NLS Ch12

People bustled about before her eyes. Vize and they were serious, but Ashin felt detached from reality.

Wasn’t it so? It was a ridiculous wedding. Neither side’s parents were attending, the parties involved had no interest in the marriage, and the only person who was actually excited was Vize, just one person on the entire continent. Even the people of the Imperial City were busy muttering about whether this was the right thing to do.

Moreover, since they wouldn’t even live together for three years, most of these extravagant items would be unnecessary. No, they might not even see each other ever again.

“But, Your Majesty.”

“Yes.”

“Can the ceremony even be valid without a parental figure? Ailem doesn’t even have a seal.”

“I called for one, didn’t I?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why would I try to hold a wedding ceremony without a witness? I sent a message the day I issued the decree.”

“……”

The cracks began to show on Vize’s face, which had been carefully composed to avoid causing Ashin distress.

“Mother is…”

“Yes. It’s been ten years.”

Ashin quietly sighed, watching Vize’s face, which seemed delighted. Nothing about this damned marriage was easy.

***

The marriage between Ashin and Leotar was the most amusing topic of conversation in an era of peace.

Everywhere she went, people were talking about them.

“Isn’t there news that Lord Mur has been ousted? Why a marriage with Lord Judin…”

“What are you talking about? Rumor has it he’ll be back soon. What can that old lord do against Lord Mur? A man whose praises as the God of War are sung to the heavens.”

“Exactly. Lord Mur is the one who’s wasted. The son of a prestigious family that’s been around since the founding of the nation, marrying a commoner like Lord Judin…”

“Try uttering the word ‘commoner’ in front of Her Majesty, and your head will be rolling.”

“Mur is Mur for a reason, isn’t he? Just because he disowned his father doesn’t mean he’s not Mur. Who doesn’t know that Lord Leotar has the true legitimacy?”

“Her Majesty called it a ‘national marriage.’ Of course, it’s not a real national marriage, but it means he’ll hold it as grandly as one. Who is it for? Lord Judin, of course.”

“Indeed, she’s been extraordinarily fond of that peculiar sorceress since she was young.”

“It’s all fleeting. Is a moment of wealth and honor worth more than Ailem’s reputation?”

“Well, if they make a marriage pact with Ailem, it won’t be fleeting. Lord Judin, and even her descendants, will live as descendants of a grand feudal lord.”

People talked about them all the time.

Even if he didn’t want to hear it, his highly developed senses picked up every sound from beyond the door.

The man, who was experiencing a spectacle for the first time in his life, thought about it.

Marriage. He had a duty to continue his lineage, so he had no intention of taking marriage lightly. In fact, he considered it important. Because marriage was not an easy decision to undo, he intended to carefully consider all situations and conditions before making a decision. He had been educated that way since he was a very young age, when he first became aware of marriage.

But now, it was all useless.

“Leotar, haven’t you already realized? This marriage is actually for Ashin’s sake.”

“Why is that?”

“Ashin wants to protect the Tower, and I want to protect Ashin. There are limits to how much I can protect Ashin alone. So, I want Ailem to be with the Imperial Family. So that Ashin’s name and the Tower’s reputation will be passed down even a hundred years from now, and even after that. If there was a suitable man in the Imperial Family, I would have connected him with Ashin, but unfortunately, their ages don’t match.”

“So, you only need the family name?”

“That’s enough for now, but don’t think of treating Ashin carelessly. Put your heart into it.”

“Then it’s even more something that doesn’t have to be me. There are excellent families and descendants who will share the Tower’s will…”

“You don’t understand. This marriage is something that has to be you. No matter what other conditions you offer, I will not change my mind.”

“Why?”

“If I tell you even that, I won’t have anything left to hold, will I? Hahahaha.”

“……”

“Ashin will soon be leaving on a long journey. She will roam all over the continent. I don’t know when it will end, and neither does Ashin. But make sure that Ashin is never caught up in the succession war, no matter where she is.”

The Emperor’s attendant approached Leotar and bowed.

“Her Majesty is in the garden. I will escort you.”

The garden wasn’t just occupied by the Emperor. Even before entering the pavilion, he could only see Ashin, standing there with a ghostly appearance. Her eyes were unfocused, and her body turned this way and that as the attendant led her. Each time she limply fluttered, the orange fabric of her clothes billowed.

“Your Majesty.”

“Ah, Leotar.”

While Vize chuckled, Leotar scanned the jewels that were lined up around them.

As far as he knew, Ashin didn’t enjoy extravagance. No, it seemed like she had no desire for material possessions at all, let alone extravagance. Her interests were only in studying sorcery or revitalizing the Tower, so this must have been a position ordered by Vize, not something Ashin wanted.

Vize couldn’t possibly be unaware of her tendencies, which even he, who wasn’t close to Ashin, could see, so the reason for flaunting their relationship against her will seemed to be to protect Ashin. Ashin’s grand mansion, their flamboyant marriage, and even this scene now. It was all in the same vein.

“Hmm, the two of you look very good together.”

Vize, resting his chin on his hand, raised his eyebrows. Next to Vize, a cat with a fancy gold bracelet around its neck meowed longly.

“Ah, ah, my head…”

As he approached Ashin, her body suddenly swayed. Leotar reflexively reached out and grabbed Ashin’s waist. He snatched her awkwardly flailing hand and pulled her closer. Ashin was tall, but she was no match for him, so Leotar naturally held her in his arms.

Ashin burrowed into his arms as if hiding from Leotar. In the midst of it, she quickly whispered.

“Say I look tired. Quickly!”

“…Lord Judin seems tired.”

Vize’s face, which had seemed briefly surprised, soon contorted in an indescribable way.

“Are you taking care of Ashin right now?”

It was as if she was trying his best to hold back a laugh. He couldn’t understand why the Emperor’s face had turned like that, but the more Vize hesitated, the more Ashin clung to him. Even her swaying feet seemed to be acting in their own way.

Vize glanced around and then gave her permission.

“Yes, this is also a good picture. Take her and come back.”

It wasn’t necessary to go this far, but Ashin was still unmoving. Leotar lowered his head slightly and whispered.

“Judin, can’t you walk?”

A voice with clenched teeth replied to his words.

“Be quiet and lift me up.”

“……”

He picked Ashin up in his arms. Even then, Ashin kept her eyes tightly closed and pretended to be limp. When he turned back to Vize, he was half-covering his face with his hand, distorting his expression.

It was an unfamiliar situation, but he understood that Ashin wanted to get out of this place. He had no reason to help, but he also had no reason not to.

Leotar lifted Ashin up and turned around. As he stepped down into the garden, two attendants with parasols followed. After passing an artificial lake and several tall palm trees, Ashin in his arms slyly opened her eyes. After confirming that the pavilion was no longer visible, she murmured quietly.

“Ah, I thought I was going to die.”

“I don’t think it was that bad.”

“Then just think that it was.”

“……”

He always found it difficult to find something to say when talking to Ashin. He had never had this kind of conversation with anyone before. For him, conversations were mainly about giving orders and instructions, and the content of the conversations was limited to the tasks that needed to be performed. He rarely wasted time on trivial small talk.

But Ashin was different.

“Mur, did you see the sunset today? It was purple.”

“The Burma flowers are blooming. It looks like the rainy season is about to begin.”

He thought of one more thing Ashin was interested in. She liked to observe nature. She would tell the person next to her about what she had seen during the day, and Leotar had been that person a few times.

“Where are we going?”

“The greenhouse. I’m going to take a nap and then go to the Tower.”

The greenhouse Ashin was talking about was the greenhouse in the detached palace that the Emperor had bestowed upon her. He had heard that she grew herbs and specific plants there.

Even after saying her destination, Ashin didn’t seem to have any intention of walking on her own two feet. Now that Vize wasn’t watching, and there was no problem with her movement at all. It was hard to understand, but those bizarre actions didn’t bother him. No, rather.

“Let’s go to the greenhouse like this. If rumors spread that we’re closer than we thought, Her Majesty will bother me less.”

“It seems that Her Majesty’s affection for you is excessive.”

“I told you, it’s killing me.”

Then Ashin went on to list how much hardship she was going through because of Vize. Time-wasting words. Moreover, his audience with Vize was being delayed because of Ashin, who was using him as if he were a servant. But even this didn’t bother him.