Cutting him off mid-sentence as if I had been waiting, Ruth saw me quickly reply and let out a small laugh.
“Thank you.”
Then, after wetting his throat with blood-red wine, Ruth swiftly changed the topic.
“I’ve thought a lot and reflected on what you said that day. Even if it was only a nominal engagement, a contract is still a contract, and I realized I was taking it too lightly.”
“…”
“So, I prepared this.”
What he took out were two stiff pieces of paper. One was labeled [Contract], and the other [Annulment Agreement].
I looked at the two documents for a moment, then looked at Ruth with eyes asking for further explanation. He pushed forward the contract and annulment agreement in turn, explaining,
“As you can see, the contract consists of the clauses we agreed on before. If you find it acceptable, I’d like you to tear it in half and give me a piece.”
“And the annulment agreement?”
“The annulment agreement is exactly what it sounds like. There are procedures to be followed for an annulment, and among the most important is submitting an annulment agreement to the temple. Once our contract period is over, you just need to sign this and submit it to the temple. My signature is already on it.”
“…”
I stared at Ruth’s signature, cursive in her fancy handwriting, on the signature line of the separation agreement.
[Signed: Rustian Aben Crowntis].
Below it, my own signature was blank. A space I could fill in at any time. The tip of my upturned lip twitched, as if it were ours.
Somehow, after being so good to me today, she gave me this.
It was clear why Ruth had thrust the separation agreement she had already signed into my hands. One that allowed me to end this relationship at any time.
I bit my bottom lip and gently put the separation agreement down.
I don’t need this kindness, I assure you. I’d much rather he be heartless to me. After all, who appreciates the kindness of holding the sword that will stab them in the heart.
My mind raced, but my smile didn’t fade.
“So, have you checked?”
“……Yes, Your Majesty. Everything is neatly organized, nothing missing.”
If anything had been missing, I would have returned the papers to Ruth. I didn’t want them, in the name of revision.
But the papers were so well organized that they reflected Ruth’s neat personality, and that was a shame. If there wasn’t anything in the papers to poke at, I had to take it.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“…”
“Now, I know it might be a bother, but rip the contract in half. I was actually considering preparing two copies, but given the confidential nature of the matter, this seemed like the better approach.”
“…Understood.”
Prompted by his subtle urging, the lips that had been firmly closed slowly parted.
I had no choice. There was only one option given to me here.
I carefully folded the contract in half and gently tore it, then handed one of the pieces to Ruth.
A satisfied smile appeared on Ruth’s lips as he checked the piece of the contract I handed him.
“With this, our contract is officially established.”
As I quietly listened to him speak contentedly, something I had been wanting to ask Ruth all along suddenly came to mind.
The reason he needed me.
Truth be told, after guessing several times, I felt like I already roughly knew. But there was still a chance I could be wrong, and I wanted to hear it directly from Ruth.
“Your Majesty…”
“Why are you calling me?”
“May I ask you something?”
“As long as it’s not personal, you can ask me anything.”
Seeing Ruth willingly permit it, I opened my mouth,
“I think the reason His Majesty accepted my proposal is because you need me as the Serbia Obelton, a piece on your chessboard.”
“Go on.”
“And I guess the reason for that is because your position currently does not allow you to make moves carelessly. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”
“No, you’re right. So what do you want to ask?”
Though my introduction was unintentionally long, fortunately, he still had a faint interest in his eyes.
I looked straight at Ruth and continued to ask,
“Then, why can’t His Majesty move carelessly?”
“…”
Hearing my question, Ruth was silent for a moment before murmuring in admiration,
“That’s a sharp question.”
It seemed he hadn’t expected me to ask such a question.
Yet, he had a gentle smile, without a hint of displeasure, as if he knew this conversation would happen someday.
“Where should I begin… Well. What do you think an emperor is?”
“I think of it as an absolute being.”
“An absolute being.”
Ruth, who seemed to be repeating my obvious answer, twirled his wine glass gently and wore a contemplative expression.
I quietly waited for Ruth’s next words while looking at his half-closed eyelids.
Soon, he started speaking with a face that had finished deliberating.
“Is that really so?”
“What?”
Unable to grasp the vague purpose of his question, I tilted my head in confusion.
Seeing my puzzled look, he stopped swirling his wine glass and brought it diagonally to his lips.
“An emperor has much to lose as much as he owns. So, even if an emperor stands at the pinnacle of power, he can never be absolutely flawless.”
“!”
“Moreover, every single word spoken, every action taken must be considered carefully. That’s why you should never make a move without purpose. Because a single gesture from me can change the future of a region, and my signature can alter the fate of the empire.”
“…”
“Then, does the emperor seem like an absolute being?”
His soft query left an impact that momentarily shook my values to their core.
No, the answer “No” rose to the tip of my tongue immediately, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. It was a conclusion I had surmised before, a similar answer, yet hearing it directly from Ruth was more shocking than I expected.
“The Emperor is not an absolute being. Moreover, the most common phrase I hear in the state council meetings is ‘I oppose,’ so he doesn’t possess absolute power either. The Emperor is just…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Ruth closed his mouth, took a breath, and then finished his thought.
“He’s just a human living with a myriad of restrictions.”
“A human, you say.”
“Yes, human.”
His characterization of the Emperor as merely a human felt strange.
However, no matter how unfamiliar it felt, it wasn’t the wrong expression, so I had nothing to say.
The Emperor, in the end, is a human. One that constantly repeats mistakes and misjudgments. Thus, the Emperor is not a flawless being. Therefore, not an absolute being either.
As I was mulling over this realization that came to me belatedly, Ruth continued speaking.
“Anyway, my brother, that is, the previous Emperor, was quite a brutal tyrant, as you might know.”
“…”
“So, the public sentiment towards the royal family was at its worst. If my memory serves me right, there were even a few small rebellions.”
“I think it was about five times that I know of,”
Ruth said, adding with an expression that was all too calm.
For me, knowing that the former emperor took everything from him, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
How hard must it have been for him to talk about his past so nonchalantly?
I’m still struggling myself. While I was having these thoughts, Ruth finished reminiscing and briefly summarized his past.
“Of course, they all ended in failure. Amidst that, I joined hands with the Abyss Duchy and succeeded in a rebellion, usurping the throne.”
“Yes.”
“But being on the throne like this isn’t entirely good. As you know, the Senate doesn’t support an emperor without legitimacy, and I can’t trust any of the four ducal families either. Ah, of course, except for the Obelton family.”
I noticed the slight consideration he took to exclude the Obelton family and quietly smiled.
“Anyway, that’s why I can’t move recklessly. Especially now, when every move needs to be careful, and I still can’t secure stable support from the nobles.”
“Ah.”
At that moment, a long sigh escaped from deep within me. It was just as I had expected.
“Do you understand a bit now?”
“Yes. Now I think I understand.”
I finally think I understand why Ruth appeared so ominous. Why Ruth needs Serbia Obelton, not just ‘that child.’ Now, I think I understand more clearly.
With a face cleared of doubt, I reconfirmed what I must do for him going forward.
“So, according to our contract, do I just need to secure the support of the majority of the Four Great Dukes for His Majesty?”
“Hmm, well, strictly speaking, earning their support is my responsibility, not something you can influence.”
Though it sounded somewhat cynical, Ruth was right. Securing the support of the Four Great Dukes was something he had to do. No matter how hard I tried, it would be difficult for me to earn their full support.
Initially, I had proposed this to Ruth with that fact in mind. Even just obtaining a semblance of support from the majority of the Four Great Dukes could draw the Council’s attention at least once.
But, hearing him speak like this, it seemed that what he wanted was not merely nominal support.
“Then, what should I…”
“Bring that here.”
Before I could finish speaking, Ruth pointed at a piece of the contract in front of me.
What now?
Filled with curiosity, I picked up the piece of the contract and approached him.
“Here, try reading this.”
Soon after, Ruth attached the piece of the contract he received to his own, restoring the contract to its original form, and gestured for me to read it.
With my skepticism still not fully resolved, I slowly scanned through the contract.
“One, Serbia Obelton and Rustian Aben Crownthis agree to conduct their contract in secret.
Two, Serbia Obelton promises to become the hands and feet of Rustian Abel Crownthis, making relations between the royal family and the four ducal families favorable.
Three, Rustian Aben Crownthis promises to support Serbia Obelton in every way possible, so that they can faithfully fulfill the terms mentioned above.
Four, Serbia……”
……Huh?
