CH 114

What should I do?

Sitting on the bed, Renato fiddled with the velvet box Arche had brought with a troubled face. Inside the box was the wedding gift he had prepared for Khalid.

Click.

Looking left and right despite knowing he was alone in the bedroom, Renato carefully opened the box. Then, he could see beautifully crafted gemstones and a tassel hanging neatly underneath. It was a sophisticated and beautiful sword ornament that anyone would admire.

It was made at the dwarf’s workshop, where he stopped by to disguise his whereabouts when looking for Baikal a few months ago. At that place, Renato actually ordered a gift for Khalid. He needed evidence to avoid Marquis Medus and Blanche’s suspicion in case something went wrong, but above all, he also wanted to give Khalid something.

‘Is the person receiving the gift a knight? Hmm, then how about a sword ornament?’

‘Sword ornament?’

‘Yes. It’s usually a gift from a family member or companion hoping that the knight leaving for the battlefield will return safely. It’s the most suitable item to give to people walking the path of the sword.’

‘Hmm, I know what it is. You mean the thing on the end of a sword hilt?’

‘It’s normally like that, but unlike other places, the ones made in our workshop can also be hung on scabbards or sword belts.’

When Renato agonized about Khalid’s gift, the dwarf recommended a sword ornament. As it could be freely attached to various places, it was highly practical. Above all, Renato was intrigued that it could be turned into an artifact by casting a spell on the gemstone which would be the ornament’s main part.

“I didn’t expect to use this as a wedding gift back then……”

Muttering to himself, Renato took out the sword ornament. At first, the gift was meant to congratulate Khalid’s appointment as a diplomatic ambassador. As the circumstances changed, it became a wedding gift.

Simple gifts and wedding gifts were undoubtedly different. Renato hastily placed a revised order to the dwarf’s workshop so that the wedding gift to Khalid wouldn’t be insufficient. Fortunately, the dwarf completed the ornament before Renato left for the kingdom. The remaining problem was finding a shaman to turn it into an artifact.

‘It would be better to make the artifact in the Khan Kingdom. The shamans there are much more skilled than the Empire’s shamans.’

Following the dwarf’s advice, Renato ordered Arche to find a talented shaman as soon as they arrived in the Khan Kingdom. He heard that Khalid’s Knights Order also had excellent shamans, but he proceeded quietly to keep it a secret from him.

And yesterday afternoon, Renato gave his unused blood, which remained after his blood draw to replicate the Snake’s Breath, to the shaman Arche found. As he had guessed, the shaman said that blood worked much better than hair or nails.

The new sword ornament embedded with an artifact had arrived, but Renato couldn’t bring himself to give it to Khalid. He thought the man would not like the wedding gift he had prepared.

“Out of all times……”

Holding the dangling sword ornament in his hand, Renato sighed deeply. If Arche had brought the wedding gift yesterday, he would have given it to Khalid without hesitation.

But last night, the two had their first quarrel that didn’t seem like a quarrel. In particular, Khalid was angry that Renato didn’t take care of himself.

‘Just why don’t you know? Every time you act this way, I’m so anxious that I feel like I have gone crazy.’

Recalling Khalid who poured out his emotions in a tired voice, Renato felt a strange sentiment and bit his lips. It was more of an earnest plea than a harsh rebuke.

Khalid’s anger was different from Blanche’s and Maximo’s. He did not swear at Renato, nor did he madly shout at him. Even the reason why he got angry was out of worry that Renato kept pushing himself too hard.

So he was even more scared. Renato was accustomed to others’ rage, but this was the first time someone was enraged out of concern for him, so Renato couldn’t react properly. He couldn’t convince Khalid or apologize to him. That resulted in an awkward time with Khalid.

Had Khalid not reached out in the greenhouse first and said he would respect Renato’s way, the two of them might still have been awkward now.

So he was more cautious about giving the gift. They only reconciled a few hours ago, so how could he give an artifact using fairy blood as a gift now? The timing was just terrible.

Renato wasn’t brave enough to give this gift less than a day after promising Khalid he would not burden his body to take blood. He didn’t want to see Khalid angry with him again. His heart still throbbed just thinking about that time.

“It seems to suit him well.”

Putting the sword ornament back into the box, Renato murmured regretfully. The ornament, with a ruby and an amethyst harmonizing like a cluster of flowers, obliquely supported by obsidian carved in the shape of a sword along with a tassel made of entwined gold and silver threads underneath, would perfectly suit Khalid.

“Huu.”

Renato sighed once more, imagining Khalid wearing the sword ornament. For some reason, the words Khalid said kept coming to his mind.

‘Could I tell you one more thing?’

‘Please tell me.’

‘Uhm, you might feel bad about my words, but…… You don’t have to try to prove your worth and usefulness to me, Your Imperial Highness.’

‘Pardon?’

‘I’m sorry if I reacted sensitively. Sometimes I just felt so.’

‘I don’t……’

‘Uhm, if Your Imperial Highness says it’s not right, then it should be so. I guess I said something useless. Please just forget it. I just…… want to tell you that if you don’t do so, our marriage will still last until the purpose of the contract is fulfilled. ……Maybe even after the promised three years have passed.’

Even after the promised three years have passed. Musing over Khalid’s meaningful added words on their way back to the main building, Renato stroked the lustrous obsidian that resembled the man’s hair color.

Did that mean he will continue to help until Trudy safely becomes the Crown Prince, regardless of the contract period? Or did he mean something else?

Renato wanted to ask Khalid what the man meant, but he couldn’t. He felt ambivalence in wanting to hear the answer but was afraid to do so at the same time.

“Don’t have to try to prove my worth and usefulness……”

Did I want to appear useful to him? Renato closed the box cover, ruminating on his conversation with Khalid. He honestly couldn’t deny those words. He didn’t realize it until hearing from Khalid, but he indeed thought of supporting and aiding others so that they wouldn’t look down on him.

‘Useless punk. How could something like you be born, tsk.’

‘If you hadn’t been born a Beta, I wouldn’t have suffered this kind of humiliation!’

Renato squeezed his eyes shut, shaking off the voice echoing in his ears. Useless punk, those were one of Blanche’s most used words. His words were sharp daggers piercing young Renato’s heart and became thorns never to be plucked out even after he grew up.

Just like in childhood when he rolled up his sleeve and offered his blood to be recognized by Blanche, who said he had finally become useful for once, he might have unknowingly wanted to appeal to Khalid with his worth, despite in a different form. I can be of use to you, so please don’t abandon me and stay with me.

“……Stupid.”

Renato cursed himself and put down the velvet box next to him. Ultimately, Khalid was right. Sometimes, what others see is closer to the truth. The man truly saw through him.

“Ugh……”

Renato, unable to overcome his embarrassment, groaned and constantly swept his face with his hands. His face heated up as he thought Khalid had realized the feelings he wasn’t aware of himself. Do I seem like a big kid in his eyes? That thought somehow drained his energy.

“What are you thinking about so seriously?”

“……!”

Startled by the voice coming closer, Renato hid the velvet box behind his back. Khalid, who had come out of the bedroom and changed into his sleeping gown, was standing in front of him.

“Have, have you returned?”

“What is that?”

“No, this is just…… My aide brought it to me earlier, for next time.”

Renato quickly tucked the box under his pillow, avoiding Khalid’s gaze. His act was obviously suspicious to anyone seeing. As Khalid squinted his eyes, he gulped.

“Hmm, I see.”

Fortunately, Khalid did not question him further. Instead, he climbed onto the bed and lay down next to Renato. Then, he tapped the place beside him to tell Renato to quickly lie down.

“It’s quite late now. We are scheduled to have a luncheon with the knights who decided to stay in the kingdom tomorrow, so let’s go to sleep.”

“Yes……”

Renato hesitantly lay down next to Khalid. Then, as if he had waited, Khalid pulled the blanket and covered it up to Renato’s neck. It was an expression of his intention not to ask Renato about what was hidden under the pillow.

Only then did Renato feel completely relieved and close his eyes with a more relaxed face. He tried to sleep, vowing to seek an opportunity to give the wedding gift tomorrow. If he kept procrastinating out of fear that Khalid would get angry, he would not be able to give forever.

However, Renato’s courageous resolution was not accomplished. After waking up in the morning and preparing for the luncheon, the sad news that Laila was suffering from difficult childbirth was sent to him. It was the day when the shadow of death fell upon her, and the moment of choice that Renato had wanted to avoid arrived.