BXBX NOVEL Chapter 53: I Don’t Know You
“He’s on his way.”
Listening to the Chief’s report, Evelyn exhaled and stepped into the hall. Because the King was not present as a princess, she had the right to replace her father. Moreover, given that she was the new finance minister, the visit of the Emperor could be defined as part of their business.
“I’ll meet him.”
“Wait, Princess… I’ll be with you.”
Liam hurriedly caught up with Evelyn. Since the one who came was the Emperor himself, who blocked the trade route for a week. So it had a high possibility of getting angry. Even though he was only a Duke, the Akshire Family had a position that couldn’t be ignored, and he was going to help Evelyn.
“No, Akshire don’t have to get involved with the Empire.”
“It’s more painful to not be able to do anything.”
“Sir Liam, I’m fine, His Majesty…….” Suddenly, Evelyn stopped talking. I know His Majesty very well. She almost said something like that. Actually, she just realized that she didn’t know anything about him.
“His Majesty is coming!”
However, the trumpet sounded without further consideration. Evelyn nodded helplessly, and the Chief opened the door and greeted the Emperor.
Dressed in a black robe and simple plain clothing, Fabian passed through the royal hall.
“I see you, Your Majesty.”
Evelyn and Liam gave a light example, and Fabian looked directly at Evelyn, and walked towards her, ignoring Liam’s existence.
Evelyn was afraid to look up at Fabian. It was only in the beautifully decorated palace that the Empress could see the Emperor, so that it was hardly possible to know what kind of expression he was making now.
After all, Evelyn didn’t know Fabian’s face as an Emperor. Well, she was too arrogant even though she didn’t know him as a husband.
“I have something to say to the Princess, so get out of here.” After a while, Fabian’s voice was as low and cold as ever.
“Your Majesty, as Duke of Akshire, I would like to assist the Princess and listen to your words.”
Fabian’s eyebrows, looking at Liam’s calmly speaking face, were frowned.
“I said get out of here.”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, this is not an Empire, but the Felice Kingdom.”
Liam’s bold attitude made Evelyn’s heart beat unsteadily. It wasn’t wrong, but Fabian would get irritated with that.
“So, are you, King Felice?” Fabian twisted in the corners of his lips. Then he sat on the throne of Jade beside Evelyn. His acts were natural because he had the highest status here. Still, Liam did not hide his challenging eyes, and it was intolerable to Fabian.
“I’m the Duke of Akshire, a long-time friend of the Felice royal family. I have pledged to share my fate with the Felice Kingdom, so I can assist her on a critical issue.”
“……that’s what you say.”
From the beginning, Liam was a man Fabian didn’t like. He had no grudge against Akshire, but there was a sense of resentment that could be felt when he faced him. From the start, Fabian had labelled Liam as an enemy.
“Yes. Then the Kingdom of Felice can make a decision.”
“The King’s Majesty is not currently in the royal palace,” Liam said.
“I didn’t ask you. One more unquestioned answer, I’ll show you how the Empire works.” Fabian, who was acrimonious, turned his eyes to Evelyn.”Princess Evelyn?”
The decision was passed on to Evelyn, the King’s substitute. She had to make a decision, but Evelyn couldn’t bet on dragging Liam into a dangerous situation.
“Sir Liam, please go and look at the present situation.”
“·······Princess?”
Without Evelyn knowing, there was sadness in Liam’s eyes. Meanwhile, Fabian’s mood had become uncomfortable.
“Please.”
There were many meanings in that one word. It meant, Evelyn, asking him to do what she told him to do, and asking him not to be stubborn anymore.
Liam looked at Evelyn’s eyes and nodded, then stepped out of the door.
“You picked up and raised a strange person.”
Evelyn did not respond to Fabian’s obvious criticism.
“Even though I am an uninvited guest, can you say hello to me?”
“I gave you an example earlier.” Actually, Evelyn didn’t mean that. She was only sad that he didn’t speak to her first even though he went through a difficult path. But Evelyn’s face was cold when she said that.
Fabian swallowed her bitter answer and asked her to sit down because Evelyn looked even more tired than him who rode a horse to get here.
“How did you come here without a message?” Evelyn sat down and asked him to the point. Looking at his dishevelled attire, he had to be pretty busy and had a hard time.
“It was faster for me to come here directly than to send a message,” Fabian said. His impudence was no longer a new attitude “Hmm, is this tyranny too?” Even when he said that Evelyn still looked calm. And Fabian couldn’t understand her.
His wife, who always had a gentle smile, suddenly declared a cold divorce, and now she looked like a completely different person. It wasn’t enough to send such a bold letter, but she was also amazing in some way not to blink her eyes even in this situation.
“I came here because I wanted to have a conversation with you,” said Fabian.
“I have nothing to say.”
“Hmm….” Fabian let out a strange sound. Looking closely, Evelyn’s skin seemed dull. Even though he was angry when he saw her face, Fabian felt sorry for her, and he couldn’t control his heart.
“Is it because I blocked the trade route?”
“No.”
“Then, why?”
“The problem with trade should be answered by the Empire instead of Finance Minister,” Evelyn replied calmly.
“Even if I put aside public affairs, isn’t it too much that you have nothing to say to me?”
“My personal relationship with Your majesty is over. I have only received you on behalf of the King’s absence.”
“·······Right.” Fabian even aware of her assessment of himself. A heartless, cold-blooded man who didn’t even take kindly to his mother. Such assessments were common, and some of them were true.
But now that he saw it, Evelyn was tough and wasn’t too easy.
“Then, as Finance Minister, listen to me. I am the will of the Empire and also the answer.” Fabian said in a calm voice, and Evelyn lifted her eyes and stared at him.
“The trade route is not blocked.” Fabian said that with an unreadable expression, “Tyranny and exploitation weren’t ordered by me, either.”
Suddenly, Evelyn’s eyes widened a little.
“But it’s my Empire, so it’s my fault.”
Evelyn couldn’t believe that Fabian admitted his mistake so gently.
“I have received your personal letter and started the investigation. You said it was tyranny and exploitation, right? That’s a very appropriate word to describe it. After all of them were true, I blocked the trade route for a while because there was no one to manage it.”
Evelyn frowned unconsciously. She immediately imagined how many people were killed by him in this case.
“It’s true that The Empire’s people were involved in destroying my honour.”
Evelyn’s eyes shook. It’s too much to kill everyone who had made mistakes. It was terrifying to imagine that a single letter she sent to the Empire would flood the whole harbour with blood.
“You don’t have to make that face. Because what I did isn’t murder.”
“Because everything Your Majesty does is right?”
“Yes.”
Fabian closed his eyes for a moment and then opened.
“As of today, the trade route will be re-opened, there will be no more tyranny and exploitation, and the trade agreement between the Empire and the Felice Kingdom will be fair as promised.”
When Evelyn heard that, she felt strangely relieved and strange in her heart. Even though she vaguely imagined him as a fair Emperor, he was too heartless. He was once her husband, but the reason she felt so lowly about him was that the Emperor’s name was the highest and most honourable in the world but also the loneliest.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Yes?”
“I want to know what you thought when the trade route blocked,” Fabian asked as if he was reading Evelyn’s mind. “Did you think that I, who knows the disaster in the south, used this opportunity to take revenge on your personal letter?”
Evelyn couldn’t deny or lie in front of him. Fabian already read the answer from her cold attitude.
“······Yeah.”
“I see.”
Fabian said nothing for a moment. There was no anger or sadness in his dark eye, looking at Evelyn.
“Don’t you blame me?”
“Should I do that?” said Evelyn.
The question sounded a little lonely.
“If anyone who stayed closer to me thinks of me as a cruel and cold-blooded Emperor, I wouldn’t blame you.”
Evelyn wasn’t making excuses. She thought Fabian was cold-blooded. Since she thought, as the noblest person on this continent, he would not hesitate to take advantage of the difficult times.
“Did you feel sorry?” asked Evelyn.
“Yeah, but … I’d like to apologize if you give me a chance.” Fabian’s eyes looked at Evelyn’s face a little puzzled.
“If you give, I’ll accept it.”
A low voice sounded bitter and deep. It’s always been like that when she looked back. Evelyn always took what Fabian gave calmly. No affection, no resentment, no parting. Only once, without asking why, she just received it silently.
“It can’t be said in return, but I brought medicine to cure the disease of the crops. I already sent it to the south.”
This time, Evelyn could not hide her surprise.
“It’s not for you. I’m like the owner of the whole continent, so it’s my job to save them.”
Although Fabian talked casually, Evelyn could have guessed his distress. It was strange to think that while Evelyn was gone, Fabian would have had a busy and exhausting day as well.
“Well, if that’s what you give. I have no choice but to thank you,” said Evelyn.
Fabian’s smile was faint. After breaking up with him, Evelyn looked into his eyes slowly for the first time. She wanted to know what kind of man she was looking at right now. She wanted to remember the father of the most loving child was like.
Only
“I still don’t know you, Your Majesty.”
It was a little sad.
“And I don’t know you either,” Fabian said. But his voice was no longer cold, ” So, I want to know about you.”
Before Evelyn realized it, Fabian, who got up from his seat, was in front of her eyes already.
“But the relationship between Your Majesty and me….”
“We don’t have to be a couple anymore. Still, I want to know what kind of woman you are. No, I think I can only live if I know that.”
Fabian looked down at Evelyn. Slowly, a large hand was placed in front of Evelyn’s eyes.