Chapter 20

“Admiral Rosley. His Majesty has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

Thanks to his advance notice, an imperial servant was already waiting at the grand entrance to greet him. Offering a brief nod, Aiden followed the servant toward the Emperor’s private office.

“Your Majesty. Admiral Aiden Rosley has arrived.”

As the servant announced him in a low, respectful tone, a voice from inside immediately granted permission to enter.

“Admiral Rosley. You have arrived.”

As the heavy doors opened, the Emperor greeted him. Clearly in the middle of working, mountainous stacks of official documents surrounded his desk.

“So, have you given some thought as to where you wish to spend your honeymoon?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I wish to go to the Trois Kingdom.”

“The Trois Kingdom, you say…”

As if meticulously weighing the political implications, deep wrinkles formed between the Emperor’s brows. After a long, agonizingly deliberate moment of contemplation, the Emperor finally granted his permission.

“Very well. I shall personally dispatch a formal letter to the King of Trois requesting that he treat you with the utmost hospitality.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Aiden bowed deeply. Then, as if suddenly remembering a crucial detail, he spoke up.

“By the way, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm?”

“Where is His Grace the Grand Duke currently located?”

“Clyde? If it’s Clyde, he is currently working diligently in the Princes’ Quarters. Do you wish to see him before you leave?”

“Yes, I do.”

Flashing a highly subtle, knowing smirk, the Emperor reached out and rang his bell. A servant immediately knocked and entered the office.

“You summoned me, Your Majesty?”

“Deliver a message to Grand Duke Clyde. Inform him that Admiral Rosley wishes to see him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the servant bowed and retreated, a heavy silence settled over the office. However, it was brief. The Emperor broke the quiet.

“Now then, Admiral Rosley, shall we discuss some official naval business?”

Aiden shot a deeply pointed glare at the towering mountains of paperwork aggressively cluttering the desk, but the Emperor simply smirked, completely unfazed. Exhaling a steadying breath, Aiden began his official report.

“Regarding the request for naval assistance from the Repeto Kingdom, as previously reported, Captain Sophia Cox will be deploying to lead the operation.”

“Excellent.”

“Furthermore…”

Aiden was in the middle of delivering a highly detailed tactical briefing when a knock sounded, followed by the announcement that Grand Duke Clyde was waiting for him.

“This should be sufficient for today. You may take your leave.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall excuse myself.”

Delivering a crisp salute, Aiden exited the office. The servant was waiting for him in the hallway.

“Please follow me, Admiral Rosley. His Grace is waiting for you.”

The winding path leading toward the Princes’ Quarters was heavily lined with meticulously maintained flowerbeds. Due to the violent, torrential downpour, the entire world outside seemed to be painted in dull, suffocating shades of ash-gray. Yet, this specific path retained its brilliant, vivid colors, making it look breathtakingly beautiful.

Aiden chuckled softly, slowing his pace to admire the view. Reading his intent perfectly, the servant immediately slowed down to match Aiden’s leisurely steps. After walking for quite some time, an incredibly sweet, dangerously affectionate voice drifted into Aiden’s ears.

“Admiral Rosley.”

Aiden snapped his head toward the sound. Standing perfectly framed by the scenery was Clyde.

“Your Grace, why on earth are you standing outside instead of waiting inside your quarters?”

Having asked the question completely thoughtlessly, a horrifying realization suddenly struck Aiden, and he frantically shouted a retraction.

“Never mind! Please ignore that! You absolutely do not need to answer that!”

Blatantly ignoring the panicked retraction, Clyde’s face lit up with overwhelming, sickeningly bright joy as he delivered the exact line Aiden had feared.

“Well, my beloved Admiral Rosley missed me so terribly that he braved a torrential storm just to see me. How could I possibly sit inside and wait patiently?”

I walked right into that one. Feeling a massive, throbbing headache building at the base of his neck, Aiden could do nothing but force out a deeply strained, incredibly artificial laugh. Clyde, of course, didn’t care in the slightest that the smile was fake.

“Shall we head inside?”

Despite the freezing, relentless rain pouring down around them, the hand Clyde wrapped around Aiden’s was still unnervingly, intensely warm. Staring blankly at their joined hands, a specific memory suddenly flashed through Aiden’s mind, causing his brow to furrow.

“You let the Grand Duke hold your hand all he wanted, but when your precious Academy classmate tries, you pull a loaded gun on me and reject me…”

Come to think of it, why did I do that? Lost in deep contemplation, Aiden remained perfectly still, completely failing to move. Seeing him freeze, Clyde let the corners of his eyes droop with genuine concern and leaned in close.

“Admiral Rosley, are you feeling ill?”

…Dammit, I was completely bewitched by his face again! Right as Aiden was violently cursing himself internally, a sudden, warm pressure pressed against his forehead.

“You don’t seem to have a fever.”

Perhaps because they were standing significantly closer than usual, Clyde’s distinct scent seamlessly intermingled with his warm breath, spilling over Aiden. It was an incredibly cozy, comforting scent, reminiscent of high-quality fabric baked perfectly under the warm sun.

Startled by the intense intimacy, Aiden flinched violently and stumbled backward.

“I am perfectly fine. I was simply lost in thought for a moment.”

“Is that so?”

Clyde merely tilted one corner of his mouth up into a sly smirk, opting not to press the issue further.

“Follow me.”

Exhaling a quiet sigh of relief, Aiden followed him inside. The Grand Duke’s private office was slightly smaller than the Emperor’s. Nevertheless, it was flawlessly furnished with a massive oak desk, towering bookshelves, and a plush sofa explicitly designated for relaxation.

In stark contrast to the Emperor’s desk, which was currently buried under a chaotic avalanche of documents, Clyde’s workspace was impeccably organized. Resting near the corner of the desk was a crystal vase holding a single, vibrant red flower. Keeping his eyes firmly locked onto the blossom, Aiden asked the question.

“Do you have a fondness for flowers, Your Grace?”

“Ah. Looking at red flowers always reminds me of a very specific someone, so I make it a habit to keep them on my desk.”

“May I ask wh—No, actually, you absolutely do not need to tell me.”

“Why not? I desperately want to tell you.”

Terrified of whatever absolute, heart-stopping nonsense was about to spew from Clyde’s mouth, Aiden aggressively cut him off, practically shouting the report.

“I-I have decided that we will be going to the Trois Kingdom for our honeymoon!”

“The Trois Kingdom?”

The teasing, playful smirk instantly vanished from Clyde’s face. In the blink of an eye, his blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Isn’t that exceedingly close for a honeymoon destination?”

“What does the distance matter? I heard they possess a highly renowned white sand beach.”

“Is that so? I imagine it must be quite beautiful.”

The lethal, calculating edge instantly melted from Clyde’s gaze, returning to a relaxed, gentle warmth.

“As I promised you before, I will follow your decision entirely and unconditionally, Admiral Rosley. You do not need to worry about a single thing.”