Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 118

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 118

“Although this isn’t the position I wanted, I don’t want my selfishness to make His Majesty’s efforts up until now meaningless.”

Kermanomon felt strength unconsciously entering his fists. He couldn’t easily guess what Mellis was thinking.

Would he be making her shoulder the same pressure and weight he had felt throughout his life? What if she refused the position of Empress like Lilia? If Mellis ended up giving up on him…

Just thinking about it made one corner of his chest throb with pain. His heart pounded anxiously, the sound filling his ears, and his mouth felt parched from tension. This was the first time in his entire life he had felt so nervous.

“What do you think? Would it be alright if I inherited the imperial throne?”

“…”

At the answer that didn’t come immediately, his gaze slowly dropped to the floor. That brief silence felt like an eternity to him, causing him anguish.

Seeing Kermanomon’s unfamiliar appearance, tense and frightened, Mellis furrowed her brows and asked worriedly.

“Are you alright, Grand Duke? You didn’t want to ascend to the imperial throne.”

He hesitated at her unexpected question.

“…To be honest, I still don’t really want to even now. But if the Empire were to be shaken because of my selfish choice, watching that happen would be much more painful. The Aizen Empire is a place cherished by the people I’ve loved.”

His gaze, which had been looking at the greenhouse scenery for a while, stopped and lingered on Mellis before him. Protecting what you love and maintaining happiness required much strength and effort. Especially for someone like him who had so much.

At Kermanomon’s confident answer, a gentle smile appeared on Mellis’s lips. Mellis, who had clasped both his hands, answered in a calm voice that reached his ears.

“Then I’m fine with it too. Wherever you go, Grand Duke, I’ll go with you.”

“…Mellis.”

At the completely unexpected answer, Kermanomon’s emotions suddenly welled up.

“Are you really okay with this? If you’re just forcing yourself because of me…”

“Not at all. You said before, didn’t you, Grand Duke? That you didn’t regret your lifespan being shortened because of me at all. I feel the same way. For your sake, Grand Duke, I could give up anything and everything. Even if… it were the most important thing in my life.”

“…”

“And I don’t regret giving up something for you at all, Grand Duke. Because I’ve gained so much more than that.”

Kermanomon looked at her with a dazed expression. He had spent his entire life fearing imprinting and considering those who gave up their near-eternal lives just for love to be foolish. Especially seeing Persiana’s appearance as death approached had made his thoughts even more firm.

However, he could now finally fully understand Persiana’s foolish choice. What did it matter if his lifespan was shortened? If he couldn’t be with this woman, his remaining life would have no meaning.

Long ago, his brother had said this. That someday a miraculous moment would come when imprinting would feel like a blessing rather than a curse. For him, that moment was now. If it was Mellis, she could take away all of his remaining life.

“…”

Deep emotions that couldn’t be described by any words came rushing like waves and overwhelmed him. He embraced Mellis without saying anything, and soon felt her hands wrapping around his waist.

He didn’t want to miss even a moment of this. Mellis’s warm body temperature transmitted to his embrace, the sweet fragrance that tickled his nose. Even her affectionate voice calling his name.

When he heard Persiana’s question about whether he could face death for her, he had fallen into deep contemplation. But that wasn’t because he hesitated about his own death, but because that fact felt so naturally obvious to him.

When had he started thinking it was natural to die for Mellis? At that moment, Kermanomon realized that he had imprinted on her. And not just now, but an imprinting that had been carved long, long ago.

* * *

The Imperial Exchange held every year-end was an event that drew the attention of many nobles. It was even more meaningful because it wasn’t simply a dining occasion, but a place to honor those who had worked hard for the Empire throughout the year.

Though it was early evening, the banquet hall was already bustling with nobles who had arrived early. Golden chandeliers filling the ceiling greeted them with brilliant light, and candles placed throughout flickered gently, creating an elegant atmosphere.

Mellis, who had gently grasped Kermanomon’s elbow, exhaled a light breath with a clearly nervous expression.

“Whew… I expected it, but there really are a lot of people.”

“Really? Is this a lot? I thought this was quite a modest event compared to the New Year Festival.”

At Kermanomon’s words, Mellis’s eyes narrowed. What she was talking about wasn’t simply the scale of the event. Naturally, the New Year Festival where all kinds of nobles from across the continent gathered and the Exchange where only a small number of high nobles from within the Empire met had clearly different numbers of attendees.

However, since only a small number of high nobles gathered, the pressure was even greater than before. Of course, Kermanomon, who was the highest-ranking noble among those high nobles, seemed unaware of this fact. Though she saw a few familiar faces from before, that alone wasn’t enough to easily ease her tension.

Moreover, today was the first official event where she proudly appeared as Kermanomon’s lover. Especially since it was after revealing that she was the same person as Merien from before, even more attention was focused on the two of them.

“I’ll introduce them one by one. First, that person standing in the center is Duke Dajes Willik. He’s Her Majesty the Empress’s grandfather and the leader of the Emperor’s faction. He’s also the old man who bothers me the most. The person next to him is Marquis Verotize, who was invited recently, and you’ve seen the Aizen Magic Tower Master before, right? And next to him is…”

“Wait, slowly. You’re going too fast!”

Just as she was looking around with an expression that she couldn’t miss a single person, the Master of Ceremonies’ resounding cry echoed throughout the hall.

“Duke Arsian Ferzen of the Ferzen Duchy and the Former Empress are entering!”

At the appearance of familiar names, Mellis’s gaze naturally turned in that direction. Her brief joy at seeing Arsian after a long time was short-lived as her eyes widened greatly upon discovering the Former Empress standing beside him.

“That person is…”

It was the very woman she had met in the marquis territory just recently. Though she had expected her to be from a high noble family, she never imagined she would be the Former Empress she had only heard about in rumors.

“Why, is something wrong?”

Kermanomon, who belatedly noticed Adam Ferzen, also frowned in the same manner. After Arsian obtained his ducal title, she had not appeared at social gatherings for a while, using her declining health as an excuse. Other people also showed surprised expressions at her appearance.

“Actually, previously in the marquis territory…”

Just as Mellis was about to bring up the story, Adam, who had spotted the two of them, began approaching with her lips curved upward.

“Duke Severus, it’s been a long time.”

“…It’s been a long time, Your Majesty the Former Empress.”

Though the two treated each other with proper courtesy, an indescribably sharp atmosphere flowed between them.

“How unusual that Your Majesty the Former Empress would attend such an occasion.”

“I cannot continue to refuse the consideration of Her Majesty the Empress, who sends invitations every year. And above all, when I heard that Your Grace would be attending with a partner, I simply couldn’t contain my curiosity. A partner for the exchange meeting wouldn’t be a light connection like before, after all.”

Adam Ferzen, covering her mouth with a fan, rolled her eyes to meet Mellis’s gaze. The moment those red eyes, which seemed to see right through her, met Mellis’s, Adam’s eyes widened greatly.

“Ha, what an interesting connection this is… To think that Duke Severus’s lover, whom I’d only heard about in rumors, would be you.”

Mellis couldn’t say anything and unconsciously swallowed dry saliva. The Adam Ferzen before her felt quite different from the woman she had met in the marquis territory before.

‘She’s so different from that time…’

Though her beautiful appearance and overall atmosphere certainly reminded her of Arsian, she somehow exuded a dangerous aura. She could roughly understand why Kermanomon and many others had warned her to be careful of this woman.

Decades ago, she had been the first human to seize the position of Imperial Consort within the Empire, when beastman supremacy was much more severe than now. That fact alone painted a vague picture of the life she had lived.

“Even if it means inevitably harming someone.”

“Harming someone means…”

“I’m talking about something that could take another’s life. Didn’t you say so just a moment ago? That being able to do anything for one’s child is a parent’s heart.”

And only then could she fully understand what Adam had said to her.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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