Chapter 51: A Line Not to Be Crossed
Aaron, who had been quietly observing the queen, finally stood up.
“Today, I will take my leave. I have a meeting I must attend.”
“It’s already that late, isn’t it? I heard you’ll be discussing post-war measures with the council. It sounds like it will be a long meeting.”
“It will end quickly. It’s a meeting with a predetermined conclusion.”
As Aaron rose, the queen also stood to see him off. Aaron paused mid-step and silently watched the queen adjust the hem of her dress. For a moment, the reception room was filled with an eerie silence.
“I heard that your family is staying in Boswell.”
The queen froze at Aaron’s low, deliberate words.
“You were so curious about their wellbeing that you sent a letter behind my back?”
The queen’s body stiffened as if she had forgotten to breathe. Her eyes, trembling, rolled downward, avoiding Aaron’s gaze.
“What… are you saying?”
“I wondered why you kept delaying the garden construction plans…”
Aaron drew out his words, taking a measured breath. Queen Eleanor. Delia’s mother. He waited for the guarded look in her eyes to soften. He was willing to do whatever she wished to gain her favor. He could understand and accept it because she was her mother. But even so, there were lines that must not be crossed—and the queen was trying to cross them.
“Seeing this letter explained everything at once. You’ve been waiting for their reply, haven’t you?”
Aaron took the neatly folded paper from his pocket and offered it to the queen.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“While investigating the palace’s secret passages, we caught a messenger you sent.”
The queen barely suppressed a gasp and looked at the letter in Aaron’s hand. There was no royal seal, not even the family emblem—but she could easily guess the contents. After all, she had sent it herself.
“It was just a letter to inquire after them. Because of the war, we couldn’t exchange letters for some time…”
Before the queen could finish, Aaron spoke, confirming what he had seen.
“You asked to gather intelligence on Boswell’s international affairs.”
The queen wanted to retract her words. Judging by the sharp gleam in the commander’s eyes, he clearly already knew the contents. Her voice came out thin and trembling.
“I only wanted to confirm the facts. I wanted to verify whether Boswell truly betrayed us.”
“So… what did you plan to do after confirming it?”
Aaron’s sharp tone made the queen clamp her mouth shut. It was a question, but not really.
“You needn’t be afraid. I am not a barbarian who oppresses a delicate woman with force.”
Aaron slowly approached the queen.
“I have been taught proper manners toward ladies, after all.”
Bending slightly, he placed the queen’s secret letter on top of Delia’s etiquette book. The slow, deliberate movement carried such authority that the queen instinctively took a step back. Straightening his posture, Aaron gazed at her with eyes colder than moonlight.
“But I cannot say what I would do to someone trying to take what belongs to me.”
He had already seen through everything. The queen’s plan to send Delia outside Iorenti—to Boswell or even farther—was exposed. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say. Hesitating, she finally confessed her intentions.
“Aaron Bergen, Commander. This is not a beneficial arrangement for either of us.”
“The princess has already chosen me, and that is enough.”
“Our Iorenti has already lost. How could Delia refuse the commander’s request? That cannot be called a choice.”
Aaron wiped the forced smile from his face. The queen was denying the choice he had painstakingly earned from Delia.
“If you truly care for Delia, let her go. Our relationship began with the blood and hatred of our nations. It will not end well.”
“The war may have started it, but it will end in peace. We will be remembered as a symbol of peace, having prevented a greater war.”
The queen felt despair at the unyielding will of the commander. Clinging to the last hope, she tried to persuade him.
“What will you do about Delia’s brother, who went missing during the battle with the commander?”
“….”
“And if Alfredo were to die and return, what would you do about that resentment?”
Aaron remained silent at the queen’s question.
“And… if he were to survive, what then?”
The queen spoke through trembling lips, insisting on saying what must be said.
“Do you believe the Commander of Iorenti and the Commander of Shteilitz can coexist?”
Her simple question carried countless emotions and implications. The Commanders of Iorenti and Shteilitz. The Crown Prince of Iorenti and the princess, backed by the regent. If they were in the same place, someone was bound to be gravely harmed. As a mother, she could not simply watch her children fall into confusion.
“This marriage will ultimately become a seed of conflict.”
Aaron barely suppressed a curse. Collection Item No. 3—the problem all along. His eyes, like moonlight in the night, grew even colder, but the queen could not stop.
“I heard the emperor currently has no heir, and as the emperor’s brother, Commander Bergen is first in the line of succession.”
“I have never sought the throne.”
“Even if you have no intention, others around you will think differently.”
Aaron clenched his teeth while looking at the queen. He wanted to refute her words but could not bring himself to do so—because he was the one who understood them best. His gaze sharpened.
“There are many noblewomen with better conditions lined up in the empire. Forming connections with them would benefit both your future and the empire’s interests.”
A deadly chill crept into Aaron’s voice.
“I have never wanted anyone other than Delia.”
The queen fell silent, gripping her dress tightly to hide her trembling hands. Her moist eyes looked up at Aaron.
“The most dangerous person for Delia right now is you, Commander. Please, let her go.”
Though she had risked her life to stay near the king, she wanted to protect her children from the dangers of war.
“If you release Delia, I will immediately send Alberto to another country. He will renounce all claims to the throne and be exiled abroad.”
The queen bowed her head. Her plea was desperate, a mother’s request. She could not bear to see her child suffer in front of her.
“Wouldn’t it be better if the heir disappeared rather than cause trouble for the regency?”
“….”
“I will follow your will in everything, so please, just once, turn a blind eye. This is a mother’s request.”
Aaron glanced at the trembling hem of the queen’s dress. She had bowed her head, begging him. She had tried so hard not to appear fearful… Yet her attempt to take Delia away provoked him beyond reason. He loosened the collar of his shirt and took a deep breath, filling his lungs.
“I understand your concerns, but this marriage cannot be annulled. It is the one thing I desire above all.”
The queen realized that all her persuasion had been futile. Her face went pale as if she were dying inside.
“Commander!”
“As I told the king, we will not return to the mainland. We will stay in Iorenti as Delia wishes.”
“But…”
“She will marry in Iorenti with her parents’ blessing. You need not worry about the empire’s nobility.”
The queen lowered her head, avoiding Aaron’s gaze.
“And do not worry too much about Crown Prince Alfredo.”
Aaron twisted his lips. Though he had been annoyed by the queen’s plan to take Delia away, he now knew how to deal with her—he could not coerce or seduce her, but he could strike where she was most vulnerable: her children.
“If we locate Crown Prince Alfredo, we will receive him with proper courtesy.”
Aaron gave the queen a polite smile.
“Who knows? Perhaps they may get along well, calling each other brother and sister.”
Conflict only arises when forces are evenly matched. The crown prince who fled the battlefield at Kavat Plain could not challenge him. When one side is overwhelmingly strong, such conflicts can be absorbed.
“I will give orders to my subordinates to search all of Iorenti and locate the crown prince.”
The queen backed away, finally collapsing into her chair. She had begged for her children’s release, yet he tightened his grip even further. She gripped the armrests to steady her trembling body.
“You may decorate the garden with jewels instead of marble statues. If you wish, I will replant the trees as many times as needed.”
Aaron paused and took in the queen’s reception room: the sunlight streaming through large windows, the damask curtains, the vine-patterned furniture, and the faint scent lingering in the air. In such a warm, serene place, he could leave Delia a little longer.
“If it is too difficult now, you may delay the marriage. I can wait that long.”
Aaron turned to face the queen. Though his voice was soft, a chilling presence seeped through, making the queen’s face even paler.
“But you cannot send the princess outside Iorenti.”
Aaron clearly warned her of the single line that must not be crossed.
“I will not allow anyone to take Delia from me.”
With that, Aaron took a step back. Even without her looking, he remained composed. He gave a flawless, smooth bow and left the reception room. As the door closed, the air’s ripple left the queen alone, surrounded by the tension of what had just occurred.
