IYAMD: Episode 55

Marsilia silently swallowed a sigh as he looked at Jaha’s pale face. He was worried—was he going to lose himself again?

After his remarkable feat during the Minotaur subjugation, Jaha had become the center of attention among the knights. If someone like him were to lose control and attack the knights, the consequences would be more difficult to handle than one might expect.

Now that it was clear something was wrong with him, Marsilia had to send him back to the camp. However, the patrol was not yet finished, and Marsilia could not return immediately.

Even so, he did not want to send Jaha back alone. If he lost control on the way, there would be no one to stop him.

And more than anything, he simply did not want to let Jaha out of his sight.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Marsilia finally made up his mind as he saw Jaha swaying, about to collapse.

“General Des, Sable and I will return for now. Continue gathering the remains, and when the ground dries, make sure they can be buried all at once.”

After giving the order to the general, Marsilia pulled Jaha onto his horse.

Though Jaha had been eating properly, his body was still alarmingly light.

Despite being taller than Gerald, he weighed no more than a woman wrapped in layers of dresses.

Seating Jaha in front of him, Marsilia slowly started the horse forward. Wrapping an arm around Jaha’s waist to keep him from falling, he felt the man sag against him like a water-soaked rag.

Beneath his closed eyelids, his round pupils trembled slightly, and his rapid breathing sounded labored and strained.

Marsilia wanted to ask him—what exactly was tormenting him so?

“Jaha.”

Even when called by name, he did not open his eyes. Just like the first time Marsilia had seen him, he looked so small and fragile. It was almost hard to believe he was the same person who had leaped through the air and slaughtered Minotaurs.

Marsilia tightened his hold around Jaha’s body, pulling him closer into his embrace. Then, he flicked the reins, urging the horse into a faster gallop.

Upon arriving at the camp, the knights who had remained there turned their gazes toward them. Marsilia frowned slightly, sensing the confusion in their eyes.

He already knew that, after Jaha’s recent feats, the knights had begun to regard him with a mix of admiration and fear.

Jaha stood out among them. His rare black hair and yellow eyes, his long, straight locks that rippled in the wind, drew attention wherever he went.

His fine, untangled hair glowed under the sun and appeared even darker when the skies were overcast.

Though slightly smaller than the knights, he was still tall enough not to be looked down upon. But his thin frame seemed at odds with his height.

For someone with such a body to display such overwhelming martial prowess—it was no wonder the knights stole glances at him whenever he passed by.

Marsilia had always been aware of the stares that followed Jaha.

But why did they bother him so much today?

As Marsilia’s expression darkened, about half of the gazes wavered and turned away. But the remaining ones still held concern and curiosity about Jaha.

Marsilia stopped his horse near his tent and dismounted, carefully supporting Jaha so he would not fall.

“Your Majesty, did something happen?”

Malek approached, asking if he should call a physician. Marsilia shook his head as he carried Jaha into the tent.

“He’s just exhausted. Don’t make a fuss—go tend to your own duties.”

Malek’s duty was to serve the emperor, but Marsilia’s tone carried an implicit order not to follow. Malek understood.

He held up the tent’s entrance flap so Marsilia could enter smoothly and then bowed from behind.

“Then I will see you at dinner, Your Majesty. Please rest well.”

Inside, Marsilia placed Jaha onto the bed. As he was lowered onto the mattress, Jaha let out a faint groan, as if momentarily regaining awareness.

Marsilia was momentarily startled—this was the first sound Jaha had made since collapsing. He quickly composed himself and called out softly.

“Jaha, are you awake?”

Jaha stirred slightly, another weak sound slipping past his lips.

The fleeting sound, brushing against Marsilia’s eardrums, was so delicate, so sorrowful—so utterly endearing.

Marsilia knelt beside the bed on one knee, holding his breath as if hoping to hear more.

But as time passed, only the quiet sound of Jaha’s breathing remained.

“Do you… still wish to die?”

Marsilia whispered as he brushed back the damp strands of hair clinging to Jaha’s forehead.

“Have you… come to like me, even just a little?”

A quiet sigh escaped him.

Marsilia continued stroking Jaha’s hair with careful fingers, channeling divine power into his touch.

“O my believer, your king is my apostle. Trust in him, follow him, for through my power, he shall deliver you.”

A faint green light gathered on Marsilia’s fingertips and seeped into Jaha’s body.

He used his divine power until Jaha’s breathing grew calm, then lowered his upper body.

When he pressed a kiss to Jaha’s forehead, he felt the cold dampness of his sweat-soaked skin.

“Sleep well, Jaha. May your dreams be peaceful.”

Marsilia did not pull away immediately. Instead, he placed more soft kisses on Jaha’s face, whispering again and again.

“If you have nightmares, I will come to you. Of course, you’ll be brave enough to get through them on your own, but even so, I will come to meet you. So sleep deeply, Jaha.”

…

Serez deduced a few things from his conversation with the Archduke. The most significant was that the attendant Jaha had killed in his frenzy might have been the Archduke’s informant.

He realized this because the Archduke had asked about Jaha’s connection to the Soul Mark as if he were still uncertain. Enough time had passed for reports to have reached him, yet he still seemed unsure—there could be only one reason for that.

Something had happened that prevented his informant from reporting. And wasn’t there such an incident recently?

Serez lifted his now-cold teacup and pondered. Perhaps that attendant had tried to harm Jaha and was killed in the process. Or maybe Jaha had sensed his treachery and acted preemptively.

It was certainly better to have such justifications than to simply say he had killed someone in madness. For now, the matter had been quietly buried, but no secret remained hidden forever.

If, at some point, Jaha’s actions were dragged into the light, it would be wise to have a few explanations ready.

The truth was irrelevant. What mattered was how people were made to perceive it.

With that in mind, Serez smiled quietly, deciding to add a single line about this to the report he would send to the Emperor.

“Do you have anything else to say? As you can see, I’m quite exhausted. I still have plenty of work to do.”

Serez vaguely suggested to the Archduke that Jaha was the Emperor’s close escort. Of course, the Archduke wouldn’t blindly believe such a claim, but having received reports of Jaha’s recent exploits, his thoughts would be complicated.

In fact, the Archduke, who would normally attempt to sway Serez, hadn’t done so today. Instead, he occasionally lowered his gaze as if lost in thought.

Now, after another brief moment of contemplation, the Archduke raised his head and fixed his gaze on Serez.

“I will request a noble council meeting. We cannot continue to tolerate an Emperor who has failed to find his soulmate for ten years.”

What nonsense was this now? Serez widened his eyes in surprise.

“Are you suggesting you’ll discuss deposing His Majesty? And at a time when he’s absent due to the subjugation?”

“It’s precisely because he’s not here that this is the perfect time.”

The Archduke responded with a leisurely smile.

“It’s not as if the opportunity has never presented itself before. I have been considerate of my dear nephew’s circumstances in my own way. But how much longer must we endure an incapable Emperor? You must be aware that the unrest is growing.”

Serez felt his mouth dry up and subtly moved his tongue, moistening the inside of his mouth before speaking again.

“Incapable? I don’t believe that’s a fitting word for His Majesty.”

The Archduke cut him off.

“In history, there have been countless Emperors deposed for failing to receive a soul mark. However, not a single Emperor has failed to find their soulmate after receiving the divine blessing—except the current one.”

Grasping the handle of his cane as if preparing to rise, the Archduke smiled slyly at Serez.

“As a royal, I must prioritize the Empire’s stability. This is an opportunity to address the nobles’ long-standing concerns. So, I suggest you carefully consider where your allegiance lies.”

“Such a noble council meeting has never been properly convened before. Will the Elder Council even approve it?”

“If the Elder Council’s majority agrees, the noble council will be convened. I have plenty of time before that happens. But the absent Emperor does not.”

Even if the Elder Council approved it, it would take about a month before the noble council could be held. The Archduke clearly intended to rally support in that time.

It seemed he was more desperate than expected. The fact that he was bringing up something he had never mentioned before was telling.

He had likely refrained from acting because it was a difficult path. Public opinion regarding the Emperor was overwhelmingly positive.

Still, considering how often assassination attempts had failed, it wasn’t surprising that he had finally decided to take this route.

Serez had thought the Archduke incapable of such maneuvers, assuming he lacked the initiative to even consider this approach.

Their eyes met, and the Archduke gave Serez an insufferable smile.

Serez returned the smile while internally weighing his options.

He believed in the Emperor’s achievements and character. He also knew that many nobles shared his sentiments.

However, there were just as many nobles blinded by self-interest. Their support for the Emperor was largely driven by the benefits they received.

If the Archduke dangled a more tempting bait, some would undoubtedly take it.

The question was—how many? If 70% supported it, the Emperor would be deposed.

Would this public discussion shift public opinion against the Emperor?

It was a question he had to consider carefully. The Archduke’s faction was not insignificant, after all.

Had the Emperor still been in the capital, Serez might have laughed it off.

But now, for some reason, he couldn’t muster even a small chuckle.

Serez looked at the Archduke’s detestable face and smiled.

He could never understand the Emperor’s reasoning.

Why had he let this old fox live for so long? It wasn’t as if he had never had the chance to kill him.