4. When Things Are Unusually Quiet, It Means Something Is Happening (part 1)
When things are unusually quiet, it means something is happening.
He’s particularly serious today. Normally, Nell would at least pretend to listen even if he said nothing, but today he wasn’t even making that effort—just staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
“Your Majesty has been putting this off with the excuse that you haven’t settled into your position since ascending to the throne, but this cannot continue any longer.”
“An excuse? Duke, you certainly don’t mince words before His Majesty.”
“Did I say something inappropriate?”
“Do you think taking an empress is such a simple matter? There are still so many accumulated problems to deal with.”
“If we wait to resolve all the accumulated problems, we’ll all be old and in our graves.”
Of course, this wasn’t exactly a pleasant topic, so his reluctance to listen was understandable.
“I heard that a certain young lady has been continuously staying at the imperial palace.”
So that’s why they hadn’t brought it up yet—these cunning foxes.
Arthur cursed inwardly while looking at Duke Manister with a puzzled expression. The first fox smirked.
“I hear His Majesty is personally showing her the imperial treasures one by one? How could you be so reckless!”
“You speak as if you’ve seen it with your own eyes, Duke Manister?”
Arthur laughed heartily while pretending to turn his head, scanning the others present.
Hmm. Six seemed to know about Marcella, two appeared genuinely surprised as if they didn’t know, and one was thinking about something completely different.
“We were worried since His Majesty showed no interest at all, but we’re relieved that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“Wait. Who is this young lady?”
“However, we hope you understand that she must be dealt with before you take an empress.”
Duke Manister ignored Duke Dorus’s question about the young lady’s identity and spoke to Nell like a warning.
Nell remained still with his eyes downcast, lost in thought, as if he hadn’t heard a word.
“That’s not for Duke Manister to discuss. Is the future empress Duke Manister’s daughter, by any chance? Surely not the young lady His Majesty has been keeping hidden?”
Duke Martinez, who had been quietly listening, chuckled.
Duke Manister glared at her and frowned.
“Then what does Duke Martinez think?”
“About what? His Majesty is having a little romance—what am I supposed to think about that?”
“How irresponsible.”
“The North is always so rigid.”
Duke Martinez muttered and shuddered with disgust. Duke Manister’s neck veins bulged.
He widened his eyes and glared at Duke Martinez.
“Please, do tell us, Duke Martinez.”
“Well, there’s no empress right now, is there? Since no one’s there, I don’t care who His Majesty meets. When someone becomes an empress, then you can tell me about it.”
“That’s exactly why we need that empress now!”
Arthur smiled and opened his mouth to prevent the increasingly heated conversation. An empress—it was premature for Nell.
“When you say empress, are you referring to my wife?”
But suddenly Nell interjected.
Arthur wasn’t the only one surprised by being cut off mid-sentence. Everyone’s gaze turned to Nell at once.
“Your Majesty?”
Arthur called Nell cautiously. Duke Digory glanced at Arthur sideways and frowned.
Both Duke Manister, who had been glaring at Martinez with bulging neck veins, and Duke Martinez, who had been silently mocking Manister with her expression, looked at Nell in surprise.
In the silence, Duke Martinez was the first to let out a deflated laugh.
“Then who else would it refer to?”
“I see. Manister.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Manister answered politely, but his eyes weren’t kind.
“Is it a problem to show treasures to a young lady who isn’t an empress?”
“Your Majesty, what I’m trying to say is that the problem isn’t showing her treasures, but that it’s inappropriate for Your Majesty, busy as you are, to spend time with a mere young lady.”
“I see.”
“Ahem, cough, Your Majesty?”
Arthur noticed that while he couldn’t tell what Nell was thinking, he was on the verge of doing something.
“Then if I take Marcella as my empress, the problem would be solved.”
Seeing Duke Manister’s face turn bright red, Nell thought he must be pleased that the problem was resolved and smiled faintly at him.
Of course, since that expression didn’t look like a smile to others, Manister’s face grew even redder with anger.
“Since no one is saying anything, there seems to be no objections.”
“Your Majesty! Please wait a moment!”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Arthur, were my words not clear enough for you to understand?”
Arthur rolled his eyes to steal glances at the foxes, then smiled brightly.
“No, Your Majesty. They were very appropriate and sufficient to understand.”
Nell nodded slightly and rose from his seat.
“Good work.”
He ended the meeting and left alone. He could hear Duke Manister shouting behind him, but he paid no attention. Arthur followed, biting his nails and muttering something, but Nell didn’t care about that either. He had somewhere to go.
When he arrived at the annex, Phoenix was perched on Marcella’s head as if that was now his rightful place.
Nell glanced at Phoenix and stood before Marcella.
“I have a request for you today.”
Marcella was puzzled by the sudden mention of a request, but she nodded.
He hadn’t sent her home, but aside from that, he had never refused her requests, so she intended to honor his when possible. Perhaps if she granted it, she could bargain for her return home.
“If it’s something I can do.”
“Your Majesty!”
Arthur loudly blocked the space between Marcella and Nell. He spoke to Nell with his expression, but as always, Nell couldn’t read his face.
He seemed to be saying something wasn’t allowed, but what exactly wasn’t allowed? If it wasn’t urgent, Nell dismissed Arthur, telling him to discuss it later.
“I would like you to become my empress.”
Marcella’s eyes blinked rapidly.
She looked at Nell’s face, devoid of any playfulness, then at Arthur’s face, which seemed to say this was a disaster, then back at Nell.
Instinctively, she stepped backward.
When Marcella took one step back, Nell took one step forward. When Marcella took two steps back, Nell took two steps forward.
“Marcella?”
Thinking it was like the day they met again, like Founding Day, Nell called her name.
Marcella forced a stiff smile and stepped back again.
“What do you mean, so suddenly?”
“Was it difficult to understand? An empress means my wife.”
“Why are you suddenly saying such things!”
Why suddenly? Nell wasn’t prepared to answer her question. The reason he asked her to become empress. The reason he asked her to become his wife.
He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted her to continue staying where he could meet her with just a few steps. He wanted both Phoenix and her to remain by his side.
“Phoenix is lonely.”
Marcella stared at Nell with wide eyes.
She grabbed the docile Phoenix from her head and pushed him toward Nell as if throwing him. Nell caught the warm Phoenix with wide eyes.
Until last night, he had thought something was missing because Phoenix hadn’t returned to his side. But now that Phoenix was actually back beside him, he didn’t feel particularly happy.
“I don’t want to.”
Nell Hairi, the emperor’s first failed proposal.
Marcella conveyed her intentions in a clear and firm tone.
Nell slowly closed his eyes, opened them, and tilted his head.
“You don’t want to?”
But Nell didn’t properly understand Marcella’s meaning.
“I’m refusing His Majesty’s request.”
When Marcella repeated herself, Nell slowly nodded and looked back at her. It was a quick reaction for Nell.
“I didn’t think you would refuse.”
“Did you really think I would naturally accept?”
“Naturally… yes. I suppose I did.”
“Let me say it once more—my answer is—”
“Lady Marcella!”
Arthur loudly interrupted Marcella’s words.
He squeezed between Nell and Marcella, moving his hands up and down slowly.
“You were suddenly surprised, right? I understand. The order is all mixed up, all mixed up.”
‘What should I do? What should I do? You should have at least given me time to plan how to propose, Your Majesty! If you just propose out of nowhere like that, and get rejected so sharply, what am I supposed to do, really?’
“I, Arthur Digory, will explain everything.”
Arthur smiled and tried to grasp Marcella’s shoulder. But Marcella stepped back.
Marcella’s guard was thick.
She pressed her lips together and glared at Arthur, then finally opened her mouth.
“I’m going home.”
“My lady, how can you say such a thing?”
Arthur’s palms were sweating.
“Thank you for everything, Your Majesty. Sir Digory.”
Before the persistent imperial aide could catch her, Marcella curtsied slightly by lifting her skirt, then turned around and ran.
She felt overwhelmed about how to get back to Morris territory, but decided to think about it after escaping the imperial palace first. If she was lucky, there might still be an eastern noble who hadn’t returned home yet.
Phoenix, thrust back to Nell by Marcella’s rejection, lifted his head slightly and gazed in the direction Marcella had run. Phoenix’s body was quietly burning.
“Get yourself together.”
Tamarin appeared behind Nell before anyone knew it. He looked at Nell and the listless Phoenix and clicked his tongue.
“When you’re confused, we’re confused too.”
“I know.”
“If you know, then do better.”
“Right.”
Nell looked down blankly at the powerless Phoenix in his arms. The phoenix’s fire hadn’t gone out, but it felt cold—probably his imagination.
Tamarin crossed his arms and looked at Nell with displeasure.
“I hate to think this, but…”
Tamarin raised his chin.
“Did you seriously think that woman would accept your proposal?”
“You knew Marcella would refuse.”
“Why are you surprised? I’m more surprised that you didn’t know.”
Tamarin found it absurd and started laughing.
Nell slowly shifted his gaze to look at Tamarin. When their eyes met, Tamarin scowled and clicked his tongue.
“I told you—when you’re confused, we’re confused too. Don’t say you understand. That makes me even more annoyed.”
“…Right.”
“Do you even understand what it means to take someone as empress?”
—Tamarin.
When Tamarin asked Nell in an irritated voice, Phoenix, who had been burning weakly like dying embers, called to Tamarin.
—You’re making Nell more confused.
“I’m not going to live like some chicken-brain, unable to speak for fear of being alone again.”
“…Manister said something.”
Nell’s voice rang out calmly.
“That spending time with Marcella isn’t appropriate.”
“……”
“But if Marcella becomes empress, then it would be fine for me to spend time with her.”
Tamarin silently uncrossed his arms.
He stood in front of Nell and grabbed Phoenix by the scruff from Nell’s drooping arms. Nell’s puzzled gaze followed Phoenix.
Phoenix didn’t move even under Tamarin’s rough handling.
Holding Phoenix under one arm, Tamarin pointed with his finger in the direction Marcella had run.
