LADAD Chapter 6

"So what brings you here today?"

Ivan asked first. He naturally headed toward the seat of honor, moving very slowly while knowing that Duke Russell's gaze was following him.

"I have something to tell you, so I requested your precious time."

"Sit."

This time Ivan didn't try to provoke him either. When Ivan gestured with his eyes, Duke Russell sat in the seat allowed to him.

"I heard you ordered to ease the border security near the northern border with Reed. Are you considering resuming diplomatic relations with them?"

He asked honestly without beating around the bush. Ivan leaned back comfortably in his chair with his legs crossed.

"That's right."

Ivan's honest answer followed. Duke Russell's eyebrows twitched at the unwanted response.

"They are the ones who dared to insult the sacred maiden and insult Escliffe."

Duke Russell recited the reason why Reed and Escliffe had severed diplomatic relations. He meant to remind him of the reason for closing the borders.

"Did you come to tell me because you thought I wouldn't know that? How kind of you."

Ivan laughed briefly. He carelessly answered while running one hand through his hair. It was an attitude that clearly showed he wasn't listening carefully to Duke Russell's words.

"They simply had doubts about the sacred maiden's existence."

"Your Majesty."

Duke Russell was opening his mouth to respond to Ivan.

"Even the God who was said to exist in the beginning came down to this earth and left as a spirit, yet a mere representative lives eternally. Isn't it natural to have questions?"

Ivan spoke coldly. While pretending to mention the opinion of the neighboring country Reed, in reality their opinion wasn't different from Ivan's true feelings.

"The sacred maiden is God's representative who protects Escliffe."

"......"

"Doubting her existence is the same as doubting and denying Escliffe."

Reading Ivan's mind, Duke Russell calmly argued. Insulting the sacred maiden was tantamount to insulting God, and furthermore, insulting Escliffe, the owner of that land.

"Isn't that miraculous logic."

Ivan muttered with a smile on his lips. However, it was far from a pleasant laugh or joy in any way.

"Most importantly, I, the master of the imperial family, don't think I was insulted."

"......"

"And Duke Russell. If God truly exists, He wouldn't be so petty."

Ivan stood up from his seat, denying Duke Russell's argument.

"You may not die even if you go a year without eating or drinking water, but the people of this land aren't like that."

And approaching near the window, he flung it open. Tepid wind shook the curtains and poured cheerfully into the room.

"Reed is a country built on plains, so it has vast granary regions. In contrast, while we have wide land, we have little farmland. The land is even barren."

Ivan pointed to the mountain peaks that rose higher than the imperial castle, indicating Escliffe's reality. Duke Russell's gaze slowly moved to the mountain peaks.

"Ten years of severed diplomatic relations. Every time there was a bad harvest, countless people starved to death on the streets."

Duke Russell's gaze turned back to Ivan's face.

"Your family doesn't starve to death, so you don't seem interested, but another bad harvest is expected this year too."

Ivan was criticizing the behavior of the great nobles with a smiling face. The cruelty of making food supply difficult by severing diplomatic relations for the sake of mere honor, and causing people to die while being chased by soldiers for petty theft committed before starving to death—it was all the same.

"That too must be God's will."

Duke Russell answered calmly. Even the fake smile that had been on Ivan's face completely disappeared.

"If you like God so much, it would have been better for everyone if you had just devoted yourself to religion."

Ivan spoke while staring directly at Duke Russell with an expressionless face.

"Ten years is enough. Now God should live God's life, and humans should live human lives. Don't you think so?"

"Your Majesty thinks so."

Duke Russell answered quietly.

"I understand well. As the chairman, I merely wanted to inquire about Your Majesty's intentions. Let's discuss it again in the meeting."

And after bowing to Ivan, he left the audience chamber. Ivan kept his gaze on the empty seat after Duke Russell left.

"Call Rodan and everyone else leave."

Ivan rang the call bell to summon a servant and gave the order. Before long, Rodan, who had received his command, entered the audience chamber alone.

"Duke Russell noticed that I'm pushing to resume diplomatic relations with Reed."

"He already figured it out?"

Rodan frowned and asked. They had just barely begun to open dialogue. While they hadn't desperately tried to hide it, it was still too early for Duke Russell to notice.

"Find out where the information leaked. It must be somewhere close."

At Ivan's tired voice, Rodan nodded. And noticing Ivan waving his hand dismissively, he quickly withdrew. Because it meant to leave.

"What kind of God closes their eyes to whether their followers live or die..."

In the room left alone, brilliant light poured down over his head. Ivan, sitting on the windowsill, stared blankly at the sky and muttered reproachfully.

The top of his head was hot. Whether it was from receiving the hot light or because he was angry from the conversation with Duke Russell, he couldn't tell.

"You don't think the other person's feelings are important. Whatever wounds they suffer..."

Amelia's voice came to mind, speaking as if one shouldn't ignore the other person's feelings and hurt them.

"When you're just the same."

It was amusing that Amelia criticized someone when she and the God she served were the same. Ivan coldly mocked Amelia. He craved alcohol, which he didn't even enjoy drinking.

He was someone who thoroughly sided with humans. If that was what God was, Ivan and God could never walk the same path.

Amelia, who had been heading to the prayer room, tilted her head and touched her ear.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. My ear was just a bit itchy."

"You're not planning to use feeling sick as an excuse to skip out, are you?"

Louise asked suspiciously. Amelia shook her head.

Nevertheless, there was faint distrust mixed in Louise's eyes. Amelia often disappeared for a while using reasons like feeling unwell, being tired, or needing to use the bathroom. Naturally, the cleanup was Louise's responsibility.

"This time it really was just an itchy ear."

Amelia replied somewhat irritably. Louise was a fairly decent person except for following Aaron more, but at times like this, she was often unpleasant.

"Please let me see the Sacred Maiden, please!"

Just then, a commotion carried on the wind. Amelia's gaze naturally turned toward where the noise was coming from.

"Sacred Maiden!"

It was a woman holding a baby. The woman, delighted to see Amelia, tried to shake off the priests and rush toward her. Just as Amelia flinched and was about to step back, two priests physically restrained the woman.

"Didn't we tell you it's not allowed!"

The path Amelia took and the prayer room for commoners were in completely different directions. It was surprising that she had snuck all the way here.

"Sacred Maiden, please go to the prayer room quickly..."

Louis quickly tried to lead Amelia to the prayer room. However, Amelia's steps headed not toward the prayer room.

"What's the matter?"

At Amelia's question, the priests bowed their heads as if honored.

"We're sorry for the disturbance, Sacred Maiden. We'll escort her outside immediately."

"Sacred Maiden, the child, please save the child."

Despite the priests' strong grip, the woman holding the child didn't give up. And with no strength left, she hung limply and begged to save the baby wrapped in cloth.

"Please lend us God's power..."

God doesn't exist. Amelia knew this fact better than anyone. But she couldn't help but understand that feeling of wanting to grasp at straws.

"Save the child, please!"

Hadn't her own mother cried like that too? Amelia recalled the face of the woman who had screamed and cried, and reached out toward the child as if entranced.

"Sacred Maiden."

However, a gentle voice stopped her action. Amelia unconsciously stopped her hand and turned her head. Aaron approached with a kindly smiling face.

"You mustn't make exceptions for just one individual."

Though he said this, it was actually because he had realized the child was diseased. There was no one anywhere who could replace Amelia right now. If Amelia suddenly caught an illness and died, everything would fall apart.

"......"

Reading Aaron's mind, Amelia's face turned cold. Though she didn't know why she was bound to this life, she believed it wasn't to live as someone else's puppet.

"Making that exception is also God's will."

So even with a childish heart, she couldn't help but argue against him. Perhaps because he could see, Aaron couldn't argue back against Amelia.

"Show me the child."

At Amelia's words, the woman, trembling, opened the cloth covering the child's face. The fever flowers blooming all over the young skin that was barely breathing were pitiful.

"......"

Aaron's jaw tightened as he watched Amelia place her hand on the child's forehead and whisper gentle words of comfort and blessing. What was so problematic about one insignificant life being extinguished?

"Please examine the child's condition and provide treatment. Since the sacred maiden has personally blessed him, he will surely become healthy. He must."

Aaron, who had smoothed his expression as if nothing had happened, called one of the priests close and whispered. Since Amelia had given the child a blessing, the child had to survive. That was what Amelia had been aiming for as well.

"......"

Defiant gazes clashed in the air as if asking what he would do now. Acting on your own again, forgetting your place. Aaron smiled quietly.

It seemed education was needed.