Chapter 34: A Calculated Kiss and Northern Shadows

Chapter 34

“That’s surprising. I thought you’d act more like a noble and oppose the tax increase.”

A thick hand gently encircled her delicate neck.

While the disparity in magical prowess between Evening and Erich was unclear, an ordinary man could easily constrict such a slender neck. The thought sent a jolt of tension through her.

“Your father wouldn’t be pleased by the increased funds flowing to the central government, after all.”

“I am now a person of Winb, and soon to be the Emperor’s wife. It’s time I became independent from my father.”

“So you prefer me over your father?”

“I can’t sever familial ties, but… just a little more?”

Evening brought her thumb and forefinger together, forming a small gap as if indicating something minuscule.

Erich, who had been intently gazing down at Evening while his hand still cradled her neck, offered a faint smile.

“Then, Eve, kiss me.”

Erich moved his hand back to her chin and lowered his head. He left a light kiss on the bridge of Evening’s nose, then pulled his face back slightly.

It was an unspoken dare, a challenge to kiss him within the palace walls, where countless eyes watched.

First, he’d touched her during the State Council, flaunting their connection. Now, he was demanding a kiss in the corridor.

His method of pressuring Evening was peculiar, to say the least.

Despite his undeniable confidence and imposing presence, he seemed convinced that his affections would only make Evening uncomfortable.

Without hesitation, Evening rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

As their lips met, a warmth enveloped her, and the subtle scent of him seemed to transfer to her.

“Whew!”

A jaunty guard whistled and jeered playfully.

Erich, having received the unreserved kiss, wiped his lips with his right hand.

“Do it again.”

Evening, licking her lips, reached out with both hands this time.

Clasping his cheeks felt too bold, so she opted to grasp his nape and shoulders instead.

She pushed up on the balls of her feet and kissed him. Pressing her face against his firm body felt as delightful as the soft touch of their lips.

Evening slowly pulled away, her eyes wide and sparkling.

“Can I do it again?”

‘It wasn’t ‘Shall I do it again?’, but ‘Can I do it again?’. Her cleverness was evident.’

Erich, who seemed to draw closer when she retreated and pull away when she advanced, gazed down at Evening with an unreadable expression.

With a look akin to someone observing an overly eager dog wagging its tail, he gently pushed Evening’s lips with his finger.

“That’s enough. Plenty. But…”

“But?”

As the topic shifted, Evening immediately responded.

“To proceed with your plan, you’ll need to be careful not to be ambushed by the noble hunters. If you propose using the hard-earned tax revenue for gambling dens or performances, they’re bound to be enraged.”

“Oh, they’re that kind of group? That’s terrifying. They wouldn’t come inside the palace, would they?”

Evening, who immediately cowered at the mention of trouble, instinctively flinched.

Despite possessing the body of a powerful magic-user, she was a timid soul who couldn’t even dream of living a peaceful life in a quiet village.

“Inside the palace is safe, but outside is another matter entirely. It would be convenient if I could accompany you, but I’m not free. Instead, I’ll assign Adler to you; take him with you. Adler.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Adler, who usually refrained from interjecting in their conversations, responded instantly.

“For a while, you will follow Evening and protect her with your life. Is that acceptable, Eve?”

“Hmm, ah, with Adler… Yes…”

At the mention of having the Emperor’s Captain of the Imperial Guard as her personal escort, Evening’s complexion visibly paled. The usually cheerful Evening’s words trailed off, and her hands fluttered nervously.

‘In truth, assigning Adler, his trusted aide and Captain of the Imperial Guard, was not solely for Evening’s benefit.’

‘Large-scale events, such as the one Evening proposed, were prime locations for plotting schemes.’

‘Erich’s first death had been due to an orchestrated accident by those involved in the preparations for his coming-of-age ceremony.’

‘While they had been clumsy in concealing evidence, it had been enough to lead Erich to his demise.’

‘Though Erich was now immortal, there were countless potential plots to eliminate his Imperial Guard or neutralize the Capital Defense Forces.’

‘Given that Margrave Flam was suspected to be behind the last attack, Evening could not be left unsupervised.’

‘In essence, Adler would serve as Evening’s overseer.’

“Do you dislike it? Will Adler be a hindrance?”

When he asked playfully, fully aware of her thoughts, Evening, whose eyes had been darting around, took a determined breath.

“Will you be alright, Your Majesty?”

“Without Adler? I’m immortal, so it doesn’t concern me.”

“I mean, me being alone with Adler.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Adler doesn’t have a girlfriend or a wife, does he?”

“And?”

The conversation had barely begun, yet its direction had already become utterly unpredictable.

“You won’t get jealous if Adler and I spend a lot of time together and get along well, will you?”

“…”

“Adler is a man around my age, you know. He doesn’t have a lover, so it would be awkward if people misunderstood our closeness.”

‘The conversation had taken an entirely unexpected turn. This time, not even a hollow laugh escaped him; only a shallow sigh slipped past his lips.’

“Is that all you’re concerned about?”

“Yes.”

‘He was dumbfounded.’

‘Even during his engagement to his first fiancée, he had never worried about her developing feelings for a guard.’

‘It wasn’t that Erich was overly confident or trusted his fiancée; rather, neither of them held much interest in their betrothed’s romantic entanglements.’

‘They weren’t commoners; who married for love?’

‘What noble bothered themselves with such private romances or scandalous affairs?’

‘As long as their children were of their own blood, it mattered little whom they favored. An empress might contend for the emperor’s affection, but the reverse was inconceivable.’

“She wouldn’t harbor such feelings for a guard. Adler is a knight I rely on. It’s better to get along with him than to be jealous.”

‘If her intention was to shake off Adler under the guise of public perception, she was mistaken.’

‘With the ladies-in-waiting already swayed by Evening, he couldn’t back down due to mere rumors.’

“Adler, you are to deal with all threats by Eve’s side. Eve, Adler is an escort, not a servant. You won’t be able to make him do anything frivolous.”

‘This was a preemptive measure to prevent her from ordering Adler away or distracting him with arduous tasks.’

“Understood. Thank you for thinking of me. I’ll stick close to Adler.”

Yet, despite his careful preparations, Evening welcomed his directive with surprising enthusiasm.

“It might be awkward, but please take care of me, Adler. What are your hobbies? What’s your favorite food? When did you join the Imperial Guard?”

Evening, extending a hand to force a handshake upon Adler, immediately launched into a barrage of friendly questions.

Adler, though visibly uncomfortable, earnestly attempted to answer Evening’s questions.

Having grown up particularly rough even among commoners, he was flustered by the unreserved questioning from such an elegant woman.

They looked like a man and woman enjoying a pleasant conversation at a banquet. Erich extended his arm, parting them.

“I didn’t mean for you to flirt in front of me.”

“Oh, I get it. I’ll only be friendly with him when Your Majesty isn’t watching.”

‘He had said it was fine, yet why did it feel as if a stone was already rolling in his throat?’

‘Whether it was during the State Council or now, seeing Evening smile so brightly at everyone always made him feel uneasy.’

‘Why was that?’

‘Perhaps it was because her unguarded demeanor made her kindness and warmth toward people feel like her true nature.’

‘Occasionally, Evening reminded him of his younger brother, Prom.’

‘Prom, who had been eyed as the next emperor since Erich’s days as a non-magic user, continued to garner attention even now that Erich possessed “immortality”.’

‘Those who supported Prom harbored dark intentions, raising their swords against Erich, yet Prom himself was merely an ordinary boy who admired his brother.’

‘One couldn’t doubt those innocent eyes, so far removed from political machinations.’

‘Sometimes, he sensed Prom’s shadow in Evening as well.’

‘Margrave Flam was his enemy, but Evening might not be to the same extent.’

‘Or perhaps she had truly gone mad and become a different person altogether.’

‘He couldn’t let his guard down until everything was uncovered, but sometimes, his heart leaned toward her.’

Erich adjusted his cravat, then turned back to Evening.

“I’ll be away from the palace for a while. I’ll leave the wedding preparations to you for now. Don’t complain; I’ll embrace you to your heart’s content when I return.”

“Yes, just leave it to me! Where are you going? How long will you be gone?”

His crude joke about embracing her to her heart’s content upon his return was completely ignored. Yet, her confident reply left him with no grounds for complaint.

Erich furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue.

“To meet my former fiancée.”

****

[Winb Monastery]

North of the capital lay a vast mountain range.

The northern region of Wittern, encircled by these immense peaks, had long been isolated, giving it a distinctly different atmosphere from other areas.

Beyond these harsh, snow-blinding mountains, where biting winds raged in winter, stretched an unknown land swarming with southward-migrating outsiders and monstrous beasts.

Unlike the south, where a great war had ended decades ago, the north was still marred by conflict.

It was originally a barren land, almost devoid of water sources.

Thanks to Duke Elpata and his wife from two generations prior, who had melted the frozen earth with fire to discover water sources and systematically driven out the beasts, the region had prospered on its vast lands.

However, that prosperity was fleeting.

Once the threat of the beasts vanished, outsiders began to trickle southward, and now their numbers were alarmingly significant.

According to those migrating south, a highly barbaric foreign tribe in the northeast was forcing people to abandon their homes and flee to the southwest due to their invasions.

These refugees ignited conflicts in the lands they fled to, and the victors of those conflicts would, in turn, move further southwest.

The flames of war spread relentlessly, one after another, making the situation in Wittern’s north increasingly precarious.

At that time, a venture gaining significant traction among the secure southern nobles was the establishment of monasteries.

The barbaric foreign tribes were indeed fearsome adversaries, yet they were physically beyond the northern mountain range. To the people living south of the mountains, these foreigners were like distant stars, enemies perched high above their heads.

The traditional method of guarding against such enemies was ‘prayer’.

It was far cheaper than investing in an army and effectively created the impression of taking action. Moreover, it presented an excellent opportunity to secure a position for children who wouldn’t inherit land, or for illegitimate offspring.

Under the pretext of praying for the safety of the north, nobles established monasteries there, pushing their illegitimate children and those without land to inherit into them.

Erich, however, disparaged these monasteries as havens for fools and prisons for bastards.