IWBNAM Chapter 11 (Part 1)

11. The Chancellor’s Public Duties, the Chancellor’s Private Life

The Emperor and Empress had passed into eternal rest. The living had to return to their daily routines. But human hearts don’t divide themselves so neatly. The continuity of emotion wasn’t something that could just be ignored. Even after the funeral was over, an awkward atmosphere lingered. It felt inappropriate to laugh and chat openly.

‘Time will take care of it.’

If a successor had properly ascended the throne right after, everything would have wrapped up naturally and cleanly, but the next Emperor was currently inside an incubator.

‘Should I be the one to shift the mood?’

Let’s wait a few days and see. If the heaviness continued, he would figure out a way to break through it.

‘If it comes down to it, I guess I can go on a public date.’

Nael pushed aside the report submitted by the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs and opened another document. It was a civilian surveillance report from the Grand Plaza.

Thanks to memories of having lived as a democratic citizen in his previous life, he respected the Imperial citizens as individual human beings rather than merely a governed class to be ruled. But that didn’t mean he trusted them blindly.

The masses were not endlessly good and rational beings. They could behave selfishly or get swept up in crowd psychology and commit irrational collective acts.

So he had deployed a large number of plainclothes police and soldiers to monitor the scene. A young woman handing out bottled water, an elderly doctor sweating as he tended to the weak at the medical tent, a college student singing along with a moved expression while holding a candle, a middle-aged man working frantically in a food truck , the eyes and ears of the state were planted everywhere in scenes like these.

In just three days, everything they had seen and heard was compiled into a neat report. It was fairly long. Was there much in it that required careful attention?

Nael skimmed the table of contents first, then began reading from the beginning step by step. The part that particularly stood out was…

“Robert Andersson?”

The man, the Head of the 7th Security Investigation Division of the Rosenburg City Police Department, had impressive achievements. During the three days of the funeral gatherings, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday , he had identified nearly seven hundred suspicious individuals. Around eighty percent turned out to be pickpockets, thieves, and molesters. The remaining fifteen percent were merely complainers, so they were let off with a warning, and the final five percent…

“When they tried to arrest them, two of them committed suicide…?”

It was confirmed that some individuals hadn’t simply been venting complaints but had been subtly trying to stir up those around them. Chief Investigator Andersson found them suspicious and attempted to arrest them, but in the process, two swallowed poison capsules.

Choosing suicide without hesitation wasn’t something just anyone could do. Andersson had been much more cautious in sorting out suspicious behavior and moved quickly to subdue them. He had caught about thirty individuals that way, and they were suspected of being part of a secret organization of old-noble remnants. This was an accomplishment worth praise. Picking out suspicious individuals in a crowd of a million was no easy feat.

“He must be a man with a good eye. Or a good sense.”

He seemed useful. Commissioner Robert Andersson. Yes. He would remember that name.

After finishing that report, Nael checked the time. It was past five on Saturday afternoon. A bit early, but should he head home? If he started reading new documents and giving out instructions now, the working staff would end up stuck with overtime, so he decided to call it a day. Ah, what a merciful superior he was. The great Azani, considerate of his subordinates. Truly the best.

* * *

Lee Juwon had been playing a game when he found himself possessed inside the novel’s world. He had never read the original novel, and the information he learned through the game was limited. By synchronizing with Azani, he was able to understand the worldbuilding and the characters. All he could do was speculate how events might have unfolded after the point where he possessed the body.

‘It must have changed a lot from the original.’

Nael sat by the window, gazing at the night sky, trying to glimpse the future through the few clues he remembered from playing the game. He was certain that the Emperor had conquered the Union. He also recalled reading introduction pages that showed several current Senior Generals holding the rank of Imperial Marshal.

And that was it.

He had only played the game for about forty minutes in total. How much could he have memorized in that time? At least he had been curious enough about the high-tier heroes to open their introduction pages, but he had barely paid attention to the ordinary heroes.

After struggling to recall more, the only additional thing he realized was that many heroes had already died and belonged to the past. He had a feeling that some of the currently living ones would also die as the story progressed. He had no idea who lived and who died, but it wouldn’t have been the Emperor. Azani, on the other hand, somehow felt like someone who might have died near the end , though maybe not. He could have quietly retired and lived out his life.

‘Pointless predictions.’

Nael ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. Since the protagonist Emperor had already died, it was impossible for the story to progress anywhere close to the original direction. Well, even before that, everything had already derailed ever since he retired. The worldline had completely split apart and could never be merged again.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel curious. He wanted to know. He wanted to see how the story of this world would have unfolded normally. The exciting developments that had captivated so many fans in the original.

What kind of outcome emerged from people with various desires clashing with each other as they each pursued their ambitions with all their strength? It must have been incredibly entertaining.

But he had trampled on the story that was supposed to continue in such an exciting way.

Nael lowered his gaze. He felt guilty. Because of the rash actions of some kid from another world, the entire world had been ruined. It was the sin he would carry for the rest of his life.

‘I’m sorry.’

A few people he had grown close to told him not to take on more responsibility than necessary, but they only said that because they didn’t know the truth. If they knew the circumstances, they would all be angry and shout that it was his fault.

They would be right. It was his fault. His wrongdoing. His responsibility.

Nael curled up. His face twisted with pain. This was his original sin. He had no intention of making excuses. So he would take responsibility, always atone for the ones whose future he had stolen, never forget this bitter feeling…

“Ah, right. The acorn jelly.”

Look at me. He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to make acorn jelly. If he made it now and put it in the fridge, it would harden nicely by tomorrow. He couldn’t miss the chance to mess with that damn bear.

Nael jumped to his feet and hurried to the small kitchen. Making acorn jelly took quite some time. He needed to finish quickly and get some sleep. Oh, and he mustn’t forget to soak the black beans too.

He got up close to nine in the morning, grabbed some yogurt and fruit for a light breakfast, and then started preparing lunch. The scheduled time was noon, but he had a feeling that Antigonos might arrive early. He’d probably use some excuse like wanting to watch him cook.

Opening the refrigerator, he checked the acorn jelly he had set in a silicone mold the previous evening. It had firmed up beautifully with a springy, glossy surface. Good. Perfect.

The black beans he had soaked were soft enough as well. He would start with the braised black beans. At the same time, it would be best to cook the beef for the quail egg stew in another pot. Both dishes would take time to simmer.

“But really, is it normal for me to put this much effort into it?”

He suddenly wondered, but quickly shook off the thought. These weren’t just any side dishes, acorn jelly, quail egg stew, and braised black beans. If he wanted to enjoy watching that guy fumble around because he was terrible with chopsticks, this level of effort was well worth it.

With the windows thrown open for ventilation and the exhaust fan running, he simmered the stew and the black beans. The soy sauce aroma filled the kitchen. He might get scolded later for filling the whole house with the smell. Wait, but he was the homeowner, wasn’t he? Then that was a different story. He would handle this boldly.

Nael stirred the black beans with a satisfied expression. Even though he had made it himself, it looked delicious.

He let it cool for a moment and started washing the rice to cook when the butler came upstairs and informed him that the guest would arrive in ten minutes. Of course, the guest was Antigonos.

“Already? What time did that guy even leave?”

He had thought the man would show up a little past eleven, but arriving an hour and a half earlier was pushing it. That wasn’t proper etiquette when visiting someone else’s home. Or did he consider visiting his lover’s house to be different?

“It seems the guest had reasons to arrive early. I will go to the entrance to greet him. Would you like to change clothes first, sir?”

“Do I need to? I have to cook anyway.”

Nael took off only his apron and hung it over a chair before heading down to the first floor. There was still plenty of time left before the guest’s scheduled arrival, so the servants who had been resting or working elsewhere gathered in confusion. Even the subordinates who had stayed inside the house instead of going out appeared with puzzled expressions. Hessler, the Head of Security, looked irritated as he issued urgent orders through his terminal, then approached Nael when he noticed him.

“Arrival at the front gate in three minutes.”

It seemed he had plenty to say about an unannounced early visit, but he suppressed his complaints and delivered only the objective information.

“Hm. Since this is his first visit, we should greet him politely today.”

“You aren’t changing clothes, sir?”

Garcia asked, looking ready to sprint upstairs and prepare a suit.

“No need. Strictly speaking, he’s coming for a very personal reason, isn’t he? There’s no need to be overly formal.”

Since arriving excessively early was the guest’s mistake, he had no right to complain if the host’s reception felt lacking. Nael decided to greet him naturally and walked toward the entrance. The servants who had rushed over lined up respectfully on both sides, and his subordinates stood behind Nael.

The distant front gate opened, and the Imperial Marshal’s official car, accompanied by escort vehicles, slowly drove in. Antigonos’s chief of security stepped out from the passenger seat, saluted Nael, and then opened his superior’s door. When Nael visited his home, Antigonos had personally opened the door for him , but Nael had absolutely no intention of returning the favor. Why should he open it for him?

“Welcome to my home, Antigonos.”

They were lovers after all, so he gave him a warm greeting. Antigonos, dressed in a suit, approached while carefully holding a bouquet of red roses, his gaze fixed solely on Nael.

“I ended up arriving a bit early. I hope you don’t mind. I couldn’t hold myself back at the thought of visiting your home for the first time.”

His face showed excitement. Seeing that softened Nael’s mood. For all his flaws, this man…

“Arriving an hour and a half early isn’t exactly a little early. But it’s fine. Come in.”

He accepted the bouquet. The flowers were fresh and fragrant. Decorating the parlor with them would surely brighten the atmosphere.

The servants withdrew, and even his non-security subordinates returned to their posts. Hessler approached Antigonos’s security chief with a blank expression and quietly began discussing something , probably the security perimeter for the two Imperial Marshals.

“Let’s go upstairs. I was in the middle of preparing lunch. Sit and watch if you want. I’ll show you around the house after we eat.”

“I want to watch you cook.”

“Watch all you want. I prepared home-style dishes like you asked, so don’t complain if the smell seems strange.”

Smell was always the issue with unfamiliar foods. Even if the appearance looked nice, people often reacted poorly to scents they’d never encountered before.

“Smell? Hm. This smell? Isn’t that soy sauce? This much is fine.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Hang your coat over there if you want to sit comfortably. Should I make you some tea? What would you like? Coffee? Fruit juice? The fruit you sent last week is still left. It tastes good as juice.”

“No drink….”

They had just stepped into the small kitchen when it happened. The moment Nael set the roses on the table, he was forcibly turned around.

“Antigo….”

He didn’t get to ask what was happening. Antigonos had already pressed their lips together. Nael, startled, tried to push him away but eventually gave up and wrapped his arms around his neck. They were lovers. He never forgot that.

“Nael.”

Perhaps because he didn’t resist the kiss? Antigonos dropped his usual forcefulness and instead pulled him close by the waist. As soon as their lips parted for a second, he called his name in a desperate voice and kissed him again.

Well, it made sense. It had been two weeks since their last private meeting. With a silent sigh, Nael placed a hand on his head as though trying to soothe him. As he gently stroked him and continued the kiss, the man finally pulled away, satisfied.

“I want to eat you.”

Antigonos’s amber eyes stared straight at Nael with a strange glow.

“Be patient. I’ve been cooking for you since last night.”

Did he think making acorn jelly was easy? His wrist had nearly given out from stirring to keep the consistency perfect. Instead of thinking about devouring a perfectly healthy person, he should prepare himself to receive his SSS-grade acorn pudding.

“Ah, yes. I know you put in the effort, but….”

Antigonos reluctantly let him go and voiced his dissatisfaction. Nael reached out and stroked his cheek. The man, who had looked ready to explode at the slightest touch, instantly fell silent with an enraptured expression. Nael called his name gently.

“Antigonos, we made a promise. This lunch is for you.”

“Yes, I know. I’ll try to endure it today.”

He would endure it today. Next week, he definitely wouldn’t. The chilling implication made Nael smile faintly. It seemed he would need to prepare a special countermeasure if he wanted to survive their next date.

“Hang your coat and sit wherever you want.”

Antigonos obediently followed his instructions. Nael arranged the roses in a vase and put his apron back on. He felt a burning gaze on his back, but ignored it and took out the rice cooker pot. He planned to cook white rice in a cast-iron pot.

He wanted to soak the rice long enough, but at best he could only soak it for twenty to thirty minutes, which disappointed him. He wanted to show this Western man the true greatness of Japonica rice.

Except for the Asian continent, most people in the capital world ate Indica rice. At least when it came to East Asian food, Lee Juwon’s tastes dominated Nael’s preferences, so he never went out of his way to eat Indica rice. For him, rice always had to be chewy, round Japonica grain.

Considering the time needed to finish the other side dishes, Nael decided to soak the rice and then checked the condition of the beef for the jangjorim. It seemed to have cooled enough. Time to shred it.

“Should I do that?”

Antigonos, who had been quietly watching, spoke up. Nael looked at him once, then nodded. It was simple enough to hand over… but unfortunately, the disposable gloves didn’t fit Antigonos’s hands. The vinyl had too little elasticity and tore instantly.

“…Don’t you have bigger gloves?”

Antigonos asked with a strangely disappointed expression. He really must have wanted to try it.

“Wash your hands and do it barehanded.”

Nael offered the solution as if it were nothing. With a brightening face, Antigonos rolled up his sleeves to his forearms, scrubbed his hands thoroughly, and carefully picked up the chunk of beef.

“You don’t need to shred it too finely. Just to a size that fits in one bite.”

“Like this?”

“Yeah.”

It was funny and cute seeing someone with such a large build focus on shredding beef into pieces the size of a child’s fist. Just looking at him, one would expect him to devour a one-kilogram rare steak dripping with blood.

After assigning a task to Antigonos, Nael began preparing the other dishes. He had already told the downstairs cook to grill the dried croaker in the first-floor hearth oven and send it up, so he just needed to finish the rest. While the soup boiled and the rice cooked, he made rolled omelets and seasoned bean sprouts.

Even while watching from behind, Antigonos had no idea how the entire meal would come together. He acted so confident because he’d eaten East Asian dishes a few times… but what reaction would he show when he held the food Nael made with his own hands? These were side dishes he wouldn’t have encountered at any of Rosenburg City’s upscale Eastern restaurants.

Suppressing the mischievous urge rising inside him, Nael continued completing the dishes one by one. The beef soup was vigorously boiling, and a delicious aroma of rice began wafting from the cast-iron pot.

“Oh. Good smell.”

Antigonos, who likely wasn’t familiar with the scent of freshly cooked rice, offered a genuinely positive reaction.

“Once it steams a little longer, it’ll be done.”

Nael moved the bowls to the dining table.

“Want me to help?”

“Sit down.”

He made the boyfriend who clearly wanted to play house sit in his seat, then picked up his terminal.

“It’s me. Put it in the oven now. Bring it up as soon as it’s done.”

He instructed the housekeeper in the first-floor kitchen, then proceeded to plate the side dishes. He also took out kimchi and placed a glass bottle of cold barley tea on the table.

Then, in front of Antigonos, who sat waiting with an eager expression, Nael neatly arranged the three side dishes specifically crafted to torment his chopstick skills. A quick glance showed that Antigonos still didn’t realize the fate approaching him; he simply examined the dishes with interest.

“These are beans, and these are quail eggs. What’s this jelly-like thing?”

“It’s called acorn jelly. One of Korea’s traditional foods.”

“Acorn jelly? Mm, I’ll remember it. Don’t tell me you made this yourself too?”

The acorn jelly was plated with several salad vegetables on a large dish and drizzled with seasoning sauce. At first glance, it didn’t look much different from a Western salad. Well, it was a salad. A splendid vegetarian dish.

“Yes. I made it last night and let it set. You can think of it as acorn pudding.”

“Acorn… pudding? You mean that acorn? The hard little nut? The one squirrels eat.”

Antigonos made a puzzled face. He didn’t seem to understand.

“It’s made from acorn flour. If you think it’ll taste strange, I can leave it out.”

“No, no, it’s fine. You made it with care, so of course I should eat it.”

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic…”

“It’s just because it’s my first time seeing it. Who says I won’t eat it? Actually, it looks like a very healthy salad. Looks tasty, too.”

Our Antigonos has better social skills than expected. Good attitude.

“I like it, but I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste. Don’t force yourself. Don’t feel pressured.”

Pretending to be considerate, Nael set the pot of freshly cooked rice on the table. When he lifted the lid, glossy white grains appeared, perfectly cooked.

He fluffed the rice with a paddle, then filled a bowl. Next, he brought the entire pot of soup and ladled a generous serving into a bowl. It was beef radish soup, a dish no one had ever rejected. In Korea, making soup with top-grade Korean beef was too expensive, so people used little meat and lots of radish. But Azani was rich, so he used plenty of delicious cuts without worrying about cost.

“Master, I’ve brought the grilled fish.”

The grilled croaker arrived from the hearth at just the right time. Nael placed two fish in front of Antigonos and two in front of himself. Antigonos stared at the fish with an unreadable expression. He clearly didn’t have much experience eating fish with the head still attached. Wealthy Westerners usually preferred neatly prepared fillets and disliked having to deal with a whole fish on the table.

“That, Nael. How am I supposed to eat this?”

“You use chopsticks to separate the bones and pick out the meat.”

“Hmm. I’ve had salmon set meals at Japanese restaurants a few times, but….”

Antigonos shrugged and picked up his chopsticks. He looked a bit intimidated, but it seemed to stir his competitive spirit.

“Enjoy.”

Nael lifted his spoon first and tasted the beef soup. Such a rich yet clean broth , excellent. Honestly, just soup and kimchi would have been enough even without the other side dishes.

He picked up his chopsticks to start eating the rice, but across from him he saw Antigonos struggling with intense concentration, fighting for his life to use chopsticks. Because he thought he should start with the salad first, he seemed to be attempting the acorn jelly, but he had already annihilated a piece beyond recognition. Even though Nael had adjusted the consistency so it wouldn’t crumble easily, he still couldn’t pick it up properly. Well, that was fair, acorn jelly was a high-difficulty chopstick dish.

Trying not to look too amused, Nael turned back to his own croaker. The fish grilled in the hearth smelled amazing. The browned scales and slightly charred fins made it look even more appetizing.

He was thinking he should always grill fish in the hearth from now on when Antigonos dropped his chopsticks. It seemed he had tactically retreated from the acorn jelly battle and moved on to the quail eggs, but his unskilled chopstick use sent both the quail egg and the chopsticks flying.

“…Sorry. I actually tried practicing.”

Antigonos apologized with an embarrassed expression. He quickly picked up his chopsticks and tried again to grab a quail egg. But he failed again. This time, he dropped the chopsticks all the way to the floor.

“This is, uh….”

His face flushed bright red. After boasting earlier, repeatedly failing to pick up side dishes must have felt humiliating.

“No need to feel embarrassed. The metal chopsticks are too small and thin for your hands.”

Nael kept his tone calm so he wouldn’t feel ashamed.

“Uh, the chopsticks…”

“I’ll clean these up and bring a new pair.”

“……”

Nael brought two new pairs of chopsticks , placing one set aside and handing the other directly into Antigonos’s right hand. The moment their hands touched, Antigonos looked startled, as if he hadn’t expected it.

“You should hold them like this.”

Nael casually adjusted his grip as he continued speaking.

“If you gave a child-sized soccer ball to an adult soccer player, the feel would be off and they’d make mistakes. It’s the same. Most Eastern restaurants use longer, thicker wooden chopsticks. You probably haven’t used metal chopsticks much, so it’s natural for them to feel unfamiliar. And your hand size is different too. You couldn’t even fit into standard adult-size plastic gloves.”

To be honest, ninety-nine percent of the issue was lack of skill, but Nael didn’t want his younger boyfriend’s confidence to break, so he gave him a reasonable excuse.

“Ah, mm. That makes sense. It’s my first time using metal chopsticks.”

Antigonos took the bait easily. Whether it was truly his first time or not, Nael didn’t pry.

“They’re very thin compared to your hand size, so it’ll be hard to move them delicately. It’s not something you master overnight, so don’t worry too much about table etiquette today and just eat comfortably. I’ll debone the fish for you.”

If it had been large cuts of meat or noodles, he probably would have managed somehow. Who would have thought Nael purposely chose only the most chopstick-unfriendly dishes to torment him?

It would be bad if his lover suspected anything. Acting like he simply prepared these dishes because they were his favorites, Nael kindly removed the bones from the croaker.

“Here, try a spoonful of rice.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

When Nael placed a large piece of fish on top of his rice, Antigonos looked at him with moved eyes.

“What are you doing? Try it. It’ll be good.”

Nael had ordered several fresh, roe-filled croakers caught during the ban period using an Imperial Marshal’s authority. They were rare fish that common citizens couldn’t eat even if they had money. Of course it would taste good.

“……!”

Antigonos’s eyes widened. Considering the perfectly seasoned fish grilled in the hearth and personally deboned by the Imperial Chancellor, this reaction was only natural.

“I’ve never tasted anything like this….”

“It’s good, right?”

Westerners always ate the same predictable fish , that was the problem. There were so many edible treasures in the sea.

“It’s great. Give me more.”

Antigonos obediently held out his spoon. Nael placed another piece on it, feeling oddly like a parent feeding a child. Somehow he felt like he had just set himself up for trouble, but surely that was just his imagination.

“Try the other side dishes too. If it’s hard to pick up with chopsticks, you can use a spoon.”

“Alright. I really like this Eastern home-style cooking.”

His younger boyfriend grinned widely, his face shining with happiness. After all, when would someone have fed him food directly onto his spoon? It was something that only happened between affectionate lovers, and he couldn’t hide how happy it made him.

‘…Is this really okay?’

Matching the mood, Nael smiled and continued explaining the dishes, picking up side dishes for him. The delighted bear even ate the acorn pudding eagerly. It felt rewarding to feed him like this. Next time, he should be nice and prepare proper meat dishes instead of teasing him.

After lunch, Nael guided his lover through the house like he wanted. He had said there wasn’t anything special to see since it was just an ordinary noble’s mansion, but Antigonos looked around with wide eyes like a country boy visiting the capital for the first time.

The hardest part was stopping him from going into the bedroom. He suddenly claimed he was tired or asked to go in “just for a moment to rest,” but Nael pretended not to hear and walked somewhere else. Only then did Antigonos grumble and follow.

“What’s so difficult about showing me the bedroom?”

When they finished the tour and entered the parlor, Antigonos still complained with lingering regret. Maybe Nael really should give him the nickname Grumbling Bear.

“I don’t want to do anything that could be misunderstood.”

Nael set a tea set on the table. He wanted his younger boyfriend to feel properly welcomed on his first visit. He thought it would be more impressive to serve a formal tea instead of familiar coffee.

“There’s a lot here. Pu’er tea? Oolong?”

Antigonos showed interest in the items Nael had brought. He wasn’t someone who regularly drank East Asian tea, but with his rise in rank he had seen and experienced enough that he wasn’t lacking in refinement.

“Pu’er tea.”

Nael neatly arranged the items on the tea tray and also brought hot water. When he sat across from Antigonos and began brewing the tea in the traditional manner, Antigonos fell silent and simply watched.

“I’ve had tea brewed for me a few times at East Asian cafés. Of all of them, you look the most elegant doing it.”

“The Chancellor of an entire Empire is personally brewing tea for you. Of course it looks elegant.”

Nael brushed it off jokingly. If he didn’t cut him off at the right time, the bear would definitely start spouting nonstop flattery that didn’t even make sense.

“I’m not just saying it.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks for the compliment.”

He poured out the first steeping and filled the cups with the second. When he placed Antigonos’s cup in front of him first, Antigonos accepted it politely with both hands.

“Why are you smiling?”

Antigonos asked after taking a sip. Nael had given him a small eye-smile without meaning to.

“The teacup looks too small for your hands.”

Nael gave the honest reason. It looked like an adult man was holding a tiny play-tea-set cup meant for children, so he had laughed without thinking.

“My hands aren’t small.”

Antigonos set the cup down and shrugged. His eyes sharpened toward Nael. Nael didn’t need to ask what he was aiming for. The moment Nael’s left hand left the teapot and was free, Antigonos swiftly grabbed it.

Their hands clasped. Nael didn’t bother pulling away. If it was just holding hands, he didn’t mind letting him.

“Do you like holding my hand? It’s just a man’s hand.”

“It’s a delicate and beautiful hand. I’ve always… always thought I’d like to hold it someday. Just once… at least once, I wanted to.”

Antigonos’s voice softened. Nael stared down at their hands. The way Antigonos touched his hand was careful and gentle.

But honestly, when had this guy started harboring feelings for him? Now that he’d achieved his goal, there wasn’t anything more for him to want.

“People say Zerodel is the Empire’s number one most eligible bachelor, but I don’t think that’s true.”

“Hm?”

Nael looked at Antigonos calmly and continued.

“You would have made a wonderful husband and father. You would’ve married for pure love without worrying about conditions or status. You probably would’ve built a picture-perfect family. Everyone would’ve praised you as an excellent admiral and a devoted family man.”

So now, let’s end this here. Step back. Don’t remain someone who committed disgraceful acts just because you felt desire toward another man.

He didn’t say the last part aloud. But Antigonos understood. He let go of Nael’s hand, crossed his arms, and replied with a blank face.

“When I went home last week, my father yelled at me. Said he didn’t want a male daughter-in-law.”

“…Really?”

Nael had suspected he went home to get scolded, but it turned out to be true. And the father refusing a male daughter-in-law, how conservative. Honestly, what was wrong with a male daughter-in-law in this day and age?

“My mother said something too. Told me to bring home a gentle and well-mannered daughter-in-law. It was her dream to have tea and cook together with a pretty, friendly daughter-in-law. My older sisters were always too rough for that.”

“Ah, I see.”

“The moment they saw me, both of them, no, even my sisters and brothers-in-law shouted at me to break up with you….”

Antigonos raised his voice as frustration surged. Nael listened quietly. At first glance it sounded like a sitcom situation, but it wasn’t something to laugh at. It was clear the entire family was worried. Their beloved youngest son had forced someone into a corner in the wrong way, and they wanted to stop it somehow. They believed it was nothing more than using coercion to take advantage of someone.

“I feel sorry. I don’t want to create conflict within a perfectly normal family. It can’t be helped. With tears in my eyes, I guess we should break u….”

“What are you talking about?”

Antigonos shouted, startled. Nael shook his head.

“It’s sad, but I can’t let my lover become an unfilial child because of me. We should break….”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes. Break up? Break up what? I will never let you go! Not even if I die!”

“But if your parents disapprove that strongly.”

One should not pursue a relationship their parents oppose. What meaning was there in dating while stabbing your parents’ hearts? The only answer was clear: break up!

“It’s my life. My parents’ opinions don’t matter.”

“Did your mother not give you an envelope to pass to me, by any chance?”

Nael asked, holding onto his last bit of hope. Antigonos looked confused.

“Envelope? What envelope?”

“I won’t be greedy. They can just put one big bill inside.”

Receiving one generous bill in exchange for breaking up with an Imperial Marshal was incredibly cheap. Nael could’ve demanded more, but he restrained himself.

“One big bill…? Wait. My mother isn’t that kind of person!”

Realizing what Nael meant, Antigonos shouted in shock. “My mother isn’t like that,” he insisted. Honestly, how clueless could a son be?

“I’m not asking for much. Just one bill. Not asking for two. Even that’s too hard?”

One ten-thousand-euro check would’ve been enough. How stingy. Well, if they wouldn’t pay, he would just break up out of pure sorrow and compassion.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Stop quoting weird lines from old dramas. Who in the world demands someone break up by throwing an envelope at them these days….”

“Then tell your parents. I won’t take any envelope. I will quietly bow out for the bright future of the Empire’s rising Marshal.”

So sad. But for his lover’s happiness, this was the right path. He should marry a good noblewoman and live happily ever after. Farewell, younger boyfriend. Nael would leave while holding only good memories. Truly, this was a tearful breakup!

“If you keep telling these unfunny jokes, I’m dragging you to the bedroom right now.”

Antigonos finally snapped and issued a deadly warning.

“Can’t I joke at all?”

Nael snorted and lifted his teacup. Oh, the tea was cold already. He should’ve drunk it earlier.

“There are jokes and then there are bad jokes. Don’t joke about breaking up. Even as a joke. I’m never letting you go.”

“Antigonos.”

“You don’t exactly hate me either, do you? Or did I misunderstand? Do you hate me?”

Antigonos asked. His eyes wavered. He wasn’t confident in the question.

“If I truly hated you, you’d be dead already.”

Nael answered honestly. If he ever planned a purge, Antigonos would have died hundreds of times already.

“Right?”

Only then did Antigonos relax his shoulders in relief. Nael poured new tea and continued.

“I just don’t want you to hear unpleasant things from your family. I don’t want to cause trouble in your home.”

“It’s not your fault, so don’t worry. And I already convinced my family, so you don’t have to worry in the future either. Even the fruit basket from last week was recommended by my parents. They told me over and over again to treat you well.”

So the parents couldn’t break their youngest son’s will and reluctantly accepted it. Tch. They were babying their youngest too much. They should’ve said something harsher like, “What? You’re dating who? Absolutely not! Over my dead body will I accept a male spouse!”

“What did you say to convince them?”