CH 13

Chapter 13: Commandments of the Champion

Even at night, Ivan was chewing on his pen at his desk in the study.

The pile of parchment paper showed no signs of diminishing, and no matter how many documents he stamped, the tasks didn’t seem to end. Outside the window, darkness had already enveloped everything, and hardly anyone was coming and going within the castle.

However, there was one thing that was different from usual today. The sound of footsteps in the distance stopped in front of his study, and then the door was knocked.

“Good evening, Your Majesty. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Silvestor Kudera bowed gracefully as usual. Ivan stopped working to greet the hero of the kingdom and gestured for him to take a seat on the opposite rug. Once he sat down, he decided to start the conversation from his side.

“Silvestor, what’s the matter? It’s rare to see you at this time of night.”

“Oh, I see. you must have guessed it.”

It was a familiar wry smile. Even as his mentor, the greatest warrior had a face that calmed a child’s stubbornness.

“I don’t know. I’m not good at sensing things.”

“Is that so? Well then, if I may, my concern is about the Queen.”

As expected, Ivan didn’t even bat an eyelash and just let out a sigh when the expected topic was brought up.

He had heard that the queen was practicing dance on her own volition, and that this man was her instructor.

“Do you have any opportunities to talk with the queen, Your Majesty?”

Once again, it was the anticipated comment. Silvestor was a kind man and had taken care of Ivan since he was a prince.

Moreover, lately he had been hearing good reviews about Ermengard. Even Rougena had praised her resilience, indicating that the queen had a talent for winning people’s hearts.

“I have no intention of taking your advice on this matter.”

However, Ivan’s heart was pricked by a thick and long thorn.

It wasn’t something that could lead to death, but rather a nagging shackle that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“The queen is human and obviously afraid of me. It can’t be helped.”

“I don’t think so. If you become that stubborn, what will be left in the end?”

“I don’t really care about my relationship with the queen. As long as the alliance becomes strong, that’s enough for me.”

After saying this, heavy silence filled the office.

He knew what his grey eyes were pleading for. Even if the person who had taught and guided him since childhood was in pain, Ivan could not bend his own thoughts.

“You are a splendid king, Your Majesty. However… is being a king really such a harsh duty that it requires one to sacrifice their individuality?”

“Maybe not. But I had to do it. That’s all.”

Only by borrowing the power of his subjects and expending all of himself, piling up the impossible on top of impossible, was he able to make it this far. Perhaps he was not fit to be a king after all.

“Your Majesty. We…”

Silvester closed his mouth with a faint sigh. He couldn’t imagine what would come next, but none of the lines that came to his mind felt appropriate.

It was unusually late by the time he finished his bath and arrived in his bedroom.

Ivan was not someone who would feel tired from this level of activity. Nevertheless, his steps towards the bed were heavy, likely due to his wife already resting.

As expected, the queen showed an unguarded face of fatigue during the day. Although he had no interest in the sleeping form of a beautiful woman, he recently found his heart pounding for some reason.

[Do you have any opportunities to talk with the queen, Your Majesty?]

Suddenly, Silvestor’s words came to mind.

At the same time, his chest began to ache, and he clenched his nightclothes together in intolerable pain.

He was the one who made the decision. So why did he feel any guilt?

It was all for Shenka.

When Bral proposed a political marriage, Ivan accepted it. He knew that the princess had not shown her face during his visit to the palace and that he was feared, but he prioritized the country nevertheless.

Perhaps she did not even want to see her husband’s face. In any case, he made arrangements to make her feel as comfortable as possible. He even postponed their first night together, as she was so nervous that he felt sorry for her.

But what about now that she’s actually become the queen?

She touched Ivan’s wounds without hesitation, and even called transforming into a werewolf on the night of the full moon “lovely.” She befriended even the maidservants and the hero of the country, and enthusiastically studied and practiced sword dance. Now she sleeps peacefully without any suspicion.

Why was she going to such lengths? After all, she should dislike werewolves like him.

He had decided that he didn’t need individuality and prepared himself to spend his entire life disliked by his wife.

And yet, why does his chest hurt now? He has no right to feel guilty or regretful.

❂❂❂

When Ernesta woke up, she was still alone in the room.

The sun illuminated the interior brightly, and the birds’ chirping tickled her eardrums. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed with the familiar scenery.

However, after a week had passed without any results, maybe she should start seriously worrying about her lack of appeal.

——Oh, but… maybe he has a mistress. He might not even come back.

When that thought crossed her mind, she felt a slight pang in her chest for some reason.

Thinking such things was strange. Ivan was her temporary husband, and the primary target of this scheme. It seems that she became upset, thinking about her unseen sister’s married life.

“Excuse me. Good morning, My Queen.”

Rougena arrived while Ernesta was lost in thought. The care of the queen was not entrusted to only Dasha, as several people took turns to care for her.

The head maid, dressed flawlessly in navy Arkrig, wasn’t twitching or moving even when lit by the morning sun.

“Good morning, Rougena. It’s a lovely morning, isn’t it?”

“Indeed it is. Now, please change your clothes.”

Small talk being a common practice, Ernesta quietly stood up and headed towards the closet.

However, today, Rougena’s eyebrows furrowed, making Ernesta anxious as to whether she had done something wrong.

“Your Majesty, what happened to your wrist?”

“Huh?… Oh.”

As she followed Rougena’s stern gaze, she saw a fresh bruise around her wrist. She had incorporated sword practice into her training yesterday and apparently hit it without realizing it.

“I accidentally hit myself during my sword dance practice. It’s not a big deal.”

To Ernesta’s values, it was just a bruise, neither a big deal nor a small one.

“What are you talking about?! How can you neglect your injury without treating it? What do you think of your own body?!”

Ernesta shrank her neck, not used to the intensity of Rougena’s wrath. However, Rougena’s anger did not stop and continued on to another matter.

“Your dark circles are quite severe. Are you getting enough sleep?”

“W-Well, I try to get as much sleep as possible, but sometimes studying and other things take longer.”

“If it’s causing you to compromise your health, then it’s not worth it. Please take better care of yourself.”

In other words, it was a reminder to take better care of her own body. The words were harsh, but if she looked at it in a positive light, it was meant to be helpful.

“I appreciate your concern, thank you.”

“My Queen, I am angry, you know.”

She smiled happily, but was immediately brought down by Rougena’s blunt words. However, she couldn’t help but feel that the steel-willed head maid was somehow starting to soften her attitude towards her.

“I will treat your wounds right away. We will change your clothes afterwards.”

“Understood. Thank you, Rougena.”

At first, she thought Rougena was a scary person, but as she was taught by her, she gradually came to understand that she was a woman with a strong sense of responsibility and deep compassion.

Perhaps stopping her challenge towards dancing was meant to prepare her for this kind of situation.

As she had ointment applied to her wrist, Ernesta smiled faintly, as if realizing something she could not quite explain.