Chapter 13

***

“Haa…”

A heavy, profound sigh permeated the bedroom, closely followed by a thoroughly pathetic groan.

“Aiden Rosley, why the hell did you do that?!”

Burying his face deep into his pillow, Aiden unleashed a silent, agonizing scream. He honestly thought he was fine; he had spent the entire morning working, eating, and conversing as if absolutely nothing was wrong.

The real problem arose the second he closed his eyes to sleep. The moment total silence claimed the room, his treacherous brain began relentlessly replaying the horrifyingly embarrassing memories of that night on an endless loop. He always knew he possessed an excellent memory, but he never asked for it to be this exceptionally vivid.

Just as Aiden was viciously cursing his own innate talents and burrowing his face even deeper into the mattress, a low knock echoed through the door, accompanied by Thomas’s voice.

“Young Master Aiden. It is time for your treatment.”

Only then did Aiden lift his head to check the clock resting on the nightstand. Seven o’clock in the morning; it was time to treat his injured leg. Roughly smoothing down his atrocious bedhead, Aiden called out permission to enter.

“Young Master Aiden, good morning…?”

Thomas, who had offered the greeting out of sheer habit, trailed off, turning the statement into a deeply concerned question. Calling it a ‘good’ morning felt entirely inappropriate given Aiden’s current state. His eyes were completely glazed over, and his sunken features practically screamed that he hadn’t slept a single wink.

Overwhelmed by concern, Thomas asked cautiously. “Young Master, did you perhaps suffer from a nightmare?”

“Ah, yes. A nightmare.” Aiden let out a hollow, breathless chuckle, sweeping his obtrusive bangs out of his eyes. If my own memories count as a nightmare, then yes, it was a nightmare. “I definitely had one.”

“Shall we postpone the treatment for later, then?”

“No, it’s fine. I want to get this treated quickly so I can walk properly again.”

“Understood.”

Promising to return immediately, Thomas exited the bedroom, shortly returning with the estate’s doctor and the resident mage in tow.

“Young Master Aiden. Did you not explicitly assure me that we would never have to see each other like this again?”

Completely skipping any formal greetings, Rose, the mage, aggressively pressed her fingers against her temples as she scolded him. Utterly accustomed to this specific dynamic, Aiden simply flashed a goofy, unapologetic grin.

“Come now, Rose. Why don’t you just give up and join my crew on the warship?”

“I vastly prefer dry land, sir.”

“Then I’ll pay you significantly more than my father does.”

“I am not swayed by mere coin. Please do not underestimate my absolute loyalty to Marquis Lucen.”

Rose lifted her chin with haughty, unwavering pride. She’s not falling for it. Muttering the disappointed observation under his breath, Aiden shot Nancy, the doctor, a subtle look to begin.

“Young Master. I will cut the bandages off first.”

With practiced, terrifying efficiency, Nancy sliced through the heavy bandages. In the past, an injury of this caliber would have required him to remain wrapped up for months, but healing magic had advanced by leaps and bounds since the war, rendering extended bandaging unnecessary.

Furthermore, Rose was a prodigy personally discovered and rigorously trained by Marquis Lucen specifically to deal with the chronically reckless Aiden. When it came to healing magic, she was unequivocally the most skilled mage in the entire Empire.

Once the preparations were complete, Rose began chanting her incantation. A cluster of soft, golden light spilled from her fingertips, gently wrapping around Aiden’s injured leg. A lukewarm temperature—neither uncomfortably hot nor startlingly cold—spread pleasantly through his muscles.

The lingering, throbbing pain slowly melted away. He had experienced this exact sensation countless times, yet it never ceased to amaze him. After a few minutes, the humming, golden light encasing his leg vanished all at once. Phew. Catching her breath, Rose wiped the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead.

“I sincerely pray that this will be your final treatment, sir.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Young Master Aiden…!”

Rose groaned, pressing her hand against her forehead as if a migraine was setting in. Chuckling deeply at her misery, Aiden subtly gauged the reactions of the two women before asking a very cautious question.

“It feels like the healing magic was exceptionally effective this time. Do you think I could do some light exercis—”

“Shooting, running, horseback riding, sparring, and absolutely everything else in between is strictly forbidden.”

The merciless denial came from Nancy, not Rose. Ruthlessly severing Aiden’s sentence, she was as unyielding as a solid brick wall. She was truly the perfect warden personally appointed by Marquis Lucen.

“Then, Young Master, we shall return tomorrow. The bandages have been removed, but please do not forget that you are still a patient.”

Leaving him with one final, chilling warning, Nancy exited the bedroom alongside Rose. Clicking his tongue in deep annoyance, Aiden pushed himself out of bed.

If I can’t exercise, I might as well get some work done before the meeting. Making the decision, Aiden cautiously placed his injured foot on the floor. He was immensely satisfied to find that not even a dull ache remained. A deep sense of accomplishment bled into his steps as he walked smoothly toward his study.

The study was impeccably clean, completely devoid of a single speck of dust. The books filling the massive wall-to-wall shelves were perfectly aligned, and a sprawling map of the world dominated the opposite wall.

“So, the designated departure date for the Repeto Kingdom is…”

Aiden flipped the heavy mahogany calendar resting on his desk. Exactly one month and one week from today, a specific date was circled in bright blue ink. Having confirmed the timeline, Aiden pulled a thick dossier from his drawer.

Printed boldly across the cover of the oppressively thick file was the title: The Repeto Kingdom. Straightening his posture, Aiden flipped the cover open, his expression hardening into intense, professional concentration.

He was deeply engrossed in reviewing the documents when a low knock broke the silence. Is it Thomas? Aiden set his pen down. The crisp white parchment was already densely packed with his elegant handwriting, a clear testament to how much time had passed.

“Enter.”

At Aiden’s permission, the heavy oak door slowly swung inward. As the gap widened, Aiden’s previously emotionless face underwent a violent, kaleidoscopic array of dramatic shifts.

The moment the door fully opened, his entire face flushed a catastrophic, burning shade of crimson.

“Y-You…!”

Aiden barely managed to bite back the horrified shriek clawing at his throat. In response, the figure standing in the doorway chuckled softly.

“Admiral Rosley, may I come in?”

Aiden’s immediate survival instinct was to force out a hollow, artificial laugh. It was an incredibly awkward, painfully strained sound, but it was the absolute best option available to him in this waking nightmare.

“Don’t tell me… are you planning to kick me out because you’ve already grown tired of me, even though we just promised to marry yesterday?”

“What kind of absolute nonsen—”

Aiden’s momentary flash of genuine irritation was instantly smothered by another forced, trembling smile. The reason was simple: standing directly behind Clyde was Marquis Lucen, wearing a sickeningly benevolent, fatherly smile.

“How could I possibly do that? Please, come in, Your Grace.”

In stark contrast to his excessively polite, honeyed words, Aiden’s eyes were practically screaming with murderous annoyance. Smirking at the lethal glare, Clyde stepped into the study. With a dull thud, the door clicked shut behind him.

Aiden desperately rolled his eyes, fixing his gaze on the furthest possible corner of the room to avoid looking at the man. The mere sight of Clyde’s face was aggressively triggering the horrifying memories of that night.

“S-So, if I may ask, what brings you here today?”

“Well, I simply missed you far too much to bear, Admiral Rosley.”

Assaulted by the sheer, unadulterated nonsense striking his eardrums, Aiden completely forgot his vow to avoid eye contact and stared straight at Clyde in absolute disbelief.

Clyde’s eyes were curved into beautiful crescents, and his lips were drawn upward in a flawlessly smooth arc. Right on cue, a beam of sunlight slipping through the window cascaded over him. The face that had been undeniably, painstakingly sculpted to Aiden’s exact tastes was now glowing with an ethereal, almost blinding radiance.

Utterly incapable of formulating a response, Aiden simply stared at him in a stunned daze.

“Are you busy? Could you spare a little time for me?”

Just as Aiden, completely bewitched by the man’s face, was about to mindlessly agree—

A violent flash of his own disgraceful, humiliating actions ripped through his mind, snapping him back to reality. Rapidly regaining his senses, Aiden delivered a ruthless, unyielding rejection.

“I am incredibly busy! Because I am an Admiral who passionately loves his work, I have a truly horrifying mountain of tasks to complete! Furthermore, I have a highly critical meeting scheduled very shortly!”

“Is that so?”

Clyde tilted his head slightly, letting out a soft, thoughtful hum as he pressed two fingers against his temple.

“I had completely forgotten about it until just now, but a certain memory suddenly came to me. It’s quite important, so I think I’ll go have a quick chat with your family about it, Admiral.”

What is he talking about all of a sudden? As Aiden’s brow furrowed in deep confusion, Clyde’s smirk widened dangerously.

“It’s about the time Admiral Rosley got incredibly drunk and threw a fork directly at my—”

“I am not busy! I am completely free!”

Aiden frantically, desperately shrieked, slicing through Clyde’s sentence before he could finish the horrifying revelation.

“Oh, what a shame. I’m so sorry, Admiral. I completely forgot what I was going to say. I suppose I’ll just stay right here.”

The exact second Clyde shamelessly delivered the blatant lie, a new, permanent label was seared into Aiden’s brain regarding the man standing before him: A terrifying bastard who will spout absolute nonsense to get what he wants. ‘Lunatic’ or ‘crazy bastard’ were undeniably far more accurate descriptors, but since the man was technically a Grand Duke, Aiden resolved to keep the extreme profanity internalized. Of course, even Aiden didn’t know how long that fragile resolution would actually last.

“S-So, what exactly does Your Grace wish to do with me?”

Aiden forced the agonizing words out, practically grinding them through his teeth one by one.

“Just wait right here for a moment.”

Letting out a low, deeply amused chuckle, Clyde exited the study. Aiden stared blankly at the empty space where the Grand Duke had just been standing, the lingering warmth of his presence still hanging in the air.

Right, should I just make a run for it right now? My leg is completely healed, so I can go literally anywhere, right? Wait, has the repair work on my warship even started?

Hold on. If I run away, will that damn Grand Duke actually tell my family everything? How relentlessly are my brothers going to mock me if they find out?! The more I think about it, the more unfair this is! Sure, I was incredibly embarrassed yesterday, but I sent him a letter and apologized first! How can he play this so dirty?!

As an endless, chaotic spiral of panicked thoughts consumed Aiden’s mind, a voice broke his spiraling despair.

“Were you waiting for me?”

Having silently returned, Clyde’s playful voice echoed in the room. Feeling an inexplicable surge of profound injustice, Aiden stuck his bottom lip out in a furious pout and aggressively scanned Clyde from head to toe. Both of Clyde’s hands were completely overflowing with thick stacks of paperwork, and tucked securely under his arm was a massive, unidentifiable rolled-up document.

“What is all that?”

Aiden’s tone was incredibly sullen. The corners of Clyde’s mouth twitched violently. Glaring at the man who was clearly fighting a losing battle against his own laughter, Aiden scowled.

“I apologize for laughing. It was my fault, okay?”

“…”

“These are gifts I prepared specifically for you, Admiral Rosley. Are you going to refuse them?”

This was exactly the second time in Aiden’s entire life that someone had referred to a massive stack of paperwork as a ‘gift’. For the record, the first time was when his grandmother had warmly declared, ‘This is a birthday present from Grandma to our adorable little baby,’ while aggressively shoving a massive stack of land transfer deeds into his hands.

Wearing a deeply unimpressed, thoroughly skeptical expression, Aiden muttered. “I don’t particularly need any more land deeds.”

“Land deeds? Should I have brought those as well? Shall I have them fetched right now?”

“No, thank you. I already own plenty of land, so I have no need for more.”

Aiden’s razor-sharp, immediate rejection drew a burst of bright, ringing laughter from Clyde’s lips. Seriously, what am I supposed to do with him? His heart felt so overwhelmingly full and fond that it was driving him insane. Withering slightly under Aiden’s stinging glare, Clyde barely managed to suppress his laughter and deposited the massive stacks of documents onto the desk.

“Come over here and take a seat.”

Following the graceful arc of Clyde’s gesture, the blue diamond resting on his ring finger caught the light and sparkled brilliantly. Staring blankly at the ring for a long moment, Aiden exhaled a heavy sigh and approached the desk. Regardless of his annoyance, basic etiquette dictated that he should at least inspect a gift someone had gone through the trouble of bringing.

“I was thinking deeply about the incident, and something felt incredibly strange.”

Opening the conversation, Clyde pulled the massive, unidentifiable rolled-up document from under his arm and spread it across the desk. It was a highly detailed ship blueprint. He had brought so many that they seemed to stretch endlessly across the polished mahogany.

“To think a naval warship would suffer such catastrophic damage simply from ramming into a pirate vessel.”

As Clyde continued his explanation, the previously unenthusiastic, deadpan crimson eyes began to spark with vibrant, rapidly escalating emotion.

“No matter how I look at it, it seems the structural design was inherently flawed and the vessel was simply far too old… What are your thoughts on the matter, Admiral?”

The very second Clyde delivered that final, validating sentence, Aiden shot up from his chair, slamming his hands on the desk as he practically yelled.

“Right?! You think so too, Your Grace?! I’ve been saying this the entire time! I didn’t smash the ship because I wanted to smash it!”

He looked exactly like a wildly excited, overly dramatic cat with its tail sticking straight up in pure joy. Clyde desperately bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop his lips from curling upward again.

“That warship that got wrecked this time is the exact same one I’ve been using since before I even enrolled in the Academy! Honestly, there’s a limit to how many times you can patch a ship together; at this point, they really should just buy me a new on—”

Aiden abruptly cut himself off, his eyes darting frantically toward the desk. The sprawling ocean of ship blueprints, the impossibly thick stacks of official documents, and Clyde’s heavily loaded, meaningful words. As an exhilarating, unbelievable expectation struck his brain like lightning, Aiden’s jaw slowly dropped open. Smirking wickedly, Clyde delivered the killing blow.

“Exactly. That is why, rather than repairing the old warship, I am going to buy you a brand-new one. For the record, I have already secured His Majesty’s explicit permission. I will handle absolutely all the remaining logistics, so all you have to do is decide which ship you prefer, Admiral.”

The moment the declaration left Clyde’s lips, a smile so radiant it looked as if he had just conquered the entire universe exploded across Aiden’s face.

“Your Grace! Do you have any idea how much I love you?!”

When it came to naval warships, Aiden was an incredibly cheap, utterly shameless man who would aggressively deploy the word ‘love’ and boundless flattery without a single ounce of hesitation. Even if the person buying him the ship was the exact same man plotting to drag him to the frozen North, Aiden was fully prepared to declare his love a hundred times over.

Our dear Admiral really knows exactly how to torture me.

Aiden’s purely reflexive, unfiltered declaration of love sent Clyde’s heart into a violent, erratic frenzy. He wanted to immediately revoke the solemn vow he had made just two days ago and scream, ‘I am that child!’ right this very second.

But I absolutely cannot do that. Barely managing to reign in his spiraling sanity, Clyde swallowed the desperate, overflowing emotions and maintained his smooth, playful facade.

“Is that so? I never realized our dear Admiral loved me this deeply.”

“Well, you can start realizing it from this exact moment onward!”

“Yes. I suppose I will.”

Chuckling softly, Clyde lightly patted the empty space beside him on the sofa. Aiden eagerly plopped down right next to him without a second thought.

“First, this vessel incorporates the absolute latest technological advancements…”

Handing over the complex blueprints and the painstakingly detailed specification reports, Clyde personally began explaining the nuances of each ship.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed in intense, utterly serious concentration as he scrutinized the documents. What is the maximum estimated knot speed? How many heavy cannons can it sustainably equip? Is the hull durability structurally sound? While meticulously weighing the countless variables and agonizing over the optimal choice, Aiden’s eyes suddenly shot wide open.

“This one. I believe this one is the absolute best option.”

“This one?”

Clyde examined the specific blueprint and specification file Aiden was pointing at. To his untrained eye, they all looked virtually identical, so he couldn’t grasp the functional differences, but if Aiden said it was the best, then it was the best.

“Hmm?”

While scanning the page, a specific clause listed under ‘Special Features’ caught Clyde’s eye. Ah, so this is why he picked this specific blueprint. A hollow, thoroughly defeated chuckle escaped Clyde’s lips. Hearing the laugh, Aiden’s mouth crooked upward into a sly, impossibly smug smirk.

“Since my beloved Grand Duke explicitly promised that he would flawlessly handle all the remaining logistics, I shall place my absolute faith in you.”

“Of course. If I don’t use my overwhelming imperial authority and wealth for the sake of my husband, what else would I possibly use it for?”

Gently, affectionately stroking Aiden’s hair, Clyde re-read the devastating ‘Special Features’ clause one more time.

Special Features: The vessel will be enchanted with multiple high-tier magics essential for both combat and daily habitation, including advanced climate control, velocity enhancement, structural shielding, and navigational assistance magic. Lead Enchanter: Marquis Laila Renesia.

A standard, top-tier naval warship was already astronomically expensive, but a warship saturated with high-tier enchantments was a financial nightmare beyond imagination. Furthermore, it wasn’t just any ordinary mage doing the enchanting—it was Marquis Laila Renesia, the absolute pinnacle of magical authority in the Empire. The price tag would be cataclysmic.

Hmm… Before I officially propose this budget allocation, I should probably buy the Finance Minister some high-grade blood pressure medication.

The exact second he demanded this budget, the poor man was absolutely guaranteed to clutch the back of his neck and collapse. While he genuinely felt a pang of pity for the minister just thinking about it, Clyde had absolutely zero intention of compromising or backing down. A smooth, ruthlessly elegant smile curved across Clyde’s lips.

“Well then, Admiral Rosley, I should be taking my leave now.”

“Are you leaving already?”

Mere minutes ago, Aiden had been desperately trying to kick him out of the study, yet now, his voice dripped with undeniable, genuine disappointment. The legendarily cold, flawlessly composed ‘Admiral Rosley’ was nowhere to be found; sitting here was simply Aiden, the youngest son of the Rosley Marquisate, who wore every single emotion plainly on his face.

He was so overwhelmingly, devastatingly adorable even when completely sober that Clyde was violently seized by the impulsive urge to grab Aiden’s squishy cheeks and pull them.

Huu…

Was unrequited love always this agonizingly difficult? Taking a deep, ragged breath to steady his racing heart, Clyde barely managed to suppress the urge. Instead of grabbing Aiden’s cheeks, he lightly tapped the chosen blueprint resting on the desk.

“Yes. I have to go resolve this massive issue, after all.”

“Ah, of course you do!”

Bursting with uncontainable excitement, a brilliant, rosy flush spread across Aiden’s pale cheeks. If only you liked me half as much as you like that damn warship. A dark, pathetic wave of jealousy surged within him, but as a man born into the Imperial Family, Clyde was a master at suppressing his emotions.

“And I need to buy some blood pressure medication on my way back.”

Blood pressure medication? Tilting his head in momentary confusion, Aiden quickly realized exactly what Clyde meant and burst into wicked, knowing giggles.

“You’ll probably need to secure the absolute strongest dosage available, Your Grace.”

Over Aiden’s playful, mischief-laced laughter, a series of low knocks echoed through the study.

“Young Master. It is Thomas.”

“Your Grace. I apologize, but may I excuse myself for a brief moment?”

“Of course.”

Aiden stood up and pulled the heavy oak door open.

“Young Master. Your guests have arrived.”

“Has it already been that long?”

Aiden pulled a silver pocket watch from his vest to check the time. The schedule was far too tight to properly see Clyde off. Instantly reading the frantic apology brewing in Aiden’s eyes, Clyde smiled warmly, his eyes curving into gentle crescents.

“Go ahead, Admiral Rosley. Don’t keep them waiting.”

“But Your Grace…”

As Aiden trailed off guiltily, Clyde gently patted him on the back.

“It’s perfectly fine. Hurry along.”

Maybe Grand Duke Clyde is actually an incredibly good person? He had just bought him a warship—a magically enchanted warship, no less—and his consideration was genuinely profound.

“Instead, next time, would the great Hero of the Empire, Admiral Rosley, personally grace the Imperial Palace with his presence for a lowly man like myself?”

…The fact that he’s an absolute lunatic is the biggest problem, though. Aiden shot a subtle, withering glare at Clyde, who was actively mocking him by perfectly parroting the overly dramatic, excessively polite vocabulary Aiden had painfully forced out during their first meeting.

“Thank you very much for your understanding. Please have a safe journey back, Your Grace.”

“I will. Work hard.”

Gathering the sprawling blueprints back into a neat roll, Clyde offered a small wave. Even as Aiden stepped out the door and glanced back down the hallway, Clyde was still waving. He looked fully prepared to keep waving until Aiden completely vanished from sight.

Crazy Grand Duke. Muttering the insult under his breath, the corners of Aiden’s lips were curled upward into a massive, unstoppable smile.

“Thomas.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Father isn’t secretly hiding somewhere like last time, is he?”

Aiden frantically scanned his surroundings. The extravagantly decorated hallway seemed completely devoid of any suspicious presence, but his paranoia was entirely justified.

“Haha! The Marchioness is currently present, so there is no way he would do such a thing. Furthermore, the Master is currently engaged in an urgent business meeting.”

“Father had a meeting scheduled today? When do you think it will end?”

“No, sir. The guests arrived quite suddenly regarding an urgent matter. In fact, they should be taking a brief recess right about now.”

Nodding in satisfaction at Thomas’s report, Aiden issued his command.

“Then, please go to Father and ask him to formally and politely see His Grace off in my stead since he is returning to the Palace.”

“Yes, Young Master! Even if he is not currently on recess, I will ensure your message is delivered immediately!”

For some strange reason, Thomas’s voice pitched slightly higher than usual as he answered, but Aiden was far too pressed for time to investigate the anomaly.

“I leave it in your capable hands.”

Aiden immediately marched toward the conference room where his subordinates were waiting. Every single step he took practically radiated pure, unadulterated joy.

I’m going to brag to Logan and Jerome that the crazy Grand Duke bought me an insanely expensive warship. Humming a cheerful tune under his breath, he soon arrived at the imposing doors of the conference room. Waiting diligently outside was his adjutant, Jerome.

“Good afternoon, Admiral! Everyone is currently waiting inside.”

“Excellent. Let’s head in.”

At Aiden’s subtle nod, a servant immediately pulled the heavy doors open. Through the widening gap, the high-ranking naval executives and the candidate operational commanders were visibly seated around the massive table.

“Jerome.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

“That craz— I mean, His Grace the Grand Duke just bought me a brand-new warship. A ridiculously expensive one fully loaded with high-tier magic.”

“Excuse me?!”

Before Jerome could even process the absolute absurdity of the statement or ask for clarification, Aiden had already swept into the conference room. He had absolutely no idea what had transpired, but it was undeniably clear that his superior officer was in an exceptionally phenomenal mood. Facing an incredibly tense, highly critical meeting, Jerome simply felt overwhelmingly relieved that the Admiral was in high spirits.

“Admiral, please do not leave me behind, sir!”

Calling out frantically, Jerome hurried in after Aiden.