Chapter 59.2

“Ah, of course in a romantic sense. That’s why, no matter what Your Majesty said or did to him, he obediently accepted them all like the masochist he is; he worked hard all for your sake. I also heard from him that the reason why he was in the second prince faction was because Al looks similar to Your Majesty, as simple as that.” Fania nodded his head repeatedly while crossing arms.

“Huh? Rudolf, likes, me? From when we were students?”

Until now, he gave out no sign of that at all, be it in his conduct or demeanour; if it really was since we were students, just how many decades had it been?

“Well, it doesn’t matter with the fact that my father likes Your Majesty. It’s his personal feelings after all. But, when Your Majesty foisted mother to father, it caused him immense suffering for seventeen long years. When you think about it, what a terrible thing you’ve done. Thanks to that, the House of Arginia is nearing its doom.”

“Ahhh…”

There were inexplicable things in what Fania said, but I reckoned that he was blaming me. And I understood that it was indeed my fault.

“As an atonement for what Your Majesty had done, I’d like you to introduce a new bride to father.”

“Atonement…”

“Of course, you may refuse. I can’t order Your Majesty after all. But, there were seventeen years my father had to put up with my mother. Sixteen years since I was born. He must’ve suffered so much.”

“Ugkh…”

“Father has given up on having his own child, while my life was threatened by my own father’s doing… Haaa… That was so hard~~~”

“Ughughguk…”

“Therefore, Your Majesty. Please accept my father’s feelings. Please reward him for all the sufferings he went through.”

“No, even if you say to accept it, what should I do…”

“That’s simple. Just roll in the sheets1 with him.”

“Bwahh!”

“That’s right, considering the seventeen years of my father’s sufferings, please do it with him at least seventeen times. Only once for each of those years, what a bargain.”

“EH? Ah? HUHHH?” I was so stupefied, I couldn’t enunciate any words.

“You know, Your Majesty. Father has acknowledged that I’m his son, his blood-related son. However, even if he acknowledges that I’m his child, we couldn’t be a father-and-child that simply.”

“?”

Fania chuckled despondently.

“I still remember the pain when he hit me. I remember the vexation when he hurled abusive words at me. I could never forget the fear when my life was targeted by him. Moreover, father probably also remembers how he had abused that little child, and he won’t forget how he had attempted to take that life away. Just by discovering that we’re indeed related by blood, there’s no way things that took place until now would just disappear from our minds. We couldn’t simply forget them.”

Fania matter-of-factly stated all that and there was nothing I could say in reply. Because there was no way to turn back time.

“But, you know, even if that’s the case, how can I, with a man… If you tell me to embrace Rudolf, no, no way…”

“Oh, it’s okay. Just lie down, do nothing and it’ll be over.”

“No way! You’re telling me to be embraced by a man?!”

“Then, I’ll ask you, Your Majesty, can that thing of yours get up in front of my father?”

“Ehhh…”

“Impossible, right? Then, just be a tuna2.”

“…..”

Fania chided like so and snickered.

The door opened slowly and Rudolf entered the room. He was about to assault me, yet he sported a calm face.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry about Fania. I don’t know what Fania had said to you, but please, forgive it and think of them as a child’s talk.” Rudolf kneeled by my feet, and lowered his head.

Looking at him, I realized that lately I had only seen the deep wrinkles between his brows.

“Fania told me that you liked me romantically, is that so?”

“Yes, that’s true. I’ve been holding an affection towards you since we were students.”

I thought he would deny me even a little, but he affirmed it so easily.

“That’s so honest of you.”

“After I was told off by my son, I was finally resigned to it. My affection towards you has gone over the line and I have turned strange. Even if I thought he wasn’t my blood-related son, it was beyond sanity to lay my hand on my child.”

“Are you putting a stop to your feelings towards me then?”

“No, even if I want to, I can’t. Until now, no matter how I tried to give it up, it was all in vain.”

Rudolf answered and gracefully smiled. The things that had been haunting him had gone away. That was how I would express his current attitude.

“I see. Then, what are you going to do from now?”

“I’m truly sorry to make you feel unpleasant by knowing what I feel in my heart. This would be the last time I will see Your Majesty.”

“Not that. Didn’t Fania tell you?”

“…No way. You mean the bed matters?”

“Yes.”

“Fania told me about it, but I didn’t think he was serious. I’m sorry for staining Your Majesty’s ears.”

“You, don’t you want it?”

“That would be disrespectful of me. I would not dare say that even as a joke.”

“Look at me.”

I stood tall in front of Rudolf. The nightwear that I was wearing was a rare article picked by the carried away eunuchs—totally see-through that it didn’t make a difference whether I wore it or not. I could sense that Rudolf gulped upon seeing me.

“I’ll tell you upfront, I also had my butthole cleaned by the eunuchs. I bet there must be interesting rumours flying around by now.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“When Fania had consumed the poison instead of Alfred, I told him that I’ll give him a reward, so I asked him what he wanted,” I cut off Rudolf’s apology.

Then I continued, “But Fania didn’t wish for anything. He was only delighted that Alfred was doing alright. And that Fania is now asking me to atone for what I did. To atone to you, Rudolf. I think I’ve done really terrible things to you. And the same to Fania as well. Even then, what Fania wished from me was for me to respond to your feelings.”

Rudolf widened his eyes in a muddle and then he faced down. It was like he didn’t want his welling up eyes to be seen.

“This is my punishment meted out by Fania. You don’t have to feel guilty about it. Well, I need to have you cooperate. After all, I’ll just lie down like a tuna.”

I immediately proceeded to the bed. Whilst looking at me, Rudolf gulped again. Just what did he find good in this old man?

But I felt refreshed for a bit.

I was told by Fania to do it seventeen times, so until then, I’ll never allow Rudolf to be apart from me.

I stripped the vexing nightwear off me.