Chapter 64: A Scented Candle

Evelyn was troubled by the hawks that came three times a week. Fabian was a man with no sense. He was so indifferent like a dead person, but at the same time, he could be so extreme to send letters like a stalker.

“Whatever it is, it’s the last thing you need to do to get it right.” Evelyn murmured helplessly, holding the letter which she hadn’t opened yet. And it seemed that Fabian didn’t know it wasn’t right.

“Yes, but it means he’s so persistence.”

Evelyn turned her head at Nora’s answer.

“The Prince will grow up to be a wonderful man who never gives up.”

“Ah······.”

Only then did Evelyn look at Adrian who played on the carpet. The birds seemed boring to fly three times a week, but now the whole room was like an exhibition hall for the black hawks.

Adrian was at the centre of it, he wasn’t tired today, and he was making a hawk with origami.

“How many origami has he made?”

“I have to count it, and It’s about seven baskets. You shouldn’t throw away a single one.”

“What?”Evelyn coughed because she wanted to stop talking. Her persistent child resembled someone. But if she said it clear she would be in big trouble. When she though about it, Adrian’s diligent side was familiar to her.

“No, no.” Evelyn shook her head, violently. Fabian and Adrian were different. Yes, they had to be different.

“Nora.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“If my father asks about the Prince today….” Evelyn’s blue eyes sparkled brightly. “Say that he loves the black hawk the most in the world.”

“What? But he still can’t speak like that.”

“Just, say so. My father will take care of the rest.”

Only then did Nora, who understood Evelyn’s meaning, nodded softly. “Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Because Evelyn knew that Arthur wouldn’t be quiet if he found out that the hawks had stolen Adrian’s love. Nora and the other servants were now completely tired of wearing black feathers on their heads, and mimicking hawk screams.

“Your Majesty the King!” But without having to visit, Arthur came to her room. Evelyn and Nora smiled with relief.

“Good thing you’re here.” Evelyn greeted him gladly, but Arthur’s expression was a little stiff. Nora, who noticed it, quickly moved away, holding Adrian.

“Sit down.”

“Yes, what’s going on?”

Arthur sat down first and sighed deeply. Evelyn followed him quickly and sat across from him.

“You probably know about the disturbance of the demons recently. We too ……… Because a big incident almost happened at the last festival.”

“Yes, but it’s over, ······.”

“No. We may be, but the same thing is still happening everywhere.”

“But, from a long time ago, the demon was inevitable.”

“This time it’s a little different. It’s not a demon, but a person.” Arthur frowned slightly. “Initially, each area had a demon habitat, and usually the Imperial Army would come out and protect the people when the demons come out.”

“Yes, because the Empire is responsible for everything on the continent.”

“Do you remember the Pope, who destroyed the demons when he was in the Great Festival?”

“Ah······.”

Evelyn recalled a scene that she didn’t want to remember.

“We didn’t know because we were out of our minds, but later we heard that it was the Knights and the Paladin under the Pope who killed the demons. And the same thing is happening all over the continent now.”

“I also remember, to some extent. They were powerful and had a different weapon to fight the demons.”

“Yes. The power of the Vatican, not the Imperial Army.”

Hearing Arthur’s words, Evelyn realized something. The Vatican was initially a group that only allowed to use their power to protect themself. Even though it was to fight demons, the force beyond the Imperial Army was excessive.

“The Emperor has ordered us to withdraw all troops that sent to fight demons.”

“What? You mean he won’t fight the demons anymore?”

“Yes. And there was a chaos in the Empire. It seems that there was also a lot of criticism, but His Majesty had firmly silenced all such criticism. Because of this, there was a lot of talks that Your Majesty’s attitude was too much …”

Evelyn shut her mouth tight.

“There’s some country that has joined the Vatican from the start. Soon, we have to decide which side to stand on.”

“We don’t have to obey either side.”

“Evelyn, politics is different. We must choose the side.”

Arthur was right, and Evelyn just nodded her head, recalling her days in the Imperial family.

“The Felice Kingdom is closer to the Vatican than the Empire, but one day maybe our relationship will fall apart. Not right now, though.” Arthur’s eyes carefully looked at Evelyn. He knew all about why Fabian had come to the Felice Kingdom several times or why he had left behind a black hawk and sent several letters a week.

Also, no matter how secret they might keep, the fact that Fabian was the father of their precious Adrian couldn’t be changed.

“His Majesty, regret you…..”

“No.” Evelyn hurriedly stopped Arthur from speaking, “Don’t worry about me. You’re the King, so just think about the Felice Kingdom.”

Their Kingdom had already been separated from the Empire after one divorce. And Evelyn stayed in this Kingdom by her personal choice.

“I forgot my days as Empress. It’s all over. Now I’m just a Princess and the Finance Minister of this Kingdom.”

Arthur nodded a couple of times, “Yes, if you said like that, then…”

“Well, father….”Evelyn hesitated and opened her mouth.

“What is it?”

“Apart from our personal life, I think I’d better not trust the Vatican too much.”

Arthur’s eyebrows are slightly wrinkled at Evelyn’s word. “Of course, I’m not treating the Vatican with pure faith.”

“I know. More than that, I feel somewhat uneasy. The more I turn back, the more suspicious about the Great Festival incident. Why did the Wyvern aim Adrian and the Paladin stopped him as if he had expected, and the Pope……”

“Evelyn!” Arthur cut her words immediately and made Evelyn shut her mouth.

“Don’t say such stupid things.”

“But.”

“I have my own thoughts.” Arthur knew what Evelyn meant. It was Arthur who investigated the case more quietly than anyone else after the festival. “But it’s not the time to move around.”

When Evelyn saw Arthur’s meaningful expression, she could feel a quiet sense of perspective in his father eyes.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about yet. Since I’m a competent King.”

Even after becoming a mother of a child, her father’s back was too big.

” I know what you mean, that’s enough. I will only make a decision for our royal family and the Kingdom to be at peace.” Arthur rarely shared the his agony. Maybe that was similar to Fabian. Perhaps, every ruler was such a solitary being.

Although she felt relieved under her father’s shadow, she felt a little bit bitter. After a while, Evelyn, who was left alone, sat back down at her table and picked up her pen. Perhaps because of what Arthur told her earlier, Fabian’s stiff face suddenly appeared in her mind.

Fabian never talked about public affairs, but sometimes on the days of intense-nerve-war in Congress, he had a stern expression on his face until he fell asleep.

At first, Evelyn was a little scared of Fabian. His stiff mouth, his finger pressing on his temples, and his sunken black eyes looking into the air. Whenever that happened, Evelyn looked at Fabian’s eyes without saying a word.

‘Empire’s parliament is like a ferocious horse, and it takes a lot of effort to make them obey me.’

The words were spoken by Fabian, who was drunk one day suddenly appeared in her mind. She remembered how Fabian, who always looked down on everyone in a relaxed and cold manner, also had a hard time. If she thought about it, that time, Evelyn was very young, and she didn’t really understand it.

Everyone had their own hard time. But Fabian was the great Emperor, so she thought that he was different.

‘It’s impossible for everyone to agree politically. So I have to force everyone to boil with more force than anyone. Only then can the Empire be at peace. ‘

Fabian’s face, who was saying such a thing, looked exhausted. That day, she didn’t feel afraid of looking at his cold face. Soon he fell asleep, but Fabian’s hands and feet were as cold as floor marble.

Evelyn spent the night in silence, holding his hand until warmth returned to him. It was a story when the two just started their married life.

“Are you suffering from a headache again?”

Fabian rarely felt pain, but he often suffered from severe fatigue. Even his hands and feet usually feel cold and stiff due to migraines. All Evelyn could do was to keep him by his bedside.

“It’s a pain nobody knows.”

Everything that happened in the Empress or Emperor’s bedroom was a secret. The same was true of Evelyn’s sorrow, nobody knew about her pain.

But now, Fabian, who was suffering from migraines again, would be alone. And Evelyn felt a little sorry for that.

[I am glad that your Majesty is doing well.]

Evelyn’s pen began to move slowly.

[I’m still not familiar with the work of the Finance Minister, so I am struggling in many ways. The Prince is still obsessed with the black hawk. It is said that the mild flu is common when the leaves start to fall, so I hope Your Majesty will be careful.]

For a moment, the pen hesitated in the air.

Only

[Lately, my head has been hurting a lot while doing public affairs for the first time. But when I light a scented candle, it relieves my headaches, and it can comfort me. Come to think of it, there are lots of candles left in the Empress’s residence, so if someone has a cold or headache, it would be nice if you can give it to them and show your generosity.]

Indeed, Fabian used to take a break at the Empress’s residence to smell the subtle fragrance. He also said that the headache would be less. But maybe now he didn’t remember it.

[Then, once again, I wish you good health…….regards, Evelyn Felice.]

Evelyn folded the letter straight. Soon, Fabian’s face who received the letter was unimaginable. But Evelyn didn’t know anything.

She had not known all this time, how happy Fabian was to see Evelyn’s affectionate handwriting in his daily life that was tiring and full of frustration.

That he always went to the Empress’s residence to find scented candles by himself with a servant’s help. And sat there alone for long periods, imagining the moment when Evelyn made candles for Fabian herself.

She didn’t know yet……