Chapter 6

***

As soon as they arrived in the drawing room, a steaming cup of Aiden’s favorite lemon honey tea was already waiting on the table, despite him never having asked for it. While Aiden quietly stared at the teacup, Raymond broke the silence.

“Would you prefer I prepare something else?”

“No, this is fine.”

Aiden took a slow sip of the lemon honey tea. The perfect harmony of acidity and rich sweetness blooming in his mouth brought a natural, satisfied smile to his lips. Clink. The delicate sound of the porcelain cup settling against the saucer echoed softly through the drawing room.

“So, what was this highly sensitive matter you wished to discuss privately?”

“That is… ahem.”

Raymond straightened his posture, pulling his shoulders back as he cleared his throat. As if his throat was burning, he grabbed his own teacup and drained the contents in a single, desperate gulp. Why is he beating around the bush so much? Propping his chin on his knuckles, Aiden meticulously observed his subordinate’s every micro-movement.

Eventually, Raymond forced his heavy lips open.

“I am incredibly curious as to why your decision is delayed this time.”

“Decision?”

“For the Repeto Kingdom operational command.”

So he just wanted to rush me. Instead of answering immediately, Aiden tapped his long, elegant fingers against the polished table. Tap, tap. The rhythmic sound established a steady, commanding tempo in the room.

“Captain Harrison.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

“Isn’t the timeline for when a decision is finalized entirely within my jurisdiction?”

“It is.”

“Because this is an operation of the utmost importance, I am simply dedicating the necessary time to thoroughly vet all the candidates.”

That should have been enough for a man of Raymond’s intellect to understand and back off. Having zero desire to prolong this agonizing conversation, Aiden pushed his chair back and stood up.

“There are three other candidates besides myself, but honestly, even you cannot deny the absolute fact that I am the most exceptional among them.”

The razor-sharp, hostile tone made Aiden pause and turn back around. Dropping the rigidly straight posture expected of a naval officer, Raymond crossed his legs and glared up at his superior. His dark green eyes were practically flashing with barely contained irritation.

“Because you know that better than anyone else, you never hesitated to hand me the operational command in previous deployments, did you?”

“…”

“Therefore, please confirm me for the Repeto Kingdom operational command as soon as possible. I consider dragging this process out and effectively sidelining a competent officer to be a blatant dereliction of duty.”

Placing heavy, deliberate emphasis on the words ‘dereliction of duty,’ Raymond offered a sickeningly gracious smile. “This is simply advice from me as your Academy classmate and friend, Aiden.”

“Haa…”

Exhaling a profound, heavy sigh, Aiden swept his neatly styled bangs back. While he normally treated his subordinates with casual familiarity, throwing rank out the window, he was not the type to tolerate blatant insubordination. In short, he was not going to just laugh off a Captain aggressively overstepping his boundaries.

“Captain Raymond Harrison.”

His voice was so chillingly low and absolute that it made the listener’s body instinctively flinch. Feeling his throat suddenly run dry, Raymond swallowed hard.

“It remains an unchanging fact that you and I are Academy classmates. Therefore, you are always welcome to completely ignore our ranks and offer me advice as a friend.”

“…”

“However, that does not give you, a Captain, the authority to interfere with my duties as an Admiral.”

Every single word dropped from his lips at a terrifyingly slow, deliberate pace, dripping with overwhelming displeasure.

“Even His Majesty the Emperor—the sole individual who possesses the authority to issue me orders—has not pressured me regarding this matter. So who exactly do you think you are to demand that I make a decision?”

Utterly incapable of formulating a rebuttal, Raymond simply bit down hard on his own lip. Thick veins bulged violently across his tightly clenched fists.

“This is a direct order, Captain Raymond Harrison. Even a highly competent officer like yourself needs to sit quietly, do your assigned job, and wait, exactly like the other captains.”

“…Yes, Admiral.”

A voice brutally strangled of all emotion slipped through Raymond’s gritted teeth. Aiden held his gaze for a fraction of a second before turning his back and striding toward the door.

“I will bury this incident. Consider it my utmost leniency as your classmate and friend.”

Thud. With a heavy, echoing slam, the door shut behind him, plunging the drawing room into a suffocating, heavy silence.

“Fuck. A piece of shit who only made Admiral by kissing the asses of those in power!”

Burying his face in his hands, Raymond spat out a stream of vicious profanity. Yet, as if the verbal outburst wasn’t enough to quell his boiling rage, he snatched the teacup off the table and hurled it at the wall.

Crash!

Accompanied by an ear-splitting shatter, glittering glass shards exploded in every direction. As the fragments sparkled mockingly under the chandelier, the brutal conversation he had shared with his father, Count George, just moments ago flashed through his mind.

“Raymond Harrison. Did I tell you to secure the Repeto Kingdom operational command, or did I tell you to screw around and waste time at a party?!”

“…I apologize, Father.”

“It’s because you’re in such a pathetic state that Aiden is hesitating to make a decision!”

His scalp still burned with agonizing heat from where his father had viciously grabbed him by the hair.

“Tsk. To think a pathetic bastard like you is the future head of the Harrison County.”

“…”

“If your older sisters had been sons, or if Aiden were my son, I wouldn’t have to suffer through this headache.”

How incredibly happy Marquis Lucen must be. His father had muttered the words like a genuine lament, and the sentiment had pierced Raymond’s chest like a flurry of daggers he couldn’t pull out. Raymond bit down on his lip even harder. The metallic tang of blood began to seep into his mouth, but he couldn’t care less.

“Damn you, Aiden Rosley…”

That bastard had stolen absolutely everything from him. The position of Academy valedictorian, the title of the youngest Admiral, the love and respect of his father and superiors, the admiration of his peers—everything.

Aiden was the jagged stone that had violently tripped up his smooth, perfectly paved life, snatching away everything that rightfully belonged to him. Every ounce of his current misery was entirely Aiden Rosley’s fault. The tiny ember of hatred that had sparked during their Academy days had grown into a raging, uncontrollable inferno.

“Haa…”

The relentless barrage of dark, suffocating emotions triggered a splitting headache. Exhaling a ragged sigh, Raymond squeezed his eyes shut. As total darkness enveloped his vision, his feverish, boiling rationality slowly began to cool.

“Right.”

Even after reacting so coldly, Aiden would undoubtedly choose him in the end. After all, Aiden hadn’t even issued a formal disciplinary action for his blatant insubordination just now.

And besides…

“Did Aiden Rosley actually believe that?” 

“Yes, sir. He cried so much that I almost felt sorry for him.”

Aiden Rosley had an unexpectedly naive, stupidly soft side to him.

“I’ll make a special exception and wait this time.”

The seething rage that had completely contorted Raymond’s face vanished without a trace. In its place, an arrogant smirk anticipating total victory settled comfortably over his features.

***