Chapter 65

At Adelina’s sudden action, the nobles stood up from their seats, knelt down, and placed their hands on the floor.  

Their foreheads, noble from birth, touched the ground.  

“I am asking not as a queen, but as a man’s wife. Please help His Majesty focus solely on the war.”  

As Adelina straightened her back and spoke, the nobles also stood up and met her gaze.  

The golden eyes within her gentle round eyes showed no wavering.  

“Yes, we will do so, Your Majesty.”  

When Earl Bettran first bowed, the other seasoned nobles also bent their stubbornness and bowed.  

‘Good. If I can get through that day, Lexion won’t demand the first night until the war ends.’  

Just as the experienced nobles hid something behind their smiles, Adelina also smiled, feeling relieved for a moment.  

+++

That evening, after finishing her work early, Adelina dismissed Seyra and entered Lexion’s room.  

There was roughly an hour left until Lexion would finish his work.  

“Surely, it must be well hidden somewhere… Where could it be?”  

Adelina began taking out books from the bookshelf one by one.  

He wouldn’t have carelessly placed it in a wardrobe or drawer.  

Since Stephan had a secret safe in his bookshelf, Lexion might have been given one as well.  

‘A whole day has already passed! Really! I’m about to face the first night!’  

Adelina’s hands moved quickly, taking out books and searching for any hidden space.  

“Oh dear. A spy was here.”

“Gasp!”  

A dark shadow approached silently from behind and covered Adelina’s mouth.  

‘C-caught! But, this is because you keep hiding things!’  

Thinking there was no need to shrink back, Adelina tapped the gloved hand, signaling she couldn’t breathe.  

“It’s too sad. My wife was a spy.”  

Lexion loosened his grip on Adelina’s mouth slightly and turned her around, pressing her against the bookshelf.  

‘A spy?! I risked my life to help!’  

Adelina furrowed her eyebrows and glared at Lexion, then shook her head slightly from side to side.  

“No? Then show me the evidence.”  

‘Evidence? How?’  

When Adelina looked at him with wide eyes, Lexion, still covering her mouth, brought his lips to her ear.  

“With your whole body.”  

Even Lexion seemed embarrassed by his words, and his laughter echoed around Adelina’s ear.  

“Get away!”  

Unable to hold back any longer, Adelina pushed Lexion away and rubbed her ear vigorously.  

It wasn’t the first time Lexion played such pranks, but today her ears felt more ticklish and gave her goosebumps.  

“Why are you wearing gloves? Is it cold?”  

Trapped in Lexion’s arms without any intention of letting go, Adelina remained with her back against the bookshelf.  

“No… my hands are rough. I was worried I might hurt you.”  

“Oh…”  

Recalling the previous night, Adelina’s cheeks flushed.  

Lexion’s rough fingers brushing against the back of her hand.  

The hardened calluses on his knuckles pulling at her ankle and calf.  

The rough palm brushing against her shoulder and chest.  

The thrilling sensation that arose as those rough hands left red marks.  

“Lexion… I’ll apply hand cream for you.”  

Feeling her heart race for no reason, Adelina pushed Lexion away and ran to her room.  

‘It’s because I’ve read too many 19+ novels. My mind is filled with indecent thoughts.’  

She decided she would read the scriptures before sleeping tonight.  

Adelina grabbed the hand cream from her vanity and ran back to Lexion.  

“I’m sorry for criticizing you yesterday.”  

She removed Lexion’s black gloves and asked the attendant for warm water to clean his hands thoroughly.  

“No, I caused the injury.”  

‘Is he embarrassed or pleased?’  

Adelina gently wrapped Lexion’s hands, which were red up to his neck, and applied hand cream.  

+++

The next morning, hundreds of Imperial Knights lined up at Inis Port in Petrus, preventing people from approaching.  

Duke Austin and the Dragon Knights escorted a splendid carriage as it slowly approached the port.  

“Isabelle, you didn’t have to come out.”  

Opposite Emperor Grain, Isabelle, wearing the Imperial Knights’ uniform with her hair tied up, was looking at the scenery of the port through the carriage window.  

“Your Majesty, variables may arise. We must report immediately and make decisions promptly.”  

Isabelle gave Emperor Grain a gentle smile.  

If this one smile could relieve even a little of Emperor Grain’s worries and fatigue, she would gladly smile widely.  

After the carriage came to a complete stop, Austin approached, knocked twice on the carriage door, and opened it.  

“It seems we’ve arrived. Let’s get off, Isabelle.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

Emperor Grain personally assisted Isabelle in getting off the carriage.  

“Your Majesty. Princess.”  

Leophris, who had been waiting with the Imperial Knights, ran over and bowed to them.  

“Are you boarding that ship?”  

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will complete the mission safely and return!”  

As Emperor Grain looked at the large sailing ship preparing to depart, Leophris bowed even lower and answered.  

“Bring back good news.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will complete the mission.”  

After watching the ship carrying Leophris depart, Emperor Grain and Isabelle moved to where hundreds of fishing and merchant ships were gathered.  

+++

“Your Majesty, you must be very tired. There are always many trivial things to take care of during Thanksgiving.”  

That evening, Seyra laid Adelina on the bed and massaged her arms and legs.  

Hailyn checked the documents to see if anything was missing.  

“Ernst and the Tiola Empire have many similarities. The custom of kissing under an oak tree with a loved one during Thanksgiving is also similar. We do it under a birch tree.”  

“Kissing under a tree to make love come true is so romantic. I want to do it next year when I become an adult.”  

At Seyra’s words, Hailyn laughed softly and chatted.  

“You both are so naive at times. A kiss making love come true… ugh!”  

Adelina, who was lying face down receiving a massage, suddenly stood up at Seyra’s intensified touch.  

“Your Majesty, the massage isn’t over yet. Lie down!”  

Seyra, cracking her knuckles for some reason, made Adelina lie back down on the bed.  

“I want to do it too! That kiss!”  

Adelina quickly turned her body, grabbing Seyra’s hand and standing up.  

‘Despite her appearance, her hands are really strong!’  

If she entrusted her body to these hands now, she would know the structure of every bone.  

‘Oh… what’s that…’

For a moment, seeing a glimpse of something in the vanity mirror, Adelina got off the bed and sat in front of it.  

“Right, Your Majesty. Then, you’ll kiss under the oak tree this Thanksgiving.”  

Seyra followed her down, whispering while brushing her hair, but Adelina didn’t hear it well.  

‘Isabelle and Emperor Grain? Why are they there?’  

She saw Isabelle talking seriously with Emperor Grain at the dock filled with fishing boats.  

‘Are they repairing the ship? Were many ships damaged by the typhoon?’  

Adelina stared intently at the workers on the deck, seemingly repairing something.  

“Your Majesty, you’ll be under the birch tree this Thanksgiving.”  

Hailyn approached, taking Seyra’s place, and placed a pearl hairpin in her hair.  

“Birch tree? There’s no birch tree in the palace.”  

As Seyra questioned what nonsense she was talking, the image in the mirror disappeared.  

“Birch tree?”  

Adelina also looked curiously at Hailyn’s eyes reflected in the mirror.  

+++

“Your Majesty, sleep well.”  

“You’ve worked hard today, Seyra, Hailyn.”  

After the two left the bedroom, Adelina approached the terrace and opened the window wide.  

Tonight, since Lexion was having an all-night meeting with the nobles, she didn’t have to worry about him barging into the bedroom.  

The sound of crickets, announcing the start of autumn with the chilly wind, entered the room.  

“Father. Come inside. It’s getting chilly.”

She extended her hand toward Stephan, who was hidden in a color darker than the deep darkness. 

“How did you know?”  

Stephan, surprised yet embarrassed, took her hand.  

Even seasoned knights would have found it difficult to detect his presence.  

“Well, maybe it’s just father-daughter telepathy.”  

Adelina let out a small laugh.  

She had long known that he was guarding her from the terrace on nights when Lexion was absent.  

“Father, have other knights do it now. It’s getting cold.”  

She seated Stephan on the sofa and made him a cup of warm coffee.  

After all, he would stay up all night again today.  

“I’ll just… keep protecting Her Majesty. I can’t trust those other guys.”

Adelina held Stephan’s hand, who was hurriedly drinking the steaming coffee.  

“Drink slowly. Instead, I’ll serve you delicious tea every night, Father.”  

When did it start?  

When did this legal father, with whom she shared no blood, become so close to her…  

After a few minutes, thinking the coffee was no longer too hot, she let go of Stephan’s hand.  

“Well… I also want a knot.”  

‘Oh my… Father, were you envious?’  

The large man awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.  

“No, I can’t. I was told that’s something you give to someone you love.”

Adelina spoke bluntly, pouring him more coffee.  

“Nonsense, I will make you one.”

An hour later, when Stephan finished his coffee and was enjoying the cool autumn breeze, the terrace window opened again.  

“Here.”  

“Thank you… daughter.”  

Without looking at each other, Adelina and Stephan extended their hands and exchanged the knot.  

Though it was too dark to see, Stephan forced his lips down from a smile as he attached the knot to his sword and guarded the night.  

+++

It was the morning guard change time for the Ernst Knights stationed on Pale Island.  

“This time of year, the waves are so calm, it’s nice.”  

During this time, when noisy sea birds flew busily along the coastal cliffs, there were hardly any typhoons or storms.  

The season when crops released their final moisture under the hot sun. The season when fruits maximized their sugar content. And the season when merchant and fishing ships busily moved, preparing for winter.  

“What is that?”  

“A ship? It doesn’t seem like a ship.”  

“There’s no way an island suddenly appeared overnight without a sound.”  

As the sea fog, laid by the sun’s heat, cleared, an object that hadn’t been seen until yesterday appeared at a considerable distance from Pale Island.  

“Immediately! Send a carrier pigeon to the palace!”  

The captain of the Pale Island guard, upon confirming the object’s appearance, tied a red cloth to the carrier pigeon’s leg.  

+++

Adelina ended the meeting with the noblewomen early and ran to the palace’s spire.  

“Your Majesty! It’s dangerous!”  

“Seyra! Give me low shoes next time!”  

The tower, originally built for astronomical observations, was the highest point in the palace.

The spiral staircase was so narrow and high that just looking at it made one feel queasy.  

“Huff… huff… Lexion…”