Chapter 9
“Big brother. What are you doing?”
Damian was inwardly flustered but didn’t show it at all.
“Hm? Nothing.”
“Mm. Big brother, let’s sleep quickly.”
Damian picked up the impatient Herdin and went to the other side of the bed. To prevent Herdin from falling, he placed Herdin next to Ayla and lay down beside Herdin.
Without needing a lullaby, Herdin fell asleep as soon as he lay down. The child’s soft breathing could be heard. Damian smiled faintly as he looked at Herdin. Then, propping his head on one hand, he looked at Ayla. Seeing the two of them asleep like this, it was just like…
It was the dream he had vowed to realize someday. It was fortunate that there was still time left. The Emperor had been won over, so what remained was the Dürman Duchy. Starting with Ayla herself, the Dürman Duchy was the biggest hurdle. Though he couldn’t help but sigh, there was still a glimmer of hope he hadn’t given up on.
Damian smiled and whispered softly.
“Sleep well, Ayla.”
* * *
In the quiet stillness, the Emperor recalled his private audience with his son.
His son, who had come to deliver the joyous news of his engagement to the eldest daughter of Duke Dürman, wore an impassive face, his emotions unreadable. This was the same son who always smiled with an inscrutable expression. Moreover, this son who never asked for favors had made a request of him.
“I would like you to announce the engagement as soon as possible.”
It was an engagement between none other than the Crown Prince and a Duke’s daughter. As it was an engagement between the Imperial family and a Ducal house, timing needed to be coordinated. Despite surely knowing this, his son was disregarding it.
“I won’t allow it without a valid reason.”
He spoke firmly. Damian didn’t answer immediately. He waited for his son’s response. After a silence, his son answered.
“I will give you, Father, a glory to be remembered in history.”
It was an audacious statement. How dare someone who isn’t even an emperor yet claim to give glory to the Emperor? Should he be pleased by this, or find it absurd?
“You’re impertinent.”
“But you must be curious, about what kind of glory I will give you, Father.”
He said nothing. It was a silent pause. Damian continued in a calm tone.
“Where there is light, there must be shadow.”
“…”
“Thus, I will give you that shadow, Father.”
He quietly observed his son for a moment, lost in thought. He was intrigued by his son’s confident demeanor, without a trace of hesitation. Shadow. He dares to give him shadow. What kind of shadow could it be?
After contemplating, he answered.
“Very well. I grant you permission.”
At his response, his son’s expressionless face quickly brightened. He decided to keep an eye on his son. Though still a young son he wanted to keep close, somehow it felt like he would leave his embrace early.
* * *
Ayla blinked her eyes. Not just a blink, but a wide-eyed blink. She wondered what kind of situation this was. Damian’s face was right in front of her. His long eyelashes remained still, not fluttering at all. Ayla blinked again. Damian was peacefully asleep, showing off his handsome face. And in her arms was a small boy. Chubby cheeks and silver hair.
It was Herdin.
Ayla, holding Herdin who was snuggling close to her, tried to assess the situation. So, this soft sensation was a bed, and since she hadn’t left the room, this must be Damian’s room. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion, and while she slept, the two of them had lain down on the bed to sleep.
In other words, she had slept. In the same bed as Damian. A grown man and woman.
This is the Imperial Palace.
Ayla tried to sit up but was hindered. She couldn’t get up because of Herdin in her arms. Moreover, it was an incredibly incomprehensible situation. Why on earth. Why. Why was Damian’s arm around her waist? Why is he so close? When the bed is this wide? Why on earth? This is just like a married couple…
Ayla shook her head vigorously. She tried to carefully lift and remove Damian’s arm from her waist.
“Mmm…”
Herdin whimpered softly. Ayla flinched and glanced at Damian. Thank goodness. He didn’t wake up. Ayla patted Herdin’s back to soothe him. Herdin mumbled something in her arms. It seemed like sleep talking.
In the end, Ayla couldn’t remove Damian’s arm. She wondered if she’d have to wait like this until Damian opened his eyes. Even if he did open his eyes, how could she face him with such embarrassment? But still.
“…It’s been a while, this kind of thing.”
Ayla murmured quietly. It was a small peace in her intense life. She decided to savor it a little. It could have been a boring time, but it wasn’t. As much as she hated to admit it, truthfully, just looking at Damian’s face was enough to keep her eyes from getting bored. Plus, she decided to enjoy the warmth in her arms.
How much time had passed like that? A voice still full of sleepiness was heard.
“Mm… Sister…?”
Ayla looked down. Cute Herdin was looking up at her, blinking his dazed eyes. Ayla touched the child’s soft cheek and asked.
“Did you sleep well, Herdin?”
“Did you sleep well, Sister?”
“Of course I did.”
“Big brother. Sister is awake.”
No, wait a moment. Before Ayla could stop Herdin, he tugged on Damian’s collar with his tiny hand. Then, as if about to open his eyes, Damian’s long eyelashes fluttered. Finally, faced with his open eyes, Ayla could barely breathe. A blue lake holding moonlight sparkled. A tickling voice resonated in her ear.
“Did you sleep well, Ayla?”
Foolish and silly Ayla.
Knowing she can’t grasp the moon reflected in the lake, yet falling in again nonetheless…
* * *
They say young children never tire. That saying was true. Despite endless playtime, Herdin was still full of energy. It seemed even more so after his nap. Ayla sat on the sofa, looking drained, and stared blankly at Herdin. Then she shot an intense gaze at Damian, who was still playing with Herdin.
Noticing her look, Damian finally turned to her. They began to communicate with their eyes.
‘What?’
‘Try to put him to sleep somehow.’
‘If that were possible, don’t you think I wouldn’t be doing this?’
‘…’
Ayla momentarily lost her rebuttal to Damian’s look. He had a point. Ayla decided to throw out an extreme suggestion.
‘Can’t you do something with magic?’
‘…I’m disappointed, Ayla.’
Damian’s eyes cooled sharply. Ayla gracefully acknowledged her mistake.
‘Alright. That was my misstep. Okay, then.’
Determination blazed in Ayla’s eyes. She stood up abruptly, left the room, and returned after a while. In her hand was a book. It was a fairy tale book perfect for Herdin’s level. It was an ancient myth that both Damian and Ayla used to love.
Ayla approached Herdin, who was playing hero with Damian, and crouched down. Here, the hero was Herdin, and the hero Herdin was imitating was Claudius von Lancaster Helios Epiphanes, the first emperor of the empire also known as the Lion King.
“Herdin. Would you like Sister to read you a fairy tale?”
“A fairy tale? No. I want to play more with Brother.”
“…”
Who did he take after to be so resolute? Ayla momentarily lost her motivation but tried to rekindle it. Her goal was singular. The same as Damian’s. Ayla just wanted to return to the Academy now. Judging by how dark it was outside, she might end up spending the night at the palace at this rate. She wanted to sleep in her comfortable dormitory room where she had spent 4 years.
“This is a really fun story, you know? It even has stories about heroes that Herdin likes.”
At Ayla’s words, Herdin’s previously indifferent eyes sparkled a little.
“Heroes?”
“Yes, heroes. The greatest hero in history.”
Herdin, putting down his toy sword, shield, and hat, quickly changed his interest like a child. Herdin loved stories about heroes.
“What kind of story?”
“Well, shall we sit down first, Herdin?”
The obedient Herdin plopped down at Ayla’s words. Finally free from Herdin, Damian, uncharacteristically, trudged to the sofa and sat down. Not unlike Ayla’s appearance earlier, he was staring off into the distance.
Comfortably seated next to Herdin, Ayla opened the fairy tale book and began to read.
“Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, humans and gods lived together.”
* * *
Ayla, who had been absorbed in reading the fairy tale book without realizing it, felt a heavy weight on her lap. She lifted the book and looked down. Choosing the book had indeed been a good decision. Herdin was sleeping soundly.
Ayla closed the book and set it down beside her as quietly as possible. Then she enthusiastically gestured towards Damian, who was sitting on the sofa. However, Damian’s mind seemed to be elsewhere, staring off into the distance.
Ayla called out to him in a whisper, trying not to wake Herdin.
“Hey! Damian!”
But he didn’t hear. Ayla glanced at the fairy tale book beside her. She saw its four pointed corners. No, she shouldn’t do this. She couldn’t be a violent person. Though it was a last resort. This was all that was left.
Ayla picked up the fairy tale book. And threw it at the sofa.
“…Ah!”
Not the corner, but the cover hit Damian squarely on the back of his head. It wasn’t intentional, but it felt a bit like payback. Ayla suppressed her laughter with her hand.
Damian finally turned his head towards Ayla, looking at her with sharp eyes as she tried to hold back her laughter. Ayla averted her gaze slightly and shrugged as if she had no choice. Then, swallowing all her laughter, she pointed at Herdin with her finger.
