Chapter 92: Cold

“Ian is mine!”  

Noah heard the Emperor’s words, pulled Ian into her arms, and shouted. Her voice filled the dining room.  

After a brief silence, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh and looked at Noah.  

“Ah, yes, that’s right. Countess Mellie, you were there too.”  

At that moment, his eyes gleamed as he glanced back and forth between Noah and the prince.  

“The second hero since the first Emperor. The second multiple summoner.”  

Unlike Ian, who could pass on his talent to multiple women at once, this prince could only have one child at a time… Yet, she was exceptionally gifted—enough to make the Emperor covet her abilities.  

“Yes, this is good. Then, you shall be engaged to the Prince.”  

“… Your Majesty, that—”  

“Why? Do you not like it? This is your chance to become part of the royal family. Your child could be the next Emperor.”  

Noah dared not open her mouth. It wasn’t the thought of becoming empress that unsettled her, but rather how to reject the proposal without bringing disaster upon herself.  

Seeing her hesitation, Ian realized it was his turn to step in.  

“I refuse.”  

“… Marquis Clark, what did you just say?”  

“I don’t want to be engaged to the Princess, nor do I intend to hand Noah over to the Prince.”  

Saying that, he pulled Noah behind him. He needed to be direct. The Emperor’s actions were nothing more than greed—prioritizing his lineage over all else.  

“Does having talent mean one must marry into the royal family? You must do what is right, Your Majesty.”  

The so-called “imperial talent” had never been proven. Since the first Emperor, no one had successfully summoned two summons, nor had there been a true hero among them.  

If high-ranking summons could only be acquired through talent, then the imperial family should have dozens of 4-star summons by now.  

Reality? They had none.  

“By that logic, wouldn’t it make more sense for Noah and me to marry?”  

The second hero, Noah Mellie.  

The next Duke, Ian Clark.  

To outsiders, a union between two individuals with such rare talents seemed like the most reasonable path.  

“… So, you’re saying you refuse?”  

“According to Your Majesty’s own logic, this would be the more reasonable choice.”  

“Puhahaha—! Reasonable, reasonable…!”  

The Emperor burst into laughter at Ian’s words. Those around him lowered their gazes, uncomfortable with their ruler’s lack of composure.  

After a moment, the Emperor’s laughter ceased, and he fixed his gaze on Ian.  

“If you’re so rational, would you destroy the Empire?”  

The words were laced with thorns—poisonous ones. But Ian had no choice but to grab hold of them.  

What, should he hesitate to pluck a rose just because he feared the thorns?  

“Yes, if necessary.”  

“You just declared in front of me that you would destroy the Empire.”  

“And at the same time, I ensure that will never happen.”  

Ian locked eyes with the Emperor. 

In that split second, the air between them shifted as they challenged each other’s words.  

“I would destroy the Empire… If the Empire itself became a threat to humanity. But as long as the Great Emperor—His Majesty—rules wisely, would that ever be the case?”  

“… Hahaha! Yes, yes! Of course, that will never happen in my Empire.”  

The Emperor let out a loud laugh before turning back to Ian.  

“Then, do you intend to take both?”  

“… Excuse me?”  

“If both the Princess and Countess Mellie are captivated by you, wouldn’t it be a case of killing two birds with one stone?”  

Ian blinked in disbelief. Even the Prince and Princess, seated nearby, gawked at the Emperor in shock.  

The Emperor, impatient as ever, did not even give Ian a chance to process the absurdity of his words before pressing for an answer.  

Ian hesitated for a moment, then gave a slow nod.  

“Well… I suppose that wouldn’t be bad.”  

***

Puck!

“You bastard!”  

After dinner, Ian returned to his room—only to receive a powerful punch from Noah.  

Doubling over in pain, he clutched his stomach and reached out toward her as if to explain himself.  

“… I had no choice.”  

“No choice?!”  

Noah shouted and threw another punch at him.  

Of course, she understood. In front of the Emperor, refusing outright wasn’t an option.  

But even so, a woman wanted to be the only one in such unavoidable situations.  

After a few more punches, Noah finally stopped and buried her face in Ian’s chest.  

“… Have you calmed down?”  

“… Yes.”  

As her strength faded, so did her anger. Resting against him, she let exhaustion take over, forgetting everything else.  

“… Ian, that thing you said… Did you mean it?”  

“What thing?”  

“You said you’d marry me instead of the Princess.”  

He never said that. No matter how hard he searched his memory, it was either Noah’s misunderstanding or an auditory hallucination conjured by her mind.

But there was nothing wrong with the words themselves, so Ian stroked her hair and said,  

“I’m serious.”  

“Hehe, is that so?”  

Ian had no intention of marrying either of them. However, sometimes, lies were necessary.  

Hearing Ian’s answer, Noah giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her small hands struggled to fully encircle him, but she managed to barely touch her fingers together.  

Resting her head against Ian’s side, Noah mumbled softly while rubbing her face against him.  

“Me too—I like yo…oh, Ian…”  

Her voice was so low that it was hard to make out her words, muffled further by his clothes. Without hesitation, Ian lifted Noah and gently placed her on the bed.  

Her face was flushed, her body slightly feverish.  

“Looks like you’re overworked. Get some rest,” Ian said, pulling the duvet up to her neck. He watched her slowly drift off to sleep before rising from the bed.  

As he turned to leave, Noah weakly grasped his sleeve.  

“…Ian.”  

“Say it.”  

“You won’t leave me…?”  

Looking at Noah, who murmured the words with a hint of worry, Ian chuckled softly.  

Brushing her slightly damp hair to the side, he gently stroked her head.  

“I won’t.”  

“Really?”  

“Of course.”  

“Until when?”  

“Until the end of this world.”  

Hearing that, Noah smiled, reassured, and fell into a deep sleep.  

After watching her peaceful breathing for a moment, Ian stepped out and immediately called for a maid.  

“Did you call, sir?”  

“I think Noah has a fever. Please bring some medicine.”  

“Understood.”  

With a polite nod, the maid excused herself to prepare. 

Ian lingered for a moment, glancing back at Noah’s room before finally heading back to his own.  

***

Meanwhile…

[I like you, Ian.] 

“Ugh—!”  

Noah shot up from the bed, her eyes wide.  

Sweat clung to her body, soaking her clothes. The cold sweat had chased away her fever, leaving her feeling slightly chilled. But that was the least of her concerns.  

“…Ah, ah—ah—ah—ah—!”  

Recalling the words she had mumbled to Ian before falling asleep, Noah stomped her feet in embarrassment, running frantically around the bed.  

Humiliating. Embarrassing. Unbearable!  

A complex mix of emotions surged through her, sending shivers down her spine. It felt as if ants were crawling all over her body.  

“What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!”  

How would Ian see her now? No—how was she supposed to face Ian tomorrow?  

After agonizing over it for a long time, her eyes finally landed on a glass of water and a small container beside the bed.  

“…This.”  

It was medicine. Only then did she realize she still had a mild headache and fever.  

Who had left it for her? There was only one possible answer.  

Ian. Ian Clark.  

“…Ian.”  

Even though he hadn’t said anything, he had taken care of her in his own way.  

Feeling a slight warmth in her chest, she downed the bitter medicine in one gulp. The taste was awful, making her frown, but at the same time, it was strangely sweet—sweet because it carried Ian’s consideration.  

“…I like him.”  

She could no longer hide this feeling.  

Gazing at the moon in the night sky, Noah silently prayed that Ian would come to feel the same way.  

***

Elsewhere…

“Summoner, do you know you’re absolute trash?”  

“…What now?”  

Ian, who was enjoying a bath in the large bathhouse with his summons, frowned as Empress shot a glare at him.  

This time, however, it wasn’t just Empress. Theresia and Anna chimed in as well.  

“Yes, Master,” Theresia scoffed. “What kind of lunatic tries to have both? If you’re a man, you should pick just one!”  

“If I did that, I’d have been beheaded by the Emperor by now,” Ian retorted.  

“Sometimes, men have to risk their lives for some important things,” Theresia declared, crossing her arms. Though she was actually a girl, she had a habit of giving advice as if she were a battle-hardened man.  

Of course, no matter what she said, Ian had no intention of following her advice. His life was the most precious thing to him—why would he throw it away, even for love?  

“Poor Noah, completely unaware…” Empress muttered with a smirk. “She was probably touched, thinking you were the one who prepared the medicine the maid gave her.”  

“…No, that’s not it,” Ian said firmly, shaking his head.  

There was no way Noah would fall for him just because of something like that…right?