The Reason for Marriage

Even though much time had passed and Daniel hadn’t seen her on purpose, he continued to long for her. He thought he could give up on her if her figure never came in front of his eyes.

People naturally fall in love with one another in an instant and leave their mark at will. And some marks were not something that could be erased just because people were busy and could not meet each other over extended periods of time.

Eve was not like other people to him. The mere thought of her getting hurt somewhere made him feel like an intense fire was burning in his stomach. The jeweled crown in all of its glory was shaken by the simple fact that it’s wearer could not be right in front of her. He was worried, so he could not get an ounce of sleep because he missed her and could not help but to endure the torment that kept him awake all night.

It was his delusion that made him think that he was holding out remarkably well even after he let her go. In fact, he was staggering without even realizing it. It was only for enduring, and was not a substitute for being mentally fit. Thinking that she could disappear from this world made his vision blurry and unfocused. It was an apprehension that he could not do anything about.

Withstanding his weak headache, he stared blankly at the dawn. The sun had started to rise. The time waiting for her passed so slowly that his whole body felt numb.

***

Iveca was a bit perplexed at Kayden’s request to hand in her comprehensive report on his report. Her first thought was that Daniel might be held responsible for this. She had been quite exhausted since she had failed to assassinate Rihan Kadmin.

Of course, she was not weak enough to show off her uneasiness after returning to the Bureau of Investigation. She had just returned and poured all of her emotions onto Sid, therefore, it felt as if she had completely regained her normal state of mind after leaving the medical office. She made a quick report to Lucas, patted Reina on the shoulder, and wrote the report in her usual cold handwriting. So even when she went to meet Daniel, she slowly stuttered in, keeping a straight face.

“Your Majesty.”

Daniel stared at her.

“…This is a report of the incident. If you have any doubts or questions, please ask me right away.”

His eyes were blank, and he accepted her report and spoke in a deep voice.

“Your body.”

“Yes?”

“Is your body okay?”

“It’s fine. The Medical department treated me well.”

She answered without any expression. He quietly poured some tea and asked her to sit down. Iveca sat in front of him and picked up a sweet biscuit. The scent of the tea he gave to her was good, but she carefully and slowly brought it up to her lips because she did not feel as comfortable as the last time she came into his office.

“His Majesty ordered that Rihan Kadmin be protected. If you are accused of trying to assassinate Rihan Kadmin under the authority of the Bureau of Investigation, then this could be considered to be on an investigational level…”

“Eve, I have no intention of saying anything about the Bureau of Investigation. Because not all of my thoughts are right. Isn’t it the authority of the Bureau of Investigation to have the say on matters like that?”

Everything he said was right.

But his expression had been stiff, so Iveca could not relax. There was no smile hanging on his face like a bait, and she could even feel a strange anger in his gaze towards her. She sighed and spoke despite the heavy atmosphere while touching the teacup for no reason.

“Then, what is it that makes you so angry?”

His expression was strangely transparent yet still blank, so Iveca could not continue to talk and blurred her words again. It was definitely a time when the King was in a bad mood in many ways.

“The reason I was angry with the Bureau of Investigation was that I thought I would not be able to leave Director Lucas alone all night… Because he sent you to that battlefield by yourself.”

Iveca was rather startled by his unexpected words. It was difficult to pinpoint his context and what he was getting at. He glared at her with a stern expression that was different from the expression he usually gave her, not touching his steaming tea that he had already poured. He was strangely different from the last time he saw her, and certainly in a very different mood. Iveca replied cautiously as she sighed.

“It was a reasonable decision given the circumstances. If you look at the last report…”

“I know. If you were just another Bureau of Investigation employee, I would not have been awake all night, trembling with anger and relief.”

Iveca seemed suffocated for a moment. She was at a loss for words. The oozing scent of tea was so strong that the tip of her nose went dry.

“What were you going to do if you died? If you died there I mean.”

His voice was calmer than ever yet still stern, but there was a strange tremor. Taking this into observation, she replied calmly.

“It is a death in service to the Kingdom of Amethan, and as an officer in the Bureau of Investigation, it is only natural for us to obey the judgment of the organization. I’ve never once treasured my own life since I joined the Bureau of Investigation.”

“Eve…”

“If you were to tell me to go again, I would go without a moment’s hesitation.”