IYAMD: Episode 26

The awkward silence lasted for a while. As Jaha lowered his head, Marsilia began walking, still holding Jaha’s hand.

As they walked around the fountain, a breeze blew. The wind, which had been lukewarm, seemed to cool slightly as they passed the fountain.

Thankfully, Jaha’s tied-up hair made it so it didn’t get in the way. However, this seemed to be his own thought, as Marsilia, who had pulled out some stray strands of hair, seemed a little disappointed.

“I quite like your hair. Black hair isn’t common around here. Straight hair like yours, especially, is rare.”

He gently lifted Jaha’s hair hanging behind him. As his fingers ran through the long strands, he continued speaking.

“By the way, before the campaign, I decided to appoint you as Serez’s adjutant. We needed formal procedures to go together on the campaign. I’ve decided on your name…”

Suddenly, Jaha was struck by a question. Why did this man call him ‘you’?

Moreover, his tone was so arrogant and informal that the word seemed even more pronounced.

Lost in thought, Jaha realized, only after he stopped speaking, that Marsilia was looking at him with a playful gleam in his eyes.

When their gazes met, he finally continued.

“I’ve decided to call you Sable. Sable Dandelion. You might not understand the meaning of this name, but… I think it suits you quite well.”

Jaha didn’t know the meaning of the name. As he blinked silently, Marsilia smiled slyly.

“If you’re curious, ask Gerald. I… don’t have the confidence to explain it.”

Indeed, if Jaha were in his situation, he too would have found it difficult to explain the meaning of a word.

Jaha nodded nonchalantly, then furrowed his brows in confusion.

‘How can I ask Gerald about the meaning of Sable Dandelion? Jaha could understand the Western continent’s common language, but he couldn’t write it—not even a single character.’

“I’ll have to learn the characters first. You, and I.”

There was no need to go that far Jaha muttered as he surreptitiously looked around. He had started to feel a gaze coming from somewhere.

Then, he noticed a group standing in the distance, looking toward them. Marsilia also noticed them, clicking his tongue softly.

“They’re the civil officials from the palace. No important figures, so don’t worry about them.”

The group, meeting Marsilia’s gaze, bowed their heads from afar. Marsilia waved them off, and they hurriedly disappeared into another direction.

“Gossip will start circulating.”

Marsilia pulled Jaha’s hand up and playfully kissed the back of his hand.

“About the man strolling through the garden holding hands with the Emperor.”

Jaha stared at his behavior in confusion. Why was he kissing the back of his hand?

Then, a memory surfaced—when following the traders in the Western continent, a notorious playboy there would do the same when seducing women.

Only then did Jaha pull his hand back with an annoyed expression. Marsilia, who hadn’t been holding on tightly, let go easily and chuckled softly.

“In the Western continent, people like you are called ‘cold.’”

That’s a funny comment. In the Eastern continent, such a man would be called a womanizer. Chasing after women and seducing them lightly.

Marsilia continued with a small laugh.

“I want to say ‘flirt.’ Your expression just now made me feel that way.”

Jaha dismissed Marsilia’s words with a snort and placed his palm to his forehead. The sunlight was blinding, and it became hot once they moved farther from the fountain.

He had known that summers in the Western continent were hotter than in the Eastern continent, but today it felt unusually hot.

“Shall we go in?”

As Jaha nodded, Marsilia led the way. The man with his hands behind his back walked leisurely, fingers flicking as though calling Jaha.

Feeling like he was following behind like a dog, Jaha quickened his pace and passed him. There was no need to follow Marsilia since the building was right in front of them.

As Jaha walked ahead, he felt a tug on his hair and turned around. Marsilia, who had been holding his tied hair, grinned mischievously.

The sunlight made his blond hair particularly shine, and his narrow eyes, squinting as though blinded, were the same.

With those sparkling eyes, Marsilia brought Jaha’s hair to his lips and kissed it gently.

The man, who had kissed his hair so politely, released his hold and asked Jaha.

“If I were a woman, would you like me just a little?”

Perhaps he would. If Marsilia were a woman, or if Jaha were a woman, or if the situation were different.

‘I don’t know.’

But Jaha didn’t want to give an answer to a hypothetical situation. Answering would be deceiving himself—he didn’t like men, nor was he interested in them.

Jaha didn’t want to say anything. He didn’t want to see that man’s green eyes inflate with expectation, only for them to later sink with disappointment.

If those eyes lost their light, it would be a pity, he thought.

Thus, Jaha realized that he had begun to feel a human affection for him. A rather troublesome realization.

But it wasn’t that surprising.

Jaha knew that Marsilia was trying to be polite with him, suppressing his own feelings.

Just the fact that he didn’t show frustration when speaking with someone who couldn’t understand made it clear.

Even if it was all for some goal, Jaha could tell that Marsilia’s nature wasn’t a rough one.

People can’t easily hide their true nature, after all.

However, Jaha suddenly felt a pang of worry. What if Marsilia misunderstood his affection? What if he misinterpreted his kindness as something else?

When Jaha met his gaze, Marsilia, just like Jaha had done earlier, shaded his eyes with his hand.

The walk with the man ended like that. He didn’t say another word as they walked, and once they entered the room, he let out a breath.

“I didn’t expect the room to be this cool.”

As Ashton gestured, two attendants approached and began fanning near Jaha and Marsilia.

The cool breeze finally allowed Jaha to exhale.

Marsilia casually headed toward the sofa with the table. As he walked, the attendants quickly followed, taking off his jacket and vest, the movements smooth as flowing water.

The man, used to being served, sunk his body halfway onto the long sofa, as if to lie down, and called Jaha.

“Jaha, sit here. The attendants will bring something cool.”

In the short time it took for Jaha to approach, the man had already leaned back, resting his head on the armrest. His long legs stretched out, and his knee rested on the opposite armrest.

The man crossed one leg over the other, casually swinging it, then exhaled softly.

“I’m tired.”

With those words, he quickly fell asleep. Ashton, who had brought sour and sweet drinks, sighed with a hint of pity.

“Please drink, Jaha. It’s lemonade. Perfect for hot days.”

As soon as Jaha took a sip, a sharp sourness hit him. The taste was so strong it almost made his cheeks ache. But after swallowing, a sweet flavor lingered on his tongue. For Jaha, who had barely tasted anything so intense, it was an unforgettable experience.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

Jaha quietly nodded. Then he looked at the man lying on the opposite side, completely drained, and wished he could have him drink it as well. It was the kind of taste that would surely wake him up.

Then, Jaha suddenly realized he wanted the man to stay awake and felt surprised by his own thoughts, lowering his gaze. He took another sip of the drink, and this time, he felt a chill that seemed to reach his teeth.

The sourness from before wasn’t as strong this time. Jaha didn’t understand why that made him feel disappointed. He couldn’t figure out why, so he just held the cold glass tightly while gazing at the man asleep.

“Is there anything else you need?”

Ashton, who had quietly brought a blanket, gently draped it over Marsilia and asked quietly.

Jaha shook his head, and Ashton smiled warmly before signaling to the attendants. After Ashton quietly closed the door and left, only Jaha, holding the cold drink, and the sleeping man remained in the room.

The silence made it so that even swallowing saliva felt cautious. After swallowing the saliva that the sour drink had caused, Jaha put down the glass.

The coldness on his palm made him feel a little sore. As he clenched and unclenched his hand, Jaha suddenly glanced at the sleeping man.

When their gazes met, the man slowly closed his eyes and fell back asleep as if he had never woken up. The faint smile on his lips conveyed how much reassurance he felt.

Jaha let out a sigh so quietly that the man couldn’t hear it. In sync with that, the man let out a deep breath, making Jaha feel as if his hair stood on end for a moment