Side Story 1.2

Jeras’s efforts to get my father’s permission became more and more desperate and earnest with each passing day.

Every morning, he would face my father in the indoor training hall until my father’s anger was sated. And in the dining room, he would silently endure my father’s nagging until breakfast was over.

After breakfast, the two would ride in the same carriage to the palace, and I assumed a similar scene unfolded inside the carriage.

When my father came home from work, Jeras would accompany him. At that time, my father would not nag him. He would simply and thoroughly ignore him as if he weren’t even there. Jeras, without showing any sign of displeasure, would politely and respectfully see him off at the mansion’s entrance before leaving.

Jeras’s efforts did not end there. Every other day, a procession of rare and expensive gifts from the palace would arrive. While some were for me, most were gifts that suited my father’s taste.

My father, who had never even looked at the mountains of gifts, had only wavered once.

And it was because of… a portrait of me painted by a court artist.

“…Hmmmm.”

My father let out a low groan as he looked at the portrait for a long time. He had more than enough portraits of me, so I don’t know why he was so troubled. I was happy to feel loved, but it was also a little embarrassing.

In the end, my father apparently hung the portrait Jeras sent in his office. And not just anywhere, but on the wall right in front of his desk.

I didn’t see it myself; I just heard about it from Alberto.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes, Grand Duke.”

“Do you have any urgent plans this morning?”

Today, too, Jeras was silently eating after getting his usual beating in the training hall.

He had been beaten every day, so he had built up a tolerance and rarely flinched, but his shoulders twitched. This was the first question that wasn’t a part of the usual barrage of nagging.

Jeras immediately shook his head.

“No, I don’t.”

“Then would you mind having a frank conversation with me for a moment?”

“I am grateful that the Grand Duke would make time for me.”

“Please finish your meal and come to my office.”

My father left the dining room first. Jeras and I exchanged looks. He seemed a little bewildered, as if this were truly a sudden situation.

“Don’t be too nervous.”

“I’m not nervous. Aren’t you the one who’s nervous, princess? Your hands are cold.”

“Excuse me, but my hands aren’t cold and clammy; yours are.”

“Oh. Was that my hand?”

We had a short conversation as we headed to the office. Outside the office door, Jeras took a deep breath. I patted his shoulder and sent him inside. Then I slightly opened the door and pressed my ear to the crack.

What on earth were they going to talk about?

***

A suffocating silence descended on the Grand Duke of Kilmaria’s office. The eyes of the two men, who were sitting across from each other, were locked in a tense stare.

How much time had passed? The Grand Duke’s thick eyebrows twitched. He was very displeased.

‘How dare he look me straight in the eye? Is he trying to stage a silent protest to ask for Eloe’s hand? What an insolent rascal.’

This was all because Jeras was not avoiding his gaze. The Grand Duke felt anger, betrayal, and a vague sense of hurt.

‘I thought of him as my own son, but he betrayed me like this!’

He clearly remembered the day a young Jeras came to the Duchy, clinging to Sion’s back.

The Jeras of his youth was much rougher and more abrasive than he was now. This was because he had not been loved by his father, who should have embraced him with love in place of his deceased mother.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess felt sorry for Jeras and treated him with warmth. Jeras, in response to their sincerity, slowly began to open his heart.

If he had known that Jeras would grow up to be a man who would try to steal his precious daughter, he would have never let him near his home.

The Grand Duke clicked his tongue in his mind and shot him another sharp look. If it were a normal person, they would have begun to tremble like a leaf at his gaze, but unfortunately, Jeras was not a normal person.

‘Yes, I knew he was no ordinary person. I was too careless.’

At the time, he had been so happy to see Eloe, whom he thought he would have to say goodbye to forever, that he couldn’t see anything else. Of course, that was still the case.

The Grand Duke only wanted Eloe to be happy. Because she had been bedridden since birth, she hadn’t been able to enjoy life properly.

He would sell his soul to give Eloe whatever she wanted.

But marriage was out of the question. Absolutely not! How could he just stand by and watch the daughter he had protected so dearly leave his side?

“Your Highness.”

“Yes, Grand Duke. Please speak.”

Jeras slightly bowed his head. 

‘Hmph! Who would fall for his polite facade now?’ 

The Grand Duke snorted and crossed his arms firmly.

“Do you know how old Eloe is this year?”

“Is she not twenty-one?”

“That is correct. Then do you know when Eloe began to get sick?”

“I was told she was born with a weak body.”

“Do you really know that much about her and yet still act like this?”

“…Pardon?”

Jeras asked with a dumbfounded expression. The Grand Duke’s already stern face scrunched up even more.

Bang! The Grand Duke, unable to contain his rage, slammed his fist on the table.

“Eloe is only! Only twenty-one years old. Twenty! One! Do you understand?!”

“I understand.”

“No, Your Highness, you do not! If you did, you would never have led on my angelic daughter, who knows nothing of the world because she was bedridden for twenty years! You would never have led on that child, who shines brighter than a jewel! Do you have no conscience?!”

The image of Eloe, who had shamelessly grinned after taking all of his money at the casino when they had gone shortly after they met, flashed in Jeras’s mind. She was far from an angel or a jewel.

“…If I may be so bold, Grand Duke, Eloe knows more than you think…”

“What did you just say?! Eloe knows more than I think?! How would you know that, Your Highness?! Have you laid a hand on my daughter when you are not even engaged?!”

“Please listen to what I have to…”

“Of course, she would. That child must have wanted to do many things.”

The Grand Duke, who had stood up in a fit of rage, crumpled back into his seat. Jeras, who had no idea what to do, just stood there.

“It was an illness with no known cause or cure. Many doctors and magicians came and went, but they all said there was no hope. Eloe’s world was nothing but her bedroom and the view from her window. If a miracle hadn’t happened, she would have lived like that her whole life and then left us. My poor child.”

The Grand Duke was on the verge of tears. He had known the Grand Duke for a long time and considered him a father, but he had never seen him like this before.

Jeras was flustered by the Grand Duke’s sudden emotional changes, but he understood him. He could feel the Grand Duke’s love for Eloe.

“When Eloe came back to life, I made a vow. I would do anything for her happiness.”

“I feel the same way. I don’t want anything from Eloe. As long as she is happy by my side, that is enough.”

“However, Your Highness, the world is not so simple. Especially the world you belong to.”

The Grand Duke, who had been wiping away his tears with a handkerchief, returned to his usual solemn self.

“You will become a great Emperor. But a great Emperor cannot be a great husband.”

“I understand your concerns, Duke, but I am different. I will not put Eloe through hardship for my own desires.”

“Your Highness, even I, who rules over a small island, have often failed to protect my wife’s heart. How can you, who will be the master of a great empire, be any different?”

There was no fault in the Grand Duke’s words. An Emperor stands at the pinnacle of power, but people do not see the things that are sacrificed and crushed beneath him. Jeras, even though he had only become the Crown Prince, could feel it vaguely.

Already, there were people trying to tear him down and manipulate him. How much worse would it be when he became Emperor?

“The former Empress Florese is a sinner who cannot be forgiven. However, what led her to make that terrible choice was not simply her evil nature or her greed.”

Jeras couldn’t answer easily. He thought of Empress Florese’s tragic death, but he also realized what the Grand Duke was truly trying to say.

“Eloe is pure, honest, and kind. I believe you were attracted to those qualities in my daughter.”

“…Yes. She is foolishly kind.”

“Eloe’s greatest strengths are fatal weaknesses in the Imperial Palace. I am worried that she will be politically exploited and will suffer. That is my biggest concern.”

“That will not happen. No, it cannot happen.”

“You never know what the future holds, Your Highness. So I will ask you one question. Please, answer me.”

Jeras nodded. The Grand Duke slowly opened his mouth.

“If, for any reason, you must take in a concubine after becoming Emperor, what would you do?”

“Grand Duke, that question sounds like an insult.”

“It is a question you will face at least once. And it is a problem that my daughter will face if she marries you.”

The Grand Duke looked at Jeras, who had grown tense. His red eyes shone brightly as if he were truly insulted.

Of course, the Grand Duke, who had been through countless hardships, easily brushed off the gaze and stood up.

“Think carefully. The future of your relationship with my daughter depends on your answer. When you have an answer, please tell me.”

 

***

 

“I can’t believe Dad thought of that.”

“Pardon? What did you say, princess?”

Hilda, who was organizing the closet, turned to look at me. The closet was about to burst from all the dresses I had received as gifts.

About half of them were from Jeras, and the rest were from various nobles. Their intention to get in my good graces was clear.

I was lying in bed, rolling around.

“Hilda, you have to be honest with me.”

“Oh, I’m always honest! What is it?”

“What do you think of Jeras?”

“What do I think of him? Oh my, where are my manners? He’s very handsome! And tall. He also has a good body.”

“I know. He may not be good at other things, but his looks are to die for… no, that’s not it! His personality. His values.”

“But I don’t know His Highness very well. I only get to see him whenever he comes to see you…”

Hilda tilted her head. She had a point. How would Hilda know about Jeras’s personality or values? I don’t even know.

I was about to let out a deep sigh when Hilda closed the closet door and came over to me.

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s not that anything is wrong, but… as you said, Jeras is the Crown Prince, right?”

“That’s right. He will succeed to the throne unless something happens.”

“And there’s never been an emperor who didn’t have concubines.”

“Maybe it’s because they need to have a stable line of succession? I don’t know much about those things.”

“And that’s the problem. I can’t accept it. My husband marrying another woman besides me.”

“Hmm… now that you mention it, that’s true. I would also be heartbroken.”

Hilda nodded with a sad expression. Right? I’m right, aren’t I? It’s not just because I came from a country that practices monogamy, is it?

Before my father’s words, it was something so obvious that I hadn’t even thought about it.

The thought of Jeras having concubines and me having to witness that with my own eyes… The mere thought of it made my stomach burn with anger.

And there was one more thing that bothered me.

‘Why didn’t he answer right away?’

It was Jeras’s attitude. He should have jumped up and yelled that he would never do that, that there was no one else but me. Instead, he remained silent.

What on earth was he thinking? Did he not want to marry me? Or could he not be satisfied with just me?

“Don’t worry too much, princess. Lord Jeras only has eyes for you.”

After giving me a less-than-comforting consolation, Hilda left the room. If he only had eyes for me, he wouldn’t have been so ambiguous. Hah, I’m suddenly so angry.

I lay in bed and held up my hand. The ring on my left ring finger glittered.

Should I just tell him I won’t get engaged? It’s not like we’re officially engaged anyway. And my dad is against it.

Just as I was about to take off the ring in a fit of anger, I heard a voice.

“What are you doing, my lovely princess?”

“Aah!”

A low voice came from right next to my ear, and a large hand grabbed mine. Jeras was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at me.

“W-what? Where did you come from all of a sudden?”

“I couldn’t see you properly today, so I thought I’d come to look at your sleeping face. But you were up to something else.”

“You saw me this morning, that’s enough.”

“That may be enough for you, but it’s not enough for me. Just that is not enough.”

Had he soaked his tongue in a honey pot? I was so embarrassed I turned my head away. But his gaze followed me relentlessly. My face slowly began to heat up.

“So, why were you trying to take off the ring?”

“…I don’t know. It just suddenly felt like a nuisance.”

“You wanted to monopolize me, didn’t you, Eloe?”

…T-this crazy bastard! What is he talking about?!

“You should have told me sooner.”

Jeras pulled my hand toward him and kissed my palm. As he did so, his red eyes were fixed on me and me alone.

His lips, which touched my palm, were incredibly hot.

“I didn’t have to hold back all this time.”

‘W-w-what… How long have you been listening, you bastard?!’

“How long have I been listening?”

I was so surprised… so surprised that I could only nod my head in response to Jeras’s question.

Jeras chuckled. He then leaned toward me.

“The Grand Duke said I would be a good Emperor, but I have no intention of being one. If there’s someone who doesn’t listen to me, or someone who gets on my nerves, I should just get rid of them, not just let them be.”

Jeras said something completely out of the blue as he slowly climbed onto the bed, on top of me. With my hands firmly held, I was lying down, feeling so embarrassed. Especially with the heat in his eyes as he looked down at me.

“As you sometimes say, I’m a crooked and mean person. I’m mischievous, and I’m very bad at playing games. And I never let go of something I set my mind on.”

“…So you heard all the important stuff.”

I pouted. Jeras’s out-of-the-blue answer was his way of answering my question about his personality and values. It’s not like I wanted to hear it from him!

Jeras’s eyes crinkled in a smile. His red eyes were so beautiful. His lips, which were just as red as his eyes, slowly parted, and his red tongue licked his bottom lip.

I involuntarily trembled. My mind was blaring alarms that he was dangerous, but my body felt otherwise.

A tingling sensation started from my fingertips and toes and spread to my back. I suddenly felt a thirst so bad my throat felt like it was on fire.

‘What do I do? I think I’m going crazy!’

“The truth is, I don’t care if I don’t become the Emperor.”

“What?! Hey, don’t be so irresponsible!”

“It’s just that it would be easier for you to do everything you want to do if I were the Emperor. That’s why I was trying to become one.”

Jeras’s face was so close to mine. His black hair tickled my face. His cool yet heavy breath, mixed with his scent, spread across my face, raising my temperature.

I didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“I can’t believe the person who is going to become my wife thinks she doesn’t need anyone but me.”

“I-I never said that… Hmmph!”

My mouth, which had been trying to argue with him, was covered by his. It wasn’t a playful kiss like the ones we usually had.

Did he decide to devour me? It was hot, rough, violent, and yet so gentle. I grabbed his collar tightly. His scent, his heat, his desire devoured me greedily.

“Haa…”

When the kiss, which seemed to never end, finally did, I felt a strange sense of loss. I was about to take my arms off his neck when I realized I was still holding on to him. Jeras chuckled.

It was the satisfied smile of a beast that had finally caught its prey after a long chase.

I’m going to be devoured at this rate. The fact that I wasn’t entirely against this ominous feeling and looming anxiety meant that I must really like him.

‘I guess breaking off the engagement is not an option anymore… How did I get so tied up with a guy like this?’

“Eloe.”

Every time his low voice called my name, I felt my strength drain from my body. All I could do was go limp and look at Jeras.

“Don’t be anxious. No one else can have me.”

Because you already have all of me.

His embarrassing whisper skimmed my ear. Then, his long fingers caressed my earlobe and slowly went down.

“Don’t be anxious, and be as greedy as you want. I’ll fill all your desires.”

I closed my eyes at the dizzying sensation. In the darkness, I heard Jeras’s laugh, and a strong pair of arms hugged me close.