Chapter 5
“Literally. I’m thinking about finding someone else now.”
“Oh, graduating from that tiresome unrequited love at last? Good idea.”
Aaron casually tossed out the comment as if it were nothing. He was familiar with Blair’s boring, old, and persistently stubborn unrequited love. Aaron was also the one who had told him to give up those feelings dozens, hundreds of times until it was like a nail driven into his ear. Sometimes he’d blurted out drunk confessions while drinking, and other times he’d mentioned it hundreds of times like a casual joke. After saying it countless times, Blair’s response now was noticeably different from before.
“I’m really thinking about it now.”
The words flowed from Blair’s mouth in a plain tone. But the person hearing them didn’t take it so calmly—Aaron dropped the crystal glass he was holding. Following the trajectory of the glass as it rolled across the table, alcohol left a trail of stains. Despite having said it countless times in jest, now that Blair was actually agreeing, it was Aaron who was shocked.
“R-really?”
Aaron wiped away the alcohol stain at the corner of his mouth and asked incredulously.
“Have I been living a life of deception? Really.”
Blair chuckled as he downed his second glass. Blair wasn’t one to bring up topics lightly.
“Really, I’m trying to sort out my feelings now. I think I’ve done enough.”
“That’s right. You really have done enough. More than enough, to the point of being stubborn.”
Blair silently nodded. While Blair himself was at peace, it was Aaron who was becoming agitated. Aaron fiercely criticized Kyle, taking Blair’s side. Aaron was usually quite rational and neutral, but when it came to Blair and Kyle, he couldn’t maintain his balance.
It was the same when Kyle got married. Rationally speaking, Aaron, as a minister and nobleman of the empire, should have been someone who naturally supported the Emperor’s marriage. But Aaron vehemently opposed Kyle’s marriage. Anyone could see that Kyle was in a position where he needed to marry, and the Empress came from a family that would be beneficial to Kyle, yet Aaron put obstacles in the way of his marriage at every turn.
After Kyle’s wedding, Aaron had visited Blair, who had taken leave and shut himself in his house, drank heavily, and then was absent from work without permission for a week. These actions were completely out of character for someone who was normally meticulous to the point of being obsessive. If he had to take sides between Kyle and Blair, Aaron was always on Blair’s side.
“Damn, really. That bastard Kyle caught a good sucker and became Emperor too. If Kyle had any conscience, he absolutely couldn’t have done that to you. How many years has it been since the academy? You even left a family where you could have lived your whole life without doing anything.”
Or perhaps the chess board where Kyle and Blair stood had been tilted from the start. Even without Kyle removing Blair’s piece, Blair’s pieces were sliding off the board one by one on their own. No matter how much Aaron tried to speak on Blair’s behalf and move the pieces, they were playing an unfair and unjust game where Kyle’s side was inevitably at a much greater advantage.
“Leaving a family with a guaranteed golden path, rolling around on battlefields for nearly ten years, and after finally making him Emperor, all he does is play around, going through women. Seriously, that bastard may be my friend, but a dog is a dog. Dog or whatever, I’m really disgusted. It’s already amazing that you’ve endured until now.”
“Well, it’s partly my fault for not even being able to bring it up.”
Blair casually remarked as he sipped the glass of alcohol in front of him. The first taste of the alcohol was sweet. Today seemed like a day he could drink a lot and get drunk.
“Yeah, then think of it as the fault of your miserable taste for liking an idiot who lacks any sense of awareness and has no conscience. I won’t stop you. It’s not wrong. Good for you if you can see yourself objectively.”
Having said that much, Aaron took another swig of his drink. The strong liquor burned down his throat. “Kah,” Aaron made a comical sound.
“Anyway, you’ve really thought well. It’s definitely time to give up those feelings. It’s way overdue, but it’s good that you’ve come to your senses now! Yes, absolutely!”
Aaron slapped Blair’s back cheerfully. Either way, Aaron Taclamacan was someone who cared about Blair more than Blair cared about himself. There was no reason for Aaron to dislike that he was now saying he would stop doing foolish things.
After giggling and saying he’d thought well, Aaron quickly became serious and turned to Blair again.
“So? What are you planning to do now?”
Just as Blair knew Aaron well, Aaron also knew Blair well. Aaron and Blair had been friends for nearly twenty years. Despite being a warrior who had lived his whole life wielding a sword, Blair had a secretive side. He was extremely cautious and calm, testing the waters before taking any action. Blair never acted rashly.
Maybe the blood of a merchant from the Monetery lineage runs through his veins too, Aaron was thinking. If he was telling him this, he must have already sorted out his feelings to some extent. He probably had already decided what to do next as well. Blair wasn’t someone who impulsively did things without thinking. Whenever he took any action, he would speak up only after thoroughly considering it and having some outline in mind.
“I’m going to retire.”
“Retire, good. What, retire? Pft…!”
Aaron, who was drinking the amber-colored alcohol from his glass, spat it out. Aaron looked at Blair in disbelief. Retire? Indeed, Blair’s scale was much larger than what ordinary citizen Aaron Taclamacan had anticipated.
“What are you talking about? Retire?”
“Literally? I was thinking, it’s been five years since I was granted the Gladius territory, but I’ve never visited it. It’s my only territory. I’m thinking about retiring, going down there to take care of my territory, and also helping to protect the border. I’m sick of the imperial capital and society.”
Having said that, Blair grinned. His gentle smile reflected his heart.
“Hey, you.”
“As you said, I haven’t lived like an ordinary fool, so now I want to try living ordinarily like others. Get married like normal people. I might be a bit late for marriage, but being a General of the nation and a Duke, I don’t think I’ll have trouble finding a match in the marriage market. Surely I can do it, right? If you know anyone good, introduce them to me.”
“Well, that’s obvious, but are you really planning to go down there?”
Aaron gaped in shock. But Blair’s expression remained nonchalant.
“Yeah. Also, it doesn’t look good for a noble with military achievements to linger in the imperial capital for too long. What’s the point of a General staying in the capital where there’s no chance of war? Even now, I should be at the border or military bases where barbarians or ethnic minorities appear.”
Blair continued without hesitation. It seemed this wasn’t something he had thought about just once or twice.
“If I stay in the imperial capital any longer, it’s just perfect for being falsely accused of harboring other intentions. Right now, it’s quiet because it’s the early days of imperial power, but it’s obvious that before long, there will be noise about distributing power.”
“Blair, you know you don’t need to worry about what those idiots say.”
Aaron tried to dissuade Blair.
“Their opinions aren’t important. And I’m not saying this without thought. I’ve been thinking for quite some time that I should gradually step down from the position of General. I’d like to go back to my homeland and look after my territory while I’m at it. Take care of my land, and if there’s a woman who would be okay with marrying me, I might get married and have a child or two. You’ve been nagging me to get married every day, so what’s with that reaction?”
Blair grinned, teasing Aaron’s dumbfounded expression.
“No, that’s, that’s. Um.”
The mouth of the Finance Minister of the Crassia Empire, who had been active in state affairs since his twenties, was tightly shut like a clamshell. He had so much to say, but he just couldn’t figure out what to say at this moment. It felt like his mouth was glued shut. Countless words circled inside his mouth but eventually disappeared without being vocalized.
“Well, I’m sure you didn’t decide this recklessly.”
In the end, Aaron’s response was a simple acknowledgment. Blair’s determination was so sensible that there was nothing to add. Aaron licked his lips. The alcohol-stained lips tasted bitter.
“Yeah.”
“I was just surprised. Don’t take it to heart. It’s certainly a good idea.”
“Well. I guess so.”
“Right. And they say out of sight, out of mind. Going far away to take care of your territory, mixing with various people, you might find someone good who you like.”
Knock knock-
Aaron, with an exaggerated smile, agreed with Blair’s words. Interrupting Aaron’s rambling, there was a knock at the door. The female owner entered, carrying plates of hot food, which she placed on the table.
“Some good truffle salt came in, so I used it. I took special care in making this, so it’ll be delicious. By the way, Blair, I happened to overhear your conversation outside. Are you planning to leave the imperial capital?”
“Your ears are still as sharp as ever. I’m thinking about it.”
Blair smiled widely as he received the plate. He took a bite of the crispy fried food, and the taste of salt bloomed in his mouth.
“Why?”
“Tired of life in the capital?”
“That’s nonsense. A person who has lived his entire life in big cities and academies, what could you be tired of?”
“I also rolled around on battlefields for nearly ten years. Isn’t it about time I grew weary of politics and such?”
Lily shut her mouth as if Blair had caught her off guard. She carefully observed Blair’s expression.
“Are you really planning to leave?”
“It doesn’t make sense that I haven’t gone down to my territory in five years after receiving the title of Duke and land. The Gladius territory is said to be quite fertile, so I want to go down and take good care of it. When I settle in, why don’t you come too, Lily? How about opening a branch of this pub in the Gladius territory? It’ll do well. I heard there’s a significant population there too.”
Blair smiled as he tapped the edge of his glass with his fingernail.
“That sounds good too. No, I’m tired of business now. If you have a child, please hire me as a nanny. I really love children.”
“That won’t work. What if you eat my child’s liver?”
“Aish, really. I won’t do that. It’s just a false rumor, a false rumor.”
When Blair grinned and recycled the joke he had just heard from Aaron, Lily laughed brightly and denied it. As Lily entered the room, the stiff atmosphere softened. Aaron’s tense face also relaxed.
“I suppose so.”
“May I sit down for a moment too?”
“Of course.”
[To be continued…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
