“It seems like your face has gotten a lot better.”
“How did you find this place?” In contrast, Ian still hadn’t let his guard down and asked.
During training, although he was close to Limon because they trained together, he didn’t remember them being close enough to visit each other like this.
It wasn’t just Limon. From the beginning, Ian lived with the thought of repaying Bella for her kindness when he survived; he never thought of anything else. His mindset hasn’t changed much from then to now, and he’s always been consistent, never having someone around for any other reason.
They were nothing more or less than comrades who had been together. So, it was strange that Limon came looking for Ian out of the blue after several years. Especially since he had asked around to find him.
“There’s no need to be so cautious. I really just thought of you and decided to visit.” Reading Ian’s wariness, Limon stepped back and showed his palms.
“…”
“Hey, I had a hard time finding you, but you’re not going to keep me standing outside like this, right?”
When Ian didn’t show much reaction, Limon, who had been exuding an air of meeting an old friend after a long time, couldn’t hide his embarrassment. His face, which had been smiling brightly, hardened, revealing his original expression.
“I also came to ask about something related to Bei. I came all this way. Please don’t send me away.” Eventually, Limon revealed there was indeed a real reason for his visit.
Bei. Ian stepped back and opened the door.
“You really haven’t changed at all.” Limon chuckled as he entered.
* * *
The atmosphere in the house was still filled with silence as they sat opposite each other. Limon was the first to speak.
“Let’s skip the tea. It’s really been a long time. Is it okay to ask how you’ve been?”
When Limon sat down on the sofa opposite Ian, his expression had completely softened, reminding Ian of the past. Instead, this made Ian let down his guard and nod.
“Shubart is dead.”
Limon shrugged. “Ah, I know. It just happened that I was abroad when that happened, so I heard the news late. By the time I returned, almost everything was already settled. Everyone was dead, scattered to the winds. It was unbelievable.”
Then he looked straight at Ian and added, “The emperor has changed too.”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that?”
“Well, yeah.”
The corners of Limon’s eyes slightly lifted in a smile before disappearing.
“So, when I heard the news, I naturally thought you’d be in the imperial palace. I had heard before that you ended up serving the master you always wanted to.”
Limon, in fact, had completely changed his identity and cut off contact when he left Bei, but it wasn’t long before he reconnected with a few comrades.
Neither Ian nor Limon was significantly superior in skill, and since Limon’s background was no different from a slave, he had no choice but to reconnect with the help of a few remaining comrades. However, after Shubart Rivaho and Lucellai Rudbihi died and their forces quickly disappeared, the news sources also dried up, making it difficult to hear anything for a long time.
“What do you want to say?” As the conversation dragged on, Ian eventually showed his impatience.
Limon shrugged again. “Have you been abandoned?” He asked this question with a serious expression, without a hint of mockery.
“I see no reason to answer.”
Ian replied tersely, having listened quietly to gauge how much Limon knew. However, Limon’s news contained inaccuracies, and he didn’t even correctly know why Ian was currently in the north. It might have been a deliberate attempt by Limon to probe Ian, but Limon Ian knew wasn’t that meticulous.
“Then, Ian.”
Just as it was getting tedious, Limon called out to Ian.
“…”
“Let’s do some work together.”
“What work?”
It seemed Limon was considering the possibility that Ian had been abandoned as he made the proposal. Limon scooted closer to the sofa, looking at Ian.
“I’ve got an offer, and it’s a big one. Among the people I know who are capable, you’re the only one who comes to mind. It just so happens you’re also taking a break, so it might not be a bad idea for you.”
Ian gestured with his chin, wondering what it meant. If it could be of help to Bella or conversely harmful, he planned to deal with it himself.
“There’s someone who wants to rebuild Bei.”
So, that’s the topic. Ian looked at Limon without showing his thoughts. If that was the case, the person who had approached Limon could only be one person. Someone Ian definitely did not get along with.
“Did Zerod come looking for you?”
“Zerod? Oh, you mean Rod. No, unexpectedly.”
Ian’s eyebrows twitched slightly at that. Not Zerod? Although Bella hadn’t mentioned names in her letters, she had warned him to be cautious of Zerod.
Zerod, also known as Lord or Rozero, was considered Shubart’s right-hand man and had been designated to lead Bei after Shubart Rivaho in the past. Bella had also warned him to be cautious, so Ian naturally believed it.
“Then who is it?”
“As expected, interested now?” Limon lifted his hips slightly and grinned as Ian nodded.
* * *
After finishing my morning affairs, I sat in the indoor garden, drinking tea and taking a very short break.
“O-oh gosh.”
“Your Majesty! Are you alright? I’ll clean it up right away.”
As soon as I put down the teacup, the tea spilled onto my dress because my grip had loosened.
“I’m okay. Can you just give me something to wipe it with? It’s not a very strong tea, so it’s fine.”
“But your dress is soaked in tea…”
“We’re the only ones here anyway.”
The maid hurriedly brought a cloth to wipe it.
“I’ll wipe it for you.”
There were just a few splashes on the dress, yet the maid looked as pale as if a big accident had happened, tapping the tea-soaked dress lightly.
I sighed softly while watching the maid carefully wiping, feeling sorry. The dress was okay, but the book I was looking at together got a little wet while having refreshments.
Lately, I felt like I was making mistakes more frequently than usual.
I had also sent a letter to Ian warning him to be cautious, and I had received a report from Reynolz that Ian was doing well. It was quite upsetting that he hadn’t sent a reply, but hearing that he seemed to be very busy and drenched in sweat, I decided to put aside my feelings of being upset for a bit.
Over the past few days, my worries had lightened considerably, so much so that I even had a deep sleep last night, yet my hands still lost strength.
“I’m really fine now.” I smiled and reassured the maid, who looked distraught, and helped her up.
“Could you refill the teacup?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
* * *
As she sipped the newly served warm tea and was about to get up after reading a book, it happened.
“Your Majesty, Marquis Schultz has requested to see you. What should I do?” A maid quickly entered from outside and asked.
The garden was surrounded by glass, so the entrance and beyond were clearly visible.
What does Marquis Schultz want? There was no prior contact. We had exchanged greetings a few times but had never met privately, nor had we scheduled an appointment for today.
Outside, Marquis Schultz was looking this way. When my eyes met him, he smiled and bowed.
