Chapter Nineteen
_ Powerful Feelings
He was waiting for her quietly in the room like a punished student, moving his gaze around her room with a kind of longing and realization...
Click !!
Finally, she entered her room in an elegant manner and with a firm face. He sat quietly, watching her movement like one possessed. She sat in front of him, frowning and looking at him reproachfully...
"Why didn't you come?! Or tell me anything?! ..."
He held out a small bag. She looked at him skeptically, then pulled the small bag and was surprised by a fair amount of colored candies. Ariana put a piece in her mouth while looking at him suspiciously; her features changed and her face relaxed. The refreshing sweet and sour taste spread in her mouth, creating a kind of relaxation. Raphael smiled, feeling a refreshing and comfortable sensation in his heart, and finally opened his mouth.
"Aya, I am truly sorry. I didn't speak to you or clarify the matter to you, but I was indeed very busy, and I didn't want to cause you concern without explaining anything. I don't deny that I am wrong, so I am truly sorry.."
"..."
Ariana, who had eaten the third piece in silence, looked at him with a calm face and a gentle expression. She offered a piece of candy and placed it directly into Raphael's mouth. She breathed quietly, cursing her foolish actions. Raphael was very considerate of her, and her reactions had been exaggerated, and it was difficult, especially in front of Evan. It was good that Raphael did not understand or despise her foolish behavior; she was truly grateful...
"Tell me what happened, in detail..."
"Alright, as you wish..."
* * *
I looked at Aya, who was sitting in front of me quietly, then remembered the events that had passed more than a week ago...
After my return from the Marquis's castle, I returned to the palace. After realizing the truth of my feelings, everything made me desperately want to win everything in my favor this time. If you want to protect something dear to you, you must become stronger. After work and preparation, I went to the royal dining hall overlooking the garden to have lunch with the foreign guests for a final greeting before bidding them farewell. The large table was rich with everything; the traditional foods of Cassian alongside some foreign foods that might suit the guests' tastes. When I arrived, the guests had already arrived. The closest seats were held by the Crown Prince of Rondan and King Nathan, and beside him was his daughter the Princess and the Prince of Hlava. Beside the Crown Prince of Rondan sat the Foreign Minister of Tatian and his wife, and after them sat some foreign guests who accompanied the representatives of the delegations...
I felt some guilt towards the Princess because she looked gloomy, but I couldn't do anything for her. In fact, even if Ariana hadn't entered my life, I wasn't planning on entering into a political marriage with a foreign country. In truth, marriage was something I would do for duty, but now I truly began to think about the possibility of my marriage to Aya and how our life would be?! And will I be able to win her heart?! And will she even love a man who is foolish and unbalanced?! ...
"Your Imperial Majesty! The ceremony was wonderful, but you disappeared suddenly."
I came back to my senses upon hearing the voice of the Prince of Hlava. I looked at him and smiled quietly with an apologetic tone...
"I truly offer my deepest apologies, but an urgent matter arose, so I went to check on it.."
The look of the Prince and the others was somewhat puzzled. I smiled as I remembered some of her advice...
[ "It is easy to be a tyrant whom everyone fears and who carries out what he wants with fear and without true desire or loyalty, but it is very difficult to be a cunning and good king, who can win the loyalty of your competitors before your allies..."]
A sincere apology without vulgarity. I smiled at them..
"No problem, Your Highness, we were just worried about Your Highness..."
"I thank you for your concern, Your Highness.."
It was King Nathan who spoke. He had a resentful tone in his voice. I did not show my indifference to him, but rather showed generosity...
The conversation during lunch was normal and routine. The Foreign Minister of Tatian spoke cheerfully, looking at me..
"I heard that Your Majesty will not marry from outside Cassian. It is a loss that one of our two great empires does not unite with the other..."
"Marriage alliance is not always the solution. There are other, stronger alliances.."
I looked at King Nathan and smiled, then we returned to the usual conversations. It was a good lunch..
After I bid the guests farewell to their place of residence, I went to the garden accompanied by the King and the Princess. After sitting and a long silence, the King opened his mouth and spoke:
"My apologies Your Majesty, was there an urgent matter that required our presence?! "
Even if he was calm, resentment was apparent in his voice. Surely there is no father who can see his child sad, and if I were in his place, I would have plucked out the heart of whoever hurt my daughter's heart...
"Your Highness, I want the power of Nathan alongside Cassian.."
"Did Your Majesty not reject the marriage offer?! "
"Your Highness, you know that there are strong alliances without marriage..."
"..."
"Princess Veronica, in your opinion, what are the strongest alliances?! "
I didn't want to involve the Princess at first, but I decided to form a true alliance, not a temporary interest. So I tried to win the Princess's favor. According to my information, the King cherishes his daughter very much, and she is also a smart person too...
The Princess looked at me in confusion, and I gave an encouraging smile:
"I think it is shared interests or a common enemy.."
I looked at the King as if to say "See..." The King looked back at me, sighed quietly, and said:
"A common enemy, who do you mean by that..."
"The pirates..... and the Temple "
I deliberately spoke calmly and slowly and looked at him steadily. The Temple is not private, but a power that extends around the continent. In Cassian and some neighboring countries only, the Temple has a strong authority. The Temple's method of controlling power differs from one country to another, but the basis is one. Cassian was the place where the Temple's power had concentrated over many long years. Therefore, I want to be free from the Temple's authority, and certainly, many kingdoms wish the same...
"And do you have the way?! "
"Certainly.. I do "
"..."
He was hesitant, but I spoke confidently and calmly. Things were going in my favor, so I looked at him and said as I extended my hand:
"Will you lend a helping hand?!"
The King laughed helplessly, extended his hand, and said:
"Hahaha, let's gamble..."
I shook his hand, and then I grabbed my tea cup. The scent of jasmine was enough to make me feel refreshed. I set the cup down and then spoke:
"We need visible interests; it's not a loss anyway..."
"You mean Your Majesty wants us to attack suddenly.."
"Certainly not, but we will declare a full-scale war if necessary. But... the dish that is cooked on a low flame is always delicious and rewarding..."
"..."
"Therefore, we must give an image of our alliance, like the deal of the White Lora Stones..."
"Your Majesty! Are you sure?! "
Shock covered his face. The White Lora Stones are very powerful magical stones. Unlike Cassian, where magical power flows through all its magical stones easily and we have techniques for mining magical stones easily, Nathan is a land that has a scarcity of magical resources and mining techniques are expensive. The Lora mines are an important and easy-to-mine mineral for Nathan. They have tried to negotiate hundreds of times for the White Lora mines. Therefore, this point must be exploited...
"Certainly, but there will be some conditions..."
"..."
The King's expression hardened, but he tried to show the opposite, though I noticed it. I smiled at him cunningly and looked at the tea quietly:
"You are forced to accept my conditions, so that the six-year-old young prince can take the throne while the situation is secure. You will accept..."
"..."
"I am not threatening, I desire the interest of all of us "
"What are Your Majesty's conditions? "
"A fair deal: mining rights for Cassian, and they will be sold to Nathan at half price in exchange for reducing the transit price through Nathan's passages for the residents of Cassian..."
The King was hesitant, but he sighed and extended his hand in agreement. I shook his hand, and he said...
"I agree, the conditions are truly fair.."
"But there is still one condition..."
"..."
He was flustered, but I smiled and told him:
"It is not difficult for Your Highness, just keep matters secret. And when I announce my new bride, Nathan must be the first to bless the marriage. Doesn't King Nathan have influence over many kings?..."
He was astonished after knowing the condition and said:
"Is Your Majesty planning to marry currently?! "
"Not currently, it is still early..."
I felt embarrassed to confess to someone my desire to marry. Marriage matters are topics that are always discussed normally, but I want to marry Aya. Perhaps because I discovered my feelings, I knew what my true desire was, but I will not force her into anything...
"Then it seems I was right in my opinion of Your Majesty..."
I looked at the Princess with a smile and said playfully..
"It seems that women have high intuition.."
The King looked at his daughter, who smiled quietly. I excused myself and left to complete my work..
* * *
My schedule this week was very busy, starting from bidding farewell to the guests and distributing the Ghost Knights to investigate here and there to find loopholes and investigate the backgrounds of the targeted people...
Even working on the case of enslaved children and who is behind it. Brian and Casper secured a safe shelter for now, and we will think of something soon. Aya was calling me from time to time, and I was trying to avoid her. Despite accepting my feelings, I need some time to act naturally in front of her...
I was noticing the worry in her voice and words, and I knew she was worried, and I felt distressed for causing her concern, but I pushed myself..
' I must become better to be with her ...'
I spoke with Evan, who told me about the visit request and told me its timing. I was truly worried and wanted an accurate diagnosis of her condition. I could have sent Evan secretly, but I wanted him to know her first...
He called me before entering the Marquis's castle, and of course, I told him to submit his report and leave. When I arrived, they were talking, and when she turned to me, I felt my heart swell. I had missed her so much....
"Aya, I ...."
I didn't pay much attention to Evan's greeting, and before I could finish my words...
She approached me and gave me several punches on my chest. Although she hit me with all her strength, I was not hurt in the slightest. My heart was hurt to see her worried and angry. I felt Evan's shock at her behavior and her venting her anger on me, but I didn't care much...
Ariana was punching me angrily until her hands hurt, while she muttered with annoyance:
"Selfish, mean, fool..."
Her cotton-like punches finally stopped, and I looked at her apologetically. I was truly worried about her hands getting hurt, as she is very fragile. Before I grabbed her hand, I spoke sincerely...
"I am sorry..."
I was shocked by the small and warm body that surrounded me. Aya exploded and hugged me, suppressing her crying like a child...
"I missed you, I thought you didn't need me anymore..."
I felt relieved because of her crying and smiled. Her clumsy behavior saved my heart from falling into the abyss. I had worried that something bad had happened to her. I put my hand on her back and drew her close to me, while the other patted her head. I wanted to utter the words stuck in my mouth, but I restrained myself and spoke in the least emotional way..
"And I missed you a lot too, I am sorry... I never abandoned you..."
Ariana tightened her hug as if she feared my departure. I felt an indescribable feeling from hugging her small and fragile body...
' Will I be able to protect you?! Do I deserve for you to love me one day?! ..'
The atmosphere between us was warm, and I felt confused. Although it was annoying, it saved me from drifting further with foolish words.
"Am I a vase here?! "
I noticed that he felt ignored by us, so he went back to speaking with a sigh and in a clear voice:
"Heh... I am here ...."
Ariana pulled away first and wiped her tears with embarrassment, not looking directly at me while I patted her head. I looked coldly at the annoying Evan. Although I was afraid of drifting, I missed the warm feeling. Evan flinched and spoke with a frown...
"What now?! ..."
I ignored him more to increase his annoyance, then looked at Ariana playfully:
"Won't you invite me to sit?! "
"Certainly, please come and sit at the table..."
I looked at where they were sitting and sat in her place. I felt a desire to kick Evan out now because they were sitting together. It wasn't a lack of confidence, but I want to monopolize her for myself only. If Aya knew about the matter, she would be annoyed. I saw Ariana in embarrassment about to bring a chair, but I stopped her:
"Sit in Evan's place ..."
Evan frowned and looked at me with shocked looks and said:
"Sir, but ..."
"Aren't you going to deliver your report and leave?! This is what you told me when I requested you ..."
Evan flinched and then spoke quietly:
"Miss Silas, your body is currently in a stable condition. You will currently only need once a week for His Majesty to pour healing magic into you. You will ask how?! "
After explaining many complicated and long matters, I looked at Aya, who was talking with a kind of harmony with Evan. I felt a pain in my stomach seeing her smile like that in front of someone with that wonderful face. I don't want Aya to know that, she will be annoyed. I glanced at Evan until he hurried even more to leave. Before Ariana went out, she gave me an angry look 'Her anger hasn't subsided yet.' I flinched at that...
I went to bid Evan farewell at the main gate, and waited in silence thinking of a way to calm her anger...
Click !!!
' Did she come back so quickly??! '
I looked at the door, but it wasn't Ariana; it was her maid Marian. She was surprised to see me..
"Sir, you are here?! Did you just come?! Does the Lady know? I will go to tell her "
She showered me with questions, so I sighed and said with distress:
"Ariana knows I am here, but she is very angry with me..."
"..."
She looked at me in confusion, then laughed cheerfully. My frown increased:
' Is she mocking me now?! '
"Sir, the Lady is right... being absent for a long time without sending news. The Lady will be very sad, and she has been worried all that time..."
"In your opinion, is there a way to calm her anger?! "
The maid smiled and took a small bag out of her pocket. It wasn't shabby, nor was it luxurious, but it was clean and good. She placed it in front of me and smiled...
"It's fruit candy. The Lady has loved it since her childhood. Mr. Elliot told me that when she was very young and got angry or was sad, he would give her candy.. I believe it is still effective even now, so I put it in my pocket for necessity "
"..."
Elliot!!! Who is this?!
Before I could ask, the maid spoke cheerfully:
"Mr. Elliot is the Lady's cousin, and he is like an older brother to her..."
Wait, did Marian realize my feelings for Ariana? I looked at the maid with puzzled eyes and asked her hesitantly:
"Is it that obvious?! "
"Not very much, but I know you both well. Perhaps that's why I realized the situation quickly..."
Her face looked worried, so she spoke cautiously..
"The Lady might have feelings for the Sir, but she doesn't realize it... but .."
My throat went dry hearing Marian's words, and I looked at her attentively. Despite my worry about the rest of her words, I urged her to continue:
"Marian, continue... what worries you?! "
She hesitated a bit then spoke quickly:
"I fear that the status of the Sir and the Lady might cause a problem. If the Sir was a nobleman at least, perhaps it wouldn't be a big problem. But if you were .."
"You mean from the commoners?!"
I finished her words for her and looked at her. She nodded her head in agreement, which made me laugh with relief. I spoke after finishing my laughter and said:
"From this point, it's alright. The important thing is just that Ariana has feelings for me... Thank you Marian, my heart is at ease "
Marian's expression brightened and she said with excitement:
"I will support the Sir and the Lady. What matters to me is that my Lady is happy.."
"Rest assured, I will take care of Ariana..."
"... Ah... Sir, do not tell the Lady about the matter. Let her realize her feelings by herself..."
She hesitated a little before saying this, but I agreed with her. In my opinion, because I barely discovered for myself what my feelings were and those close to me told me, it was something truly frustrating. I want to confess to her, but I will leave it to time...
Marian excused herself, and the room returned to its usual quiet. I moved my gaze around its corners. I noticed the presence of more books and accessories; other than that, there was nothing strange...
Finally, the door opened, and it was Aya. I looked at her angry face and felt a strong desire to hug her, but I controlled myself. I gave her the bag of sweets, and indeed it had an effect like magic. After that, we talked, and I told her what happened in detail...
She looked at me and spoke in her serious manner while placing her hand under her chin:
"What you did was wonderful. Threatening and enticing at the same time. And for the rest of the countries, winning their favor was a good thing... even if they are small countries, but it would be a problem if they united together and struck Cassian..."
"In your opinion, what is the next step?! "
"Winning the favor of the nobles, certainly, especially the head of the noble faction.."
Despite feeling a little bit of annoyance, I supported her and said thoughtfully:
"And what is the way?! Duke Sylviano is not an easy person.. Despite our use of shadow guilds, information about him is very scarce.."
Ariana looked at me with a strange look, then spoke inquiringly:
"Have you met Elina Brion?! "
It was a strange question. Also, I tried to remember the name "Elina Brion." Who could she be?!...
I looked at Ariana and said with curiosity:
"Do you mean Sir Brion, the commander of the Silvano knights?"
"Yes ..."
Her eyes shook strangely as she answered me. I was puzzled by the complex look in her eyes, but I answered her truthfully...
"She was in the expedition to Mount Line five months ago. I heard of her presence, but I didn't meet her personally.. Why the question?! "
There was a strange astonishment on her face, as if it was something that shouldn't happen. I didn't ask her the specific reason and waited for her answer...
............ To be continued ............