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Chapter : 6
Enoch watched the emperor’s behavior in silence. The emperor looked exactly like what one would expect a crown prince to look like once he reached middle age, yet his personality was vastly different from that of the crown prince.
The crown prince seemed rather fond of Agatha Nobillis.
But the emperor appeared far more interested in profit than in affection.
If he truly cherished her, would he really be thinking of a political marriage even now, when she’s ill…?
Suddenly, the figure of this story’s protagonist seemed to rise in his mind.
A blood-soaked face, trembling hands gripping a sword tightly.
Agatha Nobillis had worn such a fragile look that she caught his eye even in the middle of the battlefield.
Yet when he actually met her, hadn’t she been surprisingly bold?
Even while burning with fever and groaning in pain, she had worried about handling the aftermath.
The emperor, who had been excitedly pondering Agatha’s next prospective husband, suddenly lifted his head.
“Ah. Crown Prince, you may withdraw. And Marquis Aratus, you have worked hard as well. I shall grant you three thousand kars in gold to commend your service.”
“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”
Enoch left the emperor’s office together with the crown prince. The moment the door closed, Antoni roughly raked a hand through his hair.
“Just when I thought things might be safe for a while. I knew it would turn out like this.”
“……”
“Ah, Marquis. You may go now. Once Agatha recovers, we’ll meet again together. You’ve worked hard today.”
“It was nothing, Your Highness.”
Enoch turned and slowly left the imperial palace. Since news of the attack on Agatha Nobillis had already spread far and wide, the surroundings were crowded with courtiers and nobles of every sort.
“My lord!”
Outside the palace, the knights of Aratus who had been waiting at a distance raised their hands. Having come straight from the battlefield, they were all covered in dust.
“Are you all right? Nothing out of the ordinary happened, did it?”
Enoch took the reins from Leon Takran, the First Battalion Commander, and shook his head.
“Nothing special. Let’s head back at once.”
“Yes, sir!”
Under countless gazes, Enoch Aratus led his knights back to his estate.
One day later—
News spread across the empire that House Aratus had become the benefactor who saved Agatha Nobillis.
It was always the Nobillis family that had paid exorbitant prices thanks to their immense power and wealth.
So this carried even more impact than the emperor’s decision to dig out the mastermind behind the attack.
Soon, letters from nobles began pouring into the Aratus marquisate.
All of that happened in just two days after the rumor spread.
Agatha lay ill for three full days before finally getting up. It was sheer luck that she hadn’t broken any bones when she fell from her horse, but the aftereffects had hit her hard.
By the time her high fever had finally subsided and her wounds had healed enough for her to move about,
Agatha was having tea with Crown Prince Antoni Roxibar in the palace garden.
It wasn’t a scheduled meeting. Antoni had simply shown up unannounced.
“Stay a little longer before you go.”
“Why? Is someone coming?”
“I invited Marquis Aratus. He sent word that he’d come.”
In front of Agatha was a medicinal tea said to purify the blood, while in front of the crown prince was a golden fruit tea. Antoni grumbled in displeasure.
“You’ve only just gotten back on your feet. Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
“It’s already late as it is. If I don’t want to end up marrying some noble I dislike, I have to move quickly.”
The first thing Agatha did after regaining consciousness was grasp the situation. Since the sole heiress of Nobillis had nearly died, there was no way the emperor would stay idle.
As expected, he declared that he would not let this incident pass, and while issuing many warnings, he also used it as an excuse to bring up Agatha’s marriage.
He would probably come to speak of it directly within a few days.
“What about the candidates?”
“They’re being selected. Father seems particularly interested in trade with the Eastern Continent this time.”
Antoni sneered, rubbing the rim of his teacup. Now that the war was over and he had gained new ports and territories, the emperor was eager for tax revenue through trade.
That had been the purpose of the war from the start, after all.
“If it’s the Eastern Continent, you’ll need an island to use as a base.”
“Right. So we’ll have to keep an eye on nobles who own territory in that area. If you want to derail the marriage as you please, shouldn’t you at least prepare a substitute?”
It meant defying the will of an absolute ruler. If she wanted things to go her way, offering a satisfactory alternative was only natural.
Smiling, Agatha picked up her quill.
“You’ll help me again this time, won’t you? Once the exact candidates are chosen, make sure to let me know.”
“Using the crown prince as a spy—how bold.”
“I already gave you the horse you wanted, but you couldn’t even go hunting. Just think of this as making up for that.”
“Damn it. So because of those bastards, I end up working twice?”
Agatha began writing a letter on the spot.
She instructed her retainers to assume a new sea route to the Eastern Continent and investigate whether there were ports within Nobillis territory where ships could dock, and if so, how large they were.
Antoni, sprawled lazily with his soft platinum-blond hair falling loose, openly watching her write, spoke up.
“So, who are you planning to marry this time?”
“Who knows? I didn’t expect to be getting married this soon.”
“Is there a man you like?”
“……”
That was one question Agatha couldn’t brush aside lightly.
A man I like?
Not such a vague term—there was already a man she had fallen for headlong. It wasn’t like when her judgment had been clouded by fever.
Suddenly she thought of him.
Hair scattering like blue steel in the sunlight, a face where wildness and elegance coexisted—just remembering it made her ears flush red.
At times, she even recalled his low voice.
—
“Even in a situation like this, that’s what you’re worried about?”
—
Despite his cold, detached hands in battle, there had been a hint of sweetness about him.
Lost in thought, Agatha pictured Enoch Aratus, and only after her cheeks flushed did she snap out of it. At some point, even her hand that had been writing had stopped.
“What’s that? So it’s not exactly no one, huh?”
“Be quiet.”
“What is it? Who is it? You used to say there wasn’t a single decent husband candidate in the world, including me.”
Ignoring him, Agatha finished her letter.
By the time her close maid took the completed letter away, Antoni, who had been staring at her persistently, looked completely deflated.
“Fine. Do as you like. I’ll only help by telling you the exact candidates, nothing more.”
“That’s more than enough.”
How to define her relationship with Enoch Aratus was up to her.
She had invited him because she wanted to see him again—or perhaps to properly define these feelings—but soon she would have to devote all her energy to dealing with the emperor.
She also wanted to confirm something.
Could this feeling have been nothing more than a brief wavering brought on by facing death?
“My lady. The guest you invited has arrived.”
“Show him this way.”
Agatha straightened her clothes and looked toward the man who entered behind the head attendant.
Unlike before, when he had worn a knight’s uniform with his hood pulled low, he was now dressed in a neat formal outfit.
…He looks good in formal wear, too.
That thought crossed her mind. The feet that struck the ground were firm, and at a glance his legs were long, his stride wide enough that he seemed to reach her in no time.
Even without looking closely, she could tell his whole body was honed with muscle. His skin was pale for a knight, yet the scar running across his cheek made him wilder than anyone.
When he held a sword, he reeked of blood, yet now his indifferent ash-gray eyes stirred a strange heat—a man with an ascetic air that somehow aroused passion.
“I suppose I should be going now. Take care, Agatha.”
“…Safe travels, Your Highness.”
Agatha, who had been staring at him as if bewitched, rose from her seat. Her heart was already pounding so violently it felt like it might burst without her even listening for it.
Can this really be called just a passing feeling?
While Antoni crossed the garden and briefly exchanged greetings with Enoch,
Agatha calmly gathered her expression and put on a familiar smile. The man soon approached the table and kissed the back of her hand.
“Thank you for inviting me, my lady.”
“Welcome, Marquis. Did I send the invitation too late?”
“On the contrary, I thought it was sooner than expected. Are you feeling any better?”
“Much better. Please, have a seat.”
The seat where the crown prince had just been was quickly tidied, and fresh refreshments were prepared. The cloak he had draped over her before had long since been returned with thanks to Enoch’s aide, John Whitney.
First, Agatha placed on the table what she had prepared as the price of her life.
“I invited you today because I wanted to repay you for helping me back then. Please read this first.”
“……”
After a brief look, his gaze dropped. With a soft flip, his neat fingers turned the first page of the document.
Inside was the compensation Agatha had prepared, tailored to Aratus’s current circumstances.
One hundred thousand kars in gold.
In addition, an interest-free loan, and a proposal that through the Nobillis merchant guild, they would supply grain to each Aratus territory at fair prices until this year’s wheat harvest—and even purchase their local specialties.
“For now, this is what I’ve thought of. If there’s any other information or goods you need, please let me know. I’ll do whatever I can.”
