”

This was maybe the best. Instead, it was something to be grateful for.

Once upon a time, the scene was Evelyn’s wish, and her wish now was that Adrian grew up safely here.

“Right, Adrian?”

Evelyn hugged the child tightly. She could hardly lift her head because Adrian smelled so good. He said he loved her more than she did, and he was right. Evelyn wouldn’t be this strong if it weren’t for Adrian.

“I can’t be your mother…….but I will protect you.”

It didn’t matter how Adrian called her. It was alright if she couldn’t say that she was his mother for the rest of her life. If he could live a happy life in that way, it’s already enough for Evelyn.

***

The entire white room was illuminated by the sunlight that shone through the glass of the windows.

The top room of the White Tower was the highest and most noble room in the Vatican. From here, the Pope started the day by looking down at the Saint Iretta (Territory of the Vatican).

“It’s unexpected. I thought the Emperor would return to Empire right away.”

Listening to the Pope’s words, the man in the knight armor nodded his head. Without a helmet, he was a beautiful young man with black hair. His dark blue eyes showed a powerful aura, and his tightly closed lips were smeared with dignity.

“David, what’s your opinion?” The Pope swept his white beard and asked for his opinion.

“At least, the rumor that the Emperor now hates the nobleman seems to be true.”

“But they can’t be replaced. It’s going to be a real headache for him.”

The Pope seemed quite pleased when he heard that.

” The Emperor also hated the nobleman and the Vatican, but he couldn’t get away from them, until his death.”

The Emperor wasn’t immortal because he was just a human being.

“But there’s something else that bothers me more than that.”

The Pope narrowed his eyes, “……Is it about that Wyvern?”

David nodded, “When I came back to the church and asked the researchers, I couldn’t find a clear answer.”

“Wasn’t the sacrifice wrong?”

David carefully thought about it and shook his head. “It was very little but it definitely was the Emperor’s blood and flesh. I found it myself.”

“I didn’t doubt you.” The Pope stared at David.

“As I brought a branch from the imperial hunting ground, I’m sure it’s belongs to him. That’s why this experiment was carried out …. In the original case, the Wyverns should attack the Emperor.”

“Maybe it was because our arrogance to tame the demons entirely.”

“No, the research was successful.” David still spoke with a firm face, “I’ll look for the cause in more detail.”

“Yes. It is a great strength to have you. It’s also a blessing for Iretta.”

The Pope nodded a couple of times.

“But I’m afraid to make excessive sacrifices. I’m glad that this time the little prince wasn’t hurt, because I almost did something terrible for the Felice Kingdom.”

“It’s a small sacrifice for the God’s will. Beside, The prince was safe, though.”

“It was dangerous. Originally the demons were targeting the adults rather than the children.”

The Pope kicked his tongue. At that moment, suddenly, David’s eyebrows frowned a little.

“Your Holiness…..”

“What is it?”

“At that time, during the raid, were the Wyverns headed straight for the little prince? Because I’m not sure which direction they were flying …”

“Yes. It looked like that to me. It was dangerous if the Princess and Lord Liam didn’t step up.”

David continued to think about the Pope’s words and connect them to the situation. His thoughts were disconnected as if he had missed something important.

Initially, the Wyverns were trained to chase only flesh and blood of the Emperor. The experiment didn’t fail, although there was some improvisation.

However, the Wyverns couldn’t find the Emperor at the scene, so they sacrificed other people.

“It’s a pity for those who lost their lives at that time. It can’t help, the demons want to kill if they lose their target.”

It was their predator’s instinct. No matter how many times they trained them, they would randomly attack another object if they couldn’t find their target.

Only

“May his soul, who was sacrificed in random attack, reach the heaven…”

David’s eyes as he watched the Pope gradually deepened his conviction.

“I don’t think it was an ambush or a random assassination. The first victims died because they couldn’t find the target, so if they attacked randomly, they didn’t have to target a young child.”

A wonder suddenly raised in the Pope’s eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I think we should look at the attack on the victim and the little prince in the square separately.”

A hint of their suspicion rose as if new facts were about to unfold.