Chapter 23

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Because the wedding between Clyde and Aiden was heavily promoted under the title of The Union of the Empire’s Most Handsome Men, the parade route was absolutely overflowing with an unprecedented, suffocatingly massive crowd.

“Are you feeling tired?”

At Clyde’s question, Aiden, who was mechanically waving with a rigidly plastered smile, whispered softly.

“You are aware that I have three nieces and nephews, correct?”

Though it was an incredibly sudden, seemingly random question, Clyde nodded in confirmation.

“This is exactly as exhausting as playing with them.”

“Hmm. I don’t have any nieces or nephews, so I can’t quite grasp the level of exhaustion.”

“Then I will summon them for you so you can experience it firsthand.”

Clyde’s clear, ringing laughter rolled across the bustling city streets. Predictably, dramatic groans of admiration erupted from the surrounding crowd. Offering a faint, polite smile toward the onlookers, Aiden asked another question.

“Don’t tell me… we have to do this exact same parade in the North as well?”

“If Admiral Rosley desires it?”

“I absolutely do not.”

At the ruthlessly firm rejection, Clyde burst into another fit of laughter. It was the kind of genuinely bright, infectious smile that naturally lifted one’s spirits, and Aiden found himself unconsciously smiling along. Meanwhile, the carriage finally cleared the congested city center and arrived at the grand port.

A massive, incredibly luxurious passenger cruise ship was securely docked at the pier. Having spent his entire career exclusively aboard military warships, Aiden’s eyes sparkled with intense curiosity at the unfamiliar sight.

Reading the excitement in his eyes, Clyde chuckled softly and asked.

“Do you like it, Admiral Rosley?”

Keeping his gaze entirely locked onto the towering cruise ship, Aiden nodded emphatically.

“Yes. I like it very much.”

“That’s a relief. Shall we board, then?”

Walking alongside Clyde, Aiden headed toward the boarding ramp.

With every single step that carried him further away from the land, Aiden’s heart began to hammer with wild, exhilarating anticipation. The very second he crossed the gangway and his boots hit the deck, the familiar, comforting sway of the ocean waves surged through his body, sending an electrifying thrill straight from his toes to the top of his head.

“How does it feel to be back on a ship after so long?”

“It is absolutely phenomenal!”

The moment he heard Aiden’s exceptionally bright, practically bubbling voice, Clyde’s internal resolution to thaw the cursed Northern sea very slowly evaporated instantly.

‘Seeing Aiden this incredibly happy, how could I possibly do that to him?’

Clyde quickly rationalized his total surrender. He had a sinking suspicion that, until his dying breath, he would constantly and happily compromise his own plans if it meant making Aiden happy.

“Admiral Rosley. We must go greet the nobles now.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Besides the Grand Duke and his new husband, a substantial number of high-ranking nobles had already boarded the ship. They ranged from elegant ladies with beautifully cascading hair to imposing, broad-shouldered young gentlemen.

Serving as their official escort party for the journey to the Trois Kingdom, the nobles enthusiastically showered the newlywed couple with congratulations and lavish blessings. Wearing an undeniably stiff, awkward smile, Aiden offered polite, rehearsed words of gratitude.

Every time Aiden forced a painfully strained smile, Clyde snickered quietly beside him.

After formally greeting every single noble aboard, a crew member approached and offered to guide them to their quarters.

“This is the suite prepared for you, Admiral Rosley. The suite directly across the hall is reserved for His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Thank you. I will inspect my quarters myself, so you are dismissed.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As Clyde issued the dismissal, the crew member bowed deeply and departed. With a soft click, the door shut behind them, and Aiden slowly, meticulously surveyed the suite.

It featured a lavish drawing room complete with a crystal chandelier, a sprawling bathroom equipped with a massive marble tub, a bedroom boasting an impossibly plush bed, a private study, and a spacious balcony. It was a level of extreme, decadent luxury that a military warship could never possibly accommodate.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the sheer opulence, Aiden unknowingly muttered his true, unfiltered thoughts aloud.

“It would be truly wonderful if His Majesty allocated just a slightly higher budget.”

“Why? Do you not like the suite?”

Clyde tilted his head in confusion. Realizing he had spoken far too loudly, Aiden offered a sheepish laugh and quickly explained.

“No, it’s not that. I was just thinking, ‘How wonderful would it be if our warships possessed facilities of this caliber?'”

“…Admiral Rosley, you are on your honeymoon, yet you are exclusively thinking about warships?”

Since this was essentially a deeply ingrained, incurable habit, Aiden answered nonchalantly.

“It cannot be helped. Passenger ship or warship, they are fundamentally both vessels on the sea.”

“Is that so? But what should I do? I suddenly feel incredibly neglected and sad.”

Aiden felt as if the air had been suddenly sucked from his lungs. Wondering what brand of absolute nonsense Clyde would spew today, the Grand Duke had boldly deployed the word ‘neglected.’ Where on earth in this perfectly mundane conversation was there any room to feel neglected?!

As Aiden scrunched up his face in profound disbelief, Clyde spoke again. It was his usual, soft, lilting tone, yet the very end of his sentence sounded distinctly damp, as if he were holding back tears.

“We haven’t even been married for a few hours, but does our dear Admiral have any idea how a forsaken husband feels?”

Following the tragic declaration, Clyde dramatically drooped his shoulders and lowered his eyes. Perhaps because of his slightly wavy, brilliant blond hair, he perfectly resembled a massive, deeply depressed Golden Retriever.

…Wow. He really is insane.

Aiden finally understood exactly why his father had always immediately surrendered whenever he used his own puppy-dog eyes as a child. This was far beyond mere nonsense; it was absolute lunacy, yet Aiden found himself completely incapable of formulating a rebuttal.

Furthermore, in his entire life, the only things he had ever categorized as ‘cute’ were furry animals and actual human babies. This was the very first time he had looked at a fully grown adult man and thought he was cute…

You crazy bastard! Snap out of it!

Aiden aggressively and violently severed the treacherous thought. Feeling a dangerous, burning heat creeping up the tips of his ears and his cheeks, he feigned complete ignorance and sharply turned his head away.

“Stop spouting absolute nonsense. Who on earth was forsaken?!”

“Hmm? Why are you suddenly avoiding my eyes?”

“Regardless! I am hungry, so I am going to the dining hall!”

Intentionally raising his voice to a near-shout, Aiden spun on his heel and practically sprinted out the door. Following closely behind, a voice dripping with heavy amusement drifted down the hall. ‘Wait for me, let’s go together!’