Chapter 65 – Please Take Care of Him
“I completely understand Queen Elenor’s worries and anxieties. That’s why I wanted to give you time.”
Aaron slowly lifted his glass and let the wine flow into his mouth, giving the queen a final moment.
The deep aroma of the red wine spread across his palate.
His previously impatient mind calmed, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“But now, shouldn’t we bury the past and move forward?”
Up until now, giving the queen time wasn’t about seeking her permission.
It was simply the generosity of a victor who had seized everything.
But if he made her wait any longer…
“The peace treaty between our nations has been signed, and the council’s approval obtained. Dragging this out further…”
Aaron opened his mouth with an arrogant smile, facing the queen.
“It will benefit neither of us.”
The empire’s commander was shameless to the end, utterly arrogant.
The queen, dressed in the imperial formal attire, stared at Aaron confidently before speaking.
“I have understood the regent’s intentions clearly. Today, I wish to give my answer regarding him.”
To steady her trembling heart, the queen subtly raised her hand and gripped her necklace.
“But first, I have one request.”
Aaron could already guess what she would say.
It would probably concern Crown Prince Alfredo.
Where on earth had that boy hidden to cause so much trouble for so many people?
Aaron twisted his lips into a crooked smile and shook his wine glass slightly.
“Speak freely. I will do my utmost to help.”
“I heard that the imperial army is also searching for Alfredo under the regent’s orders.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Please… stop looking for him.”
Aaron’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the queen’s request.
He had naturally assumed her request would be to find Alfredo or to ensure his status.
And he had intended to fulfill her request.
But now she was asking him not to find him?
“May I ask why?”
Aaron scrutinized her sharply, trying to understand her intention.
Had the Eorenti already secured the crown prince’s safety?
Had he been taken elsewhere already?
Suspicion crept over him like a mist, sharpening his senses.
Despite Aaron’s fierce aura, the queen responded calmly without wavering.
“Alfredo is a sensitive and delicate child. He becomes anxious at even small provocations and reacts strongly.”
Though Alfredo was no longer a child by age, the queen still referred to him as one.
Not as a queen, but as a mother, her concern resonated gently through the hall.
“It seems this war has been an unbearable burden for the crown prince.”
Her anxious gaze shifted to Aaron’s hand.
The wine glass held by the regent reflected the light, trembling slightly.
“The late king fell in battle against Pruver, and the current king injured his leg fighting Kirens. Alfredo must have felt the responsibility as the crown prince of Eorenti fell on him as well.”
Usually, Alfredo was introspective and cautious, rarely taking bold action.
When the crown prince stepped into a critical situation in Eorenti, everyone was surprised.
“He couldn’t endure the pressure and pushed himself too far by joining the battle.”
Everyone thought it natural that the crown prince would step forward.
As a member of Eorenti’s royal family, fighting for the nation was expected.
“But commanding troops on the battlefield was not suitable for the crown prince, and he suffered an irreparable disgrace. It must have left a deep wound in him.”
Her heart pounded as she spoke of Alfredo’s failures to the empire’s commander, the one who had caused them.
The complex emotions of having to accept a former enemy as her son-in-law coursed through her veins like red wine.
“I don’t want to burden him any longer with the responsibilities of a crown prince.”
The wine glass in Aaron’s hand stopped trembling completely.
She didn’t want the crown prince to carry the weight of his title.
The many hidden meanings behind her words raced through Aaron’s mind.
His gaze naturally fell on Delia.
“So please… don’t look for him until he returns on his own.”
Delia widened her eyes at her mother.
Do not look for the crown prince.
It was a more ominous command than saying they would go search themselves.
Delia opened her mouth to stop her mother.
“Mother… but that’s—”
Her words were cut off by the strong pressure from Aaron’s hand.
He had covered Delia’s hand with his own, holding it firmly.
Delia lifted her trembling eyes to him.
Aaron’s gaze had already left her and focused on the queen.
All she could see were his strong jawline and proud nose.
Aaron, lost in thought, slowly parted his tightly closed lips.
“Understood. I will respect the queen’s wishes.”
Upon Aaron’s declaration, the queen released the tension from her hand gripping the necklace and exhaled deeply.
She placed her hands neatly on the table, straightened her back, lifted her chin, and spoke carefully.
“Regent, please take good care of our Del.”
In the quiet corridor, the sound of their footsteps echoed.
The red candlelight flickered across the faces of the two walking silently.
Aaron, returning after the dinner, and Delia, accompanying him, cast shadows side by side on the floor.
They were the couple who had finally received permission for the marriage they longed for.
Yet, as if told to part, a deep, somber air lingered between them.
Delia’s heels clicked until she turned the corner, stopping the sound.
“This is absurd,” Delia muttered, frustrated at finding no answer, pressing her hand against Aaron’s arm.
Aaron stopped walking as well and turned to her.
Delia looked at the flickering candlelight reflected on Aaron’s face and spoke.
“How can you not look for my brother?”
Aaron looked down at Delia’s neatly coiled hair, unlike earlier in the workshop.
The ornaments glimmered faintly in the candlelight.
In the halo of light she created, it was easy to sense her anxiety.
Aaron’s eyes darkened as he looked deeper into hers and answered.
“The queen wishes it, so we must obey.”
As always, his voice was calm and composed.
Yet, Delia’s anxiety did not subside.
“Commander…”
“Why?”
“Do you even understand what it means to not look for the crown prince?”
“I understand perfectly.”
Assuming the king and queen’s intentions, Aaron lifted his hand.
Perhaps he would remain a regent rather than fully a king.
He carefully caressed Delia’s flushed cheek with his warm hand.
Delia lowered her eyes, uneasy under his gaze.
“This isn’t what I wanted.”
A dark, creeping unease crawled across her skin.
Thinking of her brother, she could not look at Aaron comfortably.
The candlelight flickered across her long eyelashes.
“Princess.”
Aaron’s low voice echoed through the empty corridor.
“Princess… look at me.”
Despite his command, her eyes remained lowered.
Her blue eyes instinctively tried to avoid him again, and Aaron let out a deep sigh.
He gently lifted her chin, guiding her gaze toward himself.
At last, Delia’s eyelids slowly rose, and her lake-blue eyes met his.
“Princess… this isn’t anyone else’s problem—it’s Alfredo’s problem.”
Aaron drew a clear line for the trembling Delia.
The hesitant image of Delia at dinner, unsure about the marriage answer, flashed in his mind.
He softly caressed her chin with his thumb.
“It has nothing to do with you. The problem is Alfredo abandoned his royal duties. He left his position voluntarily. This has nothing to do with victory or defeat.”
“…If he’s injured and can’t come… or unconscious somewhere…”
If he weren’t hurt at all…
Delia bit her lips tightly to suppress the suspicion she dared not voice.
“If he were hurt, someone would have contacted us already.”
Aaron clicked his tongue.
Delia had the habit of biting her lower lip when nervous or cornered.
Aaron applied gentle pressure to her chin, slightly parting her lips.
“Don’t overthink it. Let’s wait until Alfredo returns.”
His firm, warm fingers brushed her lips.
Wherever his fingers touched, her lips slightly changed shape, moist and soft.
His slow, deliberate movements gradually eased her tension.
“At least, if he’s there, he can defend himself or bring himself down, right?”
His soft voice, comforting and low.
The firm touch of his hands through her lips.
His presence anchored the trembling Delia.
Blue light slowly returned to her anxious eyes.
“Then, Commander…”
Delia thought for a moment, then spoke decisively, as if making a big decision.
“Call Mei.”
The Stilraitz Empire’s spy infiltrating the palace—Mei.
Mei had said Alfredo moved to keep an eye on Delia.
Perhaps Alfredo didn’t feel the same as her.
She now had to confirm the truth she had avoided believing.
Was Alfredo truly her brother as she knew him?
What had she missed about him?
“I need to check with Mei.”
“Mei?”
Aaron’s eyebrows twitched, studying Delia’s reaction with his deep eyes.
The candlelight flickered strangely.
The temperature in the corridor shifted instantly.
Aaron approached Delia, exuding a chilling aura.
“Mei… who is that guy?”
Delia stepped back, startled by his unexplained anger.
Her back touched the cold wall, feeling the chill.
“Commander… what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
His eyes burned like fire, yet his voice was ice-cold.
As he pressed close, Delia found herself trapped between Aaron and the wall.
The red jealousy in him, like the flickering candlelight, enveloped her.
She had no choice but to endure the anger brushing against her cheeks.
“Boswell, Giuliano, Afran… and now Mei.”
“What do you mean?”
Aaron pressed against the wall protectively, growling low.
“How many men are there, really?”
