IYAMD: Episode 45

“Ahem. We should get going… We need to check how many arrows we have left.”

“Ah, I’ll also… go check on the priests.”

Only after General Des and the others left did Marsilia finally speak.

“Thank you, Jaha. For helping my knights.”

For some reason, the man who usually called him Sable in public had used Jaha’s real name.

Marsilia could feel the knights’ heated gazes on them, but even more intense than theirs was the gaze of the man standing before him.

Jaha averted his eyes from Marsilia and instead looked toward the Minotaur horde, which had now retreated quite a distance.

The creatures had stopped moving back and were now settling in place, waiting.

“The second battle will begin soon. Everyone is exhausted, so the next fight will be even harder, Jaha.”

Marsilia let out a deep sigh. Jaha spotted Gerald among the knights who had sat down to rest. He was distributing water to them alongside the priests.

The gentle-looking man, who seemed ill-suited for the battlefield, was smiling brightly as he interacted with the knights.

Jaha suddenly remembered that Gerald had come here as his assistant. But from the moment they arrived, Gerald had been busier managing food supplies and handling other tasks than actually assisting Jaha.

Marsilia, having recognized Gerald’s skill with numbers, had put him to good use whenever necessary.

Jaha glanced at the man beside him and inwardly clicked his tongue.

He’s an even more capable emperor than I thought.

It wasn’t just that Marsilia was powerful—he also had keen insight.

He assessed situations quickly and never hesitated when issuing commands once his judgment was made.

— A leader cannot afford to hesitate, Jaha.

— Of course, people make mistakes. But a leader must not fear them. Decisions must be made carefully but swiftly. And if you realize a decision was wrong, you simply correct it. But you must never let your subordinates notice that it was wrong. If you must blame yourself, do it only after the matter is resolved. In private, alone. That is what a true leader does.

Jaha recalled the words his father had spoken while teaching him how to manage the escort agency.

Back then, it had seemed like meaningless talk, but now, he finally understood.

Because the very embodiment of those words was standing right next to him.

Despite how much energy he had expended, Marsilia showed no sign of fatigue, not even in his breathing.

While others reveled in their temporary victory, he quietly observed the situation and made his judgments.

Would I be capable of that?

Jaha thought back to when he had received the tragic news of his family. He had been utterly devastated.

Of course, he had been young then, so it was natural to be shaken.

But even if it happened again now, he wasn’t sure he could remain composed and make rational decisions.

Even now, just recalling it for a moment made his eyes burn with heat.

Jaha closed his eyes and slowly calmed his pounding heart.

Quietly, slowly… Yes, just like that.

Once his heart settled, he opened his eyes—only to find Marsilia watching him silently.

When their gazes met, Marsilia’s deep green eyes softened as he tilted his head.

“I thought you wanted me to kiss you, suddenly closing your eyes like that.”

He whispered into Jaha’s ear, low enough that no one else could hear, and even let out a small, amused laugh before straightening up again.

Jaha couldn’t suppress the ticklish sensation and rubbed his ear roughly with his palm. A shiver ran down his spine.

Seeing Jaha’s scowling expression, Marsilia narrowed his eyes in amusement.

Jaha was about to protest but stopped himself when he realized the knights were still watching.

That sharp and perceptive man must have noticed their gazes, so why is he doing this so casually?

Frustrated, Jaha clicked his tongue.

“You’re angry again. You’re always angry at me.”

Am I? Jaha hesitated, feeling unsure.

He didn’t think so.

All he wanted was to protect Marsilia’s life.

To shield the man who carried such heavy burdens yet strode forward with unwavering determination.

Jaha, who had once given up on his own life, wanted to preserve Marsilia’s.

As long as Marsilia refused to surrender, Jaha wanted to ensure that he could continue on, no matter how arduous the journey.

But there was one problem.

Marsilia’s unexpected actions unsettled him.

Jaha was bewildered by how easily he was flustered, by how his body involuntarily reacted to every little thing Marsilia did.

Does he not realize that?

Jaha felt frustrated that he couldn’t put it into words.

He wanted to tell Marsilia something.

He wasn’t sure what this feeling was, but one day, he wanted to be able to say it openly.

— I just wanted to save you.

…

As the fire began to die out, a mist-like smoke started to fill the air. The sky, which had been faintly brightening with dawn, had already regained its blue hue, but the land near the Minotaur-occupied territory remained eerily shrouded in gray.

Those who hadn’t participated in the battle began distributing simple meals to the knights.

Hard bread, cheese, and thin soup—that was all. Yet everyone accepted the food gratefully, devouring it as if they were starving.

The priests and knights ate right where they sat, sprawled out on the ground. Their gazes, however, remained fixed on the battlefield ahead.

Jaha found it strange how they could eat so normally in such conditions. The air reeked of the Minotaurs’ foul-smelling bodily fluids and the blood of the knights.

He ate only a little of the soup and bread before setting his food aside, his appetite nonexistent.

Marsilia, who had been watching him intently, clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“You don’t know when your next meal will be. Eat a little more.”

Jaha shook his head and handed Marsilia the leftover bread. Given how much Marsilia usually ate, Jaha wanted him to at least have enough to sustain himself.

Marsilia hesitated before taking the bread, then let out a quiet chuckle. He stared at it as if it were something precious before looking up and whispering to Jaha.

“It’s too precious to eat.”

Jaha scowled at the ridiculous remark.

There was a saying in the Eastern Continent: If you save it too much, it’ll just go to waste.

He considered explaining it but gave up.

‘Eat.’

At that, Marsilia nodded. And despite claiming it was too precious, he shoved the entire piece of bread into his mouth and chewed heartily.

Jaha watched, dumbfounded, as Marsilia then choked slightly. With a sigh, Jaha pushed the rest of his soup toward him as well.

The surrounding knights didn’t know how to react to their emperor’s behavior.

He was never one to speak loudly, but today, something about him felt completely different.

Who is this man, speaking so gently it makes our necks tingle?

They lowered their heads, pretending to focus on their soup while exchanging furtive glances.

“Why is His Majesty acting like that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? He’s courting him.”

A knight let out a small sigh and glanced at the large man sitting across from him, silently asking if he thought the same.

Now that he thought about it, there had been plenty of rumors at the banquet—whispers that the emperor had taken a lover.

In the beginning, some knights had harbored resentment about it.

Even as recently as yesterday, there had been gossip about the emperor’s slender, pretty aide who shared his tent.

But after witnessing yesterday’s battle, those voices had gone silent.

And now, seeing the emperor’s behavior, it was clear—the rumors were true.

Wow.

The knights were left speechless.

Just what kind of fortune does our emperor have?

Envious gazes flickered across the group.

To them, Marsilia was an insurmountable wall—one they both admired and aspired to overcome.

A peerless genius who had reached the level of a Sword Master before turning sixteen.

The older knights had witnessed firsthand how tirelessly he trained, so they knew his talent was not just a blessing but also a burden.

But even talent alone wasn’t enough to become a Sword Master. That required effort, and his dedication was something they deeply respected.

For those who had often accompanied him in subjugating monsters, that respect bordered on religious devotion.

To them, Marsilia was closer than the goddess herself.

And yet, his lover was this strong?

Just how blessed was he at birth?

One of the knights, lost in thought, suddenly shook his head.

No, this wasn’t something to be jealous of.

If two people that powerful ever got into a lovers’ quarrel…

The palace might be reduced to rubble.

He could only hope that their relationship remained harmonious—at least until this battle was over.

Still, something was off.

For all of Marsilia’s relentless advances, his pretty-faced companion didn’t look particularly pleased.

The knight nudged his companion and quietly asked about it, only to receive a pitying look in return.

“That’s what love is, you idiot. Stop swinging your sword all the time and go meet a woman. Then you’ll understand how the push and pull works.”

Apparently, if you wanted to keep someone interested, you had to master the art of pushing and pulling.

Now that he thought about it, that made sense.

The man kept glaring at the emperor, yet he never left his side.

Whether that was pushing or pulling, the knight wasn’t sure.