The Reason for Marriage - Chapter 56

“Really? Where should we go? Just tell me. I will go anywhere in the world with you.”

Daniel smiled brightly, slightly kissing her lips as he swept her hair behind her ears, and continued in a tone of excitement.

“Well, shall we go to the garden? The flowers must have bloomed beautifully. Or should we go up to the roof and watch the sunset? Didn’t you say you liked it? Or not… It’s a little dangerous, but would you like to go to Amenity for a hidden trip? There are a lot of people who hold grudges against you, so I don’t really recommend it, but the palace is a little bit cramped indeed.”

“No,” Iveca shook her head slightly. In the midst of this, his hand couldn’t let her go, and also the fact that she liked his lips on her was a little bit pathetic. He must have acted knowing that she liked it. “Just… just the Judicial Bureau office,” she muttered meekly.

“Pardon?” asked Daniel.

“The road connecting the Judicial Affair Bureau and the Royal Palace…”

“Iveca,” Daniel frowned as if he was confused. “It’s the road that we go back and forth every day. I am always there to meet you.”

“That’s why I want to go there,” Ivece mumbled, “Because Your Highness came to pick me up every single day.”

“Then, what about it?” Daniel inquired.

“You always walk alone on the way to pick me up. It is such a one-sided thing… You will be lonely then.”

“On my way to the Judicial Bureau office, I’m not lonely at all thinking about the stories that I will tell Iveca on my way back. I’m sure we’ll walk this road together again.” Daniel looked at her and smiled quietly. “Did you like it?”

“Yes.”

Her answer came quickly. It was a thoughtless conversation, but Daniel looked at her endearingly and kept his silence for a moment before kissing her lips briefly again. “Thank you, Iveca,” he said with complete honesty, “thank you for saying that you like it. Please remember that.”

“Remember what?”

“Remember to tell me if you like something.”

The conversation went around strangely. When Iveca tilted her head, he held her hand and smiled affectionately.

“Let’s go for a walk. I promised you that I would do whatever you wanted.”

Iveca’s lips curled into a shy smile. After all, the time she spent with him was perfect and peaceful, as if she were looking at a beautiful painting. The feeling of desperate love, moments that seemed ethereal, a touch she never wanted to let go…

***

“The Queen is very unstable in terms of emotions right now. I’m not sure if it would be a good idea to see Your Majesty. I thought she just lost consciousness…”

Earlier, Iveca hadn’t actually fainted. When Sid and Reina didn’t act as she expected, Iveca faked her emotions. She was never the type to lose her composure, let alone collapse. However, when Sid and Reina hadn’t done what she wanted, she decided to drive the situation to the extreme. She had presumed wrongly, and so she had to acquire information.

Iveca had thought that Sid and Reina were capable of harming her, at least secretly, or the two would accidentally reveal information new to her in the midst of the turmoil. But they only spoke of things Iveca couldn’t understand. When she feigned losing consciousness, Sid and Reina didn’t even decide to call the attention of the medical staff.

After a few hours, Iveca woke up as if she had come to her senses and was soon greeted by Daniel. Her thoughts drifted to Sid and Reina’s conversation.

“I hate that the Queen is unhappy. That’s why I can’t trust His Majesty. What is he thinking exactly?”

Iveca deduced: It was certain that the Bureau of Investigation and the King were wary of each other over her.

“If His Majesty really loved Eve… Would things go this far?”

It was also certain that Daniel had a relationship with a woman named Eve.

“No matter what hypothesis you make, everything just doesn’t make sense.”

It was also a fact that the Bureau of Investigation couldn’t grasp the truth.

“Your Majesty.”

Iveca looked up at Daniel as she walked along the sunlit path. She could not have known his true feelings that neither the Bureau of Investigation could have grasped.

She liked her current daily life, like a well-wrapped gift, but thought she no longer wanted to remain in oblivion. If the secret that everyone wanted to hide surrounded herself, she would find out about it somehow. Alone, persistently, quietly.

“I have a nickname,” said Iveca.

“Nickname?” Daniel aske with an eyebrow perched.

“Yes. My friend gave it to me when I was young… It’s Eve.”

Daniel’s face, which had been smiling at her warmly all the time, stiffened. Iveca maintained her cool and asked, faking innocence, “Your Majesty, can you call me by that name?”

“Ah.” Danie’s expression hardened, and Iveca waited for his answer without saying a word. Daniel had no idea that she was aware of Eve Jean’s existence.

Would he be able to simply separate the name of the person he had in mind from herself? She asked a rather provocative question, and her heart ached at the disapproving silence that lingered between them.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel began, slicing the bitter quietness. “Iveca is just Iveca. I don’t want to call you by a nickname that someone gave to you.”

After all, was “Eve” only meant for that girl? There was even a slight anger in his eyes as he looked at her. Iveca looked away from him.

“Ha, indeed.” She tried desperately to conceal the hurt and bitterness in her voice. She wanted to forget what had just happened. “Eve.. it’s a common name. There are so many people who admire Queen Evena.”

Daniel didn’t answer, he merely grabbed her hand and intertwined it with his. Iveca felt an odd aura coming from him at this moment, so she couldn’t get him to talk about ‘Eve’ anymore.

“I’m going to tell her. Even just a small part.”

Beside him, Iveca repeated Reina’s words in her mind.

“I can’t take it to see her having such a hard time.”

Reina would tell her something. As she pondered on Sid and Reina’s conversation, it didn’t seem like she was in a situation where her bureau was looking for a chance to get rid of her, as she initially thought. But she could only make out bits and pieces from their hushed conversation.

“The magic power is actually disappearing. Even the ancient magic will be released after 30 years…  I was thinking of waiting until 30 years later. There were so many things I wanted to stay…”

Thirty years later, the release of ancient magic meant that her memory, which had disappeared, would then return. However, although it was said that it would be 30 years, it could take 40 years or longer. It was too much of a time to wait blindly; she wanted to relieve her frustration as soon as possible. It wasn’t even a variable that she could consider.

***

“Queen.”

The next morning, Reina and Sid appeared as usual in front of Iveca, who was dressed in a neat Judicial Affair Bureau uniform.

“Would you like to go to work?”

Reina’s eyes were swollen as she tried to speak her words casually.

“You came early.” Iveca also greeted them with a dry tone. “Let’s go have a cup of tea. Sit down please.”

Sid and Reina sat in front of her with clumsy footsteps. She had just arrived this morning and brewed fresh tea leaves, but she knew it wouldn’t taste very good anyway. Sid and Reina did not speak anymore after taking a sip as a courtesy.

“We are indeed commoners.” Reina chuckled dryly and said embarrassedly, “Coffee is better.”

Iveca also took a sip to match them, but she didn’t want to drink more because it didn’t taste better than plain water. Iveca didn’t give much answer to the desperate excuse, but muttered in an unenergetic voice as if she had lost all enthusiasm in the world, “I’m sorry I looked unpleasant yesterday.”

“No,” Sid answered immediately, but Iveca lowered her eyes and spoke to them in a low voice.

“I’m so depressed and sensitive these days. I’m not as excited as I am. As you all know anyway, Essselburn, His Majesty, and the Bureau of Investigation are only thinking of using me or abandoning me.”

“Queen, what are you talking about?” asked Reina.

“But still… I can’t say anything to Esselburn, His Majesty, or the Bureau of Investigation. It’s one-sided for me, and I’m desperate.” Iveca sniffled, glancing at Sid and Reina’s expressions.

After overhearing their conversation yesterday, where they said they were too concerned about Iveca hurting herself, Iveca decided that gaining sympathy was her best strategy to bring out some of the truth from Reina.

Her calculation was proven correct, as Reina sighed and answered. “Honestly, I do not know the feelings of His Majesty or Count Esselburn, Queen. But maybe what the Queen thinks is right,” she paused, “but not for the Bureau of Investigation.”

Sid remained silent, and Reina continued her speech without hesitation.

“At first, I tried to hide it but… I will just tell you everything.”

Iveca looked at Reina quietly.

“Instead, please believe me. I’m saying this with the intention of being punished quite harshly. The promotion to manager position may be several years away. Sid, if you want to succeed, go now.”

In an attempt to lighten the gloomy atmosphere, Reina cracked a joke, but even the humor didn’t reach her.