Chapter 45

45. Take It Off

“What?”

It was only when he saw the dumbfounded look on her face that Callion realized the question was odd. He added with a blush.

“I mean, I’m asking because…… you smell like a rose.”

Adelaide blinked in confusion, then lifted her sleeve and sniffed.

She stammered.

“Uh, I, uh, I didn’t hug him, but it’s-“

“…….”

“Not in a weird sense, but literally…….”

“Take it off.”

“What?”

Adelaide’s eyes widened at the vague command.

“What are you talking about…….”

“Take those clothes off, I’m going to have to burn them.”

“…….”

Adelaide let out a hollow laugh.

She’d suspected from the moment she’d entered the palace that he might be suspicious of her relationship with Elkius, but she didn’t expect Callion to reveal it in such a childish manner.

Adelaide rose from her seat and stood before Callion, her back to him.

“I need you to untie me.”

“Untie what?”

“The straps of my dress. I can’t reach them, so I need you to untie them.”

Callion blinked, feeling counterattacked. Her dress had already been loosened in the carriage.

White flesh peeked through the gaping hem. Callion’s hands clutched at the tassels. But he couldn’t bring himself to pull it.

“My…… hand is clumsy, so I’ll ask the maids to help you.”

She chuckled at the softened tone. Callion could be like a little boy sometimes.

“I’ll throw it away and tell you.”

“I told them to get the bath water, so you can get cleaned up.”

“Yes.”

Adelaide widened her eyes with a bright smile.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Ding. A light knock on the door made Callion look up. Adelaide poked her head through the crack.

“If it’s not a bother, may I come in for a moment…?”

“Come in.”

Callion set aside the documents he was looking at. With gracious consent, she entered the study. Her face, which had been immersed in the bathtub until sunset, still glowed.

Callion looked at her with satisfaction as she smelled fresh and citrusy instead of the overpowering rose scent.

“I wanted to show you this.”

Adelaide shyly held out the object she’d been carrying. It was the strap of a dress she’d worn during the day.

“I couldn’t burn it, I told them to throw it away.”

Callion chuckled at the idea that she’d actually thrown the dress away.

Of course, he meant it sincerely, but he didn’t expect her to dispose of it so quickly.

He covered his mouth with the back of his hand, and Adelaide blushed and grumbled.

“You told me to throw it away. It was a dress I liked.”

How much trouble did she go through, arguing with Zatia about why she threw away this beautiful dress?

“I’ll buy you something prettier.”

“You don’t have to.”

She pouted her lips, feeling teased, and turned away.

“I’ve shown it to you, so I’d better go.”

“Wait.”

Callion tugged her to him and sat her on his lap. Before she had time to resist, Adelaide was suddenly in his arms.

Hugging her tightly around the waist, he buried his face in the nape of her neck. A drop of water from her less-dry hair dampened his face.

“Do you know how anxious I was?”

“I told you nothing was going to happen.”

“You always say that.”

With every whisper from Callion, a warm breath reached her.

“I had so many thoughts while waiting for you to come out.”

Anxiety, worry, doubt, self-pity.

Just by looking at his face, one could tell that he was filled with remorseful emotions that he couldn’t bring himself to express.

Adelaide turned her head and locked eyes with him.

“It drives me crazy to think that it has to be like this in the future.”

Adelaide smiled sheepishly at the honest expression of emotion that was so uncharacteristic of him.

Of all the emotions, doubt must be the one that plagues him the most.

A smile mixed with self-reproach appeared at the corner of Callion’s mouth. Adelaide gently cupped his cheek with both hands.

“Callion.”

“…….”

“Elkius has never been sincere to me.”

“…….”

“Neither did I. I’m over him, and I’m your wife now.”

“……Adele.”

His eyes, clouded with anxiety, came alive. Callion pulled her close and kissed her.

Adelaide, startled by the suddenness of the kiss, threw her arms around his neck.

Their lips met hastily, but their movements were cautious.

Her sweet breath was hot as hell. His hands dug under the hem of his robe, too distracted to focus on the movement in his mouth.

Adelaide trembled at the stimulating touch, as delicate as a feather’s caress. However, Callion’s large hand didn’t release her easily.

“Your Grace…… for a moment, hmph.”

Creak, the chair supporting both of their weights squeaked uneasily.

Startled, Adelaide tried to pull herself up, but her hand hit a box of papers on her desk. The box tipped over, sending papers crashing to the floor.

“Ouch!”

“My lord! What happened?”

The servant waiting outside the door called out. Callion replied with a wide grin.

“Oh, no! It’s nothing!”

Adelaide slid off his lap and scooped up the papers.

The papers were a jumble, ranging from orders from Elkius to a faded letter from the Emperor, long ago.

Callion was never much of an organizer.

As she gathered up the scattered papers, sorting them by date, she stopped.

“Your Grace, this is…….”

It was a letter from the late Emperor, offering his crown prince, Callion Isulandt, the throne.

The letter was dated seven years ago, just as Duke Roxus was about to plot his treason.

The Emperor wanted to give the throne to Callion.

Surprised by this newfound fact, Adelaide looked at Callion, who smiled bitterly.

“This is a personal letter from my grandfather when my grandmother passed away and my grandfather was going through a difficult time.”

“Oh, but…….”

“I refused because it was too early.”

“……I see.”

It seemed like he regretted refusing the late Emperor’s command back then. Adelaide spoke affectionately.

“The Emperor has been very generous to you.”

“He didn’t know I was this inadequate.”

“Don’t say that.”

The Emperor’s handwritten note was full of affection for Callion, and Adelaide’s gaze paused at one point as she read it.

“Regalia?”

The letter contained instructions for Callion to take over the Regalia.

The Regalia were the four treasures that symbolized the Emperor’s authority: the Emperor’s crown, sword, scepter, and orb.

The Emperor of the Empire is officially recognized as the ruler of the Empire by possessing the Emperor’s seal along with the Regalia. As such, receiving the Regalia was an important ceremony.

Adelaide searched her memory, then spoke up.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t recall the handing over of Regalia at Elkius’ coronation ceremony…….”

‘Why didn’t I think it was strange before?’

Callion, who had not attended the coronation ceremony, hesitated as he answered.

“I know my uncle doesn’t have Regalia.”

“How did you know?”

“Because I have one of them.”

Adelaide looked at him with wide eyes. Rising from his chair, Callion pushed off the desk.

The carpeting on the floor fell away, revealing a square indentation in the center of the parquet. Callion twisted the quill, detached the nib, and inserted it into the groove.

The floor lifted with a dull, cheerful sound. He lifted the lid of the crude wooden box, revealing an ornate bokken.

“The Emperor gave it to me with that letter.”

The Emperor’s Regalia was not used for anything other than coronation ceremonies, so he had left it to his successor, Callion, in advance.

The sword, slightly shorter than Adelaide’s arm’s length, was decorated with red spinels and lions, the symbols of the imperial family.

It was identical in design to the crown Elkius wore at his coronation, so it was obvious at first glance that it was the emperor’s regalia.

“How did no one know……?”

The attendance at the coronation was small, but I couldn’t believe that no one had realized that the Emperor didn’t have a Regalia.

She muttered in disbelief, and Callion answered for her.

“The last coronation was over forty years ago, so not many people would remember the procedure, and since the Regalia is kept in the Imperial Storage Room except for coronations, no one would care.”

“Then are the rest of the regalia in storage?”

“I seem to recall that it was when I received it from the Emperor. I don’t know now.”

Adelaide looked at the sword and spoke up.

“My lord, how about presenting this sword at the memorial ceremony?”

“Present?”

“Yes.”

The memorial ceremony was originally a procedure performed during a funeral to honor a deceased emperor. Since Callion was unable to attend the funeral, he was expected to offer an item at this memorial ceremony.

Once an item is presented, it can never be returned, so Callion is hesitant to answer.

Adelaide persuaded him.

“This is the only way to let everyone know that Elkius doesn’t have the Regalia, and you can retrieve it later when you become Emperor.”

Since Adelaide’s advice had never been wrong before, Callion hesitated.

It was a reasonable suggestion. As it was Callion’s first memorial ceremony, all eyes were on him. What he would offer as a tribute was also a matter of keen interest.

Presenting the regalia at the memorial ceremony would remind everyone that Callion was the Crown Prince, while also challenging Elkius’s legitimacy.

Despite understanding the cunning tactic, Callion hesitated. He didn’t feel comfortable using the Emperor’s regalia in this way.

Still, it was clear that there was only one right answer. He didn’t have to think long.

“Let’s do it then.”

Adelaide’s advice had never failed him.