CH:26
“…There’s no way that’s true.”
In the silence, Aaron barely managed to speak. Then he firmly declared that everything was just Ivan’s misunderstanding.
“Recently, the Priestess picked up a child who had been abandoned on the street.”
Ivan approached the child, who sat beside him with tear-soaked eyes wide open. He lightly tapped the child’s soft nose with the tip of his finger. Though the child had cried as if begging to be acknowledged, he didn’t cry at Ivan’s touch.
“Then I suppose this is a matter of adoption by heart.”
Instead, the child nibbled on Ivan’s fingertip as it passed from his nose to his lips. Ivan flinched at the soft, moist sensation.
“Would you agree, High Priest?”
Ivan casually withdrew his hand, then turned halfway and looked back at Amelia and Aaron, who stood just beyond the bedroom threshold.
“I suppose so,” Aaron replied.
His discomfort at having to give the answer Ivan wanted was clear on his face. But only Amelia, who always watched him closely, could detect such subtle tension.
In that moment, a realization struck Amelia. Even Aaron, who rarely tolerated discomfort, had to bow his stiff neck before the Emperor as a member of Escleif.
In that case…
“Take the child with you.”
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save Ian. Her mind raced at an incredible speed. Amelia stepped forward and proposed.
“Priestess, what are you saying…!”
“I want to speak with His Majesty without interference, Aaron.”
Since they weren’t alone, Aaron couldn’t force her the way he normally would.
“Is there a reason I must oblige?” Ivan asked, raising a brow in surprise as he looked at Amelia. It was understandable—she had sat silently like a doll the entire time he and Aaron had spoken.
“Your Majesty said you wanted to prove there were no issues between the imperial family and the temple,” Amelia said, locking eyes with Ivan—just as she once had on the day she pleaded for him to save her.
“I may not be able to visit the palace every month.”
That was obvious. Aaron had no intention of smuggling her beyond the temple walls.
Even when she was staying at the villa they had prepared for childbirth, Aaron never let his guard down. Even then, guards strictly controlled her movements to prevent her from meeting anyone or leaving.
“If that child, who is like my own, is used as proof of the alliance between temple and throne, it alone would demonstrate our close relationship.”
Amelia spoke calmly, naturally, without letting it seem like an excuse—or like she was desperate.
“……”
Ivan didn’t answer easily. He just stared at Amelia, as if trying to read something or reach a conclusion.
Not knowing his thoughts was torture. Amelia tucked her lips inward anxiously, then consciously relaxed them. Beneath her dress sleeves, she clasped her hands tightly to hide their tremble.
“The child doesn’t hold the same significance as you. He cannot represent the temple’s power, and for the imperial family, he would only be a risk.”
“A risk?” Amelia asked, unable to understand.
Ivan didn’t get angry or frustrated.
“I don’t know how much you truly care for him. Perhaps you’re just passing off a child you picked up out of annoyance. And if things go wrong, wouldn’t you blame me for whatever happens to him?”
His tone was calm—too calm—and that made his words cut even deeper, intensifying Amelia’s fear.
“Priestess, since His Majesty has said so, let us—”
“That will never happen. I swear it.”
“……”
“I swear it on the gods!”
Even invoking the gods didn’t make him respond, so Amelia swore again. She didn’t truly believe in those gods, but she figured a divine vow would be more convincing than a mere promise.
“Even if the child is harmed, I will not hold the imperial family responsible. A life with you will be better than dying on the street.”
She had forgotten to hide her desperation. The thought that Ivan might simply walk away and abandon Ian terrified her.
“Very well. Then let’s put it in writing.”
At last, Ivan gave the answer Amelia had been hoping for. Relief flooded her face.
“High Priest, bring paper and pen.”
“Your Majesty, if you do not wish to take the child, there’s no need to force yourself. It’s not difficult for the temple to care for one more poor soul.”
Aaron tried to stop her to the very end. It was as if he couldn’t bear the thought of Amelia and the child slipping from his grasp.
“Didn’t you say the Priestess’s will is the will of the gods? This situation suggests the High Priest is opposing divine will,” Ivan said with a tilted head, as if he sensed something strange.
Realizing he had gone too far, Aaron stepped back.
“I’ll have paper and pen brought.”
Soon, a servant arrived with the writing materials.
“Everyone out,” Ivan said casually as he accepted them, as though the room belonged to him.
“Your Majesty. This is the Priestess’s bedroom. The two of you cannot remain alone.”
“Very well. Then let’s move to the drawing room. Will that suffice?”
Aaron nodded reluctantly, making no effort to hide his displeasure this time. Ivan ignored it completely and walked away without hesitation.
“Leave us,” he said coldly, glaring at Aaron—essentially telling him he’d been granted all he would be.
“You too.”
He dismissed Louie, who had insisted on staying as Amelia’s attendant.
“Sit.”
Ivan gestured toward the seat Amelia had been using.
There was no reason to disobey the man who had once saved her life. Amelia promptly sat across from him.
“I’m a suspicious man. I don’t trust verbal promises.”
Ivan idly pushed aside the teacup on the table. Even in such a trivial act, there was an air of elegance. It was oddly captivating.
“Write down your vow on the contract. Then I will take the child with me in your stead. I will ensure he is raised safely and continue supporting the temple as promised. You needn’t worry.”
Amelia didn’t care about the funding. If it meant saving Ian, she would give him anything. She quickly picked up the pen and began writing down both his promise and her own.
“If the temple breaks the vow, should I write that the full donation will be returned?”
She asked, unsure. Ivan chuckled briefly, as if the question caught him off guard.
For a moment, Amelia felt strange. That smile brought back a vivid memory of the Ivan she once knew.
“Money means nothing to me.”
“Then…”
“Offer yourself to me.”
Amelia froze at the unexpected words.
“What do you mean by that?”
Ivan smiled lightly, as though it were no big deal.
“Pledging yourself will ensure the temple won’t try anything foolish.”
It was simply a matter of not trusting either the temple or her.
“What benefit would there be in having me?”
Amelia asked bluntly.
“In many ways, I imagine,” Ivan replied, leaning back comfortably. His eyes swept over her with layered meaning.
“Both politically and socially.”
But Amelia instinctively knew that wasn’t all. The way his gaze moved from her head to her chest was not purely political.
“Whatever you desire.”
But Amelia was calm. She had long since grown used to being manipulated and pushed around. If she could at least protect her child, it was better than being used for nothing. Besides, if she pledged herself as Priestess, Aaron wouldn’t dare harm Ian.
“You act like a real mother.”
Ivan spoke in admiration as Amelia wrote that she would give herself to him.
“He is my child.”
It was the truth, though the way she said it made it sound ambiguous. Ivan gave her a knowing smile.
“I see. Quite the devotion.”
A smile that was somehow both relieved and satisfied. Whether it leaned more toward one or the other, Amelia couldn’t tell.
