Chapter 113: Chapter 112

Marianne changed the topic without knowing what he was thinking deep inside at the moment. Eckart stared at her as she had brought up a new topic shamelessly, and eventually only breathed a long sigh as if he gave in.

“… Okay. So, have you chosen one?”

“Yeah. I’ve given it a thought, and I think we can hold the reception as a martial arts event.”

“Martial arts event?”

She nodded without any reservation. He suddenly asked seriously while pressing his stinging temple, “You’re not going to participate in the event, are you?”

“No way! I’m not talented in martial arts at all. I’m a woman who knows my place very well.”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that!”

She pouted her lips at his dumb reply. However, she quickly calmed down and leaned over his desk. Her familiar red diamond necklace shook and sparkled in front of her arms supporting her body.

“At first, I thought you said that because you hated Iric, but when I looked back, I thought you didn’t say that with any personal feelings.”

“What?”

Eckart immediately made a perplexed expression. She quickly continued even before he took issue with her remarks.

“You are right. Iric can’t always be with me. Today, I was worried about him, so I let him use his vacation leave. How can a person work for 24 hours straight?”

“… It’s not necessarily impossible, but it’s usually too demanding.”

“It’s not just too demanding, but impossible. No, it’s impossible. If you have Curtis in mind right now, don’t even think about him as an example, please. Sir Curtis is an exception. He’s weird. How can a person run around in the high mountains all day without drinking a sip of water or sleeping? He moved around in the mountains with you on his back for as long as four hours. And then he stood on security guard the next morning. Can anybody do it like him?”

“Um…”

“And I saw it myself. When Sir Curtis is walking, I don’t hear any sound. It looks like he’s nowhere, but he always stands by your side. He really looks like a ghost. Is he hiding somewhere here? If he really is, please ask him to listen to me. If he wants to stand by His Excellency, he has to take care of himself well. He seems to think his body is like stone. We’re all fragile humans…”

“Marianne, I know you are wasting your breath, but…”

“Look, I’m not worried about him without any reason. I’m also worried about you. Why are you writing again when your arm was broken? I would have asked Cordelli even to feed me. He has to ask for help when he needs it. I just have no idea how he takes after his master so much…”

She sighed and grumbled without hesitation.

Eckart couldn’t figure out how to react to her naive and gentle, but rude words. He casually looked around once and lifted the mug and quenched his thirst.

“Anyway, thanks for understanding my position, but I would like to make it clear that I didn’t do that because I didn’t want your protection.”

“Well, I think you were so radical when you received his greetings first.”

“That’s because…”

As soon as he opened his mouth as if to clarify, she lifted her upper body. She clapped her hands and folded her fingers naturally.

“Of course, I know. You needed to do so back then. I understand it now. But I was very surprised when I just stood there, watching you that day. Iric must have been much more surprised as you threw a sword at him. So, I decided that even if Iric spoke ill of you behind your back, I would not tell you that.”

She laughed playfully and put her chin slightly over her folded hands.

“… Do you still remember that sometimes?”

“Of course. Where would I go and see right before my eyes a nobleman throwing a sword? It wasn’t not only special but shocking to me. Now I know you didn’t mean to harm him at that time, but my heart sank when I saw you throwing the sword at him.”

There was a heavier atmosphere hanging over Eckart’s shoulders. He was accustomed to catching the intentions of anyone’s words, and as a result he often found himself lost in thoughts.

In rational aspects, Marianne’s words were her light complaints. Her voice was not overly dark, her eyes didn’t turn sharp, and she didn’t use any words suggesting her betrayal or revenge. She was just recalling some episodes about Iric while she was talking about her past, and she expressed her big surprise at the time. That was it.

If anybody involved in politics or official duty had made such remarks, Eckart would not have cared as much. For example, if his actions surprised the other party, he could just express regrets, no more, no less. If anybody disturbed his mind by recalling past events, it would never be strange for Eckart to punish that man.

But the person right before him was was Marianne.

She was like a thorn in his side who disturbed his routine life. Whether he wanted it or not, she was like a mutant that always made him resort to the magic of exceptions and irregularities. She made him care about trifling things, ask for forgiveness for what he never did wrong, and feel scared about disappointing even one person…

Eckart, who hesitated for a moment, was finally done rationalizing poorly about

what he had done.

In its own way, it was kind of an indulgence for what he had to say next.

“Marianne, I still think my test of Iric was a must on that day. Maybe he will agree to it now.

Even if you go back to those days, I will make the same decision.”

“Yeah. I thought you would do so.”

“But whatever the reason, if you were bothered by that, I apologize because I was responsible for that. So, I promise not to blame you even if you blame me.”

“…”

This time she didn’t reply readily as before.

“And I forgive you in advance, even if you heard Iric speaking about me disrespectfully and didn’t tell me about it.”

This time she tilted her head slightly over her folded hands, her gaze still fixed on his eyes.

He began to be defenseless, faced with her stern gaze. He couldn’t think straight.

What he said a moment ago was clearly the best in his judgement. It was kind of his self-reflection for an emperor like him. He apologized for his excessive actions back then, promised he would be responsible and even pardoned her future crime.

Nevertheless, he felt uncomfortable. All kinds of assumptions burst like firecrackers in his mind.

‘Didn’t my words ring true? Or did I apologize too late? Or did I make a frown? Or was my voice rather harsh? If not…’

“Your Majesty.”

She called him with a slightly lower voice.

At that moment, he thought of what she expected to say next: dissatisfaction, disappointment, blame, disgust, pretense, etc. All kinds of her negative reactions that he could imagine came to his mind randomly and strangled his throat. And he was resigned to accept anything she would say to him.

Actually, it was an inevitable result. He was a prince who learned that the silence of the ruler was more valuable than his understanding of others. He was not good at treating people honestly and having positive expectations of them.

Accordingly, he was so anxious about her trifling reaction, but he first took into account the fear that he might be misunderstood rather than hope for her forgiveness.

“Your apology really suits you as the emperor.”

But what she said next was neither blame nor hate.

“Why are you acting like a bad man when you speak so kindly?”

He did not reply.

“I didn’t mean to get your apology, but let me accept it since you did apologize. I’m really fine right now. As it happened inevitably in the past, I won’t blame or resent you for that. Let me convey your preliminary pardon to Iric, so don’t worry.”

Marianne laughed again as if it was not a big deal. She unfolded her hands gently and took the mug. While she moistened her thirst with the moderately-cooled car, he just looked at her, carried away with a strange sense of freedom.

“Anyway, let’s hold the reception as a martial arts event. It may be a little late. How about having a qualifying round first in each area, and have a banquet at the final match? We don’t limit the genre of sports or the qualifications for participation. I think we can insert only one restriction clause.”

She raised her index finger of her left hand as if to emphasize. Among the rest of her fingers, which she gently gripped, a golden ring on her middle finger reflected the afternoon sun.

“The restriction clause is any participant should not kill or hurt anyone while competing or showing their martial arts skills.”

Eckart slowly lowered his left hand with the same ring. He then clenched and released his fist under the desk. His heart was pounding hard.

“Kloud, have you heard her suggestion?”

“Yes. I will arrange for each department to prepare for it.”

Kloud, who was sorting out the paperwork piled up in front of the table, replied quickly.

“Thank you, Sir Kloud.”