Chapter 60
“How many times do you plan on speaking today?”
“Three. I saw the speed yesterday, it was absolutely insane.”
“Careful, or you might throw the jockey off.”
Interest in the tournament and the horse racing began to grow, even though it wasn’t yet time. The amount of money involved was enormous. Of course, this was because the third prophecy hadn’t come to fruition yet. They were watching the games, betting on the races, all while their faces showed anxiety.
“Now even crawling, huh?”
In the meantime, Ian had successfully flipped over and started crawling.
“Soon, he’ll start walking.”
Mrs. Howard said, looking at Amelia with a proud face. Amelia also watched Ian’s growth with joy.
“Soon he’ll be sitting, standing, and running. Children really grow fast.”
Mrs. Howard and Amelia were both excited about Ian’s growth. However, Louis, who was stuck with Ian all day, didn’t seem particularly interested. The reason Louis was with Ian in the first place was that the Duke of Russell had removed all other eyes and ears from the situation. Louis was the only one watching.
“……”
Amelia observed Louis biting his nails and then turned her gaze away. She could understand Louis’s state of mind.
He had to kill Ian, but after failing once, the watchfulness had only increased. All he could do was watch. But of course, he couldn’t kill him with his own hands. That must have been frustrating.
“From now on, act as they command and do everything the same as before. If I look like I dislike you, that’s even better.”
And Amelia, just like Louis, acted nonchalantly. As if she hadn’t noticed that Louis had tried to kill Ian in the temple. And Louis, too, had no idea that she knew he was waiting for the opportunity to strike. That was Ivan’s command as well.
“A few days from now, I’ll ask you to dinner. Bring the Deputy Minister.”
“Why him?”
Amelia didn’t like Aaron. Even the briefest encounter with him made her feel disgusted. It was another form of fear.
“Tell him that I tried to kill Ian. Ask him for help.”
Ivan’s words sounded dangerous, but they were part of the plan for their treason, and as long as mistakes were made, it had an inevitable element.
“Lady Priestess.”
At that moment, a maid came to find Amelia.
“The Deputy Minister has arrived.”
A few days ago, Ivan had asked Amelia to dinner. There was no reason to refuse, and Amelia accepted. As long as Amelia was attending, Aaron wouldn’t be absent from the meal.
“Let him in.”
Upon Amelia’s permission, Aaron entered the room.
“It’s been a while, Lady Priestess.”
Even after not seeing him for a while, his face was still unwelcome. Amelia greeted Aaron with a disinterested look.
“I’m glad to see you’re well.”
Aaron spoke with a tone of concern, which was laughable. Amelia’s stress and worries were only related to the temple.
Even matters involving Ian were similar. If the temple hadn’t tried to harm Ian, she wouldn’t feel like she was walking on a razor’s edge every night, carrying an egg in her hand.
“Strangely, it seems like I get along with the palace. I’m starting to think I could live here forever.”
Amelia answered indifferently. Aaron laughed, as if he had heard a funny joke.
“The baby has grown a lot. It seems like there’s no wasted time after all.”
He mentioned Ian’s growth. His gaze was fixed on the small body, lying on its stomach and flailing its arms and legs.
“Wow!”
“Busy, too.”
As Ian flailed his limbs, Mrs. Howard quickly picked him up.
“……”
Aaron’s eyes sparkled, reflecting the light, as he looked at Ian with the same black eyes as Amelia’s. A strange emotion flickered in Aaron’s eyes, as if he had rediscovered something he cherished.
“Of course.”
His acting disgusted Amelia. She spoke up, drawing Aaron’s gaze away from Ian.
“No matter how much you like the palace, you shouldn’t ignore the temple. You understand, right?”
The palace was a place Amelia couldn’t be manipulated easily. Unless Ivan allowed it, Aaron wouldn’t even be able to enter. During this time, Ivan had even cleared away the servants who had been around Amelia, which must have upset him. Bringing in a new spy would take time.
“…I should.”
Amelia reluctantly responded, and Aaron smiled in satisfaction. Even out here, Amelia still couldn’t escape his influence.
Aaron had been the warden who had confined Amelia to a space where she couldn’t think for herself. He had also made her beg others to protect her own child, unable to do it herself. And he was someone who took great satisfaction in that influence. That would never change, not until the end of his life.
“Even if you die, your child will live as you wish. Isn’t that a good deal? Plus, you get to take revenge on those who ruined your life.”
Suddenly, Ivan’s words came to mind. It was the one thing he had said that Amelia couldn’t deny—it was so true that it was painful.
“……”
But since it was something that had to be done, she decided it was better that way. It wasn’t just dying and disappearing; she could bring along those who had manipulated her entire life. And because of that, she could save Ian’s life.
“It’s time. We should leave now.”
“I’ll see you off.”
The sudden appearance of Mrs. Warner, who bowed her head respectfully, broke the silence. Amelia followed her, with Aaron trailing behind.
“Do you know why His Majesty called us today?”
“I’m not sure, if I knew…”
Amelia stopped herself midway, clearly aware that there were many ears present. Aaron didn’t give her a look, understanding that she was aware of the listening ears. He just believed that Amelia knew nothing about what was happening in the palace.
“They say His Majesty hasn’t arrived yet. He’s waiting inside.”
It was just as they arrived at the dining room. Mrs. Warner informed them that there was no one inside yet. Amelia and Aaron sat in silence, waiting for Ivan.
“It’s been a while.”
After some time, the door to the dining room opened, and Ivan entered, dressed much more extravagantly than usual, as if it were a special occasion.
“I’m grateful that you found time for me, though I’m of humble status.”
Aaron gave a polite response.
“Let’s skip the formalities.”
After Ivan took his seat at the highest place, he gestured for Amelia and Aaron to sit. They sat down, and soon, servants brought out appetizers. Ivan immediately began drinking wine.
“To be honest, there are many things I should have said earlier.”
“……”
“When I sorted my thoughts, I realized quite a bit of time had passed.”
Not particularly hungry, Ivan fiddled with the appetizers and the main dish, but it was only after a long silence that he finally spoke up. His eyes were slightly dazed, as if he were drunk.
“As you know, the prophecy hasn’t been favorable for me.”
Had there ever been a prophecy that was favorable to the royal family? Thankfully, Ivan didn’t voice that particular thought.
“Honestly, I thought it was nonsense, so I tried to ignore it. No matter how much of a god you are, a prophecy regarding my heir feels like overreach.”
Aaron didn’t respond. Ivan wasn’t wrong. While the temple had opposed every royal command, that was mainly because it had been in opposition to the royal will. But a direct claim to designate the heir would have led to unpredictable consequences from the royal family. A full confrontation would have been too dangerous for the temple.
“Do you know the founding myth of Escliff?”
Ivan suddenly asked. Amelia blinked in surprise at the sudden question.
“Escliff was founded by the first emperor and the first Duke Russell, who established the empire by following the will of the god.”
Before Amelia could answer, Ivan smoothly took the conversation back to his direction.
“The first emperor led a war, forcibly conscripting civilians, and when he was about to lose, he cowardly fled. He received a divine revelation to behead the emperor.”
Amelia blinked. What Ivan was saying was that Escliff’s foundation had come from the will of a god. It was more likely they invoked the god to justify their rebellion.
“After founding the empire, they received you as a gift, the god’s representative.”
The priestess had appeared by the seaside one day, prophesying the future and saving the poor with food they once ignored. As everyone knew, she didn’t age or die from disease. Because of that, everyone regarded the priestess as a manifestation of the god or the god’s representative.
“This empire itself was founded by the will of the god, so how could I ignore the god’s will?”
The belief in a non-existent god had become the very basis of public opinion. And the first emperor had been the one to create that belief.
Ivan smiled bitterly. Amelia could tell that his smile was the only genuine expression he had made today. It sounded like a self-deprecating laugh, but it was definitely a sneer. She was certain of it.
“What do you mean…”
Aaron’s voice broke through the silence. Ivan tilted his head, meeting Aaron’s gaze.
“I’ll recognize that child as the crown prince.”
